Thank you so much to #NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Really Good, Actually.

I'm Gen X so some of the terms, experiences etc were a little lost on me, but I still enjoyed the book. Maggie seems like the underdog at first. She is frankly faking her way through life since she got divorced. Sort of faking it till you make it, but you can't help but root for her.

I laughed throughout the book and related to it more than I thought I would be.

I really wanted to love this book, but I just struggled with the facing and quit after about 25%. There are pages that had me screaming with laughter and excitement and empathy, (e.g. the first page, the googling lists, the shopping spree of stuff she didn't need), but then I think I just struggled with the plot which felt very slow and whiny. It was in those slow moments where it lost me and I just didn't feel like I related. I loved the humor in this book, and the story of a young divorcee, but the pacing just felt inconsistent. I'd definitely try another book by this author someday!

Thanks to William Morrow and netgalley for an early copy of this book.

This Debut From Schitt’s Creek Writer Monica Heisey Nails What It’s Like To Be In Your Late 20s

Ah, your late 20s. You thought you would feel like an adult when you were eighteen, and that was obviously a joke. But now that you’re here, you’re finally feeling like you may just have this adult thing figured out. You’ve got a great group of friends, and you’ve all agreed that you don’t need to start the night at 10pm. anymore. Well, at least not every night. You may not love your job, but you don’t hate it, either. And you even make enough money to not stress over every purchase, finally. You’re almost even looking forward to turning 30, because everyone says your 30s are better than your 20s, don’t they?

Then, something pulls you back to reality, like the man you have been with for your entire adult life, the man you happily married only a year and a half ago, leaving you. Well, that’s what happens if you’re Maggie in Monica Heisey’s debut novel, Really Good, Actually, anyway.

So move over, Bridget Jones and Becky Bloomwood. Because there’s a new mess in town, and this Surprisingly Young Divorcée™ will have you laughing and crying along with her as she spends a completely normal amount of time questioning every decision she’s ever made.

Here are all the reasons why it’s time to meet Maggie of Really Good, Actually.


The Unfiltered Narration

Maggie knows she’s the main character of this story, and she has every right to be. After all, her husband has left her, taken their cat with him, and broken all contact with her, even though Ontario law means they can’t file for a divorce until they’ve been separated for a year. Her graduate thesis is going nowhere, she doesn’t have the patience for her students, and she has no idea how she can afford her now half-furnished apartment without Jon.

So, yeah. Maggie has a lot of things to figure out, and she doesn’t hold back as she takes us along for the ride. We are given access to every single one of her thoughts, from the embarrassment she feels whenever she orders a burger at 4am to the question of why men who live alone never have curtains to the judgements she’s quick to make of others but never say out loud.

Reading this book feels like reading your thoughts in some type of distanced way that lets you appreciate them for their sheer honesty and surprising humor. It feels like talking to your absolute best friend, the one you know you can say absolutely anything to and she’ll still be there for you, no matter what.

Let me just say this: I was laughing so hard while reading this book that my husband thought I was watching cat videos. But, no. I was just reading this book on my phone.


The Entertaining Interstitials

Interstitials are little vignettes inserted between chapters that break the traditional narrative of a story. Unsuccessful ones will pull you out of the story world, but successful ones will enhance your reading experience. And the interstitials in Really Good, Actually are the best I’ve ever read.

They run the gambit, covering everything from “Selected Correspondence, Tinder” to “Reasons I Cried” to “Emotionally Devastating Things My Therapist Said to Me Like They Were Nothing.” My favorites were the Google searches, which are exactly what they sound like: a list of Google searches from a particular day. Having recently made risotto for the first time, I got a real kick out of “risotto recipe easy” immediately followed by “arborio rice replacement.” And the series of searches on Kate Bush was reminiscent of what we all were doing after binging Stranger Things last summer.


The Juxtaposition of Divorce and Modern Dating

I am one of those annoying girls who met her husband working at a grocery store at seventeen. I have, therefore, never been on a dating app, and I can find myself lost when I’m hanging out with friends who can go all night talking about nothing else. And while the horrors and delights of modern dating can absolutely be found here, this book is also the perfect read for people in long term relationships.

I easily related to Maggie when she reminisced on her time with her husband. How she couldn’t imagine how different her life would be if she hadn’t been with him. How she had gotten so used to always having someone there to help decide what was for dinner and fill her Sundays with. How she wasn’t sure what to do with all of the thoughts in her head now that she couldn’t share them with Jon whenever she wanted to.

And what I loved the most about Maggie’s re-entrance—or just plain entrance—into the dating world is that it gives her the opportunity to truly explore her bisexuality for the first time. Having been with a man since she was nineteen, Maggie says she isn’t bisexual “enough to count,” and I felt that in my bones.


The Diverse Friend Group

Maggie could be doing better with her romantic relationships, but she certainly has no lack of friends. There’s her group chat with her closest friends from university: lightly frazzled and emotionally turbulent Amirah, large and elegant and gay Clive, never-cries Lauren, and cries-at-everything Emotional Lauren. Then there’s Amy, a new friend who is also going through a divorce (though Maggie is quick to point out that it's a little different because Amy was with her husband for four years, not ten). And there’s Merris, Maggie’s seventy-something-year-old academic advisor who ends up becoming much more than a colleague.

As Maggie navigates her separation, she certainly makes some missteps when it comes to her friends. But they’re all there for her through it all, as all good friends are.


Final Thoughts

So whether you’re single or taken, feeling like an adult or not so sure about that, in your 20s or in your 30s, it’s time to grab a copy of Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey. Just make sure you’re prepared to laugh and cry your way through Maggie’s story.

🌟 BOOK REVIEW 🌟

This is the authors memoir of the year post divorce after being together for many years but married a short period. Since this is a memoir, I will not provide a ranking.

What I liked: Monica is extremely honest, raw and vulnerable in this memoir. She can be unlikable during parts of the book but she is authentic. That is what made me like the book. I know there are some mixed reviews of the book but I enjoyed it. Her writing is so real and raw, you feel everything that she feels. I’m like that she didn’t sugar coat or skip over the bad parts and shared it all. Thank you @monicaheisey for sharing your story with us readers.

I would recommend this books to fans of memoirs, dry humor, and fresh take on the post divorce story.

Thank you to net galley and William marrow for an advanced readers copy. This is her debut and I look forward to reading more from her.
This book is out now do pick up at your local bookstore or the HC union bookstore.

#bookstagram #bookreview #books #memoirs #divorce

This book is really, really good actually.
I’m not a fan of breaking up, but who is?
Monica Heisey portrays the aftermath with poignant, humorous, and heartbreaking detail.
Loved it!

As the librarian, I am often asked to provide recommendations for friends that are far outside my "ring of comfort". :) Chick Lit is SO far outside my ring that it might as well be in a different zip code. And yet, when it is time for book clubs I am often asked for the "newest thing". I started this title with trepidation but I had heard so many good things I thought it might be just the right thing for a recommendation. I will start by saying this is just not my genre. Maybe I am just too far outside the target demographic. I just did not care for the protagonist (far too self-centered). Despite feeling this way ( I just skimmed a LOT of the book), I did indeed recommend it to the book club, a group made up exclusively of females. And guess what? I was definitely in the minority. If you want a book to make you laugh, a book you can relate to - this is the one!

Funny, heart-wrenching but in a tongue-in-cheek way, honest, and ultimately hopeful. I really enjoyed this read, and although I’m not surprised that not everyone is a fan (the MC goes through things cyclically, which slows the plot down but makes it more true to life) I sure am. I loved the Google history lists.

Really Good, Actually was a book that I was meant to read. I am positive that the majority of readers will find Maggie to be insufferable and whiny, but I didn't. In fact, Maggie might be the fictional character that I have related to the most in any book I ever read. Her downward spiral to rock bottom was so relatable that I sometimes had to pause the recording because it freaked me out. Heisey did a fantastic job crafting a protagonist of so much depth and dark humor. I look forward to seeing what she will write next.

Even at her worst, this protagonist is, well, "Really Good, Actually". It took me a while to get into this book. I was unaccustomed to the author's style of writing. It was, to me, a long stream of thought with very little room to take a breath. I almost put it down a few times. What kept me reading was Maggie's stark vulnerability. The writing style lends an unfiltered look into the mind of Maggie. The pace may be breathless, but it puts the reader in the context of her experiences and emotions. One can't help but root for Maggie, as if we would cheer on a dear friend that cannot see the bright future ahead of her.
Although the writing was a little rough around the edges, I hope to see more from Monica Heisey in the future. Her characters are hilarious and heart warming. Put this one on your list of "Summer Beach Reads".

I thoroughly enjoyed Really Good, Actually. It reminded me of Bridget Jones's Diary a bit. The main character was funny and sad and quirky and relatable. I look forward to more from Monica Heisey.

📚 𝐏𝐔𝐁 𝐃𝐀𝐘 🎉 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰- Really Good, Actually⁣⁣⁣
𝘉𝘺 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢 𝘏𝘦𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘺 ⁣⁣⁣
⭐⭐⭐ (3.5/5)⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
𝐓𝐡𝐞 "𝐆𝐢𝐬𝐭": Approaching thirty, Maggie suddenly finds herself divorced and lost with how to proceed. This book is a humorous account of her life in the year following her divorce and her foray into finding herself. ⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝗪𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐞 👍: ⁣⁣⁣
- The fact that this is a light, funny read that doesn't take itself too seriously. I could see this book being broken down and turned into a TV series, which makes sense, because the author writes for television.⁣⁣⁣
- I definitely laughed out loud at parts (i.e. The Harry Styles Fantasy 🤣).⁣⁣⁣
- Curvy body-type representation! (Though I didn't love that she trashed on skinny girls throughout the book).⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 👎: ⁣⁣⁣
- So Maggie *sigh*. She's a funny lady, and I'm sure there's redeemable qualities in her that other people find quite charming. But for ME??? 😬 Sorry, but no. Lol. Maggie is the kind of person I could never be friends with. I find her personality type tiring and tedious, which unfortunately means I found much of the story tiring and tedious as well.⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 💭: This book reads a bit like a reality show/trashy sitcom. It was kind of a mess, but yet, I couldn't look away. Parts were genuine. Parts were funny. Parts were relatable. But most was a mess. 🤣 And sometimes that's okay. ⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
This isn't especially plot-heavy. It's very centered on the character of Maggie and her day-to-day struggles and misadventures. ⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
Personally, I didn't find any of the characters especially interesting. Maggie and co. seem like that group of people (you know the ones!) who THINK they're interesting and story-worthy, but are actually rather dull and only interesting to the people in their immediate friend circle. 🤷‍♀️ That said, I think women who have recently underwent a divorce or bad breakup might really resonate with some of what Maggie went through!⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 📖: You want a quick, funny read; have recently gone through a breakup or taken up some random adult hobby. 🤣

Monica Heisey's debut novel is relatable for divorcees and anyone in today's dating world. Those who recognize her name, will know her as a writer for Shitt's Creek - that's an intro for a book that's sure to be a bit messy and funny.

Maggie is 29 years old and had spent nine years of her life with the same man. The logical step was to marry him, so she does. When her relationship ends less than two years later, she is left wondering how to be happy on her own. As the book’s title suggests, Maggie claims to be doing really well. After all, her marriage didn’t end because of cheating or a blow-up fight or some other catastrophe. Maggie and Jon broke up because they, like millions of other couples, couldn’t make it work. But as much as she tries to convince her well-meaning friends and colleagues and herself that she’s really good, actually, she is actually struggling and lost.

Between the pages of this book, readers will feel her pain, cringe at her thoughts and separation/dating adventures. I found myself rooting for her to find her footing. She’s a hot mess, making decisions that aren’t what anyone would advise. We cheer her on, hoping that she’ll figure it all out, or at least some of it. As a divorcee myself, I could see myself in Maggie - lost, struggling and unsure of what's next while hiding my mess from others. I am not sure I was anymore successful than Maggie was.

Many thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow and Monica Heisey for a hilarious look at divorce, friendship, identity, and the many ways we try and fail to take care of ourselves and others.

I really enjoyed the funny, stream-of-consciousness style of writing. It made it feel like I was chatting with my good friend Maggie. She got a little insufferable in the middle (which I think was intentional and well-executed) but the ending was sweet and redeeming. Will definitely be looking out for more from this author.

I was initially pulled in to this novel but over time it was hard to stay invested. There was no hook/plot. It felt very long winded and overwrought. Perhaps the editing could have been edited here. Thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for this ARC.

This book was so funny and just want I wanted to read in this moment. It’s a little absurd, but also very relatable and ultimately endearing. It feels like Heisey is half poking fun at the trials and tribulations of navigating a divorce and life as a millennial while also showing that being A Person in The World is tough (but also humorous), even for those of us who have it relatively easy. I didn’t want to stop reading and particularly loved the Google search and Assorted Conversations sprinkled throughout.

This book is just fun and sad and quick and creative. It comes from the mind of a writer of comedy so buckle up. It's like you have this friend who is right there next you chattering in your year all her thoughts and her insecurities and her problems and you tune out most of it but every third thought is brilliant and sometimes so smart it takes a second or two to realize how smart her thought was. And no, she's not trying to be smart, she just is.
The main character, Maggie has just been left by her husband, Jon.
And she is not taking it well.
When you read the first several pages it's a literal stream of conscious description of why he might have left but do not worry, if that's not your style it calms down and turns into a normal cadence. Maggie has friends and a job at a university and she is trying to navigate life as a 29 year old post divorce.
I enjoyed this immensely and I knew I would since it came from the mind of someone to do with Schitt's Creek.

Maggie is a perfect example of a character that you do not have to like to appreciate. She is in a word, a mess, for the majority of this book, but her actions and thoughts are not only realistic they are relatable. Separating yourself from another person is a theme that is explored often in books, but it is not as often examined through the lens of a young divorcee and the window that we get into Maggie's thoughts gives a picture of what that kind of situation may be like. I really enjoyed this book, despite the second-hand shame of seeing Maggie spiral, and would recommend it.

I thought the book was very witty and clever but some parts dragged for me. The beginning was slow going for me

2.5, rounded up. As a millennial woman and lover of Schitt's Creek--the show for which Monica Heisey wrote--I felt like I should love protagonist Maggie, but I couldn't stand her most of the time. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud one-liners in here, and the reflections on heartbreak are oddly poignant, but there's also plenty of wallowing and self-destruction. Some self-pity is human, but without any reflection, follow-through, or focus on other events the book ends up feeling like a whiny slog of diary entries and Google searches. By the last quarter of the book--during which there is *spoiler alert* some positive character development--Maggie began to feel like this generation's Carrie Bradshaw to me: a narcissistic train wreck with a decent writing style.

This is a story about starting over.  Maggie’s life is not going how she’s expecting it.  Her marriage to her long-term boyfriend ended after less than two years.  She is making little progress on her graduate thesis and, even if she did, she’s not sure how she’ll find a job in her field.  Her work as an “adjacent professor,” as her ex once described it, is middling at best. As she faces single life as a “young divorcée” she must figure out what she wants from a life that looks nothing as she anticipated and without a partner who, while often frustrating, was at least familiar … and there.

On her journey, she relies on her four closest friends from college; her new friend, Amy, also divorced, who serves as her sort of sherpa into life as a newly divorced woman; and her thesis advisor, Merris, a tough older woman who seems to have her life together and has a soft spot for Maggie.  Through fits-and starts and more downs than ups, complete with dating apps, first date fails, figuring out where to live, and looking for advice (or at least snacks) wherever she can get it, Maggie’s first year of single life is unlike she — or those in her life — could have ever guessed. 

I loved this book.  Maggie is one of most indelible characters of recent fiction — alternatively self-aware and oblivious, relatable and incomprehensible, hilarious and tragic.  

The author offered deep and often quite funny insights into both marriage and friendship. The book captures how one’s identity shifts in a marriage, where each partner is often defined in relationship to each other (such as the “the Bookish One”) even if they would never be described that way in another context.  It also captures what can hurt the most when one loses a partner is missing someone to share the most mundane aspects of your life with and to dissect any social situation.  

I also thought the author’s treatment of Maggie’s relationship with her friends was spot on as she goes through her arc following her separation, where they are at first totally supportive and willing to stop anything to be with Maggie but over time reasonably expect Maggie to treat their friendships as a two-way streeet and growing frustrating when she does not.  This captured well the dynamics among friends in this situation and the challenge that Maggie felt when she senses her friends pulling away but not knowing how to get out of her own downward, self-focused spiral.   

The book also had so many fun pop culture references — for instance, describing Merris’s housing situation, where she lived with two other women, as “kind of highbrow Golden Girls situation.”  With these references and Maggie’s hot takes, this book had me laughing out loud frequently in what was a heartbreaking and heartwarming story. 

Very highly recommended!