I’m really mad at myself for taking so long to get to this book - once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. I loved how raw & messy & real it felt in so many ways. I admired how the characters didn’t always feel fully fleshed out or perfectly crafted - in many ways, I think that only added to why I enjoyed my time with this book.

I’ve found a new author that I am officially a fan of and I’m really glad this book ended up in my hands.

I honestly feel terrible because this was such a promising read for me, but I just could not get into it. I wanted to quit so many times throughout the reading experience but I pressed on. I wouldn't recommend it, but that's just because I don't think this was right for me.

The synopsis for this was interesting but whilst reading it was so easy to put down and not want to pick back up again. It felt like a story that has been written a million times already.

I ended up reading this book much after I originally planned. Ultimately I think it was for the best. While time has passed I have grown. Almost hitting my fifth anniversary with an almost one year old.

I say this because I’m Fine and Neither are You resonates with me in a way it wouldn’t have.

The story is about a working mom who unpredictably loses a close friend. It is about secrets in friendship, her marriage, her goals, and her identity. Penelope is wading through grief and disappointment.

It is a moving and relatable story. I thoroughly enjoyed the character development during raw and unfiltered life moments. I would recommend you read this book, I am glad that I did.

I don’t really know what to say about this book. I’m not sure how I feel. Nothing really happens. It’s realistic and has a good message so there’s that. Oh and I absolutely LOVE the title. But overall It sort of felt like I was just listening to a coworker talk about her problems and family life that I don’t particularly care about.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

I have read several Camille Pagan books and this was an overall disappointment. If this was the 1st time reading this author, I would be hesitate to read another.

Astonishing and heartbreaking read of the journey of one woman's relationships with family and friends and what she learns about herself. The lies we tell ourselves and others to cover up our pain or our not so perfect lives and or the jealousies we have over what we think is someone's perfect life can all change in a moment! What is really keeping Penny from being happy and how could people she cared about keep secrets from here? Was she really ready to be honest to save her marriage? I loved this story and I am so glad to find this author and look forward to reading her other books. Her characters are real and passionate and believable and leave you wanting to know more. Us readers always want more! Well done Camille!

That’s fine. It’s fine. I’m fine.

How many times a day do you say it? And how many times is “fine” code for #NOTATALLOKAY? That’s the crux of Camille Pagan’s wonderful new novel, I’m Fine and Neither Are You.

I’m Fine and Neither Are You introduces us to Penelope Ruiz-Kar, a wife, mother, and breadwinner who is doing everything in her power to stay afloat with her demanding job, underemployed husband, and expensive kids. Her best friend Jenny, on the other hand, has it all together, with her beautiful home, perfect marriage, impeccably put-together child, and successful lifestyle blog. When a shocking tragedy reveals that Jenny’s life may not be as fine as she’s always let on, Penelope begins to question everything she thought she knew. Desperate to salvage her strained marriage, Penelope proposes a deal to her husband, Sanjay: they both need to come up with a list of things they want the other to change, and they both need to move forward with complete honesty. What could possibly go wrong? With humor, heart, and a tear or two, I’m Fine and Neither Are You is a beautiful tale about what happens when we drop all pretenses and admit the truth to friends, to loved ones, and–most of all–to ourselves.

Camille Pagan gets down to the very marrow of her characters, creating lives that are beautiful in their flaws, never as they appear at first glance, and entirely human and relatable. At every turn, I was surprised and moved by where the story led, and I was completely invested not only in Penny’s life, but the lives of everyone around her. No character here is cookie cutter. They are real, raw, make mistakes, have wonderful qualities, have not-so-wonderful qualities, and, for the most part, are just doing their best. Those are the kinds of characters I will never tire of reading, and Camille Pagan is the kind of author I will return to time and time again.

If you’re looking for a touching and honest novel that will stay in your heart, be sure to pick up I’m Fine and Neither Are You. It may make you stop yourself the next time you automatically say, “I’m fine,” and it may make you take a closer look at all of the “fine” people around you, too.

Penny's life with her husband Sanjay has lost its romance and luster. Her best friend Jenny has it all-or so Penny thinks. "I'm Fine and Neither Are You" tells the story of an overworked woman and unacknowledged wife and mother who sets out to be happy with her life's choices. It was a bit predictable and superficial.

There were some good scenes and some real emotions in I’m Fine and Neither Are You, but it didn’t blow me away. It is a witty and honest book about modern marriage and motherhood. It's smart and relevant, and it tackles many important issues that so many women and families can relate to. I loved the writing style and I enjoyed the characters, I could easy see myself in Penelope and relate to her struggles.

Love the title, the cover and the book! This was such an enjoyable read with well rounded characters and a lot of heart and humour mixed in with all the messy moments. Really great addition to the contemporary genre.

This book was so raw and so very real. Anyone who has been in a long term relationship would be able to identify with the characters in this book. The writing was so honest and sometimes it felt like reading a diary. There is plenty of tragedy, confusion, resentment, hope, and second chances to go around in this book. I gave this book 4 stars and would very much like to read other stories by Camille Pagan.

I really enjoyed this book. It was nice to be reminded that life isn't always perfect and it's not easy dealing with what life throws at you but you will learn from it.
The author did a great job of describing the characters and making the story feel so real and relatable. I would definitely recommend this book to friends!

Great entry in the category of mom who is working too hard and trying to keep things together while her husband isn't doing quite enough.

I've been there and so have almost all wives/mothers I know.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2020 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2020/01/2020-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

I’m Fine and Neither Are You will have you laughing and crying. It is a very timely novel with the pressures many of us feel to have and do it all. It is an enjoyable book.

Thank you to @lakeunionauthors and @netgalley for a copy of I’m Fine and Neither Are You by Camille Pagán for an honest review.
Penny is working hard in a job she doesn’t love to support her family. Her best friend Jenny is a mom blogger who listens to her struggles without any judgement and seems to have all the answers.
When Jenny suddenly dies of an accidental overdose, Penny realizes she really didn’t know Jenny as well as she thought and starts to re-examine a life she has made that puts everyone else’s needs and feelings before her own. She becomes determined to make her life more than just about everyone else, starting with her struggling marriage.

I liked this one. It’s been on my list for a long time, I vaguely remember it getting rave reviews here on Bookstagram and then it sat on my list. I liked how Penny grew to adapt to telling others what she needed and how it made her feel. She didn’t wake up one day determined to change and do it all at once. There were some bumps along the way as would be expected. It was a complex storyline with some interesting characters. I did find it a tad repetitive and I do wish we had more of Jenny’s story as well, but it was a good read and helped me reflect on how I might work a little on the same issues in my life.

I absolutely loved I'm Fine and Neither Are You and I highly recommend it to everyone. It is so moving, poignant, and thought-provoking, and has incredibly relatable and honest characters and stuations. I found myself completely absorbed while reading this novel and I breezed through it easily and eagerly. Is it because I can relate to Penelope and know what it is like to be a working mom and wife struggling to keep on top of everything and trying to achieve complete control? Is it because I too have questioned many of the same things in my life and have asked myself some of the same questions that Penelope has? Is it because there were so many parts that I found myself anxiously reading as quickly as I could so that I could see if she found the perfect solution or answer that I have been looking for? Whatever the reason or reasons are, I was moved by this book and I appreciate and welcome the raw honesty on such tough real-life topics. Loved it!

This was a heartbreaking story and was pretty depressing. However, the author’s writing was relatable in a way that caused me to reflect on my own life.

My Thoughts:
Lately, I've been trying to get my TBR under control. I have a goal of reading at least twenty-five of my own books before I buy more, whether that be print books, or Kindle. Because of this, I decided to go through some of my NetGalley backlog. I've been loving the women's fiction books with cartoonish looking covers lately, so I decided to give I'm Fine and Neither Are You a try. I was surprised how much I loved this book.

I went into I'm Fine and Neither Are You with no expectations. I'll be honest, if it wasn't for the quirky title and the fun looking cover, I might not have even had much interest in reading the book. I thought at most, I might think it was okay. In actuality, It turned out to be one of my favorite books that I've read this year. I found the main character to be extremely relatable. I related more to her and what she was going through than any character I've read about in quite a long time. Most of the things she was thinking about, or struggling through, I have either been through, or know someone that has, especially the bits about marriage. Even though the list idea that Penny and Sanjay agree to was difficult, I think it's a genius idea that could help a lot of people in their marriage if they took the time to do it.

Not only was the book relatable on a way that I had never read before, it was also emotional. Maybe part of that is because it was so relatable. I don't remember the last time I cried so much while reading a book, especially towards the end. The author wrote the characters in such a way that the reader almost feels like they've known the characters for years. It feels like the reader is reading about close personal friends having these experiences, instead of made up fictional characters. It was easy to put myself in their shoes and feel every emotion that they're feeling while reading the book.

I'm Fine and Neither Are You was one of my favorite books that I've read this year. Heck, I have a feeling that it become one of my favorite books of all time. It was one of the "realest" fiction books that I've ever read. I loved the author's writing style, and the great job that she did connecting the reader to the characters. I will definitely be reading more of her books that she's written as soon as I read enough books to meet my goal.

I give I'm Fine and Neither Are You: 5/5.