The Happy Accidents by Jamie Beck
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Thanks Netgalley for my digital copy. This book will be available 9/21/21.
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When three friends make a pact at a birthday weekend, they all have to face the unexpected consequences. Will they let those consequences make them, or break them, is what they have to figure out.
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I really enjoyed this book! What I liked:
-I loved how different each woman was; Jess was free-spirited, Liz was so structured, and Chloe was a full-time mom. Even though they were so different I found myself so invested in each woman and how she fought her challenges head on!
-I loved the message that I kept picking out from this book. There was lots of open communication, between marriage mates, parents with grown children, and between friends. Also, that people don’t have to be afraid of change and we all grow over time so it’s ok if you feel you need to shake things up and try things a different way.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved Jess, Chloe and Liz’s stories very much and wish there was another epilogue.

Mourning her recent divorce Jess Clarke decides to celebrate her birthday at a casino with her best friend, Chloe, and sister, Liz. While there, she asks the other two women to make a pact to say yes to adventure that night. When they awake the next morning, each woman finds her life turned upside down from decisions the night before. Over the next few months, each of the women must come to terms with the consequences of their decisions and new and unexpected ways their lives change.

Told in alternating first-person perspectives, The Happy Accidents follows Jess, Chloe, and Liz as they each attempt to put their lives back together and make the best choices for their future. The story focuses on the choices women make and how it impacts their relationships and overall happiness.

Liz’s career is in shambles when she is drunkenly caught on camera trashing her cohost on the show, The Morning Dish. When the show fires her she is forced to look critically at her career and her life overall and figure out her next steps. I liked Liz, but she also annoyed me. I found her a bit cold, especially when it came to her sister.

In contrast, Jess, Liz’s sister was my favorite character. I enjoyed her perspective and storyline the most. Her journey towards finding happiness after her divorce intrigued me. I also loved her warm personality and genuine quest to live life to the fullest.

My least favorite storyline was Chloe. I liked Chloe as a character, but her situation frustrated me. After losing $5000 at the casino, Liz’s husband punishes her by canceling their anniversary trip. Determined to find a financial solution, as well as a sense of purpose in her life, Chloe decides to train as a doula. Her husband is less than receptive even though she only plans to work part-time. Every exchange between Chloe and her husband made me so angry. I liked Chloe as a character, and I love how she approached the changes in her life, but I hated her sections.

I liked how The Happy Accidents framed the stories around choices each of the women made and how they deeply impacted their lives going forward. Overall, I liked the story. It had such a positive message and had a lot to say about empathy and self-discovery. I recommend The Happy Accidents to fans of women’s fiction.

Thank you to BookSparks, Montlake, and Jamie Beck for the review copy! All opinions are my own.

The Happy Accidents is a book all about women's roles and growth. We get to follow 3 women, sisters Liz and Jessie along with their friend Chloe as they lean into what it means to grow into who you're created to be in their late 30s.

The first chapter shows the girls in childhood talking about their dreams and what they hope to be when they grow up. Then we fast forward a few decades to Jessie's 37th birthday party. Jessie is freshly divorced and struggling to move past the pain of losing her husband Dennis, when she convinces her sister and best friend to go out for the night to let loose. The one night ends up having very lasting consequences for all 3 girls. Initially, their actions that night creates chaos and problems for them, but what ensues is a journey into some new things, personal growth and adventures that none of them may have picked without the consequences of that fateful night.

This is a book about friendship, but it's also a book about facing your childhood, moving past any unresolved issues and leaning into what you truly want, even if it means taking some risks, veering from the path you thought you had laid out or asking others around you to shift their perspective of you.

It delves into how much women's identities and relationships often hinge on things like motherhood, marriage, and careers.

I found most of the male characters in their lives to be unlikeable. There were some parts of the story that felt unnecessary or I would have changed. Overall, what I liked was the focus on letting go of expectations, others and our own, that hold you back and keep you from moving forward.

Read this one in less than 24 hours.

As a fan of Jamie Beck, and her feel-good family books, this one did not disappoint! A story about taking chances, risks, trying something new...This was a well-written book with characters you immediately connect with.

Thank you #netgalley and #montlake for the eARC.

One night...a birthday celebration...that is all it took to change 3 women's lives. Sister's Jessica and Liz along with Jess's friend Chloe make an off the cuff pact to basically step outside of their comfort zones and let loose for a change. Jess has no problem with that since that is how she has always lived her life...in the moment. Chloe and Liz, however, live tighter laced lives and for all three women, letting lose will change them on some level. Can the events of that evening turn their lives around for the better? A great story of how unexpected circumstances can eventually change your life for the better even though it doesn't seem that it can at the time. These women will all face challenges to their own way of life and will have to decide whether or not they can roll with the changes. I enjoyed the comraderies between these three but also how some of the supporting cast really stepped up to help shape their visions and their futures.

I really enjoyed this story of three friends and how what looked like certain disaster, could be used for good. It was such a postitve message that was so well done.

Thank you to the publisher and @letstalkbookspromo for a copy of this book. I adore Beck’s books and this one was no exception. I liked the idea of actions of one night can have so many consequences. I love seeing how all 3 women accepted and grew from the one night. I was frustrated with Jess at times with her rigid attitude and sounded very spoiled and privileged. Overall, a great Women’s fiction.

Three women have a girl's night out and deal with the aftermath. All three face consequences that seem bad at first, but through some soul searching find that perhaps what happened accidently could make their lives happier than they were before.

I enjoyed this book, but have to say that even though I liked them, I didn't really personally connect with any of the characters. I think they were all brave in how they faced the changes in their lives however uncomfortable. I liked the writing and was able to follow as the story jumped back and forth between their different points of view. All in all, it was a good women's fiction novel and I will recommend to people I think would enjoy it. 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

My sincere thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read The Happy Accidents and give my unbiased opinion of it.

Jamie Beck writes beautiful novels about women and the challenges they face in their lives and this book is no exception. We meet Jessie, Chloe, and Liz, who get together for a birthday celebration at a casino. Events from that night throw their life in directions they never expected.

I became invested in each character and would get angry at Chloe's husband for not being supportive of her, surprised at how Liz is treated at her job as an online morning show host after a drunk video surfaces, and Jessie's inability to move on after her divorce. However, this book shows the growth that each lady exhibits after handling the situations at hand and the support that they give each other as they venture out on new paths in their lives. I think that there are characters in this book that anyone could relate to and not just the three women. Jessie & Liz's parents are workaholics and seem to expect perfection, or at least their father does from them. There is some resolution to thoughts and events from previous years for each of the sisters that helps to close the circle on any bad thoughts or feelings.

This was a fast read for me but there is so much to take in and I enjoyed every page. We give this book 5 paws up.

Three women are in Las Vegas and one presents a challenge where they say yes and maybe end of doing things they typically wouldn't. This is just the first chapter and sets the story down a path where the remainder of the book is the women having to live with the consequences of what went down in Vegas.

What I loved most was that the author gave each woman a voice and all three took turns telling their part of the story. Each woman was dealing with a different life problem, but nothing felt dramatic or over the top, they each felt like everyday problems that any woman could be facing. I could see myself in each of these women as they were making tough life choices that could alter the paths for themselves and those they love.

The other thing that I appreciated in this book was that while there were struggles dealing with romantic relationships. I loved that their friendship and the ups and downs of female friendships were shown in this book. The women were mostly supportive of each other, but within their female to female relationships they were overcoming obstacles as well.

While this book had great plot, the characters drove the story and Jamie Beck created three great main characters and then a broad cast of supporting characters that orbited these women throughout the novel.

For as many books as Jamie Beck has published, I have very few and after reading this one, I want to remedy that and quick!

The Happy Accidents, by the talented Jamie Beck, takes you on a roller coaster ride; giving you highs, lows, and in-betweens. It is a beautifully written, optimistic look at the lives of three women, who take control of their lives, dealing with the consequences of an impulsive night out on the town.

Jesse and Liz Clarke, sisters, along with their best friend Chloe, go to a casino for a girl’s night out; deciding to live life to the fullest and take on any adventure that comes their way. The next morning, when the fallout of that night becomes dreadfully apparent, they find their lives are forever changed. While reading this story, we discover how each woman deals with the consequences of their night and move forward, learning about overcoming fear, and how the fear tests their relationships with each other and their families. This book does an excellent job of exploring women, and their choices when it comes to working, family, and their own aspirations and needs. There are different solutions for each of these women as well as how they find their own work/life balance. I’d like to think we all have part of each of these women: Chloe with her love of family and always putting your family first, Liz career driven and ready to rise above and turn her situation around, and Liz just wanting to live every day to its fullest.

Ms. Beck writes to the soul; the soul of her characters as well the soul of her readers. This wonderful and amazing story was emotional, moving, tear inducing, filled with wonderful dialogue, and endearing characters that is must read. I highly recommend The Happy Accidents to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

I'm so glad I got the chance to finally read one of Jamie's books and I loved this one.

Jess, Liz and Chloe spend a night at a casino for Jess's birthday. They each come back to their lives the next day and have to deal with the consequences of their individual actions.

This was a quick paced book. I kind of really hated the guys in Jess's life. Chloe's husband got a bit moody with her when she wanted to go back to the workforce and didn't handle his feelings towards her well until she made him. Liz was the one I was the most impressed with. The changes that she made in her life after that night helped her grow so much and start doing something she was really passionate about again.

Great story of friendship and of being true to yourself and your wants.

I really enjoyed The Happy Accidents by Jamie Beck. It’s women’s fiction, and deals with sisters and friends each at a different stage of their lives.
A night in Vegas has repercussions for all of them, but in different ways.
Jess is a free spirit living life on her own terms until she is faced with a life changing decision. Is she ready for such a big change?
Chloe is married, content but not truly happy. Her husband controls everything and after a trip to Vegas, she decides she needs a change in her life. Will he support her or prevent her from finding herself?
Liz has a great career, but after a drunken night, a truthful video will she be able to recover? A career lost, a re-evaluation of what matters and a new friend, all add to Liz’s decision about where to go next in her life.
This story alternates through the after shock of Vegas for each of them.
I loved this book so much. I couldn’t wait to find out what happens next for these characters.
It felt like three stories woven into one. Definitely recommend this book!

Jessie, Chloe & Liz are in a casino celebrating Jessie’s birthday. They’ve made a pact (at Jessie’s urging) to take on anything that might happen that night. Things definitely happen.

Liz gets drunk and says some nasty things about her co-anchor on a morning talk show. The two men she’s with record it and post it. Needless to say it goes viral.

Chloe finds out she loves craps. And that she’s good at it. Until she isn’t.

Recently divorced Jessie meets a man. The kind of man you want to fall in bed with, but maybe not in love with. Maybe the perfect divorce bounce back man.

Needless to say, what came their way doesn’t have the best of consequences for any of them. How will this one night shape their lives down the road?

Sometimes accidents can have happy endings, but only if we let them. Jamie Beck has written an entertaining novel about the forks in the road we take when they come along. There is the fork that takes us along our usual safe path, and then there is the one that is more risky. All three women are faced with these choices, and it is interesting to see how it plays out in their lives.

Really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read, and at times thought provoking.

Grab this book if you like:
Women’s Fiction ✅
Drama ✅
Self Discovery ✅
Multiple Character Perspectives ✅

Three women. One night that changes everything.

This book really makes you think about how any decision, big or small can have a lasting impact on your life.

I loved following along with the three main characters: Jess, Liz, and Chloe as they navigate through some challenging life circumstances. It was really satisfying to see their journeys and how they grow. This was a really quick read for me and the character development was incredible! You will definitely be able to relate to one or more of the characters in some way! I really enjoyed reading from each perspective and diving deep into their inner most thoughts.

Thank you to Let’s Talk Books, NetGalley, Amazon Publishing, and Jamie Beck for the advanced reader’s copy.

A heartfelt example of women's fiction done right, The Happy Accidents showcased author Jamie Beck's clear writing voice and on-point, emotional storytelling ability.

I have to admire an author who can take characters with dissimilar personalities and give them a credible friendship that resonates with readers. And I think our terrific trio: Jess, Liz, and Chloe embodied that quite well. Alternately told from all three of their perspectives, I ended up thinking of them as The Artist, The TV Journalist, and The Supermom, respectively, until I got to know them better as the story played out. Readers will likely have one (or maybe more) character that they can empathize with the most, based on personal experience. But I think by the end, Jamie Beck will leave most people with an understanding of why Liz, Chloe, and Jess made the choices they did–and possibly even feel like they could see part of themselves in the trio.

I'm not going to lie that things started off a little rocky for me. I loved that we jumped right into "The Situation" that Chloe, Jess, and Liz got into at the casino on their girls' weekend. But when Liz, and to a little bit lesser extent, Chloe, blamed Jess for what *they* did? Nope. I was not okay with that. It resolved itself relatively quickly, thankfully. And from there, that's when each woman had to stand on her own to fix the issues that popped up.

To me, Jess and Liz being sisters meant there was a lot more baggage between them, so it was complicated when it came to shoring each other up when things went sideways. Beck delved into their family's past, how it affected them, and how everything changing present day meant Liz, Jess, and their parents had to come to terms with it all. Chloe's situation was a little different where she was a stay at home mom longing for her own place in the world. My heart went out to her. She was a *wonderful* woman. But because Chloe was a people pleaser it meant her loved ones sometimes took advantage of her. I think readers will be happy with how she stands up for herself and how Jess and Liz cheer her on.

Jamie Beck gave readers something to think about with The Happy Accidents, which was all about sisterhood, family drama, learning to stand on your own two feet, and grabbing hold of your dreams. Definitely recommended.

Jess, Chloe, and Liz take part in a girls' night out at a casino, but the drunken night has consequences that affect all three women. This book isn't about what happened that night, but more about how the women individually deal with the aftermath of the events... and it's no easy task. I found this book to be a great testament to how strong women are and saw a bit of myself in each of the three characters. I could easily see this becoming a movie or a limited TV series, like Big Little Lies.

The Happy Accidents, is a solid women's fiction that I would strongly recommend to every woman out there. This is a feel good book that will have you feeling compassion and relation to each of these women.

The Happy Accidents, is a story of three women, two sisters and their best friend . After a girls night out at the casino they wake and have to face the aftermath of what has taken place and their lives forever changed. Jesse, Chloe and Liz. All very different women . Jesse is confident and knows who she is, or does she? Chloe, the stay at home mom and Liz, oh, I have no words for Liz. All three of these characters were well developed and flawed, but dont we all have a bit of flaws? That is what made this book so real.

This is a fast paced, compelling novel that faces your fears head on and shows you how differently people face troubling situations.

As an avid reader of this author, I was hooked right from the start. The story that is woven throughout the pages of this book has a deeper meaning when you take the time to process the events. This book follows Liz, Jess and Chloe as they make huge changes in their lives due to a Happy Accident!

I absolutely love the ending - the last 2 paragraphs!

Like a stone dropping into a pond creates ripples, for three women, one night at Foxwoods casino changes their lives, and those around them, forever.

Jess and Liz are sisters and Chloe is their friend. They all take a girls night away at a nearby casino, and the rest is history. One discovers that words cannot be taken back once said, but that sometimes risk works out. Another makes a choice that leads to her relationship and her faith in herself being tested, and the third comes home with more than a gambling chip as a souvenir.

I enjoyed this book, and the way that the author matched the locale to the family. It’s a wealthy area of Connecticut, and Jess and Liz’ parents fit the type very well. Each woman takes on the challenges facing her with determination and strength. I don’t do spoilers so won’t go any further.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.