I loved reading Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything by Kristin Bair. What a fun, fast read, it made for the perfect weekend escape read. As someone who loved Harriet the Spy when I was a child, this book had me hooked with the idea that Agatha was spying on her husband. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Kristin Bair has written a good book with a memorable character, I look forward to reading more of her books in the future!
Thank you to NetGalley for the complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

✨"Oh, How I Loved This Book! Move Over Eleanor Oliphant—agatha Arch Is Here. And She's The Exact Quirky, Laugh-out-loud, Feel-good Heroine Everyone In The World Needs Right Now."
—Colleen Oakley, Critically Acclaimed Author Of You Were There Too
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📌AGATHA ARCH IS AFRAID by @kbairokeeffe @alcovepress

Thank you @suzyapproved @netgalley for this beautiful arc.
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📌40 chapters of a ROLLERCOASTER ride!!

Genre: General Fiction (🔞ADULT) ; Women Fiction.

The story:
Agatha finds her husband, Dax in a compromising position with a dog walker in her shed which she shreds down to bits & pieces!
She's got two sons, Dustin & Jason, whom she loves to the moon & back!
✨With her support system gone, she has to face her fears, which are quite a handful, all alone.
Plus she cannot digest her husband falling in love & leaving her, for someone else.
So she gets desperate & starts spying & what not!!
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Amidst all this, a poor clock has to lose his life, a woodpecker keeps her company with his "tap tap tippity-tap".

Ohh & yess, she's a writer & DOES NOT TRUST PEOPLE WHO DON'T READ BOOKS. 💙She became my fav. just then!!
She quotes awesome writers like Virginia Woolf, throughout her story.
She talks about Facebook moms groups & about her therapist who helps her sort out her thoughts, which are a mess.
She also hints at women empowerment. What if all women started hinting down sheds to be even with their husband's infidelity?! Men would surely not like that.

✨She also says, writing always saves her..from falling apart. When she had a miscarriage or her 4th book flopped..

✨There are so many tit-bits that I have underlines in this beautiful, uplifting, funny, tearing story of Agatha..
FIGHTING & FALLING, FALLING & FAILING..SHE EVENTUALLY LEARNS TO STAND UP. STAND UP FOR HERSELF, BY HERSELF WITHOUT ANY SUPPORT.

✨Not an easy read but once you get a knack of the writing style, there's no looking back! 💙
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✨HILARIOUS and HEARTBREAKING, FRESH and WISE, and QUIRKY as can be. The talented Kristin Bair introduces us to the TOUCHINGLY NEUROTIC AGATHA ARCH—a woman who LOVES TOO MUCH AND FEARS TOO MUCH, and is on the hunt to discover her own singular power.
If you love Bridget and Bernadette, please meet Agatha. I loved her, and you will, too.” 
—Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today Bestselling author of The First to Lie 
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#noorthebookwornreviews
#agathaarchisafraid

Oh Agatha! What would you do if you found your husband Dax in the shed with Willow the dog walker? Oh, and what if you don't even own a dog? Well, Agatha and Dax separate, she destroys the shed, and then she starts to stalk him. She also starts to spin out on the mom's group on Facebook. Luckily, she has a therapist and makes a friend of Melody. Agatha is a writer who has a deadline looming and while she's had success to date, she's contemplating what to write next. She's got a lot of fears quirks, and odd thoughts but don't judge- she's also very real. Some of this is very funny, other parts sad but it's always about how she moves forward after her world blows up. The plot might remind you of other novels but Agatha shines. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

Agatha Arch just discovered her husband in the shed with the dog walker. She quickly takes the shed down with an axe and the story rockets forward from there. Broken hearted Agatha’s actions and reactions from there are quite comical. Agatha is indeed afraid of everything and her character is wonderfully quirky. Her comments on the FB mom pages are mostly spot on, even if they come across as mean girl. Her spying techniques are a riot and she definitely does not have a calling as a spy. As Agatha’s heart begins to heal, her actions start to change as she finally begins to move forward with her life. This was a fun read, and I would love to see more of Agatha Arch in future books!!

"Fear sharpens us." This is Agatha's mantra. She's a big fan of Bear Grylls, so that's why she has made this phrase her own motto. In fact, Bear Grylls has said this: "You're not human if you don't feel fear. But I've learned to treat fear as an emotion that sharpens me."

Agatha is really afraid of, well, almost everything. And now her life has been put upside down because of her husband's love affair with the dog walker. She's always felt protected by her husband, and now he has betrayed her. Moreover, he moves right away to live with his new partner and he takes their children with him. They spent time with both of their parents, but Agatha feels even worst by this. She can't bear living only some days of the week with her boys.

She's suppossed to start writing her new book, a thriller, but she can't even go up the stairs and enter her office. Everything reminds her of his husband and what he's done. Therefore, another fear to add to the long list. Eventhough she repeats constantly her mantra and goes with her Bear Grylls bobblehead, it doesn't work. Days are passing by, and it seems she's stuck.

Furthermore, there's a mysterious young woman asking for money in one of the busiest streets in town. Agatha is afraid of her, because she's certain the interloper, as she calls her, is dangerous.

Agatha spends a lot of time reading the comments on the facebook group of Moms. She likes to laugh at them, so she's constantly writing ironic comments in response to anything they say.

Agatha has no friends, and she wishes she had some, but how could she make friends if she can't trust anyone? Anyway, life has its mysterious ways to show us the right path. Sometimes we just need someone who can make us realise we're wrong. Agatha must learn that she's not the only one in pain, and she's defenitely, not the only one with fears. And a little bit of kindness makes things better.

Thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Dark Comedy, Sharp Writing....
Dark comedy, sharp writing and a dry wit. Poor Agatha Arch has a bad lot to bear. She doesn’t do it well. Can she overcome ALL of her fears and forge a better life? She just might. A mix of tragedy, humour and many poignant moments, an unexpected read.

Within minutes of beginning AGATHA ARCH IS AFRAID OF EVERYTHING by Kristin Bair, I was deep in very familiar territory, geographically since I live in Southwestern Connecticut and fiction-wise since I read a great deal of women's fiction. I do not exaggerate when I say that I read with open-mouthed dread and recognition of suburban reality in the crack-up of a marriage and way of life that ultimately turns to something more interesting, rewarding, and sustainable. I wish there were more to like, more bright compliments to pay, but I'm fresh out. Bari's treatment of what can be a challenging lifestyle felt more train wreck and retread of better-told novels than open exploration of a woman coming into her own.

I loved Agatha and enjoye being along on her journey. This is a fair representation of life with anxiety and intrusive thoughts, especially when faced with a trauma like finding your husband banging the dog walker in your shed!

Agatha has been fearful of most things her entire life. Now she is suddenly on her own, adjusting to a new life and is at a loss on how to move forward. Her story is an emotional roller coaster, it's funny at times then sad then scary.

The writing is sharp and witty. The author does a nice job capturing the thoughts of someone who lives in fear yet wants to be different. This made for the storyline feeling muddled at times, yet I think that's realistic. I didn't care for the character of Agatha's therapist-that relationship didn't feel realistic- but all the rest I loved. Female friendship plays a big role in this novel, as well as personal development.

Overall this was an enjoyable read that I definitely recommend.

To say I thoroughly enjoyed this book would be an understatement! Agatha is afraid of EVERYTHING including beans, BEANS! Agatha finds her husband and the neighborhood dog walker in the shed doing things they shouldn't be doing! After the hubby moves in with the dog walker, Agatha's fears and anxieties become overwhelming! She keeps her family close but all others far away which means she doesn't have any support other than her therapist. As Agatha starts living her new normal, we are introduced to list of colorful characters from new friends, a skunk living under the porch, and the Moms in the Facebook page for the neighborhood. This is just the book I needed right now, a funny laugh out loud book that takes the problems of the world away. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

It is very easy to find similarities between Agatha and Bernadette. Even the book covers resemble each other. But for me, Agatha was a bit too much to handle. The character felt more like a caricature. Agatha is a supposed book author whose husband has recently left her for the neighborhood dog walker. Agatha, already in therapy for many fears, is thrown off balance and reacts as you might already expect: overboard. She stalks the woman. She is disparaging of a local homeless woman who begs at a neighborhood shopping center. She purposefully incites drama in the local moms' FB group. But through the course of the book, Agatha is able to find some surer footing and that is delightful to read. She is just a bit too annoying along the way and it just takes a bit too long to get there.

I wanted to like this one so badly, but I found it boring. I had to skip parts just to keep my interest. But overall, it wasn't for me.

2/5 Stars

Agatha Arch is written in part in an almost stream-of-consciousness style mixed in with more usual narrative. It makes for an odd, interesting and sometimes disturbing read.

It took me a long time to understand Agatha and an even longer time to like her. In all honesty, I'm not sure I've actually achieved either things which was a disappointment considering I normally really like quirky characters.

I think what gave me the most trouble was her lists. Being inside Agatha's head wasn't a comfortable place to be - and at times I found myself praying that my thoughts wouldn't be as fractured were someone to listen in on them.

Despite all the above, I did enjoy the book, and I've also discovered that it has stickability - bits of it keep popping into my head when I'm least expecting it, and now that I've come to the end, I'm actually quite missing it...

So funny and smart. The comparison to BERNADETTE is absolutely spot on. Loved this one, and will definitely recommend. Who hasn't had "that group" on Facebook?

Thank you to the author, Alcove Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Just as the title says, Agatha Arch is afraid of everything. While I found quite a bit of her way of looking at things funny, I don't know that I would get along too well with her in real life. Way too prickly, resentful and on the attack - all in the name of fending off her fears, to be sure, but you can understand why other people clash with her in the book. And to be fair, I wouldn't get along with the Stepford moms (as portrayed by Agatha) either. I did enjoy watching Agatha slowly loosen up, open up and let a few select people in. Seeing her work through her issues was at times painful, at times a bit too long-winded- I found the first 2/3 of the book a slog, but the last 1/3 was good.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

This book practically blew my mind. I was confused all the way through it that should I laugh or should I cry. I've never ever seen such a perfect balance of melancholy and comedy in a book !!
Agatha Arch is literally afraid of everything. When she discovers that her husband is cheating on her, it seems that her fears increases and tries to succumb her. Despite her fears, Agatha is a strong woman, and an aspiring author. The book starts from her discovering her husband's treachery and gradually develops with her coping with heartbreak and fears.
Agatha Arch is a beautiful , strong and unforgettable character. I loved the whole story. The other characters were amazing too. I loved the writing style and mentions of other books , because Agatha is a voracious reader like us. This book carries a beautiful message about mental health, and 10th October being Mental Health Day, it was a perfect October read.

Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything

If you’ve ever been a part of a mom group, especially on Facebook, you’ll appreciate this book. I loved the side dialogue dealing with the other moms. I also loved Agatha’s character and quirks. I sometimes skipped over the constant internal monologue from her though, I felt it a little repetitive. I’ve seen this compared to where’d you go Bernadette, which I actually DNF. I felt this was much better.

Loved this book! I am sorry to say goodbye to the quirky and neurotic Agatha Arch, who will stay with me for a long time. Agatha finds her husband having sex with the local dog walker in her shed, and all hell breaks loose. Add in a Facebook Moms group, and Agatha’s nasty but hysterical posts on the page, and you have a great read. Agatha’s journey from loneliness to finding a way to be fulfilled is one that many can relate to, while both crying and laughing. I highly recommend this book and thank NetGalley for the ARC.

I wanted and expected to like this book. The cover was appealing, and the first chapter is quite a grabber. But it turned out that Agatha was annoying and antagonistic, and showed no growth through the first two thirds of the book. The final third finally showed her making some progress, but by then it was too late for me.

Based on the synopsis, I thought I would love this book- sadly I did not. I felt like it started mid-story and I could never figure out what I had missed so I could catch up.

This is not going to be a long review -I really don't have a lot to say about this book. Actually, I do have a lot to say, but I don't want to give the whole book away!

I had to actually force myself through the first 2/3 of this book. I really disliked the narrative and the characters. The trope/s drove me crazy also! But the last third or so really kept me captive. I was really rooting for Agatha to get her sh*t together, and as much as I disliked the secondary and tertiary characters -it was nice to see them grow also.

All in all, it was a quick read that would have made a great beach read.

*ARC supplied by the publisher and author.