About the book

Unlike lightning, it seems heartbreak can strike twice…the only cure is the healing power of time and someone else who understand exactly what you’re going through. A Year of Finding Happiness is a heart-warming romance, perfect to curl up with.

Poignant, heart-warming and gorgeously romantic, this is a love-story with pure, unadulterated happiness at its heart. A Year of Finding Happiness shows you that the little things in life can make you smile, even when you think you might never laugh again…

Happiness doesn’t factor on the deliciously rugged but utterly heartbroken Greg’s radar much these days. Only his beloved Labrador Angus seems to understand his search for a way to make sense of tragedy until he meets new neighbor Mallory Westerman…

Instantly they know that the other understands how they feel, and over time, as romance blossoms, they dare to wonder if they might, one day, be truly happy again…

There are two sides to every story, and A Year of Finding Happiness is Greg’s journey back from the darkest depths to happiness…

A Year of Finding Happiness was previously published as Bridge of Hope.

‘Heartwarming and uplifting’ HEIDI SWAIN

My Review:

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for the latest by Lisa Hobman, A Year of Finding Happiness! Greg lives on the Scottish coast with his dog Angus. He works at a pub, works as a handyman, and also does charters on his boat, Little Blue. However, Greg is also suffering serious heartbreak after losing the woman he loved months earlier in an accident. Mallory has recently moved into a cottage not far from Greg and has also suffered a tremendous loss and heartbreak. Slowly but surely, the typically grumpy and standoffish Greg finds himself drawn to Mallory and their friendship. Although they both bond together due to similar losses, Greg also starts realizing that he wants more than friendship from Mallory. But what will happen if he pushes her? Should he risk the loss of their friendship for something more?

A funny story about my reading and reviewing this novel… I loved it from the first page and quickly became engrossed in Greg and his story of loss. But not too far into the novel, things about the story started to seem familiar, almost as if I had read the novel already. Finally, after looking into the author, I realized that I read her novel A Seaside Escape last fall and that this was the story told from Greg’s POV. Anyway, after my revelation, I happily continued on.

So, back to A Year of Finding Happiness… I absolutely loved this being told from Greg’s POV. Lisa Hobman’s characterization was impeccable, giving her readers such a raw and honest depiction of heartbreak and being on an emotional roller coaster. Greg initially tried to keep Mallory at a distance, then became completely invested in their friendship. However, once he became aware of growing feelings that were much more than friendship, thus began his internal struggle with feeling guilty about Mairi, the woman that he loved and lost.

Despite the back and forth and ups and downs between Greg and Mallory, Hobman also slowly but surely shows Greg reclaiming his life and his zest for living and doing more with his life than he had been. I loved watching these changes and was constantly rooting for Greg to find his happily ever after!

There are definitely some heavy issues in this novel involving the death of loved ones, depression, and the battle to overcome a loss. However, the main theme of A Year of Finding Happiness is much like its title in that the author provided us with a first-hand view of someone digging out of a hole of despair in order to discover the beauty of life, and to discover that it’s o.k. to let yourself be happy again, in spite of prior tragedy and loss. This novel left me feeling happy, hopeful, and full of love!

*Thanks to Aria and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Buy now links:

Amazon: mybook.to/AYOFH

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2JL9dbj

iBooks: https://apple.co/2ybqNDN

Google play: http://bit.ly/2yblfJy

About the author

Lisa’s debut novel was shortlisted in the 2014 RNA. Her stories center around believable, yet down to earth characters and the places in Scotland she has visited and fallen in love with. She is a happily married mum of one with two energetic dogs.

Follow Lisa

Website: http://www.lisajhobman.com/

Twitter: @LisaHobmanAuth

Facebook: @LisaJHobmanAuthor