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Growing up Greek-Canadian, Peter Georgiou always knew his duty was to his family, for whom twenty-first century rules don’t apply. In his early thirties, Peter still lives at home, dates who his parents tell him to, and works at the family restaurant. But watching his two best friends find happiness in each other’s arms has made him worry over his destiny.
When Louie Papadakis returns home to nurse his broken heart and start a new life, he can’t believe his sister is dating his high school crush, Peter. There’s a sadness behind Peter’s eyes that draws him in, and a chemistry he wishes he could ignore. After his closeted ex broke his heart, Louie is afraid to fall in love again, especially with a man who's keeping secrets.
As Peter finds himself drawn to Louie in unexpected ways, old and new worlds collide. Then a family crisis forces Peter’s hand, and he must decide if he’s willing to sacrifice his happiness for family duty.
When Louie Papadakis returns home to nurse his broken heart and start a new life, he can’t believe his sister is dating his high school crush, Peter. There’s a sadness behind Peter’s eyes that draws him in, and a chemistry he wishes he could ignore. After his closeted ex broke his heart, Louie is afraid to fall in love again, especially with a man who's keeping secrets.
As Peter finds himself drawn to Louie in unexpected ways, old and new worlds collide. Then a family crisis forces Peter’s hand, and he must decide if he’s willing to sacrifice his happiness for family duty.
147 pages, ebook
First published March 30, 2016
About the author
Chris Scully
19 books149 followersCHRIS SCULLY lives in Toronto, Canada. She grew up spinning romantic stories in her head and always dreamed of one day being a writer even though life had other plans. Her characters have accompanied her through career turns as a librarian and an IT professional, until finally, to escape the tedium of a corporate day job, she took a chance and began putting her daydreams down on paper.
Tired of the same old boy-meets-girl stories, she found a home in M/M romance and strives to give her characters the happy endings they deserve. She divides her time between a mundane 9-5 cubicle job and a much more interesting fantasy life. When she’s not working or writing (which isn’t often these days) she loves puttering in the garden and traveling. She is an avid reader and tries to bring pieces of other genres and styles to her stories. While her head is crammed full of all the things she’d like to try writing, her focus is always on the characters first. She describes her characters as authentic, ordinary people—the kind of guy you might meet on the street, or the one who might be your best friend.
Although keeping up with social media is still a struggle given her schedule, she does love to hear from readers.
Connect with Chris:
Website: chrisscullyblog.wordpress.com
Facebook: facebook.com/chris.scully.author
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/6152322.Chr...
Email: cscully@bell.net
Tired of the same old boy-meets-girl stories, she found a home in M/M romance and strives to give her characters the happy endings they deserve. She divides her time between a mundane 9-5 cubicle job and a much more interesting fantasy life. When she’s not working or writing (which isn’t often these days) she loves puttering in the garden and traveling. She is an avid reader and tries to bring pieces of other genres and styles to her stories. While her head is crammed full of all the things she’d like to try writing, her focus is always on the characters first. She describes her characters as authentic, ordinary people—the kind of guy you might meet on the street, or the one who might be your best friend.
Although keeping up with social media is still a struggle given her schedule, she does love to hear from readers.
Connect with Chris:
Website: chrisscullyblog.wordpress.com
Facebook: facebook.com/chris.scully.author
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/6152322.Chr...
Email: cscully@bell.net
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
March 15, 2017
2 "dull, mildly sweet, dull, dull, du..." stars.
2016 - 3rd Most Fun Review to Write
I am not even going to start writing about why it was so dull. Makes me sleepy like watching the Waltons reruns:
Jaidee: Goodnite Wanda
Wanda: Goodnite Jaidee
Jaidee: Goodnite Teresa
Teresa: Goodnite Jaidee
Jaidee: Goodnite Eve, Goodnite Julie E, Goodnite Larry, Goodnite Spenks
All but Eve answer: Goodnite Jaidee (Eve is softly snoring)
Jaidee: Goodnite Dolors, Seemita, Florenica, Kalliope, Sabah, Samadrita and Marita
All answer in various accents: Goodnite Jaidee ( I like Sabah's best but I don't state it)
Jaidee: Goodnite all my A friends, Agnieszka, Alcornell, Algernon, Althea Ann and Angela M.
The As respond: Goodnite Jaidee
Jaidee: Goodnite Andrew S, Elyse, Esil, Fionnualla, Helle, Inanial, Jasmine, Jen, Jennifer M., Julie J.
Negin, Nicole, Suzanne, Vessey, Helle ,Violet and Jeannette
All say: Goodnite Jaidee but Violet rolls her eyes and Negin nudges her so she doesn't hurt my
feelings.
Jaidee: Goodnite Amanda, Cindy, Deanna, DJ, Debbie, Licha, Rowena M., Toni, Zanna and Zoeytron
All sing out: Goodnite Jaidee
Jaidee: Awful...its flat ladies....flat
Jaidee: Goodnite to all 5 Carols
5 Carols: OK Jaidee enough already....go to sleep.
Jaidee: Goodnite B, Bettie, Cheryl, Choko, Cimen, Duane, Evgeny, Iris, Kelli, Kohey, Lynne and
Matthias. Also to you Megan, Melanies R and F, Melki, Mona, Nageen, Petra X, Roya, Sarah
Scarlett and each and everyone of my Susans.
All: Goodnite Jaidee
Jaidee: Goodnite Cecily, Glenn R, Glenn S, Gautam, J. Jibran, Julio, Justin, Lee M, Lyn, Manny, Mr.
Monday, Mike C, Ritwik, Sanjay, Squire and Warwick
Cecily: Why am I lumped with all the boys?
Jaidee: Stop flirting with them then>
All: Goodnite Jaidee
Jaidee: Goodnite to the rest of my GR friends who don't interact too much with me and now I'm
going to start all my prayers.
All: Oh no your not> Shut the fuck up Jaidee (even Jenna says it and I'm shocked ;)
Addendum March 2017 : a warm Goodnite to all my new Goodreads buds that I have connected with since I wrote this review !
To all my Goodreads friends: You make me Happy :DD
2016 - 3rd Most Fun Review to Write
I am not even going to start writing about why it was so dull. Makes me sleepy like watching the Waltons reruns:
Jaidee: Goodnite Wanda
Wanda: Goodnite Jaidee
Jaidee: Goodnite Teresa
Teresa: Goodnite Jaidee
Jaidee: Goodnite Eve, Goodnite Julie E, Goodnite Larry, Goodnite Spenks
All but Eve answer: Goodnite Jaidee (Eve is softly snoring)
Jaidee: Goodnite Dolors, Seemita, Florenica, Kalliope, Sabah, Samadrita and Marita
All answer in various accents: Goodnite Jaidee ( I like Sabah's best but I don't state it)
Jaidee: Goodnite all my A friends, Agnieszka, Alcornell, Algernon, Althea Ann and Angela M.
The As respond: Goodnite Jaidee
Jaidee: Goodnite Andrew S, Elyse, Esil, Fionnualla, Helle, Inanial, Jasmine, Jen, Jennifer M., Julie J.
Negin, Nicole, Suzanne, Vessey, Helle ,Violet and Jeannette
All say: Goodnite Jaidee but Violet rolls her eyes and Negin nudges her so she doesn't hurt my
feelings.
Jaidee: Goodnite Amanda, Cindy, Deanna, DJ, Debbie, Licha, Rowena M., Toni, Zanna and Zoeytron
All sing out: Goodnite Jaidee
Jaidee: Awful...its flat ladies....flat
Jaidee: Goodnite to all 5 Carols
5 Carols: OK Jaidee enough already....go to sleep.
Jaidee: Goodnite B, Bettie, Cheryl, Choko, Cimen, Duane, Evgeny, Iris, Kelli, Kohey, Lynne and
Matthias. Also to you Megan, Melanies R and F, Melki, Mona, Nageen, Petra X, Roya, Sarah
Scarlett and each and everyone of my Susans.
All: Goodnite Jaidee
Jaidee: Goodnite Cecily, Glenn R, Glenn S, Gautam, J. Jibran, Julio, Justin, Lee M, Lyn, Manny, Mr.
Monday, Mike C, Ritwik, Sanjay, Squire and Warwick
Cecily: Why am I lumped with all the boys?
Jaidee: Stop flirting with them then>
All: Goodnite Jaidee
Jaidee: Goodnite to the rest of my GR friends who don't interact too much with me and now I'm
going to start all my prayers.
All: Oh no your not> Shut the fuck up Jaidee (even Jenna says it and I'm shocked ;)
Addendum March 2017 : a warm Goodnite to all my new Goodreads buds that I have connected with since I wrote this review !
To all my Goodreads friends: You make me Happy :DD
March 22, 2016
I received a copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
5 Happy Stars.
I was in a feral mood when I began this book. To be totally honest, I was getting on my own nerves, and this angry, volatile, and unsettling mood isn't my norm. Upon starting Happy, I was able to relax, and well, I felt- HAPPY
Our narrators are Peter and Louie. Peter is a loyal, hard-working man who has never truly lived his own life. Greek, his family moved to Canada when he was a baby. They opened up a Greek restaurant, and their entire lives surrounded it. Once, Peter escaped, only to be drawn back when his father had a heart attack. While he's there to help, his father won't let him. Then there is the mother- she knows who Peter truly is and it terrifies her, so she's always arranging his future marriages to nice Greek women. While on the surface, his parents sound awful, as the only child, Peter understands they love him, need him, and don't want to lose him. All of their issues stem from very real, everyday fears parents have, so even though they frustrated me, I appreciated their actions/reactions.
Peter is trapped. He's sad. He's not sexually confused, so don't get up-in-arms over what he wants in a partner. He knows exactly who he is, and is only willing to either make his mother happy or break her heart for the one. He had thought he found the one before, but Elena crushed him when she married another. Now Peter is dating a nice Greek girl five years his junior.
In walks Louie. The girlfriend's big brother, who's home after a bad breakup with a bi guy who is trapped in the closet. Out and proud, sick of feeling like their community's pariah. Louie will hide nothing, and he won't deal with someone who will.
I thoroughly enjoy Chris Scully's writing style. It's fluid, flowing from scene to scene in a realistic way. The characters are always developed and easy for the reader to identify with. Peter and Louie's relationship grows over the course of the book. The journey is friendship laced with attraction. Their need to spend time with each other, to learn each other on all levels, instead of just lying in bed getting sexual gratification, was a breath of fresh air. It made it feel real for me as a reader, instead of the story buried beneath the lust. Not that anything is wrong with a 100% lusty book, but sometimes I want some more depth than just a good time. After the slow-burn, it was hotter than Hades. I felt like I was being rewarded right alongside the characters.
The side cast of characters were developed, enjoyable and interesting, made real with flaws and all. I need to ask if Joe & Adam have their own book somewhere. It just felt like they may have. If anyone knows, can they let me know? If not, I'm satisfied with what I read of them. If so, I'd love to read it. The reason I ask is because Happy is listed as not in a series.
As I said, I started Happy in a bad mood, an illogical female mood if you catch my drift. Like taking a happy pill, I spent four hours smiling to myself, chuckling underneath my breath, and blushing with the characters. Happy was sweet, Happy was frustrating, and Happy was entertaining as all get out.
MM romance fans will adore this story and its characters. Previously I've only read Until September by Chris Scully, and look forward to more of her stories in the future.
5 Happy Stars.
I was in a feral mood when I began this book. To be totally honest, I was getting on my own nerves, and this angry, volatile, and unsettling mood isn't my norm. Upon starting Happy, I was able to relax, and well, I felt- HAPPY
Our narrators are Peter and Louie. Peter is a loyal, hard-working man who has never truly lived his own life. Greek, his family moved to Canada when he was a baby. They opened up a Greek restaurant, and their entire lives surrounded it. Once, Peter escaped, only to be drawn back when his father had a heart attack. While he's there to help, his father won't let him. Then there is the mother- she knows who Peter truly is and it terrifies her, so she's always arranging his future marriages to nice Greek women. While on the surface, his parents sound awful, as the only child, Peter understands they love him, need him, and don't want to lose him. All of their issues stem from very real, everyday fears parents have, so even though they frustrated me, I appreciated their actions/reactions.
Peter is trapped. He's sad. He's not sexually confused, so don't get up-in-arms over what he wants in a partner. He knows exactly who he is, and is only willing to either make his mother happy or break her heart for the one. He had thought he found the one before, but Elena crushed him when she married another. Now Peter is dating a nice Greek girl five years his junior.
In walks Louie. The girlfriend's big brother, who's home after a bad breakup with a bi guy who is trapped in the closet. Out and proud, sick of feeling like their community's pariah. Louie will hide nothing, and he won't deal with someone who will.
I thoroughly enjoy Chris Scully's writing style. It's fluid, flowing from scene to scene in a realistic way. The characters are always developed and easy for the reader to identify with. Peter and Louie's relationship grows over the course of the book. The journey is friendship laced with attraction. Their need to spend time with each other, to learn each other on all levels, instead of just lying in bed getting sexual gratification, was a breath of fresh air. It made it feel real for me as a reader, instead of the story buried beneath the lust. Not that anything is wrong with a 100% lusty book, but sometimes I want some more depth than just a good time. After the slow-burn, it was hotter than Hades. I felt like I was being rewarded right alongside the characters.
The side cast of characters were developed, enjoyable and interesting, made real with flaws and all. I need to ask if Joe & Adam have their own book somewhere. It just felt like they may have. If anyone knows, can they let me know? If not, I'm satisfied with what I read of them. If so, I'd love to read it. The reason I ask is because Happy is listed as not in a series.
As I said, I started Happy in a bad mood, an illogical female mood if you catch my drift. Like taking a happy pill, I spent four hours smiling to myself, chuckling underneath my breath, and blushing with the characters. Happy was sweet, Happy was frustrating, and Happy was entertaining as all get out.
MM romance fans will adore this story and its characters. Previously I've only read Until September by Chris Scully, and look forward to more of her stories in the future.
March 29, 2016
2.5 stars
I love my previous experience with Chris Scully’s books – which was why when I saw this available as ARC, I requested it without exactly reading the blurb. Well, I guess it might happens sometimes … that you find a book you dislike from author you love. Because this one is the example. It’s my least favorite all Scully’s titles I have read so far.
My biggest problem with this is definitely the amount of drama. We have Peter contemplating his happiness, his attraction to Louie (who is the big brother of the girl he is supposedly dating), his dissatisfaction with working at family restaurant because his father seems to be dead set on not changing anything for the better, his father’s heart problem, his mother not welcoming the idea of homosexuality ...
… and of course we have Louie, who crushes on Peter, who currently dating his own sister, and Louie is only recently returned home after breaking up with his closeted boyfriend. Plus somehow Scully decides to throw other thing or two, like Louie’s sister dating a black guy, or the other one with Peter’s ex-fiancée (I totally didn’t understand the necessity of that particular problem)
Man, I felt migraine building in just writing down those paragraphs above!!
I guess I was overwhelmed – and I didn’t feel particularly sympathetic towards both Peter and Louie as characters. It was a little bit too much for me, and I wasn’t even sure if the ending was worth all that drama. I mean, there is absolutely happy ending, but it just didn’t have the ‘punch’ that I felt should be a reward of me sticking around these two men.
I still liked Scully’s writing which explained why my rating isn’t lower. Also as always, Scully focuses on characters and the progress of the relationship, which should be up my alley (except that I didn’t like the characters, alas!). But the drama drowned the romance for me, and I was left with dissatisfaction.
A Guest Review for The Blogger Girls
The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
I love my previous experience with Chris Scully’s books – which was why when I saw this available as ARC, I requested it without exactly reading the blurb. Well, I guess it might happens sometimes … that you find a book you dislike from author you love. Because this one is the example. It’s my least favorite all Scully’s titles I have read so far.
My biggest problem with this is definitely the amount of drama. We have Peter contemplating his happiness, his attraction to Louie (who is the big brother of the girl he is supposedly dating), his dissatisfaction with working at family restaurant because his father seems to be dead set on not changing anything for the better, his father’s heart problem, his mother not welcoming the idea of homosexuality ...
… and of course we have Louie, who crushes on Peter, who currently dating his own sister, and Louie is only recently returned home after breaking up with his closeted boyfriend. Plus somehow Scully decides to throw other thing or two, like Louie’s sister dating a black guy, or the other one with Peter’s ex-fiancée (I totally didn’t understand the necessity of that particular problem)
Man, I felt migraine building in just writing down those paragraphs above!!
I guess I was overwhelmed – and I didn’t feel particularly sympathetic towards both Peter and Louie as characters. It was a little bit too much for me, and I wasn’t even sure if the ending was worth all that drama. I mean, there is absolutely happy ending, but it just didn’t have the ‘punch’ that I felt should be a reward of me sticking around these two men.
I still liked Scully’s writing which explained why my rating isn’t lower. Also as always, Scully focuses on characters and the progress of the relationship, which should be up my alley (except that I didn’t like the characters, alas!). But the drama drowned the romance for me, and I was left with dissatisfaction.
A Guest Review for The Blogger Girls
The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
March 30, 2016
A Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
I am going to start this review off by telling you all that I was a bit reluctant about this story when I realized that the main character was in his early thirties and still living at home. That continued when I started reading and realized that Peter doesn’t have a lot of money because he is working at the family diner and mom/dad hold those purse strings very tightly. And then when I realized that Peter used to be the star football player and guy every girl wanted back in high school and now he is losing his hair and has packed on a few pounds. Let’s be honest, this is not your typical “hero,” yet, surprisingly, I found myself thinking how refreshing this was!
Peter isn’t your ordinary hero. He is dating a woman, who happens to be Louis’ sister. He lives in a basement apartment in the family home because his parents don’t want him to move away, especially after his father had a heart attack a few years ago. He used to have a nice city job, but he had to quit it because of his father’s health problems, yet the business is stuck in the eighties and they are losing customers to newer, fancier Greek restaurants because he father won’t allow Peter to make some much needed changes. It’s no wonder Peter is miserable. Yet, I loved watching him come out of his shell when he was around Louis.
Read Wendy’s review in its entirety here.
5 stars
I am going to start this review off by telling you all that I was a bit reluctant about this story when I realized that the main character was in his early thirties and still living at home. That continued when I started reading and realized that Peter doesn’t have a lot of money because he is working at the family diner and mom/dad hold those purse strings very tightly. And then when I realized that Peter used to be the star football player and guy every girl wanted back in high school and now he is losing his hair and has packed on a few pounds. Let’s be honest, this is not your typical “hero,” yet, surprisingly, I found myself thinking how refreshing this was!
Peter isn’t your ordinary hero. He is dating a woman, who happens to be Louis’ sister. He lives in a basement apartment in the family home because his parents don’t want him to move away, especially after his father had a heart attack a few years ago. He used to have a nice city job, but he had to quit it because of his father’s health problems, yet the business is stuck in the eighties and they are losing customers to newer, fancier Greek restaurants because he father won’t allow Peter to make some much needed changes. It’s no wonder Peter is miserable. Yet, I loved watching him come out of his shell when he was around Louis.
Read Wendy’s review in its entirety here.
April 1, 2016
Happy is the story of Peter Georgiou, who is in his early 30s, living at home, working at his father's restaurant, with one broken engagement in his past and kinda-sorta dating someone who's too young for him at present. The question someone asked him -- "Are you happy?" -- is bouncing around in his head and, tellingly, at the beginning he never really answers it. But it's obvious that Peter is anything but happy.
Chris Scully does an excellent job of entangling Peter in family duties and expectations so deeply, suffocating him, that you wonder how he's ever going to see anything close to happiness. His parents are very traditional Greek immigrants who moved to Canada when Peter was just 2. I was reminded a lot of the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding as I read this story, with the references to Greek school, how everyone in the Greek community knew everyone else, and the expectations on Peter to marry a good Greek girl and make Greek babies.
Peter, however, understands that he's bisexual and that he connects better with men than women -- but he also understands that he can never reveal that to his parents. His dad had a heart attack three years before, which is why Peter is back home and working at the family restaurant, and his mom has returned strongly to the Church in the wake of his father's health problems. But when his girlfriend's brother, Louie, shows up in Toronto and Peter starts spending time with him, he discovers a long-missing spark. He decides he has to pursue it, despite all the complications surrounding him.
Honestly, at the start of the story, I wasn't sure Chris Scully was going to be able to pull off a full HEA ending. Peter was so unhappy and the hurdles facing him were really huge -- particularly when you see how the community reacts to Louie, who came out years before. But by the end, I had happy tears, so surprised by some of the characters' reactions.
Highly recommended.
Chris Scully does an excellent job of entangling Peter in family duties and expectations so deeply, suffocating him, that you wonder how he's ever going to see anything close to happiness. His parents are very traditional Greek immigrants who moved to Canada when Peter was just 2. I was reminded a lot of the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding as I read this story, with the references to Greek school, how everyone in the Greek community knew everyone else, and the expectations on Peter to marry a good Greek girl and make Greek babies.
Peter, however, understands that he's bisexual and that he connects better with men than women -- but he also understands that he can never reveal that to his parents. His dad had a heart attack three years before, which is why Peter is back home and working at the family restaurant, and his mom has returned strongly to the Church in the wake of his father's health problems. But when his girlfriend's brother, Louie, shows up in Toronto and Peter starts spending time with him, he discovers a long-missing spark. He decides he has to pursue it, despite all the complications surrounding him.
Honestly, at the start of the story, I wasn't sure Chris Scully was going to be able to pull off a full HEA ending. Peter was so unhappy and the hurdles facing him were really huge -- particularly when you see how the community reacts to Louie, who came out years before. But by the end, I had happy tears, so surprised by some of the characters' reactions.
Highly recommended.
Read
March 30, 2016Chris Scully is an author I have come to associate with comfort, a really sexy comfort. Her stories are so easy to slip into and fall in love with the characters, and Happy did just that for me.
What would that be like? To do what you wanted? What made you happy?
We meet Peter as he is struggling at a party, he is struggling with life decisions and struggling to not perv on his best friends as they make out under a window. You see, Peter is not out to anyone in his social circle, his family or even to his girlfriend. Yup, you read that right, Peter has a girlfriend who he has zero sexual interest in but their Greek mothers set them up and when you are a good boy… sigh.
We get to meet Louie soon after as his sister, and Peter’s “girlfriend” ask him for a favor… to pick up Peter from said party. The best thing about Louie? He used to crush hard on Peter in High School and when he sees adult Peter, the crush comes back full force.
I adored the hell out of Peter and Louie. I loved that there was an instant attraction but Louie figured Peter for straight, I mean he IS dating his sister, and that Peter had to deny the attraction to Louie for a number of reasons. None of the reasons I was happy with, because they were so cute from the get go, but happy is the name of this book and I would wait for us all to get there.
Louie, how could I not love a man who still holds unrequited love for the sexy football player from high school with the mullet? That description of Peter could well be MY husband in high school, complete with a mullet and holding the attention of boys and girls as he strutted his stuff on the field. But Louie, his crush on adult Peter is swoon worthy though maddening because Louie thinks Peter is with his sister and you don’t crush on your sister’s boyfriend, unless…
Mmm Hmm.
You know how it can be with family—they mean well, but sometimes you get so tangled up in it, in what they want, that you can’t ever get free.
I get that some readers will not understand Peter’s choices though for me, they weren’t that overly dramatic. I guess it’s my self-proclaimed love for boys in the closet that make it not a big deal for me but I adored Peter. I loved being in his head as he tried to figure out a way to be himself and not hurt his family. I am married to man whose family is not as dramatic as Peter’s Greek one but still a family that loves their ethnic traditions and attempt to demand the family live as per the “rules”. So, I got that too with Peter coming home after his father’s heart attack, leaving the life he was building for himself to take care of his family, to do what is expected and what is right. Ugh. I respected him for that because it takes a strong person to do so, a coward would stay away and not deal with it at all. I loved that there was character growth with Peter, that he took chances and that when it meant something to him, when he found someone who meant enough to him, the laid it all on the line and took a chance.
ACK! I loved seeing Adam and Joe again. It took me a bit to realize exactly who they were though I spent the each moment they came on page thinking, “Why do they seem SO familiar?” and then it hit me. Inseparable was my first book from Chris Scully and I was thrilled that Adam and Joe showed up and that they are still so damn in love with one another.
But anyway.
Happy is a moderately angsty love story about two men who have both left their lives to come home and start over in one way or another. There is a line from The Wizard of Oz that kept playing in my head as I read Louie and Peter deal with their romance and while these two live a few blocks away, the sweet sentiment is present in this story and it has made me on hell of a happy reader.
If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn’t there….then I never really lost it to begin with.–Dorothy Gale, The Wizard of Oz
March 12, 2017
3.5 stars. In high school, Louie had a huge crush on Peter, who was a football jock with plenty of girlfriends. Fifteen years later, Peter works in his family’s restaurant, lives at home, and wonders what happened to the boy who going to leave his close-knit family and neighborhood to see the world and become his own man. As he sees his best friends Adam and Joe (characters from Inseparable and When Adam Kissed Me) blissfully in love, he wonders if he’ll ever get the chance to be truly happy.
Peter and Louie find themselves spending time together as Louie’s sister, Demetra, cancels date after date (Peter and Demetra have been dating for a few months) and Peter soon realizes there is a good reason why “Picky Pete” has never found a nice Greek girl to settle down with. The focus of the plot is on Peter and Louie’s growing relationship, but there are numerous tangents that felt like they dragged down the pace of the book such as and for a fairly short novella, at times the story seemed overly drawn out.
You can feel the attraction between Peter and Louie, but it’s, as Peter says “… not just in a “I want to jump your bones” way, but a “I want to come home to you every night” way. And, while there is a HEA, I feel several characters had 180 degrees turn-arounds that seemed unrealistic. But at the heart of this story is a sweet romance about two people who get a second chance to be happy and who doesn’t like that?
I received a galley copy from Dreamspinner Press, via GayBook Reviews, in exchange for an honest review. Review also posted at GayBook Reviews. Check it out!
Peter and Louie find themselves spending time together as Louie’s sister, Demetra, cancels date after date (Peter and Demetra have been dating for a few months) and Peter soon realizes there is a good reason why “Picky Pete” has never found a nice Greek girl to settle down with. The focus of the plot is on Peter and Louie’s growing relationship, but there are numerous tangents that felt like they dragged down the pace of the book such as and for a fairly short novella, at times the story seemed overly drawn out.
You can feel the attraction between Peter and Louie, but it’s, as Peter says “… not just in a “I want to jump your bones” way, but a “I want to come home to you every night” way. And, while there is a HEA, I feel several characters had 180 degrees turn-arounds that seemed unrealistic. But at the heart of this story is a sweet romance about two people who get a second chance to be happy and who doesn’t like that?
I received a galley copy from Dreamspinner Press, via GayBook Reviews, in exchange for an honest review. Review also posted at GayBook Reviews. Check it out!
March 31, 2016
4.5 stars
I liked this, read it in record time. The only thing missing for me were some additional scenes showing Peter and Louie together, building their life together. What's up with Peter's restaurant? Well, can't put my finger on it but somehow in the end I missed some fleshing out.
I liked this, read it in record time. The only thing missing for me were some additional scenes showing Peter and Louie together, building their life together. What's up with Peter's restaurant? Well, can't put my finger on it but somehow in the end I missed some fleshing out.
October 18, 2023
Secrets and parental expectations. Those are the basis of Peter’s life as he navigates the traditional Greek-Canadian family landscape. He lives at home, works at the family restaurant with little recognition or respect, goes out with the girls his family wants him to and dies a little bit inside as he hides. He has a girlfriend, Demetra, who is approved by his parents but he’s not happy. Secrets.
His two best friends are now a loving couple, leaving him out as the third wheel. Even to these two he won’t admit his secret. Gay? That can’t be. His family won’t allow it. He’s been heart broken before when the girl he wanted to married left him for someone else, so he isn’t willing to put himself out there like that again. Peter is sad, mostly. “What kind of creep got off on watching his best friends making out?” My thought was – a lonely man, that’s all.
When Demetra’s brother returns to town with a broken heart, he’s surprised to find out his sister is dating Peter, the guy he had a crush on in high school. He had a bad experience with his closeted ex, and he’s in need of a friend. He gets that in Peter. It’s mutual, that feeling of friendship. “This connection he felt with Louie was almost like the one he’d had with Joe and Adam before they became so wrapped up in each other and forgot about him. Louie was fun to be around, easy to talk to. They had a ton of stuff in common.” They start spending a lot of time together because Demetra is usually busy. Secrets.
You have to give Louie so much credit. He has the same traditional Greek family as Peter but he is true to himself, even as his father can’t look him in the eye and his family didn’t speak to him for a year. The fact that he was a dirty secret for his ex makes him want to be sure to never be in that position again, yet “He was doing it again. Going out of his way to be there for a guy who wasn’t his….Had he learned nothing with Aaron?”
There are some other things going on while Peter and Louie are having trouble. Peter is clashing with his father over the restaurant, where business is down but dad won’t allow any changes to be made. Dad’s health is bad and that’s another stress point for Peter. There is the problem of Demetra and an odd sidebar with Peter’s ex, Elena. But the big issue is Peter and how he feels for Louie. Peter asks people, “Are you happy?” He has to ask himself that question.
It is a moment at the hospital that is a turning point for them. I respected Louie for his stand, even if the timing was bad. But Peter talking to Father Theo was absolutely the best. What do you have to do to be happy?
Let me get me D’OH moment out of the way right here. I am a huge fan of Inseparable, which is the story of how Adam and Joe got together. We meet Peter there, as well as Maria (Joe’s sister). I even asked the author if When Adam Kissed Me was going to audio (Dreamspinner, please?) when I received the ARC for Happy. Great, right? D’OH. I didn’t even realize Happy was about the same characters. I am embarrassed, even more so because I listened to Inseparable on audio literally the day before I started Happy and still didn’t get it! I read Happy, waited, read it again and it wasn’t until I started to write my review that the light bulb (dim as it may be) turned on and I realized who everyone was. I feel I need to apologize to Adam and Joe and Maria and Peter and Joe’s awesome family, everyone, for not recognizing them.
His two best friends are now a loving couple, leaving him out as the third wheel. Even to these two he won’t admit his secret. Gay? That can’t be. His family won’t allow it. He’s been heart broken before when the girl he wanted to married left him for someone else, so he isn’t willing to put himself out there like that again. Peter is sad, mostly. “What kind of creep got off on watching his best friends making out?” My thought was – a lonely man, that’s all.
When Demetra’s brother returns to town with a broken heart, he’s surprised to find out his sister is dating Peter, the guy he had a crush on in high school. He had a bad experience with his closeted ex, and he’s in need of a friend. He gets that in Peter. It’s mutual, that feeling of friendship. “This connection he felt with Louie was almost like the one he’d had with Joe and Adam before they became so wrapped up in each other and forgot about him. Louie was fun to be around, easy to talk to. They had a ton of stuff in common.” They start spending a lot of time together because Demetra is usually busy. Secrets.
You have to give Louie so much credit. He has the same traditional Greek family as Peter but he is true to himself, even as his father can’t look him in the eye and his family didn’t speak to him for a year. The fact that he was a dirty secret for his ex makes him want to be sure to never be in that position again, yet “He was doing it again. Going out of his way to be there for a guy who wasn’t his….Had he learned nothing with Aaron?”
There are some other things going on while Peter and Louie are having trouble. Peter is clashing with his father over the restaurant, where business is down but dad won’t allow any changes to be made. Dad’s health is bad and that’s another stress point for Peter. There is the problem of Demetra and an odd sidebar with Peter’s ex, Elena. But the big issue is Peter and how he feels for Louie. Peter asks people, “Are you happy?” He has to ask himself that question.
It is a moment at the hospital that is a turning point for them. I respected Louie for his stand, even if the timing was bad. But Peter talking to Father Theo was absolutely the best. What do you have to do to be happy?
Let me get me D’OH moment out of the way right here. I am a huge fan of Inseparable, which is the story of how Adam and Joe got together. We meet Peter there, as well as Maria (Joe’s sister). I even asked the author if When Adam Kissed Me was going to audio (Dreamspinner, please?) when I received the ARC for Happy. Great, right? D’OH. I didn’t even realize Happy was about the same characters. I am embarrassed, even more so because I listened to Inseparable on audio literally the day before I started Happy and still didn’t get it! I read Happy, waited, read it again and it wasn’t until I started to write my review that the light bulb (dim as it may be) turned on and I realized who everyone was. I feel I need to apologize to Adam and Joe and Maria and Peter and Joe’s awesome family, everyone, for not recognizing them.
May 29, 2016
HAPPY!!!! YAY
Peter + Louie
Set in Toronto
4,5 stars rounded up. This story put me in a good mood.
REVIEW @Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
“Are you happy?”
It was a simple question. Should have been a simple answer. So why was it still rattling around in Peter’s head an hour after Adam had asked it? And why did his insides squirm uncomfortably every time he thought about it? Of course he was happy. Wasn’t he?
He rinsed his hands under the bathroom faucet and chanced a final glance in the mirror. The man staring back at him certainly didn’t look happy.
I remember when the author first posted (maybe a couple of years ago, I’m not sure) the idea for this story. I was soon curious about it and my enthusiasm when I saw it finally published was huge. I read the Inseparable series some time ago and Until September last month. I can say Chris Scully is one of my favorite authors. I like her style a lot and her books are always a pleasure to read.
Happy is the story of Peter, a thirty-something guy in the closet, oppressed by his Greek parents who expect him to marry a nice Greek girl and make his own family. Two years ago he quit his job after his dad had an heart attack and started helping his parents’ restaurant. Now in a relationship with Demetra, of course recommended by his mum, he can’t take this life anymore, especially now that his two best friends, Adam and Joe, had finally found happiness in each others arms.
Moving to Vancouver after college was the only way to not embarrass his family with his sexuality but now Louie has come back home, Toronto, and he is recovering from a bad relationship with a deep in the closet guy. He needs to mend his broken heart but it’s hard to be home again after so many years away. He’s feeling lonely and with no friends to hang with. Then he meets Peter, his sister’s new boyfriend. Peter and Louie basically grew up together same greek neighborhood, same school. Peter was the hottest boy and of course Louie has a huge crush on him. Fifteen years later a lot of things have changed but some are still the same.
Peter seems to not be ready to come out of his closet and Louie can’t settle for anything less than a full disclosure. Can they be happy together?
I loved this book a lot, it was light and deep at the same time, easy to read and all the characters were enjoyable and real. I liked watching Peter and Louie become first friends then start to feel more, even if the attraction is clear since their first meeting. Although nothing really happens between the MCs till over the 70% of the story, I appreciated the slow burn, because Peter is still in the closet and Louie is not ready for a new relationship yet.
Finally I want to thank the author for giving me a little more about Adam and Joe from the Inseparable series, I liked this couple so much years ago and to meet and follow them to a truly HEA was perfect.
I’m conflicted about the cover art by Bree Archer. I like it but it’s not really a winner and forgettable. I would have preferred something different.
Peter + Louie
Set in Toronto
4,5 stars rounded up. This story put me in a good mood.
REVIEW @Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
“Are you happy?”
It was a simple question. Should have been a simple answer. So why was it still rattling around in Peter’s head an hour after Adam had asked it? And why did his insides squirm uncomfortably every time he thought about it? Of course he was happy. Wasn’t he?
He rinsed his hands under the bathroom faucet and chanced a final glance in the mirror. The man staring back at him certainly didn’t look happy.
I remember when the author first posted (maybe a couple of years ago, I’m not sure) the idea for this story. I was soon curious about it and my enthusiasm when I saw it finally published was huge. I read the Inseparable series some time ago and Until September last month. I can say Chris Scully is one of my favorite authors. I like her style a lot and her books are always a pleasure to read.
Happy is the story of Peter, a thirty-something guy in the closet, oppressed by his Greek parents who expect him to marry a nice Greek girl and make his own family. Two years ago he quit his job after his dad had an heart attack and started helping his parents’ restaurant. Now in a relationship with Demetra, of course recommended by his mum, he can’t take this life anymore, especially now that his two best friends, Adam and Joe, had finally found happiness in each others arms.
Moving to Vancouver after college was the only way to not embarrass his family with his sexuality but now Louie has come back home, Toronto, and he is recovering from a bad relationship with a deep in the closet guy. He needs to mend his broken heart but it’s hard to be home again after so many years away. He’s feeling lonely and with no friends to hang with. Then he meets Peter, his sister’s new boyfriend. Peter and Louie basically grew up together same greek neighborhood, same school. Peter was the hottest boy and of course Louie has a huge crush on him. Fifteen years later a lot of things have changed but some are still the same.
Peter seems to not be ready to come out of his closet and Louie can’t settle for anything less than a full disclosure. Can they be happy together?
I loved this book a lot, it was light and deep at the same time, easy to read and all the characters were enjoyable and real. I liked watching Peter and Louie become first friends then start to feel more, even if the attraction is clear since their first meeting. Although nothing really happens between the MCs till over the 70% of the story, I appreciated the slow burn, because Peter is still in the closet and Louie is not ready for a new relationship yet.
Finally I want to thank the author for giving me a little more about Adam and Joe from the Inseparable series, I liked this couple so much years ago and to meet and follow them to a truly HEA was perfect.
I’m conflicted about the cover art by Bree Archer. I like it but it’s not really a winner and forgettable. I would have preferred something different.
March 27, 2016
This story, set in Toronto’s Greek community, is all about the drama. Peter and Louie both come from traditional Greek families and and Peter has spent his adult life trying to please his parents.
I lowered the stars for this book because I didn’t really enjoy Peter’s closeted drama and his elaborate lies. It is difficult for me to love a main character when I struggle to even respect him. He lies to everyone about his sexuality, even his gay best friends. The desire to please his parents also seems to stunt his growth as an adult. He works for his family, doing exactly what his parents tell him to do. This isn’t a new adult story, but the complicated family drama certainly makes it feel new adult.
Like any new adult story, there is a huge focus on Peter establishing his independence and his own identity. Unfortunately, I found it difficult to get excited when his baby steps were happening a decade too late.
There are some really lovely relationship building scenes between Peter, Joe and Adam and between Peter and Louie. There is an incredible amount of angst here, but most of it involves Peter’s personal dramas rather than his relationship with Louie. There isn’t a whole lot of romance between the two leads.
I kept waiting to get emotionally involved in this story, but it just didn’t happen. I struggled with Peter and his family and I didn’t fully believe in the plot twists.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for Inked Rainbow Reads.
I lowered the stars for this book because I didn’t really enjoy Peter’s closeted drama and his elaborate lies. It is difficult for me to love a main character when I struggle to even respect him. He lies to everyone about his sexuality, even his gay best friends. The desire to please his parents also seems to stunt his growth as an adult. He works for his family, doing exactly what his parents tell him to do. This isn’t a new adult story, but the complicated family drama certainly makes it feel new adult.
Like any new adult story, there is a huge focus on Peter establishing his independence and his own identity. Unfortunately, I found it difficult to get excited when his baby steps were happening a decade too late.
There are some really lovely relationship building scenes between Peter, Joe and Adam and between Peter and Louie. There is an incredible amount of angst here, but most of it involves Peter’s personal dramas rather than his relationship with Louie. There isn’t a whole lot of romance between the two leads.
I kept waiting to get emotionally involved in this story, but it just didn’t happen. I struggled with Peter and his family and I didn’t fully believe in the plot twists.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for Inked Rainbow Reads.
June 29, 2016
Bastante recomendable, me ha gustado el planteamiento que hace el autor acerca del ambiente familiar y de cómo la presión puede con Peter. Odié bastante a la madre la verdad, aunque me imagino que esa era la idea. Por desgracia no me ha convencido para nada la forma en que todo se resuelve, la historia arrastra la tensión casi insostenible entre Peter y sus padres y sus inseguridades para acabar arreglándolo todo en unas pocas páginas y la "explicación" de Peter a Louie es poco creible.
September 9, 2017
4 'I enjoyed this. It was quick and easy to read, light and just what I needed' stars.
March 30, 2016
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
I have the utmost respect for families who follow to the Old World traditions of their heritage. But that doesn’t keep me from getting frustrated for characters whose lives are made more difficult by such traditions, whether it be a daughter wanting to marry a man of a different race, a son wanting to marry a woman outside of his religion, or a young man who is attracted to other men, faced with his parents’ constant harping at him to settle down and start a family – with the expectation that he will marry a wife of their choosing – all while being afraid to come out to his parents for fear of being disowned. Yes, I can respect traditions and at the same time be immensely thankful that I wasn’t born into such a family.
Unfortunately for Peter, he was born Greek and that comes with a slew of expectations he’s beginning to realize that he cannot meet. After a failed engagement and his father’s heart attack, Peter moved into his parent’s basement and began working at the family restaurant – after he quit his job in the city’s Economic Development Office – with the promise that he would be running it, never materializing. Honestly, I don’t know how Peter kept living his life, day after day, not getting to do anything that made him happy, all for the sake of a family who, while they love him, show no appreciation for his sacrifices in life. As the only child, he is expected to do what his family needs without regard to his own happiness. And then, a little ray of sunshine enters his dreary world in the form of his fiancée’s younger brother, Louie. Louie is an out and proud Greek man whose family tolerates him because they don’t know how to reconcile their love for their son with their religion’s views on homosexuality, and he’s just moved back home after having his heart broken by a man who was more concerned with public appearances than with Louie. What begins as friendship soon becomes a cause for concern for Peter because Louie is making it hard for Peter to keep his attraction for men hidden, and Peter’s not so sure he wants to continue hiding either.
One of the things I liked about Happy was that rather than Louie serving as the catalyst for Peter realizing he’s gay, he was the push behind Peter’s coming out to his parents. Peter knew that he was gay, but also knew what was expected of him as a dutiful Greek son. So despite his homosexuality, he was determined to make his parents happy, even if that meant marrying a woman and living a lie. Why? Because he’d never met a man worth coming out for, at least not until Louie. And even when he began to realize that Louie might be worth his parents’ disappointment and judgment, Peter didn’t rush into the decision, and took it so slow that Louie began to think he was again being relegated to dirty little secret status. Another thing that I enjoyed about the book is that while Louie still finds his high school crush attractive, Peter is no longer the Greek god he was in high school. Scully painted the picture of a just-beginning-to-age Greek man, complete with the softening around the middle and the early stages of a receding hairline. Not the perfect man, but the man perfect for Louie. But I think my favorite part of the book, besides watching Peter fall for Louie, was the unexpected quarter from which Peter found support for his relationship with Louie. To say I was shocked does not even do my reaction justice – I think my jaw may have actually dropped open. Happy was a book that made me just that when I read it…happy…even if it took me on quite the journey to get there. Scully has secured her place on my “authors to stalk” list.
I have the utmost respect for families who follow to the Old World traditions of their heritage. But that doesn’t keep me from getting frustrated for characters whose lives are made more difficult by such traditions, whether it be a daughter wanting to marry a man of a different race, a son wanting to marry a woman outside of his religion, or a young man who is attracted to other men, faced with his parents’ constant harping at him to settle down and start a family – with the expectation that he will marry a wife of their choosing – all while being afraid to come out to his parents for fear of being disowned. Yes, I can respect traditions and at the same time be immensely thankful that I wasn’t born into such a family.
Unfortunately for Peter, he was born Greek and that comes with a slew of expectations he’s beginning to realize that he cannot meet. After a failed engagement and his father’s heart attack, Peter moved into his parent’s basement and began working at the family restaurant – after he quit his job in the city’s Economic Development Office – with the promise that he would be running it, never materializing. Honestly, I don’t know how Peter kept living his life, day after day, not getting to do anything that made him happy, all for the sake of a family who, while they love him, show no appreciation for his sacrifices in life. As the only child, he is expected to do what his family needs without regard to his own happiness. And then, a little ray of sunshine enters his dreary world in the form of his fiancée’s younger brother, Louie. Louie is an out and proud Greek man whose family tolerates him because they don’t know how to reconcile their love for their son with their religion’s views on homosexuality, and he’s just moved back home after having his heart broken by a man who was more concerned with public appearances than with Louie. What begins as friendship soon becomes a cause for concern for Peter because Louie is making it hard for Peter to keep his attraction for men hidden, and Peter’s not so sure he wants to continue hiding either.
One of the things I liked about Happy was that rather than Louie serving as the catalyst for Peter realizing he’s gay, he was the push behind Peter’s coming out to his parents. Peter knew that he was gay, but also knew what was expected of him as a dutiful Greek son. So despite his homosexuality, he was determined to make his parents happy, even if that meant marrying a woman and living a lie. Why? Because he’d never met a man worth coming out for, at least not until Louie. And even when he began to realize that Louie might be worth his parents’ disappointment and judgment, Peter didn’t rush into the decision, and took it so slow that Louie began to think he was again being relegated to dirty little secret status. Another thing that I enjoyed about the book is that while Louie still finds his high school crush attractive, Peter is no longer the Greek god he was in high school. Scully painted the picture of a just-beginning-to-age Greek man, complete with the softening around the middle and the early stages of a receding hairline. Not the perfect man, but the man perfect for Louie. But I think my favorite part of the book, besides watching Peter fall for Louie, was the unexpected quarter from which Peter found support for his relationship with Louie. To say I was shocked does not even do my reaction justice – I think my jaw may have actually dropped open. Happy was a book that made me just that when I read it…happy…even if it took me on quite the journey to get there. Scully has secured her place on my “authors to stalk” list.
March 30, 2016
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
The story starts with Peter contemplating if he is Happy. He clearly is not. He gave up his career to help his father run the family restaurant, which is firmly stuck in the 1980s and he lives in his parent's basement. While he dates girls and was once engaged, he clearly has a preference for men.
When Peter meets his girlfriend's brother Louie there is instant attraction and Peter starts to feel happy for the first time in a long time. Louie is coming out of a relationship with a guy who was in the closest and makes is clear he has no time for a relationship and certainly not one that he would have to hide.
I grew up in a community with a high Greek population so I loved the setting for this book. The author does a great job showing the divide between the older generation who grew up in Greece and the younger generation who grew up in Canada. It is clear that Peter has sacrificed his happiness to please his parents. On the other side of the coin Louie followed his heart and came out which was detrimental to his relationship with his Greek Orthodox parents.
I loved Peter and Louie. They are easy to relate to and their struggle between doing what is right for you and makes you happy versus pleasing your parents and others is an easy one to relate to. Their relationship is a lovely slow burn, complicated by, among other things, Peter dating Louie's sister.
I devoured Happy in about 3 hours. Reading Happy made me happy and I can't ask more from a book than that.
The story starts with Peter contemplating if he is Happy. He clearly is not. He gave up his career to help his father run the family restaurant, which is firmly stuck in the 1980s and he lives in his parent's basement. While he dates girls and was once engaged, he clearly has a preference for men.
When Peter meets his girlfriend's brother Louie there is instant attraction and Peter starts to feel happy for the first time in a long time. Louie is coming out of a relationship with a guy who was in the closest and makes is clear he has no time for a relationship and certainly not one that he would have to hide.
I grew up in a community with a high Greek population so I loved the setting for this book. The author does a great job showing the divide between the older generation who grew up in Greece and the younger generation who grew up in Canada. It is clear that Peter has sacrificed his happiness to please his parents. On the other side of the coin Louie followed his heart and came out which was detrimental to his relationship with his Greek Orthodox parents.
I loved Peter and Louie. They are easy to relate to and their struggle between doing what is right for you and makes you happy versus pleasing your parents and others is an easy one to relate to. Their relationship is a lovely slow burn, complicated by, among other things, Peter dating Louie's sister.
I devoured Happy in about 3 hours. Reading Happy made me happy and I can't ask more from a book than that.
May 6, 2016
This was exactly what I needed after my last intense read. Not too heavy but with enough bite to keep me interested.
I loved Peter and Louie. Together they had real chemistry. I could totally sympathise with Peter. I felt for him all along the way. Louie was a sweetie and I'm so happy he finally got his man.
Demetra was a nice surprise, totally not what I was expecting. Overall a very enjoyable read.
I loved Peter and Louie. Together they had real chemistry. I could totally sympathise with Peter. I felt for him all along the way. Louie was a sweetie and I'm so happy he finally got his man.
Demetra was a nice surprise, totally not what I was expecting. Overall a very enjoyable read.
May 18, 2016
I know I've rated/reviewed this a while ago but it disappeared from my list. Grrrrr!
September 27, 2018
I wish I had realized this book has Adam and Joe from Inseparable and When Adam Kissed Me as Pete's buddies. I would have read it sooner, since I loved those two stories. You can certainly read this as a standalone, but it was great to see Adam and Joe living their HEA.
Pete unfortunately is not so happy, stuck with the life his parents want rather than the one he had planned. As the book went on, we see it's not so much that Pete has no willpower, rather that he hasn't found any real reason to fight his parents' wishes. I enjoyed this story of Pete realizing that Louie is finally someone to fight for.
Pete unfortunately is not so happy, stuck with the life his parents want rather than the one he had planned. As the book went on, we see it's not so much that Pete has no willpower, rather that he hasn't found any real reason to fight his parents' wishes. I enjoyed this story of Pete realizing that Louie is finally someone to fight for.
August 14, 2017
3.5 stars
August 29, 2019
I so felt for both the MCs in this novel. The writing was fantastic and the story pulled me right in. I loved this book. On the REREAD pile for sure.
August 19, 2016
Maybe I just read it at the wrong time, but ‘Happy’ didn’t work for me as well as I’d thought it would.
One of Toronto’s most famous neighbourhoods is Greektown, commonly referred to as the Danforth. Every year thousands of Torontonians flock to the area for the Taste of the Danforth festival, which celebrates Greek food and culture in the city. It’s one of my favourite events of the summer, so I was stoked to read a book set in the area. Unfortunately, the story just didn’t pan out.
I liked the initial setup of Peter and Louie’s relationship. The two go from former acquaintances to cautious friends. Louie is alone, having lost touch with most people from his childhood, while Peter is tired of hanging around his happily-hitched friends. The two get to know each other, and are soon making plans to spend time together. It was a promising start.
However, once the two moved on to being lovers is where things got shaky. While I could understand why the two would want to jump under the sheets together, I really didn’t get the quick move from new friends to forever-and-ever. Throw in that Louie wasn’t really over his ex yet, and I wasn’t feeling the love.
It all just seemed too forced, and I didn’t connect with the characters, as either individuals or as a couple.
But what really bogged down the book was the family drama. Peter gave up his career and ambitions to live in his parents basement, all to help his ailing yet ungrateful father and guilt-tripping mother. I had a very low opinion of the parents, but Peter wasn’t much better. If a character can truly pluck at my heartstrings, I’ll overlook anything. But Peter was just pitiful. A man in his thirties being led around by his mother isn’t a pretty sight.
It got to the point where the focus of the book was about Peter’s family, rather than the relationship between him and Louie. The resolution to it wasn’t very believable. Given how messy things were throughout the book, the quick change of heart of Peter’s family didn’t ring true. And even at the end, Peter still puts his own career ambitions aside to make his parents happy.
Overall, this book was just okay. I liked the beginning of Peter and Louie’s relationship and the setting of Toronto’s Greektown, but the excessive family drama and lacklustre romance didn’t do it for me.
One of Toronto’s most famous neighbourhoods is Greektown, commonly referred to as the Danforth. Every year thousands of Torontonians flock to the area for the Taste of the Danforth festival, which celebrates Greek food and culture in the city. It’s one of my favourite events of the summer, so I was stoked to read a book set in the area. Unfortunately, the story just didn’t pan out.
I liked the initial setup of Peter and Louie’s relationship. The two go from former acquaintances to cautious friends. Louie is alone, having lost touch with most people from his childhood, while Peter is tired of hanging around his happily-hitched friends. The two get to know each other, and are soon making plans to spend time together. It was a promising start.
However, once the two moved on to being lovers is where things got shaky. While I could understand why the two would want to jump under the sheets together, I really didn’t get the quick move from new friends to forever-and-ever. Throw in that Louie wasn’t really over his ex yet, and I wasn’t feeling the love.
It all just seemed too forced, and I didn’t connect with the characters, as either individuals or as a couple.
But what really bogged down the book was the family drama. Peter gave up his career and ambitions to live in his parents basement, all to help his ailing yet ungrateful father and guilt-tripping mother. I had a very low opinion of the parents, but Peter wasn’t much better. If a character can truly pluck at my heartstrings, I’ll overlook anything. But Peter was just pitiful. A man in his thirties being led around by his mother isn’t a pretty sight.
It got to the point where the focus of the book was about Peter’s family, rather than the relationship between him and Louie. The resolution to it wasn’t very believable. Given how messy things were throughout the book, the quick change of heart of Peter’s family didn’t ring true. And even at the end, Peter still puts his own career ambitions aside to make his parents happy.
Overall, this book was just okay. I liked the beginning of Peter and Louie’s relationship and the setting of Toronto’s Greektown, but the excessive family drama and lacklustre romance didn’t do it for me.
March 30, 2016
When I read the blurb I was intrigued by Peter and Louie, especially that Peter was dating Louie’s sister. My mind went racing with all sorts of possibilities. I dove right in and waited to be captured by one or the other, and waited, and waited. This story was sweet to a point, but so much drama caused by one individual and at himself, that at times, I found myself rolling my eyes and wanted to scream at him for his lack of common sense.
I did like that it portrayed long standing Greek traditions, and that Peter was trying to follow them and keep his parents happy, but there is a line or limit for any individual that it crosses when you are not yourself. Louie made sure he never crossed into that arena, and he was staying true to whom he was and would not be ashamed.
I enjoyed the theme of the book about “Are you happy?” and that you need to find your own place of happy and make others happy while you lose yourself. Louie found his and would not back down. He was himself and the goodness in him rubbed off on others. Secondary characters of Joe and Adam were fabulous and only added to the “happiness” theme. Demetra, well, that was one character that I did not like until the very end when she realizes she cannot put her own happiness aside for others.
Overall, this was an average decent read. Nothing fabulous, but not bad story. This was a matter of the heart without the hotness story.
*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for Inked Rainbow Reads.*
I did like that it portrayed long standing Greek traditions, and that Peter was trying to follow them and keep his parents happy, but there is a line or limit for any individual that it crosses when you are not yourself. Louie made sure he never crossed into that arena, and he was staying true to whom he was and would not be ashamed.
I enjoyed the theme of the book about “Are you happy?” and that you need to find your own place of happy and make others happy while you lose yourself. Louie found his and would not back down. He was himself and the goodness in him rubbed off on others. Secondary characters of Joe and Adam were fabulous and only added to the “happiness” theme. Demetra, well, that was one character that I did not like until the very end when she realizes she cannot put her own happiness aside for others.
Overall, this was an average decent read. Nothing fabulous, but not bad story. This was a matter of the heart without the hotness story.
*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for Inked Rainbow Reads.*
March 30, 2016
This is the first Chris Scully book I’ve read. I wasn’t familiar with some characters in it that I later found out were MC’s in his other books. That said, if you’re like me and this is the first Scully book for you, you won’t be lost at all.
I want to start off by saying I really enjoyed Chris’ writing style. The plot was great, the characters were likable –for the most part, we will get there in a moment- and the ensemble was terrifically written. I often feel secondary characters are equally as important as MC’s. They are like the buildings in NYC. It’s really not a city without them.
This is a second chance story. A friends to lovers tale. The buildup for Pete and Louie to turn their solid friendship into something more was so interesting and sweet.
Peter gave me some issues. Most I truly understood. He’s trapped in the family business, desperate to please his parents. He’s confused and sexually frustrated. The storm in his head is pure chaos. Where Peter is closeted and happy to stay there if it keeps his folks happy. Louie is out and proud and loud. Louie’s return home is after a break up with a guy who was closeted so though he truly likes Peter and wants more. He’s not ready to jump back into the secrets bin. Peter is very dramatic, overly so. He makes things worse than they have to be and his lies exacerbate the situation. That’s really my only complaint. It, at times, made Peter unlikable.
This is a slow burn, sweet love, hopeful story though. It really does make you feel happy in the end.
I want to start off by saying I really enjoyed Chris’ writing style. The plot was great, the characters were likable –for the most part, we will get there in a moment- and the ensemble was terrifically written. I often feel secondary characters are equally as important as MC’s. They are like the buildings in NYC. It’s really not a city without them.
This is a second chance story. A friends to lovers tale. The buildup for Pete and Louie to turn their solid friendship into something more was so interesting and sweet.
Peter gave me some issues. Most I truly understood. He’s trapped in the family business, desperate to please his parents. He’s confused and sexually frustrated. The storm in his head is pure chaos. Where Peter is closeted and happy to stay there if it keeps his folks happy. Louie is out and proud and loud. Louie’s return home is after a break up with a guy who was closeted so though he truly likes Peter and wants more. He’s not ready to jump back into the secrets bin. Peter is very dramatic, overly so. He makes things worse than they have to be and his lies exacerbate the situation. That’s really my only complaint. It, at times, made Peter unlikable.
This is a slow burn, sweet love, hopeful story though. It really does make you feel happy in the end.
April 18, 2016
I have been waiting for Peter's story after meeting him in Inseparable When Adam Kissed Me! Peter is not happy. He's 32 and he feels like his life is standing still. Then, Louie re-enters his life. They went to the same high school, but they weren't in the grade together because Louie is two years younger. Louie had a crush on him back then and those feelings come back after he sees him again. Unfortunately, Peter's dating Louie's sister. It was nice to see Adam and Joe again and I loved what happened to them at the end! I would love to revisit Peter, Louie, Adam, and Joe in the future!
April 4, 2016
Peter considers himself bi-sexual, and though he’s never really “hidden” the fact, he hasn’t really pursued the part of him attracted to men, for fear of retribution from his family. So he decided to take the “easier” route and date women – mostly.
In order to please his family – again – he agrees to “date” another Greek woman his family approves of, though neither of them are interested in the other. They agree to a sham relationship to appease both their families and it seems to work out well enough until his “girlfriend’s” brother, Louie gets involved...continued...
http://openskyebookreviews.com/happy-...
In order to please his family – again – he agrees to “date” another Greek woman his family approves of, though neither of them are interested in the other. They agree to a sham relationship to appease both their families and it seems to work out well enough until his “girlfriend’s” brother, Louie gets involved...continued...
http://openskyebookreviews.com/happy-...
April 8, 2016
I waffled between a 3 and 4 star for this. I really liked both characters and their slow burn relationship. What pissed me off to no end is that we don't get the sex after the big emotional denouement. Yes, we get some in the epilogue but I wanted it after the big emotional scene--not a fade to black! As I type these I'm getting upset again so gonna take back that 4th star because they're my stars and I'm gonna do it!
April 25, 2016
This dealt with a surprising amount of issues for a novella with a title Happy, but I liked it overall. And it was nice to see Adam and Joe from Inseparable.
June 14, 2016
A quick read. I liked Peter and Louie. It just felt like it was missing parts. I wanted more I guess. It just skimmed over major issues IMO....
January 20, 2017
Monotematica
April 6, 2016
3.75 stars
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