The book's prose is too simplistic, even by 'lit fiction' standards. The main character has occasional thoughts between parenthesis for no reason. Amy's is an unlikable protagonist and the story seems to promise little signs of improvement.
This novel has been done before, and better. This is a rehash of the usual 'unhappy mother/wife' who thinks that the grass is greener in her friend's garden.
Perhaps Pagán is simply not for me.

This is the ideal 'palate cleanser' kind of book - one that washes away the mental hangover of a thriller or a heady literary tome.
But don't write it off as pure brain candy, either. It's an honest, raw, and powerful story on what society expects of the modern woman - and what she expects of herself.
Penelope looks like she does it all - she has an impressive career, a husband and son and daughter, a home in a charming town, and great friends. She's also on the verge of losing it.
And then her best friend dies, unexpectedly, from a drug overdose.
The premise is a common one for women's fiction and thrillers alike, but Pagán navigates Penelope through a deeply reflective, soul-searching journey that you can't help but get lost in. Penelope faces things her challenges head-on - her mother walking out on her family, the distant relationship she has with her father and brother, the unhappy moments in her marriage and the frustrating ones of her job - all while trying to be there for her late best friend's daughter and keeping all the balls in the air.
I couldn't put this book down, and was slightly sad to finish it. It's a lovely book

I decided to read this book after hearing so many good things about it. It isn't a book I would normally pick myself but I am super happy I did. I feel like many women will be able to relate to this book about re-examining your marriage after life happens. The catalyst for Penny is learning more about her friend Jenny's "perfect marriage". This causes her to reexamine her marriage after having two children and moving to the suburbs.

This was a great book and I really like Pagan's writing style. I recommend this to any woman going through life changes - especially if you are married.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'm Fine and Neither are You by Camille Pagan is a voyeuristic window into a marriage that, after two kids and a move to the suburbs, has lost its lustre. This is an honest portrayal of a couple who are trying to make things work in the face of domestic turbulence.

Penny is a woman who is mostly content with the life she has with husband Sanjay and their two young children, although she acknowledges that sacrifices have been made along the way. When her best friend Jenny, who seemingly has it all, is visited by tragedy, Penny is naturally stunned but the horrific event serves as an impetus for her to re-examine her own life and, in particular, her marriage to Sanjay. The love that has become almost dormant must somehow be reignited. There is no time for anything less.

Ths is an emotive read. Penny is an everywoman, and so intimately fleshed out that she begins to feel almost like a friend. I loved the humour that Penny was able to inject into her varied circumstances, and I was particularly moved by the relationship that she shares with her friend's young daughter. I look forward to reading more from Ms Pagan in future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.

A long time ago I read all the books by an author called Abby Drake. I loved her writing and genre of “housewife meets intrigue” and was hopeful that this would read similarly. It does and it doesn’t?!? The premis is great, but something just feels “off”? I don’t know if I was expecting as weighty an issue as this was in regards to mystery. I would definitely read this author again though this wasn’t a “wow” book for me?!

"Close female friendships are built one secret at a time." Penelope comes to realize this when tragedy strikes her best friend Jenny and as she uncovers all she didn't know about Jenny and Matt's marriage, she begins to question her own somewhat-stale marriage. She and her husband agree to list major changes they'd like to see in each other as they begin to overhaul their relationship in terms of work, their two children, and intimacy. This was my first exposure to Pagan but it won't be my last. I love novels about female friendships, relationships, and marriages. Life is often messy, but Pagan writes beautifully and often humorously about the intricacies and secrets that tend to invade our lives when we least expect it. And what price for perfection? This is a poignant and relevant look at the struggle to maintain parenthood and stay on an even keel while balancing family life, work, and friendships.

A very good book, full of emotions and food for thought.
I think that the characters can help anyone to understand the deeper meaning of little things and the joy of life.
You can relate to them even if you're not a mother or a wife because their message run deeper.
They are well written, fleshed out and interesting, the kind of women you can meet everyday.
I think this book will be hardly forgotten.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I'm Fine and Neither Are You is about Penelope, a mom and wife who is trying to do it all but deep down is exhausted and scrambling to keep it all together. Meanwhile, her best friend Jenny looked like she had it all together - maintaining a lifestyle blog, lots of sex with her good looking, successful husband and keeping her home spotless, basically the complete opposite of Penelope. It took a shocking tragedy to make Penelope realize that maybe Jenny's life is not all that perfect and that it's time to reflect and focus on herself, her family and her marriage.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I thought the beginning and ending were great. The middle was so-so. I felt she got a little annoying with the debbie downer attitude. She and her husband vowed to work on their relationship but I thought she was too negative and not trying very hard to hold up her end of things. Once she snapped out of it, the book picked up again. As a mom, wife and career woman myself, I found her character very relatable. When someone asks me how i'm doing, how many times have I said "good" instead of "oh, my house is a mess, my toddler is getting into everything, I could use a new job, etc"?? Maybe we all need to be more honest with ourselves and others.

Thank you to Netgalley, Amazon First Reads and Lake Union Publishing for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A book for all Wives and/or Mothers.
I related to Penelope so many times in this book. It was so real! It made me laugh out loud for real. I felt her stress and frustration. I felt her insecurity and her fear. Penelope is the real woman with the friend we all have. The one who has everything and seems like everything comes easy for them. Until something horrible happens that makes Penelope realize nothing is quite what it seems and maybe things aren't how she wants them to be. So she embarks on a project with her husband but will this cause more problems than it fixes?
I'm Fine And Neither Are You is a great, funny, and real read. Once I started it I was hooked! Camille Pagan has created a must read that makes you laugh and makes you think.

3.5

I'm nowhere near having kids and getting married, let alone having a partner but the plot was intriguing and I was not disappointed because this book is more than what the synopsis lets on. It's about friendship, loss and the sacrifices of a mother and women. The storytelling is compelling and poignant. Very well written and a fluid read. It seems lighthearted but gets very deep. Penelope is a likable narrator, serious but somewhat witty and humorous. The relationship and marital problems between Penelope and Sanjay felt very realistic and well developed, though at this point, I can only imagine. There are a few tragedies happening and the way they were handled was a little underwhelming as the issues were soon resolved. Overall an enjoyable portrayal of marriage and its ups and downs.

3.25 stars

I’m Fine and Neither Are You is better than 3 stars, but nowhere close to 4 stars. I would say this novel falls into the “domestic angst” genre. Penelope hits a crisis point in her life when her best friend dies, and she realizes that she may not want to stay married to the father of her two young demanding children. Penelope’s feelings are a somewhat typical trope in contemporary domestic fiction. The twist if that she is the breadwinner and her husband is at home. Also Penelope’s husband is a somewhat multidimensional character. There were some good scenes and some real emotions in I’m Fine and Neither Are You, but it didn’t knock my socks off. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

This title is very appropriate as it was sad to see how one woman who encouraged others to find beauty in all things couldn't find it in herself. I am glad that Penelope and Sanjay used it as the reason to make changes and truly start to live again. I really liked this book.

Loved this book! It had a sweet, heartfelt plot line about the complexities of relationships that I really related two. I liked the dynamic between the main character and her husband, and thought their relationship felt super realistic. Would highly recommend!

I really appreciated this book. It was relatable and interesting to read about a real marriage, years in, and the way roles and perspectives sometimes get skewed, and how hard it can be to fix that. I liked that the characters were all very fully developed, realistic, complex, and sometimes contradictory. There were a couple things that hit a sour note for me - the book dismisses couples therapy in a couple sentences at the start and never brings it up, which is a bummer since that’s a key option for a lot of marriages, and I am still not totally clear on what Pagan was trying to say about close female friendships and how they impact marriages - it almost it was saying that Penny having close friends took away her closeness with Sanjay, which I didn’t appreciate. But overall it was a compelling, readable, well-done portrait of a marriage over time.

"I'm Fine and Neither Are You" - for sure one of the best book titles I've come across!

3.5 stars

Penny and Sanjay are in a rut. After the death of her best friend, Penny is forced to re-examine her marriage and her and her husband both commit to making a list of three things the other person has to change about themselves.

I don't think I would have enjoyed the book as much if it was just about these lists and this couple following through with it (as I originally anticipated). This book is also about love, loss, addiction, family, . It also really shines a light on how self-sacrificing mothers (and women and general) can be and how important it is to take a step back, think about what is really important to you, and prioritize that. Although I am not in my 30s, and married with children, I did find myself relating to parts of Penny.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought the title and description of this book would lead to something witty and sharply observed. On the contrary, this is a soft-focus take on multiple hardcore issues that beset modern life: opioid overdose, untimely death, maternal abandonment, marital strife, and gender workplace disparities. Quite a set of heavy topics, all of which are handled fairly dispassionately by a series of lists undertaken in a self-help quest by the protagonist and her husband. No finicky therapists or mental health professionals are required. If only real life were this easy; or this tale was a tad more entertaining or compelling. There is a flatness to this story that is unsettling. For all of the ensuing tragedy, the plot is surprisingly dull: bad things happen, time passes and good intentions prevail. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

While I definitely wasn't the target audience, I really really loved this one. I liked all the characters, I liked how the story progressed and I liked the end resolution. I think this book will speak to a lot of people who experienced troubles with their marriage. Highly recommend.

I LOVED this sweet story of Penny, a young mom who is struggling with all the mundane issues of life when her best friend passes away. Penny is forced to evaluate what is valuable in her career, her marriage, and her motherhood. This story is incredible well written and creative, and I couldn't read it fast enough! I highly recommend I'm Fine and Neither Are You to all of us overwhelmed mothers who need a little emotional boost.

I’m Fine and Neither Are You was an interesting read for me. I thought it was enjoyable but not a total hit, and interesting in the way that I didn’t exactly love the story so much as I appreciated the overall message it got across. This book touched on several relevant and important topics (the opioid epidemic and downsides of social media) as well as motherhood and marriage and the hard work that goes into it all, just to stay afloat. It was about honesty (with yourself and those around you) and that what you see on the outside is sometimes only half the story.

This was a quick, easy, well-written read that was on the lighter side but also packed a punch. I loved how the author balanced wit and humor with giving the more serious topics the delicacy they deserved. Sometimes it’s nice to know you’re not alone, even if it’s just relating in some small way to fictional characters, and being real and relatable is what especially made this book for me. Filled with flawed characters that I didn’t always like, but also couldn’t help but root for, this was overall a read that I’m glad I picked up.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley, Lake House Publishing and Camille Pagán.
Penelope is a working mom and wife who is frustrated with her life. Best friend Jenny appears to have the perfect life: money, husband and one child. Until Jenny suddenly dies and her life does not appear as grand as it was. Penelope life is changed without her best friend by her side. She is re evaluating her life, her marriage and work. She is tired of being the peacekeeper and finally deals with her issues. I rooted for Penelope and her husband Sanjay marriage to work.
Great read, well written, wonderful story. 4.5 ⭐️