I really enjoyed this witty, albeit dark, take on motherhood, the pressures of buying into the unattainable myth of having it all, and the addiction of keeping up with the Joneses. I think fans of Liane Moriarty will absolutely love this one. It is compulsively readable from the prologue to the very end. I mean, seriously: I was hooked from the first page. And throughout the book, as the plot developed, I found myself going back to the prologue, intrigued if my theories about how the story would unfold held up.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend to fans of the genre. I think this was a well-executed story for readers looking for their next Big Little Lies (but this does NOT read like a knock off — totally unique plot and concept!) and hoping to be shocked and appalled by the characters’ decisions and revelations throughout. I loved the multiple perspectives, and the little lines of hindsight peppered throughout the narration. Overall, a great book for those looking for their next binge worthy read with less-than-admirable characters and over the top drama.

CW: infidelity, mention of abortion, mention of suicide, mom-shaming, disordered eating, alcoholism, drug dealing, addiction

After her former band shot to stardom without her, Claire reluctantly agrees to a gig as a playgroup musician for overprivileged infants on New York’s Park Avenue. Claire is surprised to discover that she is smitten with her new employers, a welcoming clique of wellness addicts with impossibly shiny hair, who whirl from juice cleanse to overpriced miracle vitamins to spin class with limitless energy. There is perfect hostess Whitney who is on the brink of social-media stardom and just needs to find a way to keep her perfect life from falling apart. Caustically funny, recent stay-at-home mom Amara who is struggling to embrace her new identity. And old money, veteran mom Gwen who never misses an opportunity to dole out parenting advice. But as Claire grows closer to the cool women who pay her bills, she uncovers secrets and betrayals that no amount of activated charcoal can fix. review: This was one of my Book of the Month selections for June and it wasn’t my favorite. It was a little lackluster and I didn’t find myself enjoying it or relating to any of the characters. This book did peel back the curtain of motherhood and showed the pressures moms feel to do everything perfectly, which I appreciated. The story ended up being much slower than I anticipated and I kept reading hoping it would pick up. It did finally pick up towards the end with a decent twist, but it still didn’t meet my expectations! I was hoping it would be along the lines of When Life Gives You Lululemons! I definitely encourage you to read it and see if you like it though. rating: 3 out of 5 ⭐️

Being perfect is absolutely impossible no matter how much effort one puts in it. Painting picture-perfect, behind which the things are not so perfect, is much easier. There are so many demands imposed on women. On one hand, the pressure and demands are coming from media and society, on the other – women have this a bit self-destructive streak for reaching perfection. All this and more are the issues tackle in HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT.
The plot of HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT is a fairly simple one. It is a story of 6 women who accidentally became the playgroup. All these women are of different background, but they live in the same Manhattan’s neighbourhood and have babies of similar age. It is also a story of Clair. Clair is 28 years old musician whose band became famous - after deciding to kick her out. As the story opens, we learn that Clair is a struggling artist who drowns herself in alcohol and is trying to live through the day. Her cousin finds her a job – a playgroup musician for 6 moms and their overprivileged children. Beside Clair, the author focuses on Gwen, Whitney and Amara; three women from the mom group. Other three, Ellie, Meredith and Vicki, are magnificent secondary characters. Gwen comes from the old money and she is struggling to keep the appearance, for her financial situation is not good. Whitney’s background is modest, but she wanted to live a big life in a rich perfect world, and she has made it. Besides that, she became Instagram mom. And then there is Amara, a gorgeous and brave woman who had a good career before getting pregnant and deciding to become stay at home mom. Looking at them, one might think that they really have prefect lives. But behind the picture-perfect façade, there are a whole lot of insecurities, bad marriages, meaningless lives, and all the problems that come with being a new mom. Although Clair feels like an imposter, and though she was there to entertain the children, she slowly becomes close to those women, especially Amara. And then the things start rolling.
The novel is a well written quick read, which is becoming more and more interesting with every page. It speaks about issues that every new mom faces. Issues like the pressure of being perfect mom, the fear of making a mistake and screwing up your child’s future that way, while at the same time pretending that everything is fine. It is also showing how far are new mums willing to go to survive the pressures of motherhood and to be perfect. It also opens gender equality issues agenda. It is interesting that the author chooses women from upper middle class as the main characters. This is a group of highly privileged women who are stay-at -home moms and are living the high life. But being privileged does not mean that their life is perfect and that they are completely happy and fulfilled in their roles. I like this angle, because it allows for the author to focus on struggles that every woman, as being a mother faces (without going into problematic of class and economic inequality. Furthermore, the characters are fantastically developed and are three-dimensional. They are far from perfect and will make a lot of mistakes during the course of the story.
HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT is the novel that opens a Pandora’s Box of the other side of the motherhood, Instagram fame, and striving for perfection, but it is also a feel-good-book that talks about the power of women friendship. I highly recommend it.

Thank you Berkley Publishing {partner} for my gifted copy of Happy & You Know It by Laura Hankin in exchange for my honest review. Publication date 5/19/20. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This new gig is definitely different than being in the band. The women seem nice, and they appear genuinely happy I’m here. I never thought we would click like we have. But, I still can’t shake this nagging feeling that something is not as it seems.

Claire has gone from rock star to playgroup singer. It is not at all how she expected her life to go. She had to find some way to earn a living after the band kicked her out, and she desperately wanted music to be a part of that scenario. But playing nursery rhymes to the babies of a group of entitled housewives is not what she envisioned.

Claire quickly finds herself embroiled with this group of women, and soon discovers they all have something to hide. The happy stay-at-home, entitled-wife facade falls apart when Claire discovers the secret to their success may not be as innocent as it has been portrayed.

In the vein of Desperate Housewives, Happy & You Know It by Laura Hankin is an intimate look at a small group of women trying to live up to society’s expectations of womanhood, and being a mother without losing your own identity. With alternating points of view, the book sets the scene of each main character’s perception of balancing family and self in a time when appearances are easily constructed, but not always genuine.

I loved how Hankin developed characters that were relatable, yet not always likable. Each character in the book had internal struggles that affected the decisions they made, and each of those decisions brought these women together for a common goal.

There were twists and turns, shocking realizations, and lots of backstabbing throughout this book that left you to wonder, are any of these relationships legitimate? Or are they a carefully constructed disguise in order to attain some personal gain?

Although the motive for their actions can easily be questionable, Hankin connected me to the characters in such a way I found myself empathizing with these women and the path they had traveled to be in this place.

One of the ways the story helped pull you in and allowed for the possibility of understanding the plight of these women was by giving snapshots of their past. Little glimpses at strategical moments that laid the foundation for intimate looks into how and why they developed into the women they became.

A well-paced, evenly developed story, that shows just how public perception can impact happiness on a fundamental level. It poses the hard questions of the value in a carefully constructed life versus living life for your own joys, wants, and dreams.

I enjoyed this look into friendships, marriage, motherhood, and the ever fleeting task of keeping your own identity in the midst of developing a strong foundation for the life you are building.

This novel wasn't really what I expected it to be but I liked it a lot. It's a tale of a young woman searching for where she belongs. While I didn't love the ending for the protagonist, I feel like she could go more places, the pacing of the novel was excellent.

I thought I would love this book, but it fell short for me.

What I did like about this book:

1. The pressure on the moms was realistic. I felt the stress Amara felt when her son was the last in the playgroup to pull himself up.
2. Amara and Claire's friendship. In the first half of the book they have some great moments together, and every mom needs a friend like Claire.
3. The True Mommy twist came completely out of nowhere. It was so unexpected and added a hint of mystery to a book about scandao.

This was such a dark, twisty novel and I didn't see it coming! I loved the sarcasm and wit. The dark humor was a nice change of pace from my usual reads and it was so fun to watch this story play out! I liked the individual stories of each woman and I thought it ended well. I loved the smart writing style or the author and overall it was a really great!

When her band records a hit after dumping her as singer, Claire feels she has little choice but to accept a job leading musical sessions for a New York playgroup. The mums, who have all bounced back quickly after having their babies, lead enviable lives and often appear on hostess Whitney’s carefully curated Instagram feed. But it appears their quest to stay youthful and vibrant may be their undoing.
With plenty of dark humour, this entertaining story exposes the secrets behind the picture-perfect lives of the rich and privileged mummy set.

Women's fiction can be a hit or a miss with me, and in most cases, I end up somewhere in the middle. Not so much with Happy and You Know It. Nope, this one is a definite hit. I'm a big fan of dark humor, and Laura Hankin is simply brilliant with it. These women are the types that you love to hate - at least until the twists, and then I found myself actually liking some of them. The focus may be primarily on a group of mothers, but I don't think you need to be a mother to relate. Honestly, if you have a sense of humor, then it isn't hard to get into this one. The whole thing is just a thoroughly entertaining read from start to finish - the storyline, the characters, the wit, all of it comes together for a fast-paced story that I won't soon forget. This may be my first read by this author, but it won't be my last. Laura Hankin is now firmly on my radar.

I wasn't sure to to think of this book but I did really enjoy it! Not all the characters are likable but the gossip and intrigue are delicious, you just have to keep reading to find out more. It reminded me of a Sex and the City type story but with moms and playdates. Recommended!

I couldn't wait to dive into this novel, I was expecting a juicy, scandalous, highly enjoyable read, one that is off the charts entertaining. I was expecting something a bit like the TV show Desperate Housewives.

Thankfully the book didn't disappoint. The book was filled with real flawed characters and gave an inside look at the imperfections of new motherhood as well as reinforced how social media is really the highlight reel of life.

This story was highly entertaining and a bit addictive, with a lot of comedy thrown in. There was a diaper changing scene that was so vivid and hysterical it would make an awesome scene in a movie. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in a book.

Overall a super fun book, even though some of the content was a bit emotional.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this digital copy in exchange for an honest review

Claire’s a musician that’s out of a job
From her spot in the band, she was robbed
A playgroup’s mommies are trying to find
Entertainment to keep their babies occupied
Claire’s singing is just what they need
But she will soon learn they’re not all what they seem
Wealth does not equate to joy
They’ve all got secrets that could easily destroy
•
I really enjoyed this book! An easy, light, take-you-to-another-world kind of read. I do think it was a bit far-fetched, but honestly I didn’t care. I liked the ending and everything that went into it. Money, secrets, and a mystery are just my cup of tea.

This book was a refreshing change from my current thriller after thriller trend. It was a really cute, fresh, witty take on the struggles of motherhood and there was even a surprise twist tucked in close to the end!

The concept of a baby play group that hires a musician to entertain their babies weekly at their posh NYC home got me interested in reading this story. The main character was not very likeable at first but as she struggled with her new job and the different personalities of the mothers in the group she became more relatable. The other characters were just too much like “real housewives” and the story became a drag. The ending seemed too unbelievable.

I feel like this would be a great book club read... I have so many thoughts! Happy & You Know It is about a ritzy playgroup and their (formerly famous) music teacher in New York City. Everyone is as completely well-adjusted as you’d this they’d be. Read it! And then call me so we can talk about it.
I listened to Happy & You Know It. Thanks to @netgalley for my copy!

Claire’s been replaced as lead singer in her former band and now she has to find a new gig. She takes a job singing to a playgroup where she’s to provide entertainment for the youngsters of the privileged. But, oh, those moms. they’re the influencers, so into “Wellness’ juice cleanses and expensive vitamins. Claire surprises herself when she discovers she actually likes these women and how easily things seem to come for them. Then she begins to realize that if you scrape the surface things aren’t so perfect. There are secrets best not known. If you’re looking for a summer book with lots of twists and turns, rich moms, and lots of fun, consider this book.

What fun this book was! The characters are diverse with different personalities, but yet they find themselves in the same circumstances. And even though Claire is soooooo different from them, I think that is why she fits in with them. I must say, I did not see what Gwen was until the author revealed it and then the reader says to him/herself, "of course". What I really liked was how the author started the book by setting a scene and then everything leads up to it. It kind of keeps the reader on the edge of the seat!!

When Claire Martin takes some time off from her band to help her boyfriend, her band moves along without her and shoots to stardom. They let her know she is no longer needed. So, she has no choice but to make a new life for herself. Her boyfriend is now out of the picture and she needs a job.

Claire auditions for a local playgroup as their musician for wealthy infants and their mothers. It’s not what she planned for her career, but would do for now. She quickly learns that their wealth does not mean they are happy women. Each mother has their own story and their personal issues. Claire finds herself getting close to them all.

The best way to describe this book is a dark humor, sad and dramatic look at motherhood from several different angles. Claire has her own outlook as a single woman with no children suddenly thrown into a group filled with babies. Not only does each mother have their own personality, but so do their babies.

This book reminded me of Sex and the City, but the married with children version. Each character is interesting and well portrayed. The storyline had a few different subplots. I did find the story a bit slow in some spots. Probably because there are so many characters and each one had their own back story to tell.

The characters are quite realistic…some could be friends, some not :) It kept my interest until the surprising conclusion.

I would say that Happy and You Know It was just ok. While the points Hankin was making about the wellness industry were interesting, the characters fell flat. They didn’t have much depth and it was hard to connect or cheer for them. It also tried to address too many issues at once and tried to be too ‘woke’.

I went into this book not expecting to like it, but I couldn't put it down. I was hoping it would focus more on one character but surprisingly enjoyed the multiple perspectives.