As summer fast approaches, so too does the frantic search for summer reading material that goes beyond the formulaic stories spit out by publishers every beach season. I was incredibly pleased that Secrets to Happiness was one of the first books I selected to initiate the process; it is a light summer read that actually contains endearing characters and unique storylines that will prevent readers from feeling that this is a novel they have read a number of times before.

The novel revolves around Holly Frick, a thirty-something single woman living in New York and (sort of) looking for a new man to share her life. After her marriage ends in a hurtful divorce, she decides to pen a novel chronicling some of its details, only to later be contacted by one of her ex-husband’s girlfriends for further clarification about it contents. When she gets involved in an unsatisfying relationship with a twenty-something-year-old boy toy, she compares her failed marriage to her best friend, Amanda, only to learn that even their relationship is not immune from cracks.

Secrets to Happiness is a charming summer read, full of witty dialogue that garners reader empathy relating to the struggles of each of the characters. I was actually disappointed when I reached this novel’s end, just as I will be disappointed to reach the summer’s.