The Happy Me Project: The no-nonsense guide to self-development

by Holly Matthews

WINNER OF THE HEALTH & WELLBEING BOOK AWARD 2022

'Proper down-to-earth advice that will see you through times of trouble .' - Lorraine Kelly

' A brilliant companion of a book. So many takeaways and golden nuggets of advice ' - Giovanna Fletcher

'The perfect go-to if we ever catch ourselves at a low moment or in need of inspiration' - Jeff Brazier


Everyone can access happiness – it's a case of learning how.

Holly Matthews is on a mission to make your life better, and she's keeping it simple. No BS. No fluff.

The Happy Me Project is 60 short chapters of straight-to-the-point advice, structured for our time-poor modern world, and packed with practical tips on ways to fill your life with more joy. Whatever you're facing, this book is for you, and Holly will be cheering you along every step of the

- Do you find yourself saying 'yes' when you mean 'hell no'?
- Are you bored of your daily routine and ready to mix it up?
- Perhaps something awful has happened and you need support working out your next steps.

Holly draws on real-life examples and her own stories of triumph over adversity – from growing up in the public eye to becoming a widow and single mum at 32 – to offer hope and confidence that you, too, can navigate the ups and downs of life, and enjoy yourself along the way.

Genres: Self Help

273 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 9, 2022

About the author

Holly is a former UK TV actress, a widowed Mum of 2 daughters, no nonsense Self Development Coach & founder of The Happy Me Project. The Happy Me Project is not only a book, it's an in person workshop, straight talking self development program, podcast and online membership.

Holly’s Ted Talk has been watched by over 150,000 people and she has appeared on Lorraine, BBC, ITV, Talk Radio and featured in The Daily Mail, Mirror, The Sun, Closer, Hello, Psychologies Life Labs and Spirit & Destiny and Prima Magazine.

Holly is a popular guest expert on podcasts, radio and TV, with a regular 'Monday motivation' slot on BBC radio.

Holly has amassed over 60,000 followers across her social media platforms and her award winning YouTube Channel 'Happy Me TV' also offers regular advice on navigating life and all it's challenges. Holly used this space to vlog about the death of her husband to brain cancer, which generated huge press interest in her story and enabled her to help more people.

Holly’s relatable and raw approach to self development has her teaching people how to feel ‘more happy and less crappy’ in a way that reaches those that never thought ‘self development’ would be for them.

Reviews

[Ugnė · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patiko tuo, kad turinys atitinka viršelio pažadą: jokių lalala pasakėlių, jokių lengvų nušvitimų ir netgi jokių pažadų, kad sunku bus pradžioje, paskui lengva. Džiaugiuosi, kad atsiranda knygų, kur nesėkmės ir atkryčiai įvardinami kaip normali gyvenimo dalis, su kuria reikia susigyventi. Šioje daugiausia kalbama apie kasdienybės įpročius, lemiančius kaip planuojam dieną, kokius santykius kuriam ir ką galvojam apie save.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very rare that I give a non fiction 5 stars but this one was incredible! Can’t wait to go back over it with a highlighter and pen and annotate it - feel like it’s something I can reference throughout my entire life .

[Tracey Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasingly no-nonsense (and law of attraction free!) and easy to read. The bite-sized chapters mean you don't really go into depth on anything so might not suit people looking for something meatier, but there are lots of useful takeaways and Matthews is a likeable voice.

[Katie Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great 'tell it like it is' book of navigating your way through life. I picked up this book at a time when I really needed to hear Holly's advice. The chapter that struck me most and I found really comforting is when Holly talks about facing challenges in life and how important it is to notice when we are in a lull or period of respite from those times and fill those moments with life, love, good experiences and appreciation. I like Holly's very conversational style of writing. The chapters are short and get to the point and Holly shares a lot of her own experiences, including losing her husband and father of their two daughters. I was lucky enough to read an advance copy of this book and I look forward to buying a hard copy and filling it with notes of my own. I firmly believe this will be a bestseller and will help many people who might be struggling or just simply want to live their life to the full.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing! It’s soo cleverly wrote, every ‘chapter’ is in small sections, the titles are soo quirky but soo relatable to things we go through every day.

It’s easy to read and every chapter concludes with straight to the point advice & encouragement to help you develop in that area.

I recommend this book to anyone who needs a little encouragement, positivity & push in the right direction to finding happiness day to day without the feeling of guilt or feeling like they’re doing wrong.
We’re all human at the end of the day, so reading great advice with backed studies, real life scenarios and evidence which shows these solutions work, is what we all need need in our life.

Thank you Holly for writing this book! You are an inspiration to many! ❤️

[Jessica Ainscough · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like this is a really good self book to start with as the chapters are short and well structured which makes it easy to read and retain concentration . I found the advice really useful and the honesty refreshing . It covered a wide range of topics so you could just ready the sections relevant to you if you struggle with reading . For me this book gave me back some motivation to try and make positive changes in my life which for me is really the goal of a self help book. So I'm glad i read it and my grateful for what it taught me

[Emma Wilberforce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to start my 2024 with. I’ve bookmarked a few chapters to come back to as I really resonated with them. I’m not usually a self help book kind of person, but this felt like a big sister was talking to me, rather than a privileged stranger I’ll never meet.

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very positive book, which straight to the point, which is what I like about it.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the big quotes and the way of writing. The content is nothing new, but always a good reminder.

[SadieReadsAgain · Rating 3 out of 5]

My life is in crisis. I am a mess. I need help, but I'm poor...so self-help it is.

I picked this book because the title spoke to me - I see self improvement as a project, something that will take work and isn't as simple as reading some inspirational quotes on Insta. But also, I don't really do spiritual. So a straight talking approach with a realistic approach sounded perfect to me.

This book is set out really well - each section contains a short discussion and then some practical exercises for you to apply. The sections mean you can take what you need and leave what you don't in a really clear way, and makes this a book that you can return to when different things come up in life. Some topics were more applicable to me than others, but the book embraces that. As promised, it also doesn't shroud its advice in spirituality or inaccessible concepts - this is down to earth, accessible and inclusive no matter what your beliefs.

When I started reading and realised that Holly Matthews was, in her early life, an actor in one of my favourite childhood tv programmes (Byker Grove...don't judge), I was both delighted and sceptical - how did that equip her to dole out advice? However, her life after the Grove has taken a different path. She isn't qualified in psychology, but she has turned her interest in self improvement into a career as a life coach. So whilst she doesn't have the qualifications as such, I found her advice is backed with research and in most cases brought together well popular concepts with actionable exercises to actually put them into practice.

However, I did feel that this book tries to cover so many things that nothing is really given the deep dive you may need. I suppose in those cases, you should seek out specific sources that do go deeper. So this is more of a jumping off point for self improvement. And for me, as I've read slightly wider in this genre, I did find it quite surface level. I enjoyed Holly's voice and the format of this book, but for anyone really struggling or going through a specific trauma or mental health struggle then this might not be as helpful as it would be for someone who just needs to get them out of a rut.


I received a Netgalley of this title from Bloomsbury in return for a review. All opinions are my own.

[Shania-Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Yes, I may have read her books backwards and started with her second 'find your confidence' but I'll own that! Like Holly says in both her books, read however you like, after all it is your book!)

Like sitting with your best friend over coffee—life-changing and comforting

I’ve never had a book make me feel like I was sitting there with my best friend... until now. The Happy Me Project by Holly Matthews is raw, honest, funny, and so deeply relatable. From the first page, Holly’s words wrapped around me like a warm hug, offering no-nonsense advice, encouragement, and the kind of real talk we all need when life feels overwhelming.

This isn’t your typical self-help book filled with fluff or unrealistic positivity. Holly is straight-talking but always kind. She makes you feel seen without judgment, and somehow she knows exactly what to say at the right moment—like your wisest, funniest, most down-to-earth friend.

Whether you're going through something tough or just trying to feel a bit more "you" again, this book is a must-read. I laughed, cried, and nodded along through every chapter. It’s empowering, easy to digest, and something I know I’ll keep returning to whenever I need a boost.

Thank you, Holly, for creating something so beautifully human. This book truly is a gift.

[Marion Linke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich habe dieses Buch durch eine Zeitschrift entdeckt, da dort ein sehr schönes Zitat in einen Text eingeflochten war. Und vom Titel her habe ich mir ein bisschen was anderes erwartet. Das Buch ist nett geschrieben, aber es hatte nichts, was ich nicht schon einmal wo anders gelesen habe. Auch ist viel aus der persönlichen Erfahrung der Autorin geschrieben. Das ist nicht grundlegend schlecht, aber hier hat es mir nicht so gut gefallen. Ich hatte auf ein etwas spritzigeres, "kantiges" Buch gehofft. Aber es hat dennoch ein paar schöne Zitate und der grundlegende Gedanke hinter dem Buch ist gut.

[Ghida Itani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Holly’s style of writing in this book and how down to earth she is. I enjoyed the various tips and tricks that she offers while referring to her own experiences. Yet, there were times where I felt like there was some repetition, and other times where some ideas were not dwelled on enough.

[Luk Yan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book simply outlines the common problems majority of everyone facing nowadays. It made me understand more of myself and get to know how to face it in future.

[Eloise · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️

[Nicky Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly is the best, an amazing self development coach. Fantastic book!

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Agonisingly painful and boring to read

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple, to the point, best book I’ve read recently

[Grant Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t put into words how amazing this book is. It’s the best mental health book I’ve read and Holly writes in such an honest, positive and easy to read way. I can’t thank Holly enough and highly recommend it to anyone 👏⭐️📖📚.

[Donna M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, easy to follow and some really useful tips for day to day use. I love how it's broken down into easy go to sections to pick up just when you need it. It's clear that Holly Matthews knows her stuff and has plenty of life experience to go with it. Go check out her podcasts too, you will not be disappointed!
#TheHappyMeProject #NetGalley