Happy All the Time: A Novel (Vintage Contemporaries)
You’ve wondered if real love could ever feel this gentle.
In Happy All the Time, Laurie Colwin reminds us that happiness doesn’t always arrive with grand gestures. It’s found in small moments, in good company, and in choosing to care for someone with an open heart.
This witty, graceful novel follows two best friends, Guido and Vincent, as they fumble and flourish in their respective relationships. It’s a story about friendships that last, about romance that blooms slowly and steadfastly, and about the delicious surprise of finding someone who fits into your life so easily it feels inevitable. Colwin writes with humor, tenderness, and deep affection for her characters’ quirks, showing that contentment can be quiet, enduring, and, most of all, real.
By the end, you’ll see that happiness isn’t a perfect ending. It’s a way of moving through the world together.
📗 In The Mood For…
Being Entertained
Charming, light, and full of clever observations.
✅ Makes you smile with sharp, easy wit and gentle romance
✅ Feels like eavesdropping on the most endearing conversations
Feeling Grounded
A novel that feels like home—comfortable, kind, and wise.
✅ Savors life’s ordinary pleasures: dinner, laughter, companionship
✅ Shows that joy often grows in small, familiar spaces
📘 Stories About…
Love in All Its Forms
More than romance, this is a story about caring for one another.
✅ Centers friendship, partnership, and chosen family as sources of true belonging
✅ Explores affection that’s kind, constant, and unshowy
Connection & Solitude
Even the most self-sufficient hearts need someone to come home to.
✅ Balances humor with honesty about intimacy and independence
✅ Reminds readers that being seen and accepted is its own quiet miracle