Initially I thought the opening to "The Happy Couple" was strong, and I was hooked on the idea of a bi guy and a bi woman getting married, as well as the idea that they're both messy, toxic people with messy families and troubled past relationships. But although I found the characters interesting at first and the prose had some good moments, I thought the plot and the story was boring and I found myself racing ahead to finish.

Luke, a serial cheater who is incapable of making decisions about his own life, falls for Celine, a concert pianist who finally forces him to make a decision because he doesn't want to lose her but he's not sure he's happy with her, either. This is a story of unrequited love, two people who like the idea of being in love with each other but they don't really like each other, but on the surface they seem like the happy couple. When really, Luke's in love with both Celine and an ex of his, Archie, his best man, a cokehead who follows Luke around like a lovesick puppy.

I couldn't understand why all these people kept getting obsessed with Luke when he didn't treat any of them all that well.

I like the idea of messy, awkward people you don't particularly like in a queer cast, though; that part kept me reading. And I found it refreshing that this was kind of an anti-romance. You were actively rooting for the "happy couple" not to go through with the wedding and to finally see themselves for who they really were and not just as reflections of who they were with.

I read this in one sitting; the pace was fast. It wasn't all that funny for a book billed as a dark comedy, more just irreverent and a little erratic in parts. But I found I just didn't really care about the characters in the end. I don't need them to be likable, but I do need them to be interesting and complex, and I felt like there wasn't enough character development here. There has to be something more there than they're a disaster queer, for me. It was nothing more deep than a surface-level anti-romcom.

This wasn't the book for me but it did have good things going for it if you don't mind my personal pet peeves.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

One wedding and a calling it off. Glib? Yes, but so is this novel, quite often, with its story of two not desperately attractive people choosing to end a doomed relationship. Yes, there are flashes of panache and yes the author broadens the canvass to include some other characters. But overall it’s a narrow perspective, comic at times, but also irritating and ultimately pointless. And a bit too self consciously Irish.

Naoise Dolan's second novel begins as a tightly woven, quippy tale of a woman far inside her own head. This is the novel at its strongest. Quippy, atmospheric, and hilarious, I find the character Celine quite likeable. The way the author describes settings using music, describes Celine's pain as the lack of an internal soundtrack, grounds her character as a member of the world she is building, not just an observer of it. Show don't tell done well. I end the section quite liking Celine, something that is subverted in further chapters as I get to know her from outside perspectives. I think this is done well. Celine as a character is so wrapped up in her own world she is unaware of the burden she places on others. However, I don't think the novel as a whole benefits from only having Celine's point of view at the beginning and end. For one, we don't see her emotional transformation from the beginning to the end. The choices that she makes are grounded in an evolution that has happened "off screen" as it were.

I enjoyed Celine's and Phoebe's sections the most, and as I read on I couldn't help but feel that the novel lost some level of quality, until ultimately I arrived at the Luke section and it read to me as rambling hot takes I would send to my friends in college. It was sporadic but not in an interesting way. I found myself starting to skim.

I think the novel would have benefitted from 2-3 points of view, instead of the several we get. Having only one small section to get to know someone disables you from getting attached to them or really understanding them wholly. Because of the novel's length and structure, each section begins to read as, "here's what you need to know about this character for the plot to advance. Small plot things happen, change of POV, repeat." If we had gotten larger sections and less shifting of POV, we may have ended up with a much more poignant novel than we got.

It's clear that Dolan possesses incredible skill with the written word. Each character has their own distinct voice (again, some stronger than others) and the author uses fun and quippy literary elements to introduce each character both in word and form. I just couldn't help but feel like she was a bit scattered here with all she was trying to do, and would have appreciated a more grounded, fleshed out novel with a smaller scope.

If you are looking for a fun Sally Rooney-esque novel to tide you over for the weekend and then forget about, this is the novel for you.

The Happy Couple isn't what I'd expected as a follow-up to Exciting Times, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. I do almost feel as though the constraints of an engagement to wedding plot constricted Naoise Dolan a bit too much -- it's clear that her style and ideas are a bit too expansive for a conventional tropey romance plot, which is a good thing! It makes for an enjoyable reading experience on the sentence level.

I always appreciate the author's original and keen observations about social dynamics and the world at large, and she manages here as always to be grounded and exceedingly funny. That being said, I do think the central conceit of the novel suffocated her characters a bit. Certain ones were introduced with much more importance bestowed on them than they would turn out to have. Not to be a sore American, but the American character's americanisms felt a bit cringey and ham-fisted.

I will likely end up recommending this to fans of romance who are looking to elevate their reading choices a bit rather than to fans of literary fiction like Dolan's contemporaries.

Oh man, is this book a fun ride! I read the author's previous book and really enjoyed it, so I came into this read with high expectations and it didn't disappoint. This book is QUEER and especially in the bisexual/pansexual realm and for both men and women, which felt really refreshing compared to most lgbtq+ books in big publishing. This book makes sharp and funny comments on socioeconomic class and privilege as well, which I personally enjoyed. The book uses a rotating POV to jump around a group of friends who are gathering for a wedding between two folks with a delicately complicated relationship and we learn how everyone else is involved as we read. I'm not Irish so I can't say how closely the dynamics here match reality but I just embraced the premise (small island, everyone knows each other's business and cares about it, etc) and really enjoyed it. It's like if Sally Rooney's books were just a touch breezier, edgier, and ironic. I loved it!

Naoise Dolan has the unique pain of, at once, deeply benefiting from her comparisons to Sally Rooney and also being caught in Rooney's shadow. Fortunately for Dolan, THE HAPPY COUPLE is, in a way, BEAUTIFUL WORLD, WHERE ARE YOU done right. Like Rooney, Dolan interweaves the stories of a handful of young people and examines their relationships in a sympathetic but relentless way. Unlike Rooney, Dolan makes the wise decision to show young people who are entirely up their own asses, but who don't ascribe any misguided political meaning to it. She seems to have taken to heart criticisms, like those of Lauren Oyler, about the self-awareness trap in contemporary literature, apparent in Dolan's first novel. The downside of Dolan's decision is that the novel can feel like a bit of a literary seltzer: effervescent and refreshing, but fleeting. It's the sort of book you'll read in a day or maybe a weekend and enjoy, but it won't stick with you. But one can do far worse than leaving readers happily amused.

I truly can't decide what I make of this story. Despite its title, The Happy Couple features a cast of characters who are undeniably sad, confused and lonely. When introduced to our couple, I was very intrigued by their dynamic especially because we first experience it through Celine's co-dependence. Naoise Dolan does an amazing job at giving us characters who are complex. These characters also have a strong individual voice within the story that gives a wonderful multi-layered experience. In some ways, the vibes of the story reminds me of the most resent adaptation of Four Weddings and a Funeral where you get a bit of humor along with drama and deep insight of each characters feelings. What I especially loved is that everyone felt really human.

Going into the book, I expected to pick a side. I already figured that Luke was a cheating piece of shit. And while I am resistant to admit it, Dolan writes even the "villain" of the story in a way that you see him as a person who is doing bad things rather than a bad person. I also have to say that Luke's part of the book was one of my favorite parts stylistically. This book really took me by surprise.

I did expect there to be more humor in this book but I had a feeling I was more like Shawn in that I didn't quite catch all of the witty quips between characters but when I did, it created really fun dialogue between them!

I absolutely cannot wait for the book to be released so that I can add it to my shelf! While I have so many thoughts and feelings around this book, this was a very enjoyable read for me!

The Happy Couple is an absolute gem of a novel that effortlessly captures the complexities of love, marriage, and the secrets we keep. This gripping psychological thriller is a rollercoaster of suspense and intrigue that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end.

The author's masterful storytelling skills are evident in the tightly woven plot that unfolds with precision and surprises at every turn. The pacing is expertly controlled, creating an addictive reading experience that makes it nearly impossible to put the book down.

The suspense is palpable throughout the story, with twists and revelations that will leave readers gasping in shock. The author skillfully balances the delicate line between unveiling just enough to keep us hooked, while still maintaining an air of mystery that keeps us guessing until the very end.

In conclusion, The Happy Couple is an exceptional psychological thriller that deserves all five stars. With its gripping plot, well-developed characters, and skillful execution, it is a must-read for fans of the genre. Prepare to be enthralled, surprised, and utterly captivated by this remarkable novel.

Set in 2022, moving between Dublin and London, this novel, with an articulate cast of characters who are all emotionally stunted, counts down from the engagement party of Celine and Luke to their wedding. Their relationship and more is refracted through five perspectives - of bride, bridesmaid, best man, groom, guest. Identity is at issue here, as well as observations subverting the marriage plot, lists, too, for those with short attention spans, musings on the soft power of heteronormativity, the power of attraction - but the novel hinges on something it fails to bring alive - whether Celine and Luke are credible as a couple, happy or otherwise; their attraction to one another is something a reader is to simply accept, but isn't shown and that was too bad, it kept me from being engaged, feeling any stakes, though it was fun to read the perspectives of the various characters, and its structure lends it a theatrical air.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ecco for an ARC.

3.5 stars

Did I enjoy reading The Happy Couple? Yes. Is it a book that's going to stay with me? Not really.

To start, the positives. The Happy Couple is a novel with verve. On a sentence-by-sentence level, it's just a really enjoyable book to read, and it goes by quickly because of that. Dolan's writing is witty, perceptive, and authentic to the many characters--namely, Celine, Phoebe, Archie, Luke, and Vivian--whose POVs she gives us. What Dolan especially excels at, here, is the way that she's able to bring to life each of her characters' POVs, all of which feel animated, lively, and propelled by the force of their distinct personalities. There's also something that's very compelling about the Rashomon-effect nature of the story, where we get one view of a relationship or incident in one character's POV, only to have it entirely recontextualized or reinterpreted in another character's POV.

The Happy Couple is an interesting novel, though not a moving one--and that's really the beginning and end of my issues with it. It's a book that doesn't inspire strong emotions one way or the other (at least for me it didn't). And though the fact that it goes by quickly makes it a compelling read, it also doesn't always work in its favour because it means the narrative speeds by in a way that renders the book forgettable. On a broader level, it's also a novel that's told mostly after the fact--characters recounting their histories with each other, their relationships, their viewpoints and justifications--with little of the story grounded in scenes where we get to dwell on specific moments between characters. That Dolan's writing is already sparse also doesn't help: even in the rare scenes where we do get to linger on a particular moment or interaction, the unembellished nature of the writing makes those moments unsatisfying, not as significant as I would've liked them to feel.

All of this is to say: The Happy Couple was an enjoyable novel, but it was also a forgettable one. I liked reading it in the moment--so much so that I finished it in a day--but as soon as I finished it, it felt like one big blur in my head, no part of it standing out in my mind as especially memorable or affecting. Would I still recommend The Happy Couple? Yeah, I think so. I enjoyed it a lot more than Dolan's debut, Exciting Times, and I do think it bodes well for Dolan's future works.

Thank you to HarperCollins for providing me with an eARC of this via NetGalley!

Naoise Dolan's second novel is brilliant, sad, funny, surprising, and satisfying. Celine shines as a pianist who devotes her life to accomplishing all the pieces written by her heroes from previous centuries. Luke is amiable, also a graduate of Oxford, who works a 9-5 job. Celine and Luke live together, decide to get engaged, and then eventually settle on a wedding date.

The chapters alternate chronologically and around the five central characters who comprise the couple's friend circle. People sleep with different people within the circle, and life is a wild ride in this educated, urban mix of young people. This book needs to be made into a movie! I picked my favorites to win the prize - long-lasting love in a mutually satisfying relationship.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

3.5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Exciting Times by Dolan and requested the ARC for The Happy Couple as soon as I saw it. I love Dolan’s writing style so much!!

This story follows Celine and Luke’s relationship from five different POVs. We are given an insider's view of their motivations for being together and potentially getting married. I found the discussion of the reasons for marriage to be very intriguing. Marriage as a concept is not commented on in a general manner but rather whether it is the best option for this specific relationship.

I found it specifically compelling to form an opinion as a reader on the relationship you are observing and seeing how it's likely much different than what the people in the relationship are seeing/feeling. Sometimes the solution seems so clear from an outsider's perspective, but can feel so impossible to see while in the relationship. Seeing Celine and Luke work out what is painfully obvious to their friends, and likely the reader, and everything they think of throughout that process is what made the book substantial to me. It can be almost painful to read at some points, likely because it is so accurate to real life scenarios for a lot of people.

There is lots of queer representation that is just implied and never brought up as an issue, which was great!

Overall, this book was something I appreciated while reading but haven’t really thought about after reading it. I was not particularly attached to any of the characters, just the overall character study of the relationship.

Favorite Quote:

“Loneliness wasn’t having no one. Loneliness was the gap between what you hoped for and what you got.”

This book just cements Naoise Dolan as one of the greats when it comes to contemporary Irish authors writing about modern times, in all its complexity and absurdness. Great all around.

the happy couple is a fast-paced ensemble novel exploring the complexity of modern relationships, in terms of marriage, monogamy, and queerness. full of dolan’s usual witty dialogue and sharp social observations. always excited to read more by this author!

This was unlike any novel I’ve read before. It had the same vibe as Atwood’s “Happy Endings,” but it was also very different. The entire novel toys with whether or not the couple will marry, but it also toys with sexuality and truth. The happy couple ends up happy in the end, seemingly, but how to define happiness is up to the reader. Very interesting novel.

Move over Sally Rooney! A new fave is here.

This book was absolutely incredible. My first Naoise Dolan and certainly not my last. The Happy Couple is a book about flawed characters who you just can't help but love. All of the characters were incredibly developed and super specific, allowing the reader to be totally sucked into the world. I was consistently surprised by the twists and turns of this book, and so impressed by the incredibly strong and hilarious writing. It took me on an adventure and I literally could not put the book down. I can't wait to read more of Dolan's work. 5 stars!

I hated the characters. I loved the characters. Obsessed.

We begin with Celine & Luke getting engaged but will they actually make it to 'I Do?' Dolan's prose is sharp, smart and full of keen observations about religion, sexuality, and Waterford crystal (of course). I flew through the book and can't wait to see what Dolan comes out with next.

Many thanks to Ecco and Netgalley for the ARC.

This was a surprisingly quick read for me for literary fiction. Told from differing perspectives, I found that I couldn't stop reading until I at least got to the next characters' section. I found the bride and groom to be so unique and interesting, yet relatable in a both good and bad ways, which I actually loved. This work definitely allows for readers to reflect on their own interpersonal relationships and how they move about in the world. My only issue with this title is that I felt like the ending came abruptly. I was reading along post-cancelled wedding and BOOM, Authors note. But overall, this was an enjoyable work of literary fiction and made for a nice read over a week.

This was a difficult book to get into. At the beginning it felt very rushed and yet too repetitive. The last 1/2 of the book is what salvaged it for me. I thought it was a very real story of marriage, it demonstrated that not everything you see on the surface level is true and there is always something hidden.

It had a similar feel to Sally Rooney books, but more choppy. I reads like a debut novel.

Really enjoyed this book a look at relationships in today’s world.A commentary on friendship loyalty marriage.The authors style of writing drew me into the characters world it was a fast enjoyable read.#netgalley #ecco.