This is What Happy Looks Like

When Ellie O'Neal responds to an  accidentally sent email from GDL824@yahoo.com, she begins a digital pen pal relationship with the boy who sent it.  She lives in "middle of nowhere" Maine, and he lives in "middle of everything" California.  The correspondence becomes important to both of them, and each one looks forward to the emails the they receive.  Ellie keeps the email secret from her mother and her best friend because she doesn't think anything will ever come of it.  Little does she know, the boy behind the yahoo account is Graham Larkin, a popular, teenage heartthrob actor.  Neither Ellie,  nor Graham reveal themselves to one another, but when Graham gets his current movie to shoot in Ellie's hometown of Henley, Maine, the two are forced together.  Ellie has her reasons for not wanting to get involved with Graham, he is followed constantly by the paparazzi, and she is harboring a secret.   And Graham's manager would prefer if he started a relationship with the female star, for publicity, not the redhead with a secret.  Henley is a small town, however, and avoiding each other, especially when they feel so strongly, proves impossible.
I loved this book:

So I couldn't wait to read This is What Happy Looks Like, but it wasn't as good as the first one.  The relationship between Graham and Ellie is a little hard to believe.  Graham is shown as a completely grounded 17 year old superstar, who would prefer to stay home with his pet pig than enjoy the nightlife of Hollywood. And while Ellie's secret is unexpected and different, also implausible.  The setting of Maine is beautiful, and the writing is much in the likeness of Sarah Dessen, this book didn't quite live up to my expectations.  I would still recommend it to my love story readers, but it won't be one I push on others.