Book Review: If It Makes You Happy by Julia Oliva
August 28, 2026
Okay, I am going to start out by saying, I absoultly hated the sex scene in this book. I don’t think I am a prude, but I do want my own mind to kid of fill in the gaps. I don’t want to hear about all the ins and outs of the way things fell and the way things…leak. So that is my biggest ( and honestly only ) complaint about this book. SO just know from the beginning that there is a saucy sex scene, and I didn’t like it. Hah.
We start our story in 1997 when Michelle is at her mother’s funeral and her ( now ex ) husband decides to tell her family that they are divorced because he is sick of it not being the “right time” Absolutely not the right time. Her whole life seems to be blowing up in her face, but at least she still has work. She can still work until her head is numb. Her sister is supposed to be taking care of her moms B&B in the small town on the east coast once she graduates college and everything will be the way it is supposed to be. Their dad cannot run it on his own and honestly he wouldn’t want to with the way that they place reminds him of her. The only issue is that her sister isn’t graduated yet. So she is going to take some time off work and run the B&B for the family. She has put in so much at her job thart she really isnt that concenred about whethter or not she is goign to be able to keep her job. Ahe s great at it and she knows it. But, when she gets there, and starts to fall in love with the town and its people, she starts wishing she was the one to take care of the B&B long term, not her bubbly and beautiful little sister. Michelle has always felt like people think she is too seriosu and too intense, but she is fine with that. She doesn’t need to be everyones best friend, She doesn’t even need to be her husbands ideal anymore. she is free of the expectations, especially when a handsome neighbor makes her feel like her intensity might not be that bad of a thing after all.
This was really not my best review, I am having a hard time telling you how much I loved this book but just know that it is the perfect cozy autumn romance for those with nostalgic hearts like me.
