Title: A Happy Catastrophe
Author: Maddie Dawson
Published: May 2020, Lake Union Publishing
Format: Paperback, 380 pages
Source: Publisher
Summary:
FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF ‘MATCHMAKING FOR BEGINNERS’ COMES A NOVEL ABOUT LOVE, LOSS, AND THE BEAUTIFUL MESS OF FAMILY.
Marnie
MacGraw and Patrick Delaney have been in love for a few years now,
enough to realize that they are imperfectly perfect together. Still,
there are somethings that maybe need a little attention. Marnie’s
ebullient; he’s brooding. She thrives on change; he prefers stability.
She sees marriage and parenthood in their future, but he can’t see
beyond the shadow of an earlier tragedy.
Then an eight-year-old
surprise from Patrick’s past shows up on their doorstep, cartwheeling
into their lives and spinning things in all directions. While it’s not
exactly the change she envisioned, it looks like instant family to
Marnie. But Patrick, afraid of being hurt again, retreats further into
himself. Suddenly, two very different pieces of a beautiful puzzle fid
it harder and harder to fit. How can Marnie trust in the magic of the
universe when it seems to be doing its best to knock her off her feet?
But some love stories are worth waiting for. And what’s love without a little chaos anyway?
My thoughts: This is the first book I’ve read by Maddie Dawson and while it’s a sequel to her previous book, Matchmaking for Beginners, I had no trouble reading it as a stand-alone. I’ve found that I’ve been gravitating towards these contemporary romance books a bit more during this time, throwing them in between my thrillers as a nice palate cleanser and this one certainly hit the spot.
I love a story with quirky characters and this one is filled to the brim with them. I loved how both Patrick and Marnie were flawed characters, thereby making them more relatable and real. It was easy to become invested in this story because I found myself able to relate to just about all the characters in the story in some way.
This book, while charming and magical, also has its moments of depth and I loved that. It explores what it really means to be a family and that isn’t always what you think it might be. Relationships are also explored and there are many happen in this book, not just between lovers, but also friendships, parent-child and a few others.
There are so many little life lessons in this book about life, love and loss. The cover of this book might look all cozy and cute, but this story has substance. Life isn’t always easy, but rather chaotic and messy, but when you give it a chance, love’s magic will sort things out in the way it is meant to. I really enjoyed this book and am glad I took a chance on it and will certainly be reading more from this author soon!
