Books › Good in bed
Good in bed
376 pages
A sharp, big-hearted journey through public humiliation and private grief that feels like venting to your funniest, most vulnerable best friend.
What it feels like
Reading this feels like splitting a bottle of wine with your sharpest, funniest friend while she tells you the absolute worst thing that has ever happened to her. The narrative moves at a brisk, conversational clip, anchored by a voice that is fiercely witty, deeply self-deprecating, and unapologetically raw. It balances the breezy, comforting tropes of contemporary romance with genuine emotional weight, tackling body image, family trauma, and the sting of betrayal without ever losing its sense of humor. The mood shifts from the sting of public humiliation to a cozy, hard-won catharsis. It is a perfect fit for readers who crave messy, relatable heroines who have to hit rock bottom before they can figure out how to rebuild their lives on their own terms.
- Mood
- cathartic
- hopeful
- intimate
- bittersweet
- Tone
- wry
- self-deprecating
- vulnerable
- sharp
- humorous
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- body acceptance · messy family dynamics · self-worth · reinvention · public humiliation
- The writing
- Conversational, witty, and deeply relatable, balancing sharp comedic timing with moments of raw emotional honesty.
- The arc
- Moves from devastating public humiliation and self-doubt through a messy, grief-stricken middle, ultimately arriving at hard-won self-acceptance and genuine joy.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love messy, fiercely relatable heroines navigating the indignities of modern life, family trauma, and body image with a sharp sense of humor.
Content notes
- fatphobia
- body shaming
- parental abandonment
- grief
- pregnancy complications
About the book
For twenty-eight years, things have been tripping along nicely for Cannie Shapiro. Sure, her mother has come charging out of the closet, and her father has long since dropped out of her world. But she loves her friends, her rat terrier, Nifkin, and her job as pop culture reporter for The Philadelphia Examiner. She's even made a tenuous peace with her plus-size body.
But the day she opens up a national women's magazine and sees the words "Loving a Larger Woman" above her ex-boyfriend's byline, Cannie is plunged into misery...and the most amazing year of her life. From Philadelphia to Hollywood and back home again, she charts a new course for herself: mourning her losses, facing her past, and figuring out who she is and who she can become.
Description from Open Library.
Books like Good in bed
See why they match
In Her ShoesJennifer WeinerA funny, deeply felt exploration of the messy, unbreakable bonds between polar-opposite sisters.
The Marriage BedStephanie MittmanA tender, angsty exploration of grief, guarded hearts, and the terrifying vulnerability of letting love in again.
That SummerJennifer WeinerA seemingly breezy tale of mistaken identity that slowly peels back the manicured layers of suburban life to reveal the enduring scars of the past.
Jemima JJane GreenA warmly nostalgic, chatty exploration of reinvention that peels back the fantasy of physical perfection to find the messy truth of self-acceptance.
In bed with beautyKatherine GarberaA passionate clash between a hardworking woman stretched too thin and an emotionally guarded billionaire.
Harvesting the heartJodi PicoultAn emotionally raw exploration of how the ghosts of our childhoods haunt our attempts at motherhood and marriage.