LoveReading Says
A simply fabulous howling banshee of a novel that whips into thoughts inducing snorts of laughter, many a raised eyebrow, and also waves of empathy. Spend time with 29 year old Maggie after the breakdown of her marriage, be by her side, explore her feelings and consider her actions. By the end of the first page I had fallen hook line and sinker in love with this novel. It almost feels as though a dumper truck of Maggie’s emotions have been released onto the pages, and yet the spillage begins to create puddles of understanding. The flow of words filtered through my first thoughts into the space behind, and as I read it almost felt as though I was Maggie. The friendships spark with attitude, and the friends themselves are beautifully observed. Monica Heisey has the most brilliantly wonderful and witty pen, I’m not sure that I’ve ever been so overwhelmed and yet felt so at home in a novel. I fell into chasms of heartbreak, and climbed up through layers of hope. The wonderful thing about this story is that it feels stark and real and raw, and simultaneously allows you to feel a real warmth and affection for Maggie. No matter your personal circumstances, I’m quite sure that this wonderful novel will strike a chord, it just had to be chosen as a LoveReading Star Book and Liz Pick of the Month. Really Good, Actually fills my reading heart with joy, it's smart, bold, and absolutely blimmin wonderful!
Liz Robinson
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Really Good, Actually Synopsis
One of the most hotly anticipated, hilarious and addictive debut novels of 2023, from Schitt’s Creek screenwriter and electric new voice in fiction, Monica Heisey.
I feel like when you get a divorce everyone’s wondering how you ruined it all, what made you so unbearable to be with. If your husband dies, at least people feel bad for you.
Maggie’s marriage has ended just 608 days after it started, but she’s fine – she’s doing really good, actually. Sure, she’s alone for the first time in her life, can’t afford her rent and her obscure PhD is going nowhere . . . but at the age of twenty-nine, Maggie is determined to embrace her new status as a Surprisingly Young Divorcée™.
Soon she’s taking up ‘sadness hobbies’ and getting back out there, sex-wise, oversharing in the group chat and drinking with her high-intensity new divorced friend Amy. As Maggie throws herself headlong into the chaos of her first year of divorce, she finds herself questioning everything, including: Why do we still get married? Did I fail before I even got started? How many Night Burgers until I’m happy?
Laugh-out-loud funny, razor sharp and painfully relatable, Really Good, Actually is an irresistible debut novel about the uncertainties of modern love, friendship and happiness from a stunning new voice in fiction, Monica Heisey.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9780008511760 |
| Publication date: |
28th September 2023 |
| Author: |
Monica Heisey |
| Publisher: |
Fourth Estate Ltd an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
376 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Romance / Relationship Stories
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| Other Genres: |
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| Recommendations: |
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Monica Heisey Press Reviews
'Painfully funny, beautifully written, heartbreakingly real. You will fall in love with this protagonist and you will fall in love with Monica Heisey's writing. I couldn't put it down' Dolly Alderton, All I Know About Love
'An absolute effing delight ... wildly funny and almost alarmingly relatable' Marian Keyes, author of Again, Rachel
'I absolutely loved it, it's so funny and so astute ... Hilarious, heartwarming, wise' Paula Hawkins, author of Slow Fire Burning
'Heisey makes me laugh hard and often' Rob Delaney
'I ate up this funny novel in two days. A brilliant read, I wanted to stay with the characters forever' Aisling Bea, comedian and creator of This Way Up
'Heisey has such a knack for showing us life's complex emotions while wrapping them up in humour ... I could have ended up highlighting the whole book' Emma Gannon, author of Olive
'I can't express how much I loved it ... A smart, funny and warm debut with such a strong voice' Cathy Rentzenbrink, author of Everyone Is Still Alive
'One of the most hilarious and barbed accounts of unexpectedly starting over I've ever read. If you've ever felt lost and hoped that it was leading towards wisdom, Really Good, Actually is your novel' Stephanie Danler, author of Sweetbitter
'Made me both laugh and feel sick in recognition. Painfully real and so, so funny
- it will console any reader, divorced or otherwise' Laura Kay, author of Tell Me Everything
'Brilliant and honest and so funny' Jenny Colgan, author of An Island Wedding
