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Thursday, December 7, 2017

"The Happiness Pact" by Liz Flaherty

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

I love a good "best friends falling in love" story. That premise is what drew me to The Happiness Pact, a book in the Harlequin Heartwarming line.


The Happiness Pact
by Liz Flaherty
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
December 1st 2017 by Harlequin Heartwarming

The fine line between BFF and happily-ever-after…

 Tucker Llewellyn and Libby Worth—strictly platonic!—realize they’re each at a crossroads. Tucker is successful, but he wants a wife and kids: the whole package. Libby knows that small-town life has her set in her ways; the tearoom owner needs to get out more.

 So they form a pact: Libby will play matchmaker and Tucker will lead her on the adventure she desperately needs. But the electricity Libby feels when they shake on it should be a warning sign. Soon the matchmaking mishaps pile up, and a personal crisis tests Libby’s limits. Will Tucker be there for her as a best friend…or something more?


The Happiness Pact is an enjoyable romance from Liz Flaherty. It follows Flaherty's Every Time We Say Goodbye, which I haven't read, and I did feel at a bit of a disadvantage—Tucker and Libby, along with several others, were involved in a fatal car crash in high school, and while the crash had major repercussions in both of their lives, I never felt like I understood what exactly had happened. I'm guessing that was explained more in the previous book.

It is, of course, a foregone conclusion that Tucker and Libby will fall in love. What I appreciated about Flaherty's take on the "friends to lovers" trope is that neither was secretly in love with the other, as is often the case in this type of romance. Instead, it wasn't until Libby was trying to find a woman for Tucker that they both took time to actually examine their feelings and consider the potential of a relationship. I did think that their relationship went from 0-100 pretty quickly, but I guess when you know, you know 🙂. 

 The book isn't all about the romance, though. A large portion is dedicated to Libby's struggle with depression, a secret she hid from nearly everyone—including Tucker—for years. I'm not one to throw out trigger warnings, but I do wonder if this content might be too much for someone who struggles with depression or who has lost someone to suicide. So basically, use your good judgement when deciding whether to read it.

 The Happiness Pact pretty much has Hallmark movie (or series!) written all over it (they would, of course, take out the depression thread, or tone it down). It's an enjoyable read, and I wouldn't hesitate to return to this world that Flaherty has created. 3-1/2 stars.

Content note: The Harlequin Heartwarming line, of which The Happiness Pact is a part, promises clean romances—no explicit sex or language and traditional values. These are not inspirational romances, so they won't include much mention of God or faith (though in The Happiness Pact, both Libby and Tucker attend church). Basically, I consider these romances to be the book equivalent of Hallmark movies!

Buy the book or learn more: Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Harlequin



5 winners will receive a signed copy of EVERY TIME WE SAY GOODBYE and a Christmas stocking
US only
Ends December 13th



Liz Flaherty was a little nervous about retiring from her day job, but making quilts, more family time, traveling at the mere mention of “why don’t we go...” and becoming a Harlequin Heartwarming author have made the past years more fun and exciting than she could ever have imagined.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free through Prism Book Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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2 comments:

  1. Liz FlahertyDecember 7, 2017 at 1:05 PM

    Thank you for having me here today, and for your thoughtful and fair review. Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete