One of Purewow’s “Best Beach Reads of Summer 2018”Winner for Best Book of 2018 of the Fresh Fiction Awards!New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins is beloved for her heartfelt novels filled with humor and wisdom. Now, she tackles an issue every woman deals with: body image and self-acceptance.Emerson, Georgia, and Marley have been best friends ever since they met at a weight-loss camp … since they met at a weight-loss camp as teens. When Emerson tragically passes away, she leaves one final wish for her best friends: to conquer the fears they still carry as adults.
For each of them, that means something different. For Marley, it’s coming to terms with the survivor’s guilt she’s carried around since her twin sister’s death, which has left her blind to the real chance for romance in her life. For Georgia, it’s about learning to stop trying to live up to her mother’s and brother’s ridiculous standards, and learning to accept the love her ex-husband has tried to give her.
But as Marley and Georgia grow stronger, the real meaning of Emerson’s dying wish becomes truly clear: more than anything, she wanted her friends to love themselves.
A novel of compassion and insight, Good Luck With That tells the story of two women who learn to embrace themselves just the way they are.
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This is a terrific book, but difficult to read in some parts because of the painful subject matter. Once again Kristen does a beautiful job building her characters, and you just can’t help feeling their pain and triumphs. I just lover her books and this one didn’t disappoint, and to be honest, it made me start working out again.
I love her books
Every woman should read this book! Especially (but not limited to) women who have body image issues. The characters in this book are so realistic. Kristan has put into words what I have thought and felt most of my adult life. I couldn’t put the book down, and I missed the characters when I was done reading it. Loved it!!
You can’t judge a book by its cover. This was a book that I couldn’t figure out why I kept seeing it in different places but I was just seeing the title. It didn’t look like I book I would read but I finally clicked on it and read what the book was about and then I knew why I was seeing it. I needed to read this book and I did. It answered a lot of questions I had been struggling with, it helped me see there are others like me and it provided insight on some things I should try. Such as the list.
It wasn’t just women who made a list and learned to love themselves, there was also Mason. A teenage boy who was so inspiring. This book is for anyone and yes I think teens would get a lot out of it too. I know I did and I have struggled with being overweight, people not loving me and me not loving myself. I had started turning my life around learning to love me about a year ago so this point showed me I was really being treated differently because I had lost weight and had started to love me. I decided to make a list and as I cross off the things on my list I think like the book, I will be more self-confident, see myself as to how I am now. I see pictures of me and have to ask who that person is because I still see me through my brain and not my eyes and I think the list will help me with that.
I thank Kristan Higgins for writing this book. It is helping me and I hope you read it and get as much out of it as I did I am sharing it with some of my family members and my grandson who is a teen is making a list and like in the book, Mason, and his aunt worked on crossing things off the list together and my grandson and I are going to do it together. I hope many, many people read this book and get as much out of it as I did.
I can relate to every one of the characters in this book.
A great book from one of my very favorite authors!
Loved This Book! I’m a Huge fan of Kristan Higgins, and expected I would love this book. What I didn’t anticipate was how deeply this book would touch my heart. This is a story about three women who have been best friends since their teen years, when they met at a weight loss camp. We get to know Emerson, Georgia and Marley in present time, but sadly one of them dies tragically early and alone. The two remaining friends are left to grieve and deal with the scars from growing up feeling less than….beautiful, skinny, loved, and valued. They are successful, but don’t see how amazing and beautiful they are for who they have become. Georgia and Marley learn a lot about themselves and grow emotionally as they deal with their grief. They learn how to forgive the family and friends who have hurt them over the years. This book makes you laugh, cry and feel. I think a lot of us had some less than happy moments in our lives where we wished we looked better, or skinnier or felt more accepted or loved. I know for me this book touched those feelings. I had the pleasure of listening to the audible book and loved it! This book was narrated by Xe Sands, Lori Gardner and Suzy Jackson. They are all amazing and did a fabulous job! To Kristan, this was a beautiful book and I will be recommending it to everyone I know! Thank you for writing this book!
Very engrossing. Was going to say don’t read it if u have anything against fat people but actually u should. It really understands the issues
Good Luck with That by Kristan Higgins is an emotional read, but one that left me feeling empowered and happy. If you are someone who, like me, has ever struggled with issues of body image or losing weight, you will find something in this book you can relate too. I certainly did.
I really believe every single person should read this book. On the surface, this book may seem to be about women’s weight issues and their self-esteem tied to their weight, but the real power of the book is in teaching empathy towards others and acceptance. Empathy towards others, whether because of their weight issues (underweight isn’t excluded), their family problems, mental health issues or the millions of other problems that the individual people of the world have–acceptance of people just the way they are.
In Good Luck with That, Ms. Higgins tackles the lives of three friends who are all overweight to different degrees. She throws light on their inability to accept themselves as they are, but also their inability to accept love as they are (how could anyone possibly love them?). Judgement comes not only from strangers, but also coworkers and family members. I’m very happy to say that she threw in a scrawny teenager that has his own issues of not measuring up, being judged, ridiculed and not being accepted. I was that kid growing up and it wasn’t a cake walk, either.
I really wasn’t sure how Ms. Higgins was going to bring a satisfactory end to this book, but she did. There was no magic wand waving. The resolutions came with much angst for some, but they did come… after enduring pain and dealing with themselves and others in an honest way. I will always treasure this book and read it often when I need a refresher course in humanity. Thank you, Ms. Higgins!
This book was so realistic it was heart-wrenching. Kristan Higgins writes a story with characters that are so true-to-life; they could be anyone you see every day, including yourself. She takes a subject that so few really approach, and handles it wonderfully. Higgins has always had such a wonderful way with characters and dialog, and this book is no different. Though it contains her trademark humor, this book is real. It is a stark reminder that we, as women, have to love ourselves, and our bodies, and enjoy our life, no matter what. I need to remember this.
I have always loved Kristan Higgins’ novels, but this novel tops the list of my favorites. I could not love her more than I do now with this honest portrayal of real women.
#FirsttoRead
Three young girls, three friends who accept one another for who they are. But as they grow older, they have a hard time accepting themselves. They aren’t happy in their lives and they mistakenly think things will be better once [insert the issue that is troubling each of them].
Good Luck with That is a very thought provoking story about how we view ourselves and our lives, and how we need to accept ourselves as we are and move forward with our lives. Don’t put things off until…… it’s too late. Be happy the way you are.
This was a very emotional book for me, and yes, there were some tears shed. I think this book will touch a nerve for almost everyone—because aren’t most of us constantly striving for that ‘perfect’ whatever in our lives?
I love these lines—this is the way we should all feel and live. ‘It shouldn’t have been ‘Things to Do When We’re Skinny.’ It should’ve just been ‘Things to Do.’ Such wonderful words to live by.
Kristan Higgins, thank you. Thank you for writing one of the most important books ever written, for writing this year’s best book, and one of the best books ever written. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT is told in first person from the point of view of three overweight women, one being Emerson’s diary. Anyone of us who has ever struggled with their weight will recognise themselves at some point; those who have not will have known someone who has, even if only celebrities; others will have made fun of those “unsightly fatties”, and this book is for every one of us. The latter might find a way to understand that it’s not about not having willpower, about being weak, about being a lesser human being; that those who do not correspond to one’s “ideal standards” might deserve better than scorn and derision, and being bullied. Before writing my review, I read some other readers’ thoughts, and I was appalled that some reviewers saw GOOD LUCK WITH THAT as a book about silly women obsessing over food; I would suggest they have a second – objective – look at the book and try to understand, if only why that’s the way they feel about the characters and the issues.
Kristan Higgins writes with extraordinary compassion, sensitivity, honesty, and insight about a subject that might be our society’s most disturbing taboo – fat women – without glossing over the facts. The author paints a picture of excruciating, painful clarity of what it is to be fat, to “think” fat, and Ms. Higgins has, in Emerson, Marley, and Georgia – and Mason – created unforgettable characters, so genuine that I identified with each of them in turns. There are the happy moments and heartbreaking ones, the challenges, the pain, the shame, the hope, the rage, the despair, the small and great triumphs. I gasped, utterly shocked, when I “saw” my own late mother in a few places. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT is not cute and funny; it is a very serious book, very heavy, and so very dark at the beginning, but slowly rays of light start slipping between those black clouds and soon that oppressive, crushing darkness lifts little by little. There are some moments of dazzling humour, as well as some shattering ones that had me crying so much it hurt. I hurt for those women, for myself, for you who have suffered this kind of pain. Yes, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT is about obesity, but it also concerns anyone who feels the need to become invisible in a judgemental society that basically denies them the right to live a normal life because they are “different”.
GOOD LUCK WITH THAT might not be the book you want to read “right now”; you do need to be in the right frame of mind to get lost in it, but I sincerely believe that everyone should read it eventually. Come to it with an open mind, with an open heart, and let those characters speak to you. If you read only one book this year, if you read only one book in your life, make it GOOD LUCK WITH THAT, because it’s a book that really matters. Live. Be. Now.
“Life was kind and full of chances. Sometimes we didn’t take them. Sometimes we hid our truth and acted out of fear. Sometimes we turned away and closed the door. But sometimes, there were moments like this, when I was kissing the only man I had ever loved, and the snow fell gently around us like a blessing. Good luck, I imagined the universe saying kindly, infusing the phrase with gentleness and faith. Good luck with everything.”
I had no idea when I picked this book up that it was such a controversial read. While I do feel that this book isn’t for everyone, I will tell you that this book is honest. This book is real. This story deals with some deep issues and insecurities. So even though it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, I’m glad I picked this story up. I’m glad I gave it chance.
I want to start off by saying that this type of story is a departure for me. I don’t usually read a lot of women’s fiction. I’m a huge romance fan, but there was just something about this synopsis that grabbed me and made me want to pick up this book. Good Luck with That is a story about 3 friends who met at fat camp when they were younger. When one of the girls, Emerson dies tragically, she leaves her besties with one last wish. Her last wish if for them to complete the “when I get skinny” list they made as kids and finally conquer their fears. This list for Marley & Georgia isn’t easy. They will be forced to really look into themselves and see the truths that they have ignored. It will force them to open their eyes and see the possibles. It will force them to see the amazing women they are and learn to love themselves again….
Like I said, this story is not for everyone and everyone is not going to like it. It will be hit for some and a miss for others. For me, I thought the story was very real and honest. There was some darkness to it and at times, it wasn’t easy to read. However, I loved the honesty of the characters and seeing them come to terms with their insecurities. I loved seeing Marley & Georgia grow and transform as the story went on. I was intrigued by these two woman and was curious how their story was going to end.
Good Luck with That is an a story about loss and self-discovery. It is a story of acceptance and hope. It is a story of finding yourself and coming to terms with your true self. It is a story of friendship with a dash of romance to keep this romance lover happy. Overall, I thought this book was well written and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
I was emotionally moved while reading Good Luck with That by Kristan Higgins. While reading this story I felt the story not only told the story of her characters but also described a scenario that affects most girls and women, of all ages, as they obsess with their appearance and the pressure of unrealistic expectations by societal, and possibly family, expectations. I was cheering on these friends who were supportive of each other, accepted each other flaws and all, and compassionate about each other’s struggle.
Technology, air brushing, and the media have altered how one can or should appear, along with the expectation of what body image is normal. Women need to take back the fight, embrace themselves, and love themselves for who they are. It shouldn’t matter what others think but what they think of themselves. This book is a reminder that we need to love ourselves, just the way we are.
Ms. Higgins wrote an amazing and emotional story that is not to be missed. In typical Higgins fashion, mixed with the teary emotional portion are humorous situations that brought out laughs and smiles. I struggled putting this book down, turning page after page, not letting go until I turned the last page. I highly recommend this amazing book to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me by the publisher.
Just Another Book Bitch’s ALWAYS SPOILER FREE REVIEW
In an effort to keep this spoiler free I’ll keep this short (ish) forgive my lack of quotes I had so many saved and accidentally deleted them from my phone *CRIES ALL THE TEARS* and we’re talking tattoo-worthy, life-changing quotes and they’re ALL gone! But the good part is, that I know this book will speak to you, ‘Good Luck With That’ has definitely made my #RequiredReading list. I was swept up in an emotional landslide, freeing a new piece of myself page by page. The author’s captivating story of friendship and the villains they face was heartbreaking and inspiring. I found the characters to be a living breathing bible of emotional truths.
Emerson, Georgia, and Marley met for a brief moment in time but built a bond that linked them forever. The struggles and loss they endure brought me to tears. This is my first time reading this author (I know, I know, you can shame me later…) and I am blown away by the depth of her characters and the raw emotion she was able to instill. So much so that I’m scared to read anything else. This book is so brilliantly written that I can’t imagine her ever living up to the bar with which I have elevated her to…
What author Kristan Higgins did in the novel ‘Good Luck with That’, was show us the open, gaping, festering wound inside many of us and (in this readers opinion) showed us a way to help those wounds heal… I may go so far as to say ‘Good Luck with That’ could be your spiritual awakening if you’ll let it be. A time to say I lived through this and I for one am a stronger person for it. The journey and hardships documented in this fictional tale could be that of you, your neighbor or your best friend. This story and the topic it faces is usually hidden behind closed doors. Yes, we see the random empowering woman video or campaign here and there and then it’s on the back burner until the next time we feel like jumping on the social media bandwagon of injustice. This book covers epic truths about addiction, love, and body shaming. About how the world outside and the monsters within shape how we see ourselves and others while instilling the hope and courage to conquer those demons. This is an emotional and difficult read, to say the least. You will find yourself in this book. Maybe even multiple times. The spirit of these girls and those they come in contact with live inside us. Some may be hard to face (honestly, MANY will be hard to face) but face them we should.
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This was an exceptional read!
Three girls, Emerson, Georgia, and Marley meet at a weight loss summer camp. The girls bond. They all have different stories, but they have one thing in common; their weight and that life can be difficult.
Emerson on her deathbed challenges her two best friends; complete the list that they created together, the last summer they were together at camp. Not an easy task for girls who have struggled with being fat and all the insecurities that have shaped them. Georgia, a lawyer and now a pre-school teacher. Marley, a personal chef. Georgia and Marley are close and have a strong relationship that encompasses Emerson.
I was not ready for the emotional roller coaster that this book presented, but I honestly couldn’t stop reading it! I cried as much as I laughed and I learned some lessons along the way.
This is a book that shows real life, real struggles, real redemption, and love.
Kristan Higgins has written a fabulous story, don’t pass this book up!
Kristin has a way with words and stories. Her characters in this book are three women who have battled obesity their whole lives and how each of them deal with it. After losing one of them to health complications, Marley and Georgia start to fulfill Emerson’s dying wish and check off all the items on the list they made at fat camp. I listened to this on Audible and the narrators really brought this story even more to life and you could hear the pain they each suffered due to their issues. This story is for anyone that loves a good ending and a book that shows the strength of women and their determination to be who they want to be. I’d highly recommend this story.
I thought this book was one of the most depressing I have ever read. Normally I love Kristan Higgans but not this book.
I did not enjoy this book. Very depressing and not like any of her other books.