For Sophie, “happily ever after” ended the moment she said “I do.” Her husband was once charming and attentive…until he won her affection. Since their wedding, their relationship has been in free fall. Sophie has put up with abuse and isolation for years, biding her time while raising her daughter and operating a secret baking service in her Virginia neighborhood. Every dollar she earns is tucked away into a “file for divorce” fund.

When Sophie finally has enough saved to hire a lawyer, her escape route vanishes just as quickly as it appeared when her mother falls ill. Because her husband won’t allow any of his money to be used for Sophie’s mom’s care, she empties her hard-earned escape fund to pay medical expenses.

When Sophie’s mother dies, she finally takes the leap, leaving her husband and moving into her childhood home. Nothing goes smoothly or according to plan, and Sophie fears she will be buried under mounting consequences stemming from her decision to leave her husband.

Julie Hatcher’s second contemporary fiction book is brimming with a kind of humanity few authors infuse in their characters and stories. I was sympathetic to Sophie, frustrated by her choices in the way only someone who hasn’t lived her experiences can be, and ultimately proud of her tenacity and self-belief.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Lake Union Publishing, for the free ARC of Just Add Happiness in exchange for my honest opinions.