REVIEW: Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman

In Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman, There’s a family joke that Lauren, her Hollywood movie star brother Gabe, and their mom have had for years: They are totally and completely fine. Even when they’re not. And the last three years have put that mantra to the test given that Lauren’s husband Spencer–the love of her life–suddenly passed away, leaving her with a then ten-year-old daughter to somehow take care of while she was unsure she could even get out of bed each morning. Yes, some of her wonderful neighbors in her tiny hometown of Cooper, Montana, helped out and looked out for her family. But like every other small town in America, there were way too many people who wanted to talk behind Lauren’s back. Just like when she was a rebellious teen. And there’s no way she’s going to make things more difficult for her now thirteen-year-old daughter Lena, so she tends to stay out of the limelight and keeps herself small.

‘Everyone treated me–and Lena–like we were unbearably fragile. Like the mere mention of Spencer, of our life before, of a future without him, would send us into hysterics. I wasn’t sure it wouldn’t, but didn’t we all deserve a complete emotional collapse once in a while?’

Things change dramatically when Lauren and Lena go on a short trip to Philadelphia to see Gabe and a few other friends on his movie set. They’re welcomed with open arms. And it makes her appreciate a change of scenery for the moment. Then up-and-coming movie star Ben Walsh walks onto the set, his gorgeous eyes laser-focused on Lauren. The unthinkable happens and she finds herself having a fling with the heartthrob, knowing their time can’t last. And not only because soon she’ll be heading home to Montana. Ben is about a decade younger than Lauren–not that she cares. She just knows how people talk. And when their circumstances change, bringing him back into her life as she settles into a routine again, she has to make the scary choice of either remaining friends (without benefits) or truly taking a chance on a real relationship. But is she ready to go down that path again?

‘What was I afraid of?
The truth was, everything. Of loving again. Of losing again.
Of everything I couldn’t control.
Of falling.’

A romance where the chemistry ran hot and the tension even hotter, TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY FINE paired up a small-town single mom and a Hollywood star who were anything *but* fine–until they gave in to their intense feelings.

‘Just as I had started to fully accept that my Philadelphia fling had fizzled out, the man himself showed up. In my town. My small town. Where everyone loved to talk.’

CW: View Spoiler »Spousal death (historical), grief, parental death (historical), depression, alcoholism « Hide Spoiler

Elissa Sussman has a way of creating relatable characters you just *have* to cheer for as she puts them through every imaginable tough situation before they achieve a hard-won HEA. And in TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY FINE, we had a dual timeline story split between Now and Then chapters mostly told from heroine Lauren’s POV. It was messy. It was awkward at times. There were tears, laughter, old wounds getting ripped open and finally healed. But through it all, the threads of friendship and family are what truly helped widow Lauren, her daughter Lena, and even our hero Ben overcome what had been holding them all back in their lives.

One thing to note: If you’ve read Sussman’s debut adult romance, Funny You Should Ask, then you’ve already met Lauren briefly as her younger brother Gabe was the hero of that novel. Both can be read as standalones easily enough. But it was fun to get back into that blend of small-town America–Lauren still lives in her and Gabe’s hometown of Cooper, Montana–and Hollywood chaos. It was even more amplified in this go-round.

Lauren knew all too well how gossipy and judgmental people could be in Cooper after being talked about for most of her childhood. Having a highly famous brother only made things more complicated when her beloved husband Spencer suddenly died three years ago, making them fodder for the paparazzi. So, just the thought of Lauren acting on her unexpected attraction with (younger) charming rising Hollywood actor Ben was enough to give her nightmares.

But their slow burn romance, even with Lauren changing her mind several times while getting accustomed to Ben’s emotional maturity and mere presence in town, felt honest and raw. Sussman painstakingly detailed Lauren’s grief. She explored how people in her life helped or hindered her personal growth and healing. And she showed how joy and happiness began to finally filter back in. It took a while for everyone involved, but the ending was as sweet and satisfying as a reader could hope for, leaving things in a great place.

QOTD: If you had a chance to visit a movie or TV set, would you be more interested in meeting the cast or checking out what happens behind the scenes?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: July 8th, 2025 | Dell |

From the bestselling author of Funny You Should Ask comes an inspiring romance novel about honoring the past, living in the present, and loving for the future.

In her small Montana hometown, Lauren Parker has assumed a few different roles: teenage hellraiser; sister of superstar Gabe Parker; and most recently, tragically widowed single mother. She’s never cared much about labels or what people thought about her, but dealing with her grief has slowly revealed that she’s become adrift in her own life.

Then she meets the devilishly handsome actor Ben Walsh on the set of her brother’s new movie. They have instant chemistry, and Lauren realizes that it has been far too long since someone has really and truly seen her. Her rebellious spirit spurs her to dive headfirst into her desire, but when a sexy encounter becomes something more, Lauren finds herself balancing old roles and new possibilities.

There’s still plenty to contend with: small-town rumors, the complications of Ben’s fame, and her daughter’s unpredictable moods. An unexpected fling seemed simple at the time—so when did everything with Ben get so complicated? And is there enough room in her life for the woman Lauren wants to be? Alternating between Lauren’s past with Spencer and her present with Ben, Totally and Completely Fine illuminates what it means to find a life-changing love and be true to oneself in the process.