An OUTSTANDING second chance, dual POV, romance debut that sees two former high school flames reconnecting at their high school reunion and making a bet on whether true love and soulmates exist and on the fate of the relationships of four of their couple friends as well as whether they will ever find a chance to make it work together.

Lots of missed timing, hurt feelings and a story that takes place over a number of years, including before, during and after the pandemic, this book was unputdownable and really great on audio narrated by Christine Larkin and Tim Paige. 10/10 recommend and I cannot wait to read more by this author! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

Steam level: a couple hot open door scenes

Ugh. I REALLY wanted to Love this book, and the cover is just adorable.
But I was BORED. A clunky attempt was made to equate the legendary Mothman with the narrator's metamorphosis (at least I think, it was so clunky!), but just didn't work well.
Overall a yawner for me.
I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In 1966, people in the Point Pleasant area of West Virginia began to report sightings of a giant, human-like moth. The following year, a bridge connecting the community to Ohio collapsed and dozens of people were killed. Some people speculated that the sightings and the accident were connected.

Cassie’s parents died in the bridge collapse. Now middle aged, she is obsessed with researching the mystery of the moth. In search of answers, she drives to Point Pleasant, where she meets a colourful cast of characters.

OK, so I got about halfway through this book before I realized it was based on a real event! The bridge collapse, the reports of moth sightings and the quirky town where the book is primarily set are all real, which I think is super cool. Still, it took me a while to grasp the tone of this book. It’s humorous but also dark, with a protagonist whose actions are sometimes puzzling. Once I got a handle on what sort of book this was, I began to really enjoy it. The eclectic side characters, like Cassie’s NPR host aunt and bad-weather-phobic meteorologist husband, were my favourite part.

I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a cozy, offbeat read.

This one was disappointingly dull.

The mc Cassie is going through major life changes but goes about it in the most boring unemotional way possible. It’s a snooze to read and I just can’t muster the care for her, her trauma, or his disjointed family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for allowing me to read an ARC of Real Life and Other Fictions by Susan Coll, in exchange for my honest review.

I truly enjoy reading Women's Fiction, especially that of "middle-aged" women. The synopsis of this book checked all the boxes for me, AND the Mothman was a bit intriguing.

With that being said, this was not an easy read for me. It started off okay, slow, but okay. I didn't really get into the story until I read that this was loosely based on real-life events. Maybe if the book led with that information?

"Real life" and other fictions... I think I get it now.

In 'In Real Life and Other Fictions,' we dive into Cassie Klein's roadtrip as she tries to outrun her past while digging into the truth behind her parents' car crash, which is tangled up with the mysterious Mothman legend. Stranded in a town obsessed with the myth, she crosses paths with a stranger on a mission to uncover her own childhood trauma. This small-town tale felt like a cosy read with a mix of intriguing characters and the mystery about what truly happened to Cassie and her family. Cassie is relatable, and it's a welcome change to follow a character on the other side of 50. However the pacing was just a bit too slow for me

I was unable to finish this book and thus will not be posting a review on my blog. This book filled me with such despair that I couldn't continue reading it. It was very oddly written and also very sad. I didn't connect with it and found it not to be for me. Thank you for the opportunity and consideration.

Pros: I really liked the portrayal of the protagonist, as a woman in her fifties who was not washed up or in crisis. I also enjoyed her relationship with her young adult daughter.

I wanted more conflict and more mothman content, whether he was real to the characters or not.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing and ARC of this story in exchange for my honest review. This is a new-to-me author and I was intrigued by the premise: a woman whose life and marriage is currently in flux, and is plagued by the childhood trauma of her parents' death in a bridge collapse. Also, the Mothman might have been involved? Unfortunately I really struggled to connect with the main character and the story, and ultimately I just could not. The overall writing skill of the author was good but the story felt disjointed and it was a challenge for me to finish the book. Overall, I think I just wasn't the right audience for this book.

The synopsis of this book grabbed my attention, and honestly, it sounded interesting. The cover was also pretty cute, so I figured I couldn't go wrong. Sadly, this wasn't at all what I expected. There was so much unnecessary dumping of information and multiple storyline that it made it had to not only stay focused but also interesting. The writing was not my style, and it felt like I was reading a thesaurus. Although it wasn't for me, I think the right audience would love it. Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Muse, for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy.

I loved this book. I loved how original and quirky it was. The characters are so well developed and easy to relate to. They are also a little quirky. At first I was like what is this book but it quickly became endearing. I loved it so much I didn’t want it to end.

Cassie is in her 50s. Her only daughter has gone off to college and her marriage is in shambles. Suddenly two days before Christmas she has had enough. In a moment of sure madness she grabs her puppy and drives to her aunt and uncles house. She was orphaned at the age of two in a mysterious accident. She doesn’t know the details of her parents passing because her family refuses to talk about it. Cassie takes off on a trip to figure out what happened.

I was glued to this book. There were so many themes in this story that really spoke to me. It’s about dealing with generational trauma and healing. It will resonate with people raised by a generation that did not talk about their traumas and just pushed it under the rug. The mysterious way that her parents died will send you down the internet rabbit hole of googling everything you can find on the subject. It’s that crazy. Go get this book!


Thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read this advanced readers copy.

Good premise, some fun bits, generally entertaining, but overall the pacing wasn't right and there wasn't enough meat to make it work for me. Sorry!

Real Life and Other Fictions by Susan Coll is a witty satirical novel of midlife and all the craziness of life. Cassie's life is over the top and she's had enough! Divorcing and facing choices of her own she goes on a road trip to find her way. I loved the road trip, her puppy battles, and her wacky family story. I could relate to her. Life is a comedy.
I found this novel very fitting for me as I'm in the same age group as the protagonist Cassie and coincidently now live near the area of the bridge collapse. I laughed at times and found the story to be heartwarming.
By the way, this is one of those books where you find out the true events it was based upon in the Afterward and you're shocked that that part of the story was true. I don't want to give anything away but stick around.
I was hoping for more at the end of the book. Makes me wonder what Cassie is up to today.
Thank you, Harper Muse Publishers, Susan Coll, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of the book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Good book with a solid story in its pages. Loved the main characters and how well they played off each other. Definitely one to add to youe to be read pile.

This was a fun read, and I enjoyed it. Coll mixes emotions so well in the narrative and the characters I found were relatable while also being entertaining

I requested to read “Real Life and Other Fictions” because I related to the premise of being fiftysomething who teaches yet yearns to write. Cassie is struggling with her own demons, including discovering what happened to her parents after a West Virginia bridge collapsed as they were driving across it. Hence, with her marriage failing, she seeks answers on a journey that ends up having plenty of twists and turns.

Stories like this can become a bit self-indulgent but I enjoyed Susan Coll’s narration. I also appreciated how the story’s direction was not clear, which made you want to keep reading.

Thanks to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for sharing this great read.

This was a fun, easy read and I absolutely loved Cassie! After a humiliating divorce, she travels to West Virginia to hopefully get more answers in regards to her parents' deaths. While some parts of the story dragged on a bit with its long detail, overall, it made me chuckle and was endearing! I will say, WHAT WAS THAT ENDING!?!?! It felt out of place with the rest of the story...while most everything else was well-developed and detailed, I felt like the story just kind of....stopped. It was frustrating enough to cause a star drop. I enjoyed Coll's writing style and look forward to more from her - thanks for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Muse, and Susan Coll for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Let me start out by saying that I typically like to read books with a main character/narrator close to my age. However, the narrator being a woman in her fifties did not bother me in the slightest because the book was so interesting and fun to read!

This book follows Cassie, a woman in the middle of a divorce right before Christmas who takes an impromptu road trip to Point Pleasant, West Virginia. This is where the bridge collapsed and her parents died many years ago, and Cassie wants answers that she’s been denied her entire life. The biggest one: What the heck is with the moths???

After her puppy chews up her glasses, she loses her hat and gloves, meets an intriguing new friend, and gets stuck in the forest during a storm, she finally gets details she’s been searching for her entire life. But she’s still determined to figure out why it was such a big secret!

Prior to the acknowledgments, I didn’t realize that this was based on real events, and I find that so interesting! I’ve definitely been motivated to research the bridge collapse and the Mothman!

The plot line kept me curious from start to finish, though the abrupt ending drove me insane! I need to know what happens next!!! The characters were all developed very strongly, so much so that reading about her (now ex) husband made me want to rip my hair out.

What a fun and interesting take on real life events, giving people a new perspective to dive into and prompting readers to look into the disaster for themselves. Susan Coll did an amazing job with this book, I’ll definitely be checking out some of her other published works!

What a sweet and cute cover. I had high hopes for this book. The story fell flat and didn't keep my attention. I wanted a bit more from the plot and characters than Coll wrote. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Entertaining and engaging. A recommended purchase for collections where quirkier women's fiction is popular.