An emotionally layered coming-of-age story of how family dynamics and secrets shape lives.
In Pearsall’s novel, a single mother must come to terms with her relationship with her estranged grandmother, and with a past she left behind nearly two decades ago.
In 2012, 30-something Adrienne Harris suddenly finds herself without a job after the closure of the restaurant where she worked as head chef. As she contemplates what lies next for her and her teenage daughter, Kali, she grapples with feelings of inadequacy while facing the challenges of financial instability and single motherhood. Then she receives a late-night phone call from family friend Christopher Crane, asking her to return home to the town of Harbor Point to care for the ailing grandmother who raised her. Adrienne feels that she has little choice but to go back to the town she left, pregnant and heartbroken, at the age of 17—even though it was her grandmother who threw her out. She finds Gran in worse health than she anticipated and the house in serious disrepair, Adrienne realizes that she and Kali will be staying longer than expected. As Adrienne struggles with the idea of reconciliation, she faces the past and the secrets she’s kept, particularly surrounding the identity of Kali’s father. When Quinn Merritt, the handsome neighbor who happens to be Kali’s father, reappears unexpectedly, it creates further tension between mother and daughter. When fish-market owner Christopher offers her a career opportunity, she begins to imagine a new future. Over the course of this novel, Pearsall has woven a multifaceted story that will appeal to both teenage readers as well as adults. It effectively explores themes of loss, identity, and belonging, and skillfully employs changing seasons in a way that serves as a metaphor for the fleeting nature of relationships. The shifting narrative, which encompasses past and present-day events, gives the novel an immersive feel, as does the overall relatability of the characters. It all results in a satisfying novel that makes for an exceptional beach read.
An emotionally layered coming-of-age story of how family dynamics and secrets shape lives.Pub Date: June 17, 2025
ISBN: 9798888247471
Page Count: 292
Publisher: Koehler Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.
A struggling writer finds an unexpected muse when a mysterious man shows up at her cabin.
Petra Rose used to pump out a bestselling book every six months, but then the adaptation happened—that is, the disastrous film adaptation of her most famous book. The movie changed the book’s storyline so egregiously that fans couldn’t forgive her, and the ensuing harassment sent Petra into hiding and gave her a serious case of writer’s block. Petra’s one hope is her solo writing retreat at a remote cabin, where she can escape the distractions of real life and focus on her next book, a story about a woman having an affair with a cop. When officer Nathaniel Saint shows up at her cabin door, inspiration comes flooding back. Much like the character from Petra’s book, Saint is married, and he’s willing to be Petra’s muse, helping her get into her characters’ heads. Petra’s book is practically writing itself, but is the game she’s playing a little too dangerous? Does she know when to stop—and, more importantly, is Saint willing to stop? Hoover is no stranger to controversial movie adaptations and internet backlash, but she clarifies in a note to readers that she’s “just a writer writing about a writer” and that no further connections to her own life are contained in these pages—which is a good thing, because the book takes some horrifying twists and turns. Petra finds herself inexplicably attracted to Saint, even as she describes him as “such an asshole,” and her feelings for him veer between love and hate. The novel serves as a meta commentary on the dark romance genre—as Petra puts it, “Even though, as readers, we wouldn’t want to live out some of the fantasies we read about, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy reading those things.”
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781662539374
Page Count: -
Publisher: Montlake
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
