Great storyline. Different types of characters that pull the reader into the story. . Intriguing story with layered family drama. Could wait to finish the book! Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

“What if part of you has always known you were living a lie?”, but what if the truth you’ve been seeking your entire life turns out to be something you’ve never wanted to know? Layla is a troubled woman, from her career to her marriage, to her relationships with her children, sister and mother, she’s a mess. In trying to do the right thing, and uncover a truth she thinks will set her free, Layla may just find out who she really is.
I won’t say this is an uplifting story but it is one full of wise words and themes that resonate with me as a woman of a certain age who can relate to many of her experiences. Rogers takes you on this journey where revelations are uncovered and at times you simply wish they hadn’t been. Her writing style and word choice are worthy of the story and I would recommend this book as a triumph in coming to self awareness, finally.

Megan Rogers writes so beautifully but the story gets lost in a bit too much forced meaning and too many cliched metaphors in the language. The story is slow to unfold but it is interesting and complex, you’ll want to see it through. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy to review.

Loved the cover and chose the book because of it and it's title.

The main character, Layla, has a hard to deal with mother who is a whole separate mess unto herself. She knows how to manipulate her daughter and is always tired and constantly threatens to commit suicide. Her mother holds the secret of Layla's father's disappearance and always holds that over Layla to make her do what she wants. As the story progresses so many traumas come to light and it seems like Layla can not catch a break.

This book is strong, powerful, evocative, and tough to read at times. It touches on a lot of hard to deal with topics and some of which are triggers. It is about family, trauma, generational abuse, gaslighting and much more.

Heart is a Star is a captivating read that pulls you into the heart of Australia. Megan Rogers' writing is both lyrical and raw, painting a vivid picture of Layla's complex life and the secrets that haunt her family.

The story is a rollercoaster of emotions, from heart-wrenching grief to moments of unexpected hope. I was completely engrossed in Layla's journey of self-discovery and the unraveling of her family's past. If you're looking for a book that will stay with you long after you've finished reading, I highly recommend Heart is a Star.

It is crazy how much Layla is consumed by: high-stakes job as hospital anesthetist, her husband Gabe's mounting resentment, her mother Nora Byrnes's emotional needs, her guilt about not being present for her children Jack and Aud, her affair partner Lucas's ultimatum, her absent older sister Willow, her aunt Dawn's escapades, and her mysteriously disappeared father Oscar. Even keeping track of all these names is daunting at first. But I'm glad I stuck with it, because this story is jam-packed with themes and lessons that all come together beautifully in the end. I like that this incommunicative family learns that operating on false assumptions and myths for generations is deadly, and can only be remedied by brute honesty.

When Layla was 5, her family moved from the city to the wilds of the west coast of far-flung Tasmania. I loved the rich description of that setting. While the extent of chaos in Layla's life was outrageous, it never came across as inconceivable perse. Although I did wonder how nobody knew she was planning to leave the island to study medicine at college without mentioning it to her boyfriend of 4 years, who was brother to her best friend, especially considering the families lived next door to each other, and her father was a doctor, and there was no teaching hospital on the island. For that matter, why did Layla never confront her best friend about her cutting herself? Also why would somebody wait naked in bed after being discovered by the cuckolded spouse, rather than jump up and get dressed and run for safety? At times I wondered how all the misunderstandings could be so layered, so spread out for decades without anybody coming to terms or hashing anything out or achieving resolution. Until now. But more importantly it also made for a really, really great story, climax, and ending!

I wasn't sure where this book was going to go, but it went there. I really enjoyed this book: the hidden strength of women, what can be overcome, and the finding of self.

This book was not for me. Why? 1. Layla's mother blatantly manipulates Layla, Layla has a lover that I didn't find lovable, Layla's marriage is on the rocks (go figure) and she made a very bad decision during a surgery that resulted in a very poor outcome. I just didn't connect. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary digital ARC. This review is my own thoughts.

3.5

The cover is what immediately attracted me to this book. It's certainly a stunning piece of artwork but, for me, the narrative didn't quite live up to my expectations. My problem, not the book's.

The story follows Layla, an anaesthetist who is currently suspended due to a death at the hospital. She is unhappily married to Gabe but is having an affair with artist, Lucas. Every year Layla returns home to see her mother, Nora, but this year she is more desperate than most because of her mother's odd telephone call. Layla leaves her husband and children and heads home with her aunt, Dawn, but even the journey itself is fraught with problems. She has no idea what she will find when she arrives but she's determined to find out the truth of what really happened to her beloved father who died at sea many years before. Layla thinks her mother has been lying to her and won't leave without finding out what really happened.

The story, in itself, is interesting as Layla confronts her past but I found the circuitous nature of the narrative quite tiring. It seemed to take forever for Layla to get home and then even longer for someone to tell her about her father's demise. I think I was so invested in finding out what the secrets were that I forgot to enjoy the telling. As I said- my fault, not the book's.

If I were to offer advice it would be to enjoy the ride as much as the outcome. I'd like to read this book again with that in mind. I'd recommend it with the proviso that it's read as a piece of literary fiction rather than a thriller (as I did).

Thanks to Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the advance review copy.

Published in Australia in 2023, this moving novel throws us into the disordered lives, secrets and lies of two generations of women. Layla, the main character, is in her mid-late 40’s, a physician, married, mother of two, and still dealing with deep emotional scars from her childhood. Her sister, Willow, six years older, left the family when Layla was 10; her father, the only physician in their Tasmania town, drowned when she was 14. Her mother, needy, demanding, and sometimes deluded, refuses to give Layla the answers she craves.

The story takes place at Christmas time, when Layla and her family, now living in Queensland, usually visit her mother. This year, her mother in crisis, Layla comes earlier with her aunt Dawn, her mother’s older sister. And secrets finally unravel.

Rogers writes profoundly and poignantly about the choices mothers make, and the circumstances creating emotional storms that tear lives apart. The natural world also is powerfully present, with the land, sea and the night sky central to understanding the characters’ world.

Well-plotted, lyrically written, with varied and strong characters, this is a skillful story of love, grief, art, and science, seen through the eyes of a strong yet fragile woman. What she learns has lessons for many of us.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC of Heart is a Star by Megan Rogers. This is the story of a woman exhausted by life. Layla is an anesthesiologist, a mom to young children, married but not happily, and has a relationship on the side. She is also trying to help take care of her mother who is quite unstable. Everything changes course a bit when she gets a call from her mom that just does not sound like the mom she is used to, which sets Layla on a path to find out what is going on not only with her mother, but also to something in the past concerning her father. This was a pretty good read and I do recommend it if you enjoy domestic dramas.

hey quick question; what the hell?
layla deserves so much better.
honestly this was really hard to get through and i feel like it dealt with serious subjects poorly.

When I sit to write my review of this book I am struck by how beautifully written it is. Looking at the themes of this book it could be quite a hard read, but it was very well handled.

I won’t give any spoilers, but it is definitely worth a read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the copy to review.

Layla Byrnes is exhausted. She's juggling a demanding job as an anesthesiologist, a disintegrating marriage, her young kids, and a needy lover. And most particularly she's managing her histrionically unstable mother, who repeatedly threatens to kill herself.

But this year, it's different. When her mother calls just before Christmas, she doesn't follow the usual script. Instead, she tells Layla that there's something she needs to tell her about her much-loved father. In response, Layla drops everything to rush to her childhood home on the wild west coast of Tasmania. She's determined to finally confront her mother - and find out what really happened to her father - and lay some demons to rest.

The Heart is a Star is an engrossing, lyrical and powerfully absorbing novel about the complicated and beautiful messiness of midlife; about the ways in which we navigate an intricate, complicated world; and about how we can uncover our true selves when we are forced to face the myths that make us.

This was a beautifully written story about family, relationships and self discovery. The main character, Layla, has a difficult relationship with her family and especially her mother. When she is called to her mother’s bedside, she embarks upon a stormy and eventual journey into the dark and distant troubled past her family has faced. There are secrets, traumatic events, shame and I found myself gripped by the mystery of Layla’s father and how he died. This book, although difficult to read at times due to its themes, was told in such a beautiful way that it had me gripped. Really enjoyed it!

I found this book absorbing and hard to put down - perfect for those whom enjoy well written, literary family drama **- but it should come with a the trigger warnings of suicide and child serial abuse.**
We meet the main character, Layla, at the time when her life in utter turmoil - her loveless marriage is in tatters, her job as an anaesthetist is under threat, her love affair is teetering on the edge and Layla’s familial relationships are precarious. We are immediately thrown into the heady drama of her life, as her mother whom lives in remote western Tasmania, rings to threaten suicide (far from the first time), but this time Layla knows it’s different and she actually means it as she talks of leaving Layla ‘the truth’ about her idolised father, which has haunted Layla since his death by drowning. The story is largely centred on Layla’s fraught journey across country with her elderly aunt, in the hope of reaching her mother before she is able to end her life. It’s a tense read and we are perpetually pushed to question what circumstances could have led Layla’s mother to be so unstable. The many secrets that unfold throughout the novel take us through generational trauma and keep us gripped throughout.

This novel appears to explore themes of self-discovery, family, and trauma, which align with my reading preferences. As you navigate the complex relationships and emotional landscapes of Layla's life, you may find yourself drawn into a story that, like What Alice Forgot, penetrates the intricacies of identity and self-acceptance, and, like Girl in Pieces, confronts the darker aspects of human experience.

The Heart is a Star by Megan Rogers is a perfect fit for readers who crave a deeply moving and introspective novel that explores the complexities of family, self-discovery, and trauma, and who will be drawn to the author's lyrical and absorbing storytelling style.

This was a beautiful and heartbreaking book book, it hit all the notes. I enjoyed reading the story, even though in parts it absolutely devastated me. It was well written in the characters were realistic and nuanced. The offer did a fantastic job of making you care and I did. It was entertaining and very heartwarming!

Dr. Layla Barnes is having a midlife crisis. She has been suspended from the hospital for accidentally killing a patient. She is in a loveless marriage and suspects her husband is unfaithful. She also feels she is a terrible mother to her two children.
To add to her distress, her emotionally unstable mother, who lives in Tasmania, is suicidal.
Amidst all this chaos, she feels she must leave her family to save her mother. When she rushes to her childhood home, she discovers hidden truths about her beloved father, her unstable mother, her missing sister, and her favorite auntie. This story is about accepting awful truths, and being able to move forward with your life.
I was a bit confused by this storyline. Characters weren’t developed enough to explain their actions. The ugly secrets revealed seem to come out of nowhere. I wish the story had been more cohesive.

Layla Byrnes is struggling and her mother's phone call, threatening suicide, is not helping. After juggling her schedule, she and her aunt make the journey to the western coast of Tasmania. Once there, Layla must come to terms with the truth about her family that has been kept from her for decades. A heartfelt look at what it takes to confront demons from the past and how to move forward into the future. The subject matter was difficult at times, but this is a beautifully written novel.