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.

 

349 pages, 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

[Liana Gold]

Two estranged sisters are pulled back into each other's lives when a woman from their social circle/town disappears. Frankie is an alcoholic but she got sober, became a bookowner but never confronted her past. Mere is a struggling mother of a neurodivergent child, a caretaker but is feeling the weight of it all as the loneliness is slowly engulfing her.

This is a story about compassion, sisterhood, addiction and shame that comes with addiction. I haven't read her debut, but know it had a lot of positive feedback. This sophomore novel is full of honesty and compassion and I'm enjoying this narration so far (30% in). Even though it's a bit of a mystery, I'd say leans more on women's and general fiction.


Narrators: Helen Laser, Mai Hutchinson-Shaw, Rebecca Lowman and Jessica Guerrieri
Duration: About 9 hours and 40 minutes
Speed: 1.25x


Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Muse Audiobooks and the author, Jessica Guerrieri for an early ALC!

Publication date: May 19, 2026

[Lauren W · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
A layered story of two sisters balancing their difficult childhood with current-day lives and a side of true-crime/mystery.

This book explores many deep topics— including addiction, trauma, neurodivergence, motherhood and identity— each topic is handled with immense grace and heart. A moving and thought-provoking read that highlights the importance of sisterhood.

[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.

[Jerry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not quite seeing why this book is getting so many good reviews. The characters didn’t really grab my attention, and it felt like each chapter was just a repeat of the last.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy

[Elisa Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been eager to read Jessica Guerrieri since hearing about her debut The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. Both Can Be True solidified her as an author who truly understands the complexities of the female experience.

This is a story of two estranged sisters, Frankie and Mere, forced to confront a shared trauma when a local mother goes missing. While the plot moves well, the real strength here is the character work. One (of many examples): the way Frankie uses reading to quiet the "noise" in her mind and find a sense of calm is something I think every reader will deeply relate to.
Guerrieri writes the inner lives of women with raw honesty, covering sobriety, motherhood, and the unspoken truths we all carry. I found myself thinking about the title constantly. The idea that we can be more than one thing at once (flawed and loving, struggling and surviving) is a beautiful central theme.

I alternated between the audio and print, but I highly recommend reading this in print. I never usually have the urge to annotate, but this book had me reaching for my highlighters. Make sure to read the author’s note at the end to see the deeply personal connection she has to this story.

There were parts of the book I didn't understand the why behind. This was a 5 star story that fell a little short in the delivery.

Overall, a beautiful, empathetic read that explores how we find peace through acceptance.

[Stephanie Wilen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did an immersive read for this one and the audio was really well done. Both Frankie and Mere were brought to life beautifully by the narrators, which made the emotional moments hit. Tears were shed.

The addiction storyline was the clear standout for me. Jessica Guerrieri writes it with warmth and understanding. Even as Frankie struggles, there’s this steady thread of hope running underneath it all that kept me invested. It felt honest without being heavy handed.

I will say, I was a little torn at times. There’s a lot being explored here and for me it started to feel a bit crowded. I think if the focus had stayed on addiction, motherhood and parenting a neurodivergent child, it would have felt more cohesive and impactful.

I also found myself wanting more balance between the sisters. I really connected with Mere and understood her. Because of that, I wish her perspective had been given a little more space. Frankie felt like the priority and a more even split would have made the story feel more complete.

That said, the vulnerability in these characters is undeniable. It’s deeply emotional, raw and rooted in the messy realities of womanhood, which made it a compelling read overall.

[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.

[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.

[Janis Gerney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story line about two sisters and the challenges in their lives. I liked the chapter at the end from the third person’s perspective. Very insightful regarding alcoholism and having a child with neurodivergence.

[Footnotes and Footfalls · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this sophomore novel from Guerrieri expecting a real standout. It’s a solid read, and I do think it will resonate with many women, but I had a few hangups along the way.

The central idea of women disappearing or feeling invisible in their own lives is such a strong premise. While it’s clearly what the author is reaching for, there’s a lot happening around it that pulls focus. The story weaves through sister reconciliation, addiction, sexual assault, raising teens, traumatic childhoods, and recovery, and at times it feels spread a bit thin. With so many threads competing for attention, the core theme doesn’t always get the space it deserves, and it can feel like the story is searching for its center.
A couple of political jabs and threads of ideology seemed inserted rather than organic, which felt a bit off-putting and unnecessary.

That said, I still found this to be a solid 4 star read. I think readers who see pieces of their own experiences reflected here will connect with it in a deeper way. At its heart, it’s a story about complicated relationships, survival, and the hard but meaningful work of finding your way back to each other.

[Leah M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guerrieri has a beautiful way of writing that peels apart all of the hidden layers of being a woman. She has perfected the themes of how women can get lost within their marriage and motherhood, how trauma can affect you for years despite ignoring or burying it, and how addiction can ruin lives.

BCBT covers a lot of ground through a lot of characters, and I have abandoned many books in the past because I couldn't keep track of all of the people in the beginning. Not this book. I truly was hooked from the first chapter, & I finished in 48 hours because I just could not stop reading.

BCBT is dual POV told through sisters, Frankie & Mere. Together, they have experienced their moms death from cancer and their dads journey with alcohol and mental illness. Individually, their adult lives are very different. Frankie is a mom to teen girls & she has been sober for 10 years. Mere has a young daughter who was recently diagnosed with autism and is consumed with keeping everything together. Their adult relationship has not always been easy, but when a woman disappears in their town, they find themselves pulled back together and are forced to revisit some of their old wounds. I spent much of this book thinking "how is this going to end?!" and I hope that you enjoy the emotional roller coaster as much as I did. It ended with me crying and 5⭐️.

🚩This book tackles topics that can be difficult for some, including sexual assault, addiction and grief. Check the trigger warnings, but also know that Guerrieri has a way of writing a fiction book that feels like a self-help book (I mean this as the best compliment).

Thank you Harper Muse for the advanced reader copy!!

[Rachel Floyd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Both Can Be True by Jessica Guerrieri has an important message about identity and acceptance, and I appreciated what it was trying to do.

However, it didn’t fully work for me. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, as they felt somewhat underdeveloped, which made it difficult to stay engaged in the story.

That said, I did appreciate the way the sisters grew closer over time, as well as the honest portrayal of how crippling addiction can be. While the themes are meaningful— the execution just didn’t resonate with me personally.

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

[Meghan Grober-Kratovil · Rating 3 out of 5]

A complex look at motherhood, relationships, and addiction is shown through rotating POVs in this novel. It is a glimpse into the lives of two sisters who are again impacted by a traumatic situation. While dealing with the current situation, there are consistent jumps to other points in their life where they tell stories about their childhood, college, early stages of marriage, having children, etc. This writing style is not for everyone and even I thought about putting the book down because of this style. In thinking of it more, the writing style really does reflect what goes on in our minds as our days unfold - present day is happening, but we are constantly reminded of the past. In this way, the book did seem repetitive and I could see people shying away from it before getting to absorb those profound moments we see later on in the novel.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book, it is beautifully written. Jessica writes with such an openness it makes it so easy to care for and want the best for her characters Mere and Frankie. What they are going through or have gone through we can empathize with, if not having been through similar or the same situations. It is not easy being a Mother, Sister, Wife, Caregiver, Friend, all to others without feeling lost sometimes.

Thank you to Harper Muse and Net Galley for the advance copy.
Pub Date: May 19 2026

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

[Ridhima · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to BookSparks and the author for the gifted copy of the book!

content warning: book mentions substance abuse and addiction, animal death, sexual assault and rape, death due to terminal illness, bipolar disorder, neurodivergence stigma, adultery

Told with alternating third person dual pov of sisters Frankie and Mere, Both Can be True was my first work by the author. From the start, I knew this was going to be a heavy read; with both sisters slightly estranged and each dealing with their own demons - Frankie with addiction and Mere with an isolating motherhood of a special needs child. The main story kicks off, however, when one of Frankie's acquaintances and AA sponsee goes missing, leading to ripples across the whole community.

While this may give off the appearance of a mystery, it most certainly is not one. The answer is evident almost immediately, and while we get flashbacks and backstories for each character in nearly every chapter, they are essential to understand why the sisters are who they are today.
There is also a good amount of spotlight on strained marriages, the incompetency of men, and the mental load a woman has to carry in many of her relationships.

Even though I found the writing to be beautiful and characters to be deeply flawed and layered, I also felt the author was trying to accomplish too much in a 300+ page book (see my list of cw above). The story felt rushed and messy to me as a result, and I felt like I couldn't focus on one character's struggles much before we were dragged into the others. Frankie also was not an easy protagonist to root for, which slightly lowered my overall experience with the book.

Still, the book is raw, emotional, and will tug at your heartstrings (be sure to read the author's note at the end for some insight). Recommended only if you're in need of a heavy read that gives importance to the bonds between family and friends, and the crippling insecurity one can feel as a woman.

[eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

The disappearance of a local woman sets off a series of things that lead Frankie and Mere, two sisters who have been practically estranged for years, on a path to heal and reconnect with each other.

When I picked this up, I was expecting one of those mysteries that steals your attention and makes it impossible to put it down until you are done with it. I don't really know why, but thing is, I was wrong. And I mean that in the best possible way, because what I found is so much more than that.

While there definitely is an undertone of mystery carrying on in the background of this story, it is not its main focus. Told from both Frankie and Mere's point of views, we follow along as these two sisters battle with their issues while trying to stay afloat, for themselves and their families. Frankie is a recovering alcoholic, who struggles not to fall into old patterns when something triggers an old wound; Mere is living what seems to be a perfect life, but is actually drowning in her loneliness.

There is so much tenderness in the way this story is told, it made me tear up on several occasions. It does not shy away from its ugliest moments, but they are always perfectly balanced with moments that are so hopeful, so full of love and care. It definitely is a slower kind of read, one that works towards unravelling old trauma in order to work through it and heal from it. There is so much grief, so much pain, but also so much joy in watching as these women find their way back into each other lives, fully. Maybe it's just because I love a good story about sisterly love, but I absolutely loved it.

Many thanks to Harper Muse & NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

[Meghna S · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you go into Both Can Be True by Jessica Guerrieri expecting a fast-paced thriller based on the "missing woman" synopsis, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what this book actually is: a beautifully layered, classic work of women’s fiction. I loved reading every minute of it.

The story is a slow burn in the best possible way. The pacing is driven heavily by the internal dialogue of the two estranged sisters, Frankie and Mere, rather than external action. It’s a deep, raw, and honest character exploration. I didn't personally relate to either sister’s specific circumstances, which actually allowed me to step back and deeply empathize with both of them as they navigated their fractured bond. That being said, I found myself drawn to Mere a bit more, simply because I felt I understood her journey on a deeper level.

The writing is filled with absolute gems and poignant observations about motherhood, marriage, addiction, and shame. The Northern California mountain town setting was also perfectly atmospheric—it captured that specific, quiet forested vibe beautifully and grounded the story in a very real way.

Guerrieri handles some incredibly heavy themes with great nuance and compassion (please check trigger warnings before diving in!). The ending is bittersweet, but it felt incredibly fitting for the story being told. I cannot wait to see what Jessica Guerrieri writes next!

Thank you to @booksparks, @harpermuse, and the author for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some women disappear slowly… not all at once.

This book is quiet in tone but heavy in impact, exploring everything from motherhood and addiction to trauma, shame, and the fragile ties between once inseparable sisters.

Frankie and Mere are sisters, and their differences and distance between them feel so real. Frankie, the “funny one” turned sober bookstore owner, carries her past in sharp edges and restless energy.

Mere, the steady caretaker, is quietly unravelling under the weight of motherhood, marriage, and the constant pressure to hold everything together.

Watching them orbit each other again after years apart felt tense, emotional, and deeply human.

I loved how honestly this book explores the ways women can lose themselves. In relationships, in parenting, in survival, in silence.

The missing woman storyline adds a subtle thread of mystery, but the real focus is the emotional unloading happening between the sisters and within themselves. It’s less about solving something external and more about facing what’s been buried internally for years.

Some moments felt uncomfortable in the most intentional way because that’s exactly what the story is asking you to sit with. The weight of unresolved trauma, the cracks in family systems, the ways people cope just to get through the day.

And despite all of that heaviness, there’s compassion here too. For mistakes. For coping mechanisms. For the versions of ourselves we outgrow but still carry.
I finished this one feeling a lot...sad, reflective, and oddly understood.

Thank you so much Jessica Guerrieri and Harper Muse for sending me a #gifted copy.
All opinions are my own 🖤

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

“There’s more than one way for a woman to disappear. She can leave without packing a bag. Slip out so quietly no one thinks to follow. Or she can stay, stay smiling, stay small, stay busy, stay married, and vanish anyway.”

This book was heavy and beautifully written. Knowing these experiences come from the author’s real life makes perfect sense in hindsight, as the pain and struggle felt so raw. I am a neurodivergent mother, sister, and wife and I saw pieces of myself in both sisters, which made me understand them in different ways.

“Nothing is harmless with you, Frankie. You don’t do anything halfway. For better or for worse.” 💔

Truthfully, there was a LOT going on and almost too many character’s struggles to keep up with at times. But if you are a mother and a wife who struggles to maintain their own identity outside of those roles, this is still absolutely worth the read.

“Do you ever regret it?”
“Regret what?”
“All of it. Marriage, kids, the whole thing. Do you ever wonder if you missed a turn somewhere? Like it started out as the magic of sleepaway camp for grownups - messy, loud, fun - and then without warning, something shifted. Or maybe it didn’t. Maybe you did.”

If you have trigger warnings, PLEASE CHECK THEM. There is a LOT in here, protect your peace.

“Stay in it.” 😭

Thank you to BookSparks and Harper Muse for including me in this book tour! 💚

[LORIANN (my opinion doesn't mean much, but ...) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tough book to rate. It is not a mystery if this is what you are looking to read! This is more of a book of someone who is getting over trauma and grief and learning how to live with it. It is one that seriously deals with almost every trigger warning. It is not a light read or easy to read! I considered not finishing it many times.

The story is told through alternating perspectives, allowing us to inhabit the worlds of both sisters simultaneously. Frankie is dealing with the ugliness of sobriety and the demons that come with her past troubled younger life. Merle is living what she thinks is her so-called "perfect life". But on the inside, she is drowning. Life as a caretaker and a mother to a special needs child is not easy. Both sisters are struggling with their own issues, and then a local woman goes missing, who both girls are close to. The results will be devastating, but they may bring the family closer, and just what will heal it.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: mental illness, trauma, rape, neurodivergence, drugs, alcoholism

THANK YOU NET GALLEY for the ARC COPY. ALL OPINIONS REMAIN MY OWN.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

“She hadn’t meant to miss it. But in trying to quiet the noise, she dulled the joy too.” 😞

“There’s more than one way for a woman to disappear.” Hot DAMN I just love when a book starts off with a bang 💥

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.

Wow there is a lot to unpack with this one. This story is not so much the mystery of a local missing woman but more the study of all of the ways that our bodies and minds can betray us. This book delves into severe mental illness, alcoholism, autism, and cancer. Those issues very much overshadow a missing woman struggling with her own recovery.

What I take away from the book is the sometimes presumed almost impossibility of both sobriety and the loving of an addict. I don’t want to give away too much of the story but I will just say that the ending gave me chills. But most importantly, hope.

Thank you so much to @BookSparks, @HarperMuseBooks, and @JessicaGuerreriAuthor for the amazing book.

[MichelleZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Beautiful, Emotional and Loving ⭐'s for Both Can Be True

The moment I heard an audio excerpt from this novel, I knew I had to dive in. I didn’t even make it three minutes (out of five) before requesting it—and less than ten minutes later, I was approved. Thirty seconds after that, I hit play and didn’t stop until it was finished (aside from a few necessary hours of sleep).

I truly believe this book is for everyone. You don’t have to be a mother or struggle with addiction to connect with it. In some way, aren’t we all mothers—to children, pets, nieces, nephews, or even a plant we’re trying to keep alive? And aren’t we all a little addicted to something—love, food, nature, books, animals, alcohol, drugs or even sleep? This novel taps into those universal threads and is bound to resonate with you.

The narrators truly breathe life into the characters—bravo to Helen Laser, Mia Hutchinson Shaw, and Rebecca Lowman for such a captivating performance.

I saw so much of my own life reflected in Frankie and Mere and Jessica Guerrieri was able to put my thoughts and feelings to the page. There were moments when I thought I was reading about myself.

Do yourself a favor and read/listen to this beautiful raw novel.

Jessica..... I’ll definitely be picking up everything you write from here on out. I already ordered Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.

I want to thank NetGalley, Harper Muse Audiobooks and Jessica Guerrieri for an advanced audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Bbecca_marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both Can Be True🌲Book Review 📖 thank you @booksparks @harpermusebooks for the gifted arc!

Both Can Be True
by Jessica Guerrieri
out 5/19/26!
2.5⭐️ rounded up

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.

🌲 My thoughts:

What I found in this one was an emotional unraveling of sisterhood, motherhood, and the ways women disappear. This wasn’t a book I could fly through, but that felt intentional. The complexity of the sisters’ relationship felt raw, messy, and deeply real, in a way that really stayed with me. There’s so much unspoken hurt between them, and watching it slowly come to the surface was both heavy and meaningful. As a mother, parts of this hit especially close to home, capturing how easy it is to lose pieces of yourself and have to find your way back. It’s not always an easy read, but it feels honest in a way that matters. The emotional depth and layered story made it feel more like a journey. This is the kind of book that will really resonate with the right reader. Unfortunately for me it felt a tad repetitive and maybe a little too long but it could be that I found it at the wrong time. It is definitely one to pick up if you’re in the mood for something more introspective and emotionally driven.

What to expect 👇🏽
✨Complex family dynamics
✨Motherhood + identity
✨Emotional/character-driven
✨Slow burn pacing
✨Past trauma + healing
✨Missing person subplot

Happy reading 📖 🌲✨
#bothcanbetruereviewtour

[Samantha Gencarello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from NetGalley.

I went into this one thinking I would be gripped by the mystery aspect of the novel, but I could not have been more wrong. The book follows two estranged sisters, Frankie and Mere, who come together when a local woman goes missing. Each chapter alternates between their perspectives and we get a window into their lives.

Frankie is a recovering alcoholic raising teenage daughters and Mere is the mother of a neurodivergent daughter. There are a lot of heavy topics in this one .. addiction, sexual assault, parental loss. But man did Jessica Guerrieri weave such a nuanced and delicate story. I wasn’t sure I would really love it because I could tell the mystery of the missing woman wasn’t really the focus of the story, but Jessica’s writing captivated me. The relationships between mothers and daughters, sisters and friends was so emotionally well done.

I give this one 4 stars, especially because I was in tears at the end.

[Missy (BigSkyBooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

{Thank you @booksparks for the gifted copy and @librofm for the ALC. Two of my favorite narrators did the dual POV—Helen Laser and Mia Hutchison-Shaw. OUT 5/19}

I appreciated that the author gave content warnings because, friends, this one is HEAVY!

Jessica is a very talented writer; I find her books to be lyrical and beautiful. A true testament to the beauty in ugly things like addiction.

I liked what the author was trying to covey in this story with these sisters—life is hard sometimes. Examples include: addiction, marriage, motherhood, disabilities. Sometimes we just want to be seen. And sometimes we just want to disappear.

I struggled a bit with the drug use in this book. Not so much Frankie relapsing to edibles and pills vs. alcohol this time, but the scene of the guys camping trip. That felt so casual and was almost normalizing drug use. JMO.

All in all, a solid second novel from this author.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I requested this ALC the second I saw the narrators and those first few words in the description "when a local mother goes missing." I definitely drew some conclusions from that, but this really isn't a mystery/thriller. Or, if anything, it's the B plot. Instead, it’s a really beautifully written and insightful look at how addiction and neurodivergence impact families. It also features my favorite subtrope: men ruining everything. I’ve already gone ahead and checked out Jessica Guerrieri's other novel from the library.

I always go on and on about these three narrators, so I’ll try not to be redundant. This was mostly Mia Hutchinson-Shaw's story to tell, with a big assist from Rebecca Lowman. Helen Laser had a much smaller role, though I’ll admit I did tear up during her section.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the ALC. Both Can Be True comes out May 19, 2026.

[Devin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both Can Be True does a lot, and while it could toe the line of doing too much, it never crossed it for me. I thought many difficult topics were handled well through the lens of characters in whom it’s easy to see glimmers of yourself. I especially enjoyed Mere’s perspective on caregiving for neurodivergent individuals, particularly when she realized that societal expectations need to change- not people. In general, it’s very hard to take the perspective of someone whose brain works differently from your own, and in multiple ways, this book did that in an intriguing, thoughtful way that made it easy to listen to quickly. It also helps that the narration is excellent! I recommend it to fans of the author’s first book and to anyone who enjoys complex women’s fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the ALC.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was expecting this to be more of mystery, probably my fault for not reading the whole blurb.
It wasn't, though there is a missing woman in there, she becomes almost the smallest sub plot.
The family dynamics, and the sisters relationship with each other, and everyone in their orbit are what this book is about.
Grief, trauma, addiction, it has a lot of trigger warning content.
I don't know that I would have picked it up if I'd known what it was really about, but I'm so glad I did.
Raw and emotional at times, but also full of love and forgiveness.
I very much enjoyed getting to know these two sisters.
Excellent narration, each character standing out very well.


Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping emotional story of two estranged sisters uniting to find a missing mother. Tackling issues of motherhood and addiction, this book looks at how women get lost in plain sight in their roles as mothers and wives, in seeking ways to ease their pain through addiction. Told in alternating perspectives of Frankie, the funny sister, and Mere, the steady one, we find the reason for the estrangement. Two sisters with the same parents can grow up so differently because each took a different path to survival - which mirrors the title. This is a character-driven book with the setting, the Northern California mountains, adding to the sense of isolation both sisters have grappled with. Intensely in their lives. I’d like to thank NetGalley and Harper Muse for allowing me access to this ARC.

[Amy Swain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was eager to pick up this author’s second novel, especially since I loved her debut, Between the Dead and the Deep Blue Sea. It took me a little while to settle into Both Can Be True, though that may have had more to do with some major life changes happening when I first started reading. At first, I wasn’t sure the story would resonate with me, but I ended up truly loving it. The novel tackles weighty themes such as addiction and loss, and the emotional honesty in Jessica’s writing makes it clear she’s drawing from deeply personal experience. After finishing this one, I’m already looking forward to whatever she writes next.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.