Fret: A Novel

by Nadia Bozak

A propulsive and incisive a frazzled mother of two’s precarious situation is made more so when her idling car is stolen — with her young daughter still in it — and all her life choices, both big and small, are opened up to the scrutiny of the internet, her community, and ultimately, herself.

“Nadia Bozak is a tremendous talent.” — Zoe Whittall, author of The Fake

Once a rising star of indie rock, Kate is now a middle-aged single mom living far out of the spotlight. Everything changes for her when an unprecedented heat wave and a stolen car set off a chain of events that threaten to upend her new, peaceful life. Fired from her job, separated from her children, and overwhelmed by public shaming, Kate must navigate the cold realities of the child welfare and family court systems while struggling to stay cool in an increasingly unbearable world.

Determined to rebuild, Kate finds herself forging new connections and fostering a sense of community — something she hasn’t felt since her music career ended in disaster more than a decade before. As Kate finds a new voice, she makes her way back to her children and her love of music, and steps closer to reconciling with her former bandmate and her little sister.

If building community is Kate’s way of reckoning with the mistakes of her past, can it also be a way to mitigate the deeper, more urgent issues and structural injustices that threaten our future?

Genres: Audiobook, Fiction, Family, Mystery

256 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2026

Reviews

[triciajol · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bailed due to hands-down the worst narrator of the 80 audiobooks I have listened to over the past few years. I am addressing Athena Karkanis and ECW the audiobook publisher that green lit this debacle. After hearing Karkanis imitate toddler Lucky with a mouthful of helium I was thrilled when the child, hiding in the protagonist's "Crayola" was carjacked as to never, hopefully, hear Karkanis do THE voice again. I was cursing my luck when the kid was found just minutes of listening time later. Mind you this is barely 20% in.
Equally annoying, Kate, Lucky's mom is a washed up former rocker who fancies herself untapped talent. When she makes up dumb lyrics the narrator breaks into overwrought song. Did Karkanis freestyle the melody or was there an actual musician hired for this nonsense? Pretty sure my ears were bleeding after hanging in for far too long.
Kate is not likable. She's a mess who relies on beer to get through a few minutes of entertaining her annoying rugrat (she even sounds like Angelica Pickles!). Lucky's language is not that of a three year old's. Similarly, Kate's impulsive behavior is more like a teen mom's than an aging mom of two. Like a teen, her growth was stunted in her Indie performer era. Don't fret if you pass on this one.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each night, single mom and former rockstar Kate, plays guitar in her porch after her kids have gone to sleep and drinks exactly one beer. She remembers a time she was Kat- lead singer of a band on the cusp of making it big, The Toy Boats. Now, Kate lives in a run down apartment with no working AC in the hot summer, makes little money at a daycare, and drives a run down old Corolla they call the Crayola.

Early in the book, Kate has turned around for a moment while her car was on and turned back around to find the car, and her young daughter, gone. Quickly, The community hones in on Kate, and everyone is questioning her mothering skills. In an already unbearably uncomfortable summer, Kate has to prove herself to the world with less money than ever.

This is a rich, compelling character driven story. Kate is so dynamic and fleshed out I feel like she’s a person I really know. The narrative written from Kate’s perspective is so immersive, I literally couldn’t put it down.

I stayed up all night reading this book. I really did.

The reader is drawn to Kate and naturally roots for her as we seen a system repeatedly stacked against her. Her monetary struggles mean that one crisis often leads to another and quickly.

This novel also explores the idea of making peace with a part of yourself that you aren’t sure exists anymore. For Kate, it’s the part that plays music for other people.

This novel explores poverty, motherhood, celebrity, weather, identity, and aging in a way that makes you as a reader ponder your own life and your own dreams.

Fret is easily one of my favorite novels of 2026. Parts of it reminded me of the show/book Maid, and would recommend it to fans of that, but it’s hard to say who I wouldn’t recommend this to. I think it’s a really beautiful piece of work that reminds me it’s never too late to create again, and to build a community. Five stars. Thank you to ECW for the eARC.

[BookwormishMe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Single mothers never have it easy. Kids often think the grass in greener in the other parent’s household. Single moms are frayed from trying to keep it all together. Work, kids, life. In this mom’s life, it all simply became too much.

Kate Smith is in her 40s, a single mom to Ray, 12, and Lucky, 3. Great kids, tired mom. When their a/c goes out in the heat of the summer, it just becomes too much for Kate to bear. While she’s been working at a child care center, playing her music for the kids, she’s still barely getting by. She has a sometime babysitter, so that she can go on runs to expel the pent up energy and anger that seems to constantly be her companion. At nights she sits on her porch with a cold beer and her trusty guitar and plays music until late into the night.

Once upon a time she was Kat, part of the band The Toy Boats. They were on the verge of stardom, on a European tour, opening for big names, when Kat finds out she’s pregnant. By her bandmate. Her sister Danny had recently joined the band, and the beautiful Dannette is upstaging Kat. While the pregnancy continues, and Kat’s rage toward her sister grows, Kat is sent home to Canada. She is no longer needed or wanted. She gives birth and life goes on. The band goes on without her. And here she is now in her 40s.

One morning everything goes wrong. Lucky is hiding somewhere when it’s time to get in the car. Ray is mad at whatever, because Ray is on the verge of teen hood and that’s how boys are. Kate turns her back for just a minute and suddenly her car is gone with Lucky in it. With this turn of events, Kate’s life spirals out of control. The question for Kate is, will she ever be able to reign it back in.

I really loved Kate. I think any mother can relate to never enough sleep and being on the verge of a breakdown far too often. Even though Kate did make this mess of her life, she tries her best with her kids. Even though the flat where they live is falling down around them, Kate tries to make it a home. Even though she never intended to work in childcare, she really loves the kids. It only takes one bad decision to send life spiraling sometimes, and in this, Kate just needs time to see it for what it is.

Fret shows us that it is never too late to turn your life around. To be a better person for yourself, your kids, and the world in general. That it’s never too late to pursue what gives you joy. I really did enjoy this story.

[Joni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley and ECW Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Fret. What a weird word. How can it mean ‘to worry’ and also space out the notes on a guitar neck? Some through line between art and anxiety?”

Kate, once a rockstar in a prominent indie rock band, is now far removed from the spotlight. During an interminable scorching heatwave, the middle-aged single mom of two finds her peaceful life brutally disrupted when her car is stolen with her young daughter still inside. She becomes the victim of social (and public) shaming and has to fight for both her children, her job, and her truth.

I was drawn to the book’s gorgeous cover and the ambiguous title. I love me some nice wordplay.

Fret is both a character and plot-driven novel. Kate is a dynamic and flawed character who feels alive and real, as did most other characters, which I thought was great (Kate really exists somewhere; prove me otherwise). Translating the heat to the page was also really well executed and I found myself wishing for AC while it’s still early spring here. The physical desperation to cool off beautifully mirrors Kate’s symbolic need to stay cool during an unjust and unbearable situation. Wonderful. Themes explored include motherhood, music, identity, climate, poverty, and the repercussions of social media.

The writing style was not for me, though. It’s pretty simplistic and sparse, which I like in some novels, and not so much in others. Unfortunately, Fret is in the latter category. I think because the FMC is a musician and songwriter — the text is interspersed with snippets of song lyrics —I expected the prose to be more lyrical, especially since the story is narrated by Kate.

The chapters were also a bit confusing to me. There’s only a few chapters and they all have the names of different characters, yet even in the chapters that weren’t “Kate”, it was still mostly about her and she still narrated them.

Fret has an interesting and propulsive plot and some great character-building and overall symbolism. Personally, I just didn’t connect with the writing style.

Fret will be published on August 25, 2026 by ECW Press!

[Haddy • haddyreadsbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, I need Goodreads to implement a quarter or half rating because my rating for this book is a 3.5.

I received this ARC thanks to NetGalley & ECW Press. Now, my review ⬇️

This book was honestly a rollercoaster.

It started off a bit boring for me, but as I kept reading, it got really interesting and eventually pulled me in completely.

At its core, this story focuses heavily on the struggles of being a parent, especially being a single parent. The FMC is raising her children on her own, and the book explores it in a way that feels very raw and real. The book explores parenting, childhood, sibling relationships, and messy family dynamics.

What I liked most was how much insight we got into the FMC’s mind. We see how she thinks, how she sees herself, and how she navigates the world around her. And one thing that stood out to me is that she didn’t seem to believe she was truly loved. She constantly felt like she had to compete for love and attention, and it was honestly sad to read.

She carried so much emotional baggage, so much unresolved trauma, and I kept thinking, this woman needs therapy. Because the more the story progressed, the more we saw how her hurt and anger spilled into her relationships; how she treated people, how she spoke to them, and even how she viewed herself.

I also felt like she was dealt a really heavy hand. So many things kept happening to her, and it was hard not to feel bad for her. Between the issues with her son’s father, the stolen car, the loss of friendships/relationships, and the constant stress, it felt like she was already drowning and life just kept pushing her under.

One part that really struck me was the theme of children idolizing the absent parent. The book captured that painful reality where the parent who is present is the one you see struggling, making mistakes, and showing vulnerability… while the absent parent gets to look “better” simply because you don’t see their flaws.

That was sad to read, but also very real.

Overall, this was a really interesting book and I’m glad I read it. Would I reread it? I’m honestly not sure yet, but it definitely gave me a lot to think about.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book where I had an idea of what to expect, but no one could have prepared me for what lay ahead.

Kate is raising two children by herself. She is doing the best she can, but it becomes clear early on that she is barely hanging on by a thread. Every day comes with new and unforeseen challenges, and when the day is over, she knows the next one will be just as exciting.
When a heat wave arrives and everyone's tension rises to an all-time high, something happens that suddenly makes her feel as though simply surviving is no longer enough. She feels like she can't do it anymore. But she also doesn't have a choice.
Raising two children by herself, constantly feeling overwhelmed, struggling financially, and being judged for doing the best she can—this was heartbreaking to witness.

Adding to her already overwhelming stress is a situation that no parent ever wants to be in. Watching everyone around her suddenly feel the need to judge her was the moment I wanted to give her a hug. The strength it took to wake up every day, keep going, and do the best she could showed just how strong a person she really was, and I applauded her for it.

The way society judges mothers and how quickly people think they know better reflects real-life situations very well. It also shows that life isn't perfect, and sometimes you have to accept it for what it is and hope that one day things will get better.
Absolutely worth the read, and one I will remember for a long time.

I received a free copy and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Whatithinkaboutthisbook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fret by Nadia Bozak

Fret: to cause to suffer emotional strain, to vex or worry, or one of a series of ridges fixed across a stringed instrument such as a guitar.

This book encompasses all three meanings making it such a perfect title. The story explores society’s quickness to judge and blame mothers, in particular single mothers and the impossible expectations placed on them.

During a sweltering summer, Kate’s world implodes when her car is stolen with her three year old daughter inside of it. Although returned safely, her story goes viral and the back lash is immediate.

I loved Kate and all of her messy imperfection. Bozak captures the realities of motherhood, and the pressures of single parenting, financial stain with authenticity, humour and compassion. She isn’t afraid to capture the darker moments: anger, isolation and feeling overwhelmed and those times when you just desperately want to be alone.

Kate is a musician and her passion for her guitar and songwriting is woven throughout the story, adding a unique and interesting aspect to her character and her journey.

The writing is immersive, depicting the oppressive summer heat. You can almost feel the stickiness and exhaustion of those long, sweltering days.

This is a satisfying story about a woman slowly rebuilding her life after one of the worst moments imaginable. It is a reminder to all of us to be less quick to judge and more willing to offer a helping hand.

[Cadence]

DNF @ 22%

Thank you Nadia Bozak and ECW Press for this ARC!

First off, I love this cover. It is what first caught my eye, then I heard it was about a single mom and had to give it a try. At first, I was unsure where it would lead. We get to know this woman, who loves her children through the hard times and dreams about her life before them. I'm not a mother, but I felt her headspace of one was accurate-it is not sunshine and rainbows to have kids, let alone be their only parent. That being said, if I hadn't DNFed this, I think I would have enjoyed seeing how her character ended up. For the reasoning why I did DNF, it is because I was not a fan of this writing style. For a character driven novel especially, the writing is a vital piece, and this is not one I enjoyed. I was slightly confused at some details of characters and how they fit; there are a good bit mentioned in the beginning without having met them. The pacing of the novel was quite slow, and I did not have the interest or the patience to get to the thick of it. I had gotten to the first big thing to happen, and I still wasn't all that invested. That was the moment I decided to stop with this one.

I do think the story is relatable for women, but the writing was not for me.

[Candice Stull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fret by Nadia Bozak really got under my skin. Bozak does an incredible job of painting a scene so vividly that I felt like I could see exactly what she was describing, while slowly building this underlying sense of dread.

At its core, this felt like a story about motherhood—especially the impossible expectations placed on mothers and the ways the system seems almost designed for them to fail. The police, child services, workplaces after having a child… man, I hated the fucking system while reading this. There are also these quieter threads of feminism, climate change, social media cruelty, and the loneliness that comes when women don’t support one another.

But what struck me most was the need for friendship and genuine human connection, and the way the novel explores how easily we can become consumed by the stories we tell ourselves and the things we see online. I especially loved the idea of “not letting a story in my head prevent me from living a full and open life.”

My one complaint: those chapters were way too damn long. 😂

[Megan Magee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kate, former member of The Toy Boats and Yoko Ono fan, is now a mother who is scrimping and saving her finances to get ahead with her two children. The book follows our MC's choices and realities- many including welfare, food stamps, cold and harsh judgmental stares. Being inside Kate's head truly gives you all the feelings, and I couldn't quite nail down exactly one way she made me feel. At times it was dark, claustrophobic, tense, and secondhand embarrassing even. I think Bozak did a great job with this, showcasing how hard single mothers have it, reflecting the ways we self flagellate ourselves as mothers even as outsiders deem us inappropriate, especially once we get our hopes and dreams involved. Kat's love and absolute respect for her children was apparent, I really enjoyed the tender way she treated her children amongst life's struggles. Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press for the eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

[Rachel Quinlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the reality of this book. Of people misunderstood and jumping to conclusions, stereotyping and criticising hiddden behind social media.
Kate is an unmarried mum of two children, Ray from her younger days when she was in a band, playing guitar and writing songs and Lucky more recently. The children love each other, but they’re stuck on their small home with no working air conditioning, just a fan which circulates the hot air. They’re struggling, Kate finds it hard to put food on the table and meet her children’s needs, but she loves them unconditionally.
When Lucky is in the car and Kate realises she’s not got her phone, she dashes back inside to get it to come out and find the car stolen with Lucky inside it - that’s when the bad social media starts and Kate is fired from her job. Where do they go from here?
Great read, finding out who your friends are, learning to apologise and how to move forward.

[Michelle Antoinette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press for my eARC of Fret by Nadia Bozak. Pub Date: 8/25/26. A domestic drama that follows Kate who once was the lead of a rock bank, and is now a struggling single mom during a heat wave. Everything unravels when her car is stolen with her daughter inside.

3⭐️⭐️⭐️s for Fret. The concept was good and even though I read a lot of thriller and horror books I do enjoy something different sometimes with a good story.

Fret just didn’t completely land for me. Nothing really happens here that you can’t read in the books premise. It’s a good idea that doesn’t really pan out. There is no climax and the ending just kind of quietly wraps up without any “umph”.

I would recommend Fret for someone looking for an easy summer read that slightly delves into the climate crisis and the trials of parenting.

For all of my book reviews and recommendations follow me on instagram @chelleshelf365.

[Enid Wray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when you read a book that you know you’ll still be thinking about a long time after you finish reading it.

This book explores precarious housing, single parenthood, and especially how life changes in an instant - and that we really can come out stronger on the other side.

A condemnation of our social welfare systems this tugs at your heart strings, and does it beautifully, with really strong writing and great authentically crafted characters.

There are things that should have bugged me about this book - but I was so caught up in the story, and the characters, that they didn’t matter.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting me access to an early digital review copy.

[Sara Murphy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review of ARC received from NetGalley

I was drawn to this book by its beautiful cover, and I also loved that it centered on motherhood and life as a single mom. However, I ended up DNFing it at 29%—I just couldn’t push through.

It’s a very character driven story, but I didn’t connect with the writing style at all, and the pacing felt painfully slow. I never became invested enough in the characters or the story to keep going.

A big Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press and the Author for the gifted ARC. All opinions are mine.

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[lori pennington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and ECW Press for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the story of Kate, once a rockstar in a prominent indie rock band, who is now far removed from the spotlight. The middle-aged single mom of two finds her peaceful life brutally disrupted when her car is stolen with her young daughter still inside. She becomes the victim of public shaming and has to fight for both her children.

There is nothing inherently bad or that I disliked about the story but I think if you have read the blurb, you have the gist of the story. Nothing else really happens outside of this being a domestic drama with a struggling single mom. Just okay for me.

[Katie Tallo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fret is a beautiful, richly-textured, intimate story about a once-famous singer turned paycheque-to-paycheque single mom enduring an endless heat wave, non-stop traffic, nosy neighbours, the wrath of social media, and a past that haunts her every song. As she struggles to raise her kids in an increasingly hostile and chaotic world, Kate begins to reconnect with her old self through music. Equally hilarious and heartfelt, what truly elevates Bozak’s story are her poignant reflections on the devastating impacts of climate equity and internet culture on the lives of ordinary people. Wonderful, wise, and witty, Fret is pitch perfect.

[Kimberly Tierney · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts:
This is written in a stream-of-consciousness style, which I find frustrating to read. On top of that, I find Kate's character extremely whiny and constantly playing the victim. The further I got into the book, the more insufferable I found her character. I don't allow people like that to stay in my real life, and I distance myself from them even faster when they are a book character, so this became a DNF because of how the main character was written.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this more than I did. The climate change angle is interesting and different, and I think it could spark a good discussion for book clubs. But the plot felt thin, and for a book that's supposed to be character driven, I didn't come away feeling like I really knew the main character. The writing was too simplistic for what it was trying to do.

It's probably fine as a light summer read, but it's not one I'd go out of my way to pick up again.

Many thanks for NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

[librarianka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this title in audiobook. I loved the voice. I loved the messiness and the rawness of the hectic life of Kate Smith, a single mother, a singer, song writer, guitar player. I feel it's very well done, encompassing current contemporary themes and preoccupations including environmental aspects, being challenged, and judged harshly and unjustly by the public opinion on social media. The frustration, anger, and also tenderness and the love of the main character for her children is wonderfully palpable. Highly recommended.

[Mike Broderick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed, but beware on the audio, the voice of the 3 year old is terrible.
This book is a story about the life of a normal human being whose life changed as a result of getting pregnant….hmmm, just maybe there are readers who can relate. And, the dad didn’t stick around…..again, maybe some readers who can relate.
Because it is a relatable, realistic story, it subtly covers other societal issues like, welfare, single mothers, and even a bit of climate change thrown in. Kate is such a normal character that when an event throws her life into turmoil, she reacts with emotions.

[Sandra Kraemer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up in between books I had on hold. It is a gem of a book. A story many mothers can relate too. The setting is in Canada - Toronto area. A single mother who is raising as son and a 3 year old daughter one hot summer in which her AC quits in her house. She use to sing to make some money. If you get the audiobook you can hear how beautiful her voice is. One thing after another goes awry and some unfortunate events take place that has her struggling but ultimately making a slow road to recovery. It is hard to put down once you get into the flow of the book.

[Karyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully told character driven story, over the course of one stifling summer. Mid life single mother Kate has a series of small events cascade into public shaming. Her responses felt real and the character arc is just captivating.

I loved this book, I devoured it over the course of a few days and when I wasn’t reading it my mind was with Kate.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher ECW Press for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

[ABCme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate is a single mother of two, living on the wrong side of the track, making the most of what little they have. A small action has huge consequences. Witnessing the struggle and the perseverance after that really pulled my heartstrings.
Fret is fast paced, well crafted, filled with attractive characters. Life, lemons and the beauty of the little things.

Thank you Netgalley and ECW Press for the ARC.

[Emma Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley for the advance reader copy of this book!

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book and all of the chaos that unfolded. Kate is a very dynamic and relatable and I had fun getting by to know her. Unfortunately I found the second half of the book much slower leading to the three star rating.

[Diane C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fret is a quiet read with quite a bit of propulsion for literary fiction. Kate was such an endearing character who struggles with the person she has haplessly become-I loved it! A well-executed novel.
Thank you to the publisher for letting me read.

[DREA 87 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid 4 star read. The story kept my interest throughout, and I appreciated the writing and overall pacing. I enjoyed my time with this one and look forward to seeing more from the author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Ashley Mantle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book felt like a hug while simultaneously wanting to give the main character, Kate, a hug. I loved it!

[JXR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lyrical and well-written. Fantastic plotting, and the location almost becomes a character in and of itself, which I love. 5 stars. tysm for the E-ARC.

[Sandi Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 to 4.0 stars. #notmystery #notthriller
Advance review copy received with thanks from the publisher and NetGalley. More in my next Good Reads blog at www.sandiwallace.com/blog/.

[Katherine]

Received from publisher