This was a very entertaining and engaging read that I finished in a few hours.
A well written story that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
The characters draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found myself hooked, turning the pages. 
A great novel.

One of the things I enjoy the most while reading books is finding out the meaning of its titles. Fulfillment is a simple word and throughout this book it has different meanings. Emmett and Joel are two half-brothers from Kentucky, Emmett is a bit directionless, working odd jobs while trying to get into screenwriting. Joel is a published author / college lecturer who is trying to recreate the success of his first collection of essays that are part cultural criticism and part personal stories. Joel gets a job at a close university from his hometown where his mother still lives, so with Alice, his wife, they move to his mother's house for the semester he will be teaching. At the same time, Emmett gets a job at a fulfilling center close to home, so he gets to visits on the weekends. Thanks to this coincidental timing, the brothers get to spend time together for an extended period pretty much since they were boys. I enjoyed the description of living in rural America and how people sometimes get stuck working pointless jobs where they become zombies that only work, sleep and repeat. It's an important reminder to find purpose and things that bring us joy outside of work. I especially enjoyed Alice's point of view on how she abandoned herself and her aspirations when she got married to Joel and how he is constantly dismissing her desires and interests. I found the writing very cozy and even though the plot gets a bit slow at times, was still very entertaining. I liked the ending very much after seeing that Emmett, Joel and Alice lead very fulfilled lives.

This book is quite sad, and the sadness keeps building and building. Joel and Emmett are brothers from Kentucky who both find themselves back home with their mother. Joel is a professor in NY and has had one successful book. He writes about Kentucky and his family, and looks down on them. He is slowly sinking into paranoia, and his wife Alice is increasingly unhappy with him. Emmett works for a big box company, unpacking boxes. When he and Alice start having an affair, they are two of the saddest and loneliest people. It's honestly a hard book to get through because of the bleakness of it all, but it is an interesting look at that part of America, the alcohol and drug usage, and the class struggle. It's hard not to feel like a voyeur though. There are times when the book is too clearly commenting on class struggles (lots of political commentary) rather than just showing it. Still, I find Lee Cole's tragic characters really interesting. They make terrible choices, but you feel as if they didn't have that many choices to begin with.

Thank you NetGalley for the free digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story! I loved Groundskeeping and was so excited when I saw Lee had a new book. Being from the south and close to Kentucky I really empathized with these characters. This is worth reading!

Two brothers,Emmett and Joel, along with Joel's wife Alice return to their family home in Kentucky. Joel is a financially successful author and professor, Emmett has an everyday job at an Amazon type warehouse.
There are tensions and jealousy at play and all of these characters are unhappy. The south in this post covid world with its floundering economy and extreme politics is almost another character. You know bad decisions will be made that won't work out well. Finding contentment, realizing dreams and leaving a mark in this world is a constant theme.
I felt this was a 3.5 rounded up story, well written but sometimes slow moving, everyone's thoughts always on display. Still keeps your interest.
Thank you to Knopf publishing and Netgalley

I'm probably the last reader out there who has yet to read Groundskeeping, but after hearing so much hype for it, I was very excited for the chance to read Lee Cole's newest book, Fulfillment.

Cole is an exceptional writer. His prose is clear and cutting. He serves up an honest story about real characters. This book is perfect for those who want to jump right into messy family dynamics.

Fulfillment brings together two half-brothers who have lived very different lives and find themselves on the precipice of great change. Emmett works an unsatisfying job at a fulfillment center, but dreams of more. Joel has had a successful academic career but his marriage is falling apart. Layered over their hometown in Kentucky, Fulfillment digs into class, race, and familial bonds.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Fulfillment—a bold, beautifully written novel that isn’t a breezy summer escape, but a rich, layered story for literary fiction lovers and anyone looking to sit with a book and really think.

Recommended for:

Literary fiction fans

Readers interested in class, family tension, and ambition

Book clubs looking for meaningful discussion

Anyone who loved Groundskeeping and is ready for a darker, more interior follow-up

This is the second novel by Lee Cole, and after loving his debut, Groundskeeping, I was eager to see what came next.... There’s no romanticism here—just sharp, sometimes uncomfortable truth.

Cole’s writing is observant, unflinching, and layered with nuance. The emotional weight here is real. This is not a feel-good read, but one that digs deep into class, ambition, intellectualism, and disconnection. The characters aren’t designed to be loved so much as understood: they are flawed, complex, and all too real.

The story is bleak at times, and the pace unhurried—but the payoff is significant for readers who appreciate character-driven fiction with depth and insight. The ending? Let it sink in.

This was lovely! From the description, I expected it to be kind of a downer. While it had its moments of solemnity due to the heaviness of the topics explored, it was also very funny and full of heart.

Fulfillment is primarily a character driven story, and I really liked them and their familial dynamics. It was an easy read, which was surprising considering the depth and quality of the prose. And I just really liked the little details Cole included while depicting a scene. They fleshed out what he was talking about and made it feel especially realistic. All in all, I liked this!

Thank you to Knopf and Netgalley for this ARC. Fulfillment is out tomorrow!

Author Lee Cole's debut novel, "Groundskeeping" was one of my favorite reads of 2022 and I am happy to say that I enjoyed this latest offering just as much. "Fulfillment" is literary fiction at its best; it is gorgeously written with well-developed characters and a smart plot. I didn't find any of the characters to be particularly likeable; in fact I had visceral reactions to many of them, a credit to the author's talent. More than just a story, this book is a powerful social commentary on class and privilege, as well as familial relationships and what it really means to lead a fulfilling life. "Fulfillment" will make an excellent book club choice for groups who prefer to unpack and discuss more cerebral novels.

Fulfillment by Lee Cole is a thoughtful, character-driven novel that explores family, ambition, and the elusive nature of success in contemporary America. I previously enjoyed Lee Cole's debut Groundskeeping and he now returns with a Kentucky-set family drama that follows two half-brothers—Emmett and Joel—who reunite under strained circumstances. Emmett, a struggling warehouse worker at a massive fulfillment center, harbors dreams of becoming a screenwriter but has yet to complete a script. Joel, a successful academic, moves back home with his wife Alice as their marriage begins to unravel. Their reunion sparks old tensions, forcing them to confront their past, their choices, and the question of what it truly means to be fulfilled.

Cole’s writing is sharp, observant, and deeply introspective, offering a nuanced exploration of class, privilege, and sibling rivalry. The novel’s alternating perspectives between Emmett and Joel provide insight into their contrasting worldviews—one shaped by ambition and intellectualism, the other by economic struggle and quiet resentment.

The setting—a Kentucky town shaped by corporate influence and economic disparity—adds depth to the novel’s themes. Emmett’s job at the fulfillment center serves as a metaphor for modern capitalism, highlighting the tension between personal aspirations and systemic limitations.
The novel also excels in its exploration of family dynamics, particularly the complex relationship between the brothers and their mother. Joel’s academic success contrasts sharply with Emmett’s stalled dreams, creating a compelling emotional undercurrent throughout the story.

Fulfillment is a thought-provoking, beautifully written novel that examines the intersection of ambition, family, and the search for meaning. Cole’s ability to craft flawed yet deeply human characters makes this a must-read for fans of literary fiction. If you enjoy novels that explore personal identity, economic realities, and the weight of unspoken truths, this one is well worth picking up

Pre-Read Notes:

I really like stories about siblings. I know how tempestuous such connections can be. Good writers often bring out both the searing and the sweet nuances of sibling relationships. I'm hoping for a lot here!

"Starting again, something new. When it’s still an idea. Before you’ve fucked it up." p60

Final Review

(thoughts & recs) Well I didn't like this book and it wasn't because of the writing, which is gorgeous. It is very political, which isn't necessarily bad, but it's also dogmatic and didactic which I loathe. I stuck in there to see if the story would have some growth in store for the characters. *edit Yeah, it wasn't bad in that regard, I'll give it that.

This is essentially a story about people seeing past their differences to move forward with their lives less burdened than before. But I also think it makes a political statement between the lines. It's a clever book, and it did make me think about things. But I don't like didactic books, where I feel like the author or narrator is overly biased on some polemic issue or political ideology.

A Few Things:

✔️ The details are gorgeous. There's a scene where two characters smoke together in order to just collect themselves and connect with each other. The scene took me immediately back to my cigarette smoking days, when that ten or twelve minutes with that other person felt completely insulated, as if it was just the two of us off on the moon. Wonderful nostalgia, without being sticky.

✔️ "You don’t even live here , Emmett said. You don’t even live in the South. He knew this was the weakest point in Joel’s intellectual fortifications. He was an outsider. He had gone away by choice and come back to tell the others how miserable their lives were. This was the worst thing you could be in the South. An intellectual carpetbagger." p60 The dialog is natural but there is so much of it, and there are no quotation marks, not nearly enough dialog tags. I'm usually a fan of experimental elements, like the dialog structure, here, and nonlinear timeline, but I honestly think these elements were distracting from the real material at hand. And it makes the dialog, which props up this whole book, vague and convoluted.

✔️ I like the ending, even if it is a little predictable. The character development here is surprisingly nuanced and appreciable, except that unfortunately every female character is flat, used as a prop.

Notes:

1. content notes: politics, cheating, open door sex scenes, alcohol consumption, guns, sibling rivalry, divorce

Thank you to the author Lee Cole, publishers Alfred A. Knopf, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of FULFILLMENT. All views are mine.

This reminded me slightly of David Joy in the best way. It started a bit slow but then I couldn't stop reading, wanting to find out what would happen. Excellently written and very interesting. Give this one a try!

Fulfillment comes out next week on June 17, 2025, and you can purchase HERE!

"You don't even live here, Emmett said. You don't even live in the South.
He knew this was the weakest point in Joel's intellectual fortifications. He was an outsider. He had gone away by choice and come back to tell the others how miserable their lives were. This was the worst thing you could be in the South. An intellectual carpetbagger.

You know somehow that this isn't going to end well but it's an atmospheric ride through the lives of Emmett and Joel as well as Joel's wife Alice and their mother. Emmett hasn't settled; he's moved back home to work at a warehouse and on his script. Joel and Alice are back because he's snared a teaching job. Ostensibly he's the more successful brother and he's married but it's not a happy marriage. And Alice is very unhappy. There's siblings rivalry, there's the gig economy, there's the drug trade, there's unfufillable hopes and dreams. There's also some good writing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of literary fiction.

Lee Cole’s Fulfillment is a deeply affecting exploration of fractured relationships, quiet resentments, and the yearning for a more meaningful life. Set against the backdrop of rural Kentucky, this novel delicately examines the lives of two half-brothers—Joel, an accomplished but emotionally distant academic, and Emmett, a drifting warehouse worker lost in the shadows of unrealized potential.

Alice, Joel’s restless wife, is at the heart of their unraveling, whose longing for simplicity and connection strikes a nerve in both men. As tensions rise and unspoken desires ignite, the story transforms into a tense, emotionally charged crucible that tests each character’s boundaries and illusions.

Cole writes with sharp insight and lyrical precision, crafting characters who feel deeply human, flawed, tender, selfish, and searching. The themes of class, disillusionment, and longing are handled with subtlety and nuance, making Fulfillment not just a family drama but a haunting meditation on the American dream and the personal costs of chasing—or surrendering—it.

This novel simmers rather than shouts, slowly tightening its grip until the final, devastating crescendo. Quietly powerful and richly evocative, Fulfillment is a story that lingers long after the last page.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for the opportunity to read this book.

Sadly this book just wasn't a right fit for me. I read it, but it wasn't a book I would choose on my own to read and stuggled to finish.

I just found it a tad boring

It may appeal to a different audience.

Two half brothers and one of their wives become entangled in a messy family dynamic when they are reunited in the town they grew up in - Paducah, KY. To see literary fiction with smart, intricate characters from our area is so refreshing. It’s all about the choices we make with the options we have. How things like class and location touch every aspect of our lives in often unnoticed ways. How the ones that stay have more to their story. Does getting out really mean “making it” and if so, how can someone still be so unhappy? I loved everything about this.

I loved Groundskeeping, and this was a great follow up from Lee Cole. I love the characters Lee creates - they are flawed and for that reason so real to me. I feel like I know them, like they are friends whose story I am reading. I also love the setting of the stories, and how Cole so deftly explores the tensions and nuance of family politics. Even when the story breaks my heart, I walk away feeling hopeful for these characters and for humanity.

This book is emotional and deep, asking the reader to think about happiness and life choices.
Emmett and Joel are half brothers, different in their respective lives, their thoughts and their fortunes.
The characters in this book are all looking for more in their lives, striving for what they believe is best for them.
When people are hurt and need to recover, the story becomes much more complex and is heavy reading.
A wonderful rural setting is perfect for rebuilding lives.

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an interesting piece of fiction set mainly in Kentucky at the modest family home of a mother of two young adult men. Kathy's oldest son Joel is a teacher and writer and is regarded as the successful son, while half-brother Emmett is struggling to find himself, working in a warehouse situation while holding secret ambitions of being a screenwriter. While Emmett is single, Joel is married to Alice. Joel and Alice married after knowing each other for only months, and now the relationship is already in a state of stagnation. Both sons are visiting their mom, which leads to a simmering and dangerous situation: Alice and Emmett become attracted to each other.

Part of the allure of this book for me was the small-town life, with the mom smoking Misty cigarettes on her back porch and Grandma Ruth reusing coffee grounds to save money. I also enjoyed the occasional trips to New York City, LA, and the scandalous, illicit moments between Alice and Emmett. This is a story about three young adults finding themselves professionally and personally, navigating what life has to offer.

Thank you to the publisher Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

Fullfillment by Lee Cole takes place in Kentucky. It is the story of 2 brothers along with their mother and the wife of one of the brothers. I just could not get into this book or story. There just wasn't much happening and it moved too slow for me. At one time I put it down, picked it up later and just skimmed it to the end. The characters were not very likeable and the story had no point.