HANDLE WITH CARE by MARYBETH WHALEN is a brilliantly laid out and highly inspirational story about hope and hostages, marriage, family relationships and deeply hidden secrets. All the seven people involved in a very emotional situation taking place inside a post office in a normally quiet seaside town have something they are hiding. Each of the packets that the three ladies have come to post contain something that, once posted, could cause untold harm…….
We see what happens when seven strangers are bound together in a tense situation. These are very different people who would not normally have socialised, drawn together in a potentially explosive situation. We see how secrets are shared and emotions run high. Even Hope, the well-named negociator, has her secrets……
I love the subtle Christian message running through the story and cannot recommend this most enjoyable novel strongly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Thomas Nelson. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

This book was amazing the way the characters interacted and how to find strength at a dark time. I loved the buildup and overall the plot is fantastic. I was so swept away I couldn’t stop reading! Absolutely loved the takeaways from this book! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Review will be posted on Instagram and Amazon on pub day and links added to NetGalley.

Who would believe that so much could happen in one setting? And a post office at that? The author takes such beautiful and heart wrenching stories from each of the characters and weaves it together beautifully! Praise for this author and this book!

Lovely drama. Don't miss this book.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

This gripping and emotionally layered novel unfolds almost entirely within the confines of a small-town post office in Sunset Beach, North Carolina. Nadine, the newest postal clerk, finds herself alone at the counter while her two coworkers step out to grab lunch. A few customers trickle in, but one man is holding up the line—and he’s not just any customer.
Sylvie, whose husband is showing early signs of dementia, promises him a quick trip to the grocery store. But first, she stops at the post office to mail an oversized envelope—one she hasn’t told him about. She’s eager to get in and out, but the delay at the counter grows more tense by the minute. Three other women waiting in line are equally frustrated, each carrying an item that could change the course of their lives.
The man at the counter turns out to be Nadine’s estranged husband, from whom she’s filed for divorce. Drunk and desperate, he waves the divorce papers in her face, demanding she tear them up. Then, in a terrifying turn, he pulls out a gun and locks the doors—turning the post office into a hostage scene.
Enter Hope, a seasoned hostage negotiator who recently relocated to Sunset Beach from a big city. As she works to defuse the situation, she’s also grappling with personal demons of her own.
What makes this story truly compelling is how each hostage begins to open up, sharing the burdens they’ve been carrying and questioning whether they should go through with mailing the items they came in with. It’s a powerful exploration of vulnerability, choice, and the unexpected ways lives intersect.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

HANDLE WITH CARE is a remarkably crafted novel with many layers of character development and a super intriguing plot. I think it will appeal to a wide variety of readers. The action unfolds at a small southern post office. I'm in awe of how Whalen designed secrets for each of our 7 characters and also incorporated packages that may change the course of their lives. The atmosphere is tense as it turns into a hostage situation. When the hostage negotiator enters the scene, she is another character to get to know. If you are worried there are too many characters to keep track of, rest assured, you are in good hands. Each character is easy to tell apart. I loved seeing how people opened up and began to share about their burdens and secrets.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

Bonding through crisis is the central theme for Marybeth Mayhew Whalen's book, Handle With Care, being published April 13, 2026 by Thomas Nelson (a trademark of Harper Collins Christian Publishing). Four women, caught in a hostage situation brought forth by a domestic matter find comfort and allegiance together as they work to be released. Each woman has a personal dilemma to work through, and through their interwoven experience they are able to support each other as well as find answers to their personal challenges.

There are many facets of Whalen's book that I enjoyed. The novel is set up as the parts of a friendly letter, as taught in school. In lieu of numbered parts to break the story into sections, the novel begins with the "heading", then progresses to the other parts of a letter (greeting, body, closing, and signature). Chapters are introduced , yet the major sections of the novel are separated the letter elements. Why the author chose this format is made clear in the middle of the story when one of the main characters, a past English teacher, explains how to write a friendly letter, which brings the whole concept together.,

The story was poignant, well written, and thought provoking. The characters came to life and were engaging. As the reader, I became involved in their circumstances, and was on edge to see how it was going to work out. Whalen's ability to transport a reader to her character's world creates an engaging escape. Look for Handle With Care next spring and enjoy.

I received a preview copy of Handle with Care from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When four women are thrust into a hostage situation, their own personal sorrows mingle with their terror. Hope, the hostage negotiator, is there to help, but she has problems of her own. Captivating story, with a good message.

Handle with Care is a beautifully emotional story that pulls you in with its gentle pacing and honest look at the complicated parts of life. Marybeth Mayhew Whalen writes in a way that feels very real—her characters are relatable, imperfect, and easy to connect with. You feel their worries, their hopes, and those quiet moments of self-reflection that make the story so meaningful.

What makes the book stand out is how naturally everything unfolds. The relationships—whether strained, healing, or somewhere in between—feel authentic, and the choices the characters face are the kind you can imagine happening in real life. It has the perfect mix of family drama, personal growth, and those small emotional details that stay with you.

If you enjoy heartfelt stories about overcoming challenges, understanding yourself, and rebuilding what matters, Handle with Care is a tender, thoughtful read that lingers after you’re done. It’s one of those books that feels both honest and comforting at the same time.

This was a fantastic book that I did not want to end. This story took characters that would not normally spend time together, but since they were being held hostage, created relationships between them that would bond them for life.

Three ladies who walk into a post office about to mail packages that will change each lady’s life, are unexpectedly held hostage as they are thrown in the middle of a domestic dispute. As they are forced into submission by the assailant, they create friendships and help one another decide whether to mail the packages that will change their lives.

This book was written like the parts of a letter and the author was incredibly creative in how the storylines and characters developed. It was a beautiful story of growth, aging and creating the life you want by making decisions that are sometimes difficult.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the advanced reader copy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #HandleWithCare @ThomasNelson

Handle with Care is a well written novel. I enjoyed the plot and the interactions of the hostages. I definitely recommend this book. I was given the opportunity to read this book by the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

If I can say one thing about this book, it will be, read this book! What an interesting idea behind a book. What if 4 women were kind of accidentally taken hostage one day at the post office? What if 3 of them were there mailing something they really didn’t want to? The 4th one asks the question, is there anything fragile in your package and the answer is yes.

This was one of those books that even though it all takes place in one small little room, I had a hard time laying it down. I not only had to know what was going to happen, I had to know why each one was there. It made for a fascinating story.

If you have never read one of Mary Beth Mayhew Whalen’s books this is an excellent one to start with. If you have read others of hers, you will enjoy the Easter eggs she leaves throughout the book. Whalen pens stories that leave you kind of breathless even without the being any heart stopping action. She makes the read long to meet her characters and even visit the places she writes about.

I am already eagerly looking forward to Whalen’s next book. Yes, I know this one isn’t even out yet but trust me you are going to think the same thing.

I really loved this book. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. The author really fleshed out the characters. Iy kept my interest and I definitely would recommend it.

"Handle with Care" is a novel by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen. I received a complimentary copy of this book, and the thoughts expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Sunset Beach is a quaint little town where not much tends to occur. However, on this particular day, Tommy received divorce papers at work, which sparked his deep-seated anger issues.

Martha, Stacey, and newcomer Nadine work at the post office, and during their lunch break, they left Nadine to manage things on her own when Tommy entered the post office to confront her about her behavior.

As Tommy stood at the counter, Sylvie, Blythe, and Morrow walked in with their packages to send. In an instant, the atmosphere shifted drastically when Tommy lost his temper, turning the post office into a hostage situation.

I found this novel to be well-crafted and thoroughly edited, resulting in an engaging read filled with strong emotions. I would give it a solid five stars. Nice work!

A highly original thriller. What happens when women go into a post office and suddenly find themselves held hostage? Fast paced and propulsive.

Forgiveness
Can you imagine walking into your local post office to mail a letter or package, and end of fearing for your life? That is what happens to these women whom innocently end up being held hostage in Sunset Beach, NC.
We soon really care for the four women being held hostage, and we really get to know the man, and in some ways felt sorry for him, but?
Then we meet the hostage negotiator whom is named Hope, quite appropriate, and soon a helper, a retired FBI agent, Bo.
Loved how this story meshed together, how they opened up about their lives, and you could see some healing in the time of trauma. We find some healing when times seem to be the darkest.
I loved and recommend this read!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.

This story centers around several strangers who are unexpectedly caught in a hostage situation at their local post office. Rather than the story turning into a thriller, the author turns it into an emotional saga where strangers spill their secrets, connect with each other and even have compassion for the situation they’re in.

The dialogue is real and the reader can feel the struggle, the emotion and the hope. As these strangers confront their pasts, they connect in unexpected ways. The writing is heartfelt and easy to read. I fell in love with these characters and highly recommend this book, not for a thriller aspect, but rather for the emotional resonance.

Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the advanced reader copy of this five-star book.

Readers meet three women as they enter a small-town post office in Sunset Beach, North Carolina. What begins as a routine errand escalates into a life-altering hostage crisis. Strangers Sylvie, Morrow, Blythe, and Nadine were detained there for several hours because a marital argument spiraled out of control.

Each lady was there to deliver a package or a letter, and whatever was inside had the ability to change their life forever. They might have a second chance not to send it.

This high-stakes story delves into the hostages' thoughts as they wonder if they will survive. This is an excellent "hostage drama" that serves more as a character study of the bonds that develop under times of crisis. Hope, a seasoned negotiator, is outside, attempting to keep everyone alive while facing her own wounded past.

This novel surprised me in a positive way; I had never read anything by this author before, and it sparked my interest in her earlier works. The story contained more foul language than I expected, but it was understandable given the situation.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

I always enjoy books by this author so was eager to read this. I enjoy her writing style. The characters in this book are well developed and multifaceted. The book has both heart and suspense.

Marybeth Whalen delivers a thought-provoking story wrapped in a charming location. Relatable characters, who all have their secrets and flaws. Fans of Fredrik Backman will definitely enjoy this Southern take on a hostage situation.

Handle with Care by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen is a beautifully layered, deeply engaging novel set in the charming small coastal town of Sunset Beach, North Carolina. Whalen beautifully captures the feel of a close-knit community while bringing together a group of women whose lives unexpectedly intersect during a single, life-changing ordinary afternoon as a domestic incident spirals into a tense hostage situation.

What truly makes this book shine is how expertly she balances suspense with heart—layering rising tension while exploring the depths these women are willing to go to in order to survive, protect one another, and find hope. Every character carries both a moral and personal secret, and watching those truths slowly unfold is incredibly satisfying. The bonds formed under pressure feel authentic and moving, and Whalen ties everything together beautifully in the end.

Heartwarming, mind opening, and full of emotional insight, this is a novel readers will absolutely love in their book clubs and talk about long after the final page.

This book reminded me a little of "Anxious People" - the locked room mystery, the slow burn of learning the humanity beneath the surface of each of the characters' initial impressions, the care and intention of those trying to resolve the situation. Gorgeously told!

I’ve read two books so far by Marybeth Whalen and they are both among the best books I’ve had the privilege to read and review!

The idea of this book is gripping—-a man holds four women hostage in a small post office, can you imagine? There’s a bathroom, a countertop, and not much else in that front room. We’re never allowed to go in the back, where there might have been a break room and a coffeepot. There are stools, but only enough for the women, who are varied in age from young (that one happens to be the hostage-taker’s wife) to a retired teacher. And the hardest part—-the man has a gun and he arrives holding a handle of whiskey (minus a large amount that he’s already consumed). It’s definitely not a pretty situation and after a short time, when some folks happen to try to come to the post office and they see what’s going on, the local police get involved. It so happens that a retired FBI agent volunteers to help, and then a negotiator who has a background working in another state eventually starts talking to Tommy, the hostage-taker.

By then, the stage is set, and we spend the entire day trying to get to resolution. There’s so much to learn about these hostages! Tommy’s wife is Nadine, and she’s the post office clerk who was working when all this started. All this is against the rules, because Nadine is new in her job and the other two women working with her went out to get lunch (not allowed). The other three women brought something to mail, and they all have mixed feelings about the items they brought. Do they really want to send them? Tommy has reasons for being upset, but what was he thinking? How is this going to solve anything?

When I started this, I couldn’t figure out how the account would provide enough fodder for a whole book, and how wrong I was! It’s definitely a page-turner and one you shouldn’t miss! I just wish Marybeth Whalen would write faster! I’ve waited a long time since Every Moment Since😊.

Five bright stars! I highly recommend this one!

I received a copy of the digital ARC via the publisher, the author, and NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Three women walk into a post office. It sounds almost ordinary. But in Marybeth Mayhew Whalen’s *Handle with Care*, that ordinary errand becomes the fault line where several lives begin to shift.

On a quiet spring afternoon, a domestic dispute escalates into a hostage situation, trapping four women inside a small-town post office with a desperate man and a gun. Outside, negotiator Hope works to keep everyone alive, her words the only fragile thread connecting safety and catastrophe. Inside, time stretches, fear sharpens, and the private burdens each woman carries begin to surface.

What makes this novel shine is Whalen’s remarkable balance of suspense and heart. The tension builds steadily, but the story never becomes merely about danger. It becomes about the interior lives of these women—the secrets they carry, the griefs they conceal, and the quiet courage that emerges when survival is no longer theoretical.

The entire novel unfolds largely within a single room, and yet it never feels confined. Instead, that small space becomes expansive through memory and revelation. Each of the women has arrived at the post office carrying something—both literally and figuratively—that could change her life if delivered. As the hours pass, those hidden truths begin to surface, and watching those layers unfold is deeply satisfying.

Whalen excels at creating characters who feel both particular and universal. Each woman is navigating her own private crossroads: a marriage unraveling, a future uncertain, a child on the verge of leaving home, a love shadowed by the slow erosion of memory. The oldest of the women, especially, is rendered with extraordinary tenderness. She is grappling with the possibility of her husband’s dementia, trying to hold together a lifetime of shared meaning while confronting the terrifying prospect of losing him piece by piece. Her storyline carries a moral and emotional complexity that feels profoundly true to life.

Outside the post office, negotiator Hope and retired FBI agent Bo bring their own emotional depth to the unfolding crisis. They are not merely observers, but participants in the story’s exploration of responsibility, compassion, and the weight of past choices.

One of the novel’s most creative elements is its structure. Rather than conventional parts, the story is organized according to the components of a friendly letter: heading, greeting, body, closing, signature. What initially feels stylistic gradually reveals itself as thematic. Midway through the story, when one of the women—a former English teacher—explains how to write a friendly letter, the metaphor becomes clear. This is a story about communication: about what we say, what we conceal, and what we long to deliver but cannot.

Under pressure, the women begin to see one another clearly. The bonds that form feel authentic and deeply moving—not sentimental, but forged in shared vulnerability. Each character carries both a moral and personal secret, and Whalen allows those truths to emerge with patience and compassion.

By the end, the novel delivers not just resolution, but something more meaningful: a reminder that even in moments of profound crisis, connection remains possible. Hope is not presented as naïve optimism, but as something chosen. Forgiveness, too, is offered as an option we can choose.

*Handle with Care* is both suspenseful and deeply humane. It is a story about survival, certainly. But more than that, it is about the fragile packages we carry through our lives, the courage required to face what is inside them, and the unexpected grace that can emerge when strangers become witnesses to one another’s truth.

A really beautiful read. quiet and tender ann moving.
The story centres on a hostage situation in a small-town post office, but it’s not really about the mechanics of that. It’s about the women in the room. Their regrets, the things they’re carrying, the choices they’re on the brink of making. There are quite a few characters and backstories, but it’s told so clearly that I never felt overwhelmed. Everything threads together in a way that makes sense.

It’s reflective and occasionally very sad but gentle. I found myself feeling for all of them, even when they frustrated me. The emotional undercurrent is what stayed with me more than the “event” itself.

There’s something quietly hopeful about the way it unfolds. Even in the middle of fear and uncertainty, there’s connection. There’s honesty. There’s the possibility of change.

It felt thoughtful rather than dramatic, and I finished it feeling unexpectedly moved.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for an early copy of Handle With Care. WOW PLEASE READ THIS BOOK!!!! It started so slow but was keeping my interest. The scenes were very unrealistic BUT what a story!!!! The characters were AWESOME! The emotions were sooooo REAL, if only every hostage situation could go as smoothly. The pizza situation was a TWIST I did not see coming. A complete surprise of a novel. I cried so much at the end. Thank you again so much. PS….Great Cover.

What a fast and fabulous read! A trip to the post office goes wrong. Everyone has a package with special meaning behind it. This is not a high-paced story, but it kept me turning the pages because I just had to know where it was going. Huge props to the author for incredibly developing each character and the setting, so I could see it all play out in my mind. I became so very invested in each of our main characters' stories and the connection they found between each other. The overarching theme felt like hope and made for such a great read! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.