The Secret to Happiness by Suzanne Woods Fisher is about a young woman who is dealing with the aftermath of a career ending mistake. Callie Dixon had it all. She was a chef at a top restaurant and managed the catering team for a hotel. Everything was going so well until she was fired from her job. Callie is usually meticulous and well organized, but she forgot to put a sauce in the fridge overnight. A member of her staff thought Callie took out the sauce and served it to a hotel meeting filled with people from the food safety department. Unfortunately for Callie, many people got sick and she was booted from her job.
Callie always had a purpose in life until recently when she lost her job. She takes an assistant position with an old coworker teaching students how to make ice cream. There she crosses paths with her beloved aunt that she had lost contact with. She decides that she needs a break and invites herself to her aunt’s home in Cape Cod to regroup and plan her next steps. Callie knows why she made the mistake but she is struggling to come to terms with the reason behind it.
Little does Callie know that her aunt’s home is also an ice cream shop that is runned by her cousin, Dawn. Dawn doesn’t have patience with Callie’s pity party. She pushes Callie to take a community class about the secret of happiness. It’s the last thing Callie wants to think about right now but her solemn instructor, Bruno Bianco, is persistent with Callie. He believes that if Callie attends his class and reads his book, that she will be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, Bruno believes that she needs to hit rock bottom before she can figure out what is missing from her life. Will Callie be able to find her life’s purpose?
I have read several books by the author and have enjoyed most of her books. The book is the second book in the series but I was able to read the book as a standalone. I found this book to be very enjoyable to read with many fun and interesting characters. I enjoyed reading Callie’s interaction with Cowboy Leo.
I like reading about the techniques they used to make ice cream and the different flavor combinations. I never had curry flavored ice cream but it seems interesting. I like reading how Callie tackled new recipes and was finding her joy in cooking and being useful to her family.
I really liked the happiness snippets and blurbs. I found that they were helpful and could be applied to everyday life. I like when books weave helpful life information into stories especially when the stories are entertaining. The book is straightforward and didn’t have any unexpected turns. If you like cozy romantic novels where the main character discovers their passion for life, then you would like this book.
