Happy Hour

by Elissa Bass

KK Rhinehart finds an unfamiliar iPhone in her husband’s car, and what she discovers on it ends her 25-year marriage. At the age of 55, and already feeling wrecked physically and mentally by menopause, she’s ready to give up. Desperate to hide, she retreats to her family’s Cape Cod summer beach house in the off-season.

But KK’s two siblings and her two closest friends refuse to let her waste away on the couch. Their over-the-top support ranges from makeovers to hot yoga. Then, she meets bartender Jay. With beautiful eyes and big hands, KK calls the much younger man “Surfer Guy” and can barely string a sentence together around him, but what she thinks is a one-sided, silly crush turns into intense interest from Jay.

KK might be able to find her joy again, but before that happens, she must navigate viral TikTok videos, a national debate on reverse age-gap dating, heartbreaking loss, and a whole lot of kitchen dancing. In this hilarious, inspirational take on love with a younger man, mid-life changes have never been this much fun.

306 pages, Hardcover

Published April 10, 2024

About the author

Bass’ characters are lovable, complicated and flawed…which is to say, deeply human. Snappy prose and cleverly crafted plot lines elevate the rom-com tropes, striking the perfect balance between the laugh-out-loud funny and the heart-wrenchingly sad. ... In this heartfelt tribute to love and loss, Bass vividly captures aging, fresh starts, and the sort of ride-or-die friendships everyone wishes they had. Readers looking for a good laugh or cry (or both) in this fizzy page-turner won’t be disappointed. Sizzling, sharp, and hilarious.
~ Kirkus Reviews

“HAPPY HOUR is a sparkling novel with one of the bravest, most fascinating heroines you'll ever meet. Elissa Bass has created indelible characters, psychologically rich and true. She writes with wit and irony, with an open heart, and with the ability to make this poignant story in a seductive seaside setting read like a thriller. I couldn't stop turning the pages, and I'll admit that I was beaming through tears more than once. HAPPY HOUR has just become one of my favorite novels!"
~ Luanne Rice, NYT bestselling author

"Effervescent, poignant and full of hard-won humor, Elissa Bass’s HAPPY HOUR is everything you want from a summer (or fall, winter, spring) read. You’ll finish the last page with the warm glow of a 'happy hour' well spent, but not soon forgotten."
~ Megan Abbott, NYT bestselling author of DARE ME and THE TURNOUT

Reviews

[dianas_books_cars_coffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this debut! I thought it was such a great story, and it was SO good!

KK Rhinehart's 25-year marriage has just come to an end. She's 55 and heartbroken. Menopause has already wrecked havoc in her life, now a divorce. She decides to move to her family's summer house in Cape Cod. As much as she'd love to wallow on the couch in her self-pity, her brother and sister, along with her two best friends, won't let her. Providing her with makeovers, taking her to hot yoga, and even getting her to go to happy hour. Happy hour is where she meets the hot bartender surfer, Jay, who happens to be way younger! But their attraction seems to be instant. She doesn't quite understand what Jay sees in her, but she's just looking to have fun. Can Jay make her see that he really does want to be with her?

Told in the dual POV of KK and Jay, this book was fantastic! It was not your typical romance, it was so much more! It seriously had me feeling all the emotions. There was even a part that made me ugly cry! I loved that KK was 55, post menopausal, and talked about her struggles with it. I seriously adored all the characters. This book was totally bingeable and highly entertaining. It was even a little spicy! I HIGHLY recommend adding this one to your TBR ASAP!

[Gregory A. Otis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe Bars ARE the best place to find true love.

Full disclosure, I know the author (not well, we went to college together) and only learned of this book at a college reunion. I decided to read the book out of collegial collegiality and completely expected the book to be unreadable. But boy was I wrong!

So this book checks alot of boxes: fun to read, endearing characters, a couple of life crises, realistic dialogue and extremely well concieved, crafted and executed. I could not stop turning the pages.

But what I loved most was the courage. One needs bravery to take a chance on love after betrayal. Especially with an unlikely paramour. Reminds all of us that (win or lose) love is always worth taking a chance on.

Happy Hour is enchanting, wonderfully written and guaranteed to provide many "happy hours" of reading.

[Sean Elliot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever heard of a "reverse age-gap menapause romance"? I had not. Goodness knows romance, bodice-rippers, spicey lit, whatever you prefer, is NOT my genre. So, full disclosure, I read this because the author is a friend and former co-worker from my newspaper days. Now, I would give Elissa's journalism five-stars pretty much every time, so perhaps I'm grade-inflating a little. As I have so little experience in the romance genre I cannot even pretent to offer authoritative critique on how Happy Hour lands among its "peers" ... but, I am well-read enough to tell you that Elissa has written what, at least to me, is much more than a piece of genre-fiction. I don't know as I ever would have expected Elissa to have this sort of novel in her, and yet she clearly did/does. Happy hour is so much more than a titilating little tale of a May-December romance, it's a truly emotionally engaging story of friendship and relationships, and growing up and growing older. From her protagonist, KK, to the younger man, Jay, and KK's friends and family, we get a roster of well-developed characters the reader really wants to get to know and follow. The setting, a New England beach town in winter, is entirely relatable to all of us who've lived in, or near one, and will be very intersting to all those who have only been there in the summer and wonder a little of what life might be there the other nine-months of the year. Everyone has relatable foibles, and everyone feels believeable and relatable in a way that draws the reader in and keeps the pages turning, and the tears flowing. If you see Happy Hour shelved with the romances, or just see it described in that way, and you would not normally pick it up, spare yourself the eventual regret and pick it up now. If this hardcore sci-fi/fantasy reader enjoys it, then it's accessible well beyond any genre expectations. Whether a sequel is coming, or if Elissa is going to try another tack for her next novel, I'll be ready to give it a read!

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sexy romance novel with post menopausal woman in the lead role? Yup. This surprising debut also features memorable characters, chronicles deep friendships, and explores the way your viewpoint can shift and the freedom you can discover as you age. It's set in off-season Cape Cod, so if you live anywhere with a tourist season, you can relate to the setting. Also, it's laugh-out-loud funny. Truly a treat.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved. Loved. This book.

[pamela becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book on a long international flight. It was great. I could relate to the 50 year old menopausal main character. It was such a powerful story of friendship and love. Highly recommend.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an enjoyable and easy read! I fell in love with all the characters and loved learning each of their back stories. What an excellent first book for this author and can’t wait for more!

[Rachel Harlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laughed, almost cried …loved it!

[Layalllll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun and hot read!

[Manya Jennings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughtfully written with lovable characters. Thank you for talking about Menopause! Such an important subject to bring awareness to.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It's an easy read, with characters you'd want as friends. They take you on an emotional roller coaster-there are sections that will make you laugh out loud and parts that will make you sob. The novel shows how lifelong friends, romance, heartbreak, and menopause impact the lives of the characters and how, through it all, they have each other's back. There's also a hot surfer guy thrown in. At the novels finish, I wanted more.

[Ann Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun easy read from a local CT author we met at the Old Wethersfield Book Walk.

[KPod · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic! It is not your typical Romance at all, it is so funny, so engaging, so relatable. It will make you laugh throughout and perhaps like me, rip your heart out and stomp it on the floor at least a few times too. I definitely give this book five stars and recommend it whole heartedly.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing, inspiring and emotional book! One of my favorite novels, and hard to believe it is the author's first book; must be her family background and an excellent college education 😉
The story of KK and her tribe of friends had me laughing and crying throughout the story, sometimes at the same time.
My heart is full, and I will treasure this book- almost as much as the writer.

[Jennifer Dobbs ☮️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A main character who is post-menopausal. She is sexual, scared, brave, loving and human. Thank you!! A story with fear, love, great sex, loss and friendship. Everything that life throws at us. Great read!

[Rachel Feddersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun! Smart, warm, sometimes sizzling(!). Highly recommend for your next beach read.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Long-time friendships, loyalty, menopause, love, sex and humor. All the ingredients for a great read. Can’t wait for her next book.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I laughed out loud. Super quick, fun read, especially for women of a certain age.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book!!! - finally an over 50 female character that I can relate to. KK is the friend I want to have around when the shit hits the fan.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book just hits right. I love the menopausal main character KK, who just puts her (peri-)menopausal self out there. It’s such a refreshing version of a 45+ (technically 54, but let’s be honest, things start going sideways at 45) year old woman. Also this isn’t your typical romance move and there are so many more layers here that make this book so worth your time. Unfortunately, that time wasn’t very long bc I ran through this book in 2 days. I have always know Elissa was a talented writer, but this book is so much more than I was expecting!

[Danielle B · Rating 4 out of 5]

HAPPY HOUR was a very fun read! I enjoyed the characters, especially KK who was a middle aged woman that was trying to start her life over. The setting of Cape Cod had me interested right away, since this is a place that I always wanted to visit. This one had all the feels. You may need a few tissues, but you will also laugh out loud at certain parts. I really enjoyed this unique romance story!

Many thanks to Elissa Bass for my gifted copy.

This review will be shared to my Instagram account (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the future.

[Lisa Franco · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more I read this debut novel, the deeper I became hooked! Bass has captured the essence of each character so well, you want to know more about them as the story progresses. The best part was I got to read it on the Cape, where the story takes place. A very enjoyable, hard to put down book! Looking forward to her next one and would love to read more about what happened to the characters after the final chapter.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Happy Hour" is one of those rare books that grabs you unexpectedly and immerses you in a world many of us can deeply relate to. I laughed out loud, cried and found myself cheering for the characters at every turn. Elissa's storytelling is captivating, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book! would recommend it to anyone. it was so refreshing to have a fifty-something menopausal woman as the main character. the friendships in the story are just as engaging as the love story too. it was all just wonderful.

[Susan Kietzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

For your beach bag this summer, tuck in your towel and sunscreen, maybe a hat and some snacks, and a copy of Elissa Bass's Happy Hour. Enjoy!

[Kristy Bassilakis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a stunning debut novel from Elissa and OMG page 96! So looking forward to the next one!

[Ramona Townsend · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet story about friends and love

Nice read about love and true friendship. Easy read for a vacation. Would recommend to anyone for an easy enjoyable read.

[Jessica Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. Following kk as she navigates a new life after finding out her husband of 25 years was cheating on her. What seems like something she can't possibly get over it helps her understand a lot of things about herself as we follow her along her grief and new found love in a younger man. This book had me laughing and then crying then laughing again. I loved Kk and definitely recommend this book. And also may now be dealing with things by dancing it out.