Ordinary Hazards by Anna Bruno @annabruno @AtriaBooks @NetGalley #fiction #literaryfiction #bookreviewer

Susanne’s Review:

In the span of an evening, lives and losses unfold, quietly, memories spilling forth, some beautiful, heartfelt, warm, just like a soft chenille blanket, while others are gut-wrenching, painful and destructive, like a bar glass filled with bourbon, shattering to the floor spilling liquor and bits of glass everywhere as far as the eye can see.

Reflecting on what is and what was, Emma sits on a stool at her favorite neighbor bar, The Final Final, night after night and it is there, that you know that all is not well.  It is here that Emma met the love of her life:  Lucas. The two met, fell in love and married. Lucas however, is not with her tonight and hasn’t been for quite some time.  All she has left of their time together is their dog, Addie, who stole my heart.  Instead, Emma is sitting at the bar, alone. Other regulars are there as well, and they too, have stories to tell. In the course of an evening, Emma reminisces over her past, and her trials and tribulations, her relationship with her father, her marriage to Lucas and the crux of the reason why she is at The Final Final alone.  

This is of course, the last stop, but then one would expect nothing less of The Final Final.  

A slow burning character driven novel detailing friendship, grief, love, loss, and most of all, forgiveness, Ordinary Hazards delves into all subjects gracefully. For anyone who has ever suffered loss, it hits home hard. 

While the story meandered a tad when Emma was reminiscing, I truly enjoyed this novel and look forward to seeing what Anna Bruno comes out with next.  

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Anna Bruno for the arc.

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