REVIEW: HAPPY PEOPLE READ & DRINK COFFEE, BY AGNES MARTIN-LUGAND

 

Diane seems to have the perfect life. She is a wife, mother, and the owner of Happy People Read and Drink Coffee, a cozy literary café in Paris. But when she suddenly loses her husband and daughter in a car accident, the world as she knows it disappears.

One year later, Diane moves to a small town on the Irish coast, determined to heal by rebuilding her life alone-until she meets Edward, a handsome and moody photographer, and falls into a surprising and tumultuous romance.

But will it last when Diane leaves Ireland for good? At once heartbreaking and uplifting, Diane’s story is deeply felt, reminding us that love remembered is love enduring.

My Thoughts: I loved the premise of the Paris bookshop/café, especially the name of it. I enjoyed the scenes with Diane’s best friend Felix…and how he helped prop her up after the death of her husband and daughter.

Moving to Ireland to escape the pain seemed like a good fix. But then we see her interacting with her grumpy neighbor Edward, and I knew that a tired trope of hate/love was on the horizon. A plot line that could easily turn boring.

The writing style of Happy People Read and Drink Coffee was a bit uninspiring, too. But I wanted to keep reading, to find out how it would all turn out. Would Diane’s time in Ireland bring her back to her real life, refreshed? Or would there be more sorrow ahead for her? Could she rebuild the life she once had? In the end, I did like how nothing was wrapped up and tied with a pretty bow. 3.5 stars.

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