A fun sweet read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

I think this is a good book. The alcoholic approach to a storyline is a different one, but I feel like there were a lot of secrets kept from the reader. The characters didn't really flesh out as much as I would have liked, but it was a good story.

We open to Emma, 26, New York native, and about to celebrate her one year sobriety anniversary. The past year has been wildly different. No dating. New career. Limited social interactions. Tenuous. Shaky. Emma is ready to have the one year stigma behind her and begin to live again.

But, what does that look like? Work Emma isn't Real Emma. Without numbing out, emotions are big, real. Wasn't everything supposed to be easy after she reached this anniversary.

This is a biting, deeply poignant, and darkly humorous look at the politics and cultlike status of AA, the prominent role booze plays in all social interactions, and the reality that life is hard both with and without alcohol. I had never read a novel through the POV of someone newly sober. It was wildly refreshing and. definitely gave this reader some nuggets to digest.

I adored this debut novel. I think you will as well. Thank you NetGalley and MIRA for a copy of this book. Definitely Better Now debuts on Dec 31, 2024--just in time for Dry January. But, this reader thinks Dry June and July may follow this read.

I really enjoyed this read. It took me a while to get through but that’s partly because I’ve been so busy lately. This book had some heavier themes to it but I liked Emma and the growth she had throughout the book. I also enjoyed reading about Emma and Ben’s relationship as well. Overall a good read.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and the author for the ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This book will be available December 2024.

(Copied my review over from Goodreads)

Dnf at 35%. This book wasn’t by any means bad or awful. I just don’t think I was the target audience and it was really difficult to push myself through it at the moment. The writing was good and I think the main character was relatable. I wasn’t really feeling the romance between the two main characters which I think is contributing to me not being motivated to continue. If you relate to any of the stories themes (addiction, family dynamics, etc) I can see others really enjoying this!

4.5⭐️

Quick intro:
Emma has been sober for one year and is looking forward to reentering normal life, but she’ll quickly find that quitting drinking didn’t solve all of her issues and there’s still so much to learn.

Quick thoughts:
This was an extremely impressive and heartfelt debut. This is one of those books that feels entirely realistic when you’re reading it. Emma just feels like a real person. I loved being in her mind - her POV was honest, refreshing, relatable, and raw. My heart just cracked open for her and her journey as a recovering alcoholic. She was the kind of FMC that I couldn’t help but fall in love with and grow overly protective of. I wanted to cushion her fall after every misstep along the way.

We follow Emma as she navigates new friendships, romance, office drama, family issues, the struggles of her own sobriety, and her quest for self-acceptance. I particularly loved the romance aspect of the story and how real it felt. Additionally, the first person POV peek into her struggles with sobriety was just so engaging and genuine.

Read this book if you like heartfelt and inspiring reads, realistic stories, first person POV, debut novels, and books set in New York.

I found myself wanting more at the end. More story. More epilogue. And I was so sad there wasn’t an author’s note - I’m hoping that’s just due to the early copy. I’m eager to learn what inspired the author to write this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Quick details:
Debut novel - Contemporary Fiction
🔥🔥 One-ish open door scene that wasn’t overly descriptive
PUB Date: December 31, 2024

Robinson does such a lovely job of telling the story of life, one year sober in Definitely Better Now. Sobriety is handled with rawness, honesty, and yet gentleness as well. I was pleasantly surprised by all the topics the author was able to tackle within the pages: romantic love, friendship, difficult parental relationships. Highly recommend this book!

I wasn’t anticipating this book to be as heavy topic wise as it was, i will say I learned A LOT about AA (not in a bad way just wasn’t expecting to) but I appreciated that we got different viewpoints in regards to alcoholism and the steps, depending upon the group and what their goals were. If you’re looking for a HEAVY romance subplot this maybe isn’t the book for you, it’s in there but the book primarily is focused around emma, her recovery, and her familial relationships. I appreciated how real emma felt as a character, I found myself uneasy when I could sense a plot point coming that would hurt her, and found myself saying “nooo” when she was about to do/ say something I wish she wouldn’t. rebuilding your life ‘in a sense’ is messy and I appreciated the awkward encounters that ensued because of it, it made her feel more human and raw, and made me want to root for her. I enjoyed this !

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy !

This was such a good book to show how someone overcomes an alcohol addiction. I loved watching her journey and character development throughout the story. Not going to lie, Ben was amazing and perfect. He's definitely an amazing book Boyfriend! This also has topics on strained family relationships, losing a parent to cancer and grief. It is such a beautifully written book. I giggled several times. But I also deeply cried once. It's such a touching story with deep meanings! I hope to read many more from this author!

I received this book from NetGalley and MIRA to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

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.