A review by bribreez
Where Happiness Begins by N.S. Perkins

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

*Thank you so much N.S. Perkins for providing me with an ARC of your book, I greatly appreciate it! 

*Check Trigger warnings before reading 

4.25⭐️/ 3🌶️

N.S. Perkins newest release brings once again one of my all time favorite tropes, Grumpy/Sunshine, but with an even more interesting plot line. This was part of the interconnected, “Evermore” series, and it followed, Lilianne DiLorenzo and Andrew Carter. We first met Lil in the previous book since she was Finn’s best friend. This story followed Lilianne as she was trying to make ends up from medical bills to pay and unfortunately not having health insurance. Carter was a music producer who had a mysterious dark past that changed him, and wasn’t the most optimistic person shall we say. When Lilianne and Carter meet it’s like Chance brought them together to help each other out. With a marriage of convenience, Carter and Lilianne each got what they needed, but like any romance written by N.S. Perkins she also managed to bring the emotional depth to their story. 

Lilianne needed help with her lack of health insurance and medical bills she had to pay so what better way to solve that, then marrying the grumpy music producer, Carter! I love a marriage of convenience trope SO MUCH, but with N.S. Perkins twist to it she definitely knew what she was doing. Obviously this story wasn’t just a lighthearted romance, it was covered some of the things that Lilianne went through with her previous treatments, and more. I could tell that N.S.Perkins knew what she was talking about because, given her actual medical background she knew what she was saying so, it gave the story more credibility as well as making it as realistic as possible to Lilianne’s  story. 

I’ll admit the beginning took me a bit to get into, but once I passed over the minor slump, I really started to enjoy the story a lot more. Lilianne struck me as a hopeful, optimistic young woman. With everything that Lilianne had experienced and was still dealing with, I could tell that she tried her best to make ends meet. Even Carter was a character that at first glance, I wasn’t sure what to make out of him, aside from being a grumpy music producer. Luckily, the more I read I learned more about Carter’s backstory, I was more understanding of his character. The marriage of convenience started off as a way of Carter and Lilianne helping each other out, but seeing the two of them live together, and slowly start spending more time together was actually sweet. Plus, I could tell that both Lilianne and Carter were so use to being by themselves that by then now having each other, it took away the loneliness that once felt. This marriage brought more hope, love, and companionship that Lilianne and Carter didn’t expect, but were happy about it as the story progressed. 

Slowly, but surely Lilianne and Carter weren’t just husband and wife in name, but a WHOLE LOT MORE! I really liked the way Carter and Lilianne’s romance grew from beginning to end. I don’t feel like the romance was rushed, which I greatly appreciated. While the romance grew, it not only allowed me a better understanding of Lilianne and Carter, but also how they grew to care for each other. Towards the end, there was a lot more emotional depth that really highlighted how much Carter and Lilianne grew to love each other. Even when Carter and Lilianne started to enjoy their married life in the literal sense, it was great seeing both of them unwind and have some fun together. For all the things Carter and Lilianne experienced in their lives, to have found out worked out magnificently.

Once again, N.S. Perkins wrote a lovely, thoughtful, emotional romance that illustrated both the hardships and hopeful moments. Lilianne and Carter were opposites of each other, but through their marriage of convenience found a way to help each other out. I think I liked Lilianne and Carter more than Finn and Lexie (from the previous book) (gasp)! Haha but seriously, I really liked Lilianne and Carter’s personalities and relationship. Something about the way Carter and Lilianne gradually started spending time together, and naturally having great chemistry flowed really well, and I found myself enjoying their story more. I think the way N.S. Perkins tackled the heavier topics in this book were once again done in a great way that shed light on the things both Lilianne and Carter went through. I love a grumpy/sunshine romance and N.S. Perkins always knows how to write them perfectly! Although I had a slow start in reading this book, I then found my pace and started to adore Lilianne and Carter. If you love, grumpy/sunshine, marriage of convenience, forced proximity, and a story that involves the male lead getting jealous of seeing another guy talk to his wife, then you should definitely read this book. Once again, thank you so much N.S. Perkins for providing me with an ARC, YOU’RE THE BEST!! 
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