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This Is What Happy Looks Like

by Jennifer E. Smith (Goodreads Author)

3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 · rating details · 4,394 ratings · 775 reviews

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the pe...more

Hardcover, 416 pages

Published April 2nd 2013 by Poppy

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This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

2013 Contemporary YA

3rd out of 230 books — 843 voters

YA Novels of 2013

65th out of 999 books — 7,034 voters

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Community Reviews

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Aug 09, 2012 KM marked it as must-read-at-all-costs

Shelves: girly-wonderfulness, cover-love, little-brown, netgalley-edelweiss, kindle-books, contemporaries

OMG "You've Got Mail" AND "Sleepless in Seattle"???

This. This is the book of awesome for 2013. I can feel it.

94 likes · like · see review

Apr 10, 2013 Mitch rated it 3 of 5 stars

Believe it or not, I’ve seen You’ve Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle. Not willingly, but I’ve seen ‘em. This is What Happy Looks Like is neither. In reality, what this really is is Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!... which I have also seen, also not willingly. So if you're looking for some cute emails (it's not written wholly in epistolary form though, don't worry), yeah this book has 'em. If you're looking for every single movie star tired of his job deciding to looking for romance with a small t...more

15 likes · like · see review

Apr 06, 2013 Jessie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, 2013-publication, won-t-order, reviewed, annoying-main-character, open-ending

Actual rating: 2.5 stars

Nothing really happens, but a cute story nonetheless. The events in this book was actually pretty realistic. It deals with the problems Graham faces as a movie star and Ellie's past. Though there never was a real solution to them, there isn't supposed to be one in reality, and I find the no solution part really refreshing. In reality, there are difficulties we can't tackle, problems we can't handle, that's why the whole plot felt like something that would actually happen...more

12 likes · like · see review

Mar 29, 2013 Giselle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, ebook, contemporary

If you want a read that leaves a smile on your face, This Is What Happy Looks Like is the perfect choice! A sweet romance, a small town, and fun characters make this a great summer read that you should definitely bring on vacation!

A modern day fairy tale is what this story is, really. It's not the kind of love story that's particularly believable--no one accidentally pen pals a stranger who ends up being a movie star--but if you enjoy those lightweight romance books where the story is more of a...more If you want a read that leaves a smile on your face, This Is What Happy Looks Like is the perfect choice! A sweet romance, a small town, and fun characters make this a great summer read that you should definitely bring on vacation!

A modern day fairy tale is what this story is, really. It's not the kind of love story that's particularly believable--no one accidentally pen pals a stranger who ends up being a movie star--but if you enjoy those lightweight romance books where the story is more of a dream than anything, this one fits the bill. It's fun for a different reason; instead of being a love story that burns with the fierce realness of two people who fall in love, Jennifer goes into almost every teenage girl's dream and plucks the most famous movie star into the arms of your every day small town girl. You will likely find yourself pondering on what this would actually be like, which is fun, you have to admit! Getting to see Graham's POV also brings up what it truly means to be famous. Not the glamorous red carpet side, but how nothing you ever do can be private, and no one truly knows the real you--he even feels like a stranger in his own family. I liked how his side of the story was just as developed as Ellie's, showing us his true feelings toward his stardom; he does not rejoice being recognized by the masses. While it's impossible to relate to that lifestyle (at least for most), it's easy to understand how not all of it is dazzling. It was nice that Ellie wasn't the star struck fan that some might expect, as well. She was basically unperturbed by stars in her town--at least until she finds out who, exactly, her email buddy is. But she wasn't pretentious about the relationship at all which made her character very likeable; how many do you know who would not immediately blast Facebook with their relationship had it been them? She actually had her reasons for wanting it to be kept on the down low which creates more than a few bumps along the road between these two. Although, it remains a lighthearted read nonetheless.

Like every small town, the people who reside in it know everyone else, this makes for a small but lively cast of side characters, as well as a great small town atmosphere which I genuinely felt throughout. Being from a tiny town not so different than Ellie's, I easily found myself roaming the streets along with her, enjoying the family owned quirky shops and town events. This small town garners more than just romance, too. We have some family issues that are visited throughout the story, friendship quibbles with her best friend, along with a scandal or two. Not everything is complicated, though; I especially loved Ellie and her mother's relationship. They have an easy going dynamic where they can actually talk to each other; no unconcerned parenting or melodramatics involved. And to add a great touch of charm to the story, we get snippets of emails between Ellie and Graham at the beginning of every chapter which I thought was a great way to keep the romance in the air.

Light, charming, funny, and sweet, this is one you pick up when you simply want to escape into a romantic lala-land! In short, this book is what happy looks like! <--- You know I had to!

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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16 likes · like · see review

Mar 26, 2013 Nafiza rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-for-review, 2013

Here you go:

I haven’t read The Statistical Possibility of Love at First Sight so I was not really aware of Smith’s writing style when I first started this novel. I do think the premise, while it has been done countless times in countless variations, will remain attractive to anyone looking for a fairytale romance.

Except, you know, this novel doesn’t exactly deliver on the fairytale portion. It’s not exactly grim and realistic but Smith is careful to ensure that the not-so-fun parts of the fairyt...more Here you go:

I haven’t read The Statistical Possibility of Love at First Sight so I was not really aware of Smith’s writing style when I first started this novel. I do think the premise, while it has been done countless times in countless variations, will remain attractive to anyone looking for a fairytale romance.

Except, you know, this novel doesn’t exactly deliver on the fairytale portion. It’s not exactly grim and realistic but Smith is careful to ensure that the not-so-fun parts of the fairytale romance get fair exposure. For example, the paparazzi hounding you, the uncertainty of your schedule and the possibility that you won’t be able to see your girlfriend or boyfriend for months on end. Stuff like that is addressed quite fairly. However, the novel is, predominantly, fluff. The feel good fluff that you will consume preferably by a pool or at the beach. It is happy-making though there are rough spots scattered here and there to spice up the narrative.

As is usual with YA novels, there are parental issues and this is quite legitimate but I found that Ellie’s scenes with her dad were not as powerful as Smith probably intended them to be and I was rather bummed by how anticlimactic it all turned out to be. I wanted there to be a grand confrontation and yes, I realize there is something understated about it and in hindsight, I will probably appreciate the delicacy with which it was handled but the drama queen in me really wanted there to be some screaming. Also, what the heck is happening with the friendship between Ellie and her best friend? There were major pacing issues there and for their fallout to feel more authentic, there needed to be more time given to have the reader figure out the relationship between the two but alas, Ellie’s best friend has the ancillary position which somehow dissolves into nothing until it’s all magically fixed. I don’t know, you guys. If friendship is going to matter in a novel, I’d like to see something sincere, honest and a little painful. I don’t want the best friend to just be there as a prop, as someone to divert or perhaps focus attention from and to the protagonist.

Another issue I had here was with the romance. Obviously this book makes no secret that it’s primary focus is the romance between Graham and Ellie. And I found it rather refreshing that Ellie is not insecure about Graham’s feelings for her but I think I would have liked to see a bit more interiority there. Graham, on the other hand, is almost spilling over with his love for Ellie but then the ending occurs and the incongruity between him wanting to be with Ellie, being heartbroken by her etc, when juxtaposed with the ending (which is not sad but leaves room for thought) just confused me. They are very cute when they are together but I found it so interesting that, despite their obvious interest in each other, they are still still, somehow, inexplicably, level headed.

Also, I loved how poignantly Graham’s life is shown to be though. Smith shows that fame and a celebrity’s life is not necessary equal to happiness. The image of Graham sitting at home alone with a pet pig is very convincing.

Do I recommend this book? Yeah. It’s entertainment. It has its faults but it is fun and if you suspend your disbelief and don’t question things too much, you should enjoy it.(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Apr 04, 2013 Isamlq rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5/5

If this is what happy looks like, give me some more! It does not disappoint, nor does not mislead... and it's an excellent pick for a fluff break between all those emotionally weighed reads i've been reading of late.

Not to say that there wasn't some heft here because there was: her and her secrets, then him in the public eye, but it's the light witty exchanges between them that first reeled me in. So, focus on their internet exchanges and I was tickled pink. And were I to piece this apart a...more

7 likes · like · see review

Nov 14, 2012 Jessica-Robyn marked it as to-read

Shelves: young-adult, standalone-novels, romance

Premeditation: I am such a sucker for You've Got Mail I cannot even begin to explain. Normally I wouldn't go for this sort of premise without some confirmation it's good, but The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight was a similar situation and that turned out great. It will be interesting to see if this goes over just as well.

6 likes · like · see review

May 11, 2012 Pauline marked it as to-read

Look, I love The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, I even made the cover as my wallpaper. And now, I just know that this book will be awesome because of the reference in You've Got Mail which I've seen countless times. I can't wait for this book to comes out!!!

5 likes · like · see review

Apr 07, 2013 Natalie (Natflix&Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: edelweiss

Find this review and more like it (plus movie reviews) on my blog

I couldn't wait to start reading This is What Happy Looks Like. So much so that I dove into it way ahead of my "reading schedule" and while I was still in the middle of a handful of other books I should have finished first. That adorable cover (seriously, I love that cover) and the synopsis promised a cute, contemporary romance and I'm happy to say that it delivered. I really enjoyed This is What Happy Looks Like.

The story follows...more

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 04, 2013 Farah rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who wouldn't mind reading an awesomely cute novel. And as always: Cats.

Shelves: dftba, nerdfighters, fudging-amazing-characters, i-am-in-love, love-the-quotes, love-the-cover, must-meet-author, so-cute-i-could-die, ohmigosh-ohmigosh, whimsically-witty, swoon-worthy-male-characters

She could only hope that in a place filled with so many wonders, it would have still been possible to appreciate something as remarkable and ordinary as all this.

There are books that we get all excited about and all it does is disappoint us ... this is clearly not one of those books.
This is one of those amazing books that managed to fix my face with the silliest smiles imaginable!
I was so excited to read this that I actually put the three or so other books that I was reading, on halt, to read t...more

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 07, 2013 Alyssa rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Rom-com fans.

Shelves: arc-2013, ebook, 2013-read, a-guy-of-ya, confused-feelings, contemporary, multiple-povs, only-okay, rom-com, ya-romance

Jennifer E. Smith’s books should come with a tagline saying something along the lines of “fun, frolicky and fantastic”, because they really are all three of those things. This is What Happy Looks Like is no different; it’s a laugh-out-loud romance with the kind of drama that rivals the most popular of soap operas, and would be a really great read for a sunny day.

Ellie O’Neill meets Graham Larkin by way of the oft-happening occurrence of an email being sent to the wrong address...though the fact...more Jennifer E. Smith’s books should come with a tagline saying something along the lines of “fun, frolicky and fantastic”, because they really are all three of those things. This is What Happy Looks Like is no different; it’s a laugh-out-loud romance with the kind of drama that rivals the most popular of soap operas, and would be a really great read for a sunny day.

Ellie O’Neill meets Graham Larkin by way of the oft-happening occurrence of an email being sent to the wrong address...though the fact that Graham is a superstar hottie is not something that happens every day. After many weeks of emailing and getting to know each other from afar, Graham directs his latest movie director towards Ellie’s small Maine town for shooting. It’s here where something real betweens to develop between the two, though the threat of Ellie’s darkest secret, and Graham’s popularity, start to weigh them down. Will they be able to accept their different lifestyles and pasts to create a future?

I’m a huge rom-com/contemporary romance fan, and though they can become repetitive after some reads, they’re still a ton of fun. TIWHLL is formulaic, but the formula can be forgotten because the easiness and lightness to Smith’s writing style makes the whole story seem new. I really enjoy her writing style, and though I usually find third person narration difficult to absorb in contemporary books, it really worked in the case of this story. My only issue with the writing would be that Ellie and Graham’s voices were so very similar, and I had a difficult time accepting that they were really two different people.

The drama in this book could be called far-fetched and unrealistic, but I found it refreshing that an author decided to go the route of that kind of drama, because it can be fun to get lost in crazy scheming and high-tension relationships. While I found that the romance between Ellie and Graham escalated in a somewhat awkward way, I think that if you can forget reality, TIWHLL is the type of book that can sweep you off your feet.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, which in no way affects my review.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 20, 2013 Carmen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit-contemporary

So the thing with Jennifer Smith's stories is... It's not unique but it's... Amazing.
I don't know she does it, but somehow, it's almost like she takes cliches... and makes them new and refreshing, and remind us of WHY they became a cliche in the first place. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight used the cliche of love at first sight, and this one of falling in love with a celebrity.

And OMG. I loved it. It was absolutely adorable.
I did wish the mystery of who Graham was withheld a...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jun 06, 2013 Danielle (Curiouser & Curiouser) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-favourites, beach-reads, chick-lit, contemporary, covers-that-make-you-jizz, fudging-awesome, i-really-liked-it, read-in-2013, romance

3.5 stars

'There are different kinds of happy,' she said. 'Some kinds don't need any proof.'

I'm usually hesitant whenever I pick up chick-lits. Why? Because I love entering another realm of the impossible (a.k.a fantasy/paranormal books). Reading chick-lits usually bores me due to the fact that it's realistic fiction. Why read what I try to escape from? After reading Hopeless by Colleen Hoover I was ready to give up reading chick-lits/contemporaries completely. For some reason I saw This Is W...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 14, 2013 Debby rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: little-brown, own-ebook, 2013-reads, reviewed, bad-romance, could-have-been-better, disappointing, contemporary, cover-fraud, characters-i-want-to-shake, it-s-not-you-it-s-me, how-did-i-finish, pov-third-person, pov-multiple, romance, young-adult

2 stars

As a true hopeless romantic, the "normal girl meets and falls in love with a famous boy" story makes my heart flutter. No matter how cliché, I really enjoy reading stories like it. And yet... This Is What Happy Looks Like is just lackluster in everything. This review will contain spoilers. Beware. I just can't review this book without pointing out the idiotic plot points.

So Ellie and Graham meet by accident when Graham misspells an e-mail address. They don't know who the other is, but the...more

13 likes · like · see review

Apr 29, 2013 Aimee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sometimes you read a book that’s absolutely adorable, and it charms you so much that you don’t even mind how impossible some of the circumstances in the book may be. For me, this novel was This Is What Happy Looks Like. A lot more straightforward than Jennifer E. Smith’s debut, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, This Is What Happy Looks Like is a novel about two teenagers who serendipitously meet via email, and end up falling in love with the person on the other side of the rand...more Sometimes you read a book that’s absolutely adorable, and it charms you so much that you don’t even mind how impossible some of the circumstances in the book may be. For me, this novel was This Is What Happy Looks Like. A lot more straightforward than Jennifer E. Smith’s debut, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, This Is What Happy Looks Like is a novel about two teenagers who serendipitously meet via email, and end up falling in love with the person on the other side of the random, adorkable, and occasionally quite personal digital notes. While I won’t claim to know anything about what it’s like being famous, I truly felt like I was able to step into Graham Larkin’s shoes. I understood why this happenstance stray email to a stranger (and all of their subsequent conversations) would mean so much to him, and why, when he’d felt such a deep connection with her, he’d feel compelled to seek her out. Jennifer E. Smith is sincere in her portrayal of unexpected, real-life internet connections, and I thought she authentically captured how friendships can be formed on the internet through a post or an email or a blog every day (some of my best relationships are with friends I have yet to meet in person). I enjoyed the fact that Graham and Ellie were three-dimensional, dealing with their own issues beyond the love story (and Graham’s celebrity status), particularly those related to their respective families. Ellie’s strong relationship with her mother, and Graham’s estranged relationship with his parents both stood out to me, well-written and dynamic.

What did bother me, however, was that Ellie seemed to share her life with Graham, either willingly or because he had the means to know more about her background than she does (his manager sought information about her as a background/security check), while Graham, even if he wanted to speak to Ellie or someone about his problems, did not do the same. Her personal journey, grappling with finding a way to finance her dreams and make peace with her deadbeat father, take up a large portion of the story, and his journey is more internal. Both journeys come to some sort of conclusion, but I felt that Ellie received more closure than Graham did (though one of Ellie’s main dilemmas just fizzled into nothing towards the end). His worries, which plagued him for the entire book, somehow worked themselves out, which I’m glad about, and it makes sense that his parents could naturally — eventually — adjust to his new life and try to rekindle that relationship… But it still felt a little anticlimactic to me.

This Is What Happy Looks Like is a lighthearted, cute romance that delivers exactly what it promises: a story that will make you smile. (Which is what I hoped to read when I started.) Readers looking for something more serious may want to pick up Jennifer E. Smith’s The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight instead.

[Review originally posted @ Penmanship Smitten, where you will find more, similar book reviews.](less)

1 like · like · see review

Oct 15, 2012 Claudia marked it as to-read

"You've Got Mail" + "Sleepless in Seattle" + the super star thing + a mystery in the family?!

10 likes · like · see review

May 08, 2013 Kulsoom rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kulsoom by: Rahma

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · like · see review

Apr 06, 2013 Jen Calonita rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is what happy looks like: darling, sweet, heartfelt and exactly what 15-year-old me used to dream about (in my case Joey McIntyre falling in love with me. He was like a One Direction guy for my peeps!). Highly recommend!

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 08, 2013 Amanda Griggs rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Jennifer E. Smith has this uncanny ability to take a clichéd story idea, like falling in love mid-flight or with a movie star, and making it incredibly believable and heartfelt. Ellie and Graham's story may be far-fetched, but their reactions to the situation and their affection for each other elevate the story into something special. Smith populates her story with great secondary characters, all of them fleshed out and sympathetic. There are no real villains in this book- only circumstances bey...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 06, 2013 Shambhawi P. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: heroes-to-die-for, i-heart-you, swoonfest-going-on

:) Cute. Me iz happy.

4 likes · like · see review

May 28, 2013 Susana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, romance, ya

2,5 stars

What can i say..
If the story were to be divided in three parts, i would definitely give to the first third of it, a four star rating. It was cute, and funny, and yes, it did remind me of "You've got a Message"...on the message exhange part, yes! :)

I think you have the wrong e-mail address. But since I’m a dog owner too, and I don’t want poor Wilbur to be stranded, I thought I’d write back and let you know…
(..)
Ah, sorry about that. New phone, so I’m typing in the address.
Looks like I fo...more

1 like · like · see review

May 18, 2013 Frishawn Rasheed rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-read, best-of-2013, heart-warming-feel-good-read, net-galley, oh-how-romantic, wishlist

Jennifer E. Smith does it again with this simple tale of love, life, secrets, and emails gone awry.
"This Is What Happy Looks Like", is a refreshingly simple tale of two teenagers who find each other through the happenstance of a mistyped email address, becoming friends first, and then more.

The thing that makes this book work is it's "it could happen to you" factor. It is so easy to become Ellie or Graham, seeing and experiencing the world as he or she would. These two young people are two hearts...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 14, 2013 Cecile rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who enjoy stupidity

Shelves: cover-love, idiotic-mc, multiple-pov-cop-out, meh, ice-cream-and-sunsets, trying-too-hard

OK, I want a pen-pal. I don’t mind if he isn’t secretly a huge movie superstar (although that wouldn’t bother me too much. Depending on which star we’re talking about. As I’ve just seen” Two Mothers” at the movies, Xavier Samuel would be nice. Kthxbye).

How is it that Jennifer E. Smith can always find a way to portray a “falling in love story” that makes me feel like it could actually happen in real life, and makes me want it to happen like that?

Sadly, that and the lovely summer feeling I got f...more OK, I want a pen-pal. I don’t mind if he isn’t secretly a huge movie superstar (although that wouldn’t bother me too much. Depending on which star we’re talking about. As I’ve just seen” Two Mothers” at the movies, Xavier Samuel would be nice. Kthxbye).

How is it that Jennifer E. Smith can always find a way to portray a “falling in love story” that makes me feel like it could actually happen in real life, and makes me want it to happen like that?

Sadly, that and the lovely summer feeling I got from this book are about the only positive things I can honestly mention. I have a very fond memory of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, and I was looking forward to discovering this one. Now I’m not sure I’ll give the next one *insert Georgaphy of us* a chance.
What bothered me most:

- POVs from both main characters. I’ve said it already and I’ll say it again, it’s just plain LAZY WRITING. In reality you’re only writing about half the book, since both sides are just variations on what happens. Sometimes (rarely) the book survives. Most times it doesn’t.

- Ellie. I hate meek, sacrificing main characters and although Graham tried to convince us otherwise (she’s not like the other girls he dates, she dares to tell him she expects him to take her to dinner. Blah. ) I just wanted her to grow up and I don’t know, get a spine or something. During the whole book, she just sits there, wallowing in her (self-inflected) misery and when she finally wakes up it’s to suggest the Worst Ideas Ever (and she’s “quite proud of them” too, the little muggle!). And this brings us to my next point…

-… Sheer stupidity. Ellie has a rich, senator father that she hasn’t seen much because he’s already married and has another family. And apparently she got the WIE (Worst Ideas Ever, keep up people!) gene from her mom, who slept with said married-senator and got pregnant with Ellie. If that weren’t enough, she now prevents any contact between them, and will certainly not accept any alimony! That would be just too easy, better struggle with a gift shop and her daughter working two jobs to be able to go to her poetry course at Harvard. She’s also the one who “warns” Ellie and makes her freeze Graham out for 3 weeks. (Repercussions of Ellie being seen with a famous guy, the “scandal” reappearing, etc.). Suddenly though, Ellie decides to pay her father a little visit and casually get the money for the Harvard course. (Principles be damned, it seems) By that time, I was already firmly in the Rolling My Eyes So Much It hurts state of mind, so what followed was just…*slams book shut and throws it in the sea, hoping the lobsters will tear through it*(a little Maine humor for you there). They steal a boat, don’t know how to get to their destination, forget sun-block, water, food AND COMMON SENSE. And when she finally meets her father, (who doesn’t recognize her, duh) she wimps out and just leaves.
Graham is not much better. As usual, when a female author tries to narrate a male POV it felt like a slightly less bubbly version of Ellie. He does punch a photographer though but that’s about it.

- Unreal storylines. I think what’s above is example enough but I’ll add this: the (wannabe marine biologist, pointless fact if there was any as she seems just dumb enough to believe she can ever become that) BFF getting mad for 3 weeks because Ellie didn’t tell her she had a pen-pal. You know what they say, With friends like these…

- No progress whatsoever throughout the book. Everyone one ends up precisely where they started. Ellie is still a mousey/poor/idiotic girl. Her mom is still struggling and awfully judgmental. Graham is still a conflicted movie star with a pet pig. Quinn is still an annoying BFF. And Graham and Ellie are right where they started. Yeah they kissed a bit, but their paths are going in very different directions and I’m not even sure they’ll remain assiduous pen-pals in the future.

Anyway. This was a read-along with equilibri, and as she said, the best part about this book was being able to criticize it and roll our eyes together while reading it. (Our scintillating conversation as well as our dear Severus Snape can be found here. Beware of spoilers). All I can say is that if she hadn’t been there to suffer through it with me I probably wouldn’t have finished this one.
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1 like · like · see review

Apr 07, 2013 Cláudia Pereira rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: My dear fellow reader who is a romantic at heart and who has no shame in it

To my dear fellow reader who is a romantic at heart and who has no shame in it:

This is the right book for you! Yes, I'm talking to you!
I could probably look up in a dictionary or a thesaurus much more interesting words that surface when I write words like Sweet, Lovely, Funny and their matches would be much more suited for this book, but would it be necessary? No, because those words will be more than enough for you to pick up and read this book.

"She was thinking of those words they’d sent sa...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 04, 2013 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: april-releases, challenge-contemporary

Graham accidentally emailed Ellie asking her to walk his pig. When she writes back to inform him he has the wrong email address, they strike up a pen pal friendship. Graham loves having someone to talk to that doesn't treat him like the movie star he has recently become. So when his latest movie needs a place to film, Graham tells the director about Ellie's small hometown.

I love small town summer romances. This book was sweet and fun. It didn't have the emotional depth of The Statistical Probabi...more Graham accidentally emailed Ellie asking her to walk his pig. When she writes back to inform him he has the wrong email address, they strike up a pen pal friendship. Graham loves having someone to talk to that doesn't treat him like the movie star he has recently become. So when his latest movie needs a place to film, Graham tells the director about Ellie's small hometown.

I love small town summer romances. This book was sweet and fun. It didn't have the emotional depth of The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight but I still enjoyed it immensely. First I love that Graham has a pet pig! Too cute. I've seriously wanted a pet pot belly pig all my life. LOL Babe is one of my all time favorite movies. I also love the little emails included. Those were the perfect touch to the story. Graham is one of the down to earth type of famous people and at times I wondered if he would quit but he really loved acting. With it comes the media attention so it cane be a difficult career path to follow.

Ellie is a small town girl with a little bit of a secret past. Her mom had an affair with a politician. They took off to live their own life and now he might be running for president. She does not want any media attention. This part of the story was a bit frustrating. That Ellie would pull back from Graham because of this. It took a lot away from the romance. They only have a short few weeks of filming. The ending was left rather open so you don't really know where things go but that there are lots of possibilities. I don't have a ton to say about this book. It is just one of those fun, light romances perfect for summer and brightening your mood after a long hard day. :-D

---
"How are you supposed to find what you're looking for if you're not convinced it's even out there?"

"Exactly. How can you know it makes you happy if you’ve never experienced it?”
“There are different kinds of happy,” she said. “Some kinds don’t need any proof."

"Maybe growing up was really nothing more than growing away: from your old life, from your old self, from all those things that kept you tethered to your past."

"I'd have to come to rescue you," he told her. "I might not have a white horse, but I do have a very portly pig."
"How romantic," Ellie said.(less)

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May 19, 2013 Monica rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, realistic, romance, coverlove, read-in-2013, that-never-happens-in-rl, beautiful-writing, reviewed

Review can also be found here.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars
I've been wanting to read this book since I read that awesome synopsis and then the cover came out and I could barely wait until the so far away April for it to be released. I'm a sucker for cute romances and well, this was one of the cases when I could just tell I'd love this book. I mean, it had me at "You've Got Mail meets Sleepless in Seattle". What other reassurances could I ever need? But, even though I did really enjoy it and smiled li...more Review can also be found here.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars
I've been wanting to read this book since I read that awesome synopsis and then the cover came out and I could barely wait until the so far away April for it to be released. I'm a sucker for cute romances and well, this was one of the cases when I could just tell I'd love this book. I mean, it had me at "You've Got Mail meets Sleepless in Seattle". What other reassurances could I ever need? But, even though I did really enjoy it and smiled like a fool while reading, it wasn't that perfect or amazing.

I'll just start off by clarifying that the rating is a bit low despite the fact that I enjoyed reading this book because it's more rational and objective when I started to consider the positive and negative things this book had. It doesn't mean that it's not good. My ratings lately are very different from certain feelings books have given me. You know, trying to be professional and all.

One of the things I feel grateful to this book is for being such a quick and entertaining read despite its terrifying 400 pages. I finished it in less than two days and that means that it was really eventful and exciting. And cute. So very cute, I almost melted from all the adorableness. I knew from the beginning that this story would be far, very far from realistic because really, who meets a famous actor, around the same age accidentally on the internet and talks to him frequently and they become BFFs? It's a nice concept but not at all practical. That doesn't mean I complain though. I love love stories with serendipity and destiny and things like that because one needs to forget about reality once in a while. Jennifer E. Smith is a master a writing stories like these without them being unbearably cheesy and cliche and even giving them a somewhat if not realistic, a deeper and more approachable storyline.

I really liked both of the main characters. Ellie was a very sweet and down to earth girl who you could very easily cheer for and support her through her adventurous and so very exciting summer. She is very funny and relatable, with the usual teenage doubts, insecurities and dreams. I liked how this book wasn't just about the romance but also included other aspects of Ellie's life; her desire to go to poetry summer course in Harvard, her close relationship with her mother and some bits of her past about her father who is practically a stranger to her. Like I mentioned, Ellie's mom is a very well portrayed parent, caring and supportive but also protective of her daughter without becoming a stereotype of a controlling and harsh mother. This is what I mean when I say this story does have a few realistic aspects. But I wanted Ellie's best friend, Quinn to be more present, too and I didn't like how they didn't speak to each other for most of the time for not even a misunderstanding, but rather a lack of trying from both of them. It seemed like they just didn't care. I would have died if I went longer than a day without speaking to my best friend. Seriously.

Graham was really nice as well. He was very understanding and simple, considering he's a worldwide famous actor and everything. I do wish his and Ellie's narrations to have been more distinctive. Sometimes their PoVs seemed pretty much the same. It's one of down sides of third person narrative, I suppose. But anyway, I did really like him and his chemistry with Ellie was subtle but definitely there. I was rooting for them to be together since the first page. However, I still would have prefered for Graham to be a bit more passionate about his profession. Most of the time, he sounded like he was dragged into acting and that's sad because acting is a form of art and interpretation and it's definitely something you have to be very passionate and serious about. I wanted him to show that and not just focus on the inevitable negative consequences that being famous brings. I mean, actors are supposed to love doing that; giving autographs, hugging fans and giving interviews. I do admit that paparazzis can be very obnoxious and insensitive most of the time, though.

I loved the setting of this book. It was Henley, a small town in a Maine which was described as those peaceful and beautiful towns, where you could easily lose yourself and escape reality and its constant noise for a while. It was described so vividly, I can picture every single place in my mind easily. I almost want this book to turn into a movie so I can really see this setting. It was that lovely.
This brings me to a detail I really liked. Even though this book is all about fate and destiny, I liked how it was Graham who decided to come into this town to turn it into his movie setting and he didn't leave it up to chance or coincidences. I liked he was very serious and determined about meeting Ellie after emailing her for so long.

But a scene I kind of wish hadn't been included at all was Ellie's meeting with her father. It was unnecessary because it didn't really affect the story in any way. Her decision to just go and meet him was very rushed and out of the blue. It was awful seeing her get disappointed in the end but it was something she should have seen coming. However, this was better than him actually recognizing her and it becoming a sappy, soap opera scene.

So you can see that I really liked this book but I couldn't help but notice these little things that irked me. All in all, this is a great story to read during hot summer days and just smiling your way to every page of it. Even if it's not perfect, I definitely don't regret reading it. Jennifer E. Smith's writing is just amazing.(less)

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May 14, 2013 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jennifer E. Smith is very talented at crafting adorable love stories. This is What Happy Looks Like is endearing in the way of feel-good movies. While it might be cheesy, it still makes you love it.

Graham accidently sends an email to the wrong address and it ends up in Ellie’s inbox. For about four months they have email conversations about everything except the important details of their lives. Graham is completely drawn to this girl, so he arranges to have his next movie shot in her small cit...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary-romance

When an email from Graham Larkin to a pig walker gets mistakenly sent to sixteen year old Ellie O’Neill, an unlikely friendship blossoms between a teen heart-throb and a small town girl. But when their relationship goes from online to off-screen, things get complicated. The guy that every girl wants falls for a girl who wants nothing to do with the limelight or the paparazzi following that comes with it. Can the easy camaraderie Ellie and Graham once had stand up to the pressures that real life...more When an email from Graham Larkin to a pig walker gets mistakenly sent to sixteen year old Ellie O’Neill, an unlikely friendship blossoms between a teen heart-throb and a small town girl. But when their relationship goes from online to off-screen, things get complicated. The guy that every girl wants falls for a girl who wants nothing to do with the limelight or the paparazzi following that comes with it. Can the easy camaraderie Ellie and Graham once had stand up to the pressures that real life brings?

I have to admit I love the famous guy falling for the small town girl storyline. Mix it with elements of mistaken online identity in a “You’ve Got Mail” twist and you have one of my all time plot lines. I’ve watched movies based on this. I’ve read stories basted on this – I’ve even written my own novella like this. I’m delighted to say that This is What Happy Looks Like is such a worthy addition to the other works in this genre.

Ellie and Graham are flawlessly flawed. They are characters who both had to grow up fast due to their circumstances and as a result they both act much older than their years. Seeing them in this summer romance was delightful to see them behave like the teenagers they are. Both have their baggage but neither of them dwell on their situation. Graham wants something to like him for him and not the fame or privileges that go along with the “Graham Larkin Experience”. Ellie enjoys the quiet life and doesn’t appreciate the media circus that the film crew has brought to her peaceful Maine cottage.

I was a little disappointed with the supporting cast of characters – the friends were of the fair-weather variety and the authority figures were somewhat fleeting – but they didn’t detract from the romance between Graham and Ellie.

This is a very sweet story. Plot wise – there’s not too many surprises this is definitely one of those books you read for the journey and not the destination. It loses steam about two-thirds of the way in but manages to pick up the pace for a delightful ending.

Overall I’d recommend this book for anyone who likes a light contemporary story about a summer romance where no matter who you are, sometimes the simplest things in life are the ones that make you the happiest.(less)

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Jun 15, 2013 Nina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: don-t-read

More of my book reviews at http://mustreadbeforeyoudie.blog.com

Don’t read this one. I would skip it. Started off good enough with an email accidentally sent to someone else. Graham and Ellie then become email pen pals and shared thoughts on every day life. Really got my attention, especially when the movie Graham was filming ended up in Ellie’s home town. There were even really good details about the characters, like how Graham’s dad took him fishing when he was 10. They didn’t catch anything up...more

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Jun 08, 2013 J. Lynne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This one was just okay. I love the Hollywood premise, so I was excited to read this book. I'm sorry to say that it didn't pan out. The writing itself was very good. I just wasn't that into the story.

For one, the protagonists relationship really relies solely on their three-month email communications. This would have been fine, so long as the author had them build on this via scenes together. However, they spend a surprising amount of time NOT with each other. I don't know. I required more scene...more

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About Jennifer E. Smith

Jennifer E. Smith is the author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, The Storm Makers, You Are Here, and The Comeback Season. She earned her master's degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and currently works as an editor in New York City. Her writing has been translated into 28 languages.

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The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

This Is What Happy Looks Like: First 3 Chapters

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“Exactly. How can you know it makes you happy if you’ve never experienced it?”
“There are different kinds of happy,” she said. “Some kinds don’t need any proof.” — 55 people liked it

“From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Saturday, June 8, 2013 1:18 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: what happy looks like
Sunrises over the harbor. Ice cream on a hot day. The sound of the waves down the street. The way my dog curls up next to me on the couch. Evening strolls. Great movies. Thunderstorms. A good cheeseburger. Fridays. Saturdays. Wednesdays, even. Sticking your toes in the water. Pajama pants. Flip-flops. Swimming. Poetry. The absence of smiley faces in an e-mail.

What does it look like to you?” — 37 people liked it

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