Friday, June 12, 2009

Blog Tour and Review: Secrets to Happiness


Author:  Sarah Dunn
Review Copy Provided by:  Hachette

About the Book:  Holly Frick has just endured the worst kind of breakup: the kind where you're still in love with the person leaving you. While her wounds are still dangerously close to the surface, her happily married best friend confesses over a bottle of wine that she is this close to having an affair. And another woman comes to Holly for advice about her love life--with Holly's ex!

Holly decides that if everyone around her can take pleasure wherever they find it, so will she. As any self-respecting 30ish New York woman would do, she brings two males into her life: a flawed but endearing dog, and a good natured, much younger lover. She's soon entangled in a web of emails, chance meetings, and misguided good intentions and must forge an entirely new path to Nirvana.


About the AuthorSarah Dunn was born in Phoenix, Arizona.  She went to the University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in English and graduated magna cum laude.  After college, she wrote  a humor column for the Philadelphia City Paper while waiting tables (poorly) at TGI Fridays.  When she was 24, she published The Official Slacker Handbook, and was subsequently lured out to Hollywood to write for Murphy Brown, Spin City and Veronica’s Closet. She left TV to work on her first novel, The Big Love, which came out in 2004 and has been translated into 23 languages.   She is currently writing a television pilot for NBC called George & Hilly, and her long-awaited second novel, Secrets to Happiness, comes out this spring.  She is married to Peter Stevenson, the executive editor of The New York Observer, and they have a chunky delicious new baby boy named Harry.
 
My Review:  When I saw this cover and read the summary, I was excited to read this one.  However, it started out slow for me, but then started to pick up, so I kept reading.  The characters are believable and Ms. Dunn does a great job of bringing them to life for the reader.  Holly, the main character, is searching for "happiness."  Is it in the love that she lost, but still loves?  Is it in the arms of a 22 year old lover? Is it in the dog with the brain tumor that she rescues from the shelter?

Happiness just seems to elude Holly.  Her friend Amanda toys with thoughts of infidelity vs. the life she has with her husband and child.  Sounds like life to me.  That's what I thought when reading this book.  I just wasn't real impressed with the storyline  Sure, it was good, just not really my style right now.  Others have their opinions, so please don't NOT read it because of me; read what others on the tour have to say.  A big thank you to Miriam for allowing me to participate in this tour. 

3 out of 5 stars for Secrets to Happiness



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I have an extra copy to giveaway to one commenter on this post.  I will run the contest from now until Monday, June 22.  

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

You don't need to apologize for your opinion! By the way, this wasn't my favorite, either.

Luanne said...

Well I've done all the tours so far and this is the first one that fell completely flat for me....

Summer said...

an honest review is important! thanks for this

Pam said...

Well, I love the cover and love the title. Reviews I've read have been mixed so I'd like to give it a go and judge for myself.

melacan at hotmail dot com

KR said...

I'd like to give it a try.

mj.coward[at]gmail.com

Belinda M said...

Please include me in your giveaway


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


bluebelle0367(at)hotmail(dot)com

Dixie said...

I'd like to read this. Mixed reviews always get my interest.
southrngal(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I've heard lots of mixed reviews about this one. Some people seem to love it, some hate it, and many are indifferent. I'll need to give it a try at some point.

tiffanyak1986(at)hotmail(dot)com

Nicole said...

I'd really like to read this book. I've seen other reviews and it looks interesting. Thanks!

♔ jessica.marie said...

Yeah, there have definitely been some mixed thoughts about this one. I liked it, but I do think of it as more of a light beach read ... just a quick glimpse into their lives. :)

Ally said...

Please enter me for the book, I've been wanting to read this. Thanks!
allygotts567[at]hotmail[dot]com

Misusedinnocence said...

Would love to read this! :)

misusedinnocence@aol.com

Misusedinnocence said...

Would love to read this! :)

misusedinnocence@aol.com

Anonymous said...

I'd like to read this book.please include me in the giveaway
thank you

elaing8(at)netscape(dot)net

CherylS22 said...

I'd like to read this book - please count me in!

Thanks,
megalon22[at]yahoo[dot]com

Kaizen Fashion Project said...

I la la LOVE sarah, + would love to win!

heatheranne99 at hotmail dot com

L said...

Thanks for your honest opinion of the book. I'd still like to read it, so enter me please!

lovinfitch(at)aol(dot)com

mrsshukra said...

Thanks, please include me!
delilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com

Mary (Bookfan) said...

Hope I'm not too late for this chance!

meah56 AT gmail DOT com

 
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