Four women, friends long after college, help get each other back on track. There. That is the whole story in one sentence. But, what a terrific enjoyable story it is! Cheating boyfriends, commitment issues, traumatized spouses, politics, rockstars, insecurities, wine tasting, book writing, truth telling, dads dying. Did I miss something? I must have because this book had everything! But, Ms. Harris delivered it wonderfully through her four characters who each got a chapter devoted to them and their view in each section of the book. And while we all know going in to the book that the end will be an (Im)perfectly Happy one, that only adds to watching each woman overcome her personal hurdle. I loved each character, frequently wanted to give them a hug, occasionally wanted to smack them upside the head. But that is what makes for such an enjoyable read!

This will be a 3 ½ star rating for me.

(Im)perfectly Happy tells the story of four college friends who at what would be the prime happy times of their lives realize that they aren’t….

Raina, Kara, Nikki and Sienna all seem to have what “society” says you should have when you’re a certain age. A man, A career, Kids, A home and financially good…meaning you should be sitting on savings but as we see in our current situations, many people (even the ones that say the always did…) don’t have said savings. Anyways, these ladies thought the lives they were living was good and it is but what about that pact they made in college. The one where they said they would keep each other accountable for the dreams and goals they wanted to achieve? And for the most part they have…or did but life interrupts and sometimes you have to walk a different path. Our lady friends realize that maybe taking that left instead the right wasn’t what they “planned” and they decide to keep each other accountable again but going down the right road is bumpy and unsure.

Let me start off saying that I loved the complexities of the friendship between the women in this story. I enjoyed the fact that the author wrote their relationship as sometimes complicated. Everything isn’t rainbow and sunshine…. Even with you good girlfriends so it was good to see ladies in (Im)Perfectly Happy were the kind of friends that would be good with each other one day and maybe not so much the next. But they were always on their grown woman enough to call each other out on each other’s AND their own bullshit.

Now, the plot or makings of this story was what would be for me is the typical meat and bones of women’s fiction. Four women whom for all intents and purposes should be happy but they for whatever reasons aren’t, realize they aren’t and are then tasked with figuring out how to get to towards their set goals while navigating the obstacles in life the author gives them. What works in (Im)Perfectly Happy is that each character is just that “imperfect”…messy and downright human. For me, all four of these women are women that I knew or know. Shit, if I’m being honest…these four women are me. We sacrifice so much of ourselves for men, for our families, for our friends…for fucking life and we forget about US. We forget about what we want…what makes us happy. We are always settling because society tells us that settling is expected, it is what we are supposed to be happy about. The ladies in this story while battling addiction, cheating men, generational curses, and so so much more while working (healing) through and getting through to achieve the lives they were meant to live.

So I gave ya’ll all that up there and you’re probably wondering (or not) why only 3 ½ stars. Even though there was so much to love about (Im)Perfectly Happy, I do feel that there were some forced conversation, issues that I also feel like folks think Black people want to see talked about in books. And for the most part we do... BUT for me, I want to see the issues done in a more true free flowing way. Not some forced thing that publishers are shoving downwards.

I’m not going to go all in because I don’t want to take away from the much needed healing this book offers its readers. Sooo, job well done Ms. Sharina Harris. I look forward to reading more of your work.

I say read it and add it to your physical library.

I tried to get into this book but I just found it boring. I think it is just me. Everyone I know that has read this one has loved it.

First I want to say, Happy Release day!
I received this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Netgalley.

Don't be fooled by the rating, I enjoyed this book. If you're social distancing (which you are) this should be the next book you pick up.'(I'm)Perfectly Happy received a 3 1/2 star rating from me because I often had trouble distinguishing who was who at the beginning of the book and in the chapters where the 4 women would meet up. Another minor "issue" I had was I felt like Raina was the Beyoncé of the women, she felt more developed than the other characters. Kara, Sienna, and Nikki's storylines were good, it just didn't feel as complete to me like Raina's. Overall '(I'm) perfectly Happy' was a page-turner, these women are hilarious, and joining them on their journey as they worked through chaos was entertaining. If you're a fan of 'Waiting to Exhale' the movie and the book, I recommend this book to you. If you're looking for a fast-paced drama-filled escape or searching for the next read for your virtual book club, this is it.

You would think that someone who reads as much as I do would relish having to social distance at home surrounded by (physical and electronic) books. But I’ve had a hard time picking up something to read. The last book I read, a collection of science fiction short stories, was amazing but the subject matter combined with our real life circumstances (the pandemic that shall not be named) made it difficult to concentrate. (Im)perfectly Happy is the palate cleanser I needed.

Raina is a late-night radio host who gives relationship advice and she’s just made the commitment to move in with her boyfriend and that’s all she’s able to commit to. Kara has taken (and failed) the rigorous test to be a Master Sommelier (shout out to me for getting the spelling right on the first try) three times and is taking the all-encompassing, stressful steps to take it again. But the death of her mother and lack of support from her husband have her spiraling. Nikki is the perfect suburban, stay-at-home mom with a super loving husband and cool kids. She’s also an incredible musician and singer-songwriter who gave it all up to have the life she has now. Sienna, a public defender who actually cares about her clients, has set aside her dream of running for government office in order to support her fiance in his campaign to do the same. When the women were in college, they The Brown Sugarettes Mastermind group as a way to empower themselves and keep each other focused on their goals. Now that they’re in their 30’s, Raina decides that they need to resurrect the group so that everyone can reconnect with their true desires and goals.

I loved the four distinct voices of these women and the real life, grown-up situations that the author placed them in. While a couple of the stories wrapped up a little too nicely for me, I am very happy with the journey that Sharina Harris took me on to get there. I may or may not have stayed up past my bedtime because I was so engrossed in these women’s stories. Also, shout out to a book set in the city that I live in and also my neighborhood mentioned twice!! (Yes, I kept count)

Thank you Kensington Books and Netgalley for this arc.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book revolves around four women whom established their friendship way back in college remained best of friends over the years. Raina, Kara, Sienna and Nikki shares different personalities, goals and ambitions and these differences is what makes their friendship great. Their story reminds me my own, that regardless how much we desire or planned about our future, we can never control what happened in between and at one point we have to put our dreams aside and embrace a new path. But there’ll also be a time in our lives that we find ourselves trying to embark on our old dreams and make it happen but not without lessons in between as well. I really enjoyed this book.

What drew me into ImPerfectly Happy by Sharina Harris was the relationships. I love seeing women support other women, in this time of likes and followers ruling it all, it’s a nice reminder of the importance of female friendship. The Brown Sugarettes Masterminds Group, Kara, Raina, Sienna and Nikki, formed in college are still friends today, ten years later. When Raina suggests restarting their goal setting as a group, the real magic begins. This book contains the messy, real parts of adult life, from grief to job loss to relationships; it’s full of depth. I was cheering the characters on in their journeys to achieve their goals and even cried with them. Harris is a gifted, moving writer, this one will stay with you long after the last page.

Friends Nikki, Raina, Kara and Sienna formed a Mastermind group in college. Ten years later, none of them have achieved their goals, so they reunite to help each other fight for their dreams.

This was an entertaining read, and I liked how each of the four lives and the relationships with their friends and families developed through the book.

i was given this book by netgalley and publisher for honest opinion and review
i was able to finish this book very quickly in a day. it was very good and fast pace. the story is about friends that became close in college that now look back at some of the choices that they made and if they should have lived life differently but still have enjoyed where they are at now.
its a great feel good book that i would give to my friends.

"(IM)PERFECTLY HAPPY" by Sharina Harris... This book has so much to offer, characters you'll love or hate. You can easily relate to at least one of the characters, which I love. I hate not to relate to anyone when there's more than one main character and this book offers options to relate with 🌸 Four friends in their thirties, four realistic stories, four amazing endings but all in one story. I couldn't love it more!!! I love this realistic scenarios of every day women, every day friends with their own obstacles in life, every day marriages. 🌸 Here are real life situations, here's friendship, here's love, here's alcohol, here's grief, here's forgiveness, here's a reminder of young dreams, here's faith, here's disloyalty and here's loyalty... 🌸 Is there something I didn't like? Yeap, maybe the beginning goes too slow but as soon as you keep reading everything will come out perfectly. You won't be able to put it down. Specially if, like me, you fall for a character and you really wanna get to know more about her or them

I loved the theme of this book. Women supporting each other is a wonderful thing. It was fast past and kept you wanting more. I devoured this book in a day.

Raina, Kara, Nikki, and Sienna all had high hopes and big dreams when they graduated from college, where they formed a strong bond. Now, 10 years later, they've all seen their lives take turns from what they thought would be their trajectory. That's not an entirely bad thing but all four of them have regrets over some (not all) of their choices. What's nice about this is that the characters are so relatable - there's no huge drama - and that they find one another again. It takes a village, or a group of strong women! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good, positive read.

Super cute story! Loved it. You will be into the story from the first few sentences. It really draws you in and let’s you into the characters lives and feelings.

Two particular statements stuck with me: Happiness takes courage. It's important to love yourself. Because the Masterminds loved themselves and believed in themselves, they both got men who appreciated and treated them as queens coupled with fulfillment of success with jobs. This was an uplifting and realistic novel. A true testament to strong friendship.

The title and the cover of this book are appealing, but the story and the writing are by far the stand out.

This book tells the story of 4 best friends, Sienna, Raina, Nikki and Kara. Back in college these 4 ladies of colour started a group, the Masterminds, to hold them all accountable for their careers and their development. They are strong and opinionated women from different backgrounds and with different issues. Each chapter is told from the POV of one of the characters. You learn how they are not living the dream life they envisioned when they were in college, but now in their thirties they are breathing new life into their Mastermind group. Raina wants to become a bestselling author, Nikki a singer, Kara a master sommelier and Sienna a politician. They are starting on a path to achieve their dreams, sometimes their man is in the way and sometimes it’s their past and sometimes they are in their own way. The ladies support each other, tell them the truth and believe in each other.

The characters are strong, all different, and the different voices all shine in their chapters. I really liked this book because it is about female empowerment and female success and they seem genuine. Only thing I didn’t like was the ending of the book, felt a bit rushed. But all in all it’s a great read.

(Im)perfectly Happy by Sharina Harris is a wonderful storyline revolving around 4 female college friends, who are still friends 10 years after graduation. When life creates chaos for each of them, they resume their weekly get together to help each other get back on track on dreams and goals that have become sidetracked over the years.

This was a fun enjoyable story, and I really like all four of these wonderful ladies that have a bond many of us wish for.

Raina: She hates her job as a radio personality giving out advice. Raina is also having issues with her significant other, who wants to get married, but she having grown up with family problems, isn’t sure if she is ready. Raina’s goals back in the day was to be an author, and use some of her experiences to create this novel. But she has not had time, needing to stay on her job to make money, and now isn’t sure if Cam, will still want to marry her when she is ready.

Kara: She is a wine connoisseur, and though being pressured to take the test that will certify her, Kara hesitates to try again, as she fears that she will fail once again. Kara is married to Darren, and her self-esteem is already low, when she discovers that he is not sure if he really truly knows what love really is.

Sienna: She is a lawyer, who also helps out her fiancée, Keith, also a lawyer, who is running for office. Kara’s goals were to become a campaign manager or run for office herself in the future. When she catches Keith with another women, all hell literally breaks out, with the help of her friends. This was a fun part. Sienna will meet Chris, her campaign manager, and soon to be lover, who will help her make an attempt to run for office.
Nikki: She is a housewife, with two children and her husband James. Nikki always loved entertaining, as she has a wonderful voice. Her friends push her to try to resume the dream she always had and sing again, with help from her mom and husband to give her a chance. As she joins a band, she does go away for a couple of months to successfully start her singing career, but also picks up old habits (drinking), not to mention her husband’s displeasure of her being away so long.

What follows is a wonderful story line, with each of the ladies having their own POV. I loved their friendship, and how they encouraged each other to rise up and take control of their lives. Sharina Harris manages to pull on our emotions throughout; laughter, tears, sadness, fear, love and anger.

(Im)perfectly Happy was a great read, with a fantastic group of friends, who were supportive throughout. This was a fun, sweet and emotional story that was very well written by Sharina Harris.

ImPerfectly Happy is the story of 4 friends. In college they formed "The Brown Sugarettes Mastermind Group" as a meeting time to hash out plans for their goals. Years later, they're still friends. but none of them are living their dream lives.
Raina wants to be a best selling author. Instead, she's a call in radio host giving out watered down advice she doesn't even believe.
Nikki had dreams of being a musician, but a surprise pregnancy at the height of her band's fame set her dreams back. She loves her husband and her children, but music still calls to her, no matter how much she tries to drown her sorrows.
Kara had plans to be a master sommelier but a few failures and the loss of her mother have pushed her off her dream. She decides to try again but once again, it takes a toll on her life.
Sierra had dreams of politics. She's still living the political life, but as the fiance of a politician rather than the one running for office herself.
I enjoyed reading these women build up and encourage their friends in achieving their dreams. I liked how honest they were with each other. I even enjoyed the middle, but it seemed a little rough. I felt like the book needed to be a little longer. A few chapters to tell each woman's story was not enough. Toward the end, each story felt a little rushed. The theme was wonderful, I love it when other women succeed, but I just wanted... more.

I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for my review.

This book was so good! The characters were so well rounded, you felt like you actually knew them! The plot was so good you didn't want the book to end!