Relatively Happy by Whitney Dineen
Series: Relativity #3
Publication date: September 18th, 2019
Synopsis (according to Goodreads):
Sarah Hastings' life is chaotic. Between running her organic farm, her yurt-style holistic B&B, and her vegan cafe Eat Me!, she barely has time for an aura cleanse. What's more, her spirit guide just announced the universe is sending her a man.
Suddenly, a sexy pro-football player, a hipster photojournalist, and fellow organic farmer practically fall from the sky onto her doorstep. But which one is her cosmic soulmate?
While Sarah meditates on the answer, her parents show up unexpectedly throwing the mother of all monkey wrenches into her carefully laid plans.
With only morning yoga and her erotic book club to keep her sane, no wonder she's chucked her vegan diet in search of bacon. Will the stars of love align, or will the universe let her down in the biggest way possible?
Relatively Happy is a laugh-out-loud, cry-your-heart-out tale that will have you believing in the beauty of life's journey.
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After Rix puts his suitcases down, I show him the gift shop and cafe.
"Is this where I eat while I'm here?" he asks when we reach my new restaurant.
"If you don't mind, I'd prefer that you eat up at the house. The cafe isn't open yet. If you're still here once Eat Me! opens, guests will have their meals here."
"Eat Me!?" His eyes sparkle with laughter.
"My business name is Eat Me Organic. It seemed fitting."
"Organic, huh? That must be a lot of messing around."
I bristle at his tone. "The additional work is worth it to grow quality produce that won't poison people."
He shrugs his shoulders. "If you say so, but I highly doubt regular food is killing people. I've always been pretty careful about what I put into my body, and I'm healthy as a horse."
I'm more than a little annoyed by Rix's disregard for the importance of eating high quality food, so I opt to change the subject. "Is there anything else you need before I leave you to go back to your yurt and get settled?"
"No, thanks. I'm going to head next door and start an inventory of what needs to get done."
"Okay, then, I'll see you later."
As I turn to leave, he calls out, "What time should I be up at the house for dinner?"
"Five thirty," I answer.
"Five thirty? I've barely had my lunch by then. Why so early?"
I guess he's forgotten the drill in his years away. "Farm hours. I'm up at five a.m. every morning, so breakfast is at six, lunch is at eleven thirty and supper is at five thirty."
"I'm going to have to make some adjustments to my schedule," he says, looking chagrined.
"Only if you want to eat here. There are still restaurants in town if you'd prefer to have your meals later in the day."
"Maybe so, but they don't serve your pie. I think I'll make the effort to eat according to your timetable."
Seeing his gorgeous face across the table from mine three times a day is a delicious thought. And even though I don't have an extra two minutes for myself, I know I'm going to go out of my way to make homemade pie every morning.
"By the way," I ask, "would you prefer a vegetarian menu or a strictly vegan one? I have a cow and chickens, so I'm happy to provide dairy and eggs."
He looks at me like I'd given him a choice between a nice bowl of crunchy toenails and a booger sandwich. "I'd prefer you'd kill the cow and run it past the grill on the way to the table," he answers.
"I'm not going to kill Shirley! What kind of vegetarian do you think I am?"
"I didn't know you were a vegetarian."
"Rix," I ask, "who told you to stay here while you're in town?"
"My mom," he answers.
"Didn't she tell you anything about the place?"
"What's to tell? You live next door to my grandparents' farm, and I need a place to stay while I get it ready for sale. It seemed like a no-brainer."
I roll my eyes. "You're going to need to dine in town if you want to eat animals."
"No, ma'am," he answers. "If I have to give up meat to get that pie of yours, I'll do it. But I'd be pleased to have eggs and cheese. If you don't mind preparing them, that is."
"I don't mind at all. I'm currently not vegan myself, so I'll make you the same food I make for me and the boys."
"Have you got a boy band staying here with you?" he jokes.
I snort in response. "No, just Cat Masterton's ex-fiance, Ethan, and my friend Scottie."
"Love triangle?" he teases.
"I've been helping Ethan detox his body for the last few months. And Scottie is Scottie Schweer. He was just a little kid when you left Gelson for the bright lights of Notre Dame."
He nods his head. "Detoxing, huh?" he asks.
"In addition to farming, I run a holistic boot camp. I help people heal from different sicknesses or aid them in rebooting their lives."
Surprise shoots across his handsome face before he abruptly asks, "What's wrong with him, if you don't mind me asking?"
"That's not something I'm at liberty to discuss. I honor my guests' privacy."
He has the grace to look embarrassed. "I guess you're not going to rat me out to the paparazzi then?" he jokes.
I tease back, "I don't know about that. Twenty thousand dollars might be enough to tempt me." I check my pocket and pull out my phone. "I'll have to keep this on me in case you do something photo worthy."
He grins flirtatiously. "What if I'm not alone when I do something photo-worthy?"
That comment causes an explosion of very intimate sensations to race through my extremities making stops at very personal locations. If I'm not mistaken, he's just declared interest in me. I toss him a playful smile and turn to walk out the door. It looks like the universe is stepping up.
"Is this where I eat while I'm here?" he asks when we reach my new restaurant.
"If you don't mind, I'd prefer that you eat up at the house. The cafe isn't open yet. If you're still here once Eat Me! opens, guests will have their meals here."
"Eat Me!?" His eyes sparkle with laughter.
"My business name is Eat Me Organic. It seemed fitting."
"Organic, huh? That must be a lot of messing around."
I bristle at his tone. "The additional work is worth it to grow quality produce that won't poison people."
He shrugs his shoulders. "If you say so, but I highly doubt regular food is killing people. I've always been pretty careful about what I put into my body, and I'm healthy as a horse."
I'm more than a little annoyed by Rix's disregard for the importance of eating high quality food, so I opt to change the subject. "Is there anything else you need before I leave you to go back to your yurt and get settled?"
"No, thanks. I'm going to head next door and start an inventory of what needs to get done."
"Okay, then, I'll see you later."
As I turn to leave, he calls out, "What time should I be up at the house for dinner?"
"Five thirty," I answer.
"Five thirty? I've barely had my lunch by then. Why so early?"
I guess he's forgotten the drill in his years away. "Farm hours. I'm up at five a.m. every morning, so breakfast is at six, lunch is at eleven thirty and supper is at five thirty."
"I'm going to have to make some adjustments to my schedule," he says, looking chagrined.
"Only if you want to eat here. There are still restaurants in town if you'd prefer to have your meals later in the day."
"Maybe so, but they don't serve your pie. I think I'll make the effort to eat according to your timetable."
Seeing his gorgeous face across the table from mine three times a day is a delicious thought. And even though I don't have an extra two minutes for myself, I know I'm going to go out of my way to make homemade pie every morning.
"By the way," I ask, "would you prefer a vegetarian menu or a strictly vegan one? I have a cow and chickens, so I'm happy to provide dairy and eggs."
He looks at me like I'd given him a choice between a nice bowl of crunchy toenails and a booger sandwich. "I'd prefer you'd kill the cow and run it past the grill on the way to the table," he answers.
"I'm not going to kill Shirley! What kind of vegetarian do you think I am?"
"I didn't know you were a vegetarian."
"Rix," I ask, "who told you to stay here while you're in town?"
"My mom," he answers.
"Didn't she tell you anything about the place?"
"What's to tell? You live next door to my grandparents' farm, and I need a place to stay while I get it ready for sale. It seemed like a no-brainer."
I roll my eyes. "You're going to need to dine in town if you want to eat animals."
"No, ma'am," he answers. "If I have to give up meat to get that pie of yours, I'll do it. But I'd be pleased to have eggs and cheese. If you don't mind preparing them, that is."
"I don't mind at all. I'm currently not vegan myself, so I'll make you the same food I make for me and the boys."
"Have you got a boy band staying here with you?" he jokes.
I snort in response. "No, just Cat Masterton's ex-fiance, Ethan, and my friend Scottie."
"Love triangle?" he teases.
"I've been helping Ethan detox his body for the last few months. And Scottie is Scottie Schweer. He was just a little kid when you left Gelson for the bright lights of Notre Dame."
He nods his head. "Detoxing, huh?" he asks.
"In addition to farming, I run a holistic boot camp. I help people heal from different sicknesses or aid them in rebooting their lives."
Surprise shoots across his handsome face before he abruptly asks, "What's wrong with him, if you don't mind me asking?"
"That's not something I'm at liberty to discuss. I honor my guests' privacy."
He has the grace to look embarrassed. "I guess you're not going to rat me out to the paparazzi then?" he jokes.
I tease back, "I don't know about that. Twenty thousand dollars might be enough to tempt me." I check my pocket and pull out my phone. "I'll have to keep this on me in case you do something photo worthy."
He grins flirtatiously. "What if I'm not alone when I do something photo-worthy?"
That comment causes an explosion of very intimate sensations to race through my extremities making stops at very personal locations. If I'm not mistaken, he's just declared interest in me. I toss him a playful smile and turn to walk out the door. It looks like the universe is stepping up.
Praise for "Relatively Happy"
"Change is hard--but as the plucky protagonist in Relatively Happy discovers, something different is what often leads to something wonderful. With a colorful cast of characters, plenty of laugh out loud moments, and several tender, tear-inducing scenes, Whitney Dineen has written a thoughtful, big-hearted novel that will leave a smile on your face." -- Camille Pagan, bestselling author of I'm Fine and Neither Are You
"Watching as Sarah tries to figure out which man has been sent to her by the universe is both comedic and touching. Dineen's plot is very well-crafted and engaging, and her characters are marvelous! Relatively Happy is most highly recommended. While it's the third book in the series, the author includes enough background information for this novel to be enjoyed as a standalone." -- 5-stars, Readers Favorite
"A tender tale of love in all its forms. Whitney Dineen brings the Masterson clan back with style and grace. I couldn't put it down!" -- USA Today Bestselling Author, S.E. Babin
"I giggled, teared up, and laughed some more! Sarah's journey is real life at its finest. She's a character we can all relate to and she's simply delightful! Relatively Happy is a must-read for lovers of romantic comedy." -- Kim Gruenenfelder, author of Love the Wine You're With
"Relatively Happy hit my happy spot. This story is not only funny, but it will tug at your headstrings. Whitney Dineen has another winner on her hands. Bravo!" -- Jennifer Peel, Amazon bestselling author of My Not So Wicked Boss
"Relatively Happy touches on love, life, dreams, and wishes. Dineen brings a new perspective which ends this series with a laugh-out-loud , cry-your-heart-out tale. Life is more like a roller coaster rather than a merry-go-round. I loved it!" -- 5-stars, AJ Book Remarks
"Another delightful, yet deep page turner by the talented Ms. Dineen! I laughed, I cried, I swooned, and I pouted that I have to wait for more from one of America's most fabulous romcom voices." -- Melanie Summers, author of the bestelling Crown Jewels Series
"So many emotions in this book! I laughed out loud and I cried. I loved every second of this fantastic read!" -- Becky Monson, author of Just a Name
Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries--not always in that order.
Whitney is a multi-award-winning author of romcoms, non-fiction humor, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to.
She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.
Gold Medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2017.
Silver Medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016.
Finalist RONE Awards, 2016.
Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017.
Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards, 2017.
Finalist Top Shelf Indie Book Awards, 2017.
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