Everything Lost Returns

by Sarah Domet

The poignant, utterly original story of two women separated across time but united by the arrival of Halley's comet, as blazing and as daring as their stories.

1986. The Earthshine Soap Company has given Nona Dixon everything, from making her the brand’s first Earthshine Girl to launching her acting career. It also threatens to be the very thing that causes her to unravel when a group of Jane Does file a class action lawsuit accusing the company of putting harmful
ingredients into their products. When Nona begins investigating Bertie Tuttle, the company’s third- generation owner, she uncovers a complicated history involving her benefactor and a mysterious woman named Opal Doucet.

1910. Seventy-six years earlier, Opal Doucet, a rural doctor’s wife, is pregnant, on the run, and desperate to get to Paris and to the charismatic spiritualist who supposedly communed with her first love. To save money, Opal goes to work in the Earthshine Soap factory as an Earthshine Girl where she uses her knowledge of medicine, and the spiritualist’s teachings, to prescribe cures to the women who’ve come down with mystery ailments. As she and Bertie Tuttle secretly partner in a labor strike intended to improve the working conditions at the factory, Opal must decide the cost of her own freedom.  

Gorgeously written and intricately constructed, Everything Lost Returns is a story of desire and friendship, guilt and redemption, and the power we have, in our own small way, to change the course of history.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Adult Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication February 17, 2026

About the author

Sarah Domet is the author of the novels The Guineveres and Everything Lost Returns, and the craft book 90 Days to Your Novel. She is a professor and the coordinator of the MFA program in creative writing at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

EVERYTHING LOST RETURNS
By Sarah Domet
Narrated by Shana Pennington-Baird

Set in 1910 and 1986, Everything Lost Returns follows two women connected by Halley’s Comet and the Earthshine Soap Company. In the earlier timeline, Opal works in a soap factory and begins to question why so many women are getting sick. Decades later, Nona, a soap opera actress tied to the same company, uncovers troubling details about its past.

The writing is strong and the premise is interesting, but parts of the story felt unclear and underdeveloped. The novel briefly explores spiritualism, but it didn’t fully work for me. Themes of feminism, social progress, and women’s roles in different eras.

Overall, it was an okay read, it just didn’t fully come together for me.

The narration had a sing-song style that occasionally pulled me out of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC








   

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorry to say that I didn’t enjoy this one. 😕
Which is very odd for me, as I love dual timelines and I also love when books touch on mediums, tarot, and things a bit outside the norm…

The premise seemed solid, but for some reason it just didn’t come together for me, and that was very disappointing.

We have two timelines… 1910 and 1986.
We also have two women… Opal and Nona.
Somehow they both have a connection with the Earthshine Soap Company, and, Halley’s Comet… although they exist many decades apart….

There were a lot of threads along the way that I expected would lead to other parts of the story… instead, I feel like I was left hanging instead…

2 1/2 stars for me, rounded up to 3. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

#EverythingLostReturns by Sarah Domet and narrated by Shaina Pennington-Baird.

This is due to be released on 2/17/26.

Due to the fact that I am not giving a glowing review, I will limit my posting to #Goodreads, #NetGalley and my personal social media sites.

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for an ALC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review… which you are certainly getting here!

You can also find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Instagram: @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

[Cammy Lowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

1910 -Opal Doucet, a runaway pregnant wife works at a soap factory and helps her coworkers with cures for their mystery ailments - which work until they don’t.
1986 -Nona Dixon is the factory’s original Earthshine Girl, but the company is invoked in a class action suit brought by the women who have been harmed by the products ( the original Opal Doucet formula)

[Jessica Brainard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: Everything Lost Returns by Sarah DometSarah Domet's Everything Lost Returns (Flatiron Books, February 17, 2026) is a poignant and intricately woven dual-timeline novel that feels both intimate and expansive, like two comets streaking across different eras but sharing the same luminous tail. Following her acclaimed debut The Guineveres, Domet returns with a story that blends historical fiction, quiet supernatural undertones, and sharp explorations of women's desires, regrets, and resilience.The novel centers on two women separated by nearly eight decades yet bound by the rare passage of Halley's Comet and a Cincinnati soap factory called Earthshine. In 1910, Opal Doucet flees an abusive marriage in rural Ohio and finds precarious refuge as an "Earthshine Girl"—a factory worker peddling the company's miracle soap while drawing on folk medicine and spiritualist influences. Seventy-five years later, in 1986, actress Nona Dixon confronts a personal and professional crossroads, drawn into the lingering shadow of a long-ago tragedy at the same factory that has quietly underwritten parts of her life.Domet handles the parallel narratives with confidence, letting the timelines echo and inform each other without forcing neat resolutions. The comet serves as more than a gimmick; it becomes a symbol of fleeting brilliance, recurrence, and the way certain losses orbit back into our lives when we're least prepared. Themes of guilt, redemption, friendship, betrayal, and the quiet power women wield to alter their own trajectories (and sometimes others') ripple through both stories.The prose is gorgeous—lyrical without tipping into excess—and Domet excels at capturing the tactile details of each period: the chemical scents and grime of the factory floor in the early 20th century, the cultural and personal unease of the mid-1980s. Characters feel fully inhabited, flawed, and complex. Opal's resourcefulness and guarded hope are particularly compelling, while Nona's mid-life reckoning carries a raw, recognizable ache. The supporting cast—factory women, spiritualists, ambitious men, and complicated friends—adds texture without overwhelming the central relationships.If there's a minor critique, it's that some threads (particularly the spiritualism and certain revelations) occasionally feel a touch underdeveloped or hazy, leaving the reader wanting just a bit more clarity amid the atmospheric haze. Yet this same dreamlike quality is part of the book's charm; it mirrors the elusive nature of memory and cosmic events.Ultimately, Everything Lost Returns is a tenderhearted, tension-filled read that surprises in its scope and emotional precision. It's a story about how the past doesn't stay buried, how women's lives can be linked across time by shared struggles and daring choices, and how even small acts of courage or connection can change the course of history in subtle, lasting ways. For fans of historical fiction with heart, character-driven drama, or novels that weave the ordinary with the faintly otherworldly, this is a celestial event worth marking on your reading calendar.Rating: 4.5/5
A beautifully crafted novel that lingers like the afterimage of a comet—bright, haunting, and impossible to forget.

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: Everything Lost Returns by Sarah Domet

Sarah Domet’s Everything Lost Returns is a dual timeline novel that treats history less as a straight line than as a loop with improved marketing. Set in 1910 and 1986 and loosely orbiting the return of Halley’s Comet, the book centers on the Earthshine Soap Company, an enterprise devoted to cleanliness that leaves a durable trail of harm behind. Domet is interested in what survives beneath corporate narratives of progress, particularly when those narratives are built on women’s labor, bodies, and selective memory.

The 1986 storyline follows Nona Dixon, a former child mascot turned soap opera actress whose career exists because of Earthshine. As the company faces a class action lawsuit from women harmed by its products, Nona finds herself uneasily loyal to the brand that made her visible. Her investigation begins after the death of her friend Halley Tuttle and a parting gift from Halley’s grandmother Bertie, the elderly company matriarch. The gift, a notebook containing a recipe for “Comet Pills” signed by an unknown woman, opens a door to a version of Earthshine’s past that was never meant to be preserved.

That missing history belongs to Opal Doucet, whose 1910 narrative follows her escape from a violent marriage and into the Earthshine factory. Pregnant and economically vulnerable, Opal becomes both a promotional figure and an informal caretaker to her fellow workers, treating their illnesses with remedies that blend spiritual belief and early medical practice. Her uneasy partnership with a younger Bertie Tuttle gestures toward labor resistance, though Domet remains clear eyed about how narrow the margins of real choice are for women whose survival depends on compliance.

What links these timelines is not revelation but repetition. Corporate harm remains diffuse, accountability endlessly deferred, and the language of care deployed precisely where care is most absent. Earthshine’s legal troubles in the 1980s echo the suppressed illnesses of its earliest workers, suggesting that progress often amounts to better public relations rather than better ethics. Even Halley’s Comet feels less cosmic than procedural, another reminder that consequences tend to circle back.

The audiobook narration matches the novel’s restraint, favoring a measured, controlled delivery that allows irony and emotional weight to surface without emphasis. Everything Lost Returns is less interested in redemption than in exposure, particularly of the ways women are asked to feel grateful for opportunities that quietly cost them their health, autonomy, or voice. Very little here is ever truly lost, it is simply repackaged, reintroduced, and sold back as something new.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Fay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you @flatiron_books for my #gifted copy of Everything Lost Returns! #FlatironPartner #flatironbooks #EverythingLostReturns #SarahDomet

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟏𝟕, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

𝟒.𝟓★

This book was so unique and unlike anything I’ve read. I went into it not knowing what to expect and I was blown away by the writing style, as this was my first book by Sarah Domet. I loved how Everything Lost Returns follows two women decades apart, but they are connected by the Earthshine Soap Company and the arrival of Halley’s comet. The author did such a beautiful job intersecting both timelines flawlessly.

In 1910, Opal is pregnant and on the run. She is the wife of a doctor and is saving money to get to Paris to see a spiritualist she has been communicating with through letters. To help make money, she takes a job as an Earthshine Gil at the Earthshine Soap factory and soon uses her knowledge of medicine and what she has learned from the spiritualist to help create cures for the women at the factory who have started to become ill. Before long, Opal is organizing a labor strike at the factory to help improve working conditions for the workers. In 1986, The Earthshine Soap Company has not only made Nona the brand’s first Earthshine Girl, but they also launched her acting career. Now, a group of Jane Does are filing a class action lawsuit accusing the company of putting harmful chemicals into their products. After a tragedy involving a close friend, Nona begins to gather clues about not only Bertie Tuttle, but also a woman named Opal Doucet.

This book had quite a mystery element to it, which I really enjoyed. I did not see where it was going and I really enjoyed how it kept me on my toes and engaged the entire time. It was so thought-provoking and I love books that really make you think and also ones that stick with you, long after you’ve finished them. I also really enjoyed ALL of the Cincinnati references in this book, as someone who lives in Cincinnati. It was so neat to read about my city!

💫Dual Timelines
💫Women’s Fiction + Historical Fiction
💫Strong Female Characters
💫Set in Cincinnati, OH
💫Female Friendship
💫Hidden History
💫Resilience
💫The Power of Women

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐

The dual timeline in this book connects the lives of two brave women through their jobs with a soap factory and by the appearance of Haley's Comet seventy-six years apart. It is a story of feminism, strength, and sisterhood. A narration of events surrounding women who are looking for answers, answers to their heartbreak, loneliness, and unfulfilled dreams.

1910: After Opal Doucet poisons her physician husband and absconds with their money, she finds a job at the Earthshine Soap factory. Multiple women at the factory turn to Opal with health complaints. Using her experience of being her husband's assistant and a formulary that she stole from his library, Opal begins to dispense medicines to the women. Unfortunately, the pills she made have some disastrous consequences. At the same time, the workers go on strike for higher wages and better working conditions. This made me think of the old movie, Norma Rae, with Sally Fields as the lead character.

1986: At the age of seven, Nona Dixon was the first Earthshine Girl that was used to market Earthshine products. For many years she was almost like a member of the family that owned the business. She is now an actress whose career is fading into the sunset. Meanwhile, Earthshine factory workers are suing the company due to the presence of harmful substances in their soap products. Nora mysteriously finds some critically important information, and she must decide where her loyalties lie.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book but struggled with the delivery. There was almost too much going on. It became so cumbersome at times and didn't hold my interest. It was a confusing and ponderous dissertation on women's perceived frailties, their subjugation by men, and their attempts at breaking free from their secretive lives in both timelines. It may have been meant to be mysterious, including a foray into spiritualism, but it failed to hit the mark for me. Ultimately, the narrative mostly felt disjointed and uninteresting, and I found the characters to be boring.

Thank you to BookBrowse and Flatiron Books for the ARC of this book. Expected publication: February 17, 2026.

[Christa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly I would like to thank Flatiron Books for the gifted advance copy of Everything Lost Returns. That being said this review is only my opinion.

I rated this a 3.5 stars but rounded up to a 4 for review purposes.

I wanted to love this novel. I thought the plot sounded great and really had my curiosity with the story based around Halley's comet plus the dual timelines and trying to see both Nona and Opal's stories connect. However, I have to say I didn't love this as much as I had hoped. I felt a lot was left in the wind in terms of the ending.

Nona- I felt Nona as a character was under developed and didn't show much growth throughout. She seemed very emotionless unless she was acting and this really got on my nerves. Once something did start to develop it was within the last few chapters and it felt rushed and unfinished. I also had a hard time getting the setting of the Nona's timeline as at points she was talking in present tense about what was happening around her and at times it was past as if she were recalling events and talking to someone. I wish it would have stayed with one or the other and didn't switch.

Opal- Her character had a bit more growth and development throughout the novel. But her ending didn't seem finished either. Also, her ending seemed like it was saying she met Oren in the mental hospital before at least to me. Yet nothing was brought up earlier in the novel. I thought the whole book Oren was a first love when she was in her teens.

This was my first Sarah Domet piece of work and I did think it was an interesting piece. I could tell a lot went into the historical research of the belief of the comet as well as in the spiritualism aspect of the novel which I did appreciate.

#Halley'sComet #Spiritualism #DualTimeline #historicalfiction

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advanced listener copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

If you like a historical story with a hint of the occult, Everything Lost Returns might be for you.

Two women live seventy-five years apart but are united by their connection to the Earthshine Soap Company and the rare passing of Halley’s Comet. In 1910, Opal Doucet, on the run from scandal, finds work at the soap factory while quietly treating the ailments of the other women workers. In 1986, Nona Dixon wrestles with a scandal of her own as she, the original “Earthshine Girl,” is blamed for the soap’s harmful health effects.

Domet’s writing is gorgeous and detailed, pulling the reader fully into the time periods and the lives of the characters. Narration by Shana Pennington-Baird brought the story to life with her engaging voice. Some aspects of the story felt confusing, especially the comet storyline as there was also a character named Halley. I also didn’t fully grasp all of the spirituality implications as the story came together at the end. The concept of the story is very intriguing and the two women characters are compelling as individuals, but there were some aspects that didn’t work for me.

Despite its intriguing premise and gorgeously descriptive writing, this wasn’t a standout for me. I can see this story appealing to readers who loved The Radium Girls or who are interested in historical fiction with a spiritual storyline.

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

As one review states about this book: “A heady concoction of spiritualism, chemistry, ambition and sex.” And that’s a very apt description for this weirdly strange, compellingly addictive, and oddly satisfying story about the spirit of women seeking the ability to be free to be themselves but understanding the need to connected to each other as well.

Set in alternating periods of 1910 and 1986 - the 75 years between the appearance of Hailey’s comet - the story follows Opal Doucet (1910) and Nona Dixon (1986). Both are part of the Earthstone Soap family as employees and friends to the owners. Both though are trapped by the circumstances of their connection to them as well as being women.

Opal comes with more baggage than Nona so she’s central to understanding the story’s plot line. Opal is a spiritualist but she also has great compassion for the women who work with her as their lives are burdened having to work and run a household. Without giving too much away, Opal helps these women and is then blamed for that. What transpires then is Nona’s investigation into Opal which ultimately reveals that women do have collective power and can determine their own fate.

This is a book for lovers of magical realism, feminist tropes and engagingly clever plots that make you think and feel deeply for the characters in the novel.

I want to thank BookBrowse and the publisher to giving me the book to review.

[Maren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of Everything Lost Returns from the publisher and BookBrowse.

3.5 stars, rounded down for an underdeveloped ending.

Everything Lost Returns is a story of two women connected by the appearance of Halley's Comet and their relationship to a soap factory in Cincinnati. Spanning two timelines, Opal in 1910 and Nona in 1986, the reader is treated to the inner triumphs and turmoil of two strongly defined characters.

Opal's storyline is reminiscent of The Radium Girls, so readers who enjoyed that will find interest in this fictional exploration of factory work and the women who were exploited. The emotional threads that tie the women's stories together, along with the historical background, will appeal to readers of Kristin Hannah.

Some readers may not appreciate the magical realism elements in Opal's story, although they are not overdone or too distracting. The confluence of the two protagonists' stories became a bit muddled and rushed at the end, and I felt the conclusion needed a little more development. Domet, however, is a good writer and creates a dramatic scene very well. The result is a sometimes confusing but compelling read.

The proposed cover art is eye-catching, as well. I am curious what the author's acknowledgements would be, considering they are not included in the ARC. I'd love to know what she researched and how she came up with this unique story.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows two women decades apart that are connected by the Earthshine Soap company and the impending arrival of Halley's Comet.

1910 - Opal is a doctor's wife and is pregnant but working at Earthshine to get enough money to go to Paris and meet the charismatic spiritualist who supposedly has 'talked' to her dead first love. She works with Bertie Tuttle to develop cures for women who have come down with mysterious ailments. After seeing the poor working conditions at Earthshine, she works to start a strike to help the female workers.

1986 - Nona was the first Earthshine girl and in all of the early ads. Even though she is now working on a soap opera, she is still recognized for her earlier print ads. When a group of women brings a class action suit against Earthshine for the harm that the soap causes, Nona begins to investigate the origin of the company.

My problem with this book is that there were too many characters that we didn't get information about. I found it difficult to really get interested in any of the characters and think it would have been helpful to get more background information about the main characters.

This beautifully written novel is story of friendship, guilt and forgiveness and the power we have in our own small way to change the course of history.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything Lost Returns is the kind of novel that reminds you why literary fiction matters. Sarah Domet writes with confidence, precision, and emotional intelligence, creating a story that feels both meticulously researched and deeply human. Every page carries intention—nothing is rushed, nothing is wasted.

What stands out most is Domet’s control of voice and structure. The novel moves with purpose, trusting the reader to stay present and engaged, and rewarding that attention with resonance rather than spectacle. There is a quiet power in how themes of identity, autonomy, and legacy are handled—never overstated, never simplified, but allowed to unfold naturally and linger.

The atmosphere is immersive without being heavy, thoughtful without feeling academic. Domet has a particular talent for capturing the interior lives of women navigating systems larger than themselves, and she does so with empathy and clarity. This is a book that respects its characters and its readers equally.

Everything Lost Returns doesn’t demand to be devoured quickly; it invites you to slow down, to sit with it, to think. It’s the kind of novel you finish and immediately want to talk about—not because of shocking moments, but because of how deeply it understands its own questions.

A smart, accomplished, and quietly stunning read. I’m grateful to have received an advance copy.

[Laura-Tuesday · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up.

Everything Lost Returns completely surprised me. Sarah Domet weaves a dual-timeline story set in 1910 and 1986, connected by the Earthshine Soap Company and the return of Halley’s Comet, and the result is part mystery, part historical reckoning, with just a shimmer of magical realism. I loved how the novel explores women’s lives across decades; their labour, their bodies, their friendships, and how easily those are erased when profit becomes more important than people. The echoes between Opal, a pregnant factory worker using folk remedies to care for other women, and Nona, a former Earthshine mascot caught up in a modern lawsuit, felt haunting rather than tidy, like history circling back on itself.

The writing is gorgeous and confident, immersive without being heavy. Even when I wasn’t sure where the story was headed, I trusted it and couldn’t stop reading. A few threads. especially the spiritualism, felt a little hazy, which kept it from a full five stars, but I actually grew to appreciate that dreamlike quality. This is a thoughtful, quietly powerful novel about memory, corporate harm, and the collective strength women find in one another. It lingered with and I had to keep picking it back up, I already want to press it into a friend’s hands and start again at the beginning to absorb it all over.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

#EverythingLostReturns #NetGalley

[Ava · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for this ARC.
3.5 stars
I like a parallel life. I like 2 fates that are bound together. I also enjoy when a story can't be noted as sad or harrpy from the get go.. So this book had much to offer that I enjoy.
Unfortunately, this book kept me on my toes (not in a positive way) as everytime it caught my attention, it would let me down by the next chapter. Did everyone just go through a fever dream in that story ? All high on soap ? (pun intended). This would be the sole explanation for the behaviours, some conversations and the way the story went.
While this book was well written, the story lost me one too many times and I hate when a book tells me a woman's life is unfair. I'm a woman. I know. No need to write it down and make the characters say it so many times... Show me, prove me this point, let the story do the telling instead of the characters voicing it in moments when they are alone and could've said anything else that makes the reader understand that feeling more deeply. The injustice and unfairness of the existence of the female characters in this book is hard to miss. I would've had more empathy for them without the narrator telling me to be empathetic.

[Kayleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything Lost Returns is due to be published 02/17/2026 and I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for my review. (I somehow read multiple books with someone named Opal this week and it was really nice.)
Set in 1910 and 1986, Everything Lost Returns follows two women connected by Halley’s Comet and the Earthshine Soap Company. In the earlier timeline, Opal works in a soap factory and begins to question why so many women are getting sick. Decades later, Nona, a soap opera actress tied to the same company, uncovers troubling details about its past.
I really enjoyed the writing style throughout the book but I don’t know that the character development and storyline felt completely finished.
The class action lawsuit storyline heavily felt like reading Radium Girls, in all the good ways. Plus the way that Nona feels this intense loyalty to the product that gave her recognition perhaps to a fault because she is unable to see the potential harm that the soap caused.
I really felt like there might have been just a bit too much going on and perhaps limiting some of the additional stories would have helped everything feel a bit tidier.

[Bolt Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

Everything Lost Returns had a solid premise, but then it tried to do everything all at once and forgot to actually be enjoyable. This book cannot pick a lane. It wants to be profound, political, philosophical, and emotionally devastating… and instead it becomes exhausting. I glazed over entire sections because my eyelids simply could not stay open through the nonstop preaching and over-explaining. Trust the reader, please. We get it.

And that ending? So abrupt it felt like the author looked at the word count, sighed, and said, “Yep, we’re done here.” No buildup, no payoff, just… stop. For a book that spent so long telling me what to think, it sure didn’t stick the landing.

In the end, the idea was promising, but the execution was subpar. This could have been sharp and impactful. Instead, it’s bloated, unfocused, and way more interested in delivering a message than telling a compelling story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ARC.

[CarolinaBookBliss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything Lost Returns by Sarah Domet, narrated by Shana Pennington-Baird, offers an intriguing concept supported by confident writing, but the story didn’t fully come together for me. While the idea at the heart of the novel is compelling, some elements felt vague or not as fully realised as they could have been.

The dual timeline structure adds interest, but at times it made the narrative feel a little disjointed, making it harder to follow the emotional throughline. Despite the strength of the concept, I struggled to connect with the author’s storytelling approach and the way the story was presented.

The audiobook narration was a positive aspect. The narrator delivered a solid performance that was clear and engaging, helping to ground the story. The proposed cover art is also appealing and suits the tone of the book well.

Overall, this book has a strong foundation and an interesting premise, but the execution didn’t quite resonate with me personally.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape media for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook.

[Keri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy from a Goodreads giveaway.

This one is a solid 3 stars, maybe 3.5 stars. I liked it but I wouldn't say I really liked it. I may or may not recommend this one.

Everything Lost Returns is told through two points of view. Opal from 1910 and Nona from 1986. The story is based around Halley's Comet which comes every 76 years hence the 1910 and 1986. I enjoyed the reference around Halley's Comet and the mindset surrounding the coming of it in both time periods. I liked the perspectives of Opal and Nona, but overall, I preferred Opal's perspective. I was more interested in her story. One character who was in both timelines was Bertie. She was an interesting character and kind of keeps you guessing in regards to her character as a person. Can she be trusted, is she selfish and only looking out for herself, etc.? She plays a significant part in both timelines.

I felt this story was missing something or needed more of something to take me from just liking it to I really like this book and need to share it. I can't put my finger on exactly what it is.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The girls who were the image of soap! During 1910, bar soap was the product used by many women to look and smell beautiful. Earthshine girls were the front image used to sell the product. But behind the scenes, young girls and women worked in miserable conditions in the factory to make soap. Move ahead to 1986, Nona and Halley decide to uncover the truth why "Jane Doe's" appear after use of the soap. The story line is very interesting, and the characters are well developed. The beginning of the story is a little confusing until you get into all the roles of the characters but what was interesting how the ending in 1910 wraps around to the beginning of 1986. All the drama, actions and fears revolve around the coming of Halley's Comet. It was interesting how the author tied all of this together. It would be ironic if a sequel came along, a legal thriller and discovery of the ingredients of the soap!?! Thank you, Book Browse for this ARC.

[Stephanie Marks-Leavitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This book has a very interesting premise: a dual-timeline story connecting two women through Earthshine Soap, set during the appearances of Halley’s Comet in 1910 and again in 1986. On paper, it sounded right up my alley, and I was genuinely intrigued going in.

Unfortunately, I struggled with the execution. There was simply too much going on, but also I felt like the plot wasn't moving forward and I found myself confused several times. In addtion to the theme of women's socially constructed weakness there was a theme of mediumship and channeling, but I ddin't really understand the point. It never seemed to matter to the storyline. There are many positive reviews for this book so it seems like it just wasn't the right book for me. Thank you to netgalley and dreamscape media for providing me with a copy of this book.

[Cathy O'c · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many elements of this novel that I loved. The idea of a factory with underpaid, exploited women making a product that would decades later prove to impact women's health was creative and engaging. I couldn't help but think of the lawsuits against the manufacturer of talcum powder. I liked the dual timeline headed by Opal in 1910 and Nona in 1986. The use of Halley's Comet was a great anchor for the story.

The author lost me when she granted mystical powers to Nona. I have not read any of Sarah Domet's other novels, maybe that is a technique she uses. I finished this novel wishing it had been a more streamlined story focusing on the Earthshine soap factory and the Earthshine girls.

[Vida · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a truly unique dual timeline story. You have Opal/Bertie and Nona.

1986 Nona is an actress, and the model for the original Earthshine Soap Company. She gets drawn into a lawsuit from Jane Doe's accusing the firm of having toxic ingredients.

1910 Opal is a rural doctor's wife, working at Earthshine to make money and get away. With a spiritualist guide, Opal and Bertie seek to create medicine to help the women.

The story uses Haley's comet as a backdrop.

There are solid elements and themes around women, solidarity, labor rights and more.

The writing is beautiful. Lyrical. Very descriptive.

The narration is excellent.

I love the cover.

Unfortunately for me, I couldn't quite follow the story. Maybe it has too much going on? Or mabe too much of the book is cryptic? I also don't love the spiritualist part. I feel bad because am sure this will be good for someone. Just not me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advance audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

[Tahni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything Lost Returns moves between two women’s stories in 1910 and 1986. Both characters keep secrets and uncover unsettling truths about the Earthshine Soap Company, with themes of feminism, resilience, and human rights.

Despite the promising premise, the story ultimately felt overstuffed and unfocused and the characters never quite came alive for me. I lost interest in their stories.

Narrator Shana Pennington-Baird uses a fantastic old-timey tone for the 1910 timeline, not overly done, and performs the 80’s timeline with a more contemporary tone.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media, NetGalley, and author Sarah Domet for this audiobook to honestly review. The publication date is February 19, 2026.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Bookbrowse for this ARC. I had many questions when reading this book which makes me think it would be good for a book club discussion. The questions kept me engaged and reading but didn't satisfy me in the end. I had a lot of trouble believing the timeline which the author tied to the last two appearances of Halley's Comet. The Earthshine Soap storyline was interesting, but again I had so many questions that were not answered. Finally, I didn't care enough about the characters - especially as I won't comment on the ending. I think more background and character development may have helped improve this book.

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this book intrigued me, and I love a dual time line. Nona and Opal were complex characters. Their stories were tragic in different ways, and they both were hard to like. They were also both victims of their circumstances, and I liked the parallels between their stories. I also liked the introspectiveness of the plot and the way it delved into woman’s rights and their roles in society. However, the plot often felt disjointed and overly detailed in places. I was able to guess at most of the twists in the plot, so those reveals were anticlimactic for me. The ending came abruptly, and it left things up to interpretation.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am stumped, I have been reading this book which I should like for several days, but I cannot get engaged in the story. It is not the dual timeline; I have read many books with that. I like the idea of the Earthshine Soap company. The main characters, Nora Dixon, the first Earthside girl, who doesn't need to work at the factory, and Opal Doucet, who worked in the Earthshine Soap Factory 76 years earlier, do not engage me in this story. I am puzzled by this. Have to give up struggling with this book.

[Talya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It’s such a unique story with a mix of mystery and just a touch of magical realism that kept me hooked. The dual timelines—1910 and 1986—are connected through the Earthshine Soap Company and Halley’s Comet, and I thought that was such a clever way to tie everything together.
What stood out most to me were the themes: women’s rights, spiritualism, and how corporations can put profit over people, often with devastating consequences. The story made me think about how history repeats itself in different ways.

[Crystal Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything Lost Returns by Sarah Domet is told in a dual timeline - 1910 and 1986. The story was brought together by 2 women with ties to a soap company and Halley’s Comet. The premise was interesting but the story often had too much going on and didn’t always hold my interest. The element of magical realism I felt either needed to be developed more or just left out of the story.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Rickie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars (really more like a 2.5, but I’m feeling generous).

I liked the idea behind this more than the execution. It took me a while to get into it, and even then I never fully felt invested. There are some interesting themes and a few strong moments, but it felt like the author was trying to do a lot all at once. By the end, it just felt a little crowded and unfocused.