I normally love Elissa Sussman's books, but I don't know why I couldn't get into this one! I absolutely adore Funny You Should Ask, and I do think if I had reread that one right before reading this one that maybe I would have had a better experience. I feel like this one is a book that didn't work for me initially, but I'm not fully taking it off my TBR just yet. Hopefully, I'll come back to it with a different outlook because I want to love it!

I went into this totally blind so I was not ready for this to be a grief story. But damn she did it well, especially with how a single person can affect so many people and how all their grief can look so different. The queer rep was an added bonus. I loved the conflict over when to come out. This is definitely a struggle for people today, and I loved the way it was addressed. It was great representation.

Super cute. Slow start. However, I was pulled in and loved how it went after that.

I love a book that is complicated like life. This book is that! The book tackles grief (throughout) and navigating life after an unexpected death. Not only that, but raising a child and moving on, too.

This book felt real. It felt complicated yet full of good moments and more than just family and grief, even if those are the main themes. There’s new love, alcoholism, family, parenting and more. They are all introduced in ways that felt realistic.

Advanced reader copy provided by Ballantine and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

If you have ever talked to me about books, you know that Funny You Should Ask is my favorite romance book ever. It is one of the quickest reads, because the story and characters are so compelling that it almost feels as if I'm breathing the story in. I can read the entire thing in probably around 5-ish hours. While I loved Funny You Should Ask, Sussman's second book, Once More With Feeling, left me a little disappointed. It just wasn't as captivating or enjoyable for me - I wasn't as invested in the characters. So I was nervous about Totally and Completely Fine. Which book would it take after?

Reader, it took after Funny You Should Ask and I completely DEVOURED it. You can correctly guess by my lapse in reviews that I haven't been in much of a reading mood lately, which I've hated. There are so many books I want to read, but I just couldn't get into them. But we are so back, baby. I read this puppy so quickly and loved it so much that I did a rare immediate reread, trying to make myself go slower so I could really enjoy it to the fullest. I laughed, cried, and blushed hard each time through.

In Totally and Completely Fine, we follow Lauren, older sister of movie star Gabe Parker, as she develops a relationship with his co-star who is more than 10 years her junior - Ben Walsh (who has an Irish accent, by the way). What starts out as a one-night stand slowly snowballs into something more as the chemistry between Lauren and Ben can't be denied by either of them. But dating in a small town like Cooper, Montana isn't easy - especially not when you're a young widow still grappling with the unexpressed grief of not only yourself but your 13-year-old daughter. Does Lauren even KNOW what she wants? And once she figures that out, will she LET herself have it - even if it makes her the talk of the town?

This book hits on so many levels. I'll get the obvious out of the way - this book is HOT. Ben is a talker and oh boy the stuff he says and does...🥵 It's not super graphic throughout, but you honestly don't NEED it to be super graphic. Sussman is good at giving us enough information to fill in those delicious blanks ourselves. And when the writing is more detailed, it's not just for detail's sake. It's a scene where the characters are trying to savor every single moment together - so it makes narrative sense to know exactly what's going on. 😏

There's also so much heart in this book, and it doesn't shy away from difficult topics like addiction, religious trauma, and grief. It's not really a surprise that a story with a 13-year-old in it will have some dramatic moments where the tension finally snaps and things that have been unsaid for years are hurled at people's faces. These moments are so believable and honest that they made me cry. It's refreshing to have a romance novel that also deals with consequences of past behavior. It makes the story more complete and real.

Another fantastic aspect that I wasn't quite expecting was the LGBTQIA+ representation. Ben, our leading man, is bisexual. Ollie (MY LOVE!!) is back again, and it's even mentioned that his marriage with his husband is an open one. And without being too spoiler-y, there's also representation of LGBTQIA+ youth dealing with things like first love and coming out. It's not written like the author was just trying to check the "gay character" box - sexuality is the least interesting aspect of the story. Representation is vital, and I was so glad to see it in a book with a man & woman as the main couple.

Finally, as an incredible bonus, we get to see more of Gabe and Chani! Fine is written in a similar format as Funny, where you have chapters taking place "Then" and chapters taking place "Now". Because of this, we get to see some events from the first book from a different perspective, which was so exciting. The story continues past where Funny left off, and we get to see Gabe & Chani's relationship grow - both with each other and with the rest of the Parker family. Getting some "skim and you'll miss it" easter eggs from their story (the dragon ring!) really made me feel like I knew these people.

In short, this book is everything I wanted it to be and more. I don't know if there's more story to tell with these characters that I love so much, and that does kind of make me sad because I'd love yet another book about this group of humans. I will definitely be adding Totally and Completely Fine to my annual reread of Funny, and I guess I'll just have to imagine the happily-ever-afters that these characters are certainly living myself.

I loved that we had a continuation from other Sussman books into Totally and Completely Fine. This one grappled with grief and loss which is a really tough subject, but Sussman managed to write about it with grace and dignity. I was drawn into the story and characters and walked away feeling so mushy gushy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. This one just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t get in to the writing style nor was I invested in the characters.

I loved Funny You Should Ask and Once More with Feeling, so I was excited to dive into Totally and Completely Fine. It features Lauren, the sister of Gabe from Funny You Should Ask, who’s a widow raising a teenage daughter in Montana. She visits Gabe on his film set and is immediately drawn to his costar, Ben.

And that’s where things kind of fall flat. Lauren has a compelling story — she’s dealing with grief, a changing relationship with her daughter, and dating again after the death of her late husband, Spencer — but the romance with Ben is entirely physical. I would have loved to see a deeper connection between them, but it’s just not there. I don’t know what they have in common or what they like about each other besides sex. All but one intimate scene was fade-to-black, which was disappointing given how horny these two are!

Complaints aside, I thought the depictions of grief were incredibly well done — so well done that I found Lauren and Spencer’s love story to be much more compelling than her romance with Ben. I know dual timelines are Elissa Sussman’s thing, but trying to do two love stories in one book was just too much. Lauren had such a strong relationship with her husband that her romance with Ben paled in comparison.

This book wasn’t bad, but it was a letdown after loving the author’s other two books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Sussman excels at crafting the do-again, not the do-over, as she leads her characters through grief toward another relationship, one that doesn’t replace but weaves in Lauren’s grief of her husband and continued struggle with her grieving teenaged daughter. I adored Ben’s character - he’s found a lightness despite his grief, and he embodies a golden retriever adoration for Lauren. I have never been a fan of dual timelines, but I do think it was executed well. Lauren’s background was set up well, but I wish the pacing was a little faster or we spent more time with Ben and Lauren’s relationship.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Dell Publishing (Imprint of Penguin Random House) and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of Totally and Completely Fine! This book was a fun, witty, spicy rom-com with all your favorite tropes. The story handles some heavier topics such as grief, difficult family dynamics, and alcoholism, but it was a good time from beginning to end. A great choice for your next summer read!

The story is told in a dual timeline format, taking the reader back and forth from “then” and “now,” as it follows the journey of Lauren Parker and the sudden loss of her husband Spencer. She is then left to raise her now teenager daughter Lena, while navigating life in her forties and trying to find happiness again. She runs a store with her mother, with financial support from her brother Gabe, who is a successful actor. Lauren meets another famous actor, Ben Walsh, who immediately captivates her and they ultimately hook-up. All the while, she is struggling with raising her introverted teenage daughter, and all of the struggles one goes through as a single parent.

The past timeline dives into Lauren’s adolescence and the start of her relationship with her late husband, who was also her brother’s best friend. She goes through a rebellious streak, is bullied for being promiscuous, and is betrayed by her best friend. These chapters also focus on the grief of losing their father to cancer, and how that shaped the trajectory of their lives.

There are so many topics covered in this book, but it is done in a way that keeps the story light and fun. The banter and spice were very enjoyable, and it kept me turning the page. This is a small-town romance, both past and present, and I could easily envision it as a film script. The beginning of Lauren and Ben’s relationship felt like insta-love from the start, of which I’m not a huge fan. I did find myself slightly bored toward the end, and it left me wanting a bit more. As is typical with rom-coms, the plot became predictable and left some to be desired. Lena’s character became irritating toward the end. The author portrayed her as both a mature teenager struggling with sexuality, bullying, and alcohol consumption, but at times she acted like a whiny, disrespectful child. The dichotomy was a bit jarring.

Overall, if you are looking for an easy, entertaining summer read, this small-town romance has spice, banter, and meaningful topics that will keep you engaged. I would likely pick up another book from this author.

Topics/Themes/Trigger Warnings:
*Small Town Romance
*Age Gap
*Brother’s best friend
*LGBT rep
*Single parent
*Loss of parent
*Loss of spouse
*Cancer
*Car Accident
*Alcoholism
*Bullying
*Religion/Christianity
*Teenage Promiscuity
*Marijuana Use
*Absent Parent

I've always enjoyed Elissa Sussman's writing and Totally and Completely fine is no exception! I really liked the overlapping timeline with her other book, and she captured grief so well. I cried so much while reading this (extremely affectionate).

Not going to lie. I only read Elissa Sussman's latest work to get the update on her characters Gabe and Chani. I couldn't be happier since I was also able to fully fall in love in Lauren. Love interest Ben was somewhat of a cipher compared to Spencer, but was extra enjoyable due to the age gap. I was impressed by the push and pull of the dual timeline. I even had a spot for the snotty teen. Overwhlemingly enjoyed.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC!

I’m a big fan of Elissa’s other books and I was so excited to read her new release. What I love about her books is so how mature and realistic her characters are.

I really enjoyed that the FMC was older than her early twenties and it was nice to see her fall for a younger man. Sussman writes about grief and heartbreak in a refreshing way.

I was very excited when I saw who was going to be featured in this book. I loved Gabe and Chani's story in Funny You Should Ask and I hope to see more of them here. While that does come to fruition (and there are some great moments!), I did not love this book as much as I enjoyed her previous two novels. This one does focus heavily on grief and Lauren has definitely suffered a lot of tragedy in her life. I cannot imagine losing two important people before age 40. That said, I did not feel drawn into her story either in the then or now. I think that I felt the back and forth more abruptly this time. I am hopeful that maybe the author will explore a different approach in her next novel. For those to whom it is important, this book is definitely open door with some spice.
Thanks to net galley for the ARC.

Lauren is a widow and a single mom of a teenage girl. This story centers on her journey of maybe finding love again and reflecting on her relationship with her late husband, Spencer.

I initially liked the idea of the story but I just didn't connect with it. I did enjoy her past chapters when her husband was still alive and their relationship but I didn't feel much chemistry between her and the "hot" actor Ben.

I thought the author did a good job braiding the two timelines together, helping us get to know Lauren on an emotional level but I just didn't get captivated by the romance side of it.

Totally and Completely Fine combines lighthearted and tragic themes including loss, grief and addiction while exploring new romances. It felt incongruent to me and was hard to keep reading at some points, but overall a sweet story about a grieving single mom who is re-learning herself. Thank you NetGalley, Random House - Ballantine, and Dell for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Elissa Sussman is a go-to, auto buy author for me. She has such a talent for writing heartfelt stories with character development and depth that still feel like a romcom. These relatably flawed characters are dealing with loss, grief, and other real life hardships, and the path through is messy, beautiful, and definitely not always forward progress. The alternating timelines were clear and easy to follow and the small town setting was cozy. The one character I found a bit much was Lena, a teenager still finding her way through grief and hormones, who was disrespectful and obnoxious under the guise of "she's a teenager, whaddya gonna do?!" I know what MY mother would have done and I certainly wouldn't have tolerated that behavior out of my own child, but fiction isn't meant to be reality, right? This novel can be read as a standalone, but there are delightful callbacks to Funny You Should Ask, so I highly recommend you start there as this layering gives more context (and easter eggs!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine/Dell for a digital ARC in exchange for this honest review. Can't wait to see what Sussman comes up with next!

Since I loved "Funny You Should Ask," I had high hopes for "Totally and Completely Fine" and was eager to explore Lauren's story. The chapters set in the past, detailing how Lauren and Spencer got together, were a real highlight. Unfortunately, the contemporary narrative didn't quite hit the mark. I found it hard to believe in the quick romance between Lauren and Ben. The book's tone also felt mismatched, attempting to be upbeat while addressing serious themes. On the bright side, it was great to catch up with Gabe and Chani. Overall, it was an okay read

Elissa Sussman always writes the perfect famous/non-famous person romances and this is no exception. This story follows Lauren (the sister of Gabe from Funny You Should Ask) and Ben Walsh, a famous actor known for being a bit of a dare devil. We also follow the story of Lauren and her now-deceased husband Spencer, who died three years earlier in a car crash. This book manages to balance grief, romance, family, and a moody teenager so well.

This was...totally and completely fine.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

Everything is Totally and Completely Fine! I was prepared to slog through this book since the last book spanned 10 years but this book moved so fast! I loved the family dynamics and Ben and Lauren were so much fun to watch. I want Lena’s story of her relationships and how her life ends up ASAP.