The Happiness in Between is a super book. The story of Sandra who suffers mental abuse at the hands of her husband. I found myself cheering her along during her struggles when she leaves. The book has a tremendous plot and ver well developed and believable characters.

Sandra has left her emotionally abusive husband again and returned home to her parents. But sadly her parents are moving to Florida. Her mom suggests for Sandra to go and house sit for her aunt and take care of her aunt's dog Honey. Sandra goes to her aunt's and begins to heal from her marriage. She makes friends with her neighbor Colton and his son Aaron. Trent follows her to her aunt's and starts harassing Sandra. Sandra needs to learn she is stronger than she thinks she is and can take care of herself. As Sandra realizes this her life becomes better. This was very good book and is a story of family love, redemption and second chances. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.

The Happiness in Between by Grace Greene
Sandra who is thirty years old leaves her abusive husband in the middle of the night and shows up at her parents house. She is greeted by her mother who tells Sandra that she has put the house on the market and is moving to Florida. Her father has Alzheimer's disease with some dementia. Sandra's mother has the house packed and doesn't want to get involved. Her mother and father have paid for Sandra's college education and paid for Sandra's first divorce from Trent. Sandra remarried Trent and she tells her mother that she is finally finished with Trent. Trent had totally controlled all of the finances leaving Sandra with no money. From Sandra's point of view she thought her parents would give her sanctuary by moving back in with her parents. Possibly she may have been thinking that they were going to pay for a second divorce. Sandra has only a couple of garbage bags of her clothes and some toiletries.

Sandra's mother does help her by giving Sandra her father's car. Her mother also gives Sandra the name of who to contact to sell Sandra's car. Sandra feels hurt that her mother is bringing Aunt Barbara to Florida for a couple of months. Sandra does not want Trent to know where she is. Sandra suggested to her mother that she would be happy to drive with her to Florida and help her parents get settled in. Her mother tells Sandra that she can stay at Aunt Barbara's and do some housesitting and dogsitting for two months in exchange for free room and board. Sandra doesn't call her Aunt Barbara until the last minute.

When Sandra finally gets to Aunt Barbara's house, Honey the dog is missing. Sandra meets a nice man named Colton, and a young boy named Aaron. Colton and Aaron offer to make flyers to post regarding finding Honey. They also drive Sandra to the area animal shelters and vetanarians to look for Honey who is an older dog. I just loved Honey. It takes Sandra a few days to locate Honey who is suffering from dehydration and has aspirated some dirt possibly. Sandra brings Honey to the vet. Honey recovers and Colton offers to fix Aunt Barbara's fence.

Trent shows up at Aunt Barbara's house and Sandra tells him to leave and that he is trespassing. Trent tells Colton that Sandra is his wife. Trent is used to having the upper hand and to say he is manipulative is an understatement.

What I loved about the book is Sandra's transformation in taking back her power. She wants nothing to do with Trent and she tells him so. I also loved when Sandra's mother shows up unannounced and the words of wisdom she tells Sandra. Sandra tells her mother about Trent.
"He won't leave me alone. He refuses to accept that I won't come back to him. He even threatened Honey. I don't need money for the protective order but I do for the divorce. Remember my things that was stolen from the car? Most of it was clothing, but some of those things were precious to me. I put them in plastic bags. I saw those bags in Trent's truck bed. I saw them Mom."
I haven't scratched the surface of the abuse that Trent does to Sandra.

I loved when Sandra's mother tells her "Time, Life, hope, happiness--they won't wait. Don't be left behind Sandra. Find your life in each moment." "A Dream Within A Dream" by Edgar Allan Poe is a beautiful poem that the author integrates the themes of that poem in this novel. The author represents the themes of that poem by saying "Time doesn't wait. Life, happiness, and love--it all passes swiftly. We cannot hold it here. We must find our hope and our happiness daily, in between what we think we want or need and what we actually get. A truth we've all heard: life, happiness and love aren't waiting at some elusive destination but are with us on each step of the journey, if we will open our eyes and see them."

Thank you to Net Galley, Grace Greene and the publisher for providing me with my digital copy for a fair and honest review.

Nice read and easy to follow story line. Look forward to reading more from this author

"The Happiness in Between" is well-written, simply and straightforwardly told, and relaxing to read. There is, however, enough suspense and truama to be worked out in Sandra's life to intrigue page turning! And enough inspiration to tell it's readers that no matter how much life can disorient you, you will find your way if you find the courage to follow where it leads.

Sandra's parents think she's a ne'er-do-well, not realizing that her ex (whom she's married twice) is emotionally abusive. They finally agree to let her hide out in the family homestead, where she's supposed to care for her aunt's dog and keep an eye on the home. But her ex is on her trail and Sandra can't tell the nice guy next door that she's still married; she also can't tell her aunt that the dog is missing. Good suspense! Netgalley review.