Customer Reviews

Happy Hour

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I really enjoyed "Happy Hour." I have read all of Ms. Scott's book and I always write a review because not only do I think she's a fabulous writer, but I met her at an event once and found her a delight. I like to claim that I am her biggest fan!

Although this isn't a "guy" book perse, I'm in touch with my feminine side and I wanted to read and see if Ms. Scott was on her game with a new type of book, and I am happy to report that she is!

The book is about four women all either reaching middle age or in the midst of it. Danielle, Kat, Jamie and Alyssa are all friends who meet on Sunday afternoons for comaraderie, food and wine. Each of their stories plays out seamlessly. The plotlines for each of these women's lives were true to life and I did feel like I knew each one. Like another reader wrote, I did not want it to end, and I do hope for a sequel. What I appreciated was Ms. Scott allowed women in their forties to fall in love (and have it feel realistic), deal with troublesome teenagers, handle aging parents with graciousness but also show how difficult life's varied situations can be. At first I wondered before I started reading if this would be a downer book due to some of the heavy subjects I'd heard were tackled in the book, and I have never read anything very "downerish" by Ms. Scott. Her mysteries are always fun and campy and silly--a style I adore. However, I found my fears were for not. There is humor in this book (the kind that made me laugh out loud, and there were a few scenes where I did tear up). The dialogue is strong, on point and real. I also found the book to be insipirational, but not in a in your face way but in a truly thoughtful way. One secondary character in specific (Mark) made me think about my own beliefs and feelings over loss and how to truly handle it. This is a beautiful book. I bought a copy for my sister and told her that she had to suggest it to her book club as I found it not only fun but also thought provoking on many levels.

I also was only able to find this book online (boohoo and ridiculous), and it's my hope the publishers get this book on the shelves. It deserves to be up there. Once again--cheers to Ms. Scott!

Do yourself a favor and read the book and tell all your gal pals (or guy pals who are in touch with their feminine side). You won't be sorry. It is that good.

Sometimes searching for new authors really pays off! I feel like I have hit the jackpot with this author! I will say that I did have to order it online- as it was not available in bookstores....but it was definitely worth the wait! Publishers- listen up!...get this one on the bookshelves at the local bookstores because fans of contemporary fiction and chick lit will buy it up in a hurry!) I feel like I have found a new author to enjoy and I sure hope she writes additional books in this genre! I immediately cozied up to these four friends! Although they came from varied backgrounds, they form such a strong bond of friendship and support one another through the challenges that life brings their way. What's not to like in this book? One thing- Only that it had to end! I wanted it to keep going! I am ready for a sequel! Readers- pour yourselves a glass of wine and settle back and get ready to enjoy! This is one that will keep you up all night reading! ...for avid readers...you KNOW that means it is a top notch/ must read book! Happy Hour

Happy Hour is filled with the kind of warm-bodied characters I have come to expect from Michele Scott books, and all I can say is Bravo!

Each of the four main women are so sharply drawn and life is so skillfully breathed into their words and actions that it's hard to remember sometimes that they don't live right down the street. Even the secondary characters seem ready to reach out and hug readers.

Happy Hour, like life itself, isn't about a rosy existence. These are women coping with the rust and roadblocks that keep everyone's "life path" littered with obstacles. Nothing can be solved over one Happy Hour with friends, but sharing the story or the load for even a brief time can certainly make life less bumpy, and help bring new insights that can lead to better resolutions.

I took longer to read Happy Hour than I normally would simply because I saved it for the end of my day. For my personal Happy Hour. No matter how hectic the current schedules ran, regardless of how many times in the week people disappointed me or pushed my buttons, just knowing this book was waiting for my brief time of relaxation each day--the golden hour between 'last chore' and 'comatose'--kept me anticipating the opportunity to turn the next page. This book was worth staying awake for, and for me that's saying a lot!

This satisfaction with the story and characters is what will keep me looking for the next Michele Scott book, in whatever publishing niche she explores. Kudos, Michele!

It's been a long time since I've felt so emotionally connected to a novel. HAPPY HOUR is the tale of four women's live, so beautifully woven together that I almost forgot I was reading!

I found myself deeply connected to each of the leading lady characters. Each one is as relatable as she is unique. As soon as a chapter surrounding one woman finished, I could't wait to get to her again.

During our busy days and lives as women, it's a gorgeous thing to be able to slip away into a novel that uplifts, touches and keeps you guessing continually. I recommend this novel to any and all women who love fantastic, well-written stories. I can't wait for the sequel and the next and the next... :)

Every woman has that group of friends in her life ~ her "go to girls. The friends that she can turn to who 'get it". The ones who are there for you no matter what. The ones who laugh with you and cry with you. The ones that will always be there. These are the women of Napa Valley.

Jaime is the editor-in-chief of Wine Lover's Magazine, a single mother and caretaker to her senile mother-in-law ~ a woman who thinks her daily caregiver is Dean Martin. Jaime is still recovering, financially and emotionally from the death of her husband several years earlier. But when she finds what could be the key to happiness, can she open the door and let it in? Or will her feelings of guilt and betrayal hold her back?

Danielle is a vinter and the divorced mom of two. She's basking in what she knows is going to be a successful launch of her new wines. Wines she created on her own after her divorce. But what she doesn't expect is for her daughter to come home with news that will shock her to her core. Will an old flame help her accept the changes that are coming and find the love she's been missing in her life for so long? Or will a tragedy that no one sees coming change the course of their lives forever?

Kat is a sommelier, co-owner of a magnificent restaurant with her chef husband, and mother of a blended family. But is being deeply in love with your husband enough to get them through the teenage years, step-children and exes? And what happens when old faces return and she's faced with the knowledge that not everything is what you thought it was. What happens when she finds she was mad at the wrong person and finds out the "right one" was in the wrong? Can she forgive and move on? Can love overcome everything and truly bring a family together?

Alyssa is an artist and gallery owner with a secret of her own. One she was hoping would stay buried deep in her closet. But the time has come for her to put someone else first, to face the past and to deal with her demons. What she never expected to find was love and her "home."

No matter what is going on in their own lives, no matter the heartache or joy they're experiencing, these four women are always there to love, support and encourage each other.

This book is a clear example of the power of friendship and how it can last throughout the years. You will laugh with them and you will cry with them. It's the story of true and lasting friendships. It's the type of friendships that every woman should experience and a story we can hopefully all relate to. A book that anyone with friends can not afford to not read.

Four women, each with struggles, bond through their Napa Valley wine connection.

Kat, bitterly divorced, newly married and blending two families while owning a restaurant.

Jamie edits a magazine for wine lovers. She single-parents her daughter and her dead husband's mother.

Alyssa paints in Napa valley, and attempts to continue to survive the secret that has stolen so much of her life.

Danielle, divorced painfully, sets out to compete with her ex-husband and find an outlet for her passion to make wine. But her daughters have plans and issues of their own.

Their stories weave in and out, the characters change and grow, and the friendships become lifelines.

If you love grown-up girlfriend stories you might want to look into this one. It's well-written and compellingly page turning as the characters lives go from bad to worse and then better than hoped for. It is a strong PG-13 or R-rated read with some steamy scenes, and some language.

The four women in Happy Hour will have you laughing, crying and believing in the power of friendship. This is an inspirational read for anyone who has leaned on a friend in their hour of need, shared a glass of wine during the good times in life, and/or feels the love that only friends can share.

I have to admit that I was reluctant when I first began this book. I don't care for wine, or horses for that matter, so I went in a bit biased, thinking that it wouldn't be my style. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Happy Hour chronicles the lives of four friends, each dealing with different elements of family drama within their lives. The stories, while told separately through most of the novel, are woven seamlessly together through their weekly "Happy Hour" meetings. The author has done a wonderful job really bringing these characters to life, and after reading for a bit they came to feel less like characters in a book and more like friends of my own. I laughed with them, cried with them, and rejoiced at their successes.

This book is about the lives of four friends, but really, it's so much more. Learning to love again, to trust again, dealing with demons of the past, embracing new lives of the future...there are so many elements that make Happy Hour a wonderful read. It's about rediscovery, finding who you are again when your life is rocked out of control, and discovering that the person you've become is smarter, stronger, more able than before.

I'm so glad I took a chance on Happy Hour. I found much more than I expected within the pages. This is a book that will stay with me for awhile.

If you've read Scott's previous books you might initially be disappointed. However, this is an excellent read, the characters are very believeable and the situations are more realistic than the winery-boyfriend books. It shows Scott's talents as a serious writer and hopefully she will continue this series, perhaps including the upcoming generation of women as some of the others take a diminished role in the series. Good reading.

It seems that the last few books I have read have been about women and friendships. So, far all of them have been enjoyable reads and this one didn't disappoint either. Even though this could be considered a "light" or "beach read", the topics covered in the story are not light. Each of the women in the story have a crisis going on in their life and must find a way to overcome it. Some of the situations were predictable, but there was just enough "surprise factor" to keep the reader interested. Even though the women were all friends, it wasn't always easy for them to share everything about their lives, but once they did, the friendships became stronger and even more supportive. I was wishing I had a group of friends like this to rally around when I was struggling.

This isn't my first Michele Scott novel and even though this is different from her mystery series, I think Scott can be sucessful in writing a series for these women as well. There was still much that can happen in the lives of these women to make another novel enjoyable.

As this book is read, every woman will realize how important the friends in her lives are. You will realize you can't get through anything without your friends. And, even though they may not give you the answers you want to hear, or understand your decisions, they will still be there for the long-haul. As the story stated, "Life was always changing, never the same." The one thing that did stay the same was their friendships - through all of it -divorce, death, family issues, parenting, teenagers, finances, aging parents, etc. But isn't that what makes life interesting? And each Sunday, as they gathered for wine, food, and support they realized "the only things they can really count on were friends, family and faith".

Since Scott is also a wine lover, and has a passion for writing, horses, and cooking, I feel like we learned a little about her as well, as these were featured throughout the characters in the story. The treat at the back of the book are the recipes for some of the dishes served at their Sunday gatherings.

Since there are a lot of "hot topics" in the novel, this would also make for an excellent book club discussion. There are even discussion questions included in the back of the book. I'm a sucker for great friendship novels and this one didn't disappoint.