The Messy Years

by Alexandra Speck Slater

Featured in Kirkus Reviews (February 15, 2026), The Messy Years is "An observant and often witty portrait of adulthood in transition."

Maeve, Hadley, and Lizzie thought they'd have it all figured out by now. But life, love, and loss have a way of rewriting even the best-laid plans. The trio were inseparable in college, and now navigating the messy years of adulthood on Boston's South Shore. Still reeling from the sudden death of her husband, Maeve is determined to rebuild—until a preppy golden boy named Pope not only swipes her promotion, but starts cracking open the heart she swore she’d sealed shut. Hadley, a Southern Belle newlywed is struggling to conceive while clinging to a vision of the perfect life that’s slipping through her fingers. And Lizzie, the glamorous, divorced, high-achieving realtor, is unraveling—still obsessing over her ex and questioning every choice that’s led her here.

Genres: Fiction, Adult, Womens Fiction

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 22, 2025

About the author

I like to write books that are relatable, funny, and poignant. I also write in a fast-paced style with lots of dialogue, because that's kinda who I am! I love when people review my books, so please leave a review (but don't be too mean, because I'm a sensitive one).

I love cheese and pretzels, animals, oceans, boats, Bravo TV, and books!

I have two children, and I split my time between Cleveland (where I grew up) and Boston.

Thanks for checking out my bio. For more, visit my website: alexandraslater.com

Reviews

[Cara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well..... That was.... Messy. Review to come!!!!!!!



Buddy reading with my bestie girl Sarah💓👯

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

After surviving college, Lizzie, Maeve, and Hadley thought that life would be smooth sailing from here on out. But if there is one thing you can count on, it’s that life is unfair and unpredictable. Maeve lost the love of her life, Sam, a few years prior, and her job was taken by a new guy who is so obnoxiously annoying and handsome. Lizzie juggles life as a single mom and a successful realtor, but when she sees her ex at her best friend’s wedding, she feels like she’s never stopped loving him and sets out to get him back. Recently married, Hadley wants to be the perfect wife and longs to have a baby to complete the perfect life she envisioned for her and her husband. But when she has a miscarriage and struggles to get pregnant again, the pressure and high expectations Hadley put on herself might be too much for her to handle. That’s when the three friends realize that the messy years of their lives have only just begun…

My, that was…certainly an experience. 😅 I was fully expecting to love this book because the premise sounds good, but I could not stand most of the characters, the structure of the story left me scratching my head in confusion and bewilderment, and the plot only scratched the surface. Here, let me explain.

I don’t know Lizzie, Maeve, and Hadley. I didn’t know them before or during college when they met and became best friends. I only know them after college, as they deal with the problems they are currently in. Granted, you could get a taste of how close they were by how readily they had each other’s backs and were a shoulder to cry on, and there were snippets of flashbacks of when they were in college that helped explain some things about them. But I still wasn’t entirely convinced they were BFFs. I needed proof, and if that means getting full-length chapters of them in college from before, during, and after they became friends, then so be it.

I just did not connect with the characters, and the only one I even liked was Maeve. Lizzie is the type of friend who wears her heart on her sleeve and would die for her bestie. That’s great, we love a go-getter queen. But, man, she does not know how to let things go. 😅 Like, it’s okay to be alone, Lizzie. It’s okay for other people to move on with their lives. It’s called adulting, and you should try to think more about the long-term rather than what feels and sounds good in the here and now. Look, I felt bad for Hadley. I really do, but she was so selfish and even annoying, I could not even with her. 🤦‍♀ The other characters…well, they weren’t the greatest either. Wade sucked, Jack was unsupportive, and Pope…actually wasn’t that bad. I’ll cut him some slack. 😉 But Brandon was great! He was SO funny and the comedic relief this book desperately needed.

This was a good premise for a story; I didn’t request this solely for the cover (I am, however, known for doing that, so I won’t blame you if you think that was the case 😂). But the execution just wasn’t done well and fell flat for me. It was so disappointing! I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately, we can’t love them all. 😭 The only reason I had any fun with this was because it was a buddy read with my beautiful bestie, Cara. ❤

When it comes down to recommending this, I’m not going to say you should or shouldn’t read this. There are other people who enjoyed this book, and I recommend reading their reviews to see if this book is the right fit for you. It just didn’t work out for me, and if you end up enjoying it, I’m glad! 🥰

Be sure to look out for Cara's review! She'll explain everything better than I will, lol! 😂

Thank you to Alexandra Slater/Hudson House Press and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own.

❗Content Warnings❗
Miscarriage, unplanned pregnancy, & loss of a loved one
Swearing: Yes
Spice: No, not really. (🌶.5/5)

#themessyyears #NetGalley

[Jamie · Rating 1 out of 5]

So this a story between 3 best friends who have different lives, of course (including each of their pov). Even though all of them focus a lot of their time and energy thinking about what the person their with and always wanted to be with (Hadley), wish they were but aren’t with (Lizzie) and were with but life took them away (Maeve).

I didn’t connect much with the characters but I had to say one I’d say I liked Maeve the best. The characters seemed hollow and lacked depth. I honestly couldn’t stand Lizzie, I know she wanted what was best for her friends and all but by anything she doesn’t let go. She made me question what love was because of how hung up she was on someone that I “shockingly” couldn’t bring myself to like him from the moment he appeared. It made it really hard to connect with the characters and an effort to keep going.
I didn’t enjoy it, I tried but the book didn’t make it easy, it lacks structure and the writing leaves room for improvement. The premise seemed intriguing yet it didn’t pull through. I’m disappointed!
On this notion I think the book was right just about one thing, messy it is and that’s certain.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc of this book, in exchange for an honest review!

[Taylor Ollerton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh I really wanted to love this one! Mid-thirties messiness of life and college friendships, it had so much potential to be great, but the character development and storyline just never fully developed. 🫤

[Alieke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok so.. To be honest, I wanted to DNF this when I was at about 15%. I didn't because it would have felt like I didn't give this book a fair chance tho. Once I hit the 40% mark, I was more invested (in Maeve especially) and wanted to see where the story would go. But that's a lot of book to not be invested in.

The reason why I wanted to DNF is that
I felt no connection to the characters. They're supposed to be my age but they felt way more juvenile. I honestly can't imagine me and my friends acting like the FMCs here. Lizzie in particular was an unimaginable character. A grown-ass woman, a MOM, who acts this childish and fickle? Sorry but no.

I also felt like the writing didn't flow like I'd want it to; it felt a bit stiff sometimes. There were several conversations that made me think.. "nobody in the history of EVER would say this" *ahem* "I want sperm" *ahem*

ALSO what was up with Pope pulling a potato out of his desk drawer???? Is that a thing? Do people go around keeping potatoes in desks? Was it cooked? Why did Maeve not think it was weird? Why did she say it meant a lot?? We need more clarification on the potato mkay thankyeww.

I loved the idea and the concept of this book, but the execution not so much, I feel this could have been a lot better.

[Caro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between 3 and 4 stars!
A book about unlike friends who support each other through everything. Divorce, Miscarriage, Rekindeling with an Ex, Becoming a widow, Becoming a mom and all the events in between.
Showing that ypu can survive most if not all things with your friends at your side.

Thank you netgalley for the arc

[kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so I just mainlined The Messy Years, and I’m gonna be totally straight with you: this book is a spectacular, incandescent dumpster fire, and I mean that as the highest compliment. Alexandra Slater has this utterly insidious way of crawling inside your prefrontal cortex and exposing the exact flavor of existential dread you thought was uniquely yours. It’s like a literary endoscopy, but instead of finding polyps, you find a meticulously cataloged history of bad decisions.

Our protagonist, Elara, is, to put it mildly, a magnificent trainwreck. She's supposed to be navigating that liminal space between "figuring it out" and "being a functioning adult," but mostly she's just a master of procrastination and self-sabotage, constantly orbiting a nucleus of poor life choices. The prose is so ridiculously refulgentseriously, Slater uses words I haven't seen since my SAT prep days, that it elevates even the most mundane internal monologues about stale cereal into a grand, lugubrious epic. I spent half the time nodding violently in recognition and the other half reaching for my dictionary. The dialogue? Utterly verisimilitudinous. It's the kind of rapid-fire, emotionally stunted banter you have with your best friends after three too many glasses of cheap wine, drenched in a thick patina of sarcasm.

Where the book truly falters, critically speaking, is in the third act's sudden pivot towards salvation. It felt a tad perfunctory, like the editor finally stepped in and said, "Look, we need to give these poor bastards a sunrise." It cheapens the raw, unvarnished beauty of the struggle that preceded it. I wanted her to stay messy forever, not have a neat little apotheosis moment. But whatever. It’s still a visceral, pulchritudinous read. If you’re not actively squirming from the sheer relatability, you’re reading it wrong. It's a five-star masterpiece of neurotic overthinking.

#themessyyears #NetGalley

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m always drawn to stories that explore the beautiful, chaotic parts of women’s lives, and The Messy Years brings all of that to the surface.

What I liked about The Messy Years is how real and relatable it felt. Alexandra Slater leans into the chaos of adulthood — the shifting friendships, the career disappointments, the fertility struggles, and the whole “I thought I’d have it figured out by now” feeling. The writing is conversational and easy to fall into, almost like listening to a friend vent over a glass of wine. I also appreciated the three distinct viewpoints; Maeve, Hadley, and Lizzie each bring their own version of “messy,” and their emotional arcs feel grounded and honest.

On the downside, this isn’t a plot-heavy book. It focuses more on feelings, friendships, and everyday drama than any kind of twist or high-stakes tension. Some character moments repeat themselves, and a few of the conflicts drift into reality-TV territory. With multiple POVs, I definitely found some storylines more engaging than others, and the pacing can feel slower at times if you’re craving something more suspense-driven.

All in all, The Messy Years works well as a heartfelt, character-focused read about female friendship and navigating the complicated in-between years of adulthood. If you’re in the mood for something relatable, emotional, and easy to sink into, this one delivers.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Alexandra Slater, and Hudson House Press for a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

[deborah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book especially after reading the description unfortunately it turned out to be so disorganised and a bit cringe at times especially the way the characters talked with each other. The plot and conversations didn't flow naturally.The idea was there but the execution was done very poorly.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Lizzie and Wade breakup felt inevitable but at the same time was done so poorly it felt like the author just made them get together again!! and break up to make the point that Lizzie would be okay alone but it didn't feel natural. Hadley was a selfish friend from the start of the book and it didn't feel like Maeve atleast healed over Sam's death when she married Pope.

[Randi A · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of this book was appealing (and quite universal) but the main characters come across far more immature than mid-thirties. Lizzie is straight up insufferable, Hadley acts like a child, and Maeve, while the least painful of the three to read, annoyed me by the end. Speaking of the end, this book ends quite abruptly after dragging out several months and then zipping through others. I wasn’t really sure how to feel by the end as I didn’t feel there was a ton of growth, just “better” outcomes.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kimberley Leader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I am watching a trashy reality TV show but in the best way possible. This book was a fun read with multiple POVs but it still dealt with hard topics. I felt it was a bit rushed and too short to really add depth to the characters. They all made frustrating decisions at times which made it a messy read, so I guess that sticks with the name of the book. I think this would be a great summertime by the pool on holiday read.

[Kate Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book! First, I adored Maeve and Pope’s characters. Second, I loved the writing style of this book. It flowed so well, and even though we had multiple stories going on, it never felt overwhelming. Third, I liked the realness. The characters are messy, in the ways our friends truly are, and it was refreshing to see: the messiness didn’t define them or change who they were to their best friends.

[Courtney Teague · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4-star read
The Messy Years was a really good read. I found myself easily connecting with the characters and relating to the drama, which made the story feel very real and engaging. The writing was easy to get through, and I flew through the pages without feeling bogged down.

[Meghan Buchman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect

Great storylines. Realistic characters with relatable issue. Moves at a decent pace and you still feel like you deeply know the characters. Haven't read a romance novel like this in a while. Definitely a feel good, hard to put down story.

[Ciarra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I finished this book in one sitting and I was pleasantly surprised when we were getting multiple POVs throughout the story. The dialogue throughout the book was clever and interesting. Following three separate perspectives of three women in a friendship made it a much more insightful read. All of the women are in a much different phases in their lives in regard to their careers, romantic relationships, and life milestones. I found myself admiring the friendship that the women had. There was a slight resemblance to Sex and The City, which I think will really allow readers to feel comfortable and seen by the story lines. Would definitely recommend to anyone interested in women's fiction.

[chiaralostinbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

- a slice of life story about three women in their 30s -


synopsis:

The Messy Years is a book about three friends who navigate their very different lives throughout their 30s. Each one has a ton of stuff going on. We follow three POVs and get to know the characters pretty well.


my thoughts:


characters:

I did not really like any of the characters as people. But thats not necessary for me to like a book. However, at times particularly Lizzie was so insufferably selfish that I rolled my eyes. The friendship between the three barely came across.

the writing:

I flew through this book. It was very bingeable. But sometimes the flow was disrupted by very short sentences and I feel like many things were told and not shown.

the plot:

There was none but thats fine for a slice of life book like this. I mean, you could argue the characters’ lives are the plots. Things do happen in this book. Whats more interesting is how the characters react to the things that happen to them. Thats why I read slice of life books. At times, this was done well. I felt for Maeve, particularly. But the writing could have been stronger to better convey the emotions. I didn’t feel for Hadley as strongly as I should have, given her circumstances.

final thoughts:

This book was a quick slice of life kind of read. If you enjoy reading about relationships you might enjoy this. There are some interesting themes about life in your 30s. However, the execution could have been better. If the author puts out another book, I will give it a try! I see the potential.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hudson House Press for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

[Kelty Duval · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this epub.
At the beginning of this book I really hated all of the characters. I understand grief, but Maeve seemed to just be wallowing. Lizzie seemed like she was just tried to self-sabotage her life and I could not understand Hadley's obsession with babies. As their motivations started to become clearer, I couldn't stop reading. Some parts felt like watching a car crash (Lizzie and Wade :|) and other parts had me saying finally (Maeve and Pope). It was really interesting how Slater wove these three women's lives together because they weren't really together all that much, but were so pivotal in how they each made decision. It would have been a 5 star read if the ladies hadn't been so annoying at the beginning, but overall 4 stars.

[Cathy Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun beach read! Loved it! Buying Friends with Boats to read on vaction!

[ciara :) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5*

thank you to netgalley and hudson house press for providing me with an e-arc of the messy years in exchange for an honest review!

this book follows three friends throughout a pivotal time period in their lives, dubbed "the messy years". maeve, who is struggling following the passing of her husband sam 4 years prior, lizzie, divorced mother to two kids, trying to figure out what is going on with her love life, and hadley, a newlywed who really wants to start a family as she feels she is beginning to grow to old to do so.

let's start with the good: maeve! i really liked her perspective. she had some complex emotions going on, especially revolving her grief over the loss of her husband and because she didn't fully get the promotion she was expecting to at work, and now has to work with a man as "co-senior editors". i felt the most emotionally connected to her and her journey felt the most realistic to me. she also had a very strong head on her shoulders, was a great friend and i honestly did enjoy her storyline the most. i also really liked the way this author chose to describe her settings, with the perfect mix of straightforward and flowery. also, the way this was written made it super easy to fly through! i finished this in about 2 days

however, there were many things i did not enjoy about this book. lizzie was INCREDIBLY selfish and was frankly not a good friend. every. single. time. her friends were going through something, all she could think about was how awful her own life was and how desperate she was to get back her ex (not the father of her children, a different guy). also, tell me how she was the only FMC with kids, yet her storyline involved her children the least? she really didn't feel like a fleshed out character, and i could not connect with her at all. hadley on the other hand, is possibly the most male-centred FMC i have ever read about in a WHILE. she could only think about how to be the perfect wife and mother (for her husband), judged her friends and neighbours because she perceived them to be basically stupid for expecting good things from the men in their life, and was genuinely so so unbearable to read about. plus, i could not connect with her emotionally despite her very emotional storyline with TTC and by god did i ever wanna smack her husband upside the head about 55% of the time.

all in all, this authors writing was quite good, but maeve was the only POV i could connect with, the endings to each of the girls' stories felt rushed and i firmly believe this book would have benefitted from an extra hundred pages to really delve into these supposedly complex characters and the way they think.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars rounded to 4*

Big thank you to Alexandra Slater and Hudson House Press for the opportunity to read the e-arc of The Messy Years in exchange for an honest review!

Overall, I did enjoy this book. I took me a little bit to get into but once I did, I pretty much flew through it. Getting glimpses of Maeve, Lizzie, and Hadley's lives was a treat as much as sometimes it felt insufferable. By saying that, I mean that there were points of this book that had me questioning whether I would ever connect with the characters. I found myself trying to compare some of my friendships with that of these three women and at the beginning it just didn't quite click for me.

However, the more I got into the book, the more I could begin to sort of understand with these women and their hardships. I began reading from a standpoint of empathy because I just *personally* found some of the content unrelatable to a certain extent. In saying that, I also fully acknowledge that that is a totally personal thing and I wouldn't deter anyone because of that. I do think that each woman had important stories to tell and about three quarters of the way through I found myself in a mindset of someone sitting on the sidelines watching this story pan out as if it were a movie - and then I couldn't put the book down. I can appreciate that this book spared no visual of the girls' personalities, no matter how insufferable (I'm talking to you Lizzie) - because that is what made the book feel real.

My only other comment would just be on the pacing. I read this book in 3 sittings and found myself a bit lost when I would pick it back up to read. It jumped around pretty quickly from POV to POV and some plot points were really quickly glazed over so I found that I had to go back and re-read at some points just to remind myself that - oh yeah, that happened! I feel like at the end we were cruising and then all of the sudden BOOM character development overload. I was just hoping for a bit more of an "in between".

Thank you again for the opportunity to read and review, I look forward to recommending this book!

[Aura C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Messy really is the right word here, but not in a bad way. More like the kind of mess that feels painfully familiar. Three women in their thirties who thought they’d have life figured out by now, instead realizing that grief, love, resentment, longing, and old versions of themselves don’t magically disappear just because time moves on.

What worked best for me was the friendship at the center of it all. Maeve, Lizzie, and Hadley feel like people you’ve known at different points in your life, sometimes all at once. Their bond isn’t polished or aspirational, it’s complicated, sometimes frustrating, and rooted in shared history rather than constant emotional maturity. I appreciated that the book didn’t pretend long friendships are always easy or healthy just because they’ve lasted.

Maeve was the character I connected with the most. Her grief felt heavy and real, and the way it seeped into every part of her life rang true. Lizzie, on the other hand, was a lot for me. I understood her motivations, but her inability to let go of the past and her fixation on what could have been started to wear thin. Hadley’s storyline hit emotionally, especially around expectations of marriage and motherhood, though at times her choices made me want to gently shake her.

The pacing is uneven. There are stretches where the story lingers a little too long in introspection and repetition, and then moments where big emotional beats rush past when they deserved more space. I didn’t always feel grounded in where we were in time, and some transitions between POVs felt abrupt.

Still, there’s something very honest about this book. It captures that in between phase of adulthood where nothing is falling apart completely, but nothing feels settled either. The conversations are raw, the emotions aren’t neatly resolved, and the characters don’t emerge as better versions of themselves so much as slightly more aware ones.

It didn’t fully click for me, but I’m glad I read it. If you’re drawn to character driven stories about long friendships, unresolved feelings, and the uncomfortable process of growing up again in your thirties, this one will probably resonate more than it didn’t.

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starting off with the disclaimer that I won this ebook in a Goodreads giveaway. I was genuinely surprised when I finished it to find out this wasn’t an ARC and already published. I will be reviewing this accordingly.

Let me start off with what I enjoyed:
I’m a sucker for straight forward writing. This was all tell and no show and made for a faster easier read, especially with three MCs to follow.

This story definitely lived up to its title; these people are MESSY. I wanted to shake all of these people and then throw them into various forms of therapy. But I can honestly say I know people like each of these characters. Real people are messy and stay friends with even messier people. Hadley, Lizzie, and Maeve had each others’ backs, threw each other down, picked each other back up, then rolled their eyes and definitely shit talked each other. Is it a happy and likable friendship group? No—and I’m so grateful I’m out of mine—but these women clearly want and need each other.

These characters (and I mean everyone) weren’t lovable, but they also weren’t loathsome. I truly appreciate that in a story.

I enjoyed the beginning, I enjoyed a good chunk of the middle, and I liked the ending each character got.

Now for the bad:
I was not down with Pope’s behavior early on in the story. Are men messy too? Of course, but he raised a specific personal peeve of mine.

Some of Lizzie’s comments went beyond what I think even the most outrageous of characters would say. Like it felt insane for her character to say something in a situation, and it was more for shock value than anything.

Like I mentioned at the top, I’m genuinely surprised this went to publishing without a proper edit.
-The word flagrant instead of fragrant should have already warned me but at the time I assumed it was an ARC
-Lizzie had two completely different introductions to her ex husband
-Lizzie/Wade/Hank’s timeline mathematically did not line up despite numbered years being thrown out left and right.
-As much as I appreciate clear cut writing, there were a lot of choppy sentences that killed the flow of some scenes.
-Sentences like “Maeve puts the album back in the box and heads back up to the attic to grab the empty tubs that hold her Christmas decorations” made me scratch my head.
-Towards the end it seemed like a lot of details fell through the cracks (characters brought into scenes then forgotten, behaving in a way that doesn’t makes sense to their situation)

I was willing to overlook all these things if it hadn’t gone through final edits, but this was already published so I feel like these issues should be included. If someone can look past those types of mistakes, I think overall this was a decent read.

Thank you to Alexandra Speck Slater for the copy of this e-book.

[RUTH GUCKIEAN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

listen. if you have ever looked at your closest friends and thought "i love you but you are genuinely making the worst possible decision right now and i cannot stop you," this book is for you.

The Messy Years gets something really right that a lot of adult friendship novels fumble: these women are not aspirational. they are not girlboss-ing their way through grief and divorce and fertility struggles with grace and a good blowout. they are messy. they are making choices that made me want to reach through the pages and gently shake them. and that's exactly what makes them feel real.

maeve's grief is heavy and disorienting in a way that felt true. hadley's desperation for the picture-perfect life she mapped out is painfully relatable even when you want to scream at her. and lizzie—oh lizzie—girl is in a SPIRAL and slater just lets her spin. i respect an author who isn't afraid to let her characters be genuinely difficult and kind of the worst while still making you care about them. that's a tightrope walk and slater mostly nails it.this is deeply, unapologetically character-driven and i am personally such a sucker for that. if your idea of a good time is sitting in someone's emotional wreckage for 300 pages while they slowly figure their shit out, welcome home.

where it loses me slightly: the third act. after spending the whole book earning the mess—really sitting in the discomfort of these women's worst impulses and hardest seasons—things wrapped up a little too neatly and a little too fast. the silver linings arrived before the characters fully earned them, and it felt like the story flinched right when it should have held its nerve. i wanted the resolution to be as brave as the buildup, and it pulled its punch just slightly.

but honestly? the ride there is so good that i'm docking one star with love. slater writes friendship with the kind of specificity that makes you text your group chat at midnight just to say "i'm grateful for you idiots."

[Stephanie Mastroianni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is perfect for anyone who wants a quick light read! The characters are perfectly suited for the time, and especially the place that the book takes place in. The Messy Years is an emotional whirlwind in the best possible way — a heartfelt exploration of the chaos that hits when life refuses to follow the script. Slater doesn’t shy away from the awkward, painful, or unglamorous moments that turn up in those “messy years”, and that honesty makes the story shine. The friendship between Maeve, Hadley, and Lizzie is the beating heart of the novel, and it’s written with such nuance and warmth intertwined with humor, that I couldn’t stop thinking about them after I finished.

What I loved most about the book is how different the three women are — and how their bond is both tested and strengthened as each goes through her own personal storm and growth. There is a scene (which I won’t totally spoil) that stands out and is a testament to Slater’s ability to capture and relate to the angst that each woman feels during a much needed confrontation between them. This scene is such a realistic portrayal of what happens when friends grow in different directions, but still deeply love and need one another. The reconciliation scene isn’t neat or perfect, which is what makes it so satisfying.

The Messy Years is heartfelt, funny, chaotic, and absolutely human. Slater introduces real issues that arise for women in these years - the complexities motherhood, being a wife, and maintaining a sense of self through friends while adjusting to a stage where women lose who they saw themselves as, and try to lean into who they have become- She captures the truth of what it means to be figuring things out later than you expected — and how friendship can be the thing that saves you.

The Messy Years is a brilliant, uplifting read. I recommend it for anyone, but especially those who cherish friendship and how women lean on each other while finding their way.

[Zinab · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Messy Years is about three best friends who met in college navigating their adulthood in their thirties. This premise intrigued me, and I was looking forward to really seeing their friendship being tested. However, both the characters and their relationship to one another fell flat. The three girls are resigned to their “role”: Maeve, The Widow; Lizzie, The Divorcée; and Hadley, The Southern Belle. While I believe that Maeve had the best character arc overall, I thought nothing changed for Lizzie and Hadley by the end. I think the issue was that a lot of these changes were just told to the reader, but we don’t actually see the changes in their actions.

There’s a sense that the girls love each other unconditionally, but in the moments when their relationship goes through some hiccups, the underlying issues are solved too quickly. Really, I would have loved it if there were more scenes about their friendship in the years prior to the book taking place.

There are frequent name drops of certain (luxury) brands and local spots, and while that helped create an immersive setting in the first third of the book, by the end, all the brand names were detrimental by making the characters look shallow. I could also see how all the name dropping might isolate readers who aren’t familiar with these brands.

All of these issues aside, I actually enjoyed reading this book. Slater pulls you along, and by the end, I wanted more. Like I briefly mentioned earlier, Maeve had a good arc, and I really enjoyed reading her sections and seeing her relationship with Pope develop. I think what made her sections work really well are the flashbacks we see to her relationship with her late husband, and I thought it was interesting how her sea glass hobby was a big part of her character.

Thank you to Hudson House Press and NetGalley for an eArc in exchange for an honest review!

[Beatrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick easy read. We follow 3 former college roommates as they go through an especially messy year in their messy years. Maeve is a young, childless, Widow who works in PR and is hoping for a promotion. Lizzie is a divorced mother of two boys who thinks she may still be in love with the one who got away - not her ex-husband. Hadley is a newlywed (the book opens on her wedding weekend) who desperately wants to have a baby.

While the story has plenty of 'messy' like Hadley's cousin dating Lizzie's one time love, Wade, or Hadley's husband Jack being friends and former classmates with Pope the new guy that's Maeve's competition at work and Lizzie's rebound guy; this book also deals with grief. Maeve's husband Sam, died of a sudden heart attack in front of her eyes, taking with him all their hopes and dreams for their future. She feels rudderless and unable to move on, even though her friends think it's time. Hadley struggles to conceive and when she finally does, she miscarries and husband Jack is bewildered by her reaction.

Grief is unfortunately, something all of us will have to deal with eventually and yet we are so unprepared to do so. Grief doesn't have a timetable, and you can't 'just get over it already' no matter how much your loved ones wish it for you. Guilt also joins grief which further complicates things. It was nice to see characters that struggled with their grief because that is relatable.

The book ends with another wedding and with most of the characters, having tidied up some of their mess, growing up a bit in the process.

[Julie Bouchner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maeve, Hadley, and Lizzie met in college and have been best friends ever since. Now they’re navigating their adult lives, realizing that life is much more complicated and far different from what they imagined. Maeve is grieving the loss of her husband while trying to move forward. Hadley is a newlywed struggling to conceive. Lizzie, a divorced realtor, can’t seem to stop obsessing over her ex or questioning her choices.

Rating: 2 ⭐: I picked this up thinking it would be a light, easy read about friendship and how those relationships shift as life changes and new responsibilities are added to the plate. Unfortunately, I didn’t relate to any of the three women. They came across as immature for their age, and their choices didn’t feel true to their stage of life. I thought this would be a good palate cleanser after reading a few thrillers back to back, but there were so many things that just didn’t go right. A few examples: the pacing was uneven, dragging through some parts while others felt rushed. The author also mixed up character names several times, which made it feel like an unedited or early version of the book, even though it wasn’t. The ending felt rushed, and I didn’t see much growth from any of the characters, just slightly improved circumstances. To be honest, I was disappointed because the plot sounded promising and had the potential to be relatable, but the execution was awful. I kept reading because I thought it would get better, but ultimately, the book was a no for me. PASS.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Final rating: 2.5/5 stars ⭐️

I wanted to love this book so bad, but unfortunately I didn’t. It felt like sex and the city but messier. Why are these women SO obsessed with getting laid?? I’m sorry but to have characters that are middle aged, I feel like it’s more realistic to write them to crave something more meaningful? I get one character is recently divorced, one recently widowed, but why are most of the interactions they have with each other or other women in their community about sex??

The story was so back and forth. Something new was constantly happening. Yes it fits the idea of things being messy and chaotic, but a lot of this was genuinely just self-sabotaging moments. The characters also felt juvenile. A lot of the dialogue read as teenagers talking rather than 35 year old women. Also, Hadley was very clearly struggling mentally. She was going through it on all fronts and Lizzie is just talking about these issues to Maeve as if it’s just a run of the mill problem. I’m sorry, what? Ugh.

Hadley and Maeve have a lot of promise. Hadley desperately wants to be a mom and is struggling with making it a reality, while Maeve is still holding on to her late husband and battling the inner turmoil of wanting to move on. Lizzie is recently divorced, by her own doing, but she’s the most chaotic character of them all. It seems as though she’s willing to completely upend everyone’s life in an attempt to better hers, even though she clearly has absolutely no idea what she wants. It made her very unlikable honestly.

[DoubleBooked_hub · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Messy Years by Alexandra Slater ⭐ 3.5/5

The Messy Years is one of those books that feels a little too real in the best way possible. It follows three friends, each navigating completely different stages of life — one dealing with grief, another trying to start a family, and Lizzie… well, Lizzie is just trying to keep it together (and often not succeeding).

What I really loved about this book is how relatable it is. At some point, we’ve all been one of these women — lost, hopeful, overwhelmed, or just figuring things out as we go. That honesty makes the story easy to connect with and hard to put down.

My favourite character was Maeve, who is dealing with the loss of her husband while trying to stay strong. Her storyline felt especially emotional and real, and I found myself really rooting for her throughout the book.

Lizzie, on the other hand, was a bit of a love-hate character for me. She’s incredibly relatable in her messiness, but at times she can come across as quite selfish — which made her frustrating, but also very human.

It’s also a very easy, fast read — perfect if you’re looking for something light but still meaningful. That said, I did find myself wanting a bit more depth in the character development, and maybe a slightly more unexpected twist in the plot. But I also understand that the book is more about capturing a moment in life rather than delivering big dramatic turns.

Overall, The Messy Years is a warm, honest, and relatable story about friendship and growing pains — perfect for when you want something comforting and real.

[Laura Winters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured The Messy Years in one sitting—Alexandra Slater has a gift for writing characters you immediately recognize, root for, and feel deeply connected to. Maeve, Hadley, and Lizzie navigate the beautifully chaotic stretch of life that defines our “messy years,” moving through love, loss, grief, friendship, and the constant push-and-pull of trying to become the women they want to be.

Slater tackles everything from infertility and unplanned pregnancies to heartbreak, complicated mother–daughter dynamics, and the uncomfortable realization that the life you thought you were supposed to live may not be the one meant for you. Each storyline felt honest and familiar, capturing the emotional highs and lows of your 20s and 30s with empathy, humor, and heart. These three women are relatable, lovable, and wonderfully imperfect—and you can’t help but root for each of them to find her way through.

As a Hingham resident, I especially loved the local references woven throughout the book. Seeing our town as the backdrop to such rich, heartfelt storytelling made the journey even more special.

The Messy Years is a warm, messy, heartfelt reminder that we’re all figuring it out—and that even in the chaos, there is beauty, connection, and growth. A fantastic read.