Sarah Hastings' life is chaotic. Between running her organic farm, her yurt-style holistic B&B, and her vegan café Eat Me!, she barely has time for an aura cleanse. What's more, her spirit guide just announced the universe is sending her a man.
Suddenly, a sexy pro-football player, a hipster photojournalist, and fellow organic farmer practically fall from the sky onto her doorstep. But which one is her cosmic soulmate?
While Sarah meditates on the answer, her parents show up unexpectedly throwing the mother of all monkey wrenches into her carefully laid plans.
With only morning yoga and her erotic book club to keep her sane, no wonder she's chucked her vegan diet in search of bacon. Will the stars of love align, or will the universe let her down in the biggest way possible? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)
I’ve read all three books in the Relativity series, and I have to say- this is my favorite one out of all of them. Hands down. While this is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone.
It’s not often that I’m drawn to a character’s lifestyle, so much so that I begin to formulate a plan of action where my own health and well-being is concerned. Sarah’s naturalistic approach to life and her habits made me want to eat healthier, spend more time outdoors within nature, to disconnect a little bit from the daily plugged in world I feel I’m deeply rooted in. There is an element of peace around her, even amidst the chaos, and I yearn for that. Sarah makes you want to be a better person.
But that doesn’t mean she’s perfect. Far from. Her interactions with some of the characters in Relatively Happy felt like a continual effort in tolerance. If someone doesn’t share similar views she has in how life should be lived, you begin to see the cracks in the foundation. This was showcased mostly within her male relationships- the men who could potentially be her cosmic soulmates, her father who requests that she go outside of her comfort zone in order to alleviate some of his own burdens. While Sarah gives off the illusion of living a carefree and “live and let live” approach to life, we discover that she is anything but, and that becomes a challenge for her. How do you hold onto your values and ideals while accepting others when their own values and ideals don’t measure up?
I can’t remember the last time I cried while reading a book. I cried while reading this one. And I’m not a crier. There are insanely funny moments sprinkled all throughout, with some of my most favorite characters brought back to life within its pages (like Nan), but there is an element of depth that goes so far beyond anything I’ve read in a really, really long time. It was simplistically beautiful, a spiritual journey that we embark on with Sarah, every step along the way. It’s in that loss of control and the messy parts that we discover who she really is, and what she might be capable of. I couldn’t have been more inspired or loved a book more than I loved Relatively Happy, worthy of more than the five stars I’ve given it!
Thanks to Whitney Dineen for the book in exchange for an honest review.
More by Whitney Dineen:
1 comment:
This sounds like it might be very cathartic- laughing and crying. I’d love to read.
Post a Comment