"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!

The book I read is not the book I expected it to be. In looking at the cover, I expected a light-hearted rom-com book, however there is no com in this slight rom.

The story is deeper that it is marketed as being. Very AA heavy. Some will love this fact, others, like myself, will be disappointed.

A no for me, but I did enjoy the writing and so I will try another book by this author.

First, I was surprised by how quickly this picked up and how easy it was to read. And then I was impressed by the story of alcoholism that was told. I can count three tv shows in the last 5 years that have used a spunky woman in recovery as their plot. I loved them, but they relied on her failure, either to get sober or stay sober and used her mess to entertain audiences. This is not that. It’s hopeful and sincere without rose-tinting the experience. I think what the author has done is incredible. The religious and forced-positivity of AA prickled at my skin but the character’s own monologue helped to dull it enough that I could continue reading. I’m really glad I did. There’s a romantic element but that’s not the purpose of the story. It reminded me of “Funny Story” by Emily Henry in that aspect. In fact, EH fans would really enjoy the way this was structured.

I really enjoyed this one. I struggle to say it’s a romance book as that’s just a sliver of the story. We get a full insight into the main character’s life through sobriety, and her love interest is simply part of it. The author did a phenomenal job of diving deep into some very complex emotions and relationships.

I was very fortunate to receive an advanced reader copy from NetGalley but all thoughts are unbiased and my own!

I really enjoyed this book! At times it felt a little slow so I’m giving in minus one star for that, but overall no other complaints. Emma, the main character, is facing the start of the rest of her life after reaching one year of sobriety. The emotions and topics covered were pretty heavy but I thought the author did a beautiful job covering addiction and loss. Definitely cried.

It is not a feel good book, but I felt satisfied at the end of the read!!

Definitely Better Now takes the readers on the Journey of Emma, a recovering alcoholic struggling to adapt to life’s new experiences. The book opens with her AA group throwing a 1 year sober anniversary party for her. After that, her daily life is recounted as she navigates work life, a new crush, her strained relationship with her mother and with her own alcoholic father, and her endeavors to form healthy friendships.

The book is slow-paced, and it’s more like a “slice-of-life” piece of literature. Emma’s character is well developed; she is absolutely not perfect, but she is constantly recognizing her shortcomings and trying to become her better sober-self. As I kept reading, I recognized how her behavior fit the pattern of an alcoholic, as it was described early in the book. I genuinely enjoyed that she’s mostly surrounded by supportive people who want the best for her. Not everyone is supportive when one decides to stay sober, but those who are willing to learn and adapt to a person’s choice become a support system for that individual.

Emma’s story was well written, and each character was developed as their own person and I could understand their reasoning after a while. I enjoyed the characterization and the development the most in this novel. Definitely a book I recommend reading to start 2025.

There are so many emotions! Such a thought-provoking, witty, heartfelt story surrounding addiction and grief. Finding yourself after being lost for so long is a hard journey.

Read if you enjoy:

🩷 Stories about addiction recovery
🩷 Second Chances
🩷 Family drama
🩷 Redemption
🩷 Loss rep and grief
🩷 Self love

I really enjoyed this book and read it in a day. The characters were a bit messy, but I loved them. I highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Ava Robinson for the opportunity to read this E-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are mine. It was wonderful.

I found this to be a very well-written debut. The portrayal of a person dealing with such a life changing decision and then how those around her affect her while in the midst of it, was so wonderfully done.

4⭐️

An amazing debut novel by Ava Robinson! I am not well versed in the world of AA and this was an interesting insight.

Seeing Emma overcome and become a better and healthier version of herself in the midst of hardship was encouraging and inspiring. I’m glad the romance element didn’t overtake the plot and was happy to see growth of the FMC in multiple areas throughout the story. Perseverance, trusting yourself, and standing up for yourself are all such important themes for young adult women. This perspective through Emma was wonderful

And to see a healthy relationship and boundaries 👏

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC.

I don't know if I should thank netgalley for this or bill them for my therapy. Since I DID technically love this book, I guess I'll just thank them. I absolutely loved this beautiful, messy, heartwarming AND heartbreaking story. I loved Emma's transparent POV and seeing her grow throughout the story, perfectly describing the absolute storm of feelings that come with addiction and sobriety. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to slap some side characters on her behalf. I was hesitant to start this one, because of the main plot point (her journey through sobriety) but I'm SO glad I did.

Painfully honest and laugh out loud funny, this endearing tale of a young alcoholic left me wanting to read more. I found the FMC to be so relatable, sober or not. She was self-deprecating in a hilarious way and was so cringeworthy with some of her encounters that all you could do was go along with her.

I loved the romance piece tied into this, and the lovely coming of age story for someone you just can't help but root for!
Kudos to the author for making this piece so relevant and easy to engage with!