In Light of Recent Events

by Amy Klinger

In the 1990s American workplace, survival of the fittest is sometimes less about clawing your way to the top than developing good camouflage. And Audrey Rohmer is doing her very best to blend in as an undistinguished middle manager. Uninspired by her job and uneasy about her father's new marriage, Audrey coasts through the work week leaning on her “partner in apathy” – an admin assistant named Pooter – to keep her relationship with the married head of her department from becoming water cooler gossip.

But when an old family friend-turned-Hollywood-superstar crashes on her doorstep in the midst of a publicity crisis, Audrey's under-the-radar status quo gets upended, and the writing may literally be on the bathroom wall that secrets will find a way out.


Equally acerbic and heartfelt, In Light of Recent Events is both an endlessly engaging piece of storytelling and a fascinating commentary on workplaces, families, and fame.

Genres: Contemporary, Fiction

336 pages, Paperback

Published March 22, 2022

Reviews

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Light of Recent Events by Amy Klinger is a contemporary read that follows one woman's survival in a 1990s American workplace.

Now, that intro might not sound all that fantastic, but the book is a great, relaxing, contemporary read. There's lots of drama and question marks throughout the book that all get brought to a close with a nice, red bow tied on top at the end. Imagine you're a woman in the 1990s workplace. You know how the 90s weren't the greatest for women empowerment. Now, this chick is sleeping with the boss, has a best work friend named Pooter, and we all know how those two relationships can boil and fizzle in a water cooler workplace. And then add in an old friend popping by who just happens to be a Hollywood superstar... and he needs a hiding spot. The quarrels and drama unfolds while Amy highlights workplace culture, friendship, and the troubles with fame.

The book is a series of events, as if we are just taking a snapshot of the lives of these characters. It highlights a lot of struggles we all have with the workplace, which is also why it can seem so frustrating but also incredibly comedic. It almost felt like this was an episodic chapter of Audrey's life and we should be seeing more soon. Regardless, the book was engaging, fun, and made me eye roll at SO MANY relatable scenes. If you've worked the office life, you could probably put some familiar faces to these characters (the good and the bad ones).

Enjoy the quick, fun read and escape into this book. It's a great read!

Four out of five stars.

I received this book for free from Amy Klinger in exchange for an honest review.

[Ilona (Inkmates Read) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Story Plant and Amy Klinger for providing me a copy of this book through Library Thing. This honest review is provided voluntarily.

I honestly don't really know what I just finished reading, but I was not a fan.

To me it seemed like the description of a random and weird sequence of events told mainly from the perspective of a woman I could not identify with and did not particularly like, who works at an office. Also, despite the fact that the synopsis for this book emphasizes a "survival of the fittest" aspect to working in an American office, very little of this story actually took place in, or was about, working at the office. It also included random flashbacks, some with no purpose that I could see, and some chapters told randomly from the perspective of other side characters, which again had no real purpose that I could see. The emotions elicited throughout for me was a combination of boredom and wtf.

The premise of the book from the synopsis was interesting, but in the end this was a flop for me.

[Bonnie G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this ebook in a LibraryThing Early Readers Giveaway, As always this did not impact my review.

This is a lovely little bit of chick lit, better written and with less absurd angst than most. There is some angst, but this is by no means a tear-jerker. There is some sex, but this is most definitely NOT a romance. There are friendships, but not mostly of the forever variety. There are complicated family dynamics, but they don't feel trumped up. Its a slice of life that revolves around a weird series of life-altering coincidences. And it is funny -- Audrey is funny and that makes all the difference. Legitimately fun reading for a lazy 2nd booster recovery Sunday. A solid 3.5.

[Nadia Jonesy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley, The Story Planet and the author Amy Klinger. This is a setting that I enjoy reading: office anything..relationships, romance whatever I really enjoy it. I really liked the relationship between Audrey and Pooter, The book was very entertaining and a book that I did not want to see end. I loved the placement of the book being in the 90s. I liked so many things about this book.

Thanks again

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Light of Recent Events follows Audrey Rohmer, a quiet main character that suddenly finds herself mixed up in a series of, well, events that start to intersect and come crashing down around her in way that is a little tragic, a little comedic, and a little crazy. Audrey and many of the main characters in the book are ones that will feel very familiar if you work in corporate America - you will recognize yourself or coworkers in whole or in parts and actions.

The story starts off in a very quiet and personal way, mainly focused on Audrey's professional and personal lives. I thought the book was destined to be heading in a direction that I was less than comfortable with, perhaps straying into Nicholas Sparks territory (or what I think a Nicholas Sparks book is like I should say) but it quickly heads more into Nick Hornby territory. A change meeting with a childhood acquaintance who is now famous leads to strange relationship that doesn't go the way you think it will end up. The people you think did something bad don't, the people you think will end up happy don't quite get there - but still learn something about happiness - and minor background characters suddenly jump into the limelight.

One thing I enjoyed was when the time that book is set in - the mid-90's - starts to reveal itself in subtle but interesting ways. I would even argue that it is a plays a force in the overall plot progression and development. So while sometimes it is simply fun to remember through the book that you used to have to go out to your car to grab a CD to play a favorite band for someone (CDs!) and that news wasn't available on-demand in our pockets 24/7, the lack of instant communication, news, information and apps makes some things possible. More than a few times I found myself "why wouldn't they just look online?" or "don't they just have their Google Maps app installed?" Then I would remember that it is set in 1994 and Mapquest didn't even exist.

That being said, it is hardly a nostalgic book, but if you remember that period, it can conjure up some fond memories. In Light of Recent Events is a fun, entertaining read for fans of intimate storytelling about everyday characters that find themselves in non-everyday events.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

n Light of Recent Events by Amy Klinger
Story follows Audrey in her home and work life mixing it with family obligations. She learns of her new step mother at Thanksgiving.
She's having an affair with a married man at work, publishing co. but also to hide it she spends time with an assistant to pass time and go out.
Then her neighbor superstar arrives home to sell the house, his father had passed away last year and he brought his 14 year old daughter.
On another trip it's just him and she takes him in so he can hide from the gossip columns. She gets to really know him then. Some chapters take us back to when they wre both teens.
Like mix of work, home life and family. Like locale and hiking trip.
Acknowledgements, about the author and discussion questions are included at the end. Bit too much drama for me.
Received this review copy from the publisher The Story Plant and this is my honest opinion.

[Lisa King · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic read! I throughly enjoyed this book. The story was engaging and entertaining, and I really loved the 90’s office antics. Also, Klinger’s writing is SO lovely. A slam-dunk debut. Can’t wait to read more from this fab author!

[Carina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this read. It was fun to be taken back to a time pre cell phones and social media.

[Adrianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun quick read. I enjoyed the characters and the story line. I would love to see a part two!

[Cody | CodysBookshelf]

Sadly I must DNF. I’m just bored.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audrey Rohmer is the star of In Light of Recent Events. It’s the mid 1990s. Audrey is 35, single, a manager at a textbook publishing company and she still lives in the New Jersey town where she grew up. She’s floating through life, neither happy nor unhappy. Her family is having problems and her job is boring. There’s a big however here…she’s having an affair with her married boss and only her assistant knows. Its convenient, there no great passion but then a friend from childhood, a movie star (think Brad Pitt) comes back to his hometown and hides out at Audrey’s. Needless to say, problems occur.

It’s hard to believe that this unique book is the first from talented Amy Klinger. Audrey is a character you really care about. Pooter, Jamie and Dan are given depth and all characters are well described. The 90s setting makes you wistful for that not so long ago time when there were bootleg CDs and no phones in constant use. A character denigrates multimedia and fails to see a time when textbooks will be quaint relics of a bygone era. I’m looking forward to the next from Amy Klinger. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, The Story Plant and Amy Klinger for this ARC.

[Benjamin Roesch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this charming debut by Amy Klinger, and consider me smitten. Klinger's prose is airy, witty, and packed with observations so crystalline they make you want to read them again and again.

Did I mention this book is funny? Like, laugh out loud funny. Most of the humor comes from the protagonist Audrey, whose sarcastic dialogue occasionally reminded me a PG-13 version of Fleabag. Audrey's assistant and friend, Pooter, is also good for comic relief, and some needed reality checks. Klinger also is fantastic at set pieces and situational comedy making for some fantastically awkward moments.

Perhaps my favorite thing about this book is the way Klinger is willing to gently upend your expectations, making this book more surprising than you expect it will be, and even a tad suspenseful at times. Emotionally suspenseful, I mean.

It's also quietly a book about grieving and loss, about the very blurry line drawn in our lives between childhood and adulthood, and about how hard it is to be a good person, even when it seems like it should be the easiest thing in the world.

This book has a huge heart and it will make you giggle. What's not to love?

[Gregg Sapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

The interpersonal dynamics of a late twentieth century office provide a laboratory for a person with cynical, slightly voyeuristic tendencies to observe the vagaries of human behavior. As Audrey Rohmer, the hero of Amy Klinger’s novel, “In Light of Recent Circumstances,” remarks:

“At its most basic, an office (such as the one in which I worked) was a living demonstration of pack mentality, where every interaction is filtered through the lens of perceived status.”

That’s an ironic statement coming from a woman who is involved in an affair with her boss. Audrey is well aware of the disaster potential in the relationship, but blithely compartmentalizes and rationalizes her incongruous roles of lover, coworker, subordinate, and the dreaded "other woman." With a shrug, she remarks, “Infidelity notwithstanding, being around Dan made me feel like I could be a better person.”

Further confuting her theory about office hierarchies, her confidant and best friend at the company is her assistant, a young man with the playful nickname of Pooter. Their water cooler banter is replete with wisecracks and repartee. Audrey and Pooter share the kind of irreverent sense of humor that permits them to mirthfully insult their coworkers and tease each other, with the tacit understanding that they have each other’s backs.

Pooter is also the only person to whom she confides her secrets when they balloon inside her so that she’ll explode if she doesn’t tell somebody. Pooter knows about Dan, for example. Furthermore, she entrusts Pooter with an even weirder and possible more salacious secret—she is harboring an AWOL celebrity in her apartment.

The primary plot driver in Klinger’s novel is Audrey’s clandestine, but platonic relationship with Jamie Keefner, a local New Jersey boy who left to make it big in Hollywood (voted the Sexist Man alive 1993). Jamie and Audrey’s brother were friends in high school, so when she spots him back in the old neighborhood trying to remain incognito, she accosts him. They share some innocuous pleasantries. Audrey presumes that’s the end of it, until Jamie shows up at her door and, explaining that he needs some “time out of the spotlight to just be,” spends the night, then another, and so on indefinitely.

While Jamie and Audrey share stories and explore the forgotten pleasures of New Jersey, the tabloids buzz with speculation about where he is and whether he has left his wife for good. Meanwhile, Dan, who has been on a business trip, returns home expecting favors from his mistress. Readers get the distinct feeling that things won’t end well for Audrey.

In Audrey, Klinger has created a perplexing character who, despite being not especially sympathetic, is nonetheless likable. A single, youngish middle manager in the Business Division of the College Textbooks unit of a medium sized publishing house, Audrey seems content to live in the present. She explains “I had a reliable paycheck that afforded me a comfortable home and the ability to take a nice vacation once a year. I found little to complain about, and even less to strive for.” By her own admission, Audrey is a “coaster,” going along with the flow, which is an attitude that also lends itself to impulsiveness and situational morality.

The novel is told entirely in the first person, past tense, recounting episodes that took place in the 1990s by an older, presumably more reflective Audrey. Readers get few glimpses into how the more mature (?) Audrey regards her past misbehaviors. These inklings lack hindsight, suggesting that she feels neither remorse nor regret. And there are no clues about what happened in the meantime.

Klinger’s writing is brisk and engaging. Some of the most memorable passages of the book occur in asides and literary flourishes, such as Audrey’s thoughts on bathroom stalls or her reaction when Dan asks her to go grocery shopping for him. Overall, “In Light of Recent Circumstances” provides perceptive and often comical commentary on office politics, relationships, celebrity, and secrets, from the point of view of a character who is relatable despite her flaws.

[Shannon L. Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review: So engaging, you have to know how it ends.


In Light of Recent Events is a highly entertaining read. As the reader follows Audrey Rohmer through a series of life events, you can’t help but continue reading to see if it’ll end in a train wreck.

Audrey is content being “invisible” in her life. While she claims to want to coast along & be under the radar, her actions prove otherwise.
Secrets, especially in the workplace are never secret for very long. And her “relationship” with her married boss is a secret bound to create a lot of controversy if it ever comes out. Simply put, she is risking her invisible status by dating her boss which is counterintuitive to her staying under the radar status.

Add in the complication of her brother’s friend returning to town. Only now he’s a famous actor in need of a hide-out from the paparazzi. Of course, Audrey let’s him stay at her condo. This totally screams staying under the radar without any risk at all. (Insert sarcastic grin here). Did I mention he’s also married and is being hounded for a familial dispute?

All kidding aside, In Light of Recent Events is about growth and a treatise on life when a bunch of events turn it topsy-turvy. Especially when the main protagonist makes decisions that makes the reader want to scream at her, “No, don’t do that!”.

It is a really fun read, with plenty of sarcastic comedy to keep you smirking. It’s a coming of age story, but instead of teenagers it’s near middle-age adults dealing with life matters.

[Hope Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audrey's middle management gig is uninspiring at best and downright dull at its worst. The vanilla pudding of jobs, as it were. But Audrey liked it. She didn't work hard, her assistant, Pooter, joined her cynical outlook of corporate and management politics, and because of her affair with her married boss she was not pressured into any relationship commitments. Life was easy....... until it wasn't. When Audrey's old high-school crush - her brother's best friend - shows up at her house and asks her to hide him, Audrey's idyllic world starts unraveling more quickly than she can process. All her secrets are out in the open and Audrey is forced to really start living her life.

I found this to be a thought-provoking book on intrinsic motivation and how the ups and downs in life cause you to grow as a person. At times Audrey was difficult to connect with, but I think that was intentional. Audrey's life was so dull and routine that even though it seemed "perfect," it was simply monotonous. This book was unique and the ending was just right.

[Terri Dixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once in a while, I find myself in and Indie bookstore and just try a recommended author. This was the case in Bartleby's of Wilmington, VT earlier this summer. Amy Klinger lives in Vermont with her family, and therefore, stands out amongst the Indie vendors of that state. I happened upon it on a regular visit.
That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by the story. It was refreshing. It was something that I'd never seen before. I'd seen some that came close, but Klinger adds some one of a kind twists that I truly enjoyed. This is the Seinfeld of books, where it appears to be about nothing, but it is indeed about something profound. The book leaves you thinking about what you just read. That's a gift that's not always owned by the writer.
"In Light of Recent Events" gave us a modern, refreshing, window into a timely version of the human condition. I laughed, I gasped, I mourned the end of some amazing things. I really enjoyed the depth of characters, the realistic view of relationships, and the one of a kind friendship between two unlikely people. It was a great read.

[Jami]

This was not an unputdownable, edge-of-your-seat, “can’t go to sleep till finished” type of book, but it was enjoyable and it was worth definitely worth the read. All in all, a solid read if not life altering. But do we always need those? Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC opportunity !

[Sharon Weltman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent novel by newcomer author Amy Klinger!

[Mitun Seguin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This highly enjoyable book features a cast of delightful characters that jump off the page with their sarcastic and witty dialogue. I laughed out loud several times while reading. The characters were quirky and interesting - I was very invested in hearing what happened next on their journeys. The book makes you think about the complexity of our choices and the layers of things, conscious and subconscious, that help us find our way through life. A really fun read!

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a witty and engaging novel about workplace drama and the struggle to ride through it. It also is a smart portrayal of “workplace marriages” and affairs.
Laugh-out-loud funny! The writing is terrific.

[Sofía · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5 stars)
In Light of Recent Events is a fast-paced, character driven fiction debut, which follows our main character, Audrey, through a series of life altering events in her (commonly normal) life.

Audrey's life in the 90s is simple. She works an office job, lives in a small town, and has, like, two friends. Except she's also sleeping with her married boss. And a movie superstar just knocked on her door. 

Throughout the story, we go with Audrey through all of these situations, until a chain of events sets up an explotion which alters her life, and her perception of the past, present and future, forever.


I had fun with the characters in this book. I specially liked the sarcasm and the friendship between Pooter and Audrey, and the fact that hers and James relationship remained platonic. Because, although I was expecting a romance, I didn't find the story lacking. A platonic friendship like this is usually uncommon, so I liked it, and I also thought it was well developed. 

I overall liked Audrey, but I truly did not agree with the relationship she had with Dan, and how she acted towards Patricia. I do understand, though, that that doesn't completely define her, and that she hopefully got to grow through that somehow.

In regards of of plot, some people will say that there was none in this book, and they may be right. But I really enjoy these type of books, where the characters just guide us through their life. This one, specifically reminded me of Beautiful World, Where Are You (my favorite fiction book) and Writers and Lovers, which I also liked. The normalcy of real life, the nostalgic feeling of the 90s, and the intertwining relationships of the characters, are all things in these books, including In Light of Recent Events, that I enjoy. It also helped that the writing is really pretty and fast paced, and it just sort of keeps you looking forward for more. 

I will say this is a very good debut and I hope to see more books by the author, in the future. 

(Thanks to Netgalley and The Story plant for granting me access to an ARC of this book!)

[Elka Katz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book! I highly recommend! Very nostalgic of working in the 90s. Funny and very well written!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

In light of recent events is a cute, fast-paced novel that will surly hit the sweet spot for readers who love books that are focused on the characters and their development.
Audrey, once living a quiet and chill life gets introduced into a life of havoc and suicide when an old friend appears at her doorstep one night, and now, her once secretive and peaceful life is at the brink of destruction as secrets unfold, and Audrey marches off of her safety.

This book was great. Not going to lie! I love how it was set in the 90's. It was so interesting seeing how the character adapted to her life in the 90's and I was fully immersed into her lifestyle as well as the world during that period of time.
Audrey works an office job and she got stuck in a chain of events after displaying her clear boredom from her job. Like honestly, what's life without a little fun?!

Anyways. I really enjoyed this book. The writing was quite entrancing and I found myself frequently imagining the book as if it is a movie in my head. After all that's what reading is about for me. I absolutely loved Audrey's POV although I found myself confused as to what was going on. Maybe it was because the plot was going too fast, but for a 200 page book, it was ok. I would have liked it more if the ending was not so rushed. It honestly felt that way.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book and I loved all the characters who were written beautifully by author Amy Klinger.

[Mike Keren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given the absolute pleasure of reading Klinger’s debut novel in an advance review copy. Klinger emerges as an acutely keen observer of human behavior, workplace politics and the “curse” of celebrity. Set in the late 1990s, “In Light of Recent Events” tells the tale of Audrey, a bored, do just enough office worker in the publishing industry. Kept amused and engaged by her assistant, Pooter, and stimulated by the return of brother’s childhood pal, Jamie, Audrey walks a tightrope while she also juggles an affair with her boss. The tightrope begins to vibrate with the goings on at a trade show which she has not even attended. When her boss and Pooter return from the show in Vegas, the tight rope snaps and the ricochet affects all their lives.

Klinger’s writing is clear, very descriptive and engaging. Her decision to set her story in the ‘90s was a trip down memory lane. One can imagine the sound track of hits that Hollywood will include in their film version. Regina Avenue's "You Gotta Be". was a persistent airmworm in this reviewers head while reading.

Quick, go to your favorite site for book buying and order this engaging and delightful read.

Mike Keren, author of “Four Funerals, No Marriage: A Memoir” and Goodreads Author.

[Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This could be the next selection for Reese Witherspoons book club.

[Tash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another random library read, this was so incredibly nostalgic that I was shocked to find out it was published in 2022! It is dated in the best possible way, capturing the essence of the 90s, not just in the subject matter, but even in the way the book was written. While the book trudged on in a few places, I enjoyed it for what it was, a blast to the past.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, and humorous, In Light of Recent Events is a thoroughly enjoyable read! The perfect book for anyone wanting to escape from their own daily stresses.

[X · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting premiss. But the writing was boring.

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be an enjoyable story.

[Bree McVean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! I liked the character development of Audrey. Wraps up nicely at the end.