Title: if It Makes You Happy
Author: Julie Olivia
Release Date: September 2nd, 2025
Standalone/Series: Standalone
Genre: Adult Fiction – Contemporary – Romance
My rating in stars:
My rating in words:
AMAZING!
WHAT IT’S ABOUT:
My new next-door neighbor seems to have everything figured out. Small town golden boy? Check. Single dad extraordinaire? Check. Hot baker forearms? I didn’t notice them, I swear.
I, on the other hand, don’t–at all–have anything figured out.
Trust me, I didn’t think taking over my mom’s dream bed and breakfast in Copper Run Vermont was going to be easy. It should be a good place to heal after my divorce. But apparently my scones belong in the garbage with my small talk skills. As pointed out by none other than Cliff.
Cliff is inescapable. He knows exactly what people need–always. His charm, the way he wears flannel, and even his pastries, make not wanting to be friends with Cliff and his daughters pretty hard.
Friends? I can make friends. That’s safe.
Except I’m leaving in three months to pass the inn off to my little sister and get the promotion in Seattle I’ve been working towards.
So ask me why I’m thinking about kissing my hot neighbor.
MY THOUGHTS (spoiler-free):
“Copper Run smells like crunching leaves and breezes that bite. There’s a hint of something warm in the air too—baked bread of some kind. Maybe a pie or biscuits in the oven. Mazzy Star hums from my neighbor’s open window.”
I was a bit hesitant to pick this one up because the cover promised cozy fall vibes and I have been burned before when books with pretty fall covers promised cozy fall vibes but then forgot to add any character depth or emotional connection into their story… But I will say right away that If It Makes You Happy is not one of those disappointing books. In fact, this was COZY FALL PERFECTION! It was the perfect mix of cozy fall vibes with amazing character depth and development, as well as a romance with the right amount of slow-burn and chemistry and banter.
Yep, I’m a fan and I’ll be happy to give you a short rundown of why that is!
The setting: 90s small town fall vibes
The story takes place in 1997, in a small town called Copper Run. After her mother’s passing, our main character Michelle offers to run her mother’s B&B in Copper Run for a few months, just until her sister graduates and can take over. The small town setting reminded me a lot of Gilmore Girls – perhaps because we spend a lot of time in the town inn, as well as at some local fall festivals. It was a lot of fun, but honestly what made it so much better was the nineties setting! Maybe I’m showing my age here, but I loved all the 90s references and at the same time I appreciated that the author didn’t go overboard with the references either. It was all woven in in a natural way and I thought it felt very nostalgic and cozy.
The characters: black cat x golden retriever
I loved both main characters! Michelle is a serious business woman with a few walls up but a caring heart underneath. And Cliff, the handsome single dad next door, is the embodiment of a cinnamon roll boyfriend. Though he’s definitely also been wounded in the past, he’s all easy smiles and silly jokes and witty banter. Both characters had their own POV chapters, which helped in getting to know both of them and only made me love and appreciate the both of them so much more. I really enjoyed their individual character growth throughout the story and together, their dynamic was amazing as they both help each other accept themselves.
The romance: slow-burn opposites attract / friends to lovers
This is a slow-burn romance as Michelle and Cliff get off on a rocky start, then slowly become friends, then best friends, and then the pining starts! I always love when two characters become best friends before becoming romantically involved and this romance was so perfectly paced!
The focus on family dynamics
Another thing If It Makes You Happy got right, it’s the secondary characters. And yes, there are some fun, quirky townspeople but honestly most of the attention goes to the family members: Cliff’s daughters and sister, and Michelle’s sister. And that’s a good thing, because I felt like the writing really gave a lot of attention to all the family relationships and those bonds really get the chance to shine throughout the story. It’s such a great, supportive family unit you can’t help but wish you could be a part of.
THE DOG!
You didn’t think I was gonna end this review without mentioning Rocket the dog, did you? Because let me tell you, Rocket is amazing and was definitely a character in his own right. His little “conversations” with Michelle were quite funny. And he even gets a little POV chapter in there too 😉
Overall, I can only recommend If It Makes You Happy. It’s an amazing cozy fall read yes, but it’s also so much more as it has so much to love about it. Please, pick it up this fall still if you can, or any other time of the year, and I hope you’ll love it as much as I did!
Tell Me:
Have you read if It Makes You Happy or will you be reading it?
Great review Lindsey. Popping this book straight onto my TBR list.
Yay, I hope you’ll love it!
I need to add it to my TBR!!
I hope you’ll love it when you get to it!
I keep seeing such good things about this book! I am waiting impatiently for my library hold to come in.
I hope you’ll get to read it soon!
I keep hearing good things about this one. So glad you enjoyed it!
I’m glad to hear it’s been getting good reviews, I thinks it’s totally deserved 🙂
Ahhh this looks so good! I love cozy romances like this and the black cat/golden retriever is one I LIVE for.
Ash @ Essentially Ash
Want to follow me on Bookstagram, booktok, add my snapchat or check out my photography?
This is definitely a great black cat / golden retriever romance so I hope you’ll love it if you decide to try it!
I feel feral over this book now and will 100% buy this book just to read that little POV of Rocket 😂
Haha I know, I was so pleasantly surprised when I read that! 😀
OMG this sounds amazing! I want to get a cozy blanket, a warm drink, and sit down with this book.
That sounds like the perfect reading set up for this book 🙂
Sounds so sweet!
It really is 🙂
Great review!! I loved this one too. 🙂
So glad to hear you loved this one too! 🙂