Unfortunately, this was tedious and shallow; a lot of effort went into making Agatha as obnoxious and unlikable and artificial as possible, but it lacks self-awareness. She doesn't have enough personality to be this self-entitled. It's kind of Stepford-strikes-back-esque and tries to be a revenge fantasy that has no guts behind it. No one talks like this and it feels inspired by Liane Moriarty but is a poor facsimile.

Agatha Arch (full name must be spoken at all times) is just ~too quirky for words~! She's ~better~ than everyone around her (in her own mind), but in reality is actually just an immature jerk who could use some communication skills. Her phobias don't feel like obstacles, but cred? Like the author is just including them to say "SEE HOW NEUROTIC SHE IS? ISN'T IT HILARIOUS?"

If it wants to be satire, it's not smart enough. If it's trying to be just fiction, it's not smart enough.

The repetition in the recapping of facebook post comments does NOT translate well to audio. Hearing the narrator (who is doing her best) say "Agatha Arch?" in 30 different inflections was very very tiring. Same with "Stinkbug" that I literally had to fast-forward through.

I think I'm supposed to hate Dax and Willow Bean (again, name must be said in full at all times) but honestly, Agatha seems like she's insane and I don't blame them? She's clearly in a mental health crisis but it's not treated as an obstacle to her necessarily, but as one of those "if you can't handle me at my worst you don't deserve me at my best" graphics designed to make women feel better about being assholes.

Soneela Nankani narrated this audiobook, and as I said before, did what she could with what she was given.

I received a copy of this audiobook for free from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

Kudos to Kristin Bair, the author of “Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything” for writing a humorous, entertaining, unique and thought-provoking novel. The genres for this novel are Humor, Contemporary Fiction, Satire and Women’s Fiction. The timeline for the story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events. I love the way Kristin Bair layers the story with humor and yet there are some deeper and serious issues. The stages of humor run the gamut of funny, to satire. The author vividly describes the various characters and events. The author describes most of the characters as flawed, complex and complicated. The protagonist Agatha Arch is quirky, neurotic, fearful, as well as complex and complicated, especially after a tragic betrayal in her life.

Agatha Arch is completely neurotic, but make no mistake, she loves her two boys more than anything in the world. Perhaps that is why, when she discovers her husband in the shed with the dog-walker, in a darkened rage, she takes a hatchet and destroys most of the shed, but nobody is really hurt but herself. It is amusing that Agatha has nicknames for everything in her life. Agatha has written books and now is determined to write a thriller.

Agatha has a long list of things she fears, and she gets special pants that hold various tools, such as binoculars, a flashlight, scissors, a tool knife, and more. She also invests in a drone that can track her husband and his mistress as well as her sons.

Although there is much humor, one can feel the pain, loneliness, despair, and anxiety that Agatha feels. I appreciate that the author discusses the importance of self-worth, a support system, and friends. I would highly recommend this addicting novel.

It's was basic. Agatha Arch is annoyed by everything, should be the title of this book. She's realistic but also pessimistic. Her personality comes into handy when having to deal with the mom group, which makes those moments funny. However, her need to repeat certain words or phrases over and over is irritating. It's a very suburban story. Quirky but forgettable.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Agatha is afraid of everything. Not just the things that scare many of us, but just about everything that exists and even some that don’t! So what happens when you everything in the world scares the heck out of you and then the one person you trust betrays you to the very core? You do what Agatha did by putting on your big girl pants and figuring out how to move forward and figure it out. Lots of stumbling along the way, disappointments, small victories, some humor and mostly a great deal of heart. You will find yourself cheering Agatha on and wanting all the best that she wants for herself. If you need a feel good, hopeful, funny enjoyable listen with good narration this is for you.

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“ it’s not ok, it will never be ok, but it’s ok”
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Thank you @netgalley for my ALC copy of this book.

I 100% recommend getting the audiobook! I felt like the narrator did a great job of capturing. The personality of the main character Agatha . I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

This story is funny , quirky, heart breaking and cringey all at the same time. Agatha is a hot mess, capital H, and and her life is about to take a turn for the worst when she finds her husband coupled up with the dog walker . In the blink of an eye her security is shattered
And to make things worst there’s an interloper invading her beloved town.
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Agatha is forced to face some of her greatest fears while trying to naivigate her new life . She makes some mistakes but in the midst of trying to make sense of her shattered life she discovers a community of people and her strength that lies within .
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At first I wasn’t A fan of Agatha , but as the story process she grows on me. My heart broke for her and the boys having to deal with her husband infidelity . I hate the fact that he and his mistress thinks that saying sorry should suffice for what they did . They were more sorry for how she found out than for what they actually did..
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I love the mom group , and this support group they created .

Book 241 towards my goal of 280! 4/5 stars for this adult contemporary comedy (?) read! This book is so unique! It's not a romance, it's not exactly a comedy, it's not a serious women's fiction read. Imagine the thing you did that embarrassed you most in life...Agatha Arch has probably said or done something way worse :-p Definitely recommend! Love the cover, it feels the story so well! Narration was great!

Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything, an audiobook by Kristin Blair, is a snarky and humorous story with dark undertones. Soneela Nankani is the perfect narrator to bring the characters to life; her gift for creating the unique voices of the female characters allows for each one to be easily recognisable. I was impressed with her male and children's voices, too.
Poor Agatha is a prisoner of her own anxieties and fears on a good day, but her worst day just dawned. This woman has an established career as an author, a husband, and two children---but when she discovers her husband half naked in their shed with the dog walker, she has a melt down that leaves the shed demolished by her own hand. As the book continues, Agatha gives in to her fears, spies on her husband, and causes problems in her Facebook moms group--all while trying to cope with her new normal.
The book is funny, if a bit over the top, but the anxiety/fear levels are all too real for many people. Bair did have an accurate read on Agatha's internal dialog. Overall, this is a good read.
Thank you to Net Gally, Kensington Press, and Dreamscape for the Advanced Reader Copy. My thoughts are my own and I always review books I enjoy.

I struggled with this book. Not with whether I liked the book. I struggled with whether to root for Agatha or to dislike her. I definitely understand deep rooted fears and suffered with agoraphobia after my mother passed. In the end I was rooting for her and her Bear Grylls Fear Sharpens Us mantra.

This book has serious "Where'd You Go Bernadette" vibes--so, if you were a fan, I would definitely recommend it.

I can't decide if I liked this book or not. I am hesitant to describe it as a "light, quick, read." Agatha isn't especially likable, and she definitely seems like she is having a mental health crisis. As a reader, I wanted to hate Dax and the Dog Walker, but the axe incident made that a bit harder--as did Agatha's incredibly invasive behavior.

I do appreciate the underlying need for strong female (or really any friendships). But, Agatha coming so far in such a short amount of time really felt like a stretch.

This book is fine--it felt like it was trying too hard to be quirky at times.

I found this book to be a refreshing change of pace! Agatha Arch is afraid of a lot of things but thinking her husband was cheating on her was not one of those things. When she finds her husband and the neighborhood dog walker in the shed in her backyard, she takes a hatchet to it and becomes the talk of the neighborhood. Between Agatha coping with this situation with her husband, her conversations with her therapist, her methods of getting revenge by spying, her online conversations with the moms’ group and her interesting way of cursing, this book will have you laughing out loud!

Agatha Arch is literally afraid of everything - just to name a few...... lightning, the dark, the highway, and beans ! The story begins with Agatha happily at home with her two boys, while cooking them lunch she hears some rustling in her shed. Thinking it might be one of the skunks she’s so cutely nick named she decides to check. Upon entering the shed Agatha is stunned to find her husband having an affair with the local dog walker! Agatha loses it and smashes the shed to splinters. Our story continues with the result of said affair and a better explanation at the quirkiness that is Agatha Arch.

I listedned to this one via audio book, my first one actually. The writing itself was great, full of detail and made me feel like I knew Agatha personally. Lots of interesting twists and turns and I have found myself giggling out loud multiple times. “Futher Mucking” might be my newest and favorite words 😂. Facebook moms group chats are spot on and absolutely hysterical. Agathas dry witty humor is perfect!

I found this to be a dark, quirky, comical, badass, fun, and powerful read. I listened via audio but I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I read it myself. However, I thought the narrator was great. I just prefer physical copies of books.

I would totally recommend this one. I can see this being a huge hit!

Real rating 3.5/5🌟
I'm not sure why I keep reading these books set in white upper middle class America they always seem the same to me. I have read several of them and this one in no way feels different. There is nothing wrong with the book it just didn't feel unique to me.
I don't really have anything specific I didn't like about this book I just think its for me. I think it would be great for anyone who is into this sort of genre.

Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything is a really good audiobook. The narrator, Soneela Nankani, is wonderful with her abilities to create many different voices for several characters, women, children, and males in this fun story. She’s very talented and delivers a very fun story.

Agatha is a woman with 2 young boys, a husband, a home, and a career. Agatha has many fears, from beans to severe weather. When she discovers her husband having an affair, it’s time to face and conquer her fears. As with many women, Agatha doesn’t give herself enough credit and because of this isn’t quite living her best life. Agatha doesn’t think twice about climbing trees, confronting skunks, calling it likes she sees it, and not caring what others think. She’s a funny lady and a good mom and this book had me laughing quite a bit.

Thank you to @netgalley and dreamscape media for the opportunity to preview this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley Dreamscape Media and for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Agatha Arch! From her snarky attitude to her fear of almost everything, she was real and had no filter just being a brutally honest person. What you see is what you get. Is this a realistic story? probably not, but could you see it being a possibility? YES! And have I ever thought of reacting the same way as Agatha Arch? DEFINITELY!
This was a funny story about a woman who's life takes a downward spiral after finding her husband fooling around with the neighborhood dogwalker in the backyard shed. It is comical and yet can tear at your heartstrings of sympathy for this woman that would make an interesting friend. My favorite part of this audiobook was how everyone referred to her with both first and last name, "AGATHA ARCH", like she was some kind of an icon. Fabulous and a great listen to lighten anyone's day.
Recommended to fans of Chick lit, romance, ROM-Com and the like.
Taking in the fact that this is Fiction I say it's a solid 5 stars!

Agatha Arch has many irrational fears, with #1 being beans of any kind. When she finds her husband in flagrante with the neighborhood dog walker, she snaps and starts wielding the first thing she sees -- a hatchet.

Agatha is a character who reminds me of a cross between Eleanor Oliphant and Bernadette Fox. Her levels of denial don't reach Eleanor's and her neuroses outpace Bernadette.

Agatha is neurotic but in a funny and charming way. She calls her therapist "shrinky dink" and lets herself be driven crazy by simple things like loudly ticking clocks. She swore off all beans at 17 when she saw The Silence of the Lambs because beans are the gateway drug to cannibalism (obviously). Since then, she's tacked on several more irrational fears.

Agatha's enemies are the dogwalker who stole her husband, the new "interloper" in town (a homeless woman), and the local moms' Facebook group. Agatha's antics are amusing at first, but the reader's patience will begin to wear thin as she becomes increasingly erratic. Bernadette Fox's antics in Where'd You Go, Bernadette? were much more normal and believable. Agatha's story screams fiction and not reality.

Eventually, Agatha must come to terms that her husband is gone for good. She needs to let go of her marriage and fears, and learn to embrace life as a single woman. She's hidden behind her husband for years and must change her ways, go out into the world, and make friends.

Soneela Nankani is a good narrator with a great sarcastic inflection for Agatha. She doesn't stumble over Agatha's made-up words like "fother mucking" that she uses so she won't cuss in front of her kids.

Recommended for fans of Where'd You Go, Bernadette? who can't get enough stories of suburban moms who are driven crazy by those around them.

Agatha Arch, Agatha Arch, Agatha Arch! Your book was somewhat amusing, but the posts from the FB Mom's group got to be a bit monotonous and all those rants about the "interloper" -- same. Tap, tap, tippity tap. . . So glad you spared that woodpecker, by the way. There were some good bits about being a good friend. Loved the Bear Grylls bobblehead and Agatha's spy pants. And the goat yoga was a fun addition. Unfortunately, although there is a vague resemblance to 'Where'd You Go, Bernadette,' there just weren't enough moving parts to even compare. Finally, I feel a strong nudging to go read 'Their Eyes Were Watching God.' Why is that?

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything is a quirky and charming adventure. The story follows Agatha as she is forced to confront her fears - both seemingly trivial and significant - in a relatable and comical way. Perfect for Where'd You Go Bernadette fans! The narrator is phenomenal as she is a perfect fit for this story.

Thank you to the Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook to review!

Agatha Arch just discovered her husband in the shed with the dog walker. She quickly takes the shed down with an axe and the story rockets forward from there. Broken hearted Agatha’s actions and reactions from there are quite comical. Agatha is indeed afraid of everything and her character is wonderfully quirky. Her comments on the FB mom pages are mostly spot on, even if they come across as mean girl. Her spying techniques are a riot and she definitely does not have a calling as a spy. As Agatha’s heart begins to heal, her actions start to change as she finally begins to move forward with her life. With a great voice, this was a fun listen, and I would love to see more of Agatha Arch in future books!!

Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me. I really enjoyed the narrator and thought she did a wonderful job. I was just annoyed by Agatha and that “moms” Facebook group drove me crazy. All the references to Bear Gryills seemed like too much. I just kept waiting for it to get better but it didn’t for me. I’m sure some will really enjoy this quirky book, but for me it just fell short.

This will be a harsh, yet an honest review. I disliked this book. Like truly, didn’t enjoy a minute of it while listening to the audiobook. I found myself constantly tuning out and tempted to skip ahead only to get it done with (which I did from time to time and didn’t miss a single thing or found myself lost). I only crawled my way forward in the hopes of something to happen to make the book interesting. It never did.
I’m pretty sure that I am the right target audience for this book since I check all the boxes but I don’t know, I couldn’t connect with or even get any of the characters. I found the plot was all over the place and there was too much repetition. There wasn’t much happening other than in the annoying mom’s Facebook group. I think I’d better stop ranting and end my review with the note that Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything is absolutely nothing like Where’d You Go Bernadette and this comparison is so not fair to the former.

Thank you Dreamscape Media, LLC and NetGalley for the audio ARC.