This novel is a well-written study of the interconnection between three generations of strong women. Besides the theme of family bonds, the author describes women’s roles in the fast-changing world during Prohibition both in Detroit during the rising automobile industry and in Kentucky during the near downfall of the bourbon industry. Romance is on the periphery unless you include love of the Jordan Playboy, the first car marketed to women.

A dual timeline story with some interesting details about the 20s but it wasn't as engaging as I hoped. I think the story felt too familiar and both characters didn't feel as developed as they probably needed.


I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

I wanted to like this book . The dual timeline was entertaining, but it didn't work. Because it seemed like the story was going nowhere for a long time, the middle of the book was incredibly challenging to get through. The novel finally picked back up once it reached the prologue's end. There were many aspects of this novel that I ought to have appreciated, but nothing came together. The chapters set in 2018 were truly bad, and none of the characters seemed like they belonged there. I'm not sure what the author was trying for when she created those characters.

Hierum geht’s auf deutsch:
2018: Melanie Barnett ist um die 30, und arbeitet an ihrer Karriere in einer Bourbon Destillerie in Kentucky. Und das ist ihr auch sehr wichtig – so wichtig, dass darüber die Beziehung zu ihrem Ex-Verlobten Jason in die Brüche ging, als dieser seiner eigenen Karriere zuliebe ins Silicon Valley gezogen ist.
Als Melanie und ihre Mutter das Haus ihrer Urgrosstante Violet ausräumen, stösst sie auch wieder auf ein Erbstück von Violet: einen Jordan Roadster aus dem Jahre 1923, Violets heissgeliebtes Automobil, und genau hier wartet auch Violets Tagebuch und ein Brief auf Melanie…..

1921: Violet Bond aus Kentucky wartet darauf, dass ihr Leben endlich losgeht. In liebevollen, aber eher kleinbürgerlichen Verhältnissen aufgewachsen, will sie mehr vom Leben haben. Violet ist abenteuerlustig und hat eine unbändige Sehnsucht nach einem selbstbestimmten Leben. Detroit ist das Ziel der Sehnsüchte, und Violet wird zu einer „modern woman“, einer Frau, die arbeiten geht, Freunde hat, ausgeht, unabhängig ist. Die Auto fährt – und ein eigenes Automobil kauft. Eines, dass ihr gefällt. Der brandneue Jordan Playboy Roadster in rot. „A girl’s car“, wie Violet auch zu Melanie sagt. Da das Auto eine tragende Rolle in dem Roman spielt, muss ich das hier jetzt auch mal explizit erwähnen, um was für eines es sich überhaupt handelt. (Anmerkung: Dieser Roadster ist ein Träumchen. Weckt auch meine Sehnsüchte 😉….will ich haben!)
Als Violet sich in Robert verliebt, und er sich in sie, stehen allerdings einige Entscheidungen an …. ist es möglich, ein selbstbestimmtes Leben zu führen, und trotzdem einen Ehemann und Familie zu haben? Kann das klappen? In den 1920ern stellt sich Violet dieselbe Frage wie Melanie 100 Jahre später. Liebe oder Karriere? Oder geht vielleicht beides? Und was will ich überhaupt? Was sind eigentlich meine eigenen Ziele im Leben?
Für mich waren genau das die zentralen Fragen im Roman, und sowohl Melanie als auch Violet arbeiten sich ziemlich daran ab. Und sind das nicht die Fragen, die sich fast jeder Frau mal stellen? Ich fand es spannend, die beiden Protagonistinnen bei der Suche nach Antworten zu begleiten.
Das Buch ist abwechselnd bei Melanie im hier und jetzt und dann wieder bei Violet in den roaring twenties, und dadurch, dass es sich um Ladies derselben Familie handelt, war die Verbindung, der rote Faden, jederzeit gegeben.
Mir hat besonders der Teil rund um Violet gefallen; die lebenshungrige junge Frau, die sich aufmacht, um sich selbst neu zu erfinden, ihr Glück sucht und macht, und ihren Wurzeln trotzdem treu bleibt. Ich bin sowieso ein Fan des „Jazz Age“, und die Autorin hat mich direkt in die 20er nach Detroit transportiert. Die Atmosphäre kam für mich rüber! Und zwar nicht nur Violets Party-times, sondern auch ihr Alltags- und Arbeitsleben.
Ich habe den Roman als „ARC“ / Advanced readers Copy bekommen (vielen Dank an dieser Stelle an den Verlag und Netgalley!) natürlich in Englisch gelesen, und fand, es war für mich als Nicht-Muttersprachlerin gut und flüssig lesbar. Der Stil der Autorin ist sehr lebendig, und ich war sofort in der Geschichte drin. Das waren 363 Seiten, die sich richtig gut weggelesen haben. Hat Spass gemacht, dabei zu sein!
Ich empfehle das Buch gerne weiter!

I loved this book. I well written story with good characterisation. It picks up the struggle for independence for women a century apart. Both women struggle to balance personal freedom and the security of home life. There is a nice perspective on differing mother daughter relationships even though both are ultimately caring and devoted. I might be tempted to sample different samples of bourbon as a result of reading this book!

Melanie Barnett is cleaning out her great-aunt 's carriage house when she discovers the old woman's diary from long ago in an vintage car that begs to be restored. Melanie had broken off an engagement with her fiance in order to follow her career, and is being considered for a big promotion. The diary covers the time in her aunt's life when Aunt Violet was making similar life decisions.

The book is pedantic in plot with characters that could be more well-rounded but the depictions of the two women's workplace experiences are interesting.

I really, really wanted to love this book more. I enjoyed the dual timeline, but it fell flat. The middle of the book felt very difficult to trudge through because it felt like the story remained stagnant for so long. Once the book returned to where the prologue left off is when it finally picked up again.

There was a lot of talk about civil liberties and segregation, but these parts felt extremely forced to me. Don't say it, show me. I guessed the ending pretty quickly.

I never really felt connected to the characters. Even though I knew the book was wrapping up the ending still felt rushed oddly enough. This book unfortunately fell flat for me.

This is a dual timeline - set in 1920's Detroit and current day Kentucky. I really enjoyed this one - the descriptions of Detroit and the auto industry, even a boat trip to Boblo Island is mentioned, and the Kentucky bourbon industry. The characters are well developed and the storylines kept me interested.

Melanie's story is the current story - set in Kentucky, she's newly single and determined to put men aside and get that promotion at her bourbon distillery. It's her Grape Aunt Violet that tells the historical story - she lost her job at the distillery and moves to Detroit to work making spark plugs. Her story follows the Prohibition and speakeasys, she's determined to be a free woman and not get married. She's also determined to save and buy herself a car, something her father said she couldn't do.

The storylines intersect when Melanie is cleaning out the carriage house of her aunt's estate - and finds she's gifted Violet's car and decides to restore it - and finds romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

I struggled to finish, dual timelines with past and present usually work out but the writing style for the present didn't flow and didn't seem to reflect modern times. The cover is beautiful and the concept is excellent, however, the content does not match up.

I love a good dual timeline family secret, and this book did not disappoint. It gave a great description of life in the 20's and still came back to current times to tie it all in.

There was a lot about this book that I should have loved, but unfortunately nothing worked. The basic premise of A Matter of Happiness is that a woman living in 2018 finds the diary of her great aunt that was written during her time in Detroit in the 1920s. The Detroit setting was honestly the only thing about this book that I liked. None of the characters felt real and the chapters set in 2018 were honestly awful. I’m not sure what the author was going for in crafting those characters, but people do not speak that way. None of the actions taken made any sense to me either which was frustrating. The historical chapters were better, but not by much. There was an incredibly preachy tone throughout, as well as too much info dumping. Getting to the end of this was painful.

Didn’t manage to finish this, I couldn’t get past the few chapters. I just couldn’t connect with it. So I can’t give a review. Am sure it will appeal to many and be enjoyed it’s just not for me. I really liked the cover, that is what drew in. My rating is not a reflection on the novel , I did not read enough to give proper feedback or a proper rating I have given it two stars, one for the cover and one for concept but I can not pass remark on anything else truly and fairly
I wish the author success with this novel.
Thank you for the ARC but in this occasion it wasn’t for me