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aussiegirlinuk's review against another edition
4.0
In this delightful debut novel from Australian author Jacquie Byron, Franny Calderwood, a 65-year-old widow who lost her husband Frank tragically three years ago, copes with her loss by shutting herself off from the world. With gin in one hand and a paintbrush in the other, Franny lives a life of isolation with only her dogs Whisky and Soda, a stuffed cat, and cocktails for companionship.
However, Franny's self-imposed solitude is disrupted when the Salernos move in next door. Sallyanne, a beleaguered mother, her angry teenage daughter Dee, and their quirky eight-year-old son Josh pull Franny into the drama of their lives. Despite her determination to remain independent, Franny's humorous remarks and culinary experiments conceal deep-seated trauma and pain. When her idiosyncratic behavior endangers her life, she must face the consequences of her choices. While Frank may be gone, must Franny's spirit also perish with him?
Happy Hour is a heartwarming and comical tale about one woman, two dogs, and a family next door. It offers a fresh perspective on grief, loss, love, and friendship.
However, Franny's self-imposed solitude is disrupted when the Salernos move in next door. Sallyanne, a beleaguered mother, her angry teenage daughter Dee, and their quirky eight-year-old son Josh pull Franny into the drama of their lives. Despite her determination to remain independent, Franny's humorous remarks and culinary experiments conceal deep-seated trauma and pain. When her idiosyncratic behavior endangers her life, she must face the consequences of her choices. While Frank may be gone, must Franny's spirit also perish with him?
Happy Hour is a heartwarming and comical tale about one woman, two dogs, and a family next door. It offers a fresh perspective on grief, loss, love, and friendship.
jocelyng's review against another edition
3.0
This was a really addictive easy read. Not the best, not the worst. Just a book I didn’t want to put down.
ladyk_ryn's review against another edition
3.0
Gin in one hand, paintbrush in the other, Franny Calderwood has turned her back on the world. Having lost her husband, Frank, she lives a life of decadent seclusion with her two dogs, Whisky and Soda, and a eye patch wearing stuffed cat.
Then the Salernos move in next door - newly-single mother Sallyanne, moody teenager Dee and eccentric young Josh - and Franny finds herself drawn into the chaos of their lives in eccentric, hilarious and sometimes misguided ways. These friendships bring her to life, artistic Josh reminding her of her of the beauty of life, and passionate Dee re-inspiring the enjoyment of glamour and excitement that Franny used to share with Frank.
But, when an accident forces Franny to confront the pain beneath her wisecracks and culinary experiments, she comes to realise that the loss of Frank does not have to mean she also needs to lose herself.
A powerful story about one woman, two dogs and the family next door, Happy Hour is a hilarious and uplifting insight into true love, loss and friendship.
I knew I was going to love Happy Hour by Jacquie Byron after the first line
I knew I was going to love Happy Hour by Jacquie Byron after the first line
mollyg1bbs's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I accidentally stumbled across this book and I was blown away. This books offers a refreshing perspective that was absolutely captivating.
I loved seeing an older character be nuanced, sassy, hilarious, and human. It was a relationship focused book that never dulled in pace. Focusing on the regrets of the past and how grief runs on its own time, it is a novel that I’d recommend to all literary fiction lovers.
I related to the main character so much. She is a complex, real character who you are rooting for but simultaneously frustrated by.
I would say people may relate it to The Thursday Murder Club due to the age of the characters, but I would say it is very different. It captures charm without a convoluted storyline so that it can focus on the story of one realistic life and the beautiful intersections it has with other peoples.
I listened to it on audiobook with Libby and can’t recommend it enough
I loved seeing an older character be nuanced, sassy, hilarious, and human. It was a relationship focused book that never dulled in pace. Focusing on the regrets of the past and how grief runs on its own time, it is a novel that I’d recommend to all literary fiction lovers.
I related to the main character so much. She is a complex, real character who you are rooting for but simultaneously frustrated by.
I would say people may relate it to The Thursday Murder Club due to the age of the characters, but I would say it is very different. It captures charm without a convoluted storyline so that it can focus on the story of one realistic life and the beautiful intersections it has with other peoples.
I listened to it on audiobook with Libby and can’t recommend it enough
jaclyncrupi's review against another edition
4.0
Grief, loss and pain can make you act like a real selfish asshole. But that doesn’t mean you are one. Franny is dealing with a lot and not particularly well but that’s all the more reason to love her. Readers will feel the joy it must have been for Byron to conjure and inhabit this charming, accomplished, strong willed and flamboyant character. There is a truly excellent amount of dog content here (and booze). Rendering a beautiful portrait of a marriage with one half of the couple absent is no mean feat. There were a few scenes that read slightly awkwardly but Franny’s strong presence more than compensated. This book is big feelings and I cried my way through a lot of it – Milo was quite concerned but ultimately decided he would be friends with Whiskey and Soda.
clover123's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.0
ljm57's review against another edition
4.0
What a fun read this is while at the same time dealing with numerous personal and social issues which ultimately prove very moving. I loved protagonist Franny Calderwood from the first page. She’s a marvellous character! At 65 and three years on, she’s still grieving the tragic death of her beloved Frank who was killed by a drug affected young driver. Franny has withdrawn from the rest of the world, unable to deal with the sympathy and attention of well-meaning family and friends. She’s a woman who calls a spade a spade and doesn’t suffer fools lightly especially if they have have the audacity to intrude on her carefully created reclusive cocoon. Her sharp, dry wit had me chuckling out loud. Life for Franny revolves around her dogs, Whisky and Soda, painting, gardening, music, books, solo outings to galleries, movies and restaurants, cooking gourmet meals for one and waiting impatiently for the clock to tick past 6pm so she can imbibe in her favourite tipple (or two) for the day. She believes she is living the best life she can without her soulmate. But all that changes alarmingly when a harassed single mother moves in next door with her sullen teenage daughter and a young son with his own unique character.
farmer_annie's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
seaplanegh's review against another edition
4.0
At first I found the main character extremely unlikeable but she grew on me. Easy to read this book, I found the relationships between characters realistic except for the protagonists family. I wasn’t blown away by the writing but still enjoyed reading and by the end had a soft spot for Fran.
jstilts's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I picked up this book ages ago and dismissed it based on the back cover blurb - thinking that it wouldn't be the kind of book for me: too real-world and mundane, when I read to escape that!
However I had to read it for this month's Book Group, and I just INHALED it! At first I was frankly a touch jealous of the lead character: retired, just spending her time painting and walking the dogs, cooking and drinking, avoiding company like she's a military commander defending a siege to maintain this solo serene lifestyle. Her cantankerousness won me over, she very much reminds me of Stephanie Cole's character in the 90s sitcom "Waiting for God" - a strong willed perfectly capable and independent highly vocal retiree resisting everyone's efforts to protect and control her.
It's quickly revealed she's three messy alcohol-fueled years into grieving the death of her husband, shunning people to avoid them from reminding and commiserating her about her loss - a touching contradiction as she spends most of her time talking to different photos of her husband that she has placed around the house.
Somehow by the time new neighbours arrive and accidentally insert themselves into her life, I was completely invested in her journey through grief and reconnecting to the rest of the world - purely on the strength of this lovely and grumpy main character.
However I had to read it for this month's Book Group, and I just INHALED it! At first I was frankly a touch jealous of the lead character: retired, just spending her time painting and walking the dogs, cooking and drinking, avoiding company like she's a military commander defending a siege to maintain this solo serene lifestyle. Her cantankerousness won me over, she very much reminds me of Stephanie Cole's character in the 90s sitcom "Waiting for God" - a strong willed perfectly capable and independent highly vocal retiree resisting everyone's efforts to protect and control her.
It's quickly revealed she's three messy alcohol-fueled years into grieving the death of her husband, shunning people to avoid them from reminding and commiserating her about her loss - a touching contradiction as she spends most of her time talking to different photos of her husband that she has placed around the house.
Somehow by the time new neighbours arrive and accidentally insert themselves into her life, I was completely invested in her journey through grief and reconnecting to the rest of the world - purely on the strength of this lovely and grumpy main character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Grief, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child death, Stalking, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, and Drug use