If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia

Our November book club pick turned out to be a smashing success—(shoutout to Jessica V. for nominating it!). Not only was it a cozy fall read, but it was an adorable peek back in time to 1997. For those of you who weren’t born yet, 1997 was a simpler time, filled with all sorts of fun cultural moments (tomagotchis! landlines! the Spice Girls! people running past airport security in movies!), and this book was a tribute to so many of those details that I had somehow forgotten. Remember when Clinton was president? We could go on like this all day.

I had also forgotten that movies and stories back then also had characters, especially parents, who seemed incapable of relating to children. This was a theme throughout the novel, and it definitely brought me back to the era of teenage angst. How I wanted to slap Cliff’s ex! Also, who puts their kids on a Greyhound bus to New York??? In a way, it was actually pretty fun to remember the way that 90s kids grew up, particularly since so many of those parental choices would no longer be acceptable in modern society.

I spent so much of the book letting my mind wander back to who I was in 1997, and what I loved about that time, and that alone made the experience worthwhile. But, the story itself was fun. Cliff and Michelle were a grumpy-sunshine, slow burn, opposites-attract duo, and I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop over time. I will admit that Michelle’s attitude was challenging at times, but Cliff seemed into it, so who am I to judge?! Jokes aside, the thing that made this book so cozy was actually the cast of characters that made up the found-family that Michelle desperately needed post-divorce. I LOVED Cliff’s girls and the addition of Rocket, Michelle’s dog, who had his own dialogue throughout (also very 90s!). If you are looking for a little nostalgic rom-com set in Vermont while the seasons turn, this one is for you. It’s also for you if your type is baker dads who yearn.