A Happy Catastrophe

A Novel

By: Maddie Dawson

Narrated by: Amy McFadden

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?

©2020 Maddie Dawson. (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“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)

Fantastic!

This is a great story with a happy ending. Yes, read it!! You'll love it. 💗

A good sequel

I really liked the reader. She helped to keep me engaged when I was feeling like the story got pretty silly. I loved the new characters and how their personalities shined through. In the end, it was a sweet and romantic story which was just what I needed now.

Highly recommend

I loved this book just as much as the first one! I love tue narrator and the story is great. Highly recommend!

very good ending

I loved it. there were times I thought I was going to cry because it had some moments.

A good sequel...stay with it - you'll be glad!

I was so excited when I saw there was a sequel to Matchmaking for Beginners that I purchased it immediately! The story was good, but there were times when Marnie was so self-absorbed that I was yelling at her! Stay with it tho - you will be glad you did!:)

So very fun

It has been awhile since I've smiled through an entire book. Dawson's witty dialogue was delivered delighfully by McFadden. Highly recommend.

So fun.

This was just a fun light read the second in the sequel. I read the first one and listened to this one and laughed throughout both.

Narration was exceptional

The story was fun great and the narration was particularly well done. Highly recommend for a fun read.

Good, but first book was better

There were times when the narrator's voice/intonation pulled me out of the story, but overall this was a good book. I enjoyed the back and forth perspective between Marnie and Patrick. sometimes I just wanted to talk some sense into Tessa and Patrick. Sometimes a predictable storyline is what you need. There were a few twists and turns I didn't see coming and that's awesome.

No struggle to big for love

Loved it!
There was no way to know that each chapter brought new struggles and joy to the characters, just like life.