Nora November’s story was a fun one to read! Listening to Nora navigate her new found spark for life was inspiring in a way that makes you also exam your own life and things you may want to pursue. The anticipation of her love interest kept me on my toes and I had a hard time putting it down so I could get there! Definitely a great book to use as discussion about mental health, dysfunctional families, and following what you want to do.

Looking for a modern cross between Where’d You Go, Bernadette? and The Midnight Library? NICE WORK, NORA NOVEMBER checks that box. Thank you @harpermuse for my early gifted copy and such a fun way to open bookmail!

I was cheering for Nora November as she found her voice and took steps towards becoming who she REALLY is.

The story weaves between present and past for Nora and also “the guy from the convenience store” perspective. I like that it is written as if they are walking two totally different lives/worlds. I just kept anticipating their paths crossing again as it works through the past to the present.

Frustrating part was her cousin and sister with their own very open and honest flaws and problems, not being accepting of her as she tried to overcome her depression. They REALLY should have been in her corner. The way London creates these characters and their flaws really serves to highlight Nora and her growth.

Love the supporting characters from the garden plot. They are crass, love their plants, and are determined to save the theatre. It is a lovely juxtaposition between Nora’s story, her past, and her new way forward through the reverse bucket list.

Nora has some deep and heavy things going on in her life and her family, I appreciate that London has written a character that may speak to many readers on varying levels. I like that it isn’t just a fluffy read, it has meaningful, thought-provoking moments.

CWs: Depression, parental abuse, near death experience- PLEASE reach out if you have questions, I will happily tell you more.

This storyline really seemed to give me Meg Ryan vibes, like a modern retelling of Sleepless in Seattle. I loved her in that movie, and I enjoyed this novel as well.

Though the first chapter of this book made me wary, I ended up really loving Nice Work, Nora November. In fact, it brought me to tears on several occasions thanks to the content surrounding grief and death (big tw in case that's a heavy one for you). Depression and alcoholism were also really soundly depicted. I am always very impressed when an book handles alcoholism realistically and with empathy and London did a wonderful job.

This book was almost too perfectly timed for me. I often felt I was reading myself on the page and that's a testament to the author's skill and empathy toward the subjects she was talking about.

This definitely is more women's fiction than romance as it takes a long, long time to actually get the two lovers together, but I didn't mind it, especially because of the occasional peeks into the life of the love interest. You really learned to love each of them and hoped upon hope they'd find each other.

I will say the back third felt a little drudgerous. I LOVE when author's raise the stakes high and make it seem impossible for a character to recover from, but it felt all out of her control, like the universe was punching down on her over and over and then, miraculously, it all snapped back into place. That being said, I was so invested in the character, I really wanted her happy ending.

I think I'll be thinking about this book for a while.

This started out as a cute book with a fascinating premise: Nora cheats death and decides to make changes in her life. But somewhere along the way, it really resonated with me. Maybe it was the fact that while Nora looked professional and put together on the surface since she’s a lawyer, but deep down, she’s a mess. There’s a lot about depression and mental health as well as alcoholism and dysfunctional families but it all comes together so well and makes you cheer for the new Nora. A great read!

Narration was excellent!

3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book early! This is about Nora November. She experiences a near death experience after a surfing incident that left her underwater for a very long time. She actually died for a few minutes and then came back and the experience has prompted her to take a look at her life and change what isn't working for her. In "the before" she is a lawyer at her family's law firm, not because she wanted to be a lawyer but because her parents made sure she knew that was what was expected of her. She suffered from depression in a severe way and has no real social life to speak of. She's a little flaky and hasn't really been there for her little sister or her alcoholic cousin and now in "the after" she wants to change that. Furthermore, she met a guy when they were both hostages in a gas station hold up and she has a lot of regrets about not contacting him after the event. She has some amnesia going on after the accident so her goals in this book are to fulfill a reverse bucket list- things she wants to do now that she has died and come back- but its a little challenging. When she was dead, she saw her grandpa. He was her person and she loved him so much, but she also harbors some guilt over the way she handled his death. So now, she wants to revive his garden in the community garden, change careers, be a better sister and cousin, learn to cook, and find the gas station guy. I enjoyed following Nora's journey of starting over and learning to live a more authentic life, but this book had a lot of breadth to the point it was kind of jumpy and all over the place. She gets involved in a pro bono community theater case, the gardening, the cooking class, a young girl and her basketball goals, her cousin's rehab experience, her sister's life, her family, her career, etc. etc. and it felt like a lot. We also get Jack's (gas station guy)'s perspective and he has a lot going on as well. He is a hospice worker, which I thought was a very interesting perspective, but it all just felt a little all over the place. I also wanted more on the discussion of depression. She suffered so severely before her accident and then it was seemingly just gone and I understand that some of the causes may have been her incredibly inauthentic life before, but that can't be 100% it and I needed a little more discussion there. Overall this book could've been better with a little more focus, but it was a good woman starting over story.

What would you do differently if you were given an unexpected second chance at life? That’s exactly the scenario that main character Nora November finds herself in after a near death experience gives her a whole new perspective on life.

As she recovers from nearly dying, Nora starts to think about her life and feels like all she really has is a long list of regrets and missed opportunities. She decides to make it her mission to live a better life moving forward. To accomplish this, she creates a reverse bucket list filled with all of the things she has always wanted to do, including learning how to cook, learning how to take care of her late grandfather’s garden, and perhaps most importantly, try to find a man she felt a deep connection to when a robbery at the corner store forced them into close proximity for hours. He’s the one who got away and Nora deeply regrets not seeking him out sooner.

I really loved everything about this story. Nora’s journey gave me so much to think about with respect to my own life. I think her regrets are just so easy to relate to, which made it all the easier to root for her to accomplish everything on her list, especially finding that second chance at love. The story does tackle some weightier topics such as depression, but it’s also a story that is full of heart and humor.

Karissa Vacker narrates the audiobook and does an amazing job, as always. I listened at 1.75x and found it to be both entertaining and easy to follow along with.

Because of the way it resonated with me emotionally, Nice Work Nora November is one of my favorite reads of the month and I highly recommend it!

Nice Work, Nora November was an enthralling audiobook! I enjoyed seeing Nora work to change her life after she came back from being clinically dead. There was romance and joy. Add this one to your listening list!

Really enjoyed the storyline of discovery after near death. Nora was relatable and draws the reader in to want to know more about how she navigates after her crossover and back. Would read more from this author.

Nice Work, Nora November by Julia London and brilliantly narrated by Karissa Vacker had me engrossed due to the exceptional relatability of the FMC Nora November

Are you living your life as you think it should be lived? No deviation from the path set for you by others no matter how much the drudgery is sucking away at your soul? This is the life of Nora November, a lawyer who has followed in the footsteps of her father, David November; abusive in the home, a shark in the courtroom, a personal injury lawyer who has built up Nora's deceased grandfathers practice to a very successful Texas firm. David had called the firm "November and Sons" as soon as Nora and her Twin brother were born, but was devastated when her brother passed from SIDS, leaving the name as it was, pinning the responsibility on Nora to continue his legacy by taking on the firm, having children, being the dutiful daughter, esppecially as Laura's sister Lacey had come out as a Lesbian

However, Nora has had an accident. Nora has had a NDE following a surfing accident and suddenly, life looks very different. In the minutes she was unalive, she spoke with her beloved grandpa, who advised her to grow her garden, a lovely metaphor as he had bequeather her his garden, a whole other storyline in the book

On top of this, Nora wants to find the one that got away. Jack, the man who she met during a robbery at a convenience store where they were held as hostages by an inept robber in a Darth Vader helmet

I loved this memorable, witty, human tale. The dual POV with Nora and Jack creates a compelling story, as does the pro bono solutions and work for the people that Nora meets in her journey (Kathryn and teh retirees are simply awesome, as are Willow and the team)

Wry humour, the fight to overcome narcissistic, manipulative parents, to break free and live life on her terms, and find the one that got away. Absolutely wonderful and I cannot recommend this audiobook enough

Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse, the author Julia London and narrator Karissa Vacker for this outstanding ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

Nice Work, Nora November covers many aspects of the human experience with love, grace, patience and a liberal dash of humor. Throw in a side of budding romance and you've got a great combination to create a really fun and feel good novel. Our main character Nora cannot seem to hit her stride in life. She is a lawyer in her fathers law firm, but secretly loathes the work. She has never had the courage to stand up to her family and their plans for her life and career. And then the unthinkable happens. Nora dies. She dies and comes back to life after a near death experience. She is now a completely different person with a reverse bucket list under her belt and she is determined to see it through come hell or high water. And it is hell trying to get through to her family about who she really is and what she really wants. But Nora, despite the obstacles thrown in her way perseveres and finds her true self with the help of an octogenarian thespian group and a few new gardening friends. This story touches on some heavy topics such as mental health, alcoholism, dysfunctional family dynamics and the like. The author did a fantastic job addressing these issues and moving us through them with Nora as our guide. I really enjoyed this novel and can highly recommend it. 4.5 stars.

Many thanks to Net Galley and HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse for a chance to read/ listen to an ARC copy of this wonderful book.

I just finished Nice work Nora November by Julia London audiobook - Narrator Karissa Vacker and here is my review.


Nora is lucky to be alive. After a terrible accident while surfing on the one vacation she has had in a long time, she very nearly dies. All she can remember while being in her coma is her grandfather. A man who passed away a year ago. The man who she had been too busy to see.

Nora makes some huge decisions about her life and comes up with the idea of a reverse bucket list. She is going to do all the things she wanted to do and never made time for. She’s going to learn to cook, find a new job outside of her dads personal injury lawyer firm and bring back the allotment that her grandfather left to her when he died.

She also wants to find the man she met during a corner shop robbery but lost his number. The more Nora makes strides to be the newer better version of herself, the more she realizes it’s easier than it all sounds but nothing good ever comes easy and Nora will finally realize the truth that she has been trying desperately not to admit to.


I don’t read many books that fall in the missed connections trope so this one was a little out of my wheelhouse but I really felt drawn to the cover so I had to have a listen. The narrator did a great job. I love when they have the right tone to their voices that lull you right in.
There is a lot of family drama that I really liked in this book. Nora doesn’t really have a lot of control over her life because of who her father is and that’s really sad. The book also covers depression and did a really great job of portraying it the correct way. It also covers the realities of losing your insurance when you don’t work for trying to get mental health help.
I wouldn’t call this a romance really, womens fiction for sure but the characters don’t find each other until the very end of the book but the build up is so delicious I can overlook that. This book was so cute and heartwarming but really takes you down a slightly dark path too.
It’s beautifully written and a well rounded book. I found Nora a really captivating MC and I know you will fall in love with her too. I also adored the seniors at her garden!
4 stars


Thank you to @harpercollins and @netgalley for my gifted copy

This book should feel heavier than it does, and when I finished it, I actually felt extremely light and hopeful.. It was much more than it originally presented itself to be; and I mean that in the best way. Nora's depression feels so authentic to me, and the way it prevented her from reaching her newfound goals. She is realistically shown to fail over and over and over again. Additionally, Jack and their love story are the cherry on top. It is not the main plot point of the book, but their romance was so special and added so much to the story.

Also, the narrator has a wonderful storytelling voice, including in her masculine register. Big fan of this book!

I loved this book! I found it emotional, heartwarming, inspiring, and introspective. Nora’s character development was wonderful to watch, and I cheered on with every victory (even if some of those victories were disguised as failures). The whole time I just wished happiness for her and loved her story of breaking free. Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to listen to this wonderful story and give my review.

Overall: 5
Spice: 1
Narration: 5

A lovely story about missed connections and finding yourself.

Nora November was dead, but now she’s not. After an accident, she was clinically dead for several minutes and got to talk with her beloved grandfather in his gorgeous garden, but now she’s awake in a hospital room and surrounded by her family who all have different ideas of who Nora is an what they expect from her. Nora doesn’t remember life just before her accident and takes the opportunity for a restart make changes in her stressful life. She makes a reverse bucket list – things to do after she died – and gets to work. Some of Nora’s family members are angered by her changes and some don’t trust that they will stick. One of the items on Nora’s list - reconnecting with the stranger she spent time with in a convenience store storage room while being held hostage – may be easier or harder than she expects.

This story was a delightful mix of therapy, romance and geriatric appreciation. Nora’s struggle with trying to meet her parent’s expectations and acceptance of her issues with depression were very relatable. There are lots of heavy topics in this book – depression, addiction, hospice care, suicide, but London handles them all with care and realistic representation. Nora’s search for Jack – the man she met while a Darth Vader costumed robber held them hostage – and both of their relationships with the groups of seniors trying to keep their theater alive are the perfect fun and funny counterpoints to the heavier topics. One of the seniors delivered a line I’ll always remember – “When anyone says they want to die, what they really mean is they want to live, but they don’t know how.” The narration of the book added to my enjoyment. I will definitely recommend this one to anyone and will be adding more of London’s books to my TBR.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the ARC audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Nice work, Julia London.

I loved this story of Nora, the daughter of a wealthy ambulance chasing in Austin who is brought back to life after drowning in the gulf. With her born again life, Nora sets out to right her misses and mistakes from her past by creating a reverse bucket list, and high up on the list is reconnecting with a man she had met when they were hostages in the worst robbery ever.

As a resident of Austin, I loved reading about some of our favorite places and haunts, but the characters in the book are terrific. From a group of retired actors, some local youth basketball players, a local gardening club, and Nora’s own messed up and toxic family, you will love this book. Plus, I’m a sucker for a good meet cute.

#netgalley
@netgalley
#netgalleyreader
#netgalleyreviewer
#netgalleyarc
#readmorebooks
#readmorebooksbywomen
#readersofinstagram
#bookstagram
#bookstagrammer
#bookish
#mybookishlife
#wearebookish
#lovereading
#alwaysreading
#readinggoals
#2024reads
#audiobook
#goodreads

This cute story is more women's fiction than romance, which - to be fully transparent - was a little disappointing to me and probably affected my rating a bit...

After drowning in the ocean and nearly dying, Nora November has a new outlook on life. Which is good, because life before her NDE (near death experience) was decidedly not good. In an effort to make more of her life than the path she was on was taking her to, she makes a list of things she wants to do, then sets about doing them. She also tries to form more meaningful relationships with her family than she previously had. AND she wants to find the cute guy she was a hostage with during a corner store hold up several months ago.

Her journey is equally parts cute and heartwarming, but also sad and depressing. She’s earnest and undeterred in her efforts despite a multitude of setbacks, but her family leaves A LOT to be desired and she’s essentially one calamitous disaster after another. This is another thing that may have affected my opinion…why do SO many authors have heroines who are hapless and clumsy??? I just don’t find it amusing anymore.

And for someone who was thinking this would be more of a romance, the hero and heroine don’t actually meet until the last couple chapters of the book. Which, as I mentioned, was a major let down for me.

The upside is that the narrator is fantastic and did a great job of conveying the emotions and personalities of all the characters. I enjoyed listening to this audiobook, but I was really hoping for more relationship development, and more time with Nora and her long-searched hero.

* thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse for providing an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review

Went into this thinking it was a run of the mill romance but it was much deeper. Nora and the people around her were facing such trauma. It was so great to watch Nora grow strong and overcome so much.

I really liked the ending without spoiling things, felt very much like real life and not everything tied up perfectly.

Karissa Vacker was INCREDIBLE narrating the book and really brought the story to life!

I loved this audiobook! For one, Karissa Vacker is such an amazing narrator. If you are trying to decide between print and audiobook, go for the audiobook!

Nice Work, Nora November is a romcom about redefining your life when you most need it. In 'The Before' (how Nora speaks about her life before she was clinically dead for 6 minutes) Nora was barely living. Her life was completely ruled by the expectations of her parents. Her father was fixated on making Nora the heir apparent to his personal injury law firm, even going as far as presenting her as the new Senior Partner/VP (I forgot the terminology, I know nothing about law) at the party celebrating her passing her boards after she explicitly refused to join him in his practice. The constant struggle she felt as a lawyer at a greedy, unethical law practice and her need to fulfill her father's plan brought her into a serious depression that closed her off from everyone in her life. . In her NDE (near-death experience) she has some life -changing epiphanies that give her the courage to live the life she really wants for herself.In 'The After' she discovers that changing her life is more difficult than she thought and she has to work hard to regain the trust of those she let down, learn all the things she'd always wanted to (turns out cooking without setting a fire is about a high as she can aim with that particular ambition) and finding the man she connected wirh during a hostage situation at the corner store.
Nora November is charming and funny and back and forth between Nora and Jack's point of views reveal just enough of each of their stories to make you need these two to come together in the end..most of the book is written from Nora's point of view, but Jack's perspective is added in at the exact moments the story needs it.

This book is fantastic and I would recommend to anyone who wants a read with a positive outlook and a sweet romantic secondary plot.

Thanks to Harper Collins Focus and Netgalley for the ALC of Nice Work, Nora November by Julia London..

I was more attracted to the idea of this story than the execution itself. Nora November is declared clinically dead for a few minutes after a surfing accident after which she is revived. The near-death experience prompts her to become more in control of her life and make changes she wouldn't dare to before. The book is centered upon multiple triggering themes like suicide, death, depression, parental abandonment, etc, yet in my eyes, it was very straightforward. The novel is my no means 'light' but I didn't have to think too much to understand the meaning of the story because it was right there. I was rather disconnected from the characters and though I sympathized with them, I was very much a distant bystander. Many aspects of the story were lacking in depth and weren't that intriguing. The narrator does a fabulous job and nailed the tones and voices of the ensemble cast.

This is a sweet women’s fiction with some romance thrown in. I enjoyed this book well enough, though some parts were a tad slow for me. Loved the narrator!!

3.75 ⭐️