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This Is What Happy Looks Like
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This Is What Happy Looks Like
Unavailable
This Is What Happy Looks Like
Audiobook8 hours

This Is What Happy Looks Like

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two 17-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

A Hachette Audio production.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 2, 2013
ISBN9781619696839
Unavailable
This Is What Happy Looks Like
Author

Jennifer E. Smith

Jennifer E. Smith is the author of Hello, Goodbye and Everything in Between, The Geography of You and Me, This Is What Happy Looks Like, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, The Storm Makers, You Are Here, and The Comeback Season. She earned her master’s degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews, and her work has been translated into thirty languages.

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Reviews for This Is What Happy Looks Like

Rating: 3.553511640468227 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I really liked Smith's previous book "The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight," and I really loved this cover, so I picked it up the day it came out. I was pretty let down by it, though. I enjoyed the first couple of chapters with the e-mails back and forth more than I liked the part where the two were actually together. The book is sweet, and it's not that I disliked it, it was just very low-key and unexceptional. The ending was a let-down and in the end it was like nothing happened in this book at all. I had such high hopes!
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Not as strong as her first novel, in my opinion. Was very excited to read it but it was a let-down.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Long time, no review, I know. But guys, this is the kind of book I need to gush about. I NEED to talk to you guys about this book. Because it is so, so, so utterly perfect I can't NOT talk about it. This is the kind of book that breaks a review-slump.So, the premise is fairly basic. Misguided emails, one person in this email is secretly a celebrity, they meet and start a relationship. Except...not quite. This story is SO much more than that. Jennifer Smith, in the excellent way she does, gives both characters their own story lines beyond the romance. Ellie has this massive secret and some family issues. Graham has family issues of a different nature, as well as the natural issues that come with being a celebrity. And both have to deal with the complications these secrets and separate issues have on their relationship. Add to the fact that, you know, Ellie didn't KNOW he was famous. Things are complicated and intricate and beautiful and heartbreaking. Jennifer's the kind of writer who pulls you in and never lets go. I read the beginning while sitting next to a friend because she wanted to see my reaction. Then I let myself to take a small break from homework and ended up reading the next 150 pages. I DEVOURED this book and all of it's perfections and Jennifer's wonderful writing. I was enthralled in this story and these characters and their lives. They weren't just characters. They were people. Graham and Ellie and their friends and family were so well crafted and they all had this fantastic chemistry with intricate relationships that only an excellent writer can build.And can we talk about the setting? I've never been to Maine. The closest I've ever been is the suburbs of Boston. And you know, those mansions weren't exactly a small town on the coast of the Atlantic. But the setting was so well built, that I could picture everything. The beach and the town and the street Ellie would walk down and the set of Graham's movie. It was charming and really drew me in to this little Maine town, which can be kind of hard to do when I'm reading from my bed in the middle of a giant city.Seriously, and then there's Graham and Ellie as people. They were far from cookie cutter characters. I mean, Graham. He has a pet pig. Do you know how epic that sounds? And usually you would think a celebrity would shy away from strangers on the internet, even if that internet doesn't know they're talking to a celebrity. But no, he wanted to reach out. Because even in the emails, there was so much personality on both ends and this fantastic chemistry made it easy for them to connect. Ellie and Graham have this wonderful dialogue, via email and in real life. It's realistic - sometimes it's awkward, sometimes it's hard to talk, sometimes everything is easy and light and fun. Guys, Jennifer E. Smith is just a master. She's utterly brilliant. I'm going to declare her one of the Princesses of Contemporary with Stephanie Perkins, Gayle Forman, and Elizabeth Eulberg. I will read anything she puts out in the world for us to read and I definitely have to get my hands on You Are Here and The Comeback Season because, hello, Jennifer writing a ROAD TRIP and BASEBALL? Hell yes. I am ALL OVER THAT SHIZ.So, um. You should go buy This is What Happy Looks Like and rejoice in the wonder that is a Jennifer E. Smith book and then join me in reading ALL OF HER BOOKS EVER.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In short: Though perhaps not hugely memorable, This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith is an very charming romance.This Is What Happy Looks Like is, in a word, charming. The ease and playfulness of the fun Notting Hill meets You've Got Mail plot, the easily likeable characters, and the enchantment of the small town setting combine to make This Is What Happy Looks Like a pleasure to read. Contemporary romance is not generally my kind of read, but even I can see the appeal in the lighthearted airiness of this romance. It's nice to be able to relax and not overthink what you're reading.That said, I was a bit surprised at the depth displayed in This Is What Happy Looks Like. I was not expecting anything more than a simple romance, so I was impressed at Jennifer E. Smith's skilled inclusion of non-romantic family issues into the plot. Now, I'm not saying that the plot was instantly elevated to something profoundly deep by the inclusion of this - it really was just an easy romantic read - but it did at least have the benefit of adding depth to the characters. Ellie and Graham were perfectly likeable before, as is their cutesy romance, but by adding more to their backstory, it made me care about them and their relationship more.I think my main problem with This Is What Happy Looks Like is that I would have liked to have seen Ellie and Graham's relationship grow gradually from the beginning. We are told that Ellie and Graham have been conversing over email and growing their relationship for months prior to the beginning of the novel, but we only see a few of these email exchanges. They already have strong feelings for each other when they meet and it kind of took away from my connection to the romance a bit.Overall, This Is What Happy Looks Like is a super cute romance with some added depth. It may not be life-changing and hugely memorable in the long run, but it delivers what it promises: an enjoyable and charming romance. This Is What Happy Looks Like would be the perfect beach read!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    THIS, my friends, is what happy looks like. I'm sorry... I told myself I wouldn't play off the title like that, but I had to. And it just so happens to be true. It all starts when a teenage boy sends an email to his pig sitter... Only he gets the email wrong, and actually sends it to a random girl across the country. This conversation does not stop once the mistake is realized, but rather the girl and boy end up forming a pen pal relationship of sorts. Little does the main female, Ellie, know that the boy she has spent so much time thinking about and talking to is teen heartthrob, Graham Larkin. Will their relationship be as easy going as the anonymous one online when they meet in real life? What if being seen together has unexpected consequences for both of them? I was a big fan of the author's last novel, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight ( see my not so eloquent review ), so I had high hopes for this one. Actually, that is an understatement. This is one of the books that I was jumping up and down with excitement and anticipation for, jumping every time I overheard someone mention it. Thankfully, it is even better than I had hoped. The story is told in a very interesting and extremely fun way. The prologue is the actual exchange of emails that starts the relationship. From then on, the story is told in alternating POV's, and at the beginning of each chapter is another email or exchange from the continuing relationship.I was amazed by how much one little email could warm (or break) my heart. I found myself looking forward to the next email as much as Ellie did. I only have positive things to say about this novel. I tore through the first half and then forced myself to take it slow and savor the story. This is one of those stories that have really great atmospheres - a story that you love to live and immerse yourself in. It takes place in a small Maine town, and as cheesy as this sounds, it feels as if the town reaches out and wraps you in a hug. I felt at home in the story. There are little images that I can't get out of my head. Like a souvenir shop with handwritten poems in all the picture frames. And whoopee pies. I want a whoopee pie really badly. In fact, I think my new mission in life is to try one. Just read it, okay? You'll thank me.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Previous to this book I had read Smith’s “The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight” and enjoyed it. This was a cute contemporary fiction romance. It was decent but ended pretty open I know there is a follow-up novella that is supposed to tie things up better. I listened to this on audiobook and it was well done. They have different narrators for the parts told from Ellie and Graham’s POV. The main theme running through this book is fame and how people deal with it. Ellie and her mom had their life ruined by fame and publicity early on. Then Ellie finds out that the mysterious boy she has been talking to is a famous actor and is reluctant to get involved in the paparazzi circus that caused her family so much pain years ago. I did find the topic of dealing with a sudden rise to fame kind of interesting. Watching how Graham’s sudden rise to fame has changed his life is thought-provoking and sad. That was probably the most interesting part of this book. Most of the book is just the romance between Ellie and Graham and how they have to struggle to make their situation work. In the end it was an okay read but kind of boring at points. There isn’t much resolution to the story either. It does end in a fairly realistic way that does make you feel somewhat positive. Overall this was an okay read. I liked some of the talk about fame and how it affects people. The chemistry between Ellie and Graham was good but not fantastic. It was a quick read that I enjoyed. However, I feel like Stephanie Perkins writes books that are very similar in style and I always enjoy Perkins books a lot more.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Perfect strangers Graham Larkin and Ellie O'Neill meet online when Graham accidentally sends Ellie an e-mail about his pet pig, Wilbur. The two 17-year-olds strike up an e-mail relationship from opposite sides of the country and don't even know each other's first names. What's more, Ellie doesn't know Graham is a famous actor, and Graham doesn't know about the big secret in Ellie's family tree. When the relationship goes from online to in-person, they find out whether their relationship can be the real thing.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The perfect romance for all those girls who don't get noticed, the plain and introspective girls yearning for a love connection with a nice, cute boy. This is emotionally sweet and tender without being at all sappy or mushy, a real-feeling romance that captures all the hope and angst of two teens falling for each other. Very, very nice.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I DNF'd this book just because I have so many other books I must read right now. I'll come back to it, because I want to know how it ends, though I think it won't end well.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was a really cute read. Though the characters made some questionable decisions, they were well fleshed out and totally likeable. I think this would have rated 4 Stars for me had the ending not been so abrupt.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    omg I want to know what happened to theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeem.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this book, so much so that I added it to my favorites. I like the small town vibe and how both down to earth the main characters are. I would've preferred an epilogue that ties up all the loose ends. But rhe author cleverly followed it up with a novella, which I hope to get my hands on so I can find out what happens to Ellie and Graham.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a fun little book. It's very reminiscent of You've Got Mail. It has that light and fun flavor to it. It doesn't have that extra magic that The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight does but it was still fun and well worth the read. I spent a Saturday afternoon sitting in the sun on the back porch reading this book and it was a perfect afternoon. I will definitely be reading everything by Jennifer E. Smith in the future.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this book! It had a very interesting story and a great outcome.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    3.5 stars.

    Not super original, but a cute story. I will be looking for her other titles. A great readalike for Janette Rallison and Lindsey Leavitt.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It all starts with a typo in an email address - and Ellie O'Neill finds herself corresponding with a seventeen year old boy who lives in California. She has no idea, though, that her new friend is actually Graham Larkin, a teenage heartthrob whose new movie is going to be shot in Ellie's town.Graham is happy to find someone who treats him like he's a regular guy. After rocketing to fame a few years ago, everyone treats him differently, including his parents, and he's getting sick of it. So when the planned location for his new movie is overrun by locusts, Graham suggests Henley, Maine, where Ellie lives. After a brief moment of mistaken identity, he and Ellie hit it off, but their relationship will never work in the long term...right?Okay, the first impression I got from this book is - wow, way to totally ignore internet safety, Ellie! Not only does her email address include her last name, but she gives Graham, whose first name she doesn't even know, enough information for him to find her and track her down. It's great that he turns out to be the person he's representing himself to be, but he easily could have been some creepy person. Anyway, if you can get over that, the book is sort of cute - at least the first half of it is. But I don't really care for the author's writing style; I found myself not really caring about any of the characters in the book, and once part two came around, I had to force myself to keep reading. It's a good idea, sort of, but the execution just didn't capture my interest. I finished the book less than an hour ago, and I am already starting to forget its details. Not a good sign.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It's a good book with an adorable story. I just expected too much from this book, I guess. I was supposed to give it 3 stars but then why not another star for such a pretty cover?!!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    All it takes is a single email gone astray. That is how Ellie ends up communicating with a guy she knows only as "G" across the country about nothing and everything. But when G shows up in Ellie's small home town in middle of nowhere Maine chaos ensues. G is Graham Larkin, teen heartthrob. Now the question Ellie and Graham must face is whether they can find that same relationship they have online in real life.I devoured most of this book in a single reading. Smith writes yet another excellent YA novel taking one of those common fantasies (falling for a celebrity) and making it more complex with the issues in both Ellie and Graham's lives. Filled with cuteness, angst, and romance, this book is a spectacular summer read that I highly recommend.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    DNF Review

    If I were to summarize the main reason why I DNF'ed this in one word, it would be: immaturity.

    Don't get me wrong; I'm a pretty immature/random person myself, but this isn't a case of the pot and the kettle. I'm talking about the shallowness of this book; it feels like pure fluff with no real point to it. It's not enjoyable fluff, either, nor can it be possibly categorized as "guilty pleasure". This book is pretty much the reason why I tend to stay away from contemporary fiction altogether.

    Taking a look at the blurb, I was certain that I would not like this at all. The only reason why I still ended up reading the novel was I absolutely loved the author's previous novel, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (she obviously has a thing for long titles...)

    The novel was just... dumb, okay? It was stupid and meandering and, above all, unentertaining. I think only people who are hardcore fans of chick-lit and contemporary fiction would like TiWHLL.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was such a cute book. For me it really stood apart from the other cute quick teen romances. Of course the entire premise of the book is a little farfetched, but it's the kind of thing teenage girls always dream about happening to them. The dialogue was cute and funny, and I really liked all the characters. I liked that there were understandable reasons behind the characters actions. The romance was really sweet, and there were no huge dramatic (unreasonable) misunderstandings between them.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The plot has been done many times over: small-town girl falls for gorgeous city boy. But Jennifer E. Smith has breathed new life into this familiar storyline with This is What Happy Looks Like. This is a YA romance novel that will tug on your heartstrings and make you long for your own sweet summer romance.Smith's constructs a story of summer love, one full of unexpected moments and unlikely odds. The plot is largely about being brave enough to live the moments as they come to you, and that sometimes happiness is worth the risks of a broken heart. Peppered with social issues such as insecurities, teenage drama, and family problems, This is What Happy Looks Like not only is a recognizable and relatable story, but it's a cathartic story of young love, and a bit of a fairy tale come true. Haven't we all dreamed of a sexy A-list celebrity somehow picking us out of all the girls in the world? Graham is exactly what we dream every celebrity heartthrob to be. As an adult reader, my inner teenage romantic side melted a little at my own desires to be swept away by Prince Charming.The ending didn't take the route I was expecting it to and I'm a tad bitter about that. But I like the ending in the theme of life's unpredictability. It was fitting. Regardless, This is What Happy Looks Like is a well-written and thoroughly entertaining novel. Jennifer E. Smith has written a delicious YA love story that's perfect for a cottage read, or even for when you're feeling a little blue.This one's going on my YA favourites shelf. An unexpectedly wonderful summertime story.4 Stars
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The book is a sweet romance between a teenage movie star and an ordinary high school girl who "meet" by chance when an error is made sending an email. Ellie does not know that she is corresponding with someone famous and Graham likes it that way for a while until he orchestrates having his next movie filmed in Ellie's home town. This is a young adult novel and the tone of the romance is appropriate for the audience. The think I didn't like was that the books just ends. We don't know what happens between the couple down the road. Instead we are left to imagine or assume that they continue their relationship through emails and hopefully more. I am of the understanding that a novella was written as a follow-up to this book. If so, I would have rather had this book be completed with an epilogue instead of having to search out the next installment. I am interested enough to go ahead and read it to find out what happens, but in the future I hope the author makes her future books stand alones.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Ellie O'Neill receives an e-mail about pig-sitting that obviously isn't meant for her, and replies to let the person know about their mistake. Their personalities click, and suddenly Ellie is trading e-mails with a teenage boy from who knows where. When teen heartthrob Graham Larkin comes to town to film a movie, he asks out Ellie's friend Quinn, thinking she was Ellie: Graham had enough information from their e-mails to track her down. When the mix-up is discovered, Graham goes after Ellie, who must adjust to the realization that she's been e-mailing with a celebrity. Is he truly the person that she'd gotten to know? She also has a secret from her past that she'd like to keep hidden, and hanging out with a celebrity means nothing is a secret for long. This sweet romance will appeal to fans of Sarah Dessen and Rainbow Rowell.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was so close to a 5 star for me but it didn't quite make it (the reason why is discussed on my blog)
    Great read for summer, really enjoyable.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I adore Jennifer Smith's books. While they have an aspect of being fluffy chick-lit, she always manages to also address other harder issues. This book just made me smile. It was a sweet romance of a small town girl with a movie star - you know, we all have dreamed of it! It was a relationship that started through an accidental email. Through these emails, Graham and Ellie found it easier to confide their problems with a complete stranger on the other side of the country. Ellie had no idea Graham was a movie star. Graham was just looking for someone to treat him the way he used to be treated before his stardom.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I wanted to really like it. HOWEVER-
    incorrect Maine geography lack of whoopie pie knowledge= unhappy Sam.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The relationship starts with a mistyped email address and leads to a blooming relationship between Ellie and Graham, although it is a long time before they even know each other's names. Ellie lives in middle of nowhere Maine. An intensely private person because of some family secrets, her world is turned upside down when Graham (a movie star) shows up to film his latest movie in her small town. He sees it as a great chance to meet Ellie and spend the summer with her. Their face-to-face relationship is lovely and painful. A sweet romance replete with starts and stops and uncertainty.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This Is What Happy Looks Like is a very cute and quick read. It is the story of Graham, an A-List teenage movie star, and Ellie, a small-town girl who he accidentally emails in regards to the caring of his pet pig.

    Graham and Ellie become penpals (well, except with emails) and through the other's dreams and words, they slowly begin to fall for one another. A whirlwind of events leads Graham to film his new movie in Ellie's hometown, and all is seemingly well for the new companions. Except... Ellie has no clue of his real identity... Graham's manager has his own preferences regarding his client's love life... and Ellie seems to be hiding a secret of her own.

    I did enjoy reading This Is What Happy Looks Like, though there were a few complaints that I had with the development of the love relationship between Ellie and Graham. I felt that there were not enough emails to recognize the growing emotions between the two, and that made their relationship difficult to understand in later chapters.

    Overall, This Is What Happy Looks Like is a good choice to read as a summer listing. Smith wonderfully describes the beauty of a small town and its charming inhabitants. It left me with a smile on my face and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When a mistyped email reaches the wrong recipient, Ellie and GDL824 begin a fun flurry of emails reaching each side of the US. From Maine, life is simple and Ellie is going to work two jobs over the summer, hoping to earn enough to go to a summer poetry workshop at Harvard. GDL, we learn, is teen star Graham Larkin, who orchestrates the filming of part of his summer movie in Henley, Maine. This one didn't grab me quite as much as Smith's other tale of an accidental meeting, but Graham and Ellie were good characters. They both face issues they don't want to discuss with other people, but eventually, the truth always comes out.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I loved the premise of the book. I thought the story was cute and very sweet However, I didn't feel it had a satisfying ending.