Maybe it's becasue i'm in my thirties and couldnt relate to the character but I found this story to be super slow. I finished becasue I'm the type of person that can't dnf but for me it was a labor of love.

Cassie is in her 50s. She was orphaned as a child and raised by her aunt and uncle. She is on the brink of a divorce. She is trying to figure out what happened to her parents. The book is all over the place and it takes forever to get to the point. I was not a fan.

Thanks NetGalley for the advanced listening copy.

I really, really wanted to like this book. There were so many near misses in the storyline. But it just never came together and once you knew the information.... It was just plopped in front of you unceremoniously. Surely, not EVERYONE was as okay with so much being left unsaid and unchallenged. There were elements of the story that just had so much potential!
Honestly, I pushed through to the end but was very, very close to not finishing it.
I was irritated by the wildly competent and successful woman's attitude that she couldn't do anything on her own or without the approval of her family. You could barely call it a romance... and the woman was in her head so much it was difficult to follow the thread of the story. Why so many extraneous details that don't add to the storyline?
The Moth/ Prophecy piece was interesting but was talked about AROUND throughout the entire book, and it wasn't wrapped up in a bow at the end either. Just kind of left like... yeah, this was a weird thing... She nearly died... but doesn't mention it to her family who are all sitting around the holiday dinner table together.

Thanks to author Susan Coll, NetGalley, and the publisher for the free copy of this Audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

I have mixed opinions about this novel. Cassie is a 50 year old woman who lost her parents when she was a child. She was raised by her aunt and uncle who wouldn't answer any questions about her parents and their tragic accident. Cassie is a writer who lives with her college age daughter, as well as her husband who stays in the basement. Their marriage is essentially over. I thought the road to Cassie's pursuit in this novel took too many turns that had nothing to do with anything. The parts about her dog were funny, but the part about her glasses seemed to take a lot longer than it needed to. I almost gave up on the audiobook as I found the narrator a bit monotone for the storyline as it was going on, but I'm glad that I didn't. As it turned out, the last 1/4 of the book seemed to pull everything together, and I ended up enjoying it. Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook in return for my honest opinion.

I received an advanced copy thanks to net galley
Unfortunately. I did not like this book at all- it was so boring. I almost DNF however I need to see books through to the end.
The whole time I was like what is actually happening. I mean there was a chapter just on her in the store trying to get glasses!
And then it just ends? Like you’ve put in so much detail everywhere and then just end it on me. What a waste of a couple of hours listening to this

This was a great read overall. I instantly felt for Cassie and wanted to see her the answers she deserves but also the love and respect she deserves too.

2.75
There was nothing inherently wrong with this story but it was not what I expected. I went in thinking this was more of a mystery story. Which you could say it is but instead of Cassie looking for answers she is more guided or stumbles upon them without really even pondering what she is looking for. Giving this more of a speculative aspect and loses that
"what haopened" feeling you want in a mystery.

Also there way too much about "Moth Man" for my liking as it distracted from the main point of the story. I would have enjoyed it more if they kept it to why moths were showing up everywhere but wothout moth man.

Thank you to NetGalley and HaperCollins Focus for an advanced audiobook for review.

I had read Susan Coll's Bookish People and loved it, so I was stoked for Real Life and Other Fictions. I have to be honest in saying that I didn't particularly care for it....at first. I decided to research and see what others thought, and I found many other disappointed readers. Then, I found one review that changed my perspective. This review shared that the event in the book, the Point Pleasant Bridge collapse and the Mothman, is true. After I looked it up and learned about the event, I saw the book in a whole new light, and I ended up really enjoying it. I could then understand Cassie's journey.

A journey not only to find about her past but also to clear her future. Cassie a mother and wife in her mid fifties who realise that her past it’s not what she is been told all her life and needs to take control of her life and her future. Add to the mix a weird little town, a great puppy, and an original scientist and the story will catch you. The audiobook with Jane Oppenheimer is very good. She does a fantastic job with all the characters and their complexity.

There were things I enjoyed about this book, like the quirky characters and the level of details the author gave most of the time. The dialogue was realistic and the pacing worked overall. It was the plot that I didn’t love, and some of the interactions between the characters didn’t seem likely. For example, the aunt’s reaction didn’t seem realistic during a confrontation given everything we’d been told about her previously. And I didn’t care for the supernatural element, which seemed to get too much attention.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an electronic audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This is definitely a book that I picked up because of its cover, and I definitely chose well. I mean, look at this cover! It is so happy and colourful, it has a puppy, it has moths, it has books, it has a woman clearly in some sort of distress. Just by looking at it, we know that something will be happening, but also (see the light colours), we know that all will be well. This is a cover that delivers what it promises: a charming and light-hearted story about a woman and her puppy, chasing moths (more or less). I have really enjoyed it (3*)! Thank you so much to Net Galley, Susan Coll, and Harper Muse for the advance copy!

The story follows Cassie Klein, a woman in her 50s who has had enough. So, she picks up her puppy and embarks on a road trip to West Virginia, to see the place where her parents perished when she was two, driving on a bridge that just happened to collapse. She has been looking for answers her whole life. Will this trip, and the people she will meet along her way, finally bring her closer to the solution?

I am obsessed with the puppies! And the narrator’s voice. Cassie’s voice was fun and witty and charming, especially when she herself tried to rationalise the admittedly many coincidences throughout her adventures. The audiobook narrator, Jane Oppenheimer, was amazing. It really felt like being sitting on a sofa, listening to a friend of my mom’s recounting her adventures. I loved it.

There is a very specific episode of the podcast My Favorite Murder where they talk about the Mothman and the Silver Bridge collapse (ep.183). If you liked this episode, you’ll love this book.

I would like to Thank Harper Collins and NetGalley for the ability to review an ARC audiobook copy of this novel. This was a very interesting book. I've struggled with how to review it because it doesn't feel like it fits within any specific genre. The story moves in a slow, meandering way and doesn't really have any major climaxes or big reveals. Even the "big reveal" is hinted at in so many ways that you're completely prepared for it when it comes. Now this may seem like criticism, but it's really not! I actually enjoyed the slow pace because it wasn't boring, it was comfortable. I felt like I was being take on a journey with Cassie and I was rooting for her to figure out what she wanted from her life. There was a whole host of quirky characters and unbelievable experiences and interactions but it never felt too unbelievable or too quirky. All in all, a surprisingly enjoyable book!

Great narration! Real Life and Other Fictions is a character driven, quirky storyline about a 50-something writer on the verge of a divorce who starts looking into her past.

Finding yourself later in life with a bit of magical realism/mythical creatures (moths) made this an engaging and usual story but I was hooked.
Yes, there's romance but it's not a focus of the book.

Based on true events, this story explores generational trauma, family bonds and finding who you are.

Real Life and Other Fictions is a curious and mesmerising story which skirts the divide between fiction and reality.

I really enjoyed the strong character focus, and the gentle unravelling of secrets as the threads of fiction are gradually pulled apart. The Mothman element was intriguing and the author did a wonderful job of quietly weaving reflections on trauma throughout the story. The romantic relationship development felt sweet and authentic, and I liked Cassie’s relationship with her daughter. Luna was my favourite character.

The narration was wonderfully mellow and I really felt transported into the world of the story. The characters were well articulated, and the narrator did a great job of balancing their quirkiness against their humanity, bringing a great sense of depth to the story.

Thank you Harper Muse Audiobooks and NetGalley for this audiobook. Opinions expressed are my own.

listen...

i love a good adventure storyline with twists and turns for side quests

BUT.

this was trying too hard to be gone girl. it just lacked the same cuntiness and girlbossing. based on the title, cover, and description, i had high hopes going into this, but it felt lackluster and disappointing while listening.

i don't hate this by any means, but it definitely doesn't compete for favorites.

thank you to harper muse audiobooks, netgalley, and susan coll for the advanced copy!

2/5

A funny, weird and sad book all in one. You’ll feel bad for the main character and what she’s going through dealing with a husband that stays in the basement, trying to figure out what really happened to her when she was young, and a surprise visit all while being treated with kids gloves by family and friends as if she has a mental condition because of “ the moth man” . I found it very sad all that was kept from her about her childhood and the lengths she had to go through to try and unravel the truth for herself. At times random things in the story seemed to drag on. Then Moth man would pop up totally taking me out of the story.
I was happy for her as she found someone who wanted to be with her and help her unravel all the strangeness from so long ago. By the end it felt like she was more herself , was able to build a better relationship with her daughter and stand up to her basement loving husband.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Cassie, a writing teacher in her fifties is at a crossroads in her life. He husband a disgraced meteorologist has permanently moved to their basement due to his weather phobia, her daughter has just left for college and she has adopted a new puppy due to her feeling so alone. She has also had enough of her husbands self absorption and decides to go on a road trip to visit the bridge in West Virginia where her parents had died. Cassie has had questions about her parents death on the bridge collapse all her life but the aunt and uncle who raised her would shut down the topic any time she brought it up. Cassie wants answers and she is finally going to get them. Thus begins this wonderful story of a woman finding herself, finding new hope and new love. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and all it's quirky characters. The author has a wonderful voice and I love her writing style, honest and slightly humorous. I highly recommend this novel and the narrator of the audio book I listened to was phenomenal. 5 solid stars.

Engaging and entertaining. A recommended purchase in all formats for collections where women's fiction is popular.

ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥: 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: (𝟐.𝟓 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩). 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮; 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐈 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲-𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠.

𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒮𝓊𝓈𝒶𝓃 𝒞𝑜𝓁𝓁, 𝐻𝒶𝓇𝓅𝑒𝓇 𝑀𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

thanks to netgalley and harper collins focus for offering me this advanced audio book, which will be published tomorrow! i was all over the place while listening to this book. perhaps because the book itself was all over the place. i loved the locales of maryland, d.c. and west virginia. all familiar to me. and WV beloved. i live 20 minutes over the border into PA from WV and it truly is a magical state. there is historical fiction at play in this book. about the silver bridge accident in 1967 that took the lives of many people, including the main character's parents. the narrator, jane oppenheimer, has a fabulous voice and she kept me going, even when i wasn't loving the story. if you're into cryptids (Bigfoot, The Loch Ness Monster) you will love this because it is about the Mothman. i'm not. so that part of the story was difficult/boring for me. but there was plenty more to dig into. there is a ton of dysfunctional nuclear and extended family dynamics at play which really underscore the entire story, however subtly they appear. there are fabulous dogs, a mix of husky and labrador, which pleases me to no end as my own dog is one of those. we call her a "huskador" but the book calls them "luskys". there is some lovely romance, too, in the form of a white knight who studies cryptids. oops, the main character is cassie. she is forgetful and clumsy and legitimately confused about her place in this world. she's definitely going through a mid life crisis and her husband lives in the basement. oy. there are writers and scholars and weathermen and NPR shows and a big snowstorm and christmas and a hibachi steak house. it is a seemingly free for all that comes together beautifully in the end.