Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to share my review. I have so many feelings about this book… it started off so, so slow and I couldn’t figure out where the heck it was going. Having been Written from both Kara and Alex’s perspectives added at least a little bit of interest. I very much enjoyed the storyline as I have many parallels with Kara including borderline neurodivergence and her unintended choice of profession. Even with the slow start, this was one of my favorite books I’ve read so far this year.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own opinions.

A well written, although slow at times, accurately depicts life, friendship, and love when a chronic illness. I'll be honest it was refreshing to see a non-fairytale story, but although I related to the character more, I didn't get my escape. It was too close to home I guess. I did love the book and will be looking for the next Ally Zetterberg novel.

The Happiness Blueprint by Ally Zetterberg was such an amazing book!
The story is well-written and I found it to be pretty entertaining.
I thought the characters were well-developed and believable.
The author did a great job with character description from the main characters.
The Happiness Blueprint was a delightful read. I loved the characters, the story and setting.

Thank You NetGalley and MIRA for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

A bit different from the normal reads. This read gets better as the story develops. I learned a little and was overall pleased with the story. It did take a bit of time to find its stride, but it did make it before the end.

Thank you to @htpbooks @allyzetterbergauthor and @htp_hive for this advanced readers’ copy 💖

✨What it is about:
Two people connect via a synced digital calendar - one struggles with fitting in the world and feels like the odd woman out, while the other is struggling with grief after the tragic death of his brother.✨

💭My thoughts:
This story is a very slow burn that I think at the end, delivers. One thing I really liked was seeing the characters going through many serious real-life issues, which sometimes you don’t read many details about in stories (i.e. type 1 diabetes, autism).

When you first start reading, nothing really happens for quite a while. Hang in there. The main characters don’t even meet until very far into the book, and it kind of makes you question where the story is going for a bit. However, once things finally start going, it’s so charming. Seeing both characters grow and form such a strong bond with each other through something so simple as a virtual calendar, was unique. This was slower than I would have liked, with a very heavy third act breakup twist, but still very good.

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Read if you like:
🪚 Slow burns
🪚 Dual points of view
🪚 Neurodivergent representation
🪚 Miscommunication trope
🪚 Real life issues
🪚 Google as your go to for just about everything

⚠️ CW: Depression, cancer, grief, death, toxic relationship, autism, panic attack.

GENERAL INFO

The Happiness Blueprint

Publication : 4-2-24 , Read 3-17-24

Format: eBook, 368 pages

Setting: Sweden

Source: Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA for this ARC💙 ! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Genre: contemporary romance, adult/women's fic, LGBTQ+ rep

Tropes: h has chronic illness, neurodivergence, slow burn, mental health, dual POVs

HEA/HFN ending: HEA

Epilogue Included: no

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Synopsis/Plot Summary: Klara and Alex are two people struggling with chronic illness and isolation. When Klara has to move from London to Sweden to help her ailing father, she encounters Alex. He's grieving but on the way to recovery seeing a therapist. Through an ad, he finds a job at the construction company. They grow in friendship and love while finding self acceptance and forgiveness.

M/F-M/M-M/M/F-etc: M/F

Amount of Sex In The Book: off page

AUTHOR OVERVIEW

Ally Zetterberg-debut author

Overall Rating: 4

Do You Recommend This Book: yes

Will You Re-read This Book: yes

Would You Read More Books by this Author: yes

COMMENTS/NOTES: I enjoyed this strictly for the subject matter. I know about chronic illnesses and the toll they take on your life. The mental stress and loneliness Klara and Alex feel is handled beautifully. I was so glad this book was written, shout out to all the outliers of the world!

I appreciated that this was the first book I have ever read where a romantic lead had Type 1 diabetes. My husband has T1D and Alex's consideration of Klara and what we have to do as partners made me feel seen here. The late diagnosed autistic representation was also wonderful. I enjoyed the setting and overall story along with women in construction. It didn't grab me from the beginning but it was a solid 3 stars for me.

It was unfortunately a dnf for me. I found it very slow moving and nothing was still happening at 40%. It was just not for me.

3.5 stars rounded up

"Klara's and Alex’s stories unfold through a series of miscommunications in this clever and witty novel from debut author Ally Zetterberg that’s about finding acceptance and even love in unexpected places."

Klara is forced to move and take over her father's business in Sweden as he undergoes cancer treatment. She has extreme social anxiety and knows nothing about construction so the stress of her new situation has her type 1 diabetes out of control, just like the rest of her life.
Alex lost his brother and is struggling with guilt and depression. His therapist suggested making a list of three things to check off on his calendar every day to feel like he accomplished something. With a dwindling bank account, he adds find a new job to the list and when an ad for a construction job pops up, he takes a chance.
From the description of their characters in the beginning of the book, I just knew these two quirky characters were going to click. It just took a looong time to do it. They don't even meet until about halfway through the story and then it's a slow burn that read more like women's fiction than romance. Family was a big factor in this book with the issues that each character was dealing with. This book is mainly based in Sweden and it was interesting to read about a different country and culture. Overall, I did enjoy this book but it took me awhile to get into it.
Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing through Netgalley for the advance copy of this book. The opinions in this review are my own and given voluntarily.

I liked the characters but the book was just boring. It was so slow and it could have gone faster if she simply asked a single question about his wife. She could have easily found out he was single.

I received an arc through netgalley.

After reading the author's biography I know that she understands some of the challenges that her characters face. These two characters, Klara and Alex bring their histories with them. As the book's summary notes, their calendars are in sync...is it possible that they will one day be too?

The fun of reading in this genre is knowing that things will most likely work out. That is nice to know in such unsettled times.

Definitely a book to add to a TBR list. This is just right for a good read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

3.5/This one got increasingly better as it went along. The beginning was incredibly slow and a lot of time was spent getting to know the main characters before they ever encountered one another...I believe they don't even meet until 1/3 into the book. However, the characters are quirky and incredibly loveable and there were lots of really heartwarming moments. The neurodivergent POV was a particularly unique and compelling aspect that kept me invested despite the slow launch.

👩‍❤️‍👨Dual POV
🇸🇪 Sweden
🚪Closed Door (Slowwww burn; barely even kissing)
🧠Neurodivergent Rep (This POV was so thoughtfully done and probably my favorite part of the book)
🌈LGBTQ Rep
🔀Miscommunication
💔3rd Act Breakup
⚠️TW: Grief/Depression, Cancer, Drunk Driving, Hit & Run

Thanks to @netgalley and @harlequinbooks for the eARC. Publishing 4/2!

Cute & fun quick read! I really appreciated the representation for neurodivergence and type one diabetes. I really really appreciated how T1D was accurately and realistically represented! The format with email entries and Google prompts also took a twist on the typical romcom style. I do wish the story moved at a more consistent pace - super slow in the beginning which made it hard to get hooked and then lightening fast when I would have appreciated a little more depth. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance
Spice Level: Medium (Fade to black)
Language: Medium (he swears with f-bombs)
Representation: Side characters are gay, Chronic illness, Autism

THE HAPPINESS BLUEPRINT is a fun romance. Both Klara and Alex are working through heavy emotional stress in their lives: Klara with her father going through chemo and Alex in the aftermath of the death of his brother.

I thought the emotional weight was fairly balanced between the characters and gave them skills to be empathetic to each other. As I was reading, I realized Klara was autistic—and felt so validated at this came out. I'm mentioning it here because I think the reading community might be more drawn to this book if they know that in advance. I thought her personality and coping strategies seemed accurate as possible ways that someone who is neurodiverse might act and react.

Both Klara and Alex make mistakes. Not tiny ones either. I thought this worked well in the storyline.

Have you noticed how romance books are now self-aware of romcoms? I actually think it makes the stories more realistic. This book is self-aware of romance tropes and what that means for people.

I think romance readers will enjoy this as a heartfelt read. Fans of THE ROSIE PROJECT and THE HAPPY LIFE OF ISADORA BENTLEY will want to read this novel.

Happy reading!

I was originally interested in this book solely for the reason that the main character has type one diabetes. I haven’t read many (any?) books with a main character who has the same auto immune disease as me and was instantly excited to read this. Sadly it was a DNF pretty soon into the book. I just couldn’t connect with the main character and I found myself not really liking her. I wish I would’ve enjoyed her more to get further into the story to see more of the T1D representation but this book just wasn’t for me and that’s ok.

Know that the cover and the blurb for this are a bit deceptive-this is a richer, more layered novel than you're expecting. Klara, a type one diabetic, has been roped into coming back to her small hometown in Sweden to keep her father's company going while he undergoes cancer treatment. Alex has been almost paralyzed by grief and guilt in the wake of the death of his brother. They meet when he hires him. This is not an easy insta, grumpy sunshine tale but rather a story about knowing yourself, overcoming grief, and there's a mystery as well. The setting is great, I liked how Zetterberg incorporated Klara's diabetes, and Alex's letters to his brother. It's not a fast read but I found myself unable to put it down. This is an HEA where the journey is more than the result. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. An excellent read.

Klara knows she is a little different and when she is asked to leave London and go home to Sweden to help her dad at his construction shop, she is not sure she can do this. Her dad has cancer treatments ahead of him. One of her first tasks is to hire help and thinking Alex is a girl she hires him. Alex has his own problems. His brother was run over and killed while on his bicycle and Alex believes if he had driven him home, he would be alive. Klara’s issues and Alex’s issues make it hard for them to communicate. They use a calendar app that seems to work well, and it was fun seeing how they could adapt. This is a great book. I loved the culture of Sweden, and the hustle of London. I loved the dedication Klara and Alex had to each other. It is a great way to learn a little about depression, OCD, autism, and diabetes. Wonderful story and romance.

Phew this was not for me. Most of the writing felt like it was from AI and made no sense. Very hard to slog through. I’m still wondering why Alex mentioned Dan’s smooth feet as an aside. So strange.

I just closed the pages of this book late last night and I truly can’t stop thinking about it. The story in itself just tugs at your heart. Klara, living in London, is asked to help her Dad in Sweden. He was diagnosed with cancer and needs someone to run the business while he’s getting treatment. That’s the premise. What follows is a beautiful unfolding of a woman getting to know herself and her family. A woman making her own way in a world that isn’t always comfortable to her. It’s also a sweet and tender love story.

Klara isn’t used to being a boss. She usually works behind a computer, but she handles her new job and her Dad’s clients with a uniqueness you will adore. She has such a fun and quirky sense of humor. I just love her!! Truly, she made this book!!

Alex is just trying to stay afloat. He’s lost his brother in a terrible accident months earlier where someone fleed the scene. He’s also battling fierce depression. Alex is encouraged to take one step at a time by his therapist to overcome the grief and loss of his brother. This is how Alex and Klara meet. Alex takes a carpentry job and Klara is his boss. The romance is a slow burn. She thinks he is married. Why she does is actually a heart rending story on its own. It’s also closed door, but this is an example of a book that doesn’t need the open door to make you feel the love.

The way these two find each other, care for each other, and let each other be simply who they are is so beautiful. This story has wonderful rep for autism, those battling depression, and also for those dealing with diabetes as our MC does.

The Happiness Blueprint really is more than a romance. It’s about the love of family and its complexities. It’s about loving and accepting yourself. The character development in this book is so expertly done. There is so much growth in this novel and so much heart. I already can’t wait to read it again! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was super unique and interesting and different, and I loved it! Klara and Alex both have my whole heart. I wanted to hug them and support them and root for them so bad! There was a ton of representation in this book that I think anyone can enjoy and find hope in.