This is a very good debut novel.
It is a story about grief and relationships
The ending is both emotional and heartbreaking
A great book

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I wasn't sure what to make of this - the seedy bar setting didn't set my world alight but the interesting structure of a chapter per hour and it was quite relatable to have an evening where reflect on the twists and turns of a life lived and how it all turns out. It didn't speak to me personally but it has an engaging writing style and will appeal to a literary fiction reader, especially one in the US.

I absolutely adored this book and would highly recommend it. It is set over one night in a small town bar in America where Emma looks back over her life in the wake of her divorce from Lucas. Past and present alternate in novel of love, loss and grief. I loved the small town atmosphere and felt completely drawn into Emma's life. An emotional and moving read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC.

The grief that is explored in this book is the best part of it. Sadly, the rest is just a little too trite or unbelievable to be enjoyable. The author makes a lot of the fact that the main character wrote this book about successful people and is always away touring; and has founded their own hedge fund - but with no explanation of how. It's all a bit too cheesy with constant descriptions of how the people in the bar 'only have this night' and so on and so on ... Not for me.

An accomplished financier now divorced and rudderless, Emma spends her evenings getting drunk with the other regulars at the local dive bar. This book spans one such evening, the drama heightening as drinks are downed. Emma's story of loss and regret is revealed to us, whilst tensions between the drinkers bubble to the surface.

I thought this book was magnificent. As if we're also propping up the bar, we are right in the midst of the conversations, in-jokes and barbs that are shared between the patrons. But we also get Emma's internal dialogue, both commentary on the evening and the slow sip-sip-sip of her own story. As her tongue is loosened by drink, she shows more of the painful journey her marriage went through and the aching loss that she is left with. The story is devastating, but also a sharp observation of small town life, of struggling with expectations, and of grief. And there is a lot of wit here, anyone who has ever ordered at a bar and stood among the regulars - or has been one of those regulars - will feel the authenticity of the humour and the slight undercurrent of discomfort that could tip into something dangerous should the wrong person say the wrong thing.

That this is a debut is very exciting, as Anna Bruno has a distinctive voice and a knack for storytelling that makes me wonder what she will follow this up with.

This book was very original set up over an evening. I found it very interesting, well written and emotional.
Would recommend to literary fiction lovers.

Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster and Anna Bruno for this advanced reader's copy in return for my honest review. Beautifully written story told over the course of an evening. A tender and emotional read.

THE FINAL FINAL has been Emma’s and Lucas’ preferred bar for years. But on her 35th birthday, Emma isn’t anymore the woman she used to be. She is drinking alone, acknowledging the other regulars and thinking about what has gone wrong in her life during the last couple of years. Her professional choice which deeply annoyed her success-oriented father, her marriage with Lucas which was never easy but also not too bad, the happiness when their son Lionel was born. And now she is sitting in a bar drinking and ignoring the texts from her friend Grace who seemingly has arranged something for her birthday. The more the evening advances the more the tension in the bar rises and unexpectedly, she learns things which lead to a dramatic end.

What I liked most about Anna Bruno’s novel were first, the atmosphere of the bar and second, the development of the protagonist. On the one hand, we have a place where you typically do not find an average single woman drinking alone. At first, everybody is friendly, they have known each other for years but keep a natural distance, they are only bar acquaintances it seems with no further connection and know not to trespass the personal sphere of each other. Over the course of time, you learn more about the other guests and slowly the heat is rising. This comes quite as a surprise which only underlines how perfectly this has been developed.

The whole plot centres around Emma and her pondering. It does not take too long to understand that something important must have happened that lead to the separation and deeply impacted her psychological state. It is just those things that happen in life, evidently ordinary hazards.

I loved the structure of the novel, having two timelines interwoven which each other which culminate in a distressing climax. Vividly narrated at a moderate pace, I really enjoyed delving into it.

Even if it's very well written I didn't like the main character and the story didn't keep my attention.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I adored this, particularly loved the fact that it was set out over an evening and was not what it said on the tin. So so good.

This is a tender and evocative book, gently written and with real power behind the overwhelming sense of heartbreak that runs through the story.

Emma, daughter of rich but estranged parents, meets Lucas, relaxed, unambitious and capable, and their lives join together with a house, a dog and a child.

The book is Emma's recounting of her life over the course of a drunken night at the local bar, how she has reached this point and the sense of loss and loneliness that all but overwhelms her.

It's a book filled to the brim with empathy, for Emma, for Lucas, for the friends whose lives have led them to this point, and in its delicate writing it has real power to move you.

A cautionary tale to always value the things you have and to be present in the moments you share with others, because everything could change in an instant.

There's an interesting structure to this book as Emma sits in a bar one night and weaves stories of her past into the present. Her relationship with Lucas is the best part of the book, written to make us feel the tangible chemistry between them.

The plot itself, however, is quite predictable: there are a lot of similar treatments around in fiction at the moment, and I seem to have read too many of them. I was also less engaged with what's going on around Emma in the bar than in her past. It does all join up eventually but the real weight of the book lies in the past and it's frustrating to keep leaving that behind for what seems immaterial. It's also disappointing to see the old backlash against a woman wanting a career rearing its head...

So a mixed experience for me but with a lovely, relationship at its heart: 3.5 stars.

Ordinary Hazards takes place over one night, and tells the story of Emma who looks back on her life and how she ended up in this bar. Once married and happy with a child, she is sad and lonely and living alone with her dog.

I loved the structure of this book and thought the flashbacks were weaved in really well. I liked the story of Emma at the bar but I was much more interested in the story of her past and her life.

I found Emma a really complex and interesting character and found her story really relatable. I enjoyed the small-town-bar setting and that small-town feeling was incredibly well realised.

Also as someone who has very recently adopted a rescue dog, I really enjoyed the love story of Emma and her dog, Addie. I could relate to this so much!

I found this a really engaging read which I kept finding myself reaching for. I would definitely recommend it.

4 stars.

Thank you to netgalley for this advance review copy. (For reference I read this during Covid lockdown)

I read the book in one sitting. I loved it. When I started the book I assumed it was about one thing it turned out to be about something completely different. A woman spends the evening getting drunk in a bar. Recounting her life and the people she knows within a small town. I even enjoyed the jumping around in time and normally I don’t like that in books.
Trigger warnings for death in lots of forms and mental health.

The narration of this tale is very clever - it is told by a woman over the course of an evening, divulging how a driven, successful Manhattan dweller has ended up alone in a ropey bar. For that device alone I am hugely impressed by this first time author.

All encompassing grief and lost love is beautifully described, the story slowly works its way up to the sad climax which we can all see coming but is still heart breaking when it arrives. There were a few moments in the latter part of the book where it felt a little laboured and I was glad of some action in the bar to keep the pace going.

A good, thoughtful read.