Fantastic story, I read it so fast.It's a shame I haven't read this author.I loved the story and her characters felt real, smart, quirky and at times funny.From the witty writing to the brilliant descriptions of the Maine island this book takes you inside and you feel like you are with the characters.

Fans of Kristan Higgin's books will have become aware of more serious plot lines in  her recent novels while still keeping her trademark witty, often hilarious dialogue and romance front and center. With  her  latest novel, Now That You Mention It, she proves she deserves to be recognized as a women's fiction writer with the unique ability to deliver  lighter romances that are so much more than chic lit, and more serious stories with darker sides that still enchant us with lovable , quirky characters and laugh out loud humor, and of course, romance. 
  This main character,Nora, captured me from the start and I never stopped rooting for her.  A successful doctor in Boston who has escaped a difficult and very unconventional childhood in  Maine, she decides its time to go home  after a series of traumatic events.  With her "Dog of Dogs" by her side instead of her poor excuse of a boyfriend Nora is determined to not only reconcile the past but find solace and a new beginning on beautiful Scupper Island.  Readers will become captivated as they follow Nora on her emotional journey as she faces her past, her emotionally distant mother, sullen teenage neice, and her troubled sister with determination, compassion, bravado , and humor.  I loved this book and highly recommend it.

There's nothing like a painful hit by a bug-blasting van to slow Nora to the point where she re-evaluates her family, relationship, and job.  She heads back home, rents a house boat for her recovery time, and starts to spend more time with her mom, niece, and old classmates.  This book moves well, and characters are easy to relate to.

I loved it! Again, it was an amazing journey like her other stories. I started and couldn’t put it down until I finished. Whenever I read one of her boks, I find myself lost in the story. It was a very sweet one actually, I liked the characters a lot. Nora was an amazing strong woman, and her mother too… Everything turned up so good, I feel myself satisfied with the result. I was looking for a story like this for a while. She’s an amazing writer, I’ll keep picking her books in the future.

This was my second novel by Kristin Higgins and I loved it! Kristin Higgins has a definite sharp humor in her novel and the characterization is on point my friends!

I started this book on Sunday and didn't get out of pj's all day! So, I've heard Higgins novels are known for romance but this one I don't think it's really a "romance" per say. This book was honestly a breath of fresh air.. and just what the doctor ordered for Kendall ;)

I adored Nora... what a kick ass character with a strong sense of strength! Wow.. this woman had been through THE mud in this book and nothing could stop her! I definitely admire this woman. Can I just say my favorite quote in this book.... "Oh fuckety fucking McFuckster".... (I now am proudly going to use this quote)... this had me dying laughing in bed. 

What I loved most about Nora is her ability to LOVE and find herself despite the continued hardship she endured in her life. Also, the amount of love she had for EVERYONE around her! Oh my gosh... the relationships that were formed with her mother, sister, her niece, Sully. It truly makes the town come alive and honestly will make you fall in love with every character Nora comes into contact with! 

The message I took away from this book is LOVE. No matter how gray or dirty you feel your life is at the moment.. don't give up on love. Even if it's the love you have for your huge mountain dog Boomer ;).... or as small as the love you have for your favorite flower.... it will always be there.

I am definitely going to read more from Kristin Higgins! 5 beautiful and loving stars to Kristin Higgins! ;) 

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

‘Now That You Mention It’ is the new contemporary romance novel, by Kristan Higgins… though I’d use the term “romance” a little loosely here. 

It pains me to have disliked another Kristan Higgins book, it really does. But ‘Now That You Mention It’ is more of what Higgins began experimenting with in 2015, with her novel ‘If You Only Knew’ which, much like ‘Mention It’, is more women’s fiction than romance. 

This novel is about doctor, Nora Stuart, who escaped her small island town as a teenager with a coveted college scholarship … but a traumatic encounter, disintegrating romance, and getting hit by a van all send Nora spiralling and returning home to recuperate. Now she intends to reconnect with her distant mother, maybe find her absentee father, establish a connection with her niece, and try to reach out to her incarcerated sister. All while unearthing old high school rivalries, and maybe a few unexpected crushes. 

There is a lot going on in this novel, and while there is a small romance – it really isn’t the main focus, and often takes a backseat to all the other dramas going on in Nora’s life. The novel actually gets quite bogged down with all that Higgins is trying to say – and in the end, it feels like nothing gets its due diligence. 

The two storylines that really could have worked as the focus are; Nora’s sister, who is currently doing time, and the fact that Nora was the victim of a home-invasion and attack a few months ago. These are two pivot-points that could have worked to hang the rest of the story on. But the plot gets bogged down by trying to Nora’s relationship with her distant mother, and Nora trying to figure out if her beautiful doctor boyfriend really is worth the time or should they just be done and dusted? 

And because there’s SO MUCH going on, Nora’s love-life is more like the fourth or fifth strand to the plot … which is a shame, because it has good bones. When Nora returns home, she develops a crush on a man she went to high school with, who she really paid no attention to (because she was more concerned with his hotter, crueller older brother). This love interest is also interesting because he’s hard-of-hearing, and will eventually be completely Deaf. 

Look, I know that Kristan Higgins is an amazing writer, and I certainly do not begrudge her venturing into women’s fiction. She’s letting romance take a subtler turn in these stories, which are more about sisterly bonds, fractured families and women taking back control of their lives. All awesome! But there’s a heaviness to these stories too, and a feeling like Higgins is fighting with herself to let everything *except* the romance take centre-stage, even when it would be more natural to do just that.  

2/5

We are all shaped to some extent by our families and sometimes react by escaping.  That is the case in this book.  A full ride with all expenses to college for the highest GPA sets off a series of ugly events that follow the participants to adulthood.  Children's views of their past can become clearer through the eyes of adults.

Sigh. 

Reading a Higgins book for me is like slipping on my reading socks on a cold fall morning, listening the rain patter on the roof while having a cup of coffee.
So in essence reading a Kristan Higgins book is usually, almost always, 99% perfection. 

Her new book is a treasure. She takes us back to the water, with a dog and a quiet guy. 

Her retrospect on family, life and love always sets my heart racing, always makes me laugh so hard my stomach hurts and a few tears in my eyes. 

This was the loveliest way to spend the weekend. 

Thank you NetGalley. Harlequin for a copy of this ebook. 

Mare~Slitsread

Wow!  Is Kristin Higgins flexing her proverbial biceps with this one.  Well go ahead Ms. Higgins flex them and kiss them while you are at it.  You pulled it off!  I am always nervous and anxious when I hear a favorite author is 'changing the formula' a bit.  Fixing what isn't broken makes me all itchy and antsy!    However witnessing a favorite author subtly growing and branching out is pretty satisfying when it works, and  it worked.

The story focuses on Nora a Doctor who has a practice in Boston.  Life is good as a Doctor.  Nora is successful. Nora's voice is confident, stong, decisive and easy going, all at once.  I completely understood her.  I wanted to be friends with her! The story humorously explores a 'that's it!' decision in Nora's life that sets in motion her returning home to her small town in Main.  The stage is set with a cast of unconventional characters in this small town which will leave the reader rereading certain scenes just to make sure you heard right.  I loved the diversity of the characters in a not so diverse setting.  When an author takes the time to infuse diversity I immediately perk up and pay attention.

Since I'm discussing what made me perk up and pay attention, as mentioned beforehand, this novel dabbles into a bit of suspense.  As far as I can remember uncharted territory for this author, yet it paid off.  It easily added just another element that prevented me from putting my kindle down.  Some may call it a darker approach involving traumatic  near death experiences.  If this is the direction this author continues to take I like it, alot.  Not to worry there was a perfect balancing act between humor and sweetness, that was impressively easily maintained, not forced or predictable.  If I had to complain, it would be with a swift ending, which could be just me not wanting it to conclude.  4.5 stars!

Another classic novel from Higgins.  In Now That You Mention It, we get Nora.  Nora, like many of Higgin's characters has been given more than any one human can handle: personal adversity, ugly ducking syndrome, a vicious attack, and of course, a near death accident.  Couple this with growing up in a small town, a stoic mother, runaway father, and an addicted sister in jail, the odds of happiness are stacked totally against her.  Of course Nora prevails and finds her HEA with an unexpected, quiet hero.  This novel satisfies and Higgins is one of the few that can consistently deliver a solid story and a strong supporting cast.  Her attention to detail is stellar.  Enjoy this outing from Higgins!

So I have a million and one things to do this week with the kiddies going back to school, yet I sat here on my butt all d*mn day reading this unputdownable book by Kristan Higgins. I can count on one hand the amount of authors I read without even glancing at the blurb. This author is one of them.

From the witty writing to the brilliant descriptions of the Maine island this book takes place on, its like reading in vivid color. Higgins characters are always relatable, three dimensional and adorably flawed. There was absolutely nothing I would change about this book. It was utterly perfect. 

I laughed, I teared up, I laughed some more. I sighed and took a nice deep breath when I finished, and then I absorbed every beautiful word I read today. This book is the absolute best one I've had the pleasure of reading this year. Higgins is one of those authors I wish would write faster. Because I need more stories like this in my life. 

~ A Hopeless Romantic's Booklandia, 6 Stars

This book was fabulous. I just love this author. Can't wait for more.

Kristan Higgins hit this one out of the park!  I love the storyline of a small town girl who,didn't fit in, going back to her home town., making friends and falling in love.  Specifically I love the island life, and the east coast lifestyle.

I only cried a little, I swear!

Trigger warnings: assault, attempted rape

Nora's ability to love and love and love and love her sister is inspiring. She is so strong <3

I really connected with how important relationships are in this novel - and not between the heroine and hero. But rather for Nora and her mom, sister, niece, and the community she grew up in. 

But seriously - MAJOR BETA HERO love happening here! OMG. Even the sex is meh the first time. Such a good slow burn romance!

Such a well told story. Her traumatic experience was truly frightening and shaped her choices. The story that progresses from this is really remarkable, unusual and quite a crazy ride. I loved it all.

Just when I thought there was no way Kristan Higgins could steal my heart yet AGAIN—or hold me captive with her snarky humor, smart writing and endearing characters—she goes and does it. I know, what was I thinking? How can I consider myself an optimist at heart when I’m always waiting to be left disappointed? 

Through Nora, Kristan Higgins conveys a meaningful message that resonates within the pages of a stellar read, a true standout, an utterly captivating experience. Similar to If You Only Knew and On Second Thought, this is a heartfelt story that will stick with me for months to come.

Right from the start, I could feel this was somehow different from the author’s previous work. As the story unfolded and the darker elements were brought to light—situations and feelings I hadn’t seen or experienced from her writing before—I was enamored. For me, Kristan Higgins proved with Now That You Mention It that she has incredible range. Her distinct voice shines through whether writing an upbeat romance or in this case, a story that falls on the darker spectrum of women’s fiction. I’m not sure if anyone else could pull off this level of humor and self-deprecation in a story riddled with shadows.

First of all, I have to say, I adored Nora from the get-go. Who else could make light of being a gastroenterologist or the functions of the digestive tract? My guess, no one. Not only is Nora incredibly smart and quirky—with a level of self-assurance I’m not sure I could’ve mustered up in her situation—she’s one tough chick. Sure, like most of us, she's harboring a laundry list of fears, but you know what, despite everything, she stands up and finds her voice in the face of it all. With a little determination, Nora uncovers her true self and her heart.

“Does that mean we’re a thing?” 

It’s a freak accident that forces Nora to have a come-to-Jesus moment and acknowledge that she’s been living in the gray—not exactly happy, more like just surviving—putting one foot in front of the other for the sake of getting through the day. She packs up her life in Boston and with her “Dog of Dogs” in tow, heads back to her childhood home on Scupper Island. It’s time to face her past—those that dubbed her Troll in high school, those that made her feel guilty for winning that scholarship to an elite university, the mother that’s always been standoffish, the father that abandoned her, the troubled sister that continues to push her away and the niece she doesn’t have a relationship with. Things don’t play out exactly as she planned, but sometimes the best things in life are the most unexpected. 

It takes more than a lovable cast, an interesting storyline and intrigue to make for a great story—there has to be a deeper meaning. For me, with this story, the big picture takeaway was, life is what you make it. You can choose to wallow in the gray or pick yourself up, dust yourself off, grow from the dark times and find the vivid color in life—just like Nora did.

So, there are a few things I have to mention because they’re just too great to pass up. Like the fact that Nora rents a houseboat from a minor secondary character from Somebody to Love. Remember Collier Rhodes, the rich techie Parker’s mother was trying to fix her up with? It’s on his gorgeous houseboat that Nora throws a dinner party that ends up being one of the most awkwardly hilarious moments of the entire book. Or wait, what about the ham dinner at her mom’s house?! I'm laughing just thinking about it. Sad to say, the poor little guy kind of had it coming. It's fiction people, so don't fret.

Kristan Higgins has proved, time and time again, to this reader—over the course of 11 books in the last 5 months to be exact—that her signature way of combining hilarious inner-thoughts, witty banter, undeniable chemistry and a lovable cast of characters is untouchable. It’s safe to say, I might be a little obsessed.

So, this book is a romance, but it's really more regular fiction than anything.  Some might even classify it as women's fiction.  It's an enjoyable read.  I liked it.  I feel like advertising it as a romance rather than women's fiction is an odd choice.  Lately most of Kristan Higgins books have been blurring the lines there.  I wonder if she's going to do a complete cross over into women's fiction?  Interesting book.  I don't quite understand why the mom kept so many secrets, but what can you do?

Review online at GoodReads (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2110941503

Kristan Higgins hits it out of the park again!!

If there's one thing you can count on with a Kristan Higgins original, it's a wonderful story full of quirky oddballs. Higgins, who writes more "women's fiction" than traditional romance, like she once did, crafted a story of a High School Misfit who transforms herself into a Doctor Goddess. 

Nora Stuart is a Strong Woman who has had to overcome a great amount of baggage to get off her island home town and become a successful doctor. After a series of Big Bad Events, Nora returns to the island to make amends with her mother and become closer with her teenage niece. 

I know there will be more reviews with plot summaries, so I will spare mine. I just know that Kristan Higgins is always a winner in my book. I stayed up entirely too late reading my NetGalley ARC, but hey, I would have stayed up entirely too late reading this book on the release date, so no harm, no foul, right? 

Thank you so much for all the wonderful stories. I know that I can always trust Kristan Higgins for an amazing journey with a strong heroine!!

Kristan Higgins completely blew me away with Now That You Mention It!!!  The storyline was original and the fact that I flew through it so fast (even though It's definitely not a short book) is a testament to how fantastic the writing is!!  I found the main character, Nora Stuart extremely endearing and enjoyed reading her journey.  Kristan Higgins tackles the complexities of family, friendships and romantic connections all the while battling the ability to have self-acceptance/love.  One of my favorite aspects of any Kristan Higgins novel is that she never fails to make me laugh out loud at times, but at other times I find myself reaching for the tissues!!  Now that You Mention It went a lot deeper than I anticipated--loved that!  I honestly wish I could give this novel more than 5 stars because simply put, it was amazing!  If you are in the mood for an novel with depth that you won't want to see end (ever), than you need to 1-click this gem!!

I really, REALLY enjoyed this read. Higgans has this unique writing voice that blends humor so well into pretty much every part of the story; the protagonist's voice, the plot, the character dialogue...it's there everywhere. But it's not all funny fun and games; there were several scenes that had me near tears, and others that had my heart pounding in terror. Higgans writes a real page-turner.

Nora is a kick-ass character, with a hidden reservoir of strength that I adore. She grew up with absolutely no self-confidence, but by the time we meet her in the beginning of the story, she's already gained a pretty solid sense of self. She still has her issues (PLEASE Nora, once in awhile, could you stand up for yourself with either your niece or your mother?!), but overall I love the balance of strength and vulnerability. There are so many little things I love that make this book feel authentic: she's a gastroenterologist; not a sexy specialty, but we get to see up-close the importance of her job, and why (despite its bad rap) she loves what she does. I love the fact that Sully is there from the very beginning in the childhood scenes, lurking just outside her notice. He's just a plain old good guy: not flashy, not a "bad boy" - just a down home good guy who generally gets along with his ex and loves his less-than-perfect daughter (who incidentally is like my favorite character in the entire book). Probably my favorite thing about this whole story is the loving care Higgans gives to the supporting cast. They're all so amazingly fleshed out, and it makes the town come alive (and will make you fall in love with most of them). Probably the best endorsement I could give this book: I don't normally laugh out loud while reading, even if it's super funny. But there's a dinner scene in this book that I challenge you to read without cracking up at least once. 

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*