whitneydaniell

by: Cecilia Rabess
published: June 6, 2023
genre: contemporary, romance
336 Pages, E-Book
GoodReads | Amazon

Synopsis

In Everything’s Fine, debut author Cecilia Rabess introduces us to Jess, a young Black woman from Nebraska navigating the high-stakes world of finance in New York City. When she unexpectedly reconnects with her old college classmate Josh—now a coworker at Goldman Sachs—their initial tension turns into a complicated romance that defies political, racial, and social expectations. As Jess battles to be seen and heard in a predominantly white, male industry, her relationship with Josh forces her to confront her own identity, values, and choices. Set against the backdrop of a politically divided America, this thought-provoking novel explores ambition, belonging, and the messy contradictions of love and self-perception.

My Final Thoughts

It’s Jess’ first day at Goldman Sachs, and while she’s bracing for the weight of uncertainty about her future, on the outside, she’s composed. That is, until she’s introduced to her new team and spots a familiar face—Josh, an old classmate from college. You’d think that’d bring some comfort, but nope—he barely acknowledges her.

Jess, a Black math major from Lincoln, Nebraska, traded in her small-town roots for a shot at her big-city dreams in NYC. She wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted post-graduation, but one thing was certain: she wasn’t going back to Nebraska. Landing a job at Goldman Sachs felt like the dream—but it quickly became clear that she was dropped into the deep end of the “boy pond,” and the last life vest went to Josh. She was in survival mode from day one.

Jess spends two years hustling in a corporate culture that demands everything from her while recognizing none of it. She’s constantly cleaning up her coworkers’ messes, struggling to be heard, and hoping—foolishly—that hard work alone will earn her the recognition she deserves. But, as many young Black professionals know all too well, being twice as good still might not be enough.

When Josh leaves Goldman to join a hedge fund, it’s a loss for Jess. He’s become her only friend—and maybe, despite their many ideological differences, something more. Josh is a self-proclaimed moderate teetering on the edge of conservatism, while Jess is a young liberal, deeply aware of race and identity politics—though her actions often don’t align with her convictions. Still, their friendship-turned-relationship evolves into something that doesn’t make a ton of sense on paper… and that’s kind of the point.

Once Jess joins Josh at his new firm, Gil Alperstein, things unravel. While she’s clearly capable, she struggles to navigate the culture—or earn the trust of her colleagues. She’s loud, confident, and unapologetically herself, but instead of being celebrated, it rubs people the wrong way. At this point, I stopped making excuses for Jess. She self-sabotages. She avoids accountability. And for someone so vocal about race and inequality, she seems completely disconnected from her own role in it.

I wanted to like Jess—really, I did—but she made it so hard. She’s isolated, quick to call out others, yet slow to reflect on her own contradictions. She didn’t engage with the Black community in college, she avoids diversity initiatives at work—until she realizes the kids visiting the office are Black—and she has no Black friends. And listen, it pains me to say this, but when Josh finally calls her out for being a hypocrite… I was rooting for him. (I hate that for me.)

This is Cecilia Rabess’ debut novel, and despite my issues with the characters, I wasn’t disappointed. Her writing is sharp, the pacing strong, and the story itself is bold and thought-provoking. If I had one real critique, it’s that the dialogue sometimes slips into soapbox territory—long, meandering speeches that weigh down the flow. While the topics are important and the debates feel very real for our times, it occasionally got a little heavy-handed.

I’d honestly love to see where Jess and Josh end up post-2018, especially considering everything that came with COVID and the political unraveling that followed. My hope? Jess finds a good therapist, works through her identity struggles, and finally leaves Josh to go live his best life with the MAGA girl of his dreams.

Bottom line: If you’re not burnt out on political debates and love a Wikipedia rabbit hole moment (Josh could definitely go on Jeopardy), give this one a read. It’s not perfect, but it’ll make you think—and probably argue with yourself a little.