Worse Than Strangers: A Novel

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 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 Can you repeat the past, and is it ever too late to try again?

Genres: Romance, Summer, Contemporary, Summer Reads, Retellings, Fiction, Contemporary Romance

320 pages, Kindle Edition

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 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

[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!

[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.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy - pub date 6/23/2026. First of all, this is supposed to be a sort of retelling/inspired-by of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. I haven’t read it so I’ll have to take the word of others for that. It being likened to things like Gilmore Girls and Elin Hilderbrand means a bit more and, yes, indeed. Set on picturesque Nantucket Island and revolving around a mother-daughter pair, Rose and Lily Gardner, this book definitely focuses heavily on relationships - past and present, friendship and romance.

Naturally, the two most complete characters are Rose and Lily but their beloved but departed Lottie (aunt to Rose, great-aunt to Lily) looms equally as large and surprisingly influential throughout the book. It is her cottage that Rose now owns and lives in. It is her cottage that Lily returns to in order to lick her wounds after being fired from her job in NYC. It is her garden that is described in gorgeously rich terms and her advice that drives the two women for both good and ill. Also, it is Lottie’s decisions that continue to have an effect on the present. Lottie is, by the way, a bit of a hoot and I liked her, gone as she was, pushy as she was. Lily and Rose took a bit more growing-on-me. Rose is a lovely human being, kind and caring and warm and supportive and lovely and exactly the kind of person you almost want to hate and feel guilty for it. It is a relief that Leddy opted to have chapters from Rose’s POV then because it really humanized her and showed how she also had struggles and, much like the fabled duck, was sometimes just paddling furiously out of sight. Lily is far messier on many levels and her POV chapters often read like rather self-indulgent wallows into her own problems, complications, and mistakes. Some of it is understandable and I had complete sympathy with her panic attacks, having developed my own job-based ones in past jobs. The attacks are described clearly, painfully, honestly. On the other hand, it gets a bit much when her mom is actually a therapist, has never demonized therapy, Lily was actually in therapy previously, and yet… she apparently does not seek any kind of further therapy once she left NYC. Girl, please, get your shit together. Though this does mean she gets a seriously long and big character arc as she works things out. In the meantime, brace yourself for a lot of self-doubt, a lot of blaming herself, a lot of catastrophizing (she caused her mother to never date - of course), obsessive thinking about her ex (who anyone with eyes can tell was a total toad - who doesn’t mention his ENGAGEMENT when one of the rules of the friendship post-break-up was to alert each other and simmer down communication once in another serious relationship). There is some truth in it when Lily sees her mistakes as creating problems and ruining things (talk to people, darn it) but she takes more credit than she should. She is still definitely learning to be a grown-up and, when she starts doing that more, you are pleased.

Also be prepared for a very, very co-dependent mother-daughter relationship. Maybe it’s me and my upbringing but the repetition of them being best friends first, mother-daughter second, kept worrying me. It’s a slippery slope in my experience and I don’t think it necessarily helped Rose or Lily turn into their best selves in a timely manner. Plus it also makes things feel very unfair and a little hypocritical when Rose suddenly plays the “I’m your MOTHER” card. You can’t have it both ways, I think. But that’s just my opinion and the popularity of the trope in books and TV shows proves it.

Other characters are less defined but often quite interesting on their own. Thomas - the long ago first love. Henry - the aforementioned toad (seriously, Lily, why?) Theo - the cutest boo that ever booed who still displays a shocking level of childishness at times. William - another toad, omg, paint this one a villain any clearer and he’d be twirling a handlebar mustache. Rose’s dad (raging narcissist ahoy) and sister (poor thing). James - Lily’s dad, Rose’s ex, possibly one of the more satisfying character arc, in the end (strangely).

Overall, it’s a solid book and the prose is really quite lovely. Leddy has a talent for making Nantucket real and vibrant and tangible. You can close your eyes and see it, smell it, feel it. It is a character in and of itself and I loved that. The story itself ends on a satisfying note with the right karmic pay-outs. If you like beach reads and so-called women’s fic, this will be for you. Those aren’t necessarily my genres and I did have some reservations with it but it was a pleasant book.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes a book shows up looking like a romance, and then halfway through you realize it’s really about the people who know you best.

Kyleigh Leddy’s Worse Than Strangers was that kind of book for me.

Published by Gallery Books. Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

When I started this one, I was expecting a light Nantucket romance. Instead, I found myself much more invested in Rose and Lily, a mother and daughter trying to figure out life while carrying around old hurts, old memories, and more than a few unanswered questions.

Lily is back home after her life takes an unexpected detour. Rose is trying to build something new for herself while being forced to look back at choices she made years ago. Both women are dealing with change, and both are learning that starting over looks different than they imagined.

What kept me reading wasn’t wondering who would end up together. It was wanting to spend more time with these characters. Rose felt especially relatable to me. She’s at a point in life where she’s still asking herself what’s next, and I appreciated seeing a woman who doesn’t have all the answers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“It’s never too late to fall in love again.”

The Nantucket setting was exactly what I wanted. Small-town gossip, ocean views, familiar faces, and the kind of summer atmosphere that makes you want to sit outside with a cold drink and keep reading for another chapter.

I also loved Aunt Lottie’s presence throughout the story. Even when she wasn’t on the page, she was woven into everything. If you’ve ever lost someone who still feels like part of the family conversation years later, you’ll probably understand what I mean.

This isn’t a fast-paced book. It’s quieter than that. It’s about relationships, family, missed opportunities, and the realization that sometimes the people closest to us are carrying stories we never knew.

I did wish there had been a little more development in some of the romances, but that wasn’t really the point of the book. The emotional core is Rose and Lily, and that’s where the story shines.

By the last page, I felt like I’d spent a summer in Nantucket with people I’d gotten to know. And honestly, those are usually the books I remember the longest.

Have you ever picked up a book for the romance and stayed for the family story?

#WorseThanStrangers #KyleighLeddy #BookReview #Bookstagram #SummerReading #BeachRead #Nantucket #WomensFiction #ContemporaryFiction #ReadersOfInstagram #BookCommunity #BookRecommendations #SummerBooks #GalleryBooks

[Sue - Recos and Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do we ever really know everything about someone? This story introduces Rose and Lily, a mother and daughter who seem incredibly close. But as Lily returns to live with her mother after loosing her job and her recent painful breakup she discovers there are important parts of Rose’s life she never truly understood.

Inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, this modern retelling explores themes of regret, past relationships, and second chances against a picture perfect setting and a bunch of beautiful people. Since I haven’t read the original, I probably missed some of the deeper parallels, but I still appreciated the overall atmosphere and emotional themes running through the story.

The book leans heavily into introspection and slow-burn storytelling, which may really work for readers who enjoy the slower relationship-focused fiction. The miscommunication trope isn’t usually my favorite, and there were moments where I found myself wishing the story had a little more momentum or a bigger dramatic turning point. That said, I could still appreciate the thoughtful way the story examined relationships and the choices people carry with them over time.

This feels like the kind of book that would make a perfect summer read as it’s thoughtful, atmospheric, and quietly reflective. Beyond the beautiful setting and relationship drama, it encourages you to think about your own connections, the lingering impact of the past, and how old choices and unresolved feelings can shape the life you’re living today. For a debut novel, it’s an impressive and emotionally insightful story that shows a lot of promise from the author.

For me, this landed somewhere around a 3.5 star read.

My thanks to Gallery Books for providing an ARC of this book that is due to be published on 23 June 2026 but is now available for preorder.

[Regency_Fan_ Michelle RegencyFanMichelleAndMore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worse Than Strangers is a beautifully atmospheric, beachy Persuasion retelling that leans into second chances, emotional healing, and the complicated ties between past and present.

Set on Nantucket, the story follows Rose and her daughter Lily—best friends as much as family—both quietly navigating heartbreak in very different ways. Lily retreats to the family cottage after losing her NYC job and stumbling straight into a devastating reminder of her past: her first love, now unexpectedly engaged. That moment sets the tone for a summer full of reckoning, growth, and emotional truth.

Rose’s storyline runs in parallel, and I really appreciated the layered depth she brought to the book. Her unexpected reconnection with Thomas Wentworth adds a quieter but deeply emotional thread that mirrors the themes of regret and timing woven throughout the novel.

The Nantucket setting is one of the strongest parts of the book—lush, coastal, and reflective, it perfectly supports the slow-burn emotional pacing. This is not a high-drama read; it’s more introspective, focusing on relationships, memory, and the question of whether the past can ever truly be rewritten.

At times, I wished a few emotional moments had been explored a little more fully, but overall the story delivers a satisfying, heartfelt reading experience that fans of Jane Austen retellings and coastal women’s fiction will enjoy.

Disclosure: I received a complementary copy. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

#RegencyFanMichelle #WorseThanStrangers #KyleighLeddy #BookReview #JaneAustenRetelling

[Jamye Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some names have been changed to protect the original.

Jane Austen goes to the beach in this retelling of Persuasion. Rose and Lily Gardner, mother and daughter, find themselves reunited on Nantucket Island—Rose living and working there as a therapist, and Lily seeking a soft landing after losing both her job and her relationship in rapid succession.

At its heart, this is a story about second chances, reconciliation, and confronting the lingering regrets born from our own choices. The novel also thoughtfully explores the challenges of relationships—romantic, familial, and otherwise—without ever becoming overly dark or heavy. Even in its more emotional moments, there is an undercurrent of warmth and hope.

When do we listen to others and when do we trust ourselves?

In this reimagining, the author takes a fresh approach to Austen’s characters. While Austen often wrote with a touch of caricature, the characters here feel more nuanced and deeply human. The protagonists are imperfect in believable ways, while some of the more difficult characters are given greater emotional depth, revealing what shaped them and, in certain cases, their capacity for growth and change.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debut (fiction) author Kyleigh Leddy has created a new, modern retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion and in my opinion, a much better story filled with summery beach vibes. Perfect for a summer read!

Rose and Lily Gardener (mother and daughter) live in picturesque, historic Nantucket in their late Aunt Lottie's cottage and the story is told from all three of their POV. It's filled with love, comfort, a little romance (current and past), both good and poor decisions, comedic drama at the gala, and laughter. There's even a bucket list in the story which will draw a few laughs while at the same time might make you wish you were on the island completing the list.

The spirit of the book is meant to be fun, summery, beachy, and relaxing - which Leddy does a great job of achieving. For those naysayers with negative reviews, I think they missed the point: if you just look at the book cover, it screams "summer beach reading" and in my opinion, it hit's the exact spot!

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Rosi Colmenares · Rating 5 out of 5]

For fans of:
Second chance romance
Mother-daughter relationships
Women’s fiction
Coastal small-town settings
Family secrets
Self-discovery
Jane Austen retellings

I went into this book expecting a cute summer romance and ended up getting so much more. I want to read it all over again because this is truly a masterpiece.

Set in Nantucket, this story follows Lily and her mom, Rose, as they both find themselves reconnecting with people from their past while trying to figure out what comes next in their lives. I loved that this wasn’t just a romance, it was also about family, healing, forgiveness, and starting over.

My favorite part was definitely the relationship between Rose and Lily. They felt so real, and I loved how they were best friends as much as they were mother and daughter. Watching both women grow throughout the story was just as satisfying as the romance.

The Nantucket setting was beautiful and made me want to book a beach vacation immediately. It had all the cozy summer vibes while still delivering emotional moments that hit surprisingly hard.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title.

[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.

[Beachy.and.bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED the setting. I seriously want to visit Nantucket in the summer, and Kyleigh Leddy did such a fantastic job of making you feel like you were right there!

This is a dual POV with Rose & Lily being the narrators. Both women are dealing with a cross road in their lives in many aspects and I so enjoyed how their stories played out on the pages. Their bond was so special and I appreciated and could sympathize with how Rose had to remind Lily that as close as they are, she is still mom and needed to mind her own business 😂

The side characters totally added another dimension to the story, especially the family members! I was so glad they got some closure and healing there.

Both love stories were done so well. Rose’s was a second chance, and Lily’s more of a friends to lovers. Definitely felt the Persuasion vibes!

This one is definitely a perfect summer read that you must add to your beach bag ASAP!

Thank you @gallerybooks and @kyleighleddy for both the galley and physical ARC of this one

[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

[Sarah Blankenship · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you to Arts & Letters bookstore for the ARC!

this book is very cute!! i haven't see Gilmore Girls, but i can heavily see the influence of its mother-daughter relationship in this book. yes, this book is a romance, but it's more so focused on a mother and daughter as they navigate their grief and personal relationships.

while i agree with one other reviewer that more scenes with Thomas and Theo would've been nice, i think that also would've detracted away from the main plot of the story. this is a love story, but it's between the women in the novel - not their male counterparts.

i appreciate that there are moments between Lily and Rose where we just get to see them live together. there are these little moments where we get to each both characters just being girls. right after, they go back to the mother-daughter dynamic, but it adds a touch of realness that i appreciate.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finely executed second- chance romance in the retelling of Jane Austin’s Persuasion . Perfect for lovers of Austin and aficionados of cozy romance beach reads.

Recently fired from her job, Lily retreats to her family’s summer cottage in Siaconsett only to be confronted in the grocery store by her first love and his fiancé. Then there’s Lily’s mom, Rose, who’s also confront by her first love as the renter of the guest cottage.

This is a character driven novel that focuses on the mother-daughter relationship between Rose and Lily. Its setting is the quintessential Nantucket Island where all good beach readers go to enjoy sun and sand. This is good because it makes the retelling of Persuasion more contemporary in feeling.

This was a fun read. Get it just for the feel good you will get for the read.

My thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC.

[Kelsey Fredericks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worse Than Strangers is about Rose and Lily, a mother/daughter pair who are going through a quite dramatic summer at Rose's house in Nantucket. Lily has recently left her job and found out her first love is getting married. Rose is trying to open up her own therapy practice and dealing with the fact that her first love is back in her life. They are both dealing with the loss of Lottie, Rose's aunt whose house they now live in.

This book was heartwarming and is the perfect beach read! Lily and Rose's relationship is very Gilmore Girl-esque and I loved both of their romances in the book. I highly recommend if you are looking to read something this summer! I just wish we could have gotten a little more of them with their respective love interests!

Thank you Gallery Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

[Ashlee Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worse Than Strangers is a loosely based retelling of Persuasion that's set in Nantucket. There's a Gilmore Girls-like influence in that it follows a mother-daughter pair, Rose and Lily, as they navigate a summer of heartbreak, love, big decisions, and second chances.

I enjoyed the beachy atmosphere and the small town vibes, but the plot itself left much to be desired. The romantic pairings lacked development and emotional tension. I preferred Rose and Thomas overall, as Lily rang immature and grating, but I would've liked to see their story flushed out better. Still, it's an easy, breezy escapist read so if you're in the mood for something Austen-adjacent you might want to pick it up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for my review.

BOOK BLOG

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lily retreats to Nantucket for a summer of fresh starts, alongside her mom, Rose, only to find themselves face-to-face with the people they thought they had left in the past. Lily is reeling from a broken heart and an unexpected engagement, while Rose is forced to confront Thomas Wentworth, the man she never truly got over. The novel opens with a mysterious letter that seems full of promise, though its connection to Rose’s aunt Lottie ultimately felt underdeveloped. Set against a charming Nantucket backdrop, the story follows both women as they navigate old wounds, second chances, and the possibility of new beginnings.

As a retelling of Persuasion, the parallels between Rose and Thomas and Austen’s Anne and Wentworth were easy to spot, but the adaptation took a few too many liberties for my taste. While I appreciated seeing both Rose and Lily get the happy endings they deserved, I never fully connected with either character, which made it difficult to become invested in their journeys. One relationship I did enjoy, however, was the evolving dynamic between Rose and her sister Elizabeth. Watching them finally find some closure and begin building a genuine sisterly relationship added an emotional layer that I found more compelling than the central romances. The setting was lovely, but I found myself wanting more emotional depth and stronger character development. An enjoyable enough beach read, but one that didn’t leave a lasting impression on me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Shantha (ShanthasBookEra) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This debut novel is a masterful modern-day retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. Set on Nantucket, it is full of love, romance, second chances and new paths taken.

Lily Gardner has just fled NYC after being fired from her job, to Rose Gardner's home, her mother and best friend. What better place to spend the summer than in her Great Aunt Lottie's house that her mother inherited. What starts out like a romcom, quickly turns into more of contemporary fiction featuring a family saga. It is about the love between a mother and daughter, renewed familial relationships, and finding what you really want from life. The sun-drenched setting with purple and blue hydrangeas and sea grass as a backdrop did wonders for my soul. The romance, second chance aspect is threaded throughout the novel but not the main focus which I hapoened to love. Jane Austen would be proud of how romance and social class is woven in. Now I just need a plane ticket to get to Nantucket! Highly recommend adding this to your summer TBR.

Many thanks to Gallery Books and Kyleigh Leddy for the gifted advance reader's copy. All opinions are my own.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readers of Elin Hilderbrand's books who are lamenting their annual release that brings them to the delightful island of Nantucket will be glad to have another voice on the island of their imaginations with Kyleigh Leddy's new book, Worse Than Strangers. Building up the story through the dual narratives of a mother and daughter, this book read very quickly, and I enjoyed reading about places that I first became familiar with through Hilderbrand's book. And although Leddy's style is not quite the same as Hilderbrand, it nevertheless satiated my desire to read a book to set in Nantucket. Overall, this book is definitely worth reading, and I would recommend to anyone who enjoys Hilderbrand or Pamela Kelley's books.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Anna Mollindo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this book, not knowing what to expect. Sometimes you just need a little surprise in your life and this book was exactly it. It transported me to East Coast Island life. I could almost feel the ocean breeze and smell the salty air. It’s hard to name another great mother daughter duo than the Gilmore Girls, but Rose and Lily Gardner are a close second. What a beautiful story about strong female relationships in our lives. How love shapes us and how we need each other to survive. It was emotional and sweet, deep and introspective. It wasn’t fluffy by any means, there were some deep topics about familial relationships, but it was intriguing enough that I couldn’t stop reading. It had a little bit of magic in it, that really loved. Highly recommend. You won’t be disappointed.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book by the cover artwork and description (Gilmore Girls meets Jane Austen). Not knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised by this debut novel from Kyleigh Leddy. Worse Than Strangers is an easy weekend read with a beautiful setting and a lovely story of Rose and Lily. There were a few times where I felt it needed to pick up the pace, and I wish there was a little more focus on the romance. Overall, I enjoyed this book. Read if you like strong female lead characters, second chances, family secrets, and Nantucket summers.

Thank you Gallery Books, Kyleigh Leddy, and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

3.5 Stars (rounded up to 4)

[Trisha Wojcik · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review-

Not a love story in the traditional sense. It’s a story of a mother and daughter who love each other, have been hurt by love in the past, and are figuring out what to do with their lives during a summer in Nantucket.

Lily has been fired from her NYC job and is nursing her wounds with her mother, Rose, in Nantucket. While shopping, she runs into her ex and finds out he’s engaged.

Rose is a divorced therapist who raised her daughter, Lily, on her own. She’s renting out half of their cottage for the summer and finds out that she’s renting to the man she never got over- her first love, Thomas.

Both women are figuring things out while grieving the loss of their aunt. And while there’s love, this is more of a story about them and their journeys!

[Sharlene N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worse Than Strangers is sweet atmospheric novel set on Nantucket island in the summer.  Told in dual POV between Rose and her daughter Lily, the story  focus on familial relationships, the way the past weaves into the present, and also includes a romantic side plot for each of them.  

Really, the highlight of the story is the beachy, summer setting!  This is not high stakes read - it's quieter, focusing on family, and the decisions we make.  There were a few minor things that read as cheesy to me but I still enjoyed the book overall.  I would recommend for readers looking for a light-ish summer, beach read with women's fiction leanings.

Thanks to @atriabooks for this beautiful ARC copy.  #atriapartner

[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.

[Megan Wojciechowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am OBSESSED with this book. I initially thought it would be a nice, easy beach read, but the plot twists kept me hooked! I could not put this book down and finished it very quickly. Kyleigh's language flows incredibly smoothly and keeps the storyline moving. I did figure out one plot twist very early on in the book (H iykyk), but there was plenty else going on to keep me interested. This is a great read for people in their early to mid-twenties, as well as for moms with a child around that age. I've never read a dual-perspective book about a mother and daughter, and it was a pleasant surprise. Dont miss out on the book of the summer, must read!

[Kateslitbookcase]

I appreciate the eARC from NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read this book.

I read about 21% of this and I had to call it quits. It starts off with one of my least favorite scenarios with the ex boyfriend having cheated on his current fiancé with his ex girlfriend who is the FMC and the FMC making excuses for him right off the bat and being sad about it. The relationship between her mom and her also came off very co dependent and immaturish. I know there was one mystery with the letter at the beginning (in the prologue) but it wasn’t enough for me to want to push through and find out. Just not right for me.

[Meg Branson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worse Than Strangers is the kind of story that quietly stays with you after you finish it. I really loved how the story unfolded through both the mother and daughter perspectives, which gave the emotional moments even more depth.

The coastal setting felt nostalgic and comforting, and the slow burn, second chance romance added the perfect amount of longing and tension throughout the story. Knowing it’s inspired by Persuasion made me appreciate those elements even more.

This is more of a reflective, character driven story than a dramatic one, and honestly, that’s what made it work so well for me. A warm, thoughtful read that lingers long after the final page.

[Jeana Upschulte Knickerbocker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worse Than Strangers, a modern day spin on Jane Austen’s Persuasion, was a solid 4 star rom-com book. The story is told through multiple perspectives and the mother daughter relationship between Rose and Lily, with Aunt Lottie as a powerful female influence. Each woman is working through a relationship and trying to either resolve or reconnect with an ex or give someone new a chance. Aunt Lottie, meanwhile, left behind a bucket list that inspires many adventures between the pair. I found the book to be entertaining, the characters were likable and the story ended as I felt it would/should. I would read more of Kyleigh Leddy’s books if I felt in the mood for a lighthearted read.