Everything's Fine
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3.9 • 107 Ratings
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- $0.99
Publisher Description
“Does love conquer all? Does it now? Did it ever? These are questions Cecilia Rabess asks in her nimble, discerning debut…The ending of Everything’s Fine is one of the best I’ve read in years.” —The New York Times
A painfully funny, painfully real love story for our time that doesn’t just ask will they, but…should they?
Jess is a senior in college, ambitious but aimless, when she meets Josh. He’s a privileged preppy in chinos, ready to inherit the world. She’s not expecting to inherit anything.
A year later, they’re both working at the same investment bank. And when Jess finds herself the sole Black woman on the floor, overlooked and underestimated, Josh shows up for her in surprising—if imperfect—ways. Before long, an unlikely friendship forms, tinged with undeniable chemistry. It gradually, and then suddenly, turns into an electrifying romance that shocks them both.
Despite their differences, the force of their attraction propels the relationship forward. But as the cultural and political landscape shifts underneath them, Jess is forced to consider if their disagreements run deeper than she can bear, what she’s willing to compromise for love, and whether, in fact, everything’s fine.
A stunning debut about “a love affair that turns inferno” (People), that is “extraordinarily brave…funny as hell,” (Zakiya Dalilah Harris) Cecilia Rabess’s Everything’s Fine is an incisive and moving portrait of a young woman who is just beginning to discover who she is and who she has the right to be. It is also a “subtle, ironic, wise, state-of-the-nation novel” (Nick Hornby) that asks big questions about the way we live now and “whether our choices stop and end with us” (The New York Times).
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In this state-of-the-nation romance, an unexpected relationship blossoms between old college rivals. The world is growing ever more polarized as Jess, a Black, liberal financial analyst at Goldman Sachs, begins inexplicably falling for her old friend and co-worker, Josh—who happens to be a Republican. Cecilia Rabess’ heartfelt debut shows how messy and difficult relationships can be, and we loved her unconventional, nuanced characters and the fiery jabs they exchange. This poignant enemies-to-lovers story will give you plenty to discuss after reading.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Rabess delivers a breezy yet unsettling debut about a liberal Black financial analyst who falls in love with a white Republican coworker. It's the middle of the Obama years and Jess Jones, newly hired at Goldman Sachs, runs into Josh Hillyer, an old college classmate with whom she used to argue over politics. To her surprise, they slowly become friends despite his conservative views as he mentors her and helps her navigate office politics as the only Black woman in the firm. Eventually, Josh leaves Goldman to work at a big-time trader's AI-powered firm, and he brings Jess along with him. Sparks inevitably fly between Jess and Josh as they try to work out their drastically different outlooks and backgrounds. Secrets are revealed, Jess gets in trouble with the boss, and everything comes to a head as the 2016 election approaches, building to a conclusion that lands as either shallowly romantic or an incendiary critique of capitalism, depending on the reader's interpretation. Rabess's humor is on-point, and the chemistry between the leads is electric; each scene involving them is fraught with a double-edged sword—after they hook up, Josh starts talking dirty and Jess responds, "Way to ruin the moment, you creepy loser," before they have sex again. This is sure to spark conversation.
Customer Reviews
Great
Very enjoyable read.
What did I just read?
This book felt like a waste of time. I feel bamboozled into believing this was a romance novel. In fact, this book is a hate parade and smear campaign. I am disappointed that the aim of this book is to push political and racial perspectives. The author would have been better off publishing a memoir instead of claiming fiction, since this feels like her direct struggles as a black person who hates white people and everything they stand for. This book pushes hate and division. The MC victimizes herself in every aspect possible to gain sympathy for her current situation. This book is a joke and offending to black women. Take accountability for your life and stop pushing victim mentality.
PS: The writing is terrible. Big words were used unnecessarily and text exchanges were confusingly formatted.
Excellent Read!
This book was a great read that dealt with the nuances of maintaining a relationship when you disagree about politics, but agree about everything else. So relevant for today’s current dating world.