Like Happiness is the most recent novel from Ursula Villarrea-Moura. A gripping tale of obsession, grooming, toxic relationships, and the invisibility of of Latinas/Latinos in literature and education. *Please note that I used the terms the author used in the book. I believe LatinX wasn't used due to the timeframe of the story when the new term hadn't started being used yet.*

Tatum Vega has always loved reading and art, so when she reads M. Dominguez's novel Happiness, it's the first time that she's seen herself and her culture shown in a book. She becomes almost obsessed with the book, re-reading it over and over. When she begins corresponding with M, she had no idea how that would change the direction of her life. Told in a dual-timeline of the 10 years they knew each other and her current life in Chile in 2015, most of it was narrated in a casual way, where she's directly speaking to Mateo.

When Tatum and M start spending time together, she just keeps falling more in love with him. He makes her feel special in the beginning, frequently staying in contact, seeing her regularly, having conversations about race, writing, and travel. As his career takes off, he's traveling a lot so he's in and out of her life, but she stays loyal to him, even when she finds out he's seeing other women. Mateo becomes the center of her world, and she knows that at some point he'll stop keeping her at arms length and she'll become the center of his. Then the novel he's been working on for 10 years finally comes out, and there's a falling out between them.

So when Jamal calls Tatum for an interview about M because a woman named Maria Luz has filed allegations against Mateo (although we never get the full details of what allegedly happened to her - which is probably one of the things I didn't like - I wanted to hear more of her story), for the first time in years Tatum reflects on her life with him.

As a white female in her mid-40s, I had never realized how much we had disregarded anyone in literature who wasn't white. I was an English minor in college, and just like Tatum's classes, we didn't discuss the racial disparity in the novels we read, so this book opened my eyes to that.

All in all, this was a great novel! It was a fast read, and went right into the story with minimal build-up and foundation, which is always a good thing. I was slightly disappointed with the ending, but the rest of the story was interesting and well paced. I felt like it just kind of stopped with no solid resolution.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @CeladonBooks for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.

This book has a dual timeline both told from Tatum Vega's POV. It goes back and forth between current and about 10 years ago. The past deals with her friendship with a famous male author that begins while she is in college. The current time line follows her processing that friendship when she finds out he has been accused of SA.

This book covers toxic relationships and power imbalance in relationships and how that affects an individuals sense of self. I appreciated the dual timeline and how Tatum processes her thoughts and feelings through an interview with a journalist and writing to her author friend. Tatum navigates through her young adult life as the only POC in many spaces and has to deal with casual racism and how the white POV is seen as the correct point of view in many academic and literary spaces.

The book was both thoughtful and emotional and I would recommended it to women looking to be seen and heard, and especially to white women to learn more empathy and what intersectional feminism entails.

4.5 rounded up

I loved this coming-of-age toxic relationship book. I flew through it and it was exactly what I needed after a slump of mediocre books. This book follows Tatum from a college student to a thirty-year-old woman and her relationship with a prestigious author throughout these years.

I found the direct address usage of “you” in the flashback chapters intriguing and it kept me involved in the novel. I also really liked the ending even though it infuriated me! I was totally feeling for Tatum throughout this whole story.

This book left me with lots to think about including class, identity, gender, and power dynamics. This book is available now and I will definitely be recommending it. I can’t wait to read what this author comes out with next.

This book was a really unique book. I enjoyed this story but it also did feel heavy as the main character re-examines her experiences she had with a writer she contacted when she was first in college. The commentary this novel makes on how powerful men can use women for their own means is a stark one, but I did think an important one to make. The male main character is this book is a perfect example of a narcissist and uses the women around himself, and the female main character Tatum examines how this affected her over many years in the format of a letter written to him after time apart. I don’t know what I was expecting with this one, but it was definitely an interesting read and left off on a note that seemed to bring some resolution

It’s 2015 and Tatum Vega is peacefully enjoying the life she built in Chile with her partner Vera. One day, she is contacted by a US reporter for an interview regarding her relationship with M. Domínguez, a famous author who has been accused of sexual assault. This compels her to recount and re-examine the relationship she once had with the older and established author.

Tatum and M connect after Tatum falls in love with his book and writes him a fan letter. At the time, Tatum was an undergraduate student in Massachusetts and M was a professor in New York. As Tatum continues to recount her 10 year history with M, it is clear that the one-sided relationship caused Tatum to struggle to freely explore her identity and advance in life.

Like Happiness is a powerful novel that explores topics such as cultural identity, sexual orientation, self-discovery, grooming, power dynamics, and power imbalances. Although the storyline dragged on for a bit, the writing was beautiful. The author did a superb job portraying the ways M subtly manipulates Tatum and the long-lasting impact he had on her. I especially enjoyed the second-person writing because it made Tatum’s experience feel more personal. My heart hurts for Tatum.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars, rounded up

Like Happiness is Tatum's reflection on her young adulthood and relationships after an author she was enamored with is accused of sexual misconduct.

I found the direct address to 'you' (the author) in the flashback chapters an interesting and intimate approach, which was a nice contrast to the present day chapters.

I also appreciated how authentic their "relationship" felt--present in the story or not, Tatum's young adulthood was right in the midst of the manic pixie dreamgirl movie era, where women were treated like ideas rather than people, and sacrificing yourself for a brilliant man was somehow a noble goal.

Tatum knows there's something wrong with the relationship--his lack of reciprocity, him leveraging his depression, the love bombing/making her feel unique, refusing to define the murky edges of what they are saying that he's doing it to "protect" her--but she doesn't have enough experience to pinpoint what exactly is wrong.

In the end, the author betrays her, but it's not just her. It's many other women just like Tatum, at the same time as Tatum. What's particularly powerful is that while Tatum does not consider herself to necessarily have been victimized, she believes the other accuser(s) despite it not having been her experience. These men are never as brilliant as they seem, nor are they that clever.

I am excited to see what Ursula Villarreal-Moura writes next.

--I received a copy from Netgalley/the publisher, but my opinions are my own--

Thanks to Netgalley and the Celadon Books for the gifted e-arc. Its one of my anticipated books since I heard that it was similar to My Dark Vanessa. I feel like that is great book to compare it to. It's a coming of age story about Tatum and her toxic relationship with Mr. Dominguez who is a writer that she highly idolizes.

The story is a bit of a slow burn and it jumps from her life now in Chile and to her past when she met Dominguez. There were some parts that will get you angry at how she was groomed and how disgusting Dominguez behavior is towards Tatum. Its a pretty tough read but I feel that its sometimes a necessary read. It really showed how easily it is to fall into a toxic relationship and be taken full advantage of.

Check trigger warnings if you need them.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, @CeladonBooks, and Ursula Villarreal-Moura for an ARC of this book!**

Can you imagine how it would feel to get close to your favorite author...to consider them a friend, a mentor...or even something more?

It's been many years, but Tatum is still reconciling her feelings about JUST such a situation. Years back, in New York City, she had the fortune/misfortune of building a relationship of sorts with the enigmatic, 'brilliant', Mateo (also known as M) Dominguez...and the two had a bond she still can't fully explain. Although life has taken her to Chile, and she is happily dating a woman named Vera, there's just something about the unfinished business of her past that pulls her back into her memories...and to leads her to reflect the messy, complicated nature of the relationship that helped to shape the woman she is today.

But when a reporter comes a-calling, asking for Tatum's corroboration on #MeToo related charges being filed against Dominguez, her reminiscing takes a different turn...and she's forced to revisit the complex, beautiful, and sometimes dark nature of the relationship between 'teacher' and student...and just HOW MUCH of what went on between them had an air of impropriety about it. How much was manipulation...and how much was pure affection? How could what started as a simple fan letter from adoring reader to adored writer turn into something impossible to deny? Was Tatum blind to her OWN manipulation then...AND will she still allow herself to gloss over the true nature of Mateo...even now?

Grooming, #MeToo, and stories of inappropriate relationships between teacher/student, fan/idol, and mentor/mentee are nothing new, but have certainly seen a resurgence in the literary landscape as of late. The exploration of power dynamics, and perhaps the even more sinister power of gaslighting and manipulation is not only a hot button issue in society, but is ripe for exploration on the page, as authors look to peel back the curtain on the dynamics between the manipulator and their prey, and of course to illuminate how EACH of these situations is far from black and white...at least, in the eyes of the characters. Books like the absolutely stunning My Dark Vanessa and others I've read in the past year or two, including My Last Innocent Year, have done this beautifully.

But when it came to this novel, it felt more like reading an essay that COULD have been really interesting...but was unfortunately missing a thesis sentence; I just couldn't fully grasp the point.

Villareal-Moura structures most of the novel as a letter from Tatum to Mateo, revisiting the events of their past in great detail, while cutting back to the present day in Chile intermittently. To be honest, I'm not really sure why much of the present day narrative was needed at all: we don't learn enough about Tatum's current partner, Vera, to be too invested in her, and the general #MeToo conversation and allegations with the other victim sort of play out in the background as well. Although it seemed clear from early on (at least, to me) that Mateo is Not the Greatest Guy, Tatum is just SO obsessed with his writing that she basically ignores all of his character flaws and leans into the hero worship. At first, I assumed this was going down the (somewhat obvious) path toward romantic entanglement, and it did....but only to an extent. This sort of incongruity made it very confusing as a reader to understand the conflict: it almost just seemed like Mateo was a friend that Tatum had an unhealthy amount of admiration for, rather than a participant in a 'leading' relationship that wasn't going to go anywhere...so it made it hard for ME to grasp why she couldn't just let it go.

This book is also on the slower side, which is always tough for me anyway...but throw in a plot with an ending that didn't seem to 'fit' the whole tone of the story, and it just felt like I'd spent a lot of time waiting to exhale rather than to breathe a sigh of satisfaction. I kept hoping that along the way something was going to happen to make me feel more connected to Tatum, but aside from her love of the Bell Jar, I didn't feel like we had too much in common...and frankly, the years didn't seem to have made her much wiser either. By the end of the book, I honestly didn't care if Mateo faced the consequences of his actions when it came to her or not. Outside of his literary prowess and blatant manipulation, there wasn't much there to like, and he didn't quite have the balance of likable-yet-detestable that is necessary for a character like this to be BELIEVABLE...and this left the third act conflict (and predictable behavior) unsatisfying.

And though I'd hoped to come out of this read feeling something 'like happiness'...I think what I felt was a lot more 'like' disappointment.

3.5 stars

#LikeHappiness #CeladonReads #partner

Tatum Vega is in college when she picks up M. Domínguez's debut collection of short stories. Impulsively, she writes him a fan letter telling him how much his writing affected and inspired her, and she can hardly believe it when he responds. And so begins a tumultuous relationship between Tatum and the much older writer, one marked by blurred lines, power imbalances, obsession, and subtle manipulation. Now, more than a decade later, Domínguez has been accused of sexual misconduct, and Tatum is compelled to reexamine her relationship with him.

Like Happiness joins a growing number of contemporary novels that seek to explore toxic relationships and the complex power dynamics that often go hand in hand with them. This book, though, is a bit more subtle, because Domínguez doesn't actually have any defined power over Tatum; he isn't an authority figure in her life. It's a more understated version of grooming and manipulation that relies on Domínguez ensuring that Tatum consistently feels off-balance, inferior, and naive. Tatum's idolatry of Domínguez is at first intellectual rather than physical, with his writing/mind serving as the basis for her initial attraction. The sexual aspect of their relationship is secondary, and largely lacking --which is one of the ways Domínguez influences Tatum and ensures her continuing obsession and feelings of inferiority. It's only years later, removed from the maelstrom of the relationship and with the wisdom of lived experiences, that Tatum can fully reckon with his treatment of her.

Ursula Villarreal-Moura's writing is luminous and emotional as she weaves a bittersweet coming of age story with fascinating commentary about gender and power imbalances, the nature of fame, and Latinx identity. I enjoyed the structure of the book, which alternates between Tatum in the present and a letter she writes to Domínguez dissecting their relationship. Although, frankly, Domínguez doesn't really deserve such a letter, and Tatum's present-day life, and how she found her way to it, could have been further explored. But overall this is a strong, thought-provoking debut.

"Like Happiness" is a coming of age novel exploring the power dynamics in a toxic relationship. It is beautifully written, but rather slow paced. I would recommend this for readers who appreciate a good sentence, and character-driven novels. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. #LikeHappiness

I really felt for the main character in this story. A woman who suffers being underestimated and ostracized by society due to her race and class ranking, not only by society, but turns out also by someone she considered a close friend. It’s already tough enough being a woman, let alone adding all of that. I think it also showed that there are many sides to a person, but their “red flags” always slip through. He never sexually abused Tatum, but he did mentally abuse her in other ways that she didn’t really pick up on. But he held her in enough importance (she thought) to keep her around.
This story deals with a lot of heavy topics but I thought it was well written. The beginning took me a bit to get into, but once I saw where the story was going, and understood the time jumps, I was into it.

Thank you Celadon Books for the read!

This is the kind of book you keep displayed on your shelf, one that, very much like the fictional novel Happiness, is loved for decades, is falling apart with use and appreciation, and is the nucleus of your world.

This is so beautifully written I am stunned. She has immediately become an “auto-buy author” for me.

For anyone reading my review, this is currently out in hardcover and I HIGHLY recommend it. I will be going to pick this up myself because it has been awarded one of my favorite books of all time.

Thank you so incredibly much to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this eARC.

Thank you to the publishers & NetGalley for this ARC.

Like Happiness by Ursula Villarreal-Moura is a dual-timeline POV of a woman who in the present day is happily living her life working at a museum in Chile with her partner. Tatum Vega is asked to take a walk down memory lane, one she is trying not to remember, when a reporter from the States calls Vega looking for corroboration on her relationship with the author she has since distanced herself from, M. Dominguez, who has been accused of assault. While readers learn about her current life and what alludes to her past relationship with M; they will also watch the timeline of Tatum and the author’s relationship take place in the retelling of their complicated relationship in the other POV which is portrayed as a letter from Tatum to M. Although I can’t say that the novel had me hooked from the beginning, the way Villarreal-Moura writes is beautiful and captivating. This book touches on the complexities of life in a very coming of age way for a young woman with themes of gender, race, Latinx identity, and power dynamics and left me deep in thought after the book ended about the intersection of all of these themes.

I was rooting for Tatum for the entire book. My heart broke for her many times throughout the book as she struggled with her identity, feelings of isolation, and many attempts trying to prove herself only to be left feeling like how she did at 13 time and time again. I really like how the story was written, hearing about the same situation from two different points in time. I would hear a little bit about something Tatum brings up, and it would leave me making a mental note in my head, hoping she would continue to write about it later. One thing I will say, as a woman in her 20’s, it was hard reading about another sister in the literary world being groomed by and completely obsessed with a slimy, older man and watching the power dynamic play out.

There really wasn’t much that I can say that I didn’t like about the story. I did feel like the end of the novel was a bit rushed, however that did not take away from the story itself.

This novel effortlessly navigates power dynamics, Latinx identity, sexuality, race, gender, and in general a 20-something woman just trying to find purpose in herself. Although Tatum was writing the letter to M, I feel like she was really writing it for herself, writing her own story about their situation, and taking her story back. With the story being set in the beginning of the Me Too movement, one takeaway I had was you can never truly separate the art from the artist. I don’t know if there will be a sequel, but considering this is Villarreal-Moura’s debut novel, I would definitely read another story from her in the future. 3.5 stars rounded to 4

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are solely my own.

I was eager to read this one as the synopsis sounded intriguing but I was left not too sure how I felt about it after reading it, though I will say it did disappoint.

We're following Tatum Vega as she goes back and forth between past and present day, discussing a relationship with novelist M. Dominguez. It's a story exploring the dynamics of gender, power, age-gap, a relationship that is not among equals, and identity.

I thought this was going to be a #metoo book, which is initially garnered my attention. However, Tatum and Mateo never had that kind of relationship, just extremely toxic. It read more to me that she was obsessed with him and what he could bring to her life, so I was a little confused about why she was doing the interview.

I wasn't interested in the characters -- didn't find them likeable -- and the plot felt like it dragged a bit. However, it had important messages included in it, and I know this book has an audience; I feel like I just wasn't the right fit.

Thank you, Celadon Books, for the opportunity to read this.

I just didn't connect with this book at all. The writing style didn't work for me. I wasn't feeling any emotion, and I wasn't connecting to the characters.

DNF

This is what I categorize to myself as a “girlhood” book - so I hope someone else knows what I mean by that. It’s well done, a book for book lovers, and though it’s about a relationship and its power dynamic, abuse is not on the page like in say My Dark Vanessa or Dark Horses, nor an explicit part of the MCs arc.

Thank you to Celadon Books and Netgalley for this advanced copy!
I enjoyed this book, even though I went in pretty blind. I didn't hear much about it before digging in, so it made me get a feel for it without any biased opinions judging my experience.
The story is pretty slow-paced, a bit too much for my liking, but it is flawlessly narrated. It is told from the main character's perspective in the form of a letter she writes to her former potential partner. She recounts her grievances in a farewell letter that she decides to send him a few years after their falling out. This gets prompted after she gets a call from a journalist who is planning to expose his accusations of sexual assault.
It is a coming of age novel that exposes the power dynamics at the core of an imbalanced and complicated relationship.
A great debut, it is an interesting read that will appeal to those who enjoy more of a character-driven novel.

I really enjoyed this one! The writing was good, the connection to books the characters had was interesting, and the story kept me hooked. I liked following Tatum as she goes through college and early 20's as a "friend" to a famous author. He admittedly does a lot for her, bur also keeps her hanging. She never knows if she will end up with him or be just a friend. It's told through two timelines-one in Chile as an older Tatum answers questions for a reporter after a woman accuses the famous author "M." of assault. The other timeline is a letter Tatum writes to M. about their relationship. The reader knows there's a reason they are no longer friends, but as the story unfolds, we don't know quite why until the end. It's a story of a relationship, of power and of Latinx identities. I found it fascinating, and my heart hurt for young Tatum. Well done!

Told in mostly an open letter from Tatum, a young Latina woman, to her long time relationship, M, a Latino writer. He wrote a book that became Tatum's touchstone. She did something completely out of character; she wrote M a fangirl letter. He responded and, slowly, they started a decade long friendship. When he published his second novel, the friendship was broken and Tatum moved to Brazil where she avoided authors and worked in a museum. It wasn't until a reporter called about her relationship with M, who had been accused of inappropriate behavior with another young woman, that she finally confronted what had happened.
I don't usually read literary woman's novels. I much prefer a thriller. But there are elements of a thriller in the way this novel spreads its wings and reveals its truths. I found myself reluctant to put it down when reading time was over. The book provoked my thoughts about the power imbalance between men and women, even in friendships.
I want to thank the publisher who gave me this book first through Netgalley and then an ARC through a Goodreads contest. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

This one captured me from the start. A young Latina woman, recently graduated from a prestigious small college, writes to the author of her favorite book - and so it begins. The plot had that "simmering pot" quality but in a quiet way that had me captivated throughout. The writing is top-notch with dual-timelines and writing techniques that raised the stakes with anticipation. I finished it the day I started it and wish I had someone to discuss this with - so much about choices and power. A great novel. Go read it. Thanks to the publisher for sending it to me.