Something Like Happy, by London based author Eva Woods, quietly stole my heart despite some of the outrageous characters and situations in the book which were slightly off putting at the beginning. The novel revolves around two thirty-five year old protagonists who become unlikely best friends. As the novel opens, Annie Hebden leads a monotonous life full of depression and sadness. She has lived through the tremendous sadness of losing a beloved child, and then her husband in a divorce featuring her best friend. She is stuck in a dead end job with coworkers that she dislikes, and her mother, who is suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, has been admitted to the hospital after a fall. Life is bleak. At the hospital, she serendipitously crosses paths with Polly Leonard, a cancer patient with a brain tumor who has been told she only has three months to live. Polly has an effervescent and outgoing personality, and decides that she is going to challenge herself to do something happy for 100 days in a row, and convinces Annie to take the challenge with her. "I don't want to just...go through the motions of dying. I want to really try and change things. I have to make some kind of mark, you see, before I disappear forever. I want to show it's possible to be happy and enjoy life even if
things seem awful." I loved the premise, but then one of the first challenges “celebrate your body” seemed shallow to me. So I prepared myself for a shallow book. I judged too quickly. I fell in love with the characters and the novel was anything but shallow by the end even if some of the characters and situations were still slightly outrageous. I’ll end with two more quotes from the book: "The thing about happiness, Annie - sometimes it's in the contrasts. Hot bath on a cold day. Cool drink in the sun. That feeling when your car almost skids on the ice for a second and you're fine - it's hard to appreciate things unless you know what it's like without them.” “That’s what living is, I think. Letting it all in. The happy days, the sad days, the angry days. Being awake to it.” Thank you Graydon House and NetGallery for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book and for allowing me to review it.

When Eva Woods started seeing her social media feeds flooded with "100 Days of Happiness" posts, she was intrigued. She claims she is not a naturally positive person, but the concept made her curious about our ability to make ourselves happy. This curiosity led her to write Something Like Happy in which we meet Annie and Polly. Annie has had a difficult couple of years and Polly is about to have three very hard months. Polly has been diagnosed with an aggressive and incurable brain tumor. When she stumbles upon Annie, to her a stranger, struggling to get paperwork for her ailing mother, Polly ropes her into a happiness experiment. Annie has no intention of falling in with this crazy person dressed in every color of the rainbow, and yet before long she finds herself unable to say no. Polly's determination leaves no one able to refuse her and her "cancer card".

"I want to show it's possible to be happy and enjoy life, even if things seem awful. Did you know that , after a few years, lottery winners go back to the exact same levels of happiness as before they won? And people in serious accidents do, too, once they've adjusted to their changed lives? Happiness is a state of mind, Annie."

Annie has her own problems and Polly is quick to acknowledge that Annie has every right to be unhappy, she just doesn't want her to be stuck that way forever. Imagine finding exactly the friend you need exactly when you need her. That is what happens to both of these characters. They do wonderful, silly, even important things in the short time they have together. I loved this quote:

"You know, I wish I'd eaten cake every day of my life. All those salads and goji berries I choked down, and I'm going to die at thirty-five, anyway. What a waste, Annie. I swear those uneaten cakes are going to haunt me. From now on, at least two cakes a day."

I think that sounds like decent advice. I'm adding it to my list right now. Okay, not really. One of the things I loved about this book was that Polly recognizes that "living each day as if it were your last" is completely unrealistic and actually quite irresponsible. Bills must be paid, the house must be cleaned. Of course we would never spend our last day doing those things, but we don't have to waste our time on things that don't matter, either.

"I just get so angry, you see, watching people...waste the time they have, when I don't have any."

It is so easy to fall into the trap of thinking we have thousands upon thousands of days ahead of us. Someday we'll learn French; someday we'll travel; someday we'll reconcile with that friend or family member. Someday all our somedays will run out and all we will have left is a pile of what ifs. 

"I think we should all live as if we are dying, too- because we are, make no mistake. We should live as if we're dying at some unspecified but possibly quite soon time."

I really liked this book. I grew attached to the characters and the storyline, but it also made me think about the life I want to live. I want to be able to look back and say I did something with my life and no one is going to be impressed with all the hours I spent scrolling through Facebook or pinning projects on Pinterest that I never actually started, and the least impressed of all will be me. Polly worked hard to use her last few months to make the world a better place. That's what I want to do, too, even if it is only a tiny corner of the world.

Polly is thirty five years old and is terminally ill. Doctors have informed her that she only has 100 days left to live. Polly is determined to make the most of her remaining life and makes it a goal to find happiness every day. She soon befriends Annie who is tending to her mother at the hospital. Polly is enthusiastic and bubbly, while Annie is introverted and cautious.

Annie is also thirty five and is feeling overwhelmed since her mother developed dementia. She currently works at an unfulfilling job with coworkers that she dislikes. Annie has also lost touch with many friends after her divorce and is teetering on depression. Life seems as bleak as the dull apartment she shares with a random roommate. One day, Polly appears at Annie’s door step and recruits her to share her 100 days of happiness. Polly is determined to show Annie the value of simple living and a friendship develops.

Two former strangers learn from life’s imperfections and gain strength from each other. This story which should be sad develops into a moving adventure. This is a superb novel from Eva Woods.

When a woman runs—almost literally—into a patient with only three months left, she’s sure it’s confirmation of everything bad in life. The patient surprises her, however, by teaching her something about living. Author Eva Woods takes a formulaic plot and brings it alive with a sweet story and endearing characters in her new novel Something Like Happy.

Annie Hebden has every right to be mad at life. She lost her only child. Her husband ran away with her best friend. Her mother received the devastating diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s and most recently fell down and hurt her leg. She lives in a run-down apartment with a roommate who is practically a child—in his maturity level, at least—and she despises her job.

So Annie Hebden knows she’s fully justified in hating her life. She made all the right decisions, and every one of them had the wrong outcome. Now she’s just trying to be there for her mother; it seems like it’s the only outlet left for her to do any good.

On the day that Annie runs into Polly Leonard, though, something changes. Polly, the patient with the brain tumor. Polly, the woman who tells Annie with unbelievable cheerfulness that her condition is terminal. Polly challenges Annie to a duel of sorts: for the next three months, or one hundred days—give or take—do one thing every single day to make herself happy. It’ll be fun, Polly asserts, a challenge they can undertake as friends.

A new friendship is above and beyond anything that Annie wants right now. After all, she made every effort to break ties with her old friends after her marriage fell apart. But Polly’s aggressive jollity first irritates and then intrigues Annie so much that it becomes infectious; it’s the best kind of contagion to share under the circumstances. As they look for ways to make themselves happy, an extraordinary thing happens. The very sorrows that bound them in the first place end up giving them strength to see their biggest challenge yet all the way through.

Author Eva Woods uses a tried and true story as the basis for her novel but manages to take an every-day plot and make it her own. While the idea may sound like so many romantic comedies that show up in the theaters every summer, Woods keeps her book grounded by keeping her characters grounded. Annie’s transformation may be well charted from the opening chapter, but that doesn’t make it any less real.

Her struggles will tug at readers’ hearts, which makes her reluctance to change that much more impactful. Annie needs someone like Polly in her life, but Woods also gives Polly depth. Polly grapples with her mortality in a way that readers will relate to. She laughs, she cries, she accepts it and then is in disbelief of it—her emotions go from high to low, strong to weak, and she will certainly have readers nodding along.

A few of the minor plot devices may come across as a touch contrived, but a story like this thrives on those contrivances. Also, they never get out of hand or seem out of place. Readers will be most concerned with Annie and Polly’s friendship and will have no trouble forgiving some of the less realistic elements in the story itself in order to cheer on this unlikely duo. Some of the secondary characters may come across as stock characters or placeholders for the things Annie needs in order to change, but Woods handles them with love and respect.

For anyone wanting a quick read that balances encouragement with a down-to-earth story, I recommend they Bookmark Something Like Happy.

The end-of-life quest for fulfillment takes on a slight twist when it becomes about changing someone else's life. Annie isn't dying, but she can't seem to get past the pile-up of sadness that was the last two years of her life. When visiting the hospital to see her mother who no longer remembers her, she meets Polly, who hands her a cupcake. As Polly charges into Annie's life, Annie doesn't know what to do with the stranger, but her life can't get much worse. Annie's life might be a mess, but Polly is actually dying and wants to spend her last days trying to do one thing that makes her happy a day. This novel is a sweet reminder that even just one thing a day can change your life, even if your life is nearing its end.

Annie Hebden is just about as miserable as she can be. She is stuck in a job she hates, her roommate drives her nuts, and her mother, whom she visits daily in the hospital, doesn't recognize her. And then the loud, energetic, colorful Polly Leonard pushes her way into Annie's life--determined that she join her in a 100 days of happiness project. This was an entertaining book that promotes the message that happiness is a choice.

I was really intrigued by the inspiration for Eva Woods' new novel Something Like Happy. I hadn't heard about the #100happydays challenge before this. (You can find out more at the website and on Twitter.)

In Something Like Happy, we meet Annie - who is definitely not happy. Her mother is ill, she hates her job, lives in a grubby flat, her marriage has broken up and there's a tragedy in her past that has crippled her moving forward. A chance meeting with Polly, a woman who is dying, changes her life. Polly has been given three months to live - and she has decided to not to waste a single day or opportunity - and to touch and involve as many people as she can in feeling happy. Every day for 100 days.

"I don't want to just...go through the motions of dying. I want to really try and change things. I have to make some kind of mark, you see, before I disappear forever. I want to show it's possible to be happy and enjoy life even if things seem awful."

It's impossible not to like Polly as her enthusiasm is infectious. On the flip side, it's very hard to celebrate each day as she does, knowing that she literally has one hundred days left. Doubly hard if you know someone who is terminally ill. But the message at the heart of the book is important. We truly do need to find something or someone to enjoy every day - whatever that may be. Happy is different for everyone.

Annie was a great foil for Polly. When we meet her, she is grumpy, depressed and simply existing. And although the reader is pretty sure how things will progress, her 'transformation' is still a pleasure to follow. I enjoyed the supporting cast, especially Costas, Annie's lodger. Dr. McGrumpy is a close second. He's also the romantic lead in Something Like Happy.

Woods takes some literary license with some of her plotting. Many scenes and developments take place in the hospital. And in 'real life' many of them just wouldn't happen. (Such as sharing other patient's diagnosis with volunteers) As with the romance, these plotlines have the feel of a chick lit read.

Something Like Happy is a double edged read. On one hand it's a feel-good, inspirational read. On the other, it is tinged with sadness and will have the reader perhaps recalling loss in their own lives. But, I think the takeaway will be inspirational as well. Even if you don't formally participate in the challenge, the idea of finding something to be happy for every day is a worthwhile goal.

"The thing about happiness, Annie - sometimes it's in the contrasts. Hot bath on a cold day. Cool drink in the sun. That feeling when your car almost skids on the ice for a second and you're fine - it's hard to appreciate things unless you know what it's like without them."

After Annie suffers from the most terrible loss imaginable, her life becomes one long day after another. She exists but doesn’t live. When her mother begins the descent into dementia, she finds her days spent at the hospital. What she doesn’t expect to find is Polly. Polly , with her colorful clothes and dynamic personality, swoops into Annie’s life like a gale wind force. Polly is at the hospital because she has a brain tumor and not much time left on earth but she wants to live that time to the fullest. Annie becomes a project of sorts for Polly. She wants to bring Annie back to life. What they both don’t know is just how much they will change each other’s lives.

There is something just so beautifully sad or sadly beautiful about this story. We all know Polly is going to die and I cried some good tears, let me tell you, but it’s the living that makes your heart soar. The cast of characters are all in need of something and watching them find it is truly wonderful. My heart hurt for Annie but watching as she came out of her shell was the best part of the book. I loved Polly and her devil-may-care attitude, she was fun, but Annie was really the heart of the book. One hundred days of their mission will be one hundred days that you will devour. It’s got everything; love, friendship, laughter, tears and even the northern lights.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.

This books made me laugh and cry. Terminal cancer patient, Polly, meets Annie who gets to play the "sh**t card" for things that have happened in her life. Together the two of them make a pack for 100 days of happy. The life lessons and characters are unbelievingly movable. A great read.

Eva Woods hit a home run with Something Like Happy. It had me in a snare unable to free myself from its grasp until the conclusion, though the end, I must admit was the most distressing portion since never before had I gotten this entwined with characters in a book. Throughout the book, the author has a lot of talent at tinkering with the reader's emotions. Consequently, as you follow along with Annie and Polly on their 100 days of happiness you go through an intense gamut of emotions from fear, anger, sadness, joy, and of course happiness. Furthermore, the ingenious way the characters are written you feel as if you have known them your whole life. You will have a ball reading about the numerous Laugh out loud whirlwind of adventures they tackled.

The books set up is clever with each chapter being a day in the 100 days of happiness, no more no less. Additionally, with a wonderful plot, explicitly contemporary, and original as they get. I found the author to be creative in more ways than one. Hence, proficient creativity in her wording, ideas, and much more. Whereas, I was surprised by the number of lessons regarding life that I not only learned but intend to implement into my own. I have each important page marked with a tab, underlined, and notes in the margins. Therefore, I definitely will be rereading this book. For me, it was a fiction self-help book the only type I could stand.

There was one flaw that had to do when Polly needed assistance with her breathing. Where the author went wrong was using a ventilator with a mask for Noninvasive ventilation instead of a BIPAP Machine which is what is used to give positive airway pressure with a mask. Whereas, ventilators are used when a patient is intubated or has an endotracheal tube. Why do I know this? I happen to be a Respiratory Therapist. Probably the only reader who even noticed this was me.

I was really intrigued by the inspiration for Eva Woods' new novel Something Like Happy. I hadn't heard about the #100happydays challenge before this. (You can find out more at the website and on Twitter.)

In Something Like Happy, we meet Annie - who is definitely not happy. Her mother is ill, she hates her job, lives in a grubby flat, her marriage has broken up and there's a tragedy in her past that has crippled her moving forward. A chance meeting with Polly, a woman who is dying, changes her life. Polly has been given three months to live - and she has decided to not to waste a single day or opportunity - and to touch and involve as many people as she can in feeling happy. Every day for 100 days.

"I don't want to just...go through the motions of dying. I want to really try and change things. I have to make some kind of mark, you see, before I disappear forever. I want to show it's possible to be happy and enjoy life even if things seem awful."

It's impossible not to like Polly as her enthusiasm is infectious. On the flip side, it's very hard to celebrate each day as she does, knowing that she literally has one hundred days left. Doubly hard if you know someone who is terminally ill. But the message at the heart of the book is important. We truly do need to find something or someone to enjoy every day - whatever that may be. Happy is different for everyone.

Annie was a great foil for Polly. When we meet her, she is grumpy, depressed and simply existing. And although the reader is pretty sure how things will progress, her 'transformation' is still a pleasure to follow. I enjoyed the supporting cast, especially Costas, Annie's lodger. Dr. McGrumpy is a close second. He's also the romantic lead in Something Like Happy.

Woods takes some literary license with some of her plotting. Many scenes and developments take place in the hospital. And in 'real life' many of them just wouldn't happen. (Such as sharing other patient's diagnosis with volunteers) As with the romance, these plotlines have the feel of a chick lit read.

Something Like Happy is a double edged read. On one hand it's a feel-good, inspirational read. On the other, it is tinged with sadness and will have the reader perhaps recalling loss in their own lives. But, I think the takeaway will be inspirational as well. Even if you don't formally participate in the challenge, the idea of finding something to be happy for every day is a worthwhile goal.

"The thing about happiness, Annie - sometimes it's in the contrasts. Hot bath on a cold day. Cool drink in the sun. That feeling when your car almost skids on the ice for a second and you're fine - it's hard to appreciate things unless you know what it's like without them."

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

I was not aware of the #100HappyDays social media phenomenon prior to reading this book, so I went into it cautiously optimistic. By the end, I could definitely see why the idea of doing 100 happy things over the course of 100 days would be so popular. I know that I can find myself stuck in a rut and feeling that the world is out to get me while believing that everyone else is having the time of their lives; however, this just isn't true. We are all feeling at odds for a multitude of individual reasons, but life is all about the ups and downs and this book asks us to gracefully embrace all aspects of that life in its entirety. More importantly, whatever your circumstances, the ability to find joy always exists. While that can seem overly simplistic, sappy, or even condescending depending on your situation, the story never came across in that way. This is an introspective and emotional roller coaster that is worth every tear and laugh.

I absolutely adored the friendship that developed between Annie and Polly. Each of these women is strong in their own way and highly relatable, but they needed each other to find the strength to face the devastating struggles they are separately enduring. Polly's infectious personality brings spirit back to Annie who is slowly sleepwalking her way through life, while Annie challenges Polly with honesty. They push each other to be the best they can be and their shared experiences brings new understanding to their struggles.

Overall, this was a heartwarming story that delivered a gut-wrenching punch of inspiration. Life is definitely what you make of it, but the power of true friendship and hope can certainly make even the most insurmountable situation much more bearable. I hope you pick this one up because I know I will find myself revisiting this book as a reminder that every small step toward positivity can bring us closer to discovering our own version of being "something like happy."

Many thanks again to Little Bird Publicity and Eva Moss! It was a pleasure providing a review!

Damn, Something Like Happy is a seriously emotional read.

I’ll be completely honest by admitting I went into this one a little bit tentative. The notion of the book was intriguing, but I find books dealing with the topics included in this one can be a bit hit or miss. Mainly it was the #100HappyDays social media phenomenon that had me a bit worried. My idea of a social media phenomenon to follow is watching people make a fool of himself or herself through the ice bucket challenge or the cinnamon challenge. I’d heard of the #100HappyDays but I’d never really paid it much attention. It existed, but I wasn’t going to be taking part.

Then came Something Like Happy. The book is focused around the question of what you would do if you only have one hundred days left to live. A story contemplating happiness and suggesting you embrace life. Hence my tentatively. I sometimes fear these kinds of stories are going to try and sell you happiness. Far too many psychology lectures have left me doubtful of self-help books, and I feared this book would err on the side of being a self-help book dressed as a fiction novel.

Fortunately, my tentatively was misplaced.

Something Like Happy is a truly beautiful novel. It sucked me in with just a few pages, and I was lost. I picked it up and I could not put it down. I needed more. I had to finish the story. I couldn’t wait to see what happened. Throughout, I was on an emotional rollercoaster. I’ve said this about a handful of books in my time, but this one really hit hard. There were genuine tears running down my face – the ugly, phlegmy sobs kind of crying – alongside laughter. It is the kind of book that has you laughing as the tears roll down your face. It really is such an emotional rollercoaster on so many levels.

It’s easy to understand why it’s such an emotional read. You can pick up books with heavy topics and they can fail to hit the right emotional spots. When you connect with the characters and their stories, when the book seems real, and the emotions are true to life, it is easy to be pulled into the emotional vortex. This one really pulls you in. Eva Woods was inspired to write Something Like Happy after surviving her own brush with cancer and the breakdown of her marriage, allowing deep emotions to be entombed in this story. You feel what the characters are feeling – you love, lose, and grow again right beside them. It’s an emotional journey that will make you feel. Feel good. Feel bad. Most importantly, feel alive.

Honestly, I could prattle on for hours about the emotional depth of this book. I know such will bore people however. Therefore, I’ll try to sum it up – you need to be prepared. You need to prepare yourself to feel so much, because you will feel everything.

Without a doubt, this one hit all the right spots. The book can be all kinds of emotional, but without the right storyline and characters, it can fall apart. Something Like Happy provides all: the emotional depth, the gripping storyline, the wonderful characters, and the beautiful writing that will keep you addicted throughout.

A very strong four star rating for this book, a book that will leave you feeling everything.

Something Like Happy is a beautiful story about characters you'll love, friendship and small joys in life. The novel also revolves around 100 Happy Days Project, I had never heard of it before, so it was an experience reading about that. It shows how you can find joy in small things in life.

Annie Hebden is miserable and Polly is set to enjoy and celebrate life in the 100 Happy Days Project Challenge. Miserable Annie of thirty-five years old thinks nothing can lift her spirits and Polly is the last person she needs right now, but soon Annie is challenged by Polly to take part in the 100 Happy Days Project with her and Polly shows her how to take joy from simple things. How doing small things for yourself can be positive.

On the other hand, Polly has a life threatening disease, but nothing stops Polly from being full of life, funny and happy. And in a way, Polly teaches Annie to live a little too. Both characters couldn't be more different and both of them suffer from different ways but still, their friendship works and they're powerful together. It could have been a depressing story as the plot goes but it wasn't. It was humorous despite the heavy emotions. It was an amazing emotional roller coaster ride filled with magnificent joyful moments. I loved getting to read about the other characters as well. The character development of these two is so well written, it's visible as you read further.

Annie and Polly are both interesting characters but I am guessing Polly is going to be favourite of many like me. This story shows how you can be at solace from small and simple things in life. It was a different kind of read for me, it was an amazing story and very uplifting.

This was a story that brought you in and kept you reading. A story of loyalty, courage and understanding, which are all needed in any lasting and meaningful relationship.

Annie is living a sad, depressed life. She has been beaten down. Then she runs into the happy-go-lucky Polly, who eventually wins her over and helps change her life. This is a mostly feel-good story. I just could not connect to the characters for some reason and this book seemed to just drag on for me.

Something Like Happy could have been a sad, emotional read, and to some extent it is, however it is also enchanting and uplifting.

Annie has gone through a lot and really is in a dark place, she struggles through each day not really caring. And to make matters worse Annie's mother doesn't recognise her as she has early onset Alzheimers. Until one day she meets up with the inimitable Polly. Polly who is keen to live one hundred days doing something happy every day. However Polly has a journey to make as well - she has a brain tumour that means she on some level knows her days are short.

Polly is quite madcap, yet it turns out she is the best thing out for Annie. Through her Annie begins to come back to life while it slowly ebbs from Polly. The things they do are mostly simple but the proof is in the changes that come into Annie's life. And for Polly she has a new found friend who stays with her in her bid to live out her last days fully. They make a formidable team.

Much of the story takes place in a hospital and we meet the chocolate loving, Scottish doctor - Dr. Max and another one who seems serious but when you scrape the surface has his own burdens to carry. Polly has a brother George and Annie has a flatmate - Costas, both characters who come to life and are very much part of the story.

For me this book worked. At one point I wondered if I would keep going as I have a sister with a brain tumour so it felt a little close to home, however the story is told with the right amount of irreverence, compassion and love that it became a celebration of life and the reminder that each of us have a limited time in which we can choose to live all the sad and happy moments of life with whole heartedness.

Which Person Are You? Are you the type of person that would be chosen by another person to convince you to take a hundred-day challenge to find one happy thing each day for the next one hundred days? OR, would you be the person who can easily find something each day that makes you happy? Enjoy the quirky characters in this story. I thank NetGalley and Harlequin for providing a free ebook in exchange for a review of this book. This is my honest review.

Something Like Happy by Eva Woods is an inspirational and inspiring read. We meet Annie whose life has been torn apart by tragedies and is depressed and Polly, her newfound friend with terminal cancer who is determined to live life to the fullest. When Polly challenges Annie to 100 days of doing something that madkes you happy, Annie is reluctant. This book will take you on a journey and challenge you to live a happier life. I cried, and laughed on this book. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see that there is still a bright light and you can choose to be happy.