Adult Assembly Required is a modern day sitcom in book form. The story is a series of small happenings with its cast of quirky characters, some from the Bookish Life of Nina Hill.

Meet Laura, who has run all the way across the country to escape her family and ex-finance. After a series of unfortunate events, she finds herself living at a home full of renters that has cats, dogs and a handsome gardener named Bob. Laura has uprooted her life due to a car accident that has left her physically and mentally traumatized.

Her escape to LA has finally given her space to take control of her life in ways she never imagined since the accident. It is through the help of her new found friends that she finds the strength to address the mental health issues that are plaguing her ability live and love. Adult Assembly Required is realistic and heartfelt in its storytelling.

Step back into Nina's world and meet a new cast of adorable, quirky, eccentric, entertaining characters. Thank you Berkley Publishing for the advance reader copy.

I adored Abbi Waxman's "I Was Told It Would Get Easier." In that book, the point of view shifts by chapter. In this book, it shifts by paragraph. I had a hard time following the story as a result. I couldn't keep track of whose head we were in. There also didn't seem to be a strong plot. Basically, Laura is suffering from PTSD after a car accident, and she's living in a house with some quirky characters, and she and Bob are falling for each other but for some reason they're avoiding that fact… Maybe there's a story here, but I just can't find it. DNF at 50%.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This was really funny and enjoyable! I would definitely recommend this book to a friend! Quick, fun read!

Adult Assembly Required is a sweet romcom with an ensemble cast of characters who you'll adore. If you enjoyed Abbi Waxman's previous book, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, you're not going to be able to put Adult Assembly Required Down.

Having read and enjoyed The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, I was interested to hear about this new story set in the same world. The writing style left me so confused with how the point of view shifted from one person to another without an indicator of the switch beforehand. I don't remember if this was the style in Nina as well, but I could not keep up, and left me feeling like I was missing always something.

Laura, newly arrived in LA to go to grad school, is lucky that her meltdown, after learning her new apartment has burned down, takes place in Nina Hill's bookstore, where she's rescued by Polly. Polly takes her home to Maggie who has opened her large Hancock Park home to four young women and Bob, a hot gardener. This group of friends, especially Bob, help Laura navigate not only her new life but also her PTSD after the horrific car accident that changed her life and her plans. Her parents, back in New YORK, can't understand why she's dropped science for a physical therapy program and her absolutely horrible ex-fiance Nick can't understand why she's left him. If there's a flaw here it's that Nick is so far out there that he's unrealistic. This is very much about a woman finding a new reality, although the romance with Bob is pretty good. And it's a bit about Maggie and her relationship with her children. Fans of the Bookish Life of Nina Hill will be pleased to see these characters (I love Polly) again but if you, like me, missed that one, well, don't worry- this works terrifically as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good storytelling and characters you will care about.

3.5 stars

I have gone back and forth over this book in my head trying to decide how to rate it. The thing is I did enjoy Adult Assembly Required which was straight up women’s fiction. It had a Knotting Hill kind of feel in that all of these people were connected together and we learn quite a bit about all their lives and that’s not a bad thing. What was a bad thing were the multiple points of view often on the same page with the perspective of a different character. It was without a doubt confusing and thusly, the dialog didn’t flow well making it hard to stay in the story. Had this book been written in a different style it would have easily been 5 stars.

The main character is Laura a who recently moved from New York City to Los Angeles for grad school to pursue a degree in physical therapy and to get away from her family, her ex fiancé, and to recover from the PTSD she suffers from an automobile accident two years prior. After her apartment building burns down and she gets caught in a rare storm, she runs into a bookstore and is immediately taken care of by the owner and employees of the shop one who tells her about a room available in the house she lives in. Soon Laura is ensconced in a home with a friendly landlord who is in her mid-fifties and four other tenants. Bob, one of the tenants and a landscape artist/gardener by trade, takes an interest in Laura and it’s quite mutual but Laura makes it clear she’s working on herself before she gets into another relationship. However, they do become fast friends who enjoy spending time together. Laura also enjoys spending time with Polly, the one from the bookstore who lives in the house as well, as well as the other bookstore employees.

I loved the relationships throughout this book, the way Laura learned it was good to have friends she could count on and while her relationship with her parents was strained, it was obvious she still loved them and wish things could be different between them. The conversations between the tenants, Laura and Bob, and Laura and her new gal pals were a mix of funny, insightful, and charming. I truly enjoyed spending time with all of these character and their unique personalities that came through any time they gathered.

A delightful story of life, friendship, and being true to your own self, I enjoyed Adult Assembly Required.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable read for the most part, but it suffered from the same problem as its predecessor The Bookish Life of Nina Hill: a little bit of witty banter and oddball characters goes a long way, and this was not a little. The book would be much more effective if it were 50 to 100 pages shorter and had a cast of five fewer characters. As with The Bookish Life, I enjoyed getting to know the protagonist and watching her overcome her problems with the help of new friends, and most of the characters are great. I was a little thrown by the 3rd person omniscient POV at times. Because Laura was the protagonist I was used to being in her head, so when I suddenly got the inner thoughts of other characters at random times it felt out of place. With these complaints, I still enjoyed the read. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

Hey book friends, today I’m reviewing Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman.

You ever look at a map of a place you want to go to and notice there are so many cities you want to visit and explore, but you can’t seem to narrow down an itinerary?

So that’s how I felt about Adult Assembly Required. That we have these interesting characters scattered across the map of this book, but there isn’t a narrowed focus. We sort of travel in and out of everyone’s perspective, and I think that works in some books, but for a romance, it loses focus from the main characters who are sort of, you know… Falling in love???

Segue into the romance between Laura and Bob. It’s a very slowwwwww burn. And by slow it’s painfully slow. Like 395 pages slow. The entire time I’m thinking let’s stop these awkward moments and start digging into the potential love story between these two. They clearly like each other, but are constantly skirting around any true meaningful conversations the entire novel.

[SPOLIER ALERT HERE]

And for me, it’s incredibly disappointing when you get to the very end of the book, and that’s when the two main characters realize they love each other. Where they quickly drop everything and find each other to say the one thing they’ve been trying to say the last 399 pages.

Then the book ends.

I have to be honest; I nearly didn’t finish this one.

Even though this book wasn’t for me, readers who enjoy quirky characters, awkward moments, found family, and a bunch of adults trying to figure out how to adult, pick up a copy from your local library.

Happy Reading ~ Cece

A huge thank you to Penguin Random House International for providing me an ARC.

Liz, the manager of the Knights, one of the few remaining independent bookstore in Los Angeles. Nina, was the co-worker of Knight's and a bookish person. Laura, the girl who has a bad day because she didn't get the job. When she got home the apartment she was living was on fire. Now she was working at the Knights. After Laura move to LA she wants to start a new life. Polly was so nice to Laura. It’s so funny when Polly make a bet that Laura and Bob will hooked up by the end of summer.

I really do want to love this book but it was so hard. I don’t liked multiple pov, and sometimes when I’m reading Laura’s pov it will switch to another character’s pov. It was so hard for me to catch up.

I think Adult Assembly Required is not a bad book, but it sits firmly in the Not For Me category.

Overall, it feels like a sitcom. A series of non-events, and if you squint there's a through line plot.
If you're looking for low stakes contemporary to just turn your brain off to, you might have a good time with this one. It's very much like real life, where there aren't constant life-altering decisions or massive conflicts or dramatic exits, but rather a series of small happenings that build up who you are, with the occasional opportunity for some flair.
It's realistic and I do believe it's heartfelt, but it's just not what I look for in books.

And I can't neglect to mention that in 352 pages the author uses the word "literally" 44 times and I cannot believe no one thought that was maybe a few too many...

3.75 stars

Another wonderful read from Abbi Waxman, featuring characters from Garden of Small Beginnings and Bookish Life of Nina Hill. It might work as a standalone, but would be much richer if the reader was acquainted with the background of the other books.

Waxman's trademark humor and compassion are on full display here. The story begins when Laura Costello, newly arrived in L.A., shows up rain-soaked and in shock at Knights Bookstore. Laura's apartment has burned and she has lost all her belongings. The wonderful crew at the bookshop take her in, dry her off, and make her a cup of tea.

Laura is a wonderful character. She is still recovering mentally and emotionally from a severe car crash which left her physically scarred and nearly unable to ride in or drive a car. She is a New Yorker by birth, and her entire family has weighed in negatively on her move to the West Coast to attend graduate school for physical therapy training. Note: Laura's family is pretty awful. They are all Ph.D academics except for her and are sneery about her decision to pursue a degree in physical therapy instead of becoming a scientist. Her mother is controlling, non-supportive and interfering. She actively sabotages Laura's breakup with her fiance and continues to encourage him to pester Laura despite her quite clear desire to be rid of him.

But when Laura walks into the bookshop, she connects with a lovely ensemble of people. One of the booksellers, the unique Polly, lives in a rented room in an old L.A. mansion owned by Maggie, a strong and compassionate woman who happens to be a psychologist. Laura fits right in and has a terrific support group waiting for her.

Great story about characters that are easy to root for. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I always enjoy spending time in any world Abbi Waxman creates but this one was especially enjoyable because I got to spend time with Nina again! There is nothing not to love here. My nerd heart was full from the first page. Laura and Bob ticked all the romantic boxes for me. If you loved The Bookish Life of Nina Hill this books waits to welcome your bookloving soul back again!

“Nina Hill’s apartment was basically a bookcase with a bed and a chair in it.”

Laura didn’t expect to become homeless her first week in Los Angeles. Her overbearing family would love nothing more than for her to come home with her tail between her legs, but Laura is determined to stick it out. Luckily for her she happens on a local bookstore and meets Polly and Nina, who pull her under their wings and helps her find a new place with a quirky live in landlord.

It’s getting to the point where some would describe my apartment the same way. It’s totally normally to get rid of your dish-ware and use the cabinets as bookshelves right? 😂 Just kidding, I haven’t gotten that far yet, but the only room in my house without some sort of bookshelf is the bathrooms! Anyway, back to the book! Any book that includes bookstores, libraries, and bookish people is a winner in my mind! I loved that we got a little bit more of our girl Nina in this one! I was not expecting that and it was a nice surprise. I loved all the new characters and the way their friendships grew so beautifully! I also always enjoy when an author includes mental health. Laura had been through something so traumatic, and In wanted to punch Nick in the face. If you loved Nina Hill, go ahead and place your order for this one!

This seems like the type of book I would have liked when I first started reading contemporary…it’s a follow up to The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, which I really liked back then. But I feel I’m a much different reader than I was then, and want more from contemporaries than this had to offer. It also feels super scattered in focus and failed to grab me.

Laura Costello moved across the country to Los Angeles from New York in order to escape her domineering academic family, start a graduate PT program, and essentially put her life back together after a devastating car accident derailed her mental and physical strength and fitness. Only one week after the big stressful move, Laura’s newly rented apartment burns down freaking her out and sending a rain-soaked, weeping Laura into Nina Hill’s bookstore. Nina and her employee, Polly, embrace Laura immediately with Polly deciding impulsively that Laura should come live in the house where she resides that is illegally rented out to borders. Maggie, the owner of the lovely house and gardens, has assembled an ersatz family from the men and women staying there including Incredibly Handsome Bob who is also so shy he has trouble getting words out unless he is talking about his work as a gardener/landscaper.

Though she is attracted to Bob and he to her, Laura has just gotten out of a long-term engagement with an ex who has not gotten the memo she is done. Laura has a lot of issues to deal including being able to ride in and even eventually drive a car because panic attack central happens to her in those circumstances. She has come a long way but has far to go so that Laura is very resistant to any kind of relationship other than friendship. As a slow-burn romance, Laura and Bob’s getting together is a barely lit candle for most of the book and of course, everyone around them can see it with the exception of the clueless couple who have everything in common but apparently the sense to see the obvious. Laura’s erstwhile ex-fiancé showing up to cause trouble does not help.

Laura is an action kind of gal who likes to keep moving physically which is something her brainiac family, who are a bunch of professors, cannot understand nor do they support it hence her leaving the family nest (both parents are Ph.D. bird experts) and try to make it on her own. Bob’s shyness is such a detriment that despite his good looks, he has not been able to maintain any girlfriend’s interest for long. As housemates, Laura and Bob find they enjoy being buddies though neither one is really satisfied with that, but they are both too scared to ask for more.

Fans of THE BOOKISH LIFE OF NINA HILL will be happy to see Nina’s motley crew of employees and trivia team. Nina ropes Laura into her squad as a sports authority since with Nina and athletics, never the twain shall meet. With the new characters and previous ones, Ms. Waxman has crafted a finely entertaining and enjoyable story that was a mostly fun read. My main frustration was the molasses like quality of the almost never developing relationship between Laura and Bob. These quirky characters set in the backdrop of Los Angeles, the land of fruits and nuts will please readers who enjoy Ms. Waxman’s quirky style of writing.

I liked this book, but I didn't love it. I struggled a bit with the characters or the way the characters were written. It felt a bit choppy and scatter-brained. I found myself having to really focus on what was happening rather than just sitting back and becoming absorbed in the story. I felt like the perspective changed almost without warning and I couldn't figure out what was happening. I did like the plot and the character journey.

This is the first book I have read by Abi Waxman and I will certainly be looking out for her books in the future, this is exactly what I love to read; fun, light-hearted, enjoyable, engaging, witty, warm and easy to read.

I have been in a bit of a reading lull lately and as such, I have been reaching for easy to read books which aren't taxing and where I don't have to put too much energy into reading them. Just good old-fashioned rom-com where I can have a laugh and this is just the ticket.

I really enjoyed this, probably more than I thought I would, I wasn't hugely enthused with the idea of reading a book with a teenage/young adult main character - basically because I just can't be asked to bother about their angsty teenage problems which as we know end up being a bit daft and silly and now I am *coughs* on the wrong side of thirty I just can't be bothered with all the fuss and drama of that age group (honestly, I sound like my mother!!) but this was a wonderful surprise and not at all what I expected and I did end up thoroughly enjoying it.

For some reason, I wasn't expecting much before diving into this book. It didn't take long before I was hooked and utterly engaged, even though it featured things that usually turn me off.

This novel was more women's fiction than romance, although the romance was so charming and relatable. Laura was such an endearing heroine, and I was so invested in her journey to become independent and face her fears. She was such a loveable character. Bob was also great, even though his inability to communicate was at time frustrating. (It did make for some great tension though!)

There were so many cute stories with the side characters and nuggets of wisdom and trivia.

This book has a huge cast of characters, most of whom are quirky and eccentric. Usually this is something I hate, but in this case it worked for me! I was never confused about who every one was and what their purpose. I think this is because early on the author really developed rapport and trust with the reader. I knew she was going to deliver and keep everyone straight.

I liked this one. But it also felt all over the place. It centered around Laura and her move to LA. She is trying something different and working to discover more about herself.

There was a wonderful cast of characters surrounding her including a few from past Waxman books. I liked getting to know these characters but felt that some of their stories felt a bit unnecessary. Another thing that confused me a bit was the switch between perspectives within a chapter and even paragraph. It took me out of the story.

I really liked Laura and her relationship with Bob. I especially liked her relationships with Nina and Polly. It was just nice to read about her as a character.

Overall, this was enjoyable but also a little too much.

[cw - anxiety, panic attacks, ptsd, sobriety]