Erica’s Pick of the Week: Definitely Better Now

When I first heard the premise of Ava Robinson’s Definitely Better Now, I wasn’t sure she’d be able to pull it off. “The story of a recovering alcoholic attempting to rebuild her life while navigating an office romance,” in my experience, is rarely followed by the words, “I am surely in for a moving-yet-hilarious time.”

And yet…that is exactly what I got when I read this book (in a single evening, no less). Definitely Better Now combines a flawed but irresistible heroine with an up-close look at recovery. It’s an absurdly charming — yet unflinching — portrayal of what it means to start over, stay sober, and make a relationship work.

After spending her early adulthood drunk, high, and making terrible choices, Emma Finley has gotten her act together. She has a decent job as a marketing assistant, a cozy studio apartment, and she’s about to celebrate one year sober with the members of her Alcoholics Anonymous group. She’s ready to rebuild her life – and maybe even try dating again.

The problem is, AA discourages dating during the first year of recovery. Emma’s not just out of practice, she’s brand-new to the dating game. Sure, she has instant chemistry with Ben, the cute IT guy at work, and their meet-cute is delightfully awkward. But balancing a relationship with recovery is hard, and that’s far from her only problem. She’s lonely, but out of practice making friends. She’s made amends, but hasn’t forgiven herself – or her estranged, alcoholic father. She has to plan her company’s holiday party. Her AA sponsor is really annoying. And just when she thinks she’s hit her stride, devastating news upends everything.

Life in recovery, it turns out, is as messy and complicated as ever – except now, Emma must face it head-on. So she does, combining bone-deep vulnerability with a biting inner monologue. She remembers all too well what she was like at her lowest, but her clear-eyed commitment to recovery gives even the hardest parts of the story a hopeful, determined feeling. We’re never made to worry that Emma will relapse. Instead, the book asks a different question entirely: can Emma trust others enough to show them who she truly is? And can she trust herself enough to hold on to happiness?

Definitely Better Now blends humor, tough topics, and a tender love story to create something wholly original and utterly delightful. It’s a must-read for fans of Rufi Thorpe’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Linda Holmes’ Evvie Drake Starts Over, or Rainbow Rowell’s Slow Dance.