dnf at 15%

my inability to finish this book does not mean it is a bad book, I don't think I was the target audience for the book. The writing is very well done and the story thus far flows nicely. I can see why there are rave reviews for this work, I could not find much interest in the story itself.

Thank you NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

There's always something in life that will happen and get you down, and this book encapsulates that perfectly. Emma is optimistic and hopeful for a dating life after her 1 year of sobriety, but one thing happens after another and she can't seem to catch a break. I loved the exploration of addiction, anxiety, and how the author realistically portrayed these struggles. The characters were well-developed and it touches on some heavier topics, but I'm really glad that Emma had a support circle with her friends and mom that kept her company throughout her ups and downs.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I sobbed 😭
Don't get me wrong, there were also fun light moments throughout, but overall, it was a pretty emotional journey for me.

Thank you, Netgalley for this ARC 🥹

1 of 5 stars
2 of 5 stars
3 of 5 stars
[ 4 of 5 stars ]
5 of 5 stars

I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Emma, once troubled by alcoholism, has embraced one year of sobriety, focusing on work and self-improvement. Now ready to date again, she faces unexpected challenges: her mother's sudden move, a demanding job, and a surprise from her estranged father. Amidst the chaos, she finds solace in Ben, the IT guy at her job, discovering that imperfection is part of her journey to self-acceptance.

A captivating debut from Ava Robinson! Emma's journey through sobriety, romance, and family dynamics is both relatable and engaging. Despite occasional confusion with dialogue tags, the writing impresses, particularly in its subtle humor. While some may find the heavier themes challenging, Robinson's skillful storytelling keeps readers invested. I eagerly anticipate more from this promising author.

An absolute must-read for 2024! Emma's authenticity and depth of her relationships resonate profoundly. The portrayal of Alcoholics Anonymous is insightful. The book's exploration of expectations versus reality in various aspects of life is universally relatable. A touching and emotional narrative that deserves wide readership.

Thank you again, NetGalley, for the ARC! Expected publication in 2024!! I give it a 4.25/5 stars!!! Would recommend to any readers looking for a witty, relatable table of adult life, sobriety, dating, and family relationships!

This debut novel was such a poetic story about addiction, recovery, growth & struggles. Emma doesn’t have a lot going on but she does at the same time. This was such a quirky story that did feel dry and slow at times. I will say that the subplots needed more emotion or drama because it felt boring to me at points. The ending was well done but I fear some people may not get there.
I believe that Trigger Warnings were needed in the beginning of this book.

I will be carrying this book in my store when it’s published. I believe it is an important topic & people should see more representation for sober culture on shelves. I believe the emotions were raw & it did feel like an important story.

This is an interesting debut by the author Ava Robinson. I was able to read this thru NetGalley and it is a unique story of a young woman’s life as she begins her 2nd sober year. It covers a lot of info on different forms of AA and how the main character deals with life’s challenges as a sober woman Great book !

I really wish I had this book on my own path to self-discovery in my mid-20s. This story follows Emma as she tries to navigate alcohol, dating, and identity on top of all the other stressors that life brings. I had a lot in common with Emma and loved the witty writing in this one. Some parts lagged a bit, but overall it was a realistic yet heartwarming story about life and the support others can bring as long as we're willing to let them in. Thanks for the ARC!

NetGalley ARC Review✨

Definitely Better Now
By Ava Robinson
Pub Date: 12/31/24

Definitely Better Now is a witty, relatable story that follows Emma as she navigates getting sober and staying sober. As she experiences work, friends, romance, and complicated family dynamics as a sober person she steps out of her comfort zone often and learns just how different life can be without alcohol.

This book was a great read about overcoming adversity and starting over.

Definitely Better Now by Ava Robinson
Overall: 5
Spice: 3

A gorgeous novel and a new author to watch.

Emma is celebrating 1 year of sobriety. She has firmly adhered to the rules and practices of AA with the support of her mother. At the 1 year mark, the rules of AA begin to loosen, including the rule about no dating. Emma finds herself drawn to a co-worker, Ben. They endure some love triangle confusion and being outed by HR and begin to forge a relationship just as Emma is dealt an emotional blow – her addict father is dying. After a year of isolating herself, can Emma learn to ask for help and what she needs to be supported?

I’ll admit that I was hesitant to start this book because of what I thought would be the heavy content matter of a newly sober addict, but once I started I couldn’t put this down. The story immediately pulls you in due to the excellent writing style. Emma is solid in her sobriety as she navigates relationships with her sponsor, her mother, her father, her co-workers and Ben. There are beautiful passages about sobriety and about life as Emma watches her father prepare for his death. Ben is the perfect partner to support Emma’s journey as she decides what kind of AA support she wants for the rest of her journey. I happily give this a five star rating as it so far exceeded my expectations and I prefer my romances with some real-life struggle and heart. Ava Robinson will be an author I follow.

While I’m not a person the deals w addition and anxiety this book was enlightening to the lives of those that do. Great debut novel for Ava Robinson. I will definitely look for more by her in the future.

Thanks Net Galley and publishers.
This book deals with issues such as alcoholism and anxiety, Emma was a character with many flaws but strong, I'm not going to lie and say I didn't cry with this story because I did, especially with the relationship of Emma and her father, it was a very emotional book.

Loved the chance to read this heavy yet engaging story. It was not what I expected, but in the best way possible. I look forward to reading more.

A surprising novel that intertwines classic romance tropes and adult fiction. Read this in almost one sitting but this is by no means the easiest read. This story follows Emma, a Marketing Assistant who has just achieved her first full year of sobriety. We unpack her trauma surrounding her alcoholism, the strained relationship with her alcoholic father, and the realities of an adult that has pored all of her energy into leaving her past self behind. Lo and behold we are very quickly introduced to the IT guy and main love interest Ben. Ben exhibits all of the normal straight love interest characteristics: he is sweet, charming, somehow ripped even though he sits at a desk all day (which is maybe the most questionable part, but I digress), and most importantly jealous- so jealous that Emma and Ben are nearly forced to begin fake dating around 25% of the way through the book. So, you can imagine how that unfolds in a corporate office.

Side note for the trope driven: I thought the twist on the one-bed trope at the end was well executed and actually had me laughing when I realized what was happening.

Overall I think this was a very sweet novel- Emma’s relationship with her father is incredibly heartbreaking and raw, and I wish that had been a bit more of a focus rather than the relationship with Ben during the mid-parts. This type of book is not necessarily my cup of tea all the time, but for Ava Robinson I may make an exception.

This was a great read. It kept me engaged and I finished it easily. The characters were developed and the story line was great.

I loved this book. The story of finding yourself during sobriety and also dealing with the consequences of your past actions in this refreshing voice Ava Robinson gave her characters was both gut wrenching and heartwarming.

Emma is trying to make herself in sobriety and making new relationships. She navigates making friends, parents, and maybe love. She works through her shortcomings and realizations that she could only do sober.

Thank you to NetGalley and @harlequin-books for my advanced copy of *Definitely Better Now* by Ava Robinson.

I selected this book from NetGalley mainly because of its cover and a quick scan of its description. I haven’t read many, if any, books from the perspective of a sober person in their mid-twenties. It’s an important topic, and it was written with such care while also being a very entertaining and fun story.

The FMC, Emma, is funny, and her depiction of addiction and recovery feels honest without being corny or like an after-school special. In addition to just getting her feet under her in her everyday life, she is finally able to date again after completing her first year in AA. As if normal life wasn’t difficult enough, she has to experience all her firsts again, but completely sober.

This story speaks to the journey of truly moving on from a difficult part of life and accepting the good and bad things that can result from positive change. I loved it. If you’re on NetGalley, I highly recommend checking it out. If not, add it to your TBR for December!

Real, funny, poignant, this book follows Emma, one year sober, through navigating what her life will look like now. She develops a budding romance with a work colleague, but is unsure of how to commit to sober intimacy. She also must navigate changing relationships with both her parents, and come to terms with her father’s own alcoholism. I could not put this book down as it felt so real and I found myself cheering Emma on as she learns to navigate her adult life and relationships sober.

This book was incredible! “Definitely Better Now” by Ava Robinson tells the story of a woman in her late 20s navigating her life after accomplishing her first year of sobriety. This story was relatable, heartbreaking, raw, and uncomfortably funny. One year sober, Emma has to now navigate feeling comfortable in her own skin while dating, dealing with her parents, and discovering who she is and who she aspires to be. The insights into AA were extremely interesting and intriguing. I also loved understanding the complexities of her intrusive thoughts and how they impact her poor choices. Overall, this was an emotional and well written story that is highly recommended for anyone who enjoys character development with an emphasis on personal development and complex relationships to alcohol.

This book broke my heart in the most beautiful way and is my favorite book I’ve read so far this year. Following Emma’s journey a year after she gets sober, we follow along as she navigates romance, family, and friendship now in this new world she lives in without alcohol. The author has perfectly described the chaos and confusion and complexity of these issues, and done so while being so respectful. This is a heavy read, you will cry, but you will be grateful you read this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the Advanced Readers Copy of Definitely Better Now by Ava Robinson. I was very pleasantly surprised with the execution of this story, since I went in knowing very little about the subject matter. This is a very heavy book, definitely read the trigger warnings before picking it up. It follows very intimately our main character Emma’s journey to Sobriety from hard drugs and alcohol. I thought it was very authentic and real. I didn’t rate this a 5 star because I felt like the third act conflict between the MC and the love interest added unnecessary stresses to the already extremely heavy plot, and I felt like it would’ve been a better move to make it the readers emotional escape from the heavier subject matter this book carries. Though I understand that it is less of a romance than it is a women’s fiction. Other than that, the topics of grief, loss, sobriety, adulthood, and generational guilt were very much realistic and very well written. I would love to read more of Ava Robinson’s book and I am very thankful for this opportunity.