Great book.
Quirky style, awesomely honest.
I love it because it a picture of a marriage whose two partners are trying to make it better.

Most books deal with divorce, or trouble in the marriage, and usually there’s one bad guy and they split up. Seems like it, anyway. This marriage starts off not in the best place, but the crisis is not the marriage. An external crisis makes the couple look at their marriage and try to do better. THAT’S what makes this an amazingly unique story.

I loved that it took place in MI – my home state! I love that the character is doing everything she pretty much needs to survive, but it all feels impossible, even though it’s normal life. I love that the characters decide to get real – no matter the consequences. And I love that there’s a book out there showing two people who love each other WORK on their relationship.

Of course, there are lovely funny thoughts that fly through our protagonist’s mind. There is so much to relate to if you’ve had a job, a kid, a husband, a family, a friend. Something for every woman to relate to.

And the story is interesting! It doesn’t even sag in the middle like most. Pick this up, read it through, sit back and reevaluate your own life. Can you do better? Can you help someone else achieve their dreams? Is there a way for you to achieve yours?

I can't say enough good things about this book. It is open and honest, it makes you root for Penny and Sanjay. It breaks your heart and still manages to make you feel good.

Penny's epiphany that she can change her life may have been the best thing that ever happened to her. I love how supportive Sanjay was when it came to working on them. Jenny's death may have been that catalist for setting it all in to motion but I love that Penny found her way.

I feel that so much of this book is important. It talks about addiction, family, honesty, love, doing the right thing. Camille Pagán was able to write about so much and do it well in what I feel wasn't really that long of a book. Maybe that was just because I couldn't put it down.

I highly recommend this book to all women and mothers.

I received an ARc from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

With honesty and humor, Camille Pagán’s I’M FINE AND NEITHER ARE YOU explores the challenges of modern motherhood, of balancing work and family, marriage and friendship. Penelope Ruiz-Kar has lost herself and her dreams. Her children need her. Her family depends on her salary. Her marriage has grown stale. And her best friend’s carefully curated blog is a daily reminder of where she is failing. But an unexpected event inspires her to reconsider what the next chapter should look like and how to move forward with joy, with hope, and with courage. A witty, encouraging novel for any woman who struggles to define herself in the midst of a busy life.

Every once in a while I come across a book that resonates with me on a personal level. That I adore for more than the beautiful writing, characters, or setting. It happens when you read a book with themes that strike so close to home you wonder if the author has been writing about you. Penelope from I’m Fine and Neither Are You feels like someone that I would, could, or should know. And sometimes I found myself thinking, that’s me. I get it.

Penelope, as I see her, is an average, harried wife and mother. She has thrown herself into the role of breadwinner and primary child wrangler. Her husband Sanjay, a stay-at-home dad/writer combo, comes across as a mixture of roommate and third child rather than a spouse and father. Her two children are rambunctious and more enemies than siblings most days. Life is a race and more often than not, Penelope feels like she is losing ground. More importantly, she doesn’t feel like herself anymore. Her one outlet for the buildup of frustration is her best friend Jenny.

Jenny, from the outside looking in, has the picture-perfect life. A handsome and successful husband, a wonderful daughter, gorgeous house, a thriving blog, and she always looks pulled together. She is Penelope’s closest confidant and friend. When tragedy strikes, lives are upended and perceptions are shattered. Most of this book, we follow Penelope on her journey to pick up the pieces after losing her friend. Suddenly, she experiences a keen sense of urgency to repair the fractures she sees in her marriage starting with being honest with her husband and vice versa. As difficult subjects and truths come to the surface, Penelope begins to wonder if speaking her mind and sharing her truths are truly helping her relationship with Sanjay or driving them further apart.

This is a wonderful book that has landed on my top five reads of January and I suspect will also be on my list of favorite reads of 2019. I can’t recommend this book enough, and if I could give it more than five stars, I would. Camille Pagan has produced a truly wonderful, relatable story that reminds readers that other parents struggle with the balancing act of being a parent, spouse, and an individual. We are not alone in our struggles.

I’m Fine and Neither Are You is a novel that many would be able to relate to, in both the feelings and the characters. This is something that Camille Is very talented at!

Penny has realized that her life isn’t making her happy anymore. After the death of her best friend, she takes the opportunity to reasses her life and marriage and put forth the change needed to make herself happy once again.

With plenty of laugh out loud snarky moments, raw emotion and feeling like Penny is one of your real life friends, this is a novel that will stick with me for a long time.

Penelope is the primary breadwinner of her family; her husband, Sanjay, is under employed with little ambition to change. When tragedy strikes close to home, Penelope begins to question her own happiness, marriage and career.

I’m Fine and Neither Are You is the story of friendship, marriage, raising a family with all the stresses and messiness while also touching on a very timely issue in today’s society. I feel like most women will relate to Penelope in one way or another. Camille Pagan writes a humorous, yet heartbreaking while still hopeful story of real life.

I loved when Penelope started standing up for herself! “I would have sworn there was another woman looking back at me. And if I was honest—a practice I was starting to question—I was a little bit afraid of her.”

“It takes courage to be yourself when everyone expects you to be someone else. I’m just glad I still have the opportunity to make that decision.”

Thank you to the author and publisher for the advanced copy; all opinions are my own.

This is my first book by Camille Pagán, but certainly will not be the last. Camille’s writing style is very readable. Her characters are well developed and likable. You can’t help rooting for them. I don’t know how she does it, but she takes a very sad subject and treats it with respect, but somehow keeps it light and even humorous. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading other books by Camille Pagán.

This book definitely speaks to most every woman I know. So much I can say about this, but I would give away too many spoilers. Sometimes things happen in life to wake us up and force us to rethink our paths and choices in all of our relationships. Do we give it all up and start over or do we put forth the work needed to strengthen those relationships. Are the things we see from others how their lives really are or just what they want us all to believe; like the perfect lives posted on Facebook feeds. I enjoyed following these characters on their journey and was very pleased with the ending. Thanks to the author for the ARC for my honest review. I highly recommend it.

Reading Camille Pagan's I'm Fine and Neither Are You was like an intimate talk with an old friend. The main character, Penny, faces so many struggles that working mothers encounter, and as the story unravels it was I testing to see the choices she made with regards to love. Family, friends, and work. Overall, I loved this novel!

Grateful Reader Review: by Dorothy Schwab

You, out running errands, bump into a friend: “Hi, how are you?” Friend: “I’m fine! How are you?” You: “Fine!!” We’ve all said this 50 million times!

Liar, liar, pants on fire! Are any of us ever truthful in this situation? Rarely. When you see the title of Camille Pagan’s new book, maybe you’re thinking “another Self Help book?” This book is packed with tips on self realization and honesty about our true feelings; whether it’s a relationship in marriage, between parent-child, or best friends. The great thing is that all of this “self help” comes in the sweet package of a novel titled, “I’m Fine and Neither Are You.”

Sanjay and Penny Ruiz-Kar have created a life for themselves and their two children, Stevie and Miles, in a university town in the Midwest. After Sanjay drops out of medical school to pursue a music/writing career, putting even more pressure on Penny’s development position at the university, the marriage scene is a bit strained-on several levels. Penny loves her husband, loves her kids, and mostly likes her life. So why is she so tired and suddenly admitting to herself that maybe she does “want out?”

Penny’s best friend, Jenny Sweet, seems to have it all together; has even created a blog , Sweet Things, sharing stories and situations about her beautiful, perfect self and perfect life; and making lots of money in the process. Jenny has a successful husband, Matt, though he travels a lot, and a precious, perfectly behaved daughter, Cecily. Maybe it’s all a bit too perfect?

Amidst the typical concerns of keeping her family not only on an even financial keel, but also spreading herself between her demanding job & boss, a not too involved husband, and the children, Penny realizes that she is the “wife, mother, breadwinner, and chief of operations at chez Ruis-Kar!”

When the unthinkable, unbelievable, “this can’t be happening”- happens, the “pretend” lives of Jenny and Mark Sweet and Penny and Sanjay Ruiz-Kar- come to a very unfairy- tale like end. No fairy godmother appears, but lots of “relationship building” begins; enough that you’ll be “perfectly” satisfied by the end.

There are so many life lessons and self- help “realizations” to be shared in this novel. You might very well mimic Penny and Sanjay by taking notes and making a “to do” list. Considering substance abuse, opioid addiction, honesty in marriage and friendships, abandonment and recognizing self worth are ALL covered here; the quicker you begin “I’m Fine and Neither Are You,” the quicker you’ll be more aware and prepared to answer, “How are YOU?”

A wonderful 5-star read! I love a witty writer, so the title alone would have drawn me to this one. As I began reading, the author's wit and phrasing of Penelope’s thoughts on her life in the early chapters delighted me and made me laugh out loud. When tragedy strikes and she is faced with a reality which had been hidden from her by dishonesty, she decides to become painfully honest in her own life to address issues that have needed addressing for a long time, and I applaud that. I am a huge fan of a thought-provoking book, and Ms. Pagan's insightful storytelling made me think about those in my own life who never want you to believe anything is ever less than perfect, and what they might actually be dealing with that they don’t share. Penelope was so relatable and well-written, and I love that the book had no perfect ending all tied up in a bow, because that’s life. This is an intricate and touching story, filled with complex and likable characters, with an intriguing storyline that I couldn’t put down until I knew how it all ended. I could not have enjoyed it more!

I’m Fine and Neither Are You is a thought-provoking, timely novel that takes a deep look into relationships between friends, between spouses, and between parents and children. Penny is the primary breadwinner and caretaker of her family, hiding resentments by acting as if all is right in her world. But an unexpected tragedy causes Penny to take a hard look at her life, her marriage and her job with clearer eyes and a promise to herself to be more honest about her own feelings. The characters in this book are so well-written...complex characters who will connect with readers on so many levels. This story will cause readers to think of their own relationships...relationships, like the ones in the book, are messy and complicated, and they are portrayed in this book with insight and honesty. My emotions were taken for a ride while I was reading this book, a ride complete with ups and downs, bumpy roads, twists and turns.

A tragedy causes Penny to reevaluate her life in this relatable and enjoyable novel. The title is perfect!

I loved this book. The subject of Opioid addiction was handled delicately while still bringing the issue to the forefront. Would make an excellent book club read. So many discussion points!! Any one can relate to the feeling of being stuck and in their own way of happiness. This book makes you think, “I can do that too.” It’s about best friends, and marriages, and relationships and the damage secrets create until someone speaks up.

How do you make sense of a tragedy? A deadly mistake that nobody knew existed?
Penny's BFF,Jenny is gone one day. Jenny always had everything. The perfect marriage, the perfect life, and the perfect house.
Or did she?
The old saying "Never walk in anyone else's shoes" is what we come to learn.
Penny begins to makes a list to promote changes in her own life, marriage and career. Will it work? Can Penny find the happiness she seems to lack in her own life?
This is a wonderfully, uplifting story and I truly enjoyed being with these families. The details and the message was very clear and one we can all take with us each day forward.
Excellent novel I read quickly.

I thought that this book was a heart-wrenching and heartfelt read. I was pulled in from the very get go about a woman who loses her best friend. Wondering about how much she really knew her friend and taking a look at her own marriage, she and her husband decides to be honest with each other about their needs. The characters are realistic, and you could feel their reactions and emotions. I was in tears at the end. This is a very good story about the tragedy of addiction and a wake up call to a stagnant marriage.

I’M FINE AND NEITHER ARE YOU by Camille Pagán is a wonderfully-written and engaging story of marriage, friendship and honesty in relationships. As a wife, mother and sole breadwinner for her family, Penelope Ruiz-Kar is totally overwhelmed and finds herself wishing she could escape her current life. The fact that her best friend, Jenny appears to have it all only compounds her desperate feelings. When a shocking and unexpected tragedy takes place, Penny is forced to confront not only the secrets that Jenny was keeping from her, but the lack of honesty in her own marriage. Camille Pagán portrays the characters and their relationships in a compassionate and totally relatable way. That their story is told with such empathy and even a little humor makes the characters seem even more real. I thoroughly enjoyed this touching and thought-provoking book and highly recommend it! Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.

This is a wonderful well written novel about best friends and marriage. The characters are so real that they feel like your best friend. We see them as total people - not just their good points but their flaws as wives, mothers and friends as they try hard to have the perfect life with the perfect marriage.

Penelope is married to Sanjay and they have two children. What started as a hot love affair has now cooled due to the every day stresses of marriage and raising kids. She works full time AND takes care of the kids, the house, the bills and just about everything in their life. He is underemployed - looking for that perfect job but not really willing to pick up any of the items that are causing Penelope so much stress. How does she get through her resentment? By talking to her best friend Jenny. Jenny has the perfect marriage, the perfect kid and a beautiful clean house. Or does she? When Jenny dies unexpectedly and Penelope learns the truth about Jenny's life, she decides that its time for her marriage to be changed and based on total honesty with each other. But is totally honesty the answer to marital discord? What Penelope and Sanjay go through will have you laughing out loud at times and getting teary eyed at other times.

This is a wonderful book and friendship and marriage with real characters who soon feel like friends. Mistakes are made that we've all made and as they struggle to maintain their marriage, Penelope and Sanjay at times remind us of the struggles in our own lives.

Thanks to the author for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down. Camille Pagán has a writing style that will completely suck you in and make you love the characters. I laughed, I cried, I thoroughly enjoyed the tender approach that was taken in the face of a very difficult subject, opioid addiction. The book was sweet and sad, and I definitely cried for a bit after I was finished. Recommended read!

This book is well written and extremely timely. It came along at the right time of my life to read, when raising kids, and having a career, and keeping the house clean, and shopping for healthy food, and worrying about relationships are just at the forefront of my life. Even though Penelope is fictional, I related so much to what she was going through as she tried to regain herself in the midst of the chaos of her life. This is the second of Ms. Pagan's books I've read and once again, I really enjoyed the book. I appreciate the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book and I recommend it highly. 4.5 stars (rounding up!)