Happyish

A Novel

By: Jeanette Escudero

Narrated by: Vivia Font

It was supposed to be a good day.

On the one-year anniversary of her divorce, Alex Martinez is getting closure—and margaritas with her two best friends. But just before the celebratory meetup, Alex is clobbered by life once again. Damping the cheer is the diagnosis of a brain tumor she can’t pronounce, a procedure she’d rather postpone, and the prospect of what to say to an already heartbroken mother. Not that Alex plans to tell her anything anytime soon.

Going from blissful to blindsided in one afternoon, Alex has other plans: to be impulsive and embark on an adventure she’ll never forget. Expected destinations: the Grand Canyon, Puerto Rico, and zip-lining through Costa Rica. Unexpected companion: a hiker named David who’s found a woman after his own heart. But no matter how enriching the journey, how long can Alex keep running?

It’s time to accept past griefs, reconnect with her mother, and find her way back to happy. For Alex, whatever the future holds, maybe everything she really needs to face is right where she left it.

©2022 Jeanette Escudero (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Narrator Vivia Font…successfully conveys Alex's stress by increasing her tempo and pitch.… Font successfully switches from English to Spanish when needed. She does an excellent job portraying Alex's mother, a Cuban immigrant, with empathy and humor. Each character has a distinct voice.”—AudioFile Magazine

“Narrator Vivia Font’s authentic pronunciation honors Cuban American Escudero’s (The Apology Project) words. Font ably conveys the wry, bittersweet moments peppered throughout and brings out the emotions in this deeply moving novel. An affecting, expressively told tale of a woman whose illness teaches her many wonderful things. Share with fans of Emma Straub and Rebecca Serle.”—Library Journal

“Cuban American Escudero writes a sometimes gritty, occasionally hilarious, and mostly heart-wrenching story. A relatable, gripping tale, infused with Latinx culture, that packs an emotional wallop.”—Library Journal (starred review)

Great narrator, characters and story

I downloaded this one because I really enjoyed The Apology Project and was not disappointed. Although I am married, have two children, grew up in the midwest and had a mom and dad that had b÷een separated most of my life (so the opposite of Alex), I too had a sister get diagnosed with leukemia as a teenager and die two years later almost twenty years ago . Despite the vast differences in our lives, the experiences and feelings she described were spot on and I was forced to admit to myself the eerie similarities this caused in our adult lives. Even without the echoes of my own past and my similar work/life issues, this book was funny and heart felt and the narrator did an absolutely fantastic job with the different character voices and emotions. I adored Alex's moms, her friends and her work family and can't wait for another novel by Jeanette

Accepting challenges of physical medical events.

Found author's dealing with difficult physical medical events moving and reaffirming. Easy to read and thought provoking.

If you like heart-y AND funny, this is IT!

This book got me hooked just after a few minutes of listening on Audible. What a great story about sisterhood, friendships, relationships, struggling with diseases and other life stuff! It lacks nothing! It made me laugh and giggle. It made me a bit sad here and there, but Jeanette’s sense of humor, and the way it was performed, made it all worthwhile! The accents make me love it even more! It will make you think about taking risks in life, taking your chances and NOT missing any! I highly recommend this book to all my friends and fellow readers!

Her diagnoses and the journey she took to get to recovery.

I like the narrator and the very accurate sounding events she put on. The character overall growth and strength was amazing.

great

This was a book that really surprised me, I really enjoy it even though when I started I didn't want to continue because of the character's illness, I went through something like that so I was kind of in the defense area but I gave it a try and after a few chapters I was laughing and smiling like crazy

I'm so glad I gave this book a chance and meet the story of Alex a woman that was ready to celebrate life and her independence after her divorce. Alex starts traveling around meeting new people and finally understanding what she needed in life.

Alex meets David on of her Hiking trips making her wonder if her love life is already dead or if she has another chance.

The narrations by Vivia Font were great she really made me laugh so hard and brought so much to Alex's character and story.

Happyish is a book that will keep you laughing and smiling and even crying a book of determination, and finally, conquering your own demons. Alex was a very strong character even if at times it didn't feel that was who is strong when facing an illness like that.

A Great book I really enjoy it so much.