The premise of this book had me salivating— it seemed like the soapiest family drama I could imagine! I also loved the cover.

Unfortunately, this one fell short for me. The dialogue felt stilted and the drama was almost … downplayed? It wasn’t at all what I was expecting from a plot with such wild potential.

Please note I do not share DNFs on Instagram.

4.5 stars.

I really enjoyed this domestic suspense by @jacquelynmitchard. I was pulled in from page one, and binged the whole thing in a day and a half.

So much family drama and complex relationships with characters you and love to hate. I couldn’t get enough.

My thanks to @_mira_books_ and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.

This book was a little different than I imagined …

Frankie is excited to returns home she has big news of marriage and even a pregnancy. Surprise Her father has his own news. He’s marrying her best friend Ariel ; who is also pregnant!!
As Frankie and Ariel struggle to adjust to their new relationship, Ariel’s estranged mother, Carlotta, returns after a decade-long absence. She claims to be a changed woman—but is she really? And where has she been all these years? Frankie is suspicious, and as Carlotta’s unpredictable behavior intensifies, Frankie must untangle the threads of the past to protect Ariel’s future—and her own.

A Very Inconvenient Scandal by Jacquelyn Mitchard is a family drama full of the kinds of difficult situations and complicated relationships that keep therapists busy for years. There are so many layers upon layers of regretful arguments, hurt feelings, rash behavior, and betrayal that this novel could feel like a soap opera, but Mitchard's deft handling of the characters, with realistic responses and reactions, make the family and their story feel all too real. The conservation subplot is also extremely interesting. It's been a while since I read Mitchard, and I am so glad I gave this one a chance!

Frankie returns to her hometown in Cape Cod. She has met the love of her life and has a baby on the way. She is shocked to find that her recently widowed father is ready to be married and expecting a baby with Frankie’s best friend, Ariel.

As Frankie struggles to find her place with this news, Ariel’s mother shows up and things start to unravel in many different ways.

Good read. A lot of plot lines.

*I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA in exchange for my honest review

This book is a beautiful story of family, love, life changes, and learning to go with the punches of life. Life changes every day and all we can do is adapt to the changes. Whether they bring us sorrow or more happiness than we ever thought possible.

3.5-4⭐️ This was a bit different than I had envisioned going in, and yet I still found myself fully immersed in this scintillating family drama, literally from the go. The story is quite a mashup with elements of literary fiction, domestic suspense and even a touch of romance.

The author does a fantastic job fully developing each and every character (and there are a few) and managed to keep me guessing throughout the story. I listened on audio, and have to give credit to Caroline Hewitt, who really brought the story to life for me.

ʀ ᴇ ᴀ ᴅ ɪ ғ ʏ ᴏ ᴜ ʟ ɪ ᴋ ᴇ :
•domestic suspense
•family drama
•complex relationships
•scandalous stories
•cape cod setting
•bingable books

Thank you HTP Books for my gifted copies.

Tho I like Jacquelyn Mitchard, this predictable story was not one of her best. It didn't keep me turning the pages and characters weren't believable.

Long-time Mitchard fan here, but this one was a struggle. She couldn't seem to decide on a storyline or genre here. She threw everything in a stew that just wasn't appetizing. Best thing of it is the interesting characters, just wish I could figure out exactly what they're doing.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a longtime fan of Mitchard's so this was right up my alley! Frankie and once-best-friend Ariel are both pregnant. The difference is Frankie is getting married to Gil whom she adores...and Ariel is marrying Frankie's dad, Mack--who lost his wife, Beatrice. So tensions are high as Frankie is unhappy with Ariel who is her age and now engaged to her father! Enter Ellabella, a "mean girl" from the girls' past and Carlotta, Ariel's mother who has her own secrets. So many scandalous topics: revenge, narcissism, and affairs. But Mitchard always weaves an intriguing tale and there are wonderful ways to envision families even when they aren't considered traditional, once again showcasing her talent for the unusual but always believing, as she quotes another of my favorite books, The Member of the Wedding, that there's a "we in me"!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

A. Very Inconvenient Scandel
Jacquelyn Mitchard
Pub Date: Nov.14
Mira
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
* contemporary fiction
You cannot go wrong with another Mitchard novel. Beautiful drama and mystery, written with gorgeous sentences and twists that kept me turning the pages. 4 stars

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I love this novel. A brilliant family becomes dysfunctional when the loving mother dies too young. The mostly absent father takes up with an inappropriate match and promptly creates drama. The adult children flounder, and then they flourish.

I love the beautiful ending, the redemption, the righting of wrongs, the forgiveness, and the refinding of love.

Another well written fiction novel by Jacquelyn Mitchard. Like so many of her other novels, this one does not disappoint. Frankie has recently discovered the love of her life and returns to her childhood home to share her news. However, her delight turns to disbelief when she sees that her recently widowed father is now dating her childhood friend, Ariel. Frankie is not yet over her grief for her mother, and now this? Not only is Ariel dating Frankie’s father, but she is also pregnant. Frankie is distraught and feels that her father is making terrible decisions. To make matters worse, Ariel’s mother, who has a dramatic past, has now decided to reunite with Ariel and help with the new baby. While Frankie remains deeply dismayed by the relationship between Ariel and her father, she has a sinking suspicion that Carlotta has returned to reunite for Ariel under suspicious circumstances. No matter her disdain for her father and Ariel, Frankie will not allow the family to be harmed. This is another wonderful read and did not disappoint. I couldn’t put it down. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing an early copy of A Very Inconvenient Scandal by Jacquelyn Mitchard

It was with great anticipation that I began the new offering by author Jacquelyn Mitchard. Sadly, there was little to offer readers in character development or redeeming qualities. The adults in the room who should have known best how to interact with their own families turned out to be narcissistic and dangerous.

The story begins with the unlikely and uncomfortable situation of a young adult woman (Francis) not knowing that her widowed father (Mack) is marrying her pregnant best friend , Ariel, from childhood. (he is the father). The New York Times published the information yet this woman knows nothing about the upcoming ceremony?? Fast forward a bit---this same young woman, pregnant herself, schedules her own wedding and suffers humiliation when her father and wife schedule the delivery of their baby because of information received that the "stars favor that date for the baby's birth:.

Added to the scenarios is the trgic attempt by Ariel's mother, Carlotta, to poison her infant grandson in order to see her daughter collect life insurance money that she could get her hands on.

The title of this book says it all, and with the exception of some well-written nature scenes, this is an all-around unfortunate read. One can hope that the younger generation will do a better job in building loving and caring relationships.

This novel had a lot of potential. As a advanced reader copy, the need for further editing is very evident. It felt as though the author could not make up her mind what story line to develop and so there were several. Was it about Frankie and her dad, the loss of her mother, her friendships? Carlotta was rather thrown in there without a satisfactory resolution. Frankie was a good character but overall the novel felt lacking.

Sorry but this book captured my interest but lost it at 20% in. It had so much potential but just didn’t seem to go anywhere. I will not post on Goodreads since I did not finish.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and the author. This gifted author has once again written a cannot put down novel. She is talented at weaving a story of family dynamics. The characters come alive on the pages. The story moves quickly. The angst of the characters is felt in each page. The images linger. This is a book that will be reread. It will be reviewed and talked about. Enjoy.