A Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestseller.Honesty is the best policy…except maybe when it comes to marriage in this brilliant novel about the high price of perfection from bestselling author Camille Pagán.Wife. Mother. Breadwinner. Penelope Ruiz-Kar is doing it all—and barely keeping it together. Meanwhile, her best friend, Jenny Sweet, appears to be sailing through life. As close as the two … sailing through life. As close as the two women are, Jenny’s passionate marriage, pristine house, and ultra-polite child stand in stark contrast to Penelope’s underemployed husband, Sanjay, their unruly brood, and the daily grind she calls a career.
Then a shocking tragedy reveals that Jenny’s life is far from perfect. Reeling, Penelope vows to stop keeping the peace and finally deal with the issues in her relationship. So she and Sanjay agree to a radical proposal: both will write a list of changes they want each other to make—then commit to complete and total honesty.
What seems like a smart idea quickly spirals out of control, revealing new rifts and even deeper secrets. As Penelope stares down the possible implosion of her marriage, she must ask herself: When it comes to love, is honesty really the best policy?
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This is a well written story by an author I’ve read in the past, and as usual, she didn’t disappoint. It was a conflicted story of Penny, an almost 40 year old that is struggling with a job that she’s “stuck” in, a stale, uninspiring marriage and the stress of raising two young children, with the pressures of her life, weighing her down. There are things she’d rather be doing, but the day to day needs of her family, are on her shoulders. Her husband Sanjay is a stay at home Dad, that’s not pulling his weight in the relationship. And then her best friend Jenny dies, and tears open the delicate threads that have held her together.
This is a story of a fragile marriage, a deep friendship, and the overwhelming responsibility in keeping things together, when you want to walk away from it all. It’s about the childhood scars that never fade and the damage that follows into adulthood. It’s also about the strength of mother’s that do what they can, not to repeat the mistakes of their own parents.
#Camille Pagan created strong characters that are interesting and likable. I really liked this book. My thanks to #NetGalley #LakeUnionPublishing for my copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
How many times has someone asked me how I am and I say “fine” when I am anything but. Its what we do, as women, as humans. No one really wants to hear about all those problems, how we aren’t fine. I’m Fine and Neither are You examines these questions and more. I absolutely loved this thought provoking, at times emotional read. Every woman should read this book. I read this book in one sitting and it gave me all the feels. It was just what I needed to read and what I needed to remind myself. Kudos to Camille Pagán for fantastic characters and an incredible story. I highly recommend this book.
Perfect Book Club Read! Read it and get your friends to read it!!
We read this with my facebook page’s book club and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. Camille Pagan delivers a story that most woman will find themselves relating to in one way or another. That is what makes this story most inviting; and, what keeps the conversation going.
Everyone will see a piece of themselves among these pages.
Although the underlying topic of opioid abuse is important the passive narrative did not wholly engage. If the POV was the abuser the reader would have gotten more insight to this real problem. Having the best friend try and explain what she THOUGHT her friend was going through didn’t work for me. The additional storyline of a marriage gone stale was rather trite and boring.
Every once in a while I come across a book that resonates with me on a personal level. That I adore for more than the beautiful writing, characters, or setting. It happens when you read a book with themes that strike so close to home you wonder if the author has been writing about you. Penelope from I’m Fine and Neither Are You feels like someone that I would, could, or should know. And sometimes I found myself thinking, that’s me. I get it.
Penelope, as I see her, is an average, harried wife and mother. She has thrown herself into the role of breadwinner and primary child wrangler. Her husband Sanjay, a stay-at-home dad/writer combo, comes across as a mixture of roommate and third child rather than a spouse and father. Her two children are rambunctious and more enemies than siblings most days. Life is a race and more often than not, Penelope feels like she is losing ground. More importantly, she doesn’t feel like herself anymore. Her one outlet for the buildup of frustration is her best friend Jenny.
Jenny, from the outside looking in, has the picture-perfect life. A handsome and successful husband, a wonderful daughter, gorgeous house, a thriving blog, and she always looks pulled together. She is Penelope’s closest confidant and friend. When tragedy strikes, lives are upended and perceptions are shattered. Most of this book, we follow Penelope on her journey to pick up the pieces after losing her friend. Suddenly, she experiences a keen sense of urgency to repair the fractures she sees in her marriage starting with being honest with her husband and vice versa. As difficult subjects and truths come to the surface, Penelope begins to wonder if speaking her mind and sharing her truths are truly helping her relationship with Sanjay or driving them further apart.
This is a wonderful book that has landed on my top five reads of January and I suspect will also be on my list of favorite reads of 2019. I can’t recommend this book enough, and if I could give it more than five stars, I would. Camille Pagán has produced a truly wonderful, relatable story that reminds readers that other parents struggle with the balancing act of being a parent, spouse, and an individual. We are not alone in our struggles.
*I received an advanced copy from the publisher through netgalley; all opinions are my own.
This book definitely speaks to most every woman I know. So much I can say about this, but I would give away too many spoilers. Sometimes things happen in life to wake us up and force us to rethink our paths and choices in all of our relationships. Do we give it all up and start over or do we put forth the work needed to strengthen those relationships. Are the things we see from others how their lives really are or just what they want us all to believe; like the perfect lives posted on Facebook feeds. I enjoyed following these characters on their journey and was very pleased with the ending. Thanks to the author for the ARC for my honest review. I highly recommend it.