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Same As It Ever Was
Julia Ames, after a youth marked by upheaval and emotional turbulence, has found herself on the placid plateau of mid-life. But Julia has never navigated the world with the equanimity of her current privileged class. Having nearly derailed herself several times, making desperate bids for the kind of connection that always felt inaccessible to her, she finally feels, at age fifty seven, that she has a firm handle on things.
She’s unprepared, though, for what comes next: a surprise announcement from her straight-arrow son, an impending separation from her spikey teenaged daughter, and a seductive resurgence of the past, all of which threaten to draw her back into the patterns that had previously kept her on a razor’s edge.
Same As It Ever Was traverses the rocky terrain of real life, —exploring new avenues of maternal ambivalence, intergenerational friendship, and the happenstantial cause-and-effect that governs us all. Delving even deeper into the nature of relationships—how they grow, change, and sometimes end—Lombardo proves herself a true and definitive cartographer of the human heart and asserts herself among the finest novelists of her generation.
She’s unprepared, though, for what comes next: a surprise announcement from her straight-arrow son, an impending separation from her spikey teenaged daughter, and a seductive resurgence of the past, all of which threaten to draw her back into the patterns that had previously kept her on a razor’s edge.
Same As It Ever Was traverses the rocky terrain of real life, —exploring new avenues of maternal ambivalence, intergenerational friendship, and the happenstantial cause-and-effect that governs us all. Delving even deeper into the nature of relationships—how they grow, change, and sometimes end—Lombardo proves herself a true and definitive cartographer of the human heart and asserts herself among the finest novelists of her generation.
512 pages, Hardcover
First published June 18, 2024
About the author
Claire Lombardo
3 books2,056 followersCLAIRE LOMBARDO earned her MFA in fiction at the Iowa Writers' Workshop. She was born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, and spent several years doing social work in Chicago.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 716 reviews
July 12, 2024
I was eagerly anticipating one of the year's most highly anticipated literary fiction releases from the author of “The Most Fun We Ever Had”: a novel delving into the complexities of a dysfunctional family and the introspective journey of a middle-aged woman reconsidering her life choices during her husband's thirtieth birthday, marked by surprising announcements from her children.
The narrative takes us on a journey to meet Julia Ames, a 57-year-old librarian and mother of two: Ben, a 24-year-old, and Alma, a rebellious teenage daughter. Despite appearing to have the life she always dreamed of, Julia's chance encounter with an estranged friend, Helen Russo, at a luxury grocery store sets off a chain of events that unravels hidden secrets from their pasts.
As we delve deeper into Julia's world, we witness Alma's struggle to find her identity through various rebellious acts, while Ben's decision to marry his pregnant girlfriend at a young age prompts Julia to confront her own memories of youth. Throughout the story, Julia grapples with self-sabotage, mental health issues, and the challenges of balancing her roles as a mother and wife.
Like the author's previous works, I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the unconventional yet realistic dynamics of this family and the well-developed characters that feel like genuine individuals. The detailed and vivid descriptions add depth to the narrative, although the book's length and some slower-paced chapters prevented me from giving it a full five-star rating. Nonetheless, it remains one of the most finely crafted literary works of the year, deserving a spot on your reading list.
I extend my sincere gratitude to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for providing me with the opportunity to read and review an ARC copy of this highly anticipated literary fiction book.
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The narrative takes us on a journey to meet Julia Ames, a 57-year-old librarian and mother of two: Ben, a 24-year-old, and Alma, a rebellious teenage daughter. Despite appearing to have the life she always dreamed of, Julia's chance encounter with an estranged friend, Helen Russo, at a luxury grocery store sets off a chain of events that unravels hidden secrets from their pasts.
As we delve deeper into Julia's world, we witness Alma's struggle to find her identity through various rebellious acts, while Ben's decision to marry his pregnant girlfriend at a young age prompts Julia to confront her own memories of youth. Throughout the story, Julia grapples with self-sabotage, mental health issues, and the challenges of balancing her roles as a mother and wife.
Like the author's previous works, I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the unconventional yet realistic dynamics of this family and the well-developed characters that feel like genuine individuals. The detailed and vivid descriptions add depth to the narrative, although the book's length and some slower-paced chapters prevented me from giving it a full five-star rating. Nonetheless, it remains one of the most finely crafted literary works of the year, deserving a spot on your reading list.
I extend my sincere gratitude to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for providing me with the opportunity to read and review an ARC copy of this highly anticipated literary fiction book.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
April 3, 2024
Andddd I’m sobbing
Lombardo has absolutely done it again. Same as it Ever Was is another breathtakingly observant family drama centering on a marriage ripe with years together, children to care for into adulthood, and secrets. Not thriller-esque secrets, but rather the ones that permeate most suburbs yet are very rarely explored nor revealed.
I’m not saying every family will relate to the exact situations/secrets in this book, but I’m certain most will relate to something here. Lombardo has a very specific way of exposing the universality of imperfections and takes us deeper into the motivations of characters than most. So much so I didn’t want to leave these characters even after 500 pages. I’m absolutely bereft.
Lombardo has absolutely done it again. Same as it Ever Was is another breathtakingly observant family drama centering on a marriage ripe with years together, children to care for into adulthood, and secrets. Not thriller-esque secrets, but rather the ones that permeate most suburbs yet are very rarely explored nor revealed.
I’m not saying every family will relate to the exact situations/secrets in this book, but I’m certain most will relate to something here. Lombardo has a very specific way of exposing the universality of imperfections and takes us deeper into the motivations of characters than most. So much so I didn’t want to leave these characters even after 500 pages. I’m absolutely bereft.
June 12, 2024
Don’t be misled by the weary tone of the title “Same As It Ever Was.” This is a big novel, engaging enough to entertain you through the summer and thoughtful enough to justify its considerable heft. While many novels are too long, “Same As It Ever Was” takes full advantage of its 500 pages to traverse the whole life of Julia Ames, a woman who makes peace with motherhood slowly and haphazardly.
The story comes to us in two twisted strands, a double helix of past and present. As the wife of an adoring husband and the mother of a bright preschooler, Julia should be enjoying languid days of maternal bliss. But instead, Lombardo writes, “she felt entirely unmoored, brooding, usually while staring pensively into the middle distance like a disenfranchised Victorian nursemaid.” There’s no use complaining, of course, not when her husband, Mark, has to work so hard. “Mark was more vocally allowed to rue his responsibilities; that was just the way the world worked.” Julia, meanwhile, must uncomplainingly endure “the loneliness of motherhood; the deadly ennui of the day-in-day-out.”
This is, indeed, the same as it ever was, but Lombardo’s witty, sympathetic take on motherhood exudes the sharp scent of fermented apple juice and a full diaper. “It was a cliché to be this person,” Julia realizes, which only makes her self-pity sting more. “She got. . . .
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
The story comes to us in two twisted strands, a double helix of past and present. As the wife of an adoring husband and the mother of a bright preschooler, Julia should be enjoying languid days of maternal bliss. But instead, Lombardo writes, “she felt entirely unmoored, brooding, usually while staring pensively into the middle distance like a disenfranchised Victorian nursemaid.” There’s no use complaining, of course, not when her husband, Mark, has to work so hard. “Mark was more vocally allowed to rue his responsibilities; that was just the way the world worked.” Julia, meanwhile, must uncomplainingly endure “the loneliness of motherhood; the deadly ennui of the day-in-day-out.”
This is, indeed, the same as it ever was, but Lombardo’s witty, sympathetic take on motherhood exudes the sharp scent of fermented apple juice and a full diaper. “It was a cliché to be this person,” Julia realizes, which only makes her self-pity sting more. “She got. . . .
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
June 23, 2024
my favourite book of the year. i'm actually sobbing right now. claire lombardo does it again.
June 12, 2024
Things that Bothered Me:
▪️long, slow, boring
▪️didn’t love the female lead character, actually heartily disliked her and her insipid husband
▪️so tired of “surprise” pregnancy trope - I’d love to see a fiction writer brave enough to use the word ‘abortion’ (thank you, Ann Patchett)
▪️constant switching of time lines was frustrating, and abrupt at times
▪️wealthy privileged white people story, got tiresome, wish she’d dug harder, deeper, and earlier in book into lead’s childhood
▪️no plot, thin characters, for 500 PAGES
▪️ending did NOT redeem book for me
▪️long, slow, boring
▪️didn’t love the female lead character, actually heartily disliked her and her insipid husband
▪️so tired of “surprise” pregnancy trope - I’d love to see a fiction writer brave enough to use the word ‘abortion’ (thank you, Ann Patchett)
▪️constant switching of time lines was frustrating, and abrupt at times
▪️wealthy privileged white people story, got tiresome, wish she’d dug harder, deeper, and earlier in book into lead’s childhood
▪️no plot, thin characters, for 500 PAGES
▪️ending did NOT redeem book for me
July 4, 2024
5 stars. Absolute perfection. Cannot think of a better author to describe the spectrum of emotions of marriage and motherhood than Claire Lombardo.
June 20, 2024
did not enjoy
I disliked the central character Julia so much that I never enjoyed the book. I tried—I soldiered through the book because I did enjoy The Most Fun We Ever Had by this author—but for me it was so depressing and frustrating to read about Julia that for only the second time in my life I cannot leave a positive review.
I disliked the central character Julia so much that I never enjoyed the book. I tried—I soldiered through the book because I did enjoy The Most Fun We Ever Had by this author—but for me it was so depressing and frustrating to read about Julia that for only the second time in my life I cannot leave a positive review.
February 19, 2024
Messy, beautiful family that feels like real life. If I didn’t know better I’d think Claire Lombardo was eavesdropping on my own life. I felt so seen as a wife and mother. This book is a saga at over 500 pages but it’s so real, painful and funny that you won’t be able to put it down.
July 1, 2024
I’ll write a review if I ever stop crying
May 26, 2024
(free review copy) ETA: I came back and rated this five stars because I just can't stop thinking about it. Lombardo worms her way into my heart and brain and simply settles in, and for that, she deserves the highest rating from me.
ORIGINAL REVIEW
Please don't mind this very very meandering and incoherent review in the immediate aftermath of reading this book. I hope to clean it up in the future? Maybe?
Whew. I'm going to hold off on rating this one for a bit because I have spent such a long (relative) amount of time in the pages of this book and feeling so many complicated feelings about the main character Julia that I'm a bit muddled about how to come to a final verdict. Does the fact that I won't be able to stop thinking about the story and the relationships for a long time mean it's stellar? Or does the fact that I wanted to scream at Julia a million times, despite understanding that her childhood trauma impacted her adult choices, mean that it's not a favorite? This isn't an easy book to love, in my opinion, because it's so very messy. Julia is a mother and daughter and wife who has absolutely none of it figured out and who is very much trying and often feeling like she's failing and to some, HAS objectively failed. But who gets to call a marriage and mother a failure? I posit that it's only the spouse and child that gets to make that verdict.
If book clubs can agree to read such a tome of a meandering (and winding and time-hopping) story, I think this could make for amazing discussion. If you want easily understandable and loveable characters, I think this might be a tough one for you. If you want to wade through and revel in the quagmire of a traumatic childhood and how it impacts a woman for her entire life, THIS is the book for you. As the mother of teens and married for 19 years, I definitely connected with parts of this book, but had to draw on my understanding as an educator of trauma response to have empathy for many parts. It's not that I didn't LIKE Julia, it's just that it hurt me to read about her for so very much of the book. I feel like parts of me ARE Julia while other parts of me want to scream at Julia and parts of Julia are so many of the children I know and so I kind of want to mother Julia?? Confusing.
Also, I think Mark could have totally written How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told, DAMN.
And yes this review is a hot mess.
Source: digital review copy via Edelweiss
ORIGINAL REVIEW
Please don't mind this very very meandering and incoherent review in the immediate aftermath of reading this book. I hope to clean it up in the future? Maybe?
Whew. I'm going to hold off on rating this one for a bit because I have spent such a long (relative) amount of time in the pages of this book and feeling so many complicated feelings about the main character Julia that I'm a bit muddled about how to come to a final verdict. Does the fact that I won't be able to stop thinking about the story and the relationships for a long time mean it's stellar? Or does the fact that I wanted to scream at Julia a million times, despite understanding that her childhood trauma impacted her adult choices, mean that it's not a favorite? This isn't an easy book to love, in my opinion, because it's so very messy. Julia is a mother and daughter and wife who has absolutely none of it figured out and who is very much trying and often feeling like she's failing and to some, HAS objectively failed. But who gets to call a marriage and mother a failure? I posit that it's only the spouse and child that gets to make that verdict.
If book clubs can agree to read such a tome of a meandering (and winding and time-hopping) story, I think this could make for amazing discussion. If you want easily understandable and loveable characters, I think this might be a tough one for you. If you want to wade through and revel in the quagmire of a traumatic childhood and how it impacts a woman for her entire life, THIS is the book for you. As the mother of teens and married for 19 years, I definitely connected with parts of this book, but had to draw on my understanding as an educator of trauma response to have empathy for many parts. It's not that I didn't LIKE Julia, it's just that it hurt me to read about her for so very much of the book. I feel like parts of me ARE Julia while other parts of me want to scream at Julia and parts of Julia are so many of the children I know and so I kind of want to mother Julia?? Confusing.
Also, I think Mark could have totally written How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told, DAMN.
And yes this review is a hot mess.
Source: digital review copy via Edelweiss
July 3, 2024
4.5 stars.
May 1, 2024
3.5⭐ (rounded up) My first book by Claire Lombardo and I enjoyed it. It was a long one, so I took my time. It's a family saga, and the story of a middle age mom, Julia, with two grown children and a seemingly happy life. Yet she deals with struggles of her own. You'll read about her relationships and challenges with her marriage, her children and her own mother. This is more about Julia and character driven than about the plot. It's very realistic and I felt so sad for Julia in parts of this book. I enjoyed reading about Julia's relationship with her children and the problems she's dealt with in her marriage. Like I said though, this book definitely was on the long side and I feel it could've been shorter. I do think the audiobook would've been a big help with this one. But overall an interesting family story.
March 31, 2024
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH - 500 STARS
Claire Lombardo is a magician. I wasn't sure how she was going to match The Most Fun We Ever Had (which is one of my favorite books ever - I enthusiastically read all 500+ pages twice), and don't worry, folks - she KILLED IT. In Same As It Ever Was, she captures every complicated, messy emotion of marriage and family life and friendship and motherhood so perfectly. I feel like all of these people are real, and that some of them might be me. I laughed and cried and never wanted this book to end. I'm already looking forward to reading it again when I pick it for bookclub.
This was one of my most-anticipated books of 2024 and is absolutely one of my favorites. READ THIS!
* thank you so much to Doubleday for the NetGalley review copy. SAME AS IT EVER WAS publishes June 18, 2024.
Claire Lombardo is a magician. I wasn't sure how she was going to match The Most Fun We Ever Had (which is one of my favorite books ever - I enthusiastically read all 500+ pages twice), and don't worry, folks - she KILLED IT. In Same As It Ever Was, she captures every complicated, messy emotion of marriage and family life and friendship and motherhood so perfectly. I feel like all of these people are real, and that some of them might be me. I laughed and cried and never wanted this book to end. I'm already looking forward to reading it again when I pick it for bookclub.
This was one of my most-anticipated books of 2024 and is absolutely one of my favorites. READ THIS!
* thank you so much to Doubleday for the NetGalley review copy. SAME AS IT EVER WAS publishes June 18, 2024.
July 7, 2024
Another really long book by Claire Lombardo. I liked her earlier novel better than this one. This one was very emotionally driven - about a woman who is raised by an emotional absent mother and now questions her own mothering and relationships. It is a heavy book and took me several days to read.
July 4, 2024
Whoa. This is an intense book.
At the core of the story is a wounded narcissist mother and her withholding relationship with her daughter. There is also the story of the marriage of the rescue complex husband who falls in love with the emotionally stunted daughter.
I don’t know why I expected something a bit more humored or nuanced but this was page upon page of depressive self-examination by the protagonist.
I admire the author’s willingness to get very deep into the psyche of her characters. And I wonder (and feel sad about) what her own upbringing was like, because I don’t think this kind of story could be “made up” without a little of the emotional deprivation of a lousy upbringing having been experienced firsthand.
Some of the storytelling was repetitive - as was her earlier book The Most Fun We Ever Had. There were some aspects that just felt you were getting hit over the head again and again.
At the core of the story is a wounded narcissist mother and her withholding relationship with her daughter. There is also the story of the marriage of the rescue complex husband who falls in love with the emotionally stunted daughter.
I don’t know why I expected something a bit more humored or nuanced but this was page upon page of depressive self-examination by the protagonist.
I admire the author’s willingness to get very deep into the psyche of her characters. And I wonder (and feel sad about) what her own upbringing was like, because I don’t think this kind of story could be “made up” without a little of the emotional deprivation of a lousy upbringing having been experienced firsthand.
Some of the storytelling was repetitive - as was her earlier book The Most Fun We Ever Had. There were some aspects that just felt you were getting hit over the head again and again.
June 22, 2024
5 Fantastic Stars 👭👭🐶
absolutely loved it! Loved the relatable family dynamics and complicated mother daughter relationships.
absolutely loved it! Loved the relatable family dynamics and complicated mother daughter relationships.
July 7, 2024
Unusually, it took me more than a week to read this. I wanted to read it but kept not wanting to pick it up and be inside Julia’s tortured but funny mind. It took me a while to realise that was because her interiority often matched mine and the discomfort of that was confronting. She thinks mean and petty thoughts. She’s lonely and vulnerable. She feels undeserving of everything she has, and she has a lot. Ooooffft. It was a lot. But it was also a beautiful big feelings novel of empty nests, self-sabotage and family. Lombardo has written another perfectly observed family drama and I hope she keeps them coming.
May 6, 2024
The Most Fun We Ever Had is one of my favorite novels, so I was eager to get my hands on Lombardo’s sophomore effort, 𝐒𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐀𝐒 𝐈𝐓 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝗪𝐀𝐒 (Pub 06.18) Thanks to my dear friend @jamie.of.all.trades who not only picked up a bound galley but got it personalized to me from the author.
As eager as I was, it took me over a month to read. It took a beat to get into, so stick with it. Once I hit my stride I still read it slowly because the writing, story and characters required my undivided attention. It also required a hefty supply of book darts.
I adored it. This sweeping literary family drama packs a punch. It’s a touching, complicated and introspective story about long standing relationships as a woman- being a friend, daughter, wife and mother. You’ve heard the phrase that encourages authors to “𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸.” But Clare Lombardo disrupts this thought with her uncanny ability to write about things she “doesn’t know” with profound depth and understanding. She masterfully crafts characters who deploy statements that deeply resonate with me on multiple levels. She takes an observant perspective of seemingly universal imperfections of people and unfurls the motivations with deft nuance. It blows my mind.
You know what else blows my mind? The last 15 pages left me gutted with tears running down my face.
“𝘐𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱? 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘹𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘩 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬? 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴- 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴- 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘩𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘰.”
As eager as I was, it took me over a month to read. It took a beat to get into, so stick with it. Once I hit my stride I still read it slowly because the writing, story and characters required my undivided attention. It also required a hefty supply of book darts.
I adored it. This sweeping literary family drama packs a punch. It’s a touching, complicated and introspective story about long standing relationships as a woman- being a friend, daughter, wife and mother. You’ve heard the phrase that encourages authors to “𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸.” But Clare Lombardo disrupts this thought with her uncanny ability to write about things she “doesn’t know” with profound depth and understanding. She masterfully crafts characters who deploy statements that deeply resonate with me on multiple levels. She takes an observant perspective of seemingly universal imperfections of people and unfurls the motivations with deft nuance. It blows my mind.
You know what else blows my mind? The last 15 pages left me gutted with tears running down my face.
“𝘐𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱? 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘹𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘩 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬? 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴- 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴- 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘩𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘰.”
February 20, 2024
We finally have Claire Lombardos sophomore novel after the book hangover from “The Most Fun We Ever Had”
This is a new tale of friendship, motherhood, marriage and family dynamics through that of Julia Ames' long-standing marriage.
As women, we are too often defined by the roles we need to play, often losing pieces of ourselves as we morph into lover, wife, mother and Julia is no exception.
This was absolutely beautiful. Albeit long- it seemed like I lived decades (in a week) along with Jules as her life went through morphing phases, hard emotions, and extreme angst.
But I didn’t mind the length! And I don’t think many will. The prose was outstandingly brilliant-this was a 5 star read for me.
The ending felt so real and raw I actually cried as to finished the story. It will stay with me for a very long time as did her first novel.
If you enjoy character studies and novels about messy families this one is for you this summer.
Thank you, Net Galley and Doubleday, for this early copy to read and review.
This is a new tale of friendship, motherhood, marriage and family dynamics through that of Julia Ames' long-standing marriage.
As women, we are too often defined by the roles we need to play, often losing pieces of ourselves as we morph into lover, wife, mother and Julia is no exception.
This was absolutely beautiful. Albeit long- it seemed like I lived decades (in a week) along with Jules as her life went through morphing phases, hard emotions, and extreme angst.
But I didn’t mind the length! And I don’t think many will. The prose was outstandingly brilliant-this was a 5 star read for me.
The ending felt so real and raw I actually cried as to finished the story. It will stay with me for a very long time as did her first novel.
If you enjoy character studies and novels about messy families this one is for you this summer.
Thank you, Net Galley and Doubleday, for this early copy to read and review.
June 26, 2024
The entire premise of this book where not much happens, but you’re on the edge of your seat because you have to know what happens to Julia Ames as she tackles motherhood, being a wife, having a narcissistic mother, and dealing with past traumas.
If there was ever a book about the day to day interactions of simplistic, repetitive suburbanhood, this might be the one to read. However, if it’s the dream we all want - the house, the kids, the partner, why do we suffer once it happens? What leads us to this idyllic life and how can we escape? Julia finds out and we are all by her side once she figures it out.
Claire Lombardo does it again!
If there was ever a book about the day to day interactions of simplistic, repetitive suburbanhood, this might be the one to read. However, if it’s the dream we all want - the house, the kids, the partner, why do we suffer once it happens? What leads us to this idyllic life and how can we escape? Julia finds out and we are all by her side once she figures it out.
Claire Lombardo does it again!
May 10, 2024
Ugh! Stopped reading this book at page 139. Just couldn't read this book anymore. Hated the main character Julia and just didn't care at all about the story.
July 14, 2024
4.5. Great characters and story.
June 27, 2024
DNF at 35% (where she decided to go with the guy to the lake house).
It’s not easy being in the MC’s head, watching her making one stupid decision after another without any good justification (other than whatever her mum did?), granted I’ve never been good with unlikable characters.
Then she decides to go to the lake house, I just thought that’s enough….
It’s not easy being in the MC’s head, watching her making one stupid decision after another without any good justification (other than whatever her mum did?), granted I’ve never been good with unlikable characters.
Then she decides to go to the lake house, I just thought that’s enough….
April 7, 2024
Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo. Thanks to @doubledaybooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Julia finds herself in midlife with two adult children, and a few surprises, including the reemergence of a past friend that caused hurt to her marriage in the past.
At over 500 pages, I knew this book would be quite the saga. It is a very realistic story of a very realistic and dramatic, but also typical, family. While slower paced for me, and a bit longer than I think it needed to be, I enjoyed the look into the matriarch and her family. It was an accurate look at marriage and motherhood.
“The power dynamic in their household is not unlike that of a years-long hostage crisis.”
Same As It Ever Was comes out 6/18.
Julia finds herself in midlife with two adult children, and a few surprises, including the reemergence of a past friend that caused hurt to her marriage in the past.
At over 500 pages, I knew this book would be quite the saga. It is a very realistic story of a very realistic and dramatic, but also typical, family. While slower paced for me, and a bit longer than I think it needed to be, I enjoyed the look into the matriarch and her family. It was an accurate look at marriage and motherhood.
“The power dynamic in their household is not unlike that of a years-long hostage crisis.”
Same As It Ever Was comes out 6/18.
July 15, 2024
Claire Lombardo has done it again! Her debut, The most fun we ever had (a recent Reese's Book Club pick) was one of my very favorite reads when it came out but this latest family drama about one woman's struggles with her mother, marriage and motherhood was utterly captivating, relatable, messy and oh so raw.
I empathized with the main character Julia so much, especially the sections of the book where she finds new motherhood isn't what everyone has made it out to be. Her relationship with her own mother was less than ideal and they have very little contact over the years causing Julia to seek friendship elsewhere, coming in the form of an older woman, Helen.
While long, (over 18 hours on audio) this was excellently narrated by Emily Rankin and is perfect for fans of authors like Ann Napolitano, Illona Bannister, Joyce Maynard and Catherine Newman. If you enjoy insightful books about life, love and growing older, this is one not to miss! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
I empathized with the main character Julia so much, especially the sections of the book where she finds new motherhood isn't what everyone has made it out to be. Her relationship with her own mother was less than ideal and they have very little contact over the years causing Julia to seek friendship elsewhere, coming in the form of an older woman, Helen.
While long, (over 18 hours on audio) this was excellently narrated by Emily Rankin and is perfect for fans of authors like Ann Napolitano, Illona Bannister, Joyce Maynard and Catherine Newman. If you enjoy insightful books about life, love and growing older, this is one not to miss! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
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February 25, 2024I enjoyed this author’s The Most Fun We Ever Had, so I was excited to read her latest, Same As It Ever Was. Unfortunately, I was not able to get into this story. It’s long and character-driven like the previous book; however the characters did not grab me and the plot just didn’t seem to move along. I am pretty sure something was going to happen at some point, but I made the difficult decision at 30% in to not invest any more time with this one. I am so sorry to have to DNF an ARC. I hope others like it more than I did. DNF.
Thank you very much to Doubleday Books for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you very much to Doubleday Books for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
July 1, 2024
I just could not get into this story. I so loved The Most Fun We Ever Had so looked forward to reading this second book. But I did not finish this one as it just wasn’t interesting or enjoyable to me.
June 21, 2024
Mmm... the difficult second album. I'm disappointed. "The Most Fun We Ever Had" is the first novel that always comes to mind when I'm asked about my favourite book, so anticipation was sky high, perhaps unrealistically so. I was really grooving with the early chapters, but once I started to notice some recycled tropes, I couldn't unnotice them.
I am 100% convinced that read in isolation, this would be a huge hit for me, and I expect it will be embraced by the majority, but I'm feeling blah!
I am 100% convinced that read in isolation, this would be a huge hit for me, and I expect it will be embraced by the majority, but I'm feeling blah!
February 26, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my review.
Absolutely gutted by this gorgeous novel, Same As It Ever Was, about one woman, her marriage, her children, and her mother (make that mothers ).
Julia Ames is in her late fifties, a librarian with a doting husband, two nearly launched children, and a beautiful home in the Chicago suburbs. Oh, and her beloved rescue dog Suzanne who she readily admits to being obsessed over. She seemingly has it all, but a chance meeting with an old acquaintance at an upscale supermarket quickly uncovers the fissures in Julia's carefully constructed existence.
Novelist Claire Lombardo skillfully moves us back and forth in Julia's life, and we see her as an unmoored and depressed new mother, a hip young woman whose indie band pedigree and motorcycle boots barely disguise her deep seated insecurities, a scared little girl with a
bitter mother and absent father, and at the present as she dreads both her daughter's imminent departure for college and her son's surprise plan to marry.
The upcoming wedding of son Ben to his pregnant girlfriend Sunny, which Julia considers disastrous, is the event that precipitates the plot. But this is a novel about relationships more than events. How the prickly Julia ends up with her husband Mark, a warm and stable family man who often must overcompensate for her lack of social niceties. How this marriage almost comes undone when a young Julia is befriended by Helen Russo, a charismatic older woman and ideal mother figure who both saves Julia's life and then (inadvertently?) sets her back on the path of self-destruction.
There is so much more here, but this review is getting to be as long as the actual novel, which admittedly some readers may find fault in the sheer number of pages. This reader, however, savored every chapter and literally gasped with recognition at some of the most emotionally revealing passages. Claire Lombardo has such an incredible gift for writing these seemingly mundane but charged moments in her characters lives.
This is truly an exceptional novel, wise, moving, and often witty.
Absolutely gutted by this gorgeous novel, Same As It Ever Was, about one woman, her marriage, her children, and her mother (make that mothers ).
Julia Ames is in her late fifties, a librarian with a doting husband, two nearly launched children, and a beautiful home in the Chicago suburbs. Oh, and her beloved rescue dog Suzanne who she readily admits to being obsessed over. She seemingly has it all, but a chance meeting with an old acquaintance at an upscale supermarket quickly uncovers the fissures in Julia's carefully constructed existence.
Novelist Claire Lombardo skillfully moves us back and forth in Julia's life, and we see her as an unmoored and depressed new mother, a hip young woman whose indie band pedigree and motorcycle boots barely disguise her deep seated insecurities, a scared little girl with a
bitter mother and absent father, and at the present as she dreads both her daughter's imminent departure for college and her son's surprise plan to marry.
The upcoming wedding of son Ben to his pregnant girlfriend Sunny, which Julia considers disastrous, is the event that precipitates the plot. But this is a novel about relationships more than events. How the prickly Julia ends up with her husband Mark, a warm and stable family man who often must overcompensate for her lack of social niceties. How this marriage almost comes undone when a young Julia is befriended by Helen Russo, a charismatic older woman and ideal mother figure who both saves Julia's life and then (inadvertently?) sets her back on the path of self-destruction.
There is so much more here, but this review is getting to be as long as the actual novel, which admittedly some readers may find fault in the sheer number of pages. This reader, however, savored every chapter and literally gasped with recognition at some of the most emotionally revealing passages. Claire Lombardo has such an incredible gift for writing these seemingly mundane but charged moments in her characters lives.
This is truly an exceptional novel, wise, moving, and often witty.
April 1, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.
I had very high hopes for this book as it was recommended by an author I follow on Instagram. Unfortunately, I found the story to be long and drawn out and I couldn't find myself connecting with any of the characters. I was hoping this book was going to be similar to Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, which I read in 2023 and loved. With that being said, I think I might give this one a try in the audiobook format.
Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.
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If you are interested in seeing more of my reviews and other content feel free to connect with me here: <3
https://linktr.ee/bookreviewsbyjules (links to my Instagram, Goodreads, TikTok, Storygraph, My blog and Substack newsletter, etc)
If you are a publisher or author who has questions about my reviews (as well as questions about my stats, reach or engagement), please free to email me. I am also open to requests for book reviews from authors or publishers. Thank you again for taking time to read my review, and I hope you have a wonderful day!
I had very high hopes for this book as it was recommended by an author I follow on Instagram. Unfortunately, I found the story to be long and drawn out and I couldn't find myself connecting with any of the characters. I was hoping this book was going to be similar to Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, which I read in 2023 and loved. With that being said, I think I might give this one a try in the audiobook format.
Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.
********
If you are interested in seeing more of my reviews and other content feel free to connect with me here: <3
https://linktr.ee/bookreviewsbyjules (links to my Instagram, Goodreads, TikTok, Storygraph, My blog and Substack newsletter, etc)
If you are a publisher or author who has questions about my reviews (as well as questions about my stats, reach or engagement), please free to email me. I am also open to requests for book reviews from authors or publishers. Thank you again for taking time to read my review, and I hope you have a wonderful day!
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