“Gilmore Girls” fan? Well, do I have the book for you.
“If It Makes You Happy” by Julie Olivia was pitched as “Gilmore Girls” meets “When Harry Met Sally,” and while I haven’t watched “When Harry Met Sally,” I can vouch for my Stars Hollow enthusiasts.
After a recent divorce and the death of her mother, Michele is forced to run her mother’s dream inn located in Copper Run, a classic small town, until her sister can take over. It’s supposed to be easy. Except interacting with people and baking biscuits is not in Michele’s wheelhouse. Enter Cliff, the hot single dad, who happens to be a baker, and annoyingly insists on helping Michele find her footing. Told from two points of view, Cliff and Michele spark a friendship that grows into something more.
Like I said, the “Gilmore Girls” vibes are immaculate. I could see Rory and Lorelai in every quip exchanged between Cliff and his daughters. The quick-fire wittiness of the young family had me smiling at the similarity between my beloved 2000s show and the book in my lap. While some people might find the uncanny similarities between “Gilmore Girls” and this book to be cliche or repetitive, I found it to be a charming rendition of a story I find comfort in. The small town sentiment that everyone helps everyone was very apparent with neighbors barging in unannounced (Cliff just strolling into the inn when he didn’t even know Michele).
Of course, this is a romance and a very sweet one at that. Cliff really got me with his acts of service, no matter how small. He helped at the inn, taught her how to make cinnamon rolls, walked the dog, tried to find her favorite pastry by baking for her everyday (swoon), and was there for her even if she turned him away at first. Their relationship is built on a strong friendship based in reliance and trust. I love a friends-to-lovers like this, because they’re best friends first, so they have time to learn the ins and outs of each other.
I immediately liked Cliff. His friendly, quick to smile personality pulled me in from his first POV and his first interaction with Michele. Michele, however, took a while for me to warm up to. But as she settled into the town, I settled down with her character. And as her arc progressed and she found herself outside of her ex, she grew into a more likable character. I think Cliff was the main reason for that. Without him she would have continued on her pinned up, stiff way. That may speak to how her character ties her life to whoever her significant other is, and this did bother me a bit, but I can’t talk because I am a “Twilight” fan (don’t come at me).
I read this book as part of an online book club, and when it was announced as the October pick, I was not very optimistic that I was going to like this book. And yes, I did indeed judge it by its cover (which I still don’t like), but I was delightfully surprised and ended up really enjoying it. This was a great autumn read since the timeline falls between September and December.
It was very homey, making it a low stress read. It wasn’t profound in any way; it followed a classic small town romance where she gives up her corporate city job and then finds love in a charming town, ultimately leading to her staying in said town. However, I think that cliche was exactly what I needed at that moment.
So there you have it, my thoughts on “If It Makes You Happy” are now yours to decide on if this is a good fit for you. I gave this book a 4.5 star rating, which is pretty generous for me (take my word for it), so I definitely recommend this.
If you decide to pick this up, I hope you find it as enjoyable as I did.
