So many things to love about this 2nd chance romance. First, as someone who lives in New Orleans, I loved the little mentions of the food and the city itself. The book doesn't take place there, but they definitely pay homage to NOLA, and I am here for it. I love the diversity in the cast of this book, and the feel of community you get from all the side characters. You've got so many characters of so many different ethnic backgrounds. You don't see that enough these days so I found that refreshing. They manage to make a big city, D.C., seem like a small town.
And I love that Trixie was a strong confident woman who was doing what was best for herself and not succumbing to family pressure. She is the ultimate bada$$. This book is charming, funny and felt very real. A lot of the themes rang very true for me. The characters in this book aren't perfect, they are flawed, and that helped me really connect with them.
Also I want all the products that Trixie is selling. And I want to eat all the food that Andre cooks. Super cute, super sexy read.

Review posted on GoodReads (February 25, 2021)
Review Linked.

4/5 stars!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Avon for sending me an E-ARC for an honest review.

This book was so cute! I am always excited to read any Adult Romance that talks about sex positivity and this book was so much fun to read.

I fell in love with both characters and their own individual stories. I also fell in love with their romance. I think that the plot of this book was so well paced, and I loved all of the side characters. I can't wait to see if the author expands on this romance world with stories from the other characters.

Thanks for reading!
Caden

I didn't love this book... I found the writing clunky, the cliches didn't really work and neither did the backstory. I was so disappointed in this book - it has all the makings of a great romance and a diverse one to boot, but it didn't work. On a personal note, as soon as the trope transitioned into "friends with benefits" it became very manipulative, which is a trigger and a hard no for me.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a cute, fun romance with characters who were interesting, endearing, and engaging! I enjoyed the plot from start to finish, and I felt like the culturally differences in the characters were explained and explored in a sensitive, educational way. I also enjoyed the pacing of the story, and I never felt like the story was rushed or too slow. The writing was consistent throughout, and I was satisfied with the ending of the book. Overall, I felt like this was a romance reader's romance! Two thumbs way up!

Trixie Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American sex toy therapist who hails from New Orleans. After a messy breakup she moved to DC for a fresh start. Determined to prove her parents wrong she has a 5 yr plan which includes becoming a top seller. She's found a group of close friends, does volunteer work she enjoys, and is overall a more confident woman.

Andre Walker took over his momma's soul food restaurant after she died but it hasn't been doing well. 2 years ago he left his girlfriend by breaking up via a note and moved out of New Orleans. So of course he's surprised when she shows up at his restaurant and he discovers she's friends with his sister. The last thing he wants is to defile the image of his mother's restaurant with pop up sex toy events especially with his ex as the host. But what other options do they have to easily bring in business right now?

I really appreciated the sex positivity in this story. Trixie tries to educate both young and older women about sex and help them be comfortable in their own bodies.

The sex scenes were hot and there was even some inclusion of toys which I've never read in a contemporary romance. Trixie and Andre had no problems in that regard.

This book also touches upon gentrification as the neighborhood surrounding Mama Hazel's restaurant has had significant rent increases over the years and an influx of hipsters. The restaurant is one of the few neighborhood staples left.

While I understood Andre was still dealing with his grief he was a hard character to root for at times. He harbors the weight of everything on his shoulders despite friends and family constantly begging him to let them help. He need to dal with his control issues when it came to both his sister and Trixie.

I think there was a lot of family drama to get over and that was too quickly resolved without much effort. I think more time needed to be spent on resolving those issues since the book was already in women's fiction territory. And those larger issues made it hard to enjoy Trixie and Andre as a couple outside of the bedroom. Overall this is a fast paced read worth checking out at least to get a little variation from your usual contemporary.

I received an arc from Avon Romance in exchange for honest review
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot.com/2021/02/happy-endings-by-thien-kim-lam.html

Trixie is trying to make a life for herself selling sex toys.

Andre is trying to keep his late mother’s legacy alive in her soul food cafe.

In a unprecedented mash up they can help each other succeed in both businesses.

The problem? 2 years ago Andre dumped Trixie.... via post it note.

What I loved: The sex positivity and the strong cultural backgrounds of both main characters.

What missed the mark for me: The overall lack of communication throughout the entire book between all the characters.

Overall: A solid 4 stars. I laughed, I teared up, and I cheered for Trixie and Andre.

Definitely worth adding to your TBR list for its upcoming May release date!

This book surprised me. I didn't know how sexy, how romantic, how hard i would fall for these characters. The Lady Bosses thing was a little cringe (imo) but it never detracted from the chemistry not just between the hot leads but the friendship. This is the kind of book you wish Hallmark or Lifetime would take a chance with. Stop making sex talk so taboo. They need a lesson from Trixie.

3.75/5 stars!

The heroine was doing a pop-up event at the restaurant owned by the hero and his sister. The two were lovers in the past but the hero broke up with the heroine when she needed him the most. After a conversation, the two began a partnership where the heroine can use the restaurant as a place for her pop-up events while giving the hero much-appreciated business. And the couple gives another chance at a relationship after a relevant conversation about their past.

This interracial romance is scorching with sexy times and great camaraderie. The heroine has a group of supportive friends and through her business, has become sexually confident with herself. The hero has a wonderful sister and a great best friend but I did want to shake him for most of the book. I enjoyed the dynamics during the sexy times and how the wonderful neighborhood community is a family to the hero. I also appreciate the recipes at the back of the book. Overall a great romantic story and looking forward to reading more Thien-Kim Lam books in the future.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.**

I received this book for an honest review

I loved this story! A great, sweet interracial romance with an intriguing story

This is...fine, for what it is. Kudos for the sex-education positive attitude. :) However, the writing style is very clunky. There aren't any characters who grow and develop over the course of a story--there are names that bark exposition at each other. This isn't a bad book, but I was very turned off by the writing.

I am dying for some Vietnamese coffee though.

I found this book exciting because a) sex toys/aspiring sex shop owner as the heroine, and b) both characters are POCs, and it's interracial. While I don't pick romances because of the characters' races, I found this notable because I don't know that I can name another romance novel that features two POCs of different races from each other. Again, this isn't really a motivator for reading the book, but it is worth noting because I'm happy to see additional diversity in the romance world (Thank you, so much, Thien-Kim Lam!)

What I did love about this book was that Lam, whether intentionally or unintentionally, really promotes sex toys and is able to share a bit of advice through Trixie's presentations. I definitely tried to find one of the toys mentioned in the book.... For that reason alone, I appreciate this book. It encourages women to take charge of their own sexual pleasure and remember that sex can just be fun. Every woman should buy this book if they're looking to have some fun. After reading, I will still wholeheartedly follow the author to see what she does next.

I didn't love this book, though. I felt like there were a few different plot lines that all kind of fizzled. Trixie and Andre had some pretty major drama that they need to overcome, but I felt like there wasn't enough angst or genuine consideration of emotional consequences of how they'd left things. I feel like their decisions weren't well thought out or communicated, even if the sex was hot (which it was). Both have business goals and struggles of their own, then there's their romance, their platonic and familial relationships. There was a bit too much going on to be resolved in a ~300 page book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

CW: grief, sick parent, family tensions

I loved the setup of this book. Two distinct cultures. A Vietnamese woman, business owner, selling sex toys. A black man, trying to save his mother's business. Second chance. I loved all of the mentions of food and explorations of their cultures.

Andre broke up with Trixie via post-it note and he never redeemed himself to me. He is angry at the sight of her and is very reluctant to let anyone help him. Whether it was a hero complex or just straight-up misogyny his reasons for this were never fully explored why he felt he needed to save everything himself. At one point he grew frustrated when the woman he abandoned stopped their hook up (no means no and either party should be able to stop at any time without fear) and while I kept reading Andre was just not a great guy to me. Never fully realized what he did was wrong, felt what he did was for Trixie. He never seemed to accept her business, making multiple comments that were demeaning about it, I never felt he was really in her corner.

This book told us about the emotional journey of these two rather than showed it to us. While the sex was steamy it never showed intimacy and I struggled with the relationship throughout. A great premise, unfortunately, the execution was just not there.

Rating: 1 (due to the consent/anger at the hookup I can't rate higher)
Steam: 4

This piqued my interest on NetGalley based on the cover alone, but I enjoyed this book immensely. Strong recommendation for anyone looking for a Foodie Romance or a little bit of self-empowerment. Trixie Nguyen is a daughter of traditional Vietnamese parents from New Orleans, but smashing societal expectations by launching a fledgling sex toy business in the DC area. She's made amazing friends in the area, and volunteers teaching women of all ages about the joys of sex and self-pleasure when she runs into the ex who broke her heart with a post-it note (OUCH!)
Andre Walker is shouldering the burden of his own expectations and wants nothing more than to save his soul food restaurant (Mama Hazel's) from gentrification and bankruptcy while pushing his sister through a business degree. He's stubborn, and unwilling to open up until Trixie strolls right in with a suitcase full of vibrators.
I was shouting hell yeah every other page. Nothing was as I expected. The neighborhood ladies were sassy. The Boss Babes were spicy. The diversity! The Jack of All Trades! The positivity was soothing to my soul. I loved everything about it.
Thank you to the publisher, Avon, and the author, and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the #ownvoices, feminist tone of this book. It was inspiring and invigorating and so much fun to read! That said, I feel like the romance fell flat. Andre was kind of a jerk for the majority of the book and I couldn't see what anybody would see in him!

This was a fast, steamy read with a great premise, but it didn't end up working for me. It might work for you if you're looking for:
• a second-chance romance with a sex positive vibe and steamy, descriptive sex scenes
• an #OwnVoices Vietnamese American perspective with an ethnically diverse cast
• foodie fiction with Vietnamese, soul food, and New Orleans flare
• a strong female lead with short- and long-term career goals that contribute to the sexual health, wellness, enjoyment, and education of underserved populations
• a friends with benefits trope with a twist: exes trying to maybe be friends but definitely wanting those benefits either way trope
• a Boss Babes squad of supportive characters
• a neighborhood community of supportive friends and elders
• a story that touches on first gen immigrant and minority children and the pressures of family, community, and cultural expectations
• a story that touches on gentrification

And you're not turned off by:
• extended steamy sex scenes and frank language about sex and sex toys
• strong language
• death of a parent (background); health scare involving a parent
• writing that doesn't convey the depth of the relationships or characters, leaning hard on awkward, signposting dialogue and sexual chemistry between the leads

A charming second chance romcom full of sex positivity, female friendships, and delicious descriptions of food. While the writing can sometimes be a little stilted, all the characters are rounded and I would gladly pick up another romcom set in this same universe!

Happy Endings by Thien-Kim Lam is a Contemporary Women’s Fiction novel about Trixie Nguyen, a young almost 30-year-old woman who moved to the D.C. area after a bad breakup. She left New Orleans to start over and found a great group of friends, a job she loves and is working toward her career goals of earning the top sales rep position at the sex toy company she works for.

Through the help of a community of women, calling themselves The Boss Babes, her now close friends, she found a job as a salesperson in the Sex Toy Industry. She loves helping women find comfortability in their sexuality.

The book is told in third person POV which is always a pleasure to read. The style of writing allowed me as the reader to get into the headspace of both Trixie and Andre, her ex-boyfriend. Yup, that ex-boyfriend. She runs into him at an event not knowing that the location she is hosting her pop up event is the restaurant he owns with his sister own called Mama Hazels.

Andre left Trixie 2 years ago and never looked back. Ouch. I’m still not over that part. I heard his explanation and didn’t find myself empathizing towards him at all. I like that the two of them handle their issues in a mature way. I liked that this wasn’t a back and forth book of childish games. Trixie was straight forward with her feelings. When she felt something, she said it as I would. I loved Trixie but despised Andre. The more the book went on, the more I hated him.

Initially, I loved this story and was sucked in. As the story continues, Andre’s behavior gets worse. The way he treats Trixie throughout the novel is hard to read. He constantly blamed her for his own faults and yes, he took responsibility in the end, however it felt short for me. I would have liked more of an apology from Andre, more chemistry between them, more groveling to show her cares. It seemed that he was undecided as to what he wanted out of life. His rantings about gentrification also rattled my nerves.

Everyone is human and makes mistakes, however I felt Andre continuously disregarded Trixie’s feelings, treating her like dirt the entire way without true remorse. I found his actions selfish. Aside from that issue, the book was too long. Towards the end I lost interest in the story.

I would recommend this to readers of women’s fiction who want to read about multicultural representation, familial issues in regards to culture and anyone who wants to read about a strong sex positive woman coming into her own.

What this book lacked however, is romance. I am a diehard romance lover and found it was lacking here. I wouldn’t recommend this if you are looking for a second chance romance novel.

I received an ARC and I am providing my honest opinion.

Happy Endings is Thien-Kim Lam's debut novel. I was so excited to read this OwnVoices novel featuring sex-positivity.

Trixie and Andre are exes that came back together after a bad break-up just when they needed each other the most. Trixie wants to win a bonus with her sex toy business and Andre needs more customers at his families restaurant. I loved watching Trixie and Andre find their ways back to each other.

This book was sex-positive and encourages its readers to take charge of their own bodies. I especially loved that a biracial couple was represented. I love seeing romance books that embrace culture and the food that is part of that culture.

If you're looking for a second-chance romance with a biracial couple, you should definitely check out Happy Endings!

This breezy second chance romance is most successful when showing the strong bond between the group of BIPOC women. They meet weekly to discuss their entrepreneurial endeavors and encourage one another in that area of their lives. They are all good listeners and don’t get overly involved in Trixie’s relationship drama, and I’m glad no women fight over men. The cast of characters is extremely diverse— most are people or color, and a majority are women. Though most of the friends are hardly fleshed out, they still offer cultural differences that add a unique voice to this romance. The author shines when incorporating Trixie’s Vietnamese culture, whether it be her family dynamic or traditional food cravings. The sex scenes are also very, well, sexy.

Unfortunately, the writing is overall weak. Some lines are unbearably corny. I was excited for this book to elevate the romance drama, but it fell into familiar tropes and boiler plate expressions too frequently. The main love interest, Andre, is infuriatingly selfish. Trixie is often described as disappointing her parents for wanting to be a therapist, and yet never once insists this self-centered pouty baby seek the therapy he so desperately needs. His character could have been an interesting case study on grief (he is stuck on the death of his mother) but instead just repeats the same negativity ad nauseam.

This is a fun debut novel and its focus on the experience of BIPOC women keeps you going. That said, the writing itself leaves much to be desired.

Happy Endings is Thien-Kim Lam's debut novel and she knocks it out of the park. I loved the second chance at love feel of this story and Trixie and Andre are complicated and well thought out characters.

From the get-go on this story, I knew I was going to love Trixie and her Boss Babe group. This story is sex-positive and full of adventure both career-wise and in the bedroom. Andre and Trixie's past make sure an interesting story throughout and I was excited not to see some of the classic boring tropes overwhelming all my romance novels lately.

The culture of the characters, both Trixie's Thai family and Andre's deep southern roots were woven throughout the book and made the characters and the conflicts on the line seem real and relatable even though I don't have experience with both.