Thank you to NetGalley and Elissa Sussman for the ARC copy of this book.

4 ⭐️
2.5 🌶️

Elissa Sussman is quickly becoming a new favorite for me. I enjoy the banter in her books, and the way her books are *more* than just a romance. Take this book for example, so many interesting themes to navigate - loss, single-parenting, teenage-parenting (I hear that isn't for the faint of heart), finding love again after grief, and social issues like being queer and purity culture.

The book itself - I loved Lauren as the FMC. She really just owns who she is and takes no prisoners. She's older and wiser, and it really shows in her internal monologues. NO YA here haha. One thing I loved was the "piece of chewing gum" sex ed conversation she has with her daughter. As someone who has religious trauma, and grew up very religious, I had a similar conversation as a young adult. You know the one - young girls are like a piece of gum, no one wants one after it's been chewed up and spit out. I like that Elissa as an author doesn't shy away from criticizing this, and that Lauren's deceased husband, Spencer, had to navigate that as a man as well. I love the way she described Lauren's feelings about sex while she was in high school, how her own feelings about herself and society's didn't align, the way she was miscast as being loose or having low morals. These are really important topics to deconstruct. Sex is sex, it's fun, and it doesn't make a woman any less worthy the higher her body count is and it should be normalized. And I love how she brings up that we don't do the same thing to young men, addressing the double standard is so important.

I also really enjoyed the age gap. I love a younger man for a mature woman. Ben just seems like such a breath of fresh air for Lauren. He's fun, playful, sweet, but he's also able to break down her walls and catch her off guard and I love that he sees her.

What I didn't love about this book is the actual romance itself. I just don't buy it. Not because of the age gap, which is a stretch, or even the mega-star man and the normal girl next door mom also a stetch, but it just felt really rushed. There is not one ounce of slow burn here, it's quick and bright. I feel that this book is more women's literature than a romance. It's women's literature with a romance subplot. And it was good, but it just missed the mark for me, by a little, on both counts. Like, while reading this book I was really missing the love story between Chani and Gabe and then I was just wishing that I was reading that book again. Like, there was so much more tension and pining in that book, we didn't really get much of that here. But I see where this was all going, I get the appeal. I think this book is really a lot more about grief than anything, and BOY did it serve that up. Emotional damage.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!

What a good book! I really enjoyed this book and had such a hard time putting it down. I enjoyed the writing style. The characters worked so well together and the plot was great.

Elissa Sussman always writes books that drag me in. I ADORED the messy characters in this book. I remember reading a blurb some time ago but the minute I received the arc I just jumped in. It took me a bit longer than it probably should to realize Lauren's brother is fhe MMC from Funny You Should Ask 😅. I loved the dynamic between Lauren and Ben. I also appreciated illustrating life in a small town. It's can be so hard to not take in what everyone else's opinions are. I do wish we had seen more between Spencer and Lauren. At times, it felt like the flashback scenes were rushed. Although they clearly made an impact and had me crying at the end. Elissa writes difficult topics so well. They way she wrote these characters really made me connect with their grief and root for them.

Thank you yo Netgalley for providing an advanced copy!

This is my first E. Sussman book, and I can’t say I’m a huge fan of the writing style. Lauren’s character was fairly well-rounded, but Ben was a bit of a cliche. The attraction was immediate, but that’s how it is with chemistry in real life sometimes as well, so I’m not going to say it was a poor choice. This was not a true “age gap” romance as the trope is usually a dramatic difference in age, and that just didn’t feel like it applied here. I’m glad the author went that direction.

The topic of the book, grief and how we move on from it, was not a heavy as it could have been. I actually felt it was handled with the respect deserved. Did I get a little teary at times? Yes. Is that just because I happen to be a crier? Not sure. I did like that there was an angsty teenager grieving while also going through the trials of a normal adolescent. That aspect of the book felt visceral and real.

Overall it was an adequate book, I just didn’t feel like I was hanging off every word, hence the 3⭐️.

Totally and Completely Fine takes us back to Montana with Gabe's sister and I loved it.

Grief, loss and love is a funny thing. she's a single mother, Lauren is doing her best while raising her teenage daughter but lost herself a bit in the process of all. A. widow, she wants nothing to do with the famous and handsome Ben Walsh. It's emotional, heart-wrenching and hopeful how we cope with grief and love after loss. Spencer and Lauren had such a pure love and it was sad but happy looking back but Lauren being able to glow again, rally her family and friends that love and support her and ben who she just had so much chemistry with. I loved seeing Gabe and Chani again too and seeing Lauren and Ben. Such an inspiring romance!

Parts of this book were difficult to read as Lauren was dealing with the death of her husband Spencer. But isn't that what life is about anyway? Dealing with the difficult times and feeling like we are just not good enough? Not a good enough parent, a good enough partner, a good enough sibling? And hoping in the end we will get through our grief and learn the lessons and have a support system to come together to be Totally and Completely Fine in the End? We all might not have a Hollywood star for a brother, who is fighting his own demons, or fall in love with the James Bond, but this lovely book has lessons we can all learn from and put our own lives in prespective.

I am such a fan of Elissa's writing style. This is the third book I've read by her and I get so caught up in her stories. This one definitely had the most spice throughout but it felt relevant to the plot and the character development, which I feel like is really rare to do that well. I loved the story. I loved seeing the return of characters from Funny You Should Ask. I just enjoyed reading this and it was funny and sad and hopeful and heartbreaking and wise. All around great book.

Totally and Completely Fine was such an emotional read. The grief throughout this book was written well. I love the way Elissa writes between 'then' and 'now' chapters in her stories. It always makes me want to keep reading. Personally, I preferred the 'then' chapters as Lauren and Spencer’s love story was beautiful and I rooted for them so much, even though this story is about Lauren and her family's grief because Spencer passed away. What kept this book from being five stars was the "love" story between Lauren and Ben. From the start, they are sexually attracted to each other and sleep with each other quickly, but throughout the book, it never felt as if their feelings went any deeper than physical. Lauren and Ben's type of romance is just not something I ever like reading as it is hard for me to root for. It is another reason I preferred Spencer's love story with Lauren because they felt so real and pure. I understand the point that Lauren would experience different types of love but I just wish her and Ben were written in a more romantic way. We also get to see Chani&Gabe and Ollie in this book as well as Lena, Lauren's thirteen year old daughter. Finally, I loved getting to see more of Chani and Gabe as a couple and through Lauren's point of view. I will still read anything Elissa Sussman writes, and I look forward to her next book!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the arc!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC.

This book was a raw portrayal of a widowed mother in her 40’s dealing with grief, raising a teen daughter, and juggling a new love interest. The chapters bounce back and forth between “then” and “now” showing glimpses of her younger troubled self and moments of her relationship with her husband. It took a bit for the new romance to grip me, but once she stopped fighting her feelings I loved them together. This was my first book by Elissa Sussman and I’m already a big fan.

This book was just not for me. I feel like it fell short on plot and characters and it just led to it not being a story I particularly felt attached to. I just wanted to finish this book to be done with it.

There was insta-lust between the two lead characters, with literally the second short conversation between them being about sex. There was no build-up of chemistry and it just fell flat. I wasn’t really rooting for them as a couple, emotionally nor physically.

I also felt like it was odd to have this permeating theme of sexuality and queerness for almost every single character. It’s mentioned several different times that the MMC is bisexual, but in ways that it doesn’t really add anything to the plot or flesh him out as a more dimensional character. Same with the FMC’s daughter — she’s this flat character of being a moody, sullen preteen who then comes out 60% of the way through the book and that’s pretty much the only plot-line this child has. I’m all for books touching on these themes but at least do so in an interesting way. This book felt like it was checking a box for inclusivity/diversity but not taking the effort to write a good story around it.

The story did a wonderful job of portraying grief and
handing a second chance at love. I thought the timeline jumps were so well done and I personally preferred the “then” chapters. Lauren and Spencer’s backstory was really beautiful and their love for each other was so evident. It did feel like there were a lot of side storylines that made it hard to really focus on the main characters. I did not feel very connected to their love story- it seemed to happen rather quickly and was almost insta-lovey. I enjoyed this read and I look forward to more from this author. 3.5 stars

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Totally and Completely Fine surprised me by being more women’s’ fiction than romcom. I enjoyed the dual timelines, the LGBTQ+ representation, and revisiting the Montana setting from Funny You Should Ask.
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I started this without knowing it was a spin-off of Sussman's Funny You Should Ask and the MC is Gabe Parker's widowed sister, Lauren. The romance was an afterthought of Lauren's character growth as she navigated loneliness and being a single mom. I was all for the age gap; I am kind of tired of the celebrity trope Sussman has done in the last few novels.

Read if you like:
•Single Parent
•Celebrity Romance
•Age Gap
•Dual Timeline
•MC in her 40s

🌶️🌶️🌶️ Open Door: At least one intimate scene with the reader present, euphemistic language for act and body parts.

Absolutely ate this up. I love a duel timeline it’s going to pull me in every single time. This was a story about love, grief, and exploration. I loved the pacing of the story very much. I’m not always a fan of insta love but felt this was written very well. Cant wait to read more stories by this author.

It’s remarkable how real and raw this book felt. The emotional depth of the story is incredible. It’s a beautiful story of love and grief and how the two intersect. It’s a wonderful love story. The chapters alternate from past to present which I really enjoyed. I loved Funny You Should Ask so I was so excited to read this one and it did not disappoint! If you haven’t read Funny You Should Ask, I would definitely read that before this comes out so you can get introduced to the characters in the story. I liked that this story presented a real picture of what family can look like. Overall, a beautiful story and I will definitely be rereading when it comes out!

I liked this book!! It was interesting with a good story line and good pacing. I think the themes or past lives, future choices, and decisions are written about in a good way. I like the writing style and the characters in this book

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Loved this latest from Elissa Sussman!! She walked the line beautifully of insta-lust and insta-love. I find that sometimes insta-lust can wind up being insta-love which is not a trope I personally…love. Sussman does a terrific job of showing Lauren and Ben’s chemistry while giving their relationship space to truly grow.

This book was a breath of fresh air. If you enjoyed Elissa’s other books (e.g., Funny You Should Ask), you’ll love her news novel. It reconnects with Gabe and Chani from FYSA, though I barely remember that book—except that I liked it! Also, the MMC is bisexual, and the FMC is in her forties 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼. Love to see it. We need more of this in romances!

Lauren lives in a picturesque but small town in Montana. She’s the mother of a grieving teenager and recently lost her husband. Now, as a single mother, she’s trying to figure things out.

Lauren’s brother, Gabe, is a film star who invites her and her son to visit him on the set of his new movie. There, Lauren meets Ben Walsh, a super-hot, bisexual Irish actor. They have explosive chemistry—the kind that’s HOT. Lauren realizes it’s been far too long since she’s done anything reckless, and she desperately wants to give in to Ben. However, she has a lot on her plate.

The complications of her past, small-town gossip, and Ben’s fame are hurdles she can’t easily outrun. The story flashes back to her marriage to Spencer, helping us understand how her past is shaping her present.

This book is lovely, and you will adore it. It releases on 4/29!

Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC. #bookstagram #booktok #bookreview

I want to start by saying this is the first Elissa Sussman book I’ve read. I haven’t read Funny You Should Ask (yet) but I don’t feel it’s necessary to read it to love this book. BUT there are overlap characters from what I’ve read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC. I’m happy to share my honest review.

I’ve read a lot of romance books (especially in the last year), but this was unlike anything I’ve read. It was refreshingly raw and (mostly) relatable. I didn’t know I needed this book, but I feel better and lighter after reading it. I laughed, but really I cried (which I don’t often do). This was so much more than romance. It was about the many layers of grief (from multiple perspectives), a single mother of a grieving child, loving someone with addiction, the impact of purity culture—especially in small towns, all while mixing in friendship betrayal, LGBTQ+ characters, and a 40 something woman taking it one day at a time.

It’s a dual timeline with dual MMCs (Spencer then, Ben now), and the way it’s written makes you feel for both of them in very different ways, just like one would in life. It is rare to only have one love in a lifetime, so the reality of this book showing how Lauren moves on after losing her first love was superbly poetic. It’s not so much about moving on as it is about allowing yourself to move on. Which is heartbreaking AND beautiful. All while she maneuvered being a mom to a 13 year old girl who is angry at the world.

Another theme that got to me was that the FMC was taught—and perpetuated—how to stuff your feelings and don’t ask for help. 100% relatable!

The way this was written and the placement of Then vs. Now was wonderfully crafted. It paralleled what I would assume it’s like to be so enveloped by grief and allowing time to help you heal, only for grief to pop up at any time. The ending gutted me. And that’s not a spoiler because I won’t say if it’s happy or sad. You need to make that decision—I’ll just say it was poignant and very well timed/placed.

This book gives a whole new meaning to “When one chapter ends…” and I am so excited for people to read it so it can start great conversations.

Read the content warnings, but also if you were raised believing in purity and abstinence in the church, this book might trigger you. But it might also give you a new, deeper perspective.

❤️Slow burn, steamy with mostly closed doors (which I could discuss how well this was done, too!)
❤️ High school sweetheart
❤️ LGBTQ+ representation
❤️ Widow, single mom
❤️ Reverse age gap

As someone who enjoyed Once More with Feeling, and absolutely adored Funny You Should Ask, I was so thrilled to receive an ARC of Elissa Sussman’s latest adult novel.

This book takes readers on the emotional journey of a grieving widow with a hormonal daughter, recovering alcoholic brother, and a whole lot of judgement from her small town. I love Sussman’s writing style with short chapters that transport readers from the past to the present.

Is it crazy to say that it felt more authentic if these two didn’t end up together? This novel felt like it fell more under the genre umbrella of women’s fiction than romance because to me, (at least compared to Sussman’s other romance novels) the romance felt like more of a subplot to Lauren’s healing journey.

3.5/5 ⭐️