An emotional journey of forgiveness and found family

This was such a sweet but sometimes sad story of Lorna, a 43 yr old woman whose life has been dominated by her sister’s addiction and her toxic family dynamics. Lorna is full of rage and takes a mandatory sabbatical from work to seek help.

The family elements of this book were so well done and quite triggering for anyone who had to live in a house with a sibling with addiction and behavioural problems. The excuse making by the parents and the need to grow up and fend for yourself as an ignored child were palpable. I felt for Lorna, and was frustrated with Lorna for much of the book.

But when she started to let herself feel and opened herself up to trusting new people it was so sweet. She is befriended by her eight year old neighbour Bean who wants to help her because he can get a scout bad for helping old people. He was such a ray of sunshine in this. Dealing with his own loss of his mother and neglect from his busy father, these two were an unlikely pair, but they took care of each other. It was very heartwarming.

The only issues I have with this book were some of the set ups were trite, like she had to go forgive a list of people to fulfill part of her mother’s will, this could have been done differently and not in such a cliched way. Perhaps her mother merely left her a list or a letter asking her to move on from some things in her past rather than tying it to an illegal codicil. It made it seem too hallmarky for my liking.
The second thing is sometimes when I read these women’s fictions about white women healing themselves its always in relation to gimmicky versions of south East Asian or East Asian spirituality done by white men with man buns. More authenticity would be nice here. I know lots of middle class white women do this and get all granola and new age and trust me, they drive me crazy in real life too, but it could have been done better with more research into the meaning of the therapies.

But the found family, the personal journey and the open ended ending were hopeful and engaging and overall I enjoyed this.


Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy, these are my honest thoughts.

Everything is definitely not fine.

As a sales team leader, Lorna runs a tight ship. Very tight ship. While working over night to secure the deal that will help her get the promotion, and bonus she needs to purchase her grandmother home, Lorna accidentally attaches a letter that's addressed to her sister in a work email. The letter needless to say is full of badmouthing her coworkers. HR ends up sending her to a wellness program to address her anger issues or she can say goodbye to that promotion and her grandmother's home.

At first I didn't like Lorna. But then we get to know why she's that way, and I felt for her. She has unresolved childhood trauma, that made her lock her self up in her 'bomb shelter'. We go with her while she tries to navigate through all the anger and guilt she has, and tries to live life to the fullest.

I enjoyed Lorna's journey and how optimistic the ending was. I loved the side characters, especially Bean and Agnes, they have my heart. The flashback helped give us a fuller picture on Lorna's childhood and the things she went through.

If you love healing journeys and well written characters then this book is for you.

Received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are completely mine.

Everything is Probably Fine is the story of Lorna Lott. As a character, she truly grew on me. The story begins with Lorna being put on leave at work to attend a 30-day wellness program. Initially hesitant, she gradually opens up and makes progress in the program. I loved how complex Lorna is, and her journey was enjoyable to follow. It seems that Lorna has always been a side player in her own life and the story really focuses on Lorna's current situation and how the past has shaped her into who she is now. Lorna has built up a wall, which she refers to as her internal bomb shelter.

Lorna starts out gruff and awkward, but with the influence of Bean, a capricious 8-year-old who lives in her building, we see her begin to deal with her trauma and open up her life. In addition to Lorna and Bean, there's Angie the dog, who was a delightful addition and made the early interactions between Lorna and Bean even more heartwarming. There are several specific past moments that she become determined to set right and I liked seeing her view these events from a new and more mature lens.

The story is a beautifully written story that delves into the complexities of family dynamics, personal growth, and finding happiness. Lorna's journey is was made better by the supporting characters. Each hurdle she she passes felt important and added charm to the story.

Thank you Harper Muse and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

This was a really lovely book. It was much heavier than I expected and in truth, heart wrenching. The story follows Lorna Lott, a software saleswoman, who makes a mistake at work and is required to attend a wellness retreat. Lorna has had a significant amount of trauma throughout much of her life that she is forced to face. This is a story of resilience and healing with a lot of emotional turmoil and poignant life observations scattered throughout. The characters were so well-developed in this book--I loved all of the them and was emotionally invested in both the main and supporting characters by the end of the book. A beautiful read that I would recommend to my friends and loved ones.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book hurt my feelings but it was very worth it. Such a raw, honest, and real story that felt expansive and hopeful. Some of the quotes in this book made me physically have to stop and reflect (in a good way) about how true and applicable they were to everyday people just trying to get by, myself included. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Lorna is in her 40's and works as a manager in a business that to develops software solutions for businesses. She's being forced to take a month long absence where she is forced to go to a place to work on her anger. She's not happy about that.

Lorna had a tough childhood; her parents yelled constantly until they divorced and then she, her sister and her mother moved in with her grandma. Her sister developed a substance abuse problem at an early age and her grandmother was an alcoholic.

She currently lives in her grandma's old house as it's been converted into apartments and everything will be ok after she can buy it back to restore it. It's just her and her dog, Auggie, but he's constantly playing with the 8 year old boy, bean, who lives next door.

She starts hanging out with Bean and things start looking up for her. This is a heart-warming read!

I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did. Real life scenarios mixed with some fiction and some really good self help advice in here too. Overall I enjoyed the read as it isn’t my usual genre. Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This was my first time reading a book by Julia London and I really enjoyed it.
I enjoy stories told from the female point of view and if the character is a bit quirky, all the better. This story had all of the elements I enjoy. Our female protagonist, Lorna is holding on to deep trauma from her childhood that I think many people can relate too. Her family dynamic is completely centered around her troubled addicted sister and her father is missing in action.
Lorna makes a mistake at work and is forced to face her anger issues head on in a one month wellness retreat. There are parts that are slightly implausible but it is fiction so you have to suspend your disbelief. From here we go on Lorna’s spiritual journey confronting her relationships from her past while making new friends in the present. Many of these people are delightful characters and I enjoyed their interactions with Lorna. There is alot of foreshadowing that her sister’s fate will be an unhappy one. There also might be some predictability of where things are going with one of Lorna’s new found friends, her neighbor and his kid. But despite this, I still enjoyed being along for Lorna’s journey.

This is one of those interesting books that serve as a reminder to slow down and learn to work through things. Lorna's growth through this book made this a fantastic read!

Wow. Absolutely wow. When I first received a copy of this book, I didn't know what to expect. But as I click off on the last page of the book, all I can still say is "Wow". Not only did I enjoy going on this journey with Lorna, but I couldn't believe how much I could relate to Lorna. I related to her in the beginning, in the middle, and aspired for a life of growth and love and healing in the end. Although we have lived two completely different lives, I couldn't help reflecting on the same feelings and the same instances of my life as Lorna healed from hers. Its always hard to look at ourselves and see all our flaws and immediately think, yes let me try fixing myself. It's a whole lot easier to either dismiss them or push it to another time in our lives, but like Lorna, sometimes the opportunity literally falls onto us and the only way to go is through. I loved Lorna, absoluuuuutely adored Bean and Seth, felt such warmth from Peggy and Liz, and am wishing the best for those who can relate to Candy, Mrs. Tracy, and even Lorna. I'm so grateful to have received this complimentary copy, it truly changed my perspective.

if you're looking for a story about someone working through their stuff and finding a little bit of happiness along the way, this could be a good one.

I wasn’t sure of Lorna was going to become someone I liked but I so quickly came to understand her. I loved watching her growth and realizations. The book seemed to move a little quickly but maybe that was also me not wanting to put it down!

A reminder that sometimes you need to be forced to slow down and examine what life is all about. I liked London's writing style and how she crafted this story around a flawed main character. It wound up being a hopeful tale that I liked. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Whoa! This is a deep book with really heavy topics (addiction, neglect). It’s weird, but at first, I was thinking this was a modern, realistic, reimagining of the movie Up. You had the grumpy neighbor (Lorna), the ranger scout earning badges (Bean), dog (Aggie) and housing issues. I still think there are parallels, but this story really is driving into Lorna’s grief in multiple areas of her life. She was a side-character in her life with her addict sister stealing the show. Their dad bailed and started a new life. He was a frustrating character. Their mom was team Kristen (the sister), often neglecting Lorna. After an incident at work, Lorna is mandated to go to some new age therapy center where she reluctantly faces her past. This book just made me so sad for Lorna and I appreciated it offering me a different life pov that I haven’t experienced. While I couldn’t relate to these experiences, I was deeply engrossed in the story. Check this one out if you have the frame of mind for it.

Thank you Harper Muse for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Everything Is Probably Fine by Julia London is a delightful contemporary romance that effortlessly blends humor, heart, and charm. The characters are well-developed, making their journeys relatable and engaging. London's witty writing style adds a refreshing touch, making the story both entertaining and emotionally resonant. The plot moves at a steady pace, keeping readers hooked from start to finish. Overall, it's a perfect feel-good read that leaves you smiling and believing in the magic of love and everyday miracles. Highly recommended for anyone in need of a heartwarming escape.

Everything is Probably Fine reminds me of a mix of A Man Called Ove and Eleanor Oliphant is CompletelY Fine. After an unfortunate email incident at work, Lorna is put on “sabbatical” and forced to attend a wellness retreat for 30 days. This prompts her “forgiveness tour” where she learns not only to forgive others, but herself. I particularly loved Bean!

It was hard for me to get into the story because Lorna was incredibly unlikable for the majority of the book. I was debating not finishing until about 40% of the way through the book. Ultimately, I’m glad I finished the story and would recommend that others feeling hesitant push through as well.

I am not going to post about this story. I did not finish. I found the main character so unlikeable, frenetic and too self assured. Maybe it is the time we are living in st the moment but I am not interested in reading about that kind of a person. If you had less than 1 star I would use that

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are completely mine.

Lorna Lott is an lonely middle-aged woman carrying the unresolved trauma from a difficult childhood. She thinks she is doing just fine as a successful sales executive but doubts about her ability to get on with her colleagues have started creeping in and when an unfortunate incident with an email where she inadvertently badmouths her team members, she is put on sabbatical leave by her manager and told not to return until she has completed a month of treatment at a wellness centre. Initially furious and sceptical, Lorna gives the treatment a try and eventually comes to face her own unaddressed issues. This leads to changes in her personal life as she gradually comes to recognise how the defences she has built up over the years have come to imprison her in a limited, sterile existence.

I thought Lorna's personal journey was well-told and moving without being sentimental. She has a lot of pain to process and even if she is hesitant and reluctant at the start, she sets out to take on her demons quite courageously which makes the reader root for her. The ending is hopeful and optimistic which felt fitting.

I loved the supporting characters, especially Bean, the son of a neighbour who has recently lost his mother in a car accident and whose father Seth struggles to juggle work and childcare. The use of flashbacks was effective in giving the reader a vivid picture of the awful chaos of Lorna's childhood as she copes with her parents' divorce, grandmother's alcoholism, neglect, her sister's descent into addiction and all the devastation that came along with it.

The book reminded a little of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. There are hints that Lorna may be neuro-divergent but this point is not laboured and the emphasis is very much on the effects of her childhood trauma. I was almost expecting a big twist at the end but the resolution is calm and satisfying without being overly dramatic. The characters are well-drawn. I was a little unconvinced by Lorna's mother as I thought she might have been better at helping Lorna earlier in her childhood but I think the sister's addiction problems were just too overwhelming for her.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a family story with strong characters and a satisfying story.

Lorna no está bien. Trabaja en ventas, no tiene vida social ni amigos, y en el trabajo la apodan King Kong debido a ciertos comportamientos. Un día, por equivocación, envía un email a su oficina que en realidad era para su hermana, en el que se quejaba y se burlaba de la gente de su trabajo. Al ver que Lorna está al límite, su jefa la envía a un retiro de bienestar por un mes. Allí deberá aprender a controlar sus ataques de ira y llanto incontrolado, sentirse atacada y evitar decir cosas desagradables a las personas. Para esto, tendrá que hacer un análisis de su vida y reflexionar sobre cuándo fue que todo comenzó a ir en caída.

~

Fue un libro fuerte, triste y desgarrador. Solo quería meterme en la historia y abrazar a Lorna. No quiero poner spoilers porque siento que es de esos libros que deben leerse sin tener ideas preconcebidas. Lo único que diré son las advertencias de contenido: divorcio, enfermedad mental y adicciones.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lorna Lott lives in a self-proclaimed metaphorical “bomb shelter” – it is a well-protected if lonely place to inhabit. (Not) affectionately known as King Kong by her subordinates at work, she is extraordinarily successful in her career but relentlessly pushes her staff to obtain unrealistic goals. Lorna teeters on the edge of explosive rage with a cutting assessment of others that eventually results in her being placed on a mandatory, 30-day “sabbatical” at a wellness center. Her long-awaited promotion, raise and signing bonus, critical to fulfill an important personal goal, hang in the balance, as she is forced to confront her lack of people skills.

This is one of the best redemption stories I have had the pleasure of reading. Lorna’s healing journey begins by embracing holistic practices that she would never have undertaken on her own. The chapters alternate between her present reality and the events in her past that have shaped her perceptions and feelings. Lorna becomes someone I felt great empathy for, and I applauded her courage as she faced the effects of her highly dysfunctional family and undertook her “apology tour.” I particularly enjoyed the development of her relationship with Bean and Seth, her neighbors, as well as the ever-present Aggie, her Corgi pup.

The story addresses heavy emotional issues without being maudlin – drug addiction, alcoholism, codependency, love, grief, and death – to name a few. The satisfying conclusion ends with a realistic and high note of hope.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.