The Happiness Plan

Blackberry Island #5

by Susan Mallery

Three women search for joy in #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery’s new novel of hope, heartache, and the power of friendship.

Heather is happy . . . ish. She has a successful business, a cute but contemptuous cat, and best friends Daphne and Tori who know where she’s broken and love her anyway. So why does she feel crushed when her ex gets serious about someone new? No problem, she has a plan. More connections will hold her together while her world falls apart, so she finally reaches out to the stranger who might be her dad.

Daphne isn’t having an emotional affair, despite what her husband believes. He started the rift in their marriage when he said they weren’t ready for a baby. They used to be the closest couple she knew. Can they find their way back to one another before it’s too late?

When Tori forms an inconvenient crush on Daphne’s brother-in-law, she suppresses her feelings. Until her apartment floods, and she moves in with the dog-loving doctor. If things go wrong, she could lose her friends. . . but if they go right, she could lose her heart.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Womens Fiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published June 20, 2023

About the author

#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship, romance. She's best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise readers to laughter. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into 28 languages.

Critics have dubbed Mallery "the new queen of romantic fiction." (Walmart) Booklist says, "Romance novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling," and RT Book Reviews puts her "in a class by herself!" It's no wonder that her books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list.

Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool's Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.

Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.

Reviews

[TinaNoir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat formulaic book of a close-knit friends group and their life romance issues.

This falls squarely in the generic, summer read straddling the line of women's fic and romance.

There is Heather with the horrible mother growing up. Her main storyline was she did a DNA test and found her biological father. I rather liked that element of her story. The other part -- her inability to know what love is because of her terrible mother felt labored and was undercut by all the other great loving relationships she had. I thought her heel turn and her ex who takes her back felt abrupt.

Then there is Tori, whose story was the least interesting. She has no family so this found family group of friends is important to her. She catches feelings for one of the guys in their group and doesn't want to mess up the friendship. But he feels that same. Their relationship felt anemic and kinda there.

And finally, there Daphne. This was the most interesting story and the one that pissed me off. Daphne is a high-powered lawyer who is married and a fantastic stepmother to her husband's three young children from a previous marriage. Daphne has a good work friendship with a male lawyer who sent her flowers. Her husband saw them and is freezing her out because he insists she is having an affair. And all he wants her to do is to admit it. No matter how many times she tells him the other guy is a good friend and colleague, the fact that she eats lunch with him and spends time at work with him means she is having an affair.

Now, Daphne's chapters are all in her POV, and based on the writing and what is on the page and what is in her thoughts we know that she is not having an affair emotional or otherwise. She does not think of this guy that way and even though he lightly flirts sometimes, she just never even considered him in that light. And yet her friends and husband gaslight her into believing she is having an 'emotional affair.' I reiterate nothing on the page would lead the reader to that conclusion. The other guy is barely in the book. And yet... she has an epiphany that they were correct. For a woman who is supposed to be so smart, she was written to be stupid. And I found the writing regressive and pretty insulting, tbh.

People who spend 8-10 hours a day are going to build a relationship. If you work closely with someone you eat with them, you talk to them, you can even confide in them. That is also known as friendship. Those things do not necessarily constitute an 'affair' if there is no accompanying emotional intimacy. If anything the husband's attitude and actions were a huge red flag and way more problematic to me than Daphne's not-affair.

So yeah this one was all over the place ranging from meh -to good in places - to bitch, please!

[Dona Ditri · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the second book that I have not finished this week! I don't know if my expectations are too high or what. I did not like any of the female characters at all. So immature and none of them could deal with any situation with any mature logic. Very frustrating and I just gave up. I have enjoyed Susan's books in the past, but this one was a huge disappointment!

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming soon.

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

TITLE: THE HAPPINESS PLAN
AUTHOR: SUSAN MALLERY
PUB DATE: 06.20.2023 Now Available

Three women search for joy in #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery’s new novel of hope, heartache, and the power of friendship.

Heather is happy . . . ish. She has a successful business, a cute but contemptuous cat, and best friends Daphne and Tori who know where she’s broken and love her anyway. So why does she feel crushed when her ex gets serious about someone new?

Daphne isn’t having an emotional affair, despite what her husband believes.  He started the rift in their marriage when he said they weren’t ready for a baby. They used to be the closest couple she knew. Can they find their way back to one another before it’s too late?

When Tori forms an inconvenient crush on Daphne’s brother-in-law, she suppresses her feelings. Until her apartment floods, and she moves in with the dog-loving doctor. If things go wrong, she could lose her friends. . . but if they go right, she could lose her heart.
 
THOUGHTS:

I thought that THE HAPPINESS PLAN was the perfect weekend summer read. It had the perfect ingredients for me to immerse myself into the lives of three friends Heather, Daphne, and Tori as they navigate challenges in their lives. There is plenty of drama, fur babies, and sprinkling of Susan Mallery’s magic throughout the pages. I enjoyed this one a lot!!

[Maury · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was highly disappointing. The end was telegraphed at the beginning, and absolutely every single character would have benefitted from therapy, and some desperately needed it! The characters were overblown and overdrawn, and somehow all of the problems were the women's problems. This was particularly irksome, since it was clear that Brody had huge, almost insurmountable problems. You don't leave a marriage over a suspected emotional affair, and his insistence that his wife was not just cheating on him, but was completely untrustworthy is not something you get over with a snap of the fingers. And it suddenly became Daphne's fault? I call bullshit.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time caring about most of these characters. While the story was sort of good, it was drawn out very slowly and boringly. The same conversations and inner dialogue went on through all 400 pages and toward about 250, I was really over the angst. Pretty vintage mallery but I was bored. Also, enough about the cats!!!! What a stupid plot point, like we are a bunch of children reading women’s fiction. Just dumb.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can always count on Susan Mallery's book to immerse myselft in the troubled relationships of other people and how they traverse various situations. This book has a lot of characters, but they are all friends and gather together regularly. Some are single, some are married, but they all have their own problems. Of course they all want to be happy.

The Description:
Heather is happy . . . ish. She has a successful business, a cute but contemptuous cat, and best friends Daphne and Tori who know where she’s broken and love her anyway. So why does she feel crushed when her ex gets serious about someone new? No problem, she has a plan. More connections will hold her together while her world falls apart, so she finally reaches out to the stranger who might be her dad.

Daphne isn’t having an emotional affair, despite what her husband believes. He started the rift in their marriage when he said they weren’t ready for a baby. They used to be the closest couple she knew. Can they find their way back to one another before it’s too late?

When Tori forms an inconvenient crush on Daphne’s brother-in-law, she suppresses her feelings. Until her apartment floods, and she moves in with the dog-loving doctor. If things go wrong, she could lose her friends. . . but if they go right, she could lose her heart.

My thoughts:
Such a great group of friends. I loved the way they supported each other. Heather had such a crappy childhood I can see how it influenced every relationship in her life. Daphne seemed to have it all, but a perception problem theatened her marriage. I liked Tori's story the best - it was just more fun to read about. Relationships are difficult for everyone, but it's fun reading about how the characters each worked through their own situations. The plot kept my interest throughout. This book was just what I expect from a Susan Mallery novel and I enjoyed it.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on June 20, 2023.

[Natalie Fitzpatrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Everything gets resolved when the females all realize they are the problem and then make all of the changes, men naturally are perfect as they are

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Susan Mallery. If it wasn't for Tori and Grant, I don't think I would have finished it. The fur babies were cute though.

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has to be the worst book I have ever read by Susan Mallery. I usually love her books. And I have read books with some of the same characters that I did like. This book really bothered me. The men (for the most part) were all decent and well rounded. But the women were whiny and needy.

This whole book should have the subtitle "women who need therapy". Ugh.

[Vickie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been in a reading slump lately and decided to pick up this book as this is a feel-good go-to author for me. The behavior of these characters did not correspond with their ages and professions. I just wanted to tell them all to grow up! Alas, I am still in a reading slump.

Go Cards! L1C4!!

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Susan Mallory’s latest book The Happiness Plan is about a group of friends who support each other no matter what life throws at you. I loved most of the characters and the stories flowed nicely. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release. To be published June 2023.

[Bookworman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. The story was good enough to be read to the end but it certainly isn't one of my favorite Susan Mallery stories. I found most of the main characters annoying as they were abysmal at clearly communicating with each other. All I could think of is one of my favorite GR friends' comments: "Use your words people!"

I did enjoy the cute dogs, cats, and adorable kittens!😁🤪

[Brenda · Rating 2 out of 5]

More like 2.5 stars. First time reading this author and based on the reviews, was hoping to like this way more than I did. I found the characters unlikeable and the overall plot a little too sickeningly sweet for me, especially the ending. I likely only finished this because I was on a 5 hour flight and determined to leave this book behind as soon as my flight landed.

[Keri Stone]

Ok, this is the 2nd book in a short period that I DNF. I listened to over 30% of the audiobook and just don’t care about any of these characters. Maybe I’m in a funk, and maybe I should give it more of a chance, but there’s too many good books to waste my time on something I’m bored with. I’m sure others have a different opinion.

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! My reaction to this book is just go get it and read it for yourself because it is amazing! There are three female protagonists, all searching for happy and fulfilled lives but not really knowing how they expect to find it. Heather has a successful business but is afraid of love, even though she really does have deep feelings for Campbell but she is terrified of commitment. Tori is happily involved in a non-couple relationship with Grant and her walls come tumbling down (literally and figuratively) when she has to share a house with him after their condos flood. Finally, there is Daphne, a mom, a lawyer and a stepmom who is doing a good job of juggling all of her responsibilities, but what she really wants is her own baby with her husband Brody. All of the characters are friends which makes for some very interesting dynamics and advice giving. I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions between the characters and really enjoyed reading about Heather’s coping strategies (hint: it involves kittens). The characters were so realistic that I wanted to shake a few of them to get them to move away from the familiar and take a chance on love. I also wanted to kick Heather’s mom Amber to the moon and just let her stay there because she is thoroughly annoying and needy in a not so pleasant way. Like I said, the characters are completely realistic and present a fascinating character study of young women learning to be independent career women as well as capable of developing a lasting relationship. The plot moves smoothly and although it is plenty complicated with lots of the most intriguing kind of drama, it is easy to follow and laugh-aloud funny at times. The author knows how to tell a story that is captivating while also sparkling with romance. The end result is a powerful story that is delightfully readable. With characters that are rich and relatable and a plot that is brilliantly compelling, this is a book not to be missed. Because who doesn’t need a “happiness plan”?
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I also received a hard copy from the author as part of her review team. I was not required by anyone to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

[Orysia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolute last book I will read by this author. I am tired of the men gaslighting the women (in this book, Brodie) and the women thinking it is all their fault. It takes two to make a relationship work and when there are issues, it is generally a blame on both sides.

I am fed up with women having to suck it up and be the barrage of insecure egos and there always seems to be a female character that plays this role. It perpetuates negative stereotypes and society has advanced. I hope this author starts to deviate from these storylines as I truly appreciate how other characters are written and how their relationships evolve.

[Tammy Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought all three of the main characters were irritating and unlikable. All three needed to grow up and grow backbones. It took so long for them to actually do anything besides whine that I was bored to death and couldn’t care less what happened to them. A disappointment for me.

[Kristen McAvoy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn’t wait for this book to be over with 🫣

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed a book with a happy ending, three happy endings in one should hold me for a little while. I loved all the pets that were such an integral part of the story, especially LC and the foster kittens. (which would be a good name for a band.)

[Monika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a few other Susan Mallery books and enjoyed them much more than this one.

I knew I would get a story with a nice bow at the end and not too deep or complex characers and problems, but somehow in this story that made the book a bit boring for me.

Also, I really hated the conclusion of Daphne's story. From her thoughts we can clearly see she did not have an emotional affair with her colleague. It was purely friendship from her side and I really didn't like that people around her, especially her friends, jumped to that conclusion right away. And her husband's distrust and accusations really made me doubt their happy ending. Where there is no trust, there is no lasting relationships.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took off a star because the Brody-Daphne-Miguel storyline was stupid. Miguel was an a$$hole and maybe Daphne was naive about the flowers, but she was not leading him on or flirting with him. And Brody was an insecure idiot for continually insisting that she was having an affair. It’s ridiculous that nothing gets better until Daphne takes all the blame. How about the men take responsibility for their own actions?

[Jayme Maness · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much I read it twice!!
I believed for a long time that my past defined how my future would be, but what I failed to realize was that I had the power to change my future and be open to more.
We don’t all have the same path to Happiness, but we should be open to the new possibilities

[Dena Jaroszewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book gave me all the feels. heather's story was me. her struggling relationship with her narcissistic mother and connecting with her biological father hit me hard. I had no idea what this book was about when I picked it up. I just wanted a light book to read while packing boxes. shots fired Susan gallery. shots fired. so so so good.

[Jackie Herrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

There wasn’t enough character development in the beginning so I kept forgetting who was who. Each character had a specific problem throughout that had a very predictable resolution. Overall a nice easy bedtime read but a little too boring for me.

[Carrie Hopkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

35% in and just could not finish this.
Too much going on and literally getting nowhere.
So, my "happiness plan" was to abandon ship.

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was lots going on, with three women who are best friends and have a lot going on in their lives! Very different situations for all three of them but since this is Susan Mallery, there is a lot of love and laughter and growth. Wonderful!!

[Harlequin Books]

<3 :)

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know I said I would be more stingy with my stars, and it's not like this book is going to change my life trajectory, but I thoroughly thoroughly flew through it. Some of the characters were a little caricature-y (the one with commitment issues and her absurd mom that caused them, the one who doesn't realize she's in love with the person she's clearly in love with), but the woman who was figuring out how much she valued her marriage against the backdrop of her emotional affair felt more realistic to me. Anyway this review is full of spoilers clearly but it was a fun Pacific Northwest-set read!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book but don’t love that the 3 bothers were portrayed as perfect and the women as flawed. Daphne and her “emotional affair” was ridiculous and Tori was plain boring. Heather’s character growth and her new family largely contributed to how much I enjoyed the book :)