If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia
I, on the other hand, don’t–at all–have anything figured out.
Trust me, I didn’t think taking over my mom’s dream bed and breakfast in Copper Run Vermont was going to be easy. It should be a good place to heal after my divorce. But apparently my scones belong in the garbage with my small talk skills. As pointed out by none other than Cliff.
Cliff is inescapable. He knows exactly what people need–always. His charm, the way he wears flannel, and even his pastries, make not wanting to be friends with Cliff and his daughters pretty hard.
Friends? I can make friends. That’s safe.
Except I’m leaving in three months to pass the inn off to my little sister and get the promotion in Seattle I’ve been working towards.
So ask me why I’m thinking about kissing my hot neighbor.
Review: A huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an ARC of this book!
"Copper Run smells like crunching leaves and breezes that bite. There's a hint of something warm in the air too - baked bread of some kind. Maybe a pie or biscuits in the oven."
Even before I get to the plot, the vibes from this book were everything! This story allows you to step right back into fall 1997. I also love that the author has provided a curated playlist at the beginning of the book, which provided the perfect nineties soundtrack to enjoy while reading this book. That, combined with the descriptive element to the writing that provides the sights, sounds, and even smells of a smalltown in the fall of that time period, this felt so completely immersive in the best way. "I pull my cropped cardigan closer to my chest. The square smells like apple pies and hay. Crunching leaves and maple syrup:" The author was not exaggerating when she described her book as 'Gilmore Girls' meets 'When Harry Met Sally.'
I loved the second chance element of this book, where both of the characters have left marriages where they weren't super appreciated or seen for themselves. This is also a reverse grumpy sunshine trope, with the friendly boy next door (in this case the single dad), bringing out the best in the sort of stilted and socially uncomfortable Michelle. Cliff was truly everything I want in a MMC - from his floppy nineties hair to the flannel sleeves rolled over his veiny forearms and on to the endless baked goods and the immense love he shows to his two daughters. I loved his backstory, with his having become a dad as a teenager, and the way this has shaped his life in mostly positive ways in the long run.
Such a charming love story. But a warning that it WILL make you crave fall, baked goods, and make you nostalgic for the seeming simplicity of life in the nineties.
Stars: 4.5
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