The Keeper of Happy Endings- Book Review

The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis

Genre: Historical Fiction, WWII

4.5 Stars 

One Liner: Beautiful! 

Soline Russel belongs to a family from Paris that specializes in ensuring happy endings for others. Their hand-stitched bridal gowns are known to bind the couple together forever. But the blessing is also a curse. No one in the family has had a happy ending of their own. Soline tries to challenge the curse only to realize she can’t. 

Years later, in Boston, Rory (Aurora) is trying to find hope and stay positive. Her fiancé has been abducted in another country, and there’s no news of him. The strained relationship with her mother offers no solace. Until, by chance, Rory spots an old shop damaged by a fire accident. 

It rekindles her desire to make her dreams come true. Rory’s persistence brings her face to face with Soline, the owner of the store. Soline sure has made a name for herself in an unknown country, but what’s she has lost can never let her live in peace. 

Rory’s situation brings Soline out of her self-imposed exile. Of course, life isn’t easy, and things change just when their bond deepens. An unexpected decision by Rory sets the ball rolling. Secrets are revealed, and a new ray of hope is found. But is it possible to hope for the elusive happy ending for either of them? 

The book is 416 pages long, and as with every historical, the start is slow. But the book picks up the pace and seamlessly flows between different timelines and POVs. We get to see the story from Soline’s and Rory’s perspectives, giving us a chance to appreciate both women. Two other women play a vital role in the book- Camilla (Rory’s mom) and Thia. 

The story is beautiful and heartbreaking. At about 59%, I connected the dots, but then the author threw in a twist. Of course, my guess was right, but the way she revealed it worked better than my expectations. 

A book with a title as such should have a happy ending, and this one indeed does. Some of it might seem a little too neatly tied up, but hey, I wanted a happy ending and got one. No complaints. 

The characters are well developed. There are subtle hints to see beyond the obvious and delve deeper into the character’s mind. That’s clever writing. 

The two biggest plus points are-

• Emotions that hit the cord 
• A fine balance between both timelines

Many such books end up with one timeline grabbing the limelight. That doesn’t happen here. However, there are a couple of minor issues that could’ve been addressed. Still, the book is a worthy read in many ways. 

This is my first book by the author, and I’m surely going to read her other works. 

To sum up, The Keeper of Happy Endings is a story of hope, love, second chances, family, relationships, and happy endings. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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