Kristin Billerbeck pens The Theory of Happily Ever After from the perspective of an author named Maggie Mcguire, who wrote a scientific book on happiness.  Maggie is struggling with a break-up and her friends unexpectedly drag her off on a singles’ cruise.  There was a lot here that should have been funny, but somehow things just felt muddled. 

Maggie is so caught up in her own emotional turmoil that it was hard to follow what was happening at times.  Yes, readers can tell where Maggie is and with whom, but the experiences just felt a bit unrealistic for the character.  Then, boom–problems solved and emotional roller coaster seems to be over. 

The dialogue between Maggie and her friends was incredibly immature for supposedly professional women.  Some concepts in the book were so farfetched for the character that is was actually a bit humorous to read, but as a whole, it just didn’t feel quite as romantic as the author seems to have intended. 

Several plot points seemed to be swept out of the way once they served their purpose, but the resolutions were barely mentioned, if at all.  Having a bit more of a resolution to Maggie’s former love interest would have been nice. This is a book that didn’t quite live up to expectations.

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Revell

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  2 religious exclamations.

Violence/Gore:  None 

Sex/Nudity:  Many references to outfits or people being “sexy”; non-married characters kiss and embrace.

Mature Subject Matter:

Premarital infidelity, death of a spouse, depression.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Alcoholic beverages are served in a bar.