The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis: Book Review
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The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis was published on October 1, 2021, and it was the first of her books I read.
I don’t call many books “ridiculous.” However……
My Take: The Keeper of Happy Endings is ridiculously good – and I mean that in the best possible way. This dual-timeline novel moves between WWII-era France and later 20th-century Boston, weaving together two women’s stories through loss, love, family secrets, an exquisite vintage wedding dress, and just a hint of magic. I loved the characters, the balance between the two timelines, and the warmth that runs through the story even during its heartbreaking moments. If you enjoy emotional historical fiction with romance, mystery, and a touch of the unexplained, this is an easy recommendation from me.
The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis
This book is ridiculously good!
I must admit I’m a sucker for happy endings. So it makes perfect sense that I would be attracted to a book with the phrase “happy endings” in the title.
Besides seeing “happy endings” in the title, however, the cover art drew me in before I ever even touched the book.
Synopsis of The Keeper of Happy Endings
The Keeper of Happy Endings weaves together the stories of two women separated by decades. In wartime France, Soline Roussel comes from generations of Parisian dressmakers whose beautiful wedding gowns are believed to carry a special magic, promising happiness to the brides who wear them. But World War II changes the course of Soline’s life and leaves her carrying losses that follow her for years.
Decades later in Boston, Rory Grant is struggling with a devastating loss of her own while trying to build a new future. When she leases a long-unused building from Soline and discovers a box containing old letters and a vintage wedding dress, the two women’s lives begin to intersect in unexpected ways, revealing connections between the past and present.
The Keeper of Happy Endings – What I Liked
The first thing I liked about this book was the dual time frame. The book flips between present-day Boston, which is set between about 1976 and 1985. The other time frame is 1943 France.
Plenty of time was spent in both the present-day setting and in 1943 France. Enough time to thoroughly get to know the characters and not get confused about what’s going on when the time frame flips back and forth.
The characters, for me, were so completely likable. And there is a lot of dialogue, which makes reading the book go faster for me.
Although the 1943 setting in France certainly had some very serious and heartbreaking elements in it, given what was going on in France at that point in time in history, there was still a heartwarming element to the story which stayed with me through the entire book.
And last but not least, I loved the slight bit of the paranormal that was presented in the magic that is handed down from generation to generation of Roussel women.
The Keeper of Happy Endings has everything from love, loss, and heartbreak to magic, mystery, and romance in it. I thought this book was enchanting, and it completely enchanted me. Perhaps that is the work of the Roussel women coming through the pages!
The Keeper of Happy Endings – What I Didn’t Like
There was absolutely nothing that I disliked about this book.
I completely loved every bit of it.
The Keeper of Happy Endings – Read, ReRead or Reconsider?
And now for my 3 Rs of book reviews. Read, ReRead, or Reconsider?
What is my opinion of The Keeper of Happy Endings?
This is a definite read.
I thought this was just such a great read. In reality, this would have been a ReRead for me, except that there is a bit of a twist at the end, and now that I know what that twist is, I’m not sure I would reread it.
The Keeper Of Happy Endings was the first Barbara Davis book that I read.
I’ve since read what is her eighth novel, The Echo Of Old Books, and I must say that she didn’t let me down.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Keeper of Happy Endings
What is The Keeper Of Happy Endings About?
The Keeper of Happy Endings is a dual-timeline novel about two women whose lives become connected through a Parisian family’s legacy of magical wedding gowns, wartime loss, old letters, and a vintage dress. The story moves between WWII-era France and later 20th-century Boston.
Is The Keeper of Happy Endings Worth Reading?
The Keeper of Happy Endings is a dual-timeline novel about two women whose lives become connected through a Parisian family’s legacy of magical wedding gowns, wartime loss, old letters, and a vintage dress. The story moves between WWII-era France and later 20th-century Boston.
What To Read Next
If you loved the dual timelines, historical secrets, and emotional storytelling in The Keeper of Happy Endings, try one of these next:
- The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis – My next Barbara Davis read, with more secrets from the past and the irresistible pull of old books.
- The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles – A wonderful choice if the WWII France storyline was one of your favorite parts.
- The Inheritance by JoAnn Ross – Try this next for another multigenerational story combining present-day family relationships with secrets from the past.
- Explore Historical Fiction – Browse more historical fiction when you’re ready to disappear into another time and place.
