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!

One of the most highly emotional tales I've ever read, and took a turn I did NOT expect right from the get-go. Had me reading just to understand what was happening and how everyone was going to go on!! A beautiful ode to grief that I wasn't expecting to love this much. I cried multiple times, and for a debut novel, I loved the execution of reminding us what's important, all the way to navigating extremely emotional circumstances.

Only read the content warnings below at your own risk! I don't want to spoil the story in any way because the surprises were the best part - but for our more sensitive readers, I think a little warning is warranted.

**Thank you to St.Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

Content Warnings: Infertility/marital trauma, terrorism, immediate family loss

*Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC! All opinions are my own.*

I devoured this book in less than 24 hours. What an absolutely gorgeous debut novel! The premise for this book is so interesting and the way in which Rothschild chose to tell this story is unlike anything I’ve read in recent memory.

I don’t want to go on about this one too much because it’s one of those books you simply must just read for yourself, but I will say- I adored this writing style. The cast of characters was so wonderfully crafted. And the last 30 pages had me sobbing like a baby. It’s all you need to know.

Highly recommend.

Writing a review for this one without spoiling anything important is really, really difficult. I was completely captivated and devastated all at once at the end of the first chapter and had absolutely no idea what kind of journey the author would take us through for the rest of the story. The writing style was different, told from a very different narrator than I would have expected. It had it's good points and bad points (but again, a spoiler if I say why). I had 10% left and I felt bereft as I didn't know which way we would be ending this one. It was a wonderful journey of growth albeit strange and yes at times just a little creepy but in the end I enjoyed the story.

Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild is one of the most beautiful, deep, and unique books. I was shocked to learn this was a debut!

It’s best to go into Finding Grace blind but I was immediately hooked from the first few pages. I personally loved the narrator, Honor. Filled with so much love and grief there was a roller coaster of emotion. I felt for all over the characters.

I will be recommending this book to anyone looking for a literary romance. I cannot wait to see what Rothschild does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book!

FINDING GRACE is a warm, engaging book about overwhelming grief, love, and the small details that comprise our daily lives. The beginning is surprising and allows the cascade of emotions, described so well by author Loretta Rothschild, to flow unimpeded through the plot. I just don’t want to give away much of the plot and ruin the beginning. Love finds the survivors of past relationships in different ways, not always easy, or entirely honest. But the characters are worth rooting for and the arc of their growth is welcome. This is a romance with a side of tears. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

So, I thought this book was coming out a month ago because I had an earlier release date on my data sheet. I sat down the night before what I thought was the release date to try to read some of the book so that my review wouldn’t be too delayed.

Well, reader, I finished the book in almost a single sitting. I can’t say too much about the plot without giving too much away, but this book was deeply moving. It is bold and audacious and beautiful. I didn’t know whether I was more afraid of inevitabilities or what-ifs. Every day that words that needed to be unsaid remained unsaid upped the stakes and made it harder for declarations to be made.

I apologize wholeheartedly for being so deliberately vague, but I think the less readers know going into the book, the better. I don’t think I would have appreciated this book nearly as much if I knew even half of the story beforehand.

I would absolutely recommend Finding Grace. This is the story of Honor and Tom and Grace and I know it is going to stay with me a long time. This is one of the best books I have read this year. I can’t believe that this is a debut novel!




I received a digital ARC of this book from St. Martin’s/NetGalley.

This book was so good. It begins with Tom, his wife Honor and their daughter at Paris's Ritz Hotel. Honor loves her daughter, but is all-consumed with wanting another child. She is unable to have another one, so they have chosen a surrogate, and they are waiting to find out if she is pregnant or not. Tom is understandably frustrated with Honor because she is more fixated on the possibility of child #2 than enjoying the child they already have. Then something happens that is so life shattering, it has far reaching repercussions. That is really all I want to tell you, because I don't wan't to spoil the rest of the story for you. Let's just say, unless you see spoilers somewhere, you will not see this coming. This is the debut novel by this talented author. I look forward to reading many more!

How do you measure the weight of a lie? Where does it begin, and where does it end? How will it end? This book starts off with an absolutely stunning twist! 😯

There’s not much you can really share about this book without treading into spoiler territory. So just go in blind. It does include a very unusual narrative and an exploration of loss and grief. I feel like it causes one to consider the focus of our lives. 

One thing I wished while reading this book was a bit more of a lead in before the ‘big twist’.  The POV does switch back-and-forth so that helped some, but I still have questions. 

It highlights the fact that secrets have a way of coming out, and sometimes it felt like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I appreciated the themes of family, motherhood and relationships we cultivate.

‘There is no map to grief.’

While I often questioned a main character’s choices, this ended up being an interesting story that I feel would make for a great book club discussion. The ending was almost as dramatic as the beginning, but I thought that it was fitting. 

CW | Contains some strong profanity, but not a lot. And some steamy content, brief. Trigger warnings to be aware of as well.

Thanks to the publisher, MacMillan Audio, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advance audio and digital copies of this book in exchange for an honest review.]

I only have two words for this book.....
HOLY SMOKES!
I had heard folks say chapter 1 would blow you away and um YES. YES IT DID.
Needless to say I was absolutely hooked and devoured this. It was so unique, so complex, so thought provoking. It even had my least favorite trope (miscommunication) and while it was frustrating at times it didn't keep me from ripping through the pages. I'm not even going to give any details just say that while it's a love story (maybe?) to me it was kind of a deep dive into serendipity, grief, motherhood, second chances, and the weird connections that create dotted lines to other humans. I know that's vague but going in blind is such a thrill for this read. For me this was an easy five star. I loved it so much I snagged a copy from BOTM on top of the advanced copy I gobbled up in two days!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me this copy to read in exchange for my honest review. I LOVED IT!!!

“𝐍𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞.”

𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 7/8/25

🎧Audiobook/📖 eBook Dual Read

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆:
Honor wants nothing more than to have another baby with her husband Tom. Using donor conception- they are attempting to use a surrogate to complete their family. During a Christmas holiday, tragedy strikes sending the family on a path they never imagined.

𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
🎄Single POV
🍷Non linear timeline
🎄Infertility awareness
🍷Grief and loss

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
Nothing will prepare you for the first chapter of this book. From the opening line to the 🤯 ending. I recommend going into this blind (other than the blurb)- I did and it was insane. For a debut novel, the writing was great and flowed well. Little bits of snark among the serious topics was lovely. While the premise was interesting, I found the story to be a bit dull and honestly, creepy. While grief has no correct path, I do believe there are unhealthy ways of dealing with it, and Tom definitely chose that route. I kept trying to find the upside to all of it, hoping the ending would resolve some of my put off feelings. Unfortunately, the ending grossed me out even more.
I much preferred the audiobook of the two, the British narrator was fantastic and brought all the characters to life and made them easy to differentiate. Every book has an audience, this one was not for me but is very likely one many will enjoy.

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

TW: infertility, donor conception, miscarriage, death of a spouse

*Thank you @NetGalley, @MacMillan.Audio, and @StMartinsPress for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚 pulled me in right from the start, and that’s mainly because I wasn’t expecting it to open the way it did. I read it twice! That shift so early on completely changed the tone of the book for me. It set the stage for something much more layered and emotional than I had anticipated.

I really liked how the book balanced grief, identity, and emotional complexity without ever becoming too heavy or too sentimental.

Another aspect that stood out was how well the narration was handled. It added this intimate, almost haunting quality to the story without ever feeling too dramatic.

The book was such an enjoyable read. I’m keeping the story details vague on purpose because this is one of those books that’s best experienced without knowing too much.

What a solid debut by @lotettarothschild

Thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow...what an emotional book. From the heart wrenching beginning, to the sadness that follows, and then the hope that appears... this is one roller coaster of emotions of a read. And it was so well done. The writing is beautiful. The author did such a wonderful job of writing that my heart felt all the saddness, grief and turmoil that Tom especially felt. This book was unputdownable. I loved the back and forth of past and present, of the book mainly being told from Honor's point of view, and and how sweet and intimate this book really was. I rated this a 5 star book on Goodreads and will be highly recommendjng kn my socials.

After the first chapter, I was hooked. The rest of the novel is a brilliant blend of heartbreak and hope. It's a story about how family and friends cope with the aftermath of an unexpected tragedy and how our lies can consume us. This is an amazing debut, and I can't wait to see what this author does next.

rating: 3 .5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! Finding Grace releases on July 8th, 2025.

Loretta Rothschild’s debut novel presents a twisting story between life and keeping yourself intertwined with secrets relating to your past while continuing to move on. The synopsis listed for this story provides a glimpse of what Honor’s character has been experiencing and how Tom continues to make his own personal decisions, though it does well to hide the shocking plot twist that leaves an impact on readers throughout the novel with Honor’s perspective. Specific trigger warnings can definitely help to prepare readers without giving away the main plot. I really like whenever the dots connect together to the title to display its meaning, and this novel does well to make every point interconnected. Tom’s character was interesting and so was Honor’s. Overall, this was an intriguing read and amazing for a debut novel.

The publisher's synopsis for 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗘 is very vague and for good reason - the less you know about the plot going into Loretta Rothschild's stunning debut, the better - so I'm going to keep this review short and sweet. I completely agree with Jodi Picoult's cover blurb (this is one of the best books I've read this year!) and it has one of the best first chapters I've ever read. The audiobook kept me riveted, and if you're a fan of unique literary family dramas that are thought-provoking and emotional, this one's for you!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Librofm for the copies to review.

This is an emotional read that will have to crying all through the book. A murder by a terrorist and the story afterwards is heartbreaking for all involved. The ones left behind and the child that was born after the deaths has a harder life. I would recommend this book at all.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the Publisher and leaving a review by my own choice.

FINDING GRACE is the debut novel by Loretta Rothschild. It is an emotional story of love, loss and the fallout of a devastating tragedy that ripples for years to come. I went into this story completely blind and I am so glad I did. It has a unique and thought-provoking storyline that kept me engaged from the explosive beginning to the unexpected conclusion. Grief and guilt collide in this story that is both heartbreaking and hopeful. I don’t want to say anything more about the story to avoid inadvertent spoilers. I know that this novel will stay on my mind well beyond the last page turned. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for an eARC ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Imagine the crisp winter air of the holidays, the kind that smells like roasted chestnuts and possibility. Now watch as a family—ordinary in their love, extraordinary in their breaking—steps off the curb into the unthinkable. Honor’s yearning for another child is a live wire, her hope coiled tight around the word *maybe*. Then the universe says *no* in a way that leaves no room for arguing. 💔

Tom💔 His love is real, but so is his fear, and the two are at war in the quietest, most devastating ways. This isn’t about good men or bad choices; it’s about the crushing weight of *after*, and how grief doesn’t fade—it just finds new corners to hide in.
The beauty here is in the fractures. In the way hands still find each other even when they’re shaking. In the brutal, messy truth that healing isn’t a straight line—it’s a crooked path through wreckage, lit by whatever light we can scrape together. ♥️
Read this when you’re ready to feel the ache of being human♥️When you need reminding that even broken things can still hold love. When you want a story that doesn’t flinch from the truth: sometimes surviving is the bravest thing left to do.
A debut that doesn’t just speak—it howls. And you’ll hear its echo long after you’ve closed the cover.

This was an interesting novel that started off with a bang. I liked how the narration was done and the style of writing was strong. I will definitely check out more from this author.