“Family was funny that way. Either you were in it. Or you weren’t. There was no halfway.”

-5 stars-


Spice:
1/5

Yes just yes.
This book was amazing!! It had me laughing, it had me crying, and most of all it had me wanting to stare at a wall and just process what I just read.
I've seen a lot of mixed reviews on this book, but I'm just going to come out and say it: I loved it. When I say I cried. I can't even tell you. This book had some really heavy topics while integrating amazing humor that made me laugh.
I loved Lorna and just her personality!! I freaking loved the way she and Bean developed such a close relationship. That whole thing just made my heart warm so much. I think Lorna had just the right amount of sass, humor, and trauma. When I say trauma, I mean a BUNCH of crap things she had to deal with, with her sister, Kristen.
I loved the strong mental health rep in here! It was such an amazing element to this book that just made it better! The way Julia London wrote this book just spoke to my soul. The writing just was so good and made me feel like I legit needed to stare at a wall for a couple of hours.
I will warn you, Everything Is Probably Fine, is heavy... And I wouldn't actually necessarily classify it as a romance. Sure, there was a cute romance twist but don't go into this book thinking it's Romeo and Juliet.
Overall, this was just such a good read all around. After reading Everything Is Probably Fine, I can really see why Julia London is a best selling author. She made the characters come alive in the book. I loved every single second of it!

“She tells herself everything is probably fine but then...”

I did not enjoy this book, and only finished it because it was a netgalley book. The premise and the main character (and most of the other characters) were all unrealistic and/or one dimensional. The book read like an edgier Hallmark movie.

I really enjoyed this story! It follows Lorna Lott, a really angry woman in her forties who has endured many major traumas throughout her life. When an incident happens at work and she is forced to take some time off to confront her past, she sets off on an "apology tour" to work on forgiving herself and others. She realizes that she may not actually love the life she has created for herself and has a lot to overcome. This book has a cast of imperfect characters all dealing with their own issues - except Bean. Bean is perfect. - and while Lorna started off as annoying, irritating, and closed off, she grew on me through the story as she grows and changes. I was surprised to like the story as much as I did. It was heartwarming, sad, hopeful, and sweet. I think this story is perfect if you like books about family trauma (trigger warning: addiction), found family, self-actualization, humour, and overcoming grief.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for allowing me to read an ARC of Everything Is Probably Fine by Julia London, in exchange for my honest review.

Exceptional! I loved everything about Lorna's "Apology Tour"! The characters were extremely well written, relatable, and realistic.

We all have baggage, and we all deal with it in our own (but not always the best) way. It was refreshing and empowering to see Lorna come to terms with her past and grow into her future.

"Everything is probably fine" is my new mantra!

Ok so let me start by saying, this was an incredible read! I would like to put some trigger warnings though.

* addiction/drug abuse
* death of a parent

I think it was really refreshing to read a book with such a profound story. The FMC could be any one of us, on our own paths of grief, healing from trauma, and self acceptance. It’s easy to shut everyone out and to close yourself off, but true forgiveness takes a huge amount of effort and needing to be really ready.

I also need to get into the relationship between Lorna and Aggie/ Lorna and Bean.
Our animals are truly members of our family, they love us and provide unconditional love. They also have a way of bringing people together. And don’t even get me started on Bean. Children are so innocent. They don’t look at us and see the flaws we see in ourselves. They are pure. They are love. They can teach us so much about accepting and loving others.

I think this book with stick with me for a while.

A big thank you to Net Galley and Harper Muse for my eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I think I’m gonna be in the minority here but I didn’t care for this. The main character grated on my nerves. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

this book crawled up into my heart and settled there for the duration. what. a. read.
it was harsh, loud, or with twists and turn and story line calling from the rooftop at you. but there lay its beauty. it was calm,quiet and let itself do the talking. let you do the thinking. let us all do the reading. and then we stop. we take a breath and wow it shouts louder in your heart. and lingers there for a long while to come. this book is the emotional journey. its not overdone. but its done just enough to make you feel, to make you want to read on and to make you care about this book.
our main character had me wanting to stand there alongside he with gentle hugs on her journey. she had a lot of healing to do and that meant facing an awful lot.. both of what she went through and all how she portrayed things at the time. she had to face some things that perhaps weren't as he thought and some things that were. time, healing, and inner work was what she had to do. and Julia wrote it out for us all so well. the storytelling behind the whole things was wonderful.
and im sorry. there are a few little standouts that you will find in this book also. you'll know who i mean as soon as you are introduced. but Bean and Aggie you have been brilliant can you step into my life too please?
my soul was searched in the best of ways in this book and it was also deeply moved and soothed.
the supporting cast and side characters were top tier brilliance. they bounced around the pages and all had their importance.
i know ive gone with some deep reviewing here. but dont you worry, this book doesn't ring you down once. and infact i felt joyous throughout. like it was helping me too. or just was a really really well told book. you wont feel down but filled with hope.

it does obviously from the blurb touch on particularly issues. so if this is something you haven't healed from either directly or not then dont think you need to be strong or prove something but being able to read 'a book'. you dont. your head is way more important and who gets to say what triggers or feels too much. not us. but if you do feel there is a time for this conversation to enter into your world again then i'd say this book is on your side with it. and might feel gentle on you too rather than drudge hard things up.

Lorna Lott is really feeling like everything is against her. She can’t understand why her team can’t just work all the time and do everything she says. When her job sends her to work on herself for a month, Lorna is not happy. She finally has to look inward and see why she feels so much rage and where these pesky tears keep coming from. She starts and unlikely friendship with the kid across the hall Bean who teacher Lorna more than she ever thought possible.

I found Lorna to be hard to like for most of the book. She seemed so against change and then suddenly she embraced all of the skills. Bean was so sweet and really was so resilient even though he went through his own trauma. I understand Lorna’s sister Kristen was to blame for much of her rage, but for a woman in her 40s who had previously been to therapy, she really was immature. I also do not think this book should be categorized as a romance, she barely loved herself.

" Everything Is Probably Fine" is the heartwarming story of Lorna Lott, 42 year old software sales person that has become "a bit snappish" as of late. When Lorna is given mandatory leave from her job to attend Bohdi Lao Bliss Retreat to develop life coping skills, Lorna slowly realizes she has unintentionally closed herself off from everyone in her life. With a rag-tag team of neighbors and friends from the past, Lorna is able to learn how to forgive those from her past and eventually herself. "Everything Is Probably Fine" perfect for those looking for a humorous, cozy read that explores second chances and the resilience of the human heart.

This was such an emotional, honest read. Lorna’s journey of healing after years of living in the shadow of her sister’s addiction was moving and raw. I loved the slow unraveling of her past, and how Bean helped her begin to see herself differently. It’s a quiet but powerful story about forgiveness, grief, and finally choosing to live for yourself.

Would I recommend this book to you? YES!

Expected Release Date: 08/12/2025

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the early access. All thoughts in this review are my own.

This was different from what I would normally pick up, but I really enjoyed it!

The main character is someone who at first seems like she may be insufferable to read a book through, but we very quickly see how endearing she is. As we follow along on her journey of working through her pasts and righting her perceived wrongs, a whole story unfolds

This was told in third person, mostly in present day, with every few chapters flashing back to sometime earlier in her life.

The characters in this book were really well flushed out, and it was fun to see their stories develop alongside the main chatacter’s!

Big thank you to Harper Muse for the gifted ARC of this heartfelt novel.

Everything Is Probably Fine explores the lasting impact of addiction on families with sincerity and care. The bond between Lorna and young Bean is a highlight, and the themes of grief, guilt, and healing are handled with compassion.

That said, the pacing felt slow, and I struggled to fully connect with the characters and their emotional journeys. While this story didn’t resonate with me personally, I think readers who enjoy quiet, introspective, character-driven fiction may find it moving.

Here is a contemporary book that doesn't rely on any superfluous stuff to make it a great. Its just about a woman who has to find and forgive herself.
There are so many things I loved about this story. The dialogue was so spot on. Just the words used gave so much insight into the characters. And it wasn't just for a couple of characters. Each one had their own unique voice.
The reality of dealing with addiction - whether your own or those close to you - was so real and accurate. You can really start to understand how addiction affects everyone and how there are no good ways to deal with it.
The wellness program was the highlight and humor of the book. It makes you want to go to these sessions and try these therapies.
There is a love story in this book. Its about loving yourself. Which opens you up to love others.
I hope this author continues to write these types of stories. I eagerly wait for the next one!
Enjoy!

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Lorna stands to lose everything after a mistake at work fueled by her anger over unresolved trauma and grief. Initiate the apology tour to see if she can pull her life out of the nosedive.

I found this book very slow to begin with and the main FMC is not very likeable at the start. This a story of healing. Others may love it but I just thought it was OK and skimmed read most of it. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Muse for ARC.

inspiring and powerful novel about coping with your past and finding yourself, even when you feel very lost and like you have to lock yourself away. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Everything is Probably Fine was such an emotional book to read. While it is fictional, it touches the subject of addiction and how it can affect so many. It was a good read that kept me engaged. I would definitely recommend it!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

I thought this was a perfect book!
Lorna the MC, is a top sales executive but she is having trouble finding a way to make connections with her team and does not come across as personable. Her manager sends her on a retreat for some self reflection after a disastrous office incident.
This was a touching journey of forgiveness and emotional healing.
I connected with Lorna and could empathize with her.

When you love an addict, it is hard not to lose your own identity in the care of, worry for and anger towards the person struggling to overcome addiction. This book beautifully represents all the levels of emotions that a person goes through when dealing with an addict. It is hard to think of addiction as an illness like any other illness, but I suppose it is true to some degree. It is difficult to watch someone you love self-destruct knowing you really cannot make the decision for them to get healthy and stay healthy! I cannot imagine being in Lorna’s shoes and having so many of my life experiences being wrapped up in my sister’s drug-induced episodes and feeling all the guilt and anger in response. The author does a great job of giving us a window to that life and providing the groundwork for empathizing with Lorna and others who deal with this in real life. Such a wonderful book about finding peace by forgiving others and yourself! Highly recommend!

It's not the book it's me...maybe I don't know but I just couldn't relate or like the MFC. I started it and was excited to see her growth but more than 50% in and it was the same thing over and over. I just didn't get it.

BUT just because it wasn't for me doesn't mean its a bad book. The writing is well done and the overall idea is great, just I didn't resonate with it.