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, Summer, Fiction, Contemporary, Summer Reads, Retellings, Contemporary Romance

320 pages, Hardcover

First published 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 in Boston College’s M.A. in Writing and the Human Condition 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.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worse Than Strangers by Kyleigh Leddy
Book Blurb: 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.

Rating: *****
Feels: Comfort, Surprise, Adored, Satisfied
Style: Romance, Contemporary, Retellings, Fiction, Summer, Summer Reads
First published June 23, 2026 : 320 pages


This read was exactly what I needed, warm, sweet and completely charming. I’ve always loved Austen’s persuasion and this hit all the right notes of the spirit of that book for me while adding in elements that brought more enjoyment to the read. The mother daughter relationship between Rose and Lilly was comforting in the way you wish you could see the bonds of all women be actualized. There was so much self reflection and growth that the characters seemed fully visualized. I could not put the book down. I wanted to know what happened with all our ladies lives. There was definitely drama and fun, flowers and even some punches thrown. Mostly this was the kind of book that just leaves you with that warm satisfied happy feeling at the end.

This book has:
Austen Retelling of Persuasion
Second chances
Nantucket-setting
Dual POV
Bucket List

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a book that feels like summer in coastal New England, Worse Than Strangers absolutely delivers. The setting was one of my favorite parts of the novel. Between the hydrangeas, seaside cottages, and charming small town atmosphere, I felt completely transported to Nantucket. It has that cozy, escapist quality that makes you want to pack a bag and spend the season by the ocean.

What really stood out to me, though, was the relationship between Lily and Rose. Their dynamic felt less like a traditional mother daughter relationship and more like two sisters navigating life’s challenges together. Their bond added so much warmth and heart to the story and gave the novel a strong emotional foundation.

I also loved that readers get two romance storylines. Watching both Lily and Rose navigate second chances in love created a satisfying balance between romance and personal growth. Each woman is starting over in her own way, and it was rewarding to see their journeys unfold side by side.

The overall vibe gave me major Gilmore Girls energy mixed with classic summer women’s fiction. It’s charming, comforting, and wonderfully easy to sink into. While romance plays an important role, this story is equally about healing, family, and finding the courage to begin again.

Perfect for Readers Who Love

* Coastal New England settings
* Mother daughter stories
* Second chance romance
* Jane Austen retellings
* Gilmore Girls vibes
* Charming small town communities
* Escapist summer fiction

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, I really wanted to love this one. I grew up going to Cape Cod every summer, and visits to Nantucket were always so special. Add in Persuasion-inspired and I was deeply excited. I even saved it for Fourth of July weekend on the Cape because it felt like the perfect time for it.

And there really is so much I liked—the Nantucket references gave me such joy (nothing says summer to me like Jeeps and hydrangeas; and truly, don’t miss the mudslides at the Gazebo), and I loved the handling of this mother-daughter-great aunt relationship. Lottie loomed large over Rose & Lily’s story and this discussion of grief and moving on and past loves, in a great way.

Unfortunately something about the writing and the character work here didn’t fully click for me. The prose felt a little simple? Or in some places, borderline corny (there was more than one eye roll over the dialogue, I fear). I also think because this story tried to do so much, it meant some places felt rushed and lacking in depth—most especially, the titular Persuasion-esque romance between Rose and Tommy (which just kind of—resolves? and that’s it?), but very much with Lily as well.

It confused me for way too long whether I was supposed to be rooting for Henry or Theo and really, I didn’t love either of them for her. I almost wanted her journey to end with her being happy on her own (if not for the weird psychic of it all? idk what that was doing)

Add in a few too many dramatic fights and reveals and other moments and I think this one just tried to pack too much in, when a simpler story could have breathed more.

Thank you Gallery for the ARC!

[rizzo.readsromance · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5x rounded up for good reads

[Angelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. Great summer read when you need something light with hope, romance, and family connection.

[Pam · Rating 1 out of 5]

When an author tries to do too many things in a book, they usually don't end up doing any of them well. That's what happened here with Worse Than Strangers by Kyleigh Leddy. This is the author's fiction debut, and it was a mess of too many tropes, immature prose, and uneven character development.

So this novel was advertised as a Persuasion retelling meets Gilmore Girls, set during a summer in Nantucket. That's a lot for one book, especially when you have multiple narrators, multiple romance plots, and a whole coming-of-age thing happening at the same time.

Our primary narrator is Lily, a 25-year-old who just got fired from her assistant job in New York City and has moved home to Nantucket to spend the summer with her mom and figure out what's next. Lily just didn't make sense to me as a character. Across the whole book, she claimed her friends were all married or in long-term relationships and had their careers figured out. Her friends who live in New York City, where being married at 25 is basically child marriage and most people are barely scraping by because of the high cost of living. I just didn't buy the setup for her character. Most people are a mess at 25, and for her to not understand that despite being in therapy and having a therapist mother just didn't feel real to me. I was also underwhelmed by the romance writing for her. She has a messed-up dynamic with her ex that felt underbaked because, at the same time, she had a burgeoning romance storyline with a coworker, which was also underdeveloped.

The secondary narrator is Lily's mother, Rose. Now, I found Rose a much more interesting character than Lily, but she was so underwritten. We got a fraction of the time with her that we did with her daughter, and it made no sense since she was the Persuasion retelling storyline. Because she got so much less page time, I didn't buy into her storyline or romance.

Ok, let's talk about the Persuasion of it all. That is my favorite Austen novel, the Austen novel that has so much yearning. Half of the 1995 film adaptation is just watching Amanda Root and Ciarán Hinds staring longingly at each other. If you are going to come for Persuasion, you cannot miss, and boy, did this miss. Kyleigh Leddy pulled names from the original novel, including Elizabeth for Rose's sister, and made Mrs. Clay into a cat, but instead of fleshing out who these people were in the modern world, it was like she just wanted you to extrapolate their characteristics from the source material and go with it. That's not how a successful retelling works. The author has to establish who these people are in the new setting, not just expect the reader to know them from the original work.

I also found the prose to be really immature, which was disappointing considering this author's previous published work was a memoir. Each chapter felt unfinished, like we were hopping out of the story before that beat was complete, and I really was not a fan of the present-tense narration considering this book explicitly takes place in 2022. It felt like a weird choice.

Overall, I really did not like this book. It felt like it needed to be completely reworked as either a true Austen retelling for Rose or a coming-of-age story for Lily, not the hybrid we got. 1 star.

I received a complimentary ARC of Worse Than Strangers from Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! Persuasion is my favorite Jane Austen book and this story had a similar feel but wasn’t relying on that plot too strongly either. You don’t get déjà vu while reading.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and took it along to the beach this week. I hope to see lots of people posting about loving this book after it’s released.

I think people who love Gilmore Girls will love this book too.

Rose and Lily are like best friends and mother and daughter.

Lily comes back home to stay with her mother after losing her job. Her mom owns a home in Nantucket that she inherited when her aunt passed away.

Lottie was a second mother to Rose. She basically raised her since Rose’s lost her mom so young.

Both Rose and Lily were devastated to lose Lottie. But this isn’t a sad story at all.

This is about a mother and daughter both navigating the changes in their lives. And both have a potential new love in their lives while their first love is also on the scene.

Rose and Thomas broke up 30 years ago when her father forced her to leave him.
Lily and Henry broke up two years ago. He’s engaged now and it comes as a complete shock to Lily.

I loved the love stories, I loved the mother and daughter and I loved the beach setting!!

This should be on everyone’s must read list :)

[Paola Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this might be my first official summer read, and it was such a good one.

The story follows a mother and daughter spending the summer together in a place filled with history and memories, while navigating relationships, personal growth, and the different kinds of love that find their way into our lives.

The writing was engaging from the start, the characters felt real and relatable, and I quickly became invested in their journey. The setting added so much charm to the story, making it the perfect book to read during the warmer months.

Overall, this was a thoughtful and heartwarming read that I would definitely recommend.

I’ll absolutely be keeping my eye on this author’s future releases.

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose and Lily are a mother daughter duo spending the summer on Nantucket - Rose lives there full time in the house she inherited from her great aunt and Lily is escaping the mess of her life in NYC. Lily recently got fired and learned that her on again off again boyfriend (who summers on Nantucket) is getting married - even though they speak all the time and he has never mentioned her. While Lily tries to get her life together, Rose is shocked to learn that her tenant for the summer is her first (and only) love. The two women spend the summer navigating past feelings, new feelings and new beginnings.

Two Nantucket books in a row for me in one week - but since I love Nantucket I’m good with that. I honestly wasn’t sure about this one when I began it, I was nervous it was going to be a downer of a book, but it wasn’t. I ended up really caring about the characters and their choices. I think there was a loose end or two that I wanted closed and I would have liked to go a bit deeper into some of the characters but other than that this would be a nice beach/pool read (especially if you’re sitting in Nantucket while reading it).

3.75 stars

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes low expectations are a gift.

I’d seen quite a few “meh” reviews for Worse Than Strangers, but I’d already picked it as my Book of the Month selection, so I figured I might as well give it a chance. I’m glad I did because I ended up enjoying it much more than I expected.

Lily Gardner has just lost her job in New York City and returns home to Nantucket to regroup. Back on the island, she’s forced to face the reality that her first love has moved on and is engaged to someone else. Meanwhile, her mother, Rose—a therapist grieving the recent loss of her own mother, Lottie—is navigating a season of change as long-buried family secrets begin to surface.

If you’re looking for an explosive family drama with shocking twists, this probably isn’t the book for you. The family secret at the center of the story is intentionally understated, and readers expecting a jaw-dropping reveal may find it underwhelming. For me, though, that wasn’t really the point. This is a quiet, character-driven novel about mothers and daughters, grief, second chances, and recognizing that not every first love is meant to become your forever love.

The Nantucket setting completely won me over. I visited the island as a child, and this book had me romanticizing what life must be like there during the quiet winter months after the tourists have gone home. The close-knit community, small local businesses, and slower pace created exactly the kind of cozy atmosphere I love in women’s fiction.

Rose ended up being my favorite character. While Lily’s romantic journey is an important part of the story, I found myself most invested in Rose’s perspective and the evolving mother-daughter relationship. Those emotional moments gave the novel its heart.

My biggest criticism is that some of the supporting characters could have been developed more fully, and the central family secret didn’t carry quite as much emotional weight as I’d hoped. Even so, Kyleigh Eddy has an engaging writing style that made the pages fly by. This may be her debut novel, but it certainly doesn’t read like the work of an inexperienced writer.

If you enjoy thoughtful women’s fiction with a touch of romance and beautiful coastal settings, I’d recommend giving this one a chance—especially if you’re a fan of Nancy Thayer, Kristy Woodson Harvey, or Kristy Woodson Harvey’s blend of family dynamics and beach-town charm. It may not be a book I’ll revisit, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable escape.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐¾ (3.75/5)

[Jinny · Rating 1 out of 5]

⭐ 1.5 stars ⭐

I soon as I saw the title, I knew the book must have something to do with Jane Austen's Persuasion, because that is a famous line from it. And I love Persuasion! So when I looked into and found that this is supposed to be retelling of Persuasion, I was very excited.

Unfortunately, as I listened to this on audio, I became more and more disappointed with this book. This book was super boring and did not have much to do with Persuasion, in my opinion.

Worse Than Strangers is about Rose and Lily, who are not only mother and daughter, but also best friends. They go to their Nantucket cottage one summer after Lily is fired from her job, where to make matters worse, Lily runs into her ex-boyfriend Henry, who is now engaged to someone else. Meanwhile, the renter for their guest cottage turns out to be Rose's long lost love, Thomas, who Rose was persuaded by family to give up three decades ago.

I think calling this a Persuasion retelling is being overly generous. Reuniting with a long lost love isn't something unique to Persuasion. I think at most, this book had a few references to Persuasion. Maybe saying it is 'inspired by' Persuasion would be a bit better, although again, second chance romances aren't unique to Persuasion.

More than that though, this book was just really dull. I didn't find any of the romances between Lily and Theo, or Rose and Thomas, particularly emotional or inspiring or engaging. In fact, I don't think this is really much of a romance novel at all. It really felt like it was more about "finding yourself".

In terms of plot, it moved at a glacial pace and I don't feel like a whole lot happened? It's definitely supposed to be more of a character-focused story, but the characters weren't particularly interesting.

Also, I found Rose and Lily's relationship with one another kind of ... strange? Of COURSE moms and daughters can be best friends with one another, but Lily even calls Rose 'Rose', by her first name. And I guess maybe it is a personal thing, but I feel like there needs to be some boundaries between parents and their kids. Like, Lily doesn't have any other real friends because she has her mom. Don't they say parents shouldn't rely on their kids for emotional support or something? Anyway - my POINT is that it feels like maybe Lily and Rose were originally written to be actual best friends and somewhere along the way, they got changed to mother daughter? I could totally have that wrong and maybe being mother-daughter was the intention from the start, but that's kind of how it feels.

Anyway, this wasn't like awfully written or anything like that. I just found it really, really boring. It needs a lot more oomph.

[Shannan Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worse Than Strangers is a beautifully written, heartfelt story about second chances, healing, and finding your way back to the people and the life you were meant for. Set on the charming island of Nantucket, this modern retelling of Persuasion follows a mother and daughter as they each confront old loves, long held regrets, and the possibility of starting over.

I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end. The characters felt so genuine, the relationships were beautifully developed, and the Nantucket setting completely came to life. I was hooked from the very first page and never wanted the story to end. I honestly could have read 300 more pages with these characters! If you love emotional, character driven stories with second chance romance, family dynamics, and a cozy coastal setting, this is one I can’t recommend enough. An easy 5 stars!

[Kayda Noelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read the description for this one, I thought it was going to be a summer romance. Definitely not a summer romance, but more of a story about finding yourself at any age. Starting over, and discovering new routes in life.

I appreciated the writing style. Very beautifully descriptive. I just feel like so much of the book was focused on the past relationship between Lily and Henry, which I know was needed to an extent to see growth, but it was majority of the book. It was hard for me to really root for these new men that we really didn’t get to know at all until the end of the book.
Overall, a nice summer read due to the setting of the book. I love a good mother-daughter bonding story!

Thank you Gallery Books for sending me an advanced copy!

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited for this one, but the delivery fell flat. As an avid fan of Gilmore girls I was super excited to see how the Rose/Lily vibe played out on the page. There was zero Lorelai/Rory vibes. 🫤 Also, this is one where the concept drew me in, but the execution was messy. Too much going on, and nothing felt very developed.

[Meredith Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a bias review because I did go to HS and college with the author but I honestly really liked this. The characters were flawed but really likable at the same time. I would categorize it as a perfect slightly elevated beach read.

[Evelyn Pacifici · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a great light summer read! the mother daughter duo was not too exaggerated or overdone. there were elements of mental health without being too preachy, and i loved the setting of the plot. i enjoyed the characters and how each chapter switched perspectives too

[Midnights With Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Now they were as strangers; nay, worse than strangers, for they could never become acquainted. It was a perpetual estrangement."

33% DNF

[Megan McKenney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely enjoyed it and think it's worth 3.5 stars, though I rounded up. I enjoyed the mother-daughter duo and how they navigated their love lives. It was cute.

[Morgan Stafford · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was such a disappointment to me. I was really looking forward to reading this one. Unfortunately the plot was all over the place, random, and didn’t really follow a path. The ending was SO chaotic and fell flat. I feel like she wrote down every possible idea she could incorporate into a book and tried to make them all happen.

[Hannah Huffman · Rating 1 out of 5]

bro this was so bad did AI write this ??? oh gooooosh😭😭 the pretty cover was the best part of this, that and the relief of finishing it and never having to read it again.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

An unconscious offender. For the love, the word is subconscious. To make matters worse, the author is a professor of Creative Writing.

[Caylin Yarbrough · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed this one

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Katlyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 - I just kept waiting for something to happen

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75⭐️

[Lizzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had to read for work. Pretty much what you’d expect. There was a lot of telling and not showing which bothered me, the plot line is very non-linear which can be done but in this case it just falls flat. There basically isn’t any chemistry between the characters that end up together, it’s lacking passionate tension for the audience to be rooting for any of the couples. The only couple you are rooting for is for the previous lovers to end up back together but even then you don’t see any of the chemistry between them on paper.

[Alana Kocur · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️s I liked the setting but the story was a little long winded for not a lot to happen

[Samantha Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and delightful retelling of “Persuasion,” it’s the perfect summer read! (Am I biased because it’s my favorite Austen novel? Perhaps, or perhaps that just means my standards are higher)

[Natalie Kozlowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

BORED OUT OF MY MIND