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Harmless
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Expected 14 Apr 26Chilling, twisty, and surprisingly tender, Harmless explores the confusion and messiness of growing up—and asks if we can ever really outrun what haunts us most.
Two years ago, Bea’s life was upended when her beloved twin sister, Audrey, died. Audrey was captivating, an extrovert, their mother’s golden child. Bea was “different,” too intense, and chronically lonely.
Now, in her late twenties, having taken time away to grieve, Bea is back home in Park Slope, Brooklyn, her spirits finally buoyed by her plan to start a dog kennel. Inspired by the childhood dream she once shared with Audrey and old, now-estranged friends Tatum and Layla, she’s sure this will be the perfect ode to her sister’s life. Despite what people say, Bea knows she took good care of Audrey in the months before her death, and hopes to do the same for needy dogs. But she'll have to ask for help.
Tatum is dissatisfied with her assistant-level publishing job and icked by her live-in college boyfriend. Layla, on the other hand, has a full-time assistant but no job, thanks to her mother’s immense fortune. Both are desperate for purpose and well-primed for Bea’s unexpected business proposition.
But as they reintegrate into one another’s lives, simmering tensions—and attractions—emerge, and a sinister darkness breaks through to the surface. What do they really want from one another? What happens when buried secrets come to light? And when is the right time to abandon an outdated dream—or a lifelong friendship?
Two years ago, Bea’s life was upended when her beloved twin sister, Audrey, died. Audrey was captivating, an extrovert, their mother’s golden child. Bea was “different,” too intense, and chronically lonely.
Now, in her late twenties, having taken time away to grieve, Bea is back home in Park Slope, Brooklyn, her spirits finally buoyed by her plan to start a dog kennel. Inspired by the childhood dream she once shared with Audrey and old, now-estranged friends Tatum and Layla, she’s sure this will be the perfect ode to her sister’s life. Despite what people say, Bea knows she took good care of Audrey in the months before her death, and hopes to do the same for needy dogs. But she'll have to ask for help.
Tatum is dissatisfied with her assistant-level publishing job and icked by her live-in college boyfriend. Layla, on the other hand, has a full-time assistant but no job, thanks to her mother’s immense fortune. Both are desperate for purpose and well-primed for Bea’s unexpected business proposition.
But as they reintegrate into one another’s lives, simmering tensions—and attractions—emerge, and a sinister darkness breaks through to the surface. What do they really want from one another? What happens when buried secrets come to light? And when is the right time to abandon an outdated dream—or a lifelong friendship?
288 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication April 14, 2026
12 people are currently reading
6466 people want to read
About the author
Miranda Shulman
1 book33 followersMiranda Shulman attended Bard College, where she majored in human rights. Before pursuing a career in publishing, she worked at Planned Parenthood. She grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and still lives there. Harmless is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 20, 2026
Harmless is very odd…but interesting? The book starts with Bea getting ready for a memorial service for her twin sister Audrey, two years later because of COVID. She has a whim to start a dog kennel because of her sister, and knows that she will see a childhood friend of theirs at the service who she decides she wants to be a part of it.
When the third member of their quartet surprisingly shows up at the service the book transitions more to the current state of Bea and Tatum’s lives, and how their reconnection look at where they are and what they want based on each other and Bea’s roommate Rosalie.
Tatum is a very normal person who is having a quarter-ish life crisis with the banality of her life. Her live-in boyfriend Ed has become annoying to her, her job isn’t fulfilling, she’s trying to please everyone. Then she reconnects with Layla and is not only attracted to her, but sees someone she views as more put together and successful than she is, which makes her reevaluate everything in her life.
Bea is not normal. Whether this is nature or nurture is anyone’s guess, but the book reveals her as someone who desperately wants to belong and someone who is both controlling and not aware of appropriate social constructs. She feels left out when she’s not included, but she makes people feel uncomfortable when she is. This is reflected in her relationships with Tatum and Layla, and her obsessive need to control a spiraling Audrey before her death and later her roommate Rosalie.
Having known someone like Bea, and being able to see into what she was thinking was deeply uncomfortable for me. I found her behavior disturbing and scary for anyone who has a person like this in their life. Creating a very sinister vibe, she was a very cautionary tale of having someone like this in your orbit, whether you consider them a friend or not.
Tatum’s POV is not only a much needed break from the intensity of reading from Bea’s point of view, it’s a reminder that it’s perfectly normal to question where you are in life, who you’re with, and what you want, and that the grass may not be greener in someone else’s backyard.
The women and their revelations about themselves all come to a head during a getaway to their childhood vacation home.
I wish that Shulman had found a different way to bring the women together than the idea of opening a dog kennel, because none of them seem truly interested and it fades away as a storyline. I really enjoyed Tatum’s story and evolution, but Bea hit so close to home in uncomfortable ways that this didn’t just feel speculative, it felt real.
A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
When the third member of their quartet surprisingly shows up at the service the book transitions more to the current state of Bea and Tatum’s lives, and how their reconnection look at where they are and what they want based on each other and Bea’s roommate Rosalie.
Tatum is a very normal person who is having a quarter-ish life crisis with the banality of her life. Her live-in boyfriend Ed has become annoying to her, her job isn’t fulfilling, she’s trying to please everyone. Then she reconnects with Layla and is not only attracted to her, but sees someone she views as more put together and successful than she is, which makes her reevaluate everything in her life.
Bea is not normal. Whether this is nature or nurture is anyone’s guess, but the book reveals her as someone who desperately wants to belong and someone who is both controlling and not aware of appropriate social constructs. She feels left out when she’s not included, but she makes people feel uncomfortable when she is. This is reflected in her relationships with Tatum and Layla, and her obsessive need to control a spiraling Audrey before her death and later her roommate Rosalie.
Having known someone like Bea, and being able to see into what she was thinking was deeply uncomfortable for me. I found her behavior disturbing and scary for anyone who has a person like this in their life. Creating a very sinister vibe, she was a very cautionary tale of having someone like this in your orbit, whether you consider them a friend or not.
Tatum’s POV is not only a much needed break from the intensity of reading from Bea’s point of view, it’s a reminder that it’s perfectly normal to question where you are in life, who you’re with, and what you want, and that the grass may not be greener in someone else’s backyard.
The women and their revelations about themselves all come to a head during a getaway to their childhood vacation home.
I wish that Shulman had found a different way to bring the women together than the idea of opening a dog kennel, because none of them seem truly interested and it fades away as a storyline. I really enjoyed Tatum’s story and evolution, but Bea hit so close to home in uncomfortable ways that this didn’t just feel speculative, it felt real.
A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
November 12, 2025
Miranda Shulman’s debut novel is a stunningly sinister journey of grief that will be sure to stick with you for weeks.
The story centers around three women, grieving after the loss of their friend and sister, Audrey, who decide to open a dog kennel in her honor, but their reunion brings up old, long dormant tensions.
Bea, the central character, was Audrey’s primary caregiver when she passed away after a long battle with heroin addiction. Her strange behavior and lack of visible emotion put many people off, and she is almost completely isolated. Tatum, a former best friend of Audrey’s, is stuck in a relationship she is unhappy in, and struggling to resist to temptations brought on by a reunion with her long-lost friend, Layla. Layla, the daughter of a famous television writer, is the pinnacle of New York wealth. She’s got plastic boobs and an assistant twice her age, yet she’s unaware of the very scope of her privilege.
The differences between these three characters are clear, but are only heightened when. they interact with each other. The depth and scope of the characters make Harmless a fascinating and unique read, and the story will keep you guessing up until the very last sentence.
The story centers around three women, grieving after the loss of their friend and sister, Audrey, who decide to open a dog kennel in her honor, but their reunion brings up old, long dormant tensions.
Bea, the central character, was Audrey’s primary caregiver when she passed away after a long battle with heroin addiction. Her strange behavior and lack of visible emotion put many people off, and she is almost completely isolated. Tatum, a former best friend of Audrey’s, is stuck in a relationship she is unhappy in, and struggling to resist to temptations brought on by a reunion with her long-lost friend, Layla. Layla, the daughter of a famous television writer, is the pinnacle of New York wealth. She’s got plastic boobs and an assistant twice her age, yet she’s unaware of the very scope of her privilege.
The differences between these three characters are clear, but are only heightened when. they interact with each other. The depth and scope of the characters make Harmless a fascinating and unique read, and the story will keep you guessing up until the very last sentence.
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January 8, 2026it's a new year and time to try new authors! I can't wait to read this!
September 28, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!
Harmless is a layered but chaotic novel that primarily follows two women in their twenties: Beatrix and Tatum. Bea’s twin Audrey passed away two years before the beginning of the novel in a heroin-induced choking incident (on an olive). The novel opens during Audrey’s COVID-delayed memorial. When Bea and Audrey’s childhood friends Tatum and Layla show up to the memorial, Bea confronts them with her brilliant idea: a revival of their collective childhood dream of opening a dog kennel/rescue. Layla and her family’s new money immediately become invested in this idea and prepare to mobilize it. But Bea suddenly loses enthusiasm for the idea and her role in Audrey’s addiction and subsequent death becomes complicated.
I particularly liked Bea as a character. She is strange, often comes off as rude, and really doesn’t care what anyone else thinks of her. I love that she is such a morally twisted character, and I think that the book did a good job of making the reader completely uncomfortable whenever she is in a scene. I haven’t read a character in a long time that I was so simultaneously intrigued and put off by, I think that this is a very difficult balance to strike.
The narrative is also completely embedded in New York in the perfect way. Every scene felt intimately familiar with Park Slope especially, and Schulman painted a very real-feeling although perhaps exaggerated picture of that part of Brooklyn. Schulman was convincing in this picture and I would entirely believe that she is from Park Slope.
I was expecting a more thorough meditation on grief. Especially considering that Audrey and Bea were twins, I thought that this book might be more devastating than it was. I don’t think this lack of grief and emotion was a bad thing, of course, it was just surprising. Perhaps it’s because the novel opens two years after the death occurred. But Harmless is much more of a humorous romp through Park Slope that explores the tensions between an eclectic group of childhood friends.
I guess what fell short for me was that the book was ultimately kind of boring. Bea is a wonderfully strange character, but we focus more on minor mischief than the actual borderline atrocities she commits. Schulman is perhaps a little bit too interested in Tatum, who, while well-written, was rather boring to me. Getting out of Bea’s claustrophobically twisted mind was refreshing at times, but I don’t really understand the point of Tatum’s perspective. Her arc as a character made sense and was satisfying by the end, but not interesting. I think her as a character particularly turned Harmless from being an ironic, unreliable narrative to becoming a sort of uncritical window into the foibles of the New York wealthy.
I still think it was an enjoyable read, and I am sure that Harmless will do well for a lot of people. I am excited to see how other people will receive this novel when it comes out in April next year. I ended up rating this a 3.25/5.
Harmless is a layered but chaotic novel that primarily follows two women in their twenties: Beatrix and Tatum. Bea’s twin Audrey passed away two years before the beginning of the novel in a heroin-induced choking incident (on an olive). The novel opens during Audrey’s COVID-delayed memorial. When Bea and Audrey’s childhood friends Tatum and Layla show up to the memorial, Bea confronts them with her brilliant idea: a revival of their collective childhood dream of opening a dog kennel/rescue. Layla and her family’s new money immediately become invested in this idea and prepare to mobilize it. But Bea suddenly loses enthusiasm for the idea and her role in Audrey’s addiction and subsequent death becomes complicated.
I particularly liked Bea as a character. She is strange, often comes off as rude, and really doesn’t care what anyone else thinks of her. I love that she is such a morally twisted character, and I think that the book did a good job of making the reader completely uncomfortable whenever she is in a scene. I haven’t read a character in a long time that I was so simultaneously intrigued and put off by, I think that this is a very difficult balance to strike.
The narrative is also completely embedded in New York in the perfect way. Every scene felt intimately familiar with Park Slope especially, and Schulman painted a very real-feeling although perhaps exaggerated picture of that part of Brooklyn. Schulman was convincing in this picture and I would entirely believe that she is from Park Slope.
I was expecting a more thorough meditation on grief. Especially considering that Audrey and Bea were twins, I thought that this book might be more devastating than it was. I don’t think this lack of grief and emotion was a bad thing, of course, it was just surprising. Perhaps it’s because the novel opens two years after the death occurred. But Harmless is much more of a humorous romp through Park Slope that explores the tensions between an eclectic group of childhood friends.
I guess what fell short for me was that the book was ultimately kind of boring. Bea is a wonderfully strange character, but we focus more on minor mischief than the actual borderline atrocities she commits. Schulman is perhaps a little bit too interested in Tatum, who, while well-written, was rather boring to me. Getting out of Bea’s claustrophobically twisted mind was refreshing at times, but I don’t really understand the point of Tatum’s perspective. Her arc as a character made sense and was satisfying by the end, but not interesting. I think her as a character particularly turned Harmless from being an ironic, unreliable narrative to becoming a sort of uncritical window into the foibles of the New York wealthy.
I still think it was an enjoyable read, and I am sure that Harmless will do well for a lot of people. I am excited to see how other people will receive this novel when it comes out in April next year. I ended up rating this a 3.25/5.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I expected a story with a lot of emotional baggage since the story revolves around Audrey's death and those close to her moving on in their individual ways. What I didn't expect was so much negativity. Of all the characters, there was not a one that I liked. Bea is just a scourge on the Earth, and the rest of the gals are people I would avoid. I did not like the story any more than I liked the characters. I tried to tell myself that the story was about working through grief, or a statement piece on mental illness - but I can't really make either case. I finished the book, but feel that it left a black spot on my brain. I cannot say that I learned anything from the story, found it entertaining, or that it left me feeling a better person for having read it.
Now, just because I disliked the story, it does not mean that the author is not talented. Shulman was able to craft characters that were solid enough for me to hate. The story did progress as the girls became reacquainted and tried to move beyond their losses. So my rating is for the story itself.
Now for Spoilers (I have to mention these because they got under my skin). Dog rescues are not for-profit ventures. Who even thinks that this is a possibility? Do any of them have access to a dictionary or Google? And who ventures to form a dog rescue group when you have never even petted a dog? Are these 4-year-old girls opening a lemonade stand with Dixie cups and tap water? It made these gals all seem to be very sheltered and (quite frankly) stupid. Grrr.
Thank you to ID from Penguin Random House for the DRC of this book.
Now, just because I disliked the story, it does not mean that the author is not talented. Shulman was able to craft characters that were solid enough for me to hate. The story did progress as the girls became reacquainted and tried to move beyond their losses. So my rating is for the story itself.
Now for Spoilers (I have to mention these because they got under my skin). Dog rescues are not for-profit ventures. Who even thinks that this is a possibility? Do any of them have access to a dictionary or Google? And who ventures to form a dog rescue group when you have never even petted a dog? Are these 4-year-old girls opening a lemonade stand with Dixie cups and tap water? It made these gals all seem to be very sheltered and (quite frankly) stupid. Grrr.
Thank you to ID from Penguin Random House for the DRC of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Audrey died due to her heroin addiction two years ago, now, her oddball sister Bea will set us a kennel in business with Audrey’s two best friends from childhood.
The other characters are;
1. Layla, her single mom is a tv icon. She doesn’t do anything but has an assistant
2. Tatum, she lives with her boyfriend Ed but she doesn’t love him anymore.
3. Park Slope itself, which is not just a setting but a character in the story.
I don’t know how else to put this, but this is both extremely well written and poorly structured, maybe the chaotic structure is just not for me. I loved several sentences and they are so great about developing character and showing rather than telling. Some of the analysis and dialogue are great. I can see many people loving this book, it’s really different and unique.
My favorite character? Bea. She’s so weird. I love that they hint at her ASD but specifically say she has no diagnosis. She might be a sociopath or just an odd duck.
Do I recommend it? Maybe. If you like a fever dream type story and intriguing but sometimes unlikable characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the ARC. Book to be published April 13, 2026
The other characters are;
1. Layla, her single mom is a tv icon. She doesn’t do anything but has an assistant
2. Tatum, she lives with her boyfriend Ed but she doesn’t love him anymore.
3. Park Slope itself, which is not just a setting but a character in the story.
I don’t know how else to put this, but this is both extremely well written and poorly structured, maybe the chaotic structure is just not for me. I loved several sentences and they are so great about developing character and showing rather than telling. Some of the analysis and dialogue are great. I can see many people loving this book, it’s really different and unique.
My favorite character? Bea. She’s so weird. I love that they hint at her ASD but specifically say she has no diagnosis. She might be a sociopath or just an odd duck.
Do I recommend it? Maybe. If you like a fever dream type story and intriguing but sometimes unlikable characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the ARC. Book to be published April 13, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I grew up reading the oddball books. The ones where the characters have some kind of disorder, either personality, addiction, ASD or depression. So when I read the synopsis and reviews of sister dying and woman trying to get her life together in the aftermath despite being beyond the average on the weirdness scale, I thought, sign me up, it'll be nostalgic to say the least.
This book was no different than my thoughts and feelings I had reading the stuff of my teens. However, I think my mindset and likes have changed. As Shulman's debut novel, I will say the book was very well written. The storyline was good. The characters were brats and relatable to myself at that age. I just don't think I was the target audience despite me thinking I still was.
Will I recommend it? Yes. It was a good read, I just don't think I loved it as much as I would have if I was still reading things like "Girl, Interrupted" or Sylvia Plath.
This book was no different than my thoughts and feelings I had reading the stuff of my teens. However, I think my mindset and likes have changed. As Shulman's debut novel, I will say the book was very well written. The storyline was good. The characters were brats and relatable to myself at that age. I just don't think I was the target audience despite me thinking I still was.
Will I recommend it? Yes. It was a good read, I just don't think I loved it as much as I would have if I was still reading things like "Girl, Interrupted" or Sylvia Plath.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I am not entirely sure how I feel. Upset and uncomfy, which I think is the goal. I found a few glimmers on grief but mostly found the lost twin to be the connection point for the characters rather than the center of the story. For me, said center of the story was each gal finding their own truth, albeit one of them quite dark. I couldn’t quite place a finger on if the rationale of Bea was supposed to be read sympathetically, which is probably a me problem, but I did not feel one ounce of sympathy for her. You can call my therapist if you have a problem with that!
Willow is +1 star. Thank you netgalley for the arc!
Willow is +1 star. Thank you netgalley for the arc!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I ended up really enjoying this. It felt a little tamer than it could have been, especially in Bea’s storyline, but it still worked. I don’t know if I’d classify it as a thriller per se, but there are definitely moments of tension and discomfort that helped keep the momentum of the story going. I think if the author had let things get a little darker and grittier, this would’ve been closer to a five star read for me. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoyed “Liar Dreamer Thief” by Maria Dong, “I Hope This Finds You Well” by Natalie Sue, “Idlewild” by James Frankie Thomas, and “A Good Happy Girl” by Marissa Higgins. Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the digital ARC.
September 21, 2025
I deeply wanted to enjoy this book, but I couldn’t get there. I thought it was quite well written, and had such potential, but it felt too chaotic to enjoy. There were so many different paths that the plot took, and I could never fully dive deep enough into each character to enjoy them (even though clearly some were not meant to be likable). Plus, I wanted the adults storyline to have more meat to it, but we didn’t get to know them enough for me to really care about what happened with the yellow house. Maybe next time!
September 5, 2025
What an intensely beautiful and relatable book. Bea’s character as complex but so relatable and I saw parts of myself in her character’s personality. As she goes after her dream, we see how sometimes it’s inevitable to have to lean on others but how do you decide who you can rely on? people you can rely on. The tension between characters oozed off the pages at times. This book got me in the feels. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.75⭐
Without spoiling anything, wow. The way that this book unraveled had me wracked with anticipation. As the story goes on, you learn so much about the characters. They're all such complicated people, and it makes them feel tangible. I feel like there are gaps in this story that can be developed more, because I want to know more about these characters and Park Slope. The ending leaves you a little unsatisfied, because there are so many questions left untouched.
Without spoiling anything, wow. The way that this book unraveled had me wracked with anticipation. As the story goes on, you learn so much about the characters. They're all such complicated people, and it makes them feel tangible. I feel like there are gaps in this story that can be developed more, because I want to know more about these characters and Park Slope. The ending leaves you a little unsatisfied, because there are so many questions left untouched.
January 28, 2026
thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the early copy and chance to share my thoughts.
the premise of the book sounded a little quirky and i was intrigued. sadly i never ended up connecting with the characters enough to end up loving the story. the whole book was a little too chaotic for me with the plot and characters. i will say i didn’t see the ending coming but also what the heck, i don’t enjoy opened ended endings.
the premise of the book sounded a little quirky and i was intrigued. sadly i never ended up connecting with the characters enough to end up loving the story. the whole book was a little too chaotic for me with the plot and characters. i will say i didn’t see the ending coming but also what the heck, i don’t enjoy opened ended endings.
January 27, 2026
What started as a story about grief took a turn and turned into something sinister. I liked how Harmless approached sisterhood, friendships, and loneliness from a unique angle. I only wish that Layla was a more fleshed-out character.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher, Dutton, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher, Dutton, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Harmless is super weird in the best way and addictive. . I couldn’t stop reading and flew through it, but I really wished the ending gave us more. Still, an impressive debut, worth the read! Thanks NetGalley!
September 11, 2025
UGH! I gobbled this book up only to find the ending a letdown. You may like it but felt like there was no conclusion/resolution. Thank to NetGalley for the advance copy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was an odd book. I didn’t care for any of the characters. It wasn’t for me.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
twisty and intense book about obsession and a need to be the one taking care of others that builds towards an impressive final climax on the last page. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.
September 25, 2025
This book is pure weird hilarious genius -- like if Patricia Highsmith and Jami Attenberg had a very strange, very fun baby. The story starts at a memorial service for Audrey, one out of a group of four friends who grew up together going to the "yellow house" -- a place they all mythologize and have very strong feelings about -- each summer with their mothers (also all close friends). The three surviving members of the group -- Audrey's twin sister Bea and their two friends Tatum and Layla -- decide to carry out, to honor Audrey's memory, their childhood dream of opening a dog rescue. Things go hilariously wrong -- and then not so hilariously wrong, as old rivalries, buried secrets, and dark desires burst into destructive view. I would've stuck around through the whole book just for Shulman's understated but also somehow manic wit (a passage describing a dog park will stick with me forever and has ruined all dog parks for me, and potentially all dogs) and the complex relationships between the three women. But on top of that, the compulsive almost thriller-like ending had me reading this book in a single sitting. Cannot more strongly recommend this book!!!
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