Loved the MC so much, found her so relatable and likable through out everything. She’s felt so fully formed too, like you understood he struggles and rooted for her the whole time. Sprinkle in some romance too just made it even more fun to read, even though this book is so deeply emotional! So to me it was perfection! One of my top reads of the year!

I really loved this book. So often you see the "epiphany" stories, where someone hits bottom and it's about their decision to better themselves, but that doesn't always include the "after." It was so refreshing to see someone work through the rest of their lives and realize that maybe fixing this one thing wouldn't actually fix everything else. I thought it was a beautiful story. At one point the MC comments that everyone has a moment where they realize their parents are just people, but she's always known. I think sometimes we forget that other people are people, too.

I have noticed one trend in books recently that I don't love, and it's an abrupt ending. We're getting somewhere, things are being resolved, and then it just... ends. I love an epilogue as much as the next person, but I think we might be relying on them too much to actually wrap up the story. Anyway, that's my only problem with this book and other people may not agree, so definitely read it.

I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the character development of Emma and how the book was set up. This book was heavy with real world issues of fighting and breaking the cycle of sobriety. It was written like it actually happened to her because honestly most of this book I could see happening to a person and wouldn’t bat an eye. It was so raw to read how someone could be bettering themselves but not even full be what they believe themselves to be. A very good read overall.

This story follows Emma who is one year sober while also navigating her family, work, and her romantic life as someone newly sober (which comes with a whole new set of challenges). I enjoyed that this book featured real struggles even though they are struggles I do not deal with myself and the romance plot was not the main focus. This book has a little bit of everything and although it was a bit of a slow start, once I got going it flew by! This book was so interesting and authentic and I found myself so attached to Emma by the end of the story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emma is officially one year sober, ready to start a new, fresh life. She considers finding love, and even reluctantly agrees to join her office’s committee for party planning. But she eventually finds that life’s disasters won’t disappear once sober. When her estranged father returns with devastating news and her mother moves out to live with a new boyfriend, Emma must learn how to navigate her imperfect sober life. Ben, the cute IT guy, just may be the silver lining during an otherwise chaotic time.
.This book was also much more emotional than I anticipated—I went in thinking it was going to be a fluffy/smutty rom-com, and instead was met with a story about grief and sobriety. It was a pleasant surprise, but I did find myself needing to take my time with this one! The beginning moved a little slowly, but the last quarter of the book really made it up for me. I don’t want to give away too much before this book releases in December, but you will need to have your tissues ready!

As the child of an addict, this fictionalized story really spoke to me about the pains of generational addictions and the nuances of self-improvement amidst turmoil. The plot did a stunning job of showing how you can take responsibility for your own life despite the choices of those around you. Went in expecting a quirky contemporary romance, left with a new perspective. 5/5

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC.

"There was a little office in Manhattan, doing work that wasn't particularly important or groundbreaking but could occasionally be fun, waiting for me to come home to it."

I wish there could be required reading for twenty-somethings because this would make my list. I am not an alcoholic, but I felt so SEEN by Emma and by Ava Robinson's writing. This debut poignantly described the trials of becoming sober, of finding your footing, of mental health crises. I love a good coming-of-age when it's an adult, learning that she doesn't know everything. I feel like this generation is used to quick fixes and fleeting feelings, but that's not what adulthood is. Emma learns how to be grown-up, and I am glad I got to learn a lot with her. The narration was flawless, with good touches of humor and a whole lot of gravity. I would be remiss if I didn't include Ben: readers should not go into this story expecting it to be a full-fledged romance, but the romantic elements had a lot of heart to them. Ben was a perfect book boyfriend, but what makes this book extraordinary was Emma herself.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ava Robinson, MIRA, and Harlequin for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. I could definitely see myself purchasing a physical copy of this.

3.5/5 rounded up!

Definitely Better Now follows our main character, Emma, as she navigates her sobriety on top of family, work, and romantic struggles.
I did quite enjoy this book. It featured realistic characters and conflicts, as well as had a romantic subplot that wasn't front and center, allowing the main character to navigate her life without a constant reliance on romance. The story kept my attention until the end, but I waited on a final review because it wasn't the most memorable.

I am not a recovering alcoholic, and I’ve never been to an AA meeting, but this was so interesting. The view of alcoholism through the lens of someone newly sober, trying relationships on for the first time, navigating a workplace without messing it up…this book has a little bit of everything. I really enjoyed reading this one and even though the first 35% kind of dragged on, once I started reading in earnest it flew by. Lovely for most anyone, and although it’s a romance, the spice level is nice and mellow.

I've never read a book with POV of a recovering alcoholic and for it to be of someone so young like Emma I felt it added a unique aspect to it. I really enjoyed this book and was rooting for Emma throughout her journey into getting back into a more a social lifestyle after celebrating her one year of sobriety. I thought this was beautifully written and a very honest representation of addiction and alcoholism. I highly recommend giving this a read!

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing & Netgalley for the ARC!
Pub date: December 30,2024.

The book opens with Emma who is just about to reach a year of sobriety. With a full of year of sobriety comes a lot of new responsibility, and as Emma emerges back onto the dating scene, she's finding it to be a lot more difficult to navigate sober.

Wow, I really enjoyed "Definitely Better Now," I think Robinson was able to craft such an engaging, page turning story with a complex protagonist that can be hard to do with a story such as this. Sometimes the "coming of age" in your twenties or thirties novels can lack a vigor that makes you want to keep reading and engaging with the story. They can be bland where the day to day is not made interesting by the author, however Robinson is able to make Emma's day to day so compelling. You just want to follow Emma's every step as she navigates day by day what it's like to be a year sober all the while figuring out dating, work and coming to terms with a dying parent who you inherited your addiction from.

What a debut! I have never read a book told from the POV of a recovering alcoholic before but I was surprised at how interesting and authentic it was. Emma was an easy heroine to like. She was so real and vulnerable in her quest to take back her life and really begin living again post alcoholism and after one year of sobriety. But trying to take her life back isn't as easy as it seems and quitting alcohol doesn't magically solve every single one of her problems like she thinks it will.

Despite having absolutely nothing in common with Emma, I still felt so attached to her in this journey and every single on of her thoughts and introspections felt so relatable. And as Emma navigates new friendships, a budding office romance with adorably awkward Ben from the IT department, and the return of her alcoholic father, you can't help but root for her. Though this book felt heavy at times with themes of grief and past childhood trauma, it felt balanced with the fun and lighthearted moments as well as subtle humor. This story felt so complex, human, and absolutely personal. It was an emotional rollercoaster that I did not want to get off and such a solid first book. I will gladly read more from Ava in the future.

4.5/5 ⭐

I enjoy a coming-of-age story and this one delivered on its premise! Really enjoyed and know this will be a fave this year.

Thank you, Netgalley for the opportunity to review this title. It was nice to read a Novel about a woman who changed her life for the better, and although she may have had moments of self sabotage, the author knew to keep her head screwed on straight (somewhat) to pick herself back up, be there for those who needed her, get her shit together, and keep moving forward. I really enjoyed Emma 's character and Ben seems swoonworthy enough 😋

This is kind of a romcom but more than that. Emma has just celebrated one year of being sober. This book tells a bit about her story. Her drinking years, her complicated family, and her trying to function responsibly in the world as she hides her past. It is very honest and really a lovely read as you want to cheer Emma along as she stumbles through life sober and figures out what she wants.

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

This is a delightful story.. it’s a life affirming story set in New York - in the City and also in the mountains. We find ourselves
with Emma as she celebrates a year of sobriety. We follow her as she begins to navigate her life basically learning how to
interact with her co-workers, her family and, to her surprise, a man! A co-worker, actually. She’s 26, without a date during
her first year of sobriety. When she runs into Ben the story is really well written. The evolution of their fledgling relationship
is so perfect. I look forward to the next installment by this debut Auth0r..
My thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing via NetGalley for the download of the book for review purposes.

It's the realism for me. Of course a book like this is going to be character based, which is my jam, and the lead is done so well. All of the characters feel real, but being in her head feels honest. Beautifully done, Ava; thank you for sharing.

This was a very emotional read and I was rooting for the main character the entire time. It gets very heavy at times and I felt even though my life is different, I could really relate to this book. It was very well written and i definitely recommend.

4-4.5 rounding up bc… Very strong debut. I finished the book in 2 days. The ending and Epilogue were perfection. So satisfying, left me with a smile on my face.

At first I thought this would be around a 3 star read, and then when I got past 180 pages I realized that there was more complexity to the story (which I appreciated). From there, I was invested in where the story was going to go and the pace remained steady with the developments that came with Emma’s story. So, I highly recommend to keep going right to the end with this book!

I was first interested in the book based off the striking colour combo featured on the cover and the fact that the main character’s name is the same as mine (Emma). I’m a “go-in-blind” reader so I was pleasantly surprised with the romance that came out of this book. For me, I mostly enjoy romance that can simulate real life, where I can envision the scenes as something believable. This was that 100%. It felt so genuine and gave first-love vibes. All the scenes the FMC & MMC had were so sweet and gave a sense of innocence, it was refreshing to read a romance like this - it was very swoon worthy! I’ve already recommended some friends to read this book based off of this fictional book relationship, it was a special one. I liked their deep convos and quirky moments.

I have a Ben-type of life partner so I think that added to my enjoyment. Plus Emma’s overthinking/second guessing at times I could relate to.

I thought the depiction of Emma was fitting for someone who is in recovery AA. I thought her character traits coincided with someone who is trying to find themselves, in trying all of life’s events as a sober individual and trying to find inner peace and confidence in oneself.

Chapter 21 hit hard!

I enjoyed the side characters.

I will say I thought the Mitchell character could’ve been edited out. I was a bit frustrated with those scenes and wanting to skip over them. I felt it didn’t add anything to the story, or to Emma’s character development. I couldn’t put believability into that character, it played off too stupid-rich-bro to the point that it didn’t seem authentic to me, whereas all the other characters in the story I could believe in as real people. I didn’t get why Emma kept entertaining when clearly she hated him from the get-go, so all the interactions that followed didn’t make sense to me. Maybe if these scenes were written differently I would’ve been interested in this aspect of the story more. I understand it got a touch-her-and-die type of moment but I felt the Mitchell stuff could’ve been played out differently and for that defend-her vibe be played up better.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing (MIRA) & Netgalley for an eARC!

Publication currently says Dec 30, 2024!

This was a good book. Emma’s journey was very touching. I’ve never read about a recovering alcoholic and this was well written. It did start of slow and didn’t really give rom com vibes.