A Matter of Happiness, Tori Whitaker
A Matter of Happiness, Tori Whitaker
List: $42.99 | Sale: $30.10
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A Matter of Happiness

Author: Tori Whitaker

Narrator: Kimberley Wong, Megan Tusing

Unabridged: 11 hr 42 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/08/2022

Synopsis

A cherished heirloom opens up a century of secrets in a bittersweet novel about family, hard truths, and self-discovery by the author of Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish.Melanie Barnett thinks she has it all together. With an ex-fiancé and a pending promotion at a Kentucky bourbon distillery, Melanie has figured out that love and career don’t mix. Until she makes a discovery while cleaning her Jordan MX car, a scarlet-red symbol of the Jazz Age’s independent women that she inherited from her great-great-great-aunt Violet. Its secret compartment holds Violet’s weathered journal—within it an intriguing message: Take from this story what you will, Melanie, and you can bury the rest. Melanie wonders what more there is to learn from Violet’s past.In 1921 Violet Bond defers to no one. Hers is a life of adventure in Detroit, the hub of the motorcar boom and the fastest growing city in America. But in an era of speakeasies, financial windfalls, free-spirited friends, and unexpected romance, it’s easy to spin out of control.Now, as Melanie’s own world takes unexpected turns, her life and Violet’s life intersect. Generations apart, they’re coming into their own and questioning what modern womanhood—and happiness—really means.

About Tori Whitaker

Tori Whitaker is the bestselling author of Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish and A Matter of Happiness. She belongs to the Bourbon Women Association and the Historical Novel Society. Her work has appeared in the Historical Novels Review and Bookmarks magazine. Tori graduated from Indiana University, is an alum of the Yale Writers’ Workshop, and is recently retired from a national law firm where she served as chief marketing officer. She spent a decade in Detroit because of her husband’s career in the automotive industry. The two now reside near their children outside Atlanta and have been married for forty-five happy years. Connect with Tori through www.toriwhitaker.com.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Karren on August 29, 2022

2018: Melanie Barnett works at a Kentucky bourbon distillery, she’s trying her best to earn a promotion and pay rise. Melanie has given up on love after her engagement ended, she's happy being single and she can concentrate on her career. Her mother Angie is successful and busy business woman, as a......more

Goodreads review by Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader on November 15, 2022

Gorgeous cover, right? I really loved Tori Whitaker’s debut, Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish, and couldn’t wait to read A Matter of Happiness. I think I loved it even more. About the book: “A cherished heirloom opens up a century of secrets in a bittersweet novel about family, hard truths, and self-disco......more

Goodreads review by Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews on January 19, 2023

Two women, two different eras, but basically the same. Both Violet and Melanie want to be independent women.  Violet is Melanie's great, great, great aunt. Upon her death, Violet leaves Melanie a car with a hidden journal inside. Melanie learns a lot about her aunt from the journal and also about hersel......more

Goodreads review by Mary on December 23, 2022

I love historical fiction, but I never thought I would be so interested in the history of bourbon! Granted, A Matter of Happiness by Tori Whitaker isn't actually about the history of the spirit, but there were lots of interesting facts about it thanks to Melanie working for a distillery. I couldn't......more

Goodreads review by Christine on October 11, 2022

After reading Whitaker’s debut novel Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish, I was thrilled to get her sophomore one. This weekend, I set aside an afternoon to read this one and it was EXQUISITE! A wonderful dual time line. Melanie Barnett works for a Kentucky bourbon distillery. She recently broke up with her......more

Quotes

“This witty and engaging story is about Melanie, an up-and-coming executive in the whiskey business in Louisville, Kentucky, and her ‘Grape Aunt Violet.’…The plot flows easily, and the characters, both modern and in the 1920s, are interesting people.” —Historical Novels Review

“This novel provides glimpses into the growing automobile industry in 1920s Detroit, where Violet lives. We also get to see the growth of the boutique spirits world in twenty-first-century Kentucky as Melanie tries to make a name for herself. Ultimately, A Matter of Happiness is a story about listening to and trusting yourself, while surrounded by family, friends, love and loss. [A]n entertaining historical fiction read.” —BookTrib

“A thrill of a ride and a beautiful read. Violet and Melanie are connected across generations by blood, bourbon, cars, and a great need for independence. Tori Whitaker unfolds the narrative with a deep sense of history imbuing every sensational page, weaving the women’s stories until the inspiring conclusion. This is a compelling story of women who understand that we can choose our happiness and we can choose our lives. Whitaker crafts a riveting read about strength, fate, and choice that you will not want to put down until the very last page.” —Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Surviving Savannah

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