Thank you for sending me an advance copy of this book, NetGalley! I appreciated Emma's journey and challenges as she rediscovered herself and started afresh. The novel is well-written and the main character is quite relatable. I must admit, however, that while I enjoyed Emma's story, I felt it to be plodding and predictable at times. Aside from that, I believe this was a very emotional and introspective book that I would recommend. Please do look up content warnings as it tacles themes of mental health, substance use disorder, past trauma, etc.

Emma is officially one year sober, and ready to start a new life. Since she's completed her first year sober, she's now able to date, and looking forward to seeing what the future holds. Emma is 26 years old, and truly trying hard to figure out how to live her new sober life, while also dealing with many mixed emotions. This book deals with self discovery, second chances, finding yourself, as well as forgiveness. There's friendship, family relationships, as well as dating, and a mid 20 something year old woman trying to figure out who she is, and find herself in this world where she no longer is relying on drugs and alcohol.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and seeing Emma's character evolve throughout it. It was heartbreaking, as well as heartwarming, and though dealing with sensitive topics, was very well written.

Emma is celebrating one year of sobriety and her new life is officially about to begin. Everything will be better now that she hit this major milestone, right? Maybe not. As Emma completes her first full year of sobriety, she realizes that rejoining the world isn't exactly as easy as she had thought and hoped, especially coupled with her mom moving in with her new boyfriend and her dad looking to come back into her life in a new and meaningful way.

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut! While some parts of the book were slower, I was still engaged with learning about the adventures and struggles of Emma's day-to-day life. While the description focuses heavily on the romance, I would argue that this is more so women's fiction and the romance is simply a subplot. Despite not being exactly what I thought it would be, I think keeping the romance as a subplot was a great decision.

Ava masterfully provides insight into AA and how sobriety and recovery looks different for different people. Learning about how different AA meetings and organizations run, along with watching how Emma approached sobriety in contrast to her Dad's futile attempts was my favorite aspect of the book. Having had various friends and family that have alcoholism, I appreciated the insights the novel gave to a difficult topic. Despite not directly relating to Ava in many aspects, I found her easy to like, root for and identify with.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and Harlequin Audio for an ALC and eARC of this debut in exchange for my honest thoughts.

It wasn’t the best self discovery I’ve read, but something about it made it feel real. Emma is real. A woman who realized she was an alcoholic and got help to get sober. Now sober Emma is figuring out life and love. It’s messy. It’s emotional. And it’s relatable.

thank you netgalley for the e-arc. this book was okay, i felt it started off very slow and predictable. oh no, she's newly sober and a relationship would throw a wrench into things. *yawn* i only kept reading because i liked the author's voice and writing style.

This was a lot of fun and I had a great time. I absolutely think people should check this out (and even look out for it as their book of the month pick!) such a relatable and fun story!

This a DNF for me. I didn’t realize that it’s a rom com but it heavier on the rom than the com. I don’t like romance. It’s formulaic and I could see where it’s headed and I’m not interested. I found I just am not picking it up and I don’t see myself doing so in the future. The writing was not the problem, I enjoyed that, it’s just the genre. I’ll give it a 3⭐️for the writing.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for a honest opinion.

funny and touching well written story about overcoming your stresses and sorrows. really not a romance, mostly just a very well written fiction. 4.5 stars, rounded up. tysm for the arc.

I didn’t love the main character and found her somewhat annoying. I liked the premise but it fell flat for me otherwise

This was a heartfelt and inspiring book. Definitely Better Now is such a relatable and honest book. It truly pulls you into her journey of ups and downs, showing how she found her way to a better place. The writing feels personal, almost like you're having a deep chat with a friend. Some parts could've gone a little deeper to show us more of the insight or thinking, but overall, it’s an uplifting and inspiring read. Definitely worth picking up if you need a dose of hope and resilience! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Definitely Better Now" by Ava Robinson is a unique and amusing/slightly dark debut novel about starting life over sober. Here you'll meet 26 year old Emma, an alcoholic who has been sober for over a year. Emma is ready to consider dating again, but is finding life challenging at every turn. If it's not her Mom moving in with her new boyfriend, then it's Ben the charming IT guy, or her new assignment to plan her office holiday party - either way sobriety is turning out to be far from the simplicity she was expecting.

I really enjoyed the characters here,. Even though I am light years away from my twenties, I found them all relatable in an endearing fashion. I think one of the main themes I enjoyed was watching Emma learn from her own experiences - self discovery, self awareness, self growth are all important reflections in your 20's and they were accentuated well here.

I also felt the author did a great job of showing just how difficult like can be in your twenties. I think people from different generations forget that over the years. This aspect was eye-opening for me and offered my a different perspective that was enlightening for me.

Read this if you enjoy fresh voices in writing and enjoy reading the complexities of complicated family dynamics.

Thank you NetGalley for offering me the opportunity to read this before release on 12/17/24.

this book was very relatable and i enjoyed the characters in this book. the cover is beautiful and everything about this book made me feel very seen.

Ava Robinson’s debut novel Definitely Better Now was very touching and dealt with many emotional themes. The issues of addiction, family struggles , mental health and finding oneself are dealt with very poignantly.

Emma is 26 and has just reached the goal of one year of sobriety. She has worked the steps to her sobriety with group called HG and her sponsor Lola. Her father lives in another part of state and denies his problems with alcohol. Emma thinks she may be ready to try dating but she is very hesitant. Then Ben, the IT guy, from work shows interest and Emma’s life new journey continues and changes. If you like books about finding yourself, put this on your to be read shelf..

Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC to read and review with my honest opinions.

The book starts with Emma celebrating 1 year of sobriety. We follow her as she navigates working, making new friends, and dating while sober.

This book does an amazing job representing alcoholism, being an adult child of an alcoholic, and grief. I loved Emma, and I loved the romance thread through the book.

Definitely Better Now is a raw, heartfelt exploration of grief, family dynamics, and the deeply personal battle with alcohol. This novel doesn’t shy away from the hard truths—it embraces them, offering an unflinching look at the complexities of loss and the resilience it takes to rebuild.

What stands out most is the honesty. The story’s portrayal of navigating relationships, facing personal demons, and finding moments of hope amidst hardship feels deeply authentic. The family dynamics are portrayed with nuance, showing both love and tension in a way that’s relatable and deeply human.

Despite the heavy themes, Definitely Better Now is ultimately a hopeful and empowering read. It’s a reminder that even in the darkest times, growth and healing are possible. If you’re looking for a novel that’s equal parts raw and uplifting, this one is a must-read.

Definitely Better Now is one of those books that will stay with you for a long time. It's hard to believe this is Ava's debut novel and I am so lucky to have gotten to read this powerful, deep story early. Don't let the adorable cover fool you, this one is a deep read that you'll want to be prepared for.

Thank you for the eARC. <3

Rated 4.25/5 on Goodreads

Thank you so much for the advanced copy! I’m sad to have not finished this earlier, since I’m actually about to celebrate 6 months sober.

This was very well-written for a debut novel, and I look forward to recommending it to my peers. Robinson did a wonderful job capturing the headspace of the main character, Emma, and it was honestly a very realistic and personable read. I’m glad she chose to begin the novel at Emma’s one year, since stories traditionally work up to that milestone in order to detail that journey’s beginning. Instead, we get a humbling perspective of reaching that goal and maintaining it.

I think some of the storylines could have been fleshed out more. Emma was not overly likable but that lended itself to the realism. Mitchell was a bit unrealistic and over the top, and it would have been nice to get more backstory on Ben. I also think Vanessa could have played a stronger role or we could have received more closer with Susannah. Robinson did a good job with the father-daughter dynamic, though.

I’d recommend this to anyone else on a sobriety journey and anyone looking for a fast-paced story.

One of the best books you will read. A book that will stay with you for a long time and one you will want to reread over and over again. Ava Robinson writes a story that is so fresh and true and raw, but also drenched with hope for the future. Emma Finely is one year sober and truly believes that now her life will be calm, simple, and overall, better. But life has something else in store for her. As Emma navigates family relationships, work, and now a sober dating scene, she starts wonder why things aren't as simple as they are supposed to be. She is sober, so why s life still such a sh** show?

Written in such a relatable way, whether you have ever struggled with alcoholism or not, the challenges and self-doubt that Emma deals with are ones that we have all dealt with and you will feel everything in this book. Add in an incredible love story on top and this book truly has something for everyone. Robinson will have you laughing, crying, and leave you with hope for your own future.

Definitely Better Now by Ava Robinson was such a powerful, difficult story. It follows Emma, a recovering alcoholic. This is such an amazing debut!
This book was so relatable and honest. It’s a quick read and I could not put it down.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! It was a cute story and since I’d never read a book about AA or sobriety, I enjoyed learning more about what people go through when being a recovering addict. I thought the writing was easy, clear, and kept moving. The characters were very likable and the storyline interesting. A solid book and easy read!