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Fine, I'm a Terrible Person
Seventy-three-year-old former beauty Aurora is a perpetually broke, eccentric divorcée living in the wealthy enclave of Marin County. When she discovers her father’s widow has died, she decides to drive to Los Angeles to see whether this means money for her. Aurora’s high-strung daughter, Leyla, spends her days keeping up with the other Marin County uber moms, manically chasing perfection. When she overhears a conversation that leads her to suspect her husband is embarking on an affair, she sneaks into his cannabis business conference to spy on him. Leyla and Aurora's separate quests intersect and enmesh in Los Angeles over the course of a weekend where they both end up staying with cousins, quirky, endearing, Sephardic Jews who speak Ladino, mostly in proverbs and cook prodigious quantities of delicacies from the old country, the island of Rhodes. Hijinks, chaos, and yes, even some healing, ensue.
274 pages, Paperback
Published January 9, 2025
14 people are currently reading
12042 people want to read
About the author
Lisa F. Rosenberg
2 books40 followersAward winning author, Lisa F. Rosenberg has a B.A. from U.C. Berkeley in Art History, a M.A. in Graduate Humanities, and a MFA in Creative writing from Dominican University. Her early professional career was in the blue-chip retail art world as a Gallerist for several prominent San Francisco art dealers including Crown Point Press and John Berggruen Gallery. After transitioning to museum education, she was most recently a public guide at SFMOMA and Museum Educator on staff at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco. Her writing until recently has been in her professional life, primarily non-fiction, essays for exhibition catalogs, art criticism, tours, and public talks. Her fiction has appeared in Amaranth: a journal of food writing, art, and design, and she was recently a quarterfinalist in the Driftwood Press in house short story contest. Her family heritage is Rhodeslis, Ladino speaking Sephardic Jews from the island of Rhodes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
November 25, 2025
(3.75 stars)
Thank you to GetRedPR for the gifted review copy of Fine, I’m A Terrible Person. For the most part, I enjoyed this book, but a lot of it had me shaking my head at the antics.
Leyla is a mom in Marin County, California, trying to keep up with all the other moms in her well-to-do area, especially those at the private school her two sons attend. She's obsessed with diet and exercise (so if those topics are problematic to you, that’s a warning) and has major insomnia. Her mother, Aurora, is in her 70s, is constantly broke, and doesn’t seem to have a clue how to navigate the increasingly (to-her) confusing modern world, with all its tech gadgets, even something as basic as calling someone on a cell phone. (As someone basically her age, this annoyed me.) Aurora (whose actual name is Allegra, but a well-meaning but clueless teacher renamed her Aurora for some reason when she was young) wears bright-colored velour sweatsuits and prides herself on her very long and fancily manicured fingernails - which are so long that they impede her from doing prosaic things like opening car doors and pressing buttons. I just could not relate to her in any way at all.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed this romp of a story. Aurora/Allegra comes from a line of Sephardic Jews from the island of Rhodes, Greece, a community that the N*zis pretty much destroyed. Some of these “Rhodesli” live in and around Los Angeles. Aurora married an Ashkenazi Jew (East European heritage vs. Mediterranean heritage, for those who don’t know this stuff) and wound up in the San Francisco area. Her husband walked out on her years ago, taking their son with them and leaving Aurora with only her daughter, Leyla. Leyla has felt adrift for years, longing for a real family. She loves her husband’s family (she also married an Ashkenazi Jew) and her two sons. Her mom drives her nuts but she can’t resist being at her beck and call, financially and in other ways.
When Aurora gets an early morning phone call from a hospital, informing her that her stepmother (her seventh stepmother, I think it was!) has died and that she’s the next of kin, Aurora decides to head to LA to check things out, in case there's something in it for her - in her 20-year-old junker car. It turns out that Aurora has a ton of family in LA who welcome her, so I couldn’t figure out why she’d kept Leyla away from them all these years. (They’re the ones who still call her Allegra.) Leyla also winds up in LA, because she thinks her husband may be stepping out on her at a cannabis conference there. The scenes at the conference really cracked me up (no spoilers!). I absolutely loved all the Rhodesli relatives and the immense amounts of food they were always serving. I was craving a boureka as I read, salivating at all the food descriptions. And I was happy to see Leyla relax a little over the course of the story and learn how to deal (or actually NOT deal) with her mother.
Along with the paperback, I borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my library and I loved hearing the Ladino words pronounced correctly. Each chapter starts with a Ladino proverb and the characters use a lot of Ladino words throughout the story. (I first learned about Ladino when a Sephardic singer came to our NJ synagogue and later on when I was part of a Jewish concert choir. We sang songs in English, Yiddish, Hebrew and Ladino.)
Note: the cover depicts mother and daughter in a car, but that is a very small part of the book. This is a mother-daughter story but not a mother-daughter road trip story.
Thank you to GetRedPR for the gifted review copy of Fine, I’m A Terrible Person. For the most part, I enjoyed this book, but a lot of it had me shaking my head at the antics.
Leyla is a mom in Marin County, California, trying to keep up with all the other moms in her well-to-do area, especially those at the private school her two sons attend. She's obsessed with diet and exercise (so if those topics are problematic to you, that’s a warning) and has major insomnia. Her mother, Aurora, is in her 70s, is constantly broke, and doesn’t seem to have a clue how to navigate the increasingly (to-her) confusing modern world, with all its tech gadgets, even something as basic as calling someone on a cell phone. (As someone basically her age, this annoyed me.) Aurora (whose actual name is Allegra, but a well-meaning but clueless teacher renamed her Aurora for some reason when she was young) wears bright-colored velour sweatsuits and prides herself on her very long and fancily manicured fingernails - which are so long that they impede her from doing prosaic things like opening car doors and pressing buttons. I just could not relate to her in any way at all.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed this romp of a story. Aurora/Allegra comes from a line of Sephardic Jews from the island of Rhodes, Greece, a community that the N*zis pretty much destroyed. Some of these “Rhodesli” live in and around Los Angeles. Aurora married an Ashkenazi Jew (East European heritage vs. Mediterranean heritage, for those who don’t know this stuff) and wound up in the San Francisco area. Her husband walked out on her years ago, taking their son with them and leaving Aurora with only her daughter, Leyla. Leyla has felt adrift for years, longing for a real family. She loves her husband’s family (she also married an Ashkenazi Jew) and her two sons. Her mom drives her nuts but she can’t resist being at her beck and call, financially and in other ways.
When Aurora gets an early morning phone call from a hospital, informing her that her stepmother (her seventh stepmother, I think it was!) has died and that she’s the next of kin, Aurora decides to head to LA to check things out, in case there's something in it for her - in her 20-year-old junker car. It turns out that Aurora has a ton of family in LA who welcome her, so I couldn’t figure out why she’d kept Leyla away from them all these years. (They’re the ones who still call her Allegra.) Leyla also winds up in LA, because she thinks her husband may be stepping out on her at a cannabis conference there. The scenes at the conference really cracked me up (no spoilers!). I absolutely loved all the Rhodesli relatives and the immense amounts of food they were always serving. I was craving a boureka as I read, salivating at all the food descriptions. And I was happy to see Leyla relax a little over the course of the story and learn how to deal (or actually NOT deal) with her mother.
Along with the paperback, I borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my library and I loved hearing the Ladino words pronounced correctly. Each chapter starts with a Ladino proverb and the characters use a lot of Ladino words throughout the story. (I first learned about Ladino when a Sephardic singer came to our NJ synagogue and later on when I was part of a Jewish concert choir. We sang songs in English, Yiddish, Hebrew and Ladino.)
Note: the cover depicts mother and daughter in a car, but that is a very small part of the book. This is a mother-daughter story but not a mother-daughter road trip story.
October 16, 2025
Have you ever had a day where you want to overreact, act out on your most insane impulses and maybe even harness your inner toddler and throw a tantrum.
Yes, we've all been there right? Well this book is culmination of two women (mother/daughter) living out a day or two just like that.
Leyla, who is fueled by her drive to keep up with other PTO moms believes her husband might be heading to cannabis convention in LA to have an affair. That's a lot to unpack right?
Well, then there's her mother...eccentric, formerly known for her beauty and now just another broke divorcee- she hears that her ex husbands LAST widow has passed (there's SEVEN) and wonders "is there anything in it for me?"
And so these two slightly unhinged women proceed to head to LA and find their side quests overlap some. It's a pretty wild tale and there are plenty of silly, almost zany moments to giggle over, but there is smidge of confusion at times. I'd say this is most likely due to neither character's reliability. But they are funny and I did have to laugh many times.
Thank you to GetReadPR for a copy and the chance to read and review!
Yes, we've all been there right? Well this book is culmination of two women (mother/daughter) living out a day or two just like that.
Leyla, who is fueled by her drive to keep up with other PTO moms believes her husband might be heading to cannabis convention in LA to have an affair. That's a lot to unpack right?
Well, then there's her mother...eccentric, formerly known for her beauty and now just another broke divorcee- she hears that her ex husbands LAST widow has passed (there's SEVEN) and wonders "is there anything in it for me?"
And so these two slightly unhinged women proceed to head to LA and find their side quests overlap some. It's a pretty wild tale and there are plenty of silly, almost zany moments to giggle over, but there is smidge of confusion at times. I'd say this is most likely due to neither character's reliability. But they are funny and I did have to laugh many times.
Thank you to GetReadPR for a copy and the chance to read and review!
November 29, 2025
Thank you Get Red PR for this copy of Fine, I'm a Terrible Person by Lisa F. Rosenberg.
This is Lisa Rosenberg's debut novel and my first look into the lives and history of the Rhodesli. From the author, "Rhodesli is a Rhodian Jew, or Sephardi Jew from Rhodes." I also learned of the language of our main Rhodesli characters is Ladino. Ladino is Judeo-Spanish and a mix of French, Italian, Greek, Turkish, Hebrew, and Castellano. It's always interesting to me when learning or hearing other languages as a mix of something else or that it is almost a slang style of a main language.
Leyla and Aurora are a daughter-mom duo with a complicated history and present. Meeting both on how they navigate their relationships with each other, their families, and with theirselves is a roller coaster of emotions and what the hells.
As a woman from a southern and strong faith family, I understood Leyla's need to please, to control the present, and guilt she felt if she didn't help or listen to the needs of Aurora. While it took me until Leyla's buddy buzz (lol) to feel something toward her, in the end she was a relatable character with a sad, traumatic past just trying to make hers and her families future full of love, trust, and complete 360 from how she was raised.
Aurora, on the other hand, was a hot mess of woman. The title of mother never truly applied to Aurora or the relationships she pretended to have with her children. I enjoyed the history of her family and of the Ladino speaking Rhodesli she presented in her chapters, but she was a tough one to tolerate.
The utmost theme in this book is family. Rosenberg made sure familial past and present shown through this book and she did a beautiful job. I love that a good portion centered around cultural foods and language. I have already looked up the different foods mentioned and whether or not I can make them myself or if I can find any local restaurants/delis that have them. Though I would love if I could find an Estrella or other aunties that cook with passion and love I miss from back home.
Happy Jewish Book Month (Nov 13th-Dec13th) and thank you again to Get Red PR for introducing me to this story and history if it's people. I appreciate Lisa Rosenberg for the Ladino phrases and words. They are beautiful to listen too, and thank you for their interpretations. 3.5⭐️
This is Lisa Rosenberg's debut novel and my first look into the lives and history of the Rhodesli. From the author, "Rhodesli is a Rhodian Jew, or Sephardi Jew from Rhodes." I also learned of the language of our main Rhodesli characters is Ladino. Ladino is Judeo-Spanish and a mix of French, Italian, Greek, Turkish, Hebrew, and Castellano. It's always interesting to me when learning or hearing other languages as a mix of something else or that it is almost a slang style of a main language.
Leyla and Aurora are a daughter-mom duo with a complicated history and present. Meeting both on how they navigate their relationships with each other, their families, and with theirselves is a roller coaster of emotions and what the hells.
As a woman from a southern and strong faith family, I understood Leyla's need to please, to control the present, and guilt she felt if she didn't help or listen to the needs of Aurora. While it took me until Leyla's buddy buzz (lol) to feel something toward her, in the end she was a relatable character with a sad, traumatic past just trying to make hers and her families future full of love, trust, and complete 360 from how she was raised.
Aurora, on the other hand, was a hot mess of woman. The title of mother never truly applied to Aurora or the relationships she pretended to have with her children. I enjoyed the history of her family and of the Ladino speaking Rhodesli she presented in her chapters, but she was a tough one to tolerate.
The utmost theme in this book is family. Rosenberg made sure familial past and present shown through this book and she did a beautiful job. I love that a good portion centered around cultural foods and language. I have already looked up the different foods mentioned and whether or not I can make them myself or if I can find any local restaurants/delis that have them. Though I would love if I could find an Estrella or other aunties that cook with passion and love I miss from back home.
Happy Jewish Book Month (Nov 13th-Dec13th) and thank you again to Get Red PR for introducing me to this story and history if it's people. I appreciate Lisa Rosenberg for the Ladino phrases and words. They are beautiful to listen too, and thank you for their interpretations. 3.5⭐️
November 14, 2025
A Warm, Witty, and Wonderfully Chaotic Mother–Daughter Adventure
This novel is a delightfully eccentric, big-hearted story about two women—mother and daughter—on separate quests that hilariously collide in Los Angeles. Aurora, a 73-year-old former beauty with a flair for drama and a chronic shortage of cash, sets off to investigate whether her late father’s widow has left her an inheritance. Meanwhile her daughter, Leyla, the anxious queen of Marin County perfectionism, spirals into suspicion and jealousy when she overhears a conversation suggesting her husband may be cheating. Her solution? Crash his cannabis business conference and spy on him, of course.
What unfolds is a weekend of mishaps, misunderstandings, and tender revelations as both women end up staying with a colorful cast of Sephardic cousins—quirky, warm, endlessly entertaining relatives who speak Ladino in proverbs and feed everyone like it’s a competitive sport. Their home becomes the backdrop for chaos, comedy, and unexpected clarity.
At its heart, the book is a sharp but loving look at aging, identity, family expectations, and the strange ways parents and adult children orbit each other. It balances humor with heart, giving even the most absurd scenarios an emotional resonance. The richly drawn cultural details—especially the Rhodes-inspired cuisine and Ladino sayings—add warmth and charm to every scene.
A lively, heartfelt, and utterly enjoyable read, this story proves that healing can come from the most unexpected detours—and that sometimes disaster is exactly what a family needs to find its way back to each other.
This novel is a delightfully eccentric, big-hearted story about two women—mother and daughter—on separate quests that hilariously collide in Los Angeles. Aurora, a 73-year-old former beauty with a flair for drama and a chronic shortage of cash, sets off to investigate whether her late father’s widow has left her an inheritance. Meanwhile her daughter, Leyla, the anxious queen of Marin County perfectionism, spirals into suspicion and jealousy when she overhears a conversation suggesting her husband may be cheating. Her solution? Crash his cannabis business conference and spy on him, of course.
What unfolds is a weekend of mishaps, misunderstandings, and tender revelations as both women end up staying with a colorful cast of Sephardic cousins—quirky, warm, endlessly entertaining relatives who speak Ladino in proverbs and feed everyone like it’s a competitive sport. Their home becomes the backdrop for chaos, comedy, and unexpected clarity.
At its heart, the book is a sharp but loving look at aging, identity, family expectations, and the strange ways parents and adult children orbit each other. It balances humor with heart, giving even the most absurd scenarios an emotional resonance. The richly drawn cultural details—especially the Rhodes-inspired cuisine and Ladino sayings—add warmth and charm to every scene.
A lively, heartfelt, and utterly enjoyable read, this story proves that healing can come from the most unexpected detours—and that sometimes disaster is exactly what a family needs to find its way back to each other.
November 21, 2025
"Fine, I'm a Terrible Person" by Lisa Rosenberg is a truly special novel that resonated with me on so many levels. I absolutely loved how a story rooted in what seems like an ordinary family experience can reach so profoundly into the heart.First off, I was enthralled by the use of the Ladino dialect. I never even knew it existed, and as a Mexican reader, I found it deeply enjoyable and eye-opening to connect with the characters through language. It created a bridge that allowed me to engage with the story in such a personal way.As I read, I found myself pausing often; reflecting on my own family, on past interactions, and on the ghosts of loved ones who shaped who I am today. This novel is not just a window into Sephardic Jewish culture; it’s a mirror that gently encourages readers to look inward.Lisa Rosenberg has crafted something far beyond a family saga, it’s an evocative, tender meditation on memory, identity, and the quiet ties that hold us together. Such an amazing read!
November 17, 2025
This book is chaotic, hilarious, and a little unhinged in the best way. It kicks off with mother-daughter drama already boiling, and before you know it you’re dragged into a whirlwind of secrets, inheritance mess, identity spirals, and emotional cleanup that absolutely nobody is prepared for.
Here’s what you’re getting into:
💥 Messy family dynamics that feel uncomfortably real
😂 Sharp humor + satirical suburban drama
💔 Generational guilt, identity, and mother-daughter heartbreak
🌍 Beautiful cultural layers woven into all the chaos
⚠️ Plot jumps around a bit, but the emotional payoff still lands
Overall? It’s quirky, heartfelt, and packed with “oh no they didn’t” moments.
I enjoyed it — even with the uneven pacing — and 4 stars feels right for a story that’s messy, meaningful, and unexpectedly tender.
Here’s what you’re getting into:
💥 Messy family dynamics that feel uncomfortably real
😂 Sharp humor + satirical suburban drama
💔 Generational guilt, identity, and mother-daughter heartbreak
🌍 Beautiful cultural layers woven into all the chaos
⚠️ Plot jumps around a bit, but the emotional payoff still lands
Overall? It’s quirky, heartfelt, and packed with “oh no they didn’t” moments.
I enjoyed it — even with the uneven pacing — and 4 stars feels right for a story that’s messy, meaningful, and unexpectedly tender.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2025
First of all, I want to thank gettedpr and the publishers for allowing me to receive a physical copy of this book.
The cover attracted me right away, but at the same time it’s a little misleading. I thought that the mother and daughter were going to take a road trip but that’s not what happens.
There were lots of funny parts in the story, but there were also some annoying parts. I liked the cultural aspect and learning new things for example Ladino, which I never even knew was a thing that existed.
I felt like there was too much going on, first Layla’s father dies, but then that’s that, then aurora(Layla’s mom) her stepmother passes, who apparently is a hoarder in LA.
Layla has tried to be the perfect wife and mom to the point where now she’s just dealing with so much anxiety and she’s having sleeping problems, on top of everything she suspects her husband is cheating.
I was invested in the whole cheating situation thinking something good was gonna happen, but in the end, it was just a false alarm.
I was also a bit annoyed by Aurora’s character because she seemed selfish and a bit annoying and entitled.
If this would’ve not been an ARC, I would’ve honestly DNF this book.
I do recommend it because not every book is for everyone and you might like it but for me it just wasn’t it.
The cover attracted me right away, but at the same time it’s a little misleading. I thought that the mother and daughter were going to take a road trip but that’s not what happens.
There were lots of funny parts in the story, but there were also some annoying parts. I liked the cultural aspect and learning new things for example Ladino, which I never even knew was a thing that existed.
I felt like there was too much going on, first Layla’s father dies, but then that’s that, then aurora(Layla’s mom) her stepmother passes, who apparently is a hoarder in LA.
Layla has tried to be the perfect wife and mom to the point where now she’s just dealing with so much anxiety and she’s having sleeping problems, on top of everything she suspects her husband is cheating.
I was invested in the whole cheating situation thinking something good was gonna happen, but in the end, it was just a false alarm.
I was also a bit annoyed by Aurora’s character because she seemed selfish and a bit annoying and entitled.
If this would’ve not been an ARC, I would’ve honestly DNF this book.
I do recommend it because not every book is for everyone and you might like it but for me it just wasn’t it.
June 30, 2025
I can’t remember the last time it took me this long to read a book… this was so boring I’m still very confused what the plot even was?? I read this with my mom bc it was suggested as a good mother/daughter read but it’s really just a narcissistic mom and a daughter who can’t set boundaries
July 18, 2025
Thank you to the author, publisher and FB group Jews Love To Read.
I love humorous Jewish fiction; plus the title had me laughing already. When I read the plot, I said this one is going to be a good one plus the main character was an "older" woman of 73 Aurora and her daughter Leyla, 43, who is just as funny as she is with her quirks and perfectionism. Aurora was one of a kind too. Mother/daughter relationships. You gotta love them!
I was a bit confused at first since Leyla read on Facebook (she's a creeper on there, not a poster, etc.) where her cousin Sam posted that her father Robert died. What a way to find out right? Then Aurora gets a phone call from a woman stating that her stepmother died and what to do with her remains, etc. In the plot of the book it states that it's her father's (Leon) widow who died. Aurora was married and then divorced from Robert. So did Robert die or did Leon's mistress/wife die? Guess what? Aurora finds out when she's already at her stepmother's apartment and she finally calls Leyla to tell her that she died. Why couldn't figure that one out is beyond me. I guess I thought that by the plot that only Aurora's stepmother died. It happens right? Coincidence of course or irony?
Leyla's husband Stephen might be having an affair and he's at a cannabis convention in L.A. and decides to follow him there. She was going to leave her kids w/her in-laws but couldn't do it. How convenient that her mother is there with her relatives to clean out her stepmother's apartment. Aurora was hoping to find "treasures" but only found tons and tons of handbags from Target, and all those other "cheaper" places. She was a hoarder of bags only it seems and hasn't found anything worthwhile as yet.
As for Leyla, at the convention, she gets herself into a mess when she steals a man's lanyard at the pool to get into the convention. She's followed by a reporter of a magazine who wants to interview her about her business. How does she get out of this mess? She doesn't and it's hilarious of how she handles it.
Some serious parts of this book too so it wasn't all humorous.
I learned a lot of Ladino words too and enjoyed the phrases at the beginning of chapters in Ladino too. Aurora sure used a lot of them throughout the book with her cousin Estella who she was staying with. Her son Eliezer seemed to be a "good boy" but ended up to be a thief. He contributed to Aurora and Leyla's accident sort of. Everyone was fine thank G-d (sort of).
I love humorous Jewish fiction; plus the title had me laughing already. When I read the plot, I said this one is going to be a good one plus the main character was an "older" woman of 73 Aurora and her daughter Leyla, 43, who is just as funny as she is with her quirks and perfectionism. Aurora was one of a kind too. Mother/daughter relationships. You gotta love them!
I was a bit confused at first since Leyla read on Facebook (she's a creeper on there, not a poster, etc.) where her cousin Sam posted that her father Robert died. What a way to find out right? Then Aurora gets a phone call from a woman stating that her stepmother died and what to do with her remains, etc. In the plot of the book it states that it's her father's (Leon) widow who died. Aurora was married and then divorced from Robert. So did Robert die or did Leon's mistress/wife die? Guess what? Aurora finds out when she's already at her stepmother's apartment and she finally calls Leyla to tell her that she died. Why couldn't figure that one out is beyond me. I guess I thought that by the plot that only Aurora's stepmother died. It happens right? Coincidence of course or irony?
Leyla's husband Stephen might be having an affair and he's at a cannabis convention in L.A. and decides to follow him there. She was going to leave her kids w/her in-laws but couldn't do it. How convenient that her mother is there with her relatives to clean out her stepmother's apartment. Aurora was hoping to find "treasures" but only found tons and tons of handbags from Target, and all those other "cheaper" places. She was a hoarder of bags only it seems and hasn't found anything worthwhile as yet.
As for Leyla, at the convention, she gets herself into a mess when she steals a man's lanyard at the pool to get into the convention. She's followed by a reporter of a magazine who wants to interview her about her business. How does she get out of this mess? She doesn't and it's hilarious of how she handles it.
Some serious parts of this book too so it wasn't all humorous.
I learned a lot of Ladino words too and enjoyed the phrases at the beginning of chapters in Ladino too. Aurora sure used a lot of them throughout the book with her cousin Estella who she was staying with. Her son Eliezer seemed to be a "good boy" but ended up to be a thief. He contributed to Aurora and Leyla's accident sort of. Everyone was fine thank G-d (sort of).
February 11, 2025
Leyla Feldenburg has molded herself into the perfect wife and mother. Doting on her husband and supporting her two children, Leyla gave up her career to make sure her children have every opportunity. Leyla gives them everything her mother, Aurora, didn't. Now, Leyla has insomnia, anxiety and a strong suspicion that her husband might be cheating on her with another school mom at an upcoming cannabis convention in LA. Meanwhile, Aurora has been living off her children's kindness for years, selling things at flea markets and always on the lookout for a quick money making scheme, finds out that her step-mother, Esther, has died. Hoping for something left for her in the will, Aurora heads for her step-mother's home in LA. With Leyla and Aurora both staying with their extended family, they join forces to try and solve both their problems.
Fine, I'm a Terrible Person is a contemporary comedy about learning to let go in order to enjoy life and embracing your culture and family. I was happy to read a book with Sephardic Jewish characters that integrated their culture, especially the food, family traditions and sayings. The realistic tone of the writing effectively presented characters with flaws, emotions, and personal growth, making them relatable and authentic. So much of what Leyla felt in the book resonated with me. I connected with her anxieties and family traumas as she dealt with stifling her emotions, the ability to become invisible and her self-soothing social isolation. Aurora's character, while providing comic relief, was also very authentic. Carrying generational trauma, divorce and the loss of her community, Aurora has acquiesced to simply do the least in life and go where the tide takes her. Together, Leyla and Aurora are an unlikely, but heartwarming pair, getting themselves into hilarious situations. When they come together with their extended family, Leyla learns how to let go and Aurora takes steps to stand on her own.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Fine, I'm a Terrible Person is a contemporary comedy about learning to let go in order to enjoy life and embracing your culture and family. I was happy to read a book with Sephardic Jewish characters that integrated their culture, especially the food, family traditions and sayings. The realistic tone of the writing effectively presented characters with flaws, emotions, and personal growth, making them relatable and authentic. So much of what Leyla felt in the book resonated with me. I connected with her anxieties and family traumas as she dealt with stifling her emotions, the ability to become invisible and her self-soothing social isolation. Aurora's character, while providing comic relief, was also very authentic. Carrying generational trauma, divorce and the loss of her community, Aurora has acquiesced to simply do the least in life and go where the tide takes her. Together, Leyla and Aurora are an unlikely, but heartwarming pair, getting themselves into hilarious situations. When they come together with their extended family, Leyla learns how to let go and Aurora takes steps to stand on her own.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
December 12, 2025
I'm not sure if I finished this book, or this book finished me. I grew up in an Eastern European rooted household and that made me really connect with Leyla in this book. People joke about the guilt trips parents can lay on their children but I swear Aurora (mom in the book) was a Jedi master at guilt.
◇Aurora is a 73 year old divorced Jewish woman. She has strong ties to her Sephardi Jewish background and even speaks Ladino. She sees herself as a cash challenged hustler whose husband left her with nothing. Mind you, she has been divorced for 35 years now. Leyla and her brother pay a portion of Aurora's bills and she is always causing Leyla to lose money due to her hairbrained schemes. When Aurora hears her step mother has passed, she's on her way to LA to try to see if there's any inheritance.
♡Leyla overhears 2 women at her children's school talking. The man one of them is speaking about sounds just like Leyla's husband. He's supposed to be going away to a conference this weekend in LA and that's where the hussy says she will be this weekend. Leyla makes plans to drop the boys off with her husband's parents and she's going to see with her own eyes what this darling husband is really up to. One catch. She can't leave the boys so she flies them with her and SURPRISE! Aurora is in LA too!
◇Leyla finds her husband, has the best night of sleep in years, and even tolerates Aurora. What Leyla was not expecting is her mother to be scheming and trying to drag Leyla into it with her. What really throws Leyla for a loop is when she finds her husband with the hussy in the Cartier store. She thought she was prepared for her life to blow up but seeing it in person is another thing.
♡Leyla's father also passes the same time her step grandmother does so she is dealing with loss on top of everything. Loss of a man who never treated her like a daughter. Life is very heavy for her. She has to make some choices that are pivotal and that means her husband and Aurora will feel the ripples too.
◇Aurora is a 73 year old divorced Jewish woman. She has strong ties to her Sephardi Jewish background and even speaks Ladino. She sees herself as a cash challenged hustler whose husband left her with nothing. Mind you, she has been divorced for 35 years now. Leyla and her brother pay a portion of Aurora's bills and she is always causing Leyla to lose money due to her hairbrained schemes. When Aurora hears her step mother has passed, she's on her way to LA to try to see if there's any inheritance.
♡Leyla overhears 2 women at her children's school talking. The man one of them is speaking about sounds just like Leyla's husband. He's supposed to be going away to a conference this weekend in LA and that's where the hussy says she will be this weekend. Leyla makes plans to drop the boys off with her husband's parents and she's going to see with her own eyes what this darling husband is really up to. One catch. She can't leave the boys so she flies them with her and SURPRISE! Aurora is in LA too!
◇Leyla finds her husband, has the best night of sleep in years, and even tolerates Aurora. What Leyla was not expecting is her mother to be scheming and trying to drag Leyla into it with her. What really throws Leyla for a loop is when she finds her husband with the hussy in the Cartier store. She thought she was prepared for her life to blow up but seeing it in person is another thing.
♡Leyla's father also passes the same time her step grandmother does so she is dealing with loss on top of everything. Loss of a man who never treated her like a daughter. Life is very heavy for her. She has to make some choices that are pivotal and that means her husband and Aurora will feel the ripples too.
October 26, 2025
The story of a young, yuppie, mom, who has a handsome loving husband, two sons, and a nutty mother. Mother. Layla, the daughter, and her mother Aurora, rarely if ever agree on anything. Anything. It is certainly a dysfunctional relationship, but somehow they end up on an odyssey together.
Through their journey, Layla, who is an adult, finally grows up. She sees her mother, for who she is, and is finally able to deal with it.
Aurora is a bit nuts, and in the beginning of the book I loved her, but she gets more and more oddball, and causes more and more problems, as time goes on.
What I did love about the book, are all the sayings, especially at the beginning of each chapter. Although they are in Latino, and translated, I remember hearing most of them, but in Yiddish. There are so many things in the book, that remind me of growing up in a Jewish home, and some of them absolutely made me laugh out loud.
I did enjoy the book, but somehow felt like toward the end. It was just going on too long. When I thought it had ended, there were another couple of chapters. I would have given it 3 and 1/2 Stars, but this site does not allow that. It is promising, as a first novel by a new author.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Through their journey, Layla, who is an adult, finally grows up. She sees her mother, for who she is, and is finally able to deal with it.
Aurora is a bit nuts, and in the beginning of the book I loved her, but she gets more and more oddball, and causes more and more problems, as time goes on.
What I did love about the book, are all the sayings, especially at the beginning of each chapter. Although they are in Latino, and translated, I remember hearing most of them, but in Yiddish. There are so many things in the book, that remind me of growing up in a Jewish home, and some of them absolutely made me laugh out loud.
I did enjoy the book, but somehow felt like toward the end. It was just going on too long. When I thought it had ended, there were another couple of chapters. I would have given it 3 and 1/2 Stars, but this site does not allow that. It is promising, as a first novel by a new author.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 29, 2025
This is somewhere between a 3 and 3.25 star read for me. I felt the first quarter of the book was great, and I was enjoying learning about our two main characters, but the rest of the story just didn't really deliver for me.
Now I can't really explain on what I didn't feel delivered much either because it would be a spoiler. I will explain that this is about a messy mother daughter relationship and I loved seeing the work that the daughter, Leyla puts in and watching her character development. As for Aurora, I found her to be very obnoxious and annoying and I just felt it was hard for me to relate to her character.
There is some travel involved, but they aren't traveling together or really spending a lot of time together. They both are doing their own thing for the most part, and the only reason they join together is so someone can watch Leyla's kids while she goes to her husband's conference to scope out whether he is cheating or not.
Overall, if my mother acted like Aurora she would have been out of my life so fast! Thank you to GetRedPR and the author for my advanced reader copy.
Now I can't really explain on what I didn't feel delivered much either because it would be a spoiler. I will explain that this is about a messy mother daughter relationship and I loved seeing the work that the daughter, Leyla puts in and watching her character development. As for Aurora, I found her to be very obnoxious and annoying and I just felt it was hard for me to relate to her character.
There is some travel involved, but they aren't traveling together or really spending a lot of time together. They both are doing their own thing for the most part, and the only reason they join together is so someone can watch Leyla's kids while she goes to her husband's conference to scope out whether he is cheating or not.
Overall, if my mother acted like Aurora she would have been out of my life so fast! Thank you to GetRedPR and the author for my advanced reader copy.
May 27, 2025
I read this book entirely on a whim because I thought it would bring some levity, which I sorely needed. It was amusing, but not laugh-out-loud funny. For me the best aspect was learning about the history and culture of Sephardic Jews. I especially loved the descriptions of the food. Unfortunately though, this book read like a series of humorous vignettes (none of which, I suspect, the author wanted to cut) strung together with family dysfunction. It was both too much and not enough: Some things needed far more fleshing out, while others needed to be trimmed or cut altogether. And I just gotta say that Aurora made me furious. Each time she said the titular phrase, “Fine, I’m a terrible person,” I wanted to jump into the book and respond, “Yes! You are! And, more accurately, you are a manipulative, self-centered, avaricious, emotionally-abusive, sociopath.” To be clear, she is a well-drawn character, I just couldn’t stand her. 2.5 stars.
November 9, 2025
Leyla is a Mom who married in to wealth but has a suspicion her husband might be cheating on her. Aurora, Leyla's mother, just found out her husband's last widow died, and she's apparently next of kin. Aurora heads to Los Angeles to take care of her late stepmother's estate to see if there's anything in it for her. Leyla heads to LA with her sons Josh and Simon, to see if she can catch her husband Stephen cheating on her at a cannabis convention. As their stories intertwine, we see the dynamic between Leyla, who feels like her mother has never appreciated her, and Aurora, her Jewish Ladino mother who is constantly looking out for mainly herself.
I enjoyed the Ladino Jewish rep in this book and learning different Ladino words and phrases throughout the book. It was a fun journey to follow along, and I enjoyed Leyla's growth during the story. Aurora was quite the character and reminded me of my own Jewish grandmother at times.
Thank you to GetRedPR for the advanced copy.
I enjoyed the Ladino Jewish rep in this book and learning different Ladino words and phrases throughout the book. It was a fun journey to follow along, and I enjoyed Leyla's growth during the story. Aurora was quite the character and reminded me of my own Jewish grandmother at times.
Thank you to GetRedPR for the advanced copy.
December 2, 2025
Okay, so this book follows Aurora, she’s 73, a former beauty, kinda broke, kinda chaotic, and honestly just rolling with life the best she can. She finds out her dad’s widow passed away and decides, “well, maybe there’s something in it for me,” and heads to LA to see what’s what.
Her daughter Leyla is back in Marin trying to keep up with the perfect-mom crowd and stressing herself out in the process. She overhears something that makes her think her husband might be cheating, and instead of talking it out like a normal person, she fully sneaks into his cannabis conference in LA to spy. Iconic behavior, honestly.
Both of their little missions crash into each other down in LA, and they end up staying with their Rhodes-rooted family who speak in Ladino proverbs, cook enough food to feed a small village, and basically steal the whole show. It’s messy, warm, funny, and a VERY family weekend you didn’t sign up for.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••
This one was a very character-driven ride. Aurora and Leyla’s mother-daughter chaos was a lot, and the trip to LA brought plenty of oh lord moments. The family absolutely stole the show for me, the food, the proverbs, the warmth… I felt like I was right in their kitchen.
The pacing ran a little slow in spots, and I didn’t always stay fully locked in, but the charm, culture, and family dynamics truly carried the story. It’s tender, quirky, and full of heart, just not a total standout for me personally.
Still, a lovely little read with so much warmth!
🖤Thank you so much @getredprbooks for the book mail and opportunity to read this ARC!
Her daughter Leyla is back in Marin trying to keep up with the perfect-mom crowd and stressing herself out in the process. She overhears something that makes her think her husband might be cheating, and instead of talking it out like a normal person, she fully sneaks into his cannabis conference in LA to spy. Iconic behavior, honestly.
Both of their little missions crash into each other down in LA, and they end up staying with their Rhodes-rooted family who speak in Ladino proverbs, cook enough food to feed a small village, and basically steal the whole show. It’s messy, warm, funny, and a VERY family weekend you didn’t sign up for.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••
This one was a very character-driven ride. Aurora and Leyla’s mother-daughter chaos was a lot, and the trip to LA brought plenty of oh lord moments. The family absolutely stole the show for me, the food, the proverbs, the warmth… I felt like I was right in their kitchen.
The pacing ran a little slow in spots, and I didn’t always stay fully locked in, but the charm, culture, and family dynamics truly carried the story. It’s tender, quirky, and full of heart, just not a total standout for me personally.
Still, a lovely little read with so much warmth!
🖤Thank you so much @getredprbooks for the book mail and opportunity to read this ARC!
November 24, 2025
This is a story of family secrets, lost connections and the bond of family. Aurora and Leyla have a complicated mother-daughter relationship Aurora is flighty, free-spirited and has made her life away from her extended family. Leyla works to make everything perfect, the only thing out of her control is her mother. Unexpected situations put Aurora and Leyla on a collision course with family and secrets being revealed. Leyla has to almost lose everything to discover that it is ok not to be perfect and to set boundaries. How will this discovery change her relationship with Aurora? Filled with the messiness of life and situations that will make readers say what just happened. I recommend this book to readers that enjoy stories about complicated family relationships.
Thanks to GetRed PR for the gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thanks to GetRed PR for the gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 1, 2025
I am shocked that there aren't more reviews of this book. I know I found this book on a Goodreads List, or a Facebook Group thread, of recommended books. I absolutely love how quickly Leyla unravels into drama, both from her mother's antics and her husband's work trip. This book loosely fits into my "Thelma & Louise" genre of stories. Women that break from societal norms, get into (and out of) some quirky situations, and take the reader along for the ride. I think by the time I made it to the end of the book, when the smoke (and purses) cleared; I, like Leyla, decided to accept Aurora as she was, and love her anyway, but with some boundaries. This book deserves more traction. It was just so good.
February 25, 2025
Leyla’s dismissive father left when she was young and married seven more times. Leyla’s mother, Aurora is kooky, draining, and lives nearby. Mother and daughter end up in Los Angeles for a frantic weekend; Aurora, with hopes of cashing in on the death of her ex-husband's final wife, and Leyla to confront her husband after overhearing a suggestion that he might be having an affair. This is an adorable and fast-paced tale of immigrants, family, marriage, trust, and the cuisine and customs of the once-thriving Jewish community of Rhodes. https://newbooksnetwork.com/lisa-f-ro...
October 27, 2025
Aurora was an incredible character! She made me laugh and cringe, and I will probably never forget her. Leyla was a wonderful character as well - - poised, disciplined, and lovely. I devoured her time at the Cannabis conference when she finally let herself relax, even though it wasn’t intentional. My parents divorced when I was 15, so I can relate to complicated family dynamics. Thankfully, mine aren’t quite as complicated as these were, but this was a terrific read/listen. Jess Moran was spot on as the narrator!
November 21, 2025
Thank you to getredpr for the physical ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I was excited about this book; I love a good adult mother/daughter drama and based on the cover, thought it was going to involve a shared road trip which would surely lead to some inevitable drama. It wasn’t a shared trip; however they did end up in the same place for different reasons.
I was invested in Leyla’s detective work, but Aurora’s main storyline didn’t hook me in.
I learned a lot of information about Ladino and Rhodesli culture which I really appreciated.
I was excited about this book; I love a good adult mother/daughter drama and based on the cover, thought it was going to involve a shared road trip which would surely lead to some inevitable drama. It wasn’t a shared trip; however they did end up in the same place for different reasons.
I was invested in Leyla’s detective work, but Aurora’s main storyline didn’t hook me in.
I learned a lot of information about Ladino and Rhodesli culture which I really appreciated.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2025
I really enjoyed this, maybe more than I expected to. The writing is light and beautiful while still moving the story along at a good pace. The ending is satisfying and there’s character growth and realism together. It’s a great example of complicated family dynamics and toxic parenting while still being a fun read with an ending that left me feeling happy.
November 12, 2025
This was a fun book that reminded me of Finlay Donovan. The writing was fast and the dialogue was snappy. I loved learning about the Jewish community in Rhodes and reading the conversations in Ladino. I was SO proud of Leyla at the end and the way she set boundaries. The ending felt a little abrupt but I loved it nonetheless.
Thank you so much to the author for a copy!
Thank you so much to the author for a copy!
December 14, 2025
FINE, I'M A TERRIBLE PERSON is a funny mother/daughter road trip with quirky, eccentric, and narcissistic characters. The antics of both Aurora and Leyla had me laughing. Their bond is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I have never heard of the Jews of Rhodes and found the Ladino language throughout the book interesting.
December 13, 2025
I didn’t love this book and I also didn’t hate it! It did not have quite as much depth as I thought it was going to have. But it was a quick, fast paced read that I do think many people probably will find enjoyable. A complete mother/daughter relationship where the mother’s life of dysfunction caused the daughter to overcompensate in lots of areas of her life for perfection. Some humor and scandals along the way. Some family drama. And some healing to top it off.
December 12, 2025
This book had me laugh out loud quite a few times and also shake my head at some of the ridiculous behavior of the main characters who happen to be mother and daughter. I enjoy a good mother/daughter (dysfunctional) relationship story and this one hit the mark. I was very entertained.
January 24, 2025
I loved everything about this book. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, has a great plot, and has fascinating characters. Best of all, I learned about Ladino. I highly recommend it!
March 3, 2025
3.5/4 🌟
March 26, 2025
A both humorous and heart wrenching mother/daughter story that will have you rooting for the characters until the end.
April 5, 2025
So relatable! Funny! Heartwarming and describes some family dynamics to a tee!
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