Of course, not everything is fine with Lorna - hence the rage and leaking tear ducts. And she wasn't very likable in the beginning, but very soon I got her anxiety, could understand her pain and struggles - within no-time I wanted to hug her :)

She held herself responsible for other people's choices and how those had disrupted her life. There is a difference between rationally seeing something or feeling it deep down below, beyond the bomb shelter where Lorna kept her feelings. She was not responsible for the chaos in her life, but how on earth is she gonna convince herself of that?
And of course, lots of people have problems with confidence, even those who don't had that amount of chaos and distrust in their lives. The world being a difficult place currently, so yeah: give yourself a break instead of beating yourself up which is what lots of women to this day and age. For the weirdest of reasons, thinking we are the only one struggling. Let's just say 'normal is a myth,' And because of that, this book is deserves a place on my being-good-enough shelf on Goodreads.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

When Lorna’s letter she sent to her sister, went to her entire team instead, her work sent her on a wellness retreat. I feel so sad for Lorna and her family situation. It’s clear that it really affected her mental health. Lorna’s friendship with bean is so sweet. It was interesting to how they went back and talked about events which Lorna then went and apologized for. The therapy seemed so helpful. I think I almost cried at the end of the book. I loved the relationship she had with Seth and Bean. I felt myself smiling a lot while reading the book.

There was some tough parts of the book. I felt bad for Lorna, her childhood was rough. Her dad bugged me so much!! I just wanted her to have a happy life. I’m glad she was able to get help and live a better life after she let things go.

I think this book was very relatable. It’s very difficult dealing with a family member who is mentally ill. Of course it’s very difficult for the person going through but it also really affects the family members who have to deal with it.

A few quotes I felt were relatable:

“It made me invisible in my family”
“The past has a way of sucking us in and holding us there.”

I was so happy with the ending! Lorna wakes up with hope every single morning. Hope for you a good life, hope for laughter and friendship and love. What a beautiful ending and a beautifully written store.

I was able to read this in one day. I couldn’t put it down. I really enjoyed the authors writing.

I would definitely read this again!

Thank you so much NetGalley, Julia and Harper Muse for the E-ARC!

#NetGalley #EverythingisProbablyFine

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication: August 12th 2025


I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own!

Lorna Lott is not liked. The software sales team she leads calls her King Kong behind her back. She scowls at strangers and ignores her neighbors. Her sister is an addict, her father abandoned her as a child and her mother is dead. Lorna lot is alone. And angry.

When an interpersonal conflict with her team bubbles up at work, her boss forces Lorna into a one month outpatient mental wellness retreat. Lorna is not pleased. She doesn’t see how yoga and sound baths and meditation and life coaching could possibly make her a better salesperson, much less help her open her “bomb shelter,” the place where she has hidden all her big emotions her entire life.

But as Lorna works the program and confronts the hurts from her past, she opens herself to new friendships, starting with the eight year old latch key kid across her hall. Lorna has always believed that she is unlikable. But is it really just that she doesn’t like herself? And can she figure out how to change that?

I adored this novel. It had a bit of “A Man Called Ove” vibes if you liked that book, although Lorna is much younger than Ove. I loved walking with Lorna through her journey of grief and forgiveness and acceptance. I laughed at parts and cried at parts and overall just really loved this book.

(This was an Advanced Readers Copy that I received via NetGalley. It releases Aug 12. I received a complementary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I really enjoy Julia London books. Her latest, Everything is Probably Fine, was a great read, as I expected.

I'd never read anything by Julia London, but I'm now a complete fan. I've already purchased two more titles.

Lorna Lott isn't likeable by any stretch. I didn't even like her.

But, once I realized that there was more to the story, and she was protecting herself from being hurt or, honestly, disliked.

An incident at work causes her to be required to take a "wellness retreat" for 30 days. She's practically dragged kicking and screaming.

Her journey, the stories, with "Lorna Now," and then the backstories was such a nice journey.

I loved the plot, the characters, and every bit of this book.

She held herself responsible for other people's choices and how those had disrupted her life. There is a difference between rationally seeing something or feeling it deep down below, beyond the bomb shelter where Lorna kept her feelings. She was not responsible for the chaos in her life, but how on earth is she gonna convince herself of that?
And of course, lots of people have problems with confidence, even those who don't had that amount of chaos and distrust in their lives. The world being a difficult place currently, so yeah: give yourself a break instead of beating yourself up which is what lots of women to this day and age. For the weirdest of reasons, thinking we are the only one struggling. Let's just say 'normal is a myth,' And because of that, this book deserves a place on my being-good-enough shelf on Goodreads.

Thank you to Harper Muse and Net Galley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

#JulieLondon #EverythingIsProbablyFine #NetGalley #HarperMuse

Charming and relatable, EVERYTHING IS PROBABLY FINE follows Lorna Lott. Although she is successful by some definitions, she has a lot of anger and bitterness. Consequently, people don't exactly like her...

The premise of Lorna being forced into a one month outpatient wellness retreat is a bit forced. However, the story takes off from there in a most charming way so, if you are able to go with it, you will end up enjoying the novel.

For much of her life Lorna has not known how to deal with her emotions. As she learns more about herself, the reader is cheering for her.

Will Lorna end up liking herself and making friends? The themes of forgiveness (including self forgiveness) and acceptance are handled in a lovely manner.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

Lorna Lott lives in a self-proclaimed metaphorical “bomb shelter” – it is a well-protected if lonely place to inhabit. (Not) affectionately known as King Kong by her subordinates at work, she is extraordinarily successful in her career but relentlessly pushes her staff to obtain unrealistic goals. Lorna teeters on the edge of explosive rage with a cutting assessment of others that eventually results in her being placed on a mandatory, 30-day “sabbatical” at a wellness center. Her long-awaited promotion, raise and signing bonus, critical to fulfill an important personal goal, hang in the balance, as she is forced to confront her lack of people skills.

This is one of the best redemption stories I have had the pleasure of reading. Lorna’s healing journey begins by embracing holistic practices that she would never have undertaken on her own. The chapters alternate between her present reality and the events in her past that have shaped her perceptions and feelings. Lorna becomes someone I felt great empathy for, and I applauded her courage as she faced the effects of her highly dysfunctional family and undertook her “apology tour.” I particularly enjoyed the development of her relationship with Bean and Seth, her neighbors, as well as the ever-present Aggie, her Corgi pup.

The story addresses heavy emotional issues without being maudlin – drug addiction, alcoholism, codependency, love, grief, and death – to name a few. The satisfying conclusion ends with a realistic and high note of hope.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

Whoa! This is a deep book with really heavy topics (addiction, neglect). It’s weird, but at first, I was thinking this was a modern, realistic, reimagining of the movie Up. You had the grumpy neighbor (Lorna), the ranger scout earning badges (Bean), dog (Aggie) and housing issues. I still think there are parallels, but this story really is driving into Lorna’s grief in multiple areas of her life. She was a side-character in her life with her addict sister stealing the show. Their dad bailed and started a new life. He was a frustrating character. Their mom was team Kristen (the sister), often neglecting Lorna. After an incident at work, Lorna is mandated to go to some new age therapy center where she reluctantly faces her past. This book just made me so sad for Lorna and I appreciated it offering me a different life pov that I haven’t experienced. While I couldn’t relate to these experiences, I was deeply engrossed in the story. Check this one out if you have the frame of mind for it.

Thank you Harper Muse for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Wow. Absolutely wow. When I first received a copy of this book, I didn't know what to expect. But as I click off on the last page of the book, all I can still say is "Wow". Not only did I enjoy going on this journey with Lorna, but I couldn't believe how much I could relate to Lorna. I related to her in the beginning, in the middle, and aspired for a life of growth and love and healing in the end. Although we have lived two completely different lives, I couldn't help reflecting on the same feelings and the same instances of my life as Lorna healed from hers. Its always hard to look at ourselves and see all our flaws and immediately think, yes let me try fixing myself. It's a whole lot easier to either dismiss them or push it to another time in our lives, but like Lorna, sometimes the opportunity literally falls onto us and the only way to go is through. I loved Lorna, absoluuuuutely adored Bean and Seth, felt such warmth from Peggy and Liz, and am wishing the best for those who can relate to Candy, Mrs. Tracy, and even Lorna. I'm so grateful to have received this complimentary copy, it truly changed my perspective.

This is one of those interesting books that serve as a reminder to slow down and learn to work through things. Lorna's growth through this book made this a fantastic read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This was my first time reading a book by Julia London and I really enjoyed it.
I enjoy stories told from the female point of view and if the character is a bit quirky, all the better. This story had all of the elements I enjoy. Our female protagonist, Lorna is holding on to deep trauma from her childhood that I think many people can relate too. Her family dynamic is completely centered around her troubled addicted sister and her father is missing in action.
Lorna makes a mistake at work and is forced to face her anger issues head on in a one month wellness retreat. There are parts that are slightly implausible but it is fiction so you have to suspend your disbelief. From here we go on Lorna’s spiritual journey confronting her relationships from her past while making new friends in the present. Many of these people are delightful characters and I enjoyed their interactions with Lorna. There is alot of foreshadowing that her sister’s fate will be an unhappy one. There also might be some predictability of where things are going with one of Lorna’s new found friends, her neighbor and his kid. But despite this, I still enjoyed being along for Lorna’s journey.

A reminder that sometimes you need to be forced to slow down and examine what life is all about. I liked London's writing style and how she crafted this story around a flawed main character. It wound up being a hopeful tale that I liked. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Everything is Probably Fine is the story of Lorna Lott. As a character, she truly grew on me. The story begins with Lorna being put on leave at work to attend a 30-day wellness program. Initially hesitant, she gradually opens up and makes progress in the program. I loved how complex Lorna is, and her journey was enjoyable to follow. It seems that Lorna has always been a side player in her own life and the story really focuses on Lorna's current situation and how the past has shaped her into who she is now. Lorna has built up a wall, which she refers to as her internal bomb shelter.

Lorna starts out gruff and awkward, but with the influence of Bean, a capricious 8-year-old who lives in her building, we see her begin to deal with her trauma and open up her life. In addition to Lorna and Bean, there's Angie the dog, who was a delightful addition and made the early interactions between Lorna and Bean even more heartwarming. There are several specific past moments that she become determined to set right and I liked seeing her view these events from a new and more mature lens.

The story is a beautifully written story that delves into the complexities of family dynamics, personal growth, and finding happiness. Lorna's journey is was made better by the supporting characters. Each hurdle she she passes felt important and added charm to the story.

Thank you Harper Muse and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

As long as Lorna could recall, she always felt ostracized and stood out in such a way physically and emotionally, that she couldn't relate to others. She felt unloved by her family and although extremely successful, she put so much pressure on her team that they called her King Kong behind her back and didn't want to be around her. She had a difficult childhood due to the ups and downs with Kristen and as a result, felt unloved and alone. Therefore, it is not surprising that she defined herself ad a person of which her confidence was so low that the only way she believed she would be happy is through work. She only exacerbated her loneliness by putting so pressure on her team. The saving grace is when Deb made her take a mental break and attend a wellness center. She fought furiously at the beginning but she started learning to relax and coupled with the apology tour, made amends with others while bettering herself. She started opening up.to her neighbors who she finally realized that they liked her just as she was. Seth and Bean became her support system and confidants. She soon realized that home is what you make of it and not Nana's house. She no longer hated herself as she realized it was okay to make mistakes and express emotions. Lorna had arrived and finally realized what a great person she was.

Thank you to @netgalley and @harpermusebooks for this advanced copy of Everything is Probably Fine by @julia_f_london I hate that this doesn’t come out until August because I want everyone to enjoy it right away! This story of Lorna really grabbed me and had me holding on hoping she could find happiness. Lorna hates herself and has decades of trauma from her sister’s addiction that she is forced to face or she risks losing her job. She is put on sabbatical to go to a wellness center each day to help her deal with her anger and overall displeasing disposition. All Lorna wants to do is buy her grandmother’s home which has been turned into a four plex. She is sure this will put her life back together. But to do that she has to go on an “apology tour.” She is helped along this journey by the sweetest boy, Bean who lives across the hall. This book has humor and despite Lorna being “King Kong” I really loved her and felt so much sympathy for her. Her life has truly been so sad and so messy. I think the author did a great job of depicting how much a toxic home life or life with someone with a serious addiction can be. This really showed how exhausting and heartbreaking life can be when there is a family member that requires so much focus and takes up so much space. But it was done in a way that didn’t beat you down or keep you mired in sadness. Well done.

If you loved “Blue Sisters”, “The Wedding People” or “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine”
I’m know “Everything is Probably Fine” by Julia London will tug your heartstrings.. I just want to hug Lorna and tell her it’s all going to be okay.

Lorna Lott’s life is hanging by a thread. Her past won’t allow her to move forward freely. She makes a mistake at work that a “sorry” won’t fix and is required to take time off.
She starts off with an apology tour through a self-help program that requires more than just forgiveness. It also requires Lorna to seek family she hasn’t spoken to, revisit her traumatic childhood, remember her sister’s substance abuse and how some memories are remembered differently.
But she isn’t doing this alone, she has the enthusiastic help from her neighbors 8-year old. Which Lorna can see a bit of herself in.


Thank you so much for allowing me to read this in advance.

Goodreads- (Brenda (jadore_2read))

This was a slow burn and so carefully and kindly written. Lorna Lott had one of the best character developments I’ve ever read. I could have read more about her and her relationships but I think it was wrapped up perfectly and it’s refreshing to finish a book wanting more.

[I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.]

Lorna Lott is a truly unsympathetic person at the outset. Fully consumed by anger and grievances she can’t connect with anybody. Julia London’s book “Everything is probably fine” takes us through Lorna’s journey back to humanity. Her neighbour, a young boy named Bean, is the navigator leading her. Her apology tour is a slow start,but continues to build. Interspersed with flashbacks we discover why Lorna is the way she is. A truly heartwarming read that had me cheering Lorna on! Loved this book!

I really enjoyed reading Everything is Fine about Lorna's journey with a wellness program and how she comes to terms with her past. Lorna is a likeable character who we can all relate too! Thanks #netgalley for this arc.