While I mostly enjoy reading, cozy mysteries, I do go beyond the genre from time to time. I’m certainly glad that I did that with this book.

From the very first pages, this author captured me and kept me all the way through. There were times I was crying as the heartache was so vivid. Overall, this truly was well written and a great debut novel from this author. I will definitely be looking for her in future publications. You should definitely add this one to your summer reading list.

3/5⭐️ 0.5/5🌶️ 1/5😢

The start of this book was so interesting and unique but unfortunately it was a steady downhill until the very end. I think it’s best to go in blind given the story and POV!

I personally did not care for any of the characters (some made me feel downright feral with anger) and thought their actions were outrageous. Not knowing when the proverbial “other shoe” was going to drop gave me a stomachache the entire time I was reading. I will say there is a happy ending but that no one really deserved it so it felt oddly placed.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for advanced copies of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I went over it again and again on how to write this review, as I don’t want to give anything away. This is the type of book where you’re better off going in blind. I will say that it’s about a woman named Honor who has a daughter named Chloe and a husband named Tom. This book is twisty, full of secrets, very very emotional, and it’s an excellent debut. Right from the start I was sucked into this story. It starts with a bang, and then the story shifts. I am not usually surprised by books these days, but this one shocked me. I couldn’t put it down after that; I had to know what was going to happen next.

If you enjoy stories about love, loss, and second chances at happiness, this is the book for you. It’s so emotional, and the characters feel realistic. They go through so much, and I had such sympathy for them. Tom went through a lot, and I just wanted the best for him. The best part of the book is how the story is told from a really unique point of view. It made the book so much more powerful and very personal that way. It’s a beautiful, heartbreaking, and hopeful story that will stick with me for a long time. I can’t believe this is a debut novel! Highly recommend! All. The. Stars.

Finding Grace
by Loretta Rothschild
Pub Date: Jul 08 2025

Finding Grace is an emotional read about grieving, it’s heartbreaking, it’s about finding love again. A phenomenal debut for this author! Truly captivating. It was an easy read, the pages went by quickly. I'm definitely happy I was offered this book to read.

Synopsis: Honor seems to have everything. She adores her daughter Chloe and her husband Tom (even if he does work one hundred hours a week). But her longing for another baby threatens to eclipse all of it―until a shocking event changes their lives forever.

Thank you #NetGalley #STMartinsPress #FindingGrace #LorettaRothschild for the opportunity to read this awesome E-ARC.

A well crated and written story about the impact of secrets, grief and regret tied up in a gripping, can’t put it down novel. Honor Wharton seems to have it all except another child. Year later her husband, Tom, makes a fateful choice that brings to fruition her desire and sets and another woman on a collision course. You have to read the book to find out more and you won’t be disappointed when you do. Really enjoyed this book. Thank you to the publisher and BetGalley for the opportunity of reading this book.

This book starts with an unbelievable gut punch I wasn’t expecting. And of course I started reading it on my lunch hour and had to put it down (I don’t think I would have otherwise).

It’s rare for me to be surprised by a book and this one took me by surprise in the best way. I could not put it down.

Extremely unique synopsis and expertly written, Finding Grace is a story that will stay with me for a lifetime.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for an early digital copy.

This book caught me so off guard in the beginning and I was so excited to see where the author was going to go with the story. There were some parts of the book I really enjoyed I found the writing to be fairly good. However, the meat of the plot, the main story I didn't. Safe to say it was not a direction that I enjoyed. The main character irritated me more often than not I was so angry about the decisions he was making. I found the timeline of events to be chaotic and I think the story would've benefitted more if things had been rearranged. I would be open to read future books from this author.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest feedback.

Finding Grace has a plotline like any I've ever read before. The end of the first chapter had my jaw on the floor and I had no idea where the story was going to lead from there. Ultimately, even though certain aspects of the plot were predictable, the unique storyline really kept my interest. It was also written from a different character perspective than I've ever read before. I'm not sure it totally worked for me, but I really appreciate the author's creativity in how she wrote it. I love that she tried something different than what I've seen done before, and I felt that it made the book more emotional and added such a unique extra element to the story.
The book tackled some big things but handled them well. Even though the male main character was infuriating me with the choices he was making, I could also understand where he was coming from. Even if I didn't agree with his choices, I could sympathize with him.
There were several lines of prose I found myself highlighting, including a beautiful passage towards the end of the book that talks about how love isn't measured by its ending, but by each and every day, and all the little details that accrue along the way.
The book definitely brought tears to my eyes, and that takes a lot for me.

I felt that most of the characters were well-fleshed out, though I would've liked to experience more scenes with Henry and Grace, particularly towards the end of the book. That could've had a huge emotional payoff, and I felt a little cheated that we didn't get that.

All in all, I really liked the book, though I'm not sure what genre I would call it. There was a definite romance plotline, but I wouldn't call this a romance novel. It's definitely heavier than most romances I've read. I think anyone that enjoys a domestic drama and can handle some heavier topics will enjoy it. But please, if you have any triggers, look up the trigger warnings before diving into this book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Huge thank you to @smpress and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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I definitely recommend going into this one blind! I was totally shocked by the turn of events in this one, so I don’t want to say too much, but I always enjoy when a book surprises me! This one is out now!

To summarize this novel with any specificity is to give away spoilers. One of said spoilers, perhaps even THE spoiler, happens in the very first chapter. Then, nearly every plot point relies on that foundation. And then, there’s a family/legal/emotional/romantic storyline with several assumptions.

If this were diving, this would have the highest degree of difficulty. We’d watch with bated breath, wondering if the competitor can pull it off.

Thus, it might be best to describe Finding Grace as a unique romance with grief as an underlying theme.

Rothschild can clearly write. Good, clear, believable dialogue. Easy vocabulary that makes the exciting parts flow quickly. Interesting premise. Strong delivery of important, heartfelt family themes.

That said, I’ll stop with those positives. Rothschild has the skill, the knowledge, and the potential for a truly moving, meaningful, even captivating story. I don’t think this is that, but I’d be curious about the next.

This is such a unique novel. The story follows Tom after the death of his wife and daughter in a tragic terrorist attack. The storyteller is Tom's dead wife. The story is full of raw human emotion.

I really wanted to love this, but it didn’t quite work for me. Some parts felt underdeveloped or hard to connect with, though I can see others enjoying the concept. Just not quite my cup of tea — and that’s okay!

PLEASE go into this book blind - I did and was absolutely blown away. This was a captivating family drama with a sprinkle of suspense. I can see why it wouldn't work for some people (it does occasionally challenge your ability to suspend your disbelief), but I personally loved it. It was completely gripping and I couldn't put it down.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Can new love take hold despite withheld secrets?

Honor Wharton loves her husband Tom deeply, and both adore their daughter Chloe. Honor wants a second child desperately regardless of Tom's heavy workload, and this obsession puts a strain on the otherwise happy marriage. An unforeseen tragedy upends things dramatically, and the family is irrevocably changed. Years later Tom makes a decision that will cause the paths of Honor and a woman named Grace, with whom Tom is becoming involved and who has a connection to Tom's family of which she is unaware, to intersect. Which relationship will prove to be stronger, Tom's with Honor or with Grace? Will Tom be completely honest with Grace about the bond they share, and if he doesn't does he deserve a second chance at love?
Finding Grace is a compelling debut novel about family, love, loss, and grief, which folds into the story elements of romance and of psychological suspense. There are unexpected twists baked into the plot which limit what a reviewer can share without inadvertently spoiling them, but suffice it to say that the first chapter is a doozy! The rest of the novel unfolds with uneven pacing, but the fully realized characters are what truly drives the narrative, particularly one unusual narrator. Readers should expect their emotions to be tugged back and forth as the story takes hold. This is not a perfect novel...certain aspects of the plot do strain credulity, for example, and the shifting time periods and narrative points of view can be confusing at times...but I found it nonetheless to be a compelling read, one likely to appeal to readers of Celeste Ng, Lily King and Jodi Picoult. My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me access to this intriguing debut novel in exchange for my honest review

I really wasn't sure what to expect when reading this book. The way this book/story had me reflecting on my own choices and how and why I got to where I was because of them, was refreshing. I'm a huge sucker for relatability* and reminicising, so Loretta's story was perfect. An incredible story of heartbreak, secrets, rediscovery and love.

3.75

I don't want to give too much of a synopsis on this one because its official synopsis does a great job and I think everyone should go into this book as blind as possible.

I went into this book expecting one thing, and by the end of the first chapter, I was completely floored. The beginning of this book was such a strong start for me, but somewhere in the middle, I began to slow down. I think a lot of this was just down to pure shock and confusion about where the story was going, but either way, I didn't have the momentum I hoped for.

Anyway, I think I'm gonna pick this one up again and after reflecting, I might actually bump up my rating. It was a unique and twisty premise and a very strong debut.

Thanks to netgalley and publishers for a ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed the premise of this book but at time I wished it would hurry up. I think some of the back story could have been shorter though I understand that the author was attempting to add depth to the plot.

If you are looking for a romance novel that will present ethical dilemmas and will burrow its way into your brain like no other, Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild should be immediately top of your tbr. This book deals with love, parenthood, friendship and loss in such a way that I don't think I will ever forget how deeply moved and simultaneously infuriated I felt reading it.

It's difficult to review this one, because the first chapter sets up the rest of the story with a shocking twist. The remainder of the novel is narrated from the point of view of a character that is highly unusual in a romance but perfect for this particular story. It's best to go into this one with very little knowledge, to avoid spoilers. This is going to be the 'must-read' of the summer!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC of Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild. The opinions in this review are my own.

<i>There is no nack to grief. It's like the sky - it hangs over everything. Sometimes the sun peeks through the clouds, other days it rains, and some days it pours . . .</i>
It's been a long time since I started and finished a book in one day and I'm glad I had the time to do that with this book. It was utterly compelling from the first chapter and I had to keep reading to get to the end. As others have noted, it's difficult to talk about the plot without giving away key factors, so I will just say that it's a story of grief, morality, obsession, and (questionable) redemption. The ending spoiled it a bit for me as it felt too easy and I think it would have been more satisfying if it had been more nuanced. Still, a unique book that is both thought provoking and entertaining. Highly recommended.
I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The synopsis for this one was SUPER vague, but after seeming some rav early reviews, and seeing that it was also a BOTM pick, I decided to take a leap.
I now get why the synopsis was vague. And I would recommend going in blind, as to not ruin the shock factor.
I definitely didn't know what I was getting into, and after chapter one I was hooked.
The narraration, the topics that were covered (loss, pregnancy struggles, resilience), were all written so well.

However, I felt like the plot got a little lost on how to wrap up, and how to continue past the 50% mark.
I didn't connect with the main character Tom like I was hoping- and just absolutely could not connect with the romance. There were definitely parts that made me cringe.

For a debut- this has great potential. And so many parts that I appreciated. However, it just seemed to lose me half way through. The ending was rushed and unsatisfiying for me, and there were so many things left unsaid.
The first half of the book was a big 5 star. But the rest of the book was a 2.5ish. Leaving my final star rating at a 3.5.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins for an early copy!