Definitely Better Now
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

Emma is celebrating a year sober and hoping that the best is yet to come; however, the road to a happy ending is never as easy as we want it to be. Ava Robinson’s debut novel is a stunning view into Emma’s life, navigating messy family and friend dynamics, dating, and just trying to make it day to day. While this book started off a bit slow in the first few chapters, it picked up for me and I feel in love with the perfectly imperfect characters Robinson gives us. This dark romcom was so interesting in showing the dynamics of a recovering alcoholic and shedding light on AA is a respectful way. Also, we just love a supportive MMC, and Ben is the sweetest! This book is perfect for anyone who appreciates a slow burn and self re-discovery!

this was my first time reading a book by this author but also reading this genre since it is women’s fiction and i never read anything women’s fiction related at all. overall i enjoyed this book, it was okay, some chapters i found interesting while other times i found it boring

Definitely Better Now is touching story about a former alcoholic finding her way through life after a year of successful sobriety. The concept of the story was sweet and the main character was believably complex. However, there were examples of her former alcohol and drug use phase that were over the top and most likely littered throughout the story for no other reason than the shock factor from the reader. The main guy in the story didn't really have a lot of depth and seemed to almost be an idealized perfectly understanding mate (with a hair of a backstory) for someone in her situation. It would have been nice for her main romantic interest to have more intrigue than just a side character.

Which was nice...but could have been just a little better--and that's the theme of my take on this book. It was nice...but could have been better with a little more depth for the characters and less shocking scenarios of addiction to move the story along.

Solid 3.5.

Pros
-The writing was BEAUTIFUL. Reminded me of a cross between Old Enough by Haley Jakobson and Happy Place by Emily Henry.
-I really liked the subject matter and learned a lot about the culture of AA.
-Emma's character was really dynamic, and I loved the way her anxieties and fears seemed to leap off of the page.

Cons
-The pacing felt off - too slow in some parts, too fast in others. It was hard to really figure out how much time was passing because the author gave a lot of detail to things that didn't 100% seem to matter.
-There were a lot of subplots and minor characters that also could have been cut for length. The book overall dragged a little bit.
-This is nitpicky, but some of the way the dialogue was written, especially during texting, made it hard to figure out who was saying what.

Overall, this was a really strong debut. Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC!

Ava Robinson is a new author for me. I appreciated this beautiful story of success of a realistic challenge faced by many. This has the potential to be an inspirational book for anyone facing a trial in life.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade publishing for the advance reader copy

I hadn’t read from the perspective of someone going to AA and it was really interesting to read. We get to go through Emma’s time after making it through a year of sobriety and how she has to figure out how to navigate various relationships with family, friends, and romantic relationships as well.
It was also hard to read at times because of how Emma has to deal with her relationship with her dad and what ends up happening with him. Also going through her struggles with her and how much she overthinks everything because she’s so used living her like drunk and she’s unsure of who shes supposed to be sober.
It was nice to see the development of her relationship with Ben and how understanding and patient he was with her. I just thought that their brief break-up was too brief and I wished there had been a bit more time for Emma to really process that.
I wished we had gotten more of developing friendship with Vanessa because I was really enjoying that.
Overall, it was really good and I did enjoy going through this journey with Emma.

There was a lot to like about this one. This book is about Emma, who is one year sober and just trying to get by one day at a time. She has a meet cute with an IT guy at work and botches his attempt at asking her out. She also starts to make friends at work and tries to figure out how to be more honest about herself at work without letting people know she’s an alcoholic.

^^ that is a very bad summary. Haha- but this book is really good.

*spoilers*

It focuses on Emma’s growth and what she is struggling with - and how she figures out what she wants and needs. I really loved her as a character and as someone who is a year and a half sober, I really felt for her.

I loved Ben - he was such a great love interest and so very patient. I really liked his sense of humor and I loved how much he blushed around Emma. It was so cute! When he said he’d drive all day to get to her *swoon.*

I absolutely loved their intimacy because it was more about their emotional connection and the heat was only intensified between them. I loved their honesty and tough discussions.

The relationship Emma had with her parents was really interesting - particularly in the back half of the novel.

I highlighted a LOT of passages that really resonated with me, both about sobriety and the developing relationships/friendships Emma had.

I really enjoyed the ending so much. It was a good book and I’m happy I read it!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a superb read. I loved the POV, the writing style was excellent, the plot was easy to follow and had great pace, and the characters were easy to love. Does it help that I am in AA and haven't gotten to read a book from this POV before? Absolutely. Seeing references to the Big Book and meetings and this raw perspective that not all meetings are the same and speak to everyone, even AA doesn't speak to everyone, is incredible. Seeing someone that went through similar struggles to me in a book is really cool. Especially because this story takes place a year after getting sober, not going through the weeds or rehab or withdrawal. We see struggles, questioning of life and motives, discovering what is important, and just an overall feel good read.

Do I normally read contemporary fiction? No. Was this still an excellent book even though I'm a sci-fi / fantasy fan? YES. The added romance is sweet and salty and not a bit cringe or overbearing. This is a fade to black / spare-me-the-details type where it is mostly just the build-up and then skipping over most of the other details. The romance is just a subplot in the bigger story of Emma's life.

I hope you take the time to read this book and really enjoy the story unfolding before you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ava Robinson for letting me get an ARC of this book. I appreciate your support in me and can't wait to read whatever Ava has next for us!!

A lovely debut by Ava Robinson. When I chose this book, I definitely judged by the cover and thought I was getting into a romcom. This book was definitely a little deeper with heavy weight on sobriety and relationships within newfound sobriety. As someone who has never struggled with addiction, I felt like the author did a lot of research and touched well on the ins and outs of the sobriety journey and AA. I loved the writing style, finished so quickly because I NEEDED to know the outcome of the sexual tension between the two MCs!

This book was so heartfelt. I was captivated by the way Emma went through her journey to stay sober, the struggles with mental health and learning to accept herself.
The realness of the way she wanted to start a relationship with Ben so badly but being scared to show her true self to him really hit home.
From learning to love herself, to learning to accept love from another person, to the sadness of losing her father who she wasn’t very close with, this story touched on a lot of difficult subjects that we all face in life. It was written in a way that was relatable and kept me reading, anxious to see what choices Emma would make and where those choices would lead her.

Thank you NetGalley and Mira Books for the early release of this debut by Ava Robinson. I absolutely LOVED this book. It had me engulfed in the story from the very start. The characters and plot were enjoyable and relatable.

As a woman in my late twenties I felt like this was a very important book to read. It shed a lot of light on self discovery, self worth and self growth. This book follows Emma a 26 year old recovering alcoholic who is just taking life one day at a time. The book is centered around her second year of sobriety while she deals with all of life’s ups and downs while remaining sober.

This book has love, friendship, family, grief, and career all wrapped into one. It really shows how hard life can be in your late twenties and even more different and difficult it could be for someone struggling with alcoholism. I loved the way the author described and delved into addiction. This book made me emotional at times and had me cheering on the main character which is really all you can hope for while reading.

This was a debut book by Ava Robinson and I really hope there are more books by her to come! This book comes out at the end of December 2024 so make sure you add it to your TBR you won’t be disappointed.

4.5 stars!! I was lucky enough to get an early copy of this book & can’t wait for everyone else to read it.
Definitely Better Now is a heartfelt, raw, coming of age story with some comedic relief (contrary to the description I would categorize this book as “funny”). Emma is a young woman living in NYC working a corporate job while trying to juggle sobriety, work and personal relationships. I thought the sobriety aspect of this book was really interesting and added a lot to Emma’s personal struggles, especially with her father. Overall this book was interesting and I actually wanted to pick it up to find out where the story was going. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for women’s fiction or a coming of age story (with a little bit of romance and complex family relationships)

"Definitely Better Now" by Ava Robinson is a poignant exploration of mental health, resilience, and the journey towards self-discovery. Robinson's candid storytelling invites readers into her world, where she navigates the highs and lows of her mental health journey with honesty and grace. Through her vulnerability, she offers hope and inspiration to those facing similar struggles. With its raw emotion and uplifting message, "Definitely Better Now" is a compelling read that leaves a lasting impact.

This has been a hard book for me to review.

Pros:
I haven't ever read about a recovering alcoholic. The subject was very well chosen and represented. I liked Emma (MC). The dynamic with her parents was also interesting and seemed very plausible. The side characters were likable, but cookie-cutter.

Not sure how to rate:
The AA stuff was mostly well done. It was interesting until she went on the rant toward the end. I also didn't like how she dealt with her insecurities with the guy. She wasn't really an a**hole as she insisted on calling herself. Sure she handled the situation badly, but it was more because she was immature and inexperienced.

Cons:
The first 20% was really slow and I tired quickly hearing about her vomiting all over herself, all the time. Also, and maybe I should have started with this: this is NOT a rom-com, or funny at all. Sure, Emma is fairly lighthearted throughout, but that's not the same thing. Another issue I had with this book, was the transitions. They were weird, sometimes non-existent.

Lastly, and this is completely personal preference, the writing was a little too crude for me, not just swearing, but gross sexual/personal stuff.

This book had my attention from the very first page, but it was a little slow moving in the middle of the story. The one thing about this novel that’s so great is that it doesn’t just focus on romance/dating, but also addition and family issues. I have for one never felt with section, but known people who have and Emma’s feelings and reactions were spot on. It was also interesting to read what happens when someone chooses to go to AA. Emma’s love interest, Be. Seemed like a great character, but I don’t think k the author allowed the reader to get to know him as much. It was a little hard to see Emma falling for him with the little interaction written.

This book was wonderfully written! The characters are so realistic and relatable, and the plot is one you can get lost in. I would definitely recommend!

Such a bittersweet and heavy read with a touch of romance! It was interesting to learn more about Emma's life and experience in AA. The story starts at her one year anniversary of sobriety. Emma is navigating life and stepping back into the dating pool as a sober person. It quickly becomes clear that just eliminating alcohol from her life is not going to solve all of her problems. She has to learn how to manage friendships, work life, romantic relationships, and family issues all without numbing herself with drinking. There was so much character growth and I loved the subtle humor throughout this book. The evolution of Emma and Ben's relationship was so good. Such a great debut!

dnf at 20%
This isn't a bad book by any means I just don't think I'm the target audience for it. I don't find it very interesting and I just don't think I will enjoy it if I continue it. I could 100% see someone loving this and relating to it but it's just not for me personally.

Definitely Better Now is love story within a love story within a love story. Emma is one year sober trying to navigate dating and come figure out her relationship with her father who was also an alcoholic. The most important love story in this novel is Emma learning to love and trust herself again after a decade of drinking and drugs. AA is a big part of her journey and author Ava Robinson shows how Emma to finds the right AA meetings to help her at different stages her recovery and life.

Abeautiful coming of age story told through the lense of sobriety. Emma deals heartbreak, loss, and love as she rediscovers and experiences life through a new lense in her sobriety. A friendship breakup inspires her to finally make a change in her life and get sober - flash forward a year later and Ava Robinson takes us through Emma’s “first” in life as a sober person. This book had me laughing out loud at times and sobbing at others. I am absolutely in love with it and cannot wait to see what else is to come from Ava Robinson!