Definitely Better Now was an unexpected delight for me. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading it a few days ago and quickly fell into the story that Ava Robinson was writing. There was something so easy and effortless about the writing style throughout that made it so bingeable and thought-provoking that even when I wasn't reading, I was thinking about it.

The characters were the shining point of this story for me. Each and every one of them was messy and complicated and felt so very real. I connected with most of them on some level but especially Emma. While I may not relate on the needing to be sober side, I could see myself in her shoes navigating a world in a new way as an adult whose just trying to figure things out. Her story of sobriety, grief, making friends, and navigating the dating scene was so familiar that I couldn't help but feel like I was in the story with her.

The death of Emma's father was definitely the most surprising point of the story for me and the most heartbreaking. Death, especially from sickness, is so complicated. Grief as a whole is unsettling and difficult and so so sad. The way Ava wrote it was beautiful and even a little poetic at times. The way Emma wished for more time to make amends and try to sort out some of the heartbreak she felt from her father over the years was familiar.

AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ABOUT BEN. I love Ben. He was so wonderful and understanding and so good at communicating. We all deserve a Ben in our lives.

All in all, Definitely Better Now was more than I ever expected and I couldn't be happier I decided to pick this one up. I look forward to reading more of Ava Robinson's work in the future.

definitely Better Now by Jessi H. Smith is a raw, honest, and uplifting read that feels like a heart-to-heart with a good friend. Smith opens up about her struggles and growth, showing that healing isn’t a straight path, but every step forward matters. It’s a refreshing reminder to be kinder to ourselves and embrace progress, no matter how small. If you’re looking for a relatable and inspiring book, this one is definitely worth picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc copy!

*copied from my personal/private goodreads review of the book

This books gives you all the feels. It’s about Emma, a young woman who just celebrated her one-year anniversary of sobriety in AA. In the past year, she became sober, got an job in a corporate office, and is one the road to a turnaround. And then, her life is hit with dating, being named to the Christmas party planning committee, and learning that her estranged father is dying of cancer. She is trying to hold her life together and not fall off the wagon, and while reading you are rooting for Emma and telling her that she can do this and other hard things.

This is a funny, romantic, emotional, and sad story of one woman trying to hold her new life together. It’s a great read.

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I had no expectations for what this book would be like. I loved the focus on sobriety, its challenges and its importance. It felt very realistic, and I am sure that readers with a larger personal connection to alcohol and substance issues will have a deeper impact by this book. It was thought provoking in the beginning but became predictable. Overall, an easy read and one that could be great to spark discussion.

Thank you to HTP for the gifted copy.

This is the book for anyone who’s ever pinned their hopes on that one thing—the belief that once I achieve [insert goal here], everything will finally make sense. For Emma, that milestone is the one-year anniversary of her sobriety. But when the day comes and goes, she’s left grappling with the realization that life doesn’t magically transform, and she’s not the flawless human she imagined she’d become.

This is a deeply relatable, somewhat dark, yet ultimately hopeful novel about the journeys we take and how they often end up being more meaningful than any specific destination. I read this at the exact right moment in time, and I just loved it.

4.5/5

This was a romcom with enough depth to make it feel like a slightly more serious book than many in the genre. Of course, true to the genre, there was a lot of humour and a modicum of spice. It follows Emma, who has just completed a year of sobriety and is ready to move on with her life. She soon realizes that even sober, life can be hard. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital advance reading copy. I really enjoyed it, as it was light but did not feel like fluff. 4/5 stars

4 stars-This book hit a lot of different notes for me, but it is definitely heavier than your average rom-com. Emma is a year sober, and has been living through the AA program. She has not been able to date, and frankly has no idea what it is like to date anyone (or have sex) sober. Her friends make her a Darin profile and an awkward exchange begins with a co-worker in another department…but it’s Ben who she really likes. As Emma navigates her way through her relationship with Ben, her dad also comes back into her life. His own struggle with alcohol has made her choose sobriety so that she can be as little like him as possible. The tenderness with which the author handled Emma and her dad’s relationship brought tears to my eyes. It was so human, and hard. I particularly enjoyed the last moment between her dad and the cat, Houdini. Overall, this was something more than I expected (in a good way.) I will definitely be looking for this author in the future. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

It’s been awhile since I’ve done one of these - here are five things I loved about this 5 star read:

1) The choice to start “halfway” through the MCs healing journey was spot on. I love how it captures the process - that we are always changing and always improving and that it isn’t on any set schedule. It also set up an interesting dichotomy in her when she kept trying to convince herself she was “fixed” while clearly knowing that wasn’t true.

2) The realistic love interest/love story. While it was definitely a romance, that part of the plot was more of a side topic than the focus, and was handled in a way that felt wholly real.

3) You know I love me a book about grief. This book got HEAVY, but the writing about loss of all types was incredibly poignant.

4) Despite dealing with some intense topics, this was also really lighthearted and fun at points, mostly due to how great the writing was. It kept it from becoming too depressing and made it a lot more relatable.

5) In addition to the romantic relationships, I found the connections between all the characters to be complex and moving. I love it when a book’s side characters have true personality!

All in all, a home run! Thank you to Mira and Netgalley for this ARC. Definitely Better Now is out now!

The perfect novel to end out my years reading on. This was funny and heartbreaking and -hopeful-. And I love Ben. I want to put him in my pocket and carry him around with me.

Well, this book was a wild ride!

I am not sure what I expected from this book, but it had a little bit of everything from romance to family drama and grief, and about everything in between. I enjoyed the diversity of plot points we got with this book, but I do think the book could have been stronger all around if it picked maybe 2 major plot lines vs. the 4 it had.

Overall, I do recommend this book, but I would like to warn anyone that wants to read this that this book does contain some fairly heavy themes including alcoholism and a terminally sick parent.

This was such a delightful read!

Definitely Better Now is the story of Emma, 26-year old New Yorker and recovering alcoholic. The book opens with her 1-year sobriety anniversary, a milestone for members of AA who are then allowed more independence and privileges, including the option to date. (AA has some cult-y sh*t happening, which becomes more apparent over the course of the book.) We follow Emma as she starts dating again, navigates the challenges of workplace harassment, and copes with the loss of her father.

This definitely qualifies as a romance, or "women's fiction" (somewhat derogatory term meaning there's a major romance plot with other emotional themes). I appreciated that the conflicts and misunderstandings in the book were short-lived. (Upside, it reduces the tension; downside, it reduces the tension.) I also appreciate that there was no alcoholic relapse for Emma, despite the challenges she went through. Even though the themes veered darker over the course of the book, the book itself wasn't too heavy.

Emma has reached a year of sobriety and feels like now things can really start for her-including dating as she hasn’t dated her first year of sobriety. This book navigates Emma’s struggles and challenges in her new sober life. I found it to be a great read. I always go into books blind and I didn’t know what to expect but it exceeds all expectations.

In Definitely Better Now, Ava Robinson offers an intimate look into the ups and downs of navigating life’s complexities. With raw honesty and heartfelt storytelling, Ava shares the struggles and triumphs of overcoming self-doubt, heartbreak, and uncertainty.

This is more than just a memoir—it’s a mirror for anyone who’s ever faced life’s challenges and questioned their own resilience. Ava’s journey is filled with moments of vulnerability, strength, and quiet hope that are deeply relatable on many levels.

Through emotional highs and lows, Definitely Better Now is a celebration of growth, healing, and the simple truth that sometimes just being “better” is enough. This book speaks to anyone who’s ever felt lost and reminds us all that we’re never alone in the journey.

#thankyounetgalley

DEFINITELY BETTER NOW by Ava Robinson follows 26-year-old Emma, a recovering alcoholic living in New York who is celebrating one year of sobriety. She’s a character that you can’t help but root for. She’s real, relatable, genuine, witty, and super funny. The reader comes along for the ride as Emma navigates work, family, friendship, and even a romantic relationship as a sober individual. By the end of the novel, she felt like a close friend, and I appreciated the opportunity to tag along on her sobriety journey.

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:

- Family drama and dynamics
- Father/daughter relationships
- Sobriety success stories
- Reflections on alcoholism
- Workplace romance
- Office holiday parties
- Character-driven novels
- New York setting

With Emma’s personal hardships and the somewhat triggering subject matter, one may call this a heavy read. However, Robinson uses humor, grace, and a touch of romance to lighten the mood, so to speak. She blends dark and light moments to create a satisfyingly balanced contemporary fiction novel. I highly recommend the audiobook as one of my very favorites, Karissa Vacker narrates, and does a phenomenal job doing so—as per usual. Overall, I thought that this was a super solid debut, and I’m excited to read more from Robinson in the future. 4/5 stars for DEFINITELY BETTER NOW!

Thank you for sending me an advance copy of this book, NetGalley! I appreciated Emma's journey and challenges as she rediscovered herself and started afresh. The novel is well-written and the main character is quite relatable. I must admit, however, that while I enjoyed Emma's story, I felt it to be plodding and predictable at times. Aside from that, I believe this was a very emotional and introspective book that I would recommend. Please do look up content warnings as it tacles themes of mental health, substance use disorder, past trauma, etc.

Emma is officially one year sober, and ready to start a new life. Since she's completed her first year sober, she's now able to date, and looking forward to seeing what the future holds. Emma is 26 years old, and truly trying hard to figure out how to live her new sober life, while also dealing with many mixed emotions. This book deals with self discovery, second chances, finding yourself, as well as forgiveness. There's friendship, family relationships, as well as dating, and a mid 20 something year old woman trying to figure out who she is, and find herself in this world where she no longer is relying on drugs and alcohol.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and seeing Emma's character evolve throughout it. It was heartbreaking, as well as heartwarming, and though dealing with sensitive topics, was very well written.

Emma is celebrating one year of sobriety and her new life is officially about to begin. Everything will be better now that she hit this major milestone, right? Maybe not. As Emma completes her first full year of sobriety, she realizes that rejoining the world isn't exactly as easy as she had thought and hoped, especially coupled with her mom moving in with her new boyfriend and her dad looking to come back into her life in a new and meaningful way.

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut! While some parts of the book were slower, I was still engaged with learning about the adventures and struggles of Emma's day-to-day life. While the description focuses heavily on the romance, I would argue that this is more so women's fiction and the romance is simply a subplot. Despite not being exactly what I thought it would be, I think keeping the romance as a subplot was a great decision.

Ava masterfully provides insight into AA and how sobriety and recovery looks different for different people. Learning about how different AA meetings and organizations run, along with watching how Emma approached sobriety in contrast to her Dad's futile attempts was my favorite aspect of the book. Having had various friends and family that have alcoholism, I appreciated the insights the novel gave to a difficult topic. Despite not directly relating to Ava in many aspects, I found her easy to like, root for and identify with.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and Harlequin Audio for an ALC and eARC of this debut in exchange for my honest thoughts.

It wasn’t the best self discovery I’ve read, but something about it made it feel real. Emma is real. A woman who realized she was an alcoholic and got help to get sober. Now sober Emma is figuring out life and love. It’s messy. It’s emotional. And it’s relatable.

thank you netgalley for the e-arc. this book was okay, i felt it started off very slow and predictable. oh no, she's newly sober and a relationship would throw a wrench into things. *yawn* i only kept reading because i liked the author's voice and writing style.

This was a lot of fun and I had a great time. I absolutely think people should check this out (and even look out for it as their book of the month pick!) such a relatable and fun story!