Main Characters:
-- Honor – married to Tom, mom to four-year-old Chloe, successful children’s author, desperate to have a second child after five miscarriages
-- Tom – owns a hedge fund, frustrated by Honor’s desperation for another child that he has left the surrogate decisions to her for the last two years
-- Lauren – one of Honor’s best friends, lives two houses down from Tom and Honor, divorced with twins
-- Annie – one of Honor’s best friends, married to Oliver

Wow! Seriously…wow.

While I read any book, I highlight passages that will help me remember key points for when I’m preparing my review. Occasionally, I’ll add a note—general commentary, blog post ideas, predictions for where the story will go. I highlighted the last sentence of the first chapter of Finding Grace, and added a note: “Ummm ok.”

I don’t typically worry about revealing spoilers of anything that happens near the beginning of a book. Early reveals don’t usually make such an impact. However, in this case, the last sentence of the first chapter is a pretty big game changer.

My review will be relatively short because I don’t want to give away some of the key plot points. Honor narrates the entire story. When it begins, she, Tom, and Chloe arrive in Paris where they spend every Christmas. Honor wants to check in on a surrogate to see if she will take an early pregnancy test. Plagued by multiple miscarriages, Honor is desperate to have a second child. Tom wants to spend the holiday focused on just them and Chloe. To say there’s tension is an understatement.

That is all I plan to tell you about the plot because that first chapter reveal is just too good to give away. This story talks about love and loss. Some things you will see coming. Other pieces will surprise you. The predictability doesn’t detract from the story. And the author’s unique narration choice…simply amazing. 🤌🏻

A story of love, an unfolding mystery and a tragic event.

I went in blind and think it is best to avoid reviews because of so many spoilers that are easy to spill.

I enjoyed the story overall. It was easy to read with a good flow and I was taking a specific character's side. There is a unique narrator, some predictability, a string of coincidences and one shocking, earth shattering event.

Overall, an exciting debut.

“Finding Grace” is one of those stories with first chapters that will startle you, and any further discussions of the plot are all pretty much spoilers.

It’ll all be a bit divisive for readers — there are many fans of the melancholy magic of “The Lovely Bones” and the same readers who stood apart from the mystical piece, looked at the plot with more discerning opinions and were irked. “Finding Grace” is one of those hard to characterize books. Part romance, part psychological thriller, filled with large amounts of grief, loss, and love. It’s a phenomenal debut by Loretta Rothschild, and it’s brought to life by narrator Fiona Button. I admit feeling uncomfortable about the storyline most of the time. It may have been that I wasn’t in the mood for such a heavy book — be prepared for an emotional onslaught. 3.5 stars

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for advanced reader and audio copies!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

There's not much I can say about this debut novel without spoiling it. It starts with an absolute shocker. The narrator is an unusual choice. The grief is well-written and the author effectively builds the dread for the inevitable reveal of the truth. There's a lot of "noone is who you think they are" happening, as well. I enjoyed it, and will look for Rothschild's next book.

WOWOW! This book broke in the first chapter. I honestly didn't know how to go on from there. But I was so happy I did because I ended up truly loving this book. It's so unpredictable and different from any other book I've ever read. Would recommend to all!

(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

shockingly amazing. the first line grabbed me and the rest of the book just never held back throughout. would definitely recommend. the characters are impeccable, the plotting is immaculate, and the attention to detail is flawless. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Imperfect and deeply flawed characters navigating grief and loss the best they can (although, let's be honest, Tom could do a bit better).

The author created authentic characters--people who make selfish and stupid, yet very real and understandable mistakes.

This had a unique narrative that I've never seen done before, which was incredibly endearing.

If this book doesn't hook you after the first chapter, I don't know what will!

I loved this book. That first chapter pulled the rug right out from under me--I had to read further just to get right again. It was such a unique perspective to read a love story from and the writing was phenomenal. The characters were fantastic--so real and relatable. The tension was on every page--we knew the secret was going to be found out, just not when or how or to what end. What a fantastic debut!

Wow! Such an unusual story! The creativity of the plot and how it’s delivered give this “mostly romance” novel a superior edge. The blurb is actually really vague so I don’t want to say too much that will give away the shocking event that I never saw coming at the beginning of the book that then sets up the complicated and engaging plot. The author manages to incorporate some real dilemmas involving romantic relationships and friendships, grief and sticky moral issues. The choices around how these complex issues are presented by the surprising narrator is genius! I really enjoyed this aspect. The character development is good, the characters aren’t always likable but that’s real life. While I really liked the uniqueness of the book, I was disappointed with the use of the usual “romance novel” trope of couple falls in love, communication gets in the way and the breakup happens. That pattern made the ending too predictable and it also felt rushed. But overall, a great read!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

Honor loves her adorable daughter Chloe and her handsome husband Tom, but is desperate to have another baby.

Years later Tom makes a choice to do something while trying to keep a secret....that just seems to grow bigger and much harder to control the secret.

This book started off with a big jaw drop in the beginning that kept me reading. That said, this is really ALL the reader needs to know about this book. Go in as blind as you can and ride this storyline where the author leads.

My thanks to Net Galley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillian Audio for an advanced copy of this e-book and audiobook.

The most jaw dropping opening chapter you will ever read, I loved this book! It was so unique with the story being from the perspective of the murdered wife, victim of a terrorist attack, and the husbands journey of navigating life without her and their young daughter. Ingenius. The writing was beautiful and raw, the characters so genuine and realistic with flaws and pain and grief. This story will stay with me for a long long time.

4.75 stars
What in the world did I just read?! OMG this book was insane in the best way possible. I was glued to the audio the entire time. I would never have predicted where this one was going based on the synopsis, so the ending of the first chapter completely shocked me.

I found Tom to be SO frustrating, and I spent the majority of the book screaming at him and what he was doing. I also had some issues with the way a few things were wrapped up, especially in the epilogue, but those things don't take away from how utterly captivated I was by the story. I will be thinking about Finding Grace for a long time. I cannot believe this is a debut. Oh my goodness, I cannot recommend it enough.

An interesting read that is hard to review without giving anything away. The first chapter ended in an OMG moment that I then realized that what I thought the book would be about, wasn’t. It’s a story of grief, choices, secrets, and love. I personally didn’t like Tom’s choices which was probably why I didn’t like his character, but I liked all the other characters in the story and what each brought to the story. The most surprising character to me was the mother-in-law. This is the author’s debut novel and will be great for a book club discussion. There’s lot to comment on and discuss. I wouldn’t say I loved the book (again probably due to Tom) but, acknowledge that it is written very well and is an interesting concept.

I had no idea what I was in for with this book, and I was shocked to the Core by the tale that slowly unraveled. I laughed, cried, cringed, empathized, loved and so much more. I don’t want to reveal the shocker, but can say that this is a story of love, parenthood, marriage, grief, friendship, forgiveness, and so much more.

3.5 stars

This one is rather difficult to discuss without giving anything away, so I will simply say that this book has a clever premise that unfolds with depth and emotion. An written exploration of grief that felt raw and authentic.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I’ve been slowly dipping my toes into the world of thrillers, and let me tell you—this book had me hooked. I don’t think there was a single moment where my jaw wasn’t on the floor. The author does an incredible job of pulling you into the characters’ anxieties so effectively that you feel every twist and turn right along with them. I also really appreciated the narrator’s bird’s-eye perspective—it gave a broader view of the storyline while still keeping the tension high. Just when I thought I had figured out where things were headed, the plot would flip completely and surprise me in the best way. It kept me guessing right up to the last page.

I highly recommend this book. There are some significant trigger warnings: fertility/infertility, loss of a loved ones, terrorism, life after loss, suicidal ideation.

Here's a short summary of my experience reading this book. First part: Jaw physically drops. Middle part: Screaming "TELL HER". A lot. Final part: Feeling anxiety ramping up and up and up and then finally, relief. Do you remember Elizabeth from The Office? She (not so) famously once said: "Secret secrets are no fun. Secret secrets hurt someone." Profound. And I heard her voice in my head many times throughout this book.

I took my time with this read and I think it helped, as I could almost watch this story unfold in real time. I found myself thinking a lot about Tom and felt dragged along by the current of his decisions. Towards the end I realized I shouldn't really be surprised at where he had ended up, as patterns in his past and current behavior start to become clear. The more it goes on, the more you kind of have to stop defending him, although you're still rooting for him. The book wraps up beautifully. It feels so human and believable. I loved all the love between characters, in all its imperfect forms, and the love of our narrator witnessing it all.

Overall, wowzers. I will heavily recommend this to everyone and I feel extremely lucky to have been able to get an e-arc. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press!

I'm glad I finally got around to one. The first chapter grabs you from the first sentence, and ends with another sentence that will take you in a direction you might not be planning to go.

I'm not sure how much I can even write about this book other than to say it's less suspenseful and more romantic than I anticipated.

Like many good romantic stories, there is a secret at the beginning that one person doesn't share with the other, and it kind of haunts them the whole read. You know it's going to come out eventually, but you're not sure when.

I thought this book was well-written and had great pacing. Because it's so unique, it's perhaps not being marketing in a way that would draw it's primary audience, but that's certainly not a fault of the publisher. Like I said, it's a hard story to explain without spoilers.

My only quibble is that I wish more of the beginning was woven into the full narrative (essentially more of Honor's perspective.)

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I have many thoughts about this debut novel. First, the characters are lovely. I enjoyed Honor, Chloe, Colette, and Grace. Loretta Rothschild created some wonderful storylines for the women in this book. Our story begins within the loving relationship of Honor and Tom whilst in Paris for Christmas. They are joined by their toddler daughter, Chloe. Honor is preoccupied with thoughts of their surrogate's pregnancy results. Her secondary infertility is heartbreaking. Her childhood lays the foundation for her desire for Chloe to never be alone as an only child. Infertility comes up a lot in this book. Tom and Honor's relationship is starting to crack under the weight of Honor's worry about their growing family. Tragedy befalls the family.

Tom is left alone, contemplating death. When he arrives home to London, he receives a reason to live. I love this part of the story and his change of life circumstances that allow him to be a full time parent for Henry.

Grace has such a cool intro into the story. I love how intentional Honor was here. This part felt surreal and serendipitous.

Everything in between is well done! The trauma, grief, and loss. I loved that Colette got a redemption that I never knew her character needed! Honor got her memoir in her POV retelling of the story.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for this ARC!

Finding Grace was not what I was expecting, in fact, it was so much more!

Reviewing this will be tricky because one slip can spoil the entire book. What I’d like to say is that Rothschild touched upon so many deep and impactful themes; that of grief, loss, trauma, love, regret, and forgiveness and then she enfolded it all into a story that just captivated me.

The characters were endearing to me, even in their worst moments, and this is because those moments are the realest and the moments everyone can relate to. This story broke my heart and then put it back together again.

I really don’t want to say too much other than I hope you give this one a read or listen. I did both, co-reading while listening and it was splendidly narrated by Fiona Button. Bravo, and well done!

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and MacMillan Audio for these gifted copies!