All That Life Can Afford: Reese's Book Club

by Emily Everett

A “swoon-worthy” Reese’s Book Club Pick “chock-full of Austenian nods” (Sarah McCoy): American Anna has always dreamed of moving to London to escape her paycheck-to-paycheck life — but she finds more of the same struggles across the pond. When a wealthy family takes her under their wing, will she be able to live out her fantasy?

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook

400 pages, Paperback

Published April 28, 2026

About the author

Emily Everett is an editor and writer from western Massachusetts. Her short fiction appears in Kenyon Review, Electric Literature, Tin House, and Mississippi Review. She is a Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellow in Fiction. Everett grew up on a very small family dairy farm with her parents and two sisters, studied English and music at Smith College, and studied abroad for a year at University College London. After graduating, she returned to London to do an M.A. in literature at Queen Mary University of London. She lived and worked there from 2009 to 2013. Everett has been managing editor of The Common, a literary magazine based at Amherst College, for eight years. At The Common, she edits fiction, manages print and online production, and hosts the magazine’s podcast. All That Life Can Afford is her debut novel.

Reviews

[KATHLEEN CLIFFORD]

I found this book to be disappointing. The writing wasn't done in an interesting way and the plot was very unrealistic. The main characters personality kept changing to suit the plot and was inconsistent. While the author clearly had some visibility into British culture, the scenario painted in the book was not and is not believeable.

[Arlene Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reading this in July 2026. It's on Reese's Book Club list for April 2025.

Anna is an American post-college young adult going to London for the first time. Who wouldn't want to do that? She anticipates it will be wonderful since "her" London comes from reading Jane Austen. But no modern place can truly match well with Jane Austen's version, as Anna finds out.

After her mother died, Anna decided to study literature in England. She is accepted by and goes to Queen Mary University in London where she lives in a miserable flat with her friend, Andre, and works two jobs to afford her life there. Her tutoring job evolves into tutoring a wealthy family's 16-year-old daughter, Pippa, at the Savoy Hotel. Anna meets the Wilde family and gets along well with them.

Pippa values Anna's help so much, she begs to have Anna continue tutoring her while the family goes to Saint-Tropez, France, for Christmas and New Year’s. They allow it and Anna eventually decides to go with them. This puts her in the midst of the wealthy lifestyle and experiences. Anna is rather overwhelmed at first, but adjusts and enjoys it.

Pippa's older sister, Faye, allows Anna to borrow a few things from Faye's wardrobe. She, also, sometimes invites Anna to spend time with her friends. One time, Anna meets Faye's friend, Callum, who Faye met when they were still at school. Callum is nice and a good listener. Anna ends up telling him that she lost her mother recently, experienced economic insecurity, and is estranged from her father.

But the next time they meet, Callum ignores her. It confuses her but she turns her attention to another of Faye's friends, Theo. This time, Anna does not tell Theo about her background at all. By the time the family leaves France, Anna and Theo have been dating.

Back in England, Mrs Wilde asks Anna to housesit their house in a wealthy area of London. She immediately agrees and moves in. Anna and Theo are still dating. He introduces her to his social circle as Faye's friend. They accept her as that.

To continue that facade, Anna borrows some of Faye's clothing at the house. But it becomes increasingly difficult to keep up the false front.

Anna makes a friend of Tess who is genuine, kind and loves literature as much as Anna does.

Eventually, Callum reappears in a big way: He confronts Anna about lying and therefore, making him lie to his friends about her.

One evening, Anna is at the same party as Faye. Faye sees Anna wearing one of her dresses! She is angry! She loudly accuses Anna of stealing her things and conning her family! Anna is speechless. Theo does nothing. But Callum steps in and takes Anna out of the party.

Consequently, Anna decides to leave the housesit job. She packs her things, cleans the house, and plans to leave. Callum shows up, says she's overreacting. But Anna sees him looking at Faye's Facebook page and finds out that he is dating Faye. Anna throws him out and gets ready to leave.

The Wilde's attorney meets her at the door saying he's come to evict her and that the Wilde's may pursue legal action against her.

I'll leave it there as Anna loses most everything and has to start over, again. It's an interesting story. Callum is in and out.

Is it great literature? No. Is it an easy read? Definitely. It goes pretty fast. It's relatively fun. I can't help that I thought several times, "Anna, don't do that!" It's an entertaining "fish out of water" story.

It's an illusion of inclusion. Anna is an employee of a wealthy family. She is not an equal, but is sometimes seen as such by Faye's friends. Anna needs to watch what she says and how she speaks to not give away her "lower class" standing. The story can blur lines between genuine affection/acceptance and paid service. Anna's financial desparation contrasts directly with the family's casual disregard for money.

Audiobook: 11h 2m

[Eliana Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro es una completa maravilla. La forma en la que la autora aborda el dolor por la muerte de una madre llega directamente al alma. Leer sobre la valentía de dejarlo todo e irse a vivir al otro lado del mundo para perseguir un sueño hizo un clic instantáneo, profundo y muy personal en mí. Ver el enfoque inquebrantable de Anna en sus estudios y su superación personal es, sin duda, lo mejor de la historia.

La pluma de Emily Everett es espectacular. Todo está tan bien redactado que mi cerebro proyectaba una película en lugar de leer letras; me pude imaginar los escenarios, los vestidos y cada detalle a la perfección.

En cuanto a los personajes, Pippa me encantó. El caso de Faye es distinto: a ratos la amé, pero hacia el final me pareció una completa loca. Hacer tanto alboroto por una tontería que en el fondo ni le importaba fue demasiado. Y a Theo se le notaba lo maluco desde el principio, odié su personaje.

Sé que no se justifican las mentiras de Anna, y da tristeza ver cómo hace a un lado a sus verdaderos amigos por deslumbrarse, pero al final es un error muy humano; a todos nos ha pasado que damos cosas por sentadas y luego nos arrepentimos. Aún así, daban ganas de meterse al libro y abrirle los ojos; la pobre ya había sufrido bastante en la vida como para dejarla equivocarse así.

Finalmente, sobre el romance, me habría encantado que Anna confiara más en Callum y que él hubiera tenido un poco más de valor al principio para evitar que los malentendidos se hicieran tan grandes.

En resumen: un libro hermoso, muy visual, con personajes que te hacen sentir de todo y una historia de superación increíble. ¡Súper recomendado!

[Kami Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this four stars, though really I'm thinking like 3.5. The book fit what I was looking for: a fun, quick read that's still pretty smart. I enjoyed the book until reaching the whole fraud allegation after Anna is "outed." Maybe because I don't move in the world of the uber-wealthy so much, but I felt like everyone in the story, from Anna herself to the Wilder family to even Callum, overblew whatever transgression she had supposedly committed—she and others just didn't tell her whole backstory and she borrowed clothing from someone who'd previously loaned clothing to her and she stayed in a house the family asked her to stay in. Multiple people were involved is this supposed misrepresentation, yet they all act like she alone concocted this terrible betrayal. And why exactly should she be obligated to tell such people her whole story? So while I overall really enjoyed this book, that part of the plot toward the end was really distracting to me and too exaggerated. The tension between Anna's real self and the fancy crowd she was running in could have stood without taking it that far.

[Camille · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book didn’t really pick up until the last 100 pages pages but once I got to that point I FLEW through it. I love the drama, this book gave me plenty of it.
There is something so honest about a character who is trying to figure out life the best they can, but realizes too late that they were doing it wrong and have made too many mistakes. And now they have to put their life back together with what is left. I WILL LOVE THAT CHARACTER EVERYTIME!!
Also if you like Jane Austen this book does a great job of shining a light on her and her work while also having its own original story.
I am only giving it 3 stars though only because it was such a slow start and I prefer to be entertained from the beginning.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good read!

The story is about a young girl who goes overseas to study in the UK. She spent her life dreaming of a life she's never been able to afford and finds herself in the middle of her dreams.

No spoilers but this books is written so well that there are things you'd expect to happen that do happen and others that don't happen the way you'd expect. And it's unpredictable at which point in the story the story goes a way you wouldn't expect.

The main draw for me is that the story engaged my brain and my imagination with her use of vivid imagery and how she kept the story and all the characters progressing.

Definitely recommended!

[Mary Dent · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Cinderella story about a lit major from Western Massachusetts who heads to London to pursue her dreams, after her mom dies. Get ready for class conflict when she falls in with the Tony Highgate crowd. Nothing too surprising or earth shattering here.

[Kate Spears · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Great for Anglophiles and fans of Jane Austen. Anna is a hired tutor for a wealthy family and they open their life to her, which leads to some interesting situations when things get too familiar. The characters were interesting and I felt like I couldn't put it down!

[Stacy Farrington · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only finished because I wasted a credit on this book. I cringed when the author used the main characters growing up poor with a mother who died from her diabetes as a reason to rationalize her behaviors.

[Jennifer Dial · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read that follows a college student who learns more about who she is than what she does or does not have. I liked how it made you think about the people who really matter in your life, not material things.

[Sandra LaGrandeur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun book!

[Rachel Hellyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect book to read on my way home from our UK vacation.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s fine.

[Meagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is our May book club book. I found it an easy, entertaining read with a small bit of drama.

[Kathy Weir · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy soda pop summer read.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Ruta G · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute romance about a poor American girl trying to fit into a posh English lifestyle.

[Autumn Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[a u d r e y ✧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely one of my favorite reads! 💗

[Melinda]

This book is great. Interesting story and well written. I didn’t finish because the choices of the FMC were stressing me out, and I don’t need that in my life right now.