Really enjoyed this story I haven't read anything like this the whole near death experience and searching for herself and changing her life to be who she wants to be not who her parents want her to be. To trying to find this guy she had a once in a lifetime connection with if was a sweet story

Definitely some heavier topics here so read the trigger warnings.

Our female lead Nora is a wonderful character who I deeply cared about throughout the book. It has a lot of good insight on complex family dynamics (we've all been there), struggles with mental health and finding yourself. The narrator did a really fabulous job of adding the emotional complexity that comes with this book and it added to my overall enjoyment of this book.

TW: Suicide, depression, death, death of a parent .

"Nice Work, Nora November" by Julia London introduces a compelling concept: a woman creates a "reverse bucket list" after a near-death experience. While I loved the idea and the overall story, some elements didn’t quite hit the mark for me.
The plot centre’s around Nora November, who nearly dies in a surfing accident and ends up in a coma. She meets her late grandpa in an in-between place. When she wakes up, she's determined to make big changes with her "reverse bucket list." The idea is great, but her journey is messy and frustrating at times. However, the portrayal of Nora's mental health struggles and complicated family dynamics is well done.
The book deals with heavy themes like suicide, depression, and the death of a parent with sensitivity and depth. Nora's determination to overcome her struggles was moving, despite the story's rough spots. The raw depiction of her battles with mental health had a significant emotional impact on me.
Nora is a character I could get behind. I felt her struggles and emotions, and I loved seeing her stand up for herself and her loved ones by the end. Some side characters, like Catherine and the basketball girl, were annoying. Jack, the love interest, felt flat and their relationship lacked depth.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator Karissa Vacker was fantastic, bringing each character to life. I even had to check if it was dual narrated because she did such a great job with the voices.
Despite its flaws, "Nice Work, Nora November" delivers a heartfelt and emotionally charged story. If you're into personal growth, mental health, and complex family relationships, this book is worth a read.
Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins Focus, and Harper Muse for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 3.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

Even though I had already received an arc of the ebook, I knew I had to request the audiobook version, which is narrated by Karissa Vacker -- one of my top 10 favorite Female audiobook narrators! Once again she doesn't dissapoint and I thought she did a fabulous job bringing the characters to life. She actually made me enjoy this book even more than I had before!


I thought this book was very cute. With that being said, I thought the book was a little long and I found myself getting bored about 50% of the way through the book. but overall I thought this book was super fun and upbeat and I thought Anna was a great FMC! I loved to hate her parents as well. I also wish the romance had been a bigger part of the book, but I am also all for female empowerment and independence! I will be definitely adding Julia London to my authors to watch list!


Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Such a unique yet still common storyline. Raised with wealth, living up to father’s expectations to take over law firm, Nora can’t cope. After near death event, she realizes she needs to make changes but her family won’t accept. There is a second storyline being told by a man throughout and when they merge I felt it was rushed in the last two chapters but overall an enjoyable story of being true to who you need to be. Lots of fun unique characters throughout. Narrator is good. I felt could have triggers for depression and substance abuse- and while really hard to read I felt it depicted how some react. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook for my review.. This book comes out on June 4.

What if you were given a second chance at life? What would you do differently? Would you make the same choices? NICE WORK, NORA NOVEMBER explores these questions and more with compassion, empathy, and a touch of whimsy. Julia London's novel tackles some deep and painful topics with both gentleness and honesty as we witness Nora navigate life after a near death experience.

Nora November awakens in the hospital where she learns that she survived a near drowning. Before she regains consciousness, she has an otherworldly visit with her long dead family dog and deceased beloved grandfather. Nora begins to view her life as "before" and "after" and soon discovers she is not the same person. She uses her grandfather's advice to chart a new course for her life beginning with creating a reverse bucket list which includes pursuing activities and relationships she previously pushed aside. Nora is dealing with a lot - a career she hates, parents who find fault with every aspect of her being, mounting medical bills, and damaged relationships. She is also pining for Jack - the one who got away - who she believes may the be the only person who actually sees the real Nora,

Told from both Nora's and Jack's points of view, the book examines the affects of trauma and the long, often winding, road to healing. Ms. London gives the reader a raw look at depression, death, and emotional abuse. She surrounds Nora and Jack with a large supporting cast of characters; some are delightful, some are wary, and some are despicable. This book resonated with me as someone who evaluated and reordered priorities after a serious illness. The desire to make fundamental life changes and the difficulty in doing so, partly because of resistance from others, is accurately and poignantly depicted. It's easy to root for Nora to redefine herself and make lasting and profound changes in who and what she wants to be.

Karissa Vacker brings her unique talents to the audiobook and her narration enhances the plot and characterization.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Focus, and Harper Muse for the opportunity to access an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to Harper Muse/Harper Colllins Focus for the audiobook!

THIS BOOK! If the song LIVE LIKE YOU WERE DYING by Tim McGraw was a book, it would be this book.

The moment that stopped Nora November on a dime was a NDE (near death experience, often abbreviated as such in the book), a surfing accident. When she wakes up and realizes how close she came to death, she decides it's time to really start living and makes what she calls a "reverse bucket list" of things she wants to do after she (almost, but technically kind of already) died.

Nora November is a name and a character I definitely won't forget. I went into this blind and was SO surprised by how DEEP this book was. The cover is fun and cutesy, but this book was rich and emotional in so many unexpected ways. It's not often that a romance/women's fiction book has a twist that shocks me (esp when my fav genre is thriller), but I did NOT see this coming!

In my opinion, the romance was a side-plot but it still was adorable, swoon-worthy and closed-door. Another side-plot had to do with some seriously toxic family drama (my fav), so with all that going on, I was never bored!

Like I said, this book dealt with HEAVY topics and contains a lot of content that could be very hard for some readers! Feel free to reach out to me for specific CW.

I definitely recommend for a thought-provoking and ultimately uplifting read!

The audiobook was narrated by Karissa Vacker who, like always, knocked it out of the park and took it to the next level! I 100% recommend the audio version of this one!

This will be available on June 4th!

This was much closer to women’s fiction than romance seeing as we don’t see any sort of resolution of said “romance” until 95% other than a few flashbacks. “Few” being a keyword. (I did not know this about the book going into it…) That being said, I still really enjoyed it. FMC’s family was god awful. Jaw dropping awful. After everything that had been thrown her way, I really was surprised at her resilience to keep wanting to better her life even though her family swatted her down in every sentence they were a part of. God bless anyone who deals with this in their actual lives. I am a romance reader through and through so to my surprise, I still really enjoyed this storyline even with the absence of anything resembling a romance novel. The plot was quick moving and chuck-full of issues and setbacks she was constantly having to overcome and push through to get through her “reverse bucket list.” It kept my interest!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for the arc! 💌🔈

I found getting a second chance intriguing, as not everyone gets it. However, the lack of information about Nora before the accident and her interactions with her family made her bold actions seem reckless and naive.

While reading this, I had mixed feelings. The bright and optimistic cover description made me expect a cheerful story, but at times, it felt too depressing, which affected the book's overall tone. The ending seemed realistic, but the journey there was tedious.

I also had issues with the portrayal of Nora’s relatives. I understand that dysfunctional families exist (I come from one), but in this book, they seemed like a caricature of how rich people would behave. It was too predictable, and the protagonist's outbursts towards her father didn't endear her to me. As a grown woman and a powerful attorney, she should have been able to handle the situation better. Her attitude felt painfully juvenile, which made it hard to believe in her professional success. On the other hand, I loved the grandfather's community and their theatrics. If the side characters and plot had focused solely on them, it would have made for a much better book.

Julia London’s Nice Work, Nora November is a touching and transformative tale of self-discovery and second chances. It explores the profound impact of near-death experiences on one's perspective and priorities. With a compelling protagonist and a beautifully woven narrative, this novel resonates with anyone who has ever felt the need to reinvent themselves.

Nora November, the protagonist, is a woman reborn—literally and figuratively. After surviving a near-fatal surfing accident and spending several minutes clinically dead, Nora awakens with a newfound determination to live her life to the fullest. Her journey is not just about ticking items off a bucket list but about reclaiming her identity and finding joy in the everyday.

London masterfully crafts Nora’s character, highlighting her internal struggles and her gradual evolution from living under her parents' expectations to forging her own path. The “Before” Nora was a shadow of herself, constrained by her role as a personal injury lawyer in her father’s firm and burdened by familial expectations. The “After” Nora is a woman on a mission, driven by a reverse bucket list that symbolizes her desire to reclaim what she had lost and to pursue the dreams she had long abandoned.

The narrative is enriched by Nora’s interactions with her family, particularly her younger sister Lacey. Their relationship, strained by Nora’s previous detachment, becomes a focal point of her journey. Nora’s attempts to reconnect and be a better sister are heartfelt and often humorous, providing a realistic portrayal of sibling dynamics.

One of the most poignant aspects of the novel is Nora’s effort to revive her grandfather’s neglected garden. The garden serves as a metaphor for Nora’s own rebirth and her desire to nurture and grow. Her memories of her grandfather and the time she spent with him during her coma add a mystical element to the story, deepening the emotional impact.

Nora’s quest to find the enigmatic man she met months ago adds a romantic subplot that is both sweet and compelling. This element of the story highlights Nora’s bravery as she steps out of her comfort zone to pursue what she truly wants. Their eventual meeting is filled with anticipation and tenderness, providing a satisfying resolution to this thread of the plot.

London’s writing is both evocative and engaging, seamlessly blending humor with moments of introspection and emotional depth. Nora’s missteps and failures as she navigates her new life are relatable and endearing, making her a protagonist readers can easily root for. The novel’s pacing is well-balanced, allowing for a gradual and believable transformation in Nora’s character.

Nice Work, Nora November is a four-star read that offers a heartfelt exploration of what it means to truly live. Julia London’s ability to create a relatable and inspiring character in Nora, combined with a narrative that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, makes this novel a standout. It’s a story about second chances, the importance of family, and the courage to pursue one’s dreams. For anyone looking for a book that offers both laughter and introspection, this novel is a perfect choice.

Thank you NetGalley for the Audible ARC! This is a book about Nora November who comes back to life from drowning and then comes up with a "reverse bucketlist" (a list of things she wants to do after she died). The book has a love story, mental illness, and both alcohol and physical abuse. Even with these heavier topics it is mostly a light story. I recommend the audible book if you like to listen to books.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I instantly fell in love with the character of Nora November, our main character, who wakes up after a near-death experience and enjoys a new perspective on life and all the regrets she currently carries. I absolutely loved that her road to reworking her life was full of setbacks and second-guessing herself, the way that most of us endure life - but that it also was full of twists of fate that brought her to the right place at the right time. This was a book with lots of heavy themes but an overall lightness that makes it impossible not to feel hopeful about. I thought this was a brilliant work and totally recommend this author and her narrator.

Heavy topics were present throughout the book, depression, addiction and suicide the tone in which it was written was very hopeful and optimistic. The romance was just the icing on the cake, Jack and Nora briefly met before the book starts and spend the entire book in Nora’s case searching for Jack via social media, tv news outlets, while Jack is wondering if Nora didn’t call him because she thinks he ghosted her. Nora working on her mental health, setting boundaries and completing her reverse bucket list and also repairing relationships she let down while she was depressed was the focus.

The audio narration was very good, the narrator voice was engaging and fit the tone perfectly of the books heavy topics.

Sometimes books come into your life at just the right time. It was kismet that I happened to pick this book up yesterday while feeling down.
I will buy the book and wait to give to a friend when they are feeling down.

This may seem odd at first, the book starts off with an accident and a near death experience. Be patient, this is a very detailed topic for our FMC, and honestly, a really nice vision for whats beyond.

When Nora wakes, she has a whole new outlook on her life. Nora decides to confront some seriously toxic people in her life (it's damn inspiring) and moves her focus to a bucket list of sorts. This is not your typical skydiving or reading the classics type of bucket list- Nora wants to give back, build confidence and learn how to have some inner happiness.
If you are someone that has found yourself trying to make others happy and feeling like you fail at it, pick this book up. Nora is your gal.