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Happiness for Beginners

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"Happiness for Beginners" by Katherine Center is a contemporary romance novel that follows a woman on an outdoor adventure during a wilderness survival course in the mountains of Wyoming. The story revolves around the protagonist's journey of self-discovery, learning stillness and kindness towards herself, all while navigating the challenges of the rugged wilderness. The book's plot involves hiking as a major element, with the characters engaging in a camping trip that serves as a backdrop for personal growth and emotional exploration.

The writing style of "Happiness for Beginners" is described as lighthearted and engaging, with a focus on character development and relationships. Readers appreciate the author's ability to create a heartwarming and emotional narrative that resonates with themes of love, self-acceptance, and empowerment. The book is praised for its unique blend of romance, humor, and introspection against the backdrop of a wilderness setting, making it a compelling and enjoyable read for those looking for a feel-good story.

Characters:

The characters include a recently divorced woman and her younger brother's best friend, whose dynamic evolves from annoyance to affection.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is engaging and humorous, combining women's fiction with a focus on character growth.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative centers around a recently divorced woman enrolling in a wilderness survival course, where she navigates personal challenges and develops a romantic connection.

Setting:

The setting is a wilderness survival course in Wyoming, integral to the plot and character development.

Pacing:

The pacing is slow initially, focusing on character development before the romance fully unfolds.
If you want to put me in Hell, plunk me down in the middle of a party where I don’t know anyone. If you want to be really thorough, fill the place with drunken college kids. And make sure every other ...

Notes:

The story features an age gap romance between a 32-year-old woman and her younger brother's best friend, who is 22.
The plot takes place during a three-week wilderness survival course.
The female lead, Helen, is recently divorced and searching for her direction in life.
The male lead, Jake, has had feelings for Helen since he first met her on her wedding day as a teenager.
There are no explicit sex scenes; the romance is described as 'closed door' with some making out.
The author, Katherine Center, often combines themes of personal growth and romance in her books.
The book has been described as more women's fiction than pure romance, focusing heavily on character development as well.
Readers mention enjoying the chemistry between the characters, despite a slow burn romance.
There is a Netflix movie adaptation, but many fans believe the book is significantly better and more detailed.
Readers find the humor and playful dialogue in the first few chapters particularly engaging.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The book includes themes that may be triggering for some readers, such as mentions of divorce, miscarriage, and attempted self-harm, though these are not depicted on the page.

Has Romance?

The book contains a romance that develops over time, but it is not the sole focus of the story.

From The Publisher:

From the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away and Things You Save in a Fire

Helen Carpenter can't quite seem to bounce back. Newly divorced at thirty-two, her life has fallen apart beyond her ability to put it together again. So when her annoying younger brother, Duncan, convinces her to sign up for a hardcore wilderness survival course in the backwoods of Wyoming-she hopes it'll be exactly what she needs.

Instead, it's a disaster. It's nothing like she wants, or expects, or anticipates. She doesn't anticipate the surprise summer blizzard, for example-or the blisters, or the rutting elk, or the mean pack of sorority girls. And she especially doesn't anticipate that her annoying brother's even-more-annoying best friend, Jake, will show up for the exact same course-and distract her, derail her, and . . . kiss her.

But it turns out sometimes disaster can teach you exactly the things you need to learn. Like how to keep going, even when you think you can't. How being scared can make you brave. And how sometimes getting really, really lost is your only hope of getting found.

Happiness for Beginners is Katherine Center at her most heart-warming, captivating best-a nourishing, page-turning, up-all-night read about how to get back up. It's a story that looks at how our struggles lead us to our strengths. How love is always worth it. And how the more good things we look for, the more we find.

Ratings (17)

Incredible (1)
Loved It (6)
Liked It (8)
It Was OK (1)
Did Not Like (1)

Reader Stats (38):

Read It (20)
Want To Read (15)
Not Interested (3)

1 comment(s)

Liked It
1 month

This is the only time I will say the movie was better because it was. Watch the movie instead because it seemingly filled in every plot hole and character flaw.

 

About the Author:

KATHERINE CENTER is the New York Times bestselling author of over a half dozen novels, including What You Wish For, Things You Save in a Fire, and How to Walk Away. Katherine has been compared to Nora Ephron and Jane Austen. The Dallas Morning News calls her stories, "satisfying in the most soul-nourishing way." Katherine recently gave a TEDx talk on how stories teach empathy. Her work has appeared in USA Today, InStyle, Redbook, People, The Atlantic, Real Simple, and more. She lives in Houston with her husband and two kids.

 
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