Honor Wharton has the perfect life. She's a successful author of Children's literature, she has a handsome and successful husband in Tom, and a beautiful daughter Chloe. Honor also has a strong desire to have another child which her body just will not do. Her attempts at IVF and egg surrogacy have exhausted Tom. Enter Grace...known only as a number to Honor and nothing to Tom.

The very first chapter of this book will hook you and not let go until the very end. Much of the story is told through the eyes of Honor and explore so many topics...love, secrets, deceit, heartbreak, and joy. You will laugh, cry, and gasp...not necessarily in that order.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the eARC.

FINDING GRACE tells the story of a young family impacted by unimaginable tragedy, propelling the plot in ways that I never imagined, for better or for worse. And as I write my review, I am so very conflicted. There is much to like about this debut novel by Loretta Rothschild, but quite a bit to dislike in equal measure. I debated on whether to include spoilers, but finally decided against it.

FINDING GRACE is without a doubt a moving, beautifully written novel. It explores the depths of grief and the life one is forced to live in that precarious world of “before the tragedy” and “after the tragedy,” where everything is defined within the parameters of “if only” moments.
Character development is solid, and I truly enjoyed the beginning of the book very much. I also thought the choice of narrator being our protagonist, Honor, added a brilliant touch to the novel. As I reached the midway point, however, the storyline dragged a bit for me. The pacing at times felt uneven, with certain sections lingering longer than necessary, which slowed the momentum of the story.

And as the story progressed and grieving widow Tom started making very questionable choices, my interest waned. It became very difficult to sympathize with him as his relationship with our other protagonist, Grace, grew into love. Grace, a wonderful and truly lovely character, deserved better. And I’m a person who adores happy endings, but I felt this ending was too neatly tied up, with one character in particular being rewarded for very bad behavior. Actions have consequences, and sometimes endings must reflect this life lesson in lieu of happily ever afters.

Will I read a book from this author again—most definitely!! Rothschild’s writing is gentle and sincere, and I truly look forward to seeing what she writes next!!

I want to thank NetGalley, Loretta Rothschild, and St. Martin’s Press for gifting me the ARC of FINDING GRACE! It was such a privilege to read this before publication. And I appreciate you trusting me with an honest review!

In this book, you will learn about the many ways in which a person isolates himself in selfish behavior and only through grief can he see what he has gone through. Somehow, I felt that the moral implications of all this were not clear enough.

I liked how the author chose to do the POV of the story. It was creative and allowed for an omniscience that helped to make this book as interesting/immersive as it is. I also liked how the author chose to incorporate the past. Most chapters began with a page or three of a past event relating to Honor and Tom. These sections were italicized to make it quite clear they were from the past, and it added to the depth of the characters as well as helped support the events of the present timeline. This balance and approach was excellent.

The plot of this work is slow but steady. It’s much more character driven, with plenty of time given to getting to know the characters, their thoughts, and their choices. I’m not sure how I felt about the ending. While things were resolved neatly, I felt like I was missing much of the healing/resolution I wanted to see from the characters (especially Tom and his problematic behavior). Some of this did happen off page, but then other aspects just felt like they weren’t really addressed, which left me wanting more. With this being a character driven work and the amount of time spent watching the characters grow and spending time in their emotions, I expected much more from this aspect.

If you’re looking for a well-written general/contemporary fiction with well written characters that deal with themes of loss, grief, finding love, and deceit that still has a hopeful/positive feeling despite the heavier themes, then you’ll likely enjoy this one. My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Sometimes the stars align in a weird way. A tragic life altering event, a letter, and a wanting of another child open up to a story of love and loss. This story is told from a unique prospective from Honor the wife of Tom and the mother of Chloe. I loved that at the beginning of most of the chapters they started with a story from the past of Tom and Honor’s relationship that relayed into the present. The story shows how a simple mistake, secret and lie can change your life and so many others in an instant. Also, never leave the room or conversation with someone on bad terms, you never know if they will be your last or if you will be able to take them back if you later regret those words.

Many times during this book I did want to scream at Tom, as any man they don’t always think with their brains and chose wrong.

Overall, I did like this book and would have given it 4 1/2 stars if that was possible.

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in return for my honest review. I look forward to see what Loretta Rothschild comes up with in her next book

I should have known from the blurb that it would have the pregnancy struggle and that just made it too hard for me. Sorry.

In a story of obsession it seems our main character Honor only has one thing on her mind, surrogacy and hopes of another child, so much at the expense of those around her. Until it’s not, when an unforeseen situation changes the direction of the story completely. So the story becomes a tale of grief in times of the unthinkable and the steps you take to come out of it.

Poignant and honest conversations between family members, where none of the characters are really likeable but realistic, and are both right and wrong. Tom is just a shell of grief, getting you through as the reader, or trying to, of a dark narrative that was hard to read. And of the one observing Tom like the reader itself providing dialogue on what the reader was seeing and flashbacks to what was. Overall the descriptions really pulled you into the scene.

I enjoyed the decisions the author made- like the point of view of Honor and the time jump. I am not a huge fan of the lie that Tom told regarding the plot progression. That felt pretty unforgivable and dismissive and I felt bad for Grace for most of the novel.

I went into this blind and so glad I did. I was pleasantly surprised and emotionally gutted at the same time. At about 50% of the way in the story did stall and left me with very little progression and Tom just kept getting more insufferable. For me the back half of the story just went downhill and I wanted more from the ending. The depth of the front half just felt cut out for a stereotypical romance.

Finding Grace is a readable, emotionally rich debut novel. Book starts with a powerful event that draws you in quickly. But from there, the story has a predictable plot that really drags out in its revelation. Book is very readable, love the narration character (no spoilers) and has genuine moments of tenderness and conflict. But the drawn out pace and build up to the inevitable had me at times skipping ahead some of the details. Ideal for patient readers who appreciate emotionally complex stories and can appreciate the slow build. Thank you St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for this advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest and own review. Book releases July 8, 2025.

I’m not going to say much about this one. I recommend that you go in 100% blind. There is a shocking turn of events close to the beginning of the book that changes the entire direction you think it’s going. This is a character-driven story about grief, love, family dynamics, obsession and lies. The lies pile up as the book progresses and it feels like you are watching an impending train wreck in slow motion. I love this type of read. The writing flows seamlessly and it’s hard to believe this is a debut. I’m very excited to see what’s next from Rothschild.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Finding Grace is a beautiful story - well named with lots of different meanings. A joy to read as the story blooms into the finale!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The choice of narrator really makes this novel stand out. A very impressive debut.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Netgalley for an e-ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Honor, her daughter, and husband are living their dream life when tragedy strikes.

Tom ends up making a life altering decision, that changes the course of his life that painfully intertwines his past with the present, and most likely the future.

What is the outcome? How will he move on?

While I feel the first half was a bit on the slower side, I ended up really loving this book!

I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style of this book. There were unexpected moments that left me breathless. Initially, I wasn’t a fan of Tom, but he gradually grew on me. The story is filled with sadness, which the author was exceptionally adept at conveying.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This was a great book that I couldn't put down! The opening few pages left me shook! This is a must read!

Finding Grace opens with a stunning twist at the end of the first chapter—one best discovered without spoilers. I recommend going in blind and avoiding reviews that might reveal too much. At its heart, this is a story about a relationship built on secrets, where one person is keeping a significant truth from the other. Rothschild masterfully builds tension throughout, letting the weight of what’s unspoken simmer until it inevitably surfaces—a compelling read.

I loved this book! I was engrossed reading about the emotional turmoil of the characters and the changing relationships between each of them. It even has a little humor at times that gave me a chuckle. I don’t want to give anything away so I won’t give any details about the story.
The only thing I struggled with a little bit was that I frequently had to remind myself who was telling the story when “I” was used in the sentences. That would kind of take me out of the scene for a second. But I ultimately liked how the author used the narrator’s unique perspective to tell the story, so that’s ok.
This is a heartfelt story that had me quickly turning the pages to see how it would end.
Thanks to NetGalley for my copy to review.

You know you’re in for a wild ride when you’re already crying in each of the first 3 chapters of a book…

Wow! This was so so good! The writing style was perfect and made it such an easy, quick read. But it still packed quite the punch and caused all of the emotions to surface. I was not expecting how this story ended up playing out just by reading the blurb. Definitely check some trigger warnings for this one.

I think I went through every emotion just towards Tom alone. I felt for him but also was irritated by him in the beginning, then felt utterly heartbroken and wrecked, then hopeful, then frustrated, then satisfied. It was quite the journey for that one. The backstory intertwined with the present day made my heart just feel good.

All of the side characters, along with Grace and Honor, felt fully flushed out. You could clearly see how each of them had their own part in the story. Man, I need more from Loretta if this is how she writes!

This was a very interesting story. It kept you engaged and you had to keep reading to see what was going to happen. There was a horrible tragedy that left a husband almost incapacitated and it was very difficult for him to go on. His son made it possible to live again. Then a surprise comes up and he is enchanted by Grace but doesn't tell her why and it almost derails their lives completely. She finally understands and comes to see him.
The story had some very good characters that were easy to picture

I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

Sometimes when we desire more out of life, we can lose perspective and forget to enjoy what we already have. When Honor loses her ability to have a sibling for her daughter Chloe by natural means, she becomes obsessed with finding a way to expand her family. Tom, who is content with the way things are, struggles with her constant push for another baby.  When tragedy strikes, Tom is left to handle the consequences of her choices alone. When you are suffering through heartache, it’s hard to hear that sometimes things happen for a reason. Because how can that much pain have a purpose? We never know where life is leading us, and we need to allow for healing and be open to love whenever and however it shows up in our lives.

This novel is an exploration of the human experience . . . of profound grief and about the choices we make both out of fear and for love.

I thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of Finding Grace for my unbiased evaluation.  4 stars

I wasn’t prepared at all for what happened in the beginning of this book. The tragic opening was intense and then the storyline with the surrogate was really tricky for me. I felt for Tom and all he had gone through, but I found myself incredibly frustrated at his deception. And then the ending felt too neat even though I was wanting a happy ending. I have mixed feelings about this book.