as a daughter of an alcoholic and a sober person myself, this was such an amazing book and i am so glad that it is in the world. stories about sobriety are so important and very rare in fiction spaces, especially for romance-adjacent books. it was a hard read but for a good reason. you want our main character to not hate herself so much and ugh it was just so good but i would also recommend looking at the triggers because like I said, it is a very heavy book at times.

This book was not what I was expecting. I did finish it but the book title and description didn't match. I liked the book and the characters but it wasnt' for me.

This was a heartwarming read, putting the reader in the shoes of a young woman freshly sober from alcohol. As she passes her one year sobriety anniversary, she struggles to find balance in work, romance, family, and life. I found myself rooting for the main character and relating to her even without having much in common. No matter what you are going through in your 20s/30s, we are all trying to figure out what life "should" look like for us, which often involves hijinks and mishaps. I also deeply enjoyed the romantic themes of the book, which were realistic yet aspirational. Additionally, learning more about AA was fascinating since I have not been exposed to it in my normal life! I think there is something in this story for everyone.

While this wasn’t my favorite book I have read recently, I did enjoy it overall. I thought it was sweet and did have a good message behind it. I would still likely recommended it to others

This was an interesting book about a recovering alcoholic. It was light at times, heavy at others. I found the main character and the story itself messy and charming and realistic. My only (sort of) complaint was that I thought the ending felt a bit abrupt. I guess that's also realistic in a way. This was definitely more of a character-driven story than a plot-driven one.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published December 17, 2024.

This book is not a rom-com. It was more serious than funny. There were basically 3 plots: a workplace romance, an aging parent who recently reenters Emma’s life and alcoholism.

Emma’s struggle with alcohol seemed to be the majority of the book. We get to see inside her AA meetings and learn about the 12 steps and get sponsor.

It was a quick read but I found it rather boring. Trigger warning for alcoholics.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐💫/🫑 Definitely Better Now by Ava Robinson spoke to me on the deepest possible level. Our FMC, Emma is navigating life through sobriety; the feelings, fears, struggles, tiny victories, relearning how to make friends and form relationships in recovery.. and still manages to be absolutely hilarious. Never have I ever seen alcoholism and recovery portrayed more accurately.

Well done, @avarson . 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 This was easily the most impactful and genuine read I've experienced yet. It will stay with me, and I will never stop recommending it. Thank you for your service! And for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC of this amazing book you've written.

This book was a beautiful, thoughtful look at a woman navigating sobriety, grief, and everyday life. This book immediately sucked me in with its engaging main character, Emma, and all of the characters she meets. Emma goes on a journey in this work and I loved how real it felt. There were several twists and turns in the book that had my full attention as I read, eager to find out what came next. The ending, particularly the parts about her Dad, were excellent. I also loved all of the "side characters" and the plot point of the Fun Team. Overall, a great read and one I know I will continue to think about.

Shelf Awareness PRO: Debut novelist Ava Robinson takes a close look at the bittersweet realities of sobriety in Definitely Better Now, a (late) coming-of-age story of 26-year-old New Yorker Emma and her attempts to start fresh after completing a whole year of sobriety.

For 365 days, Emma has been focused: on work and on not drinking. Ready to feel like a "fully polished, emotionally stable version" of herself after her first year in AA, she's looking forward to something like starting over. "Sobriety had cast a newness over the way I viewed the world. There were so many firsts open to me again, even after a year: first trip sober, first night out sober, and even first kiss sober." It turns out, though, that nothing magical happens on day 365 of sobriety, and those firsts can be more than a bit overwhelming, especially when considering the many versions of herself Emma's built as a survival mechanism.

There is "Work Emma," who doesn't curse and never talks about her sobriety in the office; "Internet Emma," who shares highlights only online; "Friend Emma," who isn't quite sure how to be a good friend; "Dateable Emma," composed with the help of co-workers urging her to create an online dating profile. Drunk Emma, Sober Emma, Over-a-Year-Sober Emma: she's unsure whether or not she likes any of them--and whether or not any of them are really her.

Robinson has created a mid-20s heroine standing on the precipice between young adult and fully grown adult, a woman stepping into herself and into a life without alcohol. Definitely Better Now points out not just how alcohol-steeped modern American culture is, but the complexities of sober living: how rigid recovery can feel, how demanding it is, and how focused on "men of a certain age" the literature can be; as well as how to learn to trust not just a sponsor but one's own self; how to live with multiple truths--especially when some of them are ugly.

Within this, Robinson nestles a romance that feels The Office-esque, with workplace dramas, coworker gossip, a bunch of employees at a company that does something vague and uninteresting, and a cute, charming guy in IT who might actually like Emma for who she is, if she can just figure that part out. Witty, funny, and full of heart, Definitely Better Now is a not-to-be-missed debut that encourages anyone, sober or not, to embrace the messy imperfections of a life worth living.

Ava Robinson's debut celebrates the wins of persevering through life without hiding or polishing up the moments you'd rather not look at.

DEFINITELY BETTER NOW follows 20something Emma - born and raised New Yorker, and an alcoholic in recovery. She just hit the one year sober milestone and begins the work to blend her new confidences into her strictly compartmentalized life.

It feels like I highlighted the entire book. So many standout quotes, laugh out loud akward true to life moments, and soul touching beautiful prose had me turning pages with reverence. The love on page is palpable no matter if the scene is Emma's current breakthroughs or her past bender flashbacks. Every moment felt real and raw and imperitive to the whole of Emma's character arc.

Readers may be hesitant to pick up a recovery/sober story, but stick with me here as I tell you how relatable it is no matter your connection to Emma's specific illness. This is a story of healing from trauma. Letting old outmoded coping mechanisms fall away and allowing new healthier boundaries to support you. Holding space for your own valid hurts as well as compassion for others that may have hurt you. Breaking cycles of generational trauma. Navigating new relationships with a mental illness. It's all there.

The romantic relationship between Emma and Ben is such a delicious slow burn. The intimate scenes may register as low to no spice, but the sensation of attraction is so steamy. There is want and yearning and anticipation and anxiety and desperation and softness.

There is a major story arc to be mindful of regarding illness (cancer) and death of a parent. If this is a sensitive topic for you, please proceed with your wellness in mind.

With my utmost recommendation, DEFINITELY BETTER NOW is for all readers familiar with the absurdity of life and the hardships we face. For those battling unseen sickness or carrying the weight of trauma. You are seen and worthy of love and your journey is a triumph.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

So good! This book is about Emma, who has been sober for a year. Instead of her life being instantly better though, it seems to be just as messy as ever. I loved the message that just because you stop a vice, your life doesn’t automatically become perfect.

overall, this was a good book. It did trigger me a little bit because I am divorced due to my ex husband's addiction and bad behaviors. I wasn't ready for the meetings and how much talk of the steps or sponsors. I had attended a few meetings with my ex before we moved towards divorce.

I did appreciate seeing how difficult dating could be after a major change. I'm sure I will be a mess once I start dating because I dont know how to be with someone in this stage of life.

One thing I also noticed was how easy it made it look to be sober. Emma didn't seem to be tempted to make a mistake. She struggled through life, but she never questioned whether one drink would have helped. This seemed a little unrealistic to me.

I also liked how Ben showed up for her. He stood up for her. He was willing to give her what she needed. He was willing to show up when she needed him.

I plan to share this book with my instagram followers a few days before pub date.

I could not read this book because it said it was stolen content. It had no chapters and no pages. I totally would have read this book though and the cover is really good. I also like this author so if you have an opportunity to redo this please reach out and I would be happy to work with you!

One of the best novels of this year for me-I definitely hope there is a lot of hype around it when it comes out. The characters are well developed and complex, and I think the relationships between Emma and her parents were especially well developed. Even in a book that was quite dark at times, there was an appropriate amount of comedic levity and the awkward fumbling of new romance. Definitely will be looking out for more by this author!

First off an absolutely huge thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins, Mira imprint for letting me read an early copy of Definitely Better Now in return for an honest review.

What an absolutely fantastic, heartwarming and inspiring debut from Eva Robinson. Definitely Better Now follows Emma who is officially one year sober and realizes that life’s messes are still waiting right where you left them.

Well I sobbed while reading this. What an absolutely breathtakingly beautiful and deeply human story. This book hit every note for me: romance, humor, sadness and incredible writing. I have never read a book like this before and I now want to read a hundred others. I laughed, I cried, I got mad and most importantly, I completely fell in love with Emma. She was so deeply human, flawed, deeply complex and even though she had all of that, she still tried her best. “I’m sure there are people out there who are going to pick up this book and relate to the words written on the pages and I think that Eva had that in mind while writing this. She handled sobriety and the topic of alcoholism with such a gentle hand but also didn’t stray away from the brutality that alcoholism can leave on family’s and relationships.

Overall, I completely recommend this book and found the story absolutely amazing!

This will be a niche book in my opinion. It talks more about AA than I even realized it would. I am a recovering alcoholic so I thought it would be up my alley but I am not in AA, the normal people kind or this kind. I am aware of some of the fancier clubs that offer it and feel this is a fairly realistic portrayal of a wealthier city person in recovery. We even hear about the founders of AA and I thought that was really neat. I just couldn't stay excited about the story. I wanted to but it was dreary, wordy and felt like a lesson.

I'm still rating it highly because the writing is great and it's so detailed. I don't blame the book or author, maybe it just isn't something I wanted to read in fiction.

I had to sit with this book for a bit. This story follows Emma who has just celebrated her first year of being sober.

I chose this story because of how closely the issues with alcoholism and the way it affects those around you really hits close to home.

Overall, this story felt slow to me. I felt like not a whole lot happened. However, the longer I sat with it, I realized that what did happen in it are events which would be so huge for someone struggling with addiction. Even some of the most mundane things could seem overwhelming to someone having never done it sober before.

Ava Robinson really ended up bringing the story together. The fact that it is a debut is even more impressive. I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us.

DEFINITELY BETTER NOW by Ava Robinson

Pub date: Dec. 31, 2024
Publisher: MIRA Books
Rating: 3.5 / 5


Wouldn't life be so much easier without all the emotional baggage?

26-year-old Emma is one year sober and ready to embrace her new, better life. She's carefully curated a version of herself fitting of a mess-free corporate worker in NYC, with a steady routine with her sponsor, a budding workplace romance, and a renewed interest in participating in life. Emma's trajectory is good. Until it isn't. Life changing family news makes her re-evaluate everything, and Emma realizes that just because she's sober doesn't mean she's mess-free.

DEFINITELY BETTER NOW is a debut that is so clearly a labor of love. This novel centers on Emma's alcoholism/sobriety and the impact of family hurt. There is compelling emotional growth for Emma, both in her maturity as a recovering alcoholic and in her perspective of her dad, a fellow alcoholic, as a father and individual. The story's pacing is slow at times, and her romantic and platonic relationships are a bit lacking in nuance and development. Still, Emma's story ultimately ends happily and full of hope. This book could be healing and validating for a reader overcoming an addiction or standing alongside someone in recovery, or a reader who has dealt with parent loss.


(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!)


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[Review posted on 9/30/24 to https://www.instagram.com/brittain.books/]

An incredibly lovely and wise meditation on family, expectations, addiction, and the painful work of growing up. Loved it.

Definitely Better Now is the story of Emma, who has been sober for a year, and is coming to terms with her anxiety about letting people in to know the real her (who is a recovering alcoholic) and struggling with her relationship with her father, who is also an alcoholic. There also is a romance with a coworker, but that's really not the focus, except in highlighting Emma's fear of openness.

Overall, I found the book interesting (I went into this not knowing much about Alcoholics Anonymous) and the romance sweet, but I definitely cried through most of the last like 20% or so.