Review Detail

This is What Happy Looks Like was cute, but I was kind of hoping for a little more.

First of all, for a romance that started through email, there was a significant lack of them (emails). There was some at the beginning and then one before the start of each chapter, but I'd hoped there'd be much more. I wanted to see more of the cute back-and-forth between them and I feel it would've helped to have that background and how their relationship first started.

I wasn't really a fan of Ellie. Her immediate dislike for Graham just because of his celebrity was incredibly annoying. I can see the side of the issue where it'd be a problem for her mom and she doesn't like the spotlight, but she was pretty inflexible when it came to working around those issues. Here's this guy you've really been enjoying "talking" to and you just want to dismiss him because of his fame? Not really okay.
And then there's the whole money issue. Of course, he's rich and she really isn't. She needs money for something she really wants to do, but can't earn it all on her own. I completely understand her reasoning for not asking her mom. I wouldn't ask for money where there isn't any either. And I completely understand not wanting to ask Graham, but he offers multiple times. And she points out enough times how that money is nothing to him while it's everything to her. I suppose I'll just never understand that kind of pride.

I don't have any issues with Graham, but he did feel a little generic to me.

And what is up with that ending? It felt too abrupt and I was hoping for a better indication as to their future relationship status.

The Nutshell: This is What Happy Looks Like was a quick, fairly cute read, but not without its flaws. I didn't really feel the chemistry between Graham and Ellie, though it probably doesn't help that I didn't like Ellie much to begin with. I was hoping for something more, but in the end I just got a run of the mill, mostly-fluff romance.

Near Miss