Happy Endings - Lucie Bryon - ★★★★.½

AUTHOR: Lucie Bryon

GENRE: Graphic Novel

PUBLICATION DATE: April 8, 2025

RATING:4.5 stars.

In a Nutshell: What an adorable graphic novel! Three quirky stories within one book. Each has ‘happy endings’, and even better is the entertaining journey to these endings. Loved this! Much recommended!

This graphic novel was originally published in French under the same title in August 2024. This is the English translation, coming out in April 2025. The cover of the English edition appears to have a different vibe from that of the French edition.

          

                       English edition cover                                    French edition cover

I read on the author’s Instagram page that the second cover under the dust jacket will be the same as what we see on the French edition. However, I like the English cover better. There is something absurdly hilarious about seeing two such stiff-looking agents in formal wear standing against such a pastel pink background, and holding a cat to boot! 😹

The book contains three short stories, each showing two characters who reach a happy ending. Now some of you might dismiss this immediately, saying, ‘Ah, I don’t read romance stories.’ So to you I say: None of these tales are romance stories in the true sense of the word, though they do contain minor elements of love stories. The three stories are independent of each other, though we get an epilogue (which is the icing on the already delicious cake) showing the main duo from each tale.

Each story is whimsically charming, not the type you would expect to be cutesy or funny. I love how each tale has something unusual in its plot, even though this genre isn’t really known for twists or surprises. The title is completely justified; every story has an adorable ending, and not necessarily in the way you think.

The art style and colour palette differs for each story, offering them not just an individuality in appearance but also a distinct setting and mood. The colour scheme is mostly monochromatic, so at no point do the colours overwhelm the plot. The whole packaging works excellently.

Here’s a quick glimpse at the individual ‘happy endings’:

🎨 Story One: ‘Happy New Year’ – 4 stars.

An art student asks a handsome guy to pose for her on New Year’s Eve. While he accepts her request, he is suspicious of her intentions. Why would any artist want a model on New Year’s Eve, right? She has to have ulterior motives!

While this was my least favourite of the three stories, it still entertained me. I loved the goofy guy, and how his nose kept dribbling as he posed. It was so comical! (And a little gross, too!)

🌊 Story Two: ‘Ocean’ – 5 stars.

Two agents from the future are sent into our world to capture a criminal who has created a temporal paradox. They find their target easily, but as their time travel device faces a charging issue, they cannot return home immediately. What now?

This was the longest story of the book, and the most amusing. This should also have been the silliest, considering the identity of the “villain” and the cartoonish agents, but it ends up more cute. I also loved it for not taking the typical love story route. A shoutout to the futuristic character names: Toots and Boots! 😸

👻 Story Three: ‘One Summer Day Song’ – 4.5 stars.

A cemetery gardener secretly falls in love with a professional grave mourner. However, he has his suspicions about the actual identity of the mourner. After all, how can this fellow cry buckets of tears, the way “people cry in mangas”? I won't say more! 😆

This story keeps shuffling between endearing and entertaining. From the story title, you might assume that this is the most romantic of the three. It is. But it is also the funniest and even involves a surprise reveal. The ending is the best!

As you can see, I am delighted with this trio of stories. I knew that this book would be a light read, but I didn’t expect to laugh so much. Every story ensured that I had a huge grin on my face when I reached ‘le fin.’ I would absolutely love to read more books by this author.

Much recommended to graphic novel enthusiasts looking for a whimsical and rewarding story collection.

4.5 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each story. Offering my own ‘happy ending’ to the book by rounding it up wherever applicable!

My thanks to Publisher Spotlight and Fairsquare Graphics for providing the DRC of “Happy Endings” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.