What do you think?
Rate this book
Our New Normal
How much more can you give when you’ve already given everything? In Colleen Faulkner’s affecting, thought-provoking new novel, the mother of a pregnant teenager discovers there are no easy answers—and that a mistake-proof life may not be worth living … Liv Ridgely prides herself on being the responsible wrangler of all things stay at home mom, caretaker of elderly parents, supporter of husband Oscar’s career, savior of her wayward sister. Now, with her son off to college, and her ambitious daughter, Hazel, a year away from following him, it’s Liv’s turn. She’s even established her dream career of bringing beautiful old homes back to life in the most picturesque part of Maine. Until she learns that 16-year-old Hazel is three months pregnant. Hazel insists she will have the baby and raise him with her boyfriend, Tyler, who’s no one’s idea of a model father. Clearly, there are going to be some conflicts to iron out. Liv just doesn’t expect them to be with her husband. As it turns out, Liv and Oscar have very different ideas about what to do. Perhaps it’s because Liv, who was adopted, has a unique perspective on this baby’s future. And perhaps it’s because, as a mother, she knows better than anyone how Hazel’s young life will be changed forever. As the family fractures in every direction, past resentments and pain come tumbling out. After years of putting others first, Liv wonders if she can do what’s best for her daughter, her parents, and her marriage—while still being true to herself.
- GenresFictionContemporary
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 27, 2019
19 people are currently reading
417 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
November 2, 2020
Three and a half stars.
With her son Sean off to college and daughter Hazel, a year away from following suit, Liv Ridgely is looking forward to doing something just for herself. Liv has spent years as a stay at home mum. Given her years as a homemaker she is excited about starting a house renovation business. That is, until she finds out sixteen year Hazel is three months pregnant. Liv, her husband Oscar and Hazel all have different ideas about how this is going to play out. At the same time Liv is looking after her parents who both have health issues. Her mother often needs to be in a wheelchair while her father has dementia. How does Liv manage to care for all of them to also carve out time for herself? And what about her sister Beth? Isn’t it time she stepped up to help? What happens when Liv’s father’s dementia gets worse? Chapters alternate between Liv and Hazel. How will the situation be resolved and what does it mean for Liv and her marriage as well as for Hazel and the baby?
This story did get me in, Even though I didn’t always agree with Liv or the way she handled things, I also spent a lot of the time angry at the way she is treated by others in her family and their disregard for her feelings. The fact that I became so angry at the way she is treated shows how emotionally involved I was in the lives of these characters and the situation. Hazel was a typically spoiled bratty teenage, naive in many ways. I did find one of the situations that develops between Hazel and another person hard to accept and Beth annoyed me from start to finish. She was as much a spoiled brat as Hazel, just older. She needed a good wake up call.
All of the characters had their flaws. Some of the situations with dementia are amusing and heartbreaking at the same time. If this story shows anything, it shows how people only seem to see their own point of view and manage to block out the view of others. At least until circumstances and choices force them to look at themselves and confront their own attitudes. A couple of things didn’t quite work for me but overall I thought it raised some thought-provoking points. A book that kept me reading despite the angry feelings at times. Gives an interesting perspective of a family battling several issues. Not perfect, but still well worth reading.
With her son Sean off to college and daughter Hazel, a year away from following suit, Liv Ridgely is looking forward to doing something just for herself. Liv has spent years as a stay at home mum. Given her years as a homemaker she is excited about starting a house renovation business. That is, until she finds out sixteen year Hazel is three months pregnant. Liv, her husband Oscar and Hazel all have different ideas about how this is going to play out. At the same time Liv is looking after her parents who both have health issues. Her mother often needs to be in a wheelchair while her father has dementia. How does Liv manage to care for all of them to also carve out time for herself? And what about her sister Beth? Isn’t it time she stepped up to help? What happens when Liv’s father’s dementia gets worse? Chapters alternate between Liv and Hazel. How will the situation be resolved and what does it mean for Liv and her marriage as well as for Hazel and the baby?
This story did get me in, Even though I didn’t always agree with Liv or the way she handled things, I also spent a lot of the time angry at the way she is treated by others in her family and their disregard for her feelings. The fact that I became so angry at the way she is treated shows how emotionally involved I was in the lives of these characters and the situation. Hazel was a typically spoiled bratty teenage, naive in many ways. I did find one of the situations that develops between Hazel and another person hard to accept and Beth annoyed me from start to finish. She was as much a spoiled brat as Hazel, just older. She needed a good wake up call.
All of the characters had their flaws. Some of the situations with dementia are amusing and heartbreaking at the same time. If this story shows anything, it shows how people only seem to see their own point of view and manage to block out the view of others. At least until circumstances and choices force them to look at themselves and confront their own attitudes. A couple of things didn’t quite work for me but overall I thought it raised some thought-provoking points. A book that kept me reading despite the angry feelings at times. Gives an interesting perspective of a family battling several issues. Not perfect, but still well worth reading.
September 11, 2019
Two stars, solely because it was well-written. I'm not sure I can explain why I disliked this book so much but I'll give it a try.
The side characters:
Sean, Hazel's older brother. He's honestly barely a character and could have been cut without losing anything.
Liv's dad. He has declining mental faculties and, well, I'll get to that. And Liv's mother. Extremely ornery and difficult to sympathize with. Genuinely never got the impression she loved Liv.
Beth, Liv's sister. Flaky, irresponsible, and also mostly useless to the plot. I'll get back to her later too.
Oscar, Liv's husband, is... Look, I didn't like him. I didn't feel sorry for him. I didn't understand what Liv saw in him. I didn't buy their reconciliation. Part of this is because we only see Liv and Hazel's points of view, and not seeing his makes him harder to connect with. But the truth is, I spent over half the book annoyed with his behavior. He's unhelpful and evasive of difficult conversations that need to happen. He also is constantly critical of Liv, despite not doing anything useful. I still can't believe he had the audacity to call her selfish when she was telling their daughter her deadbeat boyfriend wasn't going to help with the baby. She's not being selfish. This needs to be said out loud. Tyler is avoiding Hazel, and that's a huge red flag, and Hazel needs to be prepared for that.
Ultimately, this is my biggest issue of the book: We always see Liv doing all the work like cooking and cleaning in addition her job. Accusing of her being selfish for telling the truth, no matter how harsh it may seem, and saying she's a control freak and is punishing everyone around her for things not going her way... It only makes me question what the other characters see. We're in her head, I know, and she's not perfect by any means, but she certainly doesn't seem selfish and controlling to me. I think that's the point at the end of the novel--that Liv is ultimately in the right--but by that point, I'd nearly DNF'd a dozen times and had stopped caring and just wanted it to be done with so that ending fell flat for me.
And that leads me to my discussion of her family. There's a father with failing mental faculties and a mother who is injured at the start of the book, but Beth doesn't seem to be helpful at any time. Part of this is their mother never wants to interrupt whatever Beth is doing, as though Liv's time is worthless. Liv is adopted, by the way, when her parents never thought they would be able to have children, but they later had Beth. And this feels important because their mother doesn't treat Liv well in my eyes. But my biggest issue here is this feels like one more thing piled on Liv that has no purpose in the plot, other than to show how much Liv has on her plate. Beth doesn't do anything, even running off to Cancun while she knows Liv and Oscar won't be in town in case something goes wrong. Liv's mother doesn't want to move her husband or herself into a nursing home, even though they can't take care of themselves, so Liv must be available at all hours to deal with their issues.
Liv has also recently gone back to work after having given up her career to raise her children. When Oscar suggests they adopt their grandchild, she doesn't want this because she knows she'll likely end up to taking care of the baby by herself even though he wants another chance to be more involved in the child's childhood. This is probably a generational thing, but god this is fucking annoying. That's his problem. He wanted to work and not be involved. He doesn't get to ask his wife who already did all that to go it again for his sake alone. I could spend hours complaining about him and their relationship but it all boils down to the same things. By the end of the book, it feels as though the only reason they're getting back together/fixing things is because they've been married for so long. And I get that, I really do. Relationships constantly require adjustments as things happen, but I still can't fathom what Liv saw in him. This is on me, I will say. I wasn't raised in a household where the mother did all the work. My dad did 99% of the cooking and half the cleaning and most of the other useful tasks. (I love my mom dearly but she almost always does the less useful, less immediately things). So I don't find Oscar charming or attractive or think he's a great guy--I just think he doesn't know what his wife does, doesn't seem interested in finding out, and doesn't care how it might affect her.
And lastly, Hazel, our other main character. Firstly, her obsessive tendency to talk about things that can kill you was really grating after a while. Some of her stupidity can be excused by age but only some of it. She was mostly irritating for the first half, which I think was the point. The book makes it exceptionally clear she's whiny and bratty and selfish because of course she is, she's sixteen and can't think past the end of the week. She's definitely not mature enough to handle a child, and that's that. Again, the fact that only Liv sees the problem in Hazel keeping her child is my main issue. Hazel is mostly okay, and I think the author did a good job at making her sound genuinely like a teenager. She makes a few too many bad decisions, though, and there are definitely things she should have been old enough to know better about it.
Bottom line, since half the characters irritated me, I couldn't really enjoy it. It was an interesting premise but I couldn't handle how much Liv swallowed down for the sake of peace.
The side characters:
Sean, Hazel's older brother. He's honestly barely a character and could have been cut without losing anything.
Liv's dad. He has declining mental faculties and, well, I'll get to that. And Liv's mother. Extremely ornery and difficult to sympathize with. Genuinely never got the impression she loved Liv.
Beth, Liv's sister. Flaky, irresponsible, and also mostly useless to the plot. I'll get back to her later too.
Oscar, Liv's husband, is... Look, I didn't like him. I didn't feel sorry for him. I didn't understand what Liv saw in him. I didn't buy their reconciliation. Part of this is because we only see Liv and Hazel's points of view, and not seeing his makes him harder to connect with. But the truth is, I spent over half the book annoyed with his behavior. He's unhelpful and evasive of difficult conversations that need to happen. He also is constantly critical of Liv, despite not doing anything useful. I still can't believe he had the audacity to call her selfish when she was telling their daughter her deadbeat boyfriend wasn't going to help with the baby. She's not being selfish. This needs to be said out loud. Tyler is avoiding Hazel, and that's a huge red flag, and Hazel needs to be prepared for that.
Ultimately, this is my biggest issue of the book: We always see Liv doing all the work like cooking and cleaning in addition her job. Accusing of her being selfish for telling the truth, no matter how harsh it may seem, and saying she's a control freak and is punishing everyone around her for things not going her way... It only makes me question what the other characters see. We're in her head, I know, and she's not perfect by any means, but she certainly doesn't seem selfish and controlling to me. I think that's the point at the end of the novel--that Liv is ultimately in the right--but by that point, I'd nearly DNF'd a dozen times and had stopped caring and just wanted it to be done with so that ending fell flat for me.
And that leads me to my discussion of her family. There's a father with failing mental faculties and a mother who is injured at the start of the book, but Beth doesn't seem to be helpful at any time. Part of this is their mother never wants to interrupt whatever Beth is doing, as though Liv's time is worthless. Liv is adopted, by the way, when her parents never thought they would be able to have children, but they later had Beth. And this feels important because their mother doesn't treat Liv well in my eyes. But my biggest issue here is this feels like one more thing piled on Liv that has no purpose in the plot, other than to show how much Liv has on her plate. Beth doesn't do anything, even running off to Cancun while she knows Liv and Oscar won't be in town in case something goes wrong. Liv's mother doesn't want to move her husband or herself into a nursing home, even though they can't take care of themselves, so Liv must be available at all hours to deal with their issues.
Liv has also recently gone back to work after having given up her career to raise her children. When Oscar suggests they adopt their grandchild, she doesn't want this because she knows she'll likely end up to taking care of the baby by herself even though he wants another chance to be more involved in the child's childhood. This is probably a generational thing, but god this is fucking annoying. That's his problem. He wanted to work and not be involved. He doesn't get to ask his wife who already did all that to go it again for his sake alone. I could spend hours complaining about him and their relationship but it all boils down to the same things. By the end of the book, it feels as though the only reason they're getting back together/fixing things is because they've been married for so long. And I get that, I really do. Relationships constantly require adjustments as things happen, but I still can't fathom what Liv saw in him. This is on me, I will say. I wasn't raised in a household where the mother did all the work. My dad did 99% of the cooking and half the cleaning and most of the other useful tasks. (I love my mom dearly but she almost always does the less useful, less immediately things). So I don't find Oscar charming or attractive or think he's a great guy--I just think he doesn't know what his wife does, doesn't seem interested in finding out, and doesn't care how it might affect her.
And lastly, Hazel, our other main character. Firstly, her obsessive tendency to talk about things that can kill you was really grating after a while. Some of her stupidity can be excused by age but only some of it. She was mostly irritating for the first half, which I think was the point. The book makes it exceptionally clear she's whiny and bratty and selfish because of course she is, she's sixteen and can't think past the end of the week. She's definitely not mature enough to handle a child, and that's that. Again, the fact that only Liv sees the problem in Hazel keeping her child is my main issue. Hazel is mostly okay, and I think the author did a good job at making her sound genuinely like a teenager. She makes a few too many bad decisions, though, and there are definitely things she should have been old enough to know better about it.
Bottom line, since half the characters irritated me, I couldn't really enjoy it. It was an interesting premise but I couldn't handle how much Liv swallowed down for the sake of peace.
February 11, 2020
Think Juno without the clever banter. This story was pretty heartbreaking but in a good happily ever after kind of way. This was a quick read with a pretty good storyline that I haven't seen before. The characters could be frustrating at times but overall a good read.
April 27, 2025
Such a great book with a great message even cried a little bit at the ending! 😭🩷 I just the story went together better like the timeline was weird lol
April 10, 2020
This book was so good! I even shed a few tears!!
August 16, 2025
real hard honest look at a very sensitive subject! the ending truly surprised me
December 5, 2022
I enjoyed this quick, thought-provoking read. I really identified with the mom, “Liv”, who was finally getting some time to herself and was suddenly faced with demands from her aging parents and her kids.
August 4, 2019
Thanks Kensington and Netgalley for the chance to read this dynamic novel before it hits bookshelves later this month.
Liv, mom to a college student and a 16-year-old daughter, feels like she’s done raising her kids and wants to do something for herself now. That something is restoring homes because she did a brilliant job of bringing the one she lives in to a new life. When everything seems to be going smoothly, Liv finds out that Hazel, the teen daughter, is three months pregnant. Liv suggests putting the baby up for adoption. Hazel is adamant that she and her loser boyfriend, Tyler will raise the baby together, even though neither of them has a good job nor the money to do so.
I don’t want to give away anymore because I think everyone should read this book. It shines a light on unwed mothers, what it’s like for the family to go through a teen pregnancy and how family dynamics change a long the way. It was really hard to put this book down as something was constantly going on, emotions were often raw and you never knew who was going to change their mind about the upcoming baby.
Even though I thought the mother was a whiner and Hazel was selfish and not very likable, I still loved every page of this book.
Liv, mom to a college student and a 16-year-old daughter, feels like she’s done raising her kids and wants to do something for herself now. That something is restoring homes because she did a brilliant job of bringing the one she lives in to a new life. When everything seems to be going smoothly, Liv finds out that Hazel, the teen daughter, is three months pregnant. Liv suggests putting the baby up for adoption. Hazel is adamant that she and her loser boyfriend, Tyler will raise the baby together, even though neither of them has a good job nor the money to do so.
I don’t want to give away anymore because I think everyone should read this book. It shines a light on unwed mothers, what it’s like for the family to go through a teen pregnancy and how family dynamics change a long the way. It was really hard to put this book down as something was constantly going on, emotions were often raw and you never knew who was going to change their mind about the upcoming baby.
Even though I thought the mother was a whiner and Hazel was selfish and not very likable, I still loved every page of this book.
August 6, 2019
A heartbreaking, emotional and pretty damn realistic novel. I think, every teenager out there should read this one.. One thing I grasped from this book is that you do not get to undergo the hardships of being a mother until you are one. Being a parent, means you are the one who makes the difficult choices and have to endure the consequences too. Well, I'm glad I read this book. this one is for all the moms out there.
Thanks, NetGalley and Kensington providing me with the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks, NetGalley and Kensington providing me with the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 26, 2025
Throughout the book, I wanted to strangle Hazel. Liv didn't do everything right either though. Also, I wanted Tyler's p*nis chopped off but then thought he's just a kid too.
I was really surprised that Oscar and Liv didn't adopt Charlie.
I know this review isn't super helpful; It's more to remind me about the book. ☺️
I was really surprised that Oscar and Liv didn't adopt Charlie.
I know this review isn't super helpful; It's more to remind me about the book. ☺️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2019
I got a little tired of some of the characters and their repeated behaviors. That was really the only negative. As a mother, Liv did way too much. But I certainly get that. The alternating viewpoints between Hazel and Liv worked really well in this book. Overall, I still enjoyed this family drama. 4/5 stars.
August 29, 2019
3.5/5. It made for some stressful reading at times because of all the arguing among the characters but it was a realistic scenario and the family felt real. The story is told through two different perspectives Liv and Hazel. Liv is a mom whose oldest son has left for college, she's finally starting up her dream business, her daughter is now at an age where she can be responsible for herself at 16, or so she believes until she learns that her daughter is pregnant and wants to keep the baby. Hazel is 16 and highly unrealistic even when reality is slapping her in the face. She wants to be a doctor, and travel, and is into organic food and recycling by choice. But when she gets pregnant she wants to keep the baby and unrealistically thinks that she can raise the baby, have her happily ever after with her flake of a boyfriend, and still be a doctor and travel. I'm sure there are some women that actually manage to do that but at 16 the odds are stacked against you. The story takes place over a year and we see the stresses that the two characters go through and how Liv and Hazel endure all the changes. I was surprised by how things ended, it was unexpected but at the same time the only realistic choice that could happen. I'm also confused as to why Hazel didn't look into getting government support at anytime during the story as in theory she should have qualified for benefits and legal action could have been taken toward the baby's father for monetary support if shows like 16 and Pregnant and Judge Judy is anything to go by. Overall the story was interesting, it had a good pace and I liked having one chapter of Liv's perspective and one chapter of Hazel's after throughout the whole book as we get to see a bigger perspective of things then if the author had just focused on one main character. The pacing was also really good and if I needed to put down the book for a few hours I could finish a chapter and get back to it without having to force myself to focus. The story won't be for everyone but I did like it and thought it was worth reading.
January 31, 2020
Well that just broke my heart. Reading this story is a tough one. What a hard situation to face.
The story is told in alternating chapters from Liv and her daughter Hazel. Hazel is sixteen and unfortunately ends up pregnant. Liv wants her to give the baby up for adoption, Hazel wants to “figure it out” somehow and raise the baby.
I really enjoyed Liv as a character. I definitely felt for her. Her mother, husband, daughter and son were really rough on her sometimes. I thought her feelings were valid and felt where she was coming from.
This whole situation breaks my heart. I am a mother of two under two by choice and they are my world. Watching Hazel grapple with having a baby and then struggle through motherhood broke my heart.
I really had a tough time with Hazel. She was the “smart” girl in high school. She repeatedly said she was too smart to get pregnant. She knew better. She wants to be a doctor, she started her family recycling, she doesn’t want to eat garbage food with additives, etc. Her point of view was sooooo hard because she is a typical dumb teenager claiming to be so smart. I couldn’t stand it. Then she just expected her parents to bail her out and ensure to make a million mistakes as a young teen parent. The worst for me was how she claims to be so holy and wonderful, but goes to a party 9 months pregnant and has a beer? I really couldn’t stand her.
I feel the story might have been stronger just from Liv’s point of view only. Hearing from Hazel just made me so upset. She was so juvenile and did not get any better throughout the novel.
Still, a quick read. Heartbreaking but good.
The story is told in alternating chapters from Liv and her daughter Hazel. Hazel is sixteen and unfortunately ends up pregnant. Liv wants her to give the baby up for adoption, Hazel wants to “figure it out” somehow and raise the baby.
I really enjoyed Liv as a character. I definitely felt for her. Her mother, husband, daughter and son were really rough on her sometimes. I thought her feelings were valid and felt where she was coming from.
This whole situation breaks my heart. I am a mother of two under two by choice and they are my world. Watching Hazel grapple with having a baby and then struggle through motherhood broke my heart.
I really had a tough time with Hazel. She was the “smart” girl in high school. She repeatedly said she was too smart to get pregnant. She knew better. She wants to be a doctor, she started her family recycling, she doesn’t want to eat garbage food with additives, etc. Her point of view was sooooo hard because she is a typical dumb teenager claiming to be so smart. I couldn’t stand it. Then she just expected her parents to bail her out and ensure to make a million mistakes as a young teen parent. The worst for me was how she claims to be so holy and wonderful, but goes to a party 9 months pregnant and has a beer? I really couldn’t stand her.
I feel the story might have been stronger just from Liv’s point of view only. Hearing from Hazel just made me so upset. She was so juvenile and did not get any better throughout the novel.
Still, a quick read. Heartbreaking but good.
October 18, 2019
I found the unfolding of this story quite disappointing. At first I felt a connection with Liv, but as the book went on, she operated out of increasing self-centeredness. Hazel was frankly a brat, and she was essentially allowed to determine the course of the family until almost the end. Oscar and Liv should have fought things out before Charlie was born; if adoption was truly the right choice, and their choice to make, it should have happened immediately, not after three months of bonding. I don't understand the shift in perspective. For most of the novel, no one is allowed to tell Hazel what she has to do. Why should that change just because she is not functioning well as a new mom? It appeared as if Faulkner wanted the reader to see Charlie's adoption as unselfishness on the part of the Ridgely family. If Oscar and Liv did not feel obligated to step in and adopt, fair enough, but Hazel could have been held accountable for behaving responsibly. And how can one reconcile Hazel refusing to even look at a photo of her daughter in one chapter, and in the next leave an honorary high chair at the table? (Not to mention that she did not have the right to delete other people's photos on their phones!) I can't imagine anyone living this story out and thinking of it as a happy ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2019
I was given an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for my review. All opinions are mine.
Not going to lie, I picked this book up originally because I liked the aesthetics of the cover, and I'm a sucker for a teen pregnancy story. 20 percent in to the book I wanted to throw it. I HATED the way the main character's family treated her like she was crazy or like she was wrong for suggesting her daughter give her baby up for adoption. Everyone around her essentially gas lit her and made her feel awful, when she was RIGHT ALL ALONG. Her husband was made to be this perfect man, but frankly I thought he was a jerk who undermined her at every turn, and the best part of the book was when she left him. And the daughter? Don't even get me started. I was frustrated the whole time because the whole family was just horrible.
The grandfather was probably my favorite character, even though it was hard for me to read, having lost my own grandfather to dementia less than two months ago. It thoroughly bothered me that they all just assumed there was nothing wrong with him, and that he was "quirky" rather than him being a real adult with a terrifying and devastating disease.
I finished this book because I felt like I had to. It was not my cup of tea, and I personally wouldn't recommend it, even though I know our library has purchased a copy or two.
Not going to lie, I picked this book up originally because I liked the aesthetics of the cover, and I'm a sucker for a teen pregnancy story. 20 percent in to the book I wanted to throw it. I HATED the way the main character's family treated her like she was crazy or like she was wrong for suggesting her daughter give her baby up for adoption. Everyone around her essentially gas lit her and made her feel awful, when she was RIGHT ALL ALONG. Her husband was made to be this perfect man, but frankly I thought he was a jerk who undermined her at every turn, and the best part of the book was when she left him. And the daughter? Don't even get me started. I was frustrated the whole time because the whole family was just horrible.
The grandfather was probably my favorite character, even though it was hard for me to read, having lost my own grandfather to dementia less than two months ago. It thoroughly bothered me that they all just assumed there was nothing wrong with him, and that he was "quirky" rather than him being a real adult with a terrifying and devastating disease.
I finished this book because I felt like I had to. It was not my cup of tea, and I personally wouldn't recommend it, even though I know our library has purchased a copy or two.
September 15, 2019
I read this book as I read most of my Kindle books—while rocking my daughter to sleep or sitting in her room while she plays. This may have influenced my relationship with Our New Normal.
I’m always drawn to mother-daughter books, so I was sucked in immediately. Liv’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Hazel, is pregnant and her boyfriend is a typical, irresponsible teenage boy. Liv wants Hazel to consider adoption, but her daughter refuses, convinced her boyfriend will step up. Shocking no one but Hazel, he doesn’t.
Add to this that Liv’s father is struggling with dementia and her mother has chronic pain. Oh, and her husband is distant.
Our New Normal was a brilliant book and it captivated me, forcing me to ask myself what I would do in Liv’s shoes. She’s spent her entire life being a mother and ignoring her dreams, now that her kids are grown, she thinks it’s her time. Than bad her daughter is pregnant.
I related to Liv’s desire to be seen for who she is and not just as the one responsible for picking up the right coffee creamer or chauffeuring her kids around town.
If you love complicated family drama, you need to pick this one up.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted ebook in exchange for an honest review.
I’m always drawn to mother-daughter books, so I was sucked in immediately. Liv’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Hazel, is pregnant and her boyfriend is a typical, irresponsible teenage boy. Liv wants Hazel to consider adoption, but her daughter refuses, convinced her boyfriend will step up. Shocking no one but Hazel, he doesn’t.
Add to this that Liv’s father is struggling with dementia and her mother has chronic pain. Oh, and her husband is distant.
Our New Normal was a brilliant book and it captivated me, forcing me to ask myself what I would do in Liv’s shoes. She’s spent her entire life being a mother and ignoring her dreams, now that her kids are grown, she thinks it’s her time. Than bad her daughter is pregnant.
I related to Liv’s desire to be seen for who she is and not just as the one responsible for picking up the right coffee creamer or chauffeuring her kids around town.
If you love complicated family drama, you need to pick this one up.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted ebook in exchange for an honest review.
January 18, 2020
Premise of the story was really interesting.
I struggled with some of the characters behaviour...I get it- life can be difficult and our behaviour as humans isn't always pretty. However I felt there was too much blame put on Liv, that it was up to her to do everything and be everything for all the people in her life.
The constant negativity about her actions, telling her shes the problem was demeaning to her character...no one else seemed to be looking inwards and taking responsibility for their part.
I did really like the book minus the issues above. It was a little chaotic as life can be. I found it hard to believe that in this day and age, one woman is expected to put her dreams aside and take care of her spouse, her kids, her parents, the yardwork and do her own job....so for me that part of the story was too hard to fathom...in my opinion.
There are relationships where the wife/mom carries the load and if that makes them happy, theres nothing wrong with that.
Overall I enjoyed it, read it without stopping till I finished it so maybe I liked it more than my review sounds.
I've read several other books from this author and really liked them, shes actually one of my favourites but not as much as Colleen Hoover.
I struggled with some of the characters behaviour...I get it- life can be difficult and our behaviour as humans isn't always pretty. However I felt there was too much blame put on Liv, that it was up to her to do everything and be everything for all the people in her life.
The constant negativity about her actions, telling her shes the problem was demeaning to her character...no one else seemed to be looking inwards and taking responsibility for their part.
I did really like the book minus the issues above. It was a little chaotic as life can be. I found it hard to believe that in this day and age, one woman is expected to put her dreams aside and take care of her spouse, her kids, her parents, the yardwork and do her own job....so for me that part of the story was too hard to fathom...in my opinion.
There are relationships where the wife/mom carries the load and if that makes them happy, theres nothing wrong with that.
Overall I enjoyed it, read it without stopping till I finished it so maybe I liked it more than my review sounds.
I've read several other books from this author and really liked them, shes actually one of my favourites but not as much as Colleen Hoover.
August 13, 2019
This is the first book I've read by this author. Our New Normal does a great job in how it portrays a mother who lost her identity raising her children and finally having the ability to pursue her dreams again only to be completely ambushed by the fact that her teenage daughter is pregnant and wants to keep the baby.
It was well-written and I found that I could not put it down until I saw how it ended. Full of heartbreak, loneliness, wants, and broken dreams, and growing up, this is a book I would recommend. I would definiely recommend it as book club choice.
Thank you #netgalley and #kensingtonbooks for the eARC.
It was well-written and I found that I could not put it down until I saw how it ended. Full of heartbreak, loneliness, wants, and broken dreams, and growing up, this is a book I would recommend. I would definiely recommend it as book club choice.
Thank you #netgalley and #kensingtonbooks for the eARC.
December 16, 2025
At the center of this story we have pregnant teenage Hazel: naive, immature, yet genuinely concerned about her baby--to the point of worrying that the baby might have fetal alcohol syndrome if she was drinking when she got pregnant. Throughout the pregnancy, she's a very practical thinker, researching the cost and effectiveness of everything she plans to buy for the baby. She knows from the beginning that she wants to keep her baby, standing her ground despite her mom's suggestion to put the baby up for adoption and her aunt's attempts to convince her to have an abortion.
Then we have Liv, Hazel's mother. With a tendency to be selfish, controlling, and take everything as a personal attack, I didn't find her a very likable character. Her teenage daughter criticizes the way she texts? Hazel must like her dad better. Her husband asks a clarifying question about when dinner will be ready? He must be trying to pick a fight. She won't even allow Hazel a separate room for the nursery. But the reader can still sympathize with her, because her position isn't an easy one. Her father has dementia, her teenage daughter is pregnant, and all she really wants is to start her own business--dreams that were put on hold while she raised her own children.
Faulkner alternates between perspectives extremely well, from Hazel's more childlike outlook to that of her wiser, more experienced mother. I could easily see this book appealing to both teens and adults.
As a whole, I enjoyed this book, though I'll admit I had hoped for a different ending.
Then we have Liv, Hazel's mother. With a tendency to be selfish, controlling, and take everything as a personal attack, I didn't find her a very likable character. Her teenage daughter criticizes the way she texts? Hazel must like her dad better. Her husband asks a clarifying question about when dinner will be ready? He must be trying to pick a fight. She won't even allow Hazel a separate room for the nursery. But the reader can still sympathize with her, because her position isn't an easy one. Her father has dementia, her teenage daughter is pregnant, and all she really wants is to start her own business--dreams that were put on hold while she raised her own children.
Faulkner alternates between perspectives extremely well, from Hazel's more childlike outlook to that of her wiser, more experienced mother. I could easily see this book appealing to both teens and adults.
As a whole, I enjoyed this book, though I'll admit I had hoped for a different ending.
August 12, 2019
4.5 / 5 ⭐
What was the last book you read where your heart actually hurt for a character? Where you felt your chest tighten and your throat close with emotion? ᴏᴜʀ ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟ is that book for me. Colleen Faulkner did such an amazing job at capturing the voice of a wife and mother that at times I felt like she was inside my head. Before the younger crowd assumes this book isn’t for them - Faulkner also takes on the perspective of a pregnant 16-year-old.
Liv Ridgely has been a stay-at-home mom raising her two kids for the last 16 years. Her husband works long hours, and her parents now need extra help as her dad is suffering from dementia. Liv is excited about the new changes coming into her life. Her son is heading off to college, and she is starting up her own business. Liv finally feels like she may find herself again after years of giving so much of herself away to others.
A positive pregnancy test changes everything for Liv. It’s not Liv who is pregnant. It’s Hazel, her 16-year-old daughter. The pregnancy sends the family into turmoil as no one seems to be on the same page. Everyone has an opinion, and it begins to cause division. Especially between Liv and her husband.
The chapters volley back and forth between Liv and Hazel’s narration. The strain and distance that comes between Liv and her husband are palpable. Liv tries to mother her daughter who is going to be a mother herself, but Hazel is definitely not ready for this responsibility. From Hazel’s side, she thinks she’s got it all under control, she thinks she's in love, and yet, she’s not ready to grow up quite so fast.
At times I was so frustrated, it seemed like the person giving the most was seen as the most selfish. This book embodied the drama that a teenage pregnancy brings upon a family. It could be said that this book should be required reading for parents and their teenagers.
As a wife and mother, I empathized with Liv. But Faulkner did such a great job with both roles that I found myself being transported back to my 16-year-old self at times.
Thank you to @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for this ARC
Publish Date: 8/27/19
What was the last book you read where your heart actually hurt for a character? Where you felt your chest tighten and your throat close with emotion? ᴏᴜʀ ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟ is that book for me. Colleen Faulkner did such an amazing job at capturing the voice of a wife and mother that at times I felt like she was inside my head. Before the younger crowd assumes this book isn’t for them - Faulkner also takes on the perspective of a pregnant 16-year-old.
Liv Ridgely has been a stay-at-home mom raising her two kids for the last 16 years. Her husband works long hours, and her parents now need extra help as her dad is suffering from dementia. Liv is excited about the new changes coming into her life. Her son is heading off to college, and she is starting up her own business. Liv finally feels like she may find herself again after years of giving so much of herself away to others.
A positive pregnancy test changes everything for Liv. It’s not Liv who is pregnant. It’s Hazel, her 16-year-old daughter. The pregnancy sends the family into turmoil as no one seems to be on the same page. Everyone has an opinion, and it begins to cause division. Especially between Liv and her husband.
The chapters volley back and forth between Liv and Hazel’s narration. The strain and distance that comes between Liv and her husband are palpable. Liv tries to mother her daughter who is going to be a mother herself, but Hazel is definitely not ready for this responsibility. From Hazel’s side, she thinks she’s got it all under control, she thinks she's in love, and yet, she’s not ready to grow up quite so fast.
At times I was so frustrated, it seemed like the person giving the most was seen as the most selfish. This book embodied the drama that a teenage pregnancy brings upon a family. It could be said that this book should be required reading for parents and their teenagers.
As a wife and mother, I empathized with Liv. But Faulkner did such a great job with both roles that I found myself being transported back to my 16-year-old self at times.
Thank you to @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for this ARC
Publish Date: 8/27/19
January 5, 2025
Liv is married and in her 40s. Her son, Sean, will soon be off to university and her daughter, Hazel, is almost finished high school. Finally Liv can focus on herself and start her home redesign business. Then 16-year-old Hazel announces she is pregnant and though she has plans of eventually becoming a doctor, she is adamant about keeping the baby ... having an abortion or putting the baby up for adoption are out of the question. Everyone thinks Liv is selfish and controlling because she thinks Hazel keeping the baby is a bad decision, especially since they know Tyler, Hazel's boyfriend, is a loser. Liv knows a lot of the responsibility will fall on her (she's already taking care of her parents) and she's not willing to take that on at this point in her life.
This is the second book I've read by this author and I hated it. It is written in first person perspective in Liv and Hazel's voices (the chapters are labeled). I didn't care for most of the characters. Liv tried to stand up for herself and be honest about how Hazel's baby would affect their lives and everyone thought she was being controlling and selfish. Liv's parents are ailing and it's up to her to take care of their needs. Her father's mind was failing should have been put in a home but no one thought he was bad enough (huh?! at one point he didn't even recognize himself in a picture!). Beth, Liv's younger sister, who was apparently their mother's favourite, was flakey and left everything for Liv to take care of. Oscar, Liv's husband, was a jerk and gave her no support and expected her to put her life on hold again so she could raise Hazel's baby. Granted Hazel was only 16 and apparently a smart girl but she was a spoiled brat ... she's lucky her family, especially her mother, supported her as much as they did considering how she treated them. If I was Liv, I would have bailed a lot sooner and let them all take care of themselves.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2025/01...
This is the second book I've read by this author and I hated it. It is written in first person perspective in Liv and Hazel's voices (the chapters are labeled). I didn't care for most of the characters. Liv tried to stand up for herself and be honest about how Hazel's baby would affect their lives and everyone thought she was being controlling and selfish. Liv's parents are ailing and it's up to her to take care of their needs. Her father's mind was failing should have been put in a home but no one thought he was bad enough (huh?! at one point he didn't even recognize himself in a picture!). Beth, Liv's younger sister, who was apparently their mother's favourite, was flakey and left everything for Liv to take care of. Oscar, Liv's husband, was a jerk and gave her no support and expected her to put her life on hold again so she could raise Hazel's baby. Granted Hazel was only 16 and apparently a smart girl but she was a spoiled brat ... she's lucky her family, especially her mother, supported her as much as they did considering how she treated them. If I was Liv, I would have bailed a lot sooner and let them all take care of themselves.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2025/01...
August 7, 2019
This book like all other books by Colleen Faulker is amazing. She really has a way of taking common situations that lots of people do unfortunately find themselves in and putting a nice spin on things. She has a powerful way with her words that keeps me coming back as a reader to devour whatever new piece that she puts out. I really enjoyed this book and I found while I loved the story line I think that the characters had to be my favourite part of this. They were so realistic in their actions and comments that it made me feel like I was watching this unfortunate situation play out in front of me by real people instead of just reading about them. The book starts our with our character Liv finding out that her teenage daughter Hazel is pregnant. Not only is Hazel pregnant but at sixteen she is now also vowing to raise this child with her troubled and unmotivated boyfriend Tyler. This book is told through two perspectives the mother Liv and her daughter's Hazel. I found that this was a great way to write the book which surprised me because I usually don't like switches in points of view. I enjoyed this one however because the author very clearly showed who was in charge by naming each chapter so it was very easy to keep things straight. Not only was it easy but it also gave the reader an insight on what each character was thinking about the whole pregnancy situation. The reader got all of the characters feelings as well as worries and concerns which made the story line a lot stronger. Very compelling read and I'm very glad that I got the chance to check it out. The best part about this book was seeing the relationship between mother and daughter, Liv and Hazel. It was nice to see their struggles with everything going on but you really felt and saw the love that they had for each other in a way that is very had to write about. The only thing I wish for this book is as many people as possible get to read the beauty that is between these pages.
September 13, 2019
There was nothing normal about this book.
There was nothing good about this book.
There was nothing happy about this book.
All the characters, except for Sean who seemed to be an after-thought, are awful. Not a single redeeming quality in the bunch. Everyone was selfish (again, except for Sean who pretty much disappeared after 20% of the book, and then only seemed to appear again when it was convenient), and seriously, how much more sadness and stress could one person take? Liv is just getting a new business up and running after staying home to raise two kids. One kid off to College, second - no spoiler here - gets pregnant and decides to keep the baby. So job stress and now baby having a baby stress. Husband thinks she's not being supportive, so there's marital stress. Add in here and there some job stress issues prevalent in home renovations. Then there's sister stress, with a sister that could be removed from the book for all the good she added, with the exception of her 'tell it like it is' attitude. Then let's add in a mother with mobility issues and a father with severe dementia (to the point of walking out of the house with no pants on). Oh, and let's not forget the baby-daddy, Tyler, who also could be a minor character, given the amount of page time he's given. As well as Liv's BFF Amelia, who we hear about twice in the book and then *poof* she disappears.
This was a hot mess of a book. I should have gone with my first instinct and put it down after the first 30% of the book was about Hazel's pregnancy and the continuous adoption argument going around and around and around.
Honestly, save yourself the time and watch an episode of 16 and pregnant instead. You'll get about as much out of that as you will this book.
There was nothing good about this book.
There was nothing happy about this book.
All the characters, except for Sean who seemed to be an after-thought, are awful. Not a single redeeming quality in the bunch. Everyone was selfish (again, except for Sean who pretty much disappeared after 20% of the book, and then only seemed to appear again when it was convenient), and seriously, how much more sadness and stress could one person take? Liv is just getting a new business up and running after staying home to raise two kids. One kid off to College, second - no spoiler here - gets pregnant and decides to keep the baby. So job stress and now baby having a baby stress. Husband thinks she's not being supportive, so there's marital stress. Add in here and there some job stress issues prevalent in home renovations. Then there's sister stress, with a sister that could be removed from the book for all the good she added, with the exception of her 'tell it like it is' attitude. Then let's add in a mother with mobility issues and a father with severe dementia (to the point of walking out of the house with no pants on). Oh, and let's not forget the baby-daddy, Tyler, who also could be a minor character, given the amount of page time he's given. As well as Liv's BFF Amelia, who we hear about twice in the book and then *poof* she disappears.
This was a hot mess of a book. I should have gone with my first instinct and put it down after the first 30% of the book was about Hazel's pregnancy and the continuous adoption argument going around and around and around.
Honestly, save yourself the time and watch an episode of 16 and pregnant instead. You'll get about as much out of that as you will this book.
August 12, 2019
Your kids are growing up-one is heading to college and the other is almost 17. Your husband’s career at the Hospital is established and you’re so excited because it is finally here! It is finally your turn to live your dream! The kids are old enough that they don’t need you 24/7. You have your first clients for your new business and you are so excited to get started.
And then, there is a positive pregnancy test. And, a second positive pregnancy test, in case the first one was wrong. Now what?
I loved this book! I loved each of the characters and the roles they had. Oscar, Husband and Dad, level headed, logical Oscar. He loves his family and his kids, but had his career, so was, admittedly, a bit “hands off” when his kids were young. Liv, supportive Wife and responsible Mom to Sean and Hazel, caregiver to aging parents, so excited to start this new phase of her life. Sean, heading to college. Hazel, age 16, three months pregnant.
Everyone is thrown for a curveball by this pregnancy and everyone has different ideas for Hazel’s future. Relationships are changing and emotions are running strong in this family.
Even though they are all seeing this from a different angle, the underlying theme is love. Oscar loves his wife and child. Liv loves her husband and daughter so much, and she cannot understand that they can’t see her ideas for Hazel’s future are because of that love. Hazel is a child herself, but she knows she wants to keep her baby. They all love Charlie so much! Can love get them through the difficult relationships and hurt feeling that have happened? Can love and time heal them?
5 stars. Loved this book!
And then, there is a positive pregnancy test. And, a second positive pregnancy test, in case the first one was wrong. Now what?
I loved this book! I loved each of the characters and the roles they had. Oscar, Husband and Dad, level headed, logical Oscar. He loves his family and his kids, but had his career, so was, admittedly, a bit “hands off” when his kids were young. Liv, supportive Wife and responsible Mom to Sean and Hazel, caregiver to aging parents, so excited to start this new phase of her life. Sean, heading to college. Hazel, age 16, three months pregnant.
Everyone is thrown for a curveball by this pregnancy and everyone has different ideas for Hazel’s future. Relationships are changing and emotions are running strong in this family.
Even though they are all seeing this from a different angle, the underlying theme is love. Oscar loves his wife and child. Liv loves her husband and daughter so much, and she cannot understand that they can’t see her ideas for Hazel’s future are because of that love. Hazel is a child herself, but she knows she wants to keep her baby. They all love Charlie so much! Can love get them through the difficult relationships and hurt feeling that have happened? Can love and time heal them?
5 stars. Loved this book!
August 25, 2019
Wonderful story of a family facing so many issues we all must cope with. Liv is the ultimate sandwich female- her elderly father has dementia, her elderly mother an orthopedic condition, her son is headed to college, and her sixteen year old daughter Hazel just got pregnant. Told alternately by Liv and Hazel, this is an amazingly honest novel. Liv's finally come into her own, started her own business, and is feeling good about herself and her relationship with her husband Oscar (a great guy btw). Liv knows that Hazel's thought- she's convinced that Tyler, the father of her child, will marry her and they will live happily ever after- is just a dream and that she'll be the one who once again cares for an infant, which she's just not prepared to do. An adopted child herself, she urges Hazel to put the baby up for adoption. Their tug of war continues even as things spiral for Liv's parents. Faulkner is a great storyteller and even better, you actually sense the differences between Hazel and Liv (so often dual narrations sound alike). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. There's so much in here but it's a terrific book and one I highly recommend.
October 8, 2021
I’m not much of a crier, but I felt all the feels with this one. I don’t know how, but you could just feel the raw emotion just exuding through the pages of this piece. The characters just flew off the page, feeling so absolutely... real. Faulkner dives into family dynamics and seamlessly plays a tale across heartstrings.
There were some parts of the narrative that bothered me as I read on, but they were relatively addressed by the end of the novel. Hazel was getting on my last nerve. I couldn’t stand her until I realized that it just goes to show how wonderfully the author sculpted her out. Though self-absorbed and obnoxious, she’s a teenager fully formed. You can’t help but respect that.
The ending was a bit abrupt, but also felt necessarily so. It seemed like there were some pretty deep issues between Liv and Oscar that were not addressed much after the climax of the storyline.
Our New Normal was a great read. I read it in one straight shot, simply because I could not put it down. I cannot recall the last time a character felt so real. If you’re looking for your next read, I recommend giving this one a shot!
There were some parts of the narrative that bothered me as I read on, but they were relatively addressed by the end of the novel. Hazel was getting on my last nerve. I couldn’t stand her until I realized that it just goes to show how wonderfully the author sculpted her out. Though self-absorbed and obnoxious, she’s a teenager fully formed. You can’t help but respect that.
The ending was a bit abrupt, but also felt necessarily so. It seemed like there were some pretty deep issues between Liv and Oscar that were not addressed much after the climax of the storyline.
Our New Normal was a great read. I read it in one straight shot, simply because I could not put it down. I cannot recall the last time a character felt so real. If you’re looking for your next read, I recommend giving this one a shot!
August 27, 2019
Hazel is a lovely, smart, typical 16 year old girl living in Maine. And then she gets pregnant. It is not in spite of - but because of - her intelligence and warmth that she insists she will figure out a way to raise this baby, that she and Tyler are in truly in love. The Ridgley family is turned upside down. The natural order of things would have her mom, Liv, take care of the baby while Hazel finishes high school and continues her education to become the doctor she always dreamed of. But Liv just packed her son off to college and is finally going start the renovation business she has spent years planning. She loves her family, cares for her aging parents but she doesn’t want to start over again. This intense pressure put on every family member is a realistic look at each of our roles and how one persons decision affects them all. Can we change without disappointing the ones we love? Are we, as moms, daughters, sisters, wives allowed to choose ourselves? Highly recommend this thoughtful, well written novel. Would be an excellent book club discussion!
March 2, 2023
Great surprise! I picked this up second hand knowing nothing about the author and with low expectations especially when I realized it was about a pregnant teenage and reluctantly thinking it was a thin veil for anti abortion. ( sorry, for spoilers but I always read the last chapter before I read the book).
It was anything but. Instead, It was honest and painful and an emotional roller coaster as the parents struggled with their marriage, the 16 year old desperately hangs on to her thug of a boyfriend all the while determined to keep her baby. Oh! And great grandparents to be offering their views, one of which is compromised from dementia. The various POVs, all legitimate, permeate the story.
It’s not a perfect read, in fact it’s kind of messy and sad and sweet ( especially when the baby arrives).
Much like life.
Yep, really enjoyed it.
It was anything but. Instead, It was honest and painful and an emotional roller coaster as the parents struggled with their marriage, the 16 year old desperately hangs on to her thug of a boyfriend all the while determined to keep her baby. Oh! And great grandparents to be offering their views, one of which is compromised from dementia. The various POVs, all legitimate, permeate the story.
It’s not a perfect read, in fact it’s kind of messy and sad and sweet ( especially when the baby arrives).
Much like life.
Yep, really enjoyed it.
August 8, 2024
I got a little bored in the begging of this book and wasn’t sure where it was going. I thought it was well written. I could not stop crying at the end when they put Charlie up for adoption. I was hoping for more out of Hazel but she really was so immature and never seemed to progress. I felt so bad for Liv. I was hoping she would reconcile with her mother about being adopted and how she felt. My own mother was adopted and my grandparents were never like that with her or us as grandkids. I’m not sure what a happy ending would have been to be honest. Being a mother myself, I completely understand feeling like you’re not doing enough and being overwhelmed, Hazel just seemed to give up. But I suppose at 16 I can’t imagine. Anyways it just really broke my heart!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2021
This was the second book by Colleen Faulkner I read, and I loved both of them! Although I dislike the phrase "new normal" I loved the premise of this book and the plot development. I also liked the characters ad felt like I knew each character. They all were likable at times and less likable at others. Hazel confused me though...she seemed very smart and mature in some ways (the environmentalism and safety consciousness) but in others, not so much. And the way she was acting towards the end of the book, oh my goodness...but I found this book very well written and easy and fun to read. I will definitely be reading others by this author!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews