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4 days and 08:22:27
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Mia
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Expected 11 Aug 26Win a free print copy of this book!
4 days and 08:22:27
10 copies available
U.S. only
A stylish, unsettling work of psychological suspense about an American woman, adrift in Mexico for a year, whose chance encounter with a glamorous older expat spirals into obsession and betrayal.
There’s no one, there’s only you.
When Sally, an American living in San Miguel de Allende, meets Louise outside her children’s school, she’s eager to immerse herself more deeply in the life of the city. In Mexico for just a year with her husband, an architect, Sally is entranced by Louise—her elegance, her harshness, her stories about Burroughs, Ginsberg, and Kerouac—and the two quickly become inseparable. Soon enough, Louise has begun calling her Mia and, at first playfully, then in earnest, introducing Sally as her daughter to a growing circle of friends.
By turns enthralled with the possibility of a new identity in Mexico and troubled by Louise’s magnetic hold over her, Sally attempts to keep the relationship a secret from her husband. As the specter of Sally’s troubled childhood looms, and Louise’s self-mythologizing tightens its grip, the two women test the limits of reinvention—until their fictions threaten the security of Sally’s flesh-and-blood family.
A taut, beguiling work of psychological suspense, Mia is a mother-daughter story turned on its head and a high-intensity fable about the limitations of playing a role that doesn’t belong to you.
There’s no one, there’s only you.
When Sally, an American living in San Miguel de Allende, meets Louise outside her children’s school, she’s eager to immerse herself more deeply in the life of the city. In Mexico for just a year with her husband, an architect, Sally is entranced by Louise—her elegance, her harshness, her stories about Burroughs, Ginsberg, and Kerouac—and the two quickly become inseparable. Soon enough, Louise has begun calling her Mia and, at first playfully, then in earnest, introducing Sally as her daughter to a growing circle of friends.
By turns enthralled with the possibility of a new identity in Mexico and troubled by Louise’s magnetic hold over her, Sally attempts to keep the relationship a secret from her husband. As the specter of Sally’s troubled childhood looms, and Louise’s self-mythologizing tightens its grip, the two women test the limits of reinvention—until their fictions threaten the security of Sally’s flesh-and-blood family.
A taut, beguiling work of psychological suspense, Mia is a mother-daughter story turned on its head and a high-intensity fable about the limitations of playing a role that doesn’t belong to you.
320 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication August 11, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 6, 2026
Mia, at its core, is about fantasy and desire: its limits, its promises, our resistance to it, and its power over us. Sally, the main character, travels to Mexico for a year with her husband and two children. While there, she develops a confusing relationship with an older woman, Louise, who gives Sally the name "Mia" and introduces her around town as her daughter. Sally's desire for a mother pulls her into Louise's fantasy, the promise of it blinding her to the dangerous reality behind Louise's lies. As the reader you are just as conflicted, hopeful the fantasy will flourish, and yet you know there is only destruction on the other side. But maybe destruction is the only way to freedom? You can't wait to find out.
This is really a book about three multi-generational women and the ways that their distinct desires for something different leave them feeling empowered, and yet completely stripped of their agency. I was left with more questions than answers and a humbled recognition of the power my own desires and fantasies hold over me.
This is really a book about three multi-generational women and the ways that their distinct desires for something different leave them feeling empowered, and yet completely stripped of their agency. I was left with more questions than answers and a humbled recognition of the power my own desires and fantasies hold over me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC.
Mia captures the intoxicating thrill of being offered the chance to become a different version of yourself.
We follow Sally, who’s living in Mexico and quietly wrestling with her own mommy issues—because do those ever really go away? When a mysterious older woman, Louise, claims a bracelet that may or may not be hers. It's a small, brazen moment sparks everything.
Louise is magnetic and unsettling, and you feel the pull right alongside Sally. As their relationship deepens and identities begin to blur, you can’t help but wonder what you would do in her place. Would you step into the fantasy? Would you let yourself be renamed, reshaped, reimagined?
What makes this story so compelling is how seductive it makes reinvention feel before slowly revealing the cost. The mystery of Louise lingers, but the real tension comes from watching Sally teeter between the life she has and the life she’s being invited to play.
Mia captures the intoxicating thrill of being offered the chance to become a different version of yourself.
We follow Sally, who’s living in Mexico and quietly wrestling with her own mommy issues—because do those ever really go away? When a mysterious older woman, Louise, claims a bracelet that may or may not be hers. It's a small, brazen moment sparks everything.
Louise is magnetic and unsettling, and you feel the pull right alongside Sally. As their relationship deepens and identities begin to blur, you can’t help but wonder what you would do in her place. Would you step into the fantasy? Would you let yourself be renamed, reshaped, reimagined?
What makes this story so compelling is how seductive it makes reinvention feel before slowly revealing the cost. The mystery of Louise lingers, but the real tension comes from watching Sally teeter between the life she has and the life she’s being invited to play.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book was a wild ride and super addicting. I was on edge waiting for things to explode at times, trying to figure out what the deal with Louise is. I was sweating as a watched Sally try and hide things from her husband. This book will make you feel frustrated, confused, afraid, angry, and thrilled and for a psychological suspense book it really is a giant mind game. It’s haunting but in the best way possible for the reader. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Mia was an interesting and slightly unsettling read. The story focuses on the complicated relationship between two women living in San Miguel de Allende , Mexico., and it slowly pulls you into the psychological tension between them. It’s more of a quiet, character, driven story than a fast thriller, but I found it thoughtful and a little haunting. It definitely stayed with me after I finished.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect going into Mia, but I ended up being completely swept away by Leslie Bazzett’s prose. This is a story that thrives on atmosphere and a sense of quiet, creeping unease. It’s one of those books that feels less like a traditional narrative and more like an experience you have to sink into.
The writing is truly the standout here. It is sharp, poetic, and incredibly evocative. Bazzett has a way of describing the mundane that makes everything feel slightly "off" in the best way possible. I found myself highlighting so many passages just for the beauty of the language.
Mia herself is a complex, enigmatic protagonist. Watching her navigate her world and the blurred lines of her own identity was both heartbreaking and fascinating. It is a slow burn for sure, and the pacing reflects the internal, psychological nature of the plot, which I really appreciated.
I am giving this a solid 4 stars. It lost half a star only because I wanted just a little bit more closure in certain areas, but the ambiguity also suits the vibe of the book perfectly.
If you love literary fiction that leans into the surreal and the psychological, definitely add this to your TBR. It is a beautiful, unsettling read that stays with you.
The writing is truly the standout here. It is sharp, poetic, and incredibly evocative. Bazzett has a way of describing the mundane that makes everything feel slightly "off" in the best way possible. I found myself highlighting so many passages just for the beauty of the language.
Mia herself is a complex, enigmatic protagonist. Watching her navigate her world and the blurred lines of her own identity was both heartbreaking and fascinating. It is a slow burn for sure, and the pacing reflects the internal, psychological nature of the plot, which I really appreciated.
I am giving this a solid 4 stars. It lost half a star only because I wanted just a little bit more closure in certain areas, but the ambiguity also suits the vibe of the book perfectly.
If you love literary fiction that leans into the surreal and the psychological, definitely add this to your TBR. It is a beautiful, unsettling read that stays with you.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Review coming soon.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I saw other reviewers mention the words "unsettling" and "intoxicating" in their reviews of this book, and I completely agree. I wouldn't really say it's a psychological thriller, but it's definitely lit-fic that leans toward psychological. You never really know what Louise's motives are, and Sally (Mia's) mommy issues are so painfully obvious that it's heartbreaking.
It's one of those books where the entire time you are afraid that the narrator will get "found out" (in this case, about Sally lying to her husband), and it's a little stressful at times. The setting of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, is absolutely stunning, and the author writes the scenes beautifully. If you want an addictive read that transports you to Mexico, this is it.
Solid 4! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
It's one of those books where the entire time you are afraid that the narrator will get "found out" (in this case, about Sally lying to her husband), and it's a little stressful at times. The setting of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, is absolutely stunning, and the author writes the scenes beautifully. If you want an addictive read that transports you to Mexico, this is it.
Solid 4! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews