If It Makes You Happy

By: Julie Olivia

Narrated by: Blair Young, Emily Eiden, Alex Raby, Sean Patrick Hopkins

An Instant USA Today Bestseller!

Grab your favorite fall candle, cuddle into a comfy blanket, and travel back in time to 1997 in this cozy, slow-burn romance set in the autumn glow of small-town Vermont.

Now with exclusive bonus content!

My new next-door neighbor seems to have everything figured out. Small town golden boy? Check. Single dad extraordinaire? Check. Hot baker forearms? I didn’t notice them, I swear.

I, on the other hand, don’t–at all–have anything figured out. Trust me, I didn’t think taking over my mom’s dream bed and breakfast in Copper Run Vermont was going to be easy. It should be a good place to heal after my divorce. But apparently my scones belong in the garbage with my small talk skills. As pointed out by none other than Cliff.

Cliff is inescapable. He knows exactly what people need–always. His charm, the way he wears flannel, and even his pastries, make not wanting to be friends with Cliff and his daughters pretty hard.

Friends? I can make friends. That’s safe. Except I’m leaving in three months to pass the inn off to my little sister and get the promotion in Seattle I’ve been working towards. So ask me why I’m thinking about kissing my hot neighbor.

Critic reviews

Praise for If It Makes You Happy

“A slow burn with well-earned spice that’s the perfect read for a cozy fall day.”—People.com

“If It Makes Your Happy is pure romcom magic. For the nostalgic girlies who want a hit of 90’s romance comfort, you’ll be kicking your feet and giggling. Get ready for Julie Olivia to be your new favorite.”—B.K. Borison, New York Times bestselling author

“Julie Olivia’s If It Makes You Happy made me oh-so-happy! Every page of this brilliant book is filled with tenderness, warmth, and nostalgia that will wrap readers up in a giant, cozy hug. Highly recommend for fans of gentle love stories with heart, wit, and spice in equal measure. I’ll forever read anything Julie Olivia writes.”—Hannah Bonam-Young, USA Today bestselling author

"Julie Olivia has written the perfect cozy romance. In If It Makes You Happy, Julie has distilled the best parts of the autumn season and paired this with the ultimate small town setting that will have every reader wanting to pack a bag and travel to Copper Run. All of this is a beautiful backdrop to the heartwarming, swooniest love Olivia crafts between the most endearing opposites attract couple I've read. I adore this book!"—Lauren Connolly, author of PS: I Hate You

“If It Makes You Happy is a delicious romance full of yearning, hope, and second chances. Julie’s characters will capture your heart from the very first chapter.”—Thien-Kim Lam, author of Something Cheeky

“If It Makes You Happy is a nostalgic tale of love, friendship, and finding happiness. A sweet, slow burn that's worth every aching moment. Cliff and Michelle are absolute perfection."—Teagan Hunter, author of Empty Net

“Julie Olivia has created a charming small town romance, with perfectly imperfect characters you can’t help but root for. If It Makes You Happy has just the right amount of tension and banter between single-dad Cliff and newcomer Michelle, and the delicious slow burn of their growing affection had me turning the pages late into the night. An exceptional 5-star read that I couldn’t put down until I reached the final, emotional moment!”—Jillian Liota, author of Sweet Escape

“Chock full of ‘90s nostalgia and cozy, small-town sparks.”—USA Today

"[F]ull of small-town charm and humor that will warm your heart."—Bookstr

Absolutely charming!

As an elder millennial, I adored spending time in 1997 Copper Run with Michelle and Cliff! It was a cozy, charming escape!

The perfect cozy, fall, slow burn romance! 90s Vermont in the fall vibes.

If It Makes You Happy was so so good! I had heard the best things about this book and I wanted to save it to get to in the fall, which was the perfect time to put it up truly. I loved this book! It’s set in 1997, cozy small town Vermont, and the playlist alone at the start of the book had me sold (as someone who grew up then listening to all of those).

I especially love when current contemporary romance authors write backs set in the 90s, it gives me all those comforting nostalgic vibes! In this one we have a single dad hero (to 2 daughters) who is also a baker in town, and then we have a grumpier heroine who has recently moved to town to take over her late mother’s inn. Her sister tells her she should start talking to the guests, become a part of the community, and make a friend and the hero is there at the right time! They had met previously because of her dog and his daughter, and of course him baking for the inn (he had when her mother was alive too).

If you want a very cozy, fall, slow burn, friends to lovers romance that gives Gilmore Girls vibes, this book is so that. I loved it so much. The slow burn, opposites attract, his daughters, her dog Rocket, the town having festivals for every holiday, ahh I just loved it all. So very glad I got to this one! I had read this author before but this book definitely blew me away and is my fav from this author so far. Perfect for fall, and even goes into winter.

Perfect fall read

This was the absolute picture of fall. I loved every minute. The 90’s, Rocket the dog, the kids were hilarious. 😍

Super Cute 90s romance!

After her mom passes away, Michelle takes some time away from her job, and to heal after her divorce, to run her parents' bed and breakfast in Vermont. When she gets there, she isn't sure about this whole thing and why she isn't getting great feedback from guests. She meets Cliff, a single dad who lives next door with his two daughters who spent a lot of time with Michelle's mother. Michelle realizes Cliff's charm is exactly what's missing from this B&B and he agrees to help with a few things. Michelle only has three months in Vermont, so she's not going to put down any roots, but realizes that she just might be falling for Cliff.

We did a fall colors trip two years ago and included Vermont. It was one of my most favorite trips ever. This book totally nailed that vibe. It's like being wrapped in a blanket drinking hot cider. There was one kind of small thing I didn't like towards the end, but I don't want to say it to avoid spoilers. I loved how Michelle was with Cliff's kids. I loved all the 90s references. All the little details. I've read recent books set in the 90s before and this one has to be a favorite of all of them. I'm definitely going to look into more books by this author!

THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU IF: You love everything fall!

Fantastic narration

Love me a mature adult relationship. Expecting YA so definitely pleasantly surprised. The narration is so good. I couldn’t put it down.

Cutest Fall Feel Story 🍂

I LOVED this story. It was so cute and wholesome! It definitely gave me all the fall feels and nostalgia. If you are a Gilmore girls, fall lover you will definitely love this book! I definitely want to add it to my yearly fall reads!

My favorite book this fall!

If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia is a delightful contemporary novel that had me smiling stupidly and laughing to myself throughout the entire read. Olivia’s warm, witty prose and genuinely relatable characters create a story that feels both comforting and refreshingly honest about the pursuit of happiness.

One of my favorite lines perfectly captures the spirit of the book: “Happiness isn’t a destination; it’s the art of finding peace in the chaos.” It’s a simple yet profound reminder that stayed with me long after I turned the last page.

This book is a perfect pick for anyone who loves character-driven stories filled with humor, heart, and moments of quiet reflection. I found it impossible not to be charmed by Olivia’s writing and the authenticity of her characters.

Overall Ratings:
★★★★★ (5/5) ⭐️
3/5 🌶️

Cute fall read!

I thought this was such a cute fall read! I loved it!! Nicely paced. A little long for an autumn read but not bad

Such a lovely cozy fall read!

I LOVED every minute of this sweet story. It was perfection. And the nostalgia.. chefs kiss. Only thing that would have made it better would be more of it!

Cute!

It felt a bit deeper than your average contemporary romance. Loved the 90‘s vibes and all the fall details (I live in Florida, so we can only read about fall)