This book was really good! The cover did not draw me in so i was putting off reading it, but i was sucked in by page ten. Watching the journey of the narrator was really compelling, thinking about memory and how we understand ourselves through it. Obviously i couldn't stop wondering whether this was a fictionalized response to a certain author who had a similar set of abuse of power claims. Totally recommend this book.

Thank you Net=Galley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read an Advance Reader Copy of Like Happiness by Ursula Villarreal0 Moura. This is a beautiful read. The writing is lyrical. The format of the novel is the main character writing a letter to the male author who she began a relationship with in college that continued for many years. Written years after their tumultuous break up, she is able to reflect on their relationship. It was complex, as he was older and started as a mentor. Their relationship developed, and included a couple of sexual connections, but more importantly, showed the control he exercised over her. This is an example of a subtle "Me Too" relationship. She only achieves her dream job after their break up, and is then able to have a healthy relationship with her partner. I also appreciate that both characters are Latino, yet with different origins that the author is able portray through their world views. The novel is mainly set in NYC and Chile, and has a worldliness about it. I'm definitely looking forward to more novels from Villarreal Moura.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC.

WOW! Just wow!!! This book had a hold on me from the first page! This was a first read for me by this author and it will not be my last. Such a gripping story!

This was somewhat depressing — in concept, I mean — since there are so many men in positions of power who use that power to manipulate vulnerable women. It's not always about sex; this certainly wasn't. Sometimes it's about assuaging their ego and having someone who looks up to them and makes them feel more valid or important. Mateo was quite obviously a loser, but I also understand how easily a young girl could become entranced with his apparent talent, intellect, and money/access. He took full advantage of that, and it took many years for Tatum to see clearly.

This was a very quick, easy read — accessible but it didn't skimp on the depth. I found Tatum to be very easy to understand, sympathize with, and care about, and Villarreal-Moura really succeeded with creating a young female character rather than a caricature to further the storyline. Tatum was the heart and soul of "Like Happiness," and while the book left a lot of questions unanswered, I felt pretty happy with how the story was told.

Oddly enough, I do feel like categorizing this as LGBTQIAP+ (as NetGalley did) was a bit misleading. It all felt a bit "token bisexualism" to me and not at all genuine or even important. Tatum is supposedly living with a woman in Chile but we get to know pretty much zero about her partner, how Tatum made that transition into the relationship, etc. It felt like a detail thrown in to be like, "Look how modern! She's QUEER!" and while I get the story wasn't about that and certainly didn't need to be, I nearly wish it wasn't included at all since it added nothing other than a very nagging feeling of disingenuousness. Thankfully, it wasn't harped on too much or it would've taken a few stars off for me.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and or the author for giving me the chance to read and review Like Happiness.

Love everything from the characters to the plot.

I wanted something totally out of my comfort zone, and I received it. This was a shot in the dark for me. I read mainly horror/thrillers. This to me was a literary fiction type of piece. We follow Tatum in 2015 as she feels everything is coming together. She reflects on her relationship with a famous author throughout growing up, and how it has effected her. I enjoyed this story more than I thought. I don't know if I will gravitate more or less towards this type of story, but I enjoyed this one. It has all the feels.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Like Happiness, by Ursula Villarreal-Moura. Tatum is in college, and meets Mateo who is older and already a famous author. She is a LatinX person from Texas, at an elite college in Massachusetts, and is having trouble fitting in. Tatum sees herself in Mateo’s writing, and they begin a long term, mostly platonic, relationship. The dual timeline takes us from present day, when Tatum is living in Chile and is contacted by a New York Times reporter about #metoo accusations about Mateo, and she lives her life and we learn about how he betrayed her, and influenced so many of her life choices. Not sure where I heard about this one, but it was a good debut novel. There was racism, gender discrimination, power, and love. #likehappiness #ursulavillarrealmoura #debutnovel #bookstagram #advancedreadercopy #netgalley #lovetoread #readallday #takeapagefrommybook #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram

I haven’t read a story this gripping and powerful in quite a while. her character didn't proceed her reputation. first read by the author and was blown away.

Tatum Vega is living in Chile with her partner Vera when she receives a phone call from a US reporter asking for commentary on the relationship she once had with best-selling writer M. Dominguez, who has been accused of sexual assault. Unhappy memories come flooding back for Tatum, of the decade she spent living in NYC struggling in her career, her identity, and her complex relationship with Dominguez. In the process of recounting the story, she begins to come to terms with his treatment of her and the impact he made on her life.


I have mixed feelings about this novel. It is a slow read, very character driven and introspective. Many aspects of Tatum’s character made sense to me – particularly her lack of confidence and struggle to define herself in her twenties, and naivete and youthful innocence in allowing Dominguez to manipulate and exploit her. I felt that the author skillfully conveyed her fascination with Dominguez and willingness to ignore any warning signs about him. However, it did not make sense to me that he was somehow able to coast along for years on the fame of one published book and continue to generate interest in his readings and tours. Unless this was a masterpiece unlike anything ever written I cannot see how this would be possible in the modern publishing world.


At the conclusion, it is satisfying to see Tatum living her best life in Chile, having come through this turmoil and devastating betrayal at the hands of Dominguez. It is a credit to the author that the reader feels a thrill of schadenfreude at the imminent downfall and humbling coming to Dominguez.

Great read that unfortunately many people can relate to. There are many ways of grooming and abusing victims. The author did a great job in presenting this scenario. There are many reasons why victims may not always feel like they're actual victims, and I felt like the author did a wonderful job describing why this victim may not have originally felt like they were one of the victims.

First of all, thank you celadon books for the physical and e-arc of this book! I’m looking forwRd to new titles to come

Oh this book had me laughing T some points and crying at others. The relationship between a woman and a famous writer become messy after some time apart and memories come to the surplace and the two reconnect. This is not a book you should miss!!

Thanks for the review copy. This is a stunning debut novel. It’s emotionally wrought and beautiful. I was impressed with this stunning masterpiece.

✨Themes: emotional abuse, power imbalance, manipulation, literature, racism, classism, bisexuality, and Latinx culture

If you’ve read the book Adelaide, this book felt like the Latinx version of that. But instead of a controlling and aloof ex boyfriend, the protagonist Tatum has a controlling and aloof ex best friend - with a power dynamic at play. He’s a famous celebrity Puerto Rican writer, 8 years her senior. What I loved about this book was how it brought emotional abuse front and center, which can happen in any relationship, including friendships. Mateo also kept her guessing in blurring the lines between friend and lover. It was all highly manipulative. I didn’t see the ending coming.

The POV alternates between “present day” in Chile (2015) and a letter Tatum is writing to Manuel recalling the details of their relationship from the early 2000’s until 2012. This book has bisexual representation and Latinx representation. Tatum is a lower class Mexican American whereas Mateo is a more wealthy Puerto Rican immigrant. The classism and racism Tatum experiences is highlighted throughout the book.

I recommend this debut novel to anyone looking to read more diverse books and learn about the many flavors of abusive men. Adelaide was very helpful and healing for me to read and so was this book. If you are a literature book nerd you’ll especially love this book, as there are countless references to literature classics and bookish fan girling. The main character Tatum was obsessed with reading and it shines through her personality.

P.S. I really appreciated the Spanglish in the book 💁🏻‍♀️ Knowing Spanish is not required but it makes the book have even more depth.

"It was that I had a history of not liking myself in English. I had made so many mistakes in the language. What if I lapsed back into that version of myself?"

Thank you SO much to @celadonbooks for this ARC copy of Like Happiness by Ursula Villarreal-Moura.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book, but oh my goodness It was something that I needed.

This book follows Tatum, and alternates between her current life, and a letter she is drafting to the man that she had a... complicated relationship with.

The writing in this story is so exceptional, and it just never stops. I can't find myself wanting to stop reading it. It's been a while since I fell in love with a book that doesn't have swords and dragons lol

The length is perfect.
The story is fantastic.
The character? Relatable.

Can honestly say that Ursula Villarreal-Moura is an auto buy going forward.

I was super engaged in this--I wanted to know what happened, I cared about the characters, I loved the way it went back and forth between time periods. I read most of this in one day. The ending made me so mad on behalf of the protagonist and I feel like the book balanced things really well. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone interested based on the premise/genre.

Thank you to Celadon Books and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

Oh my goodness. This is one of those books you will think about in the future. I’m genuinely sad to leave this reading experience.

Tatum, a young writer seeking direction and her future, writes a letter to the author of her favorite book, Happiness. When he responds, they begin a relationship that spans several years. Only once in a while does the relationship become physical, instead, for Tatum it’s a relationship of the mind, of words, and of her inner aspirations. M. Is a mirror, mentor, and guide for Tatum, and this also drifts into friendship. Throughout the book, M is no longer a person that can be held up as this ideal - and in fact, he betrays her in the worst possible way - for Tatum, and she also discovers who she wants to be and how she wants to live her life.

The writing is lyrical and precise, with the type of details that make the settings real. It winds culture, language, and personhood throughout the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this wonderful story.

There is lots to discuss in this short novel, well written, told from one women's perspective. I think my students will get a lot from it so would recommend

A woman's story. A .Mexican woman, bisexual, immersed in reading and art and Japanese culture, finds her identity in an older author and devotes a decade of her life to him. Was it abusive, was it growing pains, the desire to belong. She wrestles with lots of questions after he is accused of sexual abuse

A complex and beautifully wrought story of a young woman who has tied herself to a famous writer.

When Tatum is contacted by a reporter, she is unsure whether she wants to look back at the years that her live revolved around the legendary writer M. But through a series of flashbacks and conversations, Tatum looks back at her experiences with M and the choices she made.

I found the writing to be beyond exceptional and mesmerizing as it exposed truth after truth. For me, the strongest portions are the details of being a shadow citizen or the microaggressions she endured. I will pick up anything Ursula Villarreal-Moura writes !#Celadon #Likehappiness #ursulavillarrealmoura