A darling follow-up to Matchmaking for Beginners. This sparkly love story is sure to delight those looking for a fun, feel-good comfort read this season.

As much as I really wanted to love this book, I couldn’t continue it and DNF at 20%.

I’m sure it’ll be a great read for someone else, but I found the reasoning behind his not wanting kids too unbelievable (it didn’t make any sense at all) and found that the writing style just wasn’t for me. I really do see the potential though, and can’t thank you enough for the opportunity to read this.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Finishing Matchmaking for Beginners, I needed to read the next chapter of the love story between Marnie and Patrick. I was genuinely excited to see there was a sequel, and A Happy Catastrophe did not disappoint but somehow was better than the original. After five happy years, Marine and Patrick face unexpected news which leaves each one of them questioning what they want their future to look like. As the past returns to haunt Patrick while Marine is brightly looking into their future, the magical and sparkly world Marine always believed in is threatened. I love this sequel as it balanced lightness and darkness in all of its characters, and reminded us all to not stop believing in the magic of love and the universe.

If you are a fine of the first novel following Marnie and Patrick, Matchmaker for Beginnings, you will adore this follow-up to their love story as well! A Happy Catastrophe follows them as a member of Patrick's past joins them. This runs parallel to their own struggles as a couple navigating the decision whether to have children or not. I found their struggles to be very relatable and the book is beautifully written. Highly recommend!

I was a huge fan of "Matchmaking for Beginners," so when I saw a part two, I literally ran for it!

In this sequel, readers are reunited with Marnie and Patrick - two charismatic people dating steadily for a few years. The catch is, they want different things for their future: while Marnie is ready to have a baby, Patrick is still trying to overcome his past trauma. He is grieving the death of a loved one and doesn't feel ready for fatherhood. So when a child shows up on their doorstep one day, the pair have very different feelings about what they should do next...

"A Happy Catastrophe" is absolutely magical, heartfelt and quirky, but also a lot heavier than part one. Grief and depression are two prominent themes of this book, and I believe that the author could have elaborated more on the complexity of mental health and the importance of getting help. I think this message would have been good to offset the heartbreak in a story that I expected to be lighter.

Nonetheless, I was delighted to hang out with Marnie and Patrick again, low-key hoping for part three, dear author.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Happy Catastrophe - Maddie Dawson 4/5: ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
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If anyone has read “Matchmaking for Beginners” this is the sequel. This follows them a few years later, Marnie is finally seeing marriage and parenthood in their future, First of all, I was excited and scared to read this. I fell in love with Blix, Marnie, and Patrick in the first one, SO I knew I had to catch up with the gang again. I totally devoured this in two days. Once I was approved I knew it was what I needed. I love these characters so much and they give me all the happy feels of love and magic. There were some pretty dark moments for Patrick. I love how Maddie was able to capture his mental struggle well. All the trials Patrick faces will help turn him into a modern day Phoenix! I was sad that Marnie had to suffer during it though but I appreciate all the depth these characters have. I didn’t want Marnie to lose her sparkle or shine! I think we need another installment focused on Marnie and motherhood (wink, wink). Overall, a good read! Especially if you fell in love with ‘Matchmaking for Beginners’ and the whimsical characters.

In this book Marnie, our resident matchmaker, and Patrick, her boyfriend, have been living together for a few years and are deeply in love. So in love that Marnie’s ready for the next step - a baby. But Patrick, who is still dealing with after effects of a tragic fire that had killed his then girlfriend, just can’t see himself as a father. The universe clearly has other plans as a daughter he never knew he had shows up on their doorstep. Soon their house is filled the chaos of an eight year old daughter, Marnie’s mother having a life crisis, and a band of teenagers whose parents just don’t understand. Patrick falls farther into this darkness, and his and Marnie’s future looks more and more bleak.⁣⁣
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I loved going back to this world with these characters! Just like the first book, this book started with an almost whimsical feel on the surface, that quickly gave way to much deeper themes. ⁣⁣
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This book was a little darker than I was expecting as we travel with Patrick through his unhealed trauma, but it also made the book more genuine. I do wish the need for professional help for mental health issues had been explored a little more, but still think overall the author handled writing about his grief very well. I loved Fritzie, Patrick’s daughter, even as my heart broke and warmed for her at the same time. I felt the split POV was clear and helpful in understanding the position of multiple characters. I do feel like the ending tied up a little too easily, but just like with book one, I left this book with feelings of hope. ⁣⁣
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Overall, I loved this sequel, and I already know that this story will stay with me for a while!⁣⁣

I adored Matchmaking for beginners, and I was so excited to receive an early copy of the sequel. Thank you, NetGalley!
A Happy Catastrophe was just what I needed. Picking up with old characters, Marnie and Patrick, you are in for a delightful ride. In this book, Patrick is confronted with an old girlfriend with a big secret, and Marnie has some wishes and surprises as well. Can they continue to love each other through life's storms, or is it too much for this couple?

Thank you for a wonderful mistake. I love Maddie Dawson!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. I was excited to see a sequel was released to Matchmaking for Beginners! I enjoy reading Dawson's writing; it's easy and light - a great way to pass the time with a cup of coffee on the weekend. Lovely characters. I enjoyed reading more of their story and, obviously, the introduction of new characters. This is the perfect, lighthearted read (not fluffy!)

A Happy Catastrophe.....more like a real catastrophe! 😡🙄😳🙅‍♀️ I'm just going to come out and say it. I. could. not. stand. this. book. Maybe it's a sign I'm getting old or something (although I'm younger than the MCs), but the lack of commitment in this plot drove me to the brink of insanity. Love is not a feeling, it's not freakin sparkles, it's not hearing from dead people. It's. A. Commitment. Literally every single problem in this entire plot would have been solved if anyone would have just made a commitment and stuck to it.
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The romanticizing of Marnie's refusal to just BE THERE for Patrick in his grief, instead of overcommitting and overfilling his life is not cute or clever. It's idiotic and dangerous. That's what happens when you base your love on a feeling or a silly sparkles or whatever it is that this person believes - you end up loving people because it makes you feel good. And guess what? That's not what it's all about.

So, I didn't know these were characters from a previous book, Matchmaking for beginners. This is a continuation of their story, of their lives.
Since I didn't read the previous book, I didn't have fully developed background and interest in his and Marnie's lives.
Even without having read the first book, this one was good.

I really love Patrick and Marnie’s story so I was so glad to get a continuance for them. I really enjoyed this one - Patrick’s story made me sad but my heart really broke for Marnie. It got a tied up a little too neatly but hey, that’s what romances are for, right?

I was so thrilled to be able to revisit with the characters I loved from Matchmaking for Beginners. I found myself fully absorbed into the world of the book almost immediately. I cared deeply about the characters, right down to wanting to walk straight into the book and yell at them. I loved that the resolution is a bit of a beautiful mess. This book wasn't without its frustrations, its heartbreak, but it was full of heart. Thank you for a second visit with the crew, Maddie Dawson.

Matchmaking for Beginners was one of my favorite recent reads so I was thrilled to get an advanced copy of A Happy Catastrophe. While I was reading it, I wasn’t sure if it would quite live up to my expectations. I honestly found Marnie a little bit whiny and Patrick a grump, but I think that is how the character development had to be in order for the ending to work. In the end, I liked this book since it revisited beloved characters from Matchmaking for Beginners and had just the right amount of magic.

Thank you to Maddie Dawson, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh I just loved this so much. I loved being back in the world of Marnie, Patrick, and their motley crew of people. This book had so much heart and also made me laugh so much. The characters were deeper in this sequel than in the first book and I loved that. Fritzie was such a delight as well. I loved the life lessons in the book - the reminders that choosing to be open to love in all forms makes life so much better and that life might be different than how you want but dance in it anyway :)

This book made my heart ache with happiness. Thank you netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!

It’s been four years since we have seen Marnie and Patrick and their lives have never been better! Until a surprise lands on their doorstep, Patrick is offered a gallery show, and Marnie has realized how desperately she wants a baby of her own.

I absolutely loved Matchmakers For Beginners so I was so excited when I saw there was a second book coming out! We once again see the magic in Marnie, and a little bit of the depression in Patrick. I really wish Patrick would have gone to a therapist in this one…he seriously needs it! Either way though, this book brought some truly wonderful new characters into Marnie and Patricks lives (hello Fritzie, you lovable girl you!) and I was so here for it. There were a few little things that bothered me throughout the book, mostly Patrick related, but in the end I still really love this one and I think he was meant to annoy you a bit at times. If you loved Matchmakers For Beginners, be sure tp grab a copy of this one when it comes out May 26th!

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing an advanced copy! I found Matchmaking for Beginners as part of Kindle First Reads and devoured it on a flight. The sequel is just as fun to read! I usually am not a fan of “cutesy” books but I make an exception for Marnie and Patrick. Just like its predecessor, I finished this book feeling happy and optimistic. Definitely recommend for a fun quarantine read!

Review posted on GoodReads on April 14, 2020.

I must start off this review by stating that I did not realize A Happy Catastrophe was a sequel to Matchmaking for Beginners. I have not read Matchmaking for Beginners, but I still enjoyed this read.

In A Happy Catastrophe, we follow whimsical Marnie and forlorn Patrick as they navigate their evolving relationship and the surprises (both good and bad) life throws at them. Throughout the novel, we see both Marnie and Patrick's point of view, which adds to the story. I was rooting for Marnie and Patrick to grow and develop. The writing fits the story beautifully! It was a deeper read than I initially anticipated, so I would suggest keeping a box of tissues close by. Overall, a good read especially for those who have read Matchmaking for Beginners.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have not read "Matchmaking for Beginners", although it's on my wishlist, but was delighted to get the okay to read this book (first). To cut to the chase: I loved this book. It was whimsical and light-hearted on the surface - and then took a turn toward much deeper and darker issues, and came through them with what I felt was an honest account of the struggles that loss, grief, feeling unloved and abandoned, and heartache entail. Yes, the ending may have been a bit too pat, and glossed over the need for professional help with mental health issues, but I found the story, and the characters, immensely lovable.

I absolutely loved Matchmaking for Beginners, so I was delighted to learn that a sequel was coming out. I was a little nervous about the possibilities of the story, seeing as there's only so much you can do in a follow-up with a couple that was established in a first book. But I totally didn't expect the way the growth between Marnie and Patrick was handled and how quickly I warmed up to the new characters. Dawson's writing is just as buttery and nourishing as before, and the book is truly difficult to put down. Perfect for when you need a lighthearted but fulfilling read!