Wow! My reaction to this book is just go get it and read it for yourself because it is amazing! There are three female protagonists, all searching for happy and fulfilled lives but not really knowing how they expect to find it. Heather has a successful business but is afraid of love, even though she really does have deep feelings for Campbell but she is terrified of commitment. Tori is happily involved in a non-couple relationship with Grant and her walls come tumbling down (literally and figuratively) when she has to share a house with him after their condos flood. Finally, there is Daphne, a mom, a lawyer and a stepmom who is doing a good job of juggling all of her responsibilities, but what she really wants is her own baby with her husband Brody. All of the characters are friends which makes for some very interesting dynamics and advice giving. I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions between the characters and really enjoyed reading about Heather’s coping strategies (hint: it involves kittens). The characters were so realistic that I wanted to shake a few of them to get them to move away from the familiar and take a chance on love. I also wanted to kick Heather’s mom Amber to the moon and just let her stay there because she is thoroughly annoying and needy in a not so pleasant way. Like I said, the characters are completely realistic and present a fascinating character study of young women learning to be independent career women as well as capable of developing a lasting relationship. The plot moves smoothly and although it is plenty complicated with lots of the most intriguing kind of drama, it is easy to follow and laugh-aloud funny at times. The author knows how to tell a story that is captivating while also sparkling with romance. The end result is a powerful story that is delightfully readable. With characters that are rich and relatable and a plot that is brilliantly compelling, this is a book not to be missed. Because who doesn’t need a “happiness plan”?
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I also received a hard copy from the author as part of her review team. I was not required by anyone to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Great characters and locale. A little too much going from one friend to the next, but okay once I kept the names straight. As usual with Susan Mallery’s books, there was a happy ending.

I enjoyed this book. I loved how it talked about different characters who were a group of friends. I had
tears in my eyes in a lot of parts. I'm grateful that net galley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

This is a perfect beach read.. The characters are relatable and interesting. The group of friends and lovers is small and a little too tight knit for the story to be truly believable but it was a good page turner and there were promises of happy endings along the way. I usually enjoy Susan Mallery's books and this one was no exception. I recommend it to anyone looking for a good easy summer read. Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this for an honest review.

Book Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻
Author: Susan Mallery
Pub date: June 20, 2023
Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing/Mira
Genre: Women’s Fiction

Three best friends Heather, Daphne, and Tori (and brothers Campbell, Brody , and Grant) navigate life’s joy, heartbreak, and relationships in Susan Mallery’s The Happiness Plan.

Heather has had a rough life growing up with her single Mom. She’s a successful business owner but not one to show emotion, she’s guarded, and finds it difficult to commit. Can she learn how to open her heart to her new found family and rekindle her relationship with her ex, Campbell?

Daphne is enjoying a coworker’s companionship. She insists it’s nothing more than a work friendship, her husband, Brody, thinks there’s an affair happening. Between Daphne’s eighty hour work week and juggling Brody’s three children every other week can they figure out how to get back to how they use to be?

Tori works for Heather and lives next to Grant. They are the non couple who help each other out daily with their dogs. Then their apartments flood and they temporarily move in together to help with expenses. Tori begins to crush on Grant but doesn’t want to lose the group of friends she considers family if they take things past the friend zone.

I loved the friendships, group dynamics, and all the other relationships that are packed into this novel. Another winner by one of my favorite authors.

Thank you @netgalley @susanmallery @harlequinbooks for an electronic book ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) in exchange for an honest review.

#susanmallery
#womensfiction #friendship
#literaryfiction #fiction #NetGalley
#reviewer #bookstagram #bookreview #bookreviewer #kindlebook #ebook #arc

The Happiness Plan was my second Susan Mallery book, and now I’m officially hooked!
The three main female characters, Heather, Daphne, and Tori, have been friends for years (even going back to childhood). They are “family,” which plays a big role in this book, including the families they are born into (all I’ll say is “poor Heather”) and the families they choose. These three women definitely have their issues and flaws, and Ms. Mallery doesn’t shy away from showing them, warts and all. It only made me love them more (and now, I want to read the other novels featuring Heather to learn more about her back story!). What stood so strong were the friendships and true safety net, among these three. They are honest, loving, and oh, some of the best dialogue I’ve read in a long time. There were times I wondered if I was reading an HEA story and loved seeing how everything would play out.
I also liked the three lead male characters, Grant, Campbell, and Brody, as well as Heather’s biological dad and his family. The characters and situations are true-to-life, and there are sections when the dialogue leaps off the page. Yes, it’s really that good. My 4-star rating is based on some repetition, as if the reader needs to be reminded again and again that one character thinks she’s “broken,” and another refuses to acknowledge an “emotional affair.” When those repetitions occurred, it slowed down the action for me.
I’m very grateful to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this terrific advanced readers copy, and am happy to provide this honest review.

I can always count on Susan Mallery's book to immerse myselft in the troubled relationships of other people and how they traverse various situations. This book has a lot of characters, but they are all friends and gather together regularly. Some are single, some are married, but they all have their own problems. Of course they all want to be happy.

The Description:
Heather is happy . . . ish. She has a successful business, a cute but contemptuous cat, and best friends Daphne and Tori who know where she’s broken and love her anyway. So why does she feel crushed when her ex gets serious about someone new? No problem, she has a plan. More connections will hold her together while her world falls apart, so she finally reaches out to the stranger who might be her dad.

Daphne isn’t having an emotional affair, despite what her husband believes. He started the rift in their marriage when he said they weren’t ready for a baby. They used to be the closest couple she knew. Can they find their way back to one another before it’s too late?

When Tori forms an inconvenient crush on Daphne’s brother-in-law, she suppresses her feelings. Until her apartment floods, and she moves in with the dog-loving doctor. If things go wrong, she could lose her friends. . . but if they go right, she could lose her heart.

My thoughts:
Such a great group of friends. I loved the way they supported each other. Heather had such a crappy childhood I can see how it influenced every relationship in her life. Daphne seemed to have it all, but a perception problem theatened her marriage. I liked Tori's story the best - it was just more fun to read about. Relationships are difficult for everyone, but it's fun reading about how the characters each worked through their own situations. The plot kept my interest throughout. This book was just what I expect from a Susan Mallery novel and I enjoyed it.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on June 20, 2023.

I am thankful to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of Susan Mallery’s The Happiness Plan. My thoughts on this book are my own.
That being said, I had a fun time reading this book and trying to decide which of the three friends was going to come to her senses first and realize what she really wanted in life! Each character had her own set of issues to work through, and it took each one time and inner growth to solve them. I’m glad the strength of their friendship helped guide each of them to their final (and happy) decisions.

This is the story of three friends who are dealing with complicated problems in their relationships. There are a lot of characters to keep track of but this is a fun read about friendship and love. This is the perfect book for a beach read. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

The Happiness Plan
By Susan Mallory
Pub Date: June 20, 2023
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ArC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Unfortunately, this Mallory was not as good as I expected. Readers of RaeAnn Thayne and Nancy Thayer might like this book.
3 stars

I've wondered what happened to Heather and here is her story. She was such a sad character in Blackberry Island until she was rescued by her cousins. This story is about her redemption and it's wonderful. It also follows her two best friends from College days all three remaining both physically and emotionally close knit.
The story follows their lives as well and it is both romantic and complicated. A wonderful read.

Three friends navigate difficulties in their relationships. One struggles to convince her new husband she isn't having an affair, while another struggles to overcome her fear of commitment and the third can't believe she's falling in love with her best friend. Enjoyable read, and I like the addition of pets into the story

Heather, Daphne and Tori are three best friends who are each struggling with a troublesome romantic situation. They are there for each other, helping one another to navigate. There is a lot of romance in this story, and it is very well done, but the best part is the friendship these women have among them. The adventures of all three keep you turning the pages, and you want very much for everything to turn out happily ever after for all three of them. I truly look forward to recommending this book.

Heather, Daphne and Tori are all successful young women who’ve formed a bond and support each other. They’ve also added Daphne’s husband’s two brothers to their circle. They love the group dynamics, but all three women have emotional issues because if things don’t work out with the guys, their friendship will most likely end.

Susan Mallery is the queen of the HEA relationship heavy tear jerker. Even has discussion questions for reading groups.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Once again, I LOVE SUSAN MALLERY'S BOOKS!!!!! She's my favorite for a reason!!! Romantic, Sweet, Quick read.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and the author. A favorite author has written a fun book about family and friends with romance. I had a difficult time keeping the names of the characters and the multitude of animals straight. Although that was distracting, the story is a fun quick read about quirky characters. Relax in a cozy chair with a warm throw…enjoy this book…an afternoon of escaping.

I really enjoyed this book and all the characters. Three friends and three brothers all have emotional stories. I loved them all but Heather’s story brought tears to my eyes. This definitely will be a great book to take to the beach. I loved it.

A happy beachy read. I didn’t necessarily agree with how each character got to their “happiness”, but it was satisfying nonetheless. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early read.