Alright, so... I did not expect for this book to F**K with my heart and my emotions the way that it did. Shame on you, Loretta Rothschild! And you damn well know what I mean. This is a volatile time in our country, I'm already on edge and very vulnerable for you to torture me with this way.

Anyway, this was a beautiful debut and it will mess with your heart, and your mind, but there's beauty in the process.

Fiona Button’s narration was exquisitely executed. Special thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Finding Grace, by Loretta Rothschild, is a delightfully layered novel that reminds readers what getting wrapped up in a great story is like. The narrator, a delightfully witty dead woman, had me leaning in from the beginning. Rothschild weaves a rich tapestry of loss, love, and the everyday hum of life that is the backdrop for it all.

This beautifully complicated debut completely surprised me, in the best way. While the publisher offers only a hint of what lies within, I will do the same. This is a book best approached with minimal expectations and an open heart.

From its explosive start, this knockout domestic drama was riveting, gasp-worthy, unpredictable, and unputdownable. The story follows Tom, Honor, and Chloe, a sweet little family trying to grow, and let’s just say... life has other plans.

This is one of those books that’s hard to talk about without giving too much away. There’s a mystery at the center, but it’s really about love, loss, and finding your way through heartbreak. The characters are layered and compelling, and I loved how the story shifts between past and present. It’s like peeling back layers of a very human, very complicated situation.

Beautiful writing, strong emotional pull, and some genuinely gasp-worthy moments. If you’re into slow-burn, character-driven stories with real emotional weight, I think you’ll love this one. Just trust the process, and avoid spoilers!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

4⭐️ – Poignant, layered, and quietly beautiful.

This book sat with me. It’s one of those stories that doesn’t rush to make a point—it just lingers in all the tender, messy spaces of love, grief, and second chances. Watching a family splinter and slowly re-form after loss was heartbreaking, but there was something so human in the way each character tried—imperfectly—to move forward.

I especially connected with the idea of presence after absence. How someone can still shape everything, even when they’re gone. The narration felt unique and emotionally intimate, like being allowed to eavesdrop on someone’s soul.

There were parts that didn’t fully land for me—some elements felt a little too tidy—but overall, it moved me. It made me think about the people we carry, the ways we heal, and the unexpected ways life brings us back to ourselves.

So beautifully written yet so heartbreaking. I had to put it down immediately after the first chapter, picked it up again and set it back down after the second chapter… a tough book for me to get through. Watching someone grieve after the most tragic life event while picking up the pieces of their life back up one at a time? I cried through every other chapter. I was so upset, watching my own baby sleeping peacefully while reading this story and wondering how something so horrible could happen and then having to remind myself I’m just reading a book. I simply could not get over it. But aside from the emotional aspect, I truly did love the writing style and though it was predictable it was hard to put down waiting for the end to come.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for both the audiobook and e-book versions of Finding Grace. This is a nice debut novel by Loretta Rothschild and fantastic narration by Fiona Button. There are two timelines …. Before Paris and After Paris. Both are love stories yet one is threatened by a series of lies or omissions that pile up for a potentially disastrous ending. What if the truth had been told straight away? Well, this would have been a good short story. The plot develops through this novel switching back and forth between the two timelines. It is told through the eyes of Chloe, the Before Paris wife There is tragedy. There is love. There are lies. In the end, isn’t love what it is all supposed to be about? I look forward to reading more from this author.

There was nothing on this book’s blurb that would entice me to pick it up. It’s not my typical read and the synopsis seemed extremely vague. BUT…. The GR reviews had my interest piqued. So of course I had to see what this was all about. First off, the blurb is vague is for a reason, to know anymore would just be spoiler territory. What I can say is this book explores how family and friends deal with the aftermath of a tragedy. It is very unique how the book goes about this. I will admit I was hooked from the first chapter, but then questioning several chapters in if this was really going to be the book for me. I stuck with it and I’m glad I did. It certainly was a roller coaster of all sorts of different emotions. That’s about all that I can get into without spoilers.

I would certainly recommend picking up this book but can honestly say it probably will not be for everyone. However, the writing and character development in my opinion were done very well, and I would certainly be interested in reading future works from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

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.