As much as I wanted to like this one, and appreciate that it was trying to take on a variety of important, timely issues. However, the writing style and the storytelling was jarringly disjointed, and it didn't connect the way I feel like it was supposed to.

I really enjoyed this family drama. The storyline was great & engaging. It was a very fast paced & I appreciated the character development

Something in the Water attempts to tackle two urgent societal issues—opioid addiction and contaminated water—but ultimately falls short due to poor execution. The story follows Billie Jordan, a former radio host who moves from Oakland to a small Texas town with her husband and son, only to find herself struggling against small-town politics, a toxic work culture, and her son’s spiraling drug addiction.

While the premise is timely and important, the book is bogged down by pacing issues, excessive dialogue, and wildly unlikeable characters—especially Billie herself, who is frustratingly self-centered and emotionally unintelligent. The narrative leans heavily on conversations rather than character development or vivid storytelling, which leaves the plot feeling flat and disjointed. Numerous plot holes strain believability and ultimately undermine the story’s emotional impact.

Although the author’s intentions are clear and commendable, the story attempts to do too much and doesn’t fully succeed in either theme. By the time the abrupt ending arrives, there’s little sense of resolution. Sadly, this one fell short for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This leans in on the topical issues of climate change, water challenges and Opioid addiction via Billie who finds herself living in a small town in Texas and coping with all of it. She wasn't happy to move there but her husband got a job and well, now here they are. She's working in a bank and struggling to cope with the need to boil all their water and the fact that her son is an addict. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC> Know that this is slow, that it's not a mystery but more a family drama. That said, Dixon has approached the issues in a thoughtful way.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this read. This book was not bad but the book was not very thrilling or even mystery like. The book provided great information that I did not know but the book was very slow. I was looking for some shock factors or plot twists to make me very intrigued and I did not see them. I would recommend this book but more as a family saga and not a thriller.

When Billie Jordan reluctantly moves from California to her husband to a small town in Texas, she never expected to deal with such high levels of water issues.

I could not fathom living somewhere where there is a boil advisory going out literally every other day and having to rely on the use of bottled water for doing mundane tasks such as brushing your teeth (the dishes can wait lol).

What worked for this book:
This brings to light 2 major issues that affect this country: insufficient water quality and opioid addiction

What didn't work for this book:
The novel had a solid storyline but the execution did not come together for me. The pacing was off, affecting the flow of the book.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for this advanced copy!

This book had so much potential. But I was very disappointed. The story was all over the place and bounced around too much. Over descriptive chapters with irrelevant unrealistic banter followed by time jumps that breezed by more important moments. There was too much going on, with too many side plots. None of it felt realistic. The dialogue between the characters read like a soap opera.

Not one character in the book was likable. I felt it was impossible to root for the FMC because she was so ignorant that it seemed delusional. The FMC and her husband deserved each other. Both of them seemed emotionally unstable and immature.

The son’s story was the only story I was invested in. He seems like the only character that had potential for growth. Because the adults in this book were clueless.

I wanted to DNF at the 30% mark but kept going because I felt like this deserved an honest review upon completion

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This was a very relatable book in so many ways. With themes of addiction, career drama, and environmental issues, this was a perfect book for this time. I loved Billie and how much she pushed forward when things weren’t right and to fight back against corruption. Of course you have to sprinkle in some personal family issues and it’s a recipe for hard decisions that must be made one way or the other. What a well told story with a very strong leading character!

The plot for this book was too slow. I was over 40% of the way in and felt that very little had happened, so I put it aside.

I didn't rate this on Goodreads because I felt I went into this book expecting it to be more of a mystery or thriller, which it didn't seem to be.

First of all I’d like to thank the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARc .
I really appreciated how the other intertwined two major issues that affect our country to date, water quality and opioid use. I love Billie’s character and how tenacious she is . However, I really wish we would’ve received more in depth insight on some of the characters and some of the background stories, such as Serena’s story. I feel as if some of the topics were glazed over too quickly and we didn’t get to fully digest some of the issues that were presented . I would’ve loved to really connect with Billy’s feelings on specific topics. Overall, this was a very easy read that focused on real issues .

Thank you for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. What a unique book, tying two storylines together both of which the topics are very important.
The characters felt relatable and the book was a good quick read, keeping me engaged.