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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
Super cute small town in Maine
Ice Cream
Fourth of July
Cute famous guy
Dealing with having a parent not even know who you are anymore
Growing up
3/5 Stars
Ice Cream
Fourth of July
Cute famous guy
Dealing with having a parent not even know who you are anymore
Growing up
3/5 Stars
Pretty good book, didn't have the typical ending - it was pretty realistic. It reminded me of similar movies that have a celebrity-girl next door type of story. I'd recommend it for some light reading! It did get a little dull at moments and if you're expecting the typical ending, you might be a little disappointed.
Author Jennifer E. Smith has a talent, a talent for taking the typical romantic clichés and reviving them in a way that reminds readers why we loved them once before they became over done. After reading The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and being overwhelmingly drawn into the emotions of the characters (major feels from such a small book!) I was eager to read This Is What Happy Looks Like. The premise of the novel is based in the normal-teen-girl-dates-movie-star fantasy, with a cute twist that features email formatting sprinkled throughout the book. Though it doesn’t have the emotional intensity TSPOLAFS, this novel was the perfect feel-good, fluffy read.
What makes this novel charming is not just the picturesque setting in a tiny seaside town in Maine or the attractive, boyish movie star who’s disinterested in dating his fellow Hollywood, but rather the rotating perspectives between Ellie and Graham in the book. Seeing both of their sides of the stories is fun, especially when there are mix ups, as they often have different perceptions of how situations play out. Their email banter is really endearing, especially as they transition from anonymous email buddies to in-the-flesh people, an awkward situation that many readers will know if they’ve “met” someone online before in person. Ellie is a likeable character who is perhaps the only teenage girl in town who doesn’t want to date Graham (and she has her own interesting family history for wanting to stay out of the spotlight, which I found to add some interesting depth to the romance novel) and she’s the kind of girl you just can’t help rooting for. Graham, though sweet, was the side of the romance that I had a harder time liking, because he’s a tad bit, well…boring. He didn’t grow up an actor so his internal dialogue is often that of just a “normal guy,” but I found he was lacking that “star” quality that is what actually makes the normal girl/movie star pairing such an interesting fantasy.
Be warned, however, that this book doesn’t have the most clearly defined plot. There’s not really a conclusive ending, which some may find infuriating and some may find refreshing. The book itself is really just a story of events as Graham and Ellie get to know each other better in person, a compilation of sweet, clean moments and emotional reveals that draw them closer to each other little by little. It’s undeniably fluffy, and would translate well into a family-friendly romance movie. While it’s definitely tame and sweet for the typical romance genre, it was a really peaceful read that was comforting to a little bit at a time and watch these two teens navigate their feelings for each other.
Overall: If you want a sweet, charming contemporary romance this book is a perfect fit. While it’s not as emotional of a read as The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, it still takes a cliché romance situation and makes it fun and endearing again. It’s fluffy in the best way possible.
This review was originally published at Girl in the Pages
What makes this novel charming is not just the picturesque setting in a tiny seaside town in Maine or the attractive, boyish movie star who’s disinterested in dating his fellow Hollywood, but rather the rotating perspectives between Ellie and Graham in the book. Seeing both of their sides of the stories is fun, especially when there are mix ups, as they often have different perceptions of how situations play out. Their email banter is really endearing, especially as they transition from anonymous email buddies to in-the-flesh people, an awkward situation that many readers will know if they’ve “met” someone online before in person. Ellie is a likeable character who is perhaps the only teenage girl in town who doesn’t want to date Graham (and she has her own interesting family history for wanting to stay out of the spotlight, which I found to add some interesting depth to the romance novel) and she’s the kind of girl you just can’t help rooting for. Graham, though sweet, was the side of the romance that I had a harder time liking, because he’s a tad bit, well…boring. He didn’t grow up an actor so his internal dialogue is often that of just a “normal guy,” but I found he was lacking that “star” quality that is what actually makes the normal girl/movie star pairing such an interesting fantasy.
Be warned, however, that this book doesn’t have the most clearly defined plot. There’s not really a conclusive ending, which some may find infuriating and some may find refreshing. The book itself is really just a story of events as Graham and Ellie get to know each other better in person, a compilation of sweet, clean moments and emotional reveals that draw them closer to each other little by little. It’s undeniably fluffy, and would translate well into a family-friendly romance movie. While it’s definitely tame and sweet for the typical romance genre, it was a really peaceful read that was comforting to a little bit at a time and watch these two teens navigate their feelings for each other.
Overall: If you want a sweet, charming contemporary romance this book is a perfect fit. While it’s not as emotional of a read as The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, it still takes a cliché romance situation and makes it fun and endearing again. It’s fluffy in the best way possible.
This review was originally published at Girl in the Pages
I give this book 3.75 stars. It was a nice light read that was really easy to get though. The writing style was simple and it was too long of a book. I thought it was a pretty cute story. There weren’t any crazy plot twists or suspenseful moments, but I still enjoyed it.
Loved this. It's a quick, sweet read. I admit, I like the statistical probability of love at first sight better, but I was not disappointed by this. Like, not at all.
This is What Happy Looks Like de [a:Jennifer E. Smith|805184|Jennifer E. Smith|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1314097830p2/805184.jpg]
Me gustó la premisa de este libro, pero el desarrollo y la historia en general...meh.
Me gustó la premisa de este libro, pero el desarrollo y la historia en general...meh.
3.5 stars. I flew through this book and that definitely speaks for how enjoyable this book is. I’m not entirely sure what the story arc was but I really enjoyed the characters and the premise. I think it was executed well. I especially loved the side story with Ellie’s father and how the story with Graham’s parents wrapped up nicely. I’m not super dedicated to this book but I did really enjoy it in an easy, fluffy sort of way.
This book took me almost 4 MONTHS to read! Oh my, I'm glad I finished it though, despite only starting it because I was feeling momentarily in the mood for cheesy vanilla teen romance? The book was good, I just don't think it's my genre, and despite it being perfectly cute, I had to pushhhhh myself to finish it. But that doesn't mean it wasn't good! Just not meant for a me in my current state other than those few moments when I decided it would be a good idea to read a 400 page teen (PG, like come on lets get some steam going!) romance.
Easy summer teenage love story. Loved it, not a complex story (rather predictable) but cute nonetheless.
What a great Sunday. Sitting in the sun, dog curled up on my lap. A fun and easy to read book. A modern fairy tale really. The second book I've read by Smith, and I've gotta say, she really does create a lovely story that makes you go 'aww' when you finish.