Finding Grace - Loretta Rothschild
Rating: 3/5

During a family Christmas vacation in Paris, Honor, her husband Tom, and their daughter Chloe experience a devastating tragedy that alters the course of their lives. To reveal more would spoil the narrative.

Though this novel falls outside my usual preferences, it offers a touching exploration of love, loss, and connection in the wake of grief. The unconventional narrative perspective adds an intriguing layer to the storytelling, though I found the writing somewhat lacking in depth and the plot occasionally frustrating. While it didn’t entirely resonate with me, I can see it appealing to readers who enjoy similarly emotional stories.

I read this book without really knowing what to expect. I have to say this was a well written story. I was taken by surprise within reading the first two chapters. That was a twist I was not anticipating, and it made me so sad!

I really liked how the story unfolded and how each character came together in it. My least favorite character is Lauren. I just wanted to strangle her!!! How dare she??!! The amount of malicious intent from her angered me so much. I also did not like the fact that Tom kept digging himself a bigger hole with all those lies.

I am so glad the ending was a happy one, but it did leave me wondering what happened to Grace's parents. I really thought she was going to be Honor's long-lost sibling or something, which would have made this story a crazy one! I hope there's a second book to this one and we get to find out more about Grace's story before she met Tom.

This was such a great read; I recommend!

It is a 4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ for me.

I want to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rothschild's debut had my emotions just where I like them: all over the place; however, it was connection to her reflections on grief, heartbreak and love after loss that truly got me. Her characters flexed an expert depth and authenticity that had me feeling as if I KNEW them. I have certainly been thinking about them and Rothschild's beautiful prose since.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars – While I have mixed feelings about this story, I actually really enjoyed it and the emotions it brought out while reading. While Tom’s decision making throughout a majority of the book frustrated me, I think it was still well done (especially for a debut novel). The narration was unique, it was beautifully written, and I’ve never really read anything quite like it! I do wish Tom would have done things differently as I felt his ending was a little undeserved and wrapped up a bit too nicely, but I also understand why things happened the way they did. Overall, it was a great read and I look forward to reading more from Loretta Rothschild in the future. I’m happy to have picked this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

This debut novel is a remarkable triumph, starting with an unexpected twist that immediately hooks you – a dead woman as the narrator! The story weaves together themes of love, hope rising from sorrow, friendship, loyalty, and above all, honesty.

Meet Thomas and Honor, a married couple with a beautiful four-year-old daughter named Chloe. Their marriage faces challenges due to infertility issues. While Honor longs for another child at any cost, Thomas believes their family is complete. Then, tragedy strikes, changing everything forever.

Prepare yourself for a book that will evoke deep emotions and tears. It powerfully demonstrates that life continues, often in unexpected ways, and remains worth living. I eagerly anticipate the author’s next work!

The strength of this book lies in its characters. You feel as though you truly know them. You root for them, empathize with them, and at times you find yourself wanting to shake them up. It provokes deep reflection on how you might react in their situation.

This novel is nothing short of incredible. It’s stunning, heartbreaking, and full of unexpected twists. It’s clever, intelligent, and beautifully woven, with moments of humor that add depth to this slow-moving train wreck of a story.

From the explosive opening chapters, this gripping literary fiction holds you captive until the very end. I’ve never encountered a book with such a unique concept or opening. We meet Honor, Tom, and Chloe, who are celebrating the holidays in Paris. Despite the festive backdrop, tension simmers as the parents argue over their family’s future. Honor is content but yearns for more, including a second child through a surrogate—whom the bickering couple has dubbed “Dunkirk.” Then, on Christmas morning, everything shifts, leaving both the characters and the reader to navigate the aftermath.

I had heard from a couple readers that it is best to go into this book knowing as little as possible about it, so that's what I did, and that's also why this review will be a bit vague. Unfortunately, Finding Grace was a DNF for me at 30%. I was originally intrigued, but once the opening scene happened, the plot and tone of the book were so utterly depressing that I dreaded picking it up. I think if you're ok with a mostly sad storyline, you may find this to be a compelling read. The POV is interesting in an of itself, but for me it was simply too sad. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the advanced review copy.

Novel deals with a marriage challenged by a wife pursuing a second child through surrogacy. When the wife
and daughter die in a tragic accident , it leaves the husband dealing with loss and raising the child
who is the result of the surrogacy. eaning to move on, hiding information will change not only the relationship
but also support of friends. Story of love, family and rebuilding connections.
Compelling read.
#FindingGrace #StMartinsPress #NetGalley

3.5
I find myself bifurcated by this debut book. One part of me looks at the story. The story is one of loss, grief and love. But it is also one of obsession, secrecy, and feeling preyed upon. The later made the story feel very creepy to me and that was hard to shake,

The other part of me looks at the mechanics of the book. The first chapter is a doozy and will have you flipping the pages for more. Referring back to my first half, if I felt all of these feelings, then the author did her job well. While I may not have "liked" how the story was going, Rothschild provoked a real reaction from me and that is the sign of a promising writer,

I look forward to reading her future works and seeing I can be at one once again.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow! This was a powerhouse of a novel, with a big twist at the beginning. I couldn't get through this book quick enough. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I felt genuinely connected and invested in the characters. Beautiful and accurate description of loss and trauma and grief (coming from a therapist who
specializes in this). I’d give it a 4.2 to be exact. Thank you!

A Lovely read. I went on an emotional roller-coaster with each of the main characters. I knew the friend was going to be trouble. I was surprised with how the resolve happened. It felt like a real world conclusion. I picked this title just due to the lovely cover. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this book. I would recommend this read to anyone who wants to have your heart strings pulled, shedding a tear or two, and having an ending that is one you are rooting for.

The novel follows Grace, a woman grappling with the aftermath of a strained relationship with her mother, as she embarks on a journey of emotional healing and reconciliation. Rothschild's writing is rich and evocative, capturing the complexity of family dynamics and the quiet power of forgiveness. The alternating timelines between the past and present add depth to the narrative, allowing readers to fully understand Grace's struggles and growth. With its heartfelt themes and well-developed characters, Finding Grace is a compelling read for anyone who enjoys stories about personal transformation and the complexities of family bonds. Highly recommend for fans of introspective fiction!

I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this book. The novel has a unique premise that caused me to reflect on how unpredictable life can be even when we try so hard to control each unpredictable step. I was hooked from the first chapter and the remainder of the book did not disappoint. Compelling and insightful.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

It took me three tries to finally get into it. Make sure you devote a blick of timenfornthis one.

It was not a fast read.

Not really my typical read, but i enjoyed it.

Four stars.

Finding Grace
3⭐️

Honor and Tom seemingly have it all, except for the second baby Honor is desperate for. When tragedy hits, life as they know it changes and the story of life after loss and grief begins to unfold.

It’s hard to say much else about this story without spoiling anything. Ultimately I thought the story hit some real, difficult topics well and didn’t shy away from difficult and, for some, unlikeable characters. A solid debut novel. For that and the writing style I give three stars. I personally didn’t care for the way it was narrated, I didn’t find myself caring for any of the main characters, and the ending didn’t sit well with me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

This book was reviewed as part of a Library Journal assignment and it was submitted for publication.

I found this book to be interesting. It was not one that I could not put down, but the story was an interesting one. I am sure that many women could put themselves in the main characters shoes. I liked how the sytle of writing was from a different persepective, and even allowed a character some growth, even when not really part of the book.

4.5 ⭐️

Finding Grace begins with a shocking event that almost had me walking away in the first chapter, but when I realized who the narrator was I couldn’t put it down.

While I may not have agreed with how the characters handled some of the moral dilemmas they faced, it was fascinating to read it from the narrator’s perspective - and it was such a unique storyline!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for proving me with a lab advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild is a heartfelt story about self-discovery, personal growth, and family. It follows Grace as she navigates her troubled past and relationships, learning important lessons about love and forgiveness. Rothschild’s emotionally engaging writing and well-developed characters make the book an inspiring read for those who enjoy character-driven stories about healing and transformation.

Chapter one blew my socks off and the rest of the book took my feet off with it. It illustrated grief very well and I really liked the growth of each character.