Perfect Happiness: A Poignant Story of a Mother, Daughter, and a Marriage Coming Undone

by Kristyn Kusek Lewis

From the beloved author of Half of What You Hear, a perceptive and poignant novel about a woman discovering that her expertise can only get her so far in matters of the heart. Charlotte McGanley knows happiness. Just ask anyone who’s read Perfect Happiness, her bestselling book about how she, a busy mother and professor, used her no-nonsense positive psychology research to brighten her own life. She always pictured her career beginning and ending in the halls of academia, but now she’s become a bit of a self-help guru. No one is more surprised by this than Charlotte herself, who has secretly never been more miserable.

Though her husband of many years, Jason, is her partner in all things, she finds more gratification most evenings in a glass (or three) of Chardonnay or another scroll through her Instagram feed. Meanwhile, their daughter, Birdie, is feeling the pressure of being her high school’s star tennis player, keeping up her GPA, and having her first boyfriend—and Charlotte, despite all her expertise, has no idea how to help her.

As Charlotte preaches the gospel of happiness to her undergraduate students, audiences across the country, and her own online followers, she’s faced with some tough What is happiness when the family you’ve nurtured starts to fall apart in front of your eyes? When your daughter seems determined to self-destruct? When the man you thought you’d spend the rest of your life with—and took for granted because of it—gets fed up? When all of the tools that you push to your loyal followers just don’t seem to work?

In this bittersweet family love story, Kristyn Kusek Lewis explores how easy it is to lose connection with the people closest to us, and what happens when we try to find our way back.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Family, Womens Fiction, Ebooks, Audiobook

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 9, 2020

About the author

Kristyn Kusek Lewis is the bestselling author of Half of What You Hear, Save Me and How Lucky You Are. Kristyn’s latest novel, Perfect Happiness, will be published by HarperCollins on June 9, 2020.

In addition to her fiction work, Kristyn regularly writes the “Books” page for Real Simple magazine. She is a former magazine editor at publications including Glamour and Child, and is a well-established freelance writer who has written for dozens of publications over the past twenty-five years. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, O: The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Reader’s Digest, Glamour, Self, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Parents, Allure, Good Housekeeping, Cooking Light, Health, Men’s Health, the New York Daily News, and many more.

Kristyn is a graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts, where she earned an MFA in creative writing, and the College of the Holy Cross. She lives in the Washington, D.C. area with her family.

Connect with me on social media!
Instagram: @kristynkuseklewis
FB: facebook.com/kristynkuseklewisauthor
Twitter: @kkuseklewis

Reviews

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cover! Gorgeous! I read Kristyn Kusek Lewis’ Half of What You Hear last year and really enjoyed it. I think I loved Perfect Happiness even more.

Charlotte is an author whose job it is to write about happiness, so she better be happy, right?! She’s a mom and professor studying positive psychology, so she knows all there is to know about work-life balance. But can she put it into practice for herself when she’s not happy?

Charlotte finds herself glued to Instagram with a glass of wine rather than socializing with her husband. Her daughter needs her help, and Charlotte doesn’t know where to begin. It has her questioning, what is happiness, really?

Oh, this was so good and poignant, so thought-provoking. I never tire of these relatable stories where women seek the balance of work and life and ... social media. The author does an exceptional job handling the social media aspects.

Overall, I loved this book, and it opened my eyes to some things I can think and do differently. I think we an all agree we aren’t going to find happiness on social media, and some of us are searching to find it within ourselves.

I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

[Kasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous, beautifully told story of a marriage, parenthood, career and addiction. From page one you are drawn into the book and it is hard, impossible almost, to stop reading it. I mean, how can you stop when you have this special connection with the main character and her whole world is about to collapse? I was so invested that I was praying that it will have a happy ending (which I usually find trivial and unsatisfying). I love that it talks about how social media can be damaging, how the "mommy juice" culture is actually a trap, how easy it is to disconnect with your life when you are focusing on only one aspect of it. There are so many layers, so many amazing characters and suggestive scenes that reading this book was a pure pleasure. Thank you for an ARC copy of this book! I will treasure it and re-read it frequently.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kristyn Kusek Lewis is a talented author who has strong use of dialogue and detail in all her novels, bringing them to life in a genuine way. Her latest, Perfect Happiness is another example of her storytelling skill.

Overall, the story was interesting and even had a Desperate Housewives feel at times. Kristyn makes good points about how things on the outside aren't always the same as they are on the inside. I was able to relate in terms of having a teenager close in age to Birdie (even though mine is a boy) and living in the DC area. Charlotte's mom was so obnoxious and I felt bad for her with having to deal with such a personality. I would have liked to hear Birdie's narrative, as having a teen's perspective really worked well with Kristyn's previous novel, Half of What You Hear.

The thing that made me give this novel four stars is that the topic was cliché and used too much in novels. (Someone looking like they have a perfect life, when they really don't.) While Kristyn enhanced it in some ways, I was hoping for something that hasn't been done yet. I still felt it was a worthwhile read and look forward to whatever she comes up with next.

Movie casting suggestions:
Charlotte: Ashley Scott
Jason: Steve Howey
Birdie: Kerri Medders
Reese: Scott Speedman
Jamie: Michelle Monaghan

[Tammy Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

Predictable and abrupt ending where all of the sudden the the main characters decide to change. For such a heavy storyline, I would have liked to have seen the struggle to change.

[Novel Grounds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a regular genre for me but I did enjoy it. I read it over the past few weeks and it was one that I am happy to have on my shelves.

Charlottes story was one that was all too relatable. As a wife and mother I felt for her. I related to a lot of what she felt while I was reading and I loved the fact that the author made her a real person to me as I read.
She spent the book working through things we all hope we don't have to deal with but more often than not, we do.

A story as sweet as it was heart hurting. This is not a lovey dove romance. This is a perfect women's fiction done in a beautiful way. Kudos.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this authentic, relatable novel! I enjoyed this take on the dark sides of social media and how it’s influence can affect your life. As a middle aged wife and mom, this was a completely relatable book for me. I enjoyed the characters and cringed along with them when they screwed up. I found myself rooting for this family as I was completely invested. My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is such a good example of how things are not always as they appear. How we tend to put on an appearance for the world, while we are truly unhappy inside, at work, or at home. It begs the question of what is happiness, or what makes you happy? Sometimes you don’t realize what that is until it’s gone.

Charlotte McGanley is an expert on happiness. She’s written the bestselling book 𝒫𝑒𝓇𝒻𝑒𝒸𝓉 𝐻𝒶𝓅𝓅𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈. She’s also a professor of psychology, her large Instagram following loves her positive, upbeat posts, and she gives seminars all over the country on, you guessed it, happiness.

Life at home shows a different picture. She and her husband haven’t been on the same page for a while now, especially when it comes to their daughter. Birdie, only fourteen and a freshman in high school, is beginning to cave to the pressure of being a teen. Charlotte, even with all her expertise, has no idea how to be there for her daughter. She can't see that her work, devotion to loyal fans, and maybe her one too many glasses of wine are destroying what was once a happy home.

I appreciate that this story sheds some light on the use of social media, and what we “put out there.” It reminds us to check our priorities and what is important in life. Asking, what are we giving our time to? If you enjoy family dramas or stories about finding your way back to each other, then make sure you add this one to your reading list.

Thank you to @harperperennial for this advanced copy. Get your copy today!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Harper Paperbacks for an advance copy for honest review!

Kristyn Kusek Lewis's new book focuses on the daily life and drama hiding behind public personas and online presences. It takes a serious look at the impact of the mommy drinking culture (there is a scene towards the end that both made me cringe and pulled at my heartstrings) and on letting our stress build. Family and communication are at the heart of this story and this novel definitely had me thinking about my relationship with positivity culture.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Positive Psychologist Charlotte McGanley has a PhD in "happiness" and lives a seemingly charmed life with her seemingly perfect family in an upscale DC suburb. She is a well-to-do, best selling author, teaches a popular course on happiness at a prestigious university, is married to a caring husband, and has a talented teenage tennis-phenom daughter. She also has throngs of doting Instagram followers who hang on her every glittering, positive post.

Of course, things aren't always what they seem, and Charlotte's glossy, saccharine Instagram posts are just a facade on the pressure and stress that punctuate her real life. In reality, she's stretched much too thin, her marriage is suffering, and her daughter is struggling to adjust to the social hierarchy of high school and is dating a douchey sophomore kid from an uber-rich and status-focused family. Charlotte tries to manage her mounting Imposter's syndrome by projecting an image of "Perfect Happiness" while throwing back glass after glass of wine...which of course just makes things worse.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and finished it in just a few days. I could easily envision the book as a movie, with Reese Witherspoon playing Charlotte, Candace Bergen playing her mom, and Vince Vaughan playing Finch (I'm still working on the rest of the casting - ha!). And, I can certainly relate to the pressure of having to appear one way but feeling another way completely and trying to live up to unrealistic standards. Can't we all? (Thanks, pressures of dominant culture!) However, there were some characters I would have liked to hear more about, like the anonymous woman who Charlotte interacts with on Instagram. And there were some serious topics, like Charlotte's drinking (in 2020, women struggling with alcohol is skyrocketing) that seemed worth more reflection and attention than ultimately given.

There were also a few points in the book where I had to pause and ask myself "Wait -- Have I read this book before?" Then, I realized that one of the plot lines reminded me so much of a thread in Emily Griffin's book, "All We Ever Wanted" (same genre). And, I couldn't help but compare and contrast the two books and how they addressed that similar topic and theme.

I give this book a solid 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. It was a fun and relatable escape with a relatively obvious (but important!) lesson on taking life as it comes, with its highs and lows, finding joy in the every day moments, and following our inner compass. I'd definitely read other books by this author.

[tristny (tristnyreads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Perfect Happiness" follows Charlotte Mcganley: a mother and author that is known for being happy, as reflected in her bestselling book, "Perfect Happiness". She travels often, to keep up with the press as well as professing classes and being a busy mother through it all. Through what the media sees, if anyone is expected to a happy life, it's her. But that may not be the case in her household. Charlotte turns to wine as her coping method as her husband of many years starts to detach from her, and her 14-year-old tennis prodigy daughter explores high school and boys rebelliously. Despite Charlotte's so-called expertise on happiness, she has no idea how to piece her family back together.

This was a rollercoaster of a book. When Charlottegets confronted by her husband about her disappearing presence in the family, Charlotte doesn't take the news a good way and worries about how the media would think of her if they saw Charlotte: The happy lady, having a not so happy life at home. On top of that, her 14-year-old daughter who is starting out highschool starts wanting to explore parties and boys more than she used to. Sneaking out and seeing a boy that she does not approve of is something Charlotte handled very poorly with her daughter in my opinion. She seemed to be very "helicoptery" as I would say, she never listened to her daughter and just overreacted at the littlest things. Charlotte was just a character I couldn't like but I'm sure that was part of the book's intentions which was to show her develop into a person that worried less about what people think of her. The book ended rather abruptly, it felt like there was so much drama and then it stopped so quickly and the book wrapped up in less in than 8 pages. It just finished and didn't wrap up completely and was missing something. Nonetheless, the book ends off on a sweet moment where Charlotte deletes her social media and focuses on her family and realizes that she's supposed to be living happy for her family, not for the media.

Overall, this book had tons of drama and was also a book of self discovery that taught us that we need to be living for ourselves, not for the opinion of others. I'd recommend for any readers looking a story about finding our way back to the people that we love.

[Melanie Sligh · Rating 5 out of 5]

⁣
I have a 4 year old and 1 month old girl. I feel if you’re raising strong girls into women, you need to read this. It’s so relatable with social media and the pressures they deal with as a sub plot. ⁣
⁣
It does take a bit for it to get into, but once you’re immersed in the plot, it stays. Perfect Happiness is about how you can be so consumed with life and not see what you’re missing out on that’s right in front of you. You should stop and see it before it’s too late.⁣
⁣
Thank you Harper Perennial for the gifted copy. 5 stars ⭐️ ⁣

[Vicki (MyArmchairAdventures) · Rating 4 out of 5]

PERFECT HAPPINESS is the story of Charlotte, an esteemed professor and author who teaches Happiness and uses social media obsessively to promote her brand and image. Meanwhile, her personal life including her teenage daughter, Birdie’s, struggles with the drama of freshman year of high school, and her strained marriage to Jason are anything but happy. So why does she feel forced to hide those things that appear less than happy and gloss over to only portray the picture perfect moments? Sound familiar my fellow social media users? 😉

A solid read and completely relatable!
Also how about that beautiful cover of lilacs? Notice the dead rot hanging hidden underneath?

[Cayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda the opposite of happiness, but I guess that was the point!

[Ashlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating this 3 because of the abrupt ending. Otherwise good story

[Mollypputnam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Drivel

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to @harperperennial and @kristynkuseklewis for this early copy of Perfect Happiness! It releases today, June 9.
Charlotte McGanley is quite literally the expert on happiness. She’s written a book about it, and she’s a professor specializing in it. But she has never been more miserable. What does happiness truly mean when her perfect life is slowly disintegrating before her eyes?
I really enjoyed this novel. I was able to closely identify with the protagonist, Charlotte—a mom with a teenage daughter, who is doing her best to juggle her marriage, parenting, career, and trying to keep on a happy face for all. I had more than one moment while reading this book where I said to myself, “wow, this is so me”. Being married for 16 years myself, I understand how difficult it can be to keep your marriage alive while parenting a 15 year old and a 12 year old. There never seems to be enough time in the day for everyone and everything —and throw in a job, and maintaining a house? It’s exhausting. I, too, battle with the need to always keep on a happy face and never let my internal struggles show.
This was my first novel by @kristenkuseklewis, but I will definitely look into her other work, because I thoroughly enjoyed Perfect Happiness. 4⭐️
Instagram: @wethermomreads

[Dakota Roos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book on goodreads give a ways !

This book is well written and feels like you could be living her life, it just wasn’t my style.

It is however a great read to remind you what’s important in life!

[Hope Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte has worked hard to get where she is in life: a PhD, a nice home, a smart and talented daughter she is able to provide many luxuries to and a loving husband. Oh, and tens of thousands of Instagram followers who follow her every word on finding happiness in their lives. As her social media fame grew, Charlotte became a minor celebrity with a book deal and motivational speaking engagements across the country. But as the speaking engagements increased and Charlotte is pressured for another book, she begins to realize that maybe what she has been preaching isn't what her own life really looks like.

I found Charlotte very irritating and self-righteous. It was hard to feel sorry for her as she wallowed in her famous life, luxury car and large home as her life fell apart. It was difficult to empathize with her as she couldn't understand why her daughter was getting into trouble at school why she kept arguing with her husband as she simultaneously downed a bottle of wine each evening a she packed for her next business trip. Fortunately for Charlotte, her daughter was able to walk back from the trouble she was flirting with, and her husband was a very patient and forgiving kind of guy.

Although I did not like Charlotte's character at all, I did like the overall point this book was making in that we get so caught up in busy lives, careers, and moving ahead and 'living the dream' that we sometimes forget ourselves and what is most important. No one can have everything, but people have to choose their own priorities. In Charlotte's case, she got so caught up in promoting happiness as a brand that she lost it in her own life.

[Pam Mooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring!

[Simone Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte, a college professor and recently famous author on a book about happiness, seems to have the perfect life...or does she? She displays a chipper demeanor on social media and with the outside world in general. Underneath it all, she is struggling with marital discord and raising a teenage daughter who is going through a rebellious phase. We not only get a look into Charlotte’s mind, but also her husband’s mind as they navigate through the crumbling foundation of their marriage. I was rooting for things to turn around and for them to work out their problems. There was a bit of a slow build but once the drama unfolded and one thing after another happened, I was hooked! I received an ARC from Harper Perennial in exchange for an honest review. I am extremely grateful to them and the author for the opportunity! If you are looking for contemporary fiction with drama, I would definitely recommend! However there are a few triggers, such as alcoholism, social media bullying and toxic parental experiences.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book by this author.

This is a story about a happiness expert whose life turned not happy as a result of her success. Some good perspectives on what an Instagram influencer’s life really looks like. It’s also a story about marriage in the middle, parenting teens, old loves and the work-life pendulum. I really loved this book and rated it 4.25🌟

[Kacie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"He knows it's different now, more voyeuristic and duplicitous, checking in to see what his wife is putting up, in this alternate online life that she leads, separate from him and their family. The thing is, it almost always confirms for him what he's already thinking in his ugliest moments. She is faking it." (page 109 in uncorrected proof).

...

"And what if my family life isn't perfect?" she says. "Perfectly happy?"

"Even better!" Wendy says. "Books are built on the backs of dysfunction!" (page 167 of uncorrected proof).

Charlotte is an expert on happiness. She's a professor, researcher, and even wrote the book on achieving Perfect Happiness. So why is she so miserable? Why does she feel like a fraud?

Her marriage is rocky and her 14-year-old daughter is pushing boundaries and getting into trouble.

The book is largely character-driven as we gaze upon Charlotte's privileged life in D.C. I like how Charlotte reflected on her Instagram persona and how her family called her out on the discrepancy.

I don't think the characters were meant to be likable (I definitely didn't like any of them) but I could empathize with Charlotte.

The conclusion wasn't satisfying to me. Some of the subplots were left hanging. Also, I would have liked something a bit more concrete, specifically I would have liked to see Charlotte and Jason get marriage counseling, and Charlotte to get outside help for her problem with alcohol. I'd also like maybe a glimpse at what her thesis is for her second book. Will she be vulnerable? Authentic? What direction will she choose?

Caution: alcohol abuse, infidelity

Thanks to Megan at Harper Perennial for sending me a review copy! Scheduled pub date (as of now) is June 9, 2020.

[Diana Mack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlotte is a very busy wife, mother, daughter, professor and best selling author of how to be happy. Her Instagram posts just pop with followers. She is hopscotching across the country giving lectures on happiness. Meanwhile, her marriage to zookeeper husband Jason is suffering; he sees the toll all the running around takes on her. Her young daughter, Birdie, misses her mom. She is navigating romance and teenage shenanigans without her mom really being there.
I love family dramas. This one was ok. Charlotte's drinking is an issue but I felt there were only a few instances where it was really shown how much she drank. For the most part I felt Jason was on her about a glass of wine with dinner.
I felt Charlotte's issues were really of her own making. Of not being able to make a decision that seemed so simple.
Her ex-boyfriend makes an appearance. That felt to me like a story prop.
I felt bad for Birdie. The story takes place in a very wealthy area. She is a freshman who can play varsity tennis. She catches the attention of a stereotypical rich boy and enters a relationship she isnt prepared for.
Overall a good read. I just felt Charlotte's issues were overblown

[Stephanie (TheBookishBoyMom) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the ARC of Perfect Happiness.

I really enjoyed this book. From start to finish, I felt the sadness and struggles that Charlotte experienced. As a wife and mom myself, I related to the mundane moments that aren't exactly mundane but more just part of life.

Charlotte is learning that things aren't always "perfect" or "happy" and that's okay because life has it's ups and downs and sometimes you have to find the space in-between that is as equally as good as the highs.

I think this book would be perfect for any wife and mother who question their roles, the advice they give others and more importantly, question if they have what it takes to chase their "Perfect Happiness".

[Angel Dingus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely novel, a must read for anyone with a daughter!

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect Happiness... Illustrating a typical DC metro area family, the mom is an inspirational speaker and awarded author preaching a lifestyle of positivity and happiness. Her husband feels lost in his rocky marriage. Their daughter, a 14 year old freshman, struggles finding her place while exceling at sports, keeping a boyfriend, and remaining focused on her parent's advice.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply put...sometimes when we're really not paying attention in life, the world gifts us circumstances that will challenge us to reexamine what matters the most. Thank you for allowing me to receive an ARC copy of this book.

[Gaye Vaterlaus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh - I don't think I cared about the main character at all. Her judgement was hopelessly ridiculous and had few redeeming qualities. Her life was a train wreck mostly due to her own actions or in-action.

[MARY L · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing perfect or happy in this book. Too much wine drinking, social media checking, and unlikable, unbelievable characters.

[Lisa Abrams · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring. Predictable. No likable characters.