Happiness Key

by Emilie Richards

I eventually liked this book, but it was very difficult to get hooked. I kept starting this book, putting it down and switching to another book, then trying again. Once I forced myself to keep reading, it was a good book.

Tracy Deloche's rich husband was sent to jail, and all of his money confiscated by the FBI. Her parents, who had trusted in him, had invested most of their savings into a business venture he was pursuing. Now they are broke too, and they definitely don't want to see their daughter, who they blame.

All she has left is twenty-five acres of land in Florida that she can't legally develop or sell that has five tumbledown beach houses with renters in four of them.

Then an elderly renter dies, and Tracy and the other renters don't know anything about him or his family because they were too busy to take the time to care. Even though they have nothing in common, they become friends through hunting for this man's family.

Quotes I liked:

"What did she care? She would take it and make something of it. That was her new mantra."

"Her parents referred to themselves as cultural Hindus, abiding by many of the traditions, accepting some of the beliefs, but not putting too fine a point on any of them. She was more free-thinking. She had learned to look for the similarities in all religions."

"She did all she could. She greeted him not like a potential serial killer, but like a boy who needed a warm welcome."