Cute romance. The plot reveals how individuals grieve and heal. The characters are loving and predictable.

The premise sounded promising - two people who don't necessarily get along are bequeathed joint ownership of a beautiful beach house. Unfortunately, I found the characters to be underdeveloped and missing the one essential ingredient for romance which is chemistry between the leads. The characters are in their 30s but did not seem to have the maturity to match their age.

Quick cute and emotional read which doesn't sound like it should work but does. Aly is struggling after losing her brother even though she wants to pretend she's not. She ends up at his beach house in Michigan with his best friend who has been living there unbeknown to her. They both own the house and need to figure out a way to move forward together and decide what to do with the house and their grief. I liked this book felt the characters were likeable and felt the struggle they both had to get through their grief and try and live again. I want to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the arc.

I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately I didn't. I struggled a lot to like the MC. And the chemistry between Aly and Wyatt ? I couldn't feel it at all. What a disappointment...

In Camille Pagan’s newest book, Good For You, Aly finally lands her dream job as editor in chief of All Good magazine. She thinks she’s doing well, but she a massive public meltdown and is forced to take an unpaid leave of absence.

She heads to the Lake Michigan house her recently passed brother, Luke has left her and finds his best friend is there too. Wyatt has also inherited the house! Aly is interested in selling the house, but Wyatt is not interested. At first they butt beads, but together they grieve their mutual loss. As they get to know each other, maybe there’s more to this?

Despite the heavy tone of the book, it’s still light and fun. Camille’s books always have characters with such depth and I think you really see that in both Aly and Wyatt.

Good for You is an Amazon First Reads for February!

How do you make the most out of the curveballs that life throws you? Aly has finally gotten the job of her dreams of Editor in Chief of All Good magazine, but she had a little melt down, which led to a month of unpaid leave. She decided to use this time to take care of the house her brother left to her back in Michigan. He passed away mine months ago, and she hasn't been ready to deal with the house. When she arrives, she finds out that she owns the place now with her brother's best friend Wyatt...

This was a fun and quick book that even told through a character working through heavy topics of grief, abuse and PTSD is done in the beautiful charm of Camille Pagán's writing. I loved the Lake Michigan setting too.

It officially comes out March 1st.

This is a very quick review as I read it last month thanks to Amazon First Reads.

I always enjoy reading about messy meltdowns and shakedowns and seeing how people deal with them...I am currently a wreck and can see hope in reading how others deal with the world exploding and imploding on them.

The story was enjoyably crafted and utterly readable - you will find yourself rooting for Aly to overcome her mess of a life and come out reasonably triumphant, even if it is only in her eyes...boooooo to the public who enjoyed watching her fail.

HIGHLY recommended, I already had pre-ordered this for our collection and as it came out today, look forward to cataloguing it and getting it on the shelf by week's end.

#shortbutsweetreviews

Synopsis: When life in the city doesn’t goes as planned, Aly has no choice but to head to Lake Michigan to the beach house her brother Luke left her after he passed away a year ago. What she didn’t know is that her brother’s best friend Wyatt inherited the house as well and has been staying there. Living under the same roof, Aly starts to wonder if her and Wyatt have more in common than just their love for Luke and as Aly discovers more about this man, her brother’s death and the NYC job she’s left behind, she begins to wonder if her lifelong dreams are really worth it and if she should put her heart on the line.

Thoughts: At only 257 pages, this was a quick read filled with so much heart. Pagan did a great job tackling the sensitive, emotional topics while keeping the story lighthearted and fun. I loved the friendship and romance between Aly and Wyatt and how they understood the other even though they were handling grief in very different ways. Also, as someone who enjoys learning about the magizine industry, I found Aly’s workplace situation a fun bonus, especially because the beginning takes place in NYC!! I’m crossing my fingers that the final copy has an epilogue!

Read if you like:
-brother’s best friend
-forced proximity
-themes like grief and recovery after loss of a loved one
-Michigan setting
-The Bold Type

I've been a long time fan of Pagán's work. One of my absolute favorites of her work is I'm Fine and Neither Are You but Good For You came in swinging as a fierce contender for my affections! A relatively quick read at just over 250 pages, it still packs an emotional punch that I wasn't expecting from the cute, summery cover. Pagán filled these pages with grief, longing, and a hope that sticks with you long after you've read the final page.

Aly was an incredibly relatable character. Aly's... isms are so much like my own that it made reading her story a challenging experience. Rewarding, but challenging! I wanted to wrap her up and keep her safe from the world and her inner demons. And throw her in... I mean, encourage her to go to therapy.

Since this was a single POV story, readers don't spend as much time getting to know Wyatt. What I saw of him, I really enjoyed! I'm a sucker for a somewhat gruff cinnamon roll that is over the moon for the heroine.

I love the quick pacing for most of the book but there is one area that held back my rating. Because this was a fast read we missed out on the early time interactions between Aly and Wyatt. Wyatt's transformation happened so quickly that it prevented his grief from having the same impact as Aly's. The two were grieving differently and I hoped for a smoother transition. There was another quick transformation and reconciliation later in the book that I didn't care for. It needed to be explored more but some of that is my own life experience and willingness to forgive.

Good for You is a beautiful, heart-wrenching book exploring grief, trauma, and learning to let go of plans. It gripped me and wouldn't let go until the final page and even still the ghost of the story flits into my mind every once in a while. I highly recommend this read, though do take care and read some of the trigger warnings if you have grief and trauma tags that you avoid.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What an absolutely beautiful book. I loved every moment of it. We followed Alys story after her brothers death. This story shows so much emotion and how trauma affects everyone in different ways. The author touches on PTSD and childhood trauma in such gentle way. I'm immediately adding all of Pagans books to my tbr!

Thank you netgalley for the earc in exchange for an honest review

I am Camille Pagán’s biggest fan. Always and forever. If you want to fight me on that, bring it on. Mwahahaha! I’ve been reading the author’s books since 2018, and look forward to her new releases every single year. Funny story: I actually credit Camille for getting me hooked on audiobooks. Her books were some of the very first I listened to. I clearly remember installing audible on my phone, and then discovering Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties. I devoured it, and then quickly downloaded two more - Forever Is the Worst Long Time, and Life and Other Near-Death Experiences. And now I’ve read them all!

Okay, now it’s time to focus on her latest, Good for You. I loved, loved, LOVED it. This book has SO much heart, friends. It will make you feel things. It explores SO many themes like family, friendship, career life, tragedy, loss, grief, and love. A large focus is on family dynamics, and that’s probably why it appealed to me so much. Pagán intertwines an extremely dysfunctional childhood with a complicated mother/daughter relationship, which in turn creates a powerful bond between two siblings. This book made me think of my big brother quite often.

Good for You is also an epic love story. At first, Aly and Wyatt seem like an unlikely pair. She is extremely driven and hard-working; he lacks motivation and is a bit of a slob. As soon as Wyatt’s character was introduced, I just knew that he’d be a love interest for Aly. A fun little “opposites attract” fling, perhaps!? As the plot thickens and their individual storylines develop, the reader quickly realizes that their connection is much stronger than that. Camille has a great talent of creating the very best characters, and both Aly and Wyatt will steal your hearts. Trust me.

Good for You officially releases on March 1st, but it’s currently an Amazon First Reads selection for February. This means that you can read it for free if you subscribe to Amazon Prime, or purchase it for $1.99 if you don’t. Definitely take advantage of this deal. 5/5 lovely stars for Good for You! Go download it now. For reals.

I always love a book by Camille Pagán but this one is definitely up there as one of my favourites by her.

Aly has her dream job as an editor in chief - sure the magazine isn’t at its best, but she is trying her hardest to keep her team happy. After a meeting with her team- she hears her coworkers taking about her leading to a very public breakdown - except Aly can’t even remember it happening.

Aly takes the time to retreat to the lake house her brother left for her when he passed away - not having dealt with any of the grief of losing her brother almost a year ago - the house seemed like a good place to start, except when she arrives - she finds an unexpected resident.

I loved being along for Aly’s journey. Camille writes the best flawed but relatable and realistic characters - always my favourite part of her books and Aly and Wyatt are two of her best yet!

This book is filled with emotion and focuses on what grief looks like for different people, PTSD, friendships and family, finding happiness - all with a splash of romance.

4.5 stars rounded up

⚠️trigger warnings: death of a sibling, death of a friend, grief, drowning, suicidal thoughts, PTSD, physical and emotional abuse, alcoholism, abandonment

Aly Jackson has her dream job but due an outburst that was video taped and goes viral she’s forced to take an unpaid leave of absence. She now has the free time she needs to face her demons and figure out what she really wants out of life.

Good For You touches on grief, death, PTSD, and abuse but it’s done in a way that shows hope, growth, and the strength that comes from our trials. Camille’s books are so easy to read and I always love her characters and life lessons. Aly and the supporting characters are great. I definitely recommend this one!

Aly Jackson has her dream job. She is the Editor in Chief of All Good magazine (think Real Simple combined with Good Housekeeping) and absolutely loves her work. One day Aly accidentally eavesdrops on her co-workers, only to hear some very unfair criticism about herself. After months of late work nights, stress and the grief of her brother's accidental death, Aly loses her temper and tells her co-workers what she thinks of them. Unfortunately, the entire scene is recorded and uploaded to the internet.

All Good management tells Aly to take a month off work, so humiliated and hurt, she heads to her brother's lake house which was willed to her by her brother a year ago. Aly shows up at the house and is dismayed to find her brother's friend Wyatt comfortably settled into the house already. In an unexpected twist, her brother has left the house to both Aly and Wyatt.

How is Aly going to prove her worth to All Good and get back to her job? And how will she manage to clear out the lake house and sell it when Wyatt owns 50% of it?

This is a novel about building a new life after loss, and finding a better definition of happiness when your old one fails you. It is a quick read with with two very likeable main characters. There is some romance involved but it isn't over the top. (I am definitely not a romance reader!) I wouldn't classify it as a romance, as the focus of the story is Aly's journey to redefine her life and adjust her vision of what a happy life would look like. It was an enjoyable read, so thanks to Suzy Approved Book Tours and NetGalley for my copy.

Camille Pagán does it again and can I add that she's becoming one of my favorite authors. She has a magical way of writing books that address heavy topics but in a gentle and comforting fashion. I feel for the characters and their situations, but not in a way that makes me want to hide under the covers for the rest of the day.

In her latest upcoming novel, Good for You, we met Aly, editor-in-chief at All Good, who after a screaming altercation at two of her co-workers (that was recorded and leaked) is forced to take a month long unpaid leave. But you want to know the worst part...Aly blacked out for a moment after said incident and has no clue what she said. Something that has happened quite a few times in her life. This leads Aly to finally go back home to Michigan to address the lake house her late brother, Luke, left to her just 9 months ago after his accidental death on the waters of Cuba. What Aly thinks will be a quiet time to help figure out how to keep her job and come up with ideas to help the financially sinking magazine, turns out quite different. Much to her surprise, Luke also left the lake house to his best friend, Wyatt, who drives Aly up a wall and is currently living at the house unbeknownst to her. Can you guess where this is going? What follows is a really funny but sensitive story about grief, love, starting over and helping to overcome trauma from our childhoods. (Trigger Warning this book does address physical abuse of a child but not in a descriptive fashion, the death of a sibling, and also alcohol abuse.) This story comes out March 1st and I really think you're going to love it!

I've long been a fan of Camille Pagán and think this was her best yet. Tender and honest insights are balanced with a well-paced plot and Pagán's smooth prose, which is consistently straightforward but polished. This one was a joy to read and will find a solid audience with not only those who love books with a balance of both joy and depth, loss and renewal.

I loved this book. Camille Pagán is a masterful storyteller, and this may be my favorite book of hers to date. Her books are full of wit and charm, and this one's no exception.

"Good For You" is a wonderful story about starting over and facing down your fears--and finding love and support in unexpected places. The characters leap off the pages and remind us that we grieve because we have loved so deeply. This book has such a huge heart, and handles what could be a heavy subject with humor and grace--it's a story that will stay with me for a long time.

GOOD FOR YOU by Camille Pagán is a heartwarming and emotional story of grief, friendship and love that kept me engrossed from beginning to end. I have read and loved nearly all of this author’s books, but this is absolutely my favorite one yet. Aly Jackson has worked hard to achieve her dream of becoming editor of All Good magazine. After losing her brother Luke a year ago, Aly is still having difficulties coping with her grief. When a very public meltdown forces her to take an unpaid leave of absence for a month, she heads to the Lake Michigan beach house Luke left her when he died. When she arrives, Aly is shocked to find her brother’s best friend, Wyatt, living there. She soon learns that Luke left the house to both of them. As they try to navigate this uncomfortable situation, Aly and Wyatt find they are both mourning Luke, but in very different ways. Can they overcome their differences and fulfill Luke’s final wishes? The characters are portrayed so beautifully and their touching story captured my heart. I loved seeing the evolution of Aly and Wyatt’s relationship. The story made me laugh and cry and I did not want it to end. I highly recommend this wonderful book. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review an early copy.

Good for You is indeed a book that will be “good for you”! I was caught up in a whirlwind of emotions so powerful that I finished in one day, I could not stop reading. The main character, Aly, is driven and ambitious, her life planned out in a way that makes it hard for her to veer off in another direction. When she is thrown a curveball that derails her plans, she heads to the house her beloved brother left to her when he died—only to discover that her brother’s best friend Wyatt is living there! There is a lot to unpack in this stirring novel—Aly’s traumatic past as well as the pain that both Wyatt and Aly feel as they mourn the loss of her brother, his friend. I felt everything they did as they navigated through their feelings, including their growing feelings for each other. I laughed, cried, grieved and loved right along with Aly and Wyatt in this gem of a book. The author has gifted readers with complex characters and a story which will touch their hearts as it did mine.

I wish every day were a day I could read and review a Camille Pagan novel. Her stories always resonate with me. Though I have never lost a sibling, I have lost a loved one and struggled with grief; hence, “Good For You” rang true for me in many different ways.

Aly recently lost her brother, Luke, who was her constant support through their turbulent childhood. She thinks she is coping just fine, but while at work as Editor-in-Chief at fledging “All Good” magazine, she has a breakdown—which she cannot remember, but which was unfortunately caught on film. She’s given a leave of absence and uses that as an excuse to break it off with her long term live-in boyfriend. But without a place to live (and not much money), she’s not sure where to go until her best friend, Harry, suggests she stay at the house Luke left for her. She’s against it, but without many options, she heads to Michigan, promising she will only stay for a few weeks while she brainstorms ways to save her job as she prepares to sell the house.

Yet, she’s surprised to run into Luke’s close friend, Wyatt, who—to her shock—also inherited the house. They immediately butt heads. He doesn’t want to sell—and believes Aly shouldn’t either. What develops is both a friendship and a romance as both Aly and Wyatt learn and grow from their connection to one another. e

I admit I was worried that when Wyatt was introduced, this would turn into a Hallmark rom com. While there is romance (and a few steamy scenes) in this novel, Camille Pagan deftly writes about family dysfunction and saying goodbye. I could not stop thinking about this novel after I finished it. How often can I say I wish the novel were longer?

Four and a half stars.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.