This is a deeply introspective novel that takes a heavy look at generational trauma, fractured relationships, and the long-lasting impact of silence - but at times, it felt like the story struggled under the weight of its own ambition.

The core premise is powerful - two sisters on completely different paths, one bound by expectation and the other chasing freedom, colliding in a moment that changes everything. There’s a rawness to the betrayal that unfolds, and the emotional fallout, especially where the children are concerned, is handled with real weight. There are flashes of brilliance in how the book explores memory, identity, and the murky legacy of inherited pain.

That said, the narrative often felt chaotic. I found myself occasionally lost in the timeline shifts, and while the writing is undeniably thoughtful, the structure didn’t always serve the story. Some sections lingered too long on certain threads, while others, particularly the lives of the other siblings, felt underdeveloped. It left me with a sense of missed potential - there was so much more depth that could’ve been explored, especially across both timelines.

The tone remained relentlessly heavy throughout, which made it hard to stay emotionally connected in parts. Without moments of light or contrast, it sometimes felt like I was wading through the same emotional terrain on repeat, just from slightly different angles. The twist near the end is impactful and reframes much of what came before, but I wish that same clarity had been applied more evenly across the book.

This is one for readers who gravitate toward layered, slow-burn literary fiction and aren’t afraid to sit in the darker corners of family dynamics. It’s a haunting, ambitious read, but one that, for me, left a few too many questions unanswered.

This was a hard book to get through. First it felt very wordy. Everything was over explained, except for the things that should have had more attention paid to them, like Brian being biracial.

All in all this book just fell flat for me.

The Best We Could Hope For by Nicola Kraus is a family drama told in 2 timelines. Bunny walks away from her family and leaves her children to be raised by her sister, Jayne. 10 years later, Bunny reappears and everything turns upside down. This story, while a good family drama, is a very heavy read. I won't say I enjoyed this one, BUT it was a good read. Just make sure you're in the mood for a heavy read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Best We Could Hope For is available now.

Generational trauma and dysfunction, whew. Some very hard to read things. About midway through, I had to go back and read the first chapter again. It felt overwritten and I lost a bit of the plot in it when I first read it. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Nicola Kraus invites us into a sisterly, parent/child story with THE BEST WE COULD HOPE FOR.

IN 1972 Barbara (Bunny) left her young children with her sister Jayne and walked away. Jayne and her husband, Rodger did everything they could to raise the children in an ideal family. But when Bunny returns after 10 years, she wreaks havoc in Jayne’s life and those of the children. As Jayne struggles to keep her family unit intact, Bunny seems determined to fragment it. As it was always older sister, Jayne’s job to protect Bunny, she tries to understand why Bunny ran away at 16 and then why she ran again years later. But when the truths are revealed, would she have been better off never knowing? When we think of consequences, we usually think of lies, but you can have them with truth also.

Told in dual timelines, we see how/why decisions were made, hearts broken and how a family slowly falls apart. As a solo debut, I felt it was very well written. Clear and concise, it was a very enjoyable read that touched on some very sensitive topics with dignity and grace. I will certainly be looking forward to seeing where Ms Kraus takes me next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little A for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

The Best We Could Hope For is a heavy, emotionally layered story about the ways trauma ripples through generations and how silence — even when well-intentioned — can leave deep, confusing wounds.

The novel follows two sisters who take drastically different paths: one adheres to societal expectations, becoming a wife and mother, while the other breaks away, choosing chaos and freedom. When the wild Bunny returns and a forbidden love blooms between her and her sister’s husband, things spiral in a way that feels inevitable but still gut-wrenching. The fallout, especially for the children, is where the heart of the story really lies.

One thread that hit hard was how trauma can be misremembered, misplaced, or misunderstood — and how that confusion shapes identity. Without spoilers, the twist near the end reframes so much of the pain in a chilling way. There’s a psychological nuance to how memory and trauma play out here, especially in how one generation’s silence creates fractures in the next.

That said, I struggled with the tone. The sadness never quite let up. Every chapter carried a sense of dread, and while the writing was thoughtful and the mystery compelling, I found myself wishing for at least one moment of joy, connection, or lightness. Just something to breathe in. The emotional payoff was there — it just came late, and it came heavy.

This book would definitely resonate with readers who love complex family dynamics, literary fiction with deep psychological undertones, and stories that explore the long shadows trauma can cast. If you’re in the mood for something haunting and sad but rich with meaning, this one’s for you.

Nicola Kraus delivers a powerful, emotionally intense exploration of generational trauma. I love a character-driven family saga, and this one spans from the 1970s to the 2010s, highlighting the lasting impact of family secrets and unresolved pain. There’s nothing particularly heartwarming here—just raw, damaged people doing the best they can with what they were given. And somehow, I couldn’t stop listening.

What really hit me was how clearly the novel shows emotional silence as a kind of legacy—especially in a time when therapy wasn’t widely accepted or accessible. These characters feel heartbreakingly real, and while they often frustrate me, I hope they can at least find some peace and happiness.

🎧Narration Note: Helen Laser is a true voice actress. She brings depth to this complex, often painful story. Even when I disliked certain characters—especially Jayne—Laser’s narration helped me understand them with greater empathy. I love how she draws you fully into the Donoghue world, navigating its emotional messiness and long-buried secrets with remarkable grace and sensitivity.

In 1972 Bunny Linden leaves her three children with her older sister, Jayne, and disappears. Jayne and her husband, Rodger, a rising journalism star, raise the children and, after they have a child of their own, build a seemingly stable home. But then, after nearly a decade, Bunny resurfaces and sets a chain of events in motion that detonates all their lives.

I have mixed feelings about this book. When I started reading it I was totally immersed in the story and didn't want to put it down but somewhere along the way I lost interest and couldn't wait to finish it. It was almost like a different author took over the writing. Reading the author's Acknowledgements at the end, she indicates it took her 8 years to write which could account for the difference. There are some really strange passages and lots of big words that I had to look up which took me out of the story. I also found the gaps in the timeline confusing and had to flip back to remind myself what year we were in. I'm a bit of an outlier on this one so check out some of the more positive reviews. Once again I believe I was lured in by the cover!

Thanks to Little A, via Netgalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: May 1, 2025

I went into The Best We Could Hope For expecting something like The Nanny Diaries, but this was a whole different vibe—much heavier and more emotional. The story kicks off in the 1970s when Bunny leaves her three kids with her sister Jayne, thinking she’s doing what’s best. Jayne and her husband Rodger raise the kids and later have one of their own, trying to build a stable life. But when Bunny returns years later, everything starts to unravel. The book dives deep into family secrets, generational trauma, and the messiness of trying to piece together the past. It’s not a light read, but it’s beautifully written and really makes you think. Just be prepared—it’s a lot heavier than Kraus’s earlier work. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow—this was a beautifully poignant story that spans decades and follows siblings navigating life after the loss of their mother.
The Best We Could Hope For was honest, emotional, and made me stop and reflect more than once. It’s also one of those rare books that lingers long after you’ve finished the last page.

The story is told through the perspectives of three adult siblings who return to their childhood home after their mom passes away. Being back in the house brings up old memories, buried secrets, and a flood of emotions they’ve tried to leave behind. As they each move through their grief, they begin to see their mother—and each other—in a completely new light.

Nicola Kraus is a new-to-me author, and I cannot wait for whatever she writes next. This story beautifully shows how love and honest communication can begin to mend the anger, conflict, and mistakes of the past—and pave the way for healing in the future.

This FIVE STAR read is perfect for anyone who loves heartfelt, layered stories about raw, realistic characters and families learning how to forgive in the face of grief and loss.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Nicola Kraus, and Little A for the chance to read this in exchange for a review! It was such a delight and honor!

The Best We Could Hope for is a powerful story that follows a dysfunctional family through several decades.

The story begins with two sisters, Bunny and Jayne. Bunny asks her sister to take her 3 children as she feels her sister would be a better mother. Jayne and her husband agree to raise the children and eventually have 2 more children. After a decade passes, Bunny’s return tears the family apart.

This is a book about family trauma and how it can affect multiple generations. It discusses several difficult topics throughout the story.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Life is made up of many mundane things - cooking dinner, picking up dry cleaning, making cocktail party conversation. Jayne Donoghue does all of those as the wife of a journalist but has no identity outside of wife. When her wayward sister Bunny shows up with 2 kids and is about to have a third, Jayne throws herself into defacto motherhood - a little too much, as Bunny leaves her kids with Jayne and splits to live her hippie life. Jayne eventually has 2 children of her own and a family forms. Life goes on messily but fairly peacefully until Bunny reappears and decides she's ready to be a mother. Jayne's reaction and resulting decision blows up her family. Nicola Kraus' novel The Best We Could Hope For is a novel about wrong choices and their consequences, how one spiteful thing can create new paths within life. But these paths can lead to new places and newer and better versions of ourselves.

I was hooked from the beginning!!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

This book explores the difficult relationships, secrets and dynamics of a family. It also includes child sexual abuse allegations and all the fallout from that which I did not expect. All in all it was a good book that spans generations and is told from multiple POV. The beginning of the book was slow but it did pick up.
I have both the audiobook and the ebook. The Audiobook narrator was perfect.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

📚: The Best We Could Hope For by Nicola Kraus
⭐️: 3.5/5 (rounding up on #goodreads)

A story spanning across 70 years and two generations, this is the story of Jayne and her sister Bunny. When Bunny abandons her children, Jayne raises them as her own — until Bunny comes back and kicks over a chain of dominos that irrevocably changes everyone’s lives and creates secrets that take a generation to unearth.

This book jumped right into the background at in the 1960s - girl (Jayne) meets boy (Rodger). They marry, navigate New York City. He writes books. She craves a family. The start reads as surface level narrative, unsure where we’re going with it.

And then it turns, well, pretty dark. And it takes awhile to get there - but the core is the book and the secrets uncovered are heartbreaking. A rounded up score for where we got to by the end, a not quite solid 4 star score for some of the meandering it took to get there.

Thanks to Little A via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Best We Could Hope For is out now.

This family drama was a bit dark. It spans the '70s to the 2010s. The characters are all so nuanced and you can't help but root for some of them while despising others.

There were times that I was so mad at the character of Jayne.. especially when she accused her ex-husband of a terrible thing that I never believed he did. When you get the "why" she did this, it's so heartbreaking and I felt that if therapy had been a bigger thing back in the 70s, it would have helped her work through her trauma but she really had no one to turn to.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I found it very interesting and it was set over my life span as well. The story was fast-paced and very captivating. I couldn't wait to see how everything would turn out.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a well written novel focusing on family dynamics and how generational trauma can be passed down. I loved how it followed different people within the family at different stages of their life. There was a good amount of drama and secrets but it was more of a character driven novel. It was on the shorter side but did not feel rushed. The topics are sensitive but done in a respectful and thought provoking way.

Thank you @nicolakrausauthor @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy.

I was completely swept up into this story from the beginning. I liked the way Nicola Kraus moved the story along at a clip, leaving it up to the reader to fill in the blanks.

Things slowed down in the middle when Linden became the focus. She was a confused mess and her mind drifted during various events to take us back and forth from present to past, filling years previously skipped.

I loved Sage and the way she quietly supported Linden through it all. I wish Sage and Linden could have found more closure with their parents, but there was so much to work through, and they seemed to run out of time.

Jayne started out so benign in the beginning. She was a pretty debutante sorority girl following the same path as her classmates who were looking for wealthy and promising young men to marry. She worked so hard to make her life fit the mold she grew up to expect. But their family blew up and everyone was forced to find their way going forward.

Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

Family drama reaching from the late 1940's to 2011, this short novel covers a family relationship fraught with pain and disappointment. Jayne and Bunny are sisters. Jayne tries to be the proper girl her mother wants while sister Bunny runs away at 16 years old. Jayne goes to Radcliffe and is interested in making her place in the world but is also forced into a role as a wife to make her mother happy. Rodger is a struggling writer who becomes successful as an author of several books. Rodger and Jayne seem to have a happy marriage but Jayne never feels complete. The book does touch on the way women in the 1950's-60's were supposed to serve as a hostess and support for their husbands and not have a life of their own. Jayne becomes the caretaker of her sister's three children after Bunny surfaces with three fatherless children and disappears. She also later has two children of her own, creating a brood of five in the family.

This novel deals with some serious issues including child sexual assault. I found the characters interesting but at times the author's tortured metaphors and similes and her desire to use long and obscure words would take me out of the story. The most interesting character is Linden who is Jayne's biological daughter and she is the only one the author spent time developing. There are a lot of characters here but we don't see them as much as see facts about them without understanding who they are or what makes them tick. I would have also liked at least some sense of happiness or lightness in the book. While these characters had difficult issues they also had financial security and some successes in life. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.