This was a really interesting book. I grew up hearing about the Mothman as I lived close to the Ohio River. It was a little creepy how things ended up tied together at the end. I enjoyed it. Would recommend.

A caveat: Real Life and Other Fictions is outside of my typical wheelhouse. I’m not much for meditative women’s fiction, road trips, or romance, but the cryptid aspect drew me in. If you like any of the aforementioned, this is a fun read full of quaint small-town scenery, puppy antics, and self-actualization. There are also some interesting observations on the ways that trauma shows up in other aspects of our lives, and I actually enjoyed the use of weather and moths as symbolism.
That said, this book is a slow burn. It was significantly more contemplative than cryptic, and I found myself either speeding up the audiobook or wondering why we had chunks of “action” that seemed disconnected from the larger narrative. Don’t get me wrong, I loved every second of hearing about Cassie’s puppy, Luna, doing puppy things, but Luna’s significance as a companion to the recently-separated woman in her 50s is downplayed when I feel like it could have occupied some of the space that the love interest did. The love interest fell flat for me, and a character on a journey of reclaiming her sense of self didn’t really need him. I did like Cassie, and I felt like she was a complex enough character to carry the story without him. Sorry, boys.
Overall, there were parts of the book that I really enjoyed, and I didn’t dislike the rest, it just didn’t resonate with me. Part of that is my own fault – I wanted more Mothman – and part of it is just the genre. If this is your wheelhouse, I could see this being a four-star novel, but I’m settling at a 3.5.

I found this book to be a bit all over the place and despite it being long, I found there were many parts that were not wrapped up well by the end. I think had it focused on one main story it would have been better. The relationships between characters weren't clear, besides the fact they apparently never talk about anything. I found it flip flopped around and I wanted to scream at some points (how could you not want to confront the women sleeping with your husband after you used her night guard???). Only when I started to put together this review did I realize that this story is based on a true event which I have a greater appreciation for. I originally would have given this book 2 stars, but I have given it 3 stars because of this really neat tie in. This book makes me sense to me now, as this was Cassie's story of a real event! Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Muse, for the opportunity to listen and review this advanced copy of the audiobook.

"Real Life and Other Fictions" by Susan Coll is a captivating novel that delves deep into the complexities of life, loss, and resilience. The protagonist, Cassie, is a woman who has faced more than her fair share of challenges, yet she refuses to let adversity define her. Coll's masterful storytelling draws readers into Cassie's world, immersing them in her quest for answers and self-discovery. It is a wonderfully written novel that offers both entertainment and insight. I rate the book three out of five stars.

This seemed like an unnecessary bait-and-switch with the cover page, title, and description. I understand that this incongruousness probably does not affect others as much as myself, so I'm happy for anyone reading this review to take my opinion with a grain of salt.

The description and cover felt like a rom-com or 'growing beyond a bad relationship' story. However, that is not at all what this was. This was a trippy, mystery-style story linked to the the Mothman myth of West Virginia. There was very little romance and what was there felt...awkward. Also, did she have a head injury (I mean, how many times was her head just bleeding and people brushed it off like, 'Oh, heads bleed a lot.')? Was it all real? Just felt ridiculous.

The MC also seemed kind of delusional. I wasn't clear if she actually broke up her husband till 60% through the book. She held so much anger toward her aunt and uncle for seemingly no reason other than they wouldn't talk to her about the disappearance of her parents. Then she continually pointed out "coincidences," which I thought would amount to something, but just didn't. I used quotes around "coincidences" because I'm not even sure you could call them that...For example, the MC saw the same person walk across the camera during a newscast twice, which is also a blooper in the Mothman Prophecies movie. Are we dealing with a sociopath here? I half-expected her dog to tell her to go on a murder spree or something. Finally, she had these little spin-off threads of conversation happening in her mind all the time that were totally irrelevant to the situation at hand. I thought maybe they were going somewhere, but they didn't.

Overall, I was really disappointed. The genres I tend to read are romance and mystery. I also love mystical/magical elements, so, really, this should have been right up my alley. All I got were red herrings and icky feelings.

This book sadly did not live up to my expectations. It had potential, but it just didn’t hold my interest.
The narrator did a good job.

I wanted to like this one, but just could not get into the story... The characters and pacing felt surprisingly flat for something described as "comically surreal". I was expecting a light-hearted, somewhat comical journey story, but it felt instead like a heavier-than-expected retrospective on one woman's life. And I don't get the Mothman bit AT ALL... This one didn't work for me.

I wonder if you’re familiar with the myth of the Mothman. For a month between November and December 1967, people in Point Pleasant, West Virginia reported seeing a human sized Mothman, which not only became a local legend, but was connected to the very real collapse of the Silver Bridge, an accident that killed 46 people in December, 1967.

The narrator of our book is Cassie, a 50ish year old woman who’s weathered difficulties throughout her life and is at the end of her tether.

She was orphaned as a child, her parents killed in the Silver Bridge collapse. Raised by her aunt and uncle, everything about her parents was off limits, left unspoken.

She’s now a failed novelist who teaches community college. Her marriage has reached an end as her meteorologist husband has been living in the basement for the past two years following a terrible weather prediction, a cancellation, and a debilitating fear of…the weather.

Having had enough, Cassie takes her puppy and heads to West Virginia searching for a truth she doesn’t know exists. In the middle of the Christmas holidays, braving terrible storms, a bleeding head wound, and a hotel that doesn’t allow dogs, Cassie tries to figure out why her parents were in West Virginia to begin with.

Enter strange and enigmatic Ingram, a cryptologist, who slowly helps her uncover the past and heal wounds she didn’t realize she had.

——
It’s at turns funny, heartbreaking, and tender, this journey made by a lonely woman who doesn’t trust herself or anyone else. She’s obsessed with moths — maybe seeing them where they aren’t — and yet somehow, hopeful. In the end, our failed writer, in a failed marriage with a puppy who chews everything in its wake, Cassie finds that she can write her own ending.

Thanks to @netgalley and @harpermuse for the audioARC to listen and review. Available May 21, 2024.

Real Life and Other Fictions by Susan Coll
I would like to Thank Harper Collins and NetGalley for the ability to review an ARC audiobook copy of this novel.
Meet Cassie, she’s in her fifties and needs to find her story. As an empty nester whose marriage is over, she leaves just before Christmas with her new puppy to find the truth of her story that has been hidden for her lifetime. She finds truth, love and how she fits into a well known folk tale of the Moth man.
The audiobook was narrated by Jane Oppenheimer. The audiobook had a nice flow and swept you away to join the characters in the story. The narrator had a nice mellow voice that fit well with the characters and really brought them to life! The audiobook was so pleasant and I felt I was part of the story, it definitely made the whole experience nice.
I absolutely loved this book! It resonated with me on a personal level as a reader in my fifties, and also an empty nester. I would recommend this story in any format but especially the audiobook version!

Firstly, I need to point out I listened to this rather than read it, and we all know an audiobook is made or unmake by its narrator. I really enjoyed the narration of the characters with this edition and felt instantly charmed by the characters. There is something intriguing about this story, from the secrets to the conspiracies to the bouncing puppy who doesn’t know how to behave. It definitely made my drives to work 100% more enjoyable.

Cassie is a woman in her 50s with a pretty clear cut case of empty nest syndrome, which is not helped by her less than ideal husband. So, when Cassie finally breaks she finds herself searching for answers she didn’t know she needed. Her whole life has been shaped by a bridge collapse when she was 3. 50 years on, it’s time to find out what really happened, and how a giant, red eyed moth is connected.

What I will say is I found the ending a little rushed. It was all tied up well but considering the chapters are entitled “ reckoning” I felt a tad underwhelmed. Especially when Cassie confronts her aunt. But other than that I really enjoyed the story and the pace and the dog!

This was NOT what I was expecting! I thought this would be a rom-com and honestly I would not have been interested had I not seen "mothman" in the blurb. I was so refreshingly mistaken! This book definitely reads more like a lighthearted mystery with a side of quirky romance. I don't think I have ever read a book like this! I need a whole series involving other cryptids please! I loved following along with all the clues and coincidences. This isn't a book with huge plot twists where you can't peg the ending until it happens, but I was actually ok with that. It really worked for this book. I loved the narration. I'm not sure I've ever heard this narrator before but after listening to this, I want to look up more books she has worked on. Overall, this seems like a "book for everyone" no matter what your typical go-to genre is.

Great book. i don't really think i am the target audience for this book, but i will be buying a copy for my mum

I was so excited to receive this book as an arc reviewer. I loved the description of this book and I thought it was going to be a really quirky and fun read. The book was extremely confused and felt hard to get into, it was so much, and I had trouble getting into the story. I continued on with it as I felt it could have just been detailed building of the setting, but it just continued the whole way through. There were so many unnecessary details and storylines, that I still don’t understand why they were all included? . I wanted to finish this as I thought it would get better, but I was highly disappointed and felt this book took me way too long to read because I couldn’t get myself to enjoy it.
I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to read as an arc reviewer, and may give other books from this author a chance in the future! This one definitely wasn't for me AT ALL.
The narrator was great, it just wasn't a story I could get into.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc audiobook.

I listened to this on audio and I just couldn’t connect with it. I found myself zoning out and having to rewind to follow the story. I can definitely see people loving this, just not me unfortunately.
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Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to review this book.

Pleasantly surprised that "Real Life and Other Fictions” was an enjoyable read. Susan Coll’s weaves an interesting We are introduced to Cassie, a woman in her 50s who finds herself at a crossroads. Orphaned as a toddler, she has spent her life tortured by the mysterious circumstances that caused her parents’ demise. She is also haunted by a “mythical creature” that she blames for her situation, her parents' demise, blurring the boundaries between reality and myth. It makes one question Cassie’s actions and thought processes. She almost seems to be unhinged. Her search for answers has consumed her five decades on earth and leads her from a failed career as a journalist to a community college lecturer.

One day with her patience exhausted, not only from the past but also her present - her somewhat unstable, meme famous, cheating husband Cassie seizes the opportunity, takes her teething puppy, and embarks on a spontaneous road trip in search of the truth. She’s determined to start at the beginning and uncover the secrets of her past. This irrational spontaneity occurs a few times throughout the novel and leaves one to think that Cassie may actually be unstable. One of the very few issues I have with her.
Cassie's journey unfolds as a surreal, comedic adventure infused with chaos, warmth and unraveled secrets. As she moves through this surreal landscape she encounters a colorful cast of characters, including an odd somewhat cold cryptozoologist who joins her quest. There may or may not be hints of a buddy romance here. This novel is definitely worth a read, it was an enjoyable experience.

Thank you to #NetGalley, the author Susan Coll and HarperCollins for a digital copy of #RealLifeandOtherFictions in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was really intrigued by the synopsis and cover is really cute, but this book just wasn't really for me. There were some questions about where this was going and so I stayed with it and didn't DNF. And I'm glad I finished it cause it definitely picked up in the 20% of the book and the main mystery was solved which thrilled me!

Thank you to NetGalley and to HarperCollins Focus for my audio ARC!

Definitely the weirdest book I’ve ever read, but I loved it. Somebody PLEASE get Cassie a helmet. I love that she’s 50. Girl boss finding her way after her awful husband has spent years draining her, on a roadtrip to the place that took so much from her as a baby. Cassie is very funny grumpy and the narrator executes her personality so well. I was so entertained and found myself always wanting to pick this audiobook up :) An audiobook with only one person narrating can be hard to get into if they don’t differentiate characters well, but that is not the case here! High quality :)

I will say, if you’ve got a fear of moths, this book is not for you!! I will say it’ll be a while until I can hear that word again, but just when I was starting to get sick of hearing about moths with no additional context, everything started to slowly come together.

Her puppy is basically her own character as they describe all the trouble she gets into. As a dog lover, this was so cute and provided some needed comedic relief She is such a wild dog mom!

This felt like the family friendly version of that tv show “Lost Tapes” where they went around looking for Bigfoot and such. So fun, but also built on a very tragic backstory that has haunted Cassie for years. It was wonderful to go along on her healing journey.

Richard is the worst and he will remain the worst and I think that I love that so much. Stinky men don’t change.

The plot twists are so good!! Thriller worthy, but without the anxiety. You’ve gotta lean into wholesome coincidences and fate for this one.

This isn’t a romance book, but there is a cute lil love interest that’s built on the basis of a friendship. :) I want to hug Cassie for all she’s persevered through. <3

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for an ARC of this book that get’s published on May 21st.

This quirky book was very entertaining but not what I expected. The cover seems to advertise a lighthearted rom-com but this book was so much more unique than the appearance.

Cassie Klein has just sent her daughter to college and just discovered her goofy meteorologist husband has been having an affair with her best friend. Cassie decides to get away from it all and take the time to discover the reason she was orphaned as a child when her parents were driving across a bridge when it collapsed. This tragedy has not only haunted her entire life but she has become obsessed to a point that her obsession has ruined her career.

This novel was a light hearted book but also a rediscovery of self and making hard but necessary decisions.

The audiobook has a fantastic narrator, Jane Oppenheimer, who switched from each character with ease but never annoying.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse Audiobook for the Advanced Reader Copy. #NetGalley #RealLifeAndOtherFictions

Alright, I’m giving up. I tried, I really did but I could not get into this one and I’m done trying. I made it 73% through and MAYBE it will pick up in the last 27% but honestly I’m not up for it. I’ve been confused most of the time. I’m following the overall storyline but this obsession with the moth thing is just too much. I can appreciate the storyline of wanting to know what happened on the bridge and her parents but it’s too drawn out with no real meat in the middle to keep you enticed. Maybe it’s a winner for others but it’s not for me and it’s definitely not something my friends would finish either.

I really wanted to love this! I didn’t dislike it but was slow in too many parts it was hard to stay engaged.