The Happiness Plan

Susan Mallery’s The Happiness Plan is the feel-good summer read of the year. A group of friends rely on their strong relationships to push through life decisions and help one another navigate some tough times. Daphne and Brody are married. He has three children from a previous relationship and Daphne loves them. She wants to have a baby of her own though. Campbell, Brody’s brother, is madly in love with Heather. However, Heather’s upbringing by a selfish and manipulative mother has left her with an emotional block. Tori and the third brother, Grant, are the “non-couple” friends. They are neighbors and really great friends.

Although some of the storylines are very predictable, I enjoyed the ride as each character’s personality was developed for the reader. There are a lot of real-life themes in the book including friendship, emotional affairs, manipulation, illness, and emotional trauma. I loved the relationships between the girls because they were able to speak bluntly and truthfully with one another to work through each of their issues. Overall, this is a smooth read that readers of Mallery will embrace at every pitfall.