I DNF'd EVERYTHING'S FINE about 20% of the way in, and I can't put my finger on why other than that I was not gelling with the writing. The review is left at a 3-star because I have to leave a rating, but If I had forced myself to finish the book I fear it would have been a 2 or a 1.

I wish this book major success with it's perfect audience! It just wasn't me :)

When Jess is hired at Goldman Sachs, she finds, much to her discomfort, that she will be working with Josh, someone she knew from college with whom she often found herself at odds. She is also the only Black woman in her section, something she is accustomed to having grown up with her father in Nebraska. Strangely, Jess finds herself attracted to Josh and the feeling is mutual. Jess is liberal; Josh claims to be a moderate, but he leans toward conservative and he did vote for Trump.

This is a great debut novel. I enjoyed it despite being annoyed by Jess and her irresponsibility to herself. While I NEVER would defend a Trumper, I also do think she was a bit of a hypocrite. This is a clever, crisply written novel that explores a range of issues including racism, politics, misogyny, social/economic identity. Many of the thoughts and arguments have been played out over and over in our country in the last six years…lots of food for thought (or grist for the mill) here.

Such a solid book. I found the characters really easy to get behind which is sometimes really hard for me. I liked how it flowed and the plot was incredibly good.

Thanks so much Simon & Schuster and NetGalley!

Such a compelling story about falling in love and dating in today's world where different beliefs complicate and hurt people.

I loved this book. The tackling of racism and sexism under the backdrop iof the US political landscape from Obama to Trump really worked as did the relationship between Jess and Josh. Perfectly captures how college throws people of all different backgrounds together and the randomness of which relationships end up sticking.

DNF, this is less of a romance and more of a scary horror story where you’re constantly begging the main character to run in your head. I guess I kind of understand what the author was going for but the execution was not it.

I loved this brilliant debut novel that really explores the ups and downs of finding yourself after college. The slow boil of the relationship between Jess & Josh, young adults who meet in college, become friends afterward and grow together as a couple as time goes on showed real depth. It was fun to watch a real love story unfold. This funny and politically sensitive read will surely be a bestseller! #netgalley #everyhingsfine #ceciliarabess

I had a lot of problems with this book. The transitions were less than smooth, and I'm honestly not sure what the point of it was. The last line of the book lingered with me and made me absolutely cringe. It wasn't just two opposite people with opposite political ideologies. The character of Josh was sometimes overtly racist while Jess found excuses for him. I honestly didn't get it.

I chose this because I also work in finance.

Everything's Fine is a debut novel by Cecilia Rabess, set to be released on June 6, 2023. The novel follows the story of Jess, a Black woman who lands a job as an analyst at Goldman Sachs. When she finds herself the sole Black woman on the floor, overlooked and underestimated, it's Josh, her preppy, white, conservative sparring partner from college, who shows up for her in surprising—if imperfect—ways. Before long, an unlikely friendship—one tinged with undeniable chemistry—forms between the two. A friendship that gradually, and then suddenly, turns into an electrifying romance that shocks them both.

The novel explores the themes of love, race, and politics in a divided America. Rabess's writing is sharp, funny, and insightful, and she creates two characters that readers will root for. Everything's Fine is a must-read for fans of contemporary fiction.

Here are some of the things that critics are saying about Everything's Fine:

"A stunning debut that introduces Cecilia Rabess as a blazing new talent." - Zakiya Dalila Harris, New York Times bestselling author of The Other Black Girl
"A painfully funny, poignant, heartfelt novel that doesn't just ask will they, but also what it means to be happy in a world that is often anything but." - The New York Times Book Review
"A wise and witty novel about the power of love to overcome even the most difficult obstacles." - The Washington Post
If you're looking for a smart, funny, and heartwarming read, then I highly recommend Everything's Fine. It's a novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

So I went into the book with high hopes. I had listened to the hype of if you enjoyed the rad of the other black girl i would like this one. jess and josh's story was a lot of back and forth with racial angst. this book had an opportunity to actually to on some great topics such a a minority in corporate America and inter racial dating. i think it missed the mark plot way but started with so much potential. this was a 3star read for me.

I don't think I will ever look at a strawberry again without remembering this story and feeling some warm tenderness.

Everything's Fine is an intelligently written, funny, and sexy debut novel. I requested the ARC after I heard another author I enjoy rave that this was the best book she had read in 2023. I was not disappointed.

The story of Jess and Josh is so complex and honestly I had a love-hate relationship with each of them. We are challenged to examine how our stereotypes (we all have them) affect our lives and the judgements we make. We are forced to think about our own imperfections and hypocrisies (we all have them) and how, despite them, we want to be loved and respected. We've all done things or made choices that people important to us would not agree with but we still want them to love us. It should make sense then that we extend this goodwill to those we care about. But where do we draw the lines?

What matters most? Is it that the person stands up for you again and again despite the substantial personal risk to them, or is it the box they tick on the voting ballot? Is it the way they make you feel like the most cherished person in the room, or is it the color of the shorts they wear? In an imperfect world can love really conquer all?

Being a person is hard. Navigating relationships is hard. Is it important to be around people who challenge your beliefs and make you think, or is it just easier to surround yourself only with those whose opinions mirror your own?

I think the author did an excellent job of presenting how two people could both absolutely have their hearts in the right place even if the way they lived their lives and viewed the world seemed to also be poles apart.

Once I started reading, I devoured this book. Be prepared to both swoon and curl your fists in anger - often within the same paragraph! Also, be prepared to be thinking about this book for a long time after finishing it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing an ARC for my honest review.

This one was unlike anything I have ever read! Kept me turning the pages and up all hours of the night to keep reading.

Who doesn't love a good enemies to lovers story. Think hating game but with the added political element which seems to be avoided in so many books lately. The twist of the political differences is so common in current everyday relationships that it makes this book different. Plus the banter between the characters was just so fun!

I have so many thoughts about this book. I will note: I did NOT hear about this on tiktok ahead of asking for a galley. So this is truly an unbiased review, although I've now read many of the pretty negative comments.
I didn't hate all aspects of this book. Jess and Josh's relationship is actually quite sweet in multiple locations, and I thought the third person close writing style worked really well. I thought it had moments that were real great vantage points into grief. I also, as a very career driven person, could connect to this idea that your dream career / dream lifestyle and your morality might not always line up. It was interesting and thought provoking.

That all being said...its very hard to get past the stance this book takes on racism, and I'm not sure the author actually KNOWS what stance they're taking. This was like trying to fit every political thought a person could possibly have into one vessel...and it just made for a read that was deeply uncomfortable. That may have been the point, at which I nod my hat, but it was outside my taste. I also think, in its attempt to create two characters so rigidly constructed to 'republican' and 'democrat' tropes, it created a black and white world that had absolutely no gray. I'm sorry...that's just not reality. I thought this was an opportunity to comment on racial inequality in a much more resonant way that just...fell really really flat. I also thought the ending was just...strange. It left me wondering if my arc was missing pages.
Final comment: the marketing on this book is downright atrocious. PLEASE change all the tags. Its the reason everyone came from tik tok slamming it....and it actually is more nuanced than that.

Special thanks to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This book had a little too much going on in a relationship for me. Anyone who went from enemies to being in a relationship should enjoy but I felt like the author was trying to cover too many recent topics at the same time such as race, presidential election, and so forth.

What I did like was the author had a great vocabulary. I was looking up words frequently. But as far as the book goes 3 stars!

Damn. No idea what I was expecting (please disregard the marketing blurbs which undersell the intellect and nuance this book has) but after I got all the warm and fuzzies from the awkwardly cute connection between Jess and Josh the argument over the Hat and then the 2017 presidential inauguration, I am left SO uncomfortable. A Peele film this is not but it sure does edge towards scary. Do I question Jess’ choices? Absolutely. Makes her all the more relatable.

Everything’s Fine
By Cecilia Rabess
Pub Date June 6, 2023
Simon & Schuster
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
DNF because Racism is not Romantic!
2 stars

This wasn't a bad book. However, it was definitely not my cup of tea. It covers a lot of issues in the world which are very recent and relevant. Topics include: politics, presidential election, racism, terminal illness, romance, enemies to lovers.

My favorite thing about this book is the vocabulary and the relevance. It takes place in recent years, a time that we all lived through and can relate to. The author has great vocabulary and had me searching a lot of the words to expand my own.

In this enemies to lovers story, the characters are highly unlikeable for most of the story. You do see some character personality changes near the end which makes them more likeable. Their relationship seems great at times and terrible at others.. Which I guess is semi true to real life. It seems like they have some fundamental differences on some topics though.

There are so many scenarios in this book where Jess makes things about race. It feels very stereotypical "it's because I'm black, isn't it?" (I'm not saying that some of these situations are not warranted but I feel like there were some that were questionable) And that rubs me the wrong way. I felt like the entire book Jess is in attack mode, hating anything and everyone and making it out to be because of racism. Josh has his own issues too, like being secretive about an ex and always stirring the pot with Jess. They seem like they both have some self work to do.

I just had too many things I disliked to really enjoy it. By the end, I was happy to finish it but felt like I didn't really understand the point of the book. (For example, in a typical romance the point is the happily ever after, etc.). I know the actual point was moreso covering the social and political issues within but I like to read to escape and didn't feel like this accomplished that.

I can definitely see where this was attempting to go but Josh was unlikable, and I found myself rooting against their relationship.

It felt so I'm not like the rest magic pontoon saves the racist.


I will definitely avoid political romance, saving the racist is not a Black woman's job.

- A Black Woman

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Jessica Jones—Marvel character?—and Josh—did he have a last name? I cannot find it—know each other from college; Jess hates Josh. He’s conservative, she’s liberal. When she sees him again as she is starting her first job at Goldman Sachs, she still doesn’t like him that much, but then you start to notice the “tension” as they begin a friendship.

I have read some reviews of Everything’s Fine. Some trashing the book, others pointing out how good it is (and shouting out that the ending is something to behold). When I requested it on NG, I really thought I was going to like it. I guess I did at first, but then it started going down a bumpy patch, and then it was just going straight downhill.

It’s difficult to put into words how problematic this book is, in terms of its character development, pacing, and the writing of important scenes. It was just messy. The way a book is written is a main priority for me! Let’s get into it.

First, there were way too much use of symbols, which are used to note a scene break, not to note when time passes during a scene. TOO MANY! It was seriously bugging me THE MOST. They were screwing up the pacing. Rabess also included too many unnecessary scenes; they were short and forgettable. Second, the blurb did not do right by this book, talking about how he shows up for her, and then they share an electrifying moment. Maybe I read it wrong, but the book is not like that. There is no real spice when it comes to the love scenes, which are seriously lacking. Their first kiss is not written like there are fireworks going off or like it’s electrifying. It seems like there is a lot going on with them, but from a reader’s perspective, we are left cold towards them. Third, Jess’ relationship with her father; I wish that was fleshed out more because I really enjoyed her talks with him. There were never enough of them, and Rabess did not give them a satisfying ending. I feel like her father could’ve been a good device to help her and Josh’s relationship progress into something I believe.

Jess and Josh’s relationship. Oy. For the most part, I wasn’t convinced. At one point, it seemed like Rabess was setting us up for a magical night of spice and romance between the two, but it fell so flat, and felt so cold and numb to me. I am also not convinced that Jess loves Josh. She never really explains her thought process. What does she miss about him when she’s away? I’m not seeing it. I’m just not. This so-called love has no strength or meaning behind it. They fight a lot, and we get every detail of every fight, but the romance or spice isn’t equal to that. In addition, there is no way I could see this couple understanding each other’s perspectives on politics or social issues. It starts fights and then goes nowhere.

Lastly, the ending was not anything special or groundbreaking—like how people described it in reviews. It was annoying, upsetting, and unsurprising. I don’t see this couple working itself out. Too messy.