This was such a funny and heartfelt debut!

Emma is celebrating one year of sobriety and it’s time to take the training wheels off and start living a normal life. Except aren’t things supposed to be easier now?

Navigating her sobriety while nursing a new crush, a forced position on the Fun Team responsible for planning her company’s holiday party, and a challenging relationship with her estranged father is A LOT. Emma has to learn to trust and believe in herself. Luckily she has a lot of support.

This realistic portrayal of Emma’s addiction draws readers in, allowing them to empathize with Emma's journey of acceptance and growth. It's an inspiring read that resonates deeply. I loved the romance at the heart of the story and the nuanced characters of Emma and Ben.

The story was well-written and well-paced and I devoured it in just a few days. This was an amazing debut and I look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to @netgalley and @harlequintradepublishing for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

3.5-4 ⭐️
This book was a heavy read. The way it provided insight into AA meetings and a person battling alcoholism alongside other personal struggles was truly impactful. It showed how life can change if effort is put in, emphasizing that tomorrow is not promised and reminding us to love our loved ones while they’re here and cherish each day.

The book also highlighted that no one has to face their struggles alone. It conveyed the importance of empathy, teaching that we may never know what someone else is going through, so we should never judge a book by its cover.

This story definitely made me reflect deeply, so I took my time with it. I loved how it portrayed the process of dealing with grief and how it showed Emma learning to trust again. I also appreciated seeing Emma reconnect with her father, which brought her journey full circle. It beautifully illustrated how she became the person she is, learning to speak up for herself and finding strength to stay sober despite her life’s challenges.

Additionally, the romance in the story added another layer of depth. I loved how Ben supported Emma and how their relationship grew, even when they had to take time apart.

Overall, this was a fantastic debut novel.

Okay. Here’s the deal. It was good. Just good. Before starting, I had no idea what to expect. Maybe some hard-hitting literary fiction about a woman going through sobriety. Hopefully a main character who I can empathize with and root for. Sadly, I didn’t feel that connection to the main character, Emma.

Definitely Better Now hits some heavy topics but does so in a “slice of life” way that I found myself being taken away from the original story. Do I think someone would enjoy this? Yes. Would I read it again? No.

Know that this is not the rom com the cover might suggest but that it's a terrific read about a woman who has just completed a year of sobriety and is starting over. Emma is 26 and she's got a new life, a new job, and a new outlook on life. Ben, the chief of IT who comes to fix her computer sparks something she hasn't felt before but that's not the point of this journey. She's got to navigate toxic harassment (and you'd think she'd stand up for herself with management earlier). She's learning to make friends. Her mom's life is changing. And then there's her dad who is also an alcoholic. This has thoughtful and helpful insight into AA and to the life of someone working the steps. And it was so much more than I expected. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A terrific relatable character and great storytelling make this an excellent read.

loved this one sm i got it for botm ;) this story of sobriety was told with such heart, authenticity, and humor. i was hooked from the first page and robinson truly has a knack for making the most everyday moments seem spectacular in the emotional sense. this is an oddly emotional topic for me, and she handled it with such care i couldnt help but root for our fmc to find peace in her journey. beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!!!

What a beutifully written novel. The cover is *chef's kiss* and I had the hardest time putting the book down. I was so invested into the FMC that I felt like I kind of new her by the end of it. Wow. Who knew books about 26 year olds could be so good?

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for my honest review.

This debut is a bittersweet and witty look at sobriety, love, and family chaos. Emma’s struggles with navigating dating, her estranged father, and holiday stresses were raw and relatable, and the writing style made her journey feel authentic. Also, the budding romance with Ben added warmth to the storyline. A heartfelt and charming read for sure!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review is currently posted at the links provided below. A Pub Day post or story (& repost of review) will be published on Instagram on Dec. 17!

Heavy topic but great book. I cannot say that I know much about alcoholism, but this book helped me walk through some of the struggles that go with being in recovery. This is a debut novel for Ava, and it was worth reading! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was so much more than a romance. It was so literary and wonderfully done. The writing? So descriptive and beautiful and funny.

I really enjoyed the progression of Ben and Emma’s relationship. It felt much more real to me than if it had all just happened all at once, especially considering everything going on. I do wish there had been more resolution with other characters, but the way all the stories ended felt realistic because they weren’t all perfectly tied up. I also liked that part of the plot wasn’t her relapsing, since for this story it would have felt cheap in my opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for the advanced copy!

This is a debut novel?! I loved this book so much. Emma’s journey as a recovering alcoholic felt so realistic (to what I know of it from knowing people in the same position) and while funny at times, it was very heartfelt.

I liked that this book didn’t paint recovering from alcoholism as rainbows and butterflies. It showed her tough relationship with her father, trying her best to heal from that when time seems like it’s running out. Her doubts in dating and the turmoil they came with Ben. I’m so happy she found Ben and that he was able to be a safe space for her. 🥹

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Definitely Better Now starts with Emma preparing for her "Watch Party," which is when her AA group gathers together on the eve of the alcoholic's 1 year anniversary to ring in their new year. After a year sober, the rules ease up a bit and you are officially good to start dating again. After spending a year concentrating on her job and AA, Emma decides to start incorporating other things into her life. So she joins her coworkers out. As she's been drunk or high most of her life in social situations, things are a bit more awkward than she remembers. When some of her coworkers find out she hasn't been dating, they set up a dating profile for her. One of the finance bros in her office, Mitchell, is one of the first people to message her. But she has a crush on Ben, the IT guy who came to solve her computer problem. Of course, Emma is put on the team to put together the holiday party with both Ben and Mitchell. On top of everything else, her mother announces that she's moving in with her partner that Emma didn't even know existed and her father - a non-recovering alcoholic - decides to come visit her.

I really enjoyed the realistic portrayal of Emma and her struggles to navigate the world sober. I especially liked that we met her at her one year of sobriety mark because the main focus wasn't on avoiding drugs/alcohol but on her interactions with people. It does go into her losing her childhood best friend, which happened in the past, but it overall focuses on the present. I also liked how she referred to "Work Emma," "Sober Emma," or "Drunk Emma" throughout the book as it really depicted how we put on different personas in different places or how she had to learn to navigate things. She highlights how things are done with her segment of AA as well as what she likes and what she doesn't. She does end up going to another meeting in upstate NY and is able to decide for herself which style fits her best. Not only is she learning who she is sober, she's learning who she is and who she wants to be in life.

While I really enjoyed the story and thought it was an awesome read, there were a couple of things that kept it from being a 5 star book for me. First, there were several back and forth conversations (either through text or orally) that I had to reread in order to understand what was going on because of the lack of quotations, spacing, or text to tell when one person's thought ended and another began. There were also similar instances where I wasn't sure if I was reading Emma's thoughts or what she was actually saying. Since I received an ARC, these issues will hopefully be cleared up in the final book. I also felt like the book just ended and had expected to turn the page to an epilogue or some kind of wrap up. I'm a little torn on how I feel about this because, while I do love a nice happy ending, now that I know the book ended that way and have sat with it for a little while, it does leave me hopeful for Emma's future.

A mix of witty and real world life, this book was a great read. I loved Robinson's voice and found that it had to perfect combination of sarcasm, wit, and angst as the story progressed. I might also be bias because my name is also Emma but I greatly enjoyed this book

A coming-of-age story about a 20-something woman, living and working in New York, who also happens to be a recovering addict.
Emma Finley has just wrapped up an entire year of being sober. But circumstances, stress, etc. seem to want to pull her back to her old coping mechanisms. But Emma will prevail even though things take a turn for the worse when her father opens up about his fatal illness.
Handled with heartwarming hilarity, you'll definitely relate to Emma and her struggles.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and MIRA for this e-arc.*

4.5 rounded up

Based on the description and the cover, I thought this book would be lighter and funny. While I really enjoyed Definitely Better Now, i didn’t think it was light and funny.

As the book starts, Emma is living a solo life, her only relationship with her mother. She’s newly sober, after years of extreme partying and distance from her alcoholic father.

As I read more, I was drawn in by Emma’s journey, her growing relationships with those in her life. As the pages continued, the emotions ran high, and I felt completely involved with Emma’s feelings. Compelling for sure.

Advanced reader copy provided by Mira and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

4.5. I’m going to start with a bit of a spoiler for anyone on their sobriety journey and is worried this book features a relapse (so don’t read further if you don’t want to know!!!)
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It does not. And I was SO relieved.

Okay to the actual review. I *loved* this book. And, lemme just say that it made me WEEP in multiple instances because of the gorgeous stories around complex family relationships and grief it wove into the backhalf 😭 This book follows Emma who’s in her mid-20s and has been sober for a year, rebuilding her life in the process. I loved this character and found how she compartmentalized herself (work emma, sober emma, old emma, etc) so relatable. It did get a smidge redundant, but it also reminded me of myself in a transitional period. The love story with the IT guy and unfortunate work relationship thing with the CRO (or whatever his title was) was a bit cringe at first, but in the end I loved how it shook out. I also LOVED the part about the demise of her friendship the prompted her to get sober—my only wish: it would have been a hair more prominent and perhaps gone a bit deeper. I also found the AA relationships and reflections FASCINATING and well done.

Now that I’ve rambled above, really though: this is a great book. It wasn’t perfect, but I don’t want my wishes above to take away from my TLDR that this book had a lot of depth and reality to it. Highly reccomend.

TYSM to the publisher for the ARC!

This felt like a very raw, real book. I think the Drunk Emma could resonate with a lot of people living in their 20s--and the aftermath she leaves behind, and the desire to be better (but still feeling like an asshole). Even if you don't struggle or battle alcoholism or drug/substance misuse, I think it makes you reflect on the bad decisions you make/made during that time in your life. I found the Hudson Group detail interesting--tbh, it felt a bit cult-ish in comparison to what I have heard or thought previously about AA, but I understand that there's multiple ways to host AA, and I like that this novel explored that HG ultimately wasn't for Emma.

The formatting itself was a bit frustrating because it was near impossible to follow text messages and conversations of who was saying what, so that took away a bit from the novel itself. It all looked the same.

This book was so heartwarming. I cried so many times but I loved the story in general. It was so heartwarming being alongside Emma as she found herself and what she wanted to do with her life. I couldn't relate to her struggles with addiction but I could on just about everything else. I highly recommend this book!

I loved this one so much and really enjoyed the FMC. I felt like it was very relevant to many people in their 20s who are starting over without alcohol. It was a touching yet funny story about growing up and finding yourself.

This was your standard growing up, becoming responsible, realize your parents are human type of book. They've been around forever. The age of the protagonists change but the facts remain the same. Emma has decided in her mid-20s to take control of her life. She has completed her first year of AA, she distances herself from a toxic parent, and she keeps everyone at work at a distance. So we know she will face her new reality, confront her parent, make friends at work once she opens herself up, and find love with a man she will not open up to until the very end.

A lot of good books follow a formula. They become formulas for a reason. Emma is a well written main character. She is brutal to herself and assumes everyone else will be the same to her. Her journey doesn't take any drastic turns. Her view of AA is different than other characters I've read, so that is a new perspective. I have my own ideas about it and her particular group has some issues. All more for Emma to face and either accept or change.

I enjoyed reading her journey.

Emma is a young woman in her mid twenties who we meet as she's reaching a year of sobriety. Through the course of the story, we learn about Emma's struggles over the years and how they relate to her parents, particularly her Dad. While Emma appreciated the program she did, after her one year sober she finds that maybe continuing that path isn't what's best for her. We see Emma stay strong in her sobriety but question other aspects of the program. Her sponsor Lola seemed a bit much to me. Emma develops a relationship with a coworker but then pushes him away because she's afraid of him seeing all of her brokenness. This was a really good story, tear jerker, too. 4 1/2 stars.