Such a creative book and with a great fluid writing! I loved Nora so much, and her personality is so understanding, even when she shouldn't be so kind, and I still couldn't put this book down. 4/5

The concept of having a second chance at life always fascinates me and this book carries the same theme. I liked the story of coming back to life but the main character felt a little frustrating to me as well as the people around her, I found the other characters too rude at times. Also, didn't really like how the ending did not resolve much of the main carrying conflict between the main character and her father.

Wow! Very thought provoking read. Nora November has a near death experience while “surfing” while on vacation. After months of brain and physical rehabilitation she returns to life as an attorney. Only problem is she does not want her old life back. Nora goes on a mission for a reverse bucket list. Very moving read.
Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Nora wakes in the hospital after a NDE (near death experience). She realizes her life, aka Before, was not true to her but filling standards set by family. Nora focuses on what brings her joy, hint it is not working in her father's law firm. Memories of her grandfather guides her . . . Rejuvenating his community garden plot, basketball Dreams resurrected and connecting with her sister and cousin.

Change is hard. Nora still struggles with depression as she navigates a new life.

Oh, she seeks out Jack, a guy she met while held hostage during a corner store robbery.

Nice Work, Nora November is a thoughtful, engaging, and ultimately hopeful tale.

Following a near-death experience, Nora November undergoes a profound transformation in her perspective on life. Reflecting on her former self, she devises an 'anti-bucket list' to guide her towards genuine purpose and happiness.

Though there is a romance subplot, what stands out is Nora's independent growth. Her character is resolute and flawed, and her methods for navigating depression and setbacks are relatable. While I would have liked to have more insight into 'Nora before,' there were scattered glimpses throughout.

Nora's bond with her grandfather, his community garden, and his gentle encouragement sprinkled throughout the narrative are both charming and heartwarming. Despite grappling with weighty themes (I would recommend checking trigger warnings), the story maintains a delicate balance with moments of levity, rendering it both enjoyable and contemplative. The overarching themes of hope, embracing imperfection, self-care, compassion, and staying true to one's purpose really resonated with me.

Thank you Harper Muse and NetGalley for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

Nice work, Nora November is the novel about second chances.

There is a long of stuff Nora has been through, seriously, but with her Reverse Bucket List she is focused on being a better person.

She has some interesting things that happen along the way, but overall it was cute. Everyone always loves a good come back story, in more than one way in regards to this book.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"Nice Work, Nora November" by Julia London offers an intriguing premise with Nora's journey from the brink of death to redefining her life's purpose. The exploration of Nora's desires post-coma and her quest to fulfill her reverse bucket list adds depth to her character. London's writing beautifully captures Nora's struggles and growth as she navigates her new lease on life. However, the pacing feels somewhat uneven at times, and certain plot points could have been further developed for a more satisfying resolution. Overall, "Nice Work, Nora November" is a thought-provoking read with moments of charm, but it falls short of reaching its full potential.

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

3.5 stars
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I have to say I have mixed feelings about this book. It is written in a parallel perspective between the main character and the guy she fell for at the corner store during a robbery. Nora is struggling to find her way and most of this book is about her journey from broken to renewed.

One thing to mention is that there are a lot of triggers in this book. This character has been through the wringer, physically and mentally. We are witnessing her rebirth into who she really is as she sheds the life she hates and manages her clinical depression.

There are a lot of heavy pieces in this story as Nora works through finding herself with her reverse bucket list. But with the heavy, London adds light and humor through quirky characters and warm memories. This is where my mixed feelings come in.

Throughout the journey, Nora is working on improving herself, healing relationships, struggling with horrible family emotional abuse, and still hoping to find “The Guy” who impacted her life that she met during a robbery.

We hear from “The Guy” throughout the chapters as he has his own story to tell, but in their parallel journey, they do not meet again until the very end. I cannot stop thinking he would have been a great support system as she was struggling and changing. I really wish we had gotten more of them together!

Overall, London tackles loads of trauma in an inspirational way. It is difficult to change who you are and reinvent yourself. However, it is addressed in such a manner you find yourself firmly in Nora’s corner, cheering her on!

Nice Work, Nora November supports second chances, reinventing yourself, believing in, and learning to love yourself. You do need to be in a good place mentally to read this book, but it will inspire you!

Nora November gas a Near Death Experience and, as expected. It changed her life.
I liked the quirky characters and I like a fast-paced book.
But the writing in this one seemed geared more toward a late-teen audience. And the "romance" storyline, IMO, took away from the renewal of life after the NDE, weakening the premise of the book.
But a decent weekend read. Didn't love it but didn't hate it.
I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was really fun and entertaining. I liked the writing style, but I think I would have connected better with Nora if the book was written from first-person POV.

Nice Work, Nora November tugged at my emotions. It is the kind of story that draws you in and doesn’t let go. It begins with Nora’s Near Death Experience. Nora is in a beautiful garden with her deceased grandfather who was the one person in her life that gave her love and support. Her dog, Roxie who had crossed the Rainbow Bridge, was also there to greet her. It was so wonderful she didn’t want to leave. But she did! Upon rejoining the living Nora’s reflection on her life (Before) was in need of a great deal of help. In the (After) Nora created a reverse bucket list to help change all the negatives. The biggest of which was finding a new job away from her domineering, narcissistic father at his Personal Injury Law firm in which he insisted she be his future replacement, something she always despised. Nora suffered from severe depression. No one seemed to understand why she let people down. In the Before it ruled her life and she was determined in this new After she would become a better person and make things up to those she let down. She has many struggles as she works her way through her reverse bucket list. The shadow of her grandfather seems to help her at the hardest of times. One item on her list was to find Jack. She met him in the Before when they both had been taken hostage and really hit it off. It had seemed like love at first sight but they lost touch with each other. This back story of Nora and Jack as hostages is a real feel good part of this story. Her life in the After was full of many regrets but she stood up to each one and bravely looked them in the face, gave it her all and kept getting up if knocked down again. Her perseverance was not only amazing but very inspiring. There are side characters that lighten the story like the senior thespians who really need Nora’s help and her grandfather’s garden plot which she had ignored in the Before and now made a point of learning how to care for. I couldn’t help but admire Nora’s tenacity and courage working her way through her new After to a life worth living. I really enjoyed this book and believe you will too. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

My friends. I think 42 is too old to be staying up all night reading, don't you? If you agree with me, I urge you to start reading this earlier in the day. Believe me when I tell you, you won't be able to put this down and go to bed. You will be 100% submerged in this book and won't be able to walk away until it's over.

Honestly, I loved this book so much. I loved Nora, who is recovering from her Near Death Experience and is determined to make changes in her life. But life has a way of pulling you right back to the person you were before. She is so wonderful and thoughtful and caring, willing to face her fears and the worst parts of herself...I love her so much!!

And Jake. I just want to hug him. I love cinnamon rolls, and he is the gooiest. Surrounded by death every day, but determined to find a way to give back, to find joy and peace. And so supportive!! I love him!!!!

Also, the story overall does such a brilliant job of dealing with mental health, trauma, and toxic families. It also touches on some emotional and physical child abuse in a way that is sensitive and thoughtful. An absolute brilliant book. All the stars.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Trigger Warnings for this novel and review:

Physical/emotional/financial abuse, diet culture, disordered eating habits, infant death, alcoholism, depression, anxiety, near-death experience, drowning, death (of beloved family member and patients), and <spoiler>suicide attempt</spoiler>.

Nora November has been gifted a second chance. After drowning on the coast of Texas, Nora was miraculously brought back to life and, after her Near Death Experience (NDE), she has decided to create a reverse bucket list to try and experience her life to the fullest. This includes the expected: take a cooking class, rediscover her love of basketball, and grow a garden in her grandfather's community plot; and some unexpected: find the man she'd had a connection with during a bodega robbery.

This book had some really powerful aspects; the depiction of taking the incredibly difficult leap to create a new life and the journey of a woman finding her passion for life again (albeit a bit awkwardly at times) were beautifully done. Nora was a compelling character, and I loved the romantic plot line!

I think the majority of my concerns would be addressed by giving the readers an opportunity to get to know Nora in the Before-- one of the biggest components of Nora's transformation is her focus on her relationships with her younger sister and cousin. However, she's continually shot down and brushed aside because of her previous habit of not following through (mostly due to her <I>clinical depression</I>, which of course doesn't mean they should forget their past hurts but also has anyone heard of support and forgiveness in that family???). The only Nora the readers know is the After Nora-- full of optimistic hope and good intentions, so I found myself getting tired of the continual refusals and bashings.

Overall, NICE WORK, NORA NOVEMBER was a good read and a fun concept!

What a great read! I could not put this ebook down once I started reading it. I will definitely recommend this book to be brought into my library for my patrons.

Book Review: Nice Work, Nora November by Julia London

I was very lucky to receive this book as an Arc reader from Net Galley. At the start I was a bit worried I wasn’t going to enjoy the book but I was thoroughly surprised! I loved seeing the growth of Nora throughout the book, she worked so hard on herself to become the best version of herself. The representation of mental health was done very well. While this book dealt with heavier topics such as mental health, suicide and addiction, there was also lighter/funnier parts of the book that didn’t make it too triggering for me, but they are just some of the triggers to be aware of before going in! I think this book will show a lot of people that starting over or not knowing where your going in your early thirties is okay and while it can be daunting you can over overcome it with the right steps. I feel like many women will see parts of themselves in Nora and if you do then just know you are doing amazingly and it will all work out! 🤍🤍

After nearly drowning, when Nora wakes up from her coma, she decides she’s going to do things differently. She makes a bucket list of items of what she wants to do after she almost died. They are mostly small things like learning to cook and taking up the garden plot that her late, beloved grandfather died. There are some harder things, such as being a better sister and a better cousin, which in the Before times, she struggled with since depression made seemingly easy tasks insurmountably difficult. Oh, and she wants to track down the guy she was trapped with for several hours while they were held hostage during a botched robbery.

This is fun and fast and light and a nice reminder that if there are things you would like to do with your life, you only have a limited time to do them. There are also extraordinary coincidences, but again, fast and fun, so we won’t worry too much about real-life accuracy.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES JUNE 4 2024.

Nora had a near-death experience (NDE) by drowning in the sea. After waking up from a coma, she decided to make a ‘reserve bucket list’ for things she wanted to do after NDE, like learning to cook, paint, be a better sister and cousin, reconnect with the guy she met a year ago, search for a new job, and revive her grandfather’s garden.

Nora’s family was not supportive. ‘The before’ Nora struggled to keep up with her family’s expectations, which led to her spiral into depression. ‘The after’ Nora wants to change it; she wants to live her life to the fullest. ‘The after’ Nora’s journey was not easy either, but she was determined to change her life for herself and her sister and cousin. I was rooting for Nora, and it was good to witness her growth throughout the book.

Jack works in a hospice. A patient left him a plot in a community garden, and he started growing plants, finding it therapeutic. He regrets not contacting the girl he met a year ago. Jack and Nora are living parallel lives. They’ve almost crossed paths several times, but they’ve never actually met.

There was some romance in the book, but it was not the main focus of the plot.

This book is about self-discovery and standing up for yourself.

The pacing of the plot was medium. I liked the simplicity of the writing. I liked the plot, but I felt the ending was rushed.

TW: Mentions of death, self-harm

Nora November is a mess. She barely survived a major accident and is trying to get her life the be the way she wants it. Poor thing is a wreck and creates disaster after disaster on her way through a “reverse bucket list.” I felt terrible for her and how she had to deal with the people around her but I also felt terrible for the people around her who have dealt with her fallout. Everything comes around and is resolved by the end but it is often times painful to read about all her experiences. But on top of that it is a tender read about a person trying to find herself. A person who has led a life so wrong to her that she is shedding her past to create a brighter future. I was cheering for Nora to get through the mess and find the better life at the end. It was funny at times and heartbreaking at others. A quirky read full of hope.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

Nora has had a near death experience (technically, she did die for a few minutes) and is now determined to do all of things she did not get to do. As Nora sets off to repair relationships and her grandfather’s garden, she makes many mistakes, gains confidence, and learns more about what is important to her. The story covers many heavy topics (including abuse, suicide, alcoholism) but manages to have a lighter tone largely due to Nora’s growing belief and determination that she can build the life she wants to have.

Overall, an enjoyable read though I would have liked more time with Nora and Jack, with Nora and Gus, with Nora and Lacey, etc. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.