I really enjoyed The Bookish life of Nina Hill. It was quirky and fun and surprisingly relatable. When I saw Abbi Waxman was publishing another book, I was excited to get my hands on it.
Unfortunately, Adult Assembly Required (AAR) didn’t work for me. The very first chapter had me dizzy and confused as I quickly bounced from one character’s thoughts to another’s. I needed more time with individual characters to get to know them and care about them. There was a helter-skelter feeling throughout the whole book that kept me at arms length from everyone. I attribute all of this to a poor choice in POV. I wonder if the story would have worked better for me if it was told in third person or even first person? The humour and wit would still be present, but the chaotic mess of thoughts would be gone.
Also, I felt the conflicts were underdeveloped. Because of the quick bouncing between characters, each conflict presented wasn’t given enough time to truly build and resolve in a meaningful way. I understand that this is a rom-com and meant to be sugary and light. To me, sugary and light means a quick and fun read. I can usually finish a book like this in a day, but it took me a couple weeks to muscle through AAR.
That being said, what didn’t work for me might be exactly what someone else loves. I’m sure I’ll be recommending this book to some of my library patrons.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for a chance to read a digital advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
#AdultAssemblyRequired #NetGalley

As always, I love Abbi Waxman's books. If you've read her previous novels, Adult Assembly Required returns us to her little LA neighbourhood and all your favourite characters. Enter a new character -- Laura -- recently moved to LA from NY for graduate school. Laura's suffering the long term emotional effects of a horrific car accident and for the first time in her life, make choices that are good for her regardless of the opinions of her family and ex-fiancé. Her new "found family" helps her on her path to becoming her best self. Highly recommended.

A funny, touching novel about the families we make and how to move forward in life.

Laura moves across country to start grad school and to leave some painful memories and a difficult family behind. When a fire destroys her new apartment, she has no where to go. Finding herself in a bookshop after a rain storm, she meets some people who will help change her life.

Laugh out loud funny with a wonderful cast of characters, Laura begins to build a new life and find a voice for herself. All of the characters have a challenge or challenges but they all come together for each other. Another winner from Abbi Waxman

This was just so much fun and so great. It was peculiar in many ways but the characters were amazing and the conversations really resonated with me. It’s definitely something I would recommend to a range of audiences. I devoured this and adored it even more! 5/5 stars

I was so excited to get to read an advanced copy of this book. Waxman returns to the town of Larchmont, introducing Laura Costello a recent transplant from the East Coast. Laura wants to attend graduate school and is still recovering from the emotional and physical trauma of a car accident. Slowly with the help of some new friends, Laura finds herself and her voice. Loved the return of some previous Waxman characters like Nina and the always hilarious little Claire. :-)

Even though this book doesn't come out until next May, I was so excited to get an early copy and couldn't resist reading it right now! The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is one of my absolute favorite books, and I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel (which can also be read as a standalone). I have read and enjoyed all of Abbi Waxman's books, and I adore the cast of characters she created and the appearances they make in her universe of books. Her writing is so smart and funny; she truly has a way of crafting sentences that is uniquely witty.

This new book features Laura Costello, who ducks into Nina and Liz's bookstore to shelter from the rain and a terrible day. Laura has just moved to LA after a bad breakup and is eager to start grad school and a new life. Laura becomes part of Polly and Nina's squad, and she might just find love when she's least expecting it. Delightful reading for any time of year! Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley, and the author for the librarian preview copy.

Almost from the minute Laura arrives in California from New York for a graduate school program in physical therapy, her luck is absolutely the worst. Her new apartment is damaged in a fire and she finds herself homeless and friendless. But her luck definitely turns when she happens into a bookstore and is immediately adopted by the people who work there. Readers who enjoyed this author's previous book, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, will truly enjoy this one, in which Nina Hill herself has a part. I look forward to recommending this to readers who enjoy an uplifting story.

I would consider this a companion to Nina Hill. I don't think it's necessary to read Nina first, but having done so, I was familiar with the characters. I loved this title. I loved the struggle of the characters, the ongoing trivia, the female friendships and I really want to live in Maggie's house. In fact, I think I liked this one better than Nina Hill and can't wait to see where Waxman goes next!

Abbi Waxman has a beautiful day of weaving stories. Laura is dealing with a lot and her anxiety makes it worse. As she navigates LA and a new group of friends, we see her deal with new struggles but find love and a new family among these new people.
Another great book by Waxman!

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

I have pretty much read all of author Abbi Waxman’s back list, and like many, I just adored “The Bookish Life of Nina Hill”. I was so delighted with this DRC of her latest, “Adult Assembly Required”, which revisited Nina’ Los Angeles world - squee! This equally charming tale features the traumatized and complex main character, Laura Costello, currently unhoused, being taken under bookseller Nina’s wing, and an assorted cast of quirky characters to fall in love with. The romance angle between Laura and “Incredibly Handsome Bob” was very well written. MOST HIGHLY RECOMMEND to lovers of the previous novel and to chick lit/romance readers everywhere! My most sincere thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for generously providing me with a complimentary DRC of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own and were not affected by this exchange.

I was very excited to get early access to this book as I absolutely adore Abbi Waxman and have read everything she has written and met her in person. While I liked this book, I didn't love it. It didn't have her usual wit and humor that I look forward to in her writing. I enjoyed revisiting characters from earlier novels, but wish this had been a bit funnier and less predictable while still be predictable because that's why someone reads a book like this - knowing the happy ending is coming! I will continue to read Abbi Waxman, but this one left me wanting more.

Waxman has the ability to drop you right into the center of a universe full of people you’d love to be friends with. While this novel is a little more cluttered with characters than some of her others, it’s still a delightful read. Overall an author that I’m always willing to pick up and to recommend.

Writing: 4.5/5 Characters: 5/5 Plot: 4/5

A light and fun novel that allows us to inhabit a happy, kooky world full of lovable characters with more intellectual curiosity than I typically expect in this genre.

Laura Costello has abruptly moved cross-country to study physical therapy much to the dismay of her academically-oriented family and charming but domineering ex-fiancee. Within days of her arrival, her apartment house has burned down along with all of her belongings. Luckily for her, as an uncharacteristic downpour converts her to utter bedraggledom, she wanders into Nina Hill’s bookstore (the star of the utterly delightful The Bookish Life of Nina Hill) and things take a sudden turn into the neighborhood of charm, quirk, and delight.

I love Waxman’s writing — it’s simultaneously funny and thoughtful. While none of the story is particularly realistic, it also isn’t stupid — it creates a world I’d like to inhabit even if I don’t ever expect to do so. In addition to the plot (which is engaging), there are lots of interesting descriptions of various fields of study from the perspective of someone who really knows and cares about it. For example, I loved the descriptions of the human body and what it does mechanically during every day activities.

The setting of Larchmont Village (a real LA neighborhood that sounds like a place I’d like to visit) along with a lovely boarding house run by an even lovelier landlady reminds me a bit of Maupin’s Tales of the City books, albeit with a little less focus on sexual experimentation and discovery.

Some fun quotes:
“What had been tobacco and paper was now dog vomit, and Herbert was sitting under the kitchen table regretting his life choices.”

“Anything’s interesting when it’s explained by someone who cares about it.”

“I’ve learned recently that my mind isn’t the safest neighborhood to go into alone.”

“Laura looked at the cat. The cat looked at her. Neither of them said anything, Laura because she didn’t speak cat and the cat because she was mentally composing a letter to her senator.”

“Ferdinand was no longer pregnant, but she was still built along capacious lines.” (bookstore cat)

“Anxiety lives in the unknown future, depression lives in the unforgettable past, and peace lives in the acceptance of the present moment.”

In the name of my nerdy bookish brain cells, this book ticked all my geeky boxes I have been developed in years by memorizing weird facts and detailed knowledge about movies and books as an occupational hazard!

I fell in love with Nina Hill before: the most relatable soul twin character the author she’s created! And now at this book: she doesn’t only bring back Nina, she also gave us bunch of most adorable, quirky, eccentric, entertaining, lovable characters!

Even the most of the supporting characters earned my full love: especially down to earth, exotic, witty Maggie who is renting her house to bunch of newcomer Angelenos!

The main characters seem like Laura and Bob but I think Polly stole their limelight! She was incredibly outstanding, unique, vivid, hilarious character you want to hang out in real life and add your close friends circle!

Laura has so many similarities with Nina from quirkiness department: they were both women of singular focus. As Nina is obsessed with books, movies, popular culture and meme-able, Laura is obsessed with sports,bones,muscles and achieving a full range of motion.

Laura is coming from extra scientist family: a mother who is professor in the psych department specializing in pigeons and her father is a professor in the biology department studying the mechanics of flight. Even her brothers are into science! So her choice to go to grad school for being physician is highly criticized by her over protective mother! And her insistence to move to LA while she cannot drove because of traumatic accident which is the reason of her PTSD and panic attacks, her decision to leave her fiancée who she has known since they were kids also make complicated their relationship.

And as a sign as soon as she arrives to LA, leaving her life in Manhattan behind, she finds out the apartment building she’s rented a flat is already burned down! So she coincidentally finds herself at the bookstore Nina works, meets with Polly who decides to take her the house whose landlord is sixty years old, unique, caring, one of a kind woman Maggie.

She meets with her other eccentric, friendly roommates including incredibly handsome gardener Bob she falls at the first sight and guess what ? Their feelings are mutual. Bob is a little reserved about his past, growing at a house dominated by women including his big sisters.

As Laura deals with her past tragedy and family issues, he also deals with his past decisions and lost chances.

At some parts of the book I wanted to scream at the character and pull them into each other because it was so obvious they were so good when they were together and attraction was palpable! So I wished they could come clean about their feelings sooner.

I also enjoyed Polly and Asher’s storyline!

Overall: it was incredible to return back Nina’s world and meeting with lovely characters.

I’m giving my highly deserved, nerdish, hilarious, heartfelt, bookish five full stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.