Perfect Happiness - by Kristyn Kusek Lewis (Paperback)

About the Book

"Charlotte McGanley knows happiness. Just ask anyone who's read Perfect Happiness, her bestselling book about how she, a busy mother and professor, used her no-nonsense positive psychology research to brighten her own life. She always pictured her career beginning and ending in the halls of academia, but now she's become a bit of a self-help guru. No one is more surprised by this than Charlotte herself, who has secretly never been more miserable ... As Charlotte preaches the gospel of happiness to her undergraduate students, audiences across the country, and her own online followers, she's faced with some tough questions: What is happiness when the family you've nurtured starts to fall apart in front of your eyes? When your daughter seems determined to self-destruct? When the man you thought you'd spend the rest of your life with--and took for granted because of it--gets fed up? When all of the tools that you push to your loyal followers just don't seem to work?"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

From the beloved author of Half of What You Hear,
a perceptive and poignant novel about a woman discovering that her expertise
can only get her so far in matters of the heart.

Charlotte McGanley knows happiness.
Just ask anyone who's read Perfect Happiness, her bestselling book
about how she, a busy mother and professor, used her no-nonsense positive
psychology research to brighten her own life. She always pictured her career
beginning and ending in the halls of academia, but now she's become a bit of a
self-help guru. No one is more surprised by this than Charlotte herself, who
has secretly never been more miserable.
Though her husband of
many years, Jason, is her partner in all things, she finds more gratification
most evenings in a glass (or three) of Chardonnay or another scroll through her
Instagram feed. Meanwhile, their daughter, Birdie, is feeling the pressure of
being her high school's star tennis player, keeping up her GPA, and having her
first boyfriend--and Charlotte, despite all her expertise, has no idea how to
help her.
As Charlotte preaches
the gospel of happiness to her undergraduate students, audiences across the
country, and her own online followers, she's faced with some tough questions: What
is happiness when the family you've nurtured starts to fall apart in front of
your eyes? When your daughter seems determined to self-destruct? When the man
you thought you'd spend the rest of your life with--and took for granted because
of it--gets fed up? When all of the tools that you push to your loyal followers just
don't seem to work?

In this bittersweet
family love story, Kristyn Kusek Lewis explores how easy it is to lose
connection with the people closest to us, and what happens when we try to find
our way back.

Review Quotes

"The story won't end where you expect it to, and its strong women's-relationships theme underscores many truths." - NJ.com
Praise for Half of What You Hear: "Detox from the holidays with Kristyn Kusek Lewis's novel of a small and well-to-do Virginia town, its meddlesome residents, and the decades of secrets within its walls." - InStyle
"Kristyn Kusek Lewis nails this modern family story about a deeply unhappy happiness guru whose Instagram feed is at odds with her inner turmoil. I feel like I made an instant friend in the character of Charlotte McGanley and I cringed right alongside her with every failure, misstep and unnecessary glass of wine. The pressures and situations in PERFECT HAPPINESS are thoroughly of this time and place, but the pleasures and satisfaction of watching a family stumble and try to right themselves remain timeless." - Meg Mitchell Moore, author of The Islanders and Two Truths and a Lie
"This new novel asks tough questions about family and explores what happens when you try to re-connect with the ones you love most." - SheReads, "The best beach books of summer 2020"
"In Kristyn Kusek Lewis's Perfect Happiness, Charlotte McGanley has two sides: the happiness guru with the perfectly curated Instagram profile; and the struggling wife and mother, whose life is crumbling under the pressure. In this timely novel, Lewis deftly explores the price we pay when our outer self doesn't match our inner one. Insightful and relatable, this book proves our flaws don't need to define us, and that happiness is always within reach." - Karma Brown, bestselling author of Recipe for a Perfect Wife
"Lewis writes engagingly and empathically, and the supporting cast of relatable characters will keep readers absorbed as Charlotte works toward a new kind of happiness." - Booklist
"Exciting and addicting. . . . you'll have a hard time putting it down this holiday season." - Women.com
"The fast pace and intriguing mystery make this one perfect for fans of Big Little Lies. A compelling look at the power of small-town gossip." - Kirkus Reviews
"An astute, exquisite account of a gossipy small town . . . . mesmerizing and entertaining." - The Washington Book Review