Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman is a heartwarming story about family, friends, and new beginnings. I loved the full cast of endearing characters and the sense of community throughout the story. This is one of those stories where I found myself rooting for everyone and appreciating the way the group of strangers supported each other.
Considering all thatās happened in Lauraās life, itās no wonder she decided to completely change her life by moving from NYC to LA. She didnāt pick LA because she had friends there or was ready to deal with the traffic. Instead, she picked it because it was as far as she could go to get away from her life in NYC.
Why?
- She comes from an overbearing yet unsupportive family.
- She suffers from PTSD from a car accident, as is trying to recover.
- She wants to move on from her ex-boyfriend.
This is a funny and emotional story about a difficult time in Lauraās life. The day she unexpectedly ends up living in Maggieās home is unbeknownst to her, the beginning of her new life. Maggie is an empty nester, who rents out the rooms in her home. She loves having a house full of people, and being able to care for them. The day Laura moved in was also the day that Maggieās and the housematesā lives changed for the better. Each of the residents at Maggieās boarding house are dealing with issues they need to overcome, and are supportive of each other.
There was a lot going on in this story, but it all came together well. This is a story about friendships, new beginnings, and second chances. It has a great message about believing in yourself and letting only supportive people into your life. The story gets pretty serious at times, but itās balanced by Nina Hillās trivia mania and some humor dispersed throughout.
This is Book 2 of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. Donāt be discouraged if you havenāt read Book 1 (or canāt remember it). I actually read The Bookish Life of Nina Hill back in 2019, and realized I canāt remember much of it at this point š«£. It didnāt matter, because this book reads just fine as a stand-alone.
If you watched the show Parenthood, you might get some vibes from that show in this story. I loved that show, and was reminded of it while reading this book.
This book was a part of My Fall 2022 Reading List, so Iām glad I finally got a chance to read it! The story begins during summer and transitions into fall. I enjoyed the mention of the pumpkin patch, decorations, and Halloween in the storyline ā¦ even though itās now winter.
Have you read this book?
Jodie
Great review Lucy! I have read this author before, but I havenāt read this one yet. Thanks for sharing about it!
Lucy
Thank you! Definitely go with the audiobook when you get to this one.
Suzanne @ The Bookish Libra
I really enjoy Waxman’s books. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is my favorite, but this one was a great read too.
Lucy
Glad you enjoy Waxmanās books too! Iād have to say Book 2 is my favorite, since as it turns out I canāt remember Book 1 very well š.
Rachel @Waves of Fiction
Sounds like a fun cast of characters. Good to know you don’t have to read the previous one to enjoy!
Lucy
Yes, theyāre a fun bunch of characters. I liked that they all added something different to the story.
Wendy
Nice review! I also enjoyed this book, and you’re right, although it’s part of a series, it’s not necessary to read the first book.
Lucy
Thank you! I’d been wanting to catch up with Nina Hill. Now that I did, I realized I didn’t remember as much about her as I thought I did š.