It was a long time ago, but I do remember doing some pretty crazy shit, so I had a decent amount of compassion for Maggie. It makes Really Good, Actually a smart and funny coming-of-divorce novel, a story of self-reckoning with a likable heroine to root for. Heisey is making a career out of guiding characters through the kinds of crises we can laugh at and sympathize with all at once, while upending enough rom-com tropes to keep things interesting.

I was very sold on the set up though: a young, pithy woman goes through a divorce and has to cope with all the changes that brings. She is 29 years old, a PhD student living in Toronto and married – at the start of the book, at least – to her long-term partner, the stable and solvent Jon.

This is Maggie’s story as she tries to embrace life as a young, twenty nine year old divorcee as she tries to “get back on the horse“ and re-find some joy and happiness but it’s a messy road to recovery. For instance, Maggie torpedoes her relationship with a guy named Simon because he’s “too nice” to her. When Lily runs into Atlas Corrigan, a childhood friend who also came from an abusive family, she hopes their friendship can blossom into love. Determined to make this a Good Divorce, Maggie buckles down and gets into staring at a half-empty apartment, listening to the Backstreet Boys and googling tips for divorce.

Regardless of whether you have experienced a significant break up or not, there's some value here for any reader. rating — rating up — because I can understand that some people (maybe need to be in the goofy mood or YOUNGER than 70 years and 11 months old) …. I can’t say either that I especially like her as a central protagonist and this is one of those occasions where I think that is important. An impromptu celebration on the beach at sunset with champagne becomes a weekly touchpoint to their lives as they learn more about each other and themselves.Oh and if the gifs didn’t clue you in, if you enjoyed Fleabag there’s a solid chance you’ll like this too. Vacations” and “frequency of family reunions” make the list too – useful to remember in the wake of the holiday season. Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over. Having him properly out of the house was a relief, not because things felt better or calmer without him, but because the two weeks between “I am going to move out” and “I have rented a van” were some of the longest and slowest of my life.