Thanks Penguin Teen for the early copy! This comes out May 2.

In late 2016 I read [b:This Is What Happy Looks Like|15790873|This Is What Happy Looks Like (This is What Happy Looks Like, #1)|Jennifer E. Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1344444283s/15790873.jpg|18529702] and enjoyed it, but didn't think it was anything extraordinary. My thoughts on this book were very much the same, though the stories were very different.

what I liked:
- The trio. Alice, Leo, and Teddy are great friends. I loved their banter, their understanding of one another, and just everything. And I liked that they had realistic negative points in their friendship, things that took a bit of time to recover from.
- Alice and Leo. They're great characters. Alice is humble and thoughtful even after losing so much so early in her life, and torn between what her family would want and what she wants. Leo is amusing and has simple tastes but is surprisingly deep.
- Leo and Max. Leo is gay (not a spoiler, it's mentioned in the first 35 pages or so) and his relationship with his boyfriend is cute but also flawed. It wasn't a huge deal, and is mentioned so casually when this part of Leo is first introduced. I really, really like that.
- The family dynamic. Sofia, Jake, Leo, and Alice are a wonderful, close-knit, easygoing family and they cared for each other. They all had experienced difficulties, and instead of this making them closed off it helped open them up.
- The pacing. Normally this isn't something I'd worry too much about in a contemporary, but I liked it in this story. It was told over the course of six months, and I think that was appropriate for the events of the story. It never felt rushed, and the story and the characters had time to grow and change.
- The main topics. I haven't read any other books about a character winning the lottery, and although I have no experience with it, it felt realistic. There was a brief legal aspect, and there was an issue of how the money should be spent. I feel like that's common -- being torn between using it personally and for charity, and finding that balance. Like I said, I don't have experience, but if I had that sort of money I would feel similarly.
- It took place in Chicago. I don't really know why this makes me happy, maybe because I went there in May and fell in love with the city. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- The ending. The romance frustrated me for most of the story, but in the end everything paid off and it just felt happy and resolved.
- Sawyer. While I was happy with how things worked out, I liked him more. Just saying.
- It's a quick read. Maybe it's just me having a free day and being a quick reader, but I read the 250 or so pages I had left in a few hours.
- THERE'S AN ADORABLE CLUMSY BOXER PUPPY AND HE WAS A SURPRISE PRESENT. #PUPPYBOMB *heart eyes* No, I'm not obsessed with puppies. What gave you that idea?

what I disliked:
- Teddy. He did redeem himself in the last 10-12 chapters, but prior to that he irritated me so much. He had good intentions, but he did everything in the wrong ways. I don't mean to sound harsh, but I think he should've thought things through more. There were times when it felt like he had little to no regard for other people's feelings, Alice's in particular. And I get that he had rough times in his life, I totally do. But how do you not realize your best friend is in love with you, after you say something and she's completely crushed?
- It was interesting, but there were no twists. I was curious to know what happened next for Alice and Leo, and hopeful Teddy would improve, but that's about it. There was nothing that made me want to know more, or give me a reason to become invested. I don't expect as much craziness from contemporaries, but a few events to keep me on my toes or at least interested would be nice. There was one thing that mildly surprised me in the final few pages, and that wasn't enough for me, unfortunately.

I had some issues with it, but I did think that, for the most part, this was a fun read! :)

This isn't much of a spoiler, but it's in tags because it happens fairly late in the story. I was a bit surprised and very disappointed when Charlie admitted he lied to Teddy.