Go Find Less

Recovering Good Girls #1

by Thea Claire

“If I’m too much, go find less.”

In the bingo card of life, Piper Delmonico did not expect to mark out the squares “widowed” and “sober” before her ten year high school reunion. Pushing 30, designing lingerie for a manager who wouldn’t know silk from satin, and constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop, she finds herself face to face with someone who witnessed, first hand, the very public demise of her good girl reputation. Thrown together a decade later, Piper expects “Marble Man” Fitz Westfall, the golden boy with the stoic face, to be another person telling her she’s too much. But does recently-divorced Fitz, with his head in the sand, really know as much about Piper as he thinks he does? He realizes she may be just what he needs to know that he’s not truly made of stone.

Go Find Less is a first person, dual perspective contemporary romance that highlights the triumph of overcoming grief and loss while creating a new sense of self.

Tropes:
- Grumpy x Sunshine
- Second Chance Romance
- Slow Burn
- Plus Size FMC

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Second Chance, Plus Size, Slow Burn, Forced Proximity

426 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 2, 2024

About the author

Thea Claire is a storyteller at heart. A North Texas native, she loves to write about strong characters creating beautiful lives for themselves and those around them. Thea has been an avid reader and sometimes-writer for more than 15 years, and has worked in a variety of fields as a communications professional. She is a proud mental health advocate, neurodiverse writer, and member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Reviews

[astarion's bhaal babe (wingspan matters)]

I seem to have little to no luck in the contemporary department lately. I've DNFd and disliked more books than I've finished and rated positively.
This looked promising at first but it dragged and was full of secondary characters and interactions between the mcs and said side cast, to the point it became boring.
It had so much potential! And call me petty and picky, but I couldn't stand how FMC (who's apparently Italian?) kept mispronouncing words as simple as Nonna. Nonna is one of the first people Italian kids learn because our grandmas are our first and main heroines!


I've barely reached the 30% mark and yet it seems like this story shouldn't have much to offer anymore, and yet it seems like there are still 300+ pages left???
HOWWW?

[Melany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saw this at the library and decided to give it a go. I'm so glad I did. Honestly, the entire friend group and main characters are so relatable. They all have issues, trauma or things they've experienced in life that make you so comfortable and understand them more. The character development for the two main characters was HUGE from the beginning to end. I loved them both separately and together. I also loved the references of DFW, as I'm from DFW and had no clue the front cover background was part of the Dallas skyline lol Such a wonderful book with wholesome, messy, relatable and loving characters. I want a friend group like Piper has!! Also, it has some smutty scenes for those who feel uncomfortable you can easily skip those bits. Overall, a wonderful read!!

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute book. Piper Delmonico, a sober widow who designs lingerie for a living, gets dragged into planning her high school reunion. In the process she runs into a not exactly friendly face - Fitz Westfall. Due to the nature of the reunion planning, Piper and Fitz end up working closely together, sending flirty texts, and fall in love.

Everything about this book was so perfectly executed. Both characters have their own problems to work through, but they do it together and with the help of their friends and family. Speaking of, the slew of side characters were literally the best. It makes certain scenes so much better when their army of friends are there to back them. I also love that there was no third act breakup or miscommunication trope. And the epilogue wasn't on them being married and having a baby - that gets old.

Seriously enjoyed every part of this book and the entire cast. Can't wait to see what is next!

[CiCi | bookameme · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Beautiful And Heartfelt Story


Quote:📖
I was too busy pretending I didn’t care about anyone else to actually care about anyone else.


Thoughts: 💡
This book pulled on my heart strings and you could see the way the author pulled on their personal experiences to create the vivid imagery and piece together procise information on difficult topics. I really loved this story.

Writing Mechanics: ✍️
This is a well written and edited, engaging story that pulls on your heart strings. The characters are lovable and fun to read with heartbreaking backstories. The MCs in particular are both taking a second chance on love even though they’re pposites in many ways. The author does a wonderful job explaining their conflicting personalities and philosophies, while leaving room for them to groaw and explore the way that they fit together.

Fun Bits:
⚜️ Grumpy x Sunshine
⚜️ Single Parent
⚜️ Second Chance Romance
⚜️ Sibling’s Best Friend
⚜️ Slow Burn
⚜️ Enemies to Lovers
⚜️ Forced Proximity
⚜️ One Night Stand
⚜️ Accidental Marriage
⚜️ BIPOC MMCs/FMCs
⚜️ LGBTQ+ Representation
⚜️ Interabled couples
⚜️ Neurodiverse characters
⚜️ Characters in recovery from addiction
⚜️ Diverse economic and family backgrounds


Full Content Warning:⚠️
spouse/partner dying, death on scene (medical, no blood), terminal illness, hospital/medical setting (brief), cheating (not perpetrated by MCs), emotional and mental abuse, paternity questions/challenges, panic attacks, brief mention of sa, homophobia, toxic family members, body dysmorphia

Stats:📊
Spice Scale: 4 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/ 5
Character Dev: 5 💙💙💙💙💙/5
Genre: Contemporary Romance 📕
Tropes: Grumpy x Sunshine, Second Chance Romance, Slow Burn, Plus Size FMC 📘
POV: Dual 👩‍❤️‍👨
CW: Death, Loss, Abuse (including sa), Homophobia (bad guys), mental illness⚠️

[Yves V.H. [Slow reading]]

No rating because I didn't get to 30% of the book before I DNF-ed it. I left around 23%. I have no problem with the book, I just realized it wasn't for me. I'm not a fan of a widow/divorce finds new love trope which I'm gonna be honest, I didn't know when I signed up for the ARC. (I honestly don't know how I missed that when it was included in the blurb. My fault.)

But I recommend it because I do like the style and I really do think the story has a potential. Also not a fan of multiple flashbacks and I am only just 23% into the book (so yeah, a lot. Who knows how many more flashbacks to come in the future chapters)

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was like a warm hug!
Never in my life have I felt so comforted and cosy by a romance. This book was the least triggering thing ever! It genuinely felt like a realistic healthy relationship between two main characters who have past traumas and they acknowledge it and grow together slowly. This isn’t a romance where they immediately love each other and I wouldn’t call it a slow burn (arguably it is) as it feels less slow burn and more realistic in a sense they’re taking it slow and don’t just jump into a relationship. I am absolutely obsessed and read this slowly to fully enjoy the book but it was constantly on my mind bringing me joy just thinking about Piper and Fitz. The found family was amazing! I genuinely cannot put into words the experience that was this book, Thea has done an amazing job and I can’t recommend this book enough!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good. The characters all have such relatable characteristics that I couldn't help but fall in love with them while I was reading. Piper was such a spitfire of a character, and although she has been through hell, she remains strong and fierce. After the very traumatic loss of her marriage, she ends up planning her high school reunion. I really appreciated all of the flashbacks to high school throughout the book, because like many of us, high school wasn't exactly kind to her, and those experiences helped shape who she became as an adult. Piper's ability to constantly grow and evolve, despite everything, only endeared me to her that much more.

The romance between Piper and Fitz was absolutely perfect. They are so cute, but unlike a lot of romance books, it felt so realistic. And the spice? Y'all ain't ready.

This being a debut novel is so unreal, because it really is just that good. And I for one can't wait to see what Thea does next.

[Linda McCutcheon · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We often delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit to the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty."

Go Find Less, Recovering Good Girls (Book One), by insightful romance author Thea Claire begins with Piper having gone through changes that have left her a widow and finally sober.

Just trying to make it through each day the last thing she needs is being dragged into helping with her 10 year high school reunion. That is until she sees him, Fitz, at the reunion meeting. The popular boy who witnessed and did nothing during her most humiliating moment not just in school but in life. What she doesn't know is he now has his own humiliation after a bitter divorce with a cheating wife...who cheated with his best friend.

In this first person dual POV the writer takes us through the pain both Piper and Fitz have survived; and that's the key, they survived it. Now they need to trust themselves and each other to start living again. There are no easy answers and this writer doesn't take any easy paths. Just like in life sometimes the "broken road" can lead to exactly where you should be now.

My favorite moment is when Piper gets to have her say to the people who mistakenly thought they could verbally and emotionally abuse her. Neither her or Fitz are perfect. Alone they tore my heart apart but as they gave in to their feelings and brought the swoony steam their hearts, and mine, started to mend and by the end I was bursting with joy.

I dare you not to feel pride when Piper realizes if anyone finds her to be too much, with her voice, her thoughts, her weight, her clothes well, they can just Go Find Less in someone else.

I received a free copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Lark _thebookchamber · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful story that was emotional and heart warming at the same time. I loved Piper and Finn. I loved their history, even if it wasn’t so pleasant years ago, because you were able to see them grow and forgive as they worked on their relationship. I loved the strong support system Piper had around her. She had been through so much and I just loved that they never strayed away and made sure to be there for her throughout all of her struggles. This was very cute and sweet, it made you feel for the characters because of what they were dealing with. It had me hooked while I was reading, although it was a little long for me (that’s a me thing). There were a lot of names to remember and a lot going on at times… But I know all of the information was needed to tell Piper and Finn’s story so it was appreciated. Overall, I really enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more from this author! 💗

[Samantha Simon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this book felt like having a stroke
- in the event that anyone was wondering, the author spelled “periphery” like “periferie”
- the amount of incorrect homonyms in this book was genuinely impressive
- how did the author manage to spell somersault two different ways on the same page??
- there were so many irrelevant side characters I stopped trying to keep track of who was who
- this book easily could’ve been 100 pages shorter (and I wish it were)
- SPELL CHECK!! MY KINGDOM FOR A SPELL CHECK

[Jenn C · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really should have DNFd and I just kept reading, hoping it would get better. I won't make that mistake again.

I wanted to love this because I'm all for a reformed "good girl" finding boundaries and putting herself first. There were moments where Piper did do that and it was great. Sadly, she was about the only character with any boundaries whatsoever. This really missed the mark for me & here are some reasons why:

- The cast of characters was extensive, the connections were elaborate and detailed to the point of complete confusion. It felt like a world where she was tying in characters from previous plots... but this is book 1. It was overwhelming and distracting.

- the friend group - while yes they were supposed to be this amazing support and found family, a lot of the behaviors were intrusive, co-dependent, and incredibly immature

- when there was mention of intimacy or innuendo in front of friends/family, the default response was gagging/puking motions/"ew" and other immature reactions. In a semi spicy romance? It was so off-putting.

- the details and drama were over the top & really took away from the story

[Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book on Instagram .. the author created the most perfect and simple reel about her FMC & MMC and I was intrigued. As a first time author, I wasn't sure what I'd get! And let me tell you-- I am never not amazed at the talent ever waiting to be "found."

The only struggle I had was the editing/formatting of the dialogue. It didn't seem to be spaced properly with detailed tags of who was saying what and, especially toward the last half of the book, I had to reread too many sections to figure out who was saying what. It was a little jarring but I was able to get the gist of it.

That being said, the writing was brilliant. The characters were built with so much foundation and depth; they each had a clear story that was absolutely beautiful. The spice was yummy and I stayed up way too late for too many nights in a row to finish this book. I could barely put it down!!!

[Sam I AMNreader]

Characters just skydiving in with no backstory. Inconsistent backstory overall. Lack of structure, just a bunch of mess. Tries to do easy too much so it's all not enough.

In a couple of words, I would like to Go Find Less.

[Katie Killian · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an advance copy of this book from the author is exchange for my honest opinion*

This book was so good!

I knew the general storyline going into the book - FMC is recovering from the death of her husband and the alcohol addiction that loss brought on and meets a new man - but I wasn’t prepared for the emotions and feelings the story was about to bring on.

I adored the relationship between Piper and Fitz. I loved the realistic spicy scenes. I admit to being a bit jealous of the friendships that Piper has with her girlfriends.

I did get a tad lost with all the characters and kept getting confused about who was who and who was married to/in a relationship with whom and how they all knew each other, but I blame that more on my ADHD than the writing.

Definitely read this if you love
🖤 Grumpy X Sunshine
🖤 Second Chance Romance
🖤 Enemies to Lovers
🖤 Slow Burn
🖤 Neurodiverse characters
🖤 LGBTQIA+ Representation
🖤 Characters in recovery from addiction

Please also pay attention to content warnings 🩷

[Anna Nenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dual style narration 5/5 🎧audio available on several platforms and I picked this up only because I saw James Cassidy was the male narrator🫣
Story is 3/5 ⭐️
Spice 2,75/5 🌶️
I had high hopes for this one and although I am wary about “second chance romance (this technically isn’t quite it) I wanted to give it a go!
There were several flashbacks throughout the story some of them depicting previous relationships of both main characters… but what soured the experience for me, was the “present day” scene in chapter 5 (at about 50 minutes into audio at 1,6 speed) where MMC (we know he has reunited with FMC and had a crush and is still thinking about FMC) has a very descriptive smex with OW (a side character in the book) in his office - with all the grunting on both sides and what not… 🤦🏻‍♀️😵‍💫at that point I was like nope… but still pushed through to almost 50%! The story is way too long for what it is, and definitely could have gone without so many of the scenes and side stories…

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Go find less

♡Go find less is book 1 in the Recovering Good Girls Series. It is a beautifully written first person POV romance.
♡This book takes us through the past and present struggles of Piper and Fitz. This is a story of soul-searching and self discovery. Realizing your worth and finding the strength to live your best, happy life. All of the characters in this book are incredibly relatable and their stories tugged at my heart.
♡Both Piper and Fitz work together and with the help of their family and friends to overcome emotional and mental hurdles. Their thoughtful communication, banter and inner self talk brings layers of emotion and humor to the story. They cautiously find a way to take a second chance at love. The spice is pure perfection.
♡The incredible writing in this story shines a light on positive ways to recognize, cope with, and process mental health issues.
♡Go Find Less is heartbreaking, heartwarming and gives all the beautiful feels in between. Definitely recommend for any lover of contemporary romance.

“𝓘𝓯 𝓘'𝓶 𝓽𝓸𝓸 𝓶𝓾𝓬𝓱, 𝓰𝓸 𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓭 𝓵𝓮𝓼𝓼.”
(𝓂𝓎 𝓃ℯ𝓌 𝓂𝒶𝓃𝓉𝓇𝒶)

[Allie.onlybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it!

I absolutely loved this book! The humour, the feels, the drama!!! I can’t wait to read what’s next for the group! The fmc in this book was amazing, seeing her growth and confidence in who she is as a person was perfection. The spice was balanced with the plot what a great read!!!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Redemption

What an amazing story of redemption and healing. Alone and together. A love story so beautifully laid out with endearing characters and fun pets.

[Nautica · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 Stars Overall - - - - 5/5 Spiciness

This book is so amazingly diverse & authentic and I am so f**king here for it!! That being said, if you are looking for a book to hide from the real world in, this is probably not the one for you. The characters lives, relationships, and they themselves are not perfect, just like real life. Instead of a different world, this book feels like something that could actually happen in our world, which is not something I normally read but love so very much. I was still kicking my legs & giggling at moments and crying at others. This book had me feeling all the feelings.

This book includes a lot of characters with lots of different backgrounds . The names , relationships, and backgrounds of everyone are kind of hard to keep track of. I think I'm going to draw myself a little cheat sheet/family tree so it's not an issue:)

[Brandy Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Piper was hilarious and wild. And Fitz is our stoic quiet man, who is slowly learning to show his feelings.

[ChaoticKT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: Read this as an advanced copy; my opinions are my own.

This book has some firecracker characters, with tons of personality and relatability. I love how the book includes the whole spectrum of emotions in it. I think this element is where the author really shines.

The story talks about life in a very frank way, delving into loss and the way that impacts your life in very real and sometimes unexpected ways. But the story also broaches new beginnings, finding yourself AND someone to love, all while tackling the very real parts of life that aren’t necessarily Hallmark moments.

The story has so many poignant moments, but they’re carefully crafted around comedic relief, leg-kickies inducing romance (IFYKYK), and heartwarming moments of found family and support. I have wanted to laugh and cry with Piper, hug and slap Fitz, and generally shake them both several times—which is exactly what I want out of my characters! I want them to feel real and these definitely do that job beautifully.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a great romcom with a strong female lead and a man who knows when a DAMN good thing is standing right in front of him. Come for the romance, stay for the backstory—and find out why we can all stand to be a little more like Piper.

[Tori Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all. Thank you Thea Claire for trusting me with your book early. You killed it.

I was not adequately prepared for the emotions I would feel in this book. I know this story will help anyone who has felt any loss, trauma, or bullying, feel seen, heard, and like they are not alone. The heaviness is balanced out with some of the brightest moments. The characters are so visceral. 

Anyone who doesn't feel while reading Piper's story is dead or just not human. Readers will weep, laugh, and cheer with Piper and the gang.

Claire masterfully told this story and made a genre I typically don't like or gravitate to, come to life. She rocked this, and it's only up from here. 

[Hannah: my_traveling_bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so excited for the release of this book! It sounds absolutely fantastic and I can’t wait to get my hands on it!

[☆Laura☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.8⭐️


La primera mitad no me gustó ya que tanto Piper como Fitz no me caían bien, pero mejoró en la segunda mitad.

La historia no daba para seiscientas y algo páginas, hay mucho relleno, muchas escenas sexules. A veces menos es más.


¿Esto se puede considerar instalove?. Los dos se conocen desde chicos, pero nunca fueron amigos, se vuelven a ver años después e inmediatamente sienten atracción, lo cual no tiene sentido porque antes de que se vieran, Piper dejó en claro que seguía recordando como Fitz era el mejor amigo de su bully, que vio como la insultaba, como la acosaba y como la aventó por las escalera, y jamás dijo o hizo algo para ayudarla, simplemente vio y se quedó callado.


Hay demasiado personajes y la mayoría no aportan nada, por un momento pense que habia otra serie entrelazada con esta y por eso el que aparecieran tantas personas.También hay escenas que son innecesarias, por ejemplo, cuando Fitz está teniendo sexo en su oficina con Savannah, pensé que Savannah traería problemas o algo, pero después de esa escena sólo aparece otras 2 veces, de las cuales sólo habla en una y son como 3 oraciones.

Algo que no entendí es como todos odiaban a la familia de Mickey, pero a él le perdonaron todo porque murió de cáncer ¿?, que haya muerto no lo vuelve un santo y borra todo lo horrible que le hizo a Piper.

Cuando la madrastra de Fitz cuenta que fue la mejor amiga de la mamá, me sorprendió lo bien que Fitz tomó la noticia. Yo no podría. Siempre he dicho que la única manera para aceptar que el viudo reahaga su vida con la hermana o amiga de la esposa es porque la muerta era mala persona o no se amaban, pero aquí, el padre amaba a la esposa y según también la mejor amiga, entonces, no me cabe en la cabeza como le pudieron hacer eso a la mamá de Fitz. Si mi esposo y mejor amiga hicieran eso, regresaría como fantasma y no los dejaría ser feliz 😄 🤷‍♀️.

[the aesthete nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Go Find Less | Thea Claire | ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 | 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I have taken ages to be comfortable in my own skin, love my shape and size and look at the mirror and find someone beautiful staring back.
I am a people pleaser by nature and though I have learnt to stand up to people who trample over me, I still find it difficult to handle confrontations.
I always had the tag of a "good girl" growing up and I still am a recovering good girl.

I am grappling with grief and loss. Yet I am trying to pursue my passion and make more out of life.
Ohh.. And I love dogs.

So, if you read Go Find Less, our fiesty FMC Piper, is basically me, other than the lingerie designer part.

Full of pop culture references, bookstagram lingo and heartfelt, tender, sensuous and hilarious writing, Thea Claire's 641-page mammoth is no less than an exhilarating roller coaster.

It's a dual POV narrative with very distinct voices. What amazed me is how beautifully Claire has captured both the female and the male perspectives and how authentic they both sound.

You will laugh, you will cry, you will experience the best of open door romance, you will get angry, and if you aren't single, you will feel utterly guilty for falling for Fitz, our MMC, in a heartbeat.
The hardworking, guarded, heart of gold, corporate mogul with the looks of a Greek God, Fitz is every woman's dream come true.

Having said that, what works for me is that the characters are flawed, they feel real, and extremely relatable. Their romance is not all rosy and perfect, they haven't really got it all together. They are you, me and everyone whose lives have ever been messy, whose dreams and hearts have been shattered and who have picked up the pieces slowly but carefully, to march on in life.

GFL is way more than your regular, steamy contemporary romance. It's about family dynamics, grief, self-actualisation, social stigma and above all it's about Hope.

GFL is about life, it's about love, about being unapologetically you and embracing happiness without guilt or fear.

GFL is an ultimate love letter from Thea Claire to all of womenhood, who have dared to love again.

[confusedbugs · Rating 5 out of 5]

↳-summary-༉‧₊˚✧

After an awful high school experience, followed by an even worse decade, the last place Piper expects to find herself is here... A widowed, recovering alcoholic who has just been roped into planning her high school reunion along side Marble Man Fitz... her high school bully's best friend.

↳-Piper-༉‧₊˚✧

The amount of love I have for Piper is bordering on unhealthy. She is a plus sized curly girl who has (frankly) been through hell. We see the old Piper in flashbacks, and see the growth, self acceptance and self love that has created present day Piper. Honestly, the amount of healing this girl has done is admirable.

↳-Fitz-༉‧₊˚✧

Fitz shows us that a lack of inaction is just as bad as negative action. He stood by as his best friend bullied Piper and did almost nothing to stop him. However, Fitz is the epitome of brilliant character development and I love him (and Thea Claire) for it. In this book he transforms from your typical stoic and moody MMC into a open and vulnerable man. He too, like Piper, had so much healing and self acceptance to complete within this book and he truly is an inspiration.

↳-other characters -༉‧₊˚✧

The other characters within this book are so well written. They are so fleshed out that they feel like main characters. I love it.

↳-review-༉‧₊˚✧

Okay, any book that makes me cry is instantly a winner. However, this one is just different? The mental health representation, the lessons in self-acceptance, growth and confidence, along with the processing of loss were so beautiful. I haven't stopped thinking about this book since I finished it, and tbh, I don't want to.

↳-notes i made-༉‧₊˚✧
✧ if they don't hook up ASAP !!
✧ the ball?? dream wedding theme.. omw to pinterest
✧ Piper and Mickey's family???? queen shit.

[Tiffany W · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Piper Delmonico, who has been through a lot the last few years, she is now sober, a widow and works for AllHeart under a boss that thinks she to dramatic with her designs.

Her friend convinces her to help out planning her high school reunion. High school wasn’t exactly fun for Piper because of Andy, so imagine her surprise when she has to work with Fitz Westfall, one of Andy’s friends who watched him torment her all those years ago.

Fitz also had a hard year, dealing with his wife cheating on his with one of his best friends, which leads to his own divorce.

The chemistry between Piper and Fitz was instant in my opinion, they bonded over horror movies( I would never lol), I also enjoyed they back and forth text conversations.

While they are getting into know each other all over again and both working though their own insecurities, they end up realizing their feelings for each other.

Ok now while I liked a lot about this book, and I do recommend you reading it.. There are a few things I didn’t like.. it’s a lot of characters, like A LOT.. between the present and the time jumps it become really confusing. Secondly, I feel like it was maybe 50-75 pages too long. Lastly, I know this might be an unpopular opinion but Alex gave a weird energy to me, like it gave off friend that’s used to being center of attention, but now Piper is having her moment she can’t handle it, but hides it by acting protective. That’s a very real thing between girls and I hate that for us.

[Kady M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book by Thea Claire and oh. my. goodness. This book made me feel all the feels.

Piper, a recent widow and recovering alcoholic, has been roped into helping coordinate her high school reunion which she didn't even plan to attend in the first place. Piper's high school experience was no less than traumatic and unfortunately, traumatic experiences carried over into her adult life- her marriage with her unfaithful husband Mickey, who passed away after a battle with cancer; Piper was the one who took care of him until the very end. She has no desire to dive back into communication with these people from her past. Especially Fitz Westfall, who was one of the people who stood by and watched she and her friends get treated terribly by his best friend, Andy.

Fitz, recently divorced, has no idea who Piper Delmonico has become and what she has been through since they last saw each other. As they are forced into spending more time together with the reunion, they begin to learn things about each other and open up doors to express feelings that probably would have otherwise, remained buried.

This book was wonderfully written. The characters each had their own issues they were dealing with, but they weren't dealing alone. Piper's people and Fitz's people all came together, and they were basically their own family by the end of this story; each supporting each other even if initially, they had no intentions of doing anything more than just working together to get through the reunion.

I absolutely CANNOT wait for book # 2 in the recovering good girls series. I want to get back to these characters!

[Shannan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Go Find Less was truly an experience unlike any I’ve had on my reading journey. I expected romance, what I didn’t expect were heart wrenching feels almost immediately followed by guttural laughing as I went on this journey with Piper, Fitz and quite literally ALL their friends.

Every named character was so well developed and different facets of their personalities were displayed up front so you knew exactly what you were getting with them. At first, it was admittedly hard to keep everyone straight, but as I read on, I figured out which friends belonged to who.

Fitz and Piper went to high school together and now are tasked with different aspects of planning their high school reunion. Since they’d last seen each other, they both have experienced some curveballs (some incredibly major) that have changed both of them.

Fitz “Marble Man” is our lovable grump, which meant I immediately fell for him, once he realized how much of a jerk he was in high school.

Piper… Piper Piper Piper. Girl has been dealt an absolute trash hand and through it all, has come out on top. She’s so incredibly relatable I think to any reader, and I hope they see themselves in her and that if they’re too much… others can go find less. I can’t wait to see where this series goes and who else we get to read about!

As a side note, Thea is the absolute best kind of human being to know. One of those humans that you don’t know if you’ll ever get to meet in person (I hope so though!) but you feel so incredibly supported by. She truly is everyone’s hype woman!

[Memorymaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Thea Claire for providing this eARC!

Piper never thought she would be both a widow and a recovering alcoholic when her 10-year high school reunion came up. And when she gets roped in to helping plan the reunion she wasn't even going to, she definitely never saw herself with Fitz, the stoic hottie from high school who stood by while his friend bullied her. But there's more to Fitz than meets the eye and soon they both may find that the other is exactly what they need to bring out the best version of themselves. 

This book made me feel all the emotions. Piper's journey is full of tragedy and heartbreak, resilience and recovery, and general badassery. I could really relate to her feeling like she had to make herself small, or somehow more "palatable", to other people.

Fitz is a heavily flawed MMC that somehow still manages to be endearing. The author has created this "marble man" stone-faced character who also makes you just want to give him a hug (however much he would hate it!). There are so many layers to uncover and I STILL liked him from the get go.

Thea Claire's characters, both main and side, are so well-written, I felt like I was actually hanging out with these people. The sense of found family between them all is riveting and heartwarming. Knowing this is the first in a series, I can't wait to learn more about these characters and their struggles and successes.