I was very drawn into this book and Emma's journey. It felt so raw and authentic and made you really root for her. A very inspiring story that could help anyone who has struggled with substance abuse or those who care for someone who does. It also paints a beautiful picture of some of the different ways people might grieve

A very unique point of view that I haven't had the chance to read before. Emma is a twenty-something woman living in New York City, one year sober at the beginning of the book. As she navigates her dating life and builds relationships as 'sober Emma', we see her grow and shift into a new person. I felt like she only thought she was likeable and worth anything only back when she was drinking, and having to re-wire that part of her brain was hard to do. Emma's relationships and interactions at work with her co-workers made me giggle. This book also made me remember how drinking/alcohol culture is so incredibly ingrained in every day social things/activities. Overall a good debut novel. Very thought-provoking and heartfelt.

3.5/5. I was much more invested in reading about Emma's recovery than the romance plot, which felt kind of awkward at times. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Not your usual rom com quick read. This takes a head on look at the obstacles to obtaining true sobriety.. Emma found that every part of her life got better when she stopped drinking. She no longer has to work as a cocktail server depending on tips to pay the rent. Her and best friend Suzannha would start drinking and drugging Help each other to get through the night and the next day recovery and cleanup., including cleaning vomit fro last nights clothes and bedding. She realized they weren’t good for one another.. they lost additional roommates who didn’t want to put up with all this and bailed. Emma was able to get a low run position in a NY financial office. We pick up as she celebrates her one year of sobriety with her mom,AA sponsor Lolo, and the AA family. She has told no one at work.. she eventually confides to Vsnessa, her table mate. Vanessa asks Emma to Friday night drinks with the usual work group. Emma has developed a crush on the IT Dire tor.. we find out latter, he hasn’t been going to Friday nights because his best army buddy friend died from a frug overdose just before Emma started with the company. They both happen to go this night and accidentally meet at the bar top. A romance finally occurs after a large misunderstanding. In the end she realized she had never had sex without being drunk. Her mom and dad were divorced because dad was a drunk. She had to deal with her relationship with each of her parents including step mom.Lola,Vanessa and Ben were there to give support. Not really what I expected but I would definitely recommend this book. I was like recovering alcoholic, yeah, yeah. I had never really considered the implications. Special thanks to #NetGalley for an early unedited copy of the book, allowing me to give my own honest opinions. I believe I read this is a debut book for Ava Robinson. I will be looking for future books and gladly recommend her as a rising author.

Before I get into my actual review, I implore each person reading this to mark their calendars for December 31st, 2o24, because this book is incredible and everyone should read it as soon as it comes out. I implore AND beseech you MOST ardently.

Definitely Better Now was a book that centered on things that are very different than my own life, but I felt so connected to the main character that I felt like her experiences could have been my own. Emma is a woman in her mid-twenties living in New York City and at the start of the book she is officially one year sober. As she grapples with her new life, she has to learn who she is with her addictions behind her. She deals with new friendships, family dynamics, and a potential relationship.

So yes, this is very different from the life I currently live, but Emma's voice was so clear and relatable throughout that it didn't matter. I felt the pain, anxiety, grief, and hope as if it was my own. This is certainly due to the wonderful writing of debut author, Ava Robinson! She will definitely be on my radar as an author to watch, and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Also, as a quick shout-out to all of my romance lovers out there, I don't think I would categorize this as a romance book, but the romantic subplot that was woven throughout the book was one of the best I have ever read. The love interest, Ben, was such a genuinely good person, and their dynamic felt so respectful and also so real. He wasn't unrealistically perfect, but he was just so, so good.

To close, read this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my review.

I was very hesitant to read this book as I can not relate to the sobriety aspect which appears to be the characters whole appeal. While fiction I decided I better read it anyways! I gave it a try and it was a good read. While started a little slow it provided a story with detail and a new perspective on sobriety as well as the chaos of turning into hope and hoping things get better at some point. All in perspective.
Took a while to get started with this book, slow start. This book hits hard topics like addiction, recovery, grief and even grieving relationships. The author did a great job portraying the MC in navigating life through sobriety for those who have not walked that life. I am curious to see how it is compared to those who have walked that same walk.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Definitely Better Now is different from the type of books I typically gravitate towards. It also wasn't quite wasn't what I was expecting, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. After reading the synopsis for this book, I was expecting way more humor and less emotion. The story explores alcohol addiction and recovery, complex familial relationships, self-discovery, and love.

We follow Emma, a 26-year-old in New York, who has spent the last year navigating the challenges of sobriety with determination. Proud of her twelve months of abstinence, she focuses on her office job, attending group meetings, and cautiously dipping her toes back into the dating pool. But dating turns out to be more complicated than she remembers.

As if that weren't enough, Emma's tasked with organizing her office's holiday party—a daunting responsibility that becomes even more overwhelming when her estranged father resurfaces with distressing news. Just when she thinks life couldn't get messier, enter Ben, the charming IT guy who sees past her awkwardness and imperfections.

Emma is absolutely the kind of main character you want to root for. Not only is she relatable, but she also possesses such strength and resilience when faced with so much pain and hardship. She's definitely not perfect, but that made her all the more likable as a main character.

Overall worth the read. I'm glad I took a chance on this book!

Check trigger warning before diving into this one as it touches on several heavy topics.

3.5⭐️This book was heavier than I expected but overall enjoyable. I highlighted a lot of quotes that struck a chord with overall suffering and hope. I found the pacing to be slow for my taste in the second half of the book, but I really enjoyed where the author took the plot. There is a good bit of character development as well. I would recommend if you are looking for a book that makes you feel something or if you feel like you’ve been on autopilot for a while.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This debut novel was honestly one of the best I’ve read! The POV from a recovering alcoholic was new to me and I enjoyed it so much. Loved seeing the character development and growth from the FMC. And we LOVE a swoonworthy book boyfriend as well. I need more books on my shelf that hit me in the feels like this one. Cannot wait to see what else she comes out with!

"Definitely Better Now" is a story of recovery, hope, and self-understanding. At times repetitive, overall, I really enjoyed this book and will recommend it to my fellow readers when it hits the shelves.

Emma has recently completed her first year sober, and while her largest hurdle is behind her, the subsequent hurdles follow, exhausting our protagonist in new ways. She learns to accept the things she cannot change and trusts that she knows herself best. We see her battle her relationship with her father, find a romantic spark in a coworker, and strengthen her ties with his sponsor, Lola.

With added job duties at work, she finds herself in a mind game orchestrated by herself of what she should--and can--do with those around her.

No spoilers, but the scene of her going into the bar for the first time really stuck with me, and it makes me more conscious of supporting sober friends in the future.

Thank you for this advanced reader's copy!

I love a book that intersects romance and women’s fiction!! Really great, strong characters but my interest did wane at times.

It was an emotional read, leaning more towards women's fiction than romance. I learned a lot about AA and appreciated Emma's authentic journey through sobriety. Ben was a supportive and likable character, even when faced with Emma's frustrating decisions. Overall, while not a light-hearted read, the book resolves well without any clichés.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I had a hard time getting into this book, and it took me a few tries to get into it. It wasn't as lighthearted as I assumed it would be. I appreciate the vulnerable and honest approach to addiction and recovery.

Definitely Better Now was not the quirky Romcom I expected, but that did not make me like it any less! DBN is a deep dive in AA and the world of sobriety. I did not know much going into this novel, but since reading I feel like I am a better person and understand more of what recovery looks likes, and it's not linear as many believe. The book is well written and the characters are real and likeable. The romance was sweet and slow, but perfect as Emma navigates the world outside alcohol. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I received a reader copy of this from NetGalley and from Harlequin Trade Publishing.

It took me a while to get into this book. I would start it, stop it, start it, stop it, repeat until my advanced copy of the book was about to expire. So I made myself sit down and commit to reading this and finished it in about three days. I think the start of the book is a little slow, which is why I was having a hard time keeping interest. The start is a bit slow and we meet Emma, but we don't yet have a reason to like Emma and, truthfully, Emma is kind of boring -- because she's a normal person like the rest of us and most of us are fairly boring in our day to day lives. Evenntually, however, while the book remains a bit slow, we end up finding reasons to care about Emma.

I think this novel did a good job looking at some complex issues such as addiction, grief over those in our lives who are still alive, and grief over those who aren't--whether by distance or death--and how we handle and cope with the situations and emotions that arise. It isn't easy to tackle addiction as a topic, but I think this author overall did a good job. When I first requested this book I thought it was a memoir and I love memoirs, but things worked out a little too perfectly too often in the book and you could tell it was following a traditional narrative structure, which isn't a bad thing! But I think I would have enjoyed it more if it stuck closer to a memoir feel than simply that of a story.

All in all, while a little slow and hard to maintain interest at times, I liked the story and liked how the author portrayed it. Thanks to NetGalley, Ava, and her publishing company for giving me the chance to read this story!

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I knew this book was going to have an underlying darkness to it, given that the FMC Emma is an alcoholic. I was mentally prepared to be emotionally ripped to shreds, but that didn’t really happen (which was perfectly fine to be honest), as Emma’s story of life and exploration of dating after one year of sobriety begins after the majority of the ugliness of alcoholism has subsided for her. Based on the book description, I was expecting more romance and then her alcoholism possibly causing serious issues with that. All’s well, though, I still enjoyed the book. Emma takes things one day at a time and slowly allows herself to open up again at work, and she even takes interest in the IT guy, Ben. I liked the relatability of the complexity of it all. Navigating relationships, being vulnerable, and learning to trust again is so hard in her situation. I think the author did a great job with it. There were moments of humor as well, a welcome reprieve when things are just intense. Overall, I was pleased with Definitely Better Now and look forward to other books by this author.

#DefinitelyBetterNow #AvaRobinson #Harlequin #NetGalley #NewAdult #WomensFiction #AdultFiction #ContemporaryRomance #ComingofAge

Interesting concept, I enjoyed but the MC was a bit hard to like! I’m not sure if this book was for me but I’m sure others would love!

Emma, a marketing assistant, is a people pleaser at work, avoiding parties, drinking, and fun to distance herself from her old self. She is on the path to recovery, however feels embarrassed about her sobriety. She is secretive about it.

She's close to her mom but not her dad. She has major daddy issues that she is still overcoming.

After one year of sobriety, she's learning to navigate life, date, make friends, and have fun. She's discovering that she doesn't have to be boring and self-contained and is finding her balance.

Overall, the book was good. It was straightforward and detailed, but I liked it.

ARC Review 📚📝✨
Book: Definitely Better Now
Author: Ava Robinson
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is so good, I really loved the story and the growth Emma showed throughout her journey.

Emma is marking one year of sobriety, a milestone that marks her being prepared to resume living life to the fullest, including reentering the dating scene. She ill learning to navigate a new life for herself, she is making friends at work, has a love interest and also has to deal with family issues. She also doesn’t know when and how to disclose her sobriety with the new people in her life and that sometimes hinges her new relationships.

I loved reading her journey and how she grows as a person but still makes mistakes. It shows that it’s never too late to start your life and fix your mistakes.

The author did an amazing job with this book!! I had the privilege of receiving this arc through NetGalley, so thank you!

This one was challenging! I had to restart a few times because the unflinchingly honest representation of Emma's alchoholism and recovery is definitely not for the faint of heart, and as someone who has very little familiarity with this world it was quite the wake-up call. However, I am glad I stuck it out as this is a story that needs to be given authentic representation and I learned a lot about the full world (both strengths and shortcomings) of twelve-step programs (specifically Alcoholics Anonymous/AA).

The romance between Emma and Ben was a highlight, even in its messiest stages, modeling healthy vulnerability and communication with an ample dose of witty banter. But the real relationship star of this book was the way Emma rebuilt her complicated relationship with her alcoholic father and her discovery of his struggles with sobriety. I won't give away spoilers here, but there was a plot linchpin that Emma discovers that I thought was breathtaking and exceptionally well-crafted.

Overall, 4/5 stars and I look forward to more from this author after a successful debut!