The Secret to Happiness by Suzanne Woods Fisher

The Secret to Happiness

Book Summary

Escape to Cape Cod--where you just might find the secret to happiness

Callie Dixon had the world by its tail . . . until it all slipped away. Fired from her dream job after making a colossal mistake, she's escaped to her aunt's home on Cape Cod for time to bounce back. Except it isn't a home, it's an ice cream shop. And time isn't going to help, because Callie's bounce has up and left. There's a reason she made that mistake at work and she's struggling to come to terms with it.

Things go from bad to worse when Callie's cousin Dawn drags her to a community class about the secret to happiness. Happiness is the last thing Callie wants to think about right now, but instructor Bruno Bianco--a curiously gloomy fellow--is relentless. He has a way of turning Callie's thoughts upside down. Her feelings, too.

Could Bruno be right when he says that hitting rock bottom is the very best place to be? If so, how is that supposed to help her find exactly what--or who--has been missing all along?

My Thoughts

The Secret to Happiness by Suzanne Woods Fisher takes us back to Cape Cod.  Callie Dixon has always excelled at everything she has gone after.  At twenty-eight, Callie became an executive chef at a hotel.  Unfortunately, a sauce got left out overnight and a sous chef served it to two hundred guests.  Callie became the scapegoat and was fired.  When Callie’s aunt, Marnie sees her normally vivacious niece at the Penn State Ice Cream Short Course, she is shocked by her appearance.  When Callie asks to visit Marnie and Dawn at Cape Cod, she cannot say no (much to Dawn’s dismay).  When Callie lays in bed day after day, Dawn comes up with a plan.  She drags Callie to the Saturday community class on the secret to happiness taught by author and professor, Bruno Bianco.  Marnie feels that there is more going on than a lost job.  She is hoping that Callie will share it with her when she is ready.

The Secret to Happiness is the second book in the Cape Cod Creamery series.  It can be read as a standalone, but I do recommend reading The Sweet Life.  I like how The Secret to Happiness tied into the Three Sisters Island series.  I like the author’s writing style.  It made the story easy to read.  The point-of-view switched between Dawn, Marnie, and Callie.  I liked getting to see each woman’s perspective.  Callie’s evolving relationship with Marnie and Dawn was heartwarming as well as realistic.  I like how Marnie subtly shared her faith with Callie.  It was the right approach for Callie.  The happiness instructor’s theory is interesting.  A way to retrain the brain.  As Callie found happiness, so does the reader.  

I loved Callie’s relationship with six-year-old, Leo the Cowboy.  He is a frequent visitor at the Main Street Creamery (he seems to know when a new batch of ice cream is ready for taste testing).  He wormed his way into Callie’s heart (as well as the readers).  Dawn and Kevin are planning their wedding.  Dawn will not go on her honeymoon until she knows Marnie can make ice cream (from scratch).  Plus, Dawn needs to find a venue.  Marnie and Lincoln’s friendship might develop into something more.  Marnie is not sure if she is ready.  I enjoyed the humor scattered throughout the story.  Kevin’s landlady is a doozy (I can understand why Kevin wants to move).  There are ice cream quotes before each chapter and delectable sounding ice cream (and adult ice cream pops) in the story.  I am looking forward to the next book in the Cape Cod Creamery series which will feature Dawn’s best friend, Brynn.  The Secret to Happiness is about family, friendship, forgiveness, faith, love, ice cream, and second chances.  The Secret to Happiness is a touching tale with a depressed chef, a cute cowboy, happiness sessions, surreal sunrises, appetizing popsicles, venue issues, and a secret discovered.   

The Secret to Happiness is available from Amazon*.  The first book in the Cape Cod Creamery series is The Sweet Life.  You can find Suzanne Woods Fisher's other novels here.  If you follow the author on Amazon, they will send you an email when she has a new book release.  Suzanne Woods Fisher has Lost and Found coming out on September 26.  Thank you for stopping by today.  Tomorrow I am featuring The Ghost Goes to the Dogs by Cleo Coyle.  It is the ninth A Haunted Bookshop Mystery. I am still working on my bike.   I am having trouble with the quick link.  I can only get one side to go on (so frustrating).  I will have to call the bike guy in our community to fix it.  I prefer to fix things myself when I can.  The instruction booklet is useless (I put the bike together and the back chain is the last piece).  It says to attach to both sides and pull taut (easier said than done).  I bet the bike guy will have it done in less than five minutes.  I hope that you have a joyful spring day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

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