Rating: 4 out of 5.

If you’re in for a dramatic rollercoaster of a ride from start to finish, “Rebuilding Alexandra Small,” by Mo Fanning is a great time! It’s somehow both light and dark, and funny and serious at the same time!

About the Book

When life deals you lemons, it’s time to make lemonade. But what happens when the lemonade turns sour?

Reformed alcoholic Alexandra Small has it all – a successful career, a beautiful home, and a football superstar husband. But when her husband is caught in a compromising situation and her life crumbles, she finds herself broke, jobless, and pregnant.

As she builds a new life with the help of her best friend, her rather lovely lawyer, and the cafe of her childhood dreams, she learns love can come from the most unexpected places, and that with a little determination, anything is possible.

A romantic comedy about second chances, family, and the power of true love, this book will leave you with a smile on your face and a heart full of hope.

From the bestselling author of hit romantic comedy The Armchair Bride, comes ‘Rebuilding Alexandra Small’. A hilarious story about the aftermath of a life falling apart, and how far someone will go in the name of revenge.

My Thoughts

I immediately started trying to find excuses to listen to the book as soon as I started. Both the story and the narrator were great. A few chapters in, when you think the character has hit rock bottom – tiny spoiler, she hasn’t – I was hooked! I’ve read no books by Fanning, but he could have a spot among the romance greats. I could definitely see you enjoying this if you’re a fan of Nicholas Sparks or Nick Hornby. Alexandra was well developed, relatable, and I connected with her story.

The blending of current and past storylines was beautifully done, something that has become a big story device lately. If done well, like it was done here, it can be wonderful. The author even weaved in a little mystery into the story as we tried to figure out who was taking out their revenge on Alexandra and why. As a reformed alcoholic, Aly knew it could be a long list, but the author kept us guessing, and led us on a few goose chases – keeping the story line hopping.

Who’s It For

If you’re looking for an enjoyable, hot-mess, romantic comedy, this is a great one to pick up. I listened to this on Spotify. Before this, I didn’t know Spotify had audiobooks. It is, however, available on other platforms like Audible, Kobo Plus, etc. Personally, I don’t recommend Spotify, because it was a pretty weird experience. It kept jumping around, trying to play the different chapters I’d already listened to until I went and put each chapter into a playlist. Definitely not the seamless audiobook experience I’m used to having. Hopefully they’ll work on that in the future. If you can’t handle drama and awkward situations, this book is not for you.

Content Warning: Cheating, infertility, alcoholism, abortion, suicide, sexual assault, adult language, adult situations,

I was gifted a copy of the audiobook as part of the Love Books Tours, and am so grateful to have experienced Alexandra’s story! I look forward to reading more of Mo Fanning’s work in the future.

About the Author

Mo Fanning writes about damaged people finding ways to overcome their past mistakes and seek a happier future. Although his novels are comedies, they dig into themes drawn from experience, including alcoholism, mental illness and prejudice against LGBTQ+ people.

Now and then he takes to the stage in grotty back-street pubs and tells jokes. If you’re passing, keep walking!


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