Some Sort of Happy (Skylar and Sebastian): A Happy Crazy Love Novel Kindle Edition

3.0 stars. Wish the author had been more up front in the bk blurb about what this story was really about. With no advance warning of how totally over the top this one was, it almost lost me at the start with the H/Sebastian thinking of strangling or stabbing the h/Skylar. I mean, WTH, does that not sound like a bizarre opening to a romantic read?!?

When it’s later explained that Sebastian's dysfunction is from OCD at least I had some sort of reference point (??? ok, nah, not so much) for the off the wall quirkiness. I know people that suffer from OCD and I’m no therapist but whoa….this was cray-cray OCD. Jack Nicholson in As Good as it Gets comes to mind which was so sad and maddening that it was sometimes funny. Didn’t find any humor in Sebastian’s illness. And this was illness.

Lucky for Sebastian that beauty queen, reality star Skylar, his high school crush, is just the right amount of silly, immature innocence to handle Sebastian’s odd ways. There was something sweet in these two lonely souls finding each other but can’t say I really enjoyed it. Mostly just felt bad for poor ole screwed up Sebastian. Unusual read for the start of a series, can’t imagine where the author goes from here for bk 2.

It’s been a while since I read a book that was on my To Be Read list and when I picked up Some Sort of Happy, I wasn’t sure how much I would like it. I was not prepared to feel such a bone deep connection to Skylar. On paper, we have nothing in common, but in my heart, I completely related to her. She is a middle child of three girls. So am I. She is very close to her sisters, so am I. Her sisters are awesome really high achievers. So are mine. And she feels like she has completely blown the things that people expected her to ace. So do I. Some of her inner dialogue was like reading my diary in the days following my realization that I was not cut out of the practice of law. I was around the age she is in the book when I had my moment of extreme self doubt and fear that I would never be successful.

So, from page 1, I was completely invested in Skylar’s character. This is my first Melanie Harlow book, but it will certainly not be my last. It’s a rare thing when an author can write romantic prose without it feeling overdone, cheesy or just plain embarrassing, but Ms. Harlow did it. I have SO many highlighted phrases in this book, it looks like the pages are yellow. Sebastian is hero like I’ve never encountered before. Struggling to deal with his obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) coupled with fear of commitment and lots of shame, Sebastian is incredibly frustrating. From his first encounter with Skylar, it became very clear that she was going to be the person in the relationship that kept them moving forward. Sebastian’s mind is bogged down by an almost crippling fear of hurting someone that in the beginning almost every sweet encounter was tainted by his inability to believe in the goodness of it. At the same time, his love for Skylar was breathtakingly genuine. He struggled because he wanted things to work out with her SO badly. He stepped out of his comfort zone early and often to let her know how he felt. And when he had moments of backsliding, he works really hard to get healthy so he can give their relationship a real chance. Skylar is also in the middle of a crisis. Bad decision making and doing what was expected of her rather than what would make her happy has led her to hit rock bottom. She is jobless, has had her one major accomplishment invalidated and at the age of 28 she is living with her parents and starting all over again. OMG I’ve been RIGHT THERE. EXACTLY. I only wish I had the presence of mind (and someone like Sebastian) to focus on my energies on what I loved and not jumping right back into the pattern of behavior that got me where I was in the first place. It was so sweet to see Skylar and Sebastian help each other out their dark corners and holes.

They are like the Ying/ Yang and was nice to read a couple people with REAL world problems. They communicated with each other and they both had individual goals that had nothing to do with their relationship. Ms. Harlow treated Sebastian’s OCD with a lot of respect and care and didn’t sensationalize or sugar coat any of the aspects of what it is like to live with someone with this disorder. A lot of the reviews called Sebastian a “difficult” man to love. I just couldn’t imagine how you couldn’t love him. What a beautiful soul who suffers from something he can’t control. And the things he could control, he worked hard on getting better. I love both of these characters. I loved this story, I loved their chemistry (JEEZ, it was HOT) and I loved how much they both resonated with me.

Skylar’s sister’s Natalie and Jillian’s stories can be found in Some Sort of Crazy and Some Sort of Love. Some Sort of Happy is part of the Happy Crazy Love Series and is FREE is you are a Kindle Unlimited member. I can’t wait to read them all! I highly recommend this book and it gets a obsessive 5 Stars from me!
Happy Reading, Lucy xoxo

This is the first book that i ever read by Melanie. And not only did it have some great sex scenes (who doesnt love that!!!) It also touched a very good topic, which is anxiety and OCD which i suffer with daily. And alot of people do not understand it or the affects it has on people, but by reading this book it gives you a better understanding of it. So i give this book 5 stars. And i can ot WAIT to read ALL melanies books

I love it! I love it! Cause two is better than one. I am smiling hard as I write this review. This is a wonderful, amazing, awesome story of love, not romance, love. It's sweet and funny and a little bit crazy. Sebastian, oh what a wonderful man. He is suffering from OCD and compulsive in most parts of his life. When he meets Skylar for the first time since high school, all of the old feelings he had for her resurface and take him on a roller coaster ride of fear and doubt. Skylar is so strong, she's there for him even in situations she doesn't fully understand and remains by his side refusing to allow him to ruin their relationship. Tears came to my eyes as I watched Sebastian break letting his demons take control. I loved every word in this book. The story unfolded beautifully and drew me in to their happy, crazy world. My heart is still beating anxious for Sebastian and Skylar to have their happily ever after. I love the ending. Skylar knows her man and does everything she can to support him through his bad days. I love how she was ready for every insecurity before it happened at the end. They get their HEA, but I could read more of their story just to see how they work through each major change in their lives and relationship. I love a story with a happy ending, but a really great story always leaves me wanting more of the couple and this book does that.

I liked this story but didn't love it. It was a beautiful story of how strong love is but the challenges these two characters faced were great. The story really sheds some light on OCD and the extremes of it. It was difficult to see the hero be so lost and the heroine being the strong one trying to fight for them on her own.

Good story but am anxious for something lighter for next book in this series.