5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Autumn romance

C. · 29 August 2025

If It Makes You Happy by Julia Olivia is a beautifully written, layered romance that deserves far more attention than it’s getting. Fans of the Dream Harbor series will find plenty to love here, but Olivia’s storytelling is sharper, richer, and ultimately far more rewarding.This isn’t just a romance (though the love story is a sweet, proper slow burn with a film-perfect ending). It’s also about grief, divorce, and the complicated push-and-pull of parent–child dynamics—and how those challenges echo into adulthood. The autumn vibes are wonderful throughout, making this the perfect cozy season read. I especially loved how the children in the book weren’t treated as background filler; they were real characters with their own drama and arcs that mattered.And the epilogue? An absolute treat. It reminded me so much of I Jack, and I adored it—it tied everything together in the loveliest way.If I had to nitpick, the 90s setting felt a little off-putting—I was very young then, so it was tricky to fully place myself in the context. I also found the relationship between Emily and her mother, Tracey, a bit triggering, but that’s almost a compliment to Olivia’s writing since it hit so close to home. Around the 58–70% mark, the pacing did drag a little, but not enough to spoil the overall experience.All in all, this is a lovely, low-stakes, slow burn romance that balances heartache, healing, and warmth with real skill. Julia Olivia should be getting just as much attention as names like Laurie Gilmore—she’s more than deserving.

4.0 out of 5 stars Super cozy autumn read

H. · 23 October 2025

Michelle is newly divorced and has to move to Copper run, a small town in Vermont, to take over her deceased mother’s inn. There she meets charming neighbour and baker Cliff.This book was such a cozy read that is perfect for fall. If you love Gilmore Girls, I think you’ll like this book too!Tropes:🍁 Small town❤️ Slow burn🍁 He falls first❤️ Single dad🍁 1997 (nostalgic!)

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful

L. · 12 October 2025

This was Delightful.I thought it was just going to be an easy cheesy autumn romance but it's much more than that. I absolutely adore Cliff & Michelle and their relationship was wonderful, and they themselves were so fleshed out and layered.The side characters were also great and really added to the story.Yes the town and the romance are very white cis het but honestly this is a good one.It's also set in the late 90's so it's very nostalgic.Definitely recommend if you want a sweet and swoony romance.

4.0 out of 5 stars Wow!!

L.N. · 29 September 2025

Gilmore Girls meets When Harry met Sally!! I devoured this book such a perfect cozy season book

3.0 out of 5 stars Autumn/Fall Read

E.M. · 23 September 2024

I really liked all the characters, Michelle and Cliff's friendship is very endearing and I couldn't help but route for them. The setting of Copper Run gives very wholesome and idyllic vibes, just the right vibes for an Autumn/Fall read.I had a couple of issues, one, with the amount of times they referenced each others scent, it started to feel like a way to notch up the word count rather than add any value to the story, the overuse took away from the initial appeal. Then there's the epilogue which for me took the edge away from the ending, I didn't appreciate getting the dog's point of view, when by his own admission he struggles to comprehend any words other than "good boy" and yet he's the one wrapping up such a lovely story, it spoilt the ending for me, unfortunately.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Cozy Autumn Book

R.A. · 1 October 2025

I loved this book so much.This is the perfect Autumn book. It was so cute and cozy and I could not put it down.I fell in love with every character that i met. They were so well written.I loved how Michelle and Cliff moved from friends to more so easily one of the best slow burn books I have read.The relationship that Michelle had with Cliff's Children, Britt and Emily was so cute, she made them feel safe and happy.Cliff is such a sweet guy who is easy to like and he just wants to make sure that his family and friends are happy.Rocket is such a good character.The only thing that i wish was different was the Epilogue. I wish that it was from the main character's point of view. The epilogue was very well written though.Brit and Emily's characters were great.Overall i really loved this cozy autum book and i cant wait to read more by Julia Olivia

4.0 out of 5 stars All the cozy vibes 🍂🍁

G. · 6 September 2025

ARC Review4⭐️If you’re looking for a cozy, fall/winter vibes book to read in the ‘ber months this is the one for you!🍁 city girl x small town boy🍂 single dad🍁 friends to lovers🍂 1997 fall vibes🍁 slooooooow burn🍂 rocket the dog 🥲Michelle has just lost her mum and her pos husband of 5 years has just cheated on her (with a much younger women, obvs), so she puts a pause on her city life and heads to the small Vermont town where her mum had opened a b&b, she’s just there for a few months whilst her father grieves and her sister graduates.Enter Cliff, the hottie single dad, baker, next door neighbour. what a man, what a man, what a mighty good man!Cliff pretty much forces closed off Michelle to be his bestie, and thank god he did! Cue a (very) slow burn friends to lovers hallmark romance! With a side kick dog full of attitude (the epilogue 🥲) and cliff giving masked man before it was mainstream (iykyk)!This was a little too long to get 5⭐️ for me but I still really enjoyed it and it definitely delivered all the cozy vibes!

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute joy - a must-read for the autumn season

S.C. · 19 October 2025

What an absolute joy. I loved this book from the start and I particularly loved the 1990s timeline. A longer book than I tend to read at almost 500 pages but it never felt arduous - it was well layered and beautifully written. This book felt like a cross between When Harry Met Sally and Gilmore Girls and definitely gave me Part of Your World (Abby Jimenez) small town vibes. I would definitely recommend, one to read this autumn season.

The absolute best small-town romance to exist!

G.M. · 21 November 2024

“I love this woman. I don’t know when it happened. It slipped over me so softly, like the changing of seasons. The seeping scent of baked bread first thing in the morning. A wistful sigh on a perfect fall day. I love Michelle. I’ve loved her for far too long.”➵ I’m so glad I get to live in the same lifetime as this cozy, small-town, single dad, reverse grumpyxsunshine romance 🤍🍂🕯️🪵☕️☁️✨I don’t know how else to start this aside from saying that this book has changed me for the better + I absolutely cannot live my life without this book.I can’t say I’ve read any of Julie Olivia’s books before, but after this one, I gladly read them all!! I don’t know what called to me most about this book - the cover, the tropes, or the fact that it took place during the autumn of 1997 and just needed those cozy vibes and break from reality but it’s the best decision I ever made to pick up this book, and it’s without a doubt one of my favorite books of 2024, and probably on the list of my all-time favorite reads (this book made me (happy)sob for at least 20 minutes so it’s an instant winner in my library).I thought this was only just gonna be a cutesy little autumn rom-com type of read but it was so much more than that — there was so much emotion, depth, growth, tension, laughter, tears, and everything in between with this book and it’s everything to me. The romance wasn’t just the focal point of the story, although it was pretty amazing with its slow burn + the building tension, but also with like learning as an individual, but sometimes life goes in unexpected directions, and you find happiness in unexpected places with unexpected people you never thought would fall right into your life. In simpler terms, Cliff and Michelle are just absolutely perfect. Books like these make me believe in true love and that there is someone meant for me out there waiting in the most unexpected of places.Regarding the storytelling, I felt like everything just felt so clear and concise and flowed well. The slow burn was slow burning, and it was perfect. Friends still lovers is usually a hit or miss for me and this was a hit. I liked that everything was a slow buildup instead of more like an instant love and that there was an attraction between Cliff and Michelle, but they’re so different as characters they had to sort out their feelings and just take the long, scenic, way home to each other (even though I was constantly screaming at my Kindle the whole time for them to just kiss and get together, but they took their time and I’m here for it.) I’ve seen some other reviews that say that this is a story about two people finding their person in the most unexpected and unlikely of places and I 100% agree with that.Michelle’s relationship with Cliff’s daughters Emily and Brittany felt so special, heartwarming, and wholesome. I can’t imagine that it’s easy for either side to welcome someone new into their life in that way, but this story made it feel so real, so full of hope, and you can feel the love these girls found each other in their chosen families with one another through the pages. Girlhood is so precious and special and I just can’t express how much I loved that it was a huge presence in this book.Also, Rocket is the true main character of the story, don’t be fooled.While fall is still in full swing, I need everyone I know who loves a good small-town romance that has the most cozy & wholesome vibes with some added emotional & relational depth to the characters + overall storyline, to read this book!What to expect in If It Makes You Happy:🧡 cozy autumn romance🧡 Gilmore Girls x When Harry Met Sally vibes🧡 small town in Vermont during the late 90s🧡 black cat x golden retriever🧡 single dad🧡 friends to lovers🧡 the dog is the main character🧡 opposites attract🧡 slow burn🧡 innkeeper x local baker🧡 emotional, wholesome with some spicy“I wonder if it’s true. If I’m the only woman who sees him for the man that he is. Funny and sarcastic, but selfless and good. And I wonder if he was made for me, if he’s the only man who will ever see me. I don’t believe in destiny or stars, but I have to believe Cliff’s constellation would align right beside mine.”

Perfect cozy romance

S. · 14 July 2025

This was the perfect cozy fall story. Gilmore girls in a book, with such a great vibe. I absolutely adored every second of this book.

Heartwarming nostalgia

N. · 18 September 2025

I'm an October baby, so autumn and the 90s run through my veins. If you love Gilmore Girls, warm weather, the smell of coffee, dry autumn leaves, crisp mornings, Halloween, cozy blankets... This is for you. I absolutely ADORED Cliff's character, he's the very definition of the perfect man: caring, patient, respectful, thoughtful, altruistic, generous, kind and extremely funny. You will not only fall in love with the vibes, atmosphere, locations, dialogues and romance, but with (almost) each and every character. I would strongly suggest you listen to the playlist before reading the novel, it will immediately take you way back to the 90s and its nostalgic vibes, plus get you in the perfect cozy romantic mood.

5 stars

C.R. · 19 September 2024

This story stirred up so many emotions.Michelle and Cliff are such real and relatable characters. Both have their own insecurities, and I loved watching them grow closer and build a true friendship where they felt comfortable enough to let their guard down and be vulnerable with each other. They just understand one another. In my eyes, they’re definitely soulmates.The slow burn was done so beautifully—I enjoyed every moment, every glance, and every bit of tension leading up to them giving in, and I devoured it. They made me smile so many times.One thing I love about Julie Olivia’s books is how she develops her characters. Both the main characters and the side characters have depth. And she pays such close attention to detail. I was born in 1997, the year the book is set, but the descriptions were so vivid that it felt like I was right there, experiencing that time.This story definitely stole my heart.

Liebe es!

K.T. · 2 October 2025

Ein wirklich tolles Buch! Die Geschichte ist warmherzig, leicht zu lesen und hat mich sofort mitgerissen. Die Charaktere sind liebevoll geschrieben und die Handlung macht einfach gute Laune. Absolut empfehlenswert, ich würde es jederzeit wieder lesen.