I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I was really excited to receive this book because Kristin Billerbeck was one of my favorite authors when I was younger so getting the opportunity to review one of her newer books was amazing.

This book is about Dr Maggie Maguire. She is a scientist who researches how relationship work well. The irony is not lost when in the first chapter of the book Maggie has been dumped by her fiance. She hasn't been to work forever, she is lounging around her house in sweatpants while eating ice gelato and watching romantic movies. This is when her two good friends come to her rescue and take her out of her apartment and force her to go on a singles cruise. And later surprise her that she is the guest speaker.

On the cruise, Maggie meets two handsome men. But she is still dealing with the love lost on her ex and if she can ever get over the way he moved on so quickly. The character development is amazing and this books has all the feels. Once I got a few chapters in I didn't want to put it down because I just had to see what was going to happen in Maggie's love life.

I would recommend this book and cannot wait for more books by Kristin Billerbeck.

Enjoyed this book and will have to look for more by her. The title threw me off but I can appreciate it more now that I've read the book.

I hadn't read a novel by Kristin Billerbeck before, and I'm sorry to have to say I am disappointed. Learning about the budding relationship between Sam and Maggie became frustrating as I read. For most of the story, their friendship/romance would move ahead one step and after a "finally!" and a sigh of relief, I would turn the page to the next chapter and find Maggie dithering about her loyalty to Haley and the relationship would again move back two steps.

The book is supposed to be inspirational fiction, but the Christian voice in this book floundered big time. There were many references to questionable behaviors. These include the flippant attitudes about drinking, the drunkenness and a lot of unwholesome talk.

The high point of this book for me were the quotes from Dr. Macguire's book on happiness. These quotes included many pearls of wisdom related to relationships and to life in general to which I could relate.

I love the writings of Kristin Billerbeck. She is an amazing writer, who has the ability to connect with her audience. I love the courtships found in her books. This one was no exception. You meet this character who is someone you can definitely relate with. Of course, this makes it a hard book to set down. I read it all in one night. It was a good read. =)

This is my first book by Kristin Billerbeck, and it took me to a place that I haven't been to in a book in a very long time. It reminded me of what some people call "chick-lit" and what I just call "a good book about women".

I enjoyed getting to know Maggie, both as a very intelligent woman, and a woman not at her very best moment. Having just been jilted by her fiance for another woman, she finds herself down in the dumps. Leave it to Maggie's friends, Kathleen and Haley, to help their friend off the couch and into the world again. They sign her up for a cruise where she will be speaking about happiness. But how can a woman who currently feels no happiness, talk to others about it?

There were very funny moments in The Theory of Happily Ever After and there were moments that reminded me of my own sad moments...common sad moments that I'm sure most people will sympathize with. There was something of everything, romance and hope and trust. It pulls you up from the very bottom of where Maggie is to everything that could be and is if only we hold onto our faith.

I definitely recommend this to any reader who is looking for something uplifting to read with some humor and love thrown in. I could also totally see this book being turned into a movie! I really do miss those rom-coms :)

The Theory of Happily Ever After was a cute contemporary read. I liked both of the MCs, however the friends were a bit annoying and I didn't like how they treated Maggie like a child at times.

The romance was sweet. I liked how it progressed and it was interesting how the story took place on a cruise ship.

All in all, a really good read. I recommend The Theory of Happily Ever After if you enjoy contemporary romances.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

The main character, Dr. Maggie Maguire, in The Theory of Happily Ever After is a complete mess. But all is not lost for this scientist and best-selling author on the science of happiness. Unfortunately, before she can find her true happiness, she must experience complete despair and heartbreak.

While Maggie is an annoying mess for a large portion of the book, her character is a little too relatable for comfort. I must admit that I am the first to bury my head in the sand and hope that trouble will mysteriously and effortlessly disappear. News Flash: it usually doesn't, as Maggie finds out.

The singles cruise that Maggie's friends, Kathleen and Haley, drag her on is an interesting touch and provides the main backdrop for the overall story. Can true happiness be found in a fabricated happy environment in only a few days? Read The Theory of Happily Ever After to find out for yourself. But don't be surprised if not everything goes as you expect or predict. While Maggie's caustic attitude toward pretty much everyone is aggravating, the reasons for her meltdown and subsequent bad attitude are anything but predictable. What I like most about this story is that it is a humorous reminder that still waters run deep. We don't always know what's going on in people's heads, especially those we think we know so well.

The writing style is interesting as it is heavily laden with Maggie's internal ruminations. We spend a lot of time in Maggie's head, so maybe that is why I wanted her to snap out of it already. Dr. Maggie Maguire is the perfect example of the perils of over thinking, over analyzing, and over criticizing. The good news is that happily ever after is alive and well, but the path getting there is often filled with pitfalls and second guesses.

I thoroughly enjoyed the little 'excerpts' from Dr. Maguire's book, The Science of Bliss, because they provide thought-provoking, scientific tidbits of advice on happiness. But can we extract the secret to happiness using cold, hard scientific facts? Isn't love unpredictable and blind and messy and typically non-compliant with our expectations? For Maggie and probably most us, the answer would be a resounding Yes, but that doesn't mean we can't set the stage to let happiness naturally flow into our lives. Maggie's friends have the best intentions, but I have to say that their constant pushing and prodding to get Maggie back on track annoyed me to no end.

Let's talk about romance. Maggie has been dumped, almost at the alter. We find that out right away. Who doesn't lament the loss of the fairy tale? On that note, two incredibly attractive men are aboard the same singles cruise as Maggie and her friends, setting the scene for romance, jealousy, explosions, excitement, and, ultimately, Maggie's revelation that happiness has been hers for the taking all along.

It's not tagged as such, but The Theory of Happily Ever After has a Christian influence, but it's not overly preachy. The Christian aspect fits smoothly with the characters and the overall concept of finding happiness.

What in life makes you happy? There are many possibilities but only you can know what works for you.

Maggie is having a hard time figuring out what makes her happy and if you look deeper into her history/childhood you will understand why she has such issues. I'm amazed she is as stable as she is considering she lost a sister and her parents' personalities appeared to have done a 180 when they lost their other daughter. While it is understandable, I can't imagine growing up in that sort of family. Maggie's behavior/thoughts are hard to take because she is one hot mess, but when you realize that this story takes place over a week,it is a little easier to understand and accept because you can't have a complete turn around in just a few days, or at least not the kind that Maggie needs especially after wallowing for two months in her apartment with the Hallmark Channel and gelato!

Maggie's two best friends, Haley and Kathleen, are interesting characters and add a dynamic to this story. Haley does become unlikable later in the book all because of a man. I had a hard time with Haley's attitude and was surprised that Maggie tolerated it at all. I appreciated some of Maggie's observations about Haley, that perhaps she was spoiled because no one ever told her no because it helped make sense of Haley's actions and comments. Kathleen is a hoot and apparently an adrenaline junkie. I admired that spunk and she rounded out the trio of friends nicely.

The story would not be complete without a couple of hunky men. Brent the bartender from Texas teaching a mixology class on the cruise, and Sam, the man that doesn't think intelligent women can be happy. Let's just say that statement doesn't bode well for his happiness. But there is more to his story and he is immediately taken with Maggie. Because of his misstep at the beginning of the cruise and Maggie's insecurities, it takes quite some time before they are on the same page. But the road to that place was interesting between Maggie's desire to prove him wrong (she is a scientist after all) and Sam's desire to get on her good side. I wasn't sure whether I should root for Brent or Sam to end up with Maggie. Brent was great for the impulsive and daring side that I think Maggie wanted to have, but Sam was more grounded and has similar beliefs to Maggie.

There is a little bit of suspense too when it comes to the ex-fiance, Jake, and some of his actions back home. The one conversation that happens between Jake and Maggie explains a lot of Maggie's insecurities. There are some twists regarding Jake but you'll have to read the book to find out those details.

Overall this story has some laugh out loud moments, along with some thoughtful lines that gave me additional insight into all of the characters.

I thought this was a pretty good book. I liked the characters and found them to be interesting and relatable.
The story was fun to read too!

I

I've missed Kristin Billerbeck's writing! I was thrilled when her newest book came out. Although this one isn't as humorous as her other chick lit books, I enjoyed it.
Sam is an amazing character, and while I would have liked to see more growth with the other characters, I'm hoping we see the two best friends, who are just as flawed as main character Maggie, again.
What made the book for me was the premise about being able to study happiness. Maggie's research and thought process was as interesting to me as the romance.

Overall, it's a good book, and I hope we don't have to wait as long for the next one as we did this one.

I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review posted on Amazon and Goodreads.

What better setting for a chick-lit book than a singles’ cruise! Kristen Billerbeck certainly takes off on the right boat here in the Theory of Happily Ever After.

Each chapter starts with a quote from Maggie’s own book, The Science of Bliss. Yet, of course, Maggie can’t find bliss herself. Her friends feel the need to drag her on a cruise to restart her work and social lives.

Maggie seems unable to pull herself out of her own swamp of despair and live by her own advice. That was just irritating. Maybe I am beyond the Chick-lit genre.

The ending glosses over the hard feelings that have been building. Yes, people forgive. However, sometimes it takes a while for the feelings to catch up with reality and sometimes relationships change because of issues, even forgiven ones.

“The church is simply people, Maggie. Flawed and sometimes just plain wrong when they make their own rules.” Haley says this to comfort Maggie. While Maggie needed to realize the humanity of the people in the church, I would hope that she would find the God of the Church very real, and another congregation better showing His love. Church was mentioned a lot, but God Himself didn’t seem so important in the characters’ daily lives.

This book might work well for twenty-something singles who want a light read. I gratefully received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley and the publisher. This in no way influences my review, which I am voluntarily leaving.

Kristin Billerbeck is an author that you can count on for a lighthearted story that also contains a fair amount of depth. Her stories are the perfect accompaniment to a lazy afternoon and a cold glass of iced tea.

The Theory of Happily Ever After is both funny and sad. I know funny and sad don't seem to go together but in this case they do. The opening scene finds Dr. Maggie Maguire drowning her sorrows in way too much ice cream and Hallmark Channel movies. She's just been dumped by her fiancé in a very humiliating way. To add insult to injury she's written a best-selling book on happiness and she's anything but.

Maggie's two best friends, Haley and Kathleen, have decided she needs an intervention. But their idea of an intervention isn't what a normal person would expect. Haley also functions as Maggie's publicist so she booked them all on a singles cruise to promote Maggie's new book. Her rational is that it gets Maggie back on her feet and also helps book sales. To say that Maggie is less than enthusiastic is an understatement. Did I mention that her friends were well meaning? They are, but a singles cruise is probably not the best idea for a recently dumped girl.

The cruise is anything but smooth sailing for Maggie. One mess after another seems to follow her. But in the midst of the mess is Sam Wellington. At first he appears to be just another irritant but before long he becomes the balm that Maggie's hurting soul needs.

As Maggie and Sam's relationship deepens so does the story. At first I wasn't sure that I was going to like this book but the farther I got into it the more I liked it. There was a vulnerability to both Sam and Maggie that was easy to relate to.

If contemporary romance is your genre of choice I would definitely recommend this book. It's a light read but not loaded with fluff. I think you'll enjoy the characters and sympathize with the crazy situation. Treat yourself and go pick it up!

I received a copy of this book to facilitate my review.

I have to start off with the cover of this book. It is so cute and different! I liked the colors and felt that it really pinpointed the feel of this book overall.

The Theory of Happily Ever After is definitely a unique book. I don’t think I’ve ever read another book that had a scientist who specialized in the field of happiness science. I loved the idea of this book and was often grinning at the antics of the characters. However, as much as I wanted to love The Theory of Happily Ever After, it just wasn’t for me.

Maggie’s friends annoyed me more often than not. That may have been part of the intent, but I really started to not like them the further I got into the story. Maggie is a great character, but her internal thoughts took up a lot of the story at times, and I felt like it slowed the story down too much.

I did enjoy the dialogue between Maggie and Sam. I also loved the growth in Maggie’s character as she understood more about herself and her relationship with God. I also loved the realism in these characters. Their insecurities and the tangles of life are very down to earth, and I appreciated that.

However, as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t quite get into the flow of this book.

Overall, I enjoyed Maggie's story, but her character got a little annoying at times. The story also didn't move as quickly as I prefer...it took a while to get into the story.

The Theory of Happily Ever After by Kristen Billerbeck


I requested a review copy of The Theory of Happily Ever After because of the cover and the premise, and the fact I'd read several raving reviews. Unfortunately, this wasn't the book for me.

It started well, with a great first line (that I featured in a recent First Line Friday post). There were other excellent lines, such as:

The murderous thoughts don't stop coming, and I'm pretty certain that my Lord Jesus Christ, along with all decent people would frown on that.

And:

My brain works faster than my edit button, and the results can be horrifying.

I also related to the lie Maggie believed:

My premise was based on the falsehood that Jake was a decent man, that if you live your life right, God will reward you.

That's not true, and the world would be a better place if more Christians (and non-Christians, and think-they're-Christians) understood that truth.

But while I liked the writing, especially Maggie's unique voice, I found it difficult to get engaged with her as a character, or to sympathise with her. I made it halfway through the book, then another book caught my attention, and another, and another ... and that's not a good sign.

I'm also confused by the setup. Maggie apparently has a research job with a university. She also has a publishing contract, with the first book published and doing well, and the second book not yet written (but she's apparently spent the advance).

Yet once Maggie and her friends are on the ship, there are continual references to her new boss—the publisher. Did she quit her job? No? Then the woman isn't her boss. She's her publisher. So it's fake tension, created for the purposes of the plot.

We also have supposed tension from the fact Maggie has already spent the advance on the second unwritten book. Yet my understanding is that publishers don't pay the whole advance at once, so how could she have spent it all? If she fails to deliver a book, surely she only has to pay back the portion of the advance on that book—which she should be able to pay out of the royalties on the first book, if it was as successful as indicated. So this, again, is fake tension.

Sorry, but this one is a did not finish. So I won't be reviewing it online.

Light, fun Christian chick lit.
Some parts of this I enjoyed, I always love a books set on a cruise! And the male protagonists are decently well drawn.
What didn't really work for me were the female relationships. I felt like Maggie's friends treated her like a small child most of the time, not trusting that she was intelligent enough to make her own choices with her career and her relationships. I particularly did not like Haley.
I thought the "twist" with Maggie's ex wasn't fully explored emotionally, and the part with her sister was almost an afterthought. Overall, the book tried to be both women's fiction and chick lit but didn't really achieve either one well. Billerbeck is best when she sticks with the lighthearted books, that's what I have loved from her in the past.
Not a terrible read, but not the best either.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

This is a funny, entertaining Christian “chick lit” book. It’s fun following Maggie through the story as she makes one well-intentioned mistake after another. It was a great book to read during a long weekend when I wanted something lighter yet still well-written.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This is my first read from author Kristin Billerbeck and it won't be my last. My personal requirements for a rom com novel is that 1. the characters are believable and likable, and 2. I have to laugh out loud. A lot. This book checked both marks!

The main character, Dr. Maggie Maguire, is a young and accomplished woman. She's written a best selling novel about how people find joy in living, yet she is miserable. She recently was dumped by her fiance, who she suspects was using her research to establish himself in her field. She's avoiding work, where she is to write another novel, a sequel, on happiness and it just isn't happening.

Her two best friends, Kathleen, a personal trainer and Haley, her publicist, book her to speak on a singles cruise about finding your bliss. Without her knowledge! When Maggie finds out, she is mortified and refuses to go.

When she is literally dragged onto the ship, she meets Sam and his sister Jules, who are attending the cruise along with Jules' husband. She also meets Brent, the ship's bartender. What roles will they play in helping Maggie find her place in the world again?

The Theory of Happily Ever After was such a fun read. Billerbeck has a way with sarcasm and tongue-in-cheek humor that will have you in stitches. Yet, the author manages to weave in serious commentary on finding our own bliss. She reminds us that we have a purpose and what happens when we lose sight of that purpose. I'd love to see this book made into a movie by my favorite channel, The Hallmark Channel.

“I’d give it all up for the chance to sit still and be. To be still and know that he is God, like the Bible says. To figure out what does make me happy, what my dream is. What does God want from me next?”

If you like this review and wish to read the book, click the link below! I will make a small commission but the price stays the same for you!

Didn't love this. The title was great, the premise was fun, but it was repetitive and the protagonist's two best friends were kind of awful.

I usually like chick lit and have enjoyed Kristen Billerbeck in the past. I did not enjoy this book. I just tried to finish it. It was a very light and airy read but it did not have anything to really make it unable to put it down. Maybe it just wasn't my genre of Christian Fiction.