This was such an amazing read! I laughed, I cried, I felt all the feelings. If you want a book that feels like a crisp fall morning, this is definitely for you! I loved Cliff and Michelle so so much. The small town dynamic was fantastic, I want to live in Copper Run. This is 100% a must read for fall!

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced copy! All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for my digital ARC!!

I could never say no to a small town romance but when a book comes with the add on of a Fall backdrop in the gorgeous Vermont 90's AND the most adorable furry friend I am so down for it. Reading this book gave me pure joy and such intense nostalgia, the characters are meddling but in the most precious way. Julie Olivia is a new to me author but I am glad I found her because I love her style of writing and the way she had given the characters a very realistic character arc, they are unapologetic and completely genuine.

The romance is just impeccable, it builds on a strong foundation of friendship and understanding and goes on to become something so very real and full of heart. I had a stupid big smile reading the book and I couldn't help but cheer for these characters, I love loved how she showed that men can be vulnerable and strong woman are not too much of a burden. It is beautiful, Michelle and Cliff are equally beautiful just as the entire story.

The small town is not only charming but will serve all the Fall vibes your heart desires and don't even get me started on that epilogue, I was a sobbing mess but like in a most happy/satisfied sort of way. It is an easy 5star for me!

Okay y'all, I really loved that this had 90s vibes. My only wish was that there was MORE of that because when they were there, they were so good - Also, for me, there's no such thing as too much 90s nostalgia! I also really loved that this was a story about finding love again after divorce/heartbreak. And I loved even more that this was a story about figuring out where someone fits in with their family and career and just all the things that we've got to figure out. This was a nice slow burn that will be a great autumn read - I read it in the heat of summer, and I even felt that energy! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the look at this September 2025 release!

Well, that was wonderful. 🫶 Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Now let’s jump into it!

If It Makes You Happy features a golden retriever, small town MMC who totally gives off Lorelai Gilmore as a single 33-year-old dad with a 16 year old daughter. Meet Cliff Burke, the sweetest, most sarcastic, “talk her through it” baker in town!! And starring opposite him is our serious, recently divorced, workaholic FMC, Michelle. While a little predictable at times (this book isn’t trying to be anything except the cozy romcom with a little emotional depth that it is) this is the PERFECT story for anyone hoping to fill that GG void this fall.

Packed with nostalgia, If It Makes You Happy is set in a simpler time, paying homage to some of my favorites from earlier childhood. (1997 baby here hehe!) Tubthumping was my baby dance song! Like I would dance to it before I knew what dancing was! The scream movie being new????? Not a cell phone in sight! I loved the refreshing feeling of connection this book gave me.

Now for the relationship between Cliff and his daughters. My goodness. What a healthy look at parenthood. What a healthy look at love! The scenes between both Cliff and Brittany and Cliff and Emily felt real, raw. Every problem presented felt realistic in nature. The whole thing was a relatable, slightly cheesy, slice of life story and I will eat that up EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. 😩

Michelle and Cliff had real problems. Their conflict was warranted and came from an adult place but obviously, I’m so happy for the outcome.

This is the PERFECT seasonal read and I cannot wait to devour it again once the book releases this fall. 🥰🍂

Easy 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Two words: Hallmark Movie. This book had everything. A newly divorced big-city girl flies across the country to take over her recently deceased mom’s bed and breakfast, even though her and her mom didn’t have the best relationship, and she doesn’t want to give up her big-girl job that she’s amazing at. Guess who lives next door? A divorced baker and father of two girls who is the tiny town of Copper Run’s favorite resident. Oh wait…it gets better. It takes place over Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas!

This book was cute, cozy, and had a little spice at the end. It was marketed as taking place in the late 90s, and while there were references here and there, it didn’t hit you over the head with it. The only thing that stood out to me was that they didn’t have cell phones in certain situations that made me remember we were in the 90s.

I would recommend “If It Makes You Happy” to anyone who wants a cozy fall romance. Go sit on a porch under a blanket with some coffee and snuggle right in.

I want to express my gratitude to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

4.25/5

If It Makes You Happy was such a refreshing and sweet read. It had all the holiday favorites, awesome 90's nostalgia, and the perfect amount of spice! At First I wasn't quite feeling the connection with Cliff and Michelle, but that quickly went away. They were cozy and fun together. I also really want to move to Copper Run!

Cons: There seemed to be just something missing. The banter was just okay, Brittany's "injuries" seemed blown up, and the story line with Tracey didn't seem fully fleshed out. I'm not sure what was missing in this to give it a 5, but there was just something not completely there for me. Kind of like a Hallmark movie--it's great and you like them, but there's just something missing.

Overall, I did like it and felt like it was a fun fall read!

Spice Level: 2/5
Age Range: 18+

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and Julia Olivia for this ARC! All thoughts are my own.

This cover is stunning, giving all the fall, pumpkin spice latte vibes. But, it wasn't for me and that's disappointing. I wanted to love this book but I just couldn't get into it, unfortunately.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I fully enjoyed this trip back to the nineties and being immersed in fall atmospherics. This had all the grumpy-sunshine and small town heartwarming antics I was looking for. Lush prose, witty dialogue. I could have asked for a bit more character development but still fully enjoyable.

If you love Gilmore girls you will love this! Such a cute read! Cynical inn keeper meets goofy lovable baker next door. A very cozy fall read

This book was really hard for me to get invested in. The characters were not ones I grew attached to and the story felt very slow. It had the makings of a cute story/hallmark movie kind of plot but was not one I loved. Overall underwhelming for me.

one of my favorite tropes is slow burns and this book did it justice🥰 definitely going to re read it again💕

This is such a cozy autumn read! I loved the nostalgia from the 90s setting and the small town vibes were so good!

It was a little long and a little slow, but that kinda adds to the charm of the book overall.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a beautiful story with flashbacks that brought me back to childhood. It was predictable but in the best way possible. I loved how each of the characters grew but because of each other. The town was its own character in a way too. Loved!!

A perfect fall read, even though I read it in July. The writing was amazing, and makes me yearn for autumn. It was honestly different than any of the other romances I’ve read recently, probably because it was set in the late 90s. Cliff was a great dad, and I appreciated that he never hated on his ex-wife. Michelle was a great step-mom before she was even officially the step-mom. And Rocket was amazing! I loved the epilogue being from his point of view.

The whole story was really original, even while touching on tough concepts like grief and adultery. No notes, finished in a day. 5⭐️

The ideal fall romance read 😍🍂🍁

This 90s + Gilmore Girls-vibe small town romance was the perfect black cat x golden retriever read. While the romance and the 90s references were so so fun, I think my favorite part was Michelle’s relationship with Emily and Brittany. I loved every moment she had with them and really enjoyed watching their relationships together blossom. And, duh, Rocket was my favorite character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this eARC!

I have been waiting impatiently to read this book since I heard about it months ago and thankfully Netgalley gifted me an e-arc for it. Quintessential autumn vibes. I loved this story. Everybody needs a cute little fall rom-com in their lives. I think the best character in this book, by far, was Rocket, who embodies “tell it like it is”.

WHAT A RIDE !! I loved this book so much omg, it takes place in 1997 in a small town and goodness it was so charming 😭 I felt like I was in the town with the characters

Michelle and Cliff were some of the most beautifully written characters I have read in a book. The relationship between cliff and his daughters was SO SPECIAL OMG they’re all so cute im going to throw up

AND ROCKET I LOVE THAT DOG GOSH, such a cute book I will be rereading in the fall fs !

Thank you netgalley for the arc, unfortunately this was not good . I found myself just really bored for most of the book . There wasn’t much compelling banter between the characters , they’d talk and then talk more and that’s it .

The Mc also talks to her dog and imagines responses which is very cringey to me . The end drama was just … well? I don’t know I’m glad I finished it , I hate DNFing , but honestly I could’ve DNFED and not missed much.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5 stars — could easily be 5 depending on my mood)

If It Makes You Happy is what you’d get if Gilmore Girls moved to late-’90s Vermont, brought When Harry Met Sally banter with it, and emotionally side-eyed you like Stepmom with Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon. It’s heartfelt, nostalgic, romantic, and brimming with small-town charm.

Michelle is a successful but emotionally guarded woman who temporarily takes over her family’s B&B after her mother’s passing. Cue the broodingly sweet next-door baker, Cliff — a single dad trying to rebuild after heartbreak. What starts as resistance blooms into friendship, slow-burn romance, and eventually deep connection. The emotional build-up? Immaculate. The pastry flirting? Iconic.

Cliff’s daughters are standout characters who bring so much emotional richness to the story. Emily, his teen daughter, is sarcastic, angsty, and secretly tenderhearted. Her scenes had me laughing one moment and tearing up the next. Brittany, age six, is pure chaotic sunshine, obsessed with Rocket (the world’s sassiest border collie) and ready to throw down with any kid who disrespects her fave wrestler, Steve Austin. Watching Michelle earn their trust and step into a loving, complex role in their lives was one of the most rewarding arcs in the book.

Set in a charming Vermont town across a crisp, cozy fall (with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas included), the setting was so vivid it felt like I lived there. Bonus: it’s set in the late ’90s, with an actual playlist that made my elder millennial heart sing. I made a Spotify version and listened to it the whole time I was reading — a perfect pairing.

There’s also a standout cast of side characters (hello sunshine-y sister and Rocket the border collie, who gets his own adorable epilogue POV), warm community vibes, and complex family dynamics. Found family, grief, love, healing — it’s all here, and handled with sincerity and care.

My only small critiques: the book is long (500+ pages), and while it reads fast, some plot threads (like Michelle’s relationship with her mom or a skipped-over Thanksgiving subplot) could’ve used more resolution. But overall, this book absolutely worked for me — emotionally, atmospherically, and romantically.

Huge thanks to Berkley for the ARC. This is an unforgettable read I’ll be recommending to anyone who loves character-driven romance, found family, and a side of cinnamon rolls. Releases September 2 — don’t miss it!

A cute late 90s romance story. That's what sparked my interest. Overall a cute and cozy read that reminds you a smalltown feel like Gilmore Girls setting, It was a bit slow for my liking. Great epilogue!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book as an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.