It’s probably time to admit that Elissa Sussman is a one-hit wonder for me, because I was entirely underwhelmed by this disjointed romance and wasn’t won over by Once More With Feeling either. Where the complex timeline in Funny You Should Ask added a lot of richness and tension to the story, the dueling timelines in Totally and Completely Fine simply made every plot point feel underdeveloped. It felt so scattered - the heroine’s love story with her deceased husband, her strained relationship with her teenage daughter, her brother’s role in her life, and then finally her fling with an up-and-coming celebrity. I know that it was all meant to showcase how the past has influenced the heroine’s present, but everything ended up feeling surface level as a result. I struggled to connect with the characters, and was left feeling wholly uninvested in seeing them find their way together.

The story follows Lauren, a widow who lost her husband a few years ago. Still trying to get out of the fog of grief, Lauren’s relationships are all a little strained. So when she meets a sexy young actor with a playboy reputation, Lauren doesn’t see the harm in spending the night together. Ben has a bright career in front of him, and Lauren is confident that he won’t get attached. But when Ben continues to keep in contact, their relationship starts to head in a direction Lauren never anticipated.

First and foremost, this is very much a sequel to Funny You Should Ask, with overlapping characters and timelines. I’ve read about a thousand books since FYSA, so it took me a bit to settle in and remember some of the things Lauren referenced. I also struggled with how much we bounced between the past and present, with two totally different love stories developing throughout the book. I like the idea of seeing how Lauren’s past has shaped her, but the execution didn’t work. I felt like I didn’t know Ben well, and their relationship was lust-focused for sure. I didn’t particularly like Lauren as a person either, which was unexpected. Ultimately, it wasn’t a win for me, but there were elements that showed so much promise.

"Completely and Totally Fine" follows Lauren Parker, a widowed single mother in small-town Montana who's struggling to cope after losing her high school sweetheart and husband Spencer. When she meets actor Ben Walsh on the set of her brother's movie, their instant chemistry jolts her out of her grief-related fog. What begins as an unexpected fling becomes complicated as Lauren navigates small-town gossip, Ben's celebrity status, and her own journey toward rediscovering who she wants to be.

I wasn't expecting to enjoy a romance novel interlaced with themes of grief as much as I did, but this novel by Elisa Sussman won me over. I read it in one sitting. I especially loved the bold and brash nature of the protagonist in her younger years—she felt refreshingly unapologetic and therefore compelling. Sussman's portrayal of motherhood was well done, capturing both the overwhelming love and persistent doubt that is part and parcel of parenting.

The way grief is interwoven throughout the story never felt forced or manipulative, but rather provided meaningful ways for the central couple to connect with one another. This is a fresh, nuanced, and mature romance that delivers the HEA we all want while tackling life's harder moments with honesty and heart. I have read all of Sussman's novels, and this is my favorite based largely on how well-drawn Lauren is as a character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Funny You Should Ask and was really looking forward to this. In FYSA, it centers on the story of Gabe Parker. Totally and Completely Fine hones in on the life of Gabe's sister, Lauren. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this as much. I felt like the chemistry between Lauren and Ben lacked. I did enjoy the grief aspect and how difficult starting over after the loss of a spouse can be.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

After the loss of her husband, Lauren Parker feels lost in her small-town life until she meets actor Ben Walsh, who sees her in a way no one has in years. As their connection deepens, Lauren must navigate love, grief, and rediscovering who she really wants to be.

Totally and Completely Fine is a companion novel to Funny You Should Ask, which I loved, so I was really looking forward to learning more about Lauren, Gabe’s older sister. I really enjoyed the “then” chapters and liked seeing how Lauren met her first husband, Spencer, and how their relationship developed. The “now” chapters didn’t work for me. I couldn’t connect with the insta-love between Lauren and Ben. The author seemed to be trying to check off boxes and kept repeating why Ben was such a catch physically. The characters in the present timeline were underdeveloped and mostly just there. There were a lot of subplots that didn’t feel fully explored. The tone also felt a bit off where it was trying to be light and breezy while tackling heavier topics. It was great seeing more of Gabe and Chani and watching their relationship progress. Overall, this ended up being a low 3-star read for me.

“Totally and Completely Fine" is a perfect conclusion to Gabe and Chani’s love story, while seamlessly introducing a compelling new voice: Gabe’s sister, Lauren. The novel centers on Lauren’s journey through grief following the loss of her husband, while also exploring her path to new love and the challenges of solo parenting. It’s a moving, honest portrayal of healing, deeply emotional yet filled with hope. The story stands out for its inclusive and modern representation of same-sex and bisexual relationships, which are integrated naturally and meaningfully. Lauren’s grief is at times heartbreaking, but equally powerful is the joy, vulnerability, and excitement of falling in love again.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tropes: Widowed single mom, small-town romance, second chances, dual timeline
Spice Level: 🔥🔥

This one is a companion to Funny You Should Ask, which I really enjoyed—but yiu don’t have to read it first, you can jump into this without feeling lost.

The story follows Lauren, a widowed single mom trying to put the pieces of her life back together in the small town of Cooper, Montana. She runs a book and craft store—I’m not completely sure if she actually loves it, of it it’s more because her brother bought it. Enter Ben, her brother’s friend (and fellow actor), who’s in town to help with a community theater project. He also happens to be the guy she had a steamy, unforgettable night with in Philly while visiting her brother on set.

The dual timeline gives us glimpses into Lauren’s past with her late husband, Spencer, but honestly? It felt flat. The story tells you they loved each other, but I never really felt it. That emotional connection just wasn’t there.

In the present-day storyline, there’s a lot going on—grief, addiction, identity, family drama, romance—but none of it really stands out. The transitions between timelines were clunky, and it felt like the book was juggling too many themes without going deep on any of them. The romance with Ben didn’t quite sizzle for me, and Lauren’s daughter Lena? Oof. I get that she was grieving and struggling, but nearly every scene with her was filled with snark or full-on rudeness. I kept waiting for her to soften even just a little.

There were a few nice moments, especially toward the end when we finally get some much needed real communication between Lauren, Gabe, and Lena. But overall? This one was just… totally and completely eh.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for the advanced ebook for an honest review of this book.

I completely adored Funny You Should Ask and Once More With Feeling, so I have been looking forward to this release pretty much since it was announced.

However, it is easily my least favorite of the bunch as I just could not buy the romance between Lauren and Ben. Her love story with Spencer is so much more compelling that it makes what she has with Ben feel very surface level, which kind of made me apathetic toward their HEA as a couple. Like I really care more that Lauren is happy than about them ending up together, and I don’t think he’s the only (or even the best) way for her to find that happiness.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing- Ballentine and author Elissa Sussman for providing me with the eARC of “Totally and Completely Fine”, in exchange for my honest review.
Publication date: July 8th, 2025
Reviewed on Goodreads, June 20th, 2025

I was torn over this book. There were quite a few parts I enjoyed, but some parts that I did not.

Positives first!
I enjoyed the writing style. This was written as a single POV, from the perspective of the female main character- Lauren. A widow, and a mother of a 12-year-old girl.
The writing itself was good. It was very easy to read, it flowed very smoothly, and I was able to read the story fairly quickly.
I also enjoyed that the chapters go back-and-forth between the past and the present. It was very beneficial to be able to read Lauren’s backstory with her late husband and reading it as if it was happening in real-time was quite nice.

Lauren and Ben’s relationship was nice. It felt real and well developed. Honestly, I thought I would not like them together at first, but by the end, I thought they were a nice match.

I really liked Lauren’s daughter, Lena! I thought she was a fantastic character, and I came to really understand her and her feelings by the end of the book. She was a difficult character emotionally, but that is quite representative of a pre-teen who has lost a parent. It is something that I was able to personally relate to myself, and I am sure many other readers could as well.

Finally, LGBTQ+ representation is always a plus in my book, and there was some included in this story, which I loved!

Now, for the things that I unfortunately did not like as much.
Lauren, for a large part of the story, is somewhat hypersexual. For some readers this may not be a bother, but I personally felt at times like that was all I was reading. She was constantly reminiscing about physical intimacy in her teenage years and yearning for physical intimacy now- which I think would have been fine at some points in the story! Just maybe a little bit less. I would have liked to see more actual plot development at the beginning.

There are also some parts of the book where the interpersonal relationships get a bit strange. For example, Laurens’s brother at the beginning of the book seems somewhat overly opinionated when it came to his sisters romantic/intimate life, which felt a bit uncomfortable.
Also, Lauren having “the talk” and discussing private things with her daughter in front of her daughters’ friends made me have to put the book down for a moment.

With that being said, these are really just personal things. They may not bother other readers, but unfortunately for me they did lower the rating that I felt was appropriate to give the story.

Overall, the book was not bad. I came to enjoy it a lot more by the end. However, there were some parts that I felt were slightly uncomfortable/bothersome.
I would be willing to give this author another go in the future, as I have heard raving reviews about other works of hers.

I think this might be my favorite of Elissa Sussman's books to date. This story tackled a lot of heavy topics surrounding unexpected family death and how to cope in the wake of tragedy. Meanwhile, all wrapped in a fun and quirky romance between a single mom in a small town and an up-and-coming celebrity 10+ years her junior who also happens to be her brother's coworker. While this book only had one character perspective, I loved that we got glimpses into Lauren's life growing up in a small town as a teenager, especially after the sudden loss of her father. It plays into these two timelines of how she fell in love with her first husband, Spencer(her brother's best friend), while simultaneously telling a new romance with Gabe in the present. I rarely cry in a romance, but I def got teary-eyed with the pizza dough scene towards the end. I just know that feeling. I've kept food in the freezer from people who've passed as a sentimental thing.

Note this is a companion book to "Funny You Should Ask" but can be read as a stand-alone. To be totally honest, I didn't put 2+2 together until after I read the book.

Read if you like a celebrity reverse age gap romance with a focus on family, love, and grief. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 7/8

I love all of Sussman's previous novels and it was fun to see some of those characters pop up again. In my head, this was romance based on Pedro Pascal, doesn't matter what the descriptions of our MMC were, he was who I was picturing and it was perfect. Celebrity/normal person isn't my favorite trope but Sussman does it so well that I might have to reconsider my opinions there. I found the banter funny, the tension palpable and the spicy scenes were hot! I am the tiniest bit sad that this doesn't 1:1 match her previous cover designs just because I thought they were awesome.

Can't wait to share on TikTok nearer publish!

Mixed emotions about this, since I went in blind, never having read this author or not reading the previous novel which apparently introduced the main character Lauren. It covered various topics. Not sure it will set well with ALL readers but apparently has several 5 stars already.

Read this if you like to read about:
1) LGBTQ+ including bisexual relationships, cavalierly referenced
2) Horny main characters (older woman with younger viral bisexual movie star)
3) Celebrity status romances
4) Grief and widow-hood
5) The cavalier attitudes towards pre-teens in a gay relationship
6) 13-yr old know-it-all daughter allowed to drop F-bombs when it “deems necessary”… of course if the parent sets the example, what can one expect? Seems to be the norm these days.

Dual time lines: Told in the past when Lauren was a wild child sleeping around and getting a bad reputation, and in the present when she is the mother of a 13-yr old daughter, has been a widow for 3 years and is sexually attracted to a friend of her brothers, an actor, Ben. Lauren and Ben’s relationship kept my interest for the duration, I must admit, though it frustrated me at times.

I was presented an e-arc for my honest opinion by the publisher through NetGalley. Release date is July 8, 2025. It may be right up your alley, but then again it may not.

I love Ben. That’s it that’s the review. Just kidding but he was my favorite character. The way he so easy slipped into Lauren’s life, earning the respect and approval (unknowingly) of everyone in her life so quickly and without even trying really was chefs kiss. Ben was the perfect anchor to Lauren’s somewhat seesaw emotions (understandably). Their chemistry was so real, it was easy to root for them.

I really adored the past and present timeline and getting to see the Spencer of it all while she’s working through the emotions of dating for the first time after his death. He was such a present part of the story even after he was gone which is so true of many loved ones after they pass. Death doesn’t mean you stop loving someone or being affected by them and their memories in daily life.

AND LENA. I don’t always love children in books but I connected with Lena so much and the struggle that is being a kid just trying to figure themselves out while battling grief.

Elissa Sussman’s characters are always so well written and developed and feel real. They are the stars of her stories and I would read many more books about them just to spend more time with them.

Totally and Completely Fine was everything I wanted it to be and more. I can’t wait for everyone to be able to read it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House- Ballantine for the arc!

Totally and Completely Fine is a story about finding love after loss. I enjoyed the dynamics between many of the characters. It was fun getting to see characters from a previous book! I do think I was looking for more depth with Lauren and Ben. Whenever I read an Elissa Sussman book I can’t put it down so I recommend to those who enjoy romance books!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Totally and Completely Fine is a single POV, dual timeline romance. Lauren is a widow with a 13-year-old daughter, navigating single parenthood and life in a small town when she meets Ben, her famous brother’s co-star. Ben is 11 years younger, and up for the role of a lifetime, so Lauren doesn’t expect a brief fling to develop into so much more!

This was a fantastic book about love, family, and grief. The “Then” chapters told the story of Lauren’s life with her first love, Spencer, from childhood friends through marriage and parenthood. The “Now” chapters focus on the present day and her relationships with Ben and her daughter Lena.


Read dates: 06/16/2025- 06/18/2025
Goodreads review: 06/18/2025
Instagram review 06/18/2025
Blog review: 07/08/2025

This book is a follow up of sorts to Funny You Should Ask!

We follow Lauren, a single mom and widow as she navigates love, life, parenting, grief, and opening herself up to new possibilities after her husband passed 3 years ago. She’s wrestling with her own grief while also trying to navigate the grief of a moody 13 year old.

She is the sister to Gabe, from Funny You Should Ask. Getting more of Gabe and Chani’s story was so fun!

A lot of this story is told through “Then” and “Now”. You get to know more about Lauren, Gabe, and Spencer, Lauren’s late husband. At first the flashbacks feel a little slow and disjointed in the story which is partially why I didn’t rate the story higher.

As you get to know Lauren’s past it is nicely woven into her processing her grief and letting herself live again. She meets Ben, another movie star, while visiting her brother in Philly. After some tension and a night of passion, she’s surprised they keep in contact. Suddenly, he’s in her town working on a project with Gabe and she’s having a hard time finding reasons to not keep seeing him.

Their love story is sweet, patient, messy, and vulnerable. They’re both navigating a lot of baggage. I loved the character development of Lauren and her daughter Lena. The side characters were fun and interesting and the grief aspect was very well written. The romance gets a slow start but overall this book was a lovely surprise!

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for granting me the ARC of this book!!

One thing about me is that I love celebrity Romances. Elissa Sussman writes them so good. I loved that this is interconnected with her other book Funny you should ask which I also loved and that you could see a lot of Gabe and Chani in this book.

I really liked this book! It was so fast paced, I was flying through it. The mix between the now and then chapters was good. I liked that you could get to know Spencer a bit.
I also really loved that the FMC is a mom to a 13 year old. It was so real to see the struggles on both sides of their relationship. A big part of this book is the grief. I (luckily) never really came in contact with grief so I don’t know what it’s like but I could feel that the FMC and the daughter griefed.
The daughter - Lena - was such a refreshing touch to this book. I don’t read much books where the Characters have an older child.
Lea felt like a real person to me I loved her so much. I loved how the Author portrayed the feelings of a teenager going through puberty.

The Romance was interesting it wasn’t the typical formula of a Romance novel. It was refreshing.
I’ve read reviews saying that it gave nothing to the Storyline that our MMC is bisexual and I strongly disagree. It was well executed and gave plot to the book.

The only critique I have is that the ending was a bit too fast. It could’ve been drawn out a bit longer because for me the ending conflict came to quick and was executed quickly.

Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman

I really enjoyed this book! I LOVED Spencer and how he loved Lauren and ugh!!!!!!! I love how Spencer wasn’t forgotten or put into the past as soon as she met Ben. I also adored Ben, of course lol, he is such a sweet character and I love how seen he made Lauren feel. The dual timelines of her falling for Spencer and their marriage and then her falling for Ben was ✨gorgeous✨

Lauren is such a real FMC, and she was my favorite part of this book. The way that she loves, how she is refreshingly honest, and how she continues to try through it all. Her character growth and reflection throughout was really sweet to read about🥹

The support characters; Lena, Eve, Ollie, Gabe, Chani, and Allyson, bring in more complexity than a typical romance read, in my opinion. I don’t know how else to describe it other than saying it felt very honest. The way they challenge and support Lauren and Ben’s story brings such warmth to the book.

I didn’t read Gabe’s book. I feel like if I had I would have enjoyed this one even more!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC copy!

Totally and Completely Fine is one of the many romance titles making the rounds lately, and while I’ve long thought of myself as “not a romance person,” I’m beginning to come around. That said, this book didn’t quite land for me—or, more accurately, it may not be a great fit for my particular audience of high school readers.

The story blends classic rom-com beats with heavier topics—grief, identity, and the weight of expectations—which makes it more layered than your average romance. Lena, the teenage character dealing with the loss of a parent, is a strong point of connection for young adults and gives the story emotional depth that will resonate with some readers. The short chapters are a definite plus for attention spans shaped by the rhythm of TikTok and social media.

However, the book feels a bit long overall, and its critique of Christianity as an oppressive force might spark some concern in a school setting. Additionally, the grief storyline surrounding the loss of a beloved spouse may not hit home for most high schoolers, even the older ones.

In the end, this is an emotionally aware, somewhat unconventional romance that may be Totally and Completely Fine for the right reader—but probably not the best fit for mine.

4.5/5

what a great way to start my day, SOBBING

a couple years ago i read, and loved, funny you should ask which is a book by this author where we meet the main character for this book. lauren, our main character, is a widowed mother and sister of a movie star. she's also like really cool and amazing and talented and creative!! i usually don't pick up books where one of the main characters has lost a spouse because i just don't find them enjoyable. i usually get too stuck on the old relationship and can't support the new one. i should have trusted miss sussman though because this was so sweet and so beautiful.

ben, a movie star who is besties with lauren's movie star brother, meets lauren and they have such an instant connection but she's going back to montana and he's shooting a movie. when ben shows up in montana for a play, thats when their relationship stars for real. honestly before ben showed up in montana i wasn't loving this book. i was enjoying getting to know everyone but i felt completely out of the story. ben being where everyone else was made the story so much better and i adored his connection with lena. yes, the romance was lovely and it was so heartwarming to see lauren fall in love with ben and this new stage in her life. but ben and lena forming a bond took the cake for me. the way he was so soft with her and opened a line of communication about death and their sexualities... i'm in love!!!

this book is told in alternating timeline, one with lauren's husband and one with ben. while reading i didn't fully appreciate the past timelines. it was really hard to go from rooting for ben and seeing them kiss, to seeing spencer and being sad for lauren and lena, their daughter. but once i finished the book i realized how the past chapters made the story richer and they made me more connected to the two girls. i was sobbing when i finished the epilogue and then i went to get coffee and sobbed some more in my car. this book would probably be five stars but the first 15/20 percent was weird and hard to get into. i highly recommend you pick this up in july, also read funny you should ask first for the full experience!!

*thank you dell and netgalley for the arc!!*

I appreciate the opportunity to read this title, but unfortunately it didn’t quite capture my interest. While the premise was promising, I found it difficult to stay engaged. That said, I’m sure it will find its audience with readers who connect more strongly with the writing style or pacing.