This was a fun quick romance read. The story was entertaining and I loved the romance! Would recommend

This book was cute! I think there were way too many words and useless dialogue to get to where it wanted to go, though. It had trouble holding my attention for longer than 20 minutes at a time. I liked the idea and premise but I think it missed its mark for me, unfortunately.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for this arc!!


This was an enjoyble read and I loved the plot. The characters had a nice story and the way the grew over the course of the story. The plot was really entertaining and I would recommend this.

This was such a good read, it was a little slow to start but I really enjoyed how the chapter titles related to the story and it was very self aware

Nathan and Amelia both have stuff to deal with from the past, he ends up at her hotel that she bought in the California desert (think palm springs) - its a little slow but the long term total guests are a fun cast of secondary characters. My first book by thr author but I see she has an extensive catalog- perfect as a filler book

Thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

Review: Happy After All

⭐ 1/5

I really wanted to enjoy Happy After All, but from the start, it struggled to hold my attention. The story discussed heartfelt subsets, however is heavily centered on internal dialogue, it feels scattered and repetitive. The main character is dealing with the aftermath of her ex’s infidelity, but beyond that, the conflict and drama remain unclear for too long, making it hard to connect with her struggles.

One of the biggest issues is her infatuation with Nathan. She insists there’s a strong, almost overwhelming connection between them, yet their interactions are minimal and lack any real emotional or narrative buildup. It makes her obsession feel unearned and unrealistic. Maybe it was just me not connecting with her voice.

By the halfway point, the story still felt choppy and disjointed. The protagonist’s thoughts jump from one thing to another without coherence, making it hard to stay engaged. And the romance? It continues to be based on nothing substantial—there are no pivotal moments or meaningful exchanges to justify her feelings for Nathan. Instead, it feels like she’s clinging to an idea rather than an actual relationship.

I made it to 80% before ultimately giving up. The story kept cycling through the same internal monologues without progressing in any meaningful way. Unfortunately, Happy After All wasn’t the right book for me—it felt like an endless loop of thoughts without purpose, and I just couldn’t push through to the end.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and am voluntarily giving my honest review.

5⭐
1 🌶️
Tropes/Themes: Writer MCs, she falls first, he falls harder, grief/comfort, found family, hate to love
Single POV 1st person

Trigger warnings below!

WOW. This was such a satisfying read….for the reason that most people are complaining about this book hahahaha. I even wrote in my notes (before reading any of the reviews) “I imagine there will be a lot of reviews not enjoying how much she is in her own head, but I adore it because this is how I am.”

I LOVE these angsty, stuck in your head, introspective stories because it’s literally me. It was emotional and raw. I’m always in my head overthinking things. I knew by the end of chapter 2 this would be a 5 star read and I highlighted SO MUCH.

And the way Amelia and Nathan grow as characters just 🥹🥹🥹. Ugh, I ate it up. I was rooting so hard for them. The tropes at the beginning of the chapters are also cute, with the way it sets the mood for each chapter.

The story was a teeny bit long, and I did have to take a break from reading it for a few days because it was just so meaty, but as I've said repeatedly I loved it.

Trigger warnings as possible spoilers
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Wildfire, death, pregnancy loss, alcoholism, grief, mentions of cheating

There were some super heavy topics in this book, so please be sure to read the trigger warnings first. This read was just okay for me. I found myself going back and forth on if I actually wanted to finish it. The romance felt like more of a slow burn. It felt more self-reflective and based on personal growth while the romance took a backseat. Overall, I was just looking for a bit more from this as I had high hopes from the description.

Thank you to Netgalley, Maisey Yates and Montlake Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I want to thank the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this arc.

This one was really hard to get through. It was really wordy, and a lot of it seemed unnecessary. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and their relationship. There were a lot of time jumps in the beginning that I had a hard time with and by the end, it just didn't care at all.

A fun, cozy and quick romance! Loved it through and through! I love when we get the feel of other places, settings and professions and this was it!

Happy After All is very much a category romance- a quick read, easy to digest, and one that can easily be carried for a short trip. The story follows Amelia who has left her LA life behind for a pink flamingo decorated Motel in the middle of nowhere. Big tough topics are gently prodded and for anyone exploring new and emerging romance tropes, this could be a fun read to explore how the author does it. Because this is a no spoiler review, I won't tell you what the experimental trope is.


The good: easy read, predictable.

Who it's good for: fans of short, quick, predictable romance with a few heavy topics.

I really love Maisey Yates' writing and grumpy sunshine is one of my favorite tropes. This should probably be read with a lot of trigger warnings but the chemistry and banter are great!

The beginning was great and sucked me in. The middle got really slow. Some parts felt redundant. The ending brought it back though.

I very much enjoyed this book! It was fantastic reset from the dark books. This story made me happy. I loved the characters growth and healing from life.

O

Maisey Yates brings us the story of city girl Amelia who ends up owning and running a motel in a small town in California's deserts. As she tries to adjust to her new life while trying to forget what she left behind, newcomer Nathan comes and checks into the motel. Tensions rise whenever they are near each other, yet neither do anything about it. Amelia tries to avoid him as must as possible while taking care of all her short term and long term guests. Problem is that he keeps coming back year after year even after making it known that he does not care for her and that he does not have a choice in staying there. And year after year, Amelia keeps fighting that desire to get closer to him. When a fire devastates the town, they must all band together to help out their neighbors which meant they had to work together. When a fundraising event is planned to help out those affected by the fire, Amelia's past is now in her present. Will she be strong enough to confront her past? Will it allow her to be open to all possibilities? Will Amelia and the long term residents of the motel be able to soften the rough edges around Ian and get him to open up?

Maisey Yates brings us the story of Amelia and Ian whose past have influenced their present. Hurt by those closest to them have these two closed off to possibilities. Will what life throws at them and the long term residents change things for the better, or will it just makes things harder for them? Read to find out how these two fare as they battle the tension between them.

I have read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Montlake for this privilege.

Amelia Taylor has left her career as a screenwriter and a traumatic breakup behind to start fresh as a romance novelist and owner of the Pink Flamingo Motel in a small desert community near Palm Springs. Her new life is peaceful, filled with supportive friends and a sense of purpose. Everything changes when Nathan Hart, a bestselling novelist, checks in to her motel.

Nathan is handsome, distant, and seemingly dislikes Amelia on sight. He spends his days writing in the Hemingway Suite, carrying an air of sadness and mystery that intrigues her despite his standoffish behavior. Year after year, Nathan returns to the motel, and Amelia slowly begins to heal from her own emotional wounds as she gets to know him.

Their connection grows stronger when a devastating wildfire strikes the town, forcing them to confront their vulnerabilities and secrets. Together, they navigate their past traumas, finding hope and healing in one another.

In Happy After All, Maisey Yates delivers a heartfelt romance filled with emotional depth, quirky small-town charm, and themes of love, loss, rebirth, and the power of human connection.

The story of Amelia and Nathan. He is a guest in her hotel, and the story is told over several of his stays. He is a mystery but he is hiding sadness. An emotional read. I did enjoy reading it and there are some great side characters too!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for this ARC.

Amelia Taylor is a romance author and the owner of the Pink Flamingo Motel in California. She meets attractive but grumpy Nathan Hart, author of military thrillers, when he checks in for the whole scorching summer to write in the desert location near Palm Springs.

Every other chapter gives us a brief summary of things like meet-cutes and tropes, and it always corresponds with what's happening in the story right now. Enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, save the cat, fake dating, slow burn, found family - it's all there and then some.

This would be impossibly cute but then the author suddenly decides to go literary and introduces terrible trauma for her and Nathan. The poor guy doesn't get a POV which is why I didn't warm to him initially - you can grieve and not be rude with it, but Nathan is a totally broken man, too broken to react normally or articulate feelings.

If that wasn't enough, a terrible wildfire destroys the neighbourhood (content warning for everyone affected by the fires in LA) and they decide to hold A Very Desert Christmas Fundraiser, which brings Amelia face to face with an old boyfriend, repressed grief and more tropes.

This is a strange book. It is as if the author couldn't decide whether she wanted to write lighthearted romance with all the tropes or serious literary trauma fiction so she mixed it all together. There is too much repetitive inner monologue for my liking, that drags the story out and interrupts the flow of a conversation - when the answer to a question finally comes you can't remember the question from two pages before! The pace is all over the place and I felt bored halfway through and started skimming pages.

There is a huge cast of side characters, from staff to permanent guests, and while the setting is interesting and the elderly ladies who try to matchmake are cute, I think the author tries to fit too much into one story. The spicy scenes felt awkward, like the author felt she had to write them for a certain readership, and I just didn't believe in the sudden kitschy HEA, after all that trauma and angst. Read if you like a mixture of trauma and tropes.

I was pleasantly surprised when this book turned out to be much more than I expected. In the beginning it appears to be a lighthearted romance - Amelia is the new proprieter of a flamingo-themed motel, complete with a collection of quirky elderly long term residents and Nathan is a grumpy author who rents room 32. Their relationship evolves over the course of a few years from enemies to lovers and we learn more about both Amelia and Nathan's pasts, the story becomes poignant and heart-wrenching at times. A great read that delves into delves into the family and friend relationships outside of the main couple and how they contribute to who they are.

I was pleasantly surprised when this book turned out to be much more than I expected. In the beginning it appears to be a lighthearted romance - Amelia is the new proprieter of a flamingo-themed motel, complete with a collection of quirky elderly long term residents and Nathan is a grumpy author who rents room 32. Their relationship evolves over the course of a few years from enemies to lovers and we learn more about both Amelia and Nathan's pasts, the story becomes poignant and heart-wrenching at times. A great read that delves into delves into the family and friend relationships outside of the main couple and how they contribute to who they are.