Recipe for a Happy Life

by Brenda Janowitz

Hannah Goodman isn’t like everyone else. Her mother, Gray, is an award-winning photojournalist with little time for the banalities of caring for a child, so she's mostly raised by her grandmother—a glamorous widow known for her charm, as well as the fact that she’s been married nearly as many times as Elizabeth Taylor. Despite her mother's great wealth, Gray is determined that Hannah resist the siren song of the trust fund set, and make her own way in the world.  And Hannah did just that—becoming a lawyer in New York City. Hannah has it all, or so it seems, until one hot June day when the carefully constructed pieces of her life break apart. That’s when she seeks solace at her grandmother's Hamptons estate. And that’s when she learns that there's more than one recipe for perfection. Fast-paced, charming, and full of heart, Recipe for a Happy Life sweeps you into a world in which fabulous beach-front cocktail parties are a regular occurrence, and the cure for social awkwardness is a perfectly-placed quip, but the boy in the mansion next door might just turn out to be the one thing that keeps you grounded when reality sets in. A memorable story about one memorable summer.

A grand dame rules over three generations of women from her Hamptons estate, and her granddaughter realizes that the recipe for a happy life may be very different from her family's expectations

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Womens Fiction, Romance, Adult Fiction, Adult, Summer Reads

337 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 2, 2013

About the author

Brenda is the author of eight novels, including THE GRACE KELLY DRESS, which has been optioned for film by Hallmark/ Crown Media, and THE AUDREY HEPBURN ESTATE, which was chosen as the Reader’s Choice by the CBS New York Book Club with Mary Calvi. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Real Simple, The Sunday Times (UK), Salon, Redbook, USA Today, Bustle, The Forward, the New York Post, Publisher’s Weekly, Hello Giggles, Writer’s Digest Magazine, WritersDigest.com, and xojane. She is the former Books Correspondent for PopSugar.

Brenda attended Cornell University and Hofstra Law School, where she was a member of the Law Review. Upon graduation from Hofstra, worked for the law firm Kaye Scholer, LLP, and did a federal clerkship with the Honorable Marilyn Dolan Go, United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of New York.

Reviews

[Annissa Joy Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was immediately drawn into the world of Hannah! She is in her 30s and her job and relationship with Jamie are quickly going South!! Hannah retreats to the Hamptons to be with her grandmother, Vivienne. Her grandmother loves to have parties and do a little matchmaking too!! Nate is an attorney from Hannah’s past and she is not a fan. Will he be able to change her mind??

This summer will be a time of forgiveness, growth, love, new beginnings and so much more!! I loved this read and am a huge Janowitz fan!! Can’t wait to read her new book in April 2023..The Audrey Hepburn Estate!!!

[Julie Hanselman · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 and a half stars, maybe. It was contrived... The main character acted more like she was 20, than 34 years old. One of those books that I knew everything would fall into place, even as I knew the author wanted me to believe, otherwise. A few parts touched me, but more annoyed me...

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light story about three generations of women and the love and secrets they share. It was a light hearted read and just what the doctor ordered for some convalescing I am doing. Relaxing and fun!

[Jill Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book that doesn't take the easy way out. Made me think "what would I do in that situation?"

[Pam Jenoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven't yet discovered Janowitz's humorous and heartening family tales, you are missing out. This one is about Hannah, a successful attorney who had an unorthodox Upper Eastside childhood with her career-driven photojournalist mother. When her career and her relationship with her musician boyfriend fall apart, Hannah retreats to the Hamptons estate of her six-time married grandmother, Vivienne. With the help of her grandmother, Hannah examines the pieces of her life and forges ahead on her own unique path to happiness. Delightful!

[Mary B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun easy read. I liked the characters.

[Estelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted on Rather Be Reading Blog

Recipe for a Happy Life contains so many of the details I love to read about: the Hamptons, complicated grandmother/mother/ daughter relationships, and a perfect pinch of romance to spice things up.

Hannah is at her wit’s end when her boyfriend’s mother accuses her of trying to kill her boyfriend (it was a mistake! he’s alive!) and runs off to the comfort of her grandmother. Never being close with her always on the go, legendary photographer mother, Hannah finds comfort in her glamorous and generous grandmother (who has been married multiple times) and though she never feels like she can live up to her grandmother’s expectations, she is happy to be in her presence. (Even if this means attending parties she doesn’t want to go to and being dressed up in expensive clothes.)

As you can probably guess, Hannah’s hope for a “no drama” few months in the Hamptons is anything but. When she bumps into Nate, a guy she went to law school with and pretty much loathes, she can’t seem to get rid of him and soon realizes, maybe she doesn’t really want to. Then there’s her mother’s visit, countless frosty interactions and a hidden family secret that comes to the surface and threatens to break bonds just as more bad news comes crashing down.

It may seem like a lot (and it is, for one summer) but Janowitz balances all of the unfortunate news with some vibrant supporting characters like the charming Nate, rock star Jaime, and teenaged Hunter who injects a certain amount of innocence and comedy into these pages. I swear, his character is so memorable and I loved how Hunter and Hannah formed an unlikely (but much needed for both) bond during this summer. Janowitz’s attention to her secondary characters truly made Recipe for a Happy Life stand out amongst other beachy dramas.

This book was practically burning a hole in my bag. Every time I had to put it down, I couldn’t wait for the next free moment when I could pick it up again. All of the life-altering events that occur during Hannah’s summer seem so necessary to her growth as a person and also assisted her in letting go of old prejudices she had held onto for years. By the end of the book, she is more independent, more understanding of her family, and also has a clearer focus on what she wants for the future.

I am officially a Brenda Janowitz fan!

[Jamie Brenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this novel. I fell into Hannah's world so completely that I miss her this morning. The setting (Hamptons at its most luxe), the characters -- a glamorous, wise, generous grandmother that I fell in love with, a broken 30-something heroine who has hit a wall in her life, a flawed mother who reminded me a little too much of my own, and a love interest to root for. (Please excuse the poor grammar in this review -- I'm a bit excited) It's a perfect summer read, and a pretty perfect read, period.

[Hazel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was simply put awful! The main protagonist was in her mid 30's but acted and was treated as though she was a teenager, don't even get me started on her letting a 14 year old drink, or the time the 14 year old was allowed to drive, the main protagonist is supposed to be a lawyer!! This book was so far out there and not in a good way.

[MaryNell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice diversion. Predictable events but amusing characters.

[Rose Blum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful reading :) Truly a feel good book!!!!!

[Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy pool/beach read. Predictable but not a waste of time.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book SO much! It was great fun, but not a comical story. I loved the characters and their connections to one another which changed and/or grew substantially over the summer on the Hamptons where the story is set. Take one non-traditional, very wealthy, Jewish grandma (I had one like that and one very traditional one) who has, in this case, been widowed a multitude of time, and add her thirty something granddaughter to the mix for one incredible summer at a grand estate on the Hamptons. The granddaughter, Hannah, has been widowed and found herself temporarily banned from her law firm, and broken up with by her boyfriend. She seeks guidance and solace in the midst of her grandmother who has been a huge influence on her, and helped to raise her because Hannah's mother, Grace, who calls herself "Gray," was constantly traveling the world as photo journalist. The characters who become a big part of Hannah's life that summer are wonderfully delightful, especially Nate Sugarman, whom Hannah knew from her days working as a lawyer in the city, and whom she detests. He reminds her of all the other prep school boys she knew when she attended a prep school to which her grandmother paid to send her. There are big surprises in wait for Hannah. I loved the descriptions of the parties she and her grandmother attended, as well as imagining the taste of the incredible meals they consumed. All I can say is READ this book as soon as humanly possible. Hannah learns, from her grandmother, the recipe for a happy life. Readers just might do the same!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had this book on my Kindle forever. I am always adding so many books that I often overlook the ones I bought beforehand. I really don't know why I hadn't read this one because I absolutely adore Brenda Janowitz's writing. I have never been disappointed in any of them and they always leave me with all the feels.

I loved this family! Hannah seems to be kind of drifting and after a disastrous almost murder of her boyfriend, she finds her refuge with her grandmother in the Hamptons. Her grandmother has been married and widowed six times over but never gives up on love. As the summer progresses, things start to shift and people are added into the equation, including Hannah's mother Gray, who comes home and challenges Hannah's world. Secrets are revealed. Parties are given. There is the sweet love stories and the bonds of family which had me teary and joyful. It is just all round a good read. I want to summer in the Hamptons now!

[Sherrie Howey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hamptons is the perfect setting for this book and the interesting family dynamics. While it focuses on relationships, none of them are easy in this book which is one of the reasons I was so engrossed in this novel.
I particularly loved the relationship between Hannah and her grandmother. I really enjoyed Hannah's relationship with Hunter and Skylar. While some difficult subjects are addressed in this book, I really enjoyed it and was sorry to see it end.

[Suzanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is for people who enjoy…stereotypes, cliches, flat characterizations, endings where literally everything is tied up neatly, a light romance where some drama is thrown in for flair, and predictability in their dream reading choices. Oh, who believes two mid-30’s professional people can really be good friends with two 14 year olds and double date together on multiple occasions??? Two stars because the story itself flows decently and isn’t stilted.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, easy read about a young woman who is at a crossroads in her life and runs away to her grandmother who has always been “her person” over the course of a summer in Southampton, Hannah’s life makes a complete turn and she learns that the recipe for happiness is part sugar, part bitter, part love and part friendship.

[Anna Dalvi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received this book from the author at the Cornell Reunion, 2015.

It's not my normal genre, but an easy to read, feel good, romantic, "how to have a happy life"-book. Really quick read, and entertaining enough.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was sort of a "what's the point" book for me. A silly plot line, not especially likeable characters and an un-relatable setting. Also, unnecessary/offensive profanity (although fairly rare). No explicit sex but too much talk about sex.

[Dixie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Good easy read that kept me interested.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ the ending was what I expected for the most part, good beach/relaxing on the deck read

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a summer read that will keep you wanting to take a walk on the beach. Fun characters - the grandmother is my favorite & if Nate could just be my neighbor life would be great.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book found me - it was a Blind Date with a Book pick up at a bookstore and it couldn't have been a better match. A perfect summer book about love and loss, and mothers and daughters.

[Tressa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Recipe for a Happy Life. I liked how Vivienne, Hannah, and Gray reconnected.

[Jeannie Layton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a good summer read !

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book!

[Joanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book about a girl with a rich grandmother and a sad backstory. If you like the escapism of wealth in the Hamptons, this books is for you. Others beware.

[Karen]

Fun surprise read in Siesta Key.

[Izzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very engaging women's fiction! i enjoyed it.