Read Time:2 Minute, 12 Second
Sometimes, life hands us a restart button that clears everything out of our lives and allows us to start fresh. And in Happily Whatever After by Stewart Lewis, one woman loses the life she thought she loved and is forced to try again in a new city.
The story starts over with thirty-something Page, who just lost both her boyfriend and her art gallery job in New York City. With nothing keeping her in the Big Apple, she moves in with her older brother, Brady, in Washington, DC. But instead of starting a fabulous new life, she finds herself single and jobless, spending her days reading a trashy novel on a bench in a dog park—even though she doesn’t own a dog. And that’s where she meets an eccentric group of dog owners and their pets who inspire her to go after her dreams.
The characters that Page meets at the dog park are as delightfully quirky as their pets. Some have names and personalities and stories of their own; others just have a brief description and the nicknames that Page has given them. But all of them together bring the dog park to life. You’ll anticipate Page’s next visit, wondering who will be there and what kind of strange conversations they’ll have. And the rich and fabulous dog owners—and their equally rich and fabulous connections—inspire Page to go after a dream that she never even knew she had: to open her own art gallery.
The dog park also adds a touch of romance to the story after Page eyes the handsome dog owner that she nicknames Banana Republic (or BR for short). The mysterious winery owner with a talented teen daughter inspires Page to work toward one of her other goals: to start a new relationship.
The story has some surprisingly heartfelt moments, too. Page may flounder through her new life in DC, and the highlight of her days is the time she spends hanging out at a dog park—despite the fact that she doesn’t have a dog. But her life is shaken in a number of ways during her transition. And while her exploits are often wildly entertaining, you might just shed a tear or two along the way, too.
Happily Whatever After is hilarious and sometimes heartwarming—a story about hitting rock bottom and finding your future in the most unlikely places. It’s an entertaining read—but, if you find yourself not quite living your best life, it’ll give you a little bit of hope and inspiration, too.
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Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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