Harmless

by Miranda Shulman

Chilling, 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 And when is the right time to abandon an outdated dream—or a lifelong friendship?

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Literary Fiction, Friendship, Family, Mystery, Adult Fiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 14, 2026

About the author

Miranda 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.

Reviews

[emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

growing up is the worst

(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Olivia Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a wonderful debut!!!

exploring grief, friendship, and sisterhood with a bit of a sinister undertone, harmless had me hooked from the beginning. in fact, i finished the second half in one day which is unheard of for me these days. i loved how shulman explored the idea of outgrowing a friendship (or a relationship in general) - can you find a new way to fit into and sustain a friendship from childhood when you've grown so wildly different? there's so much tension between the three main characters, especially as their interactions put their warring personalities on display. bea was a very complex and layered character, i could truly read a whole book in her perspective. i felt myself really resonating with tatum, however i was left wanting a bit more from layla.

overall, truly addictive and undeniably interesting. i hope to read more from miranda shulman in the future!

thank you so much to dutton for the gifted copy!

[Lucy FiveCrows · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Kennedy Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

friendships are weird. grief is weird. being in your late twenties is weird. this book encapsulates it all and will make you feel seen. this is a great debut and has me excited for more miranda!

thank you Dutton for the gifted copy

[Sheena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like any character in the book, the girls barely even seemed to like each other. I was hoping for an exploration on grief, sisterhood, and friendship but I didn't really get that. They came off as artificial even though I feel like the author had a different intention with them. Like why would you start a dog kennel when you don't even seem to care about dogs.. Anyway, this wasn't horrible but I didn't enjoy this at all.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!

[Patty Ramirez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good debut, kept me intrigued for about 60% of the book and then when you figure out what happened, it turns a bit predictable. The ending did nothing for me since it was not surprising.

Overall, a good read and will keep my eye out for future work by this author.

Thank you to Dutton and the author for providing a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

[Julie Maleski (juliereads_alot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Dutton Books & Netgalley for the gifted e-ARC...this is my honest review.

📱Harmless📱
Author: Miranda Shulman
Pub Date: April 14, 2026
Publisher: Dutton Books

MY RATING: 3.75/5⭐
(Rounded Up To 4⭐)

If you like weird girl fiction, have I got a book rec for you! Happy Pub Week to Harmless, the debut novel from Miranda Shulman. Harmless captivated my interest with its emotionally-charged storylines about grief, female friendships, childhood dreams, difficult family bonds, and unhealthy relationships.

It's challenging to review this book without giving away any spoilers, but here we go. Shulman's writing flowed really well. The book was brilliantly written from the perspectives of multiple characters, all of whom are indelibly flawed, and yet I couldn't help but feel endearingly empathetic toward them. While they may not have been likeable at all times, Shulman captured them with such authentic humanity. I was fascinated with the messiness of each of their lives and the fragile connections they had to one another -- and it was hard to look away from the chaos they each brought to the story.

Shulman was masterful in the way she would reveal the characters' really big secrets in an incredibly casual manner. There were moments when I had to reread a sentence or two to be sure I'd read that correctly, and some of the revelations would've been easy to miss if you weren't paying attention. Some of the revelations felt unexpectedly twisty, and I loved that! However, I thought the ending came pretty abruptly and I would have loved just a little more story for clarity about what came next.

Just a heads up: much of the subject matter of this read was heavy and emotion-filled. You may want to check trigger warnings as there were several potential emotional landmines in these pages.

While this book wasn't quite what I expected going in, I thought it was a good read overall. It was definitely well-written and the character development of these quirky & flawed characters was phenomenal. If you're a fan of weird girl fiction, debut authors, or emotionally-fueled novels about female friendship and grief -- you're going to want to add this one to your TBR list immediately.

#Harmless #MirandaShulman #DuttonBooks #gifted #eARC #Netgalley #fictionalreads #booklover #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendations

[alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

well, that was weird. probably a 3.5.

i went into harmless *completely* blind. and oh BOY was that an interesting choice in the end. this book is about the loss of innocence/childhood, grief, mother/daughter dynamics, trauma, addiction, privilege, and how to be an adult when it’s like, unbearably hard.

this book begins with the memorial service for audrey, bea’s twin sister who passed two years prior. bea, audrey, tatum, and layla, were close childhood friends that drifted apart after their moms abruptly stopped speaking to each other about 15 years earlier. now women in their late 20s, bea, tatum, and layla try to recover the relationship they once had and revive their childhood dream of opening a dog kennel (they keep calling it a kennel even though shelter would be more accurate).

the characters are incredibly well written with distinct characteristics and flaws. each of them has a different dynamic with another, making their joined relationship really interesting to follow. bea was such a strange, confusing character and i genuinely didn’t know what to think of her for most of the novel.

ultimately, i really liked this book. i thought it had a lot of unique elements, well written characters, an interesting setting, and dove into some important and relevant topics. i thought that the ending was too abrupt for my taste and i didn’t feel like i knew where all the characters were going. i also thought that the kennel situation was pretty odd, especially considering how important it was to bea at the beginning but she ultimately didn’t care at all soon after their initial discussion about it.

PLEASE check trigger warnings before you read this book. a few to keep note of: addiction, depression, unwanted pregnancy, manipulation, grief/death.

(thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!)

[Krissy (books_and_biceps9155) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one you read and must ruminate over after seeing how you feel. It’s a story of grief, sisterhood, obsession and weird scenarios. All the characters are unlikeable but are unique. I really liked how to Shulman showcases the ways that grief is subjective and not linear. There is no “right” way. There are some severely unhinged moments and situations that make it hard to pull yourself away. Since the characters are vastly different, it made for a very interesting character driven plot. Props to Shulman as this is a great debut and she is one to watch!

[MackGetsLit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harmless takes the reader into Park Slope Brooklyn and the lives of estranged friends who find themselves grieving the loss of one of their childhood friends, albeit delayed 2 years because of COVID. ( Covid in books is a personal ick, but I overcame it)
Bea is the grieving twin sister of Audrey, who has died after a long battle with substance abuse. You just know there is something majorly off with Bea from the beginning, hence the ”wierd girl litfic” categorization of this.
This book covers the childhood trauma, mental illness, coming of age, grief, resentment issues, relationship failures and family drama of the Park Slope rich kids.
I didn’t like any of these characters, at all, so therefore I enjoyed the book. If you gravitate towards unlikeable characters who are mentally unwell you should grab this off the shelf.
Thank you to NetGalley & Dutton Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Trisha]

it's a new year and time to try new authors! I can't wait to read this!

[Irinita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok this was a little weird, yet extremely well written. A great debut!

To be honest, I might have been too naïve going into this… I have a soft spot for stories about friendship and grief, but this was something else entirely.

Just as a warning: this novel is not in any way harmless, but quite a tough and disturbing read… and at the same time oddly entertaining?! None of the characters are particularly likeable.

I can’t say I loved it, but I was hooked for sure.

[whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Fon · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Alyson Stone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book: Harmless
Author: Miranda Shulman
Rating: 2 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Dutton, for sending me an ARC. This was just a classic case of the book not being for me. It’s not a bad book by any means, but it just wasn’t for me.

Two years after the death of her twin sister, Audrey, Bea is still living in the shadow of a loss that reshaped her life. Audrey had been magnetic and outgoing, their mother’s favourite, while Bea was seen as intense and isolated. Grief pulled Bea away from everything familiar, yet now in her late twenties, she has returned home to Park Slope, Brooklyn, determined to begin again. Bea plans to open a dog kennel, inspired by a childhood dream she once shared with Audrey and their former friends Tatum and Layla. She believes the business will honour her sister’s memory and give her own life direction. Bea is certain she cared for Audrey devotedly in the months before her death, and she hopes to channel that same devotion into rescuing and tending to vulnerable dogs. To make the kennel succeed, she must reconnect with the two friends she left behind. Tatum feels stuck in a low-level publishing job and trapped in a stagnant relationship with her college boyfriend. Layla lives comfortably on her mother’s wealth yet lacks meaningful work or independence. Each woman is restless in her own way, which makes Bea’s proposal unexpectedly appealing. As the three women attempt to rebuild their friendship, old resentments surface alongside complicated desires. Their shared history binds them together, yet unresolved tensions threaten to pull them apart. Long-buried secrets begin to surface, forcing each of them to confront what they truly want from one another and from themselves. The dream that once united them may not survive the truth, and neither may their lifelong bond.

I really wanted to like this one, and I went into it fully open to wherever the story wanted to take me. It just ended up not being a book for me.
I usually enjoy books that feel a little different or off-centre. I like when a story takes risks or leans into complicated characters. With this one, I had a really hard time connecting with both the characters and the overall story. When that connection is missing for me, my enjoyment almost always drops. I can appreciate what the author is trying to do, yet I still feel outside of it.
That does not mean this is a bad or poorly written book by any means. The writing itself is thoughtful and intentional. It simply was not a good fit for my personal reading taste.
Bea was probably the most interesting part for me. There is something very human about the way she just wants to find a way to fit in and belong. Her grief, her intensity, and her longing to build something meaningful all felt real. I understood what she wanted, even when I struggled to fully connect with her.
In the end, this is one of those books that I can see working really well for the right reader. It explores complicated friendships and messy emotions in a way that will resonate with some people. I just was not one of them.

Overall, this just wasn’t the book for me.

This book comes out on April 14, 2026.

[Rachel Hanes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this book was different… In fact, I’m not even sure where to begin in reviewing this book. Do I talk about the strange character of Bea? Or the fact that three grown adult women who don’t even own dogs want to open up a dog kennel?

This story starts off with Bea (Beatrix) going to a memorial service for her deceased twin sister, Audrey. This memorial service is two years after the fact because of Covid. While at the service, Bea reconnects with two childhood friends, Tatum and Layla.

While reconnecting with Layla and Tatum, Bea gives them her idea about starting a dog kennel together. 🐕 Layla and Tatum love the idea of starting this dog kennel, as it gives them both a new purpose in life. Layla also comes from money, so it would hopefully be her funds that would start it. Bea’s sister, Audrey, had always wanted a dog, so she thought this would be a good idea.

As the story progresses, we learn a bit about each of the characters. Tatum learns she is just finding out what she wants in life, and has never really been happy with her live-in boyfriend of nine years. We don’t know too much about Layla, except her mother has a lot of money, and in turn, she gets to live off of that money. Bea, is the most disturbing character I have ever read about. She was creepy, dirty, and not a person I would want anywhere near me. Bea also liked to take care of people, and found a new roommate, Rosalie, to take care of.

The three women, along with the roommate, decide to go on a weekend trip to the “Yellow House”. The “Yellow House” is a house where the girls and their parents would spend all their summers at until their parents got into a fight and quit talking to each other. None of the girls know why their parents don’t talk anymore, and none of them thought to ask why. At the “Yellow House” for the weekend, the girls have a big talk about their friendship, and what happened to themselves and Audrey over the years. We also learn how none of them ever really cared about starting a dog kennel…

This book went in a bunch of different directions, and it tried to cover a few too many topics. This was also my second read this month in which the characters called their mothers by their first names, instead of “mom”. I’m finding that so odd.

Anyways, this wasn’t a book that I connected with-especially the characters. This book might be a better fit for a younger audience, but it didn’t quite fit for me. However, I will say for a debut novel, this writing was pretty good.
(2.5 stars)

Many thanks to NetGalley, Dutton, and the author for an Arc of this book, in exchange for an honest opinion.
Publication date: April 14, 2026
Genre~ New Adult, General Fiction (adult)

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

 Harmless is quirky, charming, and a little bit batshit in the best way.

The novel begins at a memorial service where the three friends reunite to mourn the loss of Audrey. Born, raised (and sill living) in Park Slope, Tatum, Layla, and twins Bea and Audrey, grew up spending summers at the yellow house, a place that has taken on mythic proportions in the light of nostalgia and the way those summers mysteriously ceased. Now in their mid-twenties and mostly estranged, they decide to honor Audrey by following through on a childhood dream of starting a dog kennel in Brooklyn.

That’s a very loose description of the plot, but I don’t want to give too much away.  Though it’s mostly character-driven for the first half of the novel, it really comes together for a wild twist I don’t want to spoil.

Though we only get Tatum and Bea’s perspectives, both women spend so much time thinking about the others that it feels like you’re getting all 4 which I thought was a cool way to tell the story without getting bogged down in too much background info.

Beautiful and charismatic, Audrey was at the center of their group— much as she was at the center of most rooms before her addiction rendered her unable to care for herself. Tatum is the most levelheaded of the group, working a dead-end corporate job and living with a boyfriend she can barely stand, but whose parents pay their rent. Layla has reemerged from the shadows of their lives, glamorous and rich (her mother has since became a famous television creator since they were kids) and ready to take charge, if only in appearance. Bea is a question mark as what (at first) reads as quirky/socially unaware, quickly devolves into a dangerous form of madness.

It was reminiscent of Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors, but a little psychotic. I was laughing a ton at the beginning, especially about the specific oddities of growing up in the city and overbearing mothers, but then felt totally swept up by the thriller-ish elements that came later. I really enjoyed!

[Blagica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grief, Green, and Great Big Twists


I officially have the strangest luck with my "Color of the Month" reading challenge. This month’s color is green, which led me to this strange, tense little book. Harmless by Miranda Shulman is a slow-burn character study that captures the messy, uncomfortable reality of how people grapple with loss and longing.

The story follows 27-year-old Bea, who is living in Brooklyn and still reeling from the loss of her sister, Audrey. The narrative kicks off with an emotional tailspin triggered by something as small as a roommate eating an olive from Audrey’s jar in the fridge. The catch? That jar was two years old! In an attempt to find her footing, Bea returns home with a plan to honor Audrey’s memory by opening a dog kennel—a childhood dream the sisters once shared. She ropes in Audrey’s old friends, Tatum and Layla, hoping the project will bring them closer and help her finally move forward.

What starts as a nostalgic reunion quickly devolves into a twisty examination of loyalty, desire, and buried secrets. Bea is a compelling but deeply unreliable narrator. Isolated and lonely, she clings to the proximity of Audrey’s friends to find her "old self," but as her motivations unfold, the story shifts from a tribute into a twisted obsession.

The pacing is deliberate, shifting back and forth between different timelines and perspectives to build a constant sense of unease. While the slow-burn nature of the plot kept me guessing, the ending is what truly bumped up the rating for me; I did not see that final turn coming at all. I am happy to land at a solid 3.5 stars and am definitely intrigued enough to try more from Miranda Shulman in the future.

[Autumn Danner · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Jackie Sunday · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is absorbing, stirring up intense emotions that are complex and heartbreaking at times.

Adderall, cocaine and heroin. We all know the damage they cause. The book starts with a memorial service in NYC. Beatrix at 27 expressed deep sorrow as her twin sister, Audrey, addicted to heavy drugs, was now gone. Audrey was the one her mother loved best, the beautiful model that was on the cover of magazines. Bea tried to help her but, in the end, it wasn’t enough.

The funeral brought together Bea, Tatum and Layla. They were good friends growing up with fond memories of the past remembering Audrey. Now they were grieving as adults. Layla was happily living off her mother’s wealth. Tatum had an unfulfilling job in publishing. Beatrix was taking care of her sister with no worries about paying for rent in a wealthy neighborhood of NYC.

Beatrix decided that she wanted to open a dog kennel. She approached Layla with this idea. She had no experience with management or dogs. However, she felt it would be what Audrey would have wanted. Wow. A life without worrying about financial pressures is totally fiction.

None of the characters were those I’d want to know. However, their story is one that you can’t push away. Many of us know someone with similar traits of emotional hardships. It leaves you with sadness for those who are unstable -- quietly reaching out for help but can’t seem to get it.

My thanks to Dutton and NetGalley for the ARC with an expected release date of April 14, 2026. The thoughts I share are my own.

[Bbecca_marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harmless 🫒 Book Review 📖 thank you @duttonbooks for the gifted copy + goodies!

Harmless
by Miranda Shulman
out now!

Two years after the loss of her twin sister Audrey, Bea returns home to Brooklyn, still haunted by grief but determined to move forward. Hoping to honor Audrey’s memory, she reconnects with old friends and plans to open a dog kennel inspired by a childhood dream they once shared.

But as past relationships are rekindled, unresolved tensions, buried secrets, and complicated emotions begin to surface. With Audrey’s absence lingering over everything, Bea is forced to confront what’s been left unsaid and whether some dreams, and friendships, are better left in the past.

💭 My thoughts:

A story of sisterhood, obsession, and characters you won’t quite trust but can’t look away from! I’m still trying to put my finger on exactly how I feel about this one, and I think that’s part of what makes it so memorable. It’s the kind of story you have to sit with after finishing. There’s this constant uneasy undertone that never fully lets you settle, and I was glued to the pages. This is very much a character driven story, and the personalities shine… for better or worse. I felt so many emotions while reading, mostly a deep sense of sadness, mixed with moments where I was like… these people are absolutely unhinged! I don’t even know how to fully explain it other than this: it was unsettling, emotional, completely compelling and I LOVED it!

For fans of 👇🏽
🫒 sisterhood + friendships
🫒 dark + twisted
🫒 secrets
🫒 obsession

Happy reading 📖 🫒

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, I did not see this book coming. It was strange, and not really like anything I've read before, but I think I liked it? Despite the tension, secondhand embarassment, and overall darkness, I didn't want to put the book down, which is definitely a testament to the way Shulman sets up this story and leaves breadcrumbs for its wild conclusion.

The book starts with a death: Audrey has overdosed. Her twin sister Bea reaches out to Audrey's childhood best friends, Layla and Tatum, about starting a dog kennel in Audrey's memory. But the reunion isn't just puppies and kittens, literally – it brings up tons of unresolved tension: grief, regrets, chances not taken, decisions not made.

I was really grateful for the dual POV in this book because Bea is insufferable. On some level, it's interesting being in her head because she's likely a sociopath and so her roundabout way of thinking is somewhat intriguing but it's downright scary by the end. Tatum is the more level-headed, relatable narrator, and she made it possible to get through this book. Both perspectives brought a lot to the story and the switching back and forth really worked – Shulman had such a grasp on these two main characters and they were so layered.

Super addictive and just an interesting read overall, and I was glad I went into it knowing pretty much nothing because the narrative really sucked me in naturally. Thank you to Dutton for the digital ARC!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

At a dog run in Park Slope, chaos abounds. Tennis balls fly, leashes tangle, and owners chase in pursuit. Just outside, three women stand apart, notably dogless. They aren’t there for the dogs, but for each other; bound by a shared past and brought back together by a common, if uncertain, purpose.

This unassuming scene only skims the surface of a deeper unraveling in Miranda Shulman’s debut novel, Harmless. It’s dark, psychologically knotty, and uncomfortably familiar: a portrait of three women stalled in their late twenties, circling a shared childhood they can’t quite outgrow. The story is veiled in nostalgia, but it’s more a trap than a comfort.

The “plot” functions largely as a loose framework. What begins as a loosely conceived plan to open a dog kennel gradually gives way to the more elusive project of repairing strained relationships. The real momentum comes from accumulation of tension and a persistent sense of foreboding that never quite resolves. Even in the book’s more tender passages, it’s clear that something has already gone wrong, and it’s probably about to get worse.

The novel’s real precision lies in its character work, focusing largely on the intimate perspectives from Bea and Tatum. Bea, newly unmoored by the death of her twin, carries a low, persistent anger that she recognizes but can’t fully shake. Tatum, meanwhile, moves through a muted, depressive haze, dimly aware that her life has narrowed into something smaller than she intended. Layla is more of a wildcard, and we get less direct access to her perspective. But that absence feels intentional, matching her persona: outwardly composed. She initially reads as the most legible, and gradually, the least so. Even their friendship, inherited from their mothers, has followed a similar trajectory, drifting in parallel over time.

The strong character work certainly doesn’t come at the expense of the setting. Its Park Slope is insular, faintly self-serious, and governed by its own set of codes. Shulman sketches this milieu with a light but deliberate hand, folding in details like WWOOFing and co-op culture in ways that feel both incidental and exacting, as if to suggest how thoroughly these characters are embedded in this niche ecosystem.

By the time Harmless reaches its final turn, it feels less like a surprise than something close to inevitability. What’s been gathering beneath the surface isn’t just tension, but the weight of grief and regret, each woman trying in her own way to make sense of it. In that sense, it's a novel about aftermath: childhoods that don’t stay neatly sealed off in the past and friendships that shift slowly out of recognition.What it leaves you with isn’t closure, exactly, but something more unsettling: the awareness that even the most ordinary-seeming bonds can hold volatility at their center.

Thank you to Dutton and for the ARC and finished copy of this novel.

[Eliza Liebler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harmless is a weird, wonderful, and well-told story of growing up, growing apart, and trying to fit back together with people you just may no longer fit with. It's absolutely a resonant story for elder-20s / early 30s who are watching their friends splinter off and are mourning the life they used to have.

However, if you know me, you know my least favorite books are the ones with deeply unlikable main characters who make terrible decisions and show little growth throughout the course of the story. Harmless falls into this category... somewhat. Bea is completely insufferable and just a terrible human being. If the book only centered on her I think I would have really, really struggled here. Fortunately, I think Tatum and Layla sort of balanced her out. While they're also not the best, they're selfish and insecure and general messes, they reminded me more of your typical lost 27-year-old who makes stupid mistakes but wants to grow up and be better.

With all that in mind, I think this book is more of a 4/4.5 but I just have to round all the way up because the writing and storytelling are phenomenal, the characters (as challenging as they are) are complex and real, and Miranda is a lovely human who I know and am proud of and think is amazing. So, yeah, maybe a tiny bit of bias.

[Susan Poer · Rating 3 out of 5]

We first meet Bea, a 27-year-old living in Brooklyn, as she's greiving the loss of her sister Audrey. She laments that her roomate ate an olive from Audrey's jar in the fridge, an event that sends her into an emotional tailspin. Granted this jar was 2 years old!

Bea decides to return home with a plan to honor Audrey’s memory by opening a dog kennel, a childhood dream they once shared. She ropes in Audrey’s old friends Tatum and Layla, hoping this project will bring them closer and help her finally move forward.

But as the trio reconnects, tensions, attractions, and buried secrets begin to surface. What starts as an nostalgic reunion quickly turns into a twisty examination of loyalty, desire, grief, and the bonds that bind even the closest relationships.

Bea is a compelling but unreliable narrator that is lonely and isolated. She's hoping that the proximity of Audrey's friends will help her get back to her old self, but nothing is as it seems. As Bea’s motivations unfold, the tale becomes more of a twisted obsession.

The pacing is slow and goes back and forth between different times and perspectives. It's a slow character study that is more about the messy reality of how people grapple with loss and longing.

[Paula W · Rating 4 out of 5]

They have been gaslighting us forever. Consider the following:
“This new insulation in your home is called asbestos. It’s totally harmless!”
“Having one of these new things called a cigarette every now and then is okay. It’s totally harmless!”
“Sure, Uncle Ray keeps looking at you like an evil predator, but he’s totally harmless!”
“I know my weird sister keeps following us around, but she’s totally harmless!”

Lies. Don’t believe anything you hear with the word harmless attached. Including this book. On the surface, Harmless is a complex look at childhood friendships and how it is so difficult to revisit them years later. People grow into different versions of themselves after grief and breakups and navigating the workforce. We all understand that. But dig a bit deeper and you might find out things about your so-called friends, and about yourself, that you don’t want to know. The ugliness could be hard to choke down.

I enjoyed the book. I don’t want to read it again, but it the author really did her thing here. 3.75 stars.

Thank you to Dutton/Penguin Random House, Miranda Schulman (author), and Edelweiss for a digital review copy of Harmless. Their generosity did not influence my review in any way.

[Lara Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Throughout the entire reading of this book, I was trying to figure out how the title fit with the content. Once I finished the book, I ended it with an "Ohhhhh" and my eyes wide. So, that's what it means...
I honestly did not know what to expect when I picked up Harmless. Even while reading it, I still had trouble pinpointing what type of book I was reading. It's a book about grief, childhood friendships that struggle to survive the transition into adulthood, relationships with moms, and just surviving to be a girl in your 20s. In a word, this book is about survival and it's a bit weird. There are so many strange scenarios and interactions. The characters are not at all likeable, but they are real. Even if they are kids struggling to make it in NYC with their parents money funding their way. I believe all of the weirdness and unlikableness was intentional. Nobody is perfect. People make odd life choices and this book didn't sugarcoat any of it. If you are looking for something different, something that doesn't tie everything up in a pretty bow, I would recommend picking this one up.

I received an advanced reader's copy from Dutton via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Angie Miale · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Fallon Mertz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Synopsis: After the death of her twin sister Audrey, Bea returns to her Brooklyn neighborhood determined to rebuild her life and honor Audrey’s memory. She reconnects with two estranged childhood friends, Tatum and Layla, and convinces them to help her open a dog kennel inspired by a shared childhood dream. But as the three women grow closer, old tensions, hidden desires, and unresolved grief begin to surface. What starts as a hopeful new beginning slowly unravels into something darker, as buried secrets and unhealthy attachments threaten both their relationships and their sense of reality.

Review: What did I just read?? This book was so insane and icky and pit-inducing I can’t believe I read the whole thing. Actually, I can believe it because the writing was phenomenal. You are sucked into this diabolical story and it’s like a car wreck you can stop staring at. I’m not sure I can recommend this for the sake of your souls but I do want to recognize Miranda Shulman’s writing, I was impressed.
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