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Family Drama
A vibrant debut and powerful meditation on family, motherhood, and the cost of holding on to your dreams, reminiscent of Ann Napolitano.
In New England, Susan Bliss is a young mother married to a professor.
In LA, Susan Byrne stars in a soap opera beloved coast to coast.
Decades after she’s gone, her twins have no idea of their mother’s fame. But the past can’t stay hidden forever.
It’s 1997, and snow is blanketing a New England beach. Two befuddled seven-year-olds watch as their mother’s body is tipped overboard a crumbling boat. A Viking funeral, followed by a raucous wake. A send-off fit for soap opera Susan Bliss.
Fifteen years earlier, Susan is a blazing, beautiful young woman, passionate about her art. It’s impossible not to fall in love with her, and so Alcott, a practical professor, does—hopelessly. And so begins the love story of Susan’s two-paneled an unconventional, jetlag-filled arrangement that takes her back and forth between her life in New England as a wife and mother to young twins to the bright lights of Los Angeles, where she becomes the beloved star of a daytime soap.
In the present, Susan’s twins grow up in the shadow of her all-consuming absence. Sebastian, a sensitive artist, cleaves to her memory, fascinated with the artifacts of her starry past. Viola, resentful of her mother’s torn allegiances, distances herself from the memories of her. But when Viola runs into her mother’s old costar Orson Grey—now a renowned Hollywood star—she finds herself falling deeply in love with him and begins to put together the pieces of a mother she never really knew.
Sharp, assured, and beautifully written, Family Drama is a story told in double-helix, with intertwined timelines that explore the different versions of ourselves we share with the world and with each other.
In New England, Susan Bliss is a young mother married to a professor.
In LA, Susan Byrne stars in a soap opera beloved coast to coast.
Decades after she’s gone, her twins have no idea of their mother’s fame. But the past can’t stay hidden forever.
It’s 1997, and snow is blanketing a New England beach. Two befuddled seven-year-olds watch as their mother’s body is tipped overboard a crumbling boat. A Viking funeral, followed by a raucous wake. A send-off fit for soap opera Susan Bliss.
Fifteen years earlier, Susan is a blazing, beautiful young woman, passionate about her art. It’s impossible not to fall in love with her, and so Alcott, a practical professor, does—hopelessly. And so begins the love story of Susan’s two-paneled an unconventional, jetlag-filled arrangement that takes her back and forth between her life in New England as a wife and mother to young twins to the bright lights of Los Angeles, where she becomes the beloved star of a daytime soap.
In the present, Susan’s twins grow up in the shadow of her all-consuming absence. Sebastian, a sensitive artist, cleaves to her memory, fascinated with the artifacts of her starry past. Viola, resentful of her mother’s torn allegiances, distances herself from the memories of her. But when Viola runs into her mother’s old costar Orson Grey—now a renowned Hollywood star—she finds herself falling deeply in love with him and begins to put together the pieces of a mother she never really knew.
Sharp, assured, and beautifully written, Family Drama is a story told in double-helix, with intertwined timelines that explore the different versions of ourselves we share with the world and with each other.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 3, 2026
365 people are currently reading
30206 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Fallon
1 book121 followersRebecca is a New England born Londoner. She studied at Williams College and the University of Oxford. She is the author of Family Drama, arriving in 2026.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 435 reviews
November 23, 2025
This debut novel starts out in 1997, with seven year old twins Sebastian and Viola watching as their mother’s body is tipped overboard from a boat in a Viking funeral in Boston on a snowy day.
Their mother, Susan Bliss was a beautiful soap opera star, very passionate about her acting career.
She had married a young professor, years earlier… Alcott, and they lived in a beautiful historic home he bought in Boston with dreams of raising a family there.
This story is about her constant drive for success even as she gets pregnant and is raising her young family while traveling back and forth from Boston to California.. how it effects each member of the family, and her close relationship with a fellow actor, Orson.
This timeline goes back-and-forth through her early years in the 80s and then when she gives birth and the kids are starting to grow through the 90s, her illness and death, and then in the early 2000’s as the twins are grown and moving on.
How her absence has affected all of them through their lives.
A good debut!
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review!
Their mother, Susan Bliss was a beautiful soap opera star, very passionate about her acting career.
She had married a young professor, years earlier… Alcott, and they lived in a beautiful historic home he bought in Boston with dreams of raising a family there.
This story is about her constant drive for success even as she gets pregnant and is raising her young family while traveling back and forth from Boston to California.. how it effects each member of the family, and her close relationship with a fellow actor, Orson.
This timeline goes back-and-forth through her early years in the 80s and then when she gives birth and the kids are starting to grow through the 90s, her illness and death, and then in the early 2000’s as the twins are grown and moving on.
How her absence has affected all of them through their lives.
A good debut!
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review!
August 8, 2025
A breathtaking debut novel sure to grip you with its family drama of a bicoastal marriage, young kids trying to understand their larger than life mother and their stoic father.
Pubs 2/3/26
Susan meets Alcott Bliss after her performance as witch in a play about the Salem Witch trials. The play is in a local museum not Broadway but that doesn’t deter Susan for her goal of a Hollywood actress. Al and Susan marry and enjoy their lives in New England until Susan lands a spot on a daytime soap filmed in Hollywood. Al doesn’t want to leave his Professor role at a NE college so Susan commutes between the two coasts.
All is fine until she becomes pregnant with twins. She wants these babies but not now! She’s afraid she’ll lose her job. The studio manages to hide her baby bump while she continues filming. Her costar, Orson, helps coordinate all departments in aiding Susan in her quest to continue. After her maternity leave she returns to the show and the bicoastal commute much to Al’s disappointment.
Although her kids, Viola and Sebastian, miss her the family routine continues; until Susan gets sick. Chemo takes its usual toll and reduces her physically and mentally. She passes when the twins are just seven years old. Naturally, they’re confused and frightened as they witness their mother’s burial at sea.
We follow the twins into adulthood with vastly different paths. Sebastian doesn’t understand his father and moves in with his Aunt Sadie, his mother’s sister. He’s obsessed with finding every detail about his mother. Viola moves to England and pursues degree after degree, safe in academia. Then she runs into Orson and falls deeply in love.
I can’t sing the praises of this incredible debut novel enough. Tackling emotions, gender roles, parenting and grief immeasurably well. Please don’t miss it.
Thanks Edelweiss and Simon and Schuster.
Pubs 2/3/26
Susan meets Alcott Bliss after her performance as witch in a play about the Salem Witch trials. The play is in a local museum not Broadway but that doesn’t deter Susan for her goal of a Hollywood actress. Al and Susan marry and enjoy their lives in New England until Susan lands a spot on a daytime soap filmed in Hollywood. Al doesn’t want to leave his Professor role at a NE college so Susan commutes between the two coasts.
All is fine until she becomes pregnant with twins. She wants these babies but not now! She’s afraid she’ll lose her job. The studio manages to hide her baby bump while she continues filming. Her costar, Orson, helps coordinate all departments in aiding Susan in her quest to continue. After her maternity leave she returns to the show and the bicoastal commute much to Al’s disappointment.
Although her kids, Viola and Sebastian, miss her the family routine continues; until Susan gets sick. Chemo takes its usual toll and reduces her physically and mentally. She passes when the twins are just seven years old. Naturally, they’re confused and frightened as they witness their mother’s burial at sea.
We follow the twins into adulthood with vastly different paths. Sebastian doesn’t understand his father and moves in with his Aunt Sadie, his mother’s sister. He’s obsessed with finding every detail about his mother. Viola moves to England and pursues degree after degree, safe in academia. Then she runs into Orson and falls deeply in love.
I can’t sing the praises of this incredible debut novel enough. Tackling emotions, gender roles, parenting and grief immeasurably well. Please don’t miss it.
Thanks Edelweiss and Simon and Schuster.
March 4, 2026
As a millennial, I was raised on the drama of daytime talk shows and soaps. This story follows our leading lady, Susie, as her life intertwines with Al, an intensely focused and supportive academic. As Susie's star begins to rise and she ascends to fame, it sets off a chain of decisions for both of them that have lasting and unforeseen effects even after her unexpected and abrupt departure from the spotlight.
February 2, 2026
Wow, what an incredible book. I’m not even sure where to begin there are so many emotions at play. This is the story of love and loss and the search for completeness. This is a very weighty story full of characters carrying so much sadness and regret until they can come to terms with what they’ve had, what they have and what they’ve lost. I absolutely loved this book - the characters, the story, the writing style. It completely touched me and brought me intimately into this family’s drama.
The story revolves around Susan Bliss/Byrne, a soap opera star struggling to stay true to her personal dreams of acting against the conflicting priorities of her husband’s aspirations and wishes, unexpected motherhood and ultimately a terminal illness. The impacts Susan’s life and untimely death have on her husband, twin children, her sister and her best friend are the shared focus as the author looks back through alternating timelines - before and after Susan’s death. All of the main characters - Susie, Al, Viola, Sebastian, Sadie and Orson - are so special and so uniquely and well developed.
The writing style was unexpected and, it first it threw me off a little. Points of view shift without preamble or indication and conversations flow in single run on sentences separated only by changes in quotation marks. Once I settled in, it was perfect. It just enhanced the overall style of visualizing simple and intimate moments, events, conversations and embellishing them with inner monologues, thoughts and feelings. Every chapter, every sequence was laden with so much emotion and intensity in relatively few words that I found myself highlighting and rereading constantly. The writing is really beautiful and you felt everything the characters were feeling in such a real way. Just amazing.
This is going on the favorites list and it’s an impressive debut. I’m not ready to be away from the characters, I miss being part of their lives already. My heart was a little broken but there is hope left as well. Must read!
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Rebecca Fallon for the opportunity to read an advance copy of such a lovely book and share my opinions.
The story revolves around Susan Bliss/Byrne, a soap opera star struggling to stay true to her personal dreams of acting against the conflicting priorities of her husband’s aspirations and wishes, unexpected motherhood and ultimately a terminal illness. The impacts Susan’s life and untimely death have on her husband, twin children, her sister and her best friend are the shared focus as the author looks back through alternating timelines - before and after Susan’s death. All of the main characters - Susie, Al, Viola, Sebastian, Sadie and Orson - are so special and so uniquely and well developed.
The writing style was unexpected and, it first it threw me off a little. Points of view shift without preamble or indication and conversations flow in single run on sentences separated only by changes in quotation marks. Once I settled in, it was perfect. It just enhanced the overall style of visualizing simple and intimate moments, events, conversations and embellishing them with inner monologues, thoughts and feelings. Every chapter, every sequence was laden with so much emotion and intensity in relatively few words that I found myself highlighting and rereading constantly. The writing is really beautiful and you felt everything the characters were feeling in such a real way. Just amazing.
This is going on the favorites list and it’s an impressive debut. I’m not ready to be away from the characters, I miss being part of their lives already. My heart was a little broken but there is hope left as well. Must read!
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Rebecca Fallon for the opportunity to read an advance copy of such a lovely book and share my opinions.
February 3, 2026
Family Drama is a debut novel that is getting a lot of attention. I was excited to pick it up and read it in nearly one sitting.
I'm often drawn to stories about the challenges and struggles women face when "trying to have it all." For that purpose, I really did resonate with Susan's story, however, I wanted more focus on her and her ambitions, role as a mother and wife and actress, and how she managed her seemingly dual lives. I felt like there was a real opportunity to highlight true feminism, female success, and motherhood, but that messaging ended up being overshadowed.
This novel has two tracks - Susan's life where she meets her husband, falls in love, her acting career, and juggling it all to become a mother. Susan the wife and mom lives in Boston but Susan the actress lives in LA. Each weekend, she flies back and forth, slotting herself into whichever role she was playing at the time. While this challenge was certainly addressed, it felt slightly glossed over. A personal accounting of a day-in-the-life could have really driven the point home or helped the reader feel the exhaustion that must have been weighing her down.
The second story focuses on Susan's family and primarily her kids after she passes away at a young age. Unfortunately, this is where the book really lost me and digressed from a more important message. I struggled with Viola's relationship with Orson. It was uncomfortable from their very first encounter when she was age 7 and only progressed from bad to worse from there. I wasn't invested in their relationship, didn't feel any real chemistry between them, and felt like too much of their story was implied rather than shared which was a point of weakness for much of the story.
While this was a fast read, it felt choppy. It jumped from one character to another or one scene to the next without clear transitions and too many details were glossed over or left out entirely.
I really wanted to love this novel and had the focus been on Susan, I think I could have. But ultimately, this book was not for me. There was plenty of potential and I'll be curious to see what Fallon writes next! Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the copy.
I'm often drawn to stories about the challenges and struggles women face when "trying to have it all." For that purpose, I really did resonate with Susan's story, however, I wanted more focus on her and her ambitions, role as a mother and wife and actress, and how she managed her seemingly dual lives. I felt like there was a real opportunity to highlight true feminism, female success, and motherhood, but that messaging ended up being overshadowed.
This novel has two tracks - Susan's life where she meets her husband, falls in love, her acting career, and juggling it all to become a mother. Susan the wife and mom lives in Boston but Susan the actress lives in LA. Each weekend, she flies back and forth, slotting herself into whichever role she was playing at the time. While this challenge was certainly addressed, it felt slightly glossed over. A personal accounting of a day-in-the-life could have really driven the point home or helped the reader feel the exhaustion that must have been weighing her down.
The second story focuses on Susan's family and primarily her kids after she passes away at a young age. Unfortunately, this is where the book really lost me and digressed from a more important message. I struggled with Viola's relationship with Orson. It was uncomfortable from their very first encounter when she was age 7 and only progressed from bad to worse from there. I wasn't invested in their relationship, didn't feel any real chemistry between them, and felt like too much of their story was implied rather than shared which was a point of weakness for much of the story.
While this was a fast read, it felt choppy. It jumped from one character to another or one scene to the next without clear transitions and too many details were glossed over or left out entirely.
I really wanted to love this novel and had the focus been on Susan, I think I could have. But ultimately, this book was not for me. There was plenty of potential and I'll be curious to see what Fallon writes next! Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"A vibrant debut and powerful meditation on family, motherhood, and the cost of holding on to your dreams."
In this powerful novel, Rebecca Fallon masterfully explores family, motherhood, gender roles and grief in a poignant and beautiful way. The story is told in dual timeline alternating between Susan's life and that of her husband and twins.
In 1997, soap opera star Susan Byrne passes away and has a burial at sea with her seven-year-old twins Viola and Sebastian present. This experience has significant ripples throughout the family and her friends for years to come. The complications between Susan and her husband Al in a bicoastal marriage, Sebastian's anger at his father and wanting to research everything he can find about his mother. Viola wanting nothing to do with her mother's memory as she has abandonment issues and dates an older man while in college.
The themes that stood out for me are balancing motherhood and career. The exploration of grief in the novel is outstanding as each member of the family including her sister and best friend is unique in how they react and move through the world because of it. The novel also does a great job of showing that often we have two sides- the one we show to the world and our private side which sometimes only those closest to us will see. This is a terrific novel and those who love family sagas should read it.
Mamy thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Rebecca Fallon for an advance reader's copy. All opinions are my own.
In this powerful novel, Rebecca Fallon masterfully explores family, motherhood, gender roles and grief in a poignant and beautiful way. The story is told in dual timeline alternating between Susan's life and that of her husband and twins.
In 1997, soap opera star Susan Byrne passes away and has a burial at sea with her seven-year-old twins Viola and Sebastian present. This experience has significant ripples throughout the family and her friends for years to come. The complications between Susan and her husband Al in a bicoastal marriage, Sebastian's anger at his father and wanting to research everything he can find about his mother. Viola wanting nothing to do with her mother's memory as she has abandonment issues and dates an older man while in college.
The themes that stood out for me are balancing motherhood and career. The exploration of grief in the novel is outstanding as each member of the family including her sister and best friend is unique in how they react and move through the world because of it. The novel also does a great job of showing that often we have two sides- the one we show to the world and our private side which sometimes only those closest to us will see. This is a terrific novel and those who love family sagas should read it.
Mamy thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Rebecca Fallon for an advance reader's copy. All opinions are my own.
August 15, 2025
Wow. This was a hell of a debut novel. "Family Drama" follows the lives of soap star Susie Byrne, her stoic husband Al, and their twins Viola and Sebastian. In it, we experience the way Susie and Al attempt to balance their marriage and individual dreams, navigate death and grief, and confront choices that leave significant ripples in the lives of their children and those around them. We follow Viola and Sebastian as their own grief and processing surrounding their mother's premature death causes family conflict, motivates decisions, and deeply affects their own relationships.
Rebecca Fallon did an amazing job crafting dynamic, flawed, lovable characters. Past and present were woven beautifully without feeling trite or too on-the-nose. Her commentary on love, life, and legacy felt thought-provoking and impactful. I loved this one!
Rebecca Fallon did an amazing job crafting dynamic, flawed, lovable characters. Past and present were woven beautifully without feeling trite or too on-the-nose. Her commentary on love, life, and legacy felt thought-provoking and impactful. I loved this one!
April 15, 2026
this is the definition of a 3 star read. it was fine, not particularly memorable. the writing was more sentimental than it needed to be bc it lacked character depth but it was fine .
March 5, 2026
This was a decent book. It does start very slowly, and it almost seems like there isn't really a storyline, and I briefly considered a DNF but decided to stick with it. It improves about halfway and the second half of story is much better. Told in multiple different timelines, it portrays a family that suffers a devastating loss, along with the before and after.
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
July 29, 2025
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This book was written like a work of art and the past and present switch makes it easy to follow and understand. I love that we see Susan’s life and how she navigated being a soap opera actress and a wife and mom. I absolutely fell in love with her character and her passion in life oozes from the pages. But I was fascinated at what we are shown with her children and what life was like for them growing up with her being so caught up in her career. This book did a fantastic job of showing how it shaped their lives and how they learn more about her even after she’s gone. This book was so beautiful and it is truly a treasure.
January 6, 2026
2.5 stars. I generally love family dramas so I was surprised to be totally and completely bored with this one. There are multiple timelines - one detailing Susan’s rise to fame as a soap opera star, her unraveling marriage, her struggle to be present for her kids while needing the outlet of her acting far away from them; one that sort of jumps from year to year between the kids and her husband after her death from cancer (not a spoiler…this happens in the first chapter). I was definitely more engrossed in the chapters about Susan’s life than I was with the kids. When it got to the kids’ lives, specifically Viola’s love affair, I just could not stay interested. That whole thing was odd and just dragged. I guess I understand what she was looking for in that relationship but it just kind of made me slightly uncomfortable. The writing is good, I think, but also literary in a way that I was sometimes confused by. There were a good number of portions that I just skipped over thinking, “I’m honestly not sure what is being conveyed here and I don’t have the energy to analyze it.” I don’t think it’s a bad book, but I did not connect with it and for someone who finishes a book every other day or so, the fact that it took me nearly a month was excruciating.
February 8, 2026
3 stars. This begins with 7-year-old twins watching as their mother’s body is being slid off a boat into water in what is called a “Viking funeral.” Fast forward to the present and twins Sebastian + Viola are now grown.. Sebastian seeking answers as to who their mother really was.. Viola resentful of her. Their mother had carried on living two different lives on two different coasts. In L.A. she was the daytime soap actress Susan Byrne, but along the New England shore she’s Susan Bliss, the domesticated wife to a professor named Alcott, and a mother of twins. She’s trying and failing to be two different women at once which leaves her children alone without a mother, her husband lonely for his wife. And with that, the instability influenced her children’s inability to understand who they were as adults. The story spans over two decades as it switches between different timelines + characters, and so sorry, but I did find it difficult to keep track of. A daring debut with a fresh, bold concept. Looking forward to her next! Liked. 📖🎧 Pub. 2/3/26
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster via NetGalley for the advance reader’s copy. All opinions are my own.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster via NetGalley for the advance reader’s copy. All opinions are my own.
February 11, 2026
I’m a HUGE fan of family dramas, so Rebecca Fallon’s debut, FAMILY DRAMA was screaming my name from the rooftops! I am the ideal audience for this novel, there’s no doubt about that. Take a peek at this synopsis:
𝘈 𝘷𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺, 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴, 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘯𝘯 𝘕𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘰. 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘱, 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯, 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦-𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘹, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.
I was immediately drawn to the matriarch of the family, Susan. I enjoyed the flashbacks to her life as an actress, struggling to juggle her career and family life. A woman equally ambitious and passionate about her soap opera gig as she was to raising her children.
The daughter, Viola also had an intriguing (and somewhat scandalous) storyline. Her love affair with an older man provided much shock value and overall juiciness.
The son, Sebastian made my heart ache. His grief and search for insight on his mother’s past made for an emotional journey on his end.
READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:
- Family drama and dynamics
- Marriage and motherhood
- Multiple timelines and POVs
- Reflections on loss and grief
- Dynamic characters
- Soap opera actress lifestyle
- Stories that span decades
Overall, I was quite impressed with this debut and look forward to reading more from Fallon in the future. Her writing style is quite lovely and incredibly unique.
4/5 stars for FAMILY DRAMA! It’s out now!
𝘈 𝘷𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺, 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴, 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘯𝘯 𝘕𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘰. 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘱, 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯, 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦-𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘹, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.
I was immediately drawn to the matriarch of the family, Susan. I enjoyed the flashbacks to her life as an actress, struggling to juggle her career and family life. A woman equally ambitious and passionate about her soap opera gig as she was to raising her children.
The daughter, Viola also had an intriguing (and somewhat scandalous) storyline. Her love affair with an older man provided much shock value and overall juiciness.
The son, Sebastian made my heart ache. His grief and search for insight on his mother’s past made for an emotional journey on his end.
READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:
- Family drama and dynamics
- Marriage and motherhood
- Multiple timelines and POVs
- Reflections on loss and grief
- Dynamic characters
- Soap opera actress lifestyle
- Stories that span decades
Overall, I was quite impressed with this debut and look forward to reading more from Fallon in the future. Her writing style is quite lovely and incredibly unique.
4/5 stars for FAMILY DRAMA! It’s out now!
November 9, 2025
Book Report: Family Drama by Rebecca Fallon
In Family Drama…we meet two Susans…Susan Bliss a young mother tucked away in New England and Susan Byrne a luminous soap opera star in LA 🌊🎬Across decades and coasts…her twin children grow up haunted by the pieces of their mother’s double life. What unfolds is a breathtaking story of identity…art…love and legacy. Told in interwoven timelines that feel like memory itself.
Did I just find my favorite book of 2026?! 😭 I feel like I need a minute to recover but also…I just want to talk about it with everyone. Each character felt alive…flawed and achingly human. There were sentences that literally took my breath away. My copy is absolutely destroyed…tabbed…dog eared…highlighted within an inch of its life.
The structure…moving through time and emotion rather than chronology…perfectly mirrored the messiness of real life. Fallon captures those pinpoint moments where love…loss and ambition collide. It’s a story about how we become multiple versions of ourselves and how the people who love us are left to piece us together.
🌟 Some lines I can’t stop thinking about:
“Her face was open, an orchestra of feeling.”
“…it’s hard to repeat things in life, you know?”
“Humans are bad…at giving other people space to be complicated.”
“What you miss is an absence, what I miss is a person.”
“The new word mom, applied to herself. A soft, insipid word - not enough, not remotely, to capture the conquering flood of everything between herself and this little person.”
“They need her milk, her arms, her voice singing and playing, her face making faces they can mirror, her pushing them in the fresh afternoon air, her mantra to them: You can be anyone you want to be. But doesn't it ring hollow against the new narrowness of her world? Isn't it her duty to show them; to astonish them with her own powers of transformation, to demonstrate that it is possible to do all things, be all things?”
“This is real life, she thinks. It's loving the right person at the wrong time, it's incompatibility and doubt. It's the constant condition of mis-understanding, and the thousand ways people will prove you wrong.”
Thank you Simon and Schuster and my favorite independent bookstore Beach Books for putting this one on my radar.
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...
In Family Drama…we meet two Susans…Susan Bliss a young mother tucked away in New England and Susan Byrne a luminous soap opera star in LA 🌊🎬Across decades and coasts…her twin children grow up haunted by the pieces of their mother’s double life. What unfolds is a breathtaking story of identity…art…love and legacy. Told in interwoven timelines that feel like memory itself.
Did I just find my favorite book of 2026?! 😭 I feel like I need a minute to recover but also…I just want to talk about it with everyone. Each character felt alive…flawed and achingly human. There were sentences that literally took my breath away. My copy is absolutely destroyed…tabbed…dog eared…highlighted within an inch of its life.
The structure…moving through time and emotion rather than chronology…perfectly mirrored the messiness of real life. Fallon captures those pinpoint moments where love…loss and ambition collide. It’s a story about how we become multiple versions of ourselves and how the people who love us are left to piece us together.
🌟 Some lines I can’t stop thinking about:
“Her face was open, an orchestra of feeling.”
“…it’s hard to repeat things in life, you know?”
“Humans are bad…at giving other people space to be complicated.”
“What you miss is an absence, what I miss is a person.”
“The new word mom, applied to herself. A soft, insipid word - not enough, not remotely, to capture the conquering flood of everything between herself and this little person.”
“They need her milk, her arms, her voice singing and playing, her face making faces they can mirror, her pushing them in the fresh afternoon air, her mantra to them: You can be anyone you want to be. But doesn't it ring hollow against the new narrowness of her world? Isn't it her duty to show them; to astonish them with her own powers of transformation, to demonstrate that it is possible to do all things, be all things?”
“This is real life, she thinks. It's loving the right person at the wrong time, it's incompatibility and doubt. It's the constant condition of mis-understanding, and the thousand ways people will prove you wrong.”
Thank you Simon and Schuster and my favorite independent bookstore Beach Books for putting this one on my radar.
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...
February 4, 2026
Family Drama by Rebecca Fallon (Publisher: Simon & Schuster) is the kind of behind-the-scenes, showbiz-flavored story that’s really about something more universal: what you owe the people you love vs. what you’re allowed to keep for yourself. On the surface, it’s about a soap opera star, Susan, and her fierce need to keep her personal life private. Underneath, it’s a thoughtful look at marriage, parenting, and the price of being “known” by the public while still trying to be a normal human being at home.
I totally got where Susan was coming from. She’s living and working in California, and she doesn’t insist that her husband Al and their twins Sebastian and Viola come join her. And honestly? I understand that choice. She’s trying to protect them from the “cesspool of Hollywood”—that feeling that the industry chews people up, spits them out, and turns private lives into public property. Who can blame her for wanting her kids to have something stable and normal, away from the constant gossip, ambition, and career volatility?
At the same time, this book made me wrestle with the other side too—because Al’s decisions matter here. Part of me faults Al for not telling the kids more about Susan’s life as an actress… but another part of me gets it. If Susan’s roles are controversial, and even Al doesn’t fully understand what she’s doing or why she’s choosing certain parts, is it really fair to throw that in front of the kids before they’re ready? We talk a lot about “honesty” in families like it’s always the best option, but this story makes a solid case that sometimes privacy is a form of love—and sometimes sheltering isn’t denial, it’s protection.
And Fallon nails the most unsettling question of all: in an industry like this, are your coworkers actually your friends? Or are they people smiling at you while quietly hoping for your downfall, or at least your replacement? I loved how the book kept poking at that tension—because show business isn’t just about talent, it’s about perception, alliances, and who benefits from you staying on top. The fear that a career can be gone in a second—on the whim of a director, a producer, or a jealous co-star—felt very real.
Character-wise, Susan is interesting because she’s not written as a perfect victim or a perfect parent. She’s complicated. She’s making trade-offs. She’s trying to control something that’s basically uncontrollable. Al also isn’t some cartoon villain—he’s a husband trying to manage a reality he didn’t exactly choose, and a father trying to decide how much truth is too much truth for his kids. And I liked that the twins aren’t just “kids in the background.” Their presence raises the emotional stakes: every choice Susan and Al make ripples out to them, whether the adults want to admit it or not.
What I came away with most is this: Susan’s privacy isn’t just a preference—it’s survival. When your career depends on image, and people can decide you’re “difficult” or “done” overnight, it makes sense to keep the parts of your life that matter most out of reach. The book kept me thinking about that blurry line between being a public figure and still being allowed to have a private life—and how the people around you can end up paying for your fame, even if they never asked for it.
If you like character-driven drama with a messy, realistic look at family choices, this one is absolutely worth picking up.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.
I totally got where Susan was coming from. She’s living and working in California, and she doesn’t insist that her husband Al and their twins Sebastian and Viola come join her. And honestly? I understand that choice. She’s trying to protect them from the “cesspool of Hollywood”—that feeling that the industry chews people up, spits them out, and turns private lives into public property. Who can blame her for wanting her kids to have something stable and normal, away from the constant gossip, ambition, and career volatility?
At the same time, this book made me wrestle with the other side too—because Al’s decisions matter here. Part of me faults Al for not telling the kids more about Susan’s life as an actress… but another part of me gets it. If Susan’s roles are controversial, and even Al doesn’t fully understand what she’s doing or why she’s choosing certain parts, is it really fair to throw that in front of the kids before they’re ready? We talk a lot about “honesty” in families like it’s always the best option, but this story makes a solid case that sometimes privacy is a form of love—and sometimes sheltering isn’t denial, it’s protection.
And Fallon nails the most unsettling question of all: in an industry like this, are your coworkers actually your friends? Or are they people smiling at you while quietly hoping for your downfall, or at least your replacement? I loved how the book kept poking at that tension—because show business isn’t just about talent, it’s about perception, alliances, and who benefits from you staying on top. The fear that a career can be gone in a second—on the whim of a director, a producer, or a jealous co-star—felt very real.
Character-wise, Susan is interesting because she’s not written as a perfect victim or a perfect parent. She’s complicated. She’s making trade-offs. She’s trying to control something that’s basically uncontrollable. Al also isn’t some cartoon villain—he’s a husband trying to manage a reality he didn’t exactly choose, and a father trying to decide how much truth is too much truth for his kids. And I liked that the twins aren’t just “kids in the background.” Their presence raises the emotional stakes: every choice Susan and Al make ripples out to them, whether the adults want to admit it or not.
What I came away with most is this: Susan’s privacy isn’t just a preference—it’s survival. When your career depends on image, and people can decide you’re “difficult” or “done” overnight, it makes sense to keep the parts of your life that matter most out of reach. The book kept me thinking about that blurry line between being a public figure and still being allowed to have a private life—and how the people around you can end up paying for your fame, even if they never asked for it.
If you like character-driven drama with a messy, realistic look at family choices, this one is absolutely worth picking up.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.
March 6, 2026
A mother, a wife - a soap opera movie star. This story is about a woman who tried to have it all.
A complicated story about trying to juggle being a mother but also have a very successful Hollywood career. I like how we got to see Susan through the eyes of what the kids knew and remembered but also her husband. The struggles as they all learned to understand and cope with her loss. I liked the first half and learning about Susan a bit more than the second half, the children and them leading their lives without their mother. I wasn't so sure about the love story, but the story itself was interesting and well-told. It really does sweep you away with the complexities of families and growing up. 3.5 stars I'm rounding up.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
A complicated story about trying to juggle being a mother but also have a very successful Hollywood career. I like how we got to see Susan through the eyes of what the kids knew and remembered but also her husband. The struggles as they all learned to understand and cope with her loss. I liked the first half and learning about Susan a bit more than the second half, the children and them leading their lives without their mother. I wasn't so sure about the love story, but the story itself was interesting and well-told. It really does sweep you away with the complexities of families and growing up. 3.5 stars I'm rounding up.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
May 4, 2026
avg. 0.88/5
Enjoyment: 0.5/5
Quality: 2/5
Characters: 0.5/5
Plot: 0.5/5
Misogyny. A women reduced down to motherhood by the father. Children that have little to no sympathy for their mother. Grooming. A girl that has no sense of self as a woman and no respect for her mother, getting used by an old dude that knew her mother. The End
Enjoyment: 0.5/5
Quality: 2/5
Characters: 0.5/5
Plot: 0.5/5
Misogyny. A women reduced down to motherhood by the father. Children that have little to no sympathy for their mother. Grooming. A girl that has no sense of self as a woman and no respect for her mother, getting used by an old dude that knew her mother. The End
January 30, 2026
The cover, the title, and description of this book really lured me in. I was really looking forward to this debut novel. I received this book from Simon and Schuster. My very first physical ARC. Thankful for the opportunity to read the advance proof.
Unfortunately I did not love it as much as I wanted to. There was more sad family trauma, and less compelling family drama. The story moved slowly, flattened often, and while I love a good dual timeline, this read a bit choppy. The part that took the wind out of my sails, though, was the relationship that evolves for Viola midway into the book. It was cringey. That, and none of the characters were all that likable in general. Lots of ugly profanity that ramped up later in the book as well. Sadly, this was more miss than hit. Gave 3 generously, at first, feeling pressure to like this one, but in all honesty it's just a 2 for me. I do not recommend.
Unfortunately I did not love it as much as I wanted to. There was more sad family trauma, and less compelling family drama. The story moved slowly, flattened often, and while I love a good dual timeline, this read a bit choppy. The part that took the wind out of my sails, though, was the relationship that evolves for Viola midway into the book. It was cringey. That, and none of the characters were all that likable in general. Lots of ugly profanity that ramped up later in the book as well. Sadly, this was more miss than hit. Gave 3 generously, at first, feeling pressure to like this one, but in all honesty it's just a 2 for me. I do not recommend.
February 12, 2026
After their mother Susan Bliss’s dramatic Viking funeral in 1997, twin siblings Sebastian and Viola grapple with the legacy of her glamorous, divided life. Years earlier, Susan balanced marriage and motherhood in New England with a soap opera career in Los Angeles, leaving an enduring absence in her children’s lives. As adults, Sebastian clings to her memory while Viola resists it—until falling in love with Susan’s former costar forces her to confront the truth about the mother she never truly knew.
I didn't finish this one, made it about 50 pages in. There was a weird scene with a little girl and a grown man that just made me uncomfortable and honestly I had not desire to see that play out.
I didn't finish this one, made it about 50 pages in. There was a weird scene with a little girl and a grown man that just made me uncomfortable and honestly I had not desire to see that play out.
February 10, 2026
None of the goodreads reviews are even addressing how gross and disturbing the romance between Viola and Orson is. Neither did the book address the issue which is very concerning given that people are giving it five stars.
All the characters, including the father, were immature.
Sebastian's action against Viola in one of the scenes was forgiven and forgotten completely.
Al is so unenjoyable to read, all he does is whine and be jealous of not being the center of everyone's lives.
The only premise of this entire novel that was palatable was Susan's struggle between her career/dreams and her family.
All the characters, including the father, were immature.
Sebastian's action against Viola in one of the scenes was forgiven and forgotten completely.
Al is so unenjoyable to read, all he does is whine and be jealous of not being the center of everyone's lives.
The only premise of this entire novel that was palatable was Susan's struggle between her career/dreams and her family.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Family drama, except the drama is trauma.
The book starts with one family at the death of the mother, a soap opera star. The story then splits into two timelines: the mother (Susie), as she becomes a TV star as an adult; and her two children (twins Viola and Sebastian) as they grow up in the shadow of who their mother used to be...
It's a good character study, and it is well written. But the plot is mid. I found the book hard to get into at first. While parts of the book were very well written, others felt less fleshed out and very plain. I did appreciate how grief here, in losing a parent at a young age, is less about being stabbed in the heart, and more about this gap in who you are as a person. But the grief from the father, the sister, and the ex co-star was less believable, or just not highlighted well. There's a chasm between who Susie wanted to be and who her husband, Al wanted her to be-- and this difference and lack of respect is never reconciled or even confronted, when it desperately needed to be.
Towards the end I was confused about ages and timelines. Viola was in her Masters program when Sebastian says she was around their mom's age when she got sick-which didn't make sense to me if she died when the kids were 7.
Ultimately, Family Drama is about who we think people are, and how we imagine and paint them when they are no longer around.
TW/maybe spoiler?: There is a large age gap relationship in the novel between Viola and the mother's ex co-star.
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC copy of this book- all opinions are mine.
The book starts with one family at the death of the mother, a soap opera star. The story then splits into two timelines: the mother (Susie), as she becomes a TV star as an adult; and her two children (twins Viola and Sebastian) as they grow up in the shadow of who their mother used to be...
It's a good character study, and it is well written. But the plot is mid. I found the book hard to get into at first. While parts of the book were very well written, others felt less fleshed out and very plain. I did appreciate how grief here, in losing a parent at a young age, is less about being stabbed in the heart, and more about this gap in who you are as a person. But the grief from the father, the sister, and the ex co-star was less believable, or just not highlighted well. There's a chasm between who Susie wanted to be and who her husband, Al wanted her to be-- and this difference and lack of respect is never reconciled or even confronted, when it desperately needed to be.
Towards the end I was confused about ages and timelines. Viola was in her Masters program when Sebastian says she was around their mom's age when she got sick-which didn't make sense to me if she died when the kids were 7.
Ultimately, Family Drama is about who we think people are, and how we imagine and paint them when they are no longer around.
TW/maybe spoiler?: There is a large age gap relationship in the novel between Viola and the mother's ex co-star.
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC copy of this book- all opinions are mine.
March 27, 2026
my goodness 🥱
January 30, 2026
2.5⭐️
I love literary fiction. I love literary fiction about messy, complex families. I should have loved FAMILY DRAMA. I knew this was not the book for me when I continued to find reasons not to pick it up.
The pacing was slow. The characters were not particularly sympathetic. The timeline jumps were confusing. Viola’s romantic relationship gave me the ick. And I was bored.
Admittedly, real world events made focusing a challenge. I was desperately looking for an escape and this was not it. Readers who appreciate a slow build and meandering storyline will be better suited as readers for this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.
I love literary fiction. I love literary fiction about messy, complex families. I should have loved FAMILY DRAMA. I knew this was not the book for me when I continued to find reasons not to pick it up.
The pacing was slow. The characters were not particularly sympathetic. The timeline jumps were confusing. Viola’s romantic relationship gave me the ick. And I was bored.
Admittedly, real world events made focusing a challenge. I was desperately looking for an escape and this was not it. Readers who appreciate a slow build and meandering storyline will be better suited as readers for this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.
March 22, 2026
Susan Bliss lives a relatively normal life in the UK, juggling being a mum of two and a devoted wife to a university professor. But every week she boards a plane to LA and becomes one of the biggest American soap stars, renowned for her saucy scenes and enacting dramatic storylines.
After her death her children and husband are bereft, and years later they try and piece together the disjointed image of their mother and wife from those who knew her through a different lens to theirs.
The synopsis for this story excited me greatly but I found Susan a hard character to initially connect with. Perhaps this was the entire point of the novel, for if her own children did not know who she really was then how could the reader hope to? This did not alter how difficult it initially was for me to connect with the story, however. And I don't this this disconnect was aided by the shifting perspectives and timelines, either.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Rebecca Fallon, and the publisher, The Borough Press, for this opportunity.
After her death her children and husband are bereft, and years later they try and piece together the disjointed image of their mother and wife from those who knew her through a different lens to theirs.
The synopsis for this story excited me greatly but I found Susan a hard character to initially connect with. Perhaps this was the entire point of the novel, for if her own children did not know who she really was then how could the reader hope to? This did not alter how difficult it initially was for me to connect with the story, however. And I don't this this disconnect was aided by the shifting perspectives and timelines, either.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Rebecca Fallon, and the publisher, The Borough Press, for this opportunity.
February 4, 2026
We meet twins, Sebastian and Viola, who rarely saw their mother but are now watching her body lowered into the water.
Their mother was a soap opera star that came home infrequently and carried on a long distance marriage with Al her husband.
We go back and forth in time as we learn of the days before she met Al, when they are married, as her career takes off, when she has children, and when she gets sick.
It was very difficult to follow since the time kept changing as well as who was talking.
The writing is beautiful, but the storyline just didn't keep my interest. 3/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Their mother was a soap opera star that came home infrequently and carried on a long distance marriage with Al her husband.
We go back and forth in time as we learn of the days before she met Al, when they are married, as her career takes off, when she has children, and when she gets sick.
It was very difficult to follow since the time kept changing as well as who was talking.
The writing is beautiful, but the storyline just didn't keep my interest. 3/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
March 16, 2026
Family Drama
is all that and more. The timeline wove in and out of time and set of characters that I must admit to some sea-sickness.
This is a character-driven tale, with many ups and downs. Career v Family v Unpredictable Life Circumstances. Still, one that makes you think your precious ordinary life might really be the better choice. A good read.
*A sincere thank you to Rebecca Fallon, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* 26|52:42a
This is a character-driven tale, with many ups and downs. Career v Family v Unpredictable Life Circumstances. Still, one that makes you think your precious ordinary life might really be the better choice. A good read.
*A sincere thank you to Rebecca Fallon, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* 26|52:42a
April 30, 2026
3.5 rounded up
A moving dual timeline historical fiction story about a woman in the 80s trying to make it as an actress and later her struggle to balance being a working mother in the entertainment industry and how her family deals with her loss in the aftermath of her death as secrets come to light. Compelling with lots of interesting characters. It was good on audio and an enjoyable listen for me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
A moving dual timeline historical fiction story about a woman in the 80s trying to make it as an actress and later her struggle to balance being a working mother in the entertainment industry and how her family deals with her loss in the aftermath of her death as secrets come to light. Compelling with lots of interesting characters. It was good on audio and an enjoyable listen for me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
December 17, 2025
This story starts out with 7 year old twins, Sebastian & Viola, watching their dead mother being buried at sea. Their mother, Susan, was a soap opera star, who married a young professor, Al. Their marriage spent lots of time apart with her pursuing her acting career in LA, while he was working towards being a tenured professor on the East Coast. Once she became pregnant & gave birth to the twins, Al was certain that she would want to quit her acting career and stay home with the kids. And it was fine for a while, but then Susan started feeling the pull to return, so they continued their separate lives again. Then she is diagnosed with cancer and dies when the twins are 7. The story goes back & forth between the early years of Susan & Al and then the later years of how the twins’ lives end up over all the years without their mother and especially upon learning of how famous she was when they had no idea of that, as they were sheltered from her career. A lot of dysfunction occurs between their father and them and even between each other. This was a good debut.
Thank you to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
Thank you to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
February 13, 2026
I wanted to like this one really bad- the synopsis sounded really promising. the writing style was my biggest issue. it was hard to follow along, was confused on who was saying what half of the time.
February 28, 2026
Thank you NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Rebecca Fallon for this e-ARC!
FINALLY! My first 5-star novel for the year (other than Wuthering Heights) that actually made me FEEL something while reading it.
At this current moment in my life, I have found myself at a bit of a crossroads, between what currently is my life and what it could be. For so long, I have lived with the fear of something happening to me if I began taking more chances, specifically when it comes to having children with my husband, for so many reasons. How do I step into a new role of motherhood while still holding pieces of myself? I want to show my future children that they can have every single bit of the world at their fingertips while also showing them that I can be more than just “mom” to them and those within my world. As I read Susan’s perspectives throughout the novel at different stages of her life, while she was also coming to terms with her terminal prognosis, I couldn’t help but feel deeply that no one in life gets every single thing exactly right. Susan fell prey to so many of the same things many women fall for when trying to navigate life through the lens of trying to discover what it is we want exactly for our lives and what it means to be human, especially at the end of it all. None of us will ever know the full extent of another human’s life and what their existence means to them, and most of the time, we can barely grasp onto what our own existence means to us. But I thought this novel beautifully captured the complexities of life’s choices and how the absence of important people affects and shapes us all in one way or another.
I found the other characters of this novel to also be three-dimensional and very complex, each adding something more to Susan’s life even after she died. Al, Orson, Sadie, Sebastian and Viola were all real and damaged people just doing their best trying to navigate life through the bits and pieces of Susan that were left behind. Viola, particularly, had an immense amount of depth as she had taken up so much of her identity through her father and his academic work in order to escape her own reality, and it was cathartic to watch her unravel herself and come to terms with finally seeing herself as her mother’s daughter.
And of course, the real heartbeat of this novel, to me, was witnessing all the ways that one person’s love can extend to everyone around them and transform the lives of so many people. Love is everything in this life. It is what we spend our lives searching for in people, places, and things. We believe it can only hold one form when in fact, it changes in infinite ways and can never remain fixed. It is ever-changing, even between two people. I appreciated reading the complexities of Susan’s love for Al and seeing that love move through many stages—euphoria, doubt, resentment, forgiveness, acceptance, and joy. Because the people we love will change, and our love for them must change too.
What this novel ultimately gave me was not answers, but permission. Permission to accept that I will not do motherhood perfectly. Permission to understand that fear does not disqualify me from wanting something more. Permission to believe that I can become a mother and still remain a whole person with desires, ambitions, friendships, and an identity beyond that title. If anything, reading about Susan’s life (and the lives of those orbiting hers) showed me that we are never just one thing. We are layered and contradictory and evolving.
This is not a book for everyone, but this was definitely a book meant for me at the right time, and I am so glad I read this one.
FINALLY! My first 5-star novel for the year (other than Wuthering Heights) that actually made me FEEL something while reading it.
At this current moment in my life, I have found myself at a bit of a crossroads, between what currently is my life and what it could be. For so long, I have lived with the fear of something happening to me if I began taking more chances, specifically when it comes to having children with my husband, for so many reasons. How do I step into a new role of motherhood while still holding pieces of myself? I want to show my future children that they can have every single bit of the world at their fingertips while also showing them that I can be more than just “mom” to them and those within my world. As I read Susan’s perspectives throughout the novel at different stages of her life, while she was also coming to terms with her terminal prognosis, I couldn’t help but feel deeply that no one in life gets every single thing exactly right. Susan fell prey to so many of the same things many women fall for when trying to navigate life through the lens of trying to discover what it is we want exactly for our lives and what it means to be human, especially at the end of it all. None of us will ever know the full extent of another human’s life and what their existence means to them, and most of the time, we can barely grasp onto what our own existence means to us. But I thought this novel beautifully captured the complexities of life’s choices and how the absence of important people affects and shapes us all in one way or another.
I found the other characters of this novel to also be three-dimensional and very complex, each adding something more to Susan’s life even after she died. Al, Orson, Sadie, Sebastian and Viola were all real and damaged people just doing their best trying to navigate life through the bits and pieces of Susan that were left behind. Viola, particularly, had an immense amount of depth as she had taken up so much of her identity through her father and his academic work in order to escape her own reality, and it was cathartic to watch her unravel herself and come to terms with finally seeing herself as her mother’s daughter.
And of course, the real heartbeat of this novel, to me, was witnessing all the ways that one person’s love can extend to everyone around them and transform the lives of so many people. Love is everything in this life. It is what we spend our lives searching for in people, places, and things. We believe it can only hold one form when in fact, it changes in infinite ways and can never remain fixed. It is ever-changing, even between two people. I appreciated reading the complexities of Susan’s love for Al and seeing that love move through many stages—euphoria, doubt, resentment, forgiveness, acceptance, and joy. Because the people we love will change, and our love for them must change too.
What this novel ultimately gave me was not answers, but permission. Permission to accept that I will not do motherhood perfectly. Permission to understand that fear does not disqualify me from wanting something more. Permission to believe that I can become a mother and still remain a whole person with desires, ambitions, friendships, and an identity beyond that title. If anything, reading about Susan’s life (and the lives of those orbiting hers) showed me that we are never just one thing. We are layered and contradictory and evolving.
This is not a book for everyone, but this was definitely a book meant for me at the right time, and I am so glad I read this one.
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