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Charlie in Progress: A Small Town Women's Fiction Novel
Not yet published
Expected 14 Apr 26290 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication April 14, 2026
4 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Del Grosso
8 books5 followersRachel Del Grosso was born in Ontario, Canada. She began writing at a young age, but has since learned to write in complete sentences. She writes fiction about imperfect marriages, messy friendships, and complicated families. She lives in Las Vegas with her husband and son.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 17, 2026
“Charlie in Progress” by Rachel Del Grosso 📚❤️ @authorracheldelgrosso
📘 Format: e-Book
📚 Pub Date: 04.14.26
⭐️ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars
“Charlie in Progress” by Rachel Del Grosso is an encouraging and inspiring narrative about a young woman, Charlotte (who prefers to be called Charlie), who was not given much love, acceptance or support during her lifetime from her family of origin, and her journey in finding her own way in life.
Along the way, Charlie becomes empowered and she chooses to surround herself with family and friends that are compassionate and caring. Throughout the storyline I was cheering for Charlie, and I was so invested in her story that I read it in just over a day! I loved how realistically her dilemma and her emotions were portrayed. She faces some significantly challenging circumstances, and she ultimately rises to the challenge.
“Charlie in Progress” is a deeply moving, powerful story of personal growth and reclaiming one’s own sense of self-worth, despite coming from a dysfunctional family. I highly recommend “Charlie in Progress” by Rachel Del Grosso.
I now want to go back to the first book in this series, “Harriet in Waiting”, to learn more about these characters that have captured my heart.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Rachel Del Grosso, and BooksGoSocial for access to this Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
#CharlieInProgress
#Rachel Del Grosso
#NetGalley
#BooksGoSocial
📘 Format: e-Book
📚 Pub Date: 04.14.26
⭐️ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars
“Charlie in Progress” by Rachel Del Grosso is an encouraging and inspiring narrative about a young woman, Charlotte (who prefers to be called Charlie), who was not given much love, acceptance or support during her lifetime from her family of origin, and her journey in finding her own way in life.
Along the way, Charlie becomes empowered and she chooses to surround herself with family and friends that are compassionate and caring. Throughout the storyline I was cheering for Charlie, and I was so invested in her story that I read it in just over a day! I loved how realistically her dilemma and her emotions were portrayed. She faces some significantly challenging circumstances, and she ultimately rises to the challenge.
“Charlie in Progress” is a deeply moving, powerful story of personal growth and reclaiming one’s own sense of self-worth, despite coming from a dysfunctional family. I highly recommend “Charlie in Progress” by Rachel Del Grosso.
I now want to go back to the first book in this series, “Harriet in Waiting”, to learn more about these characters that have captured my heart.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Rachel Del Grosso, and BooksGoSocial for access to this Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.
#CharlieInProgress
#Rachel Del Grosso
#NetGalley
#BooksGoSocial
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Charlie in Progress is a wonderfully sharp, tender, and bitingly funny look at what happens when life refuses to follow the script you’ve been pretending to read from. Charlie Young has always been someone else’s supporting character—her brother’s shadow, her parents’ afterthought, the fun distraction in a man’s life but never the one he chooses. And then she gets pregnant. Accidentally. With a man who made her feel safe right up until he made it clear he didn’t want the responsibility that came with her.
What follows is a beautifully messy journey of self‑discovery. Back in her childhood home, wedged between a mother who disapproves on instinct and a father who’s barely present, Charlie is forced to confront the version of herself she’s been performing for years. The book captures that feeling of being both too old and too young for an identity crisis with such raw honesty that it’s impossible not to root for her.
Between the secret morning sickness, the quiet panic of not knowing whether she even wants to be a mother, and the slow realisation that she’s actually brilliant at her job, Charlie begins to see the shape of a life she might finally claim as her own. The humour is sharp, the emotional beats land with real weight, and the writing never shies away from the complicated truth of growing up late.
What makes the novel shine is how deeply human it feels. Charlie’s voice is messy, self‑aware, and painfully relatable, and watching her step out of the supporting role she’s been assigned is both cathartic and quietly triumphant.
Charlie in Progress is a heartfelt, funny, and beautifully observed story about family dysfunction, unexpected beginnings, and the courage it takes to finally take yourself seriously. A perfect read for anyone who’s ever felt stuck in the wings, waiting for permission to step into their own life.
With thanks to Rachel Del Grosso, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
What follows is a beautifully messy journey of self‑discovery. Back in her childhood home, wedged between a mother who disapproves on instinct and a father who’s barely present, Charlie is forced to confront the version of herself she’s been performing for years. The book captures that feeling of being both too old and too young for an identity crisis with such raw honesty that it’s impossible not to root for her.
Between the secret morning sickness, the quiet panic of not knowing whether she even wants to be a mother, and the slow realisation that she’s actually brilliant at her job, Charlie begins to see the shape of a life she might finally claim as her own. The humour is sharp, the emotional beats land with real weight, and the writing never shies away from the complicated truth of growing up late.
What makes the novel shine is how deeply human it feels. Charlie’s voice is messy, self‑aware, and painfully relatable, and watching her step out of the supporting role she’s been assigned is both cathartic and quietly triumphant.
Charlie in Progress is a heartfelt, funny, and beautifully observed story about family dysfunction, unexpected beginnings, and the courage it takes to finally take yourself seriously. A perfect read for anyone who’s ever felt stuck in the wings, waiting for permission to step into their own life.
With thanks to Rachel Del Grosso, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Was planning to publish this review a bit closer to the release day, but Goodreads happened...
Ignore the 1 star review, the application has been 💩💩💩 and apparently there is no one competent to solve it!
This was my first ARC and I considered publishing it closer to the release day. Tried to remove it at that time, the application is written by junior developers that just vibe code apparently, something broke of course. They did end up removing the review but they left one of my many attempts to still add a rating (that was not visible when I actually left it!). Unfortunately that was a 1 star. Ooops.
Several emails to Goodreads later and 9 days later, this is still considered a "cache issue".
Guess I am back to sending them emails until the god damn thing is removed...
As a developer myself, you can't understand the rage I have for this!
And I feel responsible to fix it...
Hope this make sense, I am raging at the moment, and the book is completely innocent...
-----
Charlie is stuck. In a job she kind of likes (though her mother insists she has the potential for much more). On her brother’s pull-up couch, while he deals with a separation and two teenage gremlins. With parents for whom she was always an afterthought, never the first choice. In relationships that have no future.
Then she meets someone who might just sweep her off her feet. When she ends up pregnant, back in her childhood bedroom, taking care of the parents who never cared for her, Charlie is forced to reimagine her future.
This is a compelling story about finding yourself and breaking the cycle, being brave to choose something different.
Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for providing an eARC to review!
Ignore the 1 star review, the application has been 💩💩💩 and apparently there is no one competent to solve it!
This was my first ARC and I considered publishing it closer to the release day. Tried to remove it at that time, the application is written by junior developers that just vibe code apparently, something broke of course. They did end up removing the review but they left one of my many attempts to still add a rating (that was not visible when I actually left it!). Unfortunately that was a 1 star. Ooops.
Several emails to Goodreads later and 9 days later, this is still considered a "cache issue".
Guess I am back to sending them emails until the god damn thing is removed...
As a developer myself, you can't understand the rage I have for this!
And I feel responsible to fix it...
Hope this make sense, I am raging at the moment, and the book is completely innocent...
-----
Charlie is stuck. In a job she kind of likes (though her mother insists she has the potential for much more). On her brother’s pull-up couch, while he deals with a separation and two teenage gremlins. With parents for whom she was always an afterthought, never the first choice. In relationships that have no future.
Then she meets someone who might just sweep her off her feet. When she ends up pregnant, back in her childhood bedroom, taking care of the parents who never cared for her, Charlie is forced to reimagine her future.
This is a compelling story about finding yourself and breaking the cycle, being brave to choose something different.
Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for providing an eARC to review!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This novel continues the story first established in “Harriet in Waiting,” which I thoroughly enjoyed (5 Stars). The protagonist now is Charlie (Harriet’s sister-in-law) who has had a rough childhood living in the shadow of her successful brother compounded by the fact that she was the product of an accidental, unwanted pregnancy that derailed her mother’s career. Neither parent provided nurturing and her father was a silent observer to her mother’s manipulation and emotional abuse. Now in her late twenties, all Charlie longs for is to be seen and respected for being her own person instead of the failed version of her mother’s expectations.
As life often does, an unexpected event changes the trajectory of Charlie’s life. Observing her transformation is inspiring and thought-provoking as she establishes her new reality with insight and a touch of humor.
This is a highly enjoyable read that kept me engaged and rooting for Charlie’s reclamation of her self-worth and her agency. She establishes clear boundaries, accepts support from appropriate people, and develops confidence in her ability to meet challenges. The novel culminates in a satisfying conclusion that left me wanting to spend more time in Charlie’s world.
My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This review will be posted on Amazon upon publication.
As life often does, an unexpected event changes the trajectory of Charlie’s life. Observing her transformation is inspiring and thought-provoking as she establishes her new reality with insight and a touch of humor.
This is a highly enjoyable read that kept me engaged and rooting for Charlie’s reclamation of her self-worth and her agency. She establishes clear boundaries, accepts support from appropriate people, and develops confidence in her ability to meet challenges. The novel culminates in a satisfying conclusion that left me wanting to spend more time in Charlie’s world.
My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This review will be posted on Amazon upon publication.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
**Thanks for NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review**
A solid 3.5 Stars read
I LOVED the writing style when the prose flowed effortlessly that it didn't feel like it's a 3rd person POV, the sisterhood between Charlie the MC and the other females was so precious and had me either grinning or tearing up at some poin and the highlight is definitely the character development that Charlie went through and how she emerged after all that she's been through.
If there's one thing that slightly deterd my enjoyment it'd be how I didn't know that there were other installments regarding the other characters like Hariet, which I'm looking forward to reading more about, and the slightly slower pacing in the last quarter.
A solid 3.5 Stars read
I LOVED the writing style when the prose flowed effortlessly that it didn't feel like it's a 3rd person POV, the sisterhood between Charlie the MC and the other females was so precious and had me either grinning or tearing up at some poin and the highlight is definitely the character development that Charlie went through and how she emerged after all that she's been through.
If there's one thing that slightly deterd my enjoyment it'd be how I didn't know that there were other installments regarding the other characters like Hariet, which I'm looking forward to reading more about, and the slightly slower pacing in the last quarter.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews