REVIEW: If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia

If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia: Crisp autumn air, quiet streets and the comforting hum of small town life are just the things that Michelle needs to get her life back on track after having to deal with a draining divorce. Which is how she finds herself in the small town of Copper Run, running her mothers cute bed and breakfast. But it would seem that starting over isn’t as easy as baking a few scones, well to be fair those are not going to great either. According to her new neighbour, they need more work just like her chit chat skills. If looks are to go by, then it would seem that Cliff has the whole adulting thing down or he is making it just look really easy. As the towns golden boy and pastry king, it is just impossible not to want to be enveloped in the Cliff bubble and Michelle is fast beginning to realise that. However the last thing that Michelle should be doing is getting attached to the hot single dad and his sweet daughter, after all she is heading for Seattle in a few months…

I loved this book! Well to be fair I love just about all of Julie Olivia’s books and this was no exception. Before I dive into why I loved this book, can we just take a moment to talk about how cute this cover is! Talk about setting the scene for a cozy cute romcom, right from the cover! Okay now lets talk, If It Makes You Happy was the kind of slow burn small town romance that will just wrap you up and give you that cozy warm feeling. I loved the fact that Olivia set this book in the 90’s giving it a very Gilmore Girls feeling which is totally ate up!

I really found myself loving Michelle, there was a very relatable nature to her character that I liked. We got to see her dealing with the aftermath of her divorce and trying to figure out who she was now as a newly single gal, but also learning to accept love when she least expects it. It was really easy to root her on as she slowly fell in love with Cliff, Emily and the entire town of Copper Run. Now for our hero, well Cliff was the kind of guy that you just couldn’t help but love. He was kind, caring and just genuinely a nice guy. I loved his relationship with his daughter and how fiercely protective he was over her. But I also enjoyed getting to see him let down his guard and show the side of him that also struggles and is trying his best to keep everything running smoothly.

These two had an instant spark from the very first moment they meet but there was no rush in their relationship. This was definitely a slow burn build up but in the best way possible. We get to see them grow their relationship from strangers to friends to something that was definitely so much deeper. There was something very enduring to the way that they just understood each other, there was no need for explanations or justification, they just clicked. What I really enjoyed was the way their relationship felt rooted in everyday life; sharing coffee, crossing paths in town, looking after the inn or the bakery, ordinary routines that gradually become something more meaningful. There was no doubt that these two were meant to be together, their connection simmered low and steamy right from the start and built into something just beautiful.

I loved reading If It Makes You Happy, this book just had that warm comforting feeling to it that reminds you that love will find you when you least expect it. With loveable character, cute small town charm and a love story that does not need to be dramatic to be impactful, this is a definite must read from me!

Book Info:

Publication: September 2, 2025 | Berkley |

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.