My first thoughts were here we go another lightweight read – rich people having money, access to second homes, being wonderful cooks etc. However buried in the text are some wonderful insights into some may emotional situations. A vivid description of depression, how hard it is to deal with an overbearing and successful mother, the trials of being a teenager on a privileged school….
The main protagonists all have journeys to make but I enjoyed following them and their thought processes.
Yes the ending is also twee but it’s the first time for a while I’ve read a book I didn’t want to put down and wanted to stay with the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an ARC.

I first became aware of Poorna Bell through In Case of Emergency, her first fiction book. I rated it very much so when NetGalley granted me a copy I was very excited and started reading immediately. That was about ten hours ago. I read it in one sitting and I think it's even better than her first novel.

Padma is a 39 year old woman of Indian decent whose partner of ten years Wallace suddenly suggests a break from their relationship because she doesn't want to have kids and he does, like he could force her into it by doing so. She is also currently unemployed so when her sister Daisy and brother-in-law Henry ask her to look after their wayward 15 year old daughter Myra in a holiday cottage in Kent for six weeks during the summer holidays and get paid for it, she says yes. The cottage belongs to Hugo, a friend of the family. What follows is a lot of reflection on life while trying to get through to a depressed teenager. Padma herself also struggles with depression - it seems to lie in the family and stem from their alcoholic mother. Their childhood is frequently mentioned in her talks with her sister. The two of them struggle to connect as they remember things so differently, and Padma resents how Daisy tried to reinvent herself without acknowledging her Indian roots, even changing her name from Dharma. Padma's passion is cooking and she starts bringing her Indian dishes to the village where she makes friends quickly.

Bell's writing is so rich and so wise, I screen grabbed a few pages just for some quotes too good to forget. Padma's reluctance to have kids is brought up frequently but handled sensitively. It's really irritating how the decision to stay childfree is so often questioned in society.

Bell concentrates on the women in the story and there is very strong character development for everyone involved. The men aren't altogether too important although Wallace tries very hard to act like an arse. Thankfully even the love story isn't given great prominence and only happens at the end when Padma has regained her confidence.

What can I say, I loved the characters and the story, which is so effectively told. Myra is a typical but loveable teenager who opens up to her auntie and helps her gain followers on social media for her cooking videos.

I was sad when the book ended - I could have spent weeks with these characters as the love between the women was palpable.

I was lucky to get this book from Netgalley.. not knowing too much about the genre or the author I started it with few expectations.
I really enjoyed it.. it’s filled with relationships, family, friendships and feelings.
A very enjoyable read.

A wonderful book which gives a warm glow of female love and understanding.
At the start I was sceptical. It seemed a stretch that Padma was being entrusted with looking after a wayward 15 year old niece she hardly knew for the summer.
But the story developed beautifully. You could see the bond developing, in a natural and organic way, between Padma and her niece. There are several other sub plots. Padma doesn't get on very well with her ambitious and controlling sister Daisy, who seems to have turned her back on her Indian ancestry. Her boyfriend Wallace wants them to "take a break" because he's expecting Padma to conform to his wish to have children.
The topic of racism is handled sensitively. Small seaside towns like Harkness are not always the most welcoming.
I loved the friendship between Padma and Guyanese cafe owner Selina. The recipes and food were a joy and added so much to the book. I was inwardly cheering when both of them started to realise their dreams.

Easy reading, sweet story, no big surprises but perfectly comforting nonetheless. I appreciated the opportunity to learn about south Asian culture, and the key issues of mental health, addiction and racism were handled with sensitivity. .

Fantastic non traditional love story and tale of self discovery while dealing with mental health issues. Padma didn’t have the easiest childhood dealing with an alcoholic mother bad and absent father. On top of that she is a woman and a poc so she has to deal with all of this patriarchal society racism and sexism on top of just her own issues. It’s a story of self-descovery as she rediscovers herself and make some hard decisions for her own benefit but it also exposes a lot of issues that a lot of people have to navigate in their everyday lives. Over all, it’s a love story and I love that it is not at all traditional. Although there is romantic love and (spoiler alert) Padma does get her happy ending it is a story of all kinds of love, friendship, filial love and over all self-love. It was a fantastic tale, thank you for allowing me to read the ARC

This was my first time reading anything by Poorna Bell and I really enjoyed it.

Padma has been in a relationship with Wallace for years, when he brings up the conversation about wanting a baby, Padma struggles with that as babies are not what she wants. Wallace asks for a break at the same time as her niece is taken into hospital. Circumstance means she is the one that looks after her over the summer.
Padma has struggled with mental health over the years and can see this happening with Myra, but they eventually get themselves into a groove.
I liked the characters and their interactions with one another.
Thank you to Poorna and Netgalley for the ARC.











This Is Fine, is certainly not what Padma's life is.
At a point in her life where things aren't going to plan, she's asked to look after her niece.

Just an okay book! None of the story really grabbed on to me but I still enjoyed it. I’m sure this will have its own readers that will love it.

As always Poorna knocks it out of the park, this is such a funny, heartwarming and lovely book that deals with so many issues including mental health, the death of a parent, teenage alcoholism and so much more.

Padma is a fantastic and realistic character and her growth is very realistic as she has to face so many challenges both personally and professionally.

I really enjoyed this book and wish I had Myra’s tenacity and wit in real life!

Having read Poorna’s last book I was keen to start This Is Fine, and it didn't disappoint. Poorna writes characters so well. They're always relatable and well-developed. In This Is Fine the teenager was such a stand-out character for me. Brilliantly drawn, which is so hard to do. I found the sibling relationship also very touching and I could relate to the complexities. Overall a brilliant book with a lot of depth, with enough well-placed humour, just when I needed it.

I enjoyed this book which explored some dark issues like depression and also looked at relationships between different cultures. It also looked at family relations and what some people ‘expect’ from their partners which might not be fair. It was all handled with sensitivity and a bit of humour which did make it very relatable. Overall a warm enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed this book! There were so many quotes that I highlighted due to them being so relatable and I felt an instant real connection to the characters. I related considerably to the storyline and that definitely impacted my overall enjoyment of the story especially some of the very niche aspects that ran parallel to my own experiences.

One thing I thought was done absolutely excellently in this one was Myra’s character- I think a teenage girl is a really difficult age to write well; I often find that they come across either too young or too old, too consistent or too reckless and it leaves them feeling one dimensional whereas Myra felt so real, I think her growth was excellently demonstrated and just thought she felt so real and it was interesting getting to know her and her difficulties as she navigated such a difficult time.

I liked the sibling relationship, the snippets of the past and the humour dashed throughout the story, again it just added to the real feel. I do think this one could have been a little shorter although that being said I don’t think it impacted my personal enjoyment because of the quotes laced throughout.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was really thought provoking and struck a perfect balance between depth and humour, the importance of those key relationships and acceptance and just captured growing up in different ways and at different points so well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! One of those which I was happy to snatch away moments in my day to power through a few more pages. Parts were predictable, in a good, comforting and familiar way.

Wallace and Padma have been a couple for years, when Wallace brings up the question of children, he wants them, she does not. A break to consider their feelings is on the cards.
Padma's niece Myra is in hospital with alcohol poisoning after being left bu her friends.
Padma agrees to look after Myra for the summer.
Loved the relationships between Padme, Myra and Padma's sister Daisy. Wallace was a terrible character and I struggled to see any reason why Padma had stayed with him for so long apart from some hints that he had been a kinder man at the start of their relationship.
CW for depression, alcolohism and mental health issues.
Thanks to Netgalley and Poorna Bell for this ARC.
Very much enjoyed this read, recommended

This was my first book on the NetGalley platform and what a great way to get started!!

I have always stuck to a specific “type of book” however this year I set myself a challenge to broaden my horizons and requested 5 books I wouldn’t normally pick.

Without giving too much away, a story that resonated with me in many ways while currently asking myself questions about whether I too want to start a family and battling with similar feelings to that of Padma.

I loved seeing how Padma grew as her relationship with Myra did and how Padma and Daisy eventually realised that at times they both had preconceived notions of the other that stopped them having the relationship they could have as sisters.

Thank you for allowing me the chance to read this and I look forward to reading more by Poona Bell as I really like the style!

Padma lives in London with her long term boyfriend Wallace. She is currently between jobs and is happy at home, cooking dinners and helping out at her friend’s cafe. Until one day Wallace gives their relationship together an ultimatum….one that Padma isn’t expecting.

Meanwhile Padma’s sister, Daisy, has issues of her own when her 15 year old daughter Myra is hospitalised with alcohol poisoning. Whilst being concerned for the niece she barely knows, Padma has other worries to contend with. Until Daisy makes a suggestion which might just solve more than one issue the family is facing.

Having read other books by Poorna, I knew I was in for a treat. Beautifully written and striking deeply with incredibly important issues being faced head on. I devoured this book, really finding myself drawn into Padma’s life.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review..

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I wasn't too sure about this book when I first started reading bit biut as I got further in, the more hooked I became! This is a great story with so much emotion running through it and the ability for the story to resonate so well is mind blowing!
An asbolute must read!

I was really excited to receive a NetGalley ARC for this book as I love Poorna Bell's writing.
This Is Fine focuses on Padma and a summer spent with her niece Myra by the seaside in Kent, following a range of situations that led to them ending up there together.
I really loved Poorna Bell's writing throughout this book, I felt like the characters developed so much as the story went on, and not just the central characters - I loved Selena and Greg as well as Padma, Daisy and Myra. I was rooting for them all in different ways as the story progressed. I really enjoyed how the female family relationships were portrayed in the story, specifically that of sisters, aunties and nieces, as it felt so akin to relationships I've had in those spaces. And these relationships were definitely my favourite elements of the book.
The story also focused on some difficult life situations but did so sensitively and in such a human way it really made it feel realistic and emotional.
It also made me very hungry as with a theme of food and cooking throughout there were quite a lot of mixed-cuisine dishes that I fancied trying that I'm not even sure exist (and if so, where!)
I'd definitely recommend giving this a read and will be continuing to read Poorna Bell's releases!

I really liked this book. Padma’s is at a crossroads in her life but does not realise just how much is going to change for the better. She is in a long term relationship with Wallace. Wallace brings up that he wants children and Padma does not. Her father was absent and her mother, although a very talented doctor was an alcoholic and Padma brought up her young sister due to this giving up so much to make sure Dhara (now Daisy) had everything to make her life safe and sound. She feels she has made the decision not to have children and that he should respect that. Two things happen. Wallace says they need a break from each other to decide about children and Daisy’s daughter, Myra, is rushed to hospital with alcoholic poisoning. She is 15. Daisy and her husband ask Padma to have Myra for the summer and they are given a home by the sea owned by a friend of Daisy and Henry. The story continues really well. I liked the fact that we are given an insight into all the characters including ones on the periphery. The story mentions mental health in such a sensitive way, I felt I learned something from this. The drama of the story goes in and out of angst and euphoria and I thought it was written beautifully

Another fab read by Poorna Bell.!! Following an almost fatal incident, Parma and her 15 year niece Myra are spending the summer holidays together fixing up a cottage by the sea. An endearing story with great characters that covers some sensitive themes.