Reviews - The Keeper of Happy Endings

1.04k reviews for:

The Keeper of Happy Endings

Barbara Davis

4.26 AVERAGE

ebuxton2's review against another edition

3.0

emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

ciebmo's review

3.5

emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

alisonjones1996's review

4.0

A unique book that gets off to a slow start with a predictable ending, but overall really enjoyable. I did the audio book and at times the voices were a little much.

multicoloredbookreviews's review against another edition

4.0

emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I really enjoyed The Keeper of Happy Endings . The story was beautifully woven between two timelines—one during World War 2 France, and the other, 1985 Boston—following Soline, a Parisian dressmaker with a tragic past, and Rory, a young woman coping with her own grief and trying to find her place in the world. The magical realism mixed with angst, romance, mystery, and a touch of fate made it a captivating read.

The writing was lovely, very accessible and flowed fantastically, making this an easy book to get lost in. The story was fairly predictable, but heartbreaking and beautiful nonetheless. A tale of sorrow and hope, anguish and love.

Admittedly, the WWII part was more of a plot device than a critically significant part of the story. All of the horror, struggle, and violence tied to it were used to darken that timeline and give it a heavy feeling of urgency and danger. But Soline and Anson could have met in any politically unstable country, and with a few minor adjustments, the story would ultimately still have been the same.

The narrative wasn't so much about the "then" as it was about the "now". It was more about two women finding strength and healing in themselves and their families than about war and romance. But overall, it was a heartwarming, hopeful book with a satisfying ending.

If you love dual timelines, lost loves, and a sprinkle of magic, this one’s worth picking up! Not quite a perfect 5 for me, but definitely a great read.

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own**