Set in 1963, Barbara is navigating the loss of her husband with the “help” of her somewhat intrusive, but well intentioned, MIL.

I always enjoy being transported to a different time period with Sara’s writing and she kept me chuckling throughout this book. It has some great messages that can help us all keep things in perspective! Thanks for the ARC!

I enjoy Sara Goodman Confino's stories. She gives a nod to the Jewishness of her characters, but the books are universal in their explorations of human relationships.

The central relationship in this book is between Barbara Feldman, a young widow in 1963 and her mother-in-law Ruth.

Ruth enters Barbara's home in the aftermath of Barbara's young husband's death to "help," but she is so overbearing and controlling that she's a hard character to like. Although frustrated, Barbara doesn't give up trying to make things work with her pushy mother-in-law around. And it ends up being a sweet and mutually satisfying relationship, but it's hard to imagine the tolerance Barbara exhibits. Even though Barbara made her peace with her mother-in-law, I never grew to like her character very much.

Nevertheless, it was a pleasant read and the setting in 1963 added a layer of complexity to the story.

With thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy in return for an honest review.

I've been reading a lot of books about grief lately. This new title from Confino was a wonderful account of a woman and her mother-in-law after the death of their husband/son. It was an intimate glimpse into relationships and dealing with changes in families. The author did an excellent job of authentically telling this story. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Sara Goodman Confino knows how to write a strong female lead, my goodness! I absolutely adored this book, I laughed and I cried and I didn’t want it to end. She always leaves me wanting 10 more books about her characters and this was no different.

I was delighted to have the opportunity to read Sara Goodman Confino's newest book early, and what a fun early read I found Good Grief! I inhaled the book in less than 24 hours! True to Confino’s signature style, the story features strong, independent female characters set against the backdrop of an earlier time period, this time, the 1960s. I loved the setting, the humor, and the heartfelt relationships woven throughout the story. The characters were relatable, funny, and full of life. And for those of us who've enjoyed her previous novels, it was a real treat to spot the cameos and connections to past characters. This added a lovely layer of depth and continuity while reading.

Good Grief is both captivating and easy to read, with writing that flows effortlessly. It was the perfect mix of warmth, humor, and heart, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book!

In 1963, Barbara Feldman has been a widow for two years, her husband Harry tragically dying incredibly young. She’s raising their two young children, Susie and Bobby and since Harry died she’s had the help of her mother and whilst Barbara is very grateful she now wants to stand on her own two feet. The day after she sends her mother home, her mother-in-law Ruth turns up on the doorstep, with five suitcases and a carpet bag. Now, Ruth is quite the tour de force and so Barbara decides that she’ll limit Ruths stay to two weeks. Will Ruth have other ideas? Quite probably and so Barbara will need to exercise all her ingenuity!

Dear me, Barbara is such a good tolerant person as I would have murdered Ruth within twenty four hours! Overstep much? Opinionated much? However, things do change and it’s entertaining watching the ebb and flow of their daughter-in-law/mother-in-law relationship. Some situations are quite amusing although not the roll around laughing kind. The two children add in some charm and humour too.

There’s a good sense of the time period as 1963 was of course a very pivotal year in US history. The situation for female workers in the 60s is well captured and is a very different world today. There are some good scenes set in the hospital in which Barbara works.

There are many likeable characters and even Ruth grows on me. It’s engaging and entertaining although both women have their grief it’s done very well. Barbara is a young woman and perhaps it’s time for her to move on – maybe Ruth will help her!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Lake Union for the early copy in return for an honest review.

Five stars for book #5! In her signature style, SCG delivers another story filled with humor, strong-minded females and lots of pull at your heartstrings moments. It’s 1963 and thirty-two year old Barbara Feldman and her two young children are living in the greater Washington DC area. Having lost her husband two years prior, Barbara finally feels ready to take charge of her life. That is until her overbearing mother-in-law Ruth moves in….permanently. As Barbara struggles with setting boundaries, Ruth’s over the top behavior becomes problematic. With strong themes of family relationships, female friendships and living through grief, this story will make you laugh, want to scream and maybe shed a tear or two. As you watch these women navigate their relationship, it’s important to understand how their Jewishness influenced their behavior towards one another during this time period. Bonus! If you’ve read all of SCG’s books, you’ll recognize a wonderful surprise!

Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union Publishers and the fabulous Sara Confino Goodman for the opportunity to be an early reader first this delightful story in exchange for my honest opinion. Can’t wait for more and more from Sara!

It's 1963, and Barbara, a young widow, is surprised when her mother-in-law arrives unannounced, suitcase in hand and determined to help with the children.

I impatiently wait all year to get my hands on the next Sara Confino book, and once again, she delivers a flawless blend of women’s fiction and historical fiction, with the perfect amount of romance. Barbara is a strong and likable FMC, and staying consistent with her other books, it’s the mother in law (not the mother this time!) who steals the show. Ruth is an awesome side character who brings so much humor and life to the story. The Jewish representation is rich with cultural and traditional references, which made me feel so connected to this book!

Read if you like:
-Single mom
-Mother/ daughter in law relationships
-Jewish rep
-Historical fiction
-Side romance storyline
-DC suburbs setting

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC.
Typically a lover of all of Goodman-Confino’s books, this one fell short for me. This is about Barbara and her mother-in-law, Ruth, after Harry, Barbara’s husband and Ruth’s son, dies. Ruth comes to stay with Barbara two years after Harry’s death and this book is about them growing together and also moving on.
For me, there just was not enough of a story throughout the majority of the book. It was fairly obvious what would eventually transpire, but very little buildup or action.
I would highly recommend all of her other books, so if this is your first foray into her as an author, do give the other books a try!

Such a lovely book! @saraconfino captured my heart with every character. A young widow finds that her Mother-In-Law pushes to move in with her and her small kids as she navigates motherhood, working, mourning and finding love again. Funny, endearing and so hopeful. 💗📚 #jewishgenre #booknerd #jewishgenrechallenge #bookstagram #netgalley 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I enjoyed this book. The characters were compelling, and it was impossible not to root for them. The love stories were a bit obvious, but overall it was a solid read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I have to admit I held out as long as I could (maybe a week) on reading this because I knew once I started I would blow through it in a day and then have to wait patiently for Confino’s next book. Just like all of her other novels, this was heartwarming, relatable and a great story that I didn’t want to end. The characters are so believable and you are rooting for them immediately from the start. Loved the relationship between Ruth and Barbara - as annoying as Ruth was she was still lovable. Growing up in Baltimore, I enjoyed some of the local nods (my parents met when my mom worked at a Hot Shoppes) so it was fun picking up on some relatable specifics.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️My review: I have read all of Sara Goodman Confino's books and this one was just as wonderful as her previous works. Confino's combination of historical fiction and strong women is the chef's kiss. Barbara is somewhat confined by the time period and expectations for women, especially young widows. But her strength and humor and perseverance win. She is determined to keep life stable for her young kids, with or without help from her mother in law. It takes time for her to realize that her mother in law is trying to help her move forward, maybe they both need to?
I love the look into Jewish family and community life in this time period, so nostalgic. And we also get glimpses of characters from other Confino books. Seeing Beverly from Behind Every Good Man step in, is a welcome surprise.
Two lonely women of different generations with good intentions, and strong wills makes for an entertaining look at life in the 1960's.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advance digital copy in exchange for my review.

DNF at 31%. Just couldn’t get into it. Didn’t feel connected to the characters and found the MIL’s antics (and Barbara’s reactions) very unbelievable (the dog!?).

I loved this book! Sara does such an incredible job exploring Jewish women in the 1960s in all of her books. This story explored love and loss and love again. I loved the relationships between the main character and her MIL and how that developed over time. As a Jewish woman, the overall "jewish feel" was really relatable and genuine.

Sara Goodman Confino has done it again! I had the privilege of reading this book as an ARC via Netgalley. I have loved every one of this author's books, and this is no exception! I laughed, I cried, sometimes both at the same time. What a story!

Sara did it again with a 5-star read! Another amazing strong female character who is living in an era of historical events. Although the book deals with serious and some emotional events, grief and unwanted advances from a man, she has lots of humor to balance it. I always love the way she makes the women come out on top in an era they may have been less likely to.

Another great story by Sara Goodman Confino. Love how she draws you in with her characters and makes the story a page turner you don’t want to put down. Her characters are people I want to meet and have in my every day life. Such an amazing storyteller with a gift of making our troubles all go away when we’re turning the pages of her books.

Heartfelt, honest, and unexpectedly funny—an absolute gem!

This book really took me by surprise—in the best way. I went in expecting something light and maybe a little emotional, but what I got was a beautifully layered story that made me laugh out loud one minute and tear up the next. Sarah Goodman Confino has such a natural way of writing that makes the characters feel like real people—flawed, funny, and so relatable.

What stood out to me most was how honestly grief was portrayed. It wasn’t overly dramatic or sugar-coated; it was messy and awkward and sometimes even hilarious—which, if you’ve ever gone through a loss, actually feels very true to life. The humor never takes away from the heart of the story; it adds to it. There’s a comforting kind of hope woven throughout the book that I really appreciated.

I genuinely didn’t want it to end. It’s the kind of story that sticks with you, and I’ve already found myself thinking about the characters days after finishing. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author.

I just have to say that Sara Goodman Confino is a favorite author of mine. This is my third book I’ve read by her and I’ve very much enjoyed them all. I highly recommend adding this to your TBR pile. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy.