Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for making this available to "Read Now" on NetGalley.

Since the beginning of the year, I have searched for a story like this. I read other trending novels depicting some of the same issues featured in this story, and all felt short. Definitely Better Now hit the spot! From the first page, I instantly loved the writing style and felt drawn to the character. I loved being inside Emma's head. She's a complex character, and there are many layers to her personality and life.

With each chapter, you uncover more about Emma's life, her wishes for the future, her dark past, and the complicated state of her life. Emma's self-doubt and self-sabotage can sometimes be frustrating, but I never stopped liking her. There's a wide range of characters, some whom you will absolutely love and others whom you will definitely hate. The romance gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling; I enjoyed every minute of it. This story will spark all sorts of emotions in you.

The themes surrounding alcoholism show a side of recovery that maybe most people ignore. Emma was very confident in her decision to stay sober, but her first year revolved around AA, and she lost a sense of reality in the comfort of her support group. Other themes portrayed are the isolation of recovery, dating while in recovery, damage done by alcoholism, lost friendships, and life with an alcoholic parent. Despite the story being centered on a very specific struggle, everyone can connect with the main character. Ava Robinson gives the reader a story to invest in.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC!

Definitely Better Now centers around Emma, celebrating her one-year of sobriety and navigating her romantic life amidst a backdrop of family relationships and re-finding herself and who she is. This was such a tender book, with probably one of the realest characters I've ever read-- the amount of detail included about AA, sponsorships, but also about how Emma dealt with and moved through life and her family relationships? It all felt so much like a real person with a real voice. This was just such a compassionate love story about a young woman who is re-emerging from her battle.

I did unfortunately DNF this book - not due to any writing issues or plot, but primarily because I just wasn't in the right headspace for it and couldn't get into it enough to stick with it for its entirety. Sometimes when I read romance books, I want fluff and giggles, and other times, I want a realistic, fleshed out, thoughtful romance. This is the latter. There is just so much time spent on Emma as a character study, and less so on the plot, and I, in the midst of a heavy studying period, was primarily looking for a fast entertainment fix. I think this book is absolutely still worthwhile to dedicate time to, especially for a thoughtful portrayal of sobriety!

This is such an amazing debut! I was really intrigued by the premise, as I've never read a book from the POV of a recovering alcoholic, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Emma is celebrating a year of sobriety, which means she's essentially ready to take off the 'training wheels' and start living her life again- including stepping back into the dating pool. As she starts to build her new life- navigating new friendships, an office romance, and family issues- it becomes clear that giving up alcohol is not going to solve ALL of her problems. This had a coming of age feel to it that I really enjoyed- and Emma was such a relatable character despite having almost nothing in common with her. I really enjoyed the subtle humor and awkwardness, particularly in the office scenes. The romance between Emma and Ben was really sweet and I just loved Ben's character in general. There is some heavier subject matter, particularly the last third of the book as she is losing her father, so that may be tough for some readers who are sensitive to this topic. I will say at times I was a bit confused by lack of dialogue tags- particularly in the texting/IM-ing scenes (which there was quite a lot of)- I think it would flow much better if these were cleaned up a bit. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and found the writing to be very impressive for a debut author. I look forward to reading more from Ava Robinson!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book had me feeling all the feelings. I loved the main character, Emma. I found her to be so relatable as a woman navigating the world. I find so many books have leading ladies that say and fo things totally out of the realm of real life - this felt so realistic.. I laughed and cried and would recommend this book to everyone, especially post college, young adults.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for proving a free copy, in exchange for my honest review.

I just reviewed Definitely Better Now by Ava Robinson. #DefinitelyBetterNow #NetGalley

This might be one of the top books I’ve read in 2024 so far.. this was not a memoir but read so well with the complexities of addiction and recovery. Emma was a likable main character, navigating life after having a year sober. All of the things I love about fiction stories - including some romcom perspectives - were within this one, and I couldn’t read it fast enough. The emotions were real and raw, and I loved reading Emma’s journey into her growth. I have to admit - this one definitely made me laugh (witty banter), cringe (creeps, pressure from others to drink) and cry. Will definitely check out more from this author.

I have a strong disdains for leads that fabricate their own issues within the perils of affluence. It was hard for me to be sympathetic and relate to the lead. I honestly felt like she could have been more interesting but idk how to explain it but it feels the author is too limited in her personal life experiences to actually understand the alcoholic mindset and what they are actually like in real life. It feels voyeuristic at best and disconnected at worse. I wish more addiction research was done in this book because the narrative is very judgmental to addiction which i do not like.

I seriously enjoyed this story, and it couldnt have come at a better time for me personally. Emma is fresh from her first year of sobriety, and we see her navigating her life as “Sober Emma.” She is building new friendships, examining old ones, and dipping her toes back into the dating pool. Enter Ben, a work colleague who is just so sweet to her. But along the way, Emma also deals with mending her relationship with her alcoholic father, only to discover her has cancer.

Two main reasons this resonated with me: I too have had to grapple with my consumption of alcohol lately, but I also lost my father to cancer just 4 months ago. So there were so many parts of this where I was seeing myself in this character and her journey. It was funny and cute but also poignant and clever. I’m so grateful for this eARC. Thanks to NetGalley and Mira Books for the chance to read it!

I spent the last three evenings reading Definitely Better Now and I really enjoyed my time with it! Emma is a recently sober alcoholic (one year into AA) trying to navigate life without alcohol. While I can’t relate to her alcoholism, I found Emma immediately likable and related to her trying to control what she thinks life would be and getting frustrated when it isn’t that simple.

The only real complaint I have about the book is that the voice shifts a bit from casual to more flowy prose, particularly during the more emotional scenes in the book. The prose is beautiful, especially in a moment where Emma is reflecting on the greenery while in upstate New York, but it isn’t consistent.

There are some funny parts, like when she spends a lot of time telling the reader how much she hates big groups and socializing, only to be voluntold for a planning committee at work. The introduction and buildup to the relationship with Emma’s coworker was cute, rolling a few different romance tropes into one.

I really liked the details about Emma attending the different AA meetings. It’s a great example of showing that people need options and that the same formula doesn’t work for every person. My favorite scenes involved Emma’s work crew. There’s a range of them, from a serious, supportive manager, to a pseudo-supportive HR rep, to a budding friend that is there for Emma during hard times. The dialogue is great and made me laugh several times.

Overall, I would give this book 4/5 ⭐️. I wish the author success for her debut novel and will keep my eye out for any future books from her!

I loved this! Emma is such an endearing and compelling character and I was immediately invested in her wellbeing and success. She is a 26-year-old marketing assistant in New York celebrating one year of sobriety. No one at work knows since Emma tries very hard to be work Emma while in the office, leaving her personal life aside. That starts to change when she realizes it is important to make connections and put herself out there (and when she meets Ben, who seems to like her, just as she is).

As much as this is a story of Emma’s sobriety and personal growth, it is also a love story. The relationship between Emma and Ben captivated me - their awkward banter was amazing. Ben is a darling and his support of Emma was touching. Emma’s earnest personality and dry sense of humor add levity to the heavy topics covered. This is one of my favorite reads of the year - highly recommended!

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy of this wonderful debut.

I adored this book. Emma's character was so likeable and real, I was rooting for her the entire time. I loved watching her learn how to have real and sober relationships with people and I admired her strength. The writing was solid and I thought the conversation around AA and how Emma used the program was insightful.

As someone who has/had friends and family with addiction issues, this book gave me insight into their battle and was also a reminder that compassion for others is so important.

I will be recommending and buying this book when it is published.

Thankful for this ARC from NetGalley!

Thank you, NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and the author for the chance to read, rate, and review.

I loved Emma's story! Life is messy. Life is probably even messier in early sobriety when you are re-learning to do everything you have spent years doing with altered brain chemistry. One year into her sobriety, young Emma is working a mid-level corporate job and trying to navigate sober human relationships. Her crush on Ben, the head of IT, at her office feels awkward and she is unsure how to act. In addition, her tortured relationship with an alcoholic father isn't making anything any easier for her. Emma is far from a perfect person and the way she handles some of the situations she finds herself in really shows her flaws. Overall I was rooting for Emma and I was COMPLETELY in love with Ben.. Everyone should have a Ben.

This was an ARC of an eBook from NetGalley, and the formatting was really really terrible, which made reading it a bit of a challenge for me. Occasionally I had to go back and re-read because it seemed like what I read didn't make sense, but it was all formatting issues that I know will be resolved prior to publication.

This *might* be my favorite story of the year so far. I will definitely be buying a copy when this is released!

Expected publication: December 31, 2024.

I started reading this novel before bed and I stayed up until 3am to finish it. I was so invested in all of the characters, especially Emma, that I needed to see it through before I could sleep!

Also, I’ve never wanted to watch a documentary about baseball so bad????

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC!

I absolutely adored this book!! It was so touching and heartfelt. Emma’s journey was darkly funny and so unbelievably human. Emma’s journey through sobriety was so real and raw and at times deeply amusing. I loved the journey of Emma and her Dad coming to terms with their fractured relationship. This was all in all a 10/10 read. This will be a best seller!

3.5 stars. I loved the sober aspect of the main character and details of her life in the midst of celebrating her one year of sobriety including the struggles of situations and the reframing of aspects of life. I was rooting for her throughout the entire book. It did feel a bit slow at times, but overall I enjoyed it.

Definitely Better Now started out as a book I knew would just give me "all the feels". It's cute, it's funny, it's entertaining. From the notes falling in the office, to the first meeting with Ben, I was hooked. I like to keep my reviews simple, so nothing is spoiled, so let me just say I definitely recommend and I hope to get a physical copy for my shelf as well!

loved this romance about emma and being sober for year. she has some ups and downs with finding her way with friendships and dating ben. She deals with family issues and with coming to terms with death. She realizes that she is trying with Ben and figuring out what she wants. Its a tough year for her. she realizes that she needs to make some changes.

This book was SO GOOD! There is something so real about Emma, where even though I had hardly anything in common with her, I felt like I could relate to her fully. There were so many beautiful truths about life, family, and just social interaction that make this book so enjoyable, fun, and poignant to read!

Emma has reached the impressive milestone of 365 days of sobriety by talking to her sponsor daily, following all the steps to recovery, making amends and attending many, many meetings. She goes to work, goes to meetings, and does little else except wallow in shame at her embarrassing past. She also hasn't dated at all during the past year, and really has never had a steady boyfriend. When she goes out for drinks, only fizzy water for her, she finally admits to a couple of coworkers that she is one year sober. During that "happy hour", they set up a dating profile which immediately starts attracting interest. Meanwhile, she meets the IT Director when he comes to her workstation to fix her computer, and there is an undeniable something between them.

The first half of the novel goes by really slowly, with an excruciating, often boring recollection of Emma's past, the meetings, the conversations in her head, the conversations with her mom, the freighted relationship with her dad, etc. It does finally start to pick up, and I felt fully engaged in her story by the final third of the novel. It was worth the wait to find how she faces the challenges of crafting the rest of her life without the ruinous effects of alcohol.

I really enjoyed this one. Emma, a recovering alcoholic living in New York, is such an immediately sympathetic MC that has such a tenuous grasp on her sobriety that you can’t help but root for her. Robinson has such a deft hand in exploring really complex, nuanced situations that feel so intricate and personal that it’s hard to believe this is a debut. I loved the world that Emma was in, the little instances of humanity related and unrelated to her sobriety and love the way we as readers can see how she slowly opens up. My only qualm, if it could be called that, was how quickly she was head over heels for Ben the main love interest. He is smart, funny, and so unlike a book boyfriend in that he’s awkward! I adored that! Everything about their relationship (and perfectly avoiding the dumb third act breakup while still creating some understandable tension) was just as easy to root for that had it not been for the lightning beginning, I wouldn’t have thought twice about it. As it was, Ben and Emma’s slow courtship was fun to read though I’ll admit that once they started dating, I would’ve liked to have seen more of that chemistry and banter on the page.

Nevertheless, I’d definitely round this up more as a 4.5, a lovely debut that will have me looking for more of Robinson’s work in the future.

Engaging, relatable, and relevant. A recommended purchase for collections where women's fiction is popular.