Both Can Be True: A Novel

by Jessica Guerrieri

When a local mother goes missing, two estranged sisters are pulled back into each other’s lives and forced to confront old wounds, fractured trust, and the many ways a woman can disappear in plain sight.

Frankie is the funny one, full of restless energy and sharp edges, the sister who got sober, opened a bookstore, and slipped into a version of domestic life without ever fully confronting the past. Mere is the steady one, the caretaker, a mother quietly unraveling under the demands of her neurodivergent daughter and the loneliness of a marriage to a husband who sees the world through an entirely different lens.

For the Gilmore sisters, losing their mother to cancer at a young age gave them a brief window of closeness they’ve never been able to reclaim. But over the years, a mentally ill father, the unspoken trauma of sexual violence, and the different vices they turned to for survival fractured their bond and created a divide of resentment neither of them could bring themselves to cross. When a woman in Frankie’s social circle disappears, the sisters are pulled into a shared reckoning and can no longer deny the past that has shaped so much of their present.

Set against the backdrop of a quiet Northern California mountain town, this gripping and emotionally layered novel unfolds in alternating perspectives, revealing the many ways women vanish inside motherhood, addiction, marriage, and shame. Told with raw honesty and wry compassion, Jessica Guerrieri’s sophomore novel is a story of sisterhood, acceptance, the unspoken truths we carry, and the redemptive power of bridging pain into connection.

 

Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, Mystery

Kindle Edition

Expected publication May 19, 2026

About the author

Jessica Guerrieri (pronounced grrr-air-eee) is a writer and novelist who lives in Northern California with her husband and three daughters. With a background in special education, Jessica left the field to pursue a career in writing and raising her children. With over a decade of sobriety, she is a fierce advocate for addiction recovery.
Her award-winning debut book club fiction novel, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Harper Muse), is out now. Her sophomore novel, Both Can Be True (Harper Muse), will be published in May 2026.

Reviews

[Ellen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book sucked me in and I couldn’t put it down till I finished. Loved the female lead characters and loved the themes of motherhood, missing persons, estranged family, and old wounds. I was able to relate to both Frankie and Mere in different ways. This book does a great job showing how trauma in our past shows up in different ways. This book is very relevant to all women whether you’re a mother or not. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ryan Brandenburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This powerful novel delves into the complexities of sisterhood, addiction and its aftermath. I was instantly captivated by the intricate relationship between sisters Mere and Frankie, and I found myself engrossed in the narrative, finishing the novel in less than 24 hours.

The book takes readers on a profound journey, filled with raw emotions and heartbreaking moments. I believe this novel will resonate well with fans of Demon Copperhead and The Blue Sisters when it releases in May 2026. I would also predict a Read with Jenna pick!

Please be aware of the following trigger warnings: sexual violence and addiction.

[Pasha Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book pulled me right in! I read Jessica’s first book this summer and when I learned she was writing a second I couldn’t wait to read it. I love her writing style. She doesn’t hold back. She’s real and raw. I think this book is even better than her first. Frankie and Mere are both great women in their own ways. I could relate to both of them and at some points I was like Dang! Has she been inside my head bc I felt like she ripped a page out of my daily life. Being a woman and a mother is hard in today’s world but when we can lean on each other we can make each other’s lives better and this book shows just that. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Angie Miale · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sad and beautiful story about all the different ways that women disappear and how we show up for each other when the men in our lives fail us.

Told in alternating POV, this novel follows Mere, a mom to Lily, and her sister Frankie, mom to Chloe and who is sober. Together they are taking care of their ailing father and bearing the mental load of their families. Then another mom goes missing, and the story follows not only what happened to her but all the secrets and hopes the women carry.

I love Jessica Guerreri’s writing, it is a mixture of deliberate symbolism and intriguing plot. It is sneakily feminist while exploring themes of motherhood and presence. Even the minor characters stand out in this story, some of the most touching scenes belong to those on the periphery. One of the gifts that sobriety brings is the privilege of being fully present for the pain, the joy and the miracle of everyday life.

This year I celebrated 14 years of sobriety in AA, and I work an active program. The role that AA plays in this story is very respectful without being overly positive. I love how Frankie’s sobriety journey isn’t linear. It’s a tradition that goes throughout sponsorship lines, and different people have different ways of doing things, with a variety of ways to interpret the work and the overall program. I’ve sponsored many women over the years, and without spoiling the story, I can definitely attest that this can be a roller coaster. And yet, this is how we stay sober. We get to keep it by giving it away. AA isn’t the only way to get sober, but it’s the way that worked for me.

I think that women- like myself- will see themselves in these pages and will start to question of numbing the stress of motherhood is really worth it after all.

At times I found Frankie to be controlling and even cringy in her talking to her daughter Chloe about her relationship. I’m always pretty critical of “purity culture” in books and while it made me uncomfortable, it made sense for the character arc and the experiences the reader later learns about Frankie.

At the end of the day we all want to be seen and loved for who we are.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the ARC. Book to be published May 18, 2026.

[Another Read by Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

🏕️ ARC REVIEW 🏕️

PUB DATE: May 18th 2026

My Rating : ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫 4.5 unraveling stars

“ Sometimes leaving isn’t a decision at all. It’s the final, flickering instinct of a woman trying to stay alive . A quiet kind of survival.”

“What good was choosing simple if it meant carving out the parts of herself that once reached for more ..”

“You don’t have to know all the answers right now . You just have to know what your heart is asking for .”

Jessica has done it again , and has written us a shattering novel and even though this book has ended it still echos in my mind 🖤

Jessica is an author who should not be taken lightly. She writes these beautiful passages, mastering in family drama and characters who are so raw , real and relatable to many.

This author has definitely found her niche in writing deep , compelling stories using her real life past experiences and putting them onto paper and it must be so healing every time she puts pen to paper .

Without giving too much away , this story centres around two estranged sisters who are both battling their own personal demons . Then one day a local woman goes missing who Frankie was her sponsor and feels only guilt for her disappearance.

Will past trauma reopen old memories and old habits take form again ? Or will sisterhood strengthen as the story unfolds?

If you like family dramas, blurred lines , coming undone characters, a constant foreboding dancing in the background, mystery , flawed cast and fiction that reads so realistically then definitely add this one to your TBR🖤

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Muse and @jessicaguerrieriauthor for this electric ARC 🫶🏼

QOTD- What was the last book that refused to let you go ?

#books #bookstagram #bookcommunity #bookworm #fyp

[Brandy Dougan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I even begin. I started this journey of reading Both Can Be True not knowing how deeply I would connect and relate to literally every character. Jessica Guerrieri was able to make these characters not only relatable but they felt like versions of myself in many different points of my life. From struggling with the worry that comes with being a mother to an atypical child, to staying strong through life’s many losses and trials. I rarely cry while reading a book and I can now add this lovely book to that very short list. I felt and loved these characters with my whole heart and i am honored to have been given a chance to read this novel early thanks to Harper Muse and Jessica Guerreiri. I will be thinking about this book for a very long time!

[Robyn Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both Can Be True is the raw and real reality of recovery, relationships, past trauma and the desire to live authentically. The relationships in this book are powerful. As a person in recovery - I think this book does an excellent job expressing all the nuances, challenges and most of all the beautiful magic that can happen in sobriety when you have an amazing sponsor and you work a solid program. For me personally - it shows the reality of what can happen if a person only does recovery with "half measures" and is not 100% honest with themselves and others. Once again, Jessica Guerrieri has written a beautiful book full of hope.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you for allowing me to read an advanced copy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I had previously enjoyed Jessica’s other book so I jumped at a chance to read another. Her writing style is smooth. I appreciate the research she put into the characters especially as an OT and an advocate for the ND. However this book felt like water repeatedly hitting the bank. It never really changed, the same things were talked about over again and by the end, I just didn’t connect.

This book covers a lot of topics such as relationships, motherhood, supporting individuals with special needs, trauma, alcohol and drugs.

[Anna Marija · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Beautifully written, my first time reading anything by Jessica and I was not disappointed!
On a surface level it is about women and dealing with motherhood, but it is way more than just that. It’s about not seeing the battles we all are facing how tough everyone’s journeys are and as a woman and a mother how all we really want is to be seen and to be seen is to be loved

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that looks at motherhood, family relationships, and addiction. I thought it was well written. As someone without an alcohol or drug addiction, I feel it’s not my place to comment on how it was portrayed. I do think the motherhood and family relationships were portrayed accurately- they are complicated!

[Katie Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so many things at once that it’s honestly hard to fully describe how deeply it landed with me. The prologue alone was a FIVE STAR read for me, and I’ve gone back to reread it multiple times because it captures the heart of this story with such raw clarity. The author writes with a level of emotion that it makes the characters painfully real for the reader, like women you know, or maybe parts of yourself you don’t always let out. Frankie and Mere’s perspectives show how unresolved trauma, addiction, grief, and survival shape the women they’ve become, as well as, the distance that has grown between them over the years.

This story demonstrates confronting demons while still showing up for everyone else. It’s about surviving addiction, carrying trauma, and holding the weight of being a wife, a mother, and a sister without ever being allowed to fully fall apart. What stayed with me most, though, was how seen this book made me feel. While it explores loneliness in marriage and the slow erosion that can come with motherhood and caretaking, I realized that this loss of self doesn’t only happen when things are bad. It happens even in happy marriages. Even when life looks successful from the outside. Even when everything is technically “going right.” Being a mother and a wife brings so much love and fulfillment, but it can also quietly take pieces of who you are if you don’t fight to hold onto them.