It took me a couple of chapters to get into the rhythm of this book, but once I did, I was obsessed! I LOVE Klara. She’s a true gem and I really enjoyed her humor and the honesty of her thoughts and feelings. I felt the same way about Alex. He’s so real and relatable. Grief is so personal and Alex’s felt so real and raw. I also really enjoyed how much he appreciates Klara and all of her quirks. It’s just the sweetest love story and I love the inclusivity of a neurodivergent and diabetic FMC. So cute and refreshing! It comes out 04.02.2024 so make sure you preorder!!
Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA publishing for my ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

"The Happiness Blueprint" by Ally Zetterburg offers valuable insights into cultivating happiness, but falls short in providing unique or groundbreaking ideas. While the book is well-organized and easy to follow, it lacks depth in its exploration of the topic. Some readers may find the content to be too simplistic or repetitive, especially if they are already familiar with self-help literature. Overall, while there are nuggets of wisdom to be found, "The Happiness Blueprint" receives a modest three-star rating.

The Happiness Blueprint is a lovable rom-com featuring Alex and Klara, two lovable characters who are struggling with grief, self acceptance, and change in their own ways. As the two are forced together under these circumstances, their relationship quickly becomes apparent to the reader, but the spark takes much longer for the characters to realize. Despite it’s drawn out timeline, the Happiness Project is an enjoyable, engaging rom-com that deals with grief and neurodivergence with the respect these topics deserve.

This was a cute and refreshing read! I enjoyed this read and learning about the characters. I do think that they progressed a bit too quickly for the story line. I like that the setting of this book is different than many books that I read. The cover of this book is not my favorite. I'm not sure that I would pick this cover up in a store.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the e-ARC of the debut novel The Happiness Project.
Publish Date 4/2/24

The Happiness Project is an amazing read alternating POVs between Klara and Alex, two unforgettable characters. The book deals with a lot of heavy topics, but still is lighthearted and fun. I look forward to the next book by Ally Zetterberg!

Really authentic depiction of type 1 diabetes, as well as depression, grief, and adult diagnosed autism. Steeping in grief or undiagnosed autism comes with a fair amount of gloom and dark moments, which appropriately felt hard to read at times. Includes a third act twist, drawing in surprise for the reader. I loved watching Alex's friend and brother in law support him, almost as much as I loved watching Alex realize he loved Klara. I would have loved to see more spice featured (this is just kissing). Shows women leading a company, which we always love!

3/5 stars
Not spicy

- Quirky, strong, neurodivergent FMC
- neurodivergent, dedicated MMC
- moderate pacing
- dual POV
- slow burn
- unique writing style
- miscommunication trope

This story is sweet, but a little slow. There is just so much detail that it bogs the book down a bit.

I love the representation of neurodivergence in the book, and I felt the character development and the friendship between Klara and Alex was done thoroughly and genuinely. Written as journalist entries, Google searches, conversations, text messages, and first person POV, it makes for an interesting read.

Book review:

Klara is the youngest child in her family, taking over the family business in Sweden while her father is ill and undergoing treatment for his cancer. While managing the business, she meets Alex, still working through depression since his brothers recent fatal car accident. Alex seizes the opportunity to work in the small construction company that Klara is running in her father’s absence, and they form a strong friendship. They navigate living in Sweden, cultural differences, and bonding over the impending trial for Alex’s brother, eventually leading to a miscommunication betrayal, which they both fight to overcome.

This was so good! I loved it! And I love that both Klara and Alex have real issues in their health department and in their lives, it makes them so relatable and likeable. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
I just reviewed The Happiness Blueprint by Ally Zetterberg. #TheHappinessBlueprint #NetGalley
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The author did a good job with this one. The two lead characters had emotional issues within their personal lives. Klara has to take over of father's construction company while he fights cancer. She is unsure if she is up for the challenge and doesn't want it.
Alex is grieving the loss of his brother, while his life has spiraled out of control. They both have supportive families. They connect through a shared work calendar. The love story was really cute. It was a little slow going in the beginning but picked up around the middle. There are triggers, death, cancer, autism. They worked through their issues, which made the story engaging.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a very cute love story. I appreciate the diabetic representation. The miscommunication is a highly prevalent trope through the book so I wouldn't reccomend this book to those who do not enjoy that trope.

I really tried to like this book. I had a hard time reading it. It seemed choppy, and I found myself rereading sentences. I also had trouble pronouncing a lot of the Swedish terminology. That certainly didn’t help me with the comprehension of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read an early copy of The Happiness Blueprint by Ally Zetterberg in exchange for my honest review.


This was a sweet and heartfelt love story. It’s about Klara and Alex who are going through a lot in their personal lives but are able to connect in spite of what’s going on around them. I appreciated the representation of type 1 Diabetes, grief, depression, and neurodivergence. It’s refreshing to see characters going through real-life issues. Also, how these setbacks don’t define them and how they can learn to live with issues that impact many people.


The writing style was hard for me to get into. The way things were worded and how they flowed, I had to keep rereading sentences, I know some of that was on purpose to show Alex’s mental state, but I even felt Klara’s sections were hard to get into. Once I got going with it, I did end up enjoying this story. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a newer concept of a love story with an unexpected twist toward the end.

In 'The Happiness Blueprint,' Ally Zetterberg weaves a heartwarming tale of two lost souls—one grappling with grief and the other with societal acceptance.

Klara, navigating social nuances through Google, and Alex, paralyzed by grief, intertwine when Klara returns to Sweden, managing her father's business and hiring Alex. The poignant narrative delves into neurodivergence, portraying Klara's struggles and triumphs, shedding light on the challenges in a neurotypical world.

The book, a mix of heartfelt moments and humor, resonates with the reader, providing insights into the complexities of being neurodivergent. The chemistry between Alex and Klara adds an adorable touch, while the well-crafted plot and vivid characters make it a compelling read.

Special thanks to MIRA/Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC.

Summary :
In Ally Zetterber's novel "The Happiness Blueprint," readers are introduced to Klara and Alex, two individuals grappling with personal challenges while navigating the complexities of life. Klara, who has always felt like an outlier in a world of conformity, finds herself at a crossroads as she confronts her own health struggles and the need for change. Meanwhile, Alex is reeling from the loss of his brother and grappling with unemployment and isolation.

Honest Opinion:
"The Happiness Blueprint" is a touching and humorous exploration of love, acceptance, and the challenges of navigating life as neurodivergent individuals in a neurotypical world. With moments of laughter and poignant insights, this novel draws readers into the lives of Klara and Alex, two characters whose struggles and triumphs resonate long after the final page. With the strong plot and vivid characterization, this book keeps you engaged from start to finish, offering surprising plot twists. I found this to be thought-provoking and has unforgettable characters.

Thank you very much to Harlequin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

It was a bit slow in the beginning for me. Although I did appreciate the inclusion of the main characters having and focus on their mental health and other medical concerns. It brought in and showed that yes I have been diagnosed with it but it doesn’t necessarily define me as an individual. It just brings an awareness on topics that can be considered taboo to talk about. Overall it was a good book.

This dual POV romance felt really unique to me--I've never read about an MC with type 1 diabetes, and I've never read a voice like Alex's! As a writer, I was making a little case study of Alex's voice and how Ally Zetterberg pulled it off (wow). As we switch between POVs, it really felt like I was jumping between Alex and Karla's (very) different brains. Ally created such a wonderful mixture of humor with these really gut wrenching moments. Beautifully done!

I couldn’t do it. DNF’d at page 43. The writing is too choppy and disjointed. I know it’s supposed to speak to Alex’s personality and state of mind, but his chapters are HORRIBLE and I have to read his (half-)sentences five times to understand the point he’s trying to make.

Also, I know this is an ARC, but one thing in the first chapter really bothered me when a single German word was uttered:
It’s not “scheibe,” it’s “scheiße.” It’s not a letter b, it’s an Eszett. It makes a double “s” sound: not pronounced shee-ba or shy-buh, but shy-suh.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘐𝘙𝘈/𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

I think there are a lot of readers who will really respond to this book - there's a lot here about empathy and compassion and meeting each other where we are, emotionally. I also enjoyed the rapport between Klara and Alex and I thought there were a lot of heavy topics dealt with in a really interesting way.

That said, the writing style (especially Alex's parts) could be a little distracting. I found it almost unsettling at first and it took me a long time to get used to. I think that speaks to the mental status of Alex, and it could work very well for some people. But it took my personal brain a lot to get used to it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Absolutely LOVED this. Loved the very different writing styles for each of the main characters, Klara and Alex. Their shared calendar entries were hilarious. In fact, most of the book was funny. Yet even in the moments dealing with Alex's grief, the story doesn't drag you down. There's a BIG twist towards the end where I gasped so loudly - I really didn't see that coming.

The book started a little slow but that won't lower my rating. This has everything - memorable characters you cheer for, great side characters, loving and supportive families. I wouldn't necessarily call this a romance, rather it's a love story in all the best ways. Highly recommend and look forward to seeing more from this debut author.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC of The Happiness Blueprint.

This book follows Klara, who is taking on the challenge of running her father’s business, while he seeks medical treatment, and Alex, who is grieving the unexpected death of his brother.

I went in to this book prepared to absolutely love it, maybe even find a little inspired at the characters worked through difficult parts of their lives. It didn’t fully deliver. The book starts out quite slow, and the author uses a very distractingly choppy writing style whenever Alex is the narrator. However, the book picks up about half way through, and I found by the end, I did care about the characters. The ending was predictable but satisfying, the author represents topics like grief and ability in a sensitive way. If readers stuck with it, I believe they’ll enjoy this book.