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.
Read what the club is saying about it in our Fable chat here.
