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A review by vivalajaim
If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia
5.0
i’m starting to think julie olivia has a secret portal to my soul, and a time machine, because “if it makes you happy” took me straight back to 1997 in a way that had me mentally rewinding my old mixtapes and digging out my scrunchies. this book doesn’t just take you back to the '90s; it transports you like you’ve been dropped into a blockbuster on a friday night.
the nostalgia is rich, but that’s just the backdrop for what julie olivia does best: characters so real, they might just pop out of the pages and invite you to a girl sleepover. the depth and vulnerability of these characters had me laughing, crying, and definitely swooning (oh, the romance was *baker’s kiss*). the way she weaves humor, heart, and just the right amount of sass into her writing? it’s practically a superpower.
let’s be honest, i’m here fangirling over julie olivia again because her writing has this magical ability to make you feel like you’re watching a timeless rom-com. you don’t just read her stories—you live in them. and if that isn’t a testament to her talent, i don’t know what is.
so if you want a book that’ll make your '90s-loving heart break out a pearl jam album (literally i did) and have you sobbing over a dog POV (possibly in public and honestly who does that you’re amazing julie), “if it makes you happy” is your next must-read. julie olivia has done it again. now, excuse me while i go rewatch “gilmore girls” for the millionth time. because copper run is stars hollow in the fall, you can’t change my mind.
thank you very very much to pen pal PR for the ARC.
the nostalgia is rich, but that’s just the backdrop for what julie olivia does best: characters so real, they might just pop out of the pages and invite you to a girl sleepover. the depth and vulnerability of these characters had me laughing, crying, and definitely swooning (oh, the romance was *baker’s kiss*). the way she weaves humor, heart, and just the right amount of sass into her writing? it’s practically a superpower.
let’s be honest, i’m here fangirling over julie olivia again because her writing has this magical ability to make you feel like you’re watching a timeless rom-com. you don’t just read her stories—you live in them. and if that isn’t a testament to her talent, i don’t know what is.
so if you want a book that’ll make your '90s-loving heart break out a pearl jam album (literally i did) and have you sobbing over a dog POV (possibly in public and honestly who does that you’re amazing julie), “if it makes you happy” is your next must-read. julie olivia has done it again. now, excuse me while i go rewatch “gilmore girls” for the millionth time. because copper run is stars hollow in the fall, you can’t change my mind.
thank you very very much to pen pal PR for the ARC.