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.

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.

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.

What a fun book! The narration was great, the story was great, the whole thing was great! I highly recommend this listen!

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.

********

I am pretty sure that if a book’s title includes a character’s full name then I’m likely to be a fan. I think it all started with Owen Meany. Now Nora November isn’t akin to Owen, but I just wanted to hug her and invite her over. I loved her devil-may-care attitude. More than that, I appreciated the way that it made me contemplate how I would respond to a NDE (near-death experience, ofc). There’s something so contagious about the new Nora’s personality… something that just made me inhale this one! I just reviewed Nice Work, Nora November by Julia London. #NiceWorkNoraNovember #NetGalley

Nora November is a wonderful character. The book deals with tough topics depression, mental health, addiction, family issues and love in such a tender way. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a wonderful job. I loved how the senior citizens had such an impact in the story. I truly enjoyed this book.

Thank you #NetGalley, #HarperCollinsFocus, #HarperMuse, #JuliaLondon, #KarissaVacker and #NiceWork,NoraNovember for the advance audiobook for my honest review.

Nice Work, Nora November - Julia London
Genre: Contemporary, Coming of Age, a bit of Romance

What a fun, thoughtful, and delightful read Julia London’s Nice Work, Nora November is. Nora November is recovering from a near drowning experience. She creates an anti bucket list and she tries to overhaul her life which she quickly remembers is just not that happy. She has suffered from depression and has lost strong relationships with some she loves through it - including her sister and cousin. She has met the perfect man as a hostage in an armed robbery and lost his phone number. She hates working as a lawyer in her father’s law firm. She does not follow through on her promise to maintain her late grandfather’s garden plot in a community garden. So…she vows to work on the garden, to learn to cook, to play basketball, to renew relationships, and to find the lost Jake. Her journey has its ups and downs but is a joy to read. The copy I read was narrated by Karissa Vacker who brought Nora to life for me!
And, of course, Nora is what I loved most about this book. I am clearly a character driven reader. Nora is baffled at the beginning of the book; she can’t remember much of what led to her near death experience, but boy is she determined to change her life. She isn’t wallowing so much as figuring out what will make her happy moving forward. And listen, she doesn’t have a built in support system. She has alienated her sister Lacey and her cousin Walter. She has nothing in common with her social climbing, career oriented parents. Oh her dad is deliciously hateful. She misses her grandfather - who accepted her unconditionally - so much. But what is beautiful is that through her chaos and a variety of mishaps, some more serious than others, she builds a new family: Kathleen who harrasses her in the community garden, Willow who is an unwilling partner to her mom at cooking class, Nick from the garden center. And while she doesn’t know it, she is circling closer and closer to Jake who has inherited a garden plot from one of his dying patients. Small world, right? And slowly Nora is working to repair her relationships with Lacey and Walter. I loved all of the people and all of the shenanigans. London expertly develops and manages it all - walking Nora forward in a believable way.
I feel a little bored by my musing on my dislike of change. But gosh, I really do admire Nora’s desire to create a life that she loves. Her depression is portrayed honestly - right down to losing a therapist for insurance reasons - and being shamed over medication. Yet, it does not control the narrative or her life. I love that approach - not lighthearted, but hopeful. I am a huge fan of the list approach. I am list driven. I have always done better at work and on a project with lists. The checking off of items, I love it. And yet, yet, I’ve done few lists in this my first year of being retired from full time work. I’m not a trained counselor, so I won’t try to figure that out, but perhaps a list or two wouldn’t go awry for me. (Dear google, I see the blue underlines for my style choices. I’m doing it anyway.) Finally, I respond to praise - always have; I could explain why, but who has the time? Teacher observations? Way more stressful than the kids and the curriculum. Maybe I do miss the feedback though? Anyway, when Julia London gets us to the “nice work” part of Nice Work, Nora November, I could only think well done. Well done - what a book!

I absolutely adored ‘Nice Work, Nora November’! Nora was a delightful main character, and her zest for life post-NDE was contagious. The writing was captivating, and the narration felt like a perfect fit for Nora.

Post-NDE Nora is brave, compassionate, and determined to be better for those around her. I was desperately rooting for her to find Jack, to gain confidence and pride in who she is, and to thrive in her new (or previously retired) hobbies. Vacker did not shy away from difficult topics, and she has written an excellent representation of what depression is like. Her ease at diving into hard subjects made the characters and their issues feel so much more real.

The romance aspect of this novel was fun, but I was so eager for them to reconnect! The flashbacks were perfect, and I fully believed the feelings the two developed for each other.

‘Nice Work, Nora November’ is a hopeful and inspiring story about finding yourself, love, and redemption. I completely and wholeheartedly recommend this!

This audiobook is one of my favorite listens this year. The narrator was fantastic. The writing was phenomenal. The character growth in this story was huge.
The story begins with Nora recovering from a near death experience and decides to create a reverse bucket list. She had to push past so many obstacles in this story—work, family and mental health. She had to show the people in her world (and those people were tough on her) that she was going to start showing up.
She had recently met a guy, and in her new excitement for life, she tries to find him.
Nora was an amazing character who represents so many people in this world who suffer from depression. While we know that depression just doesn’t disappear the author did a wonderful job of showing if you just keep going and keep fighting life is worth living. This book was funny, heartwarming and gave me ALL the feels. If I could give more than 5 stars, I would! Huge thanks to Netgalley and Harpercollins for allowing me to listen and review this fantastic book!

Nice Work, Nora November is a wonderfully entertaining women's fiction novel that was impossible to stop listening to! It was an emotional journey, both heartbreaking and heartfelt. The story centers around personal injury lawyer Nora November who hates her job working at her father's high powered law firm. After a surfing accident left her clinically dead for a few minutes, she wakes up from a coma determined to be a better version of herself, rather than attempting to live up to her parents’ expectations. She wants to be a better sister, wants to learn to cook, wants to play basketball. and wants to bring her grandfather's now-neglected garden back to life. Most of all, Nora wants to find the guy she met in a corner store months ago but didn't have enough courage to call. I loved experiencing all of these activities with Nora as she discovers who she really is.

I listened to the audiobook version of the story narrated by the high accomplished Karissa Vacker. In summary, I highly recommend this audiobook to anyone who wants a momentary escape, as well as those who are frustrated with life and want a "do-over"!

Nice Work, Nora November
By Julia London
Narrated by Karissa Vacker
Pub date June 4, 2024
HarperCollins Focus
Romance / women’s fiction / depression / near death experience (NDE) / dysfunctional family
5 stars

Nora November has a second chance at life after a surfing accident leaves her clinically dead for a few minutes. She doesn’t remember anything about the accident or even why she went surfing. She does remember that during her time in a coma she was with her grandfather who had passed away. She also remembers feelings of regret for things she always wanted to do but never did. Now that she has a second chance at life, she makes a reverse bucket list and starts living life in a new way.

She remembers before the drowning being in a hostage situation with others and one particular man that she made a connection with but never followed up on. Her depression kept her from pursuing that relationship. Now with a new lease on life she is determined to find him and reconnect. She also signs up for cooking classes and gardening.

This is a heartwarming story told in dual POV between Nora and Jack, the man she was held hostage with in a corner store. The story isn’t so much a romance as much as about family drama and depression. Julia London does an excellent job of adding humor to the story while keeping some suspense of how the two will eventually meet.

While it does deal with lots of issues including suicide, depression, alcoholism, child death, dysfunctional family relationships and a hostage situation, there is humor and heartwarming relationships. However, it is not about a romantic relationship, but about her searching for a man she remembers and living life in a new frame of mind.

I enjoyed the story but I felt like the ending was rushed and anticlimactic. The characters are all well developed and defined even though most are not likable. I think this story is mostly about Nora’s journey to redefining herself and our male main character dealing with working with hospice patients.

Nice Work, Nora November, is a fictional book written by Julia London. I feel like this is a hard book to describe, there were parts that were “feel good” and other parts that made me feel lots of emotions. I did not know much about this book before reading it; the cover and title drew me in, but I really enjoyed it! Definitely would recommend trigger warnings for depression/mental health discussion, as well as alcohol abuse.
I loved the characters in this book, and the multiple storylines. I feel like the ending really came together which I appreciate, and I really admired the main characters strength in her relationships with her parents and family. I definitely recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley and to the author, publisher, and narrator for an ALC in exchange for an honest review

I completely loved the book.
It deserves so so much more than five stars.
It just became one of my all-time favorites. I loved this.
I just wanted to keep reading.
Finally a cute and sweet romance that doesn't involve romance problems. I've been waiting and needing a book like this for years. I loved it. It was so good.
The main character connects so much with the reader because she is just a normal person doing what she can. And the love interest is super sweet, and he's also trying ways to feel better. Both characters try to deal with the challenges in their lives, despite them having different circumstances, but they try to look for happiness and make it their own. Which is so good.
We have time to get to know the characters individually and love them, before the romance starts, and is so sweet.
I loved the romance, it was one of the best things ever, the little things that connected them, even without them knowing, their being invested in the same thing despite the different ways, this whole destiny romance filled my heart with love.
I really loved the book, I completely recommend it to everyone who wants a good romance, both romantic and about the evolution of the character's love for herself.
Just the best.

And the narrator was the best. Through her voice I could feel the emotions of the characters, and feel more connected to the book. Was really the perfect smooth voice, that don't let you put the book down.

Dare I say this book is in the same league as the other queens for general fiction/ romance, Emily Henry or Ali Hazelwood? I loved this book so much and loved the message. This book majored in Nora finding herself and minored in Nora finding love. Which is my favorite. I love when the FMC finds herself and finds someone who adds to her story not makes the story about them. This was a great book about loving your life.

I received the audio version of this book and the narrator is Karissa Vacker. Dare I say she reminds me of the Julia Whelan (my favorite audiobook narrator ever)?? This is one of my new favorite books.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for the audiobook of Nice Work, Nora November! Out now!

Nice Work, Nora November is simply delightful from start to end. When faced with an NDE (Near Death Experience), Nora is compelled to make big changes in her life. This means going against her overbearing father, her reprimanding, high-society mother, and deconstructing her life in all the ways that no longer served her. Unbeknownst to her, a love story is playing out in a beautifully parallel manner until, at last, their paths cross. I highly recommend this fun, summer read!

After a near death experience, Nora creates a reverse bucket list of everything she wish she could have done in the 'before'. One of the things on the list is to find the guy she had a kiss met with.

This story is eye opening and makes you think about what would you do if you had a second chance in life. I also love that it had a different type of romance and it was interesting following her journey with life in the 'after'.

Thank you to NetGallery and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a beautiful book! Nora November has a second chance at life and goes on a self discovery of who she wants to be. Her past life is full of regret and now that she has a second chance to change it around she’s not settling for less than she deserves. The story was absolutely beautiful it talked about depression and the struggles that go along with it. It also touches on grief. Amazing book that had me questioning myself and what truly brings me happiness. Nora’s character goes through transformation and you can’t help but cheer her on through her journey.

This book was WONDERFUL! It made me think so much about my own life. I absolutely adored the main character. The plot, the setting, the character....such a fun book! Highly recommend

Beautiful, all of it! I listened to the audiobook and Karissa Vacker is one of my favorite narrators, she was wonderful as always. The storyline was interesting and I absolutely loved the author’s writing style. This is the best book I’ve read in months, it made me laugh and cry with a satisfying ending. Highly recommend this one!

I say, Nice Work, Julia London! Her new novel, Nice Work, Nora November, is a thoughtful, entertaining account of a woman saying enough. Enough to submitting to her father’s demands concerning her career, enough to her mother’s constant harping about her weight and wardrobe choices, and enough to accepting the paralyzing depression that she lives with. Nora wakes in a hospital following a surfing accident that killed her, at least for a few minutes. Surviving (at first reluctantly, given the comfort and appeal of her other-worldly encounters) this near-death experience empowers her to make changes, and she sets herself a reverse bucket list. Included on the list: saying enough to all the above, rehabilitating her beloved grandfather’s garden, and finding the stranger with whom she had experienced near-perfect harmony while being held hostage during a robbery prior to her accident. Nora’s strength and determination wax and wane throughout the novel, a struggle most readers will recognize as something we all experience while trying to make positive change. Ms. London’s sympathetic and sensitive descriptions of Nora’s clinical depression may be disturbing to readers not familiar with the disease, but they assist in making the book both believable and Nora someone we really want to succeed.

Nice Work, Nora November
By Julia London
Narrated by Karissa Vacker
Five Stars

This book made me cry in a good way.

Nora November is really just trying to get through every day. Her dad is a...horrible person, and she struggles with depression that her family can not understand and just thinks she should shrug off. One night, while trying to get a little salad for dinner, the convenience store she is in gets robbed. Her and two other patrons are locked in a back room during the stand-off. One of the other patrons is a man named...if she could just remember... and they hit it off immediately. They pass the time getting to know each other and supporting each other through this hostage situation. Once it's over, they promise to get in touch, but Nora's depression convinces her it wasn't as much of a connection as she thought, and the man accidently misplaced her number. Months later, in a deep spiral, Nora had a near death experience during a surfing accident. Coming back to life has changed Nora's entire perspective. Of course, this doesn't cure her depression but she is on a path to change her life. This includes trying to find the man from the convenience store.

This one is a roller-coaster in the best way of second chances. Please understand the triggers in this book of depression, attempted suicide, alcoholism, and narcissism.

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins Focus, and Julia London for the opportunity to read and review this book. All thoughts are my own.

#NiceWorkNoraNovember #JuliaLondon #KarissaVacker
#NetGalley #HarperCollinsFocus #ALCReview
#ReadThisBook #ReadAllTheBooks #SecondChances

This was a surprisingly a great and emotional read. This book haf just the right amount of humor in it. And was super entertaining. I finished this audiobook in one day. I just needed to know if she ever found the guy from the robbery and also why she was on the beach that day there are trigger warnings about talks of suicide and depression. I felt this book wrote about depression great

This was such a fun listen. I loved it. I have been hearing about this book for months and am so glad I was able to get an advance copy. I couldn’t turn it off until it was over.

What a refreshing book!
What a terrific concept!

What happens to you when you die?
What do you feel? See? Hear? Who’s there?

Don’t get your hopes up too high…this is only ONE experience, and it’s in a book (story). And it happens in the first 5 minutes of the book…

But, Nora does die…

We then go on to explore her life. What it’s like. What influences her, or who?
What she does. Who her family is. What kind of stress she has/had…

But. There’s. So. Much. More….

The book revolves around MANY experiences in Nora’s short life, but one more so than the others.

Because one night, Nora was tired, and stopped at a bodega on her way home. As she was going to reach for a salad, she had a hand go for the same salad…at the same time…and they started to talk.
And then, the bodega was robbed…

I’m going to end it there so I don’t give anything away.
BUT, if you want something that’s very different, and deals with a lot in a short time, don’t pass this one up!

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!
Brought out so many different emotions that I honestly was not expecting!

#NiceWorkNoraNovember by #JuliaLondon and beautifully narrated by #KarissaVacker.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #HarperCollinsFocus, #HarperMuse for an ARC of the audiobook which has already been released, so you should be able to find it on shelves now!

***Trigger warning: Alcohol Abuse. Suicidal tendencies. Verbal abuse. Mental abuse. And, strong unwanted family meddling….***
These are all mentioned in the book, some more so than others, but there seem to be a lot of mind games within this family…

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Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends!! 📚⭐️

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The author has created an eclectic interesting cast of characters and a terrific story. Nora was born into a family that believes what people see is more important than the reality and flaws of any type are unacceptable. Her parents have spent and continue to spend their lives trying to get their 2 surviving daughters to fit the molds they want them to by bullying, intimidation, judgment, a whole lot of snarky comments and nastiness. They are so misguided and basically horrible people who believe they are right. All of the time. Nora was born with a twin brother who sadly passed away from SIDS. She has spent the entirety of her life being made to feel guilty for being the child who survived and she has finally had enough. She is no longer willing to accept the way her parents treat her, ignore any and everything about her, her depression (sure, because telling people who suffer from mental health issues to buck up always works..yikes) and take a stand to live the life she wants. She is far from perfect, but keeps trying until she finally lets go of others expectations and figures out who she is, wants to be and starts to live her own life, flaws and all. Finally she understands what happiness is. I adored this book. The author has represented depression and addiction not as character flaws, but as what they are. Actual health issues that must be tended to through medications, therapy and acceptance. A wonderfully narrated book.

I definitely would recommend this book, it was a slow burn romance with a detailed and engaging story of how two people find each other. I appreciate when a book helps me understand things better and this book really helped me develop more understanding of depression and how it looked for our MC.

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..

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.

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.

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 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!

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!

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!

I went in blind and boy am I glad I did. The story follows Nora who survives a near-death experience. Most of her family and co-workers think she's crazy. It really made me think of all the things that I might want to do if given a second chance to do them. Depression is such a hard thing to manage and I think the story did a fantastic job capturing the feelings of trying to make things write after living in the depression for so long.

Nora’s character is relatable, and her journey resonates with anyone who’s faced adversity. The witty dialogue, quirky characters, and heartfelt moments make this a must-read. Whether you’re a fan of Emily Henry or Harlan Coben, “Nice Work, Nora November” will leave you smiling and contemplating your own bucket list.

I loved Nora taking accountability for things in the past and making an effort to show the people she loved and the things that she loved to do that she could. The characters in general were all very well thought out and brought to life so naturally. I really loved this story.

If you get a change to listen to the audio you wont be disappointed. It's a phenomenal job!!

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.

I really enjoyed this contemporary women's fiction/romance. Nora November drowns and is brought back to life and I adored the new perspective the experience gave her. She suffers from depression, but is inspired to reinvent herself and find the man that she met and had a connection with at a corner store robbery. While that sounds heavy, Julia weaves so much warmth and humor into the story that you can't help but smile as you read it. Filled with fun quirky characters, I couldn't help but fall in love with this novel and cheer Nora on as she finds the balance she needs and a love to last a lifetime. The audiobook is perfectly narrated by the fantastic Karissa Vacker and I recommend listening to it as her performance is spectacular.

I really enjoyed this book. Although a similar story to others in the genre, I appreciate how Nora's circumstances, and life altering accident put her life in the "before" versus the "after". In the before, she was pressured, and lived by, trying to reach everyone else's expectations of her. Struggling with depression, she found she was often not available for the people that mattered most to her. In the after she is determined to be a better friend, but also a better version of herself, but it still takes time for her to realize that means putting her needs and wants first at times as well.

I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoyed books like "the midnight library" or "Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine".

The audio quality of this novel was good, and it was enjoying to listen.

This book started out kind of slow for me and I kept wondering where we were going… I’m soooo glad I stuck it out because right around the 20% mark it really picked up. I loved this book! I think Nora’s growth and persistence of her second chance was so beautiful.

There were parts of this book that really frustrated me on her behalf and I was so happy with the outcome of her relationship with her father. Life is never neatly tied up with a perfect bow with people finding solution and everything having resolve. I loved how realistic this book was!! - Everything just meshed so well together.

I loved this one. It was very sweet and charming book. I really enjoyed the family dynamics with Nora's family. I loved seeing her growth throughout the story, The narrator was great as well.

This was a good one even if it made me a bit anxious 😂 I loved the concept of it and I've never read one like it before so it was fun and different

This is a really good story. You follow Nora, who has a renewed excitement to build a good life after an NDE. She tries to hard to do the things she never did and tries so hard to reach out to her friends and family. Unfortunately, many things go wrong, and she gets blamed and confronted with how she was before her NDE. You really feel for Nora in every way. You get excited when she has new motivation for fun things, and you get hurt when people throw her past at her. I think it does do well in showing how life can be with depression, and i never thought of what happens when you're not depressed anymore, and coming back from it seems just as hard.

Overall 100% recommend!

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review

I had a brilliant review written in my head, but did not write it immediately. Lovely allergy season. Now, I can't remember most of what I wanted to say.

I really liked this journey of self-discovery that Nora took. She was unhappy with all aspects of her life. Then she clinically died in a surfing accident. When she awoke, she realized she had all of these regrets. She decided to stop wasting time and do them. Much to the consternation of everyone around her.

I found Nora relatable and enjoyed her journey. I could sympathize with a lot of her feelings.

Karissa Vacker narrates the audiobook and is, as always, perfection.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a captivating read that held my attention from start to finish. The story was well-paced, and the characters felt real and engaging. I’m grateful to the publisher for providing an early copy—it was a pleasure to read!