A great story based on Nora November, actually dying and coming back to life, but not remembering the experience. How would we all change our lives and what is actually important. Nora has the opportunity to try to accomplish those things. Loved reading about her attempts at change!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Nice Work, Nora November by Julia London!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Nice Work, Nora November by Julia London is a poignant and quirky story about second chances, self-discovery, and the delicate art of rebuilding a life after it’s been shattered. The novel follows Nora November, a woman who has been given a second chance at life after a near-fatal surfing accident. Having spent several minutes clinically dead, Nora awakens to a world where everything feels different—because, in a way, it is. No longer content to live under the weight of her parents’ suffocating expectations, Nora decides to tackle the “reverse bucket list” she’s created for herself—a list of things she wants to do now that she’s been given another shot at life.

Nora’s journey is one of growth and self-empowerment. The list she’s set out to accomplish seems simple on the surface: learn to cook, be a better sister, quit her soul-sucking job at her father’s law firm, restore her grandfather’s neglected garden, and—perhaps most significantly—track down a man she briefly met before the accident. As Nora begins to fulfill these personal goals, she faces a series of comedic and heartwarming setbacks that make her realize that change isn’t as easy as it seems.

What sets Nice Work, Nora November apart is its blend of humor and emotional depth. While Nora’s attempts to reinvent herself are often laugh-out-loud funny (whether it’s a disastrous cooking experiment or a series of awkward encounters with family), there’s a genuine emotional core to her journey. The garden she’s trying to revive becomes a metaphor for her own healing process, and her attempts to reconnect with the people in her life—including her estranged sister, Lacey—add layers to her character and the novel’s theme of reconciliation and redemption.

Julia London’s writing is sharp and engaging, and Nora is a relatable, endearing protagonist. Her imperfections and missteps make her journey feel real, and readers will find themselves rooting for her as she navigates this second chance at life. The romance subplot adds an extra spark to the story, but it’s Nora’s personal growth that takes center stage, making this a deeply satisfying read about starting over, finding joy in the little things, and learning to live fully after life’s harshest trials.

Fans of character-driven stories with a healthy dose of humor and heart will love Nice Work, Nora November. It’s a story about not just surviving life’s obstacles, but finding the courage to live authentically and with purpose—no matter how many tomatoes it takes to get there.

What better month to read about a character named Nora November? My reading buddy, the terrific Tina, and I were on the same page for the most part. Be sure to check out her review when it goes up a bit later.

Nora November wakes up from a Near Death Experience (NDE) and decides to make some changes. She makes a Reverse Bucket List:
Learn to cook
Grandpa's garden
Corner store guy (?)
Make art
Be a better sister to Lacey
Support Gus
Play basketball
Get a new job
Now the trick is actually following through. It's hard work and sometimes the "Nice Work" is delivered in a sarcastic way. I had two big questions: 1) How did Nora end up surfing in the Gulf and drowning? 2) Will she ever be reunited with Corner store guy (CSG)?

This has a bit of a "Sleepless in Seattle" feel as we know what is happening with Jack (CSG) and can see where their paths should cross. How long will it take?

There were some fun pop culture references: Darth Vader, Death Star, I Dream of Jeannie, Julia Child, and Taylor Swift are some of my favorites. I also detected a bit of a Where'd You Go, Bernadette vibe. Also kudos to Karissa Vacker for excellent narration.

A big thank you to HarperCollins Focus and NetGalley for an audio ARC and to Harper Muse and NetGalley for a DRC.

I would say this book is 3.5 stars. It starts with a woman named Nora and how she has a near death experience and when she makes it out of her surfing accident alive she realizes she was miserable and crates a reverse bucket list of things she never got to do. Throughout the story she tries to find herself and along the way discovers things about herself, her family and what she wants in life and even some romance.

Great story of a troubled woman who undergoes a near death experience and is motivated to change her life from job, family relationships, seeking her love, expanding and fulfilling her bucket list. I was teary , happy, exalted npby this story.

*Nice Work, Nora November* by Julia London is a heartfelt story that follows Nora as she tries to rebuild her life after a near-death experience. After waking up from a coma, Nora is determined to change things. She creates a "reverse bucket list" of things she wants to accomplish, like learning to cook, revitalizing her late grandfather's garden, and being a better sister. The novel takes us through her attempts, failures, and the emotional journey of rediscovering herself.
Nora’s transformation is relatable, especially when she realizes her life "before" wasn’t as fulfilling as she thought. Her struggles with mental health, family relationships, and career pressures feel real and grounded, which makes the story more impactful. It’s not just about accomplishing the bucket list items, but about learning to accept her imperfections and finding joy in unexpected places.
This book has a good balance of humor and heartache. While Nora messes up several times, like killing plants or burning food, it’s these moments that make her journey authentic. It reminds readers that even after life-altering experiences, progress can be messy. Nora’s story shows that personal growth is an ongoing process, and embracing failure is just as important as succeeding.

Nice Work, Nora November by Julia London is an enjoyable but somewhat average read. The story follows Nora, a relatable protagonist dealing with personal and professional obstacles, as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery. London’s writing is easy to read, and the story has its charming and heartfelt moments, especially when it comes to the characters’ interactions.

However, the plot feels predictable, with many of the conflicts resolved too neatly. While the book provides a pleasant, light read, it lacks the depth or complexity to make it truly memorable. Overall, it's a nice choice for those looking for an easy, feel-good romance but doesn't quite stand out in the genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it to others.

In "Nice Work, Nora November," the titular character, Nora November is dealing with the after effects of near-death experience. She views her life as the Before and After time, even though she doesn't remember the exact circumstances behind her drowning.

What she does know is, everything about the Before makes her anxious and depressed. But in the After, she realizes there are many things she regrets not doing when she could. So she makes a "reverse bucket list" to tackle those things she wants to do after she died (and came back).

It includes simple things, like learn how to cook and paint, tend her grandfather's garden, and play basketball again. But the most important item on the list is to find "the one who got away." Jack is someone she met while they were both being held hostage during a convenience story robbery by a very inept thief wearing a Darth Vader mask. Jack and Nora found something about the whole situation hilarious, even though they knew they should probably be a bit more concerned. But their shared quirky sense of humor bonded them in a way no one else had ever come close to before.

Soon after, though Nora's depression took over and convinced her that it was all in her head, and he couldn't really be as in to her as she was to him. So, she never calls him. But that's about to change... if only she had his number or knew his last name!

In this story of self-discovery and learning to stand up for oneself, there's a lot of pain to overcome, not just for Nora, but for those who love her as well. But her mental illness is tastefully and realistically handled in such a way that you have to root for her as she strives to find the good in life and all the very many reasons there are to live for.

Thank you to Julia London, Harper Muse and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

A heartwarming and thought provoking story that explores resilience, self discovery and the pursuit of a meaningful life. Nora is relatable and well developed and I enjoyed navigating this journey with her as she fulfilled her reverse bucket list.
Many thanks to Harper Muse and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Harper Muse in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this book!

After a near-death experience, Nora November wants to do things differently in her second chance at life. She creates a reverse bucket list of all the things she wants to do now that she's died; it is a list of regrets from Before that she wants to rectify.

Unfortunately, her attempts at cooking, playing basketball, being a better sister and cousin, gardening, and quitting her job are disasters. And she's having no luck finding the "corner store guy," a man she shared an intense connection with when they were held hostage together months ago during a corner store robbery. Oh, and she cannot remember her drowning accident at all. She worries she will sink back into the depression and anxiety that she has suffered from most of her life.

We follow along as Nora navigates her new life and learns that satisfying her regrets may not look like she intended, but she can get there anyway. Told in mostly from Nora's point of view with an occasional chapter from Jack (the guy), this book is a delightful read peppered with an eclectic and wonderful cast of supporting characters.

I did enjoy this! It wasn't really what I had expected. I expected it to be a little more of a rom-com based on the cover. I did like how it solely focused on Nora's journey of growth and self-discovery rather than the romance. This isn't a genre I normally read (most of the romances I read have it as a main plot point). I did think having Jack's POV in chapters parallel to Nora's was very interesting.

I think my biggest issue with this book was the mental health representation. I don't think it was portrayed that well and really did a disservice to the story. For all the things Nora went through in life she was just a little too optimistic for me about reinventing herself and the author seemed to kind of brush past it all.

Nora had an NDE (Near Death Experience) that has her questioning everything about her life. But the more she questions, the more she realizes that it wasn't just the NDE, but the deep well of depression she's been in for years due to letting her awful parents dictate her life. So she's on a quest to fulfill her reverse bucket list and find the things that actually make her happy to be alive. Number one on that list is finding the handsome stranger who was with her when they were held hostage during a convenience store robbery.

It's easy to relate to Nora's situation even if you've never had a NDE because being unsure of where you are in life and feeling stuck and unsure of how to fix it is something that almost everyone experiences at one time or another. Her desire to change things while everyone and everything seems to be against her is also familiar. So reading about her taking charge of her life even when things seem dire was a nice little bit of inspiration that I wasn't expecting but deeply appreciate.

I do feel that there should be some kind of warning for how awful her parents are in every single respect. The dad is physically, verbally, and emotionally abusive while the mother is verbally and emotionally abusive while both are somehow also totally distant and cold.

The romance is a bit on the light side while also being front and center of almost everything because Jack and Nora truly are meant to be and they're getting set on converging paths by everything that they go through. It was a treat to read them interacting with each other without even realizing it.

This one is getting all the possible recommendations that I can give it because (even with the caveat of warning about abusive parents) it's sweet, fun, and inspiring.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the inspiring read!

In "Nice Work, Nora November," Nora takes advantage of a second shot at life after a near-death surfing accident. She sets out to complete her "reverse" bucket list and reconsiders her life choices, including reconnecting with “the one that got away”. While romance with Jack is part of the story, the novel also tackles serious topics like mental health, alcoholism, and family issues. The book is emotional and does a great job of portraying depression and anxiety, making it a touching and relatable read.

Thank you Julia London, Harper Muse and NetGalley for the gifted ebook ARC. All opinions expressed are my own and freely given.

I agree with other reviews that this book attempted to cover heavy topics in a light way, but it missed the mark. I don't think it really knew what it was trying to do. It was hard to get into and connect with the characters. The premise was good, but the book could have followed it better.

Nora November died. Well, technically, she was dead for several minutes, but now she's not. And her life will never be the same.

Now that she's not dead, Nora is taking on the life she wants courtesy of her reverse bucket list-- all the things she wants to do now that she's alive. Can she move on from her stifling job as a personal injury attorney at her family firm? Can she figure out who she is beyond the smothering expectations of others?

"Nice Work, Nora November" is an unputdownable read that takes a look at not only Nora is, but who Nora wants to be. It's an often silly and fun, always poignant exploration of one woman finding the truth of who she is. A departure from Julia London's usual period romances, this marks her entry into the world of Contemporary Fiction. I highly recommend this for fans of authors like Katherine Center, Ali Hazelwood, Matt Haig, and Julia Whelan.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Harper Muse for proving this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Nice Work, Nora November by Julia London is an engaging, funny story. Nora November is a member of the November family and a big disappointment. The book begins when Nora wakes from a coma after a near death experience. She had drowned and was clinically dead for several minutes. Nora had spent her life appeasing her demanding father, and she struggled with severe depression. Once she recovers, Nora is determined to begin to really live her life. She creates a reverse bucket list - a list of things she wanted to accomplish after she died. The list included reconnecting with her sister, helping her alcoholic cousin, finding another job, and finding a man she had connected with during a hostage situation. This book is the story of how Nora works through her list with strength and determination to find a life of her own choosing, filled with love and acceptance and found family. It was an inspiring book about a woman with a history of depression who found a new lease on life and a happily ever after. The narration was great and I was drawn in quickly to the story. I loved everything about Nora, Jack, and the secondary characters who made the story so colorful and amusing. I would definitely recommend this book for readers who enjoy contemporary romance and women’s fiction. The mental health representation was very positive. I am very glad that I got the opportunity to read it.

Nora November died and came back to life. Her NDE (near death experience) has prompted her to change her ways. Instead of doing what's expected of her, acting like a November (be happy no matter how you felt), and pleasing everyone but herself (Before), she is determined to live with intention (After). And she does succeed to a point. Unfortunately, everything she attempts backfires, and she feels tempted to return to Before.
This story is cute. But I kept thinking, "What else could go wrong?" And then something else went wrong. All the trouble made me feel anxious, and I found the story to be unrealistic. Also, the ending is predictable.
While the love story is a major plotline, "[I]t was not about the one who got away. It was about how she’d almost gotten away from herself." I like this theme and found I could relate to Nora as she discovered her voice and became true to herself.
I hated the random illustrations. Not only were they exactly the same, but they showed up in the middle of chapters where they made no sense and did not support the story. The bright whiteness of the illustrations was also a shock to my eyes against the black background I use on my e-reader so I can read in the dark during bouts of insomnia and not disturb my partner.
I think the theater stars should get their own book! They were my favorite characters.
Content includes: alcohol abuse, suicidal ideation
Favorite quote:
Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. —Carl Jung