Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey

 

Maggie and Jon started dating at the age of nineteen. They've been together for ten years, married for the last two. When Maggie suddenly asks "Is this working?" the relationship meets an abrupt end. Newly single Maggie struggles to come to terms with being on the road to divorce at the age of twenty-nine.

I really struggled with this book, I'm obviously the wrong demographic. You're probably asking why I bothered with it. The blurb from the publisher said it was "hilarious and addictive" and "laugh-out-loud funny, razor sharp and painfully relatable". The relatable is probably why this book didn't grab me. The lead character, Maggie, is half my age and struggling with being alone for the first time in her life.

I could not find any redeeming qualities in Maggie, she's completely self-centred and comes across as unhinged a lot of the time. When her ex-husband starts ghosting her you do have some sympathy but towards the end of the book you gain a greater understanding of the relationship and that sympathy quickly disappears.

There are some positives in the story. Maggie is fortunate to have a solid friendship group but even they begin to give up on her eventually. Toronto, where the story is set, comes across as vibrant, bohemian and safe.

Author Monica Heisey was a script writer for Schitt's Creek and because of this I desperately wanted to enjoy this book, hence my continuing to the end rather than giving up. I also found quite a lot of the narrative very Canadian/American which didn't translate well to the UK.

I am sure that a younger demographic, who are relaxed using social media and dating via apps will get far more pleasure from this novel than I did.

Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey will be published on 19th January 2023 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and 4th Estate for a review copy.