This Is What Happy Looks Like

by Jennifer E Smith

[Ashley]

Nose Graze — Young Adult book reviews

I was first drawn to This Is What Happy Looks Like because my boyfriend and I met online and I loved the idea of reading a book about people who meet through e-mail! Now their story doesn't come close to how my boyfriend and I met and how things progressed from there, but I guess I didn't expect it to. This Is What Happy Looks Like is fun and a bit fluffy, and is overall a really enjoyable book!

One of the things I loved most about This Is What Happy Looks Like is that there are no annoying, petty arguments between Graham and Ellie. I hate it in books when the romance needs a conflict so the author conjures up ridiculous and ultimately pointless arguments. Luckily, this is not the case in This Is What Happy Looks Like. Their relationship isn't perfect and there are obstacles to overcome, but they are realistic and subtle and there's nothing annoyingly small and petty keeping the two apart. There is kind of an annoying, petty argument between Ellie and her best friend, but it was a side plot so it didn't bother me that much.

Graham was a fabulous love interesting! He's a movie star, but he's actually a very sweet and down-to-Earth guy. He's extremely selfless and I love how obvious it is that he listens to Ellie and remembers what he says.. like the way he references some of their e-mails from months ago and remembers every detail. It's so obvious that he cares about Ellie and he isn't caught up with his image or public appearances.

Although there are a couple bigger issues in This Is What Happy Looks Like (like with Ellie's father), this is ultimately a fun, light, flirty summer read. It's perfect if you just want to kick back and read about a sweet summer romance without too much emotional baggage.

I think the main thing I wasn't crazy about was the ending. It was a sweet ending, but it was also pretty open ended (not all that different from The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight I suppose). We aren't given a very clear idea of where the relationship is heading from there. It's hinted that they continue with a long distance relationship, but I feel like there are so many unanswered questions. As someone who has been in a long distance relationship for years, I know the road isn't easy and a lot can happen, so I think I was just a little unsatisfied with the uncertainty of that. But at least it did end on a pretty positive and hopeful note.

I think the general consensus is that This Is What Happy Looks Like isn't quite as powerful as The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, and I guess I do agree with that. But at 4 stars and 4.5 stars, it's obvious that I really enjoyed both books. They're both fun, romantic, and sweet, and this one in particular is a great summer read!

The Verdict