3.5 moving stars for I'm Fine and Neither Are You.

In I'm Fine, everyone is clearly anything but. While the cover may lead you to think otherwise, this novel deals with opioid addiction, loss, marriage struggles, familial relationships and trying to be your best self in the face of all of this. Pagan covers a ton of ground here through Penny - the woman trying just to get by and love and support her family. When Penny loses her best friend suddenly, her whole world is thrown into question and a lot of evaluating happens in her professional life as well as her personal life.

As with her prior novels, Pagan writes truly real characters - a character you could see yourself having coffee with, talking to at an office event, seeing a movie with - and that is what brings her books to life.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the way that the relationships were portrayed in this novel! Author Camille Pagan has a style of writing where she delves deep into her characters’ relationships and portrays them in an intimate and realistic way. Penelope has been struggling with her marriage and her home and work balance for a while. Her best friend, Jenny, on the other hand, has a perfect marriage and job. When tragedy strikes her friend’s life, Penelope begins to realize that Jenny’s life is not as perfect as it looks. Little by little, Penelope takes a serious look at her marriage, her job, and her life. She starts to be more honest with other people and stand up for herself more. And she encourages others in her life to do the same. This makes things more complicated for everyone, but Penelope still hopes to make things better in the long run. The characters are enjoyable. The plot is relatable as the marriages, family, and friendships are presented in a serious, realistic way.

This is the first book I've read by this author and it definitely won't be my last. The author captures the life of a middle-aged wife, mother and employee so authentically. As Penny learns, so many times woman say they're fine, when in reality they are far from it. Saying fine is the easy answer. Unfortunately for Penny, it takes a tragic situation to make her see that she needs to stop operating on auto-pilot and make her needs known.

I loved how Penny and Sanjay worked on their marriage through an honest needs list. Marriage is hard work and nobody really prepares you for this. Once children are added into the mix, the marriage changes yet again.

The author really gets the whole Superwoman routine that social media just makes worse. She also touches on opioid addiction in a truthful manner. This book gave me some serious food for thought. Not a light breezy read by any means, but meaningful and thoughtful. I'm looking forward to reading the author's previous books.

ARC received for review purposes
“I’m fine and neither are you” is not just a book title, but a great phrase that sums up this beautiful story and sometimes life in general
This book takes several types of relationships (marriage, friendships, parent/child), SHREDS them to pieces, and builds them back together, hopefully stronger than ever.
Penny & Sanjay have fallen into the usual trap-accidentally letting life get in the way of their relationship. Becoming so caught up in the “daily grind”-kids, jobs, housework, bills & so much more-distract you...
On the surface, Jenny’s life is perfect. But there is always more lurking under the surface. Is Jenny’s marriage what it seems? Is her internet persona the “real Jenny”? Does Penny really know her best friend Jenny? Does Jenny’s husband???
I highlighted so many passages in this story-things I’ve felt, I’ve thought about my own relationships or motherhood but could never dare speak, even just ideas or quotes that spoke to me or made me think. It’s all in here...heartbreak, love, so many tears....THIS is a book that will stay with you for a while

I end this with a small piece of the last sentence “I only hoped she knew I had received her parting gift—the ability to look beyond what was missing and be grateful for all that remained.”

Camille Noe Pagan has done it again with a thought provoking novel that we can all relate to. How many times has someone asked how you are and you reply with "I'm fine." when you are anything but fine. Penny is like most women doing it all. The loss of her friend Jenny makes her reflect on her life and what is truly important. This is a book for our times. It deals with opiate addiction, love, loss, marriage and so much more. I could really relate to this book. I dove into it and it consumed me. I could not put it down. Filled with relatable characters that come to life. These people are you and I. They are your friends and neighbors. This is a fast paced read that you can't put down. The author has captured the essence of what life as a woman is like. Why do we feel we have to do it all? I absolutely loved this book! You will fall into its pages and keep reading well into the night. Extremely well written, this is a must read!

A relatable novel about friendship, marriage and loss. How does one cope and rationalize the untimely death of a best friend? What quetions, concerns and desires does this deat create?

Camille Pagan does a wonderful job of exploring these ideas. She brings likeable characters to the story and it makes you cheer for them! I can't imagine losing my best friend to something I had no knowledge was even going on. Even the truest of friends can hide dark secrets.

I’m Fine and Neither Are You.. Camille Pagan beautifully writes about some really tough issues in life. Some of the writing makes you cry 😢.

I'm Fine and Neither Are You 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. I laughed and I cried while reading this book. I flew through it in two sittings, and even though it was a breezy read, it was also a thought-provoking story. I'm Fine and Neither Are You a perfect book club pick. I highly recommend it.

As a career woman, wife and mom we all try to do it all. The perfect party, kids get i the right social group, the right activities, , do it all at work and still keep the house running like a well-oiled machine. Yes, our husband is there, but we all know who really runs the show. How do we handle the stress, we turn to our best friend, who can relate, recharge us, and commiserate. There's always that one friend that just seems to have it together and has the perfect life. But as we soon find out sometimes things aren't what they seem and perfection can lead to heartache. This book made me laugh, cry, and yell. It offers up what is a very real life look at common relationship issues within families and friendships, including the devastating effect that prescription drugs can have on individuals. I found this to be a very emotional, but satisfying read.

"I'm Fine and Neither Are You" is a wonderful book written in such an honest way that the main character, Penelope, is incredibly easy to relate to. As a working mother and wife trying to support her family on her sole income, Penelope feels the stress of trying to keep it all together. Daily stress about work, kids, and family all come to the surface after Penelope loses her best friend. As she processes the loss, she realizes just how fleeting life is and sets out to make changes in her own life.
This book is written in such a way that Penelope is just so...relatable. There were several times I found myself thinking, "wow, I know just how she is thinking and how that feels!" It has been awhile since I could relate to a character so well, and it was refreshing to read a story with characters so perfectly real. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend!
Thank you to Camille Pagan, NetGalley, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own and I found the book entertaining and enjoyable!

Author Camille Pagan has a way of turning real life crises into tongue and cheek humorous fodder. The protagonist in this book was super relatable and I enjoyed watching her go from a victim of life's circumstances to a rightful hero as she takes control of her life. Pagan is on my short list of one-click authors, and she's never let me down.

How many times has someone asked me how I am and I say "fine" when I am anything but. Its what we do, as women, as humans. No one really wants to hear about all those problems, how we aren't fine. I'm Fine and Neither are You examines these questions and more. I absolutely loved this thought provoking, at times emotional read. Every woman should read this book. I read this book in one sitting and it gave me all the feels. It was just what I needed to read and what I needed to remind myself. Kudos to [author:Camille Pagán|4462824] for fantastic characters and an incredible story. I highly recommend this book.

I LOVE each and every book Camille has written!! This one is amazing!! I read it in one day - but it has stayed with me ever since. She always nails it when it comes to what women are experiencing and the stories we tell!! This one answers the question - how honest should we be?

This was such a quick read for me, as I was drawn deeply into this book. The author expertly depicted a highly nuanced marriage that anyone, I feel, can relate to. The prose in this book was smooth, and the so many times, I laughed out loud. At the same time, some somber moments gave me pause--this book was well-balanced in that regard. Highly recommend!

Title Says It All. A lot of times when I write these reviews, the book didn't really hit home or I've given myself some time to process before writing or a singular theme arose from my read of the book or some other thing that kind of "ties the review together". None of that really applies here. This book hit hard on many levels, and I'm writing this review within just a couple of minutes of finishing it.

Ultimately, the title really does say it all. I'm fine - and neither are you. We're all messy, none of us are perfect. But most all of us are trying to do the right thing as best we can, even when life tries to keep us down. Sometimes we handle things amazingly, sometimes we run away and have a meltdown over something that should have been simple. It happens.

This is a fictional tale with a lot of real life issues thrown into the story and handled in a very realistic manner, to the level that the book comes dang close to veering into self help categories. This was my first book from Pagan, and it won't be my last.

This was the first of Camille Pagan's books I have read, and I was intrigued by the hook in the blurb. What happens in a marriage when you agree to do anything your spouse asks of you? The frivolity I was expecting was absent, as the protagonist faces tragedy and the reality that her life is not a happy one, but that did not detract from my experience. In fact, I could relate to the challenges of being a working mom in a world where blogs and social media make everyone's life and homes seem perfect. Camille's characters are flawed and relatable, and I read this book in short order. I walked away from the story with lessons learned and that isn't something always found in fiction. The pacing is great, the writing is solid, and the book is wonderful. I am excited to dive into her other works now.

I loved this book. Camille Pagán has become one of my favorite authors. Her books hold stories true to life. Never to let me down. The book starts out wit Penelope who is thinking about a drastic change in her personal
Life, when a tragedy of her best friend happens and Penny needs to stop and re evaluate what she wants out of life. Does she want to throw her marriage away? Save it? Exactly what does she want. Mother of 2, main provider for her family of 4, what can she change

Another great book by Camille Pagan, blew me away between the relationships we each have throughout our lives. Received this as an arc and it didn't disappoint me one bit. Kudos to Camille for an excellent book!

I’m Fine and Neither Are You is a marvelous, amazing book. It’s a story within a story within a story and will touch you on so many levels. I cried (a lot). I laughed (a lot, too). Penelope Ruiz-Kar is us, or someone we know; at times she’s scared or sad or mad, and she is pretty funny even when she doesn’t intend to be.

Pen feels like her head is barely above water. She is keeping it together as best she can, but most of the time it feels like she’s late, inadequate, angry without good reason, or just going along and going through the motions. Every woman who is a wife or mother knows the feeling. Is this what marriage, parenthood, suburbia do to you? Whatever happened to that perfect life she dreamed about and thought she would have with husband Sanjay? Oh, wait, her best friend Jenny has it. The handsome, successful, considerate, dynamic husband who adores her, the beautiful AND ALWAYS CLEAN house, the perfectly well-behaved child. And she’s a successful blogger to boot.

But when tragedy strikes Penelope is at a loss. So many lies. Everything she thought was true . . . wasn’t. So she decides that the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth is what she and Sanjay need to revive their marriage. To save it. How is that going to work out though? Can there be such a thing as too much honesty?

It’s still pretty early in the year, but I think I’m Fine and Neither Are You is going to hold its place as one of the best books I’ll read in 2019. I could identify with Pen and her desire at times to think about her life and want to just run away. And with her envy and desire to have what Jenny has, until she realizes just what that perfection has cost Jenny. I could also identify with Jenny and that hamster wheel she was trapped in: once the world (or your girlfriends) decide you’re perfect, the model for the mom who can do it all, how can you back off or slow down? You can’t admit you’re only human, can you? Author Camille Pagán weaves the opioid crisis into the story with sensitivity and realism. We all think that is one of those things that can never happen to us, but I would venture a guess that most of us have experienced it, if only at a degree or two of separation. Pagán tells it just like it is.

I’m Fine and Neither Are You is an amazing book – a wonderful story with richly developed characters that touch your heart, and a plot that moves quickly and smoothly along, surprising you again and again. In the acknowledgments Camille Pagán thanks someone for helping her to “polish rock into diamond.” This book is evidence that that is exactly what she did. I received an advance copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. I unhesitatingly recommend I’m Fine and Neither Are You to anyone and everyone. Camille Pagán is an author I will be reading again and again.

I adored this book! Penny is a busy working mom of two kids who doesn’t take any time for herself. When her best friend dies suddenly she takes a good hard look at her life and decides it needs some re-working. My favorite thing about this novel was how unfiltered Penny’s thoughts were. If you’ve ever wondered what moms are REALLY thinking this book lays it all out there. I found it all very validating! From the opening scene with Penny sitting on the toilet as her son barges in to complain about his big sister picking on him to the closing scene where….well you’ll just have to read it to find out!

Thank you to Camille Pagan and the Tall Poppy Writers group for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.