Let me start by saying this book hit me right in the feels. As someone who's navigated the messy aftermath of loss, 'New Normal' felt like a warm, slightly wine-stained hug from a friend who *gets it*.

The author's blend of humor and raw vulnerability had me snort-laughing one minute and reaching for tissues the next. That scene where Emillie tries online dating? I've lived that cringe! Paris somehow makes grief relatable without sugarcoating - like when she describes crying in the cereal aisle because her late husband loved Frosted Flakes.

What surprised me most was how the book mirrored my own healing timeline. Just when I thought 'okay, this is getting too heavy', Paris would throw in a brilliantly awkward moment (the disastrous dinner party chapter lives rent-free in my head) that reminded me healing isn't linear.

Pro tip: Don't read this in public unless you're cool with alternating between muffled giggles and discreet nose-blowing. Perfect companion for those nights when you need equal parts catharsis and comic relief - preferably with that glass of Chardonnay the cover promises.