I think this one is my favorite of hers yet! However, I think this should be classified as a fantasy, not realistic fiction, because in what world does a super hot worldly 30-year-old bisexual movie star go for a white trash 41-year-old widow mom with no education or prospects. I--

I loved the back and forth between her happy times with Spencer and how FAMILIAL they were vs how things are in the present. I do think that the Gabe Parker stuff shadowed our mains too much. Half of this book takes place before "Funny You Should Ask," and half takes place after. This one will feel weird if you don't read that one first. It's clear Elissa Sussman's heart belongs to that book.

Okay now that I'm reallyyyy thinking about it, I feel like this book would have been way better if the Gabe Parker and Chani show wasn't happening the whole time. Like honestly I'd say Gabe was almost the MMC because he has such a big presence in Lauren's life in the past and the present. Also our main girl Lauren was a strange adult, I feel. Her outlook on the world (world is actually just Cooper, Montana) is very small. How is she attracting this unicorn of a man? How is she witty? How does she have the energy of a city girl? But then she's also terrified of town gossip. So she's also 16 at the same time? CONFUSED.

Poor buddy Ben Walsh was a side boi. But dear god what a hottie. And in bed? oh man. That brought this up to 3 stars. I want him. He's mine.

The ending was completely unbelievable. I'm sorry why did he like her in the first place? Let alone enough to throw his life away for her?

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. Swoon but also the girl cough cough old woman sucked a little.

I did not enjoy this book and had to force myself to finish it - I ended up just skimming the flashbacks. Because of my negative feelings I chose not to publish a review online. I would love to see Sussman move on from the celebrity/normal personal storyline in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

This is the exact kind of book I needed to read at this point in my life. I loved the overall theme of knowing its okay to not have it all figured out. I think this book will be a hit for contemporary readers in their 20s-30s. The characters were so tangible, and very relatable. Sussmans writing was incredible, and I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more of her work in the future.

I love Elissa Sussman's writing. When I saw a new book was coming out, I was beyond ecstatic, and I waited patiently. This book very well could be one of my favorite books of the year. It was perfect. It broke my heart. It put it back together. It shattered it... and then it put the pieces back.... However, I will never be the same. This book is a masterpiece. The characters were amazing. Their conflicts... heartbreaking. Love and loss and the navigation of what life can look like during grief... Ugh. I will be thinking about this book for a LONG time.... It was perfect. THANK YOU for the ARC NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell. You have no idea how much it meant to be able to dive into this novel. Read it. ASAP. 10/10 recommend.

Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman had a promising premise, but overall didn’t quite land for me. The first 75% felt choppy and a bit forced, and the dual timelines, featuring two different love stories, made it hard to stay fully engaged. I did enjoy the final 25%, where the emotion and pacing picked up and the story began to come together. While I appreciated the themes of grief, identity, and new beginnings, this one just didn’t hit quite as hard as I hoped. I loved Sussman's first two books, but this one wasn't my fave (also highly recommend reading Funny You Should Ask first, as it ties in some of that plot/story).

Lauren is a mom of a teenage daughter, sister to a movie star brother, and perhaps more definitively, a widow. This story gives us an inside look into her childhood and how she came to know her husband as well as the present and how she is navigating her new normal. While visiting her brother on set, she meets his co-star, Ben, who is everything you’d expect a movie star to be. He awakens Lauren from the slumber of grief, guilt, and struggles of a teenager’s mom. Their chemistry is simply electric. You can feel the excitement while reading the words on the pages. This book was easy to read. I don’t normally care for the bouncing back and forth between the past and present, but it was tastefully done and does add important details to the story. Lauren and Ben’s story is exciting, daring, and quite spicy. I wasn’t ready for the onslaught of tears at the end, but any story that can bring that emotion is definitely five stars.

I really love Lena and Lauren’s relationship arc. However Lauren’s relationship with Ben never really felt flushed out. I get that he liked her, but never really understood their relationship spark. I really liked the concept, but just felt so disconnected. The chapters I ended up like most were the ones about Spencer.

Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman is a soft, emotionally-driven contemporary read that touches on grief, single motherhood, and a second chance at love.

Lauren’s been frozen in time since her husband died, doing her best to just keep it together for her daughter. But now, a year later, she's on the edge of starting something new...both for herself and her future. Enter Ben: her famous brother’s co-star. There’s chemistry, there’s heat, there’s some classic soul-searching.

For me, this was one of those “I liked it, but didn’t love it” reads. The writing was easy to sink into, and I appreciated the exploration of moving on, but I never fully clicked with the characters. I kept waiting to feel more, and that emotional punch never quite landed.

Also... let’s talk about Ben’s bisexuality. While I like to see rep everywhere, this felt oddly tacked on. It wasn’t explored, it didn’t affect the plot or character arc, and honestly, it just felt like it was thrown in to check a box. Representation matters, yes, but it also needs to matter within the story.

Would I Recommend It?
Yes, for a casual, heartfelt beach read with a sprinkle of romance and healing. But go in knowing this is a “nice” read, not a soul-shaking one. Perfect for when you want something light with a hint of depth.

Thank you to Ballentine | Dell, and Penguin Random House Audio for the ARC and ALC of this title in exchange of an honest review.

I’m not a writer so it won’t be eloquent when I say that Elissa has some special way of telling stories. They’re so captivating and full of every emotion to bring her characters to life. I’m always drawn in right away and can’t wait till I can open the book again.
Could not put this down! Loved every moment! Loved having Gabe and Chani there through it all! Loved the flashbacks of Lauren’s first love, her husband Spencer who died three years ago. Loved how Elissa wrote about grief and love. Loved the slow burn with Ben. Loved the perspective of raising a thirteen year old daughter alone, who is also grieving and discovering herself. Ohh it’s all so tender and sweet! I loved it all!!!


Thank you NetGalley and Dell for the ARC!!

A good effort, yet ultimately takes on a little too much. This tale acts as both a sequel and prequel to Funny You Should Ask, giving readers more of Gabe and Chani in addition to centering the story on Lauren's relationship in the past with her husband Spencer and her blossoming new one in the present with Ben. The dual timeline is a double-edged sword; the portions from the past allow for more backstory to be shared about these characters, particularly about Spencer so that Lauren's grief over his death feels suitably palpable, but giving it so much space within the book robs time from her growing connection with Ben to make it fully believable. I became very invested in Lauren's happiness, the storylines involving Lena felt well considered as well as realistic, and I appreciated Sussman's intelligent writing on multiple serious topics. While this ultimately didn't work perfectly, I admire the stab at something a little different from a standard romance.

Elissa Sussman is a must-read author for me, and I absolutely loved Funny You Should Ask, so I could not wait to get my hands on the follow up featuring Gabe’s older sister Lauren. This book was an emotional, heartfelt read about moving on, rediscovering yourself and finding love through grief. This book gave me butterflies off the bat and I was excited to pick it up the entire time. I loved how it switched between past and present timelines helped to give us background and context into Lauren, Gabe and Spencer.

While I really enjoyed this book, and couldn’t put it down. It felt like there were so many things this book was trying to tackle and it felt like none of them got fleshed out— I got to 90% and I knew I wasn’t going to get closure on quite a few aspects: Lauren and Ben’s romance didn’t get enough airtime, we didn’t get any finality into Ollie and Gabe’s theatre debut, we didn’t get an idea of what Lauren’s plans were for her career or life outside Cooper, Lena + Eve’s relationship— and the ending felt extremely rushed and unrealistic. I felt like this book needed at least another 100 pages!

This world that Sussman has created is so satisfying to revisit. Through the whole book we get glimpses of where previous characters are now and I love it.

This is a story of a widow coming to terms with her grief and the possibility of new love. The cast of characters is great. The vulnerability shown through growth is fantastic.

If you like celebrity, age gap, single mom romance - you might want this one.

Thank you to the publisher and thank you to NetGalley for the chance to review this e-ARC. Full review will be available soon

Grief is a weird and wondrous thing.

Once it touches you, it never leaves. You never know what it will do to you or how you'll handle it. How you'll handle it is entirely different from how anyone else you know who deals with it handles it.

Elissa Sussman masterfully weaves the throughline of grief, in all its forms, throughout her latest romance, 'Totally and Completely Fine.'

We met Lauren in one of Sussman's previous books, "Funny You Should Ask,' the sister of the MMC in that book. Most of us fell in love with the young widow then. Now we get to dive into her life. And I'm so glad we did.

Lauren's life is stagnant and moving at the same time. Work is fine, and the small town is fine. Her teen daughter hates her. And she never knows how she'll feel grief-wise day by day, even three years after her husband's death. Then, a trip to visit her movie-star brother at work sparks a new interest.

In Lauren's flirtation with Ben, Sussman illustrates an awakening from the haze of going through day-to-day motions and locking away a part of yourself to house never-ending grief. By going back and forth in time, the reader gains a comprehensive understanding of the before and after of their life.

You also see the trial and error as she tries to start navigating life again.

It's a beautiful story.

I really love everything I've read by Elissa Sussman thus far, so this book is starting out with a leg up. That being said - I was not prepared for the heavy weight of grief this book carried. Its not a bad thing, but it was a surprise. If you are looking for something lighthearted and sweet, this isn't it. It is a really beautiful exploration of how grief can alter a family and a person and their relationships - wrapped up in a romance novel. I do wish we had gotten more of the "heavy" side of Ben and Lauren - we didn't get to see the commitment come to life fully on page like I would have liked, and the ending felt a little less satisfying because of it I think. All up still a book I enjoyed reading and will recommend!

Totally and Completely Fine is more than its fun, tropey premise (Hollywood actor meets small-town woman) might suggest. At its core, it’s a poignant exploration of grief, healing, and the messy process of moving forward. Lauren’s journey feels raw and authentic, and I appreciated how the novel structurally mirrors her emotional progress—early on, she’s consumed by memories of her late husband, Spenser, while Ben, the love interest, takes a backseat. As Lauren begins to heal, Ben becomes more present, which was a clever narrative choice.

That said, I did wish for a deeper exploration of Ben’s character and his relationship with Lauren. Beyond their chemistry (great banter, even better steam) and shared appreciation for her cooking, their emotional connection sometimes felt underexplored. What truly makes them compatible, beyond attraction? A bit more development there would’ve made their bond even stronger.

This isn’t a breezy rom-com—it’s a heavier, more introspective story with moments of warmth and wit. If you’re looking for a book that tackles grief with sincerity while still offering romance and hope, this one’s worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite work for me—I had a hard time connecting with the writing style and didn’t feel invested in the characters.

I loved that this book continued with characters connected to Funny You Should Ask. It’s a delight to peak at what Gabe and Chani are doing now. And now Gabe’s sister, Lauren, has a chance to process her grief and open herself up to another relationship. Her story deals with loss, addiction, widowhood, and raising a daughter. Ben is a bit younger than Lauren, and their chemistry ignites at their very first meeting. But it takes time to figure out how in the world they could ever be together. I love stories like this that deal with real-world problems and feature adults who are mature enough to realize they have a lot to figure out. Loved how the queer rep was a natural part of the story. Very well done and highly recommend!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I really liked this book a lot. Sort of a lighter "The Idea of You," it's the story of a grieving widow and single mom who connects with a hot, younger actor, even though she lives in Montana and he lives in LA. But as luck would have it, he's doing a play in her small hometown as a favor to her brother, also a movie star. There were definitely some head scratching moments in terms of the rules Sussman essentially made up for how theatre works, but those were small things and not enough to take away from the rich characters she created.

I will gobble up everything Elissa Sussman writes, and was overjoyed to receive an ARC of this book (thank you, Netgalley). This one has the banter and the feelings and the realness you come to expect from Sussman, with the bonus of basically two love stories in one as we get the brother's BFF romance of our FMC and her deceased husband alongside the celebrity romance of her getting her groove back. I loved this slight twist on the tropes. Getting to explore Lauren and Spencer's story throughout made their relationship and her grief ever-present in the narrative, just as it is in her life. Also, we love an aggressively thirteen thirteen-year-old.

I will absolutely recommend this to folks, but a bit more selectively than I reco her other work. But that is for a variety of reasons, not all of them critical. For example, the very themes of this story limit who I might recommend it to. This is a beautiful and heartbreaking story of grief, it could be too close to the bone for some or just generally difficult for others to read (not me reading and sobbing in bed next to my partner). Some just don't want sprinklings of sad in their romantic comedies. In that regard, I'd recommend this badboy to fans of Sussman — you kind of need to have read 'Funny You Should Ask' to get some of what's going on, to be honest — and also Abby Jimenez, because feelings.

On the more critical side of things, some of the pacing and depictions in this book felt especially tell-y rather than showing. The spark between Ben and Lauren felt abrupt in a way that made it difficult to fully buy-in and cheer for them. As an actor, I had a few "that's not how that works" moments, which is wild because one thing I loved about 'Funny...' and 'Once More...' was the accuracy of a bunch of small moments that allowed me to suspend my disbelief for some of the more convenient-for-plot moments. I liked that Ben's queer identity was just sort of in there as a matter-of-fact vs. a "let's unpack this/make it his whole identity"...but it was also repeated so much and we were given so little at times about him that sometimes it did feel like his whole identity...just not a fully fleshed out one. From a pacing perspective, there were scenes/exchanges that happened so quickly that I found myself occasionally wondering if those maybe got revised and built out more in a future draft.

All in all, I loved the concept, I loved the voice, and I loved the raw, bittersweet ache of Lauren's journey. However, I felt like our FMC's walls and avoidance of talking about her feelings extended to me as well as her fellow characters. I didn't feel like she let me in. And the result was akin to watching a rollercoaster from the ground while holding everybody's stuff.

3.5/5 stars, rounded up for netgalley