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The Happiness Project
Daisy Blane is a self-certified Happiness Expert - but does she have all the answers when it comes to her own love life?
Daisy is determined to bring happiness into the lives of others, and as a happiness guru she has the skills to brighten everyone's day. Well, she would if her fledgling business would take off. Instead she's stuck cleaning hotel rooms for minimum wage with her best friend, Eva.
But after a chance encounter with superstar celebrity, Vince Marino, Daisy's client list starts taking shape. With her career on the up, and her lodgers settled in - including Doodle, the scruffiest dog in the world - it's time for Daisy to tackle the final piece of the puzzle. Her love life.
Local barista Joe has been flashing his gorgeous blue eyes at her for months now, but he doesn't seem to feel the same spark. Can Daisy turn her happiness tactics on herself to put her heart on the line? Or does she risk having it broken in the process?
A fun and heart warming romance novel - perfect for fans of Meghan Quinn, Lindsey Kelk and Portia Macintosh.
Daisy is determined to bring happiness into the lives of others, and as a happiness guru she has the skills to brighten everyone's day. Well, she would if her fledgling business would take off. Instead she's stuck cleaning hotel rooms for minimum wage with her best friend, Eva.
But after a chance encounter with superstar celebrity, Vince Marino, Daisy's client list starts taking shape. With her career on the up, and her lodgers settled in - including Doodle, the scruffiest dog in the world - it's time for Daisy to tackle the final piece of the puzzle. Her love life.
Local barista Joe has been flashing his gorgeous blue eyes at her for months now, but he doesn't seem to feel the same spark. Can Daisy turn her happiness tactics on herself to put her heart on the line? Or does she risk having it broken in the process?
A fun and heart warming romance novel - perfect for fans of Meghan Quinn, Lindsey Kelk and Portia Macintosh.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2022
144 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
December 16, 2022
I tried my best to keep reading this book but it just didn’t happen. Picked it up multiple times and finally decided to dnf. The beginning is gripping and creates a background for the story. But soon it feels dragged and the plot seems to be missing. I struggled a bit with the language as well.
November 30, 2022
A really cute, fun, escapist kinda read. The characters were fun and had a lot of depth to them. I enjoyed the premise of the story and its lush there was a happy ever after for everyone. Including the dog lol.
December 3, 2022
If you are looking for happiness, then look no further. Self-proclaimed happiness guru Daisy Blaine is currently accepting clients. Yet, Daisy can’t find happiness within her own life in this British romantic comedy by Kirstie Pelling.
“Let me make you happy.”
The Happiness Project is a unique book. Daisy finds herself in the most unusual situations. She even gets her own social media “cancelled” in public. But, she ends up helping the man who “cancelled” her. He becomes her client! And she only dreams of the man who makes her kickass expressos. (C’mon Daisy)
“You live in la-la land, Daisy Blane, and I worry about that superstition thing you have going on, but I do admire your spirit.”
The Happiness Project published December 1, and it’s available on Kindle Unlimited.
Thank you instabooktours and emblabooks for #gifting me an e-Arc of The Happiness Project by Kirstie Pelling.
“Let me make you happy.”
The Happiness Project is a unique book. Daisy finds herself in the most unusual situations. She even gets her own social media “cancelled” in public. But, she ends up helping the man who “cancelled” her. He becomes her client! And she only dreams of the man who makes her kickass expressos. (C’mon Daisy)
“You live in la-la land, Daisy Blane, and I worry about that superstition thing you have going on, but I do admire your spirit.”
The Happiness Project published December 1, and it’s available on Kindle Unlimited.
Thank you instabooktours and emblabooks for #gifting me an e-Arc of The Happiness Project by Kirstie Pelling.
November 27, 2022
Can you be coached into being happy if you are unhappy? The question plagues many people and is one of the reasons people seek therapy. Daisy is not a therapist (as she repeatedly tells her client) but does help people become happier in their lives. Daisy is a happiness coach. She is just starting her business and has one client in the book. Daisy has a degree and paperwork for her client to work on as homework. I believe if I met Daisy in real life, she would be an excellent happiness coach.
Daisy’s life is not perfect. Her friend is crashing on her sofa, she has a will they/won’t they thing going on with her local coffee/budding pizza guy. She hates her former boss, who happens to be in a relationship with her sofa crasher. Throughout all of this Daisy is figuring out who she is. I enjoyed her story and how the book comes together with a few surprises. It is a cute romcom that will let you escape into its pages. Perfect for reading anytime!
Daisy’s life is not perfect. Her friend is crashing on her sofa, she has a will they/won’t they thing going on with her local coffee/budding pizza guy. She hates her former boss, who happens to be in a relationship with her sofa crasher. Throughout all of this Daisy is figuring out who she is. I enjoyed her story and how the book comes together with a few surprises. It is a cute romcom that will let you escape into its pages. Perfect for reading anytime!
December 1, 2022
Want a book guaranteed to bring cheer? This is it! Happy 1sr December release to The Happiness Project by Kirstie Pelling. What better way to enter cosy reading month than with a story jam-packed with laughter and love and even an adorable scruffy Doodle dog! Daisy is a love guru, giving advice and tips to others in order to help them find their gappy ever afters. However, she isn't having much luck with her own love story. Can she follow her own advice to a happy ending? A story full of heart, joy and laughs. #thehappinessproject #kirstiepelling #netgalley #emblabooks
February 28, 2023
This is a really lovely and quirky romance. Daisy was the sweetest character and I was hoping that she would find happiness during the story. Joe was a gorgeous male central character and I also enjoyed reading about the Vince and his big ego and his journey to find happiness. As someone who has had a lot of therapy, I smiled at all the pseudo-psychology. It all felt very familiar.
December 2, 2022
While I think that the story itself has a lot of potential, I just could not get into this book.
Daisy is a quirky self professed happiness guru who has had an unfortunate past - her mother died in childbirth, her father was there but not, so she pretty much raised herself. While doing so she develops superstitions that really hold her back in life. She is tired of her job (and boss) working at a hotel so she quits to become a full-time happiness expert. Her first (and only) client is a self centered actor who pays really well but she seems more like a personal assistant to him. While working with him she starts her own journey of self discovery and lands herself a Happiness column in the local paper. She has few friends in her sheltered life - Eva, her best friend, who worked with Daisy at the hotel and is now a temporary roommate - along with rent-a-dog named Doodle. And there is Joe, the coffee guy who may be her soulmate. There are lots of twists and lots of miscommunication in this book!!!
The writing style is just not for me. I thought that the story was just all over the place. There was no consistency in the pace of the book. I did enjoy the second half of the book. To me the dialog was very confusing and I often had to go back to re-read because I wasn’t sure who was speaking. I felt like this was a self-help book hidden inside a fiction novel that really seemed to drag on.
While I loved the setting, I just couldn’t relate to Daisy. How does one become a Happiness Expert when they do not know what happiness is in their own life? Daisy is very opinionated and hurtful to those closest to her although she did seem to change as the story went on.
Thank you to NetGalley, Embla Books and Kirstie Pelling for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Daisy is a quirky self professed happiness guru who has had an unfortunate past - her mother died in childbirth, her father was there but not, so she pretty much raised herself. While doing so she develops superstitions that really hold her back in life. She is tired of her job (and boss) working at a hotel so she quits to become a full-time happiness expert. Her first (and only) client is a self centered actor who pays really well but she seems more like a personal assistant to him. While working with him she starts her own journey of self discovery and lands herself a Happiness column in the local paper. She has few friends in her sheltered life - Eva, her best friend, who worked with Daisy at the hotel and is now a temporary roommate - along with rent-a-dog named Doodle. And there is Joe, the coffee guy who may be her soulmate. There are lots of twists and lots of miscommunication in this book!!!
The writing style is just not for me. I thought that the story was just all over the place. There was no consistency in the pace of the book. I did enjoy the second half of the book. To me the dialog was very confusing and I often had to go back to re-read because I wasn’t sure who was speaking. I felt like this was a self-help book hidden inside a fiction novel that really seemed to drag on.
While I loved the setting, I just couldn’t relate to Daisy. How does one become a Happiness Expert when they do not know what happiness is in their own life? Daisy is very opinionated and hurtful to those closest to her although she did seem to change as the story went on.
Thank you to NetGalley, Embla Books and Kirstie Pelling for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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December 9, 2022This book felt more geared toward a YA audience - and I disagree with it being categorized as a romance. While there was a cute romance subplot, the focus of the story was Daisy’s career as a self-proclaimed happiness coach. I enjoyed the mini love story between Daisy and the local coffee guy, but I wasn’t sold on the happiness coaching. In my opinion it wasn’t developed enough for me to connect with the theme.
Daisy basically quits her day job at a bizarre pod-style hotel and takes on one client, a fallen tv show host known for roasting the audience, and attempts to help him get his life back on track with happiness coaching.
In general the story was pretty choppy and it was hard to keep track of who was speaking during the dialogue. Daisy acts far younger than her 25 years which didn’t work for me. She was proclaiming to be an expert in happiness and yet didn’t seem happy herself.
There were a few very funny scenes, and I did enjoy the relationship between Daisy and her couch surfing roommate Eva (along with their “borrowed” dog named Doodle). I would have liked to see more of that friendship. Eva is very snarky and brutally honest, and the language barrier made for some funny dialogue.
If you can embrace the chaos and enjoy a book that has no stress, go ahead and give this one a shot. It didn’t work for me- but there’s an audience for every book.
✨ 𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘱𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘚𝘺𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴✨
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 Instatour and Embla 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘳! 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.
Daisy basically quits her day job at a bizarre pod-style hotel and takes on one client, a fallen tv show host known for roasting the audience, and attempts to help him get his life back on track with happiness coaching.
In general the story was pretty choppy and it was hard to keep track of who was speaking during the dialogue. Daisy acts far younger than her 25 years which didn’t work for me. She was proclaiming to be an expert in happiness and yet didn’t seem happy herself.
There were a few very funny scenes, and I did enjoy the relationship between Daisy and her couch surfing roommate Eva (along with their “borrowed” dog named Doodle). I would have liked to see more of that friendship. Eva is very snarky and brutally honest, and the language barrier made for some funny dialogue.
If you can embrace the chaos and enjoy a book that has no stress, go ahead and give this one a shot. It didn’t work for me- but there’s an audience for every book.
✨ 𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘱𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘚𝘺𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴✨
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 Instatour and Embla 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘳! 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.
December 7, 2022
This book just did not captivate me, I mostly found it boring og random. The plot didn’t turn up until 70% into the book and by then I didn’t care about any of the characters except for maybe the dog. Maybe. All the different parts of the story were so different and didn’t go well together, and all the characters had their own plot, but the main character did not care about anyone else then herself. I found it really hard to connect with her. The book was funny at times, but sometimes the jokes wrecked serious moments (who cracks a joke while helping a client through the death of their wife?). The story got some great twists and turns, but a bit too often the interesting parts were cut short, and the new chapter was about something else entirely. The ending was too cliche for my taste, and too long as well.
(ARC)
(ARC)
May 23, 2025
Meh. It was fine.
December 4, 2022
The following review was posted on my blog 3 days ago, Thursday, December 1st, the day of publication. It will be shared on Twitter and Instagram between today and Tuesday, and has already been posted on Goodreads. The blog post includes links to order the books and to its Goodreads page, so readers can add it to their to-be-read books.
“It seems the secret to happiness was there all along, a smiling face, winking at me from the froth.”
Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses parent death and mental illness. Deep dive into cancel culture. I was honestly struggling so much to read this that I can’t recall anything else.
“The Happiness Project” follows Daisy Blane, a self-proclaimed Happiness Expert while she hasn’t even found happiness herself. That’s all you have to know about this book, really. She gets “canceled” and critiqued for just that a few times. She looks for happiness and love where there is none. But she gets her happily ever after, so at least there’s that.
There are two very unique things about this book: 1) there are no proper quotations just these ‘ ’ little guys and 2) the amount of times the narrator thinks/says “I” will drive you insane. ‘I did this and then I did that.’ It got repetitive and annoying after a while. It almost made me think about DNFing at one point, but I am sort of glad I stuck through.
This is a cute, lighthearted read that is trying to be quirky to a fault. I know we’re supposed to empathize with Daisy, but I just could not connect with her. One would think a panda-looking, adorable dog could save the day, but Doodle really wasn’t enough to save this one for me. This didn’t feel like the Romance books I love, it was much more Women’s Fiction with just a tiny sprinkle of Romance.
I’m not sure I will be recommending this book—unless you’re a big fan of first-person narration, then perhaps this book would be for you.
If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.
Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.
ARC provided by NetGalley and Embla Books in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: December 1, 2022
“It seems the secret to happiness was there all along, a smiling face, winking at me from the froth.”
Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses parent death and mental illness. Deep dive into cancel culture. I was honestly struggling so much to read this that I can’t recall anything else.
“The Happiness Project” follows Daisy Blane, a self-proclaimed Happiness Expert while she hasn’t even found happiness herself. That’s all you have to know about this book, really. She gets “canceled” and critiqued for just that a few times. She looks for happiness and love where there is none. But she gets her happily ever after, so at least there’s that.
There are two very unique things about this book: 1) there are no proper quotations just these ‘ ’ little guys and 2) the amount of times the narrator thinks/says “I” will drive you insane. ‘I did this and then I did that.’ It got repetitive and annoying after a while. It almost made me think about DNFing at one point, but I am sort of glad I stuck through.
This is a cute, lighthearted read that is trying to be quirky to a fault. I know we’re supposed to empathize with Daisy, but I just could not connect with her. One would think a panda-looking, adorable dog could save the day, but Doodle really wasn’t enough to save this one for me. This didn’t feel like the Romance books I love, it was much more Women’s Fiction with just a tiny sprinkle of Romance.
I’m not sure I will be recommending this book—unless you’re a big fan of first-person narration, then perhaps this book would be for you.
If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.
Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.
ARC provided by NetGalley and Embla Books in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: December 1, 2022
November 29, 2022
I loved this book! It was a cute, fast paced book that still hit all the feels. Daisy was incredibly charming, if neurotic. I loved her, over-the-top superstitions and all. Honestly, it’s hard not to be charmed by her warm and energetic attitude, along with her honest desire to help others find joy. There’s the other side of Daisy, though, that runs from her childhood pain. The one that wants to store up all the good luck and can’t step on cracks in the street…. the one that can hold a grudge and be terribly judgemental. This just made her more multifauceted to me, though. I enjoyed watching her work through these issues and come to terms with what it would take to find her own happiness. Having a soft spot for books that highlight personal growth, this one really spoke to me.
As far as side characters go, I enjoyed Eva and Doodle the most. I mean, who wouldn’t? The dog is an amazing companion and good for comic relief, and Eva is your basic ride-or-die bestie (who will still call you out on your bull). I loved her side hustles, her acceptance of Daisy, the fact that she’s always got her back. Vince was, at times, too extra… but I loved him anyway and actually think he had the most character development of all. Joe is kind and charming. I liked the interactions between him and Daisy.
All in all this was a great read. It was fast paced, while still hitting all the feels for me. There were times I cried for Daisy, laughed with her, and wanted to strangle her (this happens with fictional characters more often than I’d like to admit). I’d give it four stars.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
On the adult content scale, there is drinking, language and sexual content. The latter isn’t terribly over the top, but it’s important to know. I would say this book is geared towards adults but would be acceptable for older teens (16+).
I was lucky enough to recieve and eARC from Netgalley and Embla publishing in exchange for an honest review. My thanks! I have actually pre-ordered the ebook from Amazon (a steal at $2.99) and may do another small post on release day.
As far as side characters go, I enjoyed Eva and Doodle the most. I mean, who wouldn’t? The dog is an amazing companion and good for comic relief, and Eva is your basic ride-or-die bestie (who will still call you out on your bull). I loved her side hustles, her acceptance of Daisy, the fact that she’s always got her back. Vince was, at times, too extra… but I loved him anyway and actually think he had the most character development of all. Joe is kind and charming. I liked the interactions between him and Daisy.
All in all this was a great read. It was fast paced, while still hitting all the feels for me. There were times I cried for Daisy, laughed with her, and wanted to strangle her (this happens with fictional characters more often than I’d like to admit). I’d give it four stars.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
On the adult content scale, there is drinking, language and sexual content. The latter isn’t terribly over the top, but it’s important to know. I would say this book is geared towards adults but would be acceptable for older teens (16+).
I was lucky enough to recieve and eARC from Netgalley and Embla publishing in exchange for an honest review. My thanks! I have actually pre-ordered the ebook from Amazon (a steal at $2.99) and may do another small post on release day.
December 4, 2022
“It seems the secret to happiness was there all along, a smiling face, winking at me from the froth.”
Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses parent death and mental illness. Deep dive into cancel culture. I was honestly struggling so much to read this that I can’t recall anything else.
“The Happiness Project” follows Daisy Blane, a self-proclaimed Happiness Expert while she hasn’t even found happiness herself. That’s all you have to know about this book, really. She gets “canceled” and critiqued for just that a few times. She looks for happiness and love where there is none. But she gets her happily ever after, so at least there’s that.
There are two very unique things about this book: 1) there are no proper quotations just these ‘ ’ little guys and 2) the amount of times the narrator thinks/says “I” will drive you insane. ‘I did this and then I did that.’ It got repetitive and annoying after a while. It almost made me think about DNFing at one point, but I am sort of glad I stuck through.
This is a cute, lighthearted read that is trying to be quirky to a fault. I know we’re supposed to empathize with Daisy, but I just could not connect with her. One would think a panda-looking, adorable dog could save the day, but Doodle really wasn’t enough to save this one for me. This didn’t feel like the Romance books I love, it was much more Women’s Fiction with just a tiny sprinkle of Romance.
I’m not sure I will be recommending this book—unless you’re a big fan of first-person narration, then perhaps this book would be for you.
ARC provided by NetGalley and Embla Books in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: December 1, 2022
Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses parent death and mental illness. Deep dive into cancel culture. I was honestly struggling so much to read this that I can’t recall anything else.
“The Happiness Project” follows Daisy Blane, a self-proclaimed Happiness Expert while she hasn’t even found happiness herself. That’s all you have to know about this book, really. She gets “canceled” and critiqued for just that a few times. She looks for happiness and love where there is none. But she gets her happily ever after, so at least there’s that.
There are two very unique things about this book: 1) there are no proper quotations just these ‘ ’ little guys and 2) the amount of times the narrator thinks/says “I” will drive you insane. ‘I did this and then I did that.’ It got repetitive and annoying after a while. It almost made me think about DNFing at one point, but I am sort of glad I stuck through.
This is a cute, lighthearted read that is trying to be quirky to a fault. I know we’re supposed to empathize with Daisy, but I just could not connect with her. One would think a panda-looking, adorable dog could save the day, but Doodle really wasn’t enough to save this one for me. This didn’t feel like the Romance books I love, it was much more Women’s Fiction with just a tiny sprinkle of Romance.
I’m not sure I will be recommending this book—unless you’re a big fan of first-person narration, then perhaps this book would be for you.
ARC provided by NetGalley and Embla Books in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: December 1, 2022
November 30, 2022
Daisy Blaine is a happiness guru and social media influencer who's trying her best to reap what she sews. She's superstitious, stubborn and lacks in self belief, but her heart is mostly in the right place.
The story follows Daisy as she decides to become a Happiness guru full time, taking on a famous client who's recently stalled on his career and life. She's undoubtedly quirky and her advice and guidance comes from a place of genuinely trying to help, through working with Vince, she also discovers things about herself.
I enjoyed the story of Daisy's journey and I really enjoyed some of her ideas, although I do believe that you can give a person tools to help, but you can't magically fix someone and that they have to do it by themselves.
I did find Daisy to be a bit mean at times unnecessarily and her ability to hold a grudge seems to hold her back from moving on with things too. Her paranoia and superstition I felt that from her level, she would and should have intellectually recognised that these behaviours were harmful to her and addressed them much sooner than she actually did.
I loved the people in Daisy's life, from Eva and Doodle to her easy familiarity with the games cafe owner. Her relationship with Joe was also lovely, the miscommunication again though. 😬😬😬😬.
Overall I found this book a light hearted and funny read with feel good moments and interesting characters.
The wee book lady xx
The story follows Daisy as she decides to become a Happiness guru full time, taking on a famous client who's recently stalled on his career and life. She's undoubtedly quirky and her advice and guidance comes from a place of genuinely trying to help, through working with Vince, she also discovers things about herself.
I enjoyed the story of Daisy's journey and I really enjoyed some of her ideas, although I do believe that you can give a person tools to help, but you can't magically fix someone and that they have to do it by themselves.
I did find Daisy to be a bit mean at times unnecessarily and her ability to hold a grudge seems to hold her back from moving on with things too. Her paranoia and superstition I felt that from her level, she would and should have intellectually recognised that these behaviours were harmful to her and addressed them much sooner than she actually did.
I loved the people in Daisy's life, from Eva and Doodle to her easy familiarity with the games cafe owner. Her relationship with Joe was also lovely, the miscommunication again though. 😬😬😬😬.
Overall I found this book a light hearted and funny read with feel good moments and interesting characters.
The wee book lady xx
December 30, 2022
Daisy, Eva, Vince, Kai, Joe & Doodle. Some of my favourite characters this year. I absolutely loved how the author created these characters and bought out some laugh out moments for each one. It was so refreshing enjoying the humour from the characters perspective they would say the things we all want to say in reality. It was really interesting looking at Daisy being a happiness coach and the top tips throughout presented to the reader. I got a few brilliant top tips to implement into my life. I really enjoyed how the author built air of mystery around the romance that was brewing. There was so many elements to this that I loved that felt modern, realistic and uplifting.
There was more to this that just Daisy thought it was the Daisy and her relationships between the other main characters but also following the other characters and their individual journeys too. I loved how the author created moments of emotion around family and I thought that was really warming. It was great seeing the world of Instagram and twitter come to life and it was incredible being able to pin point locations and imagine being in Daisy’s shoes. I thought this was brilliant and the characters will stick with me for a long time.
There was more to this that just Daisy thought it was the Daisy and her relationships between the other main characters but also following the other characters and their individual journeys too. I loved how the author created moments of emotion around family and I thought that was really warming. It was great seeing the world of Instagram and twitter come to life and it was incredible being able to pin point locations and imagine being in Daisy’s shoes. I thought this was brilliant and the characters will stick with me for a long time.
November 25, 2022
What a happy, cheerful, easy read. I enjoyed it. I do have mixed feelings about as I do feel it dragged on a bit but it didn’t stop me reading. I loved the read along side of things and chatting with the group about our thoughts and feelings.
Daisy - main character - is a wanna be Happiness Expert. She has multiple social media accounts sharing her advice and tips. She comes across many hurdles throughout the book and challenges but she always seems to keep fighting, and keep as positive as she can.
It’s a fast paced book. Very light hearted and thought provoking, it made me ask myself questions regarding my own happiness.
I enjoyed it, I’d have liked a bit more depth to the characters and some things that occurred but I thought it was a good, strong book. Something that was an easy read and quick because you get caught up.
Thanks to @instabooktours for having me on tour and on the readalong. To @kirstiepelling and @emblabooks for allowing me a copy of the book.
Daisy - main character - is a wanna be Happiness Expert. She has multiple social media accounts sharing her advice and tips. She comes across many hurdles throughout the book and challenges but she always seems to keep fighting, and keep as positive as she can.
It’s a fast paced book. Very light hearted and thought provoking, it made me ask myself questions regarding my own happiness.
I enjoyed it, I’d have liked a bit more depth to the characters and some things that occurred but I thought it was a good, strong book. Something that was an easy read and quick because you get caught up.
Thanks to @instabooktours for having me on tour and on the readalong. To @kirstiepelling and @emblabooks for allowing me a copy of the book.
January 14, 2025
Daisy thought she was a bad luck charm her whole life. She never walks under ladders, won’t step on a crack and has a rabbit foot she holds onto. After an unlucky event that goes viral as she’s starting her life coaching business Daisy is thrusted into Vince Marino- an aging, over confident, alcoholic actor at the end of his career when he hires her as his life coach. Oh and she’s renting a dog, Doodles, that she uses as a sidekick to her new online advice column. Oh and did I mention the kind, intentional, totally into her but she can’t see it barista that makes her latte art, helps her with business plans and adores her. You’d think she was the luckiest girl in the world. As good as Daisy is helping others find their happiness, will she be able to find hers?
Overall, I really liked this book. I like that one of the twists comes together for the reader before it does for the FMC. It is a happy ending we all see coming but all need… especially in 2025.
Overall, I really liked this book. I like that one of the twists comes together for the reader before it does for the FMC. It is a happy ending we all see coming but all need… especially in 2025.
November 1, 2022
I just couldn't get into this book. I loved the concept of the book, but the execution just wasn't there. The main character, Daisy, quits her job cleaning hotel rooms to become a happiness expert. She attends a play where she meets the actor, Vince, and he asks for her help. He needs a happiness expert to help him, and she agrees. Through this connection, things start to move forward in Daisy's career. Daisy also spends time with her local barista, Joe, and she has to decide if there is something beyond friendship between the two of them.
I felt like the writing was very clipped and choppy. The dialogue was hard to follow, and I wasn't invested in the characters or their relationships. I loved the dog in the book, Doodle. I could have read a whole book about him!
Thanks to NetGalley and Embla books for a copy of this ARC.
I felt like the writing was very clipped and choppy. The dialogue was hard to follow, and I wasn't invested in the characters or their relationships. I loved the dog in the book, Doodle. I could have read a whole book about him!
Thanks to NetGalley and Embla books for a copy of this ARC.
December 2, 2022
A really cute, uplifting read!
Daisy, the Happiness Coach, is secretly crushing on coffee van barista Joe, who’s a literal artist in both coffee making and charm arts. She’s super superstitious and cute at that. Quite quickly she realizes, that her take on happiness might work on others, but she is not allowing herself to be happy too.
It was an interesting read with some good writing! It takes on the subject of cancel culture, and social media in general. If you’re a fan of hashtags, challenges and staying positive, then this book is for you!
As much as I liked it, I can’t fail to mention how rushed or chaotic it felt at times. While most of the emotions and interactions felt authentic, I had some doubts about the authenticity of some characters.
Thank you Kirstie and NetGalley for an ARC copy!
Daisy, the Happiness Coach, is secretly crushing on coffee van barista Joe, who’s a literal artist in both coffee making and charm arts. She’s super superstitious and cute at that. Quite quickly she realizes, that her take on happiness might work on others, but she is not allowing herself to be happy too.
It was an interesting read with some good writing! It takes on the subject of cancel culture, and social media in general. If you’re a fan of hashtags, challenges and staying positive, then this book is for you!
As much as I liked it, I can’t fail to mention how rushed or chaotic it felt at times. While most of the emotions and interactions felt authentic, I had some doubts about the authenticity of some characters.
Thank you Kirstie and NetGalley for an ARC copy!
August 30, 2023
Thank you to the NetGalley, author and publisher for the ARC to read The Happiness Project. I thought the premise of the book sounded fun and interesting and the comparison to romance authors I have read and enjoyed was a draw.. After two full weeks of nightly reading The Happiness Project I am only 54% into this book.. It is a very slow and overly descriptive story. I can't say it is romance yet but won't be continuing to find out. I really wanted to like it but it is taking too long to have anything happen. The disjoint story lines with Daisy building a business she had no training in, quitting her old job but still being in contact with her old boss, her friends and the Joe situation that is hopefully developing the romance aspect, there was just too much to talk about with nothing really going on.
July 19, 2025
World building was great. The side characters were vibrant. But the lead, despite having unicorn hair, lacks luster. Side characters each had a better growth story & timeline than the lead.
Also, the lead gets rid of her unicorn hair at the end of the book, presumably as a show of maturity and growth, but as having unicorn hair was hindering her in no way and we are not told that natural hair=maturity by the book, I was annoyed that the only thing that made Daisy interesting (IMO) was erased.
Lots of thoughts on how this one could have been better--after Daisy light switched at the climax and just decided that everything she was working towards during the book was "quackery" without any inner turmoil (despite her being the "emotional one"), I was just reading to finish it because I was so close
Also, the lead gets rid of her unicorn hair at the end of the book, presumably as a show of maturity and growth, but as having unicorn hair was hindering her in no way and we are not told that natural hair=maturity by the book, I was annoyed that the only thing that made Daisy interesting (IMO) was erased.
Lots of thoughts on how this one could have been better--after Daisy light switched at the climax and just decided that everything she was working towards during the book was "quackery" without any inner turmoil (despite her being the "emotional one"), I was just reading to finish it because I was so close
November 28, 2022
If you’re looking for a fun escapist read, then The Happiness Project fits the bill! It’s a modern, fast paced, event filled ride through West London with the delightfully different Daisy, her partner (for hire,) in crime Doodle the dog and a host of great characters that make up her found family!
Daisy wants to be a happiness guru, she’s got the social media accounts from Twitter to TikTok, sharing her tips, ideas, memes and reels on how to find happiness but, right now she’s chief cook, cleaner and bottle washer in a pod hotel owned by Kai, who she sees as a spoiled lazy son who’s only aim in life is to party!
Daisy has always loved her life in a very specific way, trying to correlate her belief that she’s unlucky and as such Gad never walked under a ladder and is grateful to every black cat that has crossed her path.
Joining Daisy in this madcap life are an actor whose world has come crashing down on him, desperate to find a path to happiness. Her best friend Eva, who always has a business scheme on the go and of course the delicious coffee barista Joe.
This book is a high paced dash through Daisy’s life and all the traumas, challenges and adventures that she pursues to find true happiness. If you’re looking for an in depth analysis of happiness or a story that plunges below the surface veneer, I’m sorry this isn’t the read for you. This book is light, squeezed full with events, coincidences and skins from one to the next but, if you’re looking for some light fun, an easy read and a warm fuzzy feeling, it’s worth a go!
Daisy wants to be a happiness guru, she’s got the social media accounts from Twitter to TikTok, sharing her tips, ideas, memes and reels on how to find happiness but, right now she’s chief cook, cleaner and bottle washer in a pod hotel owned by Kai, who she sees as a spoiled lazy son who’s only aim in life is to party!
Daisy has always loved her life in a very specific way, trying to correlate her belief that she’s unlucky and as such Gad never walked under a ladder and is grateful to every black cat that has crossed her path.
Joining Daisy in this madcap life are an actor whose world has come crashing down on him, desperate to find a path to happiness. Her best friend Eva, who always has a business scheme on the go and of course the delicious coffee barista Joe.
This book is a high paced dash through Daisy’s life and all the traumas, challenges and adventures that she pursues to find true happiness. If you’re looking for an in depth analysis of happiness or a story that plunges below the surface veneer, I’m sorry this isn’t the read for you. This book is light, squeezed full with events, coincidences and skins from one to the next but, if you’re looking for some light fun, an easy read and a warm fuzzy feeling, it’s worth a go!
June 19, 2023
The book could have done with an extra read-through before publishing as there were multiple times I had to reread conversations just to understand what was going on. Some parts were rushed when I wished there was more, others dragged to the point of boredom. For a 288 page book, I expected to devour it in one or two sittings. Instead, it took me far longer to get my teeth into it purely because there was so much and so little going on simultaneously, a feat I thought impossible. The plot felt like it was haphazardly thrown together, with far too many characters who all felt unnecessary. Even the relationship between Daisy and Joe felt off as the pacing was extremely inconsistent. I wanted to like it, but unfortunately it fell short.
November 17, 2022
Overall the Happiness Project was a solid 3 star read. I thought the premise of this book was great. And there were moments where they book moved at a good pace and I was enjoying the storyline, but unfortunately, other moments fell very flat for me. Daisy's character...she was a little too quirky...I like quirky, I am quirky, but she was soo stereotypical free spirit quirky, that I found myself agreeing 100% with Aurora's rant about Daisy at the fair. And she lacked maturity too. And since this story was in first person POV, it made it hard for me to love this book. But I did love Joe and he was a good foil for her.
Thanks to Embla Books and #NetGalley for the ARC.
Thanks to Embla Books and #NetGalley for the ARC.
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November 30, 2022Thank you to NetGalley for providing this advanced reader copy.
I really struggled to get into this book. The dialogue felt really choppy and I found it hard to follow what was happening. The characters weren’t compelling (I wanted the characters to feel more fleshed out but Daisy felt flat, Eva was not as interesting as she could have been, Kai took up too much plot, etc.), and I just couldn’t find it in myself to keep reading when I was bored and I had zero ambition or desire to see how the book was going to end. I don’t typically do a hard DNF, but I didn’t even care enough to skim to the end.
I really struggled to get into this book. The dialogue felt really choppy and I found it hard to follow what was happening. The characters weren’t compelling (I wanted the characters to feel more fleshed out but Daisy felt flat, Eva was not as interesting as she could have been, Kai took up too much plot, etc.), and I just couldn’t find it in myself to keep reading when I was bored and I had zero ambition or desire to see how the book was going to end. I don’t typically do a hard DNF, but I didn’t even care enough to skim to the end.
October 1, 2023
Daisy Blaine is a happiness expert that can't find happiness in her own life. Her first, and only, client is a man that took her down via social media, but actually needs her help. She accidently listed her rate on a flyer with an additional zero, so since he is willing to pay $500 per session, she takes him on as a client... even though she really doesn't know what she's doing.
I found myself a bit bored with this one. I felt like you could learn a few things to help make yourself happier through Daisy's crazy suggestions. It almost seemed like a self-help book wrapped in a rom-com. Overall, it was okay, but wasn't really my cup of tea.
I found myself a bit bored with this one. I felt like you could learn a few things to help make yourself happier through Daisy's crazy suggestions. It almost seemed like a self-help book wrapped in a rom-com. Overall, it was okay, but wasn't really my cup of tea.
October 23, 2023
Daisy is a Happiness Expert, but inside she longs for a family and relationships. She always checks her social media for reassurance, has a list of superstitions, and finally gets a reality check. She buys the Doodle and doesn’t feel guilty about not being her owner anymore. She also has the biggest crush on her barista Joe and she eventually admits it. Her career takes off when she gets celebrity, Vince Marino, as a client. Turns out he’s Joe’s dad. She helps him be happy, helps her friend with his hotel and also helps Joe. They get engaged and the little girl that’s been a part of Joe’s life, joins their family.
December 6, 2022
Thank you Embla books for an early copy of The Happiness Project. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍
I thought that the blurb of this book was too interesting to pass on. It had a slow start and while this is a romance novel, it felt quite flat for me - lacks chemistry. I loved each character though, especially Daisy - she's quite quirky, but quite too much.
I felt like I was reading literary fiction than contemporary romance with this book though, just a heads up.
Rating The Happiness Project ⭐⭐⭐/5. Releases December 1st, 2022
I thought that the blurb of this book was too interesting to pass on. It had a slow start and while this is a romance novel, it felt quite flat for me - lacks chemistry. I loved each character though, especially Daisy - she's quite quirky, but quite too much.
I felt like I was reading literary fiction than contemporary romance with this book though, just a heads up.
Rating The Happiness Project ⭐⭐⭐/5. Releases December 1st, 2022
February 12, 2023
I really liked this one. The characters in this book are great and in my opinion, i would love to know them in the life. They were relatable and easy going. It is very easy to get wrapped up in Daisy, which she is so relatable to me as well as other readers. Her ideals caused by childhood made her easier to understand aswell as multifaceted!
I also loved the side characters such as Eva and Doodle! If I story has a dog in it, I’m definitely gonna read it. The dog was perfectly executed in my mind.
Great read, fast paced, and easy to drawn you in!
I also loved the side characters such as Eva and Doodle! If I story has a dog in it, I’m definitely gonna read it. The dog was perfectly executed in my mind.
Great read, fast paced, and easy to drawn you in!
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