Unfortunately, this book is not for me. Nora was such a sad woman, with a terrible family. Honestly, they all felt like caricatures- the bully, the socialite, the alcoholic, the lesbian. Even Nora’s colleagues and the elderly thespians were typical and unsurprising. The description of Nora’s NDE included almost every stereotype of life after death I have ever heard. After the first third, I skimmed to the end, and was surprised at how long it took for the romance to show up in any major way. I would classify this as women’s contemporary fiction with a hint of romance. I prefer deeper character development and a more realistic plot. Even though this one was a miss for me, I do wish all the best to the author and publisher. I am sure there are many readers who will resonate with Nora and appreciate her story.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this story in exchange for my honest review! Meet Nora November: lawyer in her father's law firm, daughter to smothering/indifferent/judgmental parents, grieving her grandfather's death, and generally stuck in her unhappy life until she has an NDE ("near death experience"). We follow her as she adjusts to her new "After," and as she struggles to remember just how and why she died. As she works to reconcile her new lease on life with her old self, she comes to understand that her old "Before" life is like a familiar but ill-fitting coat that everyone seems to want her to continue to wear. Those readers who struggle with the lows of depression will recognize Nora's constant fight to pull herself out of her self-doubt and sadness. In her "After," Nora also looks for Jack, having met and clicked with him during a hostage situation during her "Before." Jack, who works as a hospice/palliative care aide, has his own difficulties coping with the heaviness of his job, and also must strive to look for brightness in the dark. With two elderly parents in hospice I may not have been in the best headspace for this book, with its themes of death and sadness and regret. But I couldn't help but focus instead on the inter-twined themes of love and hope and redemption in amongst the despair. I feel, so much, for Nora and I so admire her perseverance in the darkness and self-doubt. I was rooting for her to keep going and find her way, and to keep looking for the silver linings even when life threatens to drag you down. Both she and Jack are aided by a great cast of supporting characters as they both work towards becoming who they want to be. I loved this book!

Nice Work Nora November is not the story I was expecting. Billed as “uplifting and heartwarming” on Goodreads and “hilarious and heartwarming” on NetGalley, it was not really those things for me, particularly hilarious. I don’t remember laughing once. For me it was a realistic depiction of a young lawyer with depression whom everyone in her life had given up on. Her father was unimaginably cruel, controlling, and self-important. Her mother was harshly judgmental. Her sister Lacey and her cousin Gus had their own problems and no longer trusted Nora’s promises, which while understandable was still hard to read. This book is the story of how Nora tries to rebuild her life after a near death experience. She creates a reverse bucket list: a list of things she regretted not doing after she died. I thought this was a fabulous premise. However, the road to discover who she is and what she needed to be happy was not only bumpy, it was also demoralizing, sometimes isolating and filled with many negative experiences. To be honest, so many bad things happened to her, she turned into a bit of a caricature for me. I admired her determination, even though it flagged. I was proud of her when she finally stood up to her father. Jack and Nora’s story was cute, but the romance was practically non-existent and completely underwhelming. Overall, all of the things came to be a little too much for me. I was upset often as I read the book. For me, that means Julia London’s writing was powerful, but it just wasn’t the story for me.

A gentle warning: This story mentions suicide.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Muse and Julia London. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own.***

"Wholesome and sweet" perfectly describes "Nice Work, Nora November". While the plot may be somewhat predictable, it doesn't detract too much from the overall enjoyment. The quirky elements add a touch of charm, although they may not be to everyone's taste. I honestly found the novel to be a bit cringy at times, but it still managed to keep me engaged enough to cruise through to the end. Overall, if you're looking for a light-hearted movie with a positive message, this one fits the bill.

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me the ARC.

It's an unexpected joy to find a book that so poignantly describes mental illness.

After a near-death experience (affectionately called an NDE), Nora November has a new lease on life. She writes a "reverse bucket list" for all the things she wants to do after her death, including but not limited to regrowing her grandfather's garden, learning to cook, playing basketball, making amends with her sister, and finding her one that got away.

And she fails at all of it. She lacks a green thumb and kills a fellow gardener's beloved plants in the process. She almost burns her sister's kitchen down. She injures herself playing basketball for the first time in over fifteen years since she's now in her thirties. And her sister doesn't forgive Nora right away for the ways Nora checked out during depressive episodes. Depression may explain why Nora was not a good sister, but it doesn't forgive the hurt. I loved that message so much.

I feel like there are a lot of times that literature, particularly romance-adjacent literature, tries to "solve" mental illness. A partner fixes it, the meds are a miracle, etc.. This isn't what happens here. Nora has to work so hard to keep from backsliding, and it made me feel seen as someone who has to work daily to continue to be happy or content. She fulfills the dreams of her reverse bucket list in unique ways, after trying and failing over and over again. Much of her fulfillment comes with surrounding herself with good people and letting go of the negative ones. It's an uphill battle, but a worthy one.

In short, there's a lot of strong messages here. Ones that I needed and ones that many could use.

Nice Work, Nora November is a fast and interesting read laced with a lot of 'aha" moments for me. Nora has a terrible accident one day and is dead for a few minutes upon afterwards she is determined to shake up her life and really start living. She starts her own backwards bucket list, determined to find a job she loves, be a better sister and find the man she met in a store one day and can't get out of her head. I related a lot to Nora as she felt like before her accident, she was trying to live to please others but never really felt like she got it right. I loved her interactions with Jack and the journey she takes on her quest to find the man that got away. I went into this book expecting a fun and lighthearted fast read but ended up taking stock of some of my life decisions in the process.

Nice Work, Nora November by Julia London presents an intriguing concept with Nora's reverse bucket list, offering a fresh take on life after a near-death experience. The novel explores themes of self-discovery and personal growth, creating a narrative that is both reflective and hopeful.

London's writing effectively captures Nora's journey, portraying her struggles and aspirations with clarity. The relationship between Nora and her late grandfather, as well as the descriptions of the garden, add depth to the story and provide moments of emotional resonance.

However, the execution of Nora's character development and her interactions with other characters sometimes feels predictable and lacking in depth. Certain plot points and conflicts seem oversimplified, and some aspects of the story, such as Nora's sudden career change, may require a suspension of disbelief.

While Nice Work, Nora November has its moments of charm and offers a thoughtful reflection on second chances, it may not fully satisfy readers seeking a more nuanced and immersive narrative. Overall, it is a light and enjoyable read that will appeal to those interested in stories of self-discovery and the pursuit of happiness.

Nora November was declared legally dead after a surfing accident but comes out of her come. She doesn’t remember the accident but does remember the visions that appeared to her in her come. She believes she has been given another chance at fife. She decides to do a reverse bucket list and do all the things she has always wanted to change, find herself and begin a new life.



Thanks to Julia London and Harper Muse

Nice Work, Nora November had me hooked from the very first chapter. It starts with one of the most beautiful and comforting explanations of death that I honestly stopped reading for a few weeks just to marinate on that. When I jumped back in, I was immediately hooked.

Nora November was a high strung lawyer from an elite law firm owned by her father. An encounter with a NDE (near death experience) brought her back to the world with a refreshing and inspiring new look on life. She started living her life for herself after the NDE and this book follows the challenges that can arise from trying to make big changes.

I was rooting for Nora November throughout the entire book. I felt like she was a friend of my own and I wanted the best for her. I do feel like the book at the end was a little rushed. All of the characters (well most) were so likable that I would not be mad if there were tiny little novellas following that goes into their lives. Julia London truly made such a likable world with this one.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. And my opinion is that I cannot wait for this book to be in the world so everybody can get their hands on it!!

I DNFed this book at 25%. I wanted to like it and the premise was interesting, but the constant references to death and trauma were too much for me. I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for sharing this ARC.

While there are moments of humor, Nice Work, Nora November isn't a rom-com. Rather, it's a serious look at a woman attempting to make the most out of a truly unexpected second chance at life. Struggles with depression and parents hellbent on running her life for her ruined Nora's "Before", but she is determined that her After will be an opportunity to correct her path forward in life. This might not be a full fledged rom-com but there is a bit of romance.

There was much to enjoy about this story and overall I liked it a lot. That being said, the ending felt rushed and that was such a let down!

Trigger warning for Jack’s job (he works for Hospice and several deaths are described, and for the eventual reveal of the true circumstances of Nora’s accident.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for the advance copy.

I enjoyed this book. I loved how Nora had a second chance to start over in her life. I loved how she had a list of things she wanted to accomplish, including finding the one that got away. Most of all I loved how it covered mental illness. No one should be ashamed of it. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

While I wouldn't really describe this book as a romance, I still enjoyed every minute of it! I definitely felt like I could relate to several of the problems Nora ran into and it was really great to see how her character transformed throughout the story.

Nice Work, Nora November was SUCH a good book! Nora legally died for several minutes and is now living in the “after.” Her memory hasn’t fully recovered but she knows that she feels better and lighter than “before.” She is determined to keep her attitude and to move forward with her reverse bucket list. As she begins reengaging with her family, coworkers, and therapist she starts to realize how the “before” wasn’t so great for her. She starts to remember her depression, how she felt about her career and how complicated / difficult her family can be. She discovered what is important to her, her happiness and sanity since dying. I enjoyed reading about her determination in making sure she does things right this time. She is living for herself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for allowing me to read an ARC of Nice Work, Nora November by Julia London, in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I admired Nora's bravery, resolve, and strength during her self-discovery in the After.

This was not a quick meet-cute, happily-ever-after story. Nora worked at becoming the person she wanted to be. There were funny moments, sad moments, but she persevered. Yes, there was romance; however, Nora herself was the focus of this book.

I look forward to reading more by Julia London.

What can I say? This one just wasn’t for me. I’ve never met a “powerful” attorney who acts like such a doormat and then decides to jettison her entire career to discover herself. Lots of plot holes, including why she was a senior attorney in her family’s law firm who had trouble making rent, yet could take undetermined amounts of time off from work to garden. Obviously, works of fiction typically employ some degree of suspended reality, but I found myself rolling my eyes at all the parallels and near misses with Jack.

I didn’t really like any of the characters and the romance felt cliché and forced. I’m sure many readers will enjoy this story of self-discovery, but it missed the mark for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this complimentary ARC.

Mein Leseerlebnis

Der folgende Roman enthält eine zweite-Chance-Geschichte der besonderen Art. Die Heldin des Buches versucht ihr Leben komplett zu verändern, nachdem sie fast ertrunken ist. Die Suche nach einem Mann, denn sie vor Monaten getroffen hat, ist dabei nur ein kleiner Bestandteil ihrer Reise.

Vor dem Lesen hatte ich erwartet, dass eine mögliche Liebesgeschichte im Buch mehr Raum einnehmen würde. Man lernt die Heldin Nora und ihren möglichen Partner zwar je näher kennen, sie selbst treffen sich allerdings erst gegen Ende des Romans. Wer also einen recht klassischen Liebesroman sucht, wird hier nicht fündig werden.

Der Schreibstil wirkte auf mich teils etwas nüchtern und ich konnte mich insgesamt nur schwer auf ihn einlassen. Die Geschichte selbst war emotional und machte mich teils betroffen. Einige Aspekte aus Noras Leben, vor allem aus ihrer Kindheit und Jugend, haben mir das Herz gebrochen.

Doch auch wenn ich die Geschichte emotional berührend fand, konnte ich mir die alte Nora nur schwer als richtige Person vorstellen, das traf auch auf ihre Eltern zu.

In Noras Leben ist teils verdammt viel los, für meinen Geschmack hätten ein-zwei kleine Erzählstränge weniger dem Buch gut getan. So blieb teils wenig Zeit für die Entwicklungen, von denen ich gerne mehr gesehen hätte.

Blicke ich auf mein Leseerlebnis zurück, so hatte ich aufgrund des Buchcovers einen leichteren Roman erwartet. Dass die Grundstimmung der Geschichte über weite Teile eher gedrückt sein würde, habe ich nicht erwartet und es war für mich auch nicht ideal.

🖤🖤🖤 1/4

Für wen?

Wer Romane mag, in denen viel los ist, ernstere Themen behandelt werden und in denen die Heldin versucht ihr Leben auf den Kopf zu stellen, für den könnte das Buch etwas sein.

This book was not what I was expecting - in a good way.
Nora has returned to life after being clinically dead in a drowning accident. Now that she’s in “the After,” she realizes that she wants to live her life to the fullest, and decides that the best way to achieve that is to create a reverse bucket list of goals for her to tackle. One of her list items is to find the man she connected with while they were trapped during a convenience store robbery. While this plot could read like a cute read with some serious moments, this book went deep.
Nora’s family is not the most supportive (understatement), and before her near death experience, she suffered from clinical depression. Coming back she’s having to face these challenges from “the Before” as well as decide the person she wants to be moving forward.
This book is all about standing up for yourself, being gentle with yourself and understanding that having depression doesn’t mean you’re broken, and earning that we learn things from both life and death.
I went into this thinking it was going to be a lighter rom-com style read, but I ended up with some poignant life lessons.

Despite a few humorous situations, don’t be fooled into thinking this is a rom-com. Instead, this is a fairly serious look at someone bravely learning to make the most of her second chance at life. Depression and overbearing parents ruined her Before, but Nora is determined that her After can be a time to make up for lost opportunities. In fact, there is little romance in this book.

Trigger warning for Jack’s job (he works for Hospice and several deaths are described, and for the eventual reveal of the true circumstances of Nora’s accident.

Nice Work, Nora November, by Julia London, is an interesting novel that drew me in right away. While this one definitely covers many situations that are triggers for some, they are an integral part of knowing Nora and understanding her story. Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.