Loved the plus sized black woman presentation and how she realized that loving herself was the best thing she could do for herself.

What can I say, getting an arc of this book. It was insanely good. I love how relatable the characters where and the way it caused me to see in the life of them and the hardships black Americans go through and the craziness that went along with COVID times. This is going to be a book I want my daughter to read when she gets older, since it helps relate and well help her understand not everyone is the same and the same hardships. The book was so beautifully written and I love how you can see the texts and emails as such. It makes it all the more better. I highly highly recommend it.

4.0

Thanks so much to Montlake and Netgalley for gifting me this dazzling ARC! Her Own Happiness by Eden Appiah-Kubi is a women’s fiction/coming of age/romance novel that somehow perfectly captures each of these genres in one. The story is set during a time that’s all too familiar to us in 2023, the 2020 global pandemic. It follows bets friends Ant and Maya who move out of Hawaii after the world shuts down and rebuild their lives in DC, with Ant coming to terms with his less-than-platonic feelings toward Maya. I’m going to be honest, I purposefully avoid books that are set during or even slightly reference the pandemic because I value reading as a tool for escapism and that time has caused so much pain and stress. But Appiah-Kubi stuns by managing to portray a very painful time in everyone’s lives in a tasteful and non-triggering manner.

Maya and Ant tell this story of starting over and finding yourself. A fire and COVID see Maya forced to move home to the mainland from Hawaii, with her best friend Ant along side her, The two of them navigate this change and both struggle more than a little but they persist. And then Emme turns things upside down, wooing Maya. I liked the representation in this well written novel that has many many pop culture references. At the same time, there are times that the Ant-Maya relationship felt a bit forced. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Maya is a queer, fat, Black woman whose dreamy life has fallen apart. Before she knows it, Maya is packing away her life into two suitcases and flying back home to Maryland right as she turns 31 – no plan B in mind. Thankfully, as she moves home, her best friend Ant is moving away, so they share a flight right as they both embark on life-changing journeys.

This is a really sweet, refreshingly compelling and honest novel about self-discovery, self-growth and friendship. Our protagonists are perfectly fleshed-out; Maya a determined but easily influenced woman and Ant a shaky but reliable best friend. I enjoyed this ‘coming of age’-ish story, it shines a light on many of the worries that people in their thirties still have. From friendship to careers, sexuality to healthcare, I thought Her Own Happiness was a thoroughly enjoyable novel.

This is also the first-ever book that I’ve read set in or around the pandemic. I’ve quite happily existed without those for now, but I found it lent an additionally layer of humanity to this book.

Ok, so this book. Thank you, Eden Appiah-Kubi, Netgalley, and Montlake for the advanced reader copy of this book. The opinions are mine.

This is a loose retelling of Emma from Harriet's perspective. Maya's Hawaiian dream ends abruptly. After 6 years, she has to go home and put her life back together. Her best friend, Ant (ACE), moves his life to the mainland for her. Once home, mid-COVID, Maya has to move back in with her family and figure out her next steps. Ant has to figure out who he is with and without Maya.

There's a lot to love about this book. It tackles mental health, queerness, relationships, and the couple do not act in isolation of their community. I cried a bunch reading. It was cathartic and healing. I found the plot and the characters endearing. I know that I will be rereading this book. There were a couple of plot points that felt a little forced around the retelling, but this happens in retellings.

Side note: This book starts with a fire in Hawaii, where the center Maya loves is burnt down, and the Kanaka Maoli elder she was working for cannot rebuild. It felt a little too close to the situation in Hawaii right now. I am going to be holding reviews on my other platforms for a couple of weeks out of respect for the people who lost their lives and their community in the Maui wild fires.

I loved this so much!!!!

It's about love, starting over, friendship, fear, diversity all around, and so much more. It was so heartfelt and needs to be read!

Right away you connect with the characters, Maya and Ant. Because of the pandemic, Maya loses her job and has to move from Hawaii to move back with her parents. Maya's friend Ant just so happens to get a job in the same city she is moving. Maya has to now start over but also struggles with not losing who she is.

This was beautiful!

DNF for me. Didn’t gel with the main character, struggled to like her at all, though perhaps I’m just not the target audience for this book.

This book was so beautifully written. I loved the characters, how deep and meaningful, yet playful the relationship between Maya and Ant was. The representation in this book, plus sized, black, queer fmc, and a plus sized, Afro-Latino, asexual mmc, was wonder.

Maya and Ant are best friends. They leave Hawaii after maya loses her job and home, and is forced to move in with her parents. Ant lands a great internship and it just happens to be in the same city as maya. Their relationship is a huge source of comfort to them both, until feelings start to make things complicated.

This pandemic era story masterfully highlights the anxiety, fear, and strain Covid-19 put on families. The story is fill with hope, support, and love. Maya is messy, complicated, and so unbelievably real.

Her Own Happiness by Eden Appiah-Kubi is an exciting and thought-provoking novel about the challenges of self-discovery, friendship, and navigating life’s unexpected twists.

Set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the story follows Maya and Ant as they navigate the swirling world of uncertainty, each looking for their own path to happiness. Maya, a resilient and connected heroine, is torn from her comfortable life in Hawaii because of circumstances beyond her control. Her move back to her parents’ home in Maryland was the beginning of a remarkable transition. Together with her steadfast best friend Ant, whose unwavering support and platonic love provides a solid foundation, Maya faces the challenges of rebuilding her life with grit and grace.

The dual perspectives provided by the alternating perspectives of Maya and Ant add depth and richness to the story. They give the reader a front row seat to their inner struggles, hopes, and dreams. Meeting Maya with the mysterious Emme Vivant, an affable person with big plans, presents an exciting opportunity for a new future, but at what cost? The dynamics of this relationship and Maya’s growth make an intriguing and compelling story.

Maya's journey resonates greatly, reflecting the challenges many individuals face during the epidemic, while also providing a beacon of hope for those seeking their own happiness. Including diverse and LGBTQ+ characters add authenticity and connection, and it makes the story even richer.

The local and cultural references add a bit of familiarity to those familiar with the region, while the imagery of the COVID-19 era is a poignant reminder of shared experiences and humanity of resilience in difficult times.

Though the book takes a leisurely pace, allowing for character development and introspection, the exciting, feel-good twists and turns in the plot will more than make up for anything considered slow.

In a world where finding your identity and true happiness can be elusive, Her Own Happiness shines as a beacon of authenticity, empathy, and connection. The author has written a story with themes of strength, resilience and the power of real friendship making this book a must-read.

If you want to be swept away on a journey of self-discovery, laughter, and ultimately personal happiness, add this to your TBR.

Beautiful and magical that’s what this book was and about!! The prose was exquisite enough to had me enthralled. And I loved the storyline too!

I wish I loved the book but it wasn't for me.


What I liked:
1) The cover.
2) Dual pov.
3) Representation of their sexual identities and mental health.

What I didn't like:
1) To keep it all the way real, I barely remember much of what happened. Very low intrigue, investment and bored for most of it. Breezed through resolving plot points. (view spoiler) Everyone was so dull and the tone of each POV felt one note.

2) I am someone who can visualize a whole movie playing as I read. The fact that there were big chunks where things were going blank is a sign that the book wasn't giving descriptions that stick. Normally, I'd at least be able to pick out actors but it wasn't working out. 😕 I still don't even know what Ant looks like. If it wasn’t for the cover then it would’ve been the same for Maya.

3) Maya and Ant felt like misplaced YA or New Adult characters cosplaying as 30+yr old adults. Almost like the energy of two teenagers working at a summer camp or theme park. lol I couldn't even take Ant serious bc whenever something good or bad happened, he'd connect it to astrology un-ironically. My eyes would glaze over.

4) I didn't believe for a second that a romance made sense between Maya and Ant so I just didn't care about any of those developments. I mean, they have as much romantic chemistry as a slice of bread in a bucket full of water. Their dynamic was better when they were simply friends. (view spoiler) Maya’s journey without the romance aspect would’ve been better.


Just a heads up: If you're very particular about the amount of pop culture references being mentioned then I wouldn't suggest picking this up. There were excessive amounts of them. They generally don't bother me too much but it got to the point that even I couldn't stand it. If you don’t want to be reminded continuously (felt like every other page) that the story takes place during the pandemic then I’d say pass.


Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for providing a copy for an honest review.

I requested this book because of its beautiful cover! I saw a plus-sized black woman and knew I needed to hear her story. What I really liked about this book was the inclusivity. The LGBTQ+ community was well represented, Maya was a plus-sized woman and POC. I appreciated Maya and Ant's journey to learn more about themselves. I did wonder how a romantic relationship between the two of them would have worked given their preferences. I like how the pandemic was detailed with its different variants and the effects it had on different professions and classes. The story itself fell flat for me. I kept waiting for that big breaking point for both characters but it wasn't anything wow'ing. Maya's relationship with Emme seemed forced and uncomfortable. It didn't seem like Maya liked anything about her other than the opportunities she had to offer. Emme's character was not very likable and maybe that was the goal since she is a woman in power, but I just kept wondering why Maya would change so much about herself for her. The book could have done without Ant's POV, it did not find it complemented Maya's story. I would not consider this a romance book.

*DNF'ed at 14%*

I requested this title because I follow the author on social media and wanted to give her book a read and review however I feel as though I am the wrong age demographic and genre for this book. While the effects of covid changed everyone's lives I feel as though this book is more for a Millennial and older audience in terms of enjoyment. I did love the fact that this book had a lot of representation! Both Ant and Maya were unique and refreshing characters.

This was an emotional, heartfelt, raw, and beautiful story. I loved this authors first novel, The Bennet Women, and the way she blends the plot with complex and compelling diverse, LGBTQ+ character arcs. I really loved this book too even when it made me cry! The author managed to capture the weirdness, the fear of the future, the strange reality of isolation, the loss of love ones, and the hope for better days to come that was 2021 so well in these characters lives. This book brought me back to the days I was doing virtual speech services with my students and wondering what the future would look like and what our new normal would be. Of the fear I’d bring something home to my parents. Maya was a deeply compelling character. She had a huge heart, a whole lot of pain, and was trying to reinvent herself in the middle of a pandemic. Her story resonated deeply with me. Ant was sweet, smart, and just trying to figure out his place in the world. His struggles were so raw and honest. I loved the way Maya and Ant loved and supported each other. I felt for them when things got hard and scary. I struggled with Emme because at times she felt like a villain while other times she felt misunderstood. I loved the way Maya’s relationship with her parents grew and changed throughout the book. I loved the glimpses of Ella from The Bennet Women. The plot was paced perfectly, and it kept me invested. The ending was sort of magical and fitting. I would’ve loved a few more pages just to see how it all worked out for Maya and Ant but that’s just my selfish want not something that was necessary for the story to feel finished! This one publishes in September, make sure to look out for it! (And check the trigger warnings). Thank-you to NetGalley and the author for my free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first time reading a book set during the pandemic. And it made me realize how traumatic that time in my life was. I loved the representation in this book and the diversity. Being 34 years old myself the Maya was very relatable to me. Self crisis at this age is real and this book explained that beautifully.

A beautiful, life-affirming novel about identity, renewal, and having grace with oneself as well as others. Readers will see themselves in Maya’s inward and outward journey of self-discovery. HER OWN HAPPINESS is a delight! I loved Ant and Maya. Their friendship was lovely and I enjoyed seeing both ace and pan rep in this novel. There are so many different kinds of love, and it’s nice to see examples of that in media.

I also enjoyed the regional call-outs and the references to the pandemic and the aftereffects of lockdown. Maya and Ant’s worries and their masking—both literal and figurative—were all too recognizable and relatable. Still, the pandemic isn’t the main focus of this book, just an aspect that helps explain some of the choices Maya and Ant make.

A great, feel-good read that makes you think and will have you rooting for the characters!

The Bennet Sisters was a masterpiece and Eden didn't dissapoint with this retelling either. I love how she makes rich, female characters who not only have growth but also loves like Ant (for Maya) that are deeply bonded with them despite the circumstances

With a charming voice and elegant prose, HER OWN HAPPINESS is both a beautiful love story and a heartfelt look at finding your way in the world while staying true to your authentic self. Eden Appiah-Kubi offers another fresh, winning twist on Jane Austen. Readers will surely fall in love with Maya and Ant as they journey toward their happily ever after.

The author says this is not about the pandemic but it very much about pandemic times at the very least, and the pandemic plays a large part. This isn’t a bad thing but it is a thing. Many people read to escape so this isn’t for you if you don’t want that heavy subject in your reading. The characters are fun and real and relatable. The representation is really great. The entire story is really heavy on current cultural references, This is fun to read, but will not be relevant in the future. I was disappointed in the ending because while it was happy, it was really abrupt and I would liked to hear more. Overall a cute fast contemporary read.