This one kept me reading but fell kind of flat for me. I can't really put my finger on it... Maybe the hook was lackluster or maybe there wasn't enough going on or maybe the ending went on too long and was somewhat blah. All that seems too negative because I did like the story. It was just missing some oomph.

A big thanks to the author, publisher, and netgalley for a copy of this ARC.

Natalie Greene lost not only her mother twenty years ago to a terrible car crash, but also all of her childhood memories. To this day, she still suffers from terrible feelings that may have been the reason her mother died. After dealing with the loss of her husband to another woman, Natalie decides to attend a retreat in the Cayman Islands with her step-sister to get way. One night while there, she is in another car accident which triggers a long time buried trauma from the night her mother died. After coming back to Boston, she tries to forget those feelings and move on with her life, but the past comes to get her again when she receives a mysterious email stating that there was foul play in the accident while in the Cayman Islands. This brings her to her journey with discovering secrets from the past and a trail of deceit alongside journalist Isabel.

This premise sounded so good, and the book delivered. I need a thriller/mystery to be grappling, sitting on the edge of my seat needing to know what happens next. This gave me exactly that. I loved the MC trying to deal with all the changes in her life, struggles with parenting, divorce, while also dealing with trauma from the past. This was an excellent read.

This was a solid thriller where Natalie had PTSD about losing her mother in the car crash, and in the present time, she had lost her husband, but when a car crash occurred, it showed things were not as they seemed. This had many twists and I found myself immersed in the story. A good thriller.

How can you resist a book that opens with "I think I killed my mother."? Nicole Bokat's novel The Happiness Thief begins with that intriguing sentence that encourages the reader to discover why Natalie would think that.

When Natalie was thirteen, she was in a car accident that killed her mother. Natalie suffered a serious brain trauma, and she can't remember exactly what happened, except that she fears that she shined her flashlight in her mother's eyes and that is what caused the accident.

Natalie is with her stepsister Isabel on a Caribbean island where Isabel is speaking at a Happiness Conference. Isabel is a self-help guru (think Glennon Doyle or Brene Brown) who is trying to build her brand after writing a successful book, and working to finish a second book. People surround Isabel at the conference, wanting any piece of her and her advice that she can give them.

"Isabel was the powerhouse and the bulwark, while Natalie was the sensitive one" in the family. Natalie's husband recently left her and their teenage daughter Hadley for a younger colleague. The dissolution of her marriage has left Natalie depressed, and this trip is supposed to cheer her up.

While driving on the island at night, a car follows them and shines highbeams at them. Natalie is driving and hits something in the road, leaving blood on the bumper. She panics, and flashes back to the accident that killed her mother. Isabel and the man in the car behind them get out and look for what was probably an animal, but Natalie is convinced it was a person.

When they return home to Boston, Natalie receives an email from somone who says he knows that she hit someone on that road. Even though Isabel does her best to prove Natalie that she didn't hit a person, Natalie is not convinced.

There are two mysteries here- was Natalie responsible for her mother's death and did she hit someone on the island? I didn't find myself as invested in the mysteries as I did with Natalie's home life. The relationship between Natalie and her daughter Hadley was the strongest part of the book, that felt true and honest.

I found it difficult at first to keep track of the family situation- Isabel's mom (deceased), Natalie's mom, Natalie's dad who died when she was young, her stepfather who is Isabel's father. It took awhile to get it straight.

There are a lot of moving parts in this story, this is the kind of book you have to pay close attention to when you're reading. If psychological suspense and family drama is something you enjoy in a book, The Happiness Thief will quench your thirst.

Natalie has been dealing with internal demons ever since her mother died in a car crash two decades ago. She has a hazy memory of the crash, but she is certain that it was her fault. Now in her forties, her marriage has ended due to her husband’s infidelity. Natalie’s sister, Isabel, is a successful “Happiness Guru,” so she joins her at the annual Happiness Conference. While at the retreat, Natalie is driving and hits something when blinded by another car’s headlights. The other driver assured her that it was an animal, but Natalie is not so sure. She begins receiving emails that convince her that the accident was much worse than hitting an animal.

Things get more twisty as details come to light. There are secrets, betrayal, and suspense. You feel for Natalie because of her traumatic past and the fact that she has blamed herself for so many years. I was bothered by the fact that some of the dialogue used quotations and other parts didn’t. It felt choppy and hard for me to follow. I wasn’t fully invested in the story either. With that being said, I found the plot to be unique and there were definitely parts that had me turning the pages quickly.

I had a very hard time connecting with the characters in this book. With her low self esteem and anxiety, I found Natalie to be a downer, and a lot of her actions made me cringe. Her step-sister Isabel was completely fake and I kept waiting for her to reveal her true colors. The story had a very slow build to it (frustratingly so at times) and I didn't find my true interest in the story until I was 75% through it, at which point the truth of the accident started making itself known to Natalie. At that point I couldn't read fast enough and I was pleasantly surprised by how the book played out. I had the bad guy figured out, but I never could have imagined the why or the details behind their actions. Up until the ending of the book, my plan had been to rate this with two stars, however the ending redeemed the book and I have upgraded my review to three stars.

My favorite character in this book was Jeremy, the reporter. I didn't like Natalie until the end of the book, but I like how she was able to turn her pain and memories into healing art. I would pay to see that exhibit!

Thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for the digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a bit of a slow burn. It wasn't a bad read, just a little hard for me to want to stay connected. The character development is done really well, especially with their dramatic past. I feel like I would've enjoyed this more as a movie than as a book. There is a lot of flashbacks, and I don't feel like the transition between the two timelines was as smooth as it could be. This would be a perfect beach summer read if you are into family dramas with a hint of suspense. I will be posting this review on my blog on June 2nd as part of the TLC Book Tours

I could not put this down - definitely a page turner! Incredibly well written suspense novel. I found the characters to be well developed with good voices.

Thank you NetGalley. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The cover of the book is simple but makes sense to the genre / storyline.
The writing is easy to follow. The plot was .. mediocre but semi-interesting at times. I just had a hard time truly getting into the book.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖?

Natalie Greene has buried the horrible car accident that cost her mother her very life. With her shattered, haunting recollection of that event, hazy at best, the one thing she feels to be true is that it was all her fault. She is the reason her mother is dead. Now in her forties, her marriage has just ended due to her husband’s infidelity, so she turns to her adored step-sister Isabel Walker, once a troubled teen and now a wildly successful, spiritual guru of sorts. Natalie joins her at the annual Happiness Conference at the Cayman Islands, despite having just lost her own father, Isabel (always a powerhouse) works through her grief, surrounded by fans and admirers who long to be self-actualized and happy. Isabel is everything Natalie isn’t, as if Natalie’s happiness and future has been trapped in the nightmare of her own loss, her guilt a heavy stone in her heart. She doesn’t begrudge her step-sister her glorious life and is proud of her accomplishments, including her solid marriage to George. She doesn’t fall apart in the face of loss, not like Natalie.

Behind the wheel with her sister beside her, glorifying in Isabel’s presence, there is a suddenly blare of headlights, causing her to hit something. Once again she is the helpless teen and Isabel takes charge, confronting the other driver. No harm done, the man assures them it was nothing, a four legged creature. She sees the other driver later, a handsome photographer named Simon, who gives her his email. A shared passion for photography, even if her job photographing food is less stimulating, is a happy coincidence. Life goes on, Natalie returns to Boston and wonders about the stranger while she tries to launch herself as a single, working mother to Hadley, her teenage daughter. Hadley pushes her mother to try, make an effort to feel better about herself. Her soon to be ex is moving on faster than either of them are prepared for, putting a fire in Natalie that leads her to seek Simon.

When she receives an eerie email that seems to imply the recent accident is far more sinister than she thought, making her doubt everything that happened on the road that night at the Happiness retreat, she begins to question everyone in her life, including Simon. Could it be he isn’t who he seems? Maybe the trauma of her past is making her insane. She feels like an inept, amateur sleuth trying to figure out who Godfrey (the emailer) is. Memories of her mother’s accident are erupting too, and it has always been Isabel she relies on to supply the facts. After all, it was her devotion to her that caused such a tangle, a rift between she and her own mother. She meets Jeremy, a journalist, and asks him for a favor-help her find out what happened recently the night of her accident but there is a second request involving the past and her family. In turn, she will let him interview her. Jeremy isn’t a fan of happiness gurus or new age healers of any sort, who better to talk to than the popular Isabel’s sister for his piece? She knows Isabel is on the up and up, her passion is helping people, including Natalie herself. She has gone above and beyond to support her when she was at her weakest.

When she informs Isabel about the email, her sister offers to get to the bottom of things. She’s always been there to pick up the pieces, to guide Natalie. She doesn’t understand why she is tormenting herself, assuring her the accident was nothing, this is just the past eroding the present again. She is leaping to impossible conclusions despite the evidence, hurting because of the past, mixing things up. Isabel is greatly concerned, worried about her well being.

As more information rises to the surface, things get more complicated, illuminating the past. There is more to the mystery of their family, so many doubts, holes in Natalie’s memory that maybe a letter could dispel. This is, in the end, a story about ‘the strong habit of love’, the things we see and how much we miss. The story is good, but there were times Natalie got on my nerves. She does act immature, but it could be the writer’s intent, to show how in a sense losing her mother, blaming herself, having relied on Isabel too much and being in such a long marriage infantilized her in some ways. When we first meet her, she doesn’t trust herself, hasn’t fully stood on her own two feet and divorce demands that of you. She suffers from trauma still and it’s hard to move past it when you don’t have the full story and your own memories play hide and seek. You can’t always look to others to save you.

The truth finds a way and it isn’t always pretty.

Publication Date: May 18, 2021

She Writes Press

The Happiness Thief is about Natalie, a woman who lost her mother in an accident when she was a young girl. She has gone through life living with the guilt that her mother's accident was her fault, because she was in the car with her and survived. The only problem with this, is she doesn't remember anything about the accident or a lot of the events leading up to that day and car ride. Her step sister has always been her rock, an up and coming Happy Guru, she looks out for Natalie. However after a trip to the Cayman Islands, Natalie starts getting these very strange and cryptic emails from an unknown writer. We go through the process of finding out who the mystery emailer is and trying to regain her lost memories.

The book is a slow burn, there's just enough intrigue through it all to keep you reading and wondering who has done what. The characters are wonderfully developed and all have a very clear voice. It kind of plays out like a Lifetime movie, which is great because they are my guilty pleasure. All in all, I liked the book a lot!

The Happiness Thief by Nicole Bokat

9781647420574

280 Pages
Publisher: She Writes Press
Release Date: May 18, 2021

Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers, Family Dynamics

Natalie and Isabella are two stepsisters living in different worlds. Natalie believes she was the cause of her mother’s death and lives in a state of anxiety. When the sisters are at a conference on Grand Cayman, there is an incident with a car that rattles Natalie and makes her question everything.

The book is well paced, and the characters are somewhat developed. It is written in third person point of view. I understand Natalie has issues and I love the description of her work as a food photographer, but I had a hard time liking her. She feels so needy.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. Natalie goes with her step sister, Isabel to Grand Cayman. A tiny accident happens which brings Natalie back to her childhood when the car she was riding in crashed and her mother died. This book made me frustrated. Natalie is a 40 something with a 15 year old daughter. Natalie is going through a divorce and seems very scattered. Any parent of a 15 year old knows you need to be on your game. She has random sex which seems unbelievable. It just didn’t do much for me

This one definitely had me page turning!

What I liked: I loved the suspense. There were a lot of unanswered questions throughout that kept me page turning to find the answers. I like the skipping between past and present, allowing the reader to connect the dots in similar but different situations.

What I didn't like: Sometimes I wasn't able to catch the transition from the present into a flashback. I'd find myself confused and having to go back to realizing we were in a flashback. While I also appreciated all the unanswered questions, there was A LOT going on in this book. Many different suspenseful storylines that I don't think all came together at the end? Also -- **SPOILER** I was not comforted by how Isabelle and Natalie's relationship "resolved." I feel like she just let her off the hook, whereas I think we should have involved the police. And Gerrick's letter? I don't know - I don't think that should have been information you left to reveal until your deathbed. It all kept me very interested, but it just didn't all line up or feel believable! (It's fiction -- am I thinking too hard?!)

Who should read it? If you love a thriller and a dysfunctional family saga, this one is for you! A few similarities to "The House We Grew Up In" by my fav, Lisa Jewell.

Other book reviews: @wiscoreads

A dark twisty thriller that begins with a bang and never stops. The character plays a sort of game to figure out what is going on when she is on vacation.

Found the way this story was told to be uninteresting. It could have had potential. Boring & predictable at times. The relationship between Jeremy & Natalie deemed forced & fell flat. Seemed to jump around and was not cohesive.

So disjointed, confusing, and just awkwardly written at times. The plot could have had potential but was so poorly executed. I really wish I had given up on this one instead of finishing it.

This is a thrilling story about a woman who just can’t seem to escape what happened to her in her past. For decades, Natalie has lived with the feeling that she is responsible for the crash that killed her mother. When Natalie’s marriage falls apart, she goes on a retreat with her sister, a Happiness Guru, to the Cayman Islands. When another crash happens while on the retreat, Natalie’s PTSD is triggered. Worse, after returning home, she receives a letter indicating the crash on the Cayman Islands wasn’t an accident. So begins the thrilling journey that is this book! A fun read overall.

Many thanks to NetGalley and She Writes Press for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Natalie Greene lost her mom and her childhood memories in a car crash two decades ago. What remains is a haunting feeling that she was responsible for her mother’s death. After her husband leaves for another woman, Natalie accompanies her famous stepsister, Isabel Walker (aka “The Happiness Guru”) on a retreat to the Cayman Islands. There, a late-night collision triggers Natalie’s long-buried trauma and a heightened sense of guilt.

This was such a wonderful fast paced thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat!
The writing was great. The story even better!

THE HAPPINESS THIEF is an elegantly written mystery that keeps you rapt from the get-go. Natalie has a deep well of PTSD from the loss of her mother two decades ago in a car crash. Now in her forties, she faces even more loss when her husband leaves her, plus more trauma when a crash occurs while she’s on retreat to the Caymans.

After returning home, Natalie receives a shocking email suggesting the Cayman collision was not what it seemed. The ensuing twists and turns will keep you up all night, heart-pumping, awareness narrowed to just the page before you until you reach the last one. Whew!

4 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 18 May 2021
#TheHappinessThief #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, She Writes Press, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.