Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with an eARC of Like Happiness in exchange for my honest review!

I found this to be a solidly compelling read in the growing category of tales that focus on people who have to reflect back on their teenage lives and wrestle with the ways in which they'd been groomed by adults they'd looked up to. My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell, which had riveted me, is one major example. In the case of Like Happiness, we get to follow Tatum Vega as she engages in her own rumination over her life and the toxic and predatory relationship she once had with revered writer M. Domínguez. This is a relationship where we, as the reader, gain such a clear view of how much the young version of Tatum had been lured into the author's sphere, how much of a manipulative and mercurial person he is, how much this abusive dynamic has left a damaging impact on Tatum, and how much it's forced her to reckon with the importance of discovering her own identity rather than keeping her sense of self connected entirely to this past relationship. I do think there could have been ways to flesh out the narrative more deeply and to add nuance to Tatum's character growth, especially towards the ending. I also think M. could have been executed more charismatically in order to sell me on the notion that Tatum truly does find attractive qualities in him.

But even with these criticisms, I enjoyed Like Happiness enough that I'm officially rating it 3.25 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding down to a flat 3 stars.

"Like Happiness" is a very good read with compelling characters.
It's a portrait of contemporary issues of fame and power.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I love a book that weaves between timelines (skillfully), and this was one of the best. The story was a complex take on the dynamics of power in relationships, and the degrees to which someone can hurt another person. I found the main character relatable while still seeming honest and unflinching about herself.

I got this as an ARC from Netgalley! I think one of the best things about this is how it handled very large topics in an accessible way (being Latina in a white world, representation in novels, feeling like a minority in work situations, being a woman, etc.) I wish more happened with her sexuality. Every several chapters there would hint at some sort of bisexuality and confusion surrounding it but then it would drop off. I wish we got more of that. I really enjoyed the dual time line and felt like it was woven in very well. After reading this I discovered that it is a debut novel- and it totally didn't read that way. This was incredibly impressive and i throughly enjoyed this. I wanted to binge it every time i picked it up but i was quite busy during the time i read this. I'm sure reading it in one sitting would have made me love even more.
I couldnt relate to the woman Tatum was, I felt I saw alot of Mateos flaws earlier into the novel than she did. It felt like in her excerpts later on that she did alot of the things later in life that never happened with her and Mateo BECAUSE they never happened with them. I felt like she kept trying to prove herself and prove a point that she did all of these things without him when she intially felt like she couldnt, which made me think internally she didnt really feel all as confident as the novel portrayed. Nonetheless I enjoyed it (way more than I thought I would)

eu acho que a autora fez um belo trabalho ao escrever essa história e como as vezes colocamos alguém num pedestal que no momento que eles fazem cagada a gente não percebe... a gente não reconhece as relações de poder e como homens tendem a usar mulheres.

na verdade, o ponto principal é: nenhum homem é tão interessante. ele provalvelmente conhece uma mulher que pensa muito mais que ele e ele "suga" toda essa inteligencia dela pra usar em outras mulheres....

resumo da opera, tatum se correspondeu por anos com um escritor e quando pedem para ela contar como foi o seu relacionamento com ele, ela percebe que ele era um bundão. e digo mais: toda aquela admiração que ela tinha por ele só acontecia pq ela estava longe, pq a medida que ela conhecer ele de perto, ele simplesmente é um vazio, egoista e mediocre.

aff, odeio homens machistas e que sabem que tão sendo ruins, mas continuam a se servir do sistema que facilita a vida dele em 1000x em relação a qualquer mulher, especialmente uma latina.

nota 4 ⭐ para o livro debut da Ursula Villarreal-Moura. bem tranquilo de ler com audiolivro pq amei a narração da Marisa Blake ♥

The most shocking thing about this is that it is a debut. As Tatum unpacks the toxic relationship she had for a decade with Matteo, it was emotionally jarring to see her realize that she'd been a victim as well as those that were also accusing him. This was certainly an emotional rollercoaster.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I found this book to be a well written, thought provoking novel. The story is about Tatum Vega after she gets a call from a reporter asking her about her decade long friendship with a famous author. I found the idea of re-examining our past relationships, noticing power dynamics that we didn’t when we were younger to be very compelling to read and applicable to my own life. I found myself telling friends about this book because I found it so compelling!

Like Happiness is a thought-provoking novel that explores a disturbing entanglement between a young Latinx woman and a famous, manipulative writer.

The story follows Tatum as she recounts the toxic relationship between her and acclaimed author, M. Domínguez, who has recently been accused of sexual assault. The timeline alternates between Tatum’s present life in Chile with her partner and to the troubling interactions between her and M in her early adulthood years. Tatum is such a captivating character and I really enjoyed seeing her reclaim her narrative over time. Villarreal-Moura’s nuanced, beautifully written novel explores racism and micro aggressions, toxic relationships, power imbalances, cultural identity, and coming of age. A truly impressive debut that will stick with you! Thank you so much @celadonbooks for my gifted copy.

I requested this book after seeing a rave review by a fellow Bookstagramer, not knowing much about it.

Tatum reaches out to her favourite author, which sparks a friendship and complicated relationship that spans years. The story is told from the current day, as this author is being investigated for sexual assault accusations. Tatum is telling her POV to him, explaining her experience.

I enjoyed the complexities of the characters and their relationship. It was a very unique approach. I also liked how it touched on the experience of being a minority in a genuine way, without reliance on stereotypes. The nuance to her experience was very educational.

This is a shorter book, but it felt complete and complex. I highly recommend!

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

It’s 2015, and Tatum Vega feels that her life is finally falling into place. Living in sunny Chile with her partner, Vera, she spends her days surrounded by art at the museum where she works. More than anything else, she loves this new life for helping her forget the decade she spent in New York City orbiting the brilliant and famous author M. Domínguez.

When a reporter calls from the US asking for an interview, the careful separation Tatum has constructed between her past and present begins to crumble. Domínguez has been accused of assault, and the reporter is looking for corroboration. As Tatum is forced to reexamine the all-consuming but undefinable relationship that dominated so much of her early adulthood, long-buried questions surface. What did happen between them? And why is she still struggling with the mark the relationship left on her life?

This book was interesting. It's always interesting to look back at things in our past through the lens of hindsight and a more mature perspective. It was a journey through the memories of a toxic relationship. For a debut book, this was well-written, but I felt the ending wasn't as satisfying as it could have been. Overall, it was an enjoyable, thought-provoking journey.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

I really wanted to love this novel and appreciate the diverse array of pointed themes it could have introduced. The main character, a queer Latina, grapples with complex issues of imbalanced relationships, gender identity, celebrity, memory, Latinx heritage, and power dynamics. Our main character, Tatum – the embodiment of these conflicts – is contacted by a US reporter seeking an interview at the onset of the novel. This contact potentially breaks down the carefully constructed barriers between Tatum’s past and present. However, as I read on, I found myself still waiting for that moment to unfold. Unfortunately, the novel fell short of my expectations, with zero resolution and little care for our main character. There was also no resolution for the one character I cared for most, Vera.

Instead of exploring these rich themes, we were left with a character who complains and yearns for understanding but actively pushes others away. I will champion all the Tatums of our world and stand by their truths. However, this is one novel I was waiting to dig deeper into, but it was just left on the surface.

A coming of age novel that was a heartfelt and thoughtful read but was not overall strong for me. I liked this one but didn't have the punch that I was looking for in novels such as this. It drug a bit for me in the middle and was hoping for a steadier pace. Thank you to Celadon Books for the digital copy to review.

Thank you Celadon for letting me read a copy of LIKE HAPPINESS. This one is out now.

I had a really hard time with this one. It felt like a long essay that wasn't edited and that also didn't have any sort of direction. I think mostly I wasn't in a place to take in all the trigger warnings and reading this felt like a chore.

This was an incredibly powerful story. I loved the way it was told, with the narrator writing to this man who shaped so much of her life, and most of that being for the worse. When it gets to the ending, I had a lot of rage built up from that reveal. I felt so much for Tatum who devoted so much of her life hanging on to this unequal relationship with Mateo. The writing was beautiful and the characters were well written.

A woman must confront her past with a notorious author after he accused of sexual assault.

I thought this story was good, but I didn’t like the writing style as much. It switched between first person and second person (Tatum talking to the author), and that wasn’t my favorite.

I enjoyed this one. I think some reviewers were disappointed it didn't go somewhere with a clear moral or resolution, but the relationship and the book are both messy and I don't think I was expecting something easy. Villarreal-Moura does a great job of showing us the multi-layered power dynamics at play, how it isn't abusive but certainly isn't equal, how Mateo is a man child in need of constant reassurance but only on his terms. All of this makes for a very complicated and sympathetic story. I was frustrated with Tatum, but I think that was the point. She gives Mateo too much credit, and even as an adult when she is settled with her partner, there is still that aspect of hero worship. Exploring the relationship from the start shows us how and why she still feels that way, even to the extent of not believing Mateo's accuser at first. I think this is an excellent addition to the "me too" canon of novels, as it shows how grey life is, how we want so badly to be loved and to think the best of those we idolize. Is it right? Villarreal-Moura isn't passing judgment, so it's up to you.

3.5

This is an ambitious debut that is tackling power imbalances and identity and memory. Told in a dual narrative, the book explores Tatum's relationship with a famous author, M. Domínguez and alternates between her now (in 2015) learning that he has been accused of assault, and her as a college student meeting him then following their decade long relationship.

I liked the exploration of memory and the framing that allows for the reader to re-examine events in a new light. The pacing of the story kept me intrigued and I liked the narrative voice that Villarreal-Moura gave Tatum. I think where I struggled the most is with the ending because we don't really see how Tatum moves from where she is at the end of her letter to where she is in 2015. There's a scene that was hard to read because we see Mateo's "final" betrayal of Tatum but then I was left feeling sort of unsatisfied because we never really get a resolution.

On a technical level, I liked the prose and I found the story engaging but there were aspects that I found a bit clunky. This is a debut novel though, so I would be really interested to see what Villarreal-Moura writes next!

It's very well written, page-turny and well paced, it doesn't get bogged down. It starts off extremely strong, but the failure to fully resolve the issues raised was a bit of a letdown. An important topic, and it does feel like the author was trying to do something important with it, but ultimately I was left uncertain and unsatisfied.

Would recommend for fans of…
🌳 My Last Innocent Year
🌳 Queenie
🌳 My Dark Vanessa

Like Happiness is about Tatum, woman reexamining her relationship with a famous writer in light of allegations against him. It’s a short novel, but author Ursula Villarreal-Moura manages to work a lot of plot points and larger themes into the slim volume. It’s a great selection for lit fic fans that are looking for stories that explore themes about power and control.

While Like Happiness is well-written, it didn’t quite wow me. I think where this book lost me is that it feels very similar to several other lit fic darlings from the past couple of years. It follows the formula of “grown woman looks back on her ‘complicated’ relationship with an older mentor in light of the MeToo movement” and doesn’t introduce much more in terms of character and plot. It has a very detached style (I got big Sally Rooney vibes) and doesn’t waste words on flowery prose. I will say I appreciated how Villarreal-Moura was able to introduce elements surrounding class and race, which helped to slightly differentiate it from similar titles.

Like Happiness is out now. Thanks to Celadon and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A first-person reflection on a relationship driven by awe and laced with power imbalance and a large age-gap, framed by modern-day-ish assault accusations. The further you are from your twenties/early thirties, the more you may appreciate this book.