This is one of my favorite romances I’ve read in a while. I imagine it will end up being one of my top romance books I read this year.

Imagine this…a hallmark movie (a top tier one) and Gilmore Girls had a baby but Luke is the single parent with golden retriever vibes and Lorelai is giving off black cat energy. Oh and it’s also set in 1997 and full of 90’s references. That’s If It Makes You Happy.

If It Makes You Happy follows Michelle as she unexpectedly moves to a small town in Vermont to take over her family’s bed and breakfast. Her next door neighbor just happens to be handsome single dad and local bakery owner Cliff. I loved everything about this book. Main characters with excellent chemistry and serious slow burn, some fun side characters, cute town events, and a grumpy dog companion. What’s not to love!

I was a bit worried about pacing when I saw this book was over 500 pages as romance books I read tend to fall in the 300-400 page range. However, my worries were completely unfounded. This flew by for me. It didn’t feel like it dragged at any point and I never wanted to put it down. I don’t know if more books are planned in this town with these characters but I will devour them if they ever exist! This was also my first book by Julie Olivia so I will definitely be checking out more of her books!

P.S. Without spoiling anything I’ll just say the epilogue killed me but in the best way.

Tropes:

-Small town romance
-Golden retriever MMC
-Black cat FMC
-Grief
-90s nostalgia
-Single dad

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for providing me this eARC!

This was the slowest burn ever with the most cliche ending, but I loved every single moment of it.
The characters were so well developed that I found myself fully immersed in their story and entirely attached to every single one of them- even Tracy the asshat. As far as spice goes there’s really only one or two “spicy” scenes. I absolutely loved Cliff and Michelle’s story. And I’d also like to add, the epilogue was the sweetest epilogue I have ever read. 4.75 stars. 10/10 recommend.

The Vibe vs The delivery
✨ The vibe? Vibing.
🍂 The delivery? Dragging.
✔️ Small town charm
✔️ Grumpy (her) x sunshine (him)
✔️ Opposites attract
✔️ Late 90s setting
✔️ Slow-burn romance
✔️ Strangers to friends to lovers
✔️ Autumn vibes
✔️ Single dad goodness
Basically, it checked all the boxes. But somehow… it didn’t click.
Amazing vibes. Frustrating delivery.
A five-star aesthetic wrapped in a three-star execution.
Read it if you want the fall feels and 90s vibes and are okay with a little internal chaos.

📼 Great Tropes, But Shaky Execution
The writing is overly descriptive, the pacing drags, and the emotional delivery just lacked and kept being interrupted.
I wanted to love it. I should have loved it. But the way it unfolded left me skimming more than I’d like to admit.
That said, there is a beautiful story here.
Cliff is the single dad with a soft heart and a sense of humour.☀️
Michelle is the black-cat-energy loner convinced she doesn’t deserve love.🐈‍⬛
Their chemistry? Authentic. Their found family arc? Heartwarming. The slow burn and nostalgia? Beautiful.
But I really wanted to see more character development. Michelle’s relationship with her mom felt like a side plot that fizzled out although it’s the main reason the entire book happens. 💢
Cliff is so selfless that he won’t even ask her to stay, he’d rather lose her than risk it. Beautiful in theory, but not fully fleshed out.


🙅‍♀️ Stop Talking About Your Exes!
I can’t lie. The amount of airtime their exes got was exhausting.
• Allen (her ex) is name-dropped 80 times, shows up on just 3 pages.
• Tracy (his ex) is mentioned 147 times, appears on 15 pages.
• The book is 512 pages long.
They’re practically invisible in the plot but constantly living rent-free in both main characters’ heads. Even during their first time having sex, they’re still thinking about their exes. That’s when I nearly DNF’d at 76%.
They are constantly mentioned in conversations, MCs are compared to exes (in a good way, albeit annoying and excessive), in internal dialogues. 🔁
Yes, these exes did hurt them and leave some emotional scars, but I mean it wasn’t that traumatic. And the mentions should’ve ended at some points!


🎞️ If You’re a 90s Rom-Com Baby…
You’ll probably enjoy the grand gestures, the aching yearning, and the old-school rom-com vibes that you would’ve found in any 90s movie.
I’m frustrated and soft. I teared up, but I also skimmed through half the book. I kinda want to throw it across the room... but I also still care how it ends.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

Such a cozyyyy romance for fall !!!! This was my favorite fall cozy romance I’ve ever read !! I love that it was slow burn personally. So if waiting for the slow burn tension isn’t your thing it gets going about halfway in.

If you love Gilmore Girls, then this is your read !!

4.5⭐️ Cutest and cozy autumn read! I will definitely be recommending this one for fall 🍂

I absolutely adore Cliff and how much he loves his girls. I was even getting emotional at some points of the story. I loved the dynamic of Michelle being the grumpy and Cliff being the sunshine, it was so sweet.

Something I really appreciated in this story was how they didn’t immediately fall in love. It was gradual over a few months and also kind of a slow burn. Rocket the dog was a very fun side character too and I loved the epilogue (although I wished it was longer cause it was so cute).

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this ARC!

I just loved this book sooo much! I absolutely loved both the characters. I love an opposites attract but they totally understand each other trope. AND HE'S A SINGLE DAD THAT BAKES! Yes please! And don't get me started on the small town in October in the 90's vibes. I just love the small town fall festival microtrope. It was just so cute to see Michelle and his girls grow closer. I also enjoyed seeing her find herself and what she enjoys.

I liked the idea of this book and the nostalgia aspect of it. But aside from a few comments and referring to like a walkman, the video store, etc, this story could have been set at any time. The romance was a slow burn but it was kind of predictable, so the ending came as no surprise. The characters were likeable but Michelle was annoying at times. Final chapter being told from the perspective of the dog was cute.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When I found out I was approved for this, I quite literally shrieked I was so damn excited. And it exceeded every hope I could've ever had.

I laughed (especially when Michelle fell off a chair) and I cried (oh man did I CRY!)

This had everything I love about a good nineties rom-com but in book form (woth a little bit of ✨️spice✨️) and I already wish I could experience this again for the first time. I fell in love with Michelle and Cliff while they fell in love with each other and the 90's references were so nostalgic and immersed you even more into the story.

I also thought it was so unique how much Rocket helped to push the story forward and played a much bigger role in the story than just being a dog.

And don't even get me started on that epilogue! Michelle's relationship with Rocket really came full circle and (spoiler) I cried like a baby when he referred to her as "My Girl"😭

10/10 recommend this book, I'd give it infinite stars and shout its praises from a mountain top if I could.

This book was such a cozy, nostalgic read! It included so many of favourite themes - fall, the 90s, Vermont, Halloween..... it's the perfect romantic for the -ber months. I immediately liked Clif's character, and Michelle did grow on me as her hard exterior is broken through. I enjoyed that this was about more "mature" love (two 30-something divorcees). It had some similarities to a Hallmark movie but with more depth. I would love a Cliff & Michelle Christmas follow up!

Thank you Netgalley & Berkley for the ARC!

4.5 stars

This book was just sweet. The main characters were likable and relatable, and the supporting characters were *actually* supportive.

I loved the setting, it was nice getting a little late-90s nostalgia. The epilogue got me all teary eyed, I was just so happy for everyone in this story.

The acquaintances to friends to lovers element was written in such a satisfying way, the dual POV gave us a double dose of yearning that I truly felt.

Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Temporarily moving to Vermont to take over her late mother's B&B, Michelle finds a best friend in the baker next door. There are occasional writing constructions that trip the reader and pull them out of the story, but overall this is a sweet, cozy romance.

This book would be incredible to read in the fall! It gives me warm fall vibes and I can just imagine a reread this fall!

This was a cute romantic read. I loved the nineties vibes and autumn setting. It totally had the feeling of a nineties rom-com. My one complaint is that it felt a little long and there was a bit too much filler, but the characters and setting were great and it was a super cozy read.

This new cover is amazing!!! I am so glad it will be getting the hype it needs. This is perfect to read in the fall, and made me sooo ready for summer to be over! Loved the dual pov and slow burn. Oh I ate this up!

Single Dad Baker
Friends to Lovers
Gilmore Girls Vibes
90’s Vibes
Autumn Read
Slow Burn
City Girl
Small Town
Golden Retriever MMC
Black Cat FMC

This small-town read is absolutely perfect for the fall! Michelle comes to town to take over her parents’ bed and breakfast after her mom falls ill. Little does she know, she’s moving next door to the HOT single dad, Cliff, who owns a bakery! He takes on the task of finding Michelle’s favorite pastry by baking her a new one every day. Where can I find a man who will bake pastries specially for me?!? This book being set in 1997, means a step back to simpler times without cell phones and computers galore. Cliff has 2 girls, and they are absolutely adorable. One is 6 while the other is 16, so you get both the older child side character as well as the younger kid side character. Both Michelle and Cliff are divorced, Michelle’s divorce being newer, which was a factor in both of them falling in love. This book would make the PERFECT movie!

thank you so much for the approval- i cannot wait to dive in, this is one of my most anticipated reads of the year! i will be sure to leave a review on GR/retailers to come! 💞

A big thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with this ARC of “If It Makes You Happy” (to be published September 2nd, 2025) and giving me the chance to review it!

I loved this book so much that I don’t even know where to begin. All I know is that it ticked every box for me.
Let’s see: small-town romance? Check.
Slow burn? Check.
Adorable “talking” dog? Check.
Friends-to-lovers? Another check.
For starters, I genuinely adored the two main characters: Michelle (serious city girl extraordinaire) and Cliff (sunshine jokester baker single dad). They had such insane chemistry from the get-go, even though they started off as friends. I was swooning and giggling and kicking my feet whenever they interacted… so basically the entirety of this book.
I loved the way Julie Olivia described every detail throughout the story. I loved the members of Cooper Run, and the tight-knight community they built. I loved the slow burn, cozy vibes this book had. I loved the growth some of our characters had and their journeys to get there. But what I loved most had to be our boy, Rocket. He was just the glue throughout the whole book, keeping everyone together. Plus, the nostalgia!!
Truly, everything combined was just pure perfection for me. Oh, and the epilogue made me bawl my eyes out. Can’t forget that.
If you’re looking for a book that has autumnal/nostalgic/comforting vibes with a heartfelt romance to get you ready for fall, Julie Olivia has you covered with this one, 100%.

FULL. STOP. SIX STARSSSS.

WOW! I don’t even know where to start! You know that giddy, first crush feeling? That’s this book. Like the whole entire time. Like, how? How is this so freaking well written.

Guys, I wondered what these characters were doing during the day! Like they were actually REAL and living their lives. That’s how included I felt in Michelle and Cliff’s story. Gosh, I’m just…wow. Blown out of the water.

Set in 1997, Black cat Seattle city girl loses her mom and moved to small town Vermont to run her mom’s B&B until her sister finishes school and can’t take over. Queue golden retriever, single dad, baker. Both characters cooked. to. perfection. Oh! And, they’re next door neighbors.

Michelle Cadell is quite possibly my most favorite black cat FMC I’ve read which is a big deal because I don’t often relate but I LOVED her! Annnddddd I usually don’t fall for golden MMCs either but Cliff Burke is my new favorite MMC! He is the captain of communication and master of maturity. Just outstanding.

This was a sloooooooow burn and I was so freaking obsessed. Like I couldn’t get enough! And the spice is so tactful, it’s amazing!

And seriously, I’d recommend this book for the epilogue alone because how it freaking had me in tears!

I absolutely couldn’t recommend this book enough!

Tropes:
🐈‍⬛ Black cat FMC
🐕 Golden Retriever MMC
🏡 City girl x Small town guy
🥖 Baker MMC
🤍 Single Dad
🔥 Slooooooowest of burns


Rating: 6 stars
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

DNF. I'm not feeling this book, and there's too much ex drama. I also feel like it's too long with a lot of filler. Cute cover though.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC copy! This book was perfection of fall and everything I loved about 1997! It was cozy fall vibes and found family. I loved the character develop of Michelle and reading finding love in a new place. I just finished reading and for some reason the epilogue did me in. I love this books so much!!!! The nostalgia, the references…it’s amazing. Perfect book and captured all the things I love about the 90s. The last few chapters played in my head like a movie, it was a moment. I will be recommending this to anyone that will listen to be talk about this book. If you love the fall, new found family, owning an inn, a dog and 1990s romance movies this one is for you.