If It Makes You Happy - by Claire Kann (Paperback)

About the Book

"Winnie is living her best fat-girl life and is on her way to the best place on earth. No, not Disneyland--her Granny's diner, Goldeen's, in the small town of Misty Haven. While there, she works in her fabulous 50's inspired uniform, twirling around the diner floor and earning an obscene amount of tips. With her family and ungirlfriend at her side, she has everything she needs for one last perfect summer before starting college in the fall. ...Until she becomes Misty Haven's Summer Queen in a highly anticipated matchmaking tradition that she wants absolutely nothing to do with. Newly crowned, Winnie is forced to take center stage in photo shoots and a never-ending list of community royal engagements. Almost immediately, she discovers that she's deathly afraid of it all: the spotlight, the obligations, and the way her Merry Haven Summer King wears his heart, humor, and honesty on his sleeve. Stripped of the protective bubble of Goldeen's, to salvage her summer, Winnie must conquer her fears, defy expectations, and be the best Winnie she knows she can be--regardless of what anyone else thinks of her."--

Book Synopsis

Claire Kann's If It Makes You Happy is a coming-of-age novel about a young girl learning to embrace her cultural and sexual identity.

Winnie is living her best fat girl life and is on her way to the best place on earth. No, not Disneyland--her Granny's diner, Goldeen's, in the small town of Misty Haven. While there, she works in her fabulous 50's inspired uniform, twirling around the diner floor and earning an obscene amount of tips. With her family and ungirlfriend at her side, she has everything she needs for one last perfect summer before starting college in the fall.

...until she becomes Misty Haven's Summer Queen in a highly anticipated matchmaking tradition that she wants absolutely nothing to do with.

Newly crowned, Winnie is forced to take center stage in photoshoots and a never-ending list of community royal engagements. Almost immediately, she discovers that she's deathly afraid of it all: the spotlight, the obligations, and the way her Merry Haven Summer King, wears his heart, humor, and honesty on his sleeve.

Stripped of Goldeen's protective bubble, to salvage her summer Winnie must conquer her fears, defy expectations, and be the best Winnie she knows she can be--regardless of what anyone else thinks of her.

Review Quotes

Praise for Let's Talk About Love:

"Alice is black, biromantic, and asexual, and her relationship with Takumi is genuine and fun. . . . A light, enjoyable asexual romance with outstanding representation. Recommended." --School Library Journal

"Debut novelist Kann thoughtfully tackles what it means to be asexual and gives Alice a platform to discover who she is and what it means for her relationship with Takumi. Asexual readers will appreciate the visibility, and those--like Alice's ex--who know poorly understand it, will gain a better sense of what love without sex can look like." --Publishers Weekly

Praise for Let's Talk About Love from the Swoon Reads community:

"A sweet and beautiful journey about self-discovery and identity!... A lovely book with very likable and diverse characters. Cutie Code: Cutest" --Macy Filia, reader on SwoonReads.com

"I enjoy the character of Alice and love how different this story is from other novels as the main character is asexual. There aren't many novels that have asexual characters and it's something people need more of." --Alice, reader on SwoonReads.com

"This is a fantastic story!... I've never read a story quite like this one." --The Kindred Reader, reader on SwoonReads.com

"I need this published and I need it now. I want this on my shelf where I can admire it every day." --Kiara, reader on SwoonReads.com