I was not going to request this book based on its cover to be honest, but I’m glad I did. After reading the synopsis I knew it was a book I was going to highly enjoy. I love the Alaskan setting, since that is my favorite place I’ve gone on vacation thus far. I’m so glad I gave this book a chance because it really was a romance to remember. This is a classic case of don’t judge a book by it’s cover.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Lolly and Shaun. They have known each other for all their lives. They dated in high school but broke up when they went to college. They have returned to their hometown after having jobs in the lower 48. Shaun still does not know why they broke up and is angry at Lolly. She tells him the truth and apologizes. They start dating. They start falling in love again.

Ms. Griffin is a new author for me and I found Happily Ever After to be a good story. This was a cozy book that flowed with love and second chances.

Griffin takes readers back to her fictional small town of Sweet Home, Alaska for a second-chance romance that has the entire town taking sides. I enjoy Griffin's stories, her quirky side characters, sense of community, and depth of emotion. She gives her main couple a difficult path to happiness but with a satisfying emotional payoff in the end. I may shed tears on the journey but I'm always smiling when I turn the final page.

As with the earlier books in this series, there are multiple relationships at play in this book. In addition to the primary romance, a secondary couple whose relationship has slowly progressed through the first two books hits a potential bump in the road. Shaun's relationship with his mother is another focus, as is his mother's broken friendship with Lolly. Then there's the owner of the local general store who in addition to being the ringleader of the community quilting group also has her nose in pretty much everyone's relationships. I enjoyed seeing the personal growth of this particular character in this book.

As for Shaun and Lolly, they say you never forget your first love. That certainly holds true for this couple but considering how their teenage romance ended, forgiveness might be a stretch too far for Shaun. I appreciated the time the author gave them to rebuild their relationship once Shaun returned home. It felt realistic, especially with the push and pull between them. My heart was flipping back and forth right along with the two of them. There were endearing moments when I could feel the love between them pushing for the surface but then something would happen to cause doubt and there I was fretting again. It left me eagerly flipping pages right up until the end, wondering how it would all work out...or if it would. Spoiler alert: it's a romance, it works out, but you'll need to read the book to discover how. ;-)

If you enjoy second-chance romance, small-town Alaska settings, a strong sense of community, quirky characters, and emotionally satisfying happy endings, give this one a try. I also recommend the first two books in the series: One Snowy Night and Once Upon a Cabin.

*ARC received from publisher via NetGalley
Fair and unbiased review

Happily Ever Alaska by Patience Griffin is a sweet small town romance sure to keep you warm especially fi you’re curled up with a quilt & some baked goods. This is book #3 in the Sweet Home, Alaska series, but this is the first book I’ve read & can easily be read as a standalone.

High school sweethearts that unfortunately broke up back in the day are reunited when life has them both back in their home town.
Will they be able to live cordially with their meddling small town that never forgets &/or is it time to mend fences & see what else life has in store for these two?!

Happily Ever Alaska is great for fans of
🧵 Second Chance Romance
🧵 Small Town
🧵 Alaska

I appreciated the constant undertones regarding the importance of community. I enjoy reading about books set in interesting locations, especially places I’ve never been like Alaska. I also found it intriguing learning more about quilting & the quilt gifts, which I didn’t know much about.

I didn’t love the focus on traditional gender roles, but that could just be a personal preference.

If you’re looking for a sweet romance, Happily Ever Alaska is out now!

Thank you to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

Because of my 3 star rating, I didn’t post this anywhere else.

HAPPILY EVER ALASKA, Sweet Home, Alaska Book 3
Patience Griffin
Romance

When Lolly’s high school sweetheart moves back to the small town they now both call home, will she cut and run as usual or will she stick it out and live out her hopes and plans?

This was a cute but predictable book with some spice, humor and romantic gestures. With a nosy mom in the background and a lot of town gossip, there is something for everyone to love. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

I liked this book, but I think I would have liked it more if I had read the previous books first. Happily Every Alaska is one of those rare romance series, that you should read the books in order so that you can understand and enjoy the story and its characters. I definitely felt like a fish out of water for the first half of the book. A lot of characters and their side stories come at you hard and fast and it did feel a little overwhelming because I had no idea who these characters were. But besides for that, the book itself is pretty solid for a love story. If you are a fan of small-town second chance romances than you are going to enjoy Lolly and Shaun’s story. This is a clean Christian romance, so if you don’t like books that have a religious undertone to them, then you should give this book a pass. I didn’t mind it, I really enjoyed Lolly’s growing relationship with God and it fit really fit well with her journey and character growth.

There is a lot of small-town antics going on in this book. Everyone has their own strong opinion about everything, but especially when it comes whether or not Shaun and Lolly should re-kindled their romances. There was a lot of team Shaun and team Lolly happening, which I thought was adorable at times. It was like being surrounded by a bunch of bossy older aunts that all think they know what’s best for you. I liked the small-town feel that was in this book. I also enjoyed the fact that Patience should the downside of living in a small-town. The negative gossip that Lolly has to deal with because of her past relationship with Shaun is hard on her and there are times when she feels unwelcome in town.

The romance between Lolly and Shaun swings between sweet and angsty. There are some pretty strong feelings between these two. Lolly regrets breaking up with Shaun all those years ago and knows she made the biggest mistake of her life. Shaun feels angry and hurt and doesn’t want anything to do with Lolly, which is hard because it’s a small-town and he knows he is going to bump into her a lot. The interactions between these two go from one extreme to the other. Sometimes you get those sweet moments when you think they are ready to start something new and then you get these moments when they (mostly Shaun) lash out and push the other person away. They both have to work on re-building that trust and faith in one another before they can start a new relationship. I like the romance, it did feel a bit too angsty at times for me and Shaun’s mood swings kind of gave me a whip lash, but the slow re-kindled of their romance made it more believable and real. They really had to hash out their past grievances before starting something new.

Happily Ever Alaska is a great clean romance with plenty of small-town drama.

Happily Ever Alaska is a captivating novel that brings its characters to life, making them feel remarkably three-dimensional. The emotional obstacles that hinder their relationship are portrayed with authenticity and resonate deeply with readers. This book is an absolute delight for enthusiasts of small-town romances, who will undoubtedly devour its pages.

This ended up being a sweet romance than I thought it would be. And the fact that it was set in Alaska didn't hurt either.

Happily ever Alaska by patience griffin publishes December 2023. Lolly has never been able to commit to a man. Her only true love was Shaun her high school love. But an interfering mother destroyed it in high school. But now that they are adults. Can they rekindle this romance