Oh wow. Well, let me start with this: I absolutely hate giving a book one star. There's an author and a whole team who all put a lot of work in this but OH. WOW.

I really hated this book. I wanted to like it because the set up sounded amazing and I thought this was going to be such a fun ride what with all the dogs and the being a loser at 30-something.

Here is the thing. If I ever met a Page in real life, she would immediately be on my "do not talk to under any circumstances" list. She is shallow, judgemental and thinks so very highly of herself. Which is quite remarkable really, seeing as she just recently got dumped, lost her job and is now living in her successful brother's appartment. BUT, you will be happy to hear that none of those are her fault because she is fabulous. Or so she says. There wasn't a single moment in this book where I felt sympathetic towards her and the way she interacts with other characters made me cringe throughout. First there are the gays she meets. They are a couple and immediately open up to her and telling her all their secrets. Who I will be calling that because I got the feeling that being gay and telling her how fabulous she is and being fabulous themselves and giving her money and making her dresses (because of COURSE they are rich and crafty that way) after what feels like a month after meeting them. As far as I can tell nothing has happened more than Page admitting she goes to the dog park without a dog and the gays fawning over her brilliance. There is quite the age gap between the gays and I couldn't help but wonder if that's simply because Page needed a twenty-something casual friend to gossip and drink with and an older, more sophisticated friend who takes her to fancy dinners and to see real estate. It worked out well for her. I am not going to talk about the Austrian guy because again, much to unpack.

She starts crushing on a man from the dog park whom she and the twenty something gay dub "Banana Republic" because she doesn't know his name until only the end of the book, yet she is super ready to sit in the dog park and wait for him to appear. Or his daughter to appear so she can get more information about him. I am not going to talk about the Ipod story because... well. Privacy and that and I could ramble for hours.

Then there is the guy who hires her to walk his dog. Oh sorry, I forgot to mention he's big. Like, large. Like really really fat. And Page only calls him big guy, large guy, in her head and to everyone else. Since he is fat and thus not at all attractive, it only makes sense to snoop in his flat while he is out and she is bringing the dog back from the walk right? It is only logical for her to steal a VHS tape so she can make sure he's not a creep or a weirdo or a stalker (pot/kettle much?), right? So IMAGINE her surprise when the guy is actually stalking someone but not her. So that's a relief. It's even more of a relief when she finds out that his fatness isn't due to eating but due to a medical condition!!! Now there is nothing that stands in their way of becoming fast friends. She even attempts some half-arsed lectures to make him see that stalking is wrong. Before she goes back to the dog park to stalk - er, wait - for Banana Republic.

Oh and there's a dog that's overweight, too. Because the world needs some dog shaming from a girl that spends her time in a dog park with trash romance novels, innit?

Right, that brings me to her mother and brother. The mother who drinks and is seeing a married man (classy), which is fine with everyone it seems.
The brother. Man. So I don't know about you all but I do not talk to my brother about my dating life all that much because it's hella awkward. I also don't do candle lit dinners with my brother in his own restaurant with fine staff such as Straight Jake, which I am sure anyone would love to be their nickname. I did get a pang of sympathy when her brother gets sick but... that dissipated very quickly. Mainly because I have some experience on this particular topic. And from the get go, I was just sitting here going: "Really? They're starting with that? Why would they do that? Well that certainly doesn't sound like early stages at all." and finally: "Oh. So now that she's successful it's all gone?"

Because of course it ends with Page opening her own Gallery. Which is paid by her wealthy sophisticated gay who doesn't think twice about co-signing with her. Hell, I've known a lot of people for 10 years, call them my best friends and I still would think harder about co-signing on a renting contract with them. Chances are I still won't do it! And on top of that he gives her money because on her own she can pay about one month's rent. But she's positive. She obviously gets with BR and it's a happy ever after kind of thing. Her brother is well and getting married. She finally has her own dog and I am very, VERY happy to support that fat stalker guy has lost lots of weight due to a medical program Page suggested to him and is now becoming fast friends with her. Everything's coming up Page!

I just. I couldn't with this book. From the everything-shaming, really, to her annoying voice who gets constantly told how amazing she is, I really had a hard time finishing this. I am very sorry, again, I know a book is a lot of work. But man. I hope I never meet a Page in real life.

Thanks to @netgalley for this arc! I loved the story of Page and all those she collects as she finds herself.
Page’s life gets turned upside down when she loses her job and her boyfriend in the same week. She moves to DC to live with her brother. This book made me laugh, cry, made my heart swell and swoon.
#happilywhateverafter #arc #netgalley #bookstagram #mayreads #quarantinereads #lakeunionpublishing @lakeunionauthors

What a delightful read! I was instantly drawn into Page's story and couldn't put it down. I loved how she was down on her luck, in her mid-thirties, and creates a new type of life for herself. The characters that she crosses paths with are unique, interesting, and make the story all the more captivating. The book wasn't what I expected, it was more. I highly recommend Happily Whatever After if you're looking for a light-hearted read to get yourself lost it.

Thanks to NetGalley for a chance to read this book!
Ohh, it was adorable! The characters were so real and the whole story felt unwrapping so smoothly. Page - the main character - and other characters went through highly relatable life events, reminding again that there is hope and everything will be fine at the end.

This was a fun and quick read! It was well written, and the main character was delightful to read about. I would love to see more from this author.

I adored this book and read it two sittings. The voice had the perfect amount of sweetness and wit with a dash occasional snark– Page's POV truly relatable. I laughed outloud and, at times, the threads in the plot pulled at my heartstrings. With this story, Lewis offers a fun escape in this crazy world of ours.

Page thought she had her life together. A good job, love, her dream living space.. until she didn't. Her perfect life was tossed upside down and she was left wondering, what now?

She finds herself starting over in a new city and the universe leads her to a dog park. This is where she will meet the people who will help her get the fresh start she so desperately needs.

Overall the book was so-so. I appreciated the message. I very much do not believe in coincidences and so that is something that rings true to me. I appreciate any book with a strong female protagonist so bonus points for this. I appreciate watching her develop with the story as we got to discover her while she does the same. It was a decent book with a good message. Not great, but certainly not bad.

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Stewart Lewis writes with a perfect blend of humor and wit and delivers a romance that is as hopeful as it is entertaining


Would love to read more of his writings.

***Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review***

This is the journey of Page and how she takes control of her life and future. Page spent 4 years investing in Jack only to have the relationship fall apart after losing her job. So she leaves New York and heads to DC to live with her brother Brady, a trendy restaurateur.. Page finds her self drawn to a Elite Dog park., where she meets interesting people who influence her on her journey.

Will Page ever be able to have her dreams come true? Will she ever find someone to share her life with?

While I enjoyed the story, I struggled to get through it. The momentum lags in parts but keep reading it picks up.

I'm being generous and giving this one a forward-leaning 3.5 stars.
It's a little hard to separate what I feel about the writing and story from the message on this one.
The story and the way it's told is very run-of-the-mill. I've probably read variations on this plot 100 times over and Lewis' writing is good but nothing particularly noteworthy.
However, and a very big however here, I deeply enjoyed the overall message of being true to yourself and being open to what 'the universe' sends your way. It's a great message to put out there and it's not pushed or forced on the story, it happens so organically that it doesn't feel like the author is trying to hit you over the head with it. It contributed greatly to my enjoyment of this book.
I didn't really feel Page at the beginning, but she grows as she interacts with the interesting secondary characters that Lewis introduces. Excuse the horrible pun here, but Page was a boring blank page in the beginning and it was interesting to see the strokes revealed as she put herself out there.
Overall, I don't think I'd go out of my way to recommend Happily Whatever After unless it was someone I felt could benefit from the message. Otherwise, it's just another middle entry into the crowded chick-lit/women's fiction sphere.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a chance to read and review this book.

**I received a complimentary copy of this advanced reader's copy ebook from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a romantic comedy (more of a comedy and a story about a woman finding herself than romance!) that had likable characters and some LOL moments.

Page's life isn't going quite as she planned. After losing her job and getting dumped by her boyfriend, she leaves NYC and heads to live with her brother in DC, showing up "jobless, penniless, single" and quickly approaching her midi-thirties.

Page is determined to no longer depend on men for her happiness; she dreams of her "happily ever after." But, while she desperately tries to work toward that life, she comes to find that sometimes second chances really do exist, but you have to work for them and be willing to take a chance on something.

Page was a really strong main character. Although she didn't always make the best choices, you had to really appreciate her determination and commitment to both her family and to her new friendships. The side characters were all interesting in their own way. You'll have to read to find out if Page gets her happily ever after!

“Some of us bloom after the rain.” Happily Whatever After by Stewart Lewis

3.5 stars! This was a surprise for me. Didn’t expect much from the book as it’s the first time I think I’ve picked up a book from this author but it was nice! I liked it.

Page just broke up with her longtime boyfriend, jobless and broke and staying at her brother’s place in D.C. to whether the storm in her life. She hangs out in a dog park, even though she doesn’t have a dog. She just likes dogs. So where does she go from here?

It’s a good light read this book. Page is kind and a little quirky and comes to some realizations about what she thought she knew of herself and what happens when you open yourself up to other people. And the people she meets are such interesting, colorful characters! The dogs too, to some degree. I kept reading it because I was curious what will happen to Page. And it was a nice ending too. Would’ve wanted a more defined ending but I can live with it.

Thank you Lake Union Publishing for the arc of this book. Thanks too @netgalley

I devoured this book. I adore Page! I was rooting for her and BR! I felt like I stepped in her shoes and were along for all her adventures. Being close with my brother I related to Page and Brady and their bond. I will need an update to that ending!

Transport yourself to Washington, D.C. where after a job loss and breakup, Page moves back in with her brother Brady and begins to rebuild her life. Follow along as she finds friends in the unlikely setting of a dog park sans dog and struggles like we all do to figure out what she wants to do with her life. Page digs into the work of building a life filled with supportive people and this feels so real, with developed characters I would love to see more. This book gets deeper than I originally expected and left me in tears several times. This isn’t the typical girl meets guy, does something embarrassing and he ends up rescuing her, for that I say thank you to author Stewart Lewis. It’s refreshing to read about a woman figuring it out for herself and building a life instead of frantically searching for a husband. I stayed up way past my bedtime, to finish it in a day, because I had to know how Page’s story would end! I rate this book 🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶!

On paper this looked like something I would enjoy, however it turned out that it wasn't suited to me. I am probably now on the wrong side of thirty, even if people think I'm not there was a few parts of this that made me feel it. i got confused on which charactor we were followiing and had to reread the beginning to find that we were followng a women not a man.
Personally it is not for me, I did not endure to the character or the writing.

Happily Whatever After by Stewart Lewis was a fun, quick, and breezy read that was a nice change from the reality we’re currently living in. I loved Paige and all of the supporting characters (plus the inclusion of dogs). It was lighthearted yet realistic and I will look forward to reading more of Lewis’ work. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

For me, this is definitely a junk food read. There were cute things about it, but I had to shove reality aside when I found myself getting annoyed that the main character was more concerned with getting a boyfriend than a steady job. Regardless, I know readers will enjoy it and relate to some parts, so I am ordering it for the library.

What a delightful contemporary adventure through the eyes of Page, a post-30 woman with no job and no boyfriend, who leaves New York behind and moves into her brother's house in Washington, DC for a fresh start. I thoroughly enjoyed reading of her angst and joy, finding herself a spot of happiness at a nearby dog park where she meets interesting characters and their heartwarming canines. This is a book I could read again just for details and nuances I'm sure I'd uncover.

What a refreshingly realistic novel on what post 30 feels like. Page gives me all the feels- anxiety about career choices, lost in loveless relationships, parental issues and dealing with loss. Kudos to the author for giving us single gals hope of getting BR and wishing we were brave enough to go to the dog park.

I mean the book centered itself on dogs which was a promising start. In some instances, it was easy to relate to Page because she was comparing herself to those around her who seemed more successful in work and relationships which I find myself and my friends doing too often.
The beginning was a bit of a struggle, with the use a lot of acronyms unnecessarily and introducing so many odd characters left and right. Page’s character was frustrating because she always felt like she needs a man to solve her problems when she should have bigger concerns (like getting a job and steady income?). The story felt jagged like you finally thought you were making sense of the various characters and then it swerved. In the beginning it seemed repetitive in how miserable Page’s life was and how down on her luck she felt, then towards the end it would randomly skip ahead a couple weeks here and there throwing another curveball into the plot, almost moving too quickly. Overall it was a quick and pleasant story. I'd round it to 3.5 stars.