Maya seems to have it all, but behind the scenes, she’s drowning in guilt.
What if you could just stop feeling guilty? I can relate to the feeling.

The Guilt Pill by Saumya Dave is the feminist psychological drama I didn’t know I needed. It’s messy, sharp, and brutally honest about the pressures women face to be everything—the perfect mom, boss, friend, wife. When Maya takes a pill that erases guilt, things finally start to click... until they spiral again.

Highly recommend if you’ve ever whispered “I’m fine” while low-key unraveling.

Happy Publication Day!(4.15.25) Be sure to check out The Guilt Pill at your local book store

Thank you, @netgalley @saumyajdave , for the Advance Reader Copy

In some ways, this made me seen. We know all the usual discourse about women who have trouble with life because they want it all, and the main characters struggles portray it well.
And if there were a way out? Many would probably take it too. But, it felt a bit too on the nose and the side characters just existed to move the story along for the MC like the author intended. A good attempt at telling such a thematic book, but maybe not the best.

The Guilt Pill is a bold and biting look at modern motherhood, ambition, and the pressure to be everything to everyone.

Maya Patel seems to have it all—a thriving start-up, a devoted husband, a new baby, but she’s barely hanging on. When she’s introduced to an experimental pill that erases guilt, the relief is immediate, but freedom comes at a cost.

The writing is sharp, fast-paced, and deeply in tune with the emotional weight women carry. Dave captures the impossible standards placed on women and the burnout that comes from trying to meet them all. This one had me thinking about how much we internalize and how easily it can unravel. I saw pieces of myself in Maya’s constant need to be “better,” and that made the story hit even harder.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I don’t usually reach for books about motherhood, but The Guilt Pill really caught my attention, and I’m so happy I gave it a go! The idea of a pill to take away guilt — especially the kind so many women carry — was such an interesting concept, and the story hit hard.

Maya’s trying to balance everything — motherhood, work, keeping up appearances — but underneath, she’s drowning. It felt incredibly real and made me think about how often women are expected to do it all without breaking.

As a dad, this book gave me a deeper understanding of the ‘Mom’ guilt, pressure, and burnout mom’s face. It’s honest, important, and something I think a lot of men would benefit from reading.

Thank you to NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing

Wow. I felt seen in this book. While not a CEO, I think so many working moms can relate to the pressure that the main character feels. Dave has done a beautiful job in articulating so many of the things I felt as a new mom that had to work. I highly recommend it. I couldn’t put it down in the end. end. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC

Saumya Dave’s The Guilt Pill is a bold and timely novel that dives deep into the emotional and psychological toll of modern womanhood. Centered on Maya Patel, a driven CEO and new mother, the story explores the impossible standards women are held to—and the desperate measures they might take to cope. When Maya is introduced to a pill that claims to erase guilt, her already fragile world begins to spiral in unexpected ways.

Dave’s writing is sharp, empathetic, and insightful, capturing the nuances of ambition, motherhood, and identity. The speculative twist adds an intriguing layer, though some plot elements wrap up a bit too neatly. Still, The Guilt Pill is a powerful, thought-provoking read that lingers after the final page.

Perfect for fans of contemporary fiction with a psychological edge.

Ever since having my first child last year, I’ve been more interested in books about motherhood and young children. This made The Guilt Pill by Saumya Dave one of my most anticipated books this spring. When Maya Patel has her son, she finds herself struggling to balance parenting with her job as the founder and CEO of a successful startup, Medini. For her, the guilt is crippling. So when her new friend offers her a supplement to suppress the guilt, Maya finally gets the relief she’s been craving. She starts to feel better… but at what cost?

Why I Chose This Book:
I’m a mom now to a ten-month-old, and I’ve certainly felt a lot of the anxieties, overwhelm, and guilt that comes with being a parent. This made The Guilt Pill feel especially relevant to where I’m at now. Its comparisons to other books on my TBR (like The Push) also made me confident it was a book I would enjoy.

What I Liked:
- Examination of motherhood, myriad postpartum difficulties, and striving to effortlessly “do it all.” I just had a baby last year, so I’ve become very familiar with the spectrum of emotions and worries that go into raising a newborn. Like Maya, I developed anxieties and was hyper-fixated on certain fears, and only six weeks after my son was born, I was back at work. My experience has been very different so far, but even so, much of what Maya goes through here rang true for me. It’s hard to be your own person while devoting so much time to a baby; it’s hard to keep up with everything else (work, chores, relationships) when the baby needs so much time. The guilt is real, and I appreciated seeing this topic explored with such nuance and care here.
- Maya’s experiences as an Indian American woman from a poor background. Maya isn’t just a woman or mom; she’s also the daughter of immigrants from India who had to work constantly to provide for their family. Maya has a tougher time, especially as the founder of a company, than most people. And her working class background adds to her feelings of imposter syndrome.
- Mixed media, including police interviews, article excerpts, and social media discussions. Nearly every chapter ends with an extra tidbit, usually foreshadowing Maya’s ultimate disappearance and giving hints (or red herrings!) about the root cause. These were fun to read and just show how off the mark people can be, especially those who don’t actually know the person in question.
- Hint of mystery and thriller vibes. This isn’t really a thriller, but it’s set up around the disappearance of Maya, and most of the book leads up to that event. As the novel progresses, readers wonder what goes wrong… or rather, how it goes wrong. And there are so many rumors that come up about her disappearance: Was it her husband? Is it drugs? Was she cheating on her husband? When the event does finally happen, the thriller vibe amps up even more.
- Relationships with spouse, parents, and friends. Maya’s problems didn’t come from nothing, and her problems don’t only affect her. I liked seeing how her relationships with others weave into the narrative, showing how motherhood really isn’t (or shouldn’t be!) a solo endeavor.

What Didn’t Work for Me:
- Not enough karma for a certain someone… but the epilogue is intriguing!

Final Thoughts
The Guilt Pill is a book I would encourage all new mothers to read. Maya’s experiences won’t mirror everyone’s; my own foray into motherhood so far hasn’t been nearly as difficult. But I think we all go through similar feelings to some degree, and it helps to understand other mothers and what they’re feeling in that first year postpartum. This is novel is emotional and powerful, and I am excited to read more from Saumya Dave.

This book had an interesting concept, especially with the idea of taking a "guilt pill" to remove female guilt. As a contemporary read, it did a great job showing the pressure that women deal with balancing motherhood, career, and cultural expectations.

That said, I wanted more. I was hoping for more sci-fi elements. I was hoping for more UMPH to the story of new moms balancing societal pressures. At the halfway part, the story got kind of repetitive, and I lost my connection with the characters. The Guilt Pill might land better for readers who are new moms, or people in a similar phase of life, but it just wasn’t quite my thing.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin trade publishing for letting me read this book.
I enjoyed this book thoroughly! It opens with Maya Patel, female founder of an eco-line of toiletries she created based on desire for the products she wished her family motel business had had when she was growing up. She saw witness to lots of waste and wanted to make a mark on the world. Maya is also married, a very recent mother, a friend, and very involved with her family.

After Maya has her son, she slowly falls into this post-partum no man's land of guilt and stress for all the things she is expected to handle and finds challenging. As CEO, her company needs her, and the financials aren’t boding well. She wants to be in the office but her son is a full-time job and employees continue on making choices without her. Her husband has asked for pat leave but it doesn’t come through. Her MIL and family insert opinions about her behaviour, about how it should be easy, and she continues to feel like she’s falling short. Enter Liz, a woman promising her a medication that can remove guilt from her life. What if you could take a pill and remove all those feelings telling you you’re not being and doing enough?

Though I don’t have children, I feel any woman would find elements to relate to in this book. In Canada we have access (not always well paid, but still) to a decent amount of mat leave, but in other countries this isn’t the case. The novel sheds light on the way I’ve heard many friends feel - filling like their cup is empty at the end of the day, being pulled in all directions, having to give everything to everyone else first, etc. This book advocates for parental support in business, reframing business frameworks to support all employees but parents too, advocating for mental health, learning to remove judgment from others and oneself. An entertaining, honest, page-turning read that I highly recommend.

Massive thanks to #partner @saumyajdave @parkrowbooks @htpbooks @htp_hive for the gifted copy!!! This book is so beautiful and carries an important message!

Imagine you are the CEO of a successful start up company. You worked your tail off to there too. Your company is flourishing and you’re all over social media.

Maya Patel is the CEO of Medini, a company with beauty products that are safe for the environment. She lives with her husband, Dev and also has a new baby. Her baby boy is colic and has been causing her so much stress that she feels guilty just for going into the office.

One day, her friend Liz hands her a pill that she is working on that will remove ALL GUILT. Allowing her to be successful, a good mother and empower her without all the guilt attached. Unfortunately, there are some ugly consequences that follow.

What I loved about this story was how close to home it is for mothers. Mothers who are trying to make it in their professional lives and personal lives. She hit the nail on the head and I absolutely loved it!!!

I preferred the physical copy over the audiobook.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book had such an interesting concept that I think will really resonate with readers - especially women. I was hooked right from the start and couldn’t put this down! This is a book that will make you think and reflect on your own life.

This book dives into some emotional topics and ethics in medicine. It was a very unique story that discusses classism and racism and gender roles.

Maya was at the top of her career with a new baby and a perfect instagram page, but inside she was really struggling. Her experience felt so authentic and real and raw. She is trying to manage everyone else’s expectations of her - who hasn’t felt outside pressures and tried to keep it all together?

She gets to experience living life with no guilt…but there are always consequences to our actions…

Loved this book, it was such a fantastic dive into the realities of motherhood with a slight speculative twist. Must read.

I am more than excited to review this book. Before I delve into it, I want to go into a little backstory. Social media can be such a toxic and awful environment, but sometimes you get lucky and find a kindred spirit. Several years ago I happened to win a book from this lovely young author during a random give away on Instagram. We started chatting a bit via DM and realized we had quite a bit in common- both of us of South Asian descent, both Jersey girls, both physicians, and both avid readers. Saumya very kindly reached out on Goodreads to praise some of my reviews. Having a published author reach out to tell my that she enjoyed my little reviews more than made my day! Over the last few years, Saumya and I exchanged emails and I had the privilege of learning a little bit about this book in its infancy and even got to preview the first few chapters.
Reading this book was such an interesting experience for me. The story brought me right back to my own confusing and stressful time after the birth of my first child. Maya is an up and coming influencer, business woman and new mom. She has literally given birth to a new business and a child almost simultaneously. Like most new mothers, she is struggling. If she ignores her business at such a crucial stage, she runs the risk of losing control of her own company. And yet, as ambitious as she is, she also just wants to nest and snuggle with her newborn son. Saumya nailed it as she depicted Maya's real conflict as she tries to reconcile her old life with her new one. As I read Maya's story it brought me right back to all of the insecurities I experienced after having my first child. Too many stories sugar coat how hard new motherhood is. This book definitely did not do that. I also really liked reading about the way Liz insinuated herself into Maya's life and became her confidant. When you are struggling, having a safe space with someone who understands your situation is such a comfort. Also, Liz was an incredibly intoxicating presence for Maya and how she insinuated her way into her life. Without giving too much away, Liz comes up with a novel way to alleviate all of the new mom guilt, but at what cost? I continued to root for Maya and her husband Dev throughout the entire book. We often see a new mother's struggle with motherhood, but what about the dad's struggle? I liked how Saumya handled the conflict between Dev and Maya as they navigate being lovers and parents. The backstory of Maya's family of origin added a lot of depth to the story. Knowing about Maya's parents helped you understand her work ethic and strong desire to make her business succeed no matter what. I have read all of Saumya's novels and have enjoyed them all. I always appreciate how she incorporates her insights and sensitivity as a psychiatrist into her novels. I think that this novel is bound to be a huge hit and I could not be any more pleased for my lovely friend. Congratulations!!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I found myself feeling very seen in this book as a mother and as someone who works in the tech industry. I really enjoyed the premise of this book but found it a bit lacking in the suspense/mystery side as well as repetitive as the scene was set around the need for more ‘guilt pills’. The ending was a great lead up for a second book which will hopefully expand and give more answers to the lingering questions I have.

Ohh what a ride!

As a fan of Saumya Dave's other books, I couldn't wait to read The Guilt Pill. The premise was incredibly relatable as a first gen American with Indian motel owning parents, and I found Maya to be a very realistic main character, even when her actions made me so frustrated (mostly because it felt like looking in a mirror at myself).

While there was some predictability and some of the commentary done a bit heavy handed, the message of this book was clear and one that we need to discuss more as a society. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and cannot wait for the next book that Saumya Dave cooks up for us.

for moms 💜… and the people who love them.

For the mom who has ever felt guilty… while trying to do all the things. This one is for you. And for the people who love them, this book is a reminder that even the strongest ones need to be seen, held, and understood.

—

I just finished an ARC of The Guilt Pill by Saumya Dave, and it was so validating!! Maya, the FMC, voiced so many of the thoughts I’ve carried but rarely said aloud.

The contrast between her life as a CEO and new mom was written with such care and it really captured the messy, beautiful tension of trying to do it all. It honestly felt like reading parts of my own story.

If you know me, you know I love the mental health trope, and this book delivered. It explores the emotional toll of postpartum depression and anxiety, part of the broader spectrum of PMADs (Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders). As a mental health professional, I deeply appreciated how these struggles were portrayed with nuance and compassion.

Her friendship with Alaina also really stayed with me 🥹 she’s the kind of friend who sees you, lifts you, and lovingly calls you in 🤍.

The last 20% took an unexpected psychological thriller turn, but the ending is a powerful reminder of how much further we have to go in creating systems that truly support women and mothers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc/alc.

I was excited to read this book because it sounded like an incredible thriller and women's fiction novel. I am not sure which one I was expecting it to be though genre wise. With that being said, the reality of it seemed to lean more towards women's fiction in my opinion. I would also say that there was a good deal of sci-fi in the story as well. It did take me a while to get through this book as I picked it up, read about 40-50% and put it back down only to pick up later. I slightly considered dnfing this book, but I am glad I did not. It was a story with an interesting and clever premise and iI would be open to reading more by Saumya in the future. I also really enjoyed the audiobook and I thought the narrator did a great job bringing these characters to life!

A very good pink thriller story about motherhood and being a successful woman. I really liked the story progression and the overall plot. There were several parts that left me with thoughts to reflect on. Unfortunately, I feel that the thriller part of this book never arrived. The climax was very brief and seemed to be very rushed in the writing. It did not create quite the thrill like I expected. Overall, definitely a story worth reading, and one worth adding to your shelf, but not as impactful as it could have been.

I really, really enjoyed this latest from Saumya Dave that sees Maya Patel, a South Asian CEO and new mom struggling to balance everything and feeling guilty about never doing enough in either role. When her new 'friend' Liz offers her experimental pills that will erase all feelings of guilt, Maya reluctantly succumbs and eventually becomes addicted. And like all things that seem too good to be true, the pills too turn out to have dangerous consequences. Relatable, clever and full of all the stress of new motherhood mom-guilt, this domestic suspense thriller was great on audio and entertaining from start to finish. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Maya Patel is a badass tech founder, CEO, and popular influencer. She’s also the oldest daughter of immigrants, a people pleaser, and a brand new mom. She finds herself exhausted and lost as she tries to balance all the demands of the many facets of her life. When she becomes overwhelmed and can’t seem to do everything right, she’s overcome with guilt. In comes Liz Anderson, one of Maya’s inspirations as a woman in tech. Liz introduces Maya to a new “supplement” her company is working on that removes the feeling of guilt from women. At first Maya feels like she can do anything without the burden of this guilt, but as time goes on she starts to develop concerning side effects and her life steadily spirals out of control. When she winds up missing, rumors spread about her drug use, her professional mistakes, and her failing relationships.

This book really hit home for me as a new working mom. I’m sure I’ve written the same postpartum frustrations in my own journal. Add on discussion of racism, sexism, intersectionality, and the toll addiction takes on a person and their family and you have a depressing reflection of how difficult it is to live and raise kids in this world. Love the characters, loved the dark humor, loved the juxtaposition of social media’s take on Maya’s life vs her actual life playing out. I’d recommend this book to others in postpartum, to working moms, and to those trying to understand this crazy experience.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Saumya Dave for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. My review will be published on Goodreads and Instagram on 4/15/25. I will update this review to include links then.