Family and Other Calamities

by Leslie Gray Streeter

A successful journalist returns to her hometown just as her biggest mistake becomes headline news in this vibrant, funny, and heartfelt novel about facing life and the past, and its secrets, head-on.

Entertainment journalist Dawn Roberts has a lot to work a widow’s grief, betrayals of family and friends, and scandals that almost tanked her reputation. Not that Dawn dwells on the past. Well, hardly. When she returns to Baltimore with her husband’s ashes, she can’t avoid it. In fact, she’s diving into decades of backstabbing and treachery for her first trip home in years.

She’s looking at you, Joe Perkins. Her former mentor, whose explosive exposé about big-city corruption is being turned into a slanderous movie, is also back in town. The villain of the piece? Dawn. The good news is that this could all be a chance to reset—heal family wounds, admit to her own mistakes, and maybe even reconnect with the one who got away. Oh, and get even with Joe any way she can.

With the surprising help of an up-and-coming journalist and a legendary R & B diva, Dawn will finally set the record straight. Returning home might just be the biggest story in Dawn’s life, a fresh start—and happy ending—she never expected.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Humor, Audiobook, Romance, Adult Fiction, Ebooks

244 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2025

Reviews

[Chrissie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect antidote to the depressing feeling I had after reading about the Sackler family (Empire of Pain)!

I love the main character, Dawn, but have to say that the cast of characters that Leslie Gray Streeter has created are all wonderful in their own ways.

The humour is often laugh out loud, but never over the top, and the story is believable.

There are two timelines: one is present day, the other is Dawn's time as an intern at a newspaper, thirty years earlier, which gradually brings the plot together.

I miss Dawn, Tonya and their mother, and wish that I had been at that birthday party!

Five stars for the way this book made me feel - I will not forget it.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thaks to NetGalley for the advance copy of the book.


"Family and Other Calamities" was the perfect book to pull me out of a reading rut. This book is full of sharp, witty dialogue that paints realistic, flawed characters that immediately connect with the reader emotionally. Faced with a confluence of events that pull her back to her hometown of Baltimore where Dawn encounters grief, shame, guilt, truth, and all the feelings that come along with being a part of a family. With the exception of a couple of flashbacks that slow the pace, this book moves quickly through a complicated web of events that don't slow down until the very end.

I really love how deeply I can relate to Dawn and her perpetual habit of running when things feel like they've become too much. Returning to the pieces she left behind is messy, and I think that mess is beautiful and relatable. The only part of the book that felt lackluster was the ending. While I like things to be resolved neatly, I got to the last two chapters and wondered how everything would be pulled together. In my opinion, the ending feels a bit rushed, which detracts from the complexity of the intricate web that had been woven throughout the book.

All-in-all, this book made for a lovely morning of allowing humor to remind me of the ways that family is messy, but they are family nonetheless.

[Yvonne O'Connor · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a niche book. If you are in or around Baltimore, you will love the local color. If you work or have worked in the field of reporting, you will appreciate that element. Otherwise, it’s a hot mess of a story that doesn’t develop characters and focuses on what I would call dramedy to move the plot along. One chaotic scene after another plays out to reveal a story that you knew all along. Meanwhile you never get a real backstory on Dale or Brent or Eddie. All the men in this story are just there to hold space - or a purse. It’s crying out to be a Tyler Perry or OWN special.

[Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am a completionist, but my word this book tested me.

Fairy tale ending, comedy villain (I don't think he was supposed to be), the godmother (not fairy, but diva), it was up there with the remake of Snow White.

I'll be honest, I got bored after chapter 2. The constant reinforcement that she had been hard done by, but treating people trying to help her like crap grated on me.

The writing was so-so, but the plot and tropes used were so corny and so frequent, I got to the stage where I could make a bingo card and play alongside the reading.

The only reason I picked this up was the Amazon Free Preview. I still want my money back.

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to be Ms Dawn Roberts-Shaffer when I grow up.

Seriously.

I ADORED this book. Dawn is sassy, smart, yet a little mental and quintessentially a Baltimorean. I RESONATED with her. I love how spot-on the author is with her setting in Maryland (Baltimore, mostly, but a couple other shout outs around the state) and I truly don't think I've related to a book set in my state as much as this one. All in all, a fantastic feel-good read and I'm 100% glad I chose to step out of my comfort zone on this one.

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! It's an absolute delight to read with a great story, wonderful characters and very funny.

Set in two timelines Dawn Roberts-Schaffer is a journalist who has to head home from LA to Baltimore to take half her late husband's ashes to be interred alongside his mother. Unfortunately for Dawn as she steps off the plane she finds herself hijacked by Bria James, another journalist out to find out Dawn's feelings about a new movie that's just about to start shooting. Unfortunately Dawn knows nothing about it even though her sister, Tonya, is one of its advisors.

Yes, you're thrown in at the deep end. Yes it's a tiny bit confusing to begin with but all is explained really quickly and you won't care anyway because Dawn and her sister Tonya are such great characters.

The story goes back in time to explain that Dawn had a great story. It was stolen by a friend, turned into a Pulitzer winning story and is now about to be turned into a blockbusting film. What Dawn finds out pretty quickly after that is going to set her on collision course with the journalist who nicked her story.

I swear it isn't anywhere near as complicated as I'm trying not to make it sound. The plot is great and totally believable but even if it weren't the characters would make this book worth reading on their own. Dawn is permanently slightly out of control and a bit angry and sister, Tonya, is much the same. Their bantering speech is perfection. I loved them both. Then we've got an arch enemy, a missing friend, an annoying journalist from a news site, several slightly judgemental relatives, one or two really judgemental relatives and a diva par excellence.

This is quite probably the most thoroughly entertaining novel I've read this year. It's a riot and I loved reading it. Leslie Gray Streeter needs to write more fiction - lots more.

Thankyou very much to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advance review copy. Very much appreciated.

[vaishnavi ☆ﾟ⁠.⁠* · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC
eARC recieved from NetGalley.

Did not like this book as much as I thought I would. Dawn's treatment of her family and close friends was jarring to read. the entire family is bonkers.

Quite slow-paced but has a lot of witty dialog. If you enjoy family drama, long grudges, and a touch of journalism and politics, I say go for it! The book does have a very satisfactory ending, which utilises almost every side character well.

[Babydoclaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Dawn is a smart and sometimes sassy widow dealing with multiple "calamities". She is newly widowed, and that is only one of the pieces in this story. she is also dealing with decisions she made as a 20 something which affect her now, decades later. The dialogue is sometimes sharp, often funny, and the honesty we gain as we spend more time on earth is real. As are our families.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing this book for review. All opinions are my own.

This book has a few of my very favorite things in it - flashbacks, veiled references to celebrities, internal dialogue contradicting spoken dialogue, family drama then family dinner, 90s music references, and personal growth. I don’t generally LOL but I did “heh” out loud so it is also funny.

I hope to read more from this author!

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't mess with a grieving widow. You might not know what hits you.

Dawn is a strong woman. While not perfect, she has morals and ethics, unlike a particular former friend who was out for himself. All would have been ok on her journey back to Baltimore to lay her husband's ashes to rest, until that same former friend decides to trash Dawn in his upcoming movie based on his award-winning article. 

Joe is a despicable character who deserves everything he gets in the end. I think he fought so hard because he knew he was wrong, and it was unlikely Dawn could prove it. Never underestimate the power of women and their friends.

I wasn't sure what to think of this book, but I soon became immersed in the story and was rooting for Dawn. She made plenty of mistakes along the way, but when it came down to it, she had her friends and family supporting her. The family is somewhat dysfunctional, but what family isn't these days?

Told in dual timelines, we see what Dawn did as a young cub reporter in the early 90s and how she blossomed and grew in the present. I loved how she talked to her husband, Dale, even though he had died. I love that relationship, and that she still feels close to him. I even appreciated how her relationship with her brother-in-law changed in the present. There was fault on both sides, but sometimes death brings people together when you least expect it.

This novel is about family, friends, and truth. Can we say the same about our lives?

We give this book 4 paws up.

[Jo Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dawn always wanted to be a journalist, and now she owns her own online Hollywood gossip site. But her beloved husband Dale has died, and she reluctantly returns home to Baltimore so Dale's brother can inter his ashes with their mother. A lot of people are mad at Dawn since she quit her newspaper job with no warning to follow Dale to California and they rarely returned home, much to both families' chagrin.
Before she left, Dawn's sister had brought her a big bit of news--the local schools in their mainly black neighborhood are about to be illegally torn down for a waterpark. Dawn starts the story and interviews plenty of people, filling several notebooks with her notes. She talks to her best friend Joe about the story but soon she takes off with Dale.
Joe steals her story and writes an important book about the scandal, winning a Pulitzer. Now there is going to be a movie and Joe, who wrote the script, trashes Dawn. And when she finds out, she goes to war.
Great characters, a good story and some truth to how journos betray others, this is a fun read with a "wow, great ending I didn't see coming."

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightfully surprised by this Kindle 1st read. Entertaining, fun light read but with good drama!

[Caitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

ARC review

Dawn Roberts is an entertainment journalist and a recently bereaved widow, who is desperately trying to do right by her and her late husband's families, all while seeking justice on a decades-old slight by a trusted friend. Family & Other Calamities goes behind the curtain of Baltimore's news scene and shows what it takes to get ahead in a cutthroat industry, and more importantly, what it takes to get even.

The main storyline follows Dawn who suffered a betrayal in the 90's when a trusted friend, Joe, in the industry stole her career-defining story and gained huge recognition for it. Dawn left town with her new boyfriend who she later married and decided to build herself up again despite this hurdle. Fast forward, Dawn is back in town to deliver her husband's ashes to his family who she has a strained relationship with, when she finds out Joe now has a movie deal to bring his stolen story to the big screen. Dawn discovers that the script not only paints her in a bad light, but also her late husband, which is the final straw. Dawn and her loved ones who she isn't fighting with, plus a junior journalist who originally set out to embarrass her, will go to whatever lengths they can to discredit Joe and tell the world the truth about his call to fame.

I was interested in the major plot line, as well as Dawn's struggles with her in-laws and how her husband's death added to these trials. Unfortunately only two of her in-laws are really examined and the rest feel like white noise in the background. It was nice to have one relationship in this dynamic to really focus on and I like the way this relationship changed, but I didn't feel connected to the family as a whole because there were too many gaps left to the reader to fill in. All of the conflict was very much "told not shown" as well which makes it hard for me to relate.

There were a couple of good reveals and I liked most of the main characters but they weren't written cohesively. There were a couple of scenes where a character would start talking and I stopped and said "what are they doing there" because it wasn't always clear when cutting to a new scene who was present/where they were. This felt like an editing issue above anything else.

Dawn is a black woman and I really appreciated how this book explores her experiences as a black woman both professionally (at different stages of her career) and when marrying into a white family and the racism she faced throughout her life.

I think the concept of this book is better than the execution but readers who are more into contemporary mysteries may enjoy it more than I did!

[Candice Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

✍🏾 🆂🅴🆅🅴🅽 🅻🅸🆃 🆃🅷🅸🅽🅶🆂 🆁🅴🆅🅸🅴🆆 ✍🏾
|| 𝙁𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 & 𝙊𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 by Leslie Gray Streeter||
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: June 1, 2025
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary, Humor

Thank you partners @otrpr, @LeslieGrayStreeter + Lake Union Publishing for the tour spot. Please take a few moments to read 7 lit things and scroll through my newspaper article slides in Canva.

𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲?
* Yes, because Streeter’s writing is fun, relatable, and vibrant.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿:
* It is extremely easy to choose Joe because he is a backstabbing, thief and liar who betrays a friend. The worst kind is the ones you don’t see coming and that is him.

𝗠𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆:
* One major takeaway from this novel is how Streeter explores the ripple effects of grief. When we’re hurting, we often don’t realize how our pain spills over onto others. Grief doesn’t pause our relationships; it complicates them. Streeter’s characters show us what happens when we don’t manage that pain with care, and why healing is essential not just for ourselves, but for the people around us.

𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘀/𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀:
* Grief & Healing
* Family Dynamics & Dysfunction
* Reinvention & Second Chances

𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?
* Yes—the family is a central source of the protagonist’s turmoil, but the novel also explores other events and challenges that extend beyond family dynamics. Through dual timelines, we see how these “calamities” unfold both literally and metaphorically, blending serious emotional weight with moments of humor.

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘁/𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂?
* The characters are a messy bunch. Reminds me of my aunts and cousins.

𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗱?
* I wanted more characterization for Eddie and more development for the ending.

𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
* Any book narrated by THEE Bahni Turpin is always done well. Turpin is exceptional with the array of voices she can maneuver back and forth. Her voice narration made the storyline fun and vibrant. In the middle of the audiobook, there were several places where the audio itself was muzzled and I couldn't hear the words (only on Netgalley ALC). Luckily, I had the book so I could go back and reread those sections. The audio is a great companion to the book.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🏷️ #FamilyandOtherCalamities #LeslieGrayStreeter #bookreview #LakeUnion #WomensFiction #BlackFiction #FamilyFiction #RomCom #HumorousFiction #DebutFiction #DebutAuthor #FunnyFiction #JuneBookReleases #BeachReads #BaltimoreFiction #SummerReads #bookreview

[Sherry Moyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once, Dawn Roberts was a scrappy young journalist on the rise, working for a spot in a newsroom in Baltimore. But that was the 90s, and a lot has changed.

Now it’s 2023 and Dawn is struggling through the grief of losing her husband to cancer while working for the online entertainment magazine she started in Los Angeles.

When she returns to Baltimore with half her husband’s ashes (his brother does NOT deserve all of them), her world implodes.

After decades of alternately running from and dwelling on the past, it’s all about to hit the fan when her once best friend, now nemesis, Joe Perkins, drags the past into the present.

The book he wrote three decades ago is being made into a movie, filmed in Baltimore, an exposé on governmental corruption. Except…the villain of the film is “Fawn”, a barely disguised and absolutely unflattering caricature of, well, Dawn.

Now Dawn is going to have to seek help in the most unlikely places while trying to make up with her brash, opinionated sister, plan her busybody mom’s 70th birthday party, interview an R&B diva who refuses to remember Dawn’s name, and make nice with her dead husband’s family.

Listen, this book is a chaotic, laugh out loud hoot! I absolutely ate it up! Told in two converging timelines, the story unfolds in an engaging manner. Dawn is hilarious, full of insults, one liners, and an inner monologue that never stops, and yet still offers emotional depth and heart. It’s a fast paced, rollicking read, with more bumps in the road than I83.

The story takes place mostly in Baltimore but also in parts of Pennsylvania, which is always a bonus: to see your town reflected in what you’re reading. So many fun cultural references, too, that will leave you laughing out loud.

It’s the perfect read for anyone who enjoys character driven fiction filled with heart and humor. The ending is a bit too tidy but honestly, I loved it all!

[Tanja Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think this book is supposed to make you cry. It’s got a lot of humor, even as it explores race, friendships, and journalism ethics, past and present. Dawn just wants to go back home to inter her late husband’s ashes. But she is confronted with her biggest journalism mistake that caused her to flee with her late husband, Dale, in embarrassment from Baltimore to LA thirty years before to start over. And that mistake, being blown up and misrepresented in a movie script, puts her on a crusade to show she and Dale were not the villains.

And that was where the tears at the end came from—her crusade to not only clear her name, but that of her beloved husband. The author, like Dawn, and like me, is a widow, and the author balances the grief—which is not fresh in the timeline of the novel—with the humor and the action in the story and, at least for me, it works.

But man, where were these characters when they were supposed to be taking their journalism ethics classes in college? Sheesh!

[Shannon (The Book Club Mom) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Family dramas are my jam—I just can’t get enough! The fun and vibrant cover of FAMILY & OTHER CALAMITIES by Leslie Gray Streeter initially grabbed my attention, but as soon as I noticed “family” in the title, I just knew that I had to read it.

If you appreciate a good revenge story with plenty of juicy drama, shocking betrayals, and scandalous activity, then you’re in luck. This one is loaded with it. However, it’s not all fun and games. The author balances the chaos with some deep and impactful moments like facing one’s past, loss and grief, and reconnecting with family.

It’s a super quick read too—just over 250 pages. So if you’re looking for a fun, fast, and entertaining palate cleanser, be sure to give this one a go.

3.5/5 stars for FAMILY & OTHER CALAMITIES!

[Bianca Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leslie Gray Streeter’s Family and Other Calamities is a wildly funny, emotionally sharp story about grief, family messiness, and figuring your life out when everything falls apart. The book follows Dawn as she heads back to her hometown of Baltimore, where old wounds and new chaos collide. She’s an absolute riot—full of sarcasm, one-liners, and nonstop inner commentary that’ll make you laugh out loud. But what makes her shine is the heart underneath all that humor. You feel every bit of her struggle to keep it together while avoiding the very feelings she needs to face. Streeter’s background as a journalist comes through in the quick, clever dialogue and her spot-on take on complicated family dynamics.

This story moves fast and keeps things entertaining, but it also doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff—grief, regret, and how hard it is to move forward when you’re stuck in the past. Dawn isn’t always easy to love, and that’s the point. She’s real. She makes bad calls, says the wrong thing, and avoids the truth like the rest of us. But watching her slowly figure things out is deeply satisfying. With so much humor, heart, and honesty packed into one story, Family and Other Calamities is perfect for anyone looking for a character-driven read that’ll make you laugh, think, and maybe tear up a little.

[Artemisthepinkreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun.

Dawn could be one of the funniest characters I have read for a long time. Sometimes her jokes are not that good but still. The story is about journalism and how you should not share everything with others, even if they seem to be your best friends. The pace is always fast and the novel is easy to read. Definitely a must read for
-reading slump
-everyone interested in journalism
-Baltimore fans

I find the novel hilarious and even though I am from a place so far away from Baltimore (a different continent really), the story still resonated. When you work for a long time, you know the pain of not being credit.

Thank you NetGalley, Leslie Gray Streeter and Lake Union Publishing for the free electronic copy!

[Tonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gray’s main character’s dialogue is fresh, genuine, and funny. The story is told in dual timelines. Currently Dawn deals with her work “friend” stealing and being highly recognized for a story he stole from her. She flashes back to her early years as a journalist and what lead to the betrayal. In the midst of it all she deals with family and the grief of losing her husband. I found it a bit unrealistic that she waited twenty some years to fight for her rights to the story. I enjoyed her unique writing style and a peek into the life of a journalist. I received a free copy of this book. ImAll opinions my own. 3.5

[Erin Cadwalader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this through my monthly Amazon free reads, and it was absolutely delightful and I am considering subscribing to the Banner just to read Ms. Streeter's journalism since her fiction was very relatable.

Dawn is a journalist who is flying back to Baltimore from LA, where she runs a tabloid journalism website, to hand over her husband's ashes to his family for burial. On the flight, she runs into the man who stole her big story and upended her life. When she finds out he's got a movie deal that rewrites their history, she's determined to get justice after all these years. And may burn a few things down in the process. I laughed, I cried, I realized it's probably good Dawn and I aren't friends because we'd get into a lot of shenanigans together.

[Kayleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

sharp and witty

This is a great palate cleanser of a book. It was full of sharp and witty dialogue, an easy to follow and enjoy story and relatable characters.
Dawn is realistic and rebuilding after the death of her husband and an attack on her career and her attitude of not trusting anyone to show up for her rings very true.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Dawn wanted to do was go to Baltimore, inter her late husband and leave without getting into old drama. But that decision was taken away as she finds herself sharing a flight with her old mentor turned nemesis. Now, finding out her stolen work was becoming a movie with her cast as a villain, she has to find proof to stop it if she doesn't take out her frustrations on her sister first.

[kyra · Rating 3 out of 5]

all events of the past have been forgotten and laid to rest - until the man who used you and stole your thunder for his own fame and glory does it again : )

if reading this book taught me anything, its to defend your truth

[Jen Zimmerer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the characters and the drama, but mostly I loved the writing!! I was hooked right away with the realistic dialogue and relatable characters. Set in Baltimore, it was cool to read about familiar locations. The FMC makes some funny pop culture references, but I'd say it's like Viola Davis starring in a Madea drama lol This is a quick and fun read. Recommend!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

such a fun and funny read! my only complaint is this could've been 100 pages longer--there was so much more to flesh out. but as is, a really tight, breezy story. loved it!

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow start for me on this one but an interesting finish. Fun summer read!

[Greta Rossmeissl · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, dialogue was a little redundant at times but overall a good read that kept me wanting more

[alyssa pino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy listen and loved the drama

[Ellen Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn’t finish this book. The main character didn’t engage me and I just didn’t care about her outcome.