Laura Hankin

Happy & You Know It is basically a beach read on steroids. I was looking for some escape reading and hade a perfect mix of twists and humor. It’s fast-paced, witty and a little dark.

While it was a little out there with the exaggerated plot, it totally worked in so many ways. It had a relatable take on upper-class new motherhood, social media and other cultural phenomena.

You either loved or hated these characters which were part of the appeal. It was super readable, engaging and not as show more predictable as I originally thought. I found this book to be was the perfect brain candy that was the perfect balance of being ridiculous and totally relatable at the same time. This would make the perfect vacation read I highly recommend adding it to your summer reading list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an advanced copy. show less

Twenty-eight-year-old Claire Martin is not in a good place after her band replaced her with another singer. Following her departure, Claire's former bandmates became wildly successful. While she licks her wounds, Claire is having a hard time making a living in New York. Therefore, she considers herself lucky to land a job entertaining babies and their privileged moms at the home of the beautiful and outgoing Whitney Morgan. As time goes by, Whitney and her pals adopt Claire as one of their show more own, and she gradually learns their secrets.

In the bittersweet and clever "Happy and You Know It," Laura Hankin avoids settling for a conventional satire that pokes fun at social-media obsessed, materialistic, self-absorbed, and competitive Manhattanites. Instead, she delves into her characters' inner lives and provides a window into what makes them tick. Amara quit her job and is having a miserable time caring for her fussy baby boy; Gwen is married to a good-looking and charming guy, inherited valuable property, and treats her peers condescendingly; and Whitney, who would prefer to forget her working-class background, revels in the trappings of wealth, and adores the admiring comments she receives from her Twitter and Instagram followers.

The plot is fascinating, and we are soon hooked, wondering what is really going on behind the shiny facade that each woman presents to the world. Far from being paragons of virtue, several members of the playgroup are involved in inappropriate activities that they hope to keep under wraps. Clare is a catalyst for the shocking events that ensue, and when all is revealed, the fallout is painful and, in some ways, transformative. "Happy and You Know It" (wonderful title, by the way) demonstrates that deceit, one-upmanship, and greed are can be a recipe for disaster. In addition, those who appear to have it all may be as lonely and confused as the rest of us. Kudos to Laura Hankin for writing this hilarious, erotic, slightly profane, caustic, and touching novel. show less

I suspect that many of the one star GR ratings of this thoroughly enjoyable book can be attributed to its criminal mis-marketing. The cute cartoon cover, the romcon description in the blurb, heck even the title obviously set up many romance readers for disappointment.

What the publicity should have said: this novel focuses on friendships and how they change as we get older; how we move past the baggage we inherit from our parents; how we balance our career ideals with reality. Oh, and there show more is a little bit of romance, a health crisis, and a golden retriever of a secondary character who steals the story away from the MCs.

FIFY. show less

4.5 Stars.

This book was a surprise hit with me. I just couldn't put it down. This novel really hit all of my 'good' buttons. Snarky rich New York City new mommies, a down at her luck musician, perfect and not so perfect babies and a really great new vitamin called TrueMommy!

Now throw into the mix affairs, drugs, revenge, and Instagram, shake gently, and you have the perfect beach read.

Wonderfully well fleshed, believable characters, a unique plot, some pretty cool secrets and well turn show more phrases made this book a joy to read. The twisted ending was a genuine surprise and a pleasure.

Although I may not be in the 'proper" age bracket for this book -I'm over 60, and the characters are much younger than I-I still found this a great read, and I think all age brackets will enjoy this novel.

I will be recommending this to everyone this summer.

*ARC supplied by the publisher. show less