Peeking Between the Pages

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Book Review: Secrets to Happiness by Sarah Dunn Blog Tour & Giveaway

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Secrets to Happiness by Sarah Dunn is a story about Holly Frick, a thirties-something professional searching for what she really wants out of her life and being totally mystified by events in people’s lives around her along with her own. The beginning of the book finds her newly divorced, not of her own choosing either, and with a career that’s going downhill in a big hurry.

So Holly decides that she’s just going to live life and not worry about the consequences and gets herself a young boyfriend. The kind of boyfriend you just keep around for a good time with no strings attached. In the meantime, her supposedly happily married friend Amanda is having an affair; even worse with a man Holly seems attracted to. Her other best friend Betsy is having some big issues with getting older. She’s wondering where the time went and why she still can’t seem to find the love she yearns for. It could be she keeps looking for it in all the wrong places. In among the wreckage of friends is Leonard; all I can say about him is he’s a total mess. Then there’s Spence, an old boyfriend. Holly has published a book and it seems to be based on her relationship with him and all that was wrong with him. Granted he was a jerk, still is, but he’s trying really hard to build a new relationship.

This is a story of unhappy people really, all looking for happiness. Holly being my favorite character is the one I’ll talk about. She tries by first indulging herself in a much younger man and then in an attempt at a real relationship which unfortunately backfires on her. The best thing she did was to adopt Chester, a dog who was sick with a brain tumor. She takes care of him and learns what love really is—unconditional and just plain ‘right’. Chester teaches her a few lessons along the way so that by the end of the story Holly is learning to just live her own way and to find happiness maybe in the smaller things.

I’ve got a couple of quotes to share, one funny and one serious that I liked…let’s do funny first…

  • ‘”Hold on a sec,” Holly said to her. “Okay. Listen to me. I don’t want to go back into that dressing room and take off my boots and my pants and start putting on jeans only to discover that the ones you brought me are all too tight, and then when I ask for the next size up, be informed that they’re the biggest size you carry. I can’t take that today. Seriously, I’ll blow my head off. So look at me, look at my ass, look at my gut, take it all in, and then tell me honestly if you anticipate we’re going to have a problem.”‘ (pg 80)

  • ‘Sometimes Holly could start to see the order in things, she got a glimmer of a pattern. And that thing everyone seems to say these days, about how things always happen for a reason – Holly was getting closer to being willing to concede that that was maybe, possibly true. That idea of a person’s life being a tapestry, and it wasn’t until late in the day that you could see all of the threads linking one part to another, all of the strange and random connections, how everyone impacts each other in seemingly small but important ways.’ (pg 269)

All in all I enjoyed the book, but it was just ok for me. I enjoyed the writing style of Sarah Dunn but I did find that there was unecessary swearing and hanky panky in the book–for me it didn’t really seem to fit the whole theme of the book. I think it could have been carried off without it just as well. That being said I would read another of Sarah Dunn’s books given the opportunity. I enjoy the carefree way she writes and the modern portrayal of her characters—they live in a real world with real problems.

Be sure to pop in and visit Sarah Dunn’s website here and you can purchase this book here in the US and here in Canada. Many thanks to Miriam at Hachette Book Group for the opportunity to participate in Sarah Dunn’s blog tour and read the book. For more participants in the blog tour, head over here and check them all out.

GIVEAWAY

I’ve got 3 copies of Secrets to Happiness by Sarah Dunn to share with you. What do I need you to do…

  • For 1 entry leave me a comment with a way to contact you please.
  • For 2 entries follow my blog. If you already do-thank you-and let me know so I can make sure you get the extras.
  • For 3 entries blog/tweet this giveaway to spread the word.

The giveaway is open to US & Canadian residents only (no PO boxes). I will draw for the winners on Tuesday, June 30. Good luck to all!

Please remember to check out my sidebars for all the other giveaways going on at my blog!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. wowzie! what a lovely template Dar! Amazing HEADER! I love the qoute ou have put there… I am going to COPY it~! 😀 😀 I am sorry… I know! 🙂

    I love your blog's new look… it is so cute 🙂 🙂

    And I really am liking Holly too 🙂 esp. because of her adopting the dog Chester! That's a very noble deed to do!

    I have in my personal life realized that we learn a lot of things from animals..esp. dogs 🙂 my lovely dog … I have learned from her a lot of things 🙂 🙂 and i keep learning a lot from her too 🙂 🙂

    Thanks Dar lovely review!

  2. I remember Beth F not "getting" this book, which for some reason shocked me. It seems just hard to imagine not falling totally in love with a book that has a cover this amazing! I guess that should show me! This is the perfect example of a cover that would make me pick up and buy a book!

  3. Sounds like a good book. I'd love a chance to win – and I follow your blog and read daily.

  6. I love the cover of this book and the story sounds good too. I've read pretty good reviews of it so I'd like to take a look.

    I'm a follower too.

    melacan at hotmail dot com

  7. I just love the cover of this book. I'd love a chance to win it. I follow you through google reader.

  11. No need to enter me. I enjoyed your review Dar. I like the term Hanky Panky. 🙂 Of course you know me.. I don't mind the Hanky or the Panky… for a small book there was a high percentage of Hank and Pank. Oh gosh.. I need to quit while I am ahead. Happy Friday.

  12. I really like the cover on this one! Seems like it would be a good book to take to the beach.

  13. Thanks for looking on the bright side of this one, Dar! I think you've found the secret! 🙂

  14. Don't enter me. I just wanted to say I totally agree with your assessment of the book.

  15. no need to enter me, but I love the new look and this is a great review!

    That header is stunning!

    Did you do it yourself??

  18. Just popping by on the tour. I just posted mine. We were without power on vacay. I loved the book. There were so many moments that had me laugh out loud. 🙂 Loved your take on it, and your new layout is gorgeous!

  19. Great post and review, Dar! No need to enter me, since I have my own copy. I agree about the book being a story of unhappy people. I liked it and thought of it as a comedy of sorts.
    By the way, I meant to comment on an earlier post that your new look is gorgeous!!!
    Have a great weekend!

  20. I love the cover on this one! It looks so fun.

    shhhimreading(at)hotmail(dot)com

  22. This sounds like such a neat book and I would love a chance to win it.
    joannelong74 AT gmail DOT com

  24. Sounds like a great book! I'd love to be included. Please count me in. Thank you!

    nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

  28. I have to read this – probably one of my fave covers this summer

    msboatgal at aol.com

  33. I'm already a subscriber (through Google Reader).

    BookCrossingKitten22[at]gmail[dot]com

  36. This is a popular one lately. I sure do love the cover! It sounds like a good book, but too much unnecessary hanky panky can be a turn off for me too.

    Please don't enter me. I'd rather someone win who already knows for sure he or she wants to read this one. 🙂

  40. No need to enter me Dar. I've dne every Early Bird tour and sadly this is the first one I didn't enjoy at all…. 🙁

  43. I've wanted to read this book ever since I first saw the cover its so cute! Thanks for the chance.
    unforgetable_dreamer_always(at)hotmail.com

  45. I love the title of the book! It sounds so meaningful!

    behapppppppy(at)hotmail(dot)com

  48. Please include me in your giveaway

    bluebelle0367(at)hotmail(dot)com

    "Canadian Contests, Freebies, Coupons, Deals, Games and Fun:
    CoolCanucks.ca"

  49. I am a current follower of your blog

    bluebelle0367(at)hotmail(dot)com

    "Canadian Contests, Freebies, Coupons, Deals, Games and Fun:
    CoolCanucks.ca"

  52. Looks like a good read, please enter me into this drawing.

    Thanks for hosting this giveaway.
    jake.lsewhere[at]gmail.com

  53. No me sadly.

    But…hm why does this name sound so familiar. I mist have read something by her, and this one sounds good

  54. I'd love to be entered in this one.

    yvone473[at]optonline[dot]net

    I'm also a follower!

  55. I'd like to try this. I have to say that the mixed reviews have made me curious.

    I follow.

    mj.coward[at]gmail.com

  57. I would just love to win – this book looks great!
    Thank you for the giveaway 🙂
    hurdler4eva(at)gmail(dot)com

  59. Please enter me in this one. The dog's not included, is he? 'Cause I'd love him too. 😉

    whitreidsmama at yahoo.com

  66. No need to enter but I especially enjoyed that first quote, gave me a chuckle (but I never laugh when something similar happens to me!).

  69. I've had this on my list to read for awhile. I think it sounds really interesting because of all the characters. And that cover is perfect for the title – my dogs conked out on their backs like that make them seem so happy, peaceful, with not a worry in the world 🙂

    Thanks for the review and I would love to be entered in your giveaway!

    I'm a follower.
    shiloki[at]gmail[dot]com
    Thanks 🙂

  73. I love your honest review Dar. And I've seen so many mixed reviews on this book in particular. I'd still love to give it a shot.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    mishtakes AT gmail DOT com

    P.S. I'm already a follower <3

  75. I'd love to read this book – please count me in!

    Thanks,
    megalon22[at]yahoo[dot]com