This is a funny and thoughtful look at life for a female after divorce. Currently going through this myself I could relate to some parts, other parts not so much but I believe that was due to age difference between me and Maggie. Ove all good read but with some long winded bits

An interesting account, sometimes poignant, sometimes funny of a woman coming to grips with life after divorce, helped and encouraged by her loyal friendship group.

Thank you for my earc of this.
You can absolutely tell that this was written by a co-writer of Schitt’s Creek. That dry, witty humour is all through this book.
It did feel a little slow and repetitive at times but overall an enjoyable and relatable read

This was a really fun read. It was actually really funny, and I found myself laughing out loud at points. Very relatable in a lot of ways! I did however find that I lost interest about half way through- but I think this was less to do with the book and more to do with personal taste. Would absolutely recommend.

This book tells the story of a breakup, Maggie’s divorce to be exact, at the young age of 29, after less than two years married, but 12 with her partner.

It’s told in her voice, which goes from strong to shaky and right back again. We see some real character development, as you’d probably expect from someone rebuilding their life on their own after so long as half of a pair.
It is quite an introspective and character-focused novel, although we do also accompany Maggie on her new adventures such as therapy and getting back into the dating game, sometimes with hilarious results.

Some parts are long and laborious while others fly by… and I guess this is also a choice which reflects the nature of life post-break-up - the passing of time can stretch out when you’re down, while better moments make time pass like nothing.

What I liked -
I loved the list parts of Maggie’s recent Google searches and conversations had… these gave us a glimpse into Maggie’s changing mental state and also added a lot of light and humour to the potentially heavy subject matter.

The millennial voice. However I feel like I should have been able to relate to it more as it seems Maggie was ‘born’ around the same time I was, but a lot of the life experiences were very different, possibly in part because the book is set in Toronto and I’m a small town Brit, and otherwise our worlds are just so different!

Lucy the Labrador, need I explain?

What I didn’t like so much -
Reading everyone else’s reviews and discovering that they found it really funny, laughed til they cried etc. For me, it was actually quite sad! I think this one will be very popular, but unfortunately for me, it was a bit of a downer.

Maggie as a character - yes I’m one of those boring readers who gets annoyed if I don’t like the characters. I just couldn’t find it in me to care about her that much and when I’m reading a character-driven novel I need to care about the protagonist.

I don’t know whether to recommend this to people going through a break-up, or tell you to avoid it! Maybe read some more reviews… The jury is out on this one!

I wasn’t expecting the story to be as serious as it was. It is actually quite dark in parts, which do reflect a break up well.

It does have many laugh out loud moments. I do think Monica Hersey in a comedy genius

I loved this book. The writing is so funny and light and yet it touches on deeper subjects too. And (spoiler alert) I loved the happy ending, it was perfectly pitched without being either too bleak or too schmaltzy.

The relentlessness of Maggie's spiralling downwards after her willed divorce (she is the initiator, at 29, after eight years of relationship and two of marriage of the breakup) was rather weary and despite the undeniable comedy, I stopped reading and only picked up the novel again last week. This second time, I was better prepared to witness and enjoy our character's trials coming to terms with her new life as a single woman in Toronto.

The protagonist - self-absorbed, depressed... yet intelligent (she is an English academic, writing her PhD) is completely unable for months to get a grip on her situation... but, of course, she will... slowly but surely and after the most excruciating adventures (very well captured, so believable) Maggie starts to see the light, and gain some wisdom to boot. The secondary characters (her group of friends, her academic colleagues, her parents... her one-night stands and even the invisible Joe, her ex-husband to be) are all perfectly formed and give the story extra verisimilitude and depth., each a little mirror that reflects a different aspect of this woman who is unlikeable/likeable in an intriguing way. I felt I was given a grand tour of the mores of almost-thirty-year olds of an urban, middle-class milieu obsessed with social media, self-validation, body image. and the precariousness of the professional lives of many - especially if you are working in the humanities. A heady mixture with many difficulties to navigate.

The kaleidoscopic style of writing - lists, emails, google searches, conversations around a table... the mix of mundane and poignant vignettes... the exploration of grief and friendship... they all helped create a realistic bitter-sweet-funny narrative that definitely is entertaining and thought-provoking in almost equal measure. It could be tighter - it is too long in parts (those lists could be shorter) but it is also true that that lengthiness at times reflects far more clearly the actual situation of the protagonist-narrator and in fact transforms this comedy into something more weighty, rather good, actually.

29-year-old Canadian Maggie is in the throes of divorce from her partner Jon, with whom she’d shared a cat, an apartment, and a whole heap of hopes and dreams. Having married early, Maggie is now divorcing just as her friends are starting to pair off and have children, yet she’s determined to step off life’s treadmill gracefully and become a Surprisingly Young Divorcee ™ – though as anyone who’s been through a divorce will know, a conscious uncoupling is a rare event indeed. This is Helsey’s first novel and her career as a TV writer (including for Schitt’s Creek) is clearly in evidence: Maggie’s tone is brilliantly deadpan and painfully self-sardonic as she wrestles with the idea that her break-up might be a personal failing – or that her marriage was doomed from the outset, and could never have been fixed. During the first year following her divorce Maggie takes tentative steps back into life and the dating pool, with some success and some nightmares, while her cluster of close friends surround her with support throughout, despite Maggie’s trauma-based bad behaviour. It’s the late night wondering that’s so particularly brilliantly depicted, especially the chapters listing Maggie’s search history as she hunts for late-night meaning in the glowing rectangle of her phone. This is a funny, quick-witted and sensationally well observed book about modern divorce, and breaking down while breaking up, and is absolutely not to be missed.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
This book made me giggle so much, i hadn't had a laugh like this in ages whilst reading! So relatable on so many levels, it's definitely a read I'll recommend to anyone easing back to fiction and looking for something accessible :)

One of the best books I’ve read in such a long time.
Such a witty, funny and refreshing voice shining a light on a difficult time, exploring relationships and friendships and just growing up

Smart, witty and relatable. This feels semi-autobiographical, and after attending a talk by the author, I believe it is. Some of the characters did feel a little cliché but this didn't detract from my enjoyment. I'm a big fan of Schitts Creek and you could feel the humour in the book.

It’s so rare that a book actually makes me laugh out loud and this book succeeded! Multiple times!

Yes, the protagonist is incredibly self centred and selfish and, at points, downright unlikeable - it’s part of the reason it’s so fun to read.

I’m a firm believer that characters don’t have to be good people, moral, kind etc. to be likeable - it’s fun to be presented with a person at their very worst and wonder just what they will do next.

The second hand embarrassment from this book is actually toe curling but I loved the rawness and honesty.

It was just really good fun and I loved how it’s a testament to friendship and platonic love above all else.

This book made me LAUGH OUT LOUD many times, I can’t wait to see what Monica publishes next! An unforgettable new voice

I love the cover art and title. Straight away both grabbed my attention.
Some really funny laugh out loud bits got me through the... long winded bits. It felt like a slog at times but I'm glad I stuck with it.

This is one of the most thought-provoking and relatable books I've read this year and I can absolutely see why it's soaring in the charts!

I must admit I found this book a little confusing at the beginning as I did wonder if it was autobiographical. I found the character to be a little self centered. I finished the book but it wasn't for me.

Funny, cringingly relatable in places and life-affirming. I'm always very heartened to see women writers expressing themselves fully, warts and all. 'Really Good, Actually' is a superb debut and Monica Heisey's experience in screenwriting shows. I hope the book is optioned for film or television as I think it would transfer well.

I throughly enjoyed this debut novel about Maggie, who’s marriage has ended just 608 days after it started and how she copes and survives the aftermath of this. A great story and very well written. Very funny and moving. Definitely recommend.

I had mixed feelings about this book. Parts of it I found humorous, and true to the thought processes of someone going through a divorce, parts painful. I found it difficult, however, to like the main character who seemed very self centered and quite unlikeable.