A Novella Series (Part One) (Volume 1)

I was interested in these series because of the author. I have read other books by Jamie McGuire and loved them. However, this book seemed as though towards the end the author wanted to 'rush' the storyline after having so many opportunities to build up to where she wanted it to go. She made the character go through situations that were not believable or that made any sense. This really ruined the book for me.

Happenstance blew me away. I love Jamie McGuire and everything she writes. This story was awesome! I don't know what to say without giving anything away so I'll just say READ IT! It's part of a 3 part novella series and I can't wait to read the next one.

This was such a good story. There were parts that your heart breaks for the characters and you cry because you are sad for them then cry because you are happy for them. I loved the way it ended and wouldn't mind reading more about them!

What an amazing novella chocked full of emotions. It was beautifully written. It was a quick read that packed a punch. I was surprised at how much I got out of it and I am so excited to continue the story and read the other two. Another amazing read from Jamie!

This was cute and interesting read. I enjoyed the slow built chemistry of the two main characters. I love that the nice girl got what she deserved in the end. My only complaint is it was a bit short for my tastes.

Jamie does it again. She is constantly taking is different places with different types of characters and this book is no exception. A great read for all ages, although I HIGHLY recommend it to a younger version of me, a high school boy or girl who feels like an outcast.

Excellent story from an excellent writer. I only wish it wasn't so popular nowadays to break a book into smaller pieces and sell the pieces individually. I'd rather pay $20 for a full book than $5 at a time for measured pieces of the story. Oh well, I guess I can take it as a practice for my tentative patience.

Love this first book! The writing is great, the story flows really well. I get the feeling there is more to the story and I can't wait to discover what's next.

I think I may have found my new favorite author! I must have been living under a rock to not have read any of her books before. But I'm here now and I have a feeling I'm not going to b disappointed:-)

Don't know where to start with this beautiful book so wonderfully written,this follows Erin Easter and Weston Gates as they navigate through High School.This is young love forgiveness finding where you belong.This is a must read.I like the way the author addressed the problems that many high school kids do pick this book up today you won't regret it

Jamie McGuire has returned to self-publishing with her young adult novella, Happenstance. The events of this story take place in the small Oklahoma town of Blackwell. There are three young ladies in the senior class at Blackwell High School named Erin, and they each just happen to share the same birthday. Erin Alderman (Alder) and Erin Masterson (Sonny) both come from quality families and are on the cheerleading squad at school. But our primary character of this story is Erin Easter (Easter).

The mother of Erin Easter is Gina. Gina Easter drinks to numb the anger and resentment she feels for becoming pregnant at a young age and missing out on her dreams. Gina is poor and has spent some time in jail over the years. She is a neglectful mother, but Erin also goes out of her way to avoid interacting with Gina. After school and on the weekends, Erin works at the local Dairy Queen. The only parental influence she has in her life is Frankie, her coworker at Dairy Queen.

The three Erins were close friends when they were young children, especially during kindergarten and first grade. But sometime during fifth grade, circumstances changed between the three friends. Erin Alderman and Erin Masterson began to verbally abuse Erin Easter. The bullying has progressed over the years to include many other students and is nearly constant. Name calling. Cruel rumors. Slander. Social exclusion. Not only does Erin Easter experience verbal bullying at school, but it continues when she is working at Dairy Queen.

Erin Easter has admired Weston Gates for many years, although he has dated Erin Alderman since eighth grade. Weston is part of the popular crowd, and he is a star athlete for Blackwell High School. He has always felt an overwhelming burden to live up to the expectations of his wealthy parents and friends. One day, Weston decides to defend Erin Easter when she is being bullied by his friends. And then, he defends her again. And again. Weston and Erin begin to hang out during the evenings. Soon, they realize they have more in common than they thought they did, and a very sweet relationship develops between the two of them. Weston is very supportive of Erin when karma strikes during the last few weeks of high school.

Jamie McGuire grabbed my attention quickly with her interesting characters and a topic that carries a relevant message for people of all ages. Her writing in this story is beautiful, simple and crisp. The pacing of this novella is ideal, giving it the feel of a full novel. I found Happenstance to be the perfect, relaxing read. I truly enjoyed this story and definitely recommend it! 4.5 Stars for Happenstance!

The art of miniature painting reached its apogee or zenith in the late 16th century, with the artistry of Nicholas Hilliard, who was renowned not only for his technical skill, but also for the way his work was sensitive to the character of the persons he portrayed. His well-known tiny portrait of Queen Elizabeth I gives us a glimpse of her as a real person I think, not the shellacked and overcoiffed official image we usually see. And what a crazy time that was in England right? John Donne, Shakespeare, William Byrd, John Dowland - an astonishing flowering of works that still speak to our contemporary ears.

I'm not going to get super carried away and say we're in a literary renaissance of Elizabethan proportions, but the outpouring of awesome that has occurred since Jamie first published Beautiful Disaster, Colleen Hoover published Slammed, Abbi Glines published Breathe, E.L. James published the Fifty Shades trilogy, Tammara Webber published the Between the Lines series, Steph Campbell published Grounding Quinn, Tarryn Fisher published The Opportunist ... okay, I'm going to stop, and leave those as examplars, not an exhaustive enumeration, because although there are so many that I don't want to leave out, this is supposed to be a review of Happenstance, right? So my point is that there has been an outpouring, an explosion, even, of talent that while maybe not straight outa Cheapside, is reminiscent at least of another British invasion, when four lads from Liverpool ignited a storm of talent that blew up the charts, the music business and the ears of young listeners in much the way Jamie and her coterie of charming codebreakers (they broke the publishing code, is what I'm driving at) burst onto the scene just a few short years ago (wow, 2011, right? So much has happened and changed!).

Happenstance is a beautiful miniature in the mold of those sixteenth century portraits (just in case you wondered how I was planning on tying that in, lol). It's technically proficient, clever, artful and, conveys a vivid sense of its characters and their circumstances. And while small in scale, it delivers a big emotional punch. Proficient and clever, you ask? Well, consider the names of the characters for example. Erin Easter, our protagonist, is ripe for the rebirth and renewal of the season whose name she shares (treading close to spoiler territory, sorry!) And Weston Gates? Maybe he's the entryway to something beyond the circumscribed circumstances of Erin's current choices. And Erin works at Dairy Queen, where she's a bit of a scullery maid, replete with a cruel mother, as well. So there are archetypal elements of fairy tale, legend and myth, mingled in with the down home realism that Jamie is at great pains to create. I've worked in a Dairy Queen (okay, technically it was a Tastee Freeze, fine) and Jamie nails the sights, sounds, smells and spatters of that experience. She also creates a vivid and touching portrait of a sensitive girl in tough circumstances, one whose knight without armor relies on his inhaler in socially stressful situations, and a provincial society that is kind of Gene Pitney-esque in its "without pity" aspects. Her imagery is vivid, but relatable, in a way that reminded me of my old high school production of Our Town, finding poetry in the pedestrian details of small town life.

Okay, suffice it to say, I loved Happenstance, and I think you will too, if you love a tender and emotional contemporary YA. It's fun to watch a master at work, and to enjoy the atmosphere and characters she creates as she wields that miniature brush so lovingly and effectively.

I love Jamie McGuire and I liked this small series as well. I was hesitant at first but I ended up enjoying it once I got to the twist, that I DID NOT see coming! I just think it didn't live up to her potential and that the characters could have been a little more developed as well as the story. It was a great storyline and she had me at the edge of my seat. I would read it again and would recommend it since I enjoyed the storyline so much plus the romance didn't hurt either.

What a wonderful story. Kind of like Cinderella on the way we have happy ending. I did not expect this at all, it is a very shot read I wish it was more great great read. And the short peek at was is coming. I recommend all her books.

This Novella did not disappoint. It pulled you into the story with ease as do most of Jamie's books. Something I truly loved about this story was that even no matter how difficult life is for Erin, she keeps pushing forward and being who she is. Life drags her down, but she fights to stay up. I believe this novella series is going to be one to be remembered.

On the same but slightly different note, this is a great read to fill your book hangovers from Jamie, or any other author. I strongly recommend this books.

Happenstance is the first novella in a new series of YA novellas by the fantastic Jamie McGuire. I have always loved her writing and she has done it once again! In Happenstance, Jamie tells the story of Erin Easter, one of three girls named Erin born on the same day in a small town. And what a great story it is! Happenstance is sad and heartbreaking at times but it’s also sweet, touching and beautiful as well. It’s an emotional ride but it is definitely one worth taking!!

Erin is such a strong character. She’s bullied and taunted by the other two Erins and kids at school and she also comes from a not so great home life, but she never lets that get her down or get the best of her. She’s strong, positive, determined and knows what she wants in life. And she’s going to get it. Weston is an absolute doll. The way he cared for Erin was so tender and sweet. You will find yourself absolutely loving him!!

Without giving the story away, I’ll just say things happen. BIG things. Things you don’t expect. I never saw either of them coming. Kudos to Jamie for that!

This is just the beginning of the story for these characters. There is much more to come and I can’t wait to see what awaits them next- both for Erin herself individually and for Erin and Weston as a couple.

Thank you Jamie for bringing us a great story with loveable characters and for touching on the tragic topic of bullying. I can’t wait until August for the next novella!

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Jamie McGuire has the wonderful talent of rendering me both speechless and full of words at the same time when it comes to describing how her books make me feel, and how much I love her books. The same thing happened after reading Happenstance. Yes, it's a novella, but I feel as if this book has the quality and amazing depth as her other books.

I absolutely loved that it was set in my home town, the same exact halls that I walked in the high school, and same teachers. She has the talent of making the landmarks come alive, like I am living the story. Yet again she has created characters that I have fallen in love with and are very relatable. There was an unexpected twist, that left me both relieved and disappointed because I felt like the Erin didn't get to exact her revenge. But that didn't detract from the story at all, perhaps more twists will come with the next ones!

Praise for all things Jamie McGuire!

Yet again, Jamie McGuire has written a 5 star' read! I honestly don't know why anyone bothers reading these reviews. This is Jamie we are talking about, of course this book is gold. The storyline is great, the characters are believable and you will fall in love with them. So stop scrolling and go back up the top to one click!

HappyDanceforHappenstance !

Love everything by Jamie McGuire.

Erin is a girl with a lot of bad luck. She gets bullied at school, she is poor and her mom is an addict. Everything changes when Weston starts paying attention to her.

I went into reading Happenstance blind. I didn't know what it was about, just that it was written by the lovely Jamie McGuire After reading it, I highly recommend you, as a reader should also go into it blind.

Erin Easter is a very relate able character, especially with the bullying that she endures at the hands of the other two Erins' and several of their friends. This bullying is only done because Erin wasn't born into the "right" family.

Weston Gates becomes a knight and shining armor, not that Erin needs it. He finds his voice when he witnesses Erin confronting her bully's. They form a bond and discover they have more in common than they had thought and that their feelings for each other may not be one sided.

I knew that something had to happen for Erin and Weston to have any chance of happiness, so I wasn't so shocked by the tragedy that occurs. However, the events that happen after the incident blew me away. I never saw that one coming!!

I can't rave enough about this novella. I can't believe that it's just a novella because it was wrapped up nicely. In all honesty, I would love to have more of Erin's story considering her life pretty much flipped upside down. I would like to know how she adjusts and deals with her new reality.

Jamie knows how to make you feel like your watching a movie. She's explicit in her depictions of her characters. I can remember the story line of all her books. This short story in particular was paced just perfectly for a short story and ended right when it needed to. Kudos to the awesome self made author!

JH

This is just a great genuine great teenage love story. Jamie McGuire did a really great job with this story. Even if it was just about teenagers, it was still a really great story to read about. A must read.

This is just a great genuine great teenage love story. Jamie McGuire did a really great job with this story. Even if it was just about teenagers, it was still a really great story to read about. A must read.

Once again Jamie brings us a beautiful story. This book blew me away, I knew it was a novella but I wanted more so much, it is hard to wait. This book has a huge twist that I actually didn't see coming. You will be drawn in, it is easy to read this book in one sitting. Brilliant writing once again.

A fresh young love story that seemlessly transports you into it. Family, school, and financial issues all threaten to crush her, but they are some of the same things that will save her. Walls that protect her, bonds that will strenghten her and a new love to give her hope.

Who is an author who can write one amazingly true love story?? Really that's even a question? It's Jamie McGuire!!!
Her stories are so easy to connect with, and I instantly feel like I personally know her characters. Happenstance wasn't any different! I loved the story, the characters, and I felt very connected with the situations.
Jamie McGuire will never ever let you down....and Happenstance delivered 100% with its relatability and amazingly truthful messages.. Of course like all of her other books, this novella deserves more than a 5 star review, what's my only complaint...?...I need/want more!
One thing is for sure, READ THIS, DONT MISS OUT!

This is the first in a series of three novellas. I absolutely enjoyed it and highly recommend all of Jamie McGuire's books. No cliffhanger, just a sweet short story about a girl and a boy that fall in love. Just adorable!

Really liked this series. I know I have students that can relate to Erin (unfortunately). Read on McGuire's Wattpad which made me want to read the whole series to find out how everything would play out.

I read it quickly and could track what was happening but just odd how fast parents seemed to move on from one Erin. And Weston suddenly decides to defend Erin with no explanation? Guess I just didn't get some of the flow.

The novella Happenstance was awesome and I think all teenagers should read it! You get what you give in live and Karma is a real thing. You fall in love with this group of people and want to know more of their story. There is a valuable lesson to be learned from the three Erins. Be kind and just because you don't seem to have it easy in life doesn't mean you should give up!

Once again Jamie McGuire delivers an amazing story! If trying to get the reader to want more of this story was her angle ? It worked! I want more! Weston is a sweetheart to Erin who needs someone in her life besides Frankie to appreciate her. This story also touches a very common issue we have in this world of people being mean to others for no other reason but to be just that MEAN! Mean people SUCK! I have to laugh bc I didn't feel remorse for what happened to the mean girls, as wrong as it sounds but I felt the same way Erin & Weston felt! I had a bit of waterworks when the big reveal of the story hit... I can't imagine something so life altering to happen to someone.

Great story! Highly recommend! 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#MacPack