I enjoyed this book. It felt like a reality TV show in real time and am happy with the ending for the main characters. It was like the Summer I Turned Pretty but for 30 year olds!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I finished this book in one sitting and I was pleasantly surprised when we were getting multiple POVs throughout the story. The dialogue throughout the book was clever and interesting. Following three separate perspectives of three women in a friendship made it a much more insightful read. All of the women are in a much different phases in their lives in regard to their careers, romantic relationships, and life milestones. I found myself admiring the friendship that the women had. There was a slight resemblance to Sex and The City, which I think will really allow readers to feel comfortable and seen by the story lines. Would definitely recommend to anyone interested in women's fiction.

I really enjoy this year in the life of a trio of friends. A year of loves and losses fights and holidays. Highly recommend this story to anyone that likes a slice of life story.

A sweet book about three college friends in their 30s navigating friendship, love and messiness of life. I really enjoyed reading this book. It captured my attention from the beginning. Though there were some heavy topics, there were some comical moments that helped lighten the mood. I loved Maeve, felt for Hadley and Lizzie was just annoying. Overall it was a good book and would be the perfect beach read.

Read if you like:
College friendships
Found family
Romance
Humor

I laughed, I cried, and I felt the rollercoaster the journey we call life in our 30s. This book is a hilarious (if somewhat too close to home) reality of life in your 20-30s. Quite literally the messy years. There is no topic left untouched: work, love, regret, friend drama and so much more. What I love is, although this is fiction I truly believed the characters struggles and pains, and was enamored with their stories. All of the character characters intertwine and create this beautiful messy complex relationship that you get to be a fly on the wall for.

Thank you NetGalley for this book opportunity, and a new to me author!! The messy years was just that for these three best friends, I found such joy in this book. Hadly, Puzzle and Marvel all were such well written characters and their friendship wraps you into their world. These three women bring you in their world with their weaknesses and their strengths, their love for each other and at times their I dare say dislike, but there is always bits and pieces of that among best friends, but when push comes to shove and times are the tough they are one for all. I loved the book, read it, enjoy it remember you best friends...

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was a fun and quick read about adulting.

Okay, so I just mainlined The Messy Years, and I’m gonna be totally straight with you: this book is a spectacular, incandescent dumpster fire, and I mean that as the highest compliment. Alexandra Slater has this utterly insidious way of crawling inside your prefrontal cortex and exposing the exact flavor of existential dread you thought was uniquely yours. It’s like a literary endoscopy, but instead of finding polyps, you find a meticulously cataloged history of bad decisions.

Our protagonist, Elara, is, to put it mildly, a magnificent trainwreck. She's supposed to be navigating that liminal space between "figuring it out" and "being a functioning adult," but mostly she's just a master of procrastination and self-sabotage, constantly orbiting a nucleus of poor life choices. The prose is so ridiculously refulgentseriously, Slater uses words I haven't seen since my SAT prep days, that it elevates even the most mundane internal monologues about stale cereal into a grand, lugubrious epic. I spent half the time nodding violently in recognition and the other half reaching for my dictionary. The dialogue? Utterly verisimilitudinous. It's the kind of rapid-fire, emotionally stunted banter you have with your best friends after three too many glasses of cheap wine, drenched in a thick patina of sarcasm.

Where the book truly falters, critically speaking, is in the third act's sudden pivot towards salvation. It felt a tad perfunctory, like the editor finally stepped in and said, "Look, we need to give these poor bastards a sunrise." It cheapens the raw, unvarnished beauty of the struggle that preceded it. I wanted her to stay messy forever, not have a neat little apotheosis moment. But whatever. It’s still a visceral, pulchritudinous read. If you’re not actively squirming from the sheer relatability, you’re reading it wrong. It's a five-star masterpiece of neurotic overthinking.

#themessyyears #NetGalley

loved this book!!! follows 3 female characters and their hardships in life. all various point of views but coming together in times of struggle. very well written!

This book was really well written and i enjoyed it! It definitely kept me wanting to read more to figure out what happened !! Definitely recommend !!

This was a good book that I related to more than I even thought I would. It hooked me in from the very first chapter and I couldn't put it down until it was finished. The characters are so vividly relatable and well written that I felt as if I was right there along with them on their journey thru the "messy years". Slater has a unique writing style that really makes reading the novel quick and easy. I absolutely couldn't put it down and am looking forward to reading more by Slater in the future. I highly recommend this book to anyone!

The cover is stunning. The plot is so cool and addicting. Some characters were not of my liking but I actually liked this because it's a real life thing, you can't always like everyone

The book moves through friendship, forgiveness, and rediscovering who you are when you thought you already had it figured out. It’s warm and honest but not overly sweet, like the kind of story that feels lived-in. You’ll see yourself in the small embarrassments, the quiet griefs, and the beautiful chaos of loving people even when they’re flawed. It’s not a story about drama; it’s about life, and that’s what makes it so moving.

This was a quick, light hearted read. Definitely would recommend for someone looking to get back into reading or to get out of a reading slump. My only constructive feedback is the ending felt a little rushed. Overall good read!

Also reviewed on GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8040554648

This was a quick easy read. We follow 3 former college roommates as they go through an especially messy year in their messy years. Maeve is a young, childless, Widow who works in PR and is hoping for a promotion. Lizzie is a divorced mother of two boys who thinks she may still be in love with the one who got away - not her ex-husband. Hadley is a newlywed (the book opens on her wedding weekend) who desperately wants to have a baby.

While the story has plenty of 'messy' like Hadley's cousin dating Lizzie's one time love, Wade, or Hadley's husband Jack being friends and former classmates with Pope the new guy that's Maeve's competition at work and Lizzie's rebound guy; this book also deals with grief. Maeve's husband Sam, died of a sudden heart attack in front of her eyes, taking with him all their hopes and dreams for their future. She feels rudderless and unable to move on, even though her friends think it's time. Hadley struggles to conceive and when she finally does, she miscarries and husband Jack is bewildered by her reaction.

Grief is unfortunately, something all of us will have to deal with eventually and yet we are so unprepared to do so. Grief doesn't have a timetable, and you can't 'just get over it already' no matter how much your loved ones wish it for you. Guilt also joins grief which further complicates things. It was nice to see characters that struggled with their grief because that is relatable.

The book ends with another wedding and with most of the characters, having tidied up some of their mess, growing up a bit in the process.

This book was so good I’d you’re in this season of life! It was easy to relate to. I didn’t enjoy the ending. I felt like I needed more or a second book.

Really liked this book, I felt it explored so many topics and really hit home about those years in your lives where there is just so much happening and you're so overwhelmed trying to figure it all out.

The characters were relatable, I felt invested and emotional with each storyline. Looking forward to this author's next book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this epub.
At the beginning of this book I really hated all of the characters. I understand grief, but Maeve seemed to just be wallowing. Lizzie seemed like she was just tried to self-sabotage her life and I could not understand Hadley's obsession with babies. As their motivations started to become clearer, I couldn't stop reading. Some parts felt like watching a car crash (Lizzie and Wade :|) and other parts had me saying finally (Maeve and Pope). It was really interesting how Slater wove these three women's lives together because they weren't really together all that much, but were so pivotal in how they each made decision. It would have been a 5 star read if the ladies hadn't been so annoying at the beginning, but overall 4 stars.

I really liked this book. I wasn't familiar with Alexandra Slater, but as a cohost of a grief podcast and as a grief coach, I appreciated the perspective of grief in this book. It portrayed not just the loss of a spouse, but also a miscarriage and infertility in a realistic way. I enjoyed each of the characters and their individual stories. Their friendship seemed unlikely and that was part of the charm of this book as well. The setting was unique to me as books are so focused in NYC, Chicago, and LA, that it was fun to have one set outside of Boston. Add it to your tbr today!

The Messy Years is a quick, easy read about 3 college friends who are figuring out life. The characters are all struggling with something, which makes them easy to relate to.

I really enjoyed this book. It was like watching an episode of Friends. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Alexandra Slater/ Hudson House Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

well, no denying this one was definitely messy. tbh i usually love stories like that but i think my issue here was specifically with the characters. i just couldn’t bring myself to like anyone in this book... the premise is good tho so i feel like it’s more of a me problem and a lot of people will probably end up enjoying it!

The messy years has love, deception, heartbreak among college friends as they get older. The main characters all have some flaws but that’s what made this a quick read. Thanks NetGalley for an arc.

The Messy Years is a funny, heartfelt look at friendship, love, and all the chaos that comes with growing up, even when you’re technically already an adult. Maeve, Hadley, and Lizzie are three college besties trying to navigate the ups and downs of life on Boston’s South Shore. There’s grief, love, heartbreak, and a whole lot of self-discovery along the way. It’s honest, emotional, and perfectly captures how friendships evolve through the hardest (and messiest) seasons of life. Thanks to NetGalley for the early read!

I’m always drawn to stories that explore the beautiful, chaotic parts of women’s lives, and The Messy Years brings all of that to the surface.

What I liked about The Messy Years is how real and relatable it felt. Alexandra Slater leans into the chaos of adulthood — the shifting friendships, the career disappointments, the fertility struggles, and the whole “I thought I’d have it figured out by now” feeling. The writing is conversational and easy to fall into, almost like listening to a friend vent over a glass of wine. I also appreciated the three distinct viewpoints; Maeve, Hadley, and Lizzie each bring their own version of “messy,” and their emotional arcs feel grounded and honest.

On the downside, this isn’t a plot-heavy book. It focuses more on feelings, friendships, and everyday drama than any kind of twist or high-stakes tension. Some character moments repeat themselves, and a few of the conflicts drift into reality-TV territory. With multiple POVs, I definitely found some storylines more engaging than others, and the pacing can feel slower at times if you’re craving something more suspense-driven.

All in all, The Messy Years works well as a heartfelt, character-focused read about female friendship and navigating the complicated in-between years of adulthood. If you’re in the mood for something relatable, emotional, and easy to sink into, this one delivers.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Alexandra Slater, and Hudson House Press for a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was readable and fun. There were some details that were lost to me like the chronology of some of the relationships. Some things were underdeveloped like Lizzie’ wanting to get back with Wade. I had a hard time understanding why she wanted to get back with him. Maeve was the most compelling story as well and Hadley’s desire to get married to be a mother sort of was dropped on us without any background. Still this book was enjoyable and fun read.

I really enjoyed The Messy Years by Alexandra Slater it’s a vibrant, emotionally rich dive into the unpredictable stretch of life we all know as the “messy years.” The story follows three college friends, Maeve, Hadley, and Lizzie, now navigating adulthood in Boston’s South Shore: Maeve is grappling with the sudden death of her husband and a career shake-up, Hadley is newly married and struggling with the pressures of starting a family, and Lizzie is a divorced high-performer confronting the mistakes and missed chances of her past. Slater balances humor, heartbreak, and friendship in a way that feels both authentic and hopeful. It’s the kind of book that makes you laugh at the absurdities, cry at the losses, and breathe a sigh of relief when the characters lean on each other. If you appreciate stories of found family, relational messiness, and the courage of starting over, this one is very much worth your time.

*The Messy Years by Alexandra Slater*
I enjoyed "The Messy Years"! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars) Alexandra Slater tackles complex themes with humor and sensitivity. The writing is relatable, and the characters feel authentic. While it didn't blow me away, it was a solid, engaging read.

Fun, entertaining read. I enjoyed the three different perspectives, but would have loved more insight into each of the women’s childhoods to help round out their characters. Loved all of the descriptions of New England locales.

I found this book entertaining and well written. The MC in the story are younger than me, but I remember my 20s and 30s. The storyline was faithful to what alot of the "messy years" women go through. I chuckled and I even had a couple tears. I feel red author has an amazing talent for portraying the friendships between these wo.en. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

What a wonderfully addictive read!

Medium to fast-paced, multi-POV and full of drama. This was an entertaining book to read between my episodes of Real Housewives.

This book follows 3 best friends, 35 and younger, as they navigate the years of their life that might just need rewritten. As a 33 year old, I can certainly relate to reaching a point where you have to admit certain goals, dreams, or relationships not be for you- and fortunately you have time to fix that route, but it becomes difficult to not compare yourself to others in the age bracket as you do so. Anyways, I enjoyed this one immensely- it might truthfully be one of the most accurate portrayals of the age to me, down to the lingo and trends the characters wore. So many moments were shocking to me in their realness- no fictional fluff, just sheer relatability and growing alongside others you love. Thanks so much to the author and Alexandra Slater/ Hudson House Press for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

The Messy Years is a wonderfully honest look at what it really means to navigate adulthood when life doesn’t go according to plan. I loved how this story centers friendship just as much as romance. Maeve, Hadley, and Lizzie each bring something unique to the table, and their bond feels real, flawed, and deeply supportive.

Maeve’s grief and slow, unexpected journey toward opening her heart again was especially moving. Hadley’s struggle to hold onto the picture-perfect future she imagined felt painfully relatable, and Lizzie’s unraveling (and rebuilding) was both messy and compelling in the best way. The author balances humor and heartbreak beautifully, and there were several moments that genuinely made me laugh right after making my chest ache.

A great 4-star read for anyone who enjoys character-driven stories about friendship, healing, and the beautifully imperfect path of adulthood.

Wow, this was an amazing read! Quick but so full of amazing characters. The character development and plots of each kept me reading. This is a must read!

📚: The Messy Years by Alexandra Slater
⭐️: 4/5

Three best friends since college, now thirtysomethings on the south shore of Massachusetts, find themselves navigating what can be called the messy years, as they try to navigate marriage, divorce, pregnancy, kids, and career. A bit older than a coming of age novel, this book zooms in on what happens when you’re “supposed” to have it figured out, and then realize that no one actually does.

This book would be a great beach read (preferably on the south shore of Massachusetts or the Cape, just to stay genuine to the story’s sake). The ending felt a bit abrupt, and this probably skews closer to a 3 star, but I’m being generous with my rating because I enjoyed the Boston area setting so much.

Thanks to Hudson House Press via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Messy Years is out now.

My pros:
- BOSTON!! So many great references to the city I love so much that made it feel like I was really there with these characters
- It kept my attention, I can't deny that I was invested and truly wanted to know what would happen next

My cons:
- Most of the characters were so unlikable. I found myself smiling at Maeve's storyline in the end, but couldn't bring myself to like anyone else.
- The store itself (as well as the characters) felt kind of one-dimensional and sometimes caricature-like, which felt off since the book dealt with so many weighty topics.

3.5, rounded up to 4.

THE MESSY YEARS is a heartfelt, humorous, and honest portrait of friendship during the painful years of adulting. It reminds us that the truest family is the one we choose.

Maeve, Hadley, and Lizzie thought they'd have it all figured out by now. But life, love, and loss have a way of rewriting even the best-laid plans. The trio were inseparable in college, and now navigating the messy years of adulthood on Boston's South Shore. Still reeling from the sudden death of her husband, Maeve is determined to rebuild—until a preppy golden boy named Pope not only swipes her promotion, but starts cracking open the heart she swore she’d sealed shut. Hadley, a Southern Belle newlywed is struggling to conceive while clinging to a vision of the perfect life that’s slipping through her fingers. And Lizzie, the glamorous, divorced, high-achieving realtor, is unraveling—still obsessing over her ex and questioning every choice that’s led her here.

Loved it. Will recommend to others

Absolutely loved this book! Most of the characters were super likable and you were rooting for them! The fast pace of the book was great. No lagging or parts you wanted to skip. Lizzie was insufferable but I got the feeling that was the point, she wasn’t supposed to be liked.

Will definitely recommend this to everyone!

The Messy Years tells the story of 3 friends as they traverse life over a year as they face relationships, marrriages, friendship, careers, and fertility. Each character has some challenges and the bonds of friendship can be frayed at times (which feels realistic). All in all it was a good read though I did find it highly unrealistic that friends would be so calm about having a man in common.

This is a good beach read..
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Messy Years is available now.

This was enjoyable. Another reminder that you never know what is happening beyond closed doors! You see three friends navigate their lives over the course of a year - which may be messy for all of them. Although the book is called "years" which was confusing when finishing it since it was just 1 year, it was a reminder that it was technically 3 years - 1 year for each person.

Friendship during the college years with all the struggles, relationships and becoming adults. A quick and fun read.

This was a really cute novel about a year in the life of 3 best friends — Lizzie, Hadley and Meave, each one is going through various life stages - widowhood, marriage, motherhood and more. The book does go fast as it is told in months. But is an easy read

This was addictive from page 1. I loved the characters Slater crafted. They were relatable and authentic. I'd read more from this author in the future. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book!

This is a new author to me and I really enjoyed the story. Recommended to check this one out!

This was a fun read following three friends in their messy years and as someone entering the messy years myself I felt I was the target audience. The book was a little predictable and I would have liked it to move a little slower at times but it would be a fab read whilst sat on a beach! I most enjoyed Maeve’s and Pope’s storylines although I did cringe everytime I saw his name!

The Messy Years follows three women who met in college and the years that follow. The story is told through their different perspectives. It took me a little bit to connect with the characters but eventually I was empathetic to each woman. I liked this book a lot! I would have liked being able to connect with the characters sooner but overall this is a great book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review the eARC ❤️

Three best friends. One messy decade. Careers stall, marriages crack, dreams collide but through heartbreak and reinvention, Maeve, Hadley, and Lizzie prove that friendship is the glue when life gets complicated. Funny, raw, and full of heart—this is women’s fiction at its most relatable.

This was a beautiful read - it was raw, it was emotional, it was “messy,” in all the best ways. Each character was so different and it was so interesting to see how each one spent their year, even though they were all the same age - they were all in such different stages of life. I caught a few typos/errors, but overall I really enjoyed this read and I devoured it in one day!

I was given a copy of The Messy Years in exchange for my honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. The story pulled me in quickly and kept me turning pages. While I didn’t love all of the characters, that actually added to the appeal. They felt flawed and realistic, which made the relationships and conflicts more interesting and believable. This isn’t a story where everyone is easy to root for, and that complexity kept me engaged.
Overall, this was a compelling, hard to put down read that captures how complicated and messy life and relationships can be. I’m glad I picked it up and would recommend it to readers who enjoy character driven stories with depth and emotional tension.

I flew through The Messy Years in just a couple of hours, it was such a treat to escape the chilly winter temps and dive into a book that I would have loved to have read beach side. This is my first read from Alexandra Slater and she did a great job capturing that in-between stage of adulthood where nothing feels settled and everyone’s a little bit lost (and trying to seem like they aren't)

The characters were the highlight for me; messy, flawed, and very easy to recognize as people and experiences ive had in my own life. The writing is approachable and conversational, making this an easy book to sink into, especially if you’re in the mood for something character-driven and emotionally honest. That said, this is very much a character- and feelings-driven story rather than a plot-heavy one. Some conflicts felt repetitive, and a few moments leaned a bit too far into familiar drama. Still, it was an enjoyable, relatable read that I genuinely had a good time with.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Alexandra Slater, and Hudson House Press for a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. ⭐⭐⭐

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4-star read
The Messy Years was a really good read. I found myself easily connecting with the characters and relating to the drama, which made the story feel very real and engaging. The writing was easy to get through, and I flew through the pages without feeling bogged down.

Amazing book. I couldn't stop reading I stayed up all night. I loved the book so much thank you for the arc.

This was a fun book! I enjoyed following the three best friends both in the past and the present; it rounded the characters out well to view their histories. I do wish parts had been a bit more developed as it felt some plot points came out of the blue, especially near the end. The end of Lizzie’s storyline needed to be more developed for it to be accepted, and I wish Hadley’s had been as well. Maeve’s was nicely developed. I’m glad I read this, and I thank Net Galley for the opportunity. 4.5 stars from me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hooked from start to finish. Compelling, immersive, and impossible to put down. A reminder of why I love reading.

The Messy Years is a quick, fast-paced read that follows three former college best friends as they navigate a particularly “messy” year of their lives in their mid-30s. The story moves easily and kept me turning pages, making it an accessible and engaging read overall.
At first, I found some of the characters a bit frustrating. Their behavior often came across as shallow or selfish, which made it difficult for me to fully connect with them early on. However, as the story progressed and each woman’s individual struggles were explored more deeply, my perspective shifted. By the end of the book, I was genuinely rooting for all three of them.
I especially enjoyed the alternating perspectives, with each chapter focusing on a different character and her own storyline. This structure worked well and helped balance the narrative while giving each friend space to grow and be understood.
Overall, The Messy Years is an enjoyable, fast read that would work especially well for a book club, thanks to its multiple viewpoints and relatable themes about friendship, growth, and navigating adulthood.

Fun and light read to start off 2026. While the depth may not be completely there, the themes were as relatable as the New England brands and references sprinkled throughout. The three view points, flashbacks, and inner musings of the main characters created a fun pacing for the novel and even though the secondary characters were less developed, I felt like I partied in the same college dorms as main characters Hadley, Lizzie and Maeve.

The Messy Years is a poignant and insightful exploration of friendship, grief, and the challenges of adulthood. Maeve, Hadley, and Lizzie face heartbreak, career setbacks, and unfulfilled expectations, yet their enduring bond provides strength and perspective. Alexandra Slater captures the emotional complexity of navigating life’s transitions with honesty and depth, creating characters who feel real and deeply human. This is a moving, contemplative read for anyone interested in stories about resilience, personal growth, and the families we choose along the way.

Whimsical. Breezy. Fun. But also a total page turner. “The Messy Years” really draws you into the characters and makes you care about their challenges and triumphs. They are each written with such familiarity and warmth.

The book also transports the reader to parts of Massachusetts where the novel is set. The descriptions of the neighborhoods and even specific streets gives the plot a real authenticity.

Packed with pithy dialogue that pops off the page, I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in this corner of the world which is presented so vividly through the eyes of three close friends who are always there for one another. Great read!

Thank you to Alexandra Slater/ Hudson House Press and Net Galley for the ARC! This book follows 3 friends over a time period going thorough their own life messes. I wish I had a friend group like this. They all have their personal struggles. Maeve with the loss of her husband, Hadley unable to conceive and Lizzie who couldn’t get over her ex. This book was a nice reminder of real life and things always end up working out. It was well written and I was hooked from the beginning.

The Messy Years by Alexandra Slater was a relatable book that had a little bit of each character that I could relate to. Following the lives of three women from college through their adult years, it's a testatment to friendship, relationships, and how messy our lives can be no matter what stage we're in.

Maeve, Hadley, and Lizzie navigate school, careers and relationships, getting through it all with their friendships to each other. They may envy each other a bit and wish for each others lives, but their constant support is what gets them through the tough times.

I really enjoyed this and immediately called my college roommate after finishing it and let her know how much I love her and appreciate her. I imagine the women in this book would do the same.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All opinions are mine.

This was a really good book. It's about 3 college friends who stay friends after college. How they navigate all of life's messy things together. The 3 of them prove that friends are for life.

3.5

This book somehow manages to be so cute and fun while also handling serious topics with great care and attention.

In The Messy Years, we follow three best friends in their mid-30s living on Boston's South Shore as they navigate work, family, friendships, romantic relationships, and major milestones. The characters come from diverse backgrounds: a widowed senior publicist reckoning with grief as she develops feelings for a coworker; an ambitious real estate agent, recent divorcée, and mother of two who yearns for her ex-boyfriend; and a childless housewife who wants nothing more than to become a mother. Each chapter follows one of the three POVs in third person, but the characters interact so much that the chapters never feel isolated. As someone who is still getting used to multi-POV novels, I found this structure very accessible. Despite exploring themes of loss and grief, the overall tone of the novel is hopeful.

I appreciate the fact that the characters are in their mid-30s. It seems like most romances these days have the characters in their late teens or early 20s. As a 30-something myself, the messiness of their lives is relatable. Each character clearly has something they want and they are presented with the obstacles they need to overcome in order to get what they want. Their drama is entertaining. The dialogue and banter between them is fun. And gosh darn it, if I didn't erupt into a fit of giggles as I witnessed one of the characters talk to a harbour seal as if it were her late husband... It's actually a very sweet scene, but it was so comical and absurd that I had to laugh.

The prose is observant and honest, and I chuckled out loud at several descriptions. I particularly enjoyed how efficiently Slater sets her scenes, offering just enough detail to establish atmosphere and immerse the reader without losing momentum. Personally, I could have used a bit more description, but this is very much a matter of preference rather than a shortcoming, and the streamlined approach keeps the story moving at a satisfying pace. I really enjoyed the shorter chapters. However, there were more spelling, grammar, and factual errors than I typically encounter in an ARC. Hopefully these were ironed out prior to publication. While they didn’t significantly detract from my enjoyment, there were enough that I felt it worth mentioning.

The reason this rating isn't higher is that I felt more could have been done to avoid inconsistencies. For example, a character is present at the beginning of a scene and then completely disappears without explanation, even though context suggests that she should still be there. In another instance, a character's hair colour changes randomly, from sable at the beginning of the book to blond near the end. This inconsistency is relatively minor compared to the former, but it made me flip back to the beginning to check whether I'd been picturing the character incorrectly the whole time.

Still, it was a fun read overall and I did enjoy it. The way I squealed when two of the characters finally got together... Some moments did feel a bit like “fan service,” with things falling into place perhaps too neatly and too often. However, the ending for one character took a turn I wasn't expecting based on how things had been unfolding. This was refreshing and an absolute relief. I didn't see it coming, but I was so glad when it arrived.

Who is this book for?
Readers who enjoy books that feel like watching reality TV will likely have a great time with this one. Love scenes are fade-to-black, making it a good choice for those who prefer low-spice romances. Readers who enjoy upscale settings with summer homes, beaches, country clubs, and boutique stores will also appreciate the world in which this story takes place.

Thank you to Hudson House Press for providing this novel for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Loved this book lifelong friends Hadley, Lizzie & Maeve are there for each other through thick and thin. We see the ladies navigate love & loss in a charming read and I can definitely feel a sequel to see what comes next !!

This story ollows 3 friends navigating life during tiger thirties. Thr story is told from the 3 points of view of the characters, Maeve, Lizzie and Hadley. This books has strong characters who are highly relatable with ther struggles of marriage,infertility and loss. The multiple view points allows a deeper view of real life struggles and stron female friendships. Highly recommend

This book is messy—but intentionally so. It follows three women who have been friends since college, each at a very different stage of life: one is divorced with children, one is newly married and desperately hoping to have a baby, and the third is a widower trying to figure out who she is without her husband by her side.

The premise is strong, and the characters feel realistic in their flaws. While I eventually warmed up to Hadley, Maeve was easily my favorite. Lizzie, however, was absolutely insufferable.

Overall, this is a solid read if you can get past the characters’ selfish tendencies.


Thank you NetGalley

This was fine.

I enjoyed the fact that it focused on women in their 30s not having things together, as someone who is entering their 30s it was funny and relatable. I did however find 2/3 of the MCs INSUFFERABLE and found myself just wanting to shake them to tell them to pull it together.

*The Messy Years* delivers exactly what it promises—a raw, sometimes messy exploration of women navigating their thirties when life doesn’t go according to plan. Speck Slater creates three distinct voices in Maeve, Hadley, and Lizzie, each dealing with profound challenges: grief, infertility, and post-divorce identity crisis.

The strength of this novel lies in its honest portrayal of female friendship during life’s hardest moments. The South Shore Boston setting feels authentic, and the “messy years” concept resonates—that uncomfortable space between having it all figured out and realizing you never will.

However, the pacing felt uneven at times, and I wanted deeper development of certain plot threads, particularly Maeve’s workplace romance with Pope. The emotional beats sometimes tell rather than show, which kept me at arm’s length when I wanted to be fully immersed.

Still, this is a solid women’s fiction read for anyone who’s ever felt like they’re fumbling through adulthood while everyone else has it together. It’s comforting in its messiness and reminds us that perfect plans are overrated anyway.

Handle With Care is the kind of book that quietly settles into your heart. At this stage of my life, I’m drawn to stories that focus on relationships, forgiveness, and the complicated ways we carry past hurts—and this novel does that beautifully.

What stood out to me most was how realistic the emotional struggles felt. The characters are flawed, guarded, and trying to do the best they can with the baggage they’ve accumulated over the years. As a woman in my late forties, I found their journeys especially relatable. This isn’t about dramatic reinvention; it’s about small, meaningful steps toward healing and understanding.

Marybeth Whalen’s writing is warm and compassionate without being overly sentimental. The themes of family, faith, and second chances are woven in naturally, making the story feel grounded and sincere. I appreciated that the book didn’t rush the emotional resolutions—trust and forgiveness take time, and the author allows space for that.

This is a slower-paced, character-driven novel, but for me, that was part of its charm. It invites reflection and reminds you that even fragile relationships can be mended with patience, honesty, and grace.

I finished Handle With Care feeling comforted and hopeful, which is exactly what I look for in a meaningful, uplifting read.

Ok, I was surprised by this one. I didn't particularly connect with any of the characters, but I did find it fun to observe them. This book is prime for a movie adaptation because you can't quite look away from the drama of each of the three characters. They are, as the title suggests, messy. I honestly didn't think I would like this book as I was reading the first few chapters, but then I came around. I never fell in love with the characters, but I was rooting for them in their growth.