The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding

A special thank you to the publisher, Grand Central Publishing, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Lee Gulliver never thought she’d find herself living on the streets—no one ever does—but when her restaurant fails, and she falls deeper into debt, she leaves her old life behind with nothing but her clothes and her Toyota Corolla. In Seattle, she parks in a secluded spot by the beach to lay low and plan her next move—until early one morning, she sees a sobbing woman throw herself into the ocean. Lee hauls the woman back to the surface, but instead of appreciation, she is met with fury. The drowning woman, Hazel, tells her that she wanted to die, that she’s trapped in a toxic, abusive marriage, that she’s a prisoner in her own home. Lee has thwarted her one chance to escape her life.

Out of options, Hazel retreats to her gilded cage, and Lee thinks she’s seen the last of her, until her unexpected return the next morning. Bonded by disparate but difficult circumstances, the women soon strike up a close and unlikely friendship. And then one day, Hazel makes a shocking request: she wants Lee to help her disappear. It’ll be easy, Hazel assures her, but Lee soon learns that nothing is as it seems, and that Hazel may not be the friend Lee thought she was.

This psychological thriller about friendship and betrayal is a masterclass in suspense. Robyn Harding's writing is intricate, twisty, and propulsive—readers won't know who to believe and who to root for. 

Harding explores some of the social issues that were exacerbated by the pandemic—homelessness, financial instability, and domestic violence—and how women were affected. With their different social statuses (Lee being homeless and Hazel living in an affluent neighbourhood) it appears that the women don't have much in common, but in actuality, they were equally impacted by the fallout from COVID-19.  

The Drowning Woman is a bit of a departure for Harding in the way that it is structured—although the story is told from alternating perspectives, it is actually done by parts verses chapters. Part one is told from Lee's point of view and then in part two, it switches to Hazel's perspective which gives the reader insight into her life. The novel goes back and forth one more time before the epilogue. 

Expertly plotted and perfectly paced, The Drowning Woman is completely binge-worthy. Highly recommend!

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ROBYN HARDING is the author of thirteen novels including The Swap, The Party, Her Pretty Face, and The Arrangement. She has also written and executive produced an independent film.

Harding lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her husband and two children. 

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Q & A with Robyn Harding*

GWR: If you could tell your younger self something about writing and becoming an author, what would it be?

 RH: I’d tell myself that this career is a roller coaster and not to expect a steady upward trajectory. 

GWR: You have published 13 books to date. Are you still learning? Do you approach each book the same way?

RH: I’m always learning! And I love to challenge myself and to try new things with my writing. While I approach each book in a similar way (I start with a premise, beat out the plot structure, and then create the  characters), I experiment with perspective, the style of narration, and the way into a story. 

GWR: Give us your best Hollywood pitch for The Drowning Woman.

RH: When a homeless woman fleeing a dangerous past saves a wealthy society wife from drowning, she’s drawn into a dark web of secrets, lies, and murder.  

GWR: Where did you come up with the concept for the novel? 

RH: I was really moved by how women were disproportionally impacted by the pandemic. Businesses owned by women were more likely to fail, female rates of anxiety and depression spiked, and domestic abuse skyrocketed. I wanted to explore two characters who had lost so much of themselves and tell a story of their resilience…with some murder thrown in, of course.

GWR: The Drowning Woman is told from both Lee and Hazel’s perspective—was it easier or more challenging to explore the parallel storylines?

RH: It was a challenge, but such a fun one! This book has a unique structure that I’ve never used before. Part one offers Lee’s point of view and in part two, I switch to Hazel’s POV so readers see what was happening behind the scenes. This continues through parts three and four. I’ve loved this storytelling device in film and TV and wanted to try it in a novel. 

GWR: Did the story end the way you’d initially thought?

RH: I knew the ending when I started, but some of the twists along the way came unexpectedly. Because I wrote this book without a contract, I had more time and more freedom to take chances. If I’d had a deadline and an editor breathing down my neck, I think I would have gone a safer, more expected route.

GWR: If your book was a beverage, what would it be?

RH: Whiskey neat.

GWR: Who has been your favourite character to write (from any of your books)? 

RH: I think I had the most fun writing Low Morrison from The Swap. She has such a unique, dry, humorous outlook on life.

GWR: What’s the one element of a thriller that is a must? 

RH: A sense of menace!

GWR: What are you working on now?

RH: My next novel is called The Haters. It’s about high school counsellor Camryn Lane who publishes her first novel to great acclaim. She’s over the moon, until she receives an anonymous email accusing her of exploiting her students and writing about their private issues. She pushes it aside, but the accusations bloom on social media and soon disturbing incidents invade her personal life. Is this the work of random trolls? Or is the abuse coming from closer to home? Camryn must find out who is behind these attacks before they destroy her career, her relationships, and threaten her very life.

*A version of this post was published on STYLE Canada.

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

A special thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada/Doubleday Canada for an ARC in exchange for an ARC. 

Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular. But by the time she retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Grand Slam titles. And if you ask Carrie, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father, Javier, as her coach. A former champion himself, Javier has trained her since the age of two.

But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning player named Nicki Chan.

At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked “the Battle-Axe” anyway. Even if her body doesn’t move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.

In spite of it all, Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. 

Part story, part oral history, Carrie Soto is Back is a powerful novel about what it costs to be great. Professional sports (and sports in general) are a male-dominated space and a woman's perspective is hugely important to Taylor. This is evident in all of her books—she wants to make women feel seen and heard—and Carrie Soto is Back is no exception.

Reid once again writes about strong women and the downside of fame—Carrie is in good company with Evelyn, Daisy, and Nina. (Fun fact: at the beginning of Malibu Rising, we learn that Nina has separated from her husband, Brandon, and he is now living with his mistress, tennis pro Carrie Soto.) Driven and sharp, yet brash and bold, Carrie holds nothing back and only cares about winning. She is a layered, complex, and an unlikable character that is so well written that readers will not only root for her, but they will also be enamoured with the game of tennis.  

Taylor Jenkins Reid serves up an ace with Carrie Soto is Back. Highly recommend!

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TAYLOR JENKINS REID is the author of the New York Times Bestselling novels Carrie Soto Is Back, Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones and the Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, as well as One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, After I Do, and Forever, Interrupted. Her books have been chosen by Reese’s Book Club, Read with Jenna, Indie Next, Best of Amazon, and Book of the Month. Her novel, Daisy Jones and The Six, is in post-production having been adapted by Hello Sunshine into a limited series for Amazon. 

She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and dog.

Please Join Us by Catherine McKenzie

A special thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

At thirty-nine, Nicole Muller’s life is on the rocks. Her once brilliant law career is falling apart. She and her husband are soon to be forced out of the apartment they love. After a warning from her firm’s senior partners, she receives an invitation from an exclusive women’s networking group, Panthera Leo. Membership is anonymous, but every member is a successful professional. It sounds like the perfect solution to help Nicole revive her career. So, despite her husband, Dan’s, concerns the group might be a cult, Nicole signs up for their retreat in Colorado.

Once there, she meets the other women who will make up her Pride. A CEO, an actress, a finance whiz, a congresswoman: Nicole can’t believe her luck. The founders of Panthera Leo are equally as impressive. They explain the group’s core philosophy: they’re a girl’s club in a boy’s club world.

Nicole is all in. And when she gets home, she soon sees dividends. Her new network quickly provides her with clients that help her relaunch her career, and a great new apartment too. The favors she has to provide in return seem benign. But then she’s called to the congresswoman’s apartment late at night where she’s pressed into helping her cover up a crime. And suddenly, Dan’s concerns that something more sinister is at play seem all too relevant. Can Nicole extricate herself from the group before it’s too late? Or will joining Panthera Leo be the biggest mistake of her life?

With its incredible premise—a group of women that are working the system like a boys' club—Please Join Us is a union of contemporary fiction and thriller through a feminist lens. And like Panthera Leo, this book has claws!

Struggling corporate lawyer, Nicole Mueller, is the narrator of Catherine McKenzie's thirteenth novel. Alternating between past and present, Please Join Us is an exploration of toxic relationships and the influence of power. Not without flaws, Nicole is a perceptive and intriguing character that readers will root for.  

McKenzie is a master storyteller—the plot is exceptionally clever and the pacing is spot on. She brilliantly explains the intricacies of the law into something palatable for her reader and weaves these threads into a brilliant and satisfying conclusion. 

Please Join Us is a feminist thriller about a secret organization, the challenges women face in the workplace, and just how far one woman will go to claim what is rightfully hers. 

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CATHERINE McKENZIE is the bestselling author of numerous bestsellers including Six Weeks to Live, You Can't Catch Me, Hidden, Fractured, The Good Liar, and I'll Never Tell. Her works have been translated into multiple languages and I'll Never Tell, The Good Liar, and You Can't Catch Me have all been optioned for development into television series.

McKenzie was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. A graduate of McGill in History and Law, Catherine practiced law for twenty years before leaving the practice to write full time.

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Q & A with Catherine McKenzie*

GWR: Is there a particular author/work that inspired you to become a writer or the way you write? 

CM: Such a hard question! I’ve definitely always been a big reader ever since I learned to read when I was three. When I was a girl I loved the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and then of course Anne of Green Gables and the entire Anne series. Later, I discovered Jane Austen, Nick Hornby, John Irving and books like The Time Traveller’s Wife and The Fault in Our Stars. A Million Little Pieces was a big influence right when I started writing. Hopefully I’ve stolen the best bits from all of those and added something of my own.

GWR: Are you a pantser/gardener or a plotter/architect? Have you approached each book the same way, or has your writing process changed/evolved?

CM: I am a panster for sure, though I do plot in my head. My process has evolved over the years, and I am TRYING to be a better plotter in advance. But I do love the spontaneity of writing without a fixed outline. That’s where the magic happens.

GWR: Being a seasoned author, what is your favourite part of the publishing process? Is there anything that you still find difficult? 

CM: A lot of it is still difficult! I love when it’s just me and the manuscript and it’s all working out the way I planned. And then when the book is out and people enjoy it—that’s always special.

GWR: Overall, what do you have more fun with, character development or plot?

CM: I’d say both, honestly. I hope what makes me stand out as an author is that I have lots of people and well developed characters.

GWR: What was the inspiration behind Please Join Us?

CM: I received an invitation to an anonymous women’s group—and did not go! But the idea stuck...

GWR: I love how the characters are feminist, intelligent, and fierce. Do you have a favourite? 

CM: Thank you! I really like Athena, and Nicole of course, the narrator, because I spend the most time with her.

GWR: Did you build Please Join Us around a twist/reveal, or did this happen organically?

CM: I always know the end before I start writing, though in this case, the end was going to happen earlier and I realized that I was missing a twist while I was writing. Thankfully, the answer was already in the manuscript as is often the case.

GWR: What’s the one element of a thriller that is a must?

CM: Secrets!

GWR: If your book was a beverage, what would it be?  

CM: A Moscow Mule.

GWR: Can you share what are you working on now?

CM: A book loosely based on the Gabbie Petito disappearance called Have You Seen Her. 

*A version of this post was published on STYLE Canada.

The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark

A special thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

She's back.

Meg Williams. Maggie Littleton. Melody Wilde. Different names for the same person, depending on the town, depending on the job. She's a con artist who erases herself to become whoever you need her to be—a college student. A life coach. A real estate agent. Nothing about her is real. She slides alongside you and tells you exactly what you need to hear, and by the time she's done, you've likely lost everything.

Kat Roberts has been waiting ten years for the woman who upended her life to return. And now that she has, Kat is determined to be the one to expose her. But as the two women grow closer, Kat's long-held assumptions begin to crumble, leaving Kat to wonder who Meg's real target is.

"The difference between justice and revenge comes down to who's telling the story."

The Lies I Tell is a twisty cat and mouse domestic thriller. Told through alternating points of view and flashbacks, Clark reveals Kat and Meg's true intentions while leading her reader into the moral grey area where the plot sits. Readers will have compounding emotions—they won't know who is the con and who is the prey.

Clark's characters are complex, layered, and strong. Despite their distrust of one another, Meg and Kat forge an unlikely friendship that weaves an insidious and intriguing web. And fans of The Last Flight will love the cameo at the airport. Clever, clever! 

The Lies I Tell is perfectly executed! It takes a deep dive into the motivations of two women seeking justice for those who who have wronged them and in their endeavour to change the course of their lives.  

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JULIE CLARK is the New York Times bestselling author of The Ones We Choose and The Last Flight, which was also a #1 international bestseller and has been translated into more than twenty languages. 

Clark lives in Los Angeles with her family and a golden doodle with poor impulse control.

Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen

A special thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Money can't buy happiness... But it can buy a decent fake.

Ava Wong has always played it safe. As a strait-laced, rule-abiding Chinese American lawyer with a successful surgeon as a husband, a young son, and a beautiful home--she's built the perfect life. But beneath this facade, Ava's world is crumbling: her marriage is falling apart, her expensive law degree hasn't been used in years, and her toddler's tantrums are pushing her to the breaking point.

Enter Winnie Fang, Ava's enigmatic college roommate from Mainland China, who abruptly dropped out under mysterious circumstances. Now, twenty years later, Winnie is looking to reconnect with her old friend. But the shy, awkward girl Ava once knew has been replaced with a confident woman of the world, dripping in luxury goods, including a coveted Birkin in classic orange. The secret to her success? Winnie has developed an ingenious counterfeit scheme that involves importing near-exact replicas of luxury handbags and now she needs someone with a U.S. passport to help manage her business--someone who'd never be suspected of wrongdoing, someone like Ava. But when their spectacular success is threatened and Winnie vanishes once again, Ava is left holding the counterfeit bag. 

Counterfeit is stylish, soapy, and sharp. Chen pulls back the curtain on the knock-off designer handbag business and on the Chinese factories where they are mass produced. 

This fashion-forward novel is a union of contemporary fiction and mystery. Chen employs a hybrid point of view, shifting from second person—Ava is talking to the detective—to Winnie's third-person account in the second part. She stays within the tight context of the women's relationship, leaving her reader to guess which story is real and which is the counterfeit? 

With strong female characters, Counterfeit is full of glitz, hustle, friendship, and secrecy.

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KIRSTIN CHEN is an award-winning, best-selling author of three novels. Counterfeit has been recommended by Entertainment Weekly, Vogue, Time, Oprah Daily, Haper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Parade, and more. Television rights have been optioned by Sony Pictures. Her previous two novels are Bury What We Cannot Take and Soy Sauce for Beginners.

Chen was born and raised in Singapore and now lives in San Francisco. 

An Honest Lie by Tarryn Fisher

A special thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“I’m going to kill her. You’d better come if you want to save her.” 

Lorraine—“Rainy”—lives at the top of Tiger Mountain. Remote, moody, cloistered in pine trees and fog, it’s a sanctuary, a new life. She can hide from the disturbing past she wants to forget.

If she’s allowed to. 

When Rainy reluctantly agrees to a girls’ weekend in Vegas, she’s prepared for an exhausting parade of shots and slot machines. But after a wild night, her friend Braithe doesn’t come back to the hotel room.

And then Rainy gets the text message, sent from Braithe’s phone: someone has her. But Rainy is who they really want, and Rainy knows why.

What follows is a twisted, shocking journey on the knife-edge of life and death. If she wants to save Braithe—and herself—the only way is to step back into the past.

Tarryn Fisher has a wicked and brilliant mind. Her writing is captivating and compelling—Fisher wields words, they are definitely her weapon. She is an incredible champion of women and this is what the premise of the book is supposed to be, but the story is not believable enough (especially the ending) and the dual storylines are far too disjointed.  

Although there were parts that were excellent and well-written, most of the story felt like an afterthought in order to connect the dots and right a few plot holes. 

An Honest Lie is a miss. Where Fisher excels is when she is writing about angsty relationships that are tinged with her signature darkness.    

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TARRYN FISHER is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Wives.

Born a sun hater, she currently makes her home in Seattle, Washington with her children, husband, and psychotic husky.

Tarryn writes about villains.

Island Time by Georgia Clark

A special thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Kellys are messy, loud, loving Australians. The Lees are sophisticated, aloof, buttoned-up Americans. They have nothing in common…except for the fact that their daughters are married. When a nearby volcano erupts during their short vacation to a remote tropical island off the coast of Queensland, the two families find themselves stranded together for six weeks.

With only two island employees making up the rest of their party, everyone is forced to question what—or who—they really want. Island Time is a sumptuous summer read that dives deep into queer romance, family secrets, ambition, parenthood, and a bird-chasing bromance. This sexy, sun-soaked paradise of white sandy beaches, crystal-clear waters, and lush rainforest will show you it’s never too late to change your destiny.

Island Time is another fab offering by Georgia Clark. Although steamier than her other books and not as rom-com-y, it is still an absolute delight! Always astounding is Clark's ability to balance all of the subplots and multiple points of view. This is no small feat.  

It's sapphic, sexy, and salty—this is one tropical paradise you won't want to be rescued from. Add it to your summer reading list immediately!

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GEORGIA CLARK  is an author, performer, and screenwriter. She wrote the critically acclaimed novels, It Had to Be You, The Regulars and The Bucket List. 

Clark is a native Australian who now calls Brooklyn her home where she lives with her wife and new baby.

The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner

A special thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When her twenty-two-year-old stepdaughter announces her engagement to her pandemic boyfriend, Sarah Danhauser is shocked. But the wheels are in motion. Headstrong Ruby has already set a date (just three months away!) and spoken to her beloved safta, Sarah’s mother Veronica, about having the wedding at the family’s beach house in Cape Cod. Sarah might be worried, but Veronica is thrilled to be bringing the family together one last time before putting the big house on the market.

But the road to a wedding day usually comes with a few bumps. Ruby has always known exactly what she wants, but as the wedding date approaches, she finds herself grappling with the wounds left by the mother who walked out when she was a baby. Veronica ends up facing unexpected news, thanks to her meddling sister, and must revisit the choices she made long ago, when she was a bestselling novelist with a different life. Sarah’s twin brother, Sam, is recovering from a terrible loss, and confronting big questions about who he is—questions he hopes to resolve during his stay on the Cape. Sarah’s husband, Eli, who’s been inexplicably distant during the pandemic, confronts the consequences of a long ago lapse from his typical good-guy behavior. And Sarah, frustrated by her husband, concerned about her stepdaughter, and worn out by challenges of life during quarantine, faces the alluring reappearance of someone from her past and a life that could have been.

When the wedding day arrives, lovers are revealed as their true selves, misunderstandings take on a life of their own, and secrets come to light. There are confrontations and revelations that will touch each member of the extended family, ensuring that nothing will ever be the same.

With a house as the central character, Weiner's latest offering returns readers to the Cape for another binge-worthy summer read.

Through multiple points of view, The Summer Place explodes with its soapy secrets and exceptional characterizations. The multi-generational family is dynamic and complicated—Weiner is a master at creating authentic, witty, self-depreciating characters. And Shakespeare fans will love the nod to A Midsummer Night Dream. 

Riveting and unputdownable, The Summer Place is a testament to family, forgiveness, and sacrifice. 

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JENNIFER WEINER is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of sixteen books, including Good in Bed, In Her Shoes, and her memoir, Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing.

She is a graduate of Princeton University and a contributor to the New York Times Opinion section.

Weiner lives with her family in Philadelphia.

Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall

A special thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tell them you’re looking for Jane.

2017

When Angela Creighton discovers a mysterious letter containing a life-shattering confession in a stack of forgotten mail, she is determined to find the intended recipient. Her search takes her back to the 1970s when a group of daring women operated an illegal underground abortion network in Toronto known only by its whispered code name: Jane...

1971

As a teenager, Dr. Evelyn Taylor was sent to a home for “fallen” women where she was forced to give up her baby for adoption—a trauma she has never recovered from. Despite harrowing police raids and the constant threat of arrest, she joins the Jane Network as an abortion provider, determined to give other women the choice she never had.

1980

After discovering a shocking secret about her family history, twenty-year-old Nancy Mitchell begins to question everything she has ever known. When she unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she feels like she has no one to turn to for help. Grappling with her decision, she locates “Jane” and finds a place of her own alongside Dr. Taylor within the network’s ranks, but she can never escape the lies that haunt her.

Weaving together the lives of three women, Looking for Jane is an unforgettable novel about the devastating consequences that come from a lack of choice—and the enduring power of a mother’s love.

Looking for Jane is a stunning debut that takes a deep dive into motherhood (the wanting and not wanting to be a mother), social expectations placed on women (that are still alive and well today, and women’s reproductive rights (and lack there of). 

Through the intertwined stories of Angela, Evelyn, and Nancy, Marshall shines a light on the heartbreaking reality faced by women of all generations and walks of life. It is so much more than a book about abortion and choice, it is a reflection on one of the blemishes in Canadian history and it speaks to the strength of women in their continued fight for their rights.  

This thought-provoking, searing, and still timely novel will stay with its reader long after the last page is turned. 

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HEATHER MARSHALL completed master’s degrees in Canadian history and political science, and has worked in politics and communications before turning her attention to her true passion: storytelling. Looking for Jane is her debut novel. 

Marshall lives near Toronto with her family. 

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Q & A with Heather Marshall*

GWR: What does your writing process look like? 

HM: I have such admiration and respect for writers who can plot out their entire project and—even more impressively—stick to that plot structure. But that's not me! I start with an idea, or sometimes two separate ideas that weave together into one story, and then just let my imagination run with it. For some reason I can't fully explain, I often know the ending of a story before I've written the rest of it, and I'll write the final scene or chapter first. I think it allows me to see the end of the story and then work backwards and fill in the rest. 

One of my favourite parts of my writing process, and what makes me such a terrible plotter, is when characters decide to run amok and take my story in a direction I hadn't planned. It can make for a lot of extra work, but I almost always end up loving the final result even more than my original plan. 

GWR: How did you come up with the idea for this novel? What was your inspiration or jumping off point? 

HM: Back in university I wrote a paper on the process leading up to the legalization of abortion in Canada in the 1980s, and I remember thinking it would make a great novel. Years later, I stumbled across a news article about the post-war era maternity homes and all the women who were forced to give their babies up for adoption, and I thought that would also make a great story. I was working on both of these ideas when one day it finally clicked that they were two threads of the same story: women's fight for control over their bodies and their lives. 

GWR: Tell me about the research you did for Looking for Jane? 

HM: The research process for this book was quite extensive, eye-opening, and completely heartbreaking. After I read that initial article about the homes for unwed mothers, I went down a rabbit hole and discovered several more that led me to other sources, including some academic research papers, books, and a documentary. 

For the reproductive rights storyline, I drew on a lot of my own research from that paper I wrote back in university, and I also had the pleasure of interviewing long-time feminist activist Judy Rebick, who told me all about her experience with the abortion rights movement and working alongside Dr. Henry Morgentaler in the years leading up to legalization. 

I also interviewed lots of women about all kinds of experiences related to motherhood, including conception/fertility struggles, unplanned pregnancy, abortion, childbirth, and adoption. 

GWR: What made you decide to write the book from multiple points of view? Was it easier or more challenging to explore the parallel storylines? 

HM: As a reader, I've always been drawn to novels that are structured with multiple points of view. Personally I find it makes for a more interesting and engaging read. As a writer, I know that there are always at least two sides to any story, and the multiple points of view allows me to tell these characters' stories from more angles that I would be able to if it were just one perspective. Right from the outset I knew I wanted Looking For Jane to be as sweeping as I could possibly make it, across timelines and experiences, so I created those three characters whose stories span the 1960s through present day in the hopes of really giving a full sense of how far we have come with regard to women's rights, and how far we still have to go. 

It was definitely a challenge to write a novel with three points of view spanning that amount of time with a mystery and a twist thrown in! Every time my agent or editor wanted to make a tweak I had to go over the entire novel and make sure that that one change didn't have a domino effect on the whole thing. I don't think I had any idea how ambitious this novel was when I first started writing it, but it was such a labour of love, and I'm so proud of the final result and the impact it might have. 

GWR: How did you balance crafting a good story against historical accuracy in terms of character development and plot? 

HM: I think this is such a big challenge for historical fiction writers. We of course want to tell the best story we can to entertain our readers, but most of us who read and write historical fiction do so because we love learning real facts about the past in an accessible and entertaining way, so there is always that drive to be as accurate as possible. Personally, I try not to veer too far off course or take too many liberties with historical fact or timelines, because I find it makes for a more authentic read. I talk about this a bit more in the Author's Note at the end of the book, but in shedding light on the maternity homes tragedy, I felt an incredible responsibility to tell these women's stories as accurately as I could. I made a very deliberate decision to not exaggerate—or minimize—the trauma they endured, so that storyline is heavily based on first-hand accounts of their experiences, which were appalling. 

Committing to historical accuracy also lets me really sink my teeth into the era I'm writing about, and put myself in my characters' shoes more deeply. For instance, I get to research fun things like slang and language of a particular place and time, fashion trends, hair and makeup styles, logos and advertising, architectural trends, popular household brands and products, etc, and then use those to colour my characters' lives and the setting. One of the best compliments I keep hearing about this book is that it's quite evocative of the era, that readers really feel transported, and that makes me feel so thrilled, because I think it's the addition of all those little historical details that really brings the era and characters to life. 

When it comes to timeline, I will definitely take some liberty if an event I'm mentioning or focusing on happened a year or two 'off' from my story, but in Looking for Jane, I wanted to explore the history of abortion access in a very real way, so I was pretty precise about dates in this book. 

GWR: Looking for Jane takes a deep dive into motherhood (the wanting and not wanting to be a mother), social expectations placed on women (that are still alive and well today, and women’s reproductive rights (and lack there of). Why was it important to include all of these elements int the story? 

HM: As I mentioned above, from the outset I wanted this book to feel quite expansive, and to try to capture the breadth and depth of motherhood and how that's evolved for Canadians over the past several decades; how things have changed, stayed the same, gotten better or worse or just more complicated. I like to have one or two central themes threading through each of my novels, and I wanted to dedicate an entire book to this exploration of motherhood and choices. I know I could have explored some of these elements in future novels, but it just felt right to me to include them in this particular story.

GWR: What was the hardest scene to write? 

HM: Oh, there were a few that were very difficult for me emotionally. I think when Evelyn says goodbye to her baby was a particularly tough one, even though it just poured out of me when I was writing it. It wasn't a challenge at all to get it down, but it was heartbreaking to read every time I came back to it during the editing process, and that was before I even had a baby of my own! Interestingly, I'm glad I wrote this novel before I had my first child. I think it's almost too much of a punch in the gut for me to have written it now. I'm not sure I could have handled it, emotionally. 

GWR: Is there a topic you wish more authors would write about? 

HM: I like to tell a funny little anecdote when I get questions like this. Back in my grade eight history class, we were learning about all the men involved in Confederation, and I quite innocently put up my hand and asked my teacher "What were the women doing?". I was twelve, not yet identifying as a feminist, but I was wondering what all these men's wives were up to while they were off doing these Very Important Things at work. In response, I got sent to the principal's office for my seeming insubordination. I was reprimanded for daring to ask what the women were doing. Needless to say, I didn't get in trouble with my parents and I'm sure I made them quite proud that day, actually. But I think that experience planted the seed for what I do. I write about what the women were doing, and a lot of other authors do now, too. So to answer your question, I think authors are doing just great! In the past decade or so, there's been this explosion of writing about women, by women, unearthing their contributions to humanity. I just want to see as much of that as possible, and I'm honoured to be among those writing this type of fiction. 

GWR: Was there a particular author/work that inspired you to become a writer or the way that you write? 

HM: I read fairly widely, but I'm a big fan of both Kate Morton and Jodi Picoult—they're two of my literary idols, even though they write quite differently from one another. But I do remember very clearly, when I finished Anthony Doerr's complete masterpiece All the Light We Cannot See back when it was first released, I thought "if I can be even one tenth of that calibre, I'll have accomplished something as a writer." I'm not sure I've achieved that yet, ha! But it's good to have goals!

GWR: What are you working on now? 

HM: I can't share too much just yet, but it's another historical fiction that takes place in Germany in the 1940s, and the North of England in the present day. It explores a few key themes including survivor's guilt, and the polished versions of ourselves that we sometimes present to others when we're unhappy with our true, messy selves. One of the characters is inspired by a woman named Mona Parsons, a little-known Canadian heroine who was the only Canadian civilian woman to be sentenced to death and imprisoned by the Nazis during WWII. I'm really excited to draw some much-deserved attention to her!

*A version of this post was published on STYLE Canada.

Kamila Knows Best by Farah Heron

A special thank you to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and the author, Farah Heron for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kamila Knows Best is a fresh and modern retelling of Jane Austen's Emma. Set in Toronto, it features a vibrant cast that is enhanced by Bollywood movie nights and mouthwatering food. 

Our heroine has an incredible flair and sense of style but when it comes to her personal life, she's not as polished. Between her family obligations, volunteering, and her career in a predominantly male industry, Kamila doesn't have a lot of time for romance. And to further complicate things, her nemesis is back in town and has her sights set on her longtime family friend, Rohan. 

The relationship is both enhanced and complicated by Kamila’s familial expectations—caring for her father, as well as trying to honour his wishes, comes at the expense of going against her own aspirations. She is a strong personality and a character with incredible depth. 

Through its witty banter, off-the-charts chemistry, and delicious descriptions of food, Heron's latest contemporary offering is an absolute delight!  

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FARAH HERON is a critically acclaimed author of romantic comedies for adults and young adults filled with huge South Asian families, delectable food, and most importantly, brown people falling stupidly in love. Her debut, The Chai Factor, was named one of the summer’s best books by The Globe and Mail. Her next book, Accidentally Engaged, was listed as a best book of 2021 in Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, NPR, CBC Books, Kobo, and more.  

Heron lives in Toronto with her husband, two children, and a rabbit named Strawberry and two newly adopted cats.

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Q & A with Farah Heron*

GWR: What does your writing process look like? How many hours a day do you write?

FH: I don’t have a set routine, but I tend to do more actual writing at night. During the day I get all my promo and business stuff taken care of. Right now, with everyone at home, it can be hard for me to turn off my brain enough to focus until everyone else has gone to bed. 

GWR: Is there a particular author/work that inspired you to become a romance writer? Who are some other authors that are especially good with writing relationships and/or friendships?

FH: I was inspired to write by several writers. Back in the 90s (I know, I’m dating myself here) I loved rom-coms in the chick-lit craze. One of my favourites was Marian Keyes for her ability to blend very serious topics with romance and humour. Then a little later in life I discovered historical and contemporary romance. As I read more of them, I had trouble turning off my own stories in my head, so I started writing. Around then I discovered the work of Sonali Dev. Before her, I didn’t know that there was a market for romances with Indian characters and Indian culture with specificity. Since then, I have written stories set in my own culture. 

GWR: If you could tell your younger self something about writing and becoming an author, what would it be?

FH: I would have told myself to start writing instead of just telling myself that I should try writing one day. I didn’t start writing fiction until 2016, when I was nearly forty. Things moved quickly for me in my writing career, but I wish I had taken the plunge before then. But at the same time, publishing in the past wasn’t what it is now, and I’m not sure I would have been able to get published with my Indian-Canadian rom-coms before now.

GWR: How did you come up with the concept of Kamila Knows Best? Is a modern retelling something that you have always endeavoured to write?

FH: I have been a Jane Austen super-fan for years, and I’ve loved retellings, so I always knew I wanted to try my own one day. I picked Emma, not because it was my favourite Austen (that would be Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion) but because I thought Emma would be such a great challenge to try to adapt. Emma is a very hard character for many to love, and it's such a balance to make readers root for a character who is at the same time very image conscious and meddling, but also generous and playful. And yes, I did find it incredibly hard—mostly because modern stories need to have goals and motivations that were often absent in older books. But I loved the way it turned out, and I hope readers fall in love with Kamila as much as I did.  

GWR: Your novels are both enhanced and complicated by cultural and familial expectations—for example, in Kamila’s case, she is conflicted with her desire to both fulfill and defy her father’s wishes and in Accidentally Engaged, Reena is trying to balance personal fulfillment against the pressure of her culture as well as family duty—why is it important for you to include these topics in a romantic comedy?

FH: I think whether I want to or not, I will always write about families and family expectations in my stories. Family is such a big part of the lives of immigrant communities, and it’s almost impossible to write a south Asian story without family being a part of it. I personally find the push and pull between our culture’s collectivist thinking, and North America’s individualist way of life, brings so many story possibilities. 

GWR: Can we just take a moment to appreciate the food in your books? You seem to know your way around a kitchen—are you a cook/baker? What are some of your favourite things to make or favourite pairings? 

FH: I love to cook! I call myself the queen of hobbies because I pick up a new one and become completely obsessed with it every few years. A while back I was obsessed with bread and sourdough. I grew out of that hobby right before I started writing Accidentally Engaged, so all the bread baking there was based on my own experiences. I still bake, but not as much as I used to. I also really love making the Indian food I grew up with, and thankfully my family loves it too. It’s a great way to connect to my culture, and the food is so comforting! But I am also a huge fan of Chinese and Thai food, and it’s probably the most common food we eat at home. 

GWR: What are you working on now?

FH: I have a few projects on the go right now! I will start edits on my next YA soon. It will be released in the fall. It’s set in the same family as Tahira in Bloom and is about Tahira’s sister Samaya. Samaya is nothing like Tahira, though. She’s a math genius, and a bit of a video game nerd. I’ve paired her with Daniel, a hockey player who wants to study pastry arts after high school. They make pies and play video games together. But it’s really a story about class differences, moving on after heartbreak, and learning to tune out high school gossip to focus on what’s important. And I recently announced my next adult book, Jana Goes Wild, which is a second chance romance set on a Tanzanian safari. I think we’re all looking to armchair travel right now so writing something set on a dream vacation has been super fun. 

*A version of this post was published on STYLE Canada.

Never Coming Home by Hannah Mary McKinnon

A special thank you to the author, Hannah Mary McKinnon, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

First comes love. Then comes murder.

Lucas Forester didn't hate his wife. Michelle was brilliant, sophisticated and beautiful. Sure, she had extravagant spending habits and that petty attitude, a total disregard for anyone below her status. But she also had a lot to offer. Most notably, wealth that only the one percent could comprehend.

For years, Lucas had been honing a flawless plan to inherit Michelle’s fortune. Unfortunately, it involved taking a hit out on her.

Every track was covered, no trace left behind, and now Lucas plays the grieving husband so well he deserves an award. But when a shocking photo and cryptic note show up on his doorstep, Lucas goes from hunter to prey. 

Someone is onto him. And they’re closing in.

Written from the perspective of Lucas Forester—a compelling and dynamic character that readers won't know whether to revere or abhore—Never Coming Home is deftly plotted and deliciously deceitful. Told with McKinnon's signature wit, this novel is both sinister and humorous. So much so that you may never look at your spouse the same way again. 

Never Coming Home is a slow and suspenseful burn that absolutely explodes at the end. Hannah is the queen of shocking finales and this is no exception.  

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HANNAH MARY MCKINNON was born in the UK, grew up in Switzerland, and moved to Canada in 2010. After a successful career in recruitment, she quit the corporate world in favour of writing.

McKinnon now lives in Oakville, Ontario, with her husband and three sons.

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Q & A with Hannah Mary McKinnon*

GWR: Describe Never Coming Home in 3 words.

HMM: Twisted, surprising, funny.

GWR: What would be your ideal writing/reading experience (when, where, what, how)? How does this differ from reality?

HMM: I’d love for me to think about my books and have those thoughts appear on the page fully formed—I’d save so much time. Alas, no such luck. Like any job, writing is hard at times, but I get to disappear into the worlds I create and spend time with my characters there. If that isn’t close to the definition of a magical career, I’m not sure what is.

GWR: How did inspiration strike for Never Coming Home? 

HMM: Instead of a news article or a radio segment, which is typically where the inspiration for my books comes from, for Never Coming Home the character appeared first. I wanted to write about someone who was evil, despicable, but also relatable on some levels, and definitely funny—and whose enemies were even worse. Cue Lucas and Bobby Boyle. The story evolved from there, so it was very much character driven, and writing from the antagonist’s point of view was an entirely new experience. I had so much fun, and thoroughly enjoyed crafting another novel entirely from a man’s perspective. 

While I probably shouldn’t admit to this, despite his many flaws, I enjoyed spending time with Lucas because I found him hilarious. I wrote the book during the second half of 2020, so this was very much a pandemic project. My lovely mum passed away that summer, so I needed a place to escape to when everything felt so bleak. I think that’s why this book is my funniest. I needed something to make me laugh.

GWR: What do you have more fun with, character development or plot?

HMM: Oh, both, definitely. Lucas was hilarious and it was so refreshing to be fully immersed in the mind of a killer, to see everything from his perspective and try to have him justify his actions. His character formed in an instant, and the plot came together fast, too. I wrote this novel more quickly than any of my others and it was such a joy to work on from start to finish. I kept telling my husband, “It’s going well, too well, it’s all going to collapse.” But it didn’t. Because of this I fully expect my next ten novels to repeatedly kick me in the crotch.

GWR: Do you like writing from the perspective of the opposite sex, or is it more of a challenge? 

HMM: I enjoy both although I find when I write a man’s point-of-view I’m more direct. Nevertheless, one of my first questions is, “Whose story is this?” After that, I try not to overthink whether I’m writing a man or a woman. The important thing is to give them a voice, develop their character and backstory, and make them seem as human to the reader as they are to me.

GWR: Did any minor characters develop into more major ones over the course of writing the novel? 

HMM: Yes! Bobby Boyle grew as I wrote the novel and the banter between him and Lucas made me laugh so much. Bobby may well deserve his very own story one day. I was very keen on his sidekick, Heinz, too.

GWR: Your books always have incredible plot twists and jaw-dropping endings. Are they planned in advance, or do they happen organically as you write, or a little of both?

HMM: A little of both. I love twists and turns, and the more books I write, the more I plot them. Detailed outlines make me more productive and efficient because I know where I’m headed, but it’s impossible for me to foresee every twist and it also doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll end up at the destination I mapped out though. In The Neighbors, for example, the ending changed quite dramatically as I got closer to finishing my first draft. In Her Secret Son, the final chapters were different because I wasn’t happy with whom I’d planned to kill off. Sister Dear’s and You Will Remember Me’s endings are close to how I’d imagined but more sinister. 

GWR: Spoiler-free of course, did Never Coming Home end the way you originally thought it would?

HMM: Out of all my books so far, Never Coming Home turned out the closest to my initial vision and was the smoothest to write and edit. I even knew the final word before I sat down and typed “Chapter 1,” which is something that has never happened before. The storyline was crystal clear in my mind and the bones of the story didn’t change significantly during the editing process. Having said that, and as mentioned before, more twists and turns appeared when I wrote. That’s another fun part of writing, discovering what your characters will do when you let them loose. I can’t possibly know everything from the beginning.

GWR: Can you share a bit about what you are working on now?

HMM: With pleasure. Book 7 (slated for 2023) is another psychological thriller. It’s about a woman named Frankie who has some anger issues, and writes a list of people she could work to forgive as a therapy exercise. She thinks nothing of it when she loses her list in an Uber, until one by one the individuals become victims of freak accidents. Frankie desperately tries to determine if the tragedies are indeed accidental, and if not, who’s behind them before someone else gets hurt, especially as one of the names on the list is her own… I’m so excited for this next novel and can’t wait for you to meet Frankie and the rest of my cast.

*A version of this post was published on STYLE Canada.

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Stephen Aston is getting married to Heather. Not only is she the same age as one of his daughters, but he is still married to his first wife, who is living in a care facility with dementia. But he'll take care of that easily by divorcing her.  

Tully and Rachel Aston look upon Heather as nothing but an interloper. She's the same age as Rachel, and even younger than Tully—clearly she's a golddigger and after their father's money. But Heather has secrets that she's keeping close, and her own reasons for wanting to marry Stephen. 

With their mother unable to speak for herself, Tully and Rachel are determined to get to the truth about their family's secrets, the new wife, and who their father really is. But will this unleash the most dangerous impulses...in all of them?

The Younger Wife is completely binge-worthy. With its dynamic plot, this twisty domestic thriller explores one family's secrets, lies, and compulsions. 

Told from multiple points of view—Tully's, Rachel's, Heather's, and another important character (no spoilers)—The Younger Wife is perfectly paced and expertly plotted. Hepworth employs her opening hook as the scene that unfolds at various points in the story. Her writing is enthralling and addictive and her characters are layered and complex. 

With an ending that will completely blindside the reader, this is Sally Hepworth at her best. And do yourself a favour and be sure to read the Author's Note.

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SALLY HEPWORTH  is the author of seven books, most notably The Mother-in-Law and The Good Sister. She has been featured in media outlets that have included USA Today, The New York Times, and The Sydney Morning Herald.

Hepworth lives in Australia with her family.

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Lux McAllister and her boyfriend, Nico, are hired to sail two women to a remote island in the South Pacific, it seems like the perfect opportunity. Stuck in a dead-end job in Hawaii, and longing to travel the world after a family tragedy, Lux is eager to climb on board The Susannah and set sail for an adventure. She’s also quick to bond with their passengers, college best friends Brittany and Amma. The two women say they want to travel off the beaten path, but like Lux, they may have other reasons to be seeking an escape.

Shimmering on the horizon after days at sea, Meroe Island is every bit the paradise the foursome anticipate, despite its mysterious history of shipwrecks, cannibalism, and even rumours of murder. But what they don’t expect is to discover another boat already anchored off Meroe’s sandy beaches. The owners of the Azure Sky, Jake and Eliza, are a true golden couple: gorgeous, laidback, and if their sleek catamaran and well-stocked bar are any indication, rich. Now a party of six, the new friends settle in to experience life on an exotic island, and the serenity of being completely off the grid. Lux hasn’t felt like she truly belonged anywhere in years, yet here on Meroe, with these fellow free spirits, she finally has a sense of peace.

But with the arrival of a skeevy stranger sailing alone in pursuit of a darker kind of good time, the balance of the group is disrupted. Soon, cracks begin to emerge: it seems that Brittany and Amma haven’t been completely honest with Lux about their pasts––and perhaps not even with each other. And though Jake and Eliza seem like the perfect pair, the rocky history of their relationship begins to resurface, and their reasons for sailing to Meroe might not be as innocent as they first appeared.

When it becomes clear that the group is even more cut off from civilization than they initially thought, it starts to feel like the island itself is closing in on them. And when one person goes missing, and another turns up dead, Lux begins to wonder if any of them are going to make it off the island alive. 

Reckless Girls is a wicked gothic suspense novel set on an isolated Pacific island with a dark history. 

Primarily told from Lux's perspective, there are flashbacks with different narrators to flesh out the characters and their backstories. Hawkins also employs the use of letters, emails, and old diaries to give context to the island and its history. 

The strengths of the story lie in the compelling narration and atmospheric setting. Meroe's remote location is the perfect choice of setting—its isolation adds another layer of tension.

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RACHEL HAWKINS is the New York Times bestselling author of multiple books for young readers, and her work has been translated in over a dozen countries. She studied gender and sexuality in Victorian literature at Auburn University and The Wife Upstairs was her first adult novel.

Hawkins currently lives in Alabama. 

The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella

A special thank you to NetGalley and Random House/The Dial Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

It’s been over two years since Effie’s beloved parents got divorced, destroying the image of the happy, loving childhood she thought she had. Since then, she’s become estranged from her father and embarked on a feud with his hot (and much younger) girlfriend, Krista. And now, more earth-shattering news: Greenoaks, the rambling Victorian country house Effie called home her whole life, has been sold.

When Krista decides to throw a grand “house cooling” party, Effie is originally left off the guest list—and then receives a last-minute “anti-invitation” (maybe it’s because she called Krista a gold-digger, but Krista totally deserved it, and it was mostly a joke anyway). Effie declines, but then remembers a beloved childhood treasure is still hidden in the house. Her only chance to retrieve it is to break into Greenoaks while everyone is busy celebrating. As Effie sneaks around the house, hiding under tables and peeping through trapdoors, she realizes the secrets Greenoaks holds aren’t just in the dusty passageways and hidden attics she grew up exploring. Watching how her sister, brother, and dad behave when they think no one is looking, Effie overhears conversations, makes discoveries, and begins to see her family in a new light. Then she runs into Joe—the love of her life, who long ago broke her heart, and who’s still as handsome and funny as ever—and even more truths emerge.

 But will Effie act on these revelations? Will she stay hidden or step out into the party and take her place with her family? And truthfully, what did she really come back to Greenoaks for? Over the course of one blowout party, Effie realizes that she must be honest with herself and confront her past before she’ll ever be able to face her future.

With its light and fun premise, The Party Crasher strikes the right balance between being serious and using humour. Crashing a family party and being privy to what people are saying about you is the perfect premise for a rom-com. 

Once again, Kinsella's supporting cast is just as strong as her main characters. Effie is a bit clueless at times, but she is far from frustrating—she is endearing and enchanting. Although Effie overhears some hard truths and shocking secrets, she ultimately learns the most about herself. 

If you are looking for an adorable rom-com, look no further. The Party Crasher is a humorous and heartwarming novel about family, set against the backdrop of the most fabulous party you’ve ever snuck into. Thank you, Sophie, for another gem!

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SOPHIE KINSELLA is the author of the bestselling Shopaholic series as well as the standalone novels Can You Keep a Secret?, The Undomestic Goddess, Remember Me?, Twenties Girl, I’ve Got Your Number, Wedding Night, My Not So Perfect Life, Surprise Me, I Owe You One and Love Your Life.

She lives between London and the country.