Customer Reviews

Happiness Key (Thorndike Core)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book explores the relationships of women. In the begining each woman has her own reservations, prejudices and impressions of the other women that live in their tiny group of homes on the sound. It is perfect in the way Emilie Richards was able to capture the true essence of how women think, including the fears that can make us seem unapproachable at times. As the women begin to let down their guard the relationships blossom into something very precious and also very needed. I found this book to be helpful in the way that I view relationships with the women who come and go in my life and to realize how important those relationships can be. This story was good, a real page turner, but I walked away with so much more. Every woman should read this to not only see herself but also other women and how misunderstood many of our actions can be. Excellent book, a must have.

When rich socialite Tracy Deloche learns her con artist husband CJ has been convicted and headed for prison, she leaves her posh LA life for Florida. All she has left is an almost worthless piece of oceanfront property with dilapidated cottages that she somehow "inherited" from CJ. Tracy is determined to sell the land to a developer so she can have enough to rebuild her life and put her bad history behind her. Unfortunately a group of naturalists are out to keep the land pristine and unspoiled by development. As Tracy settles into her new life, she determines she will not socialize with her tenants who consist of elderly Herb Krause, middle-aged, sharp tongued, Wanda Gray, young foreign bride, Janya Kapur or grandmother Alice Brooks, who lost her daughter and is now being taken care of by her son-in-law, Lee Symington and young granddaughter Olivia. Tracy goes to each cottage to collect rent, hoping she can scrape together enough money for her next meal. What she finds is her tenant Wanda with an attitude problem, having set her sights that Tracy is a spoiled rich girl; Janya who is timid, but friendly, and at Alice's home, she finds herself attracted to her widower son-in-law, Lee. When she gets no response at Herb's, she is concerned, for his car is in the drive. Asking for Janya's help, they enter his cottage and find the man dead in bed. His death is the catalyst that brings the women together in a search for his next of kin. The unlikely group soon become friends and though they are different in many ways, they are vulnerable and in need of each other's friendship.

Tracy commits to a part-time job at the local community center and gets Janya and Alice involved there too. One of Tracy's biggest dilemmas involves a young boy at the center, who just happens to be the son of the man trying to prevent the sale of her property, but Tracy is able to see through this boy and the problems he is dealing with, which just happen to bring her closer to her biggest foe. Then, when Alice no longer goes to the center or visits with her neighbors, the ladies ban together fearing she is in danger.

This is a wonderfully warm and touching tale, proving that no matter what age, social class or ethnicity, women have a common bond and can develop lasting friendships, as well as do a great job as investigators. The characters are well defined, description give the reader a great visualization of the surroundings, and emotions are well defined. This book is one to be enjoyed again and again and is a definite keeper. A huge thumbs up!

Following the incarceration of her former spouse in a federal pen Tracy Deloche takes over managing his property Happiness Key. However, she is shocked to find the five Gold Coast acres contains five dilapidated shacks with a tenant in four of the beach cottages; she moves into the vacant one. Her renters are an eccentric group of seemingly losers. Still she tries to be nice to the oddball runaways who pay to lease a dump from her. Wanda Gray is fleeing a broken marriage; Janya Kapur is fleeing an arranged family marriage before she must wed; Alice Brooks is a widow who is becoming increasingly forgetful but does not want her son-in-law and granddaughter living with her; and the only male is hermit Herb Krause.

When Herb dies, Tracy leads the other three women in search of his family so they will know and if they want to arrange his funeral. As the four seemingly different women forge friendships on their mission, they begin to help one another.

This is an interesting character study focusing on four diverse females who come together when the fifth person in their tiny community dies. The storyline is well written but the plot extremely thin. Still Emilie Richards enables the audience to get inside the fearsome foursome females enabling us to understand what motivates them to "hide" at dumpy Happiness Key and yet turn these five single dumps into a community.

Harriet Klausner

I have always loved Richards' books but even though this was an enjoyable read I did not think it was up to her usual standards.

the story was simple, not very deep at all. i don't want to get real deep, but a little thought provocation would be nice. it was a doable read but certainly put-downable.

4 women come together to solve a mystery and become unlikely friends. The story may be a bit cliche, but it works. I struggled through the first 100 or so pages, but as I read on the story really grabbed me and I ended up really enjoying this book. This isn't a literary master piece, but it left me with a smile on my face and I'm glad I followed it through to the end!

My favorite part of Happiness Key, and of most of Emilie Richards' books, is the snappy dialogue between the characters. She catches voices so well. In this book I notices that the Indian woman spoke just the right bit differently from the Florida people. I could hear the lilt in her voice and her thoughtful intelligence shine through. Somehow she does characterizations with verve. This book has several unexpected turns that added interest as I went along. Just a book for a delightful read.

Great summer read. Good enough to not put down and long for more. I will read more of her books now! Thank you!

This is the beginning story of four women from totally different worlds who come together to work out a mystery and move on with their life changes. I highly recommend the entire trilogy.

Happiness Key begins the story of four women who could not be any more different. First, there is Tracey Deloche, a former socialite still dealing with the consequences and figurative punches that come from her now ex-husband's con dealings that landed him in one of California's finest jails. The main consequence: having to live in and deal with Happiness Key, twenty-five acres of Florida Gulf Coast where five cottages and its residents reside. As for the residents, there's Janya, an India transplant dealing with her troubled past and her arranged marriage to a man she barley knows, as well as headstrong Wanda who is watching her marriage slowly fall apart, and Alice, a widow living with her son-in-law and granddaughter. At first, these women are ones who don't get along at all, but when their fifth neighbor, Herb, is found dead and alone in his cottage, they are brought together to find his family as well as the secrets he left behind. It will not be an easy journey, especially when another destructive danger lies in their path. Will they be able to save the day? More importantly, will these they ever call a truce? Find out in this first fun and fast-paced addition in the Happiness Key trilogy.

If there's one thing I love in a book, it's well-developed characters, and thankfully enough Happiness Key had that and even more! When I first discovered that the story would be told through reversing third person, I was a bit wary, but even with that, these four characters (Janya, Alice, Tracy, and Wanda) were able to thrive and come alive within their passages becoming four characters I could not help but root for and adore. Best of all, this book contained not only a fabulous mystery that constantly kept me guessing, but the kind of friendships I love to read about: strong and supportive ones that allow for the characters to learn new things about themselves as well as others. Emilie's writing was also great because of the way she constantly fleshed out the plot and storylines.

In all, if you are going to give a contemporary fiction read a try, pick up Happiness Key. It's sure to bring a smile to your face and keep you on the edge of your chair, guessing until the very last page. And if you're lucky, it may even become a new series to read!

Grade: A+