Pros: I really liked the portrayal of the protagonist, as a woman in her fifties who was not washed up or in crisis. I also enjoyed her relationship with her young adult daughter.

I wanted more conflict and more mothman content, whether he was real to the characters or not.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing and ARC of this story in exchange for my honest review. This is a new-to-me author and I was intrigued by the premise: a woman whose life and marriage is currently in flux, and is plagued by the childhood trauma of her parents' death in a bridge collapse. Also, the Mothman might have been involved? Unfortunately I really struggled to connect with the main character and the story, and ultimately I just could not. The overall writing skill of the author was good but the story felt disjointed and it was a challenge for me to finish the book. Overall, I think I just wasn't the right audience for this book.

The synopsis of this book grabbed my attention, and honestly, it sounded interesting. The cover was also pretty cute, so I figured I couldn't go wrong. Sadly, this wasn't at all what I expected. There was so much unnecessary dumping of information and multiple storyline that it made it had to not only stay focused but also interesting. The writing was not my style, and it felt like I was reading a thesaurus. Although it wasn't for me, I think the right audience would love it. Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Muse, for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy.

I loved this book. I loved how original and quirky it was. The characters are so well developed and easy to relate to. They are also a little quirky. At first I was like what is this book but it quickly became endearing. I loved it so much I didn’t want it to end.

Cassie is in her 50s. Her only daughter has gone off to college and her marriage is in shambles. Suddenly two days before Christmas she has had enough. In a moment of sure madness she grabs her puppy and drives to her aunt and uncles house. She was orphaned at the age of two in a mysterious accident. She doesn’t know the details of her parents passing because her family refuses to talk about it. Cassie takes off on a trip to figure out what happened.

I was glued to this book. There were so many themes in this story that really spoke to me. It’s about dealing with generational trauma and healing. It will resonate with people raised by a generation that did not talk about their traumas and just pushed it under the rug. The mysterious way that her parents died will send you down the internet rabbit hole of googling everything you can find on the subject. It’s that crazy. Go get this book!


Thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read this advanced readers copy.

Good premise, some fun bits, generally entertaining, but overall the pacing wasn't right and there wasn't enough meat to make it work for me. Sorry!

Real Life and Other Fictions by Susan Coll is a witty satirical novel of midlife and all the craziness of life. Cassie's life is over the top and she's had enough! Divorcing and facing choices of her own she goes on a road trip to find her way. I loved the road trip, her puppy battles, and her wacky family story. I could relate to her. Life is a comedy.
I found this novel very fitting for me as I'm in the same age group as the protagonist Cassie and coincidently now live near the area of the bridge collapse. I laughed at times and found the story to be heartwarming.
By the way, this is one of those books where you find out the true events it was based upon in the Afterward and you're shocked that that part of the story was true. I don't want to give anything away but stick around.
I was hoping for more at the end of the book. Makes me wonder what Cassie is up to today.
Thank you, Harper Muse Publishers, Susan Coll, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of the book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Good book with a solid story in its pages. Loved the main characters and how well they played off each other. Definitely one to add to youe to be read pile.

This was a fun read, and I enjoyed it. Coll mixes emotions so well in the narrative and the characters I found were relatable while also being entertaining

I requested to read “Real Life and Other Fictions” because I related to the premise of being fiftysomething who teaches yet yearns to write. Cassie is struggling with her own demons, including discovering what happened to her parents after a West Virginia bridge collapsed as they were driving across it. Hence, with her marriage failing, she seeks answers on a journey that ends up having plenty of twists and turns.

Stories like this can become a bit self-indulgent but I enjoyed Susan Coll’s narration. I also appreciated how the story’s direction was not clear, which made you want to keep reading.

Thanks to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for sharing this great read.

This was a fun, easy read and I absolutely loved Cassie! After a humiliating divorce, she travels to West Virginia to hopefully get more answers in regards to her parents' deaths. While some parts of the story dragged on a bit with its long detail, overall, it made me chuckle and was endearing! I will say, WHAT WAS THAT ENDING!?!?! It felt out of place with the rest of the story...while most everything else was well-developed and detailed, I felt like the story just kind of....stopped. It was frustrating enough to cause a star drop. I enjoyed Coll's writing style and look forward to more from her - thanks for the ARC!

What a sweet and cute cover. I had high hopes for this book. The story fell flat and didn't keep my attention. I wanted a bit more from the plot and characters than Coll wrote. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Entertaining and engaging. A recommended purchase for collections where quirkier women's fiction is popular.

I had high hopes for Real Life and Other Fictions (I loved "Acceptance"). The opening scene of the main character chasing her dog across the Chesapeake Bay bridge was funny, but was kind of off set by the obsession with the moth in the car. The subsequent chapters just failed to hold my attention. Perhaps the next Susan Coll will get back to that "Acceptance" level of humor and characterization.

3/5 stars. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This book was weird but in a good way. I wanted to keep reading because it made me feel strange. I really liked the writing but the book moved really slowly which I wasn’t a huge fan of. However, I thought the story was interesting and the twist was crazy!! A solid read.

I was so excited to receive this book as an arc reviewer. The description of this book really drew me in and I thought it was going to be a really interesting read. From the start of the book I was extremely confused and felt there was very unnecessary details. I continued on with it as I felt it could have just been world building for the rest of the story but it just continued the whole way through. There was so many unnecessary details and storylines, like the amount of times that moths were mentioned and I feel like I still don’t understand why? Also I understand she has left her husband but there is so much reference to him throughout the story which I didn’t feel was important. I wanted to finish this as I thought it would get better but I was highly disappointed and felt this book took me way too long to read because I couldn’t get myself to enjoy it. This is just my opinion and reading is so subjective so just because it wasn’t for me doesn’t mean it won’t be for you! I was very appreciative of the opportunity to read as an arc reviewer and may give other books by the author in the future a chance!

Brilliantly, brilliantly written.

Cassie Klein is 50 and life has never run smooth. Orphaned in mysterious circumstances, a failed journalist and now a teacher, hoping her novel will come to fruition, all while her husband has been cheating. Great.

It's time to do something, anything.

A moth in the back of the car, Luna (her rambunctious puppy) jumps out and Cassie chases after her only to slip on the ice.... she comes to, to a police officer shining a light in her eyes. Officer Keel...

This name engaged a switch in my brain which was long forgotten but certainly had a small glint of inspiration to this fantasically written book. The name Keel, relates back to John Keel who wrote "The Mothman Prophecies" in 1975, which were in turn inspired by West Virginian folklore and such newspaper headlines as "Couples See Man-Sized Bird ... Creature ... Something". There was also a film with Richard Gere in 2002, but a. I have never seen it and b. I am realy geting off course!

The link is an elegant nod to the inspiration for this exceptional book, but the narrative styles and stories could not be further apart. To be absolutely frank, I prefer this tale as it is more relatable in its plausibility. Woven back and forth through Cassies reality, fiction and other planes of consciousness and reflection, allowing yourself to be carried along with lifes challenges and events or directing where it takes you

This book is enchanting and a unique, immersive read. Susan Coll has an affable, engaging writing style that I find utterly captivating and had me turning page after page, never quite sure where the story was going but desperate to find out if the clues would stack up. A brilliant experience

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Muse and the author Susan Coll for this outstanding ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

really fun fiction about comign to terms with your life and cryptozoology. tyssm for the arc this one was so fun!

This was a pretty good book. The pacing was a little off some times. But I did enjoy it a lot. The romance was very cute!

"Real Life and Other Fictions" is a gripping novel full of surprises written by Susan Coll. The story follows Cassie, a woman who decides to embark on a journey of self-discovery to understand her past. With a comic and surreal style, the book explores the intersection between reality and fiction, and the power of stories and myths.
Along the way, Cassie confronts her past and learns new things about herself and her family.
The book is an involving and thought-provoking read about the nature of truth and fiction. The characters are well developed and the story development is interesting.
Overall, "Real Life and Other Fictions" is a well-written and entertaining novel that is recommended for those who enjoy stories with elements of humor, drama, and real life.