Better Believe It by Fern Ronay

A special thank you to the author, Fern Ronay, for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

On social media, Jada Marlone is living the perfect life. She has a loving husband, a beautiful little boy, and a successful career. But her real life is far from being Instagram worthy—she is disconnected from her husband, motherhood is not what she expected, she has a strained relationship with her mother (if it's not one thing, it's your mother), and she's barely keeping it together at work.

Thinking that her lot in life is already set by the choices she's made, she has a chance encounter with her ex and wonders if this is the universe giving her a sign. But then Jada's dead cousin, Gina, starts appearing in her dreams to help her figure out why she's made some of the choices in her life. When things start to unravel, will she learn from Gina's lessons, or will she continue to make the same mistakes and live miserably ever after?

This story had the right amount of sass and smarts, and was purely entertaining. Jada is a complex character—on the surface she seems to have it all together, but she is simply trying to hold it together. I'm sure that there are many women that will be able to see parts of themselves in her and be able to relate on some level. My favourite scene was Ethan's fourth birthday party. Pure comedic gold. And I do love characters that cuss. There are loads of us that are well educated that curse like the proverbial drunken sailor.

For those of you that regularly read my blog, you know that I don't like comparisons. But Fern's writing is comparable to a Sophie Kinsella novel in that there is the same sharpness and humour. Once again, Ronay strikes the right balance of lightheartedness and purpose, and I devoured this in one sitting.

Congratulations, Fern, on another fab novel!

FERN RONAY is the author of two novels: Better in the Morning and Better Believe It. She also is the host of the podcast Signs from the Other Side.

Ronay has lived in NYC, Chicago, and now resides in Los Angeles with her husband, but she will always consider herself a Jersey girl. 

Better in the Morning by Fern Ronay

A special thank you to the author, Fern Ronay, for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Veronica Buccino thinks the man of her dreams, John DelMonico, is going to propose and she can quit her soul-sucking job as a lawyer. When John says he has 'big news,' Veronica is certain he is going to ask her to marry him, but instead of John getting down on one knee, John's only proposal is for her to drop everything and move to London where he will be starting a new job. 

She is absolutely heartbroken as her visions of the perfect ring and the perfect wedding are shattered. There will be no happily ever after with John and she will be stuck in a job with an incredibly demanding boss. Being a lawyer sounded glamorous, but in fact it is anything but.  It's long hours, low pay, and little appreciation. Veronica is distracted by a high-profile case—the attempted murder of a doctor's wife.  Apparently the doctor was involved, yet the wife is standing by him. Veronica is fascinated with the case and it becomes her only escape from her mundane job.    

Feeling lost, Veronica starts dreaming of her deceased grandparents who offer her their wisdom and guidance to steer her in the right direction. At their suggestion, Veronica takes a class in news reporting and covers the high-profile conspiracy trial she's so interested in as her first assignment. She also starts dating an unlikely match in Syd Blackman after her friends insist she put herself out there.   

Just when her love life and career seem to be looking up, she is thrown for a huge loop that makes her start to doubt herself and question her recent choices.

Can I tell you how much I loved this book? This story was absolutely delightful! For those of you that regularly read my blog, you know that I don't like comparisons, but the writing is just as sharp and humourous as a Sophie Kinsella novel. Ronay strikes the right balance of lightheartedness and purpose, and quite simply captured my heart. There were so many little nuances that I adored (especially the pennies) and the supporting cast of characters were just as engaging as the main characters, which is no small feat. Admittedly, I was initially confused in the beginning with Veronica talking to her deceased grandparents (were they ghosts/was this a dream?) but once I got in the grove and realized what was going on, I came to really look forward to these exchanges—they were so endearing.

Congratulations, Fern, on this fab novel. I can't wait to read what you publish next!  

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FERN RONAY is the host of the podcast Signs from the Other Side. Better in the Morning is her fist novel.

Ronay has lived in NYC, Chicago, and now resides in Los Angeles with her husband, but she will always consider herself a Jersey girl.