🐫 ARC REVIEW 🐫

PUB DATE: Feb 23rd 2026

My Rating : ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ 3 Endearing Stars

“ I am out with the lanterns looking for myself “ Emily Dickinson

“ Sometimes my husband protects me, but not enough. He holds me in bed and he listens to me talk, talk and rage, and he doesn’t say a word until morning, because he knows the things we say in the dark feel more weighted than the ones we say at the little table in our little kitchen.“

This was my first Anna Quindlen book and I was so excited to jump in .

The story starts off strong , when Polly’s book club friends give her a DNA test as a joke .

It’s from here we quickly learn that life is no joke and there is a match !!

I don’t want to give too much away but this is a tender story that is heavily weighted with infertility, family drama , friendships , and loss .

I really loved the mystery behind this book and was so curious to know who this match was for Polly and loved her friendships that surrounded her .

I also appreciated that although Polly and her husband Mark are having infertility troubles , Polly was not a weak or whiny character and found this very refreshing.

I did enjoy More Than Enough…However I did struggle with our protagonist thoughts , they jumped around from past to present way too much which made the story not flow nicely and did drag a bit in the middle .

I am glad I read this one and I will definitely try this author again 🫶🏼

Thank you NetGalley , Random House and Anna Quindlen for this delicate ARC 🖤

This is my first Anna Quindlen book and I’m crushed! And heart full and thankful for my life and how so many parts of this resonated with me and I will definitely look for more of her books to read, as soon as I recover from this one.

It is not often that books make me cry-unlike the movies I watch-but this one is full of love, laughter, friendship,and tragedy and be prepared for the tears.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House and the author for this ebook ARC to read. All opinions are my own.

Anna Quindlen’s More Than Enough is a quietly powerful exploration of identity, friendship, and the ever-evolving definition of family. At the heart of the story is Polly Goodman, a high school English teacher whose life is anchored by her book club friends and her loving veterinarian husband. When a DNA test—gifted as a joke—connects Polly to a stranger, it sets off a chain of introspection that forces her to confront long-held assumptions about her past.
The book deals with female friendship with grace, especially the way women confide, support, and sometimes conceal truths from one another. Polly’s journey through IVF struggles, a complicated relationship with her mother, and the emotional upheaval of unexpected revelations is deeply relatable and sensitively portrayed.
While this story juggles multiple subplots—some more compelling than others, it caught me off guard. The time jump midway through may catch other readers off guard as well. A few threads feel underdeveloped, but the richness of Polly’s relationships, especially with her brother and husband, more than compensate.
This intriguing story is about rediscovery—of self, of love, and of the people who shape us.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

This was a very character driven book with enough of an interesting arc that tied the entire story together in a beautiful way at the end. At time, I wasn’t sure where the book was going. I realized that was the true beauty of the book. The ending was lovely and all of the characters were well developed. I definitely loved this Anna Quinlen book and fans of her work will also.

This is somewhat of a slow burn of a story, one where the main character has been wanting to have a child, but is struggling with infertility, despite having many procedures, as well as having one of her best friends trying to come to terms with finding out that she has terminal cancer.

A story of family, of friends who are on her side and help her through the process, without judgement.


Pub Date: Feb 24 2026

Many thanks for the opportunity to read Anna Quindlen's 'More Than Enough'

Thank you Net Galley and Random House for allowing me to read and review this novel.

More Than Enough follows Polly who takes a DNA test and discovers she has a family member she didn’t know about. Polly is also facing infertility issues.

Polly also has 100 other things going on in her life.

The first half of this book was strong. The writing is beautiful and the characters were starting to be fleshed out. I was intrigued by the initial premise and also curious about all the other subplots.

Unfortunately, a little over halfway through it started to fall flat for me. I was wondering how any of the sub plots were important to the main plot. I pushed through hoping all the loose ends would tie up nicely but I don’t feel like they did.

(Also there was about a 5 year time jump I wasn’t prepared for? I thought she was 38 and next thing I knew she was 43? Did I miss something?)

I felt like I was being pulled from one subplot, to another, then back to the first, etc. Simply, there was too much going on and the story failed to make me care about any of the side stories enough to feel anything for those characters.

I also predicted the ending, however, I didn’t predict the long winding road that got us there.. by the end I was just ready to be done with it.

Some pros:
Again, the writing is well done. They had me in the first half. I really enjoyed the friendship of the women. I love Polly’s relationship with her brother. I love her husband, Mark, and his family. Sarah deserved the world! Everyone else, I could have lived without.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Anna Quindlen never fails. The characters are so wonderfully flawed and real.

Anna Quindlen is a national treasure. I can say this with no hesitation after having read most of her novels and having followed her from her newspaper days. Her novel More Than Enough just solidifies her place in the firmament of great writers. In her latest novel we follow Polly Goodman and the women of her book club as they address the issues of their lives, including IVF, cancer and never reading a book club selection. It's a beautiful look into how we interact with our best friends, what we talk about and what we hide, both from them and ourselves. Quindlen has found her voice in these women, a fabulous novel! Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I almost gave this 3 stars, but bumped it to four because of its power to provoke empathy. Quindlen fans and other readers who enjoy women’s fiction will find this one satisfying. The protagonist is juggling several complicated situations. She’s undergone multiple procedures at an infertility clinic. A DNA test gifted by her book club gives shocking results. Her best friend has terminal cancer. Readers looking for a cozy story about a book group won’t find it here. Characters don’t read and discuss books, though their long term friendship began as a book group. This story is all about family, exercising wisdom in choosing a life partner, friendships, and opening hearts and minds. It’s a lesson in learning not to judge. Thanks to #Netgalley & #Randomhouse for letting me have an ebook ARC.

More than Enough
I was unfortunately disappointed in this novel of a well known and liked author. Polly and her husband Mark don’t seem to be able to have a baby after numerous IVF rounds, egg retrievals, etc. This weighs heavily on Polly, who is surrounded by friends and family having children. Her book club friends have given her an ancestry kit as a joke, but when the results come back, it is no joke. Polly is also dealing with her father’s dementia and the lack of mother daughter relationship with her mother,and a very sick best friend. I found the narrative dull, repetitive and many side stories that didn’t really move the main theme along. Overall, three stars.
I received a complimentary copy, opinions are my own.

3.75 stars rounded up

A contemporary, relatable story of a woman facing the challenges that life doles out. It’s a lovely story with characters to connect with. This is the third book I’ve read by Anna Quindlen and enjoyed exactly because of that. Her characters are ordinary people dealing with things that many of us know about first hand - grief, loss, terminal illness, a parent with dementia, family relationships sometimes fraught with resentment held for years, troubled teens, infertility, those DNA tests that change people’s lives . But she also gives us time to reflect on the wonderful parts of life that many of us know - love, friendships, family ties.

I’m not going to go into the details of Polly Goodman’s story as they can easily be found by reading the book description. I’ll just add that I’m glad to have a few more of her novels to read. The story was somewhat predictable leaving me guessing correctly answers and an ending that Polly didn’t see, thus the 3.75 stars. However, Quindlen does such a good job of portraying the realistic things, both good and bad in people’s lives , I have to round it up .

I received a copy of this book from Random House through NetGalley.

Anna Quindlen has a gift for writing about ordinary lives with extraordinary tenderness, and More Than Enough is no exception. Polly Goodman’s journey—balancing infertility struggles, aging parents, and the startling revelations of a DNA test, was emotional, relatable, and beautifully told.

What stood out most was how Quindlen handled heavy themes like loss and identity with warmth and hope. At times the pacing felt a little slow, but the prose and insight into family dynamics kept me engaged throughout. This is a story about finding connection and resilience in unexpected places.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Huge thanks to NetGalley for letting me dive into this touching, memorable novel!

An everyday kind of story that pulls you right in. I loved the sharp literary touches and the portrayal of a teacher just trying to hold it all together.

At its heart this is about friendship, yes, among very privileged women, but friendship that feels real. Polly Goodman, a high school English teacher, leans on her book club circle as she faces a complicated family, IVF struggles, and the daily chaos of teaching. When a DNA test joke uncovers a mysterious match, her search for answers begins to shift everything she thought she knew about family and belonging.

Warm, thoughtful, and full of thoughtful literary references and life lessons

#randomhouse #annaquindlen #morethaanenough

I’ve read a number of Anna Quindlen’s books. This was informative and interesting but there was a lot of background details that I feel didn’t add to the story. Polly certainly wanted a baby with her wonderful large animal veterinarian second husband.
And her book club was fun, but sort of vague. I enjoyed the different relationships she had with both parents.
Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read a book from a wonderful author. This was a satisfying read. It wasn’t wonderful, but satisfying.

Polly has a book club that promises never to read the chosen book so they can spend all their time talking. They've all been through a lot and been there for each other. Polly is struggling with fertility treatments that aren't working, a disappointment for her and her zoo vet husband. When the book club gives her a DNA test as a jokey present, she discovers she may have a relative she never knew about - but surely it can't be the Black Vermont teenager who contacts her, linked by DNA tests.

This is a novel about connections and caring and delves deeply yet with light touch into all of the characters and their various life dramas. I enjoyed it a lot, though it sometimes seemed Polly had a charmed life - close friends, a loving husband whose only fault is losing things on the regular, great in-laws, a father she loves, though she's losing him to dementia, and a mother who she resents because she feels unloved. It ambles along, with small and large revelations setting off sparks, and leaves the reader feeling pretty good about how things turn out. I enjoyed it and found the characters quite worth getting to know.

This was my first read by Anna Quindlen so I wasn’t sure what to expect from her writing, but I was pleasantly surprised! The heart of the story isn’t what they’re reading, but what they’re living and sharing with one another!

When the book club jokingly gives a DNA test, it unexpectedly uncovers life-changing truths and sparks a journey of healing and understanding.

These friends walk with each other through the highs and lows of life—death, infertility, hidden family secrets, as well as the joyful moments too.

What I loved most was how the book captured the beauty of real friendship: not holding things in, but opening up, listening, and helping one another carry life’s burdens.

I loved this book. 4.5 ⭐️
This is one of those rare stories that makes your insides ache because the writing is so beautiful. I didn't want it to end, tho the ending was fitting and poignant
Longtime fan of the author's--tho her books vary how much they resonate with me, this one my absolute favorite.

With great thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this e-ARC.

Another hit from Anna Quindlen. The premise of this book was very interesting with Polly taking a DNA test and discovering new things about her life. This is a story of hope and love and discovery.

Whew, this book really took me by surprise! It was so interesting seeing how the fmc’s relationship developed with her book club girls and just how close they became through their shared love of books. I feel that same connection with some of my book club gals so it was cool to see how Polly really came to view them as family. I was interested in how the author introduced the dilemma with family that Polly faced and found it to be a unique way to explore the premise of yearning for belonging and family! I’d recommend!!

Anna Quindlen has long been one of my favorite authors and her most recent novel is a perfect example of why I am such a fan of her work. Quindlen conjures Polly, her husband Mark, her brother Garrison, and her dear friend Sarah out of thin air and - far better than AI - to create multi-faceted, fallible, imperfect and human characters.
The accomplishments and disappointments of daily life are juxtaposed with the joys and tragedies of a lifetime. Truth and secrets, love and compassion, generosity and selfishness, loyalty and betrayal are in every life, somewhere in every day. Quindlen weaves her characters lives through all of the life events that they share from Polly’s point of view. The plot summary can easily be read elsewhere, but the most important piece of the story - the sustaining powers of hope and acceptance, human kindness and empathy- is beautifully conveyed.
I highly recommend reading this new novel.