I'm a huge fan of Kristan Higgins and have read all of her books, so I was very excited to delve into her newest story. I enjoyed the characters story lines and, as always, appreciated the sense of humor that's always weaved into the author's books. However, I really struggled with the way the character of Emerson was represented in terms of obesity, and it seemed like her extreme struggles were used to really beat readers over the head with the message of the story. I felt like I couldn't fully cheer on the 2 other main characters because their achievements were based on their friend's death. I wasn't able to be fully immersed in the story because I so wanted to delve more into Emerson's story ( I really liked the flashes of personality I saw) but felt like she was used as a crutch for the rest of the story.

Overall I enjoyed the familiarity of the writing, but this was my least favorite of her books to read.

Once in a while you come across a book that completely resonates with you, and I believe I have found this one. Good Luck with That by Kristan Higgins touches on friendships, love, obesity, and mental illness. The characters are realistic and lovable. Three girls, Emerson, Marley, and Georgia bond at a “fat” camp the summer of their 18th birthday. With the death of Emerson, the women reflect on their past and challenge their future by striving to complete a list of goals they wrote in camp. Through perseverance, humor, and grit, Georgia and Marley face all the obstacles to learn to love themselves and to accept who they are.

As a woman who constantly struggles with her weight and is constantly reminded of this fact by the people in my world, I understand how each woman in this story feels and can relate to their experiences. I have learned a lot from these women and I believe I may be able to conquer my own list of goals.

Thank you Netgalley.

This book is so good! I will admit to being reluctant to read this because of the weight subject matter. It's a sensitive subject for lots of people, including myself. However, Kristan Higgins is one of my favorite authors (if not my favorite) so I knew that I couldn't not read it. It is fabulous. Yes, there are some hard chapters for me to read and I definitely cried reading it. It's so worth it though. The story is ultimately about self-acceptance and the power of friendships and everyone can agree with those subjects. Highly recommended!

I love Kristan Higgins stand alone books - they are usually filled with fantastic women having real experiences and trying to do life to their best. In this story two friends are impacted by the sudden by another friend's death. And on her death bed she has left them with a list they created as kids that she challenged them to actually complete. Georgia and Marley find her death to be a kick in the butt to the lives they have been putting off for the future.

I love a book with two narrators so each character gets the chance to move the story along. Georgia and Marley were similar and different at the same time and I appreciated their real friendship. Marley had childhood trauma that impacted her relationship with food and really set her on an unhealthy path. Georgia had more present drama in her life and I really loved watching her confront feelings of her past and really grow in this book. I loved how they had completely different mothers and how each mother had flaws and neither had the "perfect" mom. The supporting cast in this book was so full, but not overwhelming.

One may call this a "fat" book, but I would challenge that and say this is more a human book about women in regular bodies and trying to be self confident and happy in the bodies they have in the here and now. This book struck a few chords with me and I had to have a few gut checks while reading this one.

This book came at a weird time where life was a little up and down, it was a nice escape from the real drama of my real life!

Kristan Higgins is a master at combining humor and sagacity in her novels. She writes relatable and authentic characters with emotional and heartfelt storylines. This novel is another hit in a series of first choice novels for Higgins.

2 Stars

I really sort of struggled with Good Luck With That and its depiction of body image and its relationship not just between three friends but with their own bodies. I can see this book having varied sides, with some taking it as a positive portrayal and others taking it as possibly damaging to those struggling with the same issues that the characters are. Right from the beginning I had a few feelings that I would consider red flags, feelings from words that hit me incorrectly or facets to a character that were troublesome. I won't go too into it as there are others who have already done so and I cannot articulate it better than they did---especially since I am not someone who has experienced these things firsthand, but rather someone who is very empathetic and understanding to those who have. I struggled with their views on obesity, their supposed friend, and their views of themselves---not just because they were painful for a person to think about themselves or others, but because it wasn't productive in any way to teach the reader any important lessons. It was like a bad caricature of an issue; worse for the cause, not bettering it.

I think if a reader struggles with these issues, they should be aware that this story may trigger them. Many have loved this story, but I cannot find myself in that boat.

This is the story of three friends: Emerson Duval, Georgia Sloan and Marley DeFelice. They met at a weight loss camp when they were 17-years old and forged a bond that continued into adulthood. Each woman deals with their body in different ways, all seemingly tied to issues stemming from some form of childhood trauma or body shaming by those who should have loved and nurtured them.

The stories were fascinating as each of the women presented separate insights into the issues surrounding being overweight. We begin with Emerson whose morbid obesity becomes her downfall and we get her story through her journal entries. Despite her own obsession with her weight, we get to know her ideals, hopes and dreams through those entries. She challenges Marley and Georgia to do those things now on a list they created at the camp that outlines all the things they would do when they became “skinny.”

As Marley and Georgia take on the list, they’re forced to confront issues holding them back and keeping them from being their authentic selves. Sometimes the situations were heartbreaking but what resounds so loudly and clearly are the essence of these women. The author gets it right in each circumstance as I’ve either lived some part of their history or lived with someone who grappled with weight.

I found the story brilliant and brave as the author speaks from her own personal experience. You have to read the entire story (some of the critics have cherry picked passages and made assumptions) to truly get the power and triumph of these women. I didn’t grow up with weight issues, but grappled with them as an adult because of the body shaming I experienced in my youth. The negative dialogue in your own head can be even more destructive than others, which only compounds the problem.

This is an important and time relevant story. I’m glad Higgins chose to write it.

(FYI, this story is loosely connected to If You Only Knew & On Second Thought as they are set in Cambry-on-Hudson, New York.)

While I was interested in this book after reading the blurb, I was a little concerned after reading some other reviews. However, I’m glad I went ahead and read it.

The story is told from dual POVs, Georgia and Marley, who are dealing with life after the death of their long-time friend Emerson. The three met at a camp for overweight teens. Sadly, Emerson dies. She left them a note to be read after her funeral. In it was the list the girls had created at camp with the things they had wanted to accomplish. Emerson’s last wish was for them to complete the tasks on that list, and that is the bulk of this book.

The story will likely be relatable to many women, as struggles with weight, identity, acceptance, and love are common issues. The book moved along at a quick pace, and there are numerous tears, and some chuckles, along the way. It’s a heartfelt tale filled with raw emotion, sad, yet uplifting. A key theme is learning to be happy with who you are, just as you are … and it’s okay, despite what society may try and tell you.

This review was posted on Goodreads and Amazon.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.

A great, witty read with fabulous characters! We really enjoyed this one, and are eager to read more from this author.

Good Luck with That by Kristan Higgins is a controversial woman's novel dealing with body image and self-acceptance. Recommended, but highly for fans of Chick Lit and romance novels.

Emerson, Georgia, and Marley have been best friends ever since they met at a weight-loss camp as teens. When Emerson dies from complications due to her weight she leaves her best friends an envelope with a note. The note is actually a list they made at their last year of fat camp. The list is title "Thing's We'll Do When We're Skinny" and consists of: go running in tight clothes and a sports bra; get a piggyback-ride from a guy; be in a photo shoot; eat dessert in public; tuck in a shirt; shop at a store for regular people; have a cute guy buy you a drink; meet a guys parents; tell off people who had a problem with you being fat. Georgia and Marley decide to tackle the list and along with dealing with their poor self-image, they also tackle other, deeper issues. Marley has had survivor's guilt ever since her twin sister died when they were four. Georgia has dealt with a hyper-critical mother and a critical angry brother. The two need to tackle these concerns along with other complicated relationship issues.

The narrative alternates between chapters told from the first person point of view of Georgia, Marley, and Emerson (through excerpts from her journals). They are in their very early 30's now and the list was written when I originally thought they were probably around 13, but later the book said 18. Okay, like many reviewers I've never been the skinny perfect girl these women dream about, but I would have never written such a list at 18, fat thighs and big butt or not. Why would these women follow a list they made as teens as if it is important and life changing?

It must also be said that I didn't know about the controversy surround this novel until after I read it. If I had known that the bulk of the novel would consist of so much weight-based insecurity and recalling fat-shaming events, I would have skipped reading it for review. The blurb does not focus so much on their weight issues, which likely isn't all that bad for Marley and not at all for Georgia. Why even make weight and fat shaming the focus when the root of everything was from much deeper emotional issues? This is also very much Chick Lit and these two women are somehow incomplete without a man. Yeah, it's normal to want a relationship with other people, but get mentally healthy, accept yourself, and make a life for yourself. (The men in this novel are not worth the trouble, by the way. With Marley's brother and Georgia's nephew being the exceptions, none of the rest of them are worth the consideration or any concentrated effort anyway.)

It became very clear early on that this was not the novel for me, which begs the question: Why did I keep reading it? Admittedly, I did have to soldier through during several parts of the novel. At a hefty 480 pages, some editing might have been in order. The quality of the writing is quite good, which helped me get through the parts that annoyed me. For its flaws, Good Luck with That is an interesting book and does handle with compassion and insight the fat/body shaming women go through. (Men too, by-the-way, which was never mentioned.) The characters are portrayed as real people and their emotions and insecurities are presented as heartfelt and authentic. She does give her characters emotional growth and there is closure to the plot points at the end. It is a solid 3.5, rounded up for the right reader, down for me. (I should have followed my personal rule to avoid [most] Chick Lit and Romance novels, but I did enjoy another one of Higgins's novels and wanted to give her another try.)

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Random House via Netgalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2018/08/good-luck-with-that.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2498372299
https://www.librarything.com/work/21579987/book/159525991
https://twitter.com/SheTreadsSoftly/status/1030869036698140672

Good Luck With That was an emotional story of three women, Emerson, Georgia and Marley, who’ve dealt with body image and weight issues all their lives. The death of Emerson shakes Georgia and Marley up and brings their issues into sharp focus. It forces them to take a hard look who they are, how they view themselves and how their perception of self has impacted their relationships. Their story was emotional but interspersed with humor that balanced some of the hard realities featured.

Most women, this woman included, have had to deal with self-image issues. Doesn’t matter your size, it seems like even if your somewhat average or even on the skinny side of average, there’s always some amount of weight you’d like to lose. I remember over the years always thinking I needed to lose weight and I’ll look back at photos from that time now and think, “Wow, I was super skinny!”. Crazy, right?

Kristan Higgins captured the real feelings that women deal with on a daily basis when it comes to body image. Good Luck With That was open and honest, a story that will suck you in. And, yes, there’s a romance for both women which of course made me happy! Marley and Georgia’s journeys were at times painful, but overall it was a feel-good story filled with love.

Where do I begin with this book? There is currently controversy surrounding this book in blogger and Instagram world and my feelings are mixed. Actually, I felt confused when I finished this one because I felt torn. Yes, I’m a big girl and can relate to the characters in this book. What I did like about this book was the major shift in her writing, over all compared to her other books, this definitely was not a Rom-Com. It was gut-wrenching, triggering reality that had me flashing back to my childhood, rethinking my teen years and my twenties, and left my head spinning about my current 31 year old self.

Emerson, Marley and Georgia were characters that rustled so many feelings inside me, to the point where I definitely couldn’t read the sections written by Emerson. Georgia and Marley were fantastic, I genuinely enjoyed them. I believe what creeped me out the most was Emerson’s character because she sounded so “gone” and there was no fight left to her after everything she endured. She isolated herself and it was too depressing for me to read her sections.

Georgia, who I connected to the most, I adored her. I think because I connected with her the most too. I have a mother and sister that I could never keep happy in my own personal life. I found her story to be interesting with the changes in her career and the love that she has for her nephew. I connected with her so well because I have a negative mother and sister in my life. It made me reflect on my own childhood and how it has impacted me as an adult. I’ve gotten myself to a place where I’ve sought therapy and I’m medication. Hopefully, just hopefully, I can have somewhat of my own happy ending like she did. She was able to find some sort of inner piece and work within many demons.

Outside of the three main characters, Georgia’s nephew Mason stuck out to me the most. Mason is basically the epitome of my inner-child. I was that child and I believe I’m still that way as an adult. I had a set of parents that were disappointed in me by the age of 10 and I still feel like that 10 year old to this day, I’m 31 now. I felt the pain, disappointment, and the yearning for some sort of acceptance from your own parent. Don’t get me wrong, Georgia was beyond supportive, a ear to listen, and provided a lot of constructive advice, but in the end you want approval from your parents. That’s what fascinated me by the dynamic since Georgia had the same type of relationship with her mother and brother. I think I poured all my feelings in Mason because the three main characters were the obvious and were at one point all like Mason. Also, the main question about him, I couldn’t wait to see how it was going to pan out. Did he or didn’t he mean to take all those pills? (Won’t answer this one because I encourage beyond belief for people to read this book). Mason took a bunch of pills, you find this out in the beginning, and it leaves you wondering if he meant to, but I appreciated how he lived. He, like the women in this book received a second chance in life and it was the most beautiful thing to see him develop in this book. Side note, another connection with Mason, I did this too as a 13 year old, I took pills to ease the pain in life (I did not want to die and I did seek help…I’ve been on medication and in/out of therapy since the age of 15)…I wanted to make a pure point about my connection to this book aside the weight and relationship issues. Mason’s story basically touched me the most in this book.

I would love to know how the title came about and perhaps what prompted Kristen to write such a book. I have so many mixed emotions about this book, almost a love/hate relationship. What makes this book important is, that is has stirred discussions and raises various important issues. I’m not going to gush about this book and push it a million times over as a “feel good” story, I appreciated it because of what it made me reflect on. I think I have a million questions to ask Kristen and I’m interested to see her thoughts behind the book and reactions to her book. In the end, I had a lot of emotions stirred due to this book and would recommend it.

Thank you Berkley for the gifted copy.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

4.25 Hearts Oh goodness what a book. With all the conversation this has started I wasn’t sure what to expect. It seemed like so many thought the book was fat-shaming and others saw the truth of the situation.

As a bigger girl I see the truth of it. Yes did some lines hit too close to home? Oh Yes! Did I feel guilty in some parts? Oh Yes! Did it make me want to improve myself? Yep!

Any bigger girl has gone into a doctors office and no matter the ailment the answer is that we are fat. I mean a broken finger is because we are fat? Apparently. But at the same time we do know that a number of issues we have could very well be from the weight and as much as we want to try to kid ourselves we can not.

This book really brings the truth to light about weight and the struggles bigger people (not just women) face.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Finally someone wrote a book with characters dealing with food addiction/body image issues/obesity! As a woman who has ALWAYS struggled with my weight and body image, Good Luck With That resonated very deeply. Good Luck With That is the story of 3 young girls that meet at fat camp and their struggles as they grow up and become adults. Struggles with eating, relationships and dealing with the "skinny world". There were times I laughed out loud and some that brought me to tears. To anyone that has struggled with weight and body images, this is a must read!

It’s not often that a romance novel generates such strong feelings amongst it’s readers, but Good Luck With That by Kristan Higgins does just that. Emerson, Georgia and Marley are three best friends that met as teens at a weight-loss camp. This novel follows the lives of Georgia and Marley after Emerson passes away, leaving them the list they wrote at camp of the things they were going to do once they were skinny.

Years ago, I read many of Higgin’s stories. At a time where I was struggling, I found them to be an uplifting escape. They often featured quirky women who had a hard time when they were younger but as adults they were able to work through their issues and gain fulfilling lives. Having enjoyed her novels so much, I was shocked when I heard about the controversy surround her newest novel. Accusations of fat-shaming and a lack of body positivity seem to be the chief complaints, but I did not find this to be the case. In fact, I really enjoyed the story, though I can understand how it can be triggering for people. At times the author was very blunt about the character’s feelings and experiences. I found the book to be insightful and honest. The main storyline is about Georgia and Marley completing tasks from the list of things they were going to do when they are skinny and I think this is super relatable. I’ll buy new clothes when I lose ten pounds…I’ll join the gym once I lose fifteen pounds… There are a lot of people out there, including myself, who keep putting things off until they are slimmer or until they reach some other type of goal.

I particularly found the character of Georgia to be very relatable. The chapters focusing on her are at times brutally honest about how we can let our own securities ruin our relationships with others and cause damage to ourselves and our lives. My favourite quote from the book was by Georgia after her and her husband, Rafe, had tried marriage counselling, without success.

“Rafe stopped trying to talk, to knock down the wall. After all, I’d spent twenty-nine years building that wall. That m*****f***** was sturdy.”

Let me tell you, I related to that hard!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it reminded me of why I liked to read Kristan Higgins. Despite being a light read, there were many times that the novel made me stop and reevaluate some of my own thought processes and opinions towards my self and my life. That being said, I would recommend going into this novel with an open mind. It can certainly be a difficult read at times if you are someone that has gone through similar experiences, but if you stick with it, it can be a wonderful and powerful read.

this book was very difficult at times to read. Emerson's issues with food are honest and brutal. a great book seeing the different sides of body image.

So many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the advance reading of Good Luck With That.

Kristin Higgins, thank you for a beautiful, perceptive, moving novel. I did not want it to end.

Georgia, Marley, and Emerson bond as teenagers at a weight loss camp and remain friends throughout their lives. Life happens. Tragedy strikes. A list becomes the impetus to altering their lives. And what a joy to have travelled the journeys with these strong, funny, totally real women. I literally laughed out loud and shed tears in my pillow.

Kristin Higgins takes on with respect and sincerity, such delicate subjects of weight, body image, confidence, insecurity, self-hate, relationship with food, and weaves a truly genuine and real story. One that I’m willing to bet almost any woman of any age, can relate to. I know I can. I want these women as my friends.

Do yourself a feel-good favor and buy this book. Curl up, set in for the feel-goods.

Definitely OFtS..one for the shelves.

5/5 fallo

Good Luck With That by Kristan Higgins

August 2018
Berkeley Publishing

I received this digital ARC from NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing in exchange for an unbiased review.

Three teenage girls bond during summers spent at Camp Copperbrook, a weight loss camp for teens. Emerson, Marley, and Georgia find it exhausting trying to be invisible. Life as a fat woman isn’t easy, in fact, it is down right cruel. Over the years, the trio manage their weight issues very differently in their quest for “thinness.” A major theme in this book revolves around bullying and judging people based on their appearance or practices. While fat shaming is the most prominent issue, it gradually becomes apparent that other characters experience the same feelings of shame and guilt.

After a tragedy occurs, the women begin to reevaluate their past which revolved around their weight. They begin a road to self discovery that empowers them to make changes they only dreamed possible.

Wow what a journey that read was. I am a little stuck on how to write my review without giving the story away too much. Be prepared to be emotionally challenged with this book, Ms Higgins will really make you dig deep and think about the internal thoughts and feelings of her characters. Is it all warm and fuzzy, absolutely not! Will it give you something to think about, absolutely.

Friends since bonding as teens at weight-loss camp, these three ladies have continued to all have their own battles. They have kept in contact for the past 16 plus years. Emerson falls ill and Georgia and Marley are called to her side and asked by her to follow her dying wishes. Dealing with her death and working on the list of wishes she has left them with takes then on the hard journey of really understanding themselves and choosing self love first.

Georgia is a preschool teacher who loves to interact with her students. She has taken a long path to get there studying hard and becoming a lawyer only to change her mind and her career path years later. Divorced from her one true love and realizing that it was her issues and problems that forced them apart. She has the biggest heart and is so thoughtful of others.

Marley has a love for food and cooking but coming from a big Italian family that is understandable. A successful chef, running her own business who takes advantage of everyone’s busy lives. She focuses on healthy cooking. The loss of her twin at a super young age has left her feeling a little lost and undeserving.

Can these women learn that they are beautiful in their own way? Can they learn to move beyond the thoughts and perceptions of others and live their lives to the fullest? Will Emerson’s wish help them love themselves and find their paths to happily ever after?

Thank you to Ms Higgins and the publishing team for thinking this was a story worth telling. Will it be for everyone no. Please make that decision for yourself and not just take the words of others as to the validity of the means behind the story.

*** Advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review. ***

~~Reviewed by Monique~~

Kristan Higgins, thank you. Thank you for writing one of the most important books ever written, for writing this year’s best book, and one of the best books ever written. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT is told in the first person from the point of view of three overweight women, one being Emerson’s diary. Anyone of us who has ever struggled with their weight will recognise themselves at some point; those who have not will have known someone who has, even if only celebrities; others will have made fun of those “unsightly fatties”, and this book is for every one of us. The latter might find a way to understand that it’s not about not having willpower, about being weak, about being a lesser human being; that those who do not correspond to one’s “ideal standards” might deserve better than scorn and derision, and being bullied. Before writing my review, I read some other readers’ thoughts, and I was appalled that some reviewers saw GOOD LUCK WITH THAT as a book about silly women obsessing over food; I would suggest they have a second – objective – look at the book and try to understand, if only why that’s the way they feel about the characters and the issues.

Kristan Higgins writes with extraordinary compassion, sensitivity, honesty, and insight about a subject that might be our society’s most disturbing taboo – fat women – without glossing over the facts. The author paints a picture of excruciating, painful clarity of what it is to be fat, to “think” fat, and Ms. Higgins has, in Emerson, Marley, and Georgia – and Mason – created unforgettable characters, so genuine that I identified with each of them in turns. There are the happy moments and heartbreaking ones, the challenges, the pain, the shame, the hope, the rage, the despair, the small and great triumphs. I gasped, utterly shocked when I “saw” my own late mother in a few places. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT is not cute and funny; it is a very serious book, very heavy, and so very dark at the beginning, but slowly rays of light start slipping between those black clouds and soon that oppressive, crushing darkness lifts little by little. There are some moments of dazzling humour, as well as some shattering ones that had me crying so much it hurt. I hurt for those women, for myself, for you who have suffered this kind of pain. Yes, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT is about obesity, but it also concerns anyone who feels the need to become invisible in a judgemental society that basically denies them the right to live a normal life because they are “different”.

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT might not be the book you want to read “right now”; you do need to be in the right frame of mind to get lost in it, but I sincerely believe that everyone should read it eventually. Come to it with an open mind, with an open heart, and let those characters speak to you. If you read only one book this year, if you read only one book in your life, make it GOOD LUCK WITH THAT, because it’s a book that really matters. Live. Be. Now.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.