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You’ll Love It Here
Not yet published
Expected 11 Aug 26From the bestselling author of I Hope This Finds You Well comes a sharply funny, surprisingly tender novel about a woman stuck in place, her nosy neighbors, and the journey to find where she belongs—with all the heart of a grown-up The Breakfast Club.
Mona thought her living situation was bad… but the real mess is just beginning.
One day is all it takes for Mona’s life to implode. After years of climbing at her marketing firm, she was supposed to be getting promoted and finally moving out of her crumbling apartment building. Instead, she’s jobless, aimless, and still stuck in a space barely big enough for a yoga mat.
Then her eccentric landlady takes a tumble and asks Mona to step in as the building’s reluctant super. The deal is simple: help prep the place for sale, and she can secure the upgrade she’s been chasing. But that’s easier said than done when the neighbors treat “boundaries” as optional. There’s the shouting couple, the mysterious shut-in, a possible panty thief in the laundry room—and Sami, the relentlessly cheerful diner owner who keeps showing up with coffee and unsolicited ideas about community. As Mona gets pulled deeper into the building’s chaos—and closer to the people inside it—she’s forced to confront what, and who, she’s really been trying to outrun. Sometimes, the place you’re desperate to leave is the one that finally shows you who you are.
Wise, heartfelt, and laugh-out-loud funny, Natalie Sue’s sophomore novel is a story about burning out, starting over, and finding your people in the most unexpected places—perfect for fans of The Wedding People and Anxious People.
Mona thought her living situation was bad… but the real mess is just beginning.
One day is all it takes for Mona’s life to implode. After years of climbing at her marketing firm, she was supposed to be getting promoted and finally moving out of her crumbling apartment building. Instead, she’s jobless, aimless, and still stuck in a space barely big enough for a yoga mat.
Then her eccentric landlady takes a tumble and asks Mona to step in as the building’s reluctant super. The deal is simple: help prep the place for sale, and she can secure the upgrade she’s been chasing. But that’s easier said than done when the neighbors treat “boundaries” as optional. There’s the shouting couple, the mysterious shut-in, a possible panty thief in the laundry room—and Sami, the relentlessly cheerful diner owner who keeps showing up with coffee and unsolicited ideas about community. As Mona gets pulled deeper into the building’s chaos—and closer to the people inside it—she’s forced to confront what, and who, she’s really been trying to outrun. Sometimes, the place you’re desperate to leave is the one that finally shows you who you are.
Wise, heartfelt, and laugh-out-loud funny, Natalie Sue’s sophomore novel is a story about burning out, starting over, and finding your people in the most unexpected places—perfect for fans of The Wedding People and Anxious People.
320 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication August 11, 2026
About the author
Natalie Sue
11 books1,761 followersNATALIE SUE is the Canadian internationally bestselling and award-winning author. Her debut novel I Hope This Finds You Well was the winner of the 2025 Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour and the Alberta Literary Award for Fiction, and was a finalist for the Amazon Canada First Novel Award. She lives in Calgary with her husband, daughter, and dog.
You can find her on Instagram @natwrotewhat
You can find her on Instagram @natwrotewhat
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 253 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I adored it. It's a beautiful chronic of modern life in the city and everyday adversity.
It's deeply funny, full of feelings and growth, and never preachy. The characters are interesting, layered and colourful.
The journey Mona goes through, both in her ambitions and her relationship with others, really resonated with me and I think will be really relatable to a lot of people.
I loved I Hope This Finds You Well and this one is even better. Nathalie Sue is a genius.
Thank you William Morrow for this ARC.
It's deeply funny, full of feelings and growth, and never preachy. The characters are interesting, layered and colourful.
The journey Mona goes through, both in her ambitions and her relationship with others, really resonated with me and I think will be really relatable to a lot of people.
I loved I Hope This Finds You Well and this one is even better. Nathalie Sue is a genius.
Thank you William Morrow for this ARC.
January 14, 2026
Another hit from Natalie Sue!
I absoloutly loved Natalie Sue's last book, I Hope This Finds You Well. While it looked like just your basic office comedy, it ended up being about how misfits don't fit in, and all have stories to tell.
Natalie Sue’s latest novel, You'll Love It Here is a mix of the same. Itis a biting and soulful inventory of a life in freefall. It captures the vertigo of watching a meticulously planned future vanish in an afternoon, only to realize you are still standing in the exact same spot where you began.
Mona’s unraveling is an explosion. With her career aspirations on pause, she remains tethered to a living space that mirrors her internal state: neglected and stagnant. The story shifts when Mona is coerced into becoming the reluctant property manager of her own decaying apartment complex, with dreams of fast tracking into a much nicer complex. Thinking she will no emotional attachment to her neighnors, she does what she can, even if it means betraying them in the process.
The building acts as a vibrant ecosystem populated by a collection of misfits: The neighbors are a chaotic group of bickering couples and suspected basement thieves. A nice whodunnit which will make you laugh.
The decaying building itself is a labyrinth of leaky pipes that forces Mona to dismantle her own emotional defenses.
Along comes Sami, the resident hot local diner owner whose cheer serves as the perfect abrasive to Mona’s dry cynicism.
What begins as a tale of professional burnout deepens into an exploration of class and ambition. As Mona navigates the needs of neighbors she once dismissed, the novel questions if moving up is the only way to measure success.
Grounded by irony and fast paced prose, the story balances absurdity with emotional weight. It suggests that growth does not always require forward motion. Sometimes it comes from finally looking at what has been right in front of you all along.
Natalie Sue sure knows how to write books about misfits in the vein of Fredrik Backman.
I absoloutly loved Natalie Sue's last book, I Hope This Finds You Well. While it looked like just your basic office comedy, it ended up being about how misfits don't fit in, and all have stories to tell.
Natalie Sue’s latest novel, You'll Love It Here is a mix of the same. Itis a biting and soulful inventory of a life in freefall. It captures the vertigo of watching a meticulously planned future vanish in an afternoon, only to realize you are still standing in the exact same spot where you began.
Mona’s unraveling is an explosion. With her career aspirations on pause, she remains tethered to a living space that mirrors her internal state: neglected and stagnant. The story shifts when Mona is coerced into becoming the reluctant property manager of her own decaying apartment complex, with dreams of fast tracking into a much nicer complex. Thinking she will no emotional attachment to her neighnors, she does what she can, even if it means betraying them in the process.
The building acts as a vibrant ecosystem populated by a collection of misfits: The neighbors are a chaotic group of bickering couples and suspected basement thieves. A nice whodunnit which will make you laugh.
The decaying building itself is a labyrinth of leaky pipes that forces Mona to dismantle her own emotional defenses.
Along comes Sami, the resident hot local diner owner whose cheer serves as the perfect abrasive to Mona’s dry cynicism.
What begins as a tale of professional burnout deepens into an exploration of class and ambition. As Mona navigates the needs of neighbors she once dismissed, the novel questions if moving up is the only way to measure success.
Grounded by irony and fast paced prose, the story balances absurdity with emotional weight. It suggests that growth does not always require forward motion. Sometimes it comes from finally looking at what has been right in front of you all along.
Natalie Sue sure knows how to write books about misfits in the vein of Fredrik Backman.
July 21, 2026
I still haven’t read Natalie Sue’s first book, I Hope This Finds You Well, but based on reviews that I’ve read I know that a lot of people really liked it.
When I saw that she’d written a sophomore novel, I knew that I wanted to request it.
And I’m so glad that I did!
Mona kind of had to raise herself in a way.
She had a father who spent more time with booze than her, and a very eccentric mother who is all over the place.
When this book starts out, Mona is kind of in a rut.
Her father passed away three months prior and after lashing out at an important client, she is placed on an involuntary mental health leave from her corporate marketing job.
When her landlord ends up in the hospital, Mona goes to visit and ends up becoming a temporary super after making a deal with her landlord’s niece, a realtor.
If Mona can get the building spruced up and ready to be shown to potential buyers, she rent a brand new, modern condo for well below the market rate.
But after the task is complete, will she still be interested in the modern one with all of the amenities?
The entire cast in this book was great!
Natalie Sue does a great job at presenting characters who seem either weird or unlikable at first, and then having them grow on you.
This was a fast, easy, and enjoyable read, which makes me think that it would work very well as a palette cleanser.
It has both funny and poignant parts, but overall is just a feel-good novel with a great ending.
I think that it will also make many readers reexamine their priorities in life.
Thanks to William Morrow and Natalie Sue for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley.
When I saw that she’d written a sophomore novel, I knew that I wanted to request it.
And I’m so glad that I did!
Mona kind of had to raise herself in a way.
She had a father who spent more time with booze than her, and a very eccentric mother who is all over the place.
When this book starts out, Mona is kind of in a rut.
Her father passed away three months prior and after lashing out at an important client, she is placed on an involuntary mental health leave from her corporate marketing job.
When her landlord ends up in the hospital, Mona goes to visit and ends up becoming a temporary super after making a deal with her landlord’s niece, a realtor.
If Mona can get the building spruced up and ready to be shown to potential buyers, she rent a brand new, modern condo for well below the market rate.
But after the task is complete, will she still be interested in the modern one with all of the amenities?
The entire cast in this book was great!
Natalie Sue does a great job at presenting characters who seem either weird or unlikable at first, and then having them grow on you.
This was a fast, easy, and enjoyable read, which makes me think that it would work very well as a palette cleanser.
It has both funny and poignant parts, but overall is just a feel-good novel with a great ending.
I think that it will also make many readers reexamine their priorities in life.
Thanks to William Morrow and Natalie Sue for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley.
December 26, 2025
Such a lovely collection of characters in this book! I really loved Natalie Sue’s first book and this one is a nice follow up (though I Hope This Finds You Well is still my fav). Good balance of humor, tenderness, uncomfortable misunderstandings, self-realization, and a bit of romance — not easy to do!
Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC!
Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC!
December 9, 2025
I absolutely loved I Hope This Finds You Well, and somehow this book is even better. I laughed out loud multiple times, and despite how funny it was, it also managed to be emotional and genuinely heartwarming. All loose ends were wrapped up beautifully, making the whole story feel incredibly satisfying.
I received an arc of this ebook from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
I received an arc of this ebook from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
December 27, 2025
Quirky characters turned found family with a generous dose of humor seems to be Natalie Sue’s formula and it works for her. If you enjoyed her debut, I Hope This Finds You Well, I anticipate you’ll love this one too!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2026
4.25 ⭐️
If you had told me that a story about an apartment building, its residents, a judgmental fish, a sausage dog, and a mysterious panty thief would become one of the most entertaining books I’ve read this year, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. Yet somehow Natalie Sue made all of it work perfectly.
The story follows Mona, a marketing professional who unexpectedly finds herself taking over the management of a rundown apartment building for six weeks. What starts as a temporary arrangement quickly becomes something much bigger as she gets pulled into the lives of the residents around her. What I loved most was how this wasn’t really about fixing a building at all—it was about learning to see the people around you.
I’ve read a lot of books recently that focus on perspective and appreciating life, but this approached that idea in such a fresh way. Through Mona’s interactions with her neighbours, she slowly begins to realise that everyone around her is carrying their own struggles, histories, dreams, and heartbreaks. It’s a reminder that people are so much more than the brief moments we see of them.
But let’s be honest—the humour absolutely stole the show.
I genuinely cannot remember the last time a book made me laugh this much. Between the panty thief investigation, the sausage dog, the fish named Alice who somehow felt more judgmental than half the people in the building, and Mona’s running commentary on absolutely everything, I was constantly grinning. The dialogue felt so natural and authentic, full of sarcasm, awkwardness, and observations that were somehow both ridiculous and completely relatable.
What impressed me most was how effortlessly the author balanced the humour with genuine heart. Beneath all the laughs was a story about loneliness, belonging, community, and finding connection where you least expect it. There is a small romance woven throughout the story, which I really enjoyed, but the true heart of the book is the relationships Mona builds with the people around her and the way she slowly starts opening herself up to life again.
I also flew through this book. The writing was incredibly engaging, and I found myself wanting to spend more time with these characters every time I put it down. Natalie Sue has such a talent for making ordinary moments feel meaningful and turning seemingly random details into some of the most memorable parts of the story.
This wasn’t the type of book I would normally pick up, and honestly, that’s probably one of the reasons I loved it so much. It’s reminded me that sometimes the books sitting outside of your comfort zone end up becoming the ones you enjoy the most.
A heartfelt, funny, and surprisingly moving story about community, second chances, and paying attention to the people around you.
🤍 Favourite Quotes:
♡ “If we catch the panty thief, I might even admit I genuinely like it here.”
♡ “Sami, it’s like you took a part of my heart and made it into food.”
♡ “I feel it in the small moments like this… Like time doesn’t exist when I’m with him. Like I’m allowed to just be—no masks, no weight, just… me.”
♡ “All we have is the time we’re given. There’s time enough to make mistakes. But if we’re lucky, we get enough time to make amends. And so long as I’m here, it’s not too late.”
♡ Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and the author for the eARC ♡
If you had told me that a story about an apartment building, its residents, a judgmental fish, a sausage dog, and a mysterious panty thief would become one of the most entertaining books I’ve read this year, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. Yet somehow Natalie Sue made all of it work perfectly.
The story follows Mona, a marketing professional who unexpectedly finds herself taking over the management of a rundown apartment building for six weeks. What starts as a temporary arrangement quickly becomes something much bigger as she gets pulled into the lives of the residents around her. What I loved most was how this wasn’t really about fixing a building at all—it was about learning to see the people around you.
I’ve read a lot of books recently that focus on perspective and appreciating life, but this approached that idea in such a fresh way. Through Mona’s interactions with her neighbours, she slowly begins to realise that everyone around her is carrying their own struggles, histories, dreams, and heartbreaks. It’s a reminder that people are so much more than the brief moments we see of them.
But let’s be honest—the humour absolutely stole the show.
I genuinely cannot remember the last time a book made me laugh this much. Between the panty thief investigation, the sausage dog, the fish named Alice who somehow felt more judgmental than half the people in the building, and Mona’s running commentary on absolutely everything, I was constantly grinning. The dialogue felt so natural and authentic, full of sarcasm, awkwardness, and observations that were somehow both ridiculous and completely relatable.
What impressed me most was how effortlessly the author balanced the humour with genuine heart. Beneath all the laughs was a story about loneliness, belonging, community, and finding connection where you least expect it. There is a small romance woven throughout the story, which I really enjoyed, but the true heart of the book is the relationships Mona builds with the people around her and the way she slowly starts opening herself up to life again.
I also flew through this book. The writing was incredibly engaging, and I found myself wanting to spend more time with these characters every time I put it down. Natalie Sue has such a talent for making ordinary moments feel meaningful and turning seemingly random details into some of the most memorable parts of the story.
This wasn’t the type of book I would normally pick up, and honestly, that’s probably one of the reasons I loved it so much. It’s reminded me that sometimes the books sitting outside of your comfort zone end up becoming the ones you enjoy the most.
A heartfelt, funny, and surprisingly moving story about community, second chances, and paying attention to the people around you.
🤍 Favourite Quotes:
♡ “If we catch the panty thief, I might even admit I genuinely like it here.”
♡ “Sami, it’s like you took a part of my heart and made it into food.”
♡ “I feel it in the small moments like this… Like time doesn’t exist when I’m with him. Like I’m allowed to just be—no masks, no weight, just… me.”
♡ “All we have is the time we’re given. There’s time enough to make mistakes. But if we’re lucky, we get enough time to make amends. And so long as I’m here, it’s not too late.”
♡ Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and the author for the eARC ♡
March 26, 2026
This was so heartfelt! Like a warm hug.
Mona is seriously so witty and funny! She had me cracking up from the very beginning. I love that this was sort of chaotic with all the quirky characters of the building, but also slow moving in that Mona learns a new pace in life after her plans for her future changed so abruptly. I love a book with character development and self-realization.
Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the early eARC ❤️
Mona is seriously so witty and funny! She had me cracking up from the very beginning. I love that this was sort of chaotic with all the quirky characters of the building, but also slow moving in that Mona learns a new pace in life after her plans for her future changed so abruptly. I love a book with character development and self-realization.
Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the early eARC ❤️
January 30, 2026
4.5
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy.
This book completely exceeded my expectations. It was funny, heartwarming, and full of characters who felt so real and bursting with personality. I loved seeing so many different types of people come together and form meaningful friendships - it was exactly the type of story I needed. By the end of the book I felt myself wishing I could go visit the diner and even spend time in the apartment building! This book felt cozy, uplifting, and genuinely joyful to read.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy.
This book completely exceeded my expectations. It was funny, heartwarming, and full of characters who felt so real and bursting with personality. I loved seeing so many different types of people come together and form meaningful friendships - it was exactly the type of story I needed. By the end of the book I felt myself wishing I could go visit the diner and even spend time in the apartment building! This book felt cozy, uplifting, and genuinely joyful to read.
December 27, 2025
** ARC copy review **
This was a fun little story - really enjoyed the set up and pace of this book! Predictable ending, but fun romcom vibes. The female lead is relatable and the cast of characters is quirky and fun. Less romance and more just a fun fiction story with a little romance. Friends to lovers, found family, a funky old building, and a fish that doesn’t quit.
Swears: High
Spice: None
This was a fun little story - really enjoyed the set up and pace of this book! Predictable ending, but fun romcom vibes. The female lead is relatable and the cast of characters is quirky and fun. Less romance and more just a fun fiction story with a little romance. Friends to lovers, found family, a funky old building, and a fish that doesn’t quit.
Swears: High
Spice: None
March 25, 2026
“If I’ve learned anything, it’s that if you wanna keep something, it’s worth a little extra love.”
I had an opportunity to arc read this book on Net Galley.
The setup of our story:
- Our main gal works in the rat race of the corporate world.
- Lives in an apartment building that has seen better days and has some unique tenants.
- Is forced to take a mental health leave of absence.
- Makes a secret deal (behind the back of the current land lady) to get the apartment complex ready to be sold in exchange for an upgraded place to call home.
- The dilemma = she has to keep it a secret, start talking to the neighbors she has avoided for 5 years, and get the tenants to cooperate.
I loved learning about all the quirkiness of this community and “not so fresh” building. There are quirky residents, weird smells, budding friendships, a cute love interest, and a lots of things to be sorry for (you’ll find out when you read!).
This is the first book I have read by Natalie Sue, and definitely won’t be the last.
I had an opportunity to arc read this book on Net Galley.
The setup of our story:
- Our main gal works in the rat race of the corporate world.
- Lives in an apartment building that has seen better days and has some unique tenants.
- Is forced to take a mental health leave of absence.
- Makes a secret deal (behind the back of the current land lady) to get the apartment complex ready to be sold in exchange for an upgraded place to call home.
- The dilemma = she has to keep it a secret, start talking to the neighbors she has avoided for 5 years, and get the tenants to cooperate.
I loved learning about all the quirkiness of this community and “not so fresh” building. There are quirky residents, weird smells, budding friendships, a cute love interest, and a lots of things to be sorry for (you’ll find out when you read!).
This is the first book I have read by Natalie Sue, and definitely won’t be the last.
March 1, 2026
I loved Natalie Sue's debut I Hope This Finds You Well so I was really looking forward to her sophomore novel You'll Love It Here.
There were aspects of this story that I enjoyed. The beginning started strong and I was intrigued right away by Mona and her kooky neighbors. I adored the supporting cast of characters – this seems to be a strong spot for the author as also displayed in her debut. I loved getting to know them better throughout the story and seeing how Mona's relationship and impression of them each changed and evolved over-time.
Unfortunately, there were a few things that didn't work for me. I didn't get the chemistry between Mona and Sami. Something about the writing didn't feel as strong here as it did in the author's debut. I felt my attention starting to wane and I ended up skimming towards the end to finish. Maybe there were too many things going on? I'm not sure.
I'm bummed I didn't like this one more despite enjoying aspects of it. As I mentioned, I did really enjoy the author's debut so I will definitely check out whatever she writes next. Maybe this was just a blimp for me.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
There were aspects of this story that I enjoyed. The beginning started strong and I was intrigued right away by Mona and her kooky neighbors. I adored the supporting cast of characters – this seems to be a strong spot for the author as also displayed in her debut. I loved getting to know them better throughout the story and seeing how Mona's relationship and impression of them each changed and evolved over-time.
Unfortunately, there were a few things that didn't work for me. I didn't get the chemistry between Mona and Sami. Something about the writing didn't feel as strong here as it did in the author's debut. I felt my attention starting to wane and I ended up skimming towards the end to finish. Maybe there were too many things going on? I'm not sure.
I'm bummed I didn't like this one more despite enjoying aspects of it. As I mentioned, I did really enjoy the author's debut so I will definitely check out whatever she writes next. Maybe this was just a blimp for me.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 29, 2026
I’ll be honest: I wasn’t sure about this one at first. Mona initially seemed pretty unlikable, though messy and intriguing. She has not-always-kind nicknames for her fellow tenants in the old building where they all live. She is career and status focused. But when she is forced to take a leave of absence from work, she gets to know the people in her building better as she secretly helps a realtor get the property sale-ready. They have real names and big personalities and Mona grows to care for almost all of them.
This novel is about community and belonging. It’s also about what is potentially lost to gentrification. As Mona connects with her fellow tenants, her values begin to change and she points her life in a different direction. This is a light read with a lot of heart and humour. There’s a bit of romance too. Ultimately, I was completely charmed by this novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for allowing me to read an ARC of this title.
This novel is about community and belonging. It’s also about what is potentially lost to gentrification. As Mona connects with her fellow tenants, her values begin to change and she points her life in a different direction. This is a light read with a lot of heart and humour. There’s a bit of romance too. Ultimately, I was completely charmed by this novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for allowing me to read an ARC of this title.
January 13, 2026
I really loved I Hope This Finds You Well, so of course I had to read this ASAP.
One thing about Natalie Sue, she writes character development very well. Mona’s journey from being avoidant to bonding with the community and her mother was heartening, as well as navigating the grief she’s been holding for so long. One of my favorite things was the way she balances heavy topics with heartwarming and hilarious moments. I’ll definitely continue to read her next books <3
Many thanks to NetGalley providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
One thing about Natalie Sue, she writes character development very well. Mona’s journey from being avoidant to bonding with the community and her mother was heartening, as well as navigating the grief she’s been holding for so long. One of my favorite things was the way she balances heavy topics with heartwarming and hilarious moments. I’ll definitely continue to read her next books <3
Many thanks to NetGalley providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
July 6, 2026
Fails to live up to her first novel.
I think this started from a weak point with a conceit that wasn’t really that interesting, and it never really got over this hurdle. I found the pacing waxed and waned between to fast and too slow, not giving some of the bigger moments breathing room.
I did enjoy parts of this , and it definitely is another novel that will have a market … it just wasn’t as riverting.
I think this started from a weak point with a conceit that wasn’t really that interesting, and it never really got over this hurdle. I found the pacing waxed and waned between to fast and too slow, not giving some of the bigger moments breathing room.
I did enjoy parts of this , and it definitely is another novel that will have a market … it just wasn’t as riverting.
February 7, 2026
When I tell you this book made me LAUGH out loud, I had tears streaming down my face throughout this book. This was such an easy, funny and at the same time, deep book that I will recommend to anyone. This was the first time reading a novel by Natalie Sue, and it certainly will not be my last.
Thank you Harper Collin’s and Netgalley for an opportunity to read this advanced copy!!
Thank you Harper Collin’s and Netgalley for an opportunity to read this advanced copy!!
February 24, 2026
This book was so cozy and fun, I couldn’t put it down. Loved it!
July 5, 2026
3.5
A cute, wholesome palate cleanser!
A cute, wholesome palate cleanser!
July 27, 2026
What an incredibly beautiful found family story!
This one made me cry a couple of times, I don’t know how Nat Sue does it but she’s made me cry in both books so far.
Full review to come.
This one made me cry a couple of times, I don’t know how Nat Sue does it but she’s made me cry in both books so far.
Full review to come.
June 9, 2026
Thank you to the publisher and author for an advanced copy of this book!
I loved the writing in the author's first book, I Hope This Finds You Well, so I was excited for this one. Found family, character makeover inside and out - always gets me!
I loved the cast of characters in this book. The FMC grows right along with everyone else and they help each other along. In this story, the FMC Mona also helped others live to their potential and live more authentically, put down the stereotypes and judgments everyone was holding on to sp dearly.
I loved the themes of found family, value of hard work, doing what you love and living your dream.
I loved the writing in the author's first book, I Hope This Finds You Well, so I was excited for this one. Found family, character makeover inside and out - always gets me!
I loved the cast of characters in this book. The FMC grows right along with everyone else and they help each other along. In this story, the FMC Mona also helped others live to their potential and live more authentically, put down the stereotypes and judgments everyone was holding on to sp dearly.
I loved the themes of found family, value of hard work, doing what you love and living your dream.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 ⭐️
Natalie Sue’s debut novel, I Hope This Finds You Well was one of my favorite reads of 2024. I honestly couldn’t believe it was a debut and I was so sad that there was nothing else by Natalie for me to dive into! I’ve been impatiently waiting for updates on a second novel and was so excited to be able to read an ARC for it. You’ll Love It Here, publishes this August.
Mona never intended to stay in her current crappy apartment building (that she could barely afford anyways) long term, it was only meant to be a steppingstone until she advanced further career wise. In fact, Mona’s five-year plan DID NOT include: i) still living in said rundown building - which definitely needed some TLC; ii) still having to deal with the weirdo neighbors who also inhabited it and iii) stressing about said promotion, which now might be in jeopardy. When the current elderly landlord takes a fall, her niece asks Mona to help care for the building in her absence in exchange for free rent. Mona accepted the job as a business proposition, something to help advance her plans. But she never expected to actually get to know and care about the people in the building, the ones she used to think were a bunch of weirdos. Okay, to be fair …some of them are. She’s starting to realize the community she’s had behind her this entire time, and hoping it’s not too late to fight for the things that actually matter.
✨Apartment Living
✨ Found Family
✨ Community
✨ Small Business Owners
✨ Work Burnout
✨ Grief
Mona is a character I think a lot of young working professionals can relate to. You graduate college and expect that you’re whole life is going to change – and it does, just maybe not in the way you’d expect it. I remember graduating college and still not really knowing what I really wanted to do with my life. On top of that, you now owe back a mountain of student loan debt while making the bottom of the barrel money starting your first adult job. For most, money is tight. Mona made a strict plan not to go over her budget until she got the promotion that would allow her the lifestyle upgrade she wanted. But sometimes we forget life still happens between point A and point B, and work shouldn’t be all consuming. For Mona it takes stepping away for a little while for her to understand that a work and life balance must coexist.
Mona’s storyline with her father won’t be relatable with every reader, but it was a reality that closely mimicked my own storyline with my dad. Speaking from my own experience, grief isn’t always an immediate thing, especially when the feelings surrounding a situation are so complex. There is no right or wrong way to grieve. It is, however, important, once the grief hits to allow yourself to grieve in proper and healthy ways.
The side characters in this story were all A+, which really played into the whole apartment living feel. Apartment living is NOT for the weak. For those of you that know, know. Honestly, it’s a different type of lifestyle living LOL. But at the end of the day, it’s also what you make of it. You can absolutely spend your entire apartment living existence hating everyone around you, or you can also make it a community – dealers’ choice!
This was a good second novel from Natalie Sue. I think personally for me it just didn’t deliver as much as her first. It felt like it was missing the humor and playfulness I enjoyed from her first book. Maybe it’s just me, but felt like I spent half of my time going back and forth deciding if I even liked Mona as a character. The chemistry between Sami and Mona was there, it just didn’t feel romantic. I think they would’ve been better off as friends. The one thing that also just kept picking at me the entire book was Sami in his decision between Mona and Irene. During that point in the book, Sami hardly knows Mona and has known Irene for basically his entire life. I don’t want to go into specific details and spoil anything - hopefully it makes sense if you’ve already read or come back to this after reading. Finally the ending felt rushed and fell a little flat because of it.
Thank you to William Morrow, NetGalley and author Natalie Sue for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Natalie Sue’s debut novel, I Hope This Finds You Well was one of my favorite reads of 2024. I honestly couldn’t believe it was a debut and I was so sad that there was nothing else by Natalie for me to dive into! I’ve been impatiently waiting for updates on a second novel and was so excited to be able to read an ARC for it. You’ll Love It Here, publishes this August.
Mona never intended to stay in her current crappy apartment building (that she could barely afford anyways) long term, it was only meant to be a steppingstone until she advanced further career wise. In fact, Mona’s five-year plan DID NOT include: i) still living in said rundown building - which definitely needed some TLC; ii) still having to deal with the weirdo neighbors who also inhabited it and iii) stressing about said promotion, which now might be in jeopardy. When the current elderly landlord takes a fall, her niece asks Mona to help care for the building in her absence in exchange for free rent. Mona accepted the job as a business proposition, something to help advance her plans. But she never expected to actually get to know and care about the people in the building, the ones she used to think were a bunch of weirdos. Okay, to be fair …some of them are. She’s starting to realize the community she’s had behind her this entire time, and hoping it’s not too late to fight for the things that actually matter.
✨Apartment Living
✨ Found Family
✨ Community
✨ Small Business Owners
✨ Work Burnout
✨ Grief
Mona is a character I think a lot of young working professionals can relate to. You graduate college and expect that you’re whole life is going to change – and it does, just maybe not in the way you’d expect it. I remember graduating college and still not really knowing what I really wanted to do with my life. On top of that, you now owe back a mountain of student loan debt while making the bottom of the barrel money starting your first adult job. For most, money is tight. Mona made a strict plan not to go over her budget until she got the promotion that would allow her the lifestyle upgrade she wanted. But sometimes we forget life still happens between point A and point B, and work shouldn’t be all consuming. For Mona it takes stepping away for a little while for her to understand that a work and life balance must coexist.
Mona’s storyline with her father won’t be relatable with every reader, but it was a reality that closely mimicked my own storyline with my dad. Speaking from my own experience, grief isn’t always an immediate thing, especially when the feelings surrounding a situation are so complex. There is no right or wrong way to grieve. It is, however, important, once the grief hits to allow yourself to grieve in proper and healthy ways.
The side characters in this story were all A+, which really played into the whole apartment living feel. Apartment living is NOT for the weak. For those of you that know, know. Honestly, it’s a different type of lifestyle living LOL. But at the end of the day, it’s also what you make of it. You can absolutely spend your entire apartment living existence hating everyone around you, or you can also make it a community – dealers’ choice!
This was a good second novel from Natalie Sue. I think personally for me it just didn’t deliver as much as her first. It felt like it was missing the humor and playfulness I enjoyed from her first book. Maybe it’s just me, but felt like I spent half of my time going back and forth deciding if I even liked Mona as a character. The chemistry between Sami and Mona was there, it just didn’t feel romantic. I think they would’ve been better off as friends. The one thing that also just kept picking at me the entire book was Sami in his decision between Mona and Irene. During that point in the book, Sami hardly knows Mona and has known Irene for basically his entire life. I don’t want to go into specific details and spoil anything - hopefully it makes sense if you’ve already read or come back to this after reading. Finally the ending felt rushed and fell a little flat because of it.
Thank you to William Morrow, NetGalley and author Natalie Sue for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Mona messed up big time. After years of self-motivation and keeping her eyes on the prize, she couldn't hide her disdain for their client after he criticized her presentation. What he said about the ease of selling his liquor to victims of alcohol abuse hit way too close to home for her, as three months ago it was the cause of her father's death. But you don't talk back to the client if you want to move from manager to director. She knew she was going to get the axe.
Amazingly enough, her boss took pity on her. Instead of being fired, Mona was placed on "bereavement leave" for six weeks when, hopefully, she would come back with a better attitude. But she never took a day off, much less six weeks-she knew she was going to go stark raving mad, especially if she had to sit around that awful apartment all day. It was all she could afford that was close to her office but it was old and smelly, and the other tenants were weird. The vision board posted on her refrigerator showed her aspirations of living in a modern sleek high-rise in a great neighborhood instead of an old-fashioned apartment in a run-down area. After a night of binge drinking with her work colleagues and some other shenanigans at the diner across from her apartment that she hardly remembered, she went to bed and was awakened by a fire alarm. She had to be evacuated outside with the other residents, and as she ran through the lobby, she saw that the place had been trashed. Was she the cause of the mess and resulting short circuit? The nice guy from the diner seemed to think so-he was cute but she had no interest in someone not wanting to better himself. In the chaos, her landlady tripped going down the stairs and had to be hospitalized-who would take care of her elderly doxie? Mona volunteered, she was going to have time on her hands and felt the need to make amends, and Sami, the diner guy was going to help with walks-maybe it would work out.
The only thing good about this whole catastrophe was the landlady's niece, a prominent real estate agent. She secretly revealed her plan to Mona-she had a client interested in buying the apartment building which had been losing money for years. If Mona would take over managing the building while the landlady recuperates, and organizes and fixes up the place for a showing, she would be in line for the apartment of her dreams-Mona couldn't say no.
As Mona begins interacting with the other residents and helping them solve their problems, she starts to realize that being so motivated to succeed in her career left her without friends or a community, and she begins to enjoy slowing down and taking an interest in the building's tenants. She also got to know Sami and his family, and discovered that he was a chef who came back to help his dad run the diner-but the area was in flux and customers were getting scarce-with her marketing background maybe she could help.
Sue's second novel tackles the theme of a young woman having to make her way in an unfeeling business world and how she copes. Mona has her reasons for always looking out for herself but the author does a good job of showing how she is forced to expand her world and becomes a happier and better person for it. Order up!
Amazingly enough, her boss took pity on her. Instead of being fired, Mona was placed on "bereavement leave" for six weeks when, hopefully, she would come back with a better attitude. But she never took a day off, much less six weeks-she knew she was going to go stark raving mad, especially if she had to sit around that awful apartment all day. It was all she could afford that was close to her office but it was old and smelly, and the other tenants were weird. The vision board posted on her refrigerator showed her aspirations of living in a modern sleek high-rise in a great neighborhood instead of an old-fashioned apartment in a run-down area. After a night of binge drinking with her work colleagues and some other shenanigans at the diner across from her apartment that she hardly remembered, she went to bed and was awakened by a fire alarm. She had to be evacuated outside with the other residents, and as she ran through the lobby, she saw that the place had been trashed. Was she the cause of the mess and resulting short circuit? The nice guy from the diner seemed to think so-he was cute but she had no interest in someone not wanting to better himself. In the chaos, her landlady tripped going down the stairs and had to be hospitalized-who would take care of her elderly doxie? Mona volunteered, she was going to have time on her hands and felt the need to make amends, and Sami, the diner guy was going to help with walks-maybe it would work out.
The only thing good about this whole catastrophe was the landlady's niece, a prominent real estate agent. She secretly revealed her plan to Mona-she had a client interested in buying the apartment building which had been losing money for years. If Mona would take over managing the building while the landlady recuperates, and organizes and fixes up the place for a showing, she would be in line for the apartment of her dreams-Mona couldn't say no.
As Mona begins interacting with the other residents and helping them solve their problems, she starts to realize that being so motivated to succeed in her career left her without friends or a community, and she begins to enjoy slowing down and taking an interest in the building's tenants. She also got to know Sami and his family, and discovered that he was a chef who came back to help his dad run the diner-but the area was in flux and customers were getting scarce-with her marketing background maybe she could help.
Sue's second novel tackles the theme of a young woman having to make her way in an unfeeling business world and how she copes. Mona has her reasons for always looking out for herself but the author does a good job of showing how she is forced to expand her world and becomes a happier and better person for it. Order up!
July 19, 2026
When Mona has one truly terrible day at work, what other solution could there possibly be than to drown her sorrows at cocktail hour with her friends/competition? We join her story the morning after the night before, where the memories are hazy and the hang-xiety is high, as her building is being evacuated for a fire drill. Mona is mortified to discover that her drunken actions have had severe consequences, including the involuntary early morning convening of the various residents of her apartment building (strange and unusual people that she does her best to avoid) and an unfortunate injury to her elderly landlady. In an attempt to fill some unexpected free time, and ease her guilty conscience, Mona must put her very best management and marketing skills to work, to take control of the unruly residents of Valleyview Apartments and hopefully land back on her feet when she returns to work.
Mona, our protagonist, is a career-driven, highly motivated and highly strung millennial woman, who (in a very relatable fashion) can’t fathom what her life looks like with an unexpected extended break from the track to promotion and jumping through the various hoops that will get her there. Just like many working women, she barely knows what a sick day looks like, never mind vacation time. Her life is entirely focused on her five year plan and on avoiding the lingering grief over her recently-deceased ex-alcohol father. There are some real complex emotions in there, and you can be certain that Mona does her best to bury them under layers of self-criticism and misguided hope for validation from a job where she is ultimately just as replaceable as anyone else - something that I can imagine a huge number of readers will be able to relate to in one way or another. Despite Mona’s inherent determination to just get her life back to exactly how it was before, this is a story about her learning to prioritise herself and others over her work and success, and it was heartwarming to watch her realise this, even though (as a reader) you know all along how the story is going to end.
This was a real slice of life story, giving insight into the comings and goings of various side characters and developing the FMCs relationships with them all throughout. I really enjoyed seeing all of the various apartment dwellers slowly become real people in Mona’s eyes, where she had previously viewed them as quirky NPCs on the periphery of her own life. I really loved Sami, and grew to love Carmen, Jane and Norm along with Mona. Usually, in a book like this, there’s a character I would absolutely die for (often the dog); this time I surprised myself. Despite loving the ridiculous dachshund, Ernest, my favourite minor character was Abu, (father of Sami, the local diner owner) whose comic timing and embarrassing dad energy was second to none. He truly is a national treasure and was the character that made me smile the most, constantly berating his son with loving, eye-roll-worthy banter.
A fantastic read, all round. Huge thanks to HarperCollins and Natalie Sue for having me as a NetGalley ARC reader; I loved it!
5⭐️
Mona, our protagonist, is a career-driven, highly motivated and highly strung millennial woman, who (in a very relatable fashion) can’t fathom what her life looks like with an unexpected extended break from the track to promotion and jumping through the various hoops that will get her there. Just like many working women, she barely knows what a sick day looks like, never mind vacation time. Her life is entirely focused on her five year plan and on avoiding the lingering grief over her recently-deceased ex-alcohol father. There are some real complex emotions in there, and you can be certain that Mona does her best to bury them under layers of self-criticism and misguided hope for validation from a job where she is ultimately just as replaceable as anyone else - something that I can imagine a huge number of readers will be able to relate to in one way or another. Despite Mona’s inherent determination to just get her life back to exactly how it was before, this is a story about her learning to prioritise herself and others over her work and success, and it was heartwarming to watch her realise this, even though (as a reader) you know all along how the story is going to end.
This was a real slice of life story, giving insight into the comings and goings of various side characters and developing the FMCs relationships with them all throughout. I really enjoyed seeing all of the various apartment dwellers slowly become real people in Mona’s eyes, where she had previously viewed them as quirky NPCs on the periphery of her own life. I really loved Sami, and grew to love Carmen, Jane and Norm along with Mona. Usually, in a book like this, there’s a character I would absolutely die for (often the dog); this time I surprised myself. Despite loving the ridiculous dachshund, Ernest, my favourite minor character was Abu, (father of Sami, the local diner owner) whose comic timing and embarrassing dad energy was second to none. He truly is a national treasure and was the character that made me smile the most, constantly berating his son with loving, eye-roll-worthy banter.
A fantastic read, all round. Huge thanks to HarperCollins and Natalie Sue for having me as a NetGalley ARC reader; I loved it!
5⭐️
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
(I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for my review.)
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Spice Level: 1/5
Character Growth: 3/5
Plot: 3.5/5
Humor: 4/5
As Mona's carefully controlled working life spirals out of her control, resulting in a forced "vacation", she finds herself the interim superintendent of her apartment building—complete with quirky neighbors and their array of problems, a building needing some updating, and a guy with great biceps running the diner next door.
I enjoyed riding along with Mona as she got to know her neighbors and learned that climbing the corporate ladder isn't necessarily all there is to life. There were quite a few times I laughed out loud at Mona's inner dialogue because it was so dry and unexpected. I also really loved the cast of characters surrounding Mona. Everyone was introduced as quirky individuals with nicknames (like "Fighting Couple"), but as the story progressed and Mona developed relationships with everyone and learned their names and stories, it felt like the reader developed relationships with them as well. I was also pleased with how the author wrote Mona's relationship with her father—it was handled seriously, and I could definitely get a sense of how his alcoholism affected Mona into her adulthood, but it wasn't an excuse for every single one of Mona's actions.
Ultimately, there were a few things I struggled with that prevent me from giving this a full 5/5 rating. Personally, I found the Sami, the romantic interest, to be to saccharine, goody-two-shoes sweet (and *not* because everybody likes a bad boy!). Mona had more spark with Sami's hilarious father, Abu, than she did with Sami. However, I didn't pick up this novel expecting it to be about a romance, so I'll let this slide (a little). The pacing of the story was also a little too jerky: the first chapter or two dragged on while the six weeks Mona spent off work developing a relationship with everyone flew by, all followed up by a couple of confusing time skips throughout the story. Finally, and most critically, I'm sorry to say that I just didn't like Mona enough to care about her part in the story. She fell into that tricky gray area of existing to narrate and drive the plot line without connecting to the reader. It took too long to even learn what her name was, and, to be honest, I forgot her name a couple of times until another character said it. The book might have benefitted from being written in third person with a bit more expository writing: What was the weather like? How was Mona's apartment decorated aside from her whiteboard? Smells? Sights? Sounds? A lot of this information was lacking that would have brought the reader into the story on a deeper level and helped connect us to Mona.
This was an enjoyable read, and I loved all of the side characters (Ernest the Wiener!) and getting to know everyone. The author developed them really well. If you're looking for an easy, relatively light read with a happy ending, this is for you!
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Spice Level: 1/5
Character Growth: 3/5
Plot: 3.5/5
Humor: 4/5
As Mona's carefully controlled working life spirals out of her control, resulting in a forced "vacation", she finds herself the interim superintendent of her apartment building—complete with quirky neighbors and their array of problems, a building needing some updating, and a guy with great biceps running the diner next door.
I enjoyed riding along with Mona as she got to know her neighbors and learned that climbing the corporate ladder isn't necessarily all there is to life. There were quite a few times I laughed out loud at Mona's inner dialogue because it was so dry and unexpected. I also really loved the cast of characters surrounding Mona. Everyone was introduced as quirky individuals with nicknames (like "Fighting Couple"), but as the story progressed and Mona developed relationships with everyone and learned their names and stories, it felt like the reader developed relationships with them as well. I was also pleased with how the author wrote Mona's relationship with her father—it was handled seriously, and I could definitely get a sense of how his alcoholism affected Mona into her adulthood, but it wasn't an excuse for every single one of Mona's actions.
Ultimately, there were a few things I struggled with that prevent me from giving this a full 5/5 rating. Personally, I found the Sami, the romantic interest, to be to saccharine, goody-two-shoes sweet (and *not* because everybody likes a bad boy!). Mona had more spark with Sami's hilarious father, Abu, than she did with Sami. However, I didn't pick up this novel expecting it to be about a romance, so I'll let this slide (a little). The pacing of the story was also a little too jerky: the first chapter or two dragged on while the six weeks Mona spent off work developing a relationship with everyone flew by, all followed up by a couple of confusing time skips throughout the story. Finally, and most critically, I'm sorry to say that I just didn't like Mona enough to care about her part in the story. She fell into that tricky gray area of existing to narrate and drive the plot line without connecting to the reader. It took too long to even learn what her name was, and, to be honest, I forgot her name a couple of times until another character said it. The book might have benefitted from being written in third person with a bit more expository writing: What was the weather like? How was Mona's apartment decorated aside from her whiteboard? Smells? Sights? Sounds? A lot of this information was lacking that would have brought the reader into the story on a deeper level and helped connect us to Mona.
This was an enjoyable read, and I loved all of the side characters (Ernest the Wiener!) and getting to know everyone. The author developed them really well. If you're looking for an easy, relatively light read with a happy ending, this is for you!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Mona hasn't properly grieved the loss of her father. Then again, she had been gradually losing him for years to his bad habits, so now that he's gone, she still isn't sure how to deal with it—other than by throwing herself into work to secure the promotion that will finally let her afford a decent apartment. But everything snowballs to the point that it ruins an important meeting, and her boss puts her on mandatory leave. The snowballing continues until she nearly sets her apartment building on fire.
To redeem herself, she offers to help her landlady run the place while the woman is out of commission. She also secretly agrees to help the landlady's niece sell the building. Ironically, that's how Mona starts falling in love with this weird place and its even weirder residents.
I don't usually compare authors, but I've been mourning the loss of Sophie Kinsella and her yearly fun releases, and I have to say: this book is a solid contender, and even better than some of Kinsella's. If you were a fan of hers, just pick this one up. You'll love it!
Sure, it wasn't a perfect read (is any book, really?), and I was anxious about how obviously doomed Mona's plans were from the start. The plot is definitely predictable. But surprisingly, it avoids a major genre pet peeve of mine: the inevitable Third-Act Miscommunication. The one where characters refuse to hear each other out, have a giant explosive fight, and break up over something easily fixable? I always roll my eyes when I feel it's coming. Here, the characters actually talk. There were several moments where I braced for the cliché, but they actually communicated instead. They do still have a falling out during the climax (although they do talk about it and try to listen to each other), but it felt so much more realistic and earned the book points with me.
Another plus: despite having a large cast of eccentric neighbors, as we have to meet everyone in the building, after all, it never felt overwhelming. I can actually remember their names, which is a huge deal for me since I'm usually terrible with character names!
Where the book fell short for me was its scale; I just wanted it to go bigger. It's got likeable characters and relatable themes, but I needed that something else to happen. There was no unexpected twist or jaw-dropping moment that made me think, "I can't believe the author actually did that!" Even the romance played it strictly by the book. The big climax, where everything is supposed to go down, was something you could see coming miles away because the entire plot was obviously driving toward it. So while it's a cozy, fun read, I hoped it had pushed more.
All in all, it's a 3.5 out of 5 stars for me. It's the perfect pick if you're in the mood for a fun but warm-hearted story with quirky characters, you'll have a great time!
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
To redeem herself, she offers to help her landlady run the place while the woman is out of commission. She also secretly agrees to help the landlady's niece sell the building. Ironically, that's how Mona starts falling in love with this weird place and its even weirder residents.
I don't usually compare authors, but I've been mourning the loss of Sophie Kinsella and her yearly fun releases, and I have to say: this book is a solid contender, and even better than some of Kinsella's. If you were a fan of hers, just pick this one up. You'll love it!
Sure, it wasn't a perfect read (is any book, really?), and I was anxious about how obviously doomed Mona's plans were from the start. The plot is definitely predictable. But surprisingly, it avoids a major genre pet peeve of mine: the inevitable Third-Act Miscommunication. The one where characters refuse to hear each other out, have a giant explosive fight, and break up over something easily fixable? I always roll my eyes when I feel it's coming. Here, the characters actually talk. There were several moments where I braced for the cliché, but they actually communicated instead. They do still have a falling out during the climax (although they do talk about it and try to listen to each other), but it felt so much more realistic and earned the book points with me.
Another plus: despite having a large cast of eccentric neighbors, as we have to meet everyone in the building, after all, it never felt overwhelming. I can actually remember their names, which is a huge deal for me since I'm usually terrible with character names!
Where the book fell short for me was its scale; I just wanted it to go bigger. It's got likeable characters and relatable themes, but I needed that something else to happen. There was no unexpected twist or jaw-dropping moment that made me think, "I can't believe the author actually did that!" Even the romance played it strictly by the book. The big climax, where everything is supposed to go down, was something you could see coming miles away because the entire plot was obviously driving toward it. So while it's a cozy, fun read, I hoped it had pushed more.
All in all, it's a 3.5 out of 5 stars for me. It's the perfect pick if you're in the mood for a fun but warm-hearted story with quirky characters, you'll have a great time!
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I wish to express my appreciation to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing an advance e-reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date is August 11, 2026.
I enjoyed reading You’ll Love It Here by Natalie Sue. This is a heartwarming read with a lot of heart.
Mona, the protagonist, is working at a soul-crushing marketing job when she makes an inappropriate aside during a business meeting, resulting in a forced leave from work. As if that were not enough, her day continues to unravel when a false fire alarm in her apartment building leads to her landlady taking a fall. Mona may have had something to do with the alarm, which prompts her to make amends by stepping in as the temporary super.
Mona has always viewed her living situation as temporary, keeping her neighbors at arm’s length and even assigning them mocking nicknames. Now, as the interim super, she is forced to interact with them. Ever focused on getting ahead, Mona also sees an opportunity. When the super’s niece, a successful real estate professional, offers her a path to a new apartment in exchange for helping prepare the building for sale, Mona agrees. She also manages to finagle an additional benefit, securing the niece as a potential business client, which she hopes will boost her standing at work. Mona, who has long wanted a better place but is financially stretched due to supporting her mother, eagerly accepts. She knows the current tenants may lose their homes if the building sells, but rationalizes it as business.
What I especially enjoyed was how the author created quirky, sensitive, and interesting characters. At the beginning, Mona comes across as entitled and somewhat dismissive. Through her role as super, she begins to see the humanity in her neighbors. As she gets to know them, she looks beyond their quirks and starts to appreciate them. In some cases, she even admires qualities she once overlooked.
This book is marketed as laugh-out-loud funny, and it delivers. Sue has a talent for creating humor through character and situation. My only small criticism is the use of profanity in places where it felt unnecessary. It did not take away from my overall enjoyment, but I do think the story could have been just as effective without some of the stronger language. I may not be the target audience, but I suspect it could appeal to an even wider readership with a lighter touch in that area.
Nonetheless, I give it a solid 4 stars. It is an engaging and entertaining story that explores community, grief, and self-realization.
Expected publication date is August 11, 2026.
I enjoyed reading You’ll Love It Here by Natalie Sue. This is a heartwarming read with a lot of heart.
Mona, the protagonist, is working at a soul-crushing marketing job when she makes an inappropriate aside during a business meeting, resulting in a forced leave from work. As if that were not enough, her day continues to unravel when a false fire alarm in her apartment building leads to her landlady taking a fall. Mona may have had something to do with the alarm, which prompts her to make amends by stepping in as the temporary super.
Mona has always viewed her living situation as temporary, keeping her neighbors at arm’s length and even assigning them mocking nicknames. Now, as the interim super, she is forced to interact with them. Ever focused on getting ahead, Mona also sees an opportunity. When the super’s niece, a successful real estate professional, offers her a path to a new apartment in exchange for helping prepare the building for sale, Mona agrees. She also manages to finagle an additional benefit, securing the niece as a potential business client, which she hopes will boost her standing at work. Mona, who has long wanted a better place but is financially stretched due to supporting her mother, eagerly accepts. She knows the current tenants may lose their homes if the building sells, but rationalizes it as business.
What I especially enjoyed was how the author created quirky, sensitive, and interesting characters. At the beginning, Mona comes across as entitled and somewhat dismissive. Through her role as super, she begins to see the humanity in her neighbors. As she gets to know them, she looks beyond their quirks and starts to appreciate them. In some cases, she even admires qualities she once overlooked.
This book is marketed as laugh-out-loud funny, and it delivers. Sue has a talent for creating humor through character and situation. My only small criticism is the use of profanity in places where it felt unnecessary. It did not take away from my overall enjoyment, but I do think the story could have been just as effective without some of the stronger language. I may not be the target audience, but I suspect it could appeal to an even wider readership with a lighter touch in that area.
Nonetheless, I give it a solid 4 stars. It is an engaging and entertaining story that explores community, grief, and self-realization.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Pub. date 8/11/26
Natalie Sue follows up her phenomenal debut I Hope This Finds You Well with a more conventional but still satisfying sophomore effort. The MC is a half-Iranian emotional mess like Jolene in Hope, but Mona is more likeable and successful. Still, she's at her lowest when the story starts - still processing (or not) her complicated grief over her alcoholic father's death and fending off her mother's increasingly frantic phone calls, she loses her cool with a boorish client at her posh marketing firm and is ordered to take a six-week break. This leaves her with too much time on her hands to observe the other weird residents in her apartment building - Old White Perv, Fancy Widow, Weird Girl Beside Me, and 1A Incel, among others.
Mona meets her landlord Irene's niece Lana, a commercial realtor, and secretly agrees to help Lana spiff up the building to be sold, unbeknownst to Irene or the other tenants who will likely be priced out of the higher rent as the Calgary neighborhood gentrifies. Lana dangles the promise of a new apartment in a swanky building to Mona, along with the possibility of letting Mona recruit her as a client. It's everything that Mona ever wanted during her chaotic childhood. But (stop me if you saw this coming) she is starting to really get to know her neighbors and realizes there's more to them than their nicknames. And she's intrigued by Diner Loudmouth aka Sami from the restaurant across the street who saw Mona at her drunken worst but still seems to like her. Will Mona betray her new friends to get ahead?
The plot is predictable, unlike Hope, but it's an entertaining journey nonetheless. I especially liked Mona's growing friendship with Jane (Weird Girl), who has good reason for her outlandish decorating and clothes. And the romance with Sami is sweet, as the two bond over Persian food, and Mona experiences the unconditional love from Sami's parents that she missed growing up. I wish the conniving coworkers at the marketing firm had been portrayed with a little more nuance; you can demonstrate the evils of capitalism without making everyone who profits from it evil. But I appreciated Mona's competence, and her skills end up being put to better use than promoting an oil baron's new distillery.
IIRC, Natalie Sue's debut was extremely successful, so I'm curious about why she seems to pull her punches so much more this time. But I still enjoyed You'll Love it Here for what it was, and will keep her on my auto-read list for sure.
E-ARC received from Net Galley.
Natalie Sue follows up her phenomenal debut I Hope This Finds You Well with a more conventional but still satisfying sophomore effort. The MC is a half-Iranian emotional mess like Jolene in Hope, but Mona is more likeable and successful. Still, she's at her lowest when the story starts - still processing (or not) her complicated grief over her alcoholic father's death and fending off her mother's increasingly frantic phone calls, she loses her cool with a boorish client at her posh marketing firm and is ordered to take a six-week break. This leaves her with too much time on her hands to observe the other weird residents in her apartment building - Old White Perv, Fancy Widow, Weird Girl Beside Me, and 1A Incel, among others.
Mona meets her landlord Irene's niece Lana, a commercial realtor, and secretly agrees to help Lana spiff up the building to be sold, unbeknownst to Irene or the other tenants who will likely be priced out of the higher rent as the Calgary neighborhood gentrifies. Lana dangles the promise of a new apartment in a swanky building to Mona, along with the possibility of letting Mona recruit her as a client. It's everything that Mona ever wanted during her chaotic childhood. But (stop me if you saw this coming) she is starting to really get to know her neighbors and realizes there's more to them than their nicknames. And she's intrigued by Diner Loudmouth aka Sami from the restaurant across the street who saw Mona at her drunken worst but still seems to like her. Will Mona betray her new friends to get ahead?
The plot is predictable, unlike Hope, but it's an entertaining journey nonetheless. I especially liked Mona's growing friendship with Jane (Weird Girl), who has good reason for her outlandish decorating and clothes. And the romance with Sami is sweet, as the two bond over Persian food, and Mona experiences the unconditional love from Sami's parents that she missed growing up. I wish the conniving coworkers at the marketing firm had been portrayed with a little more nuance; you can demonstrate the evils of capitalism without making everyone who profits from it evil. But I appreciated Mona's competence, and her skills end up being put to better use than promoting an oil baron's new distillery.
IIRC, Natalie Sue's debut was extremely successful, so I'm curious about why she seems to pull her punches so much more this time. But I still enjoyed You'll Love it Here for what it was, and will keep her on my auto-read list for sure.
E-ARC received from Net Galley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
You’ll Love it Here follows Mona who lives in a broken-down apartment block. She didn’t mean to stay long term in this apartment block but she’s been there for years. Mona has been trying to build her career and works every hour she can so she’s never really noticed the other people who live in the apartment block. That is until there is a crisis at the apartment block and Mona is offered free rent if she does some work around the building. Mona has no interest in getting to know her neighbours but the more she is in the building, the more she gets to connect with the people in the building. The people are weird and strange but kind and honest too. Mona also starts spending time with a man called Sami who works in a local restaurant. Mona doesn’t have a lot to believe in but she might just start believing in her neighbours and the apartment.
I enjoyed this book and I think this author has really improved their writing style as I wasn’t a huge fan of their first book but there is a lot to love in this one. Mona can be a little unlikeable at times but I really liked how she connected with Sami and her neighbours. This book is very realistic because apartment blocks are being sold and community spaces are rapidly disappearing. This book shows the heart and love within a community of people randomly brought together. Mona has some issues with her parents and I really appreciate how the author discussed these issues. Mona’s father in particular really wasn’t present for most of her life due to an addiction but now he has died and Mona feels a lot of guilt as he was sober for the last few years of his life but Mona didn’t allow herself to trust him again. I found those parts of the book to be very real and heartfelt. I felt a little emotional at times and It’s clear the author put a lot of thought into Mona’s relationship with her dad. I will be recommending this book as I had a really good time with this.
Favourite quote - “I think of the last time I saw my dad before his stroke. I had him come to a coffee shop near my office. He was already waiting for me when I got there. He’d just gotten a haircut and wore a golf shirt that had a collar—his nicest shirt. There was a tiny hole in the sleeve that broke my heart.”
You’ll Love it Here follows Mona who lives in a broken-down apartment block. She didn’t mean to stay long term in this apartment block but she’s been there for years. Mona has been trying to build her career and works every hour she can so she’s never really noticed the other people who live in the apartment block. That is until there is a crisis at the apartment block and Mona is offered free rent if she does some work around the building. Mona has no interest in getting to know her neighbours but the more she is in the building, the more she gets to connect with the people in the building. The people are weird and strange but kind and honest too. Mona also starts spending time with a man called Sami who works in a local restaurant. Mona doesn’t have a lot to believe in but she might just start believing in her neighbours and the apartment.
I enjoyed this book and I think this author has really improved their writing style as I wasn’t a huge fan of their first book but there is a lot to love in this one. Mona can be a little unlikeable at times but I really liked how she connected with Sami and her neighbours. This book is very realistic because apartment blocks are being sold and community spaces are rapidly disappearing. This book shows the heart and love within a community of people randomly brought together. Mona has some issues with her parents and I really appreciate how the author discussed these issues. Mona’s father in particular really wasn’t present for most of her life due to an addiction but now he has died and Mona feels a lot of guilt as he was sober for the last few years of his life but Mona didn’t allow herself to trust him again. I found those parts of the book to be very real and heartfelt. I felt a little emotional at times and It’s clear the author put a lot of thought into Mona’s relationship with her dad. I will be recommending this book as I had a really good time with this.
Favourite quote - “I think of the last time I saw my dad before his stroke. I had him come to a coffee shop near my office. He was already waiting for me when I got there. He’d just gotten a haircut and wore a golf shirt that had a collar—his nicest shirt. There was a tiny hole in the sleeve that broke my heart.”
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4/5
You'll Love it Here is a heartwarming found family story with flawed but loveable characters that I couldn't get enough of!
It follows Mona, who is required to take disciplinary leave from her job after one mistake, despite years of hard work and dedication. When her landlady gets injured and can't perform her duties, Mona is asked to become a temporary super and begrudgingly help reign in the very opiniated tenants who always seem to be fighting.
I'm a sucker for found family stories, and this one absolutely delivers in that department, building a network of quirky characters that you grow to appreciate and love, as Mona does.
Mona herself is not the most likable character at first. She's addicted to work and believes that selling your soul to your employer is the only way to be happy and successful. She's also rather impatient with other people, even though she MUST have good social skills in order to perform her job. I like the grieving element that Natalie Sue includes in Mona's character as it explains her more recent dedication to her work and the qualities of Mona that turned me off at first. It also makes her more dynamically human - her relationship with her dad was complicated and she's never quite healed from the mistakes he made when she was younger.
Sami was my favorite character because, while he's initially dubbed the "loudmouth diner worker," he only seems that way because he's so sociable and empathetic. He connects individually with each of the residents at the apartment building next to his father's diner. Also, can we talk about his dad? While not a major character, I loved him and wanted to protect him like he was my own child. What a sweet, innocent, offensive old man - love it! Back to Sami - his personality just makes him so adorable. I loved the gradual friendship him and Mona have and how it opens her up.
The other tenants are so unlikable at first that I wasn't quite sure Sue would pull it off and make me love them, but she did! They all have flaws which makes them all seem like real people. Their quirks and personal issues are all relatable to both Mona and the reader, which makes the story arc really pleasing to read.
Overall, this was a genuinely fun read with great character development, and I will definitely be reading again when I need a pick-me-up.
You'll Love it Here is a heartwarming found family story with flawed but loveable characters that I couldn't get enough of!
It follows Mona, who is required to take disciplinary leave from her job after one mistake, despite years of hard work and dedication. When her landlady gets injured and can't perform her duties, Mona is asked to become a temporary super and begrudgingly help reign in the very opiniated tenants who always seem to be fighting.
I'm a sucker for found family stories, and this one absolutely delivers in that department, building a network of quirky characters that you grow to appreciate and love, as Mona does.
Mona herself is not the most likable character at first. She's addicted to work and believes that selling your soul to your employer is the only way to be happy and successful. She's also rather impatient with other people, even though she MUST have good social skills in order to perform her job. I like the grieving element that Natalie Sue includes in Mona's character as it explains her more recent dedication to her work and the qualities of Mona that turned me off at first. It also makes her more dynamically human - her relationship with her dad was complicated and she's never quite healed from the mistakes he made when she was younger.
Sami was my favorite character because, while he's initially dubbed the "loudmouth diner worker," he only seems that way because he's so sociable and empathetic. He connects individually with each of the residents at the apartment building next to his father's diner. Also, can we talk about his dad? While not a major character, I loved him and wanted to protect him like he was my own child. What a sweet, innocent, offensive old man - love it! Back to Sami - his personality just makes him so adorable. I loved the gradual friendship him and Mona have and how it opens her up.
The other tenants are so unlikable at first that I wasn't quite sure Sue would pull it off and make me love them, but she did! They all have flaws which makes them all seem like real people. Their quirks and personal issues are all relatable to both Mona and the reader, which makes the story arc really pleasing to read.
Overall, this was a genuinely fun read with great character development, and I will definitely be reading again when I need a pick-me-up.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
You'll Love It Here takes a while to find its feet, but once it does, it's an enjoyable story with plenty of heart.
Early on in the story it's almost like Sue couldn't decide whether she was writing a comedy or a heartfelt drama. Not that you can't write a story with elements of both, but You'll Love It would spin hard one way (mostly toward the comedy) and then when it tried to introduce the other, it felt jarring. It was almost like when Sue decided not every scene had to be funny (or at least try to be), the book finally found a more comfortable footing.
It was in the small, set-up scenes where You'll Love It didn't really sing. The meaningful beats that Sue would build to paid off almost exclusively well. What's interesting about some of this book was that--particularly in the back half--scenes wouldn't necessarily play out very cinematically but they would play out in an authentic way that I actually appreciated more than going for what you expect (a lot of tied ribbons) from this type of story. It's in that authenticity that I found I'd really like to see more of what Sue has in store for us.
I don't really know what to call You'll Love It Here. It's not really funny enough to be a comedy (although I did smile often while reading), and it's not serious enough to be a flat-out drama (although it's strongest moments were in the meaningful interaction between its characters once they settled into not being caricatures for comedic sake). It's a nice story though, and one certainly worth reading. Everything has to be something in art (or that's what it seems those marketing it want), and I don't really know what bucket to drop You'll Love It Here into. But I like it. And I like Sue. And if you sand around the edges of some of the more mundane scenes, we could use more stories like it.
Recommended for those who like both amusing and touching stories, particularly those who don't mind if those stories meander a bit before paying off with heart.
Thank you to William Morrow for providing an uncorrected DRC via NetGalley.
Early on in the story it's almost like Sue couldn't decide whether she was writing a comedy or a heartfelt drama. Not that you can't write a story with elements of both, but You'll Love It would spin hard one way (mostly toward the comedy) and then when it tried to introduce the other, it felt jarring. It was almost like when Sue decided not every scene had to be funny (or at least try to be), the book finally found a more comfortable footing.
It was in the small, set-up scenes where You'll Love It didn't really sing. The meaningful beats that Sue would build to paid off almost exclusively well. What's interesting about some of this book was that--particularly in the back half--scenes wouldn't necessarily play out very cinematically but they would play out in an authentic way that I actually appreciated more than going for what you expect (a lot of tied ribbons) from this type of story. It's in that authenticity that I found I'd really like to see more of what Sue has in store for us.
I don't really know what to call You'll Love It Here. It's not really funny enough to be a comedy (although I did smile often while reading), and it's not serious enough to be a flat-out drama (although it's strongest moments were in the meaningful interaction between its characters once they settled into not being caricatures for comedic sake). It's a nice story though, and one certainly worth reading. Everything has to be something in art (or that's what it seems those marketing it want), and I don't really know what bucket to drop You'll Love It Here into. But I like it. And I like Sue. And if you sand around the edges of some of the more mundane scenes, we could use more stories like it.
Recommended for those who like both amusing and touching stories, particularly those who don't mind if those stories meander a bit before paying off with heart.
Thank you to William Morrow for providing an uncorrected DRC via NetGalley.
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