What a fantastic read - and how cute is the cover?! I love the beginning chapter - it just reels you in. Good plot and character development. There are a number of trigger warnings in this book: death, addiction, mental health issues. A wonderful story. The ending was a bit rushed but otherwise a great book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Title: A Thoughtful Exploration with Room for Improvement

In "Nice Work, Nora November" by Julia London, the premise of Nora's second chance at life after a near-death experience brings a refreshing perspective to the narrative. The concept of a reverse bucket list and Nora's desire to reshape her existence post-coma is an intriguing foundation for the story.

The author, Julia London, crafts a vivid portrayal of Nora's journey, capturing the essence of her struggles and aspirations. The thematic elements of self-discovery, personal growth, and the pursuit of meaningful goals are well-woven into the storyline.

However, the execution of Nora's attempts to rebuild her life often falls into predictable and occasionally clichéd territory. The narrative, at times, lacks the depth needed to fully engage readers in Nora's emotional and transformative journey. Some character developments felt underexplored, leaving certain relationships and conflicts feeling unresolved or oversimplified.

Despite these drawbacks, the novel has its moments of charm, especially when delving into Nora's connection with her late grandfather and the beautifully described garden. The exploration of life's priorities and the pursuit of genuine happiness is a commendable aspect of the book.

In summary, "Nice Work, Nora November" offers a unique premise with moments of emotional resonance. While it may not fully capitalize on its potential, the novel still provides a thoughtful reflection on second chances and the importance of self-discovery.

Nora November had a near death experience (she was actually clinically dead but was revived). So everything she thinks about now is divided into the Before (before her near death experience NDE) and the After. She is determined to change her life for the better by making a bucket list of things she wants to accomplish.

While romance is definitely present in this story, this novel isn't really a rom-com. It tackles many hard topics like depression, grief, addictions, abusive parents etc all while keeping a sense of humour and a light touch to the hardships Nora goes through. While Jack gets time as well in the book, this is mainly Nora's story and I found myself rooting for her over and over.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was not expecting to laugh out loud (and cry) as much as I did in Nice Work, Nora November. The ups and downs of Nora’s journey after her near death experience were such an enjoyable read. They make you question, how you doing on your own bucket list? What are you not making time for? Countless times the descriptions brought me to tears as they were so relatable.

The cast of secondary characters are fantastic. I gasped when this became a dual POV book. I did not seeing that coming and it was absolutely wonderful. Jack’s perspective, the stories of the families he met along the way and the senior gardeners/thespians helped to keep the book just light enough while the main character works through her journey. The flare and [sometimes brutal] honesty they bring to the book is great!

Make sure to read the trigger warnings for this book before you dive in. There are many serious struggles and situations discussed that, if you aren’t in the right headspace could be very hard on your heart.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the ARC. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to read this!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the opportunity read Nice Work, Nora November by Julia London. This was an amazing book, very thought provoking.

Nora November is a character. After her near death experience, she really begins to live her life. Well paced, descriptive and creative. I enjoyed it immensely.

What an unlikable cast of characters… it’s hard to say who is worse, honestly. I wanted to sympathize with Nora but I don’t feel we get a good understanding of who she was before the accident - everyone accuses her of letting them down and being scatterbrained and it feels almost out of character for a lawyer (even a begrudging one) and also for a 32 year old. The romance in the story was outlandish and silly in my opinion and almost unnecessary. Having Jack as a subnarrative also felt unneeded and I really disliked Catherine as a character, who then becomes the glue to bring them together. All in all, this just was not the book for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I was unable to complete this book due to the lack of writing to keep me pulled in and entertained.

I thought this book was cute, it reminded me of Taylor Jenkins Reed’s Maybe in Another Life. This book felt very true to life. Even nearing the end everything seemed like it was still going wrong for our main character-nothing was coming together for her. But that’s what made it so relatable.

This one got me in my feels, and it's gonna be a bit of an emotional review. Brace yourself!

This book hit me hard, you know? Unexpected tears and all. Nora, the main character, felt like a mirror of my struggles. Reading this was like a wakeup call. It made me realize it's time to take charge of my life, make my own decisions, and be true to myself. Julia London's got some magic in those pages.

Now, onto the book itself. The writing? Refreshing and easy. It felt like a long text from a friend. But, damn, the ending was rushed. I loved the beginning, but the pacing in some spots and the finale needed some extra love. Still, I'd give it a solid 4 stars.

The plot? Nora had an accident while surfing and almost died, and now she's on a mission to live her life. The reverse bucket list – cooking, being a better sister, ditching a terrible job, reviving grandpa’s garden – it's a journey of self-discovery and reckoning with the truth. It's powerful stuff.

Nora and Jack? Cute, but not the main focus. They met during a robbery, missed their chance at love, but Nora's determined to find him. Her social media quest to locate him is heartwarming. They're adorable, even if we didn't get enough of them.

Nora? Loved her. I related to her struggles, the parental pressure, and feeling like you haven't accomplished much. Her journey after the near-death experience was inspiring. She made her own decisions, took risks, and stood strong. I'm taking a page from Nora's book for my own bucket list!

Jack? A bit more like a side character to me, but still charming. The story's more about Nora's growth than their romance.

Overall, choose your peace over everything. It's a heartwarming, uplifting story about self-discovery with a touch of romance. Julia London, you created a wonderful character in Nora November, and I'm grateful for that. This book's a gem for those in the mood for some soul-searching.

So, if you're feeling stuck and want a change, Nora's journey is like a kick in the inspiration pants. Totally recommend it, but hey, if you can't relate, might not hit the same.

*i would like to thank netgalley, harper muse, and the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. opinions expressed in this review are completely my own!*

This has all the feels! I loved the opening and was brought to tears by the beauty of Nora's love for her grandfather and their special relationship.
This book does cover topics such as death, mental health challenges, addiction.
I was cheering Nora on this entire book as she worked to rediscover the joy in life and forge her own path.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for a honest review.
Nice Work Nora November by Julia London was amazing, it touched me deeply and I'm so glad I got to go on the ride with Nora. I'm sad that the story is over and my only comment was I felt the ending was a bit rushed otherwise, this was so good

Nora November nearly drowned, in fact she was clinically dead for a few minutes. When she emerges from her coma she decides she needs to do things differently, to really live her life now that she has a second chance, so she creates a reverse bucket list of things she wants to do after she (technically) died.

She wants to make peace with the memory of her late grandfather by tending his garden patch (allotment) which she has shamefully neglected since his death. She wants to learn to cook, to be a better friend to her sister Lacey and to her cousin Gus, who struggles with addiction. She wants to find the guy she met in a corner shop during a robbery and reconnect, she wants to start playing sport again. But most of all, she wants to leave her soul-destroying job at her family's personal injury law firm where her father has dictated her life.

Jack Moriarity is a hospice and palliative nurse, helping those with incurable diseases take their final breaths. Although it is his calling, he finds the deaths can take an emotional toll. One of his patients left him a plot of the local community garden and Jack has found it therapeutic to garden. He regrets losing the number of the woman he met at a convenience store one night, they really connected in a way he's never felt before.

So we see Nora and Jack leading parallel lives, always close but never quite managing to meet, while Nora attempts to put her reverse bucket list into action. But things never go quite to plan and she is in imminent danger of slipping back into her former depression, especially when her parents refuse to acknowledge the truth about her accident.

This was a weird book for me to review, not least because I had imagined that this was more of a romance than women's fiction, which having reread the blurb was 100% my own imagination. It was very slow, at about 85% on my Kindle everything was still going wrong. And yet ... it rang true, far truer than a romance where everything would miraculously work out perfectly in the end. Overall, it wasn't what I thought it was going to be, but I enjoyed it.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Nice Work, Nora November by Julia London is a different kind of book - and I loved it. I have read Julia London's books for years and I really enjoyed this book, which is a totally different direction from the other books of hers that I've read before and loved.

Nora December is a lawyer who has a near death experience after almost drowning and who, upon reawakening, creates a reverse bucket list of the things she's always wanted to do and almost missed the chance to experience. With a domineering father, a mother who is loving, but snobby, a sister who has been let down one too many times, a cousin who is an alcoholic not in control of his life and a career she absolutely hates, Nora has her post near death hands full. She is determined to go down her list and do the things she's always wanted to do: garden in her grandpa's community garden plot, quit her job, play basketball, learn to cook, make up her transgressions to her sister and her cousin, Gus, AND find the guy who got away in a botched robbery attempt who she connected with while being held hostage together.

I felt my own tensions giving way as Nora found a little bit more of her true self and stood up for herself with her father, not quitting when failing in her list, but finding that nugget of strength to keep going. Jack's story was more of a secondary role that other main character, but that's okay, this was all about Nora finding herself and I am absolutely okay with that.

Ms. London dealt with the mental health issues in a graceful way and made everything believable and made me root for Nora throughout her self-discovery. The secondary characters from the community garden, her cooking classes, and Nick, the gardening guru were perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This was a unique story with well-developed characters and interesting plot development. I read a lot of books and haven’t encountered a story quite like this before, so it kept me engaged and I wanted to know what happened next. As a result, I read it in a day and was pleasantly surprised by the end. That being said, the book felt a little slow and some parts repetitive. I also really wish the ending wasn’t so abrupt. After such a long build up, I wanted more! I’d recommend reading this if you’re looking for an imperfect main character who grows throughout the story and lots of other interesting character arcs.