AN OBSERVER BEST DEBUT NOVELIST OF 2026

'Perfect perfect perfect novel. I have thought of literally NOTHING else since I started it.' Jack Edwards
'I loved it.' David Nicholls
'I was totally invested.' Saba Sams
'I loved how funny and quietly brutal this is about the way we tried to connect with each other.' Josh Silver
'Will appeal to Cleopatra And Frankenstein fans, and the setting and themes is reminiscent of Evenings And Weekends.' Stylist

Chuck and Joey meet in a bar. He's in his mid-thirties; she's twelve years younger. He's long abandoned his ambition of becoming a novelist and now works as a copywriter at a big ad agency. 'Lead copywriter,' he corrects himself. Joey lives paycheck to paycheck on her barista wages and privately dreams of making it as a poet. They go back to Chuck's luxury flat-a world away from Joey's cramped house-share, the crumbs in her bed. Soon, Joey's imagining a future between them, and Chuck's moving on from a mistake in his recent past. Amazing, how meeting a new person can make you feel so new.

Funny, excruciating, and true, I Want You to Be Happy is a sharp-eyed tale of two people searching for meaning and connection in modern times, missing the mark maybe, but still trying.

Readers LOVE I Want You to Be Happy
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A brilliantly awkward, tender and incredibly sharp novel - loved!'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This is vibes and red flags . . . The dual POV is savage'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'It's not often I read a book and don't realise I am coming to the end of it. I kept swiping for the next page to only realise that the book was finished'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Wincingly authentic, and beautifully written with the very driest humour. Hugely recommend'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Absolutely perfect for fans of Sally Rooney!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Achingly poignant and hilarious'

Jem Calder