Penny has had a tough day. Her husband forgot to buy toilet paper, her children are fighting, and she’s stressed out at work. Being the household breadwinner is taking its toll on her, and she's struggling to balance the responsibilities of being an ideal wife and mother.

When her car is towed, she's unable to reach her husband Sanjay for help and turns to Russ, her work nemesis, out of desperation. She later discovers that her best friend Jenny’s daughter is also waiting to go home from camp.

Jenny has a perfect life, or so it seems. She's an optimistic mommy blogger with a spotless house, a perfect daughter, and a wonderful marriage. However, things are not what they seem, and Penny discovers that Jenny has died from a prescription drug habit that she never knew about.

Jenny's death changes everything for Penny. She realizes that her own marriage, like Jenny's, might be in trouble. Her problems with running out of toilet paper and feeling overworked are now insignificant compared to the real issues in her life.

The novel, "I'm Fine and Neither Are You," highlights the importance of communication, the weight of gender roles, and the immense pressure in a social media-driven age to have it all together. The story shows how tragedy can inspire positive change, and encourages us to think about how well we know those closest to us.

The book features wonderful characters and a page-turning plot, making it ideal for fans of women's fiction who aren't averse to novels that tackle unpleasant but important subject matter. ( )

So, I typically like stories like this, where people/situations appear perfect, but in reality, its anything but. This was my Kindle First pick for March, and as much as I wanted to like it and thought it had some good messages, ultimately it fell flat for me.

I liked the message it sent that couples (people, in general) don't communicate enough, and that there's so much that can be fixed by just communicating more effectively. And homing in on the point that social media portrays only the "highlight reel" of one's life. Also, beautiful cover and great book title!

I didn't care much for our FMC/narrator, and I wasn't sure if it was just because I couldn't relate to her, a working mother trying to hold her family together. And she came off as very whiny, and annoying after awhile. I didn't care if her and her husband made up at the end. Seemed like everything got better for them very quickly, when in reality, it takes much longer to make a permanent change. I guess I was hoping for something...a little more dramatic as far as family secrets and the friend's death? Also, there were a couple of subplots that seemed like they went nowhere (such as Penny and Russ).

I liked the messages the book was trying to send, but ultimately, the story or the characters didn't resonate with me. ( )

Title Says It All. A lot of times when I write these reviews, the book didn't really hit home or I've given myself some time to process before writing or a singular theme arose from my read of the book or some other thing that kind of "ties the review together". None of that really applies here. This book hit hard on many levels, and I'm writing this review within just a couple of minutes of finishing it.

Ultimately, the title really does say it all. I'm fine - and neither are you. We're all messy, none of us are perfect. But most all of us are trying to do the right thing as best we can, even when life tries to keep us down. Sometimes we handle things amazingly, sometimes we run away and have a meltdown over something that should have been simple. It happens.

This is a fictional tale with a lot of real life issues thrown into the story and handled in a very realistic manner, to the level that the book comes dang close to veering into self help categories. This was my first book from Pagan, and it won't be my last. ( )

I have always loved Camille Pagan’s relatable storytelling and this newest release is no different. I connected so much with the storyline of being a mom, wife, and friend. All of these things are wonderful and they can also feel so incredibly hard. The endless demands of parenthood, the amount of work it takes to keep a marriage humming along and also keeping up with the expectations of work can sometimes feel completely overwhelming.

When you add in friendships that can sometimes make you wonder “why does this feel so hard when everyone around me makes it look so easy?” it can be an easy path to thinking there is something wrong with you.

The thing is though, these things are hard for everyone in different ways, and we sometimes have no idea what is really going on behind the scenes. What someone presents isn’t always the reality and sometimes the people that have these “picture-perfect” lives need us more than we think.

“It takes courage to be yourself when everyone expects you to be someone else.”

I’m Fine and Neither Are You takes on some heavy topics including substance abuse, loss, family dynamics, infidelity, the struggles of long term relationships and finding your voice, all while being a completely engaging read. It was messy and real and this was the perfect book for me this week.

I highly recommend this book, it was a 4.5 star read for me. ( )

The protagonist in this book is Penelopy Ruis-Kar, a mother of two children who also works full-time outside the home. Her husband is a writer and works at home, which basically means he offers very little support as Penny struggles to take care of the house, kids, and bring home the bacon. She faces what every woman in this common situation faces - exhaustion, not enough time to take care of herself, no sex life, anxiety, and a sense of being continuously overwhelmed. She gets through it by leaning on her best friend, Jenny, who seems to have all the answers and a perfect marriage. When Jenny dies of an opioid overdose, Penny's is forced to stop and take stock of her own life as she realizes that she never really knew Jenny at all. Her life wasn't perfect, her marriage was on the rocks, and she was addicted to pain killers. But Penny is fortunate. She has a wonderful husband, Sanjay, who loves her and together they turn things around. This book is a reminder that you're life is slipping by day-by-day and only by facing the truth and being honest with yourself and those you love can you make the changes needed to grow stronger...and be happy. ( )