Happy People Read and Drink Coffee

by Agnes Martin-Lugand

Diane seems to have the perfect life. She is a wife, mother, and the owner of Happy People Read and Drink Coffee, a cozy literary café in Paris. But when she suddenly loses her husband and daughter in a car accident, the world as she knows it disappears.One year later, Diane moves to a small town on the Irish coast, determined to heal by rebuilding her life alone,until she meets Edward, a handsome and moody photographer, and falls into a surprising and tumultuous romance.But will it last when Diane leaves Ireland for good? At once heartbreaking and uplifting, Diane's story is deeply felt, reminding us that love remembered is love enduring."A heartbreaking story of love and loss that will twist readers up in knots, essential." ,Library Journal

• ISBN10: 1602862842
• ISBN13: 9781602862845
• Publish Date: 10 May 2016 (first published 15 April 2016)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Hachette Book Group
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

Perfect title, right? What bookworm and coffee lover doesn’t agree with the title? So it makes me sad to report that while happy people do read and drink coffee, this book falls flat with this book lover and coffee addict. In fact, the main character, Diane, RUNS AWAY from the literary cafe she owns after a tragic event in her life. She does run away to Ireland (and all Outlander fans know the best looking men do seem to appear randomly on the British Isles) so I can’t fault that decision, but I definitely take issue with her running away from the bookshop. So what the problem with this perfectly titled book?

1) There Is No Book Reading. 2) There Is Very Little Coffee Drinking.

It isn’t just the fact that there is little time in the bookshop and little time with coffee, it’s that the whole story seems onenote. The author made tragic and trying events happen in the characters’ lives, but then didn’t shape the characters emotionally. The characters just move through their prescribed psychological steps because that’s the right thing to do. There are no real motivations behind their actions and decisions.

The one plus is that this book is a quick read. I bought it on a Friday night, got home at 7:30 and finished it by 11:30. But if you are looking for a novel that will sing the book lover and/or coffee fiend in you, as I was, it would be best to pass by this one for the next book on your shelf. There are other books about bookshops, bookworms and coffee lovers that will sing to your passion for books and coffee more than Happy People Read and Drink Coffee.


This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews