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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Emma has officially been sober for one entire year. Fifty-two whole weeks of focusing on nothing but her nine-to-five office job, group meetings, and avoiding the kind of bad decisions that previously left her awash in shame and regret. With her new dating profile, she is ready to put herself back out there. Then there’s Ben, the charming IT guy who, despite Emma’s awkwardness and shortcomings, seems to maybe actually get her?
Ooh, I hadn’t expected to love this book as much as I did, so it was a pleasant surprise! I thought it was going to be a somewhat lighter rom-com about a recovering alcoholic, but it turned out to be so much more.
First of all, Emma was just likeable. I understood her struggles and what drove her to drinking in the first place. I admired her determination and strong willpower afterwards. The meet-cute with Ben was… cute, and the chemistry was so believable I felt the sizzle in the room.
I enjoyed the sweet scenes, but really appreciated the heavy, darker ones. I was close to tears in some moments, which made me realise how captivated I was with the storyline. This was a solid writing, with great audiobook performance to match. The narrator performed Emma really well, and I just really enjoyed Karissa Vacker’s crisp, clear voice with rich intonations and steady pace!
(Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for a gifted ALC)
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC!
Some people might say that Emma is unlikable or a frustrating narrator and I would disagree. Emma is a recovering alcoholic and she thinks that entering her first year sober means she's absolved or that she's "normal" now and that's not true. You still have to deal with all the things that came before and will come after. She's messy and doesn't always get things right and has a hard time accepting that. I liked Emma, I enjoyed her coworkers, Ben, and even New York City itself is a character. I felt like her struggles were real and I understood her motivations and was even frustrated when she didn't ask questions I wanted her to ask. I look forward to what comes next from this author.
Some people might say that Emma is unlikable or a frustrating narrator and I would disagree. Emma is a recovering alcoholic and she thinks that entering her first year sober means she's absolved or that she's "normal" now and that's not true. You still have to deal with all the things that came before and will come after. She's messy and doesn't always get things right and has a hard time accepting that. I liked Emma, I enjoyed her coworkers, Ben, and even New York City itself is a character. I felt like her struggles were real and I understood her motivations and was even frustrated when she didn't ask questions I wanted her to ask. I look forward to what comes next from this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death of parent
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual content
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
I really enjoyed this book. It made me think so much about sobriety as a young woman in a very inspiring way
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved it. It was nothing groundbreaking or profound, but it was sweet and relatable, and I enjoyed the entire audiobook from start to finish. There’s a parental storyline that hit very close to home and entirely gutted me (in a good way, I love a book that makes me feel the feels), which took this book to the next level for me. Loved the sobriety storyline, as well. Cute romance, emotional family stuff, very well done.