This month's Read With Jenna pick is a beautiful and haunting character-driven debut that's short but packs a big punch. If you like family dramas, this dual timeline, multiple POV story is not to be missed.

Thanks to Scriber for the copy to review.

Maggie has been raised by her dad Heron since she was a tiny child. Now, he is sick and in going through his papers, she finds that he’s hidden a major secret from her. Told in two timelines forty years apart, Lynch connects what happened during Maggie’s childhood with her life now. To add any more details would involve spoilers. This is a thought provoking novel and would make a great book club selection. It illustrates how many social norms have evolved over the last fifty years. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

@scribnerbooks | #partner 𝗔 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥 by Claire Lynch, this month’s @readwithjenna pick, tells the story of a family fractured by a long ago affair, seemingly forgotten, but also never far away. To tell her story, Lynch wisely used two different timelines, highlighting both critical periods in this small family’s lives. In 2022, only child Maggie learns her father, Heron, the man who single handedly raised her, is ill. Very ill. As his disease progresses, answers to questions Maggie has long held begin to have just a little light shone on them. Maggie’s not sure how much she wants to know. In 1982, when Maggie was very young, her mother, Dawn, had an affair. That choice changed the trajectory of all their lives. ⁣
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With these two major events, the affair and the illness, the reader comes to know Heron, Dawn and Maggie well. The entire story is strongly driven by these three. We learn motivations, dedications, and regrets. We learn how 40 years can change both people and attitudes. We learn how fear can drive choices that leave holes in so many lives. ⁣
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I found 𝘈 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 to be a really great story and a particularly impressive debut. On the shorter side at only 240 pages, it most often moved quickly, slowing just a bit towards the end. Lynch’s writing was spot on, beautifully capturing the essences of Heron, Dawn and Maggie, and the long-reaching effects of a little understood choice. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

“The fluke of being born at a slightly different time, or in a slightly different place, all that might gift you or cost you.”

Ugh this book ripped my heart out and stomped on it in the best possible way. It is so hard to remember now that there was, in fact, a time when being gay cost you your children. And to read this book and watch the “machine” convince Heron that his daughter was in danger and smear Dawn until she had nothing left was just gut wrenching.

This book is on the shorter side at only 248 pages but boy does it pack a wallop. If you enjoy emotional reads, quick reads, or reads you can get emotionally invested in then grab this book today!

Thank you to Netgalley, Scribner Books, and the author for the complimentary ARC.

Loved this one - my favorite kind of book with complex family dynamics, layers of story and characters you grow to love. It made me sad to think about all the mothers that had to go through that not so long ago. Worth the read.

I thoroughly appreciated this insight into a life and circumstance that I had not encountered before. Claire Lynch skillfully developed all the main characters. However, when I reach the conclusion of a fictional work and discover an author's note indicating that the entire purpose of the book was to persuade me in a particular direction, I can’t help but feel a bit manipulated, which ultimately diminishes the overall experience. While I understand that many authors have intentions behind their work, when these are presented so overtly, it detracts from my enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley, Clare Lynch, and Scribner for the eARC. This was a deeply emotional and heavy read. I hadn’t fully realized the extent of the discrimination faced by families outside of the traditional heterosexual model when it comes to their children and navigating the system. We’ve come a long way, but this story is a stark reminder of how fragile that progress can be—and how easily it could be undone.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. This was a beautifully written novel that is very character driven. It is the tender and touching story of a woman who finds out the true story of her life as told to her by her dying father.
It is the story of a love that must be secreted and with consequence which is the most tragic revelation. The novel is brief and powerful and very beautiful!

Family Matter by Claire Lynch (book cover is in image) is set in the UK, spanning over 40 years, covering the themes of family secrets, motherhood, illness, gender roles and inequality. In this short novel, a woman looses her daughter because she falls in love and has an affair with another woman in the 80's.

The fault in this book is that it is too short to allow for the proper attention to the themes it tries to address and provide enough room for character development. I really wish this was expanded to allow for the story to be properly told.

Thank you Scriber for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

#Scribner
#AFamilyMatter
#ClaireLynch
#Fiction
#WomensFiction
#LGBTQIAP
#yarisbooknook
#NetGalley

Claire Lynch’s debut novel alternates between two pivotal timelines—1982 and 2022—to reveal a family fractured by hidden truths. In the past, Dawn, a mother in suburban Britain, falls in love with another woman, Hazel, igniting legal and emotional turmoil. In present-day, Heron, a reserved widower diagnosed with terminal cancer, must reckon with the secrets he kept from his daughter Maggie. As Maggie discovers her mother’s forbidden love and the custody battle that ensued, she redefines what “family” truly means.

Set against the backdrop of 1980s Britain, the novel offers an uncompromising look at how legal systems silenced lesbian mothers through actual court transcripts woven into the narrative. The present-day narrative centers on Maggie and her father’s strained relationship as cancer looms, while the past illuminates Dawn’s inner conflict between love and societal expectations. Lynch’s stripped-back writing style lets silences speak as loudly as dialogue, revealing characters with sensitivity and emotional precision.

The father daughter bond between Heron and Maggie is tenderly portrayed—Heron crumbles alongside his diagnosis, and Maggie wrestles with newfound truths. I enjoyed how real legal transcripts were integrated into the story and gives it undeniable gravity.

I loved how the story unfolded methodically—focused more on quiet reflection than dramatic tension. If you prefer fast-paced plot, this may feel slow.

For me, A Family Matter was an emotionally resonant debut that tackles love, loss, and societal prejudice with subtlety and grace. Claire Lynch’s dual timeline structure, textured characters, and real world historical echoes make this a quietly powerful read. It’s ideal for readers drawn to character-driven literary fiction, emotional family sagas, and socially aware storytelling. I think it is ideal for fans of dual-timeline family dramas and those interested in LGBTQ+ history and legal injustices

A young mother falls in love with someone new and her husband’s reaction to her infidelity results in a small family mercilessly torn apart with a young child caught in the crossfire.

In this gem of a novel, Lynch eloquently presents the nuances of an inept husband’s fragile masculinity, a wife’s hopelessness in the face of her new reality, the depth of the loss their daughter feels, and the horrified fascination of their friends and family. Told from multiple POV in two different time periods, I loved this book for its beautiful writing and the poignant story it tells, yet also hated it for the infidelity, the lies, and the homophobic drama that unfolds.

It’s rare that I have such a visceral reaction to a fictional character, but Heron absolutely repulsed me. That a man’s masculinity could be so extremely brittle and his own convictions so weak that he would put his own feelings before the needs of his child and rip a family apart, then perpetuate a lie for 40 years for appearances sake is a true horror to me as a wife and mother. Perhaps his wife’s infidelity, his loneliness, and his terminal diagnosis are meant to evoke pity from the reader, but I had none to spare for him. Zero stars for Heron, he’s a horrible human.

Check this one out if you enjoy a thought provoking family drama told from multiple POV. Pairs well with a kickboxing class so you can work off your pent up aggression for pathetic ex-husbands and bitter mother-in-laws after reading.

I’m on the fence with this one. It is incredibly well written and brings awareness to the injustices women faced (face) when their aptitude as a mother was based on their sexuality. These prejudices may manifest differently, but still persist today and I believe this story is important.

That said, I am sorry to say that I found the plot lacking overall. I will include my thoughts below, as they will spoil the plot for those who have not read it.

Claire Lynch’s writing is wonderful and while A Family Matter is not making my favorites list, I will absolutely check out her other books.

Thank you NetGalley, and the publisher for the opportunity to read in advanced copy.

‼️ SPOILERS BELOW ‼️
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My notes:
The plot was like listening to a gorgeous classical performance and just as the orchestra rises to the crescendo, they stop and leave the stage. I *think* the point was that there is no going back, no way to rewind time, and regardless of what Maggie, Dawn, and Heron work toward, you can’t replace the lost relationships. That said, the characters were developed so well, I am having a hard time with the abrupt ending. It seems unfair that Maggie doesn’t get to work through or confront the lies, trauma, and betrayal. Yes, what happened to Dawn was also unjust and unfair - I see the parallel. But I would have rather seen the characters unable to resolve or mediate than speculate on whether they did or not. Maggie’s experience with motherhood was a big part of the book and her reconnection with her mother would likely shift her perceptions and behavior.

Needless to say, I wanted to love this book SO badly and am frustrated I am disappointed.

This book is a touching story of a family torn apart decades before the marriage equality act... and to this Gen X'er it doesn't seem like we are that far removed from those days. May we never return.

I can't recommend it enough! I really enjoyed this book, I couldn't put it down, I finished it in a couple of days!

The basis for this book is very strong and incredibly interesting - the treatment of lesbian mothers in the UK over the last 50 years. I found it crazy to think that all of this happened during my lifetime, and to see how radically things have changed both in the UK and around the world. I did, however, feel that this was only a partial story. I wanted a lot more from it - more of the intervening time between the timelines. I didn't feel like it was long enough to truly develop the characters the way they could have been and to tell more of the story, the heartbreak, the emotions, and the possible reconciliation. I did not feel finished at the end of the book.

This book was not my favorite. It was a slow burn and slightly confusing at first. Since it was a notable book club pick, I was expecting more. Thank you, NetGalley.

A beautiful novel that tackles a heartbreaking topic with quite restrained prose. The people in this book are shockingly normal, which makes them feel all the more real. I was surprised by the author’s decision to not make any of the characters particularly exceptional or even likable. although I think in the end, it did make the scenario feel even more real. It would’ve been so tempting for her to make heron the villain, but actually in the end the villain she lands on is the societal structures of the time. No one in this book is perfect but the story that their arcs fold into is captivating as a whole.

I really enjoyed A Family matter by Claire Lynch. It is also a Jenna pick for this month. Pick it up now.

Claire Lynch’s A Family Matter is a moving and quietly powerful novel that explores the long shadow cast by family secrets and forbidden love across generations. Set in both 1982 and 2022, the story follows Dawn, a young mother whose passionate affair with another woman, Hazel, threatens the stability of her marriage and the future of her daughter, Maggie. Decades later, as Maggie faces her father Heron’s terminal diagnosis, she uncovers the truths her parents kept hidden, forcing her to reevaluate her own life and relationships. Lynch’s writing is precise and empathetic, capturing the pain of prejudice in 1980s Britain and the lingering effects of shame and silence. The novel’s nonlinear structure and multiple viewpoints draw the reader deeply into the emotional lives of its characters. I found it an affecting and beautifully written family drama that handles complex themes with restraint and honesty.

While objectively this was a decent book, it just didn’t do much for me through the reading experience. This could have been a me problem and not the book's problem. The issue that I had was that it was quite wordy and I found it hard to engage with the characters because I didn’t find any of them very likable. The timeline jumps made it a bit more interesting and I understood the story and themes that the author was trying to present, but it just didn’t work for me. It was awfully depressing as well. I’m disappointed as I was excited to read this book, but for such a short book it took me several days to read which is uncommon. Overall, it just wasn’t for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced reader's copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.