initial thoughts: Claire Lombardo does it again! The Most Fun We Ever Had was one of my favorite books of 2019, so when I was approved for an ARC of her follow up, I was thrilled!

some folks may not enjoy the pacing of this book, it can be slow at times, but I think that’s the point. you really get to know these characters, their thoughts, beliefs, regrets. there are multiple flashbacks, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and while I really wanted to hate one of the characters, I felt like I know them, understand their pain, and maybe why they did what they did. (although that was not the case with another.)

the last few pages of this book had me in my feels.

a big thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for this ARC.

Thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for this advance copy. The first time I picked up this book, it was not a success for me. So I set it down and moved on. But something kept nagging at me to give it another try. Truly, timing is everything. On my second attempt, I was completely enraptured by Julia and her story. She isn’t particularly likable, but she is certainly relatable. The alternating timeline reveals events from Julia’s past that made her who she is and continue to shape her throughout her life. I loved the look at various life stages and how Julia evolved from her teens to her fifties and beyond. This is a slower paced character driven novel, but I thought there was enough plot to keep it from feeling stagnant. Really glad I gave this one a second chance!

Family drama, including the trials and tribulations of motherhood, and a dysfunctional upbringing encompass Claire Lombardo's latest novel "Same As It Ever Was." The story goes back and forth from the present time, when Julia is raising her son, feeling inadequate and alone, back to when she was growing up. Julia's father was only around on Thursdays for the night, until he left and she never saw him again. Her mother drank, dated quite a few men, and didn't really seem to care about Julia. As she started her own family, she feared that she would make the same mistakes her mother made. She didn't want to be like her mother.

With a lot of drama throughout the book, I really enjoyed reading this novel. It was a bit long in the middle, but then it seemed to pick up during the 2nd half of the book. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about dysfunctional women, the side of motherhood that isn't all rosy, and friendship. Thank you to Doubleday Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy in return for my honest opinion.

Want to love but feel this is somewhat slow and formulaic. It’s a slog to get through and I’m not sure why!

loved this romance and her mom wants her to date this guy she has these amazing friends who are all dealing with different relationship issues . loved that she found her way in the job and found love

Claire Lombardo has done it again! Her debut, The most fun we ever had (a recent Reese's Book Club pick) was one of my very favorite reads when it came out but this latest family drama about one woman's struggles with her mother, marriage and motherhood was utterly captivating, relatable, messy and oh so raw.

I empathized with the main character Julia so much, especially the sections of the book where she finds new motherhood isn't what everyone has made it out to be. Her relationship with her own mother was less than ideal and they have very little contact over the years causing Julia to seek friendship elsewhere, coming in the form of an older woman, Helen.

While long, (over 18 hours on audio) this was excellently narrated by Emily Rankin and is perfect for fans of authors like Ann Napolitano, Illona Bannister, Joyce Maynard and Catherine Newman. If you enjoy insightful books about life, love and growing older, this is one not to miss! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Same As It Ever Was
Claire Lombardo

I immediately requested this book on Netgalley the moment I saw this author has written another book. I loved The Most Fun We Ever Had.

This story follows a mother, Julia Ames, who finds her self in somewhat of a midlife crisis? Her marriage has been boring or full of ennui as she constantly put it. She is living a monotonous domestic life. She finds herself struggling with being a parent.

As soon as I started reading, I found myself highlighting quote after quote because I felt like this author captured a mother’s internal monologue with perfection! She makes a friend that doesn’t fit the mold of what she thinks she should have as a friend. This new friend is completely different in age, personality, and ideas, but she can’t help but find herself continuing to want to hang out with her. Something about this new friendship sets off a new life for her.

Here’s what I loved:
*reads like a mother’s inner monologue
*highlights a monotonous relationship and all it’s intricacies.
*shows the roles of balancing being mother and wife.
*the type of friendship developed

What I didn’t like:
*TOO LONG, it’s over 500 pages!
*to me, the writing was too pretentious at first. I felt like I was reading a classic and had to keep looking up words to make sure I understood it correctly. Eventually, it wore off and I was able to enjoy the writing more. It felt like she was trying too hard to sound so smart.

Read this book if you like:
*slow paced books
*family dramas
*character driven stories
*unlikeable characters
*complicated MC
*midlife crisis books


The author is an amazing cartographer (as stated in the synopsis), making the story come to life and easy to feel the emotions experienced by our MC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for my own opinions.

A novel about family, with all the dysfunction, complications and secrets that can easily tear it apart, the author details the lives of Julia, Mark and their children. The novel flips around time periods;Julia and Mark as they begin their relationship, a major incident that almost tears them apart, their lives as parents of grown children and soon to be empty nesters. Julia has had a troubled upbringing, tends towards depression, introspection, and unhappiness. That down side was difficult to read for the many, many pages of the book. There were redeeming moments, but it was not easy to get through and could have easily been 100 pages less. Not a favorite for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was everything. As someone who’s only recently decided that I want to be a mother, it was both refreshing and scary to see a reality that could be mine portrayed in Julia. It’s a reality that being a mother comes natural to people. As someone who’s never had “baby fever” and doesn’t know if motherly instincts will come naturally, Julia’s personal reality was hard to read in the best way. I think every person can find a little bit of their own realities in Julia.

To know that the author Claire Lombardo isn’t a mother to a human child and to see her portray motherhood and being a wife in this way is so unreal! I recently attended an author event of hers and she equated it to writing about people in uncomfortable situations. Julia was uncomfortable in some many different situations of her life, one of them just happened to be motherhood and Lombardo captures that beautifully.

I loved Julia, but also wanted to shake her for her self destruction. Given her life circumstances, it makes sense. I’ve never read such a sad book that kept me turning the page. Though this was heavy, it wasn’t draining. I love that there’s no “wild” plot, though Julia does go through a lot! So much of this story is just based around learning how to be a human, but also trying to care for the people around you in the process.

Same As It Ever was is long, but it doesn’t feel long! Obsessed with it and can’t recommend it enough, especially to the girlies! As a 20-something, I loved it even though Julia is mostly 50 in this book. But we do jump around through 3 other timelines so truly any age would see themselves in her character.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Same As It Ever Was is a book that I liked, but didn't love. I found it to be a bit too long and at times lost interest.

This is a hard book for me to review because several times throughout the first half of reading it I thought about DNF-ing and then throughout the second half of reading it I kept regretting I hadn't DNF-ed it. HOWEVER...the ending redeemed this book for me and I ended up liking it. I'm still not sure if I'm glad that I spent so much time on it though. For me, it was too long and often boring. I think this could be a case of it just not being the right book for me at the right time. I can definitely see why many people love this book. It is well written for sure, but for me just didn't work that well. The jumping back and forth in the timelines was confusing for me. It was interesting finding myself reading another book about a woman in mid-life, seems to be a theme right now. Overall, while I ended up liking this book in the end, I'm not sure I would recommend it to many people.

Same As It Ever Was has the reader embody the character of Julia through multiple periods and roles of her life. Now a middle aged woman with decades of marriage behind her, she faces a son marrying his pregnant girl and her daughter about to graduate high school . Her relationships are disjointed and messy, as most are in real life. Through alternate timelines we see her a s a child with her own mother who lays the foundation for mistrust; as a needy young wife with a young child trying to make connections and friendships to give herself value; and as this pending grandmother and aging woman whose life feels strewn like a Pollack painting,
The book is very honest with relationships, how they build, break and endure. The length of the book is rather much and did drag at some points. At 500 pages, there is a lot that is covered., but perhaps could have benefited from some critical editing.
Clare Lombardo is clearly a writer who continues to bring the reader inside the many people who must be loving inside of her waiting to burst out. It will be intriguing to see who escapes to her pages next.

My thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the Arc of this novel.

The Most Fun We Ever Had is an incredible multigenerational family story - so I was so giddy to receive an advanced copy!

Same As It Ever Was goes deep into Julia’s life - at over 500 pages, this is a looonng family saga that dives deep into the complexities of a dysfunctional family. As we begin the story, Julia, is a 57 year old librarian and she’s reconsidering some of her life choices. She has two children, Ben and Alma, husband, Mark, and a former friend, Helen Russo, who is now in her 80s, and she hasn’t seen her in almost 20 years.

The story delves into Julia’s world - her relationship with each member above as well as with her estranged mom.

This is a tough story to review. I enjoyed a lot about this story. I enjoyed the intricate look into the relationships - a long time marriage, a friend/mentor, mother-child, etc. I think Claire does these complex relationships so well and they are well developed characters. I was very invested in the unmaking of the Julia/Helen friendship. Descriptions are so vivid, however, they can be meandering, and you almost forget what the original conversation was before we went on that tangent for so long.

However, Julia is a tough character to actually root for. She self-sabotages several key relationships in her life which made me quite upset and she lacks remorse and reflection for some of her actions. She treats her kind husband cruely, is vindictive towards her mother, and just never truly owns up to her part in these relationships.

Recommend if you enjoy:
▫️Very long family sagas
▫️Character driven stories
▫️Morally questionable main character
▫️Complex family dynamics

Claire Lombardo’s Same As It Ever Was is a compelling exploration of family dynamics and personal growth, centered on 57-year-old Julia Ames, who faces unexpected challenges that force her to confront her tumultuous past and reassess her present stability. As her son makes a surprising life decision and her teenage daughter grows increasingly rebellious, Julia encounters an old friend, triggering a cascade of memories and unresolved issues. The novel delves deeply into themes of maternal ambivalence, mental health, and the interplay of past and present, with richly developed characters and vivid descriptions. Though lengthy and sometimes slow-paced, Lombardo’s masterful storytelling and empathetic portrayal of complex relationships make this a poignant and engaging read, resonating with the universality of human imperfection and growth.

I have really been looking forward to this book as I enjoyed the author's debut book, The Most Fun We Ever Had. The sophomore effort was a bit of a disappointment for me however.

It is a family drama that involves marriage, motherhood, trauma, and a dysfunctional family. I found the MC, Julia, to be frustrating and unlikable. If ever there was a character that needed therapy and an antidepressant, she was it. The book was about 500 pages and definitely could have been shortened. This book is going to be highly unlikely to stick with me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for the advanced digital copy of the book.

Wow. Just wow.

This book is a slow burn. As the blurb states, it follows the life of Julia and proves that life is not all sunshine and roses. It goes up and down with her experiences. Delving into relationships between her and her mother and her and her two children. Her husband, her lover and her friend. It goes between past and present and celebrates the good and bad things that have happened to her and her family.

It is a celebration of life and its memories. Of living and laughter and loss. Emotions, songs and random snippets. And it totally got me.

Thank you to Doubleday books and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

The author’s commentary about marriage and parenthood was beautifully done—even better, I thought, than her last novel (which I also really liked). The pacing threw me a bit, though once the threads came together, I understood the choice of beginning at certain points in time, etc. (though, I will say, I wanted the ending to be less rushed). Overall, such an enjoyable read!

I don’t want to learn how to write, I want to learn how to write like this. It’s like unfair how beautifully written this is, plus the story is moving, and so much happens! AND we are blessed with 500+ pages of it! Ah!

Idk Claire Lombardo, you’ve got a gift.

When I first started reading this book, I really related to Julia since she’s a new mom and is like super honest about her struggles. I highlighted a quote that said something to the effect of: my son sat there radiating goodness as much I radiated inadequacy. I have felt that way too but never could have said it so eloquently.

Then Julia does … something, and I’m like oh god no I do not relate to her. But what’s funny is when I wasn’t relating to Julia, I was relating to another one of the well-drawn characters in the story. That’s another thing about this book: every character is fully realized. Flawed, and good.

About half way through I thought: this story is about how it seems like Julia is a bad person but we as the readers know the full story and so we know she’s just having a hard time.

I also really loved how the story moved in time. We jumped a lot from when Julia was a new mom to when her kids are adults. As a newish parent I’m always thinking about what it will be like when my kid gets older and it was cool to see the two times juxtaposed in that way.

Another A+ from CL

(Thanks to @doubledaybooks #gifted.) 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘍𝘶𝘯 𝘞𝘦 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘏𝘢𝘥 was one of my all time favorite debuts. Ever since finishing it, I’ve eagerly awaited Claire Lombardo’s sophomore novel. That wait is finally over and for me 𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗔𝗦 𝗜𝗧 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗔𝗦 did not disappoint! Like her first, this book focuses on a family full of love, but also with a complicated history and present day problems.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
The central character is Julia who has been married to Mark for nearly 30 years. Everything that happens in this story, good and bad, flows through her. She’s a complex woman, still grappling with her past as she also navigates the land mines that can detonate with an 18 year old daughter and 24 year old son.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
“𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘳.”⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Don’t go into this expecting a cozy family saga. Instead, be prepared for complications that may cause you to dislike characters along the way. Also know that the more you read, the more you will understand these people, the more you will care about them, the more your heart might hurt for them, and the harder you’ll root for them.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘸, 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴 - 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦, 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 - 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘰𝘧.”⁣⁣
⁣⁣
The wait was worth it. Thank you, Claire Lombardo, for another unforgettable family story. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This is my first book by this author and I found the writing truly captivating. I’ve become fond of novels that portray older women and mothers who have lived full lives centered around their children and families. This one is a family saga, not unlike families I know, families who are faced with tragedy and hardships yet continue to push through looking for resolution. The main character is a woman named Julia who is married with children. In many ways, I could identify with her as a wife and mother but there were instances where I couldn’t understand her disconnected thoughts in regard to her family. This is a long novel and sometimes it felt lengthy, but as the story unfolded, I became invested in this family and was glad I read it.