SUCH A BAD INFLUENCE
By Grace Demyan

Felicity has just lost her mother and is struggling not to lose her family home and blueberry farm when she receives a call that sets off a chain of events that’ll have you turning the pages, all the while laughing, crying and falling in love….

I truly enjoyed this sweet story about loss, love and the power of friendship and never ending hope. Felicity, Wade and Alex provided a stellar cast for this heartwarming tale and I quickly fell in love with the trio and of course sweet Juno sealed the deal. The townspeople are atrocious and I enjoyed Felicity and Alex’s revenge antics. The Londergan family was an intriguing angle that in the end stole my heart. Overall this was an easy read that turned pages effortlessly and was a breeze to pick right back up anytime I had to put it down. Many thanks to @gracedemyan and @netgalley for the ARC 5⭐️
Make sure to grab your copy October 21!!!
#suchabadinfluence #gracedemyan #netgalley #bookstagram #bookstagrammer

Such a Bad Influence was SO cute and wholesome! I loved the small town and found family tropes within the book. My eyes were definitely watering near the end, which shows how much I loved these characters. Can't wait to see what else Grace Demyan writes

💭 Quote 💭

“Don’t run. Don’t run, Don’t run.”


📸 Main Characters 📸

Felicity Lavigne
Alex Norse

🫐 Genre 🫐

Contemporary Women’s Fiction


🫶🏻 Tropes 🫶🏻

𝐻𝑢𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑓𝑒𝑙𝑡
𝑆𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡𝑜𝑤𝑛/𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
𝐹𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦
𝐵𝑜𝑦 𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑜𝑟
𝑂𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑓




🦋 Summary 🦋

Felicity Lavigne is a woman who is trying to survive the loss of her mother by keeping the only connections to her mother, the family's blueberry farm and calling her mom’s old phone number. Alex is a homeless teenager who has aged out of the foster system and has no one to turn to but maybe the woman who keeps calling her cell phone and living messages for her dead mother.
When Alex calls Felicity to help her out, Felicity sees a way to maybe help both of them, she allows Alex to move in with her to help her scare off some kids who keep stealing from her farm when that works they start getting asked to help others in town to get revenge. Slowly they find themselves becoming a family and best friends. However revenge has a way of going a bit too far and they find themselves needing to stick together for what lies ahead. While dealing with the fall out of their actions and dealing with past heartbreaks they find themselves needing each other even more. Can they make peace with their pasts and move forward or will their past issues keep them stuck?




🤩 Did I love it? Thoughts? 🤩

This book was really good. I'm in tears writing this right now. It was so touching and heartwarming and just a beautiful message of acceptance and how people process grief differently. I have really loved it. Being a fiction novel was out of my comfort zone, but I am so happy that I decided to branch out and try it. I thought it had some really good funny moments and heartwarming moments. Oh gosh, I literally have tissues, and my eyes are heavy from crying so much . I don’t even know how many chapters it was so well done.I think that the way the author handled the grief of losing a loved one and of trying to come to terms with that loss is done so well. You really feel those emotions.
I loved all the characters. The growth that both Felicity and Alex go through in this book and the things they do are both inspiring and fun. The secondary part to this book was the romance between Felicity and Wade and them trying to find their way together even with the past they shared. I loved them. Also Juno, oh I how i adored Juno, such a good doggy. The writing was done so well that I truly was rooting for them all and felt so connected to their journeys. The town people angered me, I felt like they were very clickish, but I guess you live in a town that’s small in general and have all grown up together. You’re bound to still stick to the high school dramas so that was kind of frustrating but only because I didn’t like how they treated them, but I enjoyed this book immensely because this was such a good story and very different to anything I’d read before. I really appreciate that I was able to read this. Yeah, I loved it. I really really loved it.


🩵 Would I recommend this Book? 🩵

Yes, I recommend this book. If you enjoy a story about overcoming grief and heartbreak and found family this is the book for you. The whole story was so well written, the characters were fleshed out well and you feel the connection to them wanting for them to find the healing they need to move on and start living again. If you like a book that has a small town feel, with some romance, very emotional and a lot of heart this is the book for you.



Go. Buy. Now.
Enjoy reading! 🤩

Thanks to Grace Demyan for providing me with an ARC through Netgalley to read and review.

Heartbreakingly beautiful, this book made me laugh and cry happy tears at the characters developments and successes. Grace does a wonderful job of exploring the characters ups and downs and taking the reader along for the emotional ride. Small town story of found family, romance and perseverance through grief and life’s trials.

Thank you for the eARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Alex had been messy, there was no doubt about it. She was sarcastic, bad-tempered, constantly toeing the line between fun and recklessness—until that line crossed into dangerous territory. She came into my life like a tornado, sweeping everything into her funnel and tossing it into chaos. But she was also warm, kind, and looked after me even when I made mistakes. She never judged me the way others had.”

Such a Bad Influence truly blew me away. I felt it all while reading—grief, loneliness, kinship, laughter, and the warm, comforting feeling of love and friendship.

The story follows Felicity, a small-town blueberry farm owner and town outcast, struggling with the loss of her mother. As part of her coping, she continues calling her mother’s phone number to share life updates—even when someone new answers. Enter Alex, an 18-year-old homeless teen caught in trouble, with only Felicity to turn to. Felicity offers Alex a deal: free room and board in exchange for help navigating some tricky family matters.

This book was a departure from my usual genres, but it stood out in every way. The plot hooked me immediately: two women forming a bond through their quirky revenge business, small-town generational drama, a swoon-worthy neighbor with a past, and the sweetest pup, Juno. The characters themselves were masterfully written. I felt Felicity’s loneliness and her struggle to fill the void left by her mother, Alex’s journey to find her place after hardship, and the evolving relationships between all the characters. I rooted for them every step of the way and felt fully invested in their happiness.

It was the perfect fall read—cozy, emotional, and overflowing with small-town charm and love. P.S. Sweet Juno alone could have earned this book five stars. 🐾

Thank you to the author @gracedemyan, Lake Union Publishing, and @NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Grace Demyan’s debut novel Such a Bad Influence completely swept me away. I first picked it up after receiving the synopsis, and it sounded too good to pass up. What I wasn’t prepared for was just how much heart and depth this story carries.

This book has so many layers—grief, found family, self-discovery, subtle romance, and laugh-out-loud humor—and they all come together in a way that feels authentic and engaging. The pacing was spot-on, keeping me invested from start to finish. A second-act storyline I didn’t anticipate made me love the book even more.

Felicity is a beautifully flawed character learning to let go of past hurts, and her transformation was moving to follow. Alex brought levity and humor that balanced the story, making me laugh out loud more than once. While there is romance here, I loved that it wasn’t the sole focus—the bonds of friendship, family, and personal growth were just as central.

Grace Demyan’s writing style is warm, easy to fall into, and heartfelt. She avoids my biggest pet peeve, the miscommunication trope, and instead dives directly into honest, emotional storytelling.

This was a stunning debut, one I wouldn’t change a single thing about. I’ll be recommending it widely. If you’re on the fence, consider this your sign: read it. You won’t regret it.

I laughed, I cried, I sobbed, I celebrated, I rejoiced. Such a Bad Influence caught me by surprise. I absolutely loved this story of grief, healing, and family. I thought for sure I’d have a harder time with this one given the story of grief and death of a parent. Grace Demyan approaches such heavy topics with a levity and grace that I really enjoyed.

*For those who may have difficulty dealing with reading about pet illness or accidents involving a pet please be advised.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Such A Bad Influence will publish on 10/21/2025.

ARC REVIEW!
Rating 3.5 (rounded up for Goodreads)
Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for giving me an ARC of this book!

This book honestly caught me by surprise! I've been reading it since August, but mainly because I was so behind on my TBR, but every time I picked it up I was thoroughly enjoying it! I really shouldn't have put it off this long! The concept and the cover really caught my attention and I had no idea what to expect going into this, but I think that made it that much better!

Felicity's character development was a very interesting one, but it was also very believable and realistic. I felt like her character went through a lot of difficult things and the way she handled them was ridiculous but so fitting for her situation. I loved Alex's character and watching her learn to trust and feel safe with Felicity. Their dynamic and their friendship was such a great surprise. I loved watching Alex bring Felicity back to life, and I loved watching Felicity bring Alex out of her shell and remind her that she is worth it.

There is a side plot of romance and it was exactly what this book needed. It was perfect for the way this book was set up and written. This was such a character driven book, and I loved every second of it. I did cry at one point and of course caught it on camera while filming a reading vlog. I was going back and fourth between a 4 and 3.5, but I think I just wanted a little more from the ending than I got, and that's why I had to bump it down from a 4 to a 3.5. All in all I really enjoyed this story and this small town. The town and the characters started to feel like friends and reminded me of comfort. I would recommend giving this book a try. It could really surprise you!

If you cant join them, get even!!

Thank you do much to Netgally for the ARC of “Such a Bad Influence”.

“Such a Bad Influence” is a charming, small-town story full of revenge pranks, found family, life after loss, and unexpected heart.

Plot:
This story follows Alex and Felicity two strangers who meet by happen stance. Alex is a troubled teen who is in and out of foster care and jail. Felicity is grieving the only friend she ever had, her mother, who passed away and left Felicity a declining blueberry farm. Felicity is stuck in her grief outcasting everyone around her, until she gets an unexpected phone call from a very familiar number. With a trouble teen now living at her farm and bills piling up, Felicity and Alex devise a plan to get back out the town that has abandoned them while making them some much needed money….the business of Revenge!!

What I Loved
-Alex and Felicity’s relationship – Their dynamic felt so heartfelt, with real personal growth for each of them as they learned to lean on each other.

-The hilarious/brilliant pranks – They kept me laughing and brought such a lightheartedness to the story. I wish there would have been a few more pranks

-Felicity’s neighbor/love interest Wade– He immediately reminded me of Wade from the show Hart of Dixie. His bad boy bartender demeanor, and his helpful vulnerable side, when it came to Felicity, made me adore him even more.

-The small-town charm – I loved the full cast of characters that made the setting feel alive and authentic. Being someone who use to live in the state of Ohio, I loved reading about all Ohio nuances throughout the book.

-The growth arc – Watching Alex and Felicity push each other to heal, grow, and move forward was really rewarding.

-Alex and Felicity’s serendipitous meeting – I love a good fated, meant-to-be feeling.

What I didn’t like as much:

The story started off strong, but I felt it could have wrapped up a little sooner without losing impact. It just seemed to drag on a little after all the pranks

While Felicity showed growth—stepping out of her comfort zone, opening up, and moving forward—I didn’t love how she treated Wade….Even in the epilogue, I wished she would’ve let him in a little more.

Read if you love:
Quirky small towns with unique traditions
Found family
Personal growth stories
Second chance at happiness
Hilarious Pranks

Overall, this is a witty, heartfelt novel. That is full of small-town charm. It balances laugh-out-loud humor with personal growth and sweet romance, making it an enjoyable read

If you are like me and love Gilmore Girls, this small town, comfy, heartfelt read it for you!!!

Themes include found family, small town politics, friends to lovers, and a sweet dog who saves the day! Wade gives major Luke vibes, Felicity and Alex's motherdaughter/sister/friends dynamic is very Lorelei and Rory! Bake it all into a delicious blueberry pie with silly antics and deep feelings and you get this beautiful book!

I laughed and cried literal tears while reading! Thank you Grace Demyan and Net Galley for my early copy!!! These thoughts and opinions are my own!

Wow, such a great book! I really enjoyed reading this book so much. The writing was wonderful, the characters were so full of life & the small town setting was perfect. I love how it covered so many heavy topics (loss, grief, depression, loneliness) but it never felt overly heavy. I knew exactly what the characters were feeling & could feel it with them. Funny, sad, grief, desperation, anger, & love this book is the whole package!

arc review!! This book was so wholesome and cute! I was feeling all the feelings and rooting for these characters so hard! Thank you to @gracedemyan for the arc!

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book that I hope everyone gets a chance to check it out. The underlying themes of family, friendship, and love make Such a Bad Influence a sweet treat (and really makes you crave blueberry pie!) Having lost my dad earlier this year, I was so drawn to Felicity with her internal struggles over losing her mom. But this book isn’t a sad tale by any means! In fact, this is a perfect summer-to-fall transition book with the fun revenge schemes and kooky Gilmore Girls-esque small town charm characters!

It’s out in just over one month and if you pre-order (anywhere you get your books) Grace is donating 50% of preorder royalties to Fostering Futures to help support teens who age out of foster care. ❤️ Congratulations Grace!

I read this on audio and as an EBook after being invited by Grace to check it out, and I'm so glad that I did. This was an excellent debut novel. I was confused a little bit at first as the novel begins with Alex shoplifting and talking about Felicity, but the premise became abundantly clear right away and I was pulled in by the story of these two very different young women who really needed each other. I loved the dialogue and how the characters complemented one another and brought out the best in each other through teamwork and conversation. The small town atmosphere with the mean clique vs. the underdog vibe made me think of Gilmore Girls and I really loved it. I wouldn't mind reading another companion novel about these characters who I really came to care about, and thought this was a great novel for anyone to read - especially great for me as I am a high school librarian who works with teens who often have trouble and family issues to deal with. The second chance trope applied to the characters in general as well as an included romance which made the book that much better. The audio was great - as was the eBook - I confess that I eyeball read this to finish it one evening after school because I did not want to stop reading it. I hope to see more stories from Grace Demyan.

4.25/5 Stars...

I adored this book! It was a coming of age and women's fiction novel all in one. I absolutely loved the small town and that it took place on a blueberry farm. Made you ache for blueberry muffins and pancakes!

It's about a woman who takes in a young lady who has aged out of the foster care system but who is in need of some help. There's more to this, but that's the main gist of it. She offers to let the girl stay and help her on her farm in exchange for helping rid the farm of some pesky blueberry thieves. The book has humor and heart throughout. There is a subplot of some romance with a neighbor who has the most adorable dog. I think this is a great book especially if you're looking for something meaningful with humor.

Ein sehr süßes Buch. Wir begleiten zwei Charaktere, die sich gemeinsam stärken und an den tiefsten Punkten aneinander wachsen. Ein tolles Setting und der Schreibstil war angenehm zu lesen. Die Charaktere waren toll ausgearbeitet und haben mich sehr berührt. Ein schönes Buch für zwischendurch.

🫐 ARC Book Review 🫐

Such A Bad Influence
By: @gracedemyan


Publishing date: October 21, 2025.

*be sure to preorder as 50% of all royalties for preorders will go to Fostering Furtures, a non-profit that helps children who have aged out foster care.

Synopsis:

It’s been three years since Felicity’s mom passed away and she’s still leaving her mom’s cell voicemails. In addition to dealing with grieving her mother, Felicity is desperately trying to keep up with the demands of running her family’s blueberry farm. And if the stress of keeping this business open wasn’t enough, her (very) attractive next door neighbor Wade is always hosting LOUD late night parties and has a way of getting under her skin constantly.

Little does Felicity know that a foster child named Alex has been receiving and listening to the voicemails she’s been leaving her mom since she was given a cell phone 2.5 years ago. When Alex finds herself in jail for shoplifting, the only person she can think to call is Felicity.

When Felicity agrees to post bail for Alex, a friendship and new side hustle (revenge-for-hire) is started. What could possibly go wrong?

My Thoughts:

I loved this book! It may be one of the best I’ve read in a long while! The characters felt like people I knew, and Grace’s writing made the entire storyline so easy to follow. I really loved the small town vibes and characters. And how could we not fall in love with Juno, Wade’s dog ?! I particularly liked how Grace threaded in themes of grieving, fostering, and family throughout this book. The foster system is not often talked about enough and this book shed light on such an important topic.

Thank you Grace for the opportunity to read this book as well as @netgalley ! I can’t wait to read what you write next!

Mini Book Review
Darkening Song
By Delphine Seddon
Pub Date: March 10, 2026
Thank you @netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Eva is just 18 years old and interning at a record label when she discovers 16 year old Alora online. Never has she heard a voice like Alora’s and when it’s clear there isn’t anyone at the label interested in hearing this phenomenal talent, Eva takes matters into her own hands. On a whim, Eva offers Alora representation as her manager without knowing the first thing about artist management or what’s about to happen to both of them.
And it turns out Eva was right... Alora is swiftly catapulted into the spotlight of major superstardom, and as the two navigate the whirling vortex of fame—the parties, the money, the paparazzi, and power—they form a deep bond, becoming found family for one another.
But when Alora’s dark and mysterious past begins to infiltrate her present and Eva’s ambition and success blind her to the obvious signs that her client and, most importantly, her friend is in trouble, their lives unravel with disastrous consequences.
My Thoughts: This was a great example of getting the success you’ve dreamed about only to not know how to handle it. Alora and her manager are teenagers; they know nothing about the music business, and they get taken advantage of. Besides working together, they become good friends and are they’re for each other through the ups and downs. The book is fiction, but I think it shows a realistic view of a young singer’s life. Aside from the fame, Alora has a lot she’s going through with secrets from her past that seem to takeover in a way, that she cannot enjoy her success.
If you enjoy stories about music, bands, and trauma I recommend reading this one.

Such A Bad Influence

This is such a heartwarming and emotional book about a woman battling grief and finding family in a new way. Felicity has lost her mother the one true friend she had in her life. She takes over her mom's blueberry farm but when there are thieves stealing her berries and jeopardize her farm she has to come up with a plan.
She gets a phone call that changes her outlook on her life now and makes changes for the better.
This reminded me alot of Gilmore Girls but in a different light. Small town where everyone's knows everybody. And the fake crime scene! I loved it!

This book got into loss/greif and a foster child that makes it an emotional read. I loved it throughout.

This is the very first ARC I’ve ever had the privilege of reading! Such a Bad Influence definitely set the bar high for future ARCS that I will read!

Author Grace Demyan introduces us to a still grieving daughter named Felicity who runs her mother’s blueberry farm. She still calls her mother’s phone number as a way to cope with the loss. What she doesn’t know is that a girl recently released from the foster system owns the new number and has been listening to her voicemails. Through this connection, Felicity and Alex form a bond and team up to navigate the drama of the fictional town of Elswood, Ohio.

What I loved most about this book was the small-town charm! I loved all of its history and personality that was infused throughout the story, it helped Elswood to stand on its own and not get lost in the crowd of Stars Hollow copycats. I also loved how well the grief and foster situation were written. I thought the book was well-paced and I never found myself growing bored at any point.

My one criticism is that Felicity’s love for Alex was instant and powerful but with very little explanation. It felt like insta-love to me and a bit unnatural. I'm not saying a love for someone that instant is impossible, but in this situation, I wish we were shown more instead of told especially in the beginning.

Other things I loved about this book were how likable the characters were. Even the antagonists made me want to pull my hair out in the best way possible! I thought the ending was written in a way that tied up all the loose ends neatly without being rushed, and I felt very connected to the characters and will miss them now that I've finished the book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys small town romance, romance in general, and well-written low spice! This cute and heartwarming book is perfect if you're looking for a cozy read!

Now I need to go buy some blueberry treats after reading all about the delicious baked goods Felicity baked!

*This is an honest review that contains my opinions alone. Thank you to the author for gifting me this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!