(Actual: 2.75⭐, rounded up) While I've definitely enjoyed Sussman's previous reads, TOTALLY & COMPLETELY FINE unfortunately missed the mark for me. This book was ultimately a bit of a chore to get through, to the point where - even though I finished it - I truly don't really have much to say because the vibes were just.... off. Off, but also somehow weirdly very predictable? Idk idk. I think this book tried to tackle too many things at once; if isolated [and also maybe executed just a litttllle bit better], these topics/tropes could be intriguing and feel more substantial/weighty but, as it stands, I feel like Sussman/this book never fully committed to getting there on any of them, so it all just read a bit hollow for me. I'm sure this book will still find an audience, as it's not like it's necessarily BAD or anything..... it just wasn't for me. I still look forward to her next work though!

I really enjoyed this author's works. They remind me od early Katherine Center. They go doen easy but also tackle relatable hard topics. Enjoyed revisiting previous characters as well.

I liked the book but it was forgettable. It felt like there was a lot going on. Lots of characters, two different timelines, and several storylines. The theme of loss and grief felt like it was handled well.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this in an exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved Elissa Sussman’s Funny You Should Ask, so I was beyond excited to dive into Totally and Completely Fine and it did not disappoint! I loved how this book brought back characters from FYSA and picked up in a way that felt natural, giving us a fresh yet familiar story that was just as heartfelt and engaging.

While this book has a beautiful romance at its core, it leans more into women’s fiction, exploring grief, identity, and personal growth in such an honest and emotional way. Lauren Parker is a protagonist you feel; she’s messy, real, and trying to navigate life as a single mother while still carrying the weight of her past. Her chemistry with Ben Walsh is undeniable, but what really struck me was how their relationship wasn’t just about passion; it was about healing, second chances, and learning to open yourself up to love again.

Sussman’s writing shines in the way she alternates between Lauren’s past with her late husband, Spencer, and her present with Ben. The emotional depth in this story is stunning; there are moments of longing, heartbreak, and hope that hit so hard. I also loved the small town setting and the added layer of complexity with Ben’s fame, making their relationship feel even more high stakes.

If you’re looking for a book that balances romance with raw, emotional storytelling, Totally and Completely Fine is a must read. It’s about grief, love, and finding yourself again and I adored every page! 💙

Thank you to NetGalley, Elissa Sussman, and Dell for the eARC of this book.

A story of grief and returning to a life open to love. Lauren has been taking care of everyone else in her life - her teenage daughter, widowed mother, and recovering addict brother - since the death of her husband three years ago and put her own desires aside. When she goes to visit her brother on the set of his latest movie she’s instantly drawn to his younger costar, Ben. There’s magnetism, will-they-won’t-they, and figuring out how to return to balanced living. Wonderful family dynamics and engaging dialogue breathe life into this story. Heartfelt.

Totally and Completely Fine felt anything but quick and breezy—and maybe that’s the point. This was one of those reads that asked me to slow down, feel everything, and sit with the heavy. Grief, identity, second chances… it all swirled together in Lauren’s journey, and though it took me longer than expected to finish, I’m glad I stuck with it.

This was my first book by Elissa Sussman, and I can’t quite tell if it was her writing or my mood that made this such a slow read—but I’m definitely curious to try more. The then-and-now format really helped deepen Lauren’s story, especially when it came to understanding her grief and resilience. I loved the strong "mom trying to hold it together" energy, and the budding relationship with Ben gave the story a tender, hopeful undercurrent.

At times, it felt like the pacing stalled or got a little weighed down by the emotional depth—but the characters kept pulling me back. Lauren was real. Messy. Honest. Watching her rebuild herself, step by hesitant step, was ultimately rewarding.

Was everything Totally and Completely Fine by the end? Not in a perfect-bow kind of way—but in the kind of way that felt earned and true.

This is my favorite Elissa Sussman book - a perfect balance of funny, swoony, and emotional heft.

✔️ Single Mom
✔️ Small Town
✔️ Then and Now
✔️ Age Gap
✔️ Let's Keep Us a Secret
✔️ Cinnamon Roll MMC

This book is about Lauren, living a pretty quiet life in her small town. She's trying her best to get through the days, mourning the death of her husband while raising their teen kid. Her brother is a famous actor and a set visit leads to Lauren meeting his co-star, Ben. It's instant chemistry and there are a lot of reasons to stay apart. And yet...

This book could have been heavy considering that the main character is still mourning her husband's death. However, Elissa deftly keeps the emotion while infusing levity where needed - sometimes in the form of banter and terrific dialogue and sometimes in physical humor or off-the-wall bananas-in-a-bad-way that you have to laugh.

I loved Lauren and Ben together and how calm and grounded he was and could be for her (fictional for Hollywood tbh but so very enjoyable).

I loved seeing all facets of Lauren - as a teen, a young wife, a mother, a business person, and as a sexual being.

Highly recommend - 5⭐️

Steam 🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕💕💕

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

I couldn’t wait to read this book. I loved FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK and was excited to read Lauren’s story. I also love a celebrity + normal person romance. Add in a small town in Montana and what’s not to love? While I ended up liking the book in the end, I was expecting a more stereotypical romance whereas this book felt more like a book about grief with a romance.

Grief is a main thread throughout the story, understandably, since it’s a big part of Lauren’s story. Her husband Spencer died unexpectedly and we see Lauren try to navigate life as a widow and a single mom to a teenager who’s trying to figure out who she is now. Sussman depicts grief in all its messiness and beauty, how other people’s expectations about how you should and shouldn’t move through it and how you can hold multiple conflicting emotions at the same time. That being said, the way that Lauren’s attraction to Ben in the early chapters felt a little like whiplash between her instant chemistry with Ben and her grief for Spencer within a few sentences of each other.

Still, I love Sussman’s writing and her humor. It was fun to see more of Gabe and Chani too. We get more backstory on Gabe’s drinking and see how they interact within the larger family dynamic. And I adore Ollie.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved revisiting characters from It’s Kind of A Funny Story and meeting this new cast. Characters were well written and complicated. I loved the exploration of the mother-daughter relationship and the effect of shared grief. The MMC was hot and the FMC was messy and relatable. The flashbacks were initially jarring because I would often forget where I was in the timeline but I loved what it added to the character development. I can’t wait to read what Elissa writes next!

Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman
4⭐, 3🌎, 3📖, 4🖋️, 4👫, 4❤️, 1🌶️

We've both been big Elissa Sussman fans since her very first novel FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK (if you haven't read it, add to your tbr immediately!) and so we were completely thrilled when we learned her newest novel would feature some of those characters but this time the focus is on Gabe's sister. Totally and Completely Fine takes everything she's done in her previous novel and ups it - it's deeper, more emotional, exploring the messy, beautiful, and often painful reality of grief, love, and starting over. It’s the kind of story that stays with you, not just because of its emotional depth, but because it feels so real and relatable.

Lauren Parker is the kind of character you can’t help but root for. She’s never been one to follow the rules—whether as a rebellious teenager, the sister of a Hollywood star, or now, as a widowed single mother trying to find her footing in a small town where everyone seems to have an opinion about her life. When she crosses paths with Ben Walsh, a charming actor working on her brother’s film set, there’s an instant spark. What starts as a spontaneous escape from her complicated reality soon turns into something deeper, pushing Lauren to face the ghosts of her past and the uncertainty of what comes next.

The story unfolds through dual timelines, weaving together Lauren’s past with her late husband, Spencer, and her present with Ben. It’s a beautifully layered exploration of how love changes over time—how it can endure, evolve, and sometimes surprise us when we least expect it. Sussman’s writing is sharp and full of heart, balancing humor and raw emotion in a way that feels authentic. Lauren is a wonderfully complex protagonist—strong yet vulnerable, fiercely independent but still grappling with the weight of loss and the expectations others place on her. Her chemistry with Ben is electric, and while their relationship moves quickly, it’s less about a fairytale romance and more about how connection can help us heal and grow.

But this isn’t just a love story. Totally and Completely Fine digs into so much more—single parenthood, the suffocating nature of small-town gossip, and the pressure society puts on women to fit into certain roles. Sussman tackles these themes with honesty and nuance, especially when it comes to Lauren’s journey of rediscovering herself outside of grief. Her relationship with her daughter adds another layer of depth, capturing the bittersweet process of rebuilding a life after loss.

If you’re looking for a traditional, slow-burn romance, this might not be it. Instead, Sussman gives us something richer—a story about love as a catalyst for self-discovery and healing. It’s contemporary fiction at its best, blending wit, wisdom, and moments that will make you laugh, cry, and maybe even see a little bit of yourself in Lauren’s struggles.

Totally and Completely Fine is a beautifully moving novel that reminds us it’s okay to not have it all figured out. It’s about finding light in the darkest places and learning to embrace the messy, imperfect journey of life.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Dell for the chance to read this gem!

A companion novel to Funny You Should Ask, Totally and Completely Fine is a gentle romance about a widowed mother and a younger actor who awakens her desire to love again. Lauren Parker, sister of (in)famous actor Gabe Parker, has a small life in her small Montana town, where she's worked hard to pick up the pieces and parent her thirteen-year-old daughter, Lena, after her husband, Spencer's death. On the set of her brother's movie, Lauren meets Ben Walsh, a younger, handsome, irresistible actor, and they fall into bed--what she assumes is a one-night stand. They text casually over the next several weeks, and he surprises her by showing up in town, with the announcement that he's going to be acting in a play with Gabe at the local theater.

Small towns talk, and Lauren has been the subject of gossip more than once in her life. She doesn't want to be gossip fodder again, so she insists that they keep their continued attraction a secret. As they grow closer, reality creeps in--can they make something real work when their lives are so vastly different?

Tender and slow, Totally and Completely Fine is an exploration of healing after loss, loving who you love without shame or regret, and being open to new opportunities.

I love Elissa Sussman's work, and this book was a great addition to her celebrity cinematic universe. I do wish that the book started with a strong introduction instead of throwing us into the pit with these characters, but it was easy to follow along once I got to the 30% mark. The love triangle was handled well, and I seriously will read anything that she writes!

Thank you to Dell and Netgalley for this ARC. I ended up DNFing and I was pretty disappointed because I usually like Sussman’s writing, but I couldn’t get into this one tonally

Totally and Completely Fine is the story of a mom grieving over the death of her husband, when she meets the co-star of her famous brother - the next James Bond. The chapters alternate between past and present. It is an emotional rollercoaster of part grief and part excitement of a new relationship. Steamy scenes followed by guilt. Resilience and finding love again. All with funny moments peppered throughout. I really liked the rawness of it. And knowing that the author was going through grief made it that much more real. Life is a messy and grief isn’t a straight line and this book is proof of that.

Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman is chaotic, heartfelt, and laugh-out-loud real. It went into the mess of adulthood, family, and mental health with honesty and wit. Elissa is back and I was there for it 👏 Beneath the humor is a story about holding on, letting go, and figuring it out one imperfect step at a time. This was such a fun read!

This one just felt flat to me, unfortunately. I felt like there was no chemistry between the characters and the banter and flirting just felt forced and fake. There was too much of a focus on the MMC being bisexual and not enough focus on the potential for a relationship. Grief is present in the book, but I wish there was more emotion and less just mentioning it. The small town feel is there, which I loved! I wish we got so much more of it - I love a small town romance! To me the light hearted and the deep parts were not well connected and the characters were just blah. I really wanted to love this, as I have enjoyed her prior books, but this one was just not for me. Maybe my expectations were set to high?!
Thank you netgalley for advanced reader copy

Totally and Completely Fine is a sequel of sorts to Sussman's debut romance novel, Funny You Should Ask. I adored Funny You Should Ask so it's no surprise I felt the same way about Totally and Completely Fine.

In Totally and Completely Fine we are given views into Gabe's sister's life prior to the death of her husband, Simon, which is mentioned in the previous novel. We also get a present storyline as Lauren and her daughter Leah visit Gabe on set. While there Lauren lays eyes on the deliciously handsome Irish actor Ben Walsh. What Lauren thought was going to be a one night stand with Ben eventually turns into a friendship then so much more. Quite a bit of the novel is focused on grief from different angles, which is so important to the story and also just life in general. Just because we lose someone suddenly doesn't mean we don't stop loving them or forget about them. This sentiment is discussed at length in the novel.

I enjoyed that we got to see more of Gabe and Chani's relationship but from a different perspective this time. It definitely makes me want to re-read Funny You Should Ask. I ended up listening to the majority of this novel and highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by Patti Murin, who is a thespian herself. If you're looking for something with a lot of heat on the page, this one may not be for you. The sex scenes tend to be more closed-doors. If you want something where the characters leap off the page, where the heat isn't from sex but from the attraction of the characters to one another, boy is this the book for you.

Lauren Parker is a widowed mother of a teenage girl and the sister of a movie star. When she and her daughter visit her brother Gabe on set, she meets Ben Walsh, his very handsome (and younger) co-star. They have instant chemistry, but can a relationship with a celebrity work in a small town?

What I liked:
*The dual timeline - with the past informing why the characters are the way they are in the present.
*Love in "middle-age"
*The truths about marriage, grief, and parenting a teenager.
*Lauren's past with Spencer.
*The pizza dough

What I disliked:
*Insta-love
*The book felt like it had a lot of agendas (religion and sexuality especially) that weren't fully fleshed out, but felt forced on the reader.
*The ending did not seem realistic.

Ultimately, while I appreciated the way this book handled grief, love, and family, it wasn't enough to overcome the aspects I disliked about the book. 3 stars.

Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

i don't think i learn because as much as i want to love the books by this author i think that her writing style just isn't for me and thats okay.

Thank you net galley for my copy but…

Had to DNF this book at 50%. This story is so boring.

I also could not stand the FMC. She annoyed me.