Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for gifting me an e-copy of this beauty!

Ava Robinson’s Definitely Better Now is a vulnerable and thoughtful debut that balances humor, heartache, and growth. From the first page, I was drawn in by the writing style and instantly connected with Emma, the main character. She’s messy, complex, and deeply relatable—especially for any woman navigating the challenges of adulthood, family, and love. Her journey through sobriety, romance, and complicated family dynamics felt raw and genuine, making for an emotionally resonant read.

One of my favorite aspects of the novel was Ben, the love interest. He’s smart, funny, and, refreshingly, not your typical “book boyfriend.” His awkwardness made him all the more endearing, and I absolutely adored him. While the romance was sweet, the novel isn’t a rom-com. It leans more serious, tackling Emma’s workplace struggles, her estranged father reentering her life, and her battle with alcoholism.

Robinson does a fantastic job portraying the nuances of addiction and recovery, though I wasn’t completely sold on how Emma’s AA group and sponsor were depicted—it felt overly negative, and I can’t speak to its accuracy. Another issue for me was the pacing. The first half of the book dragged a little, while the last 30% felt rushed, cramming all the major plot developments into too short a space.

That said, Definitely Better Now is a poignant and clever read. It’s not just about romance; it’s about acceptance, resilience, and moving forward despite life’s setbacks. Anyone who has experienced addiction firsthand or has loved someone who has will likely find a lot to connect with in Emma’s journey.

Would definitely recommend to readers who enjoy emotionally rich contemporary fiction with flawed but lovable characters.

Never showed up on my NetGalley shelf so didn’t get to listen to it. :( but I read the book and it was fab! Loved it from start to finish.

🎧AUDIO REVIEW🎧
📚Definitely Better Now by Ava Robinson
🎤Karissa Vacker

Solo Narration

I'm totally shocked this is a debut novel. This is such a heartfelt & touching story. It dives right into the subject matters of addiction, toxic family relationships & the struggles of living a sober life. Emma's journey begins as she is coming up on her 1 year celebration of sobriety. This book is the story of her journey discovering herself, her real & raw self, without the numbing effects of alcohol. She's trying to manage feelings of resentment & complicated emotions over her father, who has seemed to deny that fact that he's an alcoholic too.

Emma's definitely got support from her group & friends but she struggles with accepting herself & the fact that she's NOT in control of everything. You can only control your reaction to situations. She's trying to figure out how to manage men in her life. Mitchell, a real jerk whom she works with and a very cute, thoughtful IT guy named Ben who she kinda fancies!😏

She's given the task to organize the company's Christmas party along with these two. She & Ben begin a slow burn friendship & he helps her realize that her parents choices DON'T have to be hers too. She can learn from their mistakes & be the kind of person she really wants to be.

Emma's a bit of a train wreck & quirky but she's a character that I absolutely fell in love with. She was real & relatable. Sarcastic yet hopeful. Helpless yet caring. Completely human & it was wonderful to listen to her growth throughout the story. She faces some tough things & just figuring out who she is after sobering up.

🎧Let's talk narration: Karissa Vacker is wickedly talented. She's a narrator I love & adore because she's so versatile. Her sweet, soft voice is one I could listen to over & over & she TRULY makes this story. From dry, sarcastic humor to emotional ups & downs to quiet & tender moments, Karissa just shines in this performance. She gives you the full gamut of emotions & they are so beautifully performed through Ava's words. She voices EVERYONE in this story, both men & women and she's absolutely fantastic.

If you're looking for a touching story with some deep meaning, this one is most certainly for you, with stellar narration that makes it even better. I really look forward to reading more from Ava Robinson.

Thank you NetGalley, MIRA, & Harlequin Audio for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.

I love finding a good debut book! It was a heavy read, and definitely light on the romance aspect, so be aware of any trigger warnings before getting into it. I enjoy reading a more realistic fiction every once in a while. It isn't always a happy story to fantasize about, but it feels like real life. I'm sure there are many people who could connect to Emma's story and I think it's an important representation to share.

Thank you to Ava Robinson, Netgalley and Harlequin Romance for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

2.5*
I was a bit bored for a lot of this story. I feel like I don't know Emma after being in her head for the entire book.

I LOVED this audiobook. So far it might be my favorite of the year. Messy lit fic is a genre I will always love reading and this one did not disappoint. Very reflective and humorous. Could not stop listening. Excellent narration and writing.

This is a fantastic raw look into a young woman finding her way in a new world of sobriety. Dating, happy hour with coworkers, a complicated relationship with her own alcoholic father, making new friends—so many areas of her life she assumed would come with fewer complications now. Only it turns out that there aren't fewer complications—just different complications.

From Emma's recounts of early drinking that spiraled out of control and the behaviors and regrets that often accompany it to the AA meeting schedules and happy hour bar scene when you're a non-drinker in a world of drinkers, I fell in love with Emma's character.

Nothing in this story is painted rose-colored for us. It is equal parts hopeful and painful. Emma's struggles with what her expectations would be when the added complication of alcohol is removed aren't sugar-coated. Because of this, I think this story is a beautiful portrayal of a commitment to recovery and starting over- stories I am a sucker for! Every bit felt real and understandable. Ava Robinson writes Emma's story with the type of bluntness that lends itself to levity, so while heavy at times, your emotions are reprieved. (NOTE- at times when it was heavy, it was HEAVY. This book comes with an I ugly cried warning.)

While I would personally consider it more contemporary fiction than romance, it's impossible to remove Ben from this review. He is kind and gentle and wholeheartedly meets Emma where she is. He is willing to show up for her when needed, proving to her that THIS love is possible for her.

AND Karissa Vacker knocks this performance out of the park! I love her narration! She is 100% my favorite female narrator’s MMC voice!

I enjoyed the narrator chosen for this audiobook.

Our main character is celebrating her one year sober anniversary. From there we as readers get to see how she continues to find herself through a new relationship, her job and reconnecting with her father.

This story was beautifully told and I enjoyed reading about the growth of the main character. It feels like I have more insight into what a recovering alcoholic faces once they decide to get sober. We really see our main character become a new version of herself and make memories that don't involve alcohol.

Highly reccomend.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for a copy of this audiobook.

I had seen great reviews about this book, in particular the audiobook narrated by Karissa Vacker, and I had placed a hold at my library. I was still a few months out from getting access to it when Harlequin Audio auto-approved me on NetGalley and I was able to grab the audiobook to listen to immediately! Thanks so much Harlequin and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest opinion, even though the book and audio have been available since December!
Definitely Better Now definitely lived up to the hype I had seen. I'm shocked it's a debut novel. And Karissa Vacker does a terrific job narrating the story. The story follows Emma, 25 and about to celebrate one year sober. She has grown a lot in the last year since starting to attend AA meetings, but she has kept her sobriety journey a secret from the coworkers at her new job, having never attended the happy hours she is always invited to join. She is also working through some trauma from her parents' split in part due to her father's substance abuse. The reader gets to witness Emma working through her relationship with her father and her ability to socialize and start to date without the substances she used to rely on in similar situations.
I really enjoyed Emma's character and found her to be handling her sobriety in a mature, eye-opening way. It was well-writeen and didn't feel like it was preaching AA or anything like that. In terms of what I've witnessed from friends getting sober, it felt realistic. However, I don't know how someone with their own sobriety journey would feel about how Emma and her sobriety are portrayed. I do recommend it, especially the audiobook, as I think the humor used really makes the heavier topics more approachable.

This book was a really beautiful depiction of vulnerability and real life. It just feels raw and real. As someone who hasn’t dealt with alcoholism or addiction in my personal life, this book was eye opening and well written. I felt for Emma, but more than that I understood her. Alcoholism or not, she was dealing with real life things that felt very applicable. This is pretty much a closed door, slow burn but there is definitely language and conversations about drinking and substance abuse, as well as death.

‘Definitely Better Now’ follows a recovering alcoholic as she discovers what it means to be sober in your twenties. Re-experiencing life and love we journey someone who is older exploring the world for the first time which is an interesting way to make an almost YA feeling novel but for older individuals with heavier and more intricate feelings.

I loved the characters in this novel. I thought that they were well-developed with clear progression and growth. The workplace setting for a large part of the novel was another unique way to plot the novel. It added another drive for the novel and too and is an accurate reflection of real life as we do spend most of our week in work and with our colleagues.

The narrator did a good job although it was relatively basic.

4.5/5

Thank you to #netgalley for this ARC.

I loved this book. Such a great story for pushing through when times feel like everything that can go wrong does.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows a young woman who is a year sober. She is trying to navigate life and dating while being sober. I listened to this one on audiobook.

I enjoyed this book! I liked the main character and she was really relatable. I think it was interesting to hear her thoughts and follow her throughout her life.

Emma messes up a lot but she is a relatable and a nice character. The romance was nice to follow as well. It wasn’t perfect and that was nice to see.

There was a lot of talk of addiction and AA. I didn’t mind it but some people may not enjoy that part of this book.

I enjoyed the audiobook as well!

This book was a surprise to me. I didn’t see it all over the place. I only saw it because Karissa Vacker, the narrator, shared about it. I immediately ran to Netgalley for the request and was ~shockingly~ approved! Thank you @ netgalley and Herlequin Audio and Ava Robinson !

I want everyone to see this book for what it is. A beautiful tribute to Emma going through her new life sober. A little bit of romance to spice things up, while keeping it primarily contemporary fiction. I was rooting for Emma the whole time as she was tested time and time again. But it was a happy story that Emma continues to find herself and also find a true relationship worth fighting for 🤍

It had similar vibes to Margot’s Got Money Troubles. So if you like that, this one should be a definite win.

Thank you to HTP HIVE for the access to this audiobook! I was so excited to get my ears on this one! I kept seeing it around, but hadn’t seen a lot about it. The cover and title were all I needed to jump right in! I thought this was a great book! The audio was well done, I literally listened in one day, unable to pull my ears away from the story! It was an emotional, heartbreaking read, but also hopeful and uplifting! A story that can be relatable for a lot of people who have been through the woes of online dating, which was quite hilarious! So happy I was given the chance to read this one!

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. I did an immersive read and listened to the audio as well. This was really good, funny, and sad. This talks about addiction and trying to get sober and I love how she made up with her father before he passed away. This was a very drama filled book, but done really well. I gave this 5 stars.

I loved this book when I got to read the ARC way back in May 2024 and am so glad it is finally out in the wild and being enjoyed by so many. Karissa Vacker is one of my favorite narrators and was perfectly casted in this one. As a single narrator she handles the multiple female and male characters perfectly. She adds a lot to the fun and emotions of this book. Highly recommend in audio format.

This book was great! I loved Emma’s story and her attitude as she went through all these struggles. She was so real and her feelings were all so valid.

4.5. Touching, heartfelt, raw, relatable, and funny. I absolutely loved watching Emma navigate life one year sober. Ben was the absolute sweetest, most supportive character. This was a completely unexpected book and I’m so glad I listened to it. Karissa Vacker did a phenomenal job narrating as usual!

Alcoholism and sobriety: a sensitive topic in our modern society of excess and extremes. In Definitely Better Now, we follow a newly sober Emma as she navigates recovery and relationships.

There are many stereotypes and misconceptions around sobriety, AA, and recovery; many of which are explored in this narrative. But in contrast to the commonly portrayed extremist personality of alcoholics, Emma’s character is quite relatable. She’s a little socially awkward, she’s nervous about dating, and she experiences a moderate swing of emotions throughout the story. She remains carefully optimistic despite hardships, and ultimately becomes a loveable character despite her flaws. You can’t help but root for her! With a healthy dose of dry humor, workplace drama, and messy family dynamics, the plot remained engaging and well-paced.

Overall, quite an enjoyable debut from Ava Robinson. I can’t wait to see more from this author!

I listened to the audio version of this book. The narration by Karissa Vacker was engaging with consistent pacing and clear character differentiation. The production was clean and professional, offering an immersive performance that elevated the overall story.

Thank you to MIRA, NetGalley, and Harlequin Audio for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.