In Happily Inc, love means never having to say “I do”… eat it, too.
After years in the military, Jasper is convinced he’s too damaged for relationships. So a flirtation—and more—with fiery, determined Renee is way too good to pass up…until his flame becomes his muse.
Renee is an expert at averting every crisis. But, as feelings become more serious, is she finally ready to leap into the one thing that can never be controlled: love?
Don’t miss Susan Mallery’s latest book, The Stepsisters! A heartfelt tale of friendship between two women who used to be sisters.
Read more in the reader-favorite Happily Inc series:
Book 1: You Say It First
Book 2: Second Chance Girl
Book 3: Why Not Tonight
Book 4: Not Quite Over You
Book 5: Meant to Be Yours
Book 6: Happily This Christmas
more
Wouldn’t be fun to attend a wedding or two every single week? Join Renee Grothen, wedding coordinator in Happily Inc. as we delve behind the scenes to learn some of the quirky requests, themes and ideas that brides & grooms have for their weddings!! Add in a gorgeous thriller writer who suddenly wants to know all he can about wedding planning for his next novel in the form of Jasper Dembenski, and we are set for a wonderful return to Susan Mallery’s town of Happily Inc. Renee & Jasper have been introduced as characters in previous books, but if you haven’t read the previous books, you are fine (but seriously – why haven’t you??) I loved how this story immediately started out. I loved the twists & turns throughout and just wait until you are laughing at the visit to the giraffe barn!!! I was reading at work during lunch & now there is a waiting list to read this book!!! Another great chapter in the Happily Inc series, I truly enjoyed Meant To Be Yours – I feel like I am visiting my friends when I lose myself in this series of books. Enjoy!! You won’t be disappointed!!
I really liked Renee and Jasper’s story. I thought it might be a little weird because of his history with Wynn, but it didn’t seem to be. Renee was super self-conscious because of her mother’s gift, and her history with it. I thought her mom was a fun addition to a story. The part with the giraffes was my favorite. Overall, I though it was a good read. The story seemed a little rushed, but I read it twice anyways.
Meant to Be Yours is another beautiful story in the Happily Inc series & can be read as a stand alone. Susan Mallery always creates unique but very real characters & Renee & Jasper are two of my favorites from this series.
I won’t give away the plot but I will say that their HEA is very sweet & heartfelt.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Jasper is an author needing to close out his famous series with a love interest for his main character. However, there is a problem. Jasper does not write women. He actually considers himself too damaged for a relationship. Enter resident wedding planner, Renee. She is determined to keep their relationship completely casual. Until it isn’t…
I am not a huge fan of Renee. She is just too MUCH. She tends to be a little rude…and then some. However, Jasper was just plain HOT! These two get together as just a casual fling. And as it develops into a “big time” love interest, the story takes off.
I have enjoyed many of Susan Mallery novels. And this one is a perfect palate cleanser. It is hugely entertaining and there is nothing like getting lost in a great romance! Grab this one today!
I have read all Susan Mallery books but had a hard time finishing this book for a few reasons. I felt like the inner dialogue was too much and repetitive, especially with Renee. There were a few typos, a big one in the beginning of the first chapter, the line states “She knew Jasper was into the long-term, monogamous, not-serious kind of thing…” which threw off my reading cause I thought they were both looking for one night stand, friends with benefits thing. I think the line was supposed to say “wasn’t into “. I didn’t like how Jasper kept saying he was damaged and broken (many many times) but I never got the feel of any of it from his character. He seemed pretty together with just a brief mention of his military service but his inner dialogue kept thinking how broken he was. Renee’s secret that made it sound like it has ruined her life and she would be exiled if anyone found out wasn’t that big of a deal. Also there were hints that she was nauseous and not drinking wine but nothing ever came of it. I did like that Jasper had a hard time writing a women and how he went about trying to figure it out. But I just wasn’t feeling these two characters. I’m not the type of person who will give every book a 5 star review cause I enjoy the series or the author. There have been some really good books in the Happily, inc series but in my opinion not this one.
Renee’s past makes her lean toward never getting married, she may work as a wedding coordinator but her future is groomless. The only problem with this is that she is attracted to Jasper a local author. She wouldn’t mind doing the friends with benefits thing with him but isn’t sure she can handle it in the end. Jasper doesn’t think he is fit for a relationship, he has been damaged by years in the military and doesn’t think he is whole enough for anyone. The two meet up at game night and the sparks immediately fly where a one night stand turns into a casual let’s be friends and sleep together when the mood hits. Renee really likes Jasper but is unable to deal with or get past hurts that happened years ago. Jasper has never felt like this before but doesn’t think he’ll ever be whole enough to move forward with anything but friendship. Will these to take the time to figure out just what the other needs? Can they both throw caution to the wind and give love a try? Will they let past hurts turn them away from love and its healing ways? This was such a wonderful romance between two people who both felt they couldn’t leap into the love that so obviously surrounded them. Dive in and find out if they let love win or let it pass them both by.
MEANT TO BE YOURS (Happily Inc Book 5) by Susan Mallery is a contemporary romance set in the wedding destination town of Happily Inc. Even though this is the fifth book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone romance with a complete HEA.
Renee Grothen is a wedding coordinator at Weddings Out of the Box. She works hard at making sure everything is as perfect as possible for such a memorable day for every couple. As happy as she is for each of the couples, she believes that marriage is never to be in her future.
Jasper Dembenski is a successful suspense novelist who has managed to make a comfortable life for himself in Happily Inc. Jasper had severe PTSD when he left the Army and still feels he is broken and unable to have any type of permanent relationship.
When the two are seated together on game night at The Boardroom, there is an attraction that surprises them both. Neither is looking for permanent, but can they have a no strings fling?
Renee soon becomes the inspiration for the female character that Jasper needs to add as a love interest in his book. As he writes and learns about his female character, he learns about relationships and his own life. Maybe he is not as broken as he believes. Renee may seem to have it all together, but she has a lot of secrets in her past that have shaped how she relates to her present. Is she willing to take a leap of faith and put her heart on the line one more time?
I read this book in one day. I was so engrossed in finding out how Ms. Mallery was going to take two people who believed they would never have a HEA for themselves and give them their HEA together. This romance has more H/h character development than most intertwined with realistic dialogue and sex scenes while also keeping you entertained with secondary characters and the weddings happening at Weddings Out of the Box. I felt empathy with Jasper right away, but it took finding out the secrets in Renee’s past for me to understand her and how she was emotionally damaged. Renee’s mom, Verity was a wonderful secondary character and I enjoyed how she interacted with all the people, pets and animals in Happily Inc.
I always know I will be engaged and entertained when I read a Susan Mallery romance. This is another heartfelt addition to the Happily Inc series.
Jasper and Renee have chemistry, lots of it. They both want easy no strings
sex and that’s all. Well, you must read it to see how that turns out. I loved it.
I also loved catching up with the other residents of Happily, Inc. There is a surprise romance i didn’t see coming.
Entertaining, fast paced and very good reading.
I recommend it.
I loved this book! Jasper sounds just so delicious. Susan Mallery’s books are my go~to stories to escape real life and just smile for hours on end while reading. There are parts of this book that did make me laugh out loud though. It’s so easy to see many of my friends and family in her characters. So I love when she adds more characters! I hope she delves deeper into these characters like she did with Bethany.
I love Susan Mallery’s contemporary romances, especially her Fool’s Gold series. This is from her Happily, Inc series, which also has wonderful characters and great stories. I recommend her books to anyone who loves heartwarming and romantic stories.
Small towns are unique in so many ways and unless you’ve lived in one, you might not understand. Susan Mallery has it figured out and adds a twist to this continuing series that has the town economy focused around weddings.
She adds her own unique characters to each story and has a suspense author in this one who has never attended a wedding. Combine that with the primary wedding planner and you have an intriguing story of opposites attracting!
I received an ARC from the author for an honest and unbiased review.
Jasper and Renee are both damaged, at least that’s what they believe. What starts as a “friendship” of convenience, quickly turns into something more. Toss in a stray dog and two cats and before you know it, love might blossom.
It was great to go back to Happily Inc where weddings and friendship are front and center. This story, like the four before it, does not disappoint. So many characters I already fell in love with are back along with the bonus of new ones.
Fred the cat steals the show and adds to the magic of the latest Susan Mallery hit. Renee and Jasper are a fun couple and this novel is their perfect HEA.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.
This is a 3.5 star for me. This wasn’t my favorite Happily Inc. story. While I found the story of Jasper and Renee’s romance to be fine, the storyline involving the mother was odd. Actually, if I hadn’t become a dog owner for the first time three years ago, I would have found that aspect of the book to be completely strange. I did enjoy the glimpse of a writer’s process with Jasper writing a book while the romance was developing with Renee. I was fortunate to receive a copy of this book and am posting this honest review of my own free will.
This is the fifth book in the Happily Inc series, it is a contemporary romance. I loved this book, and had an extremely hard time putting it down. The characters in this book have emotionally challenging past they must overcome to find love. The pace of the book is wonderful. This story has humor, tragedy, unusual jobs and so much more. Though it is the fifth in the series, I feel it can be read as a stand-alone book.
Another fun book set in Happily Inc! Renee, a wedding planner and Jasper, a book author, are both dead set on not getting into a relationship. Her past relationships and his PTSD are keeping them from moving forward so they become friends with benefits. A sweet story about two people finding what they didn’t know they needed. I’ve read every single book in the series so have to remind myself who everyone is – there are lots of backstories since just about each person in town has a book! – but this can still be a standalone book if you’ve just picked it up.
I was happy to see Jasper get his HEA. Renee is so good at her job, but she is just a bit lonely. She has had her eye on Jasper, but didn’t know how to approach him about having a fling. She is sure that he wants to have a no strings relationship and so does she. Renee just isn’t sure how to go about it. That is taken out of her hands. It is explosive between them. Renee has been hurt so much in her life and will not risk her heart again. If Jasper were to find out about her mother, he would run and she can’t handle one more rejection. So she hides part of her life from everyone. Jasper is made of sterner stuff than that. What would happen if they changed things up and actually fell in love? Neither of them want to see what would happen. But, what if?
First of all…I LOVE this little town of Happily Inc and I love the stories that incorporate the characters from past books!
Renee Grothen has come to Happily Inc to work as a wedding Coordinator at one of the destination wedding venues in town. Surviving her troubled childhood with her mom and failed relationships, she decides that she isn’t meant for love so she will just make sure others have their dream weddings.
Jasper Dembenski is a talented author working on the next book in his series and realizes that he knows nothing about women, which he needs to include in his current book. Jasper is convinced he is too damaged for love until he meets Renee and he has to figure out what he wants and then how to convince Renee to give them both a try.
The pets in this book were adorable and make you want to run out and adopt! Ms. Mallery creates memorable characters that are easy to relate to. Another great story in the series!
I feel like a need to preface this review with an explanation. I love Susan Mallery’s books. I’ve been reading them for years. In fact, she’s one of the contemporary romance authors I read when I switched sub genres years ago. I enjoy her humor, I like the pacing her couples are given to get to their HEA and I like how she writes their intimate moments…not behind closed doors, but certainly not overly graphic (although I read that stuff, too)
I really liked Jasper! Does he understand women? Not so much, but he’s willing to learn and he’s not afraid to apologize (which he has to do a few times). He’s honest, he’s thoughtful and he’s sincere.
My issues are with Renee. She’s high maintenance in that she’s extremely reactionary outside of her professional life. I get that she’s been hurt and is gun shy. But in the grand scheme of things, many others have been through way worse than she has. Not going to spoil plot points, but, her “secret” that se keeps hidden from friends…get over yourself! It’s not earth shattering, it’s not horrible and it should not have had the impact it does on both her own personality and her relationship.
It’s not a bad book at all. I enjoyed touching base with previous Happily Inc couples and seeing where everyone is at in their lives. But for me, I couldn’t enjoy the main couple because Renee drove me loco! 4 stars for Jasper but Renee pushed it down a whole star for me.
Jasper is a former military man suffering from PTSD. He became a famous writer and is returning to his home in the small town of Happily Inc after a successful tour and eventually adopted a dog along the way. He likes his home in the mountains because this is where he can write his books in peace and quiet, but this time nothing is working. He is writing the last book in the series and wants to give Detective Vidar a romantic match but the girl simply does not gain form and consistency in his mind to write the story. The result: Writer’s block. He devises a plan to try to get to know women better and to be inspired for his character.
Renee loves to organize themed weddings and is adept at handling problem situations. She and Jasper begin to get involved and enjoy the involvement as neither wants a serious relationship. But when she finds herself forced to have Jasper accompanying her at party organizations to try to write a female character for his next book, she didn’t realize that those meetings would become more than mere research and great sex.
With light and fun writing, Susan Mallery creates a sweet story about fresh starts, strength, overcoming, and of course love.
I really liked the history with the presence of the characters from previous books and cute pets. I just found Renee’s reaction a little rude at the crucial moment of the plot since her own mother had already overcome the ghosts of the past and she is the cause of Renne’s trauma .
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC – This is my honest review.