The Good Parts: A Novel

by Evann Normandin

She erased their past. He’s betting on their future.

When Landon receives a letter from Rose—the woman he once planned forever with—he learns their love story is over. She’s undergone a radical memory-erasing treatment, leaving behind her grief, her past… and him. But Landon can’t bear to lose the love of his life. If she fell for him once, couldn’t she fall for him again?

Now living in Edinburgh, Rose’s world is a blank canvas, and she’s dating someone new. When Landon reenters her life as a stranger, they become fast friends, their lives entwining once more. But what Rose doesn’t know is that this new friend carries the weight of everything they once shared: their firsts, their marriage, and the heartbreak they barely survived. And when she starts exhibiting strange symptoms, it becomes clear their history isn’t gone—it’s just buried. And remembering could come at a devastating cost.

Told in alternating timelines—his from the present, hers from the past—The Good Parts is an achingly poignant story about the people we become across a lifetime, and the quiet grace of learning to let go while holding on to what’s worth keeping.

Genres: Romance, Magical Realism, Science Fiction, Fiction

352 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication July 28, 2026

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Good Parts is an exquisite exploration of memory, grief, the choices we make, and the ways we love. The fantastical premise drew me in, and the cozy backdrop of Edinburgh made me want to stay. Normandin's characters navigated the moral and ethical dilemmas she posed in such a way that, despite the surreal elements, made the narrative feel entirely true. For a book about forgetting, The Good Parts will not let you go, and will keep you thinking about the world she has built long after you've finished reading.

[Melissa Horrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to thank NetGalley and Grand Central for allowing me the utmost privilege to read The Good Parts.

This may have been one of the best books I have ever read. I loved the story, the concept, but most of all I love Rose and Landon. This book broke me, I cried at so many chapters, especially nearing the end. Understanding why we got to where we were, but I also, surprisingly, thought it ended perfectly.

The writing is so well done that you can’t help but find yourself there watching the story unfold. I love the way the story is from Rose in the past and Landon in the present. It shows you the story in such a way that keeps you involved and hanging on for each chapter and then for the next to finish the one before.

I would pay to see this book turned into movie or limited series, played exactly as the author intended with the back and forth.

I cannot praise this book more, I hope everyone reads it and loves it and feels as broken as I do now.

Thank you again for allowing me an early release of this amazing book.

[Kate Connell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. I was worried it would be an Eternal Sunshine ripoff but this was its own story in its own right. Told in dual perspective, Landon’s current and Roses past interspersed.

When Landon and Rose met in college, it felt preordained that they were meant to spend the rest of their lives together. Landon currently never planed to receive a letter from Rose saying that she took a forgetting pill to remove her past, grief, and in the process, any memory of Landon himself. Landon sees himself as a true romantic and knows that Rose is the great love of his life, so he plans to find her and make her fall in live with him again. His best friend gets her new address from her best friend, and Landon sets off to put his plan in action.

Rose has been in Edinburgh for a few months and is already dating someone she met, and has a small group of friends who have all taken the pill. When Landon renters her life, calling himself Jamie, the two become fast friends, without the knowledge of their past, but as she starts experiencing what may be side effects of the pills, it becomes clear that the erasure of her past may not have been permanent. And the pain of what made her take the pill in the first place is waiting for her, just around the corner.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.

[Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up The Good Parts and I did not put it down again until I devoured the entire book. I not only consumed the whole story but also the acknowledgements and about the author sections because I wanted more. Don’t get me wrong, I felt incredibly satiated by the story and world that Evann Normandin crafted from cover to cover. I was hooked from the first chapter, I fell in love with Rose and Landon. I raced through the chapters to see where the forward and backward perspectives on their story would collide. I deeply felt the totality of this love story, from the wonderful thrill and passion of falling in love, to the aching pain and loss that led to Rose taking the pill. A beautiful and tragic romance with commentary on first loves, loss, human nature, and the memories that we make along the way. At the end, all I was left wondering was whether I would ever take the pill.

[Natalie Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so honored to have received an ARC copy of this book as part of a Goodreads Giveaway.

To say this book was devastatingly beautiful is beyond an understatement. It has been a while since I have read a book that made me cry and sit in thoughtful silence for longer than I would like to admit.

If you are thinking of picking up this book, for the love of all that is holy, please do so. The entire journey of an incredible love, profound loss, and finding while simultaneously losing oneself is written with such care, precision, and truth, that the reader is left wondering what they would do if they found themselves in a similar situation.

If you could forget it all, would you? Would you choose to forget everything, or would you want to remember the good parts?

I know one thing is for certain, I will forever and always treasure The Good Parts.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Good Parts took me on a journey I won’t soon forget. The raw emotion woven through this story is stunning - love, grief, hope, and the ever-present question of how far one would go in the pursuit of happiness. I found myself deeply attached to every character, each of them feeling fully realized and essential to the story.

The portrayal of true friendship through Conor, Poppy, and even Dave, adds a beautiful layer of humanity and warmth to Rose and Landon’s lives. Their loyalty and presence ground the story in moments of light amid its darker times.

This novel masterfully blends comforting settings with dystopian undertones and the stark realities of a harsh world, creating an atmosphere that is both immersive and gripping. Rose and Landon’s love story is powerful, tender, and unforgettable, one that lingered with me long after I turned the final page.

[Erin GH · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know if I will ever emotionally recover from this book. This is one of the most thought provoking, interesting examples of magical realism I've ever read. It is insane to me that this is the author's first novel and I hope there are many more to come! Rose was the most frustrating, relatable, stubborn, main character to Landon's naive, endearing weirdness. The ending felt so right to the story despite the rage and sadness I felt along with Landon. Also Poppy is the friend that we all need. I will be screaming this recommendation from the rooftops.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing & NetGalley for the arc copy!

[Elizabeth]

I have to think of what to rate this because while I enjoyed it (I do love books like this), I went into it thinking it was a romance. This is not a romance. It’s a fiction book with a love story. It should not be in the romance section of NetGalley or tagged first as romance here. I wish I went it with different expectations.

thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Alexandra Yun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to read this book early, and it is fantastic! The main characters were flawed and human, making them the perfect protagonists because you understand the reasons why the actions they took led them down this path. The writing is fantastic and I finished it within a day, needing to know how it ended, and I felt completely satisfied with it! Truly, an amazing book!

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romantic and sad, it is difficult to write this one without spoilers. I highly recommend this book, and I think it is best to go in as blind as possible. If you like a romantic book, good dialogue, and an intriguing premise, and you like a good cry, add to your TBR.... immediately!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC. Book to be published July 28, 2026

[Julie]

This debut novel reminded me of a satisfactory mashup of One Day and Time Traveller’s Wife, delivering big emotions in an interesting narrative structure that also posed evocative questions about love and memory. Good stuff.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grateful for this advance copy of The Good Parts! This story pulls you in from page one and the tandem timelines keep you hooked. The author captures the bubbly joy of early love and gets the readers invested in a roller coaster of a love story!

[Alicia’s AllBookedUp · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Sierra Greer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply fabulous.