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A review by bergamotbee
If it Makes You Happy by Hannah Logan
3.0
Calla has always wanted to go to Greece, but in her mind it was the perfect destination to go with a partner, not solo. After yet another situationship falls by the wayside, she decides to finally strike out on her own and take the vacation of a lifetime.
*****
This one genuinely surprised me. I was so looking for this to being an escapist romance in Greece, and couldn't wait to get my hands on the novel. Unfortunately I think this has been incorrectly marketed. This isn't a romance first and foremost, it's an ode to the authors love of Greece. You can viscerally feel how much she has travelled the country and her joy for it, however in that, this reads more like a travel blog than a romance. Minute details that don't advance the story itself are constantly threaded throughout the entire novel, and dominate the first 3/4 of it. The differences between each island, the type of food you can eat, which ferries to take, which areas to visit and what they look like, which cities are more or less touristy, etc. If you're looking to vacation in Greece, this could absolutely be a resource. If you're looking for romance though? This isn't going to satisfy.
It takes over half of the book before the love interest himself becomes apparent, and almost 70% before they even kiss. Prior to that, the chemistry level is that of an acquaintance on his end, and an unrequited crush on hers. Due to the single POV, and no obvious intention from him, we don't have tension develop until his tongue is quite literally down her throat. It feels very one-sided, especially as we're under the impression that he has a partner when we do meet him, and he's very hands-off with her. Due to the romance not showing up until so late in the novel, and all of the additional details of eating, going to a beach, reading a book, taking a ferry, eating again, swimming, so on and so forth, the pace is extremely slow and meandering.
The intrigue into Calla striking out on her own after being romantically let down, and finding herself and love amongst it, sadly felt like an afterthought to the travel in general. The book then felt stagnant once her and the MMC decide to date, as their time together revolves around him and his schedule - just as her previous relationship did. Although he makes time for her, it just seems like she's mirroring her life in Vancouver with a man with better job hours. Him also deciding to make a massive change in his life for a woman he's barely known a few days felt weird, especially as he did the same thing with his last girlfriend. Then the book just ends there. It was odd and disjointed and truly highlighted that the real romance in this novel is between the author and Greece, and the relationship was an underdeveloped afterthought.
All in all, if you want a novel about Greece and good travel spots, grab this one. If you're looking for romance, maybe try something else this time around.
*****
Thank you to the author, Hannah Logan for the digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*****
This one genuinely surprised me. I was so looking for this to being an escapist romance in Greece, and couldn't wait to get my hands on the novel. Unfortunately I think this has been incorrectly marketed. This isn't a romance first and foremost, it's an ode to the authors love of Greece. You can viscerally feel how much she has travelled the country and her joy for it, however in that, this reads more like a travel blog than a romance. Minute details that don't advance the story itself are constantly threaded throughout the entire novel, and dominate the first 3/4 of it. The differences between each island, the type of food you can eat, which ferries to take, which areas to visit and what they look like, which cities are more or less touristy, etc. If you're looking to vacation in Greece, this could absolutely be a resource. If you're looking for romance though? This isn't going to satisfy.
It takes over half of the book before the love interest himself becomes apparent, and almost 70% before they even kiss. Prior to that, the chemistry level is that of an acquaintance on his end, and an unrequited crush on hers. Due to the single POV, and no obvious intention from him, we don't have tension develop until his tongue is quite literally down her throat. It feels very one-sided, especially as we're under the impression that he has a partner when we do meet him, and he's very hands-off with her. Due to the romance not showing up until so late in the novel, and all of the additional details of eating, going to a beach, reading a book, taking a ferry, eating again, swimming, so on and so forth, the pace is extremely slow and meandering.
The intrigue into Calla striking out on her own after being romantically let down, and finding herself and love amongst it, sadly felt like an afterthought to the travel in general. The book then felt stagnant once her and the MMC decide to date, as their time together revolves around him and his schedule - just as her previous relationship did. Although he makes time for her, it just seems like she's mirroring her life in Vancouver with a man with better job hours. Him also deciding to make a massive change in his life for a woman he's barely known a few days felt weird, especially as he did the same thing with his last girlfriend. Then the book just ends there. It was odd and disjointed and truly highlighted that the real romance in this novel is between the author and Greece, and the relationship was an underdeveloped afterthought.
All in all, if you want a novel about Greece and good travel spots, grab this one. If you're looking for romance, maybe try something else this time around.
*****
Thank you to the author, Hannah Logan for the digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.