A Happy Catastrophe
From the bestselling author of Matchmaking for Beginners comes a novel about love, loss, and the beautiful mess of family.
Marnie MacGraw and Patrick Delaney have been in love for a few years now, enough to realize that they are imperfectly perfect together. Still, there are some things that maybe need a little attention. Marnie's ebullient; he's brooding. She thrives on change; he prefers stability. She sees marriage and parenthood in their future, but he can't see beyond the shadow of an earlier tragedy.
Then an eight-year-old surprise from Patrick's past shows up on their doorstep, cartwheeling into their lives and spinning things in all directions. While it's not exactly the change she envisioned, it looks like instant family to Marnie. But Patrick, afraid of being hurt again, retreats further into himself. Suddenly, two very different pieces of a beautiful puzzle find it harder and harder to fit. How can Marnie trust in the magic of the universe when it seems to be doing its best to knock her off her feet?
But some love stories are worth waiting for. And what's love without a little chaos anyway?
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"Dawson has created a truly quirky story, filled with a little bit of magic (think unicorn glitter and sparkles) and a lot of love...An optimistic, feel-good story that celebrates love, community, goodness, and the creation of family, however it might appear." --Kirkus Reviews
"Alive with action, compelling and evolving characters, and screwball comedy, Dawson's latest will appeal to readers looking for a story that is both pleasurable and substantial. Personal growth is achieved by overcoming obstacles, and the ending is honest and satisfying." --Booklist
"In A Happy Catastrophe, author Maddie Dawson works magic on the page as she takes us into the life of bighearted Marnie MacGraw, a woman who can literally see the sparkle of love in the air. Marnie is surrounded by a constellation of vivid characters who, whether searching for connection or confronting loss, keep pressing on through the rich and wondrous catastrophe of life. A beautifully written testament to the tenacity of hope and the power of love." --Nancy Star, bestselling author of Sisters One, Two, Three
"If you enjoyed Matchmaking for Beginners as much as I did, prepare to be spellbound by A Happy Catastrophe--in which Marnie and the people closest to her discover that magic isn't getting what you want, but rather in loving what life surprises you with. Maddie Dawson is at the top of her game in this charming and unputdownable novel." --Camille Pagán, bestselling author of I'm Fine and Neither Are You
"A triumphant tale about the redemptive magic of love--and the way life sometimes drags us through the muck before giving us what we never knew we wanted. Marnie is one of the most delightful heroines in contemporary fiction, and you won't want to miss her!" --Kerry Anne King, bestselling author of Whisper Me This
"I am a big, big fan of Maddie Dawson, and A Happy Catastrophe is one of those rare books--a sequel that is even more enjoyable than its stellar predecessor. In the follow-up to Matchmaking for Beginners, Maddie Dawson has taken her airy, madcap character on a walk through the hard work of not just falling in love, but staying the course with a man who has a few things to work out. And what results is a tale of great heart and insight--sprinkled with stardust and hope." --Barbara O'Neal, author of When We Believed in Mermaids
