The very last person anyone should worry about is Emma. Yes, hi, she’s an alcoholic. But she’s officially been sober for one entire year. That’s twelve months of better health. Fifty-two whole weeks of focusing on nothing but her nine-to-five office job, group meetings, and avoiding the kind of bad decisions that previously left her awash in shame and regret. It’s also been 365 days of not dating. And with her new dating profile, Emma, 26, of New York is ready to put herself back out there.

Except—was dating always this complicated? And did Emma’s mother really have to choose now to move in with her new boyfriend? Being assigned to plan her office’s holiday party feels like icing on the suddenly very overwhelming cake until her estranged father reappears with devastating news. Icing, meet cherry on top. But then there’s Ben, the charming IT guy who, despite Emma’s awkwardness and shortcomings, seems to maybe actually get her? Sobriety is turning out to be far from the flawless future Emma had once envisioned for herself, but as she allows herself to open up to Ben and confront difficult past relationships, she’s beginning to realize that taking things one day at a time might just be the perfectly imperfect path she’s meant to be on.

This book contains mentions of suicidal ideation.

If a book makes you both laugh and cry, you know it’s good. If a book makes you both laugh and cry at your desk in front of your mildly worried colleagues…well, then that book must be Definitely Better Now, because that’s exactly what happened to me! Despite my office humiliation, I loved every word of this funny, spiky contemporary debut, which offers readers a window into the unique world of Alcoholics Anonymous and sobriety culture while resisting stereotypes and easy answers.

Emma Finley hopes that achieving her one-year sober anniversary at AA will mean all her troubles are finally coming to an end. After all, she’s Sober Emma now: professional, reliable, and a million miles away from the person she was last year. But with a new work assignment threatening to upend her sobriety, a cute IT guy catching her interest, and her alcoholic father unexpectedly reappearing in her life, Emma’s life after alcohol is beginning to look just as difficult as her life before…except this time, she can’t hide behind a strong drink.

Whether AA chips and weekly meetings are a regular part of your life or something you only know from the movies, this hilariously honest book is the perfect read to help you through the emotional highs and lows of the holiday season. I promise you’ll find something to relate to in Emma’s struggle to rebuild her life, construct her brand new self, and maybe even forgive her old self along the way.