Worse Than Strangers

by Kyleigh Leddy

A debut novel for fans of Jane Austen, Elin Hilderbrand, and Gilmore Girls, Worse Than Strangers is a Nantucket-set retelling of Austen’s Persuasion about finding romance, second chances, and a new path in life.

Rose and Lily are best friends first, mother-daughter second, which is good because right now, Lily could really use a friend. Recently fired from her NYC magazine job and heartbroken, Lily has fled to the family cottage in Siasconset. She is shocked when she stumbles across her first love at the grocery store holding hands with his new fiancé—a fiancé he never mentioned on their many, many late-night phone calls.

Rose has secrets, too. A therapist about to start her own private practice, Rose’s world is rocked by the handsome renter staying in their guest cottage, Thomas Wentworth: the one person she thought she would never see again and the man who has always (unfortunately) held her heart.

A modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion set against a backdrop of blue and purple hydrangeas, swollen brick sidewalks, tall sea grass, and uniform, shingled houses, Lily and Rose Gardner’s summer journey of second chances, healing, and hope begs the question: Can you repeat the past, and is it ever too late to try again?

Genres: Romance, Retellings, Contemporary, Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 23, 2026

About the author

Kyleigh Leddy’s writing has appeared in the New York Times, New York Magazine, and Parents, among others. In 2023, she was named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Media list. She holds a BA from Boston College, an MSW from Columbia University, and an MFA in fiction from Bennington Writing Seminars. She is a licensed therapist and teaches at Gotham Writers and Boston College’s M.A. in Creative Writing program. Worse Than Strangers is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Meagan (Meagansbookclub) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5, rounding to 4

Overall, I really enjoyed it. I liked that it was compared to Gilmore Girls because I could see the influence but it still had its own personality. I do think we needed more tension and emotion between both Rose and Tommy and Lily and Theo. I was a bit bored by both of their relationships and that might be due to the fact that this wasn't necessarily a romance? I thought we'd get way more between Rose and Tommy that what happened and that was disappointing. With all that being said, this was a really nice easy read.

[Rebecca Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.75 ⭐️ (rounded up to 4 stars)
Worse Than Strangers was not what I expected, but not necessarily in a bad way. The romances present in the story did not unfold the way I anticipated and were also not as much of a focus as I originally thought. However, I do not think this took away from the story, it simply made it a different kind of story than I expected.
I appreciated the dual POV, as it highlighted how no matter how old we get, we still do not always know what we are doing in life. The pacing was a bit slow and felt misleading at times, though I suspect this may have been intentional.
I was disappointed in the ending, as it felt lackluster and lacking in clarity and context. While I believe this choice was purposeful, I do not think it was the right one for the reader.
Overall, this is a beautiful piece of literary fiction that explores life and relationships for women at different points in their lives.

[Kyleigh Leddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi! Author here. I know I'm (of course!) very partial, but as the writer, please allow me to indulge in what I dream you may take away from the story:

I hope you feel encouraged to pursue your dreams, whatever they may be.
I hope you remember that it's never too late to fall in love again.
I hope you feel less alone in your heartbreak, in your struggles, and in your fears.
I hope reading this novel will feel like one warm, affirming hug from your very favorite person on a perfect summer day.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for letting me share Lily and Rose Gardner with you! There is no shortage of incredible material to read, so thank you for taking a chance on a debut novel. The path to publication is bewildering, terrifying, exhilarating, and often heartbreaking, but knowing that this story has found its way to your hands makes it all worth it.

With love and gratitude,
Kyleigh

[Kara Mossberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Worse Than Strangers was an emotional, tension-filled read that kept me turning pages. The story dives deep into complicated relationships, secrets, and the ways people can hurt each other—sometimes unintentionally, and sometimes very much on purpose. The characters felt raw and flawed, which made their choices feel believable, even when they were frustrating.

The pacing was solid overall, with moments that packed a strong emotional punch and others that simmered with quiet tension. Some parts felt heavier than expected, but that also added to the realism of the story. If you enjoy realistic fiction that explores darker relationship dynamics and emotional growth, this one is worth picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

#NetGalley
#BookReview
#WorseThanStrangers
#ARCReview
#EmotionalRead
#DomesticFiction
#RealisticFiction

[Dun's · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a treat this novel is! Mother-daughter relationship, summer in Nantucket, with just the right dash of drama.

I love the main characters - both Lily (daughter) and Rose (mother) are women with distinct personalities. I have never been to Nantucket and I think I fall in love a bit with it through reading this. The writing is simply beautiful and engaging.

The chapters alternate between Lily and Rose’s perspectives, and I think this approach works well. One thing that I find awkward is how Lily refers to her mother (or describe her) as Rose almost throughout the book (e.g., “I catch up to Rose in the cleaning aisle.”) Other than in dialogues, there are only a few instances when Lily refers Rose as mom (e.g., “…on my way to drop off Mom downtown…”). I don’t know… it just reads a bit clunky to me.

Many thanks for the advanced copy I received in a Goodreads giveaway. Expected publication date: June 23, 2026.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worse Than Strangers isn’t a true romance, as the cover would want you to believe, so much as a quiet, honest story about finding your footing when life feels confusing. There’s a little dating and old flames, but the heart of the book is self-discovery, navigating anxiety—including panic attacks—in a very real way, and the complex relationship between a mother and daughter. Thoughtful, relatable, and surprisingly comforting, I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Also want to note this is the authors debut novel. She has a previously published memoir. I hope that she will write more fiction in the future.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
 Worse Than Strangers was not quite what I expected, but still enjoyable. While it's described as the story of a mother and a daughter, there's a 3rd woman, aunt or great-aunt Lottie, who's very much a main presence in the book. I did feel that sometimes, moments weren't fully fleshed out, or were a bit was hurried along, and occasionally I had trouble seeing where a decision was leading to, or the reason for introducing a character (and there were many characters!). Overall, this was a fun read, with an engaging plot, a great setting, and relatable women.

[Michael Cataldo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could barely put it down…. The characters come to life off the pages. I got totally sucked in. Lily, Rose, Theo, Thomas, William, not to mention Henry and his crazy fiancée, Mary…
Lottie barely gets a word in but she steals part of your heart.
There I was at the Chicken Box, the Rose and Crown. She sucked me into every scene. I don’t know how she writes this way. I can only marvel at it and enjoy it. I HIGHLY recommend this book and I hope there is a sequel :-). Please Kyleigh, please?

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this book. This is a story following multiple relationships but mainly a mother and daughter. This follows their interconnected relationships as they uncover secrets and work through them.

[Mjp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The characters were really well written. It never slowed down and love the area they were at. Thank you for letting win an advanced copy of this book. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Kara Mossberger]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Worse Than Strangers was an emotional, tension-filled read that kept me turning pages. The story dives deep into complicated relationships, secrets, and the ways people can hurt each other—sometimes unintentionally, and sometimes very much on purpose. The characters felt raw and flawed, which made their choices feel believable, even when they were frustrating.

The pacing was solid overall, with moments that packed a strong emotional punch and others that simmered with quiet tension. Some parts felt heavier than expected, but that also added to the realism of the story. If you enjoy realistic fiction that explores darker relationship dynamics and emotional growth, this one is worth picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

#NetGalley
#BookReview
#WorseThanStrangers
#ARCReview
#EmotionalRead
#DomesticFiction
#RealisticFiction