Something Like Happiness by Tom Newlands
Something Like Happiness by Tom Newlands is a contemporary novel about Frazer and Caitlin, teenage sweethearts now navigating money worries, a difficult home life and the needs of their autistic son. Its central tension is whether lasting love can be enough when their ideas of home and the future pull them apart.
At a glance
- Centres on a long-term couple whose shared history and present circumstances complicate their relationship.
- Explores family life, financial strain, housing and the question of what makes a home.
- The listing identifies the book as a novel by Tom Newlands and notes a Scottish Book of the Year 2025 award for the author’s previous novel, Only Here, Only Now.
Reference price: £20.00
Price checked: 12 Nov 2026
View offerAhead of Black FridayExplore the selectionPros and cons
Pros
- A clear family-and-relationship premise gives readers a strong sense of the novel’s concerns before buying.
- At 256 pages, the listed print length offers a defined, relatively compact reading commitment.
Technical specifications
8 specifications| Publisher | Phoenix |
|---|---|
| Publication date | 13 Aug. 2026 |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 256 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1399607944 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1399607940 |
| Weight listed | 442 g |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 15.8 x 2.8 x 23.8 cm |
Who is it for?
A good fit for
- Readers interested in contemporary literary fiction about relationships, family pressures and home.
- Readers who want a character-led story set against financial and housing difficulties.
Less suited to
- Readers looking for a light, plot-driven read or a story without serious family and financial pressures.
Customer reviews on Amazon
- 5 stars
68% 68% - 4 stars
19% 19% - 3 stars
13% 13% - 2 stars
0% 0% - 1 star
0% 0%
Aggregate ratings lean positive, with most ratings in the five-star category and the remainder split between four- and three-star ratings. This is a modest sample and does not reveal what readers specifically liked or disliked, so it offers only a broad indication of reception, not evidence about the novel’s particular themes or writing.
Frequently asked questions
What is Something Like Happiness about?
It follows Frazer and Caitlin, former teenage sweethearts whose shared home, financial strain and family life test whether their relationship can endure.
How long is the listed edition?
The listing gives a print length of 256 pages.
Who published the book?
The listed publisher is Phoenix.
What language is it listed in?
The book is listed in English.
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