Emma is changing her life, and doing so in an honest, relatable, humorous way.
She used to be the party girl, high , drunk and couldnt make good choices. Now shes in an office job with a quiet life until Ben from IT sparks her interest. Shes finally made it 1 year sober and is venturing out into the idea of dating, and opening up to others about her recovery. I really connected to the characters and her story.
I love these types of rom coms-- its not instant love, its not zero plot smut. We have real issues and people trying to become the best version of themselves, while f*cking up along the way

The book is an honest, raw portrayal of a young woman trying to navigate sobriety and the trials of friendship, family, and romance. Emma is flawed but working on rebuilding her life. Encouraged by her mother and work friends, she attempts to enter the dating scene, which is cringy and sweet. Her affection for Ben, the IT manager at work, feels authentic and charming.

Emma has a complicated relationship with her father, who also has alcoholism. Her mother, her safety net, decides to move in with her boyfriend. Emma must balance the push-and-pull of setting boundaries while yearning for connection and closure. Despite the serious themes of addiction and recovery, the book never feels heavy-handed. Emma is a mix of awkward, sharp humor and deep vulnerability that makes her instantly relatable. It is a bittersweet and heartfelt read that captured my heart completely with its message of learning to embrace imperfection and facing real-life challenges.

The audiobook pulled me in from the beginning and never let me go. I laughed and cried which is a great measure of any book. The narration was amazing.

I absolutely loved this book! The audiobook version is fantastic.
Definitely Better Now perfectly captures that messy, uncertain stage of life in your mid-20s, where you're still figuring things out, baggage and all. It's a complicated time, and this book doesn't shy away from that.
The main character, Emma, is flawed but lovable, and I found the exploration of second chances, complicated family dynamics, and finding people who truly see you both heartwarming and emotional.
It's a relatable, raw story about growth and self-discovery, with plenty of ups and downs along the way.
There are a few content warnings, so be sure to check those, but it's worth it! If you love character-driven stories about navigating life's messiness, this is a must-read.

Poignant, darkly funny, and amazingly real, this is lit fic with a side of romance that is oh-so-real while also being entertaining.

✨ Book Review: DEFINITELY BETTER NOW by Ava Robinson ✨

Emma is now one year sober and navigating how she can create a life that’s hers without alcohol or drugs. She is both vulnerable and relatable. Though I’ve not experienced addiction or AA meetings, the story screams of truth and raw emotion. Instead of our differences being a distraction, those same differences made me more interested in how Emma navigated her world and I appreciate how the story helped me better understand and empathize navigating such a big life change.

There are some heavy topics here, but there’s also romance, the vulnerability of finding real friends and speaking up for oneself, and some laugh-out-loud moments that keep this from becoming too much or too dark. Also, love interest Ben is such a good human being that I could not help rooting for him and Emma to get together. The book is masterfully read by Karissa Vacker. Her narration definitely made me enjoy the story more!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

😘 Thanks to @_Mira_Books_, @Harlequin_Audio, @HTPHive, and @HTPBooks for the gifted audiobook! All opinions my own.

👩🏻‍🏫 Reader Notes: Alcoholism and drug use, death of a parent, and workplace sexual harassment are all here. Take care of yourself while reading or listening.

This was your standard growing up, becoming responsible, realize your parents are human type of book. They've been around forever. The age of the protagonists change but the facts remain the same. Emma has decided in her mid-20s to take control of her life. She has completed her first year of AA, she distances herself from a toxic parent, and she keeps everyone at work at a distance. So we know she will face her new reality, confront her parent, make friends at work once she opens herself up, and find love with a man she will not open up to until the very end.

A lot of good books follow a formula. They become formulas for a reason. Emma is a well written main character. She is brutal to herself and assumes everyone else will be the same to her. Her journey doesn't take any drastic turns. Her view of AA is different than other characters I've read, so that is a new perspective. I have my own ideas about it and her particular group has some issues. All more for Emma to face and either accept or change.

I enjoyed reading her journey.

Karissa Vacker does an amazing job with Ava Robinson’s heartfelt story. Emma is celebrating her first year sober, with a steady job and she is ready to start dating. Or so she thinks. But been sober is harder than it seems and even with the calming effect of Ben, an IT director where she works, dating , facing sobriety, her childhood and the relationship with her parents prove an everyday challenge she is not sure she can face without alcohol. The narrators does a fantastic job with all the feelings and emotions the characters go through. Thanks to NetGalley for the ALR copy. This is my honest review.

This was a heartfelt, engaging story that truly resonated with me, and the audiobook elevated the experience even further. From the very first chapter, the narrator's performance brought the authentic characters and their relatable emotional journey to life in such a vivid way.

What I loved most was the way the story balanced personal growth and the complexities of relationships. Hearing the protagonist's journey through the narrator's voice made their transformation feel even more natural and inspiring. The moments of vulnerability felt raw and genuine, while the sharp, witty dialogue came alive in a way that made me smile even more.

The audiobook left me with a feeling of hope and satisfaction. It’s one of those stories you want to share with friends or revisit when you need a boost of positivity. If you’re looking for a heartfelt and relatable story, I’d highly recommend Definitely Better Now—and the audiobook version makes it even better!

This was a refreshing take on a character in recovery working to take back her life. I enjoyed the honesty, comedy, and romance in this story. The strength and determination Emma shows is inspiring.

Thank you, Ava Robinson, Harlequin Audio, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this audiobook! The sound quality was great. The narrator, Karissa Vacker, did an excellent job bringing the characters to life. She is one of my favorite narrators.

This books gives you all the feels. It’s about Emma, a young woman who just celebrated her one-year anniversary of sobriety in AA. In the past year, she became sober, got an job in a corporate office, and is one the road to a turnaround. And then, her life is hit with dating, being named to the Christmas party planning committee, and learning that her estranged father is dying of cancer. She is trying to hold her life together and not fall off the wagon, and while reading you are rooting for Emma and telling her that she can do this and other hard things.

This is a funny, romantic, emotional, and sad story of one woman trying to hold her new life together. It’s a great read.

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OMG, this was a five-star listen for me! Ava Robinson’s Definitely Better Now is a heartfelt and hilarious journey following Emma, a quirky, flawed 26-year-old trying to rebuild her life after a year of sobriety. The story tackles heavy topics like the stigma of alcoholism, surviving social situations after sobriety, family dysfunction, and navigating AA while sprinkling in lighter elements like online dating, a sweet work romance, and baseball references, which I adored—baseball being my favorite sport! Add in New York City as a vibrant backdrop that feels like its own character, and you’ve got a contemporary fiction masterpiece that strikes the perfect balance between humor and depth.

Karissa Vacker’s narration was absolute perfection. She nailed Emma’s voice—capturing her awkwardness, vulnerability, and dry humor effortlessly. Vacker’s ability to differentiate characters was spot-on, making it easy to follow the dialogue without ever feeling lost. Her pacing was smooth and kept me hooked. I also loved how she handled the emotional shifts in the story, moving seamlessly from laugh-out-loud moments to the more heartbreaking ones. She brought Emma’s world to life in a way that elevated the entire story.

The flow of the audiobook was excellent. The transitions between chapters and scenes felt natural, and the narration made it easy to follow the shifts in time and place. While the audiobook didn’t include any unique elements like music or sound effects, Vacker’s performance was so engaging that nothing extra was needed.

This is one of those stories where the audiobook format enhances the experience. Vacker’s narration added so much personality to Emma, and I think listening to her voice made the character even more relatable and lovable. If you’re debating between reading or listening, I highly recommend the audiobook—it’s the perfect way to experience this witty and bittersweet story.

If you love messy but lovable main characters, relatable struggles, and sharp contemporary fiction, Definitely Better Nowis a must-read (or rather, must-listen 🥰). It’s a beautiful reminder that life doesn’t need to be perfect to be meaningful, and I couldn’t recommend it more!

What I Loved:

Emma’s Journey: Emma’s struggles with alcoholism, recovery, and self-acceptance are raw and relatable. Her imperfections and honest reflections hit home for anyone who’s ever wanted to be better, whether they’ve struggled with addiction or not.

The Humor: Ava Robinson balances the heaviness of Emma’s journey with dark humor and witty moments that had me laughing out loud.

Complex Family Dynamics: The reappearance of Emma’s estranged father and her mother’s new relationship add layers of emotional depth, showing the difficulty of navigating family bonds while healing yourself.

Self-Compassion and Grace: Emma’s ability to give herself grace, even when she stumbles, is inspiring. Her growth reminds us that progress isn’t linear and that it’s okay to take things one day at a time.

Ben: The charming IT guy brings lightness to Emma’s story, offering her a glimpse of what love and acceptance might look like without judgment.

This was a slow start for me. I enjoyed the premise right from the beginning, but felt the events didn’t move along so well at first. Definitely Better Now had many story elements that I enjoy, dysfunctional families, a main character going through a real life journey and believable events that help you related and root for the MC. There is a lot of emotion packed into this one and some of the events can get heavy but the author did a fantastic job making these life lessons relateable and believable. Overall, a fantastic debut novel and once I really got into this story I could not put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for my gifted audiobook copy.

This debut novel by Ava Robinson is truly one of a kind, and absolutely a must read. You will laugh out loud, you will cry, and will be drawn in by the beautiful honesty and vulnerability of the FMC Emma.

This books follows a 20 something named Emma as she celebrates one year of sobriety. She believes after that this hard achievement, the many fractured pieces of her life will begin to fall into place, but learns the hard lesson that life is still messy.

This book is truly genre defying. It’s part general fiction, part romance, and part just raw and beautiful. It needs no small box to fit into. The way the author draws you in with Emma’s inner dialogue, her honest reactions to the situations around her, and the difficulties and joys of sobriety truly made this a unique must read novel.

I’m not usually a big fan of”laugh out loud” in books kind of person, but I immediately drawn in by Emma’s quirky charm, and this book had me crying both tears of laughter one minute and tears of sadness the next.

The writing was masterful and I am shocked it Ava Robinson’s first novel! Well done, and I CANNOT wait to read more from what I know will be a stand out author!!

Absolutely loved this one. It was heartfelt, very relatable, witty & emotional.

Emma is a recovering alcoholic who has one year of sobriety. We get to see her navigate this new and unfamiliar chapter in her life. She’s having to do a lot of things for the first time as a sober person. In many ways, she is having to learn to live all over again.

Emma is heavily involved in AA and is struggling to maintain a relationship with her father who is also an alcoholic.

The story tackles addiction, mental health struggles, family dysfunction, and fragmented friendships. I just loved Emma, she is so real. I was rooting for her the whole time & really connected with her character. I loved seeing how much she evolved throughout the story.

There is a romantic element to the story, but it felt secondary to me. Definitely reads more like Contemporary Fiction with a bit of romance. I would really recommend this one!

This book was so good!! I can’t believe it was a debut!
This book is heavy- Emma is a new-ish sober person and she talks how she navigates her thinking as opposed to how things were in her past.
You go through new relationships and friendships, tense family dynamics, and loss.

If you enjoyed the tv show “mom” you would enjoy this book! Definitely recommend.

And as always, Karissa Vacker was flawless narrating this book.

Thanks to Harlequin Audio for my ALC. book is out now!

Holy cow, I really loved this book. It was beautifully written! Emma & Ben were such a beautiful couple to read about. Emma's struggles were so real and the author did an amazing job making you feel all of the emotions Emma feels. Definitely an amazing read!!!

This book had me in my feels. I really felt for the main character. She is struggling with how to exist outside of alcohol. She’s a year sober and trying to form bonds but isn’t sure how that looks sober. She struggles to navigate everything. She also struggles with her relationship with her father who is also an alcoholic.

My family is riddled with drug abuse or alcoholics so I was a little apprehensive about this one but I actually loved it. It gave me hope and I liked the insight into the alcoholics mindset. It was very lighthearted so it’s not a heavy read. There’s emotions and loss and feelings for sure but nothing too heavy which made it very readable for me.

There’s also a bit of romance! I was so here for this couple!! And he’s def book boyfriend material!

I just loved the progression of this one. The acceptance. The growth of the character. Definitely recommend it.

This was an interesting read, especially since it’s a debut novel!

Emma is an alcoholic. She’s been struggling with sobriety. She has just reached one year sober! She should be celebrating! She should be ecstatic!
Instead, she’s…. a … wreck!!

She goes to AA meetings. She has a steady job. She’s TRYING to make friends. BUT.. She’s shy….which is a huge change from her drunken self…

She has a support group in AA, and her mother. Her father has been a drunk as long as she can remember…

As she tries to go through this world, as a sober human being, she is faced with so much turmoil..and so many firsts…

Add to this that her mother (and her new boyfriend) are moving on…
Her father and his hippie new wife are in a world of their own, and Emma can’t seem to get along with him no matter how hard she tries….
AND…she’s just been tasked with a place on the ‘Fun Committee’ at work…to plan the big Christmas Party!! BTW…she really wants nothing to do with this…

Additionally, her work friend keeps asking her to join their drinking buddies group on Fridays after work…. How can she tell them about her past?

There’s a lot of turmoil, family dysfunction, self-discovery and friend building in this one, as well as some attempts at romance. But can she do any of this without alcohol???

Sweet yet sad story. Very angst-y! But, well worth the read!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

#DefinitelyBetterNow by #AvaRobinson and narrated nicely by #KarissaVacker.

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #HarlequinAudio for an ARC of the audiobook!! This one was released in December (so you should be able to find it now)! I was lucky enough to get an advance copy earlier this week!

As for me… You can also find my reviews on: Goodreads.
Insta: @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

This is a review of the audiobook.

Audiobook Narration: Great narrator, solid performance - I really enjoyed this one on audio. Sounded great sped up, which is sometimes not an easy thing to accomplish. 5/5 would recommend.

Fans of stream of consciousness, slice of life style narratives will enjoy this.

I really enjoyed this author’s writing style and prose and felt the introspection (albeit too brief for my preference) was well done.

I quite liked the way this author wrote the romance aspects of this book. If the author writes a full Romance in the future I’ll be the first in line to preorder. It was sweet. In fact I think had this been heavier on the romance it may have worked better for me.

Actually that brings me to my largest critique - this book tried to do A LOT, rather than focusing on and diving into a single, or maybe two aspects/plot points we got a tiny snippet of too much at once.

Not only is she dealing with navigating dating post 1 year sober but there are at least 5 other major struggles for the FMC. While I understand that real life often does have a plethora of struggles at once, presenting them in this manner in such a short book gave me little to no satisfaction. We only saw surface level exploration of each topic, and I wanted more.

It felt like every time I really started to get into the narrative of drama unfolding we’d switch gears, and I was left wanting more.

My other critique is that this is marketed as being funny and I just don’t think it was that.

I think this had the potential to be a truly spectacular book. In the end the narrative pulled me in too many different directions and failed to give any one plot point enough attention.

I will certainly check out more from this author in the future and I think as a debut it’s quite decent.

I just finished reading Definitely Better now by Ava Robinson and feel completed blown away. This is a debut?!?! It's SO good. Good isn't enough of a word. This book grabbed me immediately and didn't let me go. It might never let me go. Emma was such a dynamic FMC. So vulnerable, so flawed, so relatable, so genuine. I loved how Robinson didn't shy way from the messiness and self doubt that Emma was going through. A story about family dynamics, becoming sober, and trying to figure out how to live life without the devastating comfort that came with your vices. But also, make it funny. She made it so funny! There is grit and there is with and betwixt the two lies Definitely Better now. I can't rave enough about this one.