What if halfway through your life was just the beginning?
Robin Edmund Blake is halfway through his life.
Born in 1986, when Halley’s Comet crossed the sky, he is destined to go out with it, when it returns in 2061. Until that day, he can’t die. He has proof.
With his future mapped out in minute detail, a lucrative but increasingly dull job in the City of London, and Gemma to share his life with, Robin has a plan to be remembered forever.
But when Robin’s sick father has one accident too many, the plan starts to unravel. Robin must return home to the tiny seaside town of Eastgate, learn to care for the man who never really cared for him, and face the childhood ghosts he fled decades ago.
Desperate to get his life back on schedule, he connects with fellow outsider Astrid. Brutally direct, sharp-witted and a professor at a nearby university, she’s unlike anyone he’s ever met. But Astrid is hiding something and someone from Robin.
And he’s hiding even more from her…
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Happy Is The One by Katie Allen was published on 22 May 2025 by Orenda Books. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this blog tour
Way way back in June 2021 I read and reviewed Katie Allen's debut novel; Everything Happens For A Reason. I fell in love with her writing style instantly. It has been a long wait but I am delighted that Happy Is The One is now published.
Fans of Matt Cain, Freya North, Mike Gayle and Jojo Moyes will love this novel. Katie Allen's compassionate and engaging story telling is utterly addictive. Her characters are wholesome, realistic and totally human.
Robin Edmund Blake knows exactly when he will die. He is currently half way through his life, he is thirty seven years old and the rest of his life is carefully planned out, with spreadsheets to back it all up. He was born when Halley's Comet crossed the sky and he knows that he will die when it returns in 2061, just like Mark Twain!
Robin's firm plans go awry when it becomes clear that his sick father needs him. Robin moves back to the small town of Eastgate where he spent his childhood, to care for his Dad. This move opens up so much for Robin, he has to deal with the issues that caused him to move away in the first place. He never felt as though his Dad really cared for him, especially after his Mum was killed in a car accident, it's a struggle for him, having to communicate with this man who can no longer speak.
Growing up, Robin's best mate was Danny. They lost touch years ago and Robin knows that they are bound to bump into each other. They do, and their reunion is joyful to follow. Two blokes, with so much history that they probably should deal with, but instead they find new issues to sort out. The banter and the friendship is beautifully created.
Robin begins a slight romantic entanglement with Astrid. With her bright red hair and her enormous scarves, Astrid is also something of an outsider. This relationship is not all plain sailing, but it is warm and funny in places.
Robin, Danny and Astrid are our three main characters but there is a fabulous cast of supporting people too. From Jackie the carer, to Bee, Danny's Mum, each and every one of them have their own special place in this fabulous story.
There is absolute heartbreak, be prepared. There are also times that you will chuckle, and times that you will sigh as Robin makes yet another suspect decision. Not only is this a wonderful novel, elegantly written, with characters that you will come to love; it is also a lesson in life. Robin has planned everything to the exact day, but this is real life and things come along that will totally upset your plans, but have to be dealt with.
As much as we (and Robin) would like to be ordered and prepared, we aren't and we can't. We have to seize the moment, we have to realise that today, here and now, is our life and we have to treasure it and try to live it to its fullest. Bravo Katie Allen; Happy Is The One is beautiful, I loved every page. Highly recommended by me.
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