Thank you to Harper Collins for my copy of Perfect Happiness by Kristyn Kusek Lewis in exchange for my honest review.

I honestly was not crazy about this one. I stopped and came back to it several times. I was just frustrated with the Charlotte and that opinion clouded my judgement of the book all the way through. I have read other books from this author and like her style, but this one was just a miss for me.

This book was the perfect escape read while quarantines. I loved meeting Charlotte and watching her evolve and grow throughout the novel.

Kristyn Kusek Lewis is a talented author who has strong use of dialogue and detail in all her novels, bringing them to life in a genuine way. Her latest, Perfect Happiness is another example of her storytelling skill.

Overall, the story was interesting and even had a Desperate Housewives feel at times. Kristyn makes good points about how things on the outside aren't always the same as they are on the inside. I was able to relate in terms of having a teenager close in age to Birdie (even though mine is a boy) and living in the DC area. Charlotte's mom was so obnoxious and I felt bad for her with having to deal with such a personality. I would have liked to hear Birdie's narrative, as having a teen's perspective really worked well with Kristyn's previous novel, Half of What You Hear.

The thing that made me give this novel four stars is that the topic was cliché and used too much in novels. (Someone looking like they have a perfect life, when they really don't.) While Kristyn enhanced it in some ways, I was hoping for something that hasn't been done yet. I still felt it was a worthwhile read and look forward to whatever she comes up with next.

Movie casting suggestions:
Charlotte: Ashley Scott
Jason: Steve Howey
Birdie: Kerri Medders
Reese: Scott Speedman
Jamie: Michelle Monaghan

I devoured this book. An on point story about a mother, wife and woman who is engulfed by professional success while drowning in personal problems at home-- disconnected from her husband, an increasingly angry teen daughter and her own drinking. The juxtaposition of the main character Charlotte, a college professor, a happiness expert and a savvy speaker and social media influencer as a very unhappy person is a fantastic premise fro a novel and so 'of the moment.' Lewis delivers on the promise of the premise, diving deep into all the main characters and the reality of modern life.

Perfect Happiness focuses on the author of one of the multitude of self help books published each year. Kristyn Kusek Lewis shows how it is possible to be a guru giving advice for achieving happiness while spiraling into misery and alcoholism in her own life. Charlotte McGanley is a psychology professor at a top DC university. She is also a poster of Instagram photos and sharer of happiness tips. She has many followers and compulsively checks how many likes each post receives.

Perfect Happiness succeeds on several levels: It illustrates our and our childrens' dependence on social networks and our constant need to have experts tell us what to do to achieve a successful life. Like Lori Gottlieb's "Maybe You Should Talk To Someone", Perfect Happiness shows both the professional and personal side of expert advisors. There are stunning contrasts between the two. Charlotte's 15 year marriage has lost its appeal and her 14 year old daughter shows signs of adolescent rebellion and unhappiness. Yet Charlotte's professional success makes her the most popular professor, writer and speaker. So how can she deal with being overwhelmed by her responsibilities? Does she give up her teaching job? Does she turn down the lucrative new book offer? Does she go for counseling?

In Charlotte's case, things get so bad that the book turns into a "come to realizer". That's a bad tack for a novel to take. Had there been a real solution ultimately leading to a happy ending, this book would have been a 4 star review. As it is, it's a very readable 3 1/2. Many thanks to the author, to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and comment.

Charlotte has worked hard to get where she is in life: a PhD, a nice home, a smart and talented daughter she is able to provide many luxuries to and a loving husband. Oh, and tens of thousands of Instagram followers who follow her every word on finding happiness in their lives. As her social media fame grew, Charlotte became a minor celebrity with a book deal and motivational speaking engagements across the country. But as the speaking engagements increased and Charlotte is pressured for another book, she begins to realize that maybe what she has been preaching isn't what her own life really looks like.

I found Charlotte very irritating and self-righteous. It was hard to feel sorry for her as she wallowed in her famous life, luxury car and large home as her life fell apart. It was difficult to empathize with her as she couldn't understand why her daughter was getting into trouble at school why she kept arguing with her husband as she simultaneously downed a bottle of wine each evening a she packed for her next business trip. Fortunately for Charlotte, her daughter was able to walk back from the trouble she was flirting with, and her husband was a very patient and forgiving kind of guy.

Although I did not like Charlotte's character at all, I did like the overall point this book was making in that we get so caught up in busy lives, careers, and moving ahead and 'living the dream' that we sometimes forget ourselves and what is most important. No one can have everything, but people have to choose their own priorities. In Charlotte's case, she got so caught up in promoting happiness as a brand that she lost it in her own life.

PERFECT HAPPINESS is an entertaining novel about how a family is falling apart. For the most part, the characters are relatable, although Charlotte is a bit annoying at first. She grew on me as I begin to see more of her inner thoughts. I was surprised that Jason's POV was included, but it was a good decision as it helped flesh out the narrative. I grew to care deeply about this family and intently flipped the pages as I hoped things would work out for them. The one reason I'm not rating it higher is that I felt it wasn't paced perfectly. There are some parts through the first 70% or so that really drag and I found myself skimming. But then from the "dark moment" with Birdie and Charlotte's epiphany to the ending felt very rushed. I wanted to see more of how Charlotte grew and was able to turn things around. We didn't get to see much of how she dealt with Jason. The ending just sort of happened suddenly so it didn't feel deserved. All in all, a solid read.

This is not my usual genre that I typically read however this is a book that is totally relateable as a wife and mother. That being said I was totally hooked and certain times during the book it felt like my life she was referring to. Overall, great read!

I really enjoyed this book. From start to finish, I felt the sadness and struggles that Charlotte experienced. As a wife and mom myself, I related to the mundane moments that aren't exactly mundane but more just part of life.

Charlotte is learning that things aren't always "perfect" or "happy" and that's okay because life has it's ups and downs and sometimes you have to find the space in-between that is as equally as good as the highs.

I think this book would be perfect for any wife and mother who question their roles, the advice they give others and more importantly, question if they have what it takes to chase their "Perfect Happiness".

A famous psychology professor, author of a well-loved book on happiness, faces some pretty unhappy situations in her own life in this very engaging story. Great characters, well-paced plot. Recommend this to readers who enjoy a love story with more depth and nuance than the usual.