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The Other Side of Starting Over
When her husband’s tragic death uncovers long-buried secrets, a young mother fights to protect her family and heal her heart in an emotionally resonant novel about loss, love, and second chances.
After her husband’s sudden death, Beatrice Bell retreats to her childhood home in California’s Sierra mountains with her rebellious teenage twins in tow. Her plan is to take over her parents’ antique store, ensure it survives another generation, and build a new life from the rubble of the old one.
But Bea didn’t plan on Simon, the gruff store manager with his own ambitions for the business. As they’re forced to work together, animosity gives way to grudging respect and ignites an unexpected spark. Before Bea can find her footing, everything is upended. First by River, a local boy who bears a striking resemblance to her late husband. Then by her estranged mother-in-law, who reveals devastating secrets that will test everything Bea believed about her marriage.
As Bea navigates grief, betrayal, and an unexpected connection with Simon, she finds that it may be possible to begin again, but only if she confronts the truth of her past.
After her husband’s sudden death, Beatrice Bell retreats to her childhood home in California’s Sierra mountains with her rebellious teenage twins in tow. Her plan is to take over her parents’ antique store, ensure it survives another generation, and build a new life from the rubble of the old one.
But Bea didn’t plan on Simon, the gruff store manager with his own ambitions for the business. As they’re forced to work together, animosity gives way to grudging respect and ignites an unexpected spark. Before Bea can find her footing, everything is upended. First by River, a local boy who bears a striking resemblance to her late husband. Then by her estranged mother-in-law, who reveals devastating secrets that will test everything Bea believed about her marriage.
As Bea navigates grief, betrayal, and an unexpected connection with Simon, she finds that it may be possible to begin again, but only if she confronts the truth of her past.
335 pages, Paperback
Published November 3, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Brilliance Publishing for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!
Beatrice Bell retreats to her childhood home in California’s Sierra mountains after her husband’s sudden death, attempting to start over by working at her family’s antique store with her teenage twins in tow. She wasn’t expecting Simon, the store manager with his own ambitions, to be standing in the way. She also wasn’t expecting her estranged mother-in-law to re-enter the picture, nor was she expecting River, a local boy that bears a striking resemblance to her late husband, to be present. Bea has to juxtapose her feelings of grief with her interest in Simon; can a betrayal of the past sabotage the future?
I was NOT expecting this romance novel to have so much heart, and I commend Mara Williams for intricately weaving all the emotions into one cohesive story. Beatrice is such a complex character, holding worlds of experiences that go beyond the average FMC. Yes, she’s starting over, but there’s so much of her history that complicates ability to find solace. I loved the tenderness that Simon took toward Beatrice in her stages of grief, and how much I loved the general teenaged angst that served as some comedic relief. There’s even a bit of intrigue and mystery, which only added to the story rather than detracting anything from it. Barrie Kealoha was the absolute perfect voice for Beatrice’s range of emotions and experiences. It’s a beautifully written novel, and I can’t recommend it enough!
Reviewed as part of an #ARC from #NetGalley.
Read this book if you:
🪑 love to go antiquing
🦷 take your dental hygiene very seriously
👵 thought YOUR in-laws were a challenge
Follow me on Instagram for more book reviews!
Beatrice Bell retreats to her childhood home in California’s Sierra mountains after her husband’s sudden death, attempting to start over by working at her family’s antique store with her teenage twins in tow. She wasn’t expecting Simon, the store manager with his own ambitions, to be standing in the way. She also wasn’t expecting her estranged mother-in-law to re-enter the picture, nor was she expecting River, a local boy that bears a striking resemblance to her late husband, to be present. Bea has to juxtapose her feelings of grief with her interest in Simon; can a betrayal of the past sabotage the future?
I was NOT expecting this romance novel to have so much heart, and I commend Mara Williams for intricately weaving all the emotions into one cohesive story. Beatrice is such a complex character, holding worlds of experiences that go beyond the average FMC. Yes, she’s starting over, but there’s so much of her history that complicates ability to find solace. I loved the tenderness that Simon took toward Beatrice in her stages of grief, and how much I loved the general teenaged angst that served as some comedic relief. There’s even a bit of intrigue and mystery, which only added to the story rather than detracting anything from it. Barrie Kealoha was the absolute perfect voice for Beatrice’s range of emotions and experiences. It’s a beautifully written novel, and I can’t recommend it enough!
Reviewed as part of an #ARC from #NetGalley.
Read this book if you:
🪑 love to go antiquing
🦷 take your dental hygiene very seriously
👵 thought YOUR in-laws were a challenge
Follow me on Instagram for more book reviews!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is my first book by this author. I read the synopsis and it sounded really interesting, so I took a chance. I am so glad that I did. This is such a wonderful book. It's a romance, but so much more. Very emotional and, at times, heartbreaking. Bea is now a widow with two teenage children. She moves back home with her parents and has a lot on her plate. Grief is forefront - as is guilt over moving her children away from their friends.
When Bea learns of her husband's betrayal, she must deal with her anger at him even though she still loves him. They were together for so long. She must also figure out how to tell her children without hurting them even more.
And then there's Simon...the quiet employee of her parents' antique store. He comes off gruff at first, but Bea comes to rely on him and use him as support. I liked how real their relationship felt. Slow and steady.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and the author for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
When Bea learns of her husband's betrayal, she must deal with her anger at him even though she still loves him. They were together for so long. She must also figure out how to tell her children without hurting them even more.
And then there's Simon...the quiet employee of her parents' antique store. He comes off gruff at first, but Bea comes to rely on him and use him as support. I liked how real their relationship felt. Slow and steady.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and the author for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Mara continues to impress me. Her writing is beautiful and feels so effortless, even when the story is heartbreaking and emotional.
I loved Simon and Bea so much. Simon is romantic and has such a way with words!! And you know I love a grumpy man. Watching Bea navigate her grief, grow as a person, and allow herself to fall in love was so moving. I also loved seeing her as a mom and watching the characters grow throughout the story.
I will read anything Mara writes!! I can’t wait for her next book!
I loved Simon and Bea so much. Simon is romantic and has such a way with words!! And you know I love a grumpy man. Watching Bea navigate her grief, grow as a person, and allow herself to fall in love was so moving. I also loved seeing her as a mom and watching the characters grow throughout the story.
I will read anything Mara writes!! I can’t wait for her next book!
November 7, 2026
The moment Bea starts seeing a teenage boy around town who looks so much like her dead husband Jake that she briefly wonders if grief has finally started producing visual effects, I knew this woman was not getting the quiet fresh start she ordered. Because no. That is River. He is eighteen. And yes, there is a reason he looks like Jake. Bea has been widowed for six months and the universe apparently looked at grief, two fourteen-year-olds, financial disaster, moving back in with her parents, and taking over the family business and thought, you know what she needs? A surprise branch on the family tree.
And Bea is already hanging on by one beautifully manicured fingernail. Jake's death left behind financial problems serious enough that she had to sell their house and his business, so she drags twins Tess and Miles back to her Sierra mountain hometown and decides she'll take over her parents' antique store. Except her parents, very reasonably but very inconveniently, did not freeze their lives waiting for their daughter to return. They hired Simon. Simon has been running the place. Simon has plans for it. Bea walks in basically saying, great news, I'm here now, and Simon responds with the emotional equivalent of absolutely nobody asked. Their first encounters have the energy of two people who would both like access to the same steering wheel.
Bea can also be A LOT, and I say that with affection because look at her life. She has developed the exact personality you get when trusting people has recently gone catastrophically out of fashion. She jumps to conclusions, assumes somebody is about to screw her over, and occasionally decides what Simon meant before the poor man has finished meaning it. Meanwhile Simon has gray hair, furniture-repair skills, impressive patience, and apparently thighs significant enough to have become a recurring topic of conversation among early readers. Frankly, with everything else happening, I respected Bea's brain for still finding the bandwidth.
But I wasn't as sold on Bea and Simon together as I wanted to be. Separately? Absolutely. Put Simon in that antique store quietly fixing furniture and being grumpy at things until closing time, I'm delighted. Let Bea storm around trying to save the business while parenting two teenagers who have apparently interpreted their shared family tragedy as permission to test every remaining nerve in their mother's body, also delighted. Together, though, there were moments when I felt like I had missed a meeting. We went from workplace irritation to emotional intimacy faster than my feelings had completed the paperwork, and some of their misunderstandings made me want to confiscate everyone's phone until they agreed to explain themselves properly.
Honestly, the relationship I could not stop thinking about was Bea and Jake, and Jake is DEAD. That man is still generating problems from beyond the grave like he scheduled them before leaving. Because River isn't just some random kid with unfortunate facial similarities. Bea learns Jake had a son she never knew existed, which means she now has to grieve the husband she loved while simultaneously meeting information that makes her want to throttle him. And she can't ask him anything. There is no confrontation coming. No explanation over the kitchen table. She has to keep discovering pieces of a man who is no longer there to tell her which version was true.
Then Faye, Jake's estranged mother, comes barreling into this already overcrowded emotional emergency with MORE INFORMATION, because apparently nobody in this family has ever considered telling Bea something before it becomes devastating. Faye is the kind of mother-in-law who makes you understand why some people change their locks after Thanksgiving. Every time she resurfaced, I mentally checked Bea's blood pressure. Between Faye, River, Jake's secrets, the twins having their own grief-fueled reactions, and Bea's parents being right there with their own opinions, the antique store starts looking like the healthiest relationship Bea has.
Gigi, however, can stay forever. Bea's grandmother has no filter, loves baseball, gives advice whether Bea requested a consultation or not, and is basically watching her granddaughter's life implode while occasionally leaning over to say the one thing everyone else has been politely avoiding. She's also the person encouraging Bea to remember that being widowed does not mean she has been permanently removed from the human population, especially when Simon is standing nearby being all gray-haired and capable. Thank God somebody in this family came prepared to enjoy herself.
And underneath all this family insanity is the part that actually hurt. Bea is allowed to love Jake and be furious with him. She can miss the man she knew while realizing she didn't know all of him. Finding out someone betrayed you doesn't retroactively delete every morning, every inside joke, every child you raised together, every year you loved them. Grief would probably be easier if it did. Instead Bea has to hold love and anger in the same hand, and that felt painfully true.
By the last stretch, secrets are arriving faster, everybody's emotions are colliding, and I was much more invested in Bea figuring out what Jake left behind than I ever was in whether Simon was going to become her next great love. Some of it got bigger and messier than I needed, especially where Faye was concerned, and I wanted more room for a few relationships to breathe. But Bea kept me there. I needed this woman to reach a point where every new conversation did not require emotional protective gear.
The Other Side of Starting Over landed at 3.5 stars for me. Bea, the twins, River, and the impossible business of loving someone after discovering they weren't entirely who you thought they were gave me the feelings. Simon gave me gray hair, woodworking, and notable jeans. Gigi gave me life. Faye gave me hypertension. That's a pretty productive trip home.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. I was promised starting over and instead watched one widow inherit an antique store, a hostile manager, two grieving teenagers, a surprise eighteen-year-old, and a mother-in-law who treats devastating information like she's releasing episodes weekly. I would like to speak to whoever assembled this welcome-home basket.
And Bea is already hanging on by one beautifully manicured fingernail. Jake's death left behind financial problems serious enough that she had to sell their house and his business, so she drags twins Tess and Miles back to her Sierra mountain hometown and decides she'll take over her parents' antique store. Except her parents, very reasonably but very inconveniently, did not freeze their lives waiting for their daughter to return. They hired Simon. Simon has been running the place. Simon has plans for it. Bea walks in basically saying, great news, I'm here now, and Simon responds with the emotional equivalent of absolutely nobody asked. Their first encounters have the energy of two people who would both like access to the same steering wheel.
Bea can also be A LOT, and I say that with affection because look at her life. She has developed the exact personality you get when trusting people has recently gone catastrophically out of fashion. She jumps to conclusions, assumes somebody is about to screw her over, and occasionally decides what Simon meant before the poor man has finished meaning it. Meanwhile Simon has gray hair, furniture-repair skills, impressive patience, and apparently thighs significant enough to have become a recurring topic of conversation among early readers. Frankly, with everything else happening, I respected Bea's brain for still finding the bandwidth.
But I wasn't as sold on Bea and Simon together as I wanted to be. Separately? Absolutely. Put Simon in that antique store quietly fixing furniture and being grumpy at things until closing time, I'm delighted. Let Bea storm around trying to save the business while parenting two teenagers who have apparently interpreted their shared family tragedy as permission to test every remaining nerve in their mother's body, also delighted. Together, though, there were moments when I felt like I had missed a meeting. We went from workplace irritation to emotional intimacy faster than my feelings had completed the paperwork, and some of their misunderstandings made me want to confiscate everyone's phone until they agreed to explain themselves properly.
Honestly, the relationship I could not stop thinking about was Bea and Jake, and Jake is DEAD. That man is still generating problems from beyond the grave like he scheduled them before leaving. Because River isn't just some random kid with unfortunate facial similarities. Bea learns Jake had a son she never knew existed, which means she now has to grieve the husband she loved while simultaneously meeting information that makes her want to throttle him. And she can't ask him anything. There is no confrontation coming. No explanation over the kitchen table. She has to keep discovering pieces of a man who is no longer there to tell her which version was true.
Then Faye, Jake's estranged mother, comes barreling into this already overcrowded emotional emergency with MORE INFORMATION, because apparently nobody in this family has ever considered telling Bea something before it becomes devastating. Faye is the kind of mother-in-law who makes you understand why some people change their locks after Thanksgiving. Every time she resurfaced, I mentally checked Bea's blood pressure. Between Faye, River, Jake's secrets, the twins having their own grief-fueled reactions, and Bea's parents being right there with their own opinions, the antique store starts looking like the healthiest relationship Bea has.
Gigi, however, can stay forever. Bea's grandmother has no filter, loves baseball, gives advice whether Bea requested a consultation or not, and is basically watching her granddaughter's life implode while occasionally leaning over to say the one thing everyone else has been politely avoiding. She's also the person encouraging Bea to remember that being widowed does not mean she has been permanently removed from the human population, especially when Simon is standing nearby being all gray-haired and capable. Thank God somebody in this family came prepared to enjoy herself.
And underneath all this family insanity is the part that actually hurt. Bea is allowed to love Jake and be furious with him. She can miss the man she knew while realizing she didn't know all of him. Finding out someone betrayed you doesn't retroactively delete every morning, every inside joke, every child you raised together, every year you loved them. Grief would probably be easier if it did. Instead Bea has to hold love and anger in the same hand, and that felt painfully true.
By the last stretch, secrets are arriving faster, everybody's emotions are colliding, and I was much more invested in Bea figuring out what Jake left behind than I ever was in whether Simon was going to become her next great love. Some of it got bigger and messier than I needed, especially where Faye was concerned, and I wanted more room for a few relationships to breathe. But Bea kept me there. I needed this woman to reach a point where every new conversation did not require emotional protective gear.
The Other Side of Starting Over landed at 3.5 stars for me. Bea, the twins, River, and the impossible business of loving someone after discovering they weren't entirely who you thought they were gave me the feelings. Simon gave me gray hair, woodworking, and notable jeans. Gigi gave me life. Faye gave me hypertension. That's a pretty productive trip home.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. I was promised starting over and instead watched one widow inherit an antique store, a hostile manager, two grieving teenagers, a surprise eighteen-year-old, and a mother-in-law who treats devastating information like she's releasing episodes weekly. I would like to speak to whoever assembled this welcome-home basket.
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars | ALL THE FEELS AND THEN SOME! ❤️
First and foremost, I want to give the BIGGEST, most heartfelt THANK YOU to Mara Williams for my ARC! ❤️ I was beyond ecstatic when I got the opportunity to read The Other Side of Starting Over, and let me tell you, this beautiful book was everything I hoped it would be and SO MUCH MORE! I feel incredibly lucky to have been given the chance to experience this story. Mara, thank you from the bottom of my book loving heart for sharing something so beautiful, genuine, and full of emotion. You have no idea how much this story meant to me! ❤️
Oh my goodness, where do I even begin with this book?! I absolutely, completely, wholeheartedly FELL IN LOVE with The Other Side of Starting Over! This is one of those books that sneaks its way into your heart, makes itself comfortable, and refuses to leave. And you know what? I'm perfectly okay with that! This story was everything I didn't even realize I needed. It was so wholesome, genuine, beautifully down to earth, and packed with ALL the feels. I'm talking about the kind of emotional roller coaster where one minute you're sitting there with the biggest, goofiest smile on your face, and the next you're blinking back tears wondering how a book managed to hit you right in the heart like that. Seriously, MY EMOTIONS WERE NOT PREPARED! 😭❤️
And BEA!!! Oh, Bea, Bea, Bea!!! GIRL!!! 😂 There were moments when I wanted to reach right through the pages, grab her by the shoulders, and say, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING, JUST LISTEN!" But honestly, that's part of what made me love this story so much. The characters felt like actual people. They weren't perfect, they didn't always make the choices I wanted them to make, and sometimes they frustrated the absolute heck out of me. But isn't that what makes a story feel so real? You get invested in these characters because they feel human, flaws and all.
What I loved most was how natural and heartfelt everything felt. Nothing about this story felt forced or overly dramatic just for the sake of drama. It was full of those beautiful little moments that remind you how messy, complicated, funny, frustrating, and absolutely wonderful life can be. The emotions were so genuine that I wasn't just reading the story anymore. I was FEELING it. Every smile, every frustrating moment, every little tug at my heartstrings. ALL OF IT! And can we please talk about how refreshing it is to read something that feels this wholesome without sacrificing emotional depth?! Because YES, PLEASE! Give me more stories like this! Stories that make me laugh, make me want to scream into a pillow, make my eyes fill with tears, and somehow leave my heart feeling so incredibly full.
By the time I finished, I had that bittersweet feeling of being so happy I experienced the story but so sad that it was over. I wasn't ready to say goodbye. Not even a little bit.
Five stars simply do not feel like enough for how much I adored this book! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you love stories with heart, wonderfully imperfect characters, genuine emotions, and moments that have you smiling through your tears, PLEASE pick this one up! Just be prepared to become emotionally attached, occasionally yell at your book, and possibly need a few tissues.
Mara Williams, you officially have a little piece of my book loving heart! Thank you again for letting me experience this incredible story. It was an absolute gift, and I will be holding this one close to my heart for a long time! ❤️📖
No spoilers here, just a whole lot of love for a story that made me feel EVERYTHING!
First and foremost, I want to give the BIGGEST, most heartfelt THANK YOU to Mara Williams for my ARC! ❤️ I was beyond ecstatic when I got the opportunity to read The Other Side of Starting Over, and let me tell you, this beautiful book was everything I hoped it would be and SO MUCH MORE! I feel incredibly lucky to have been given the chance to experience this story. Mara, thank you from the bottom of my book loving heart for sharing something so beautiful, genuine, and full of emotion. You have no idea how much this story meant to me! ❤️
Oh my goodness, where do I even begin with this book?! I absolutely, completely, wholeheartedly FELL IN LOVE with The Other Side of Starting Over! This is one of those books that sneaks its way into your heart, makes itself comfortable, and refuses to leave. And you know what? I'm perfectly okay with that! This story was everything I didn't even realize I needed. It was so wholesome, genuine, beautifully down to earth, and packed with ALL the feels. I'm talking about the kind of emotional roller coaster where one minute you're sitting there with the biggest, goofiest smile on your face, and the next you're blinking back tears wondering how a book managed to hit you right in the heart like that. Seriously, MY EMOTIONS WERE NOT PREPARED! 😭❤️
And BEA!!! Oh, Bea, Bea, Bea!!! GIRL!!! 😂 There were moments when I wanted to reach right through the pages, grab her by the shoulders, and say, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING, JUST LISTEN!" But honestly, that's part of what made me love this story so much. The characters felt like actual people. They weren't perfect, they didn't always make the choices I wanted them to make, and sometimes they frustrated the absolute heck out of me. But isn't that what makes a story feel so real? You get invested in these characters because they feel human, flaws and all.
What I loved most was how natural and heartfelt everything felt. Nothing about this story felt forced or overly dramatic just for the sake of drama. It was full of those beautiful little moments that remind you how messy, complicated, funny, frustrating, and absolutely wonderful life can be. The emotions were so genuine that I wasn't just reading the story anymore. I was FEELING it. Every smile, every frustrating moment, every little tug at my heartstrings. ALL OF IT! And can we please talk about how refreshing it is to read something that feels this wholesome without sacrificing emotional depth?! Because YES, PLEASE! Give me more stories like this! Stories that make me laugh, make me want to scream into a pillow, make my eyes fill with tears, and somehow leave my heart feeling so incredibly full.
By the time I finished, I had that bittersweet feeling of being so happy I experienced the story but so sad that it was over. I wasn't ready to say goodbye. Not even a little bit.
Five stars simply do not feel like enough for how much I adored this book! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you love stories with heart, wonderfully imperfect characters, genuine emotions, and moments that have you smiling through your tears, PLEASE pick this one up! Just be prepared to become emotionally attached, occasionally yell at your book, and possibly need a few tissues.
Mara Williams, you officially have a little piece of my book loving heart! Thank you again for letting me experience this incredible story. It was an absolute gift, and I will be holding this one close to my heart for a long time! ❤️📖
No spoilers here, just a whole lot of love for a story that made me feel EVERYTHING!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Will Mara ever write a book that doesn’t make me cry? This is not that book. It is such a beautiful touching look at love and loss, at family ties and how to overcome tragedy. Poignant. Good mothering. New love. Old love. Twins. Gorgeous furniture. Good men. Flawed people. All the things you can expect from this beautiful book.
Short summary: when Beatrice’s high school sweetheart dies, leaving her with crushing debt, she has no choice but to move home. Home to her parents’ house, her old job, the town filled with memories of her former love, and a boy who looks suspiciously like him, and a handsome new hire who feels to good to be true.
Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Short summary: when Beatrice’s high school sweetheart dies, leaving her with crushing debt, she has no choice but to move home. Home to her parents’ house, her old job, the town filled with memories of her former love, and a boy who looks suspiciously like him, and a handsome new hire who feels to good to be true.
Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Bea is still getting over the death of her husband and the fallout her kids are giving her from moving them back to her hometown. They miss their friends, their old school, the big city and their father. Bea is doing all she can to hold it together and do what is best for them. When she sees a younger version of Jake around town, she thinks she is losing it. Is this grief brining back to the good memories of when they were young? Not only does she have this going on, she also found out that Simon who has been pretty much running her parent's antique store thinks he is taking it over when they retire. Who does this guy think he is? It seems the stress is never ending and she isn't sure she can take much more. Her mother-in-law is also trying to push into her and the kids lives, and that will be the last thing she allows, she will always uphold Jake's wishes. But when the truth of a secret that makes her questions everything with her husband comes out, she must decide who belongs in her life, her kids life and realize that the one person who continues to show up for her with no questions asked may be just what she needs to confront her past, and start again. I enjoyed this forced proximity storyline. Thank you to the author and publisher for the complementary novel and to Over the River PR for another tour invite. This review is of my own opinion and accord.
November 9, 2026
I received The Other Side of Starting Over in return for an honest review from Over The River PR.
Bea has moved home after the tragic loss of her husband and high school sweetheart passes away suddenly. She has so many questions and challenges to overcome moving home in edition to raising twin teenagers. I can't even imagine what she's got to deal with but I really felt like I was able to connect with her and really loved Bea as a character. We have a whole cast her twins remind me so much of my own teenager I felt that I was really able to connect with her and just love Bea.
I devoured Bea's story in just one afternoon as I was hook from start to finish and loved how she grew as a character as the story progressed. I loved Simon he's kind of awesome and exactly what she needed even if she didn't see it at first. I also think how she handles every challenge that comes her way was just right. This is a very emotional read but in a good way I had some happy tears after reading it.
This is my first book by the author and i"m so glad that I read this one as I'm now hooked. The author has done a lovely job creating characters to fall in love with, a story to steal your heart and linger long after the story ends. I was captivated from start to finish and now I need to read all the authors books. Her storytelling is beautiful and I'm just in love with her writing. I'm looking forward to reading all her backlist books. Highly recommend if you are looking for a emotional romance to fall in love with.
Bea has moved home after the tragic loss of her husband and high school sweetheart passes away suddenly. She has so many questions and challenges to overcome moving home in edition to raising twin teenagers. I can't even imagine what she's got to deal with but I really felt like I was able to connect with her and really loved Bea as a character. We have a whole cast her twins remind me so much of my own teenager I felt that I was really able to connect with her and just love Bea.
I devoured Bea's story in just one afternoon as I was hook from start to finish and loved how she grew as a character as the story progressed. I loved Simon he's kind of awesome and exactly what she needed even if she didn't see it at first. I also think how she handles every challenge that comes her way was just right. This is a very emotional read but in a good way I had some happy tears after reading it.
This is my first book by the author and i"m so glad that I read this one as I'm now hooked. The author has done a lovely job creating characters to fall in love with, a story to steal your heart and linger long after the story ends. I was captivated from start to finish and now I need to read all the authors books. Her storytelling is beautiful and I'm just in love with her writing. I'm looking forward to reading all her backlist books. Highly recommend if you are looking for a emotional romance to fall in love with.
November 7, 2026
This is a heartfelt story on all the different ways people can heal after grief. There’s not a crash course on how to grieve properly; there are as many ways that there are people, and they all good ways.
Even if it deals with heavy subjects, it doesn’t feel like it. I was definitely absorbed by the book and couldn’t put it down (that’s something, coming from the last months of reading block I experienced).
I loved how deep every character was; they felt ao real! Mara achieved to portray the complexity of the family relationships daily vs with the added dimension of dealing with grief. Even if it’s categorized as a romance… I’d say it’s a love story with love itself, after trauma. How to love the 2.0 version of yourself, to let yourself love and be loved a second time. And to choose joy, every time, even if it feels unachievable.
You'll love this one if you enjoy:
-Small town romance
-Forced proximity
-Grumpy/sunshine
-Healing from grief
-Second chance in life
TW for deadly car accident, grief, sudden loss, kidnapping, family secrets, cheating, manipulative family member, trauma
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author as part as a Over the River PR book tour. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Even if it deals with heavy subjects, it doesn’t feel like it. I was definitely absorbed by the book and couldn’t put it down (that’s something, coming from the last months of reading block I experienced).
I loved how deep every character was; they felt ao real! Mara achieved to portray the complexity of the family relationships daily vs with the added dimension of dealing with grief. Even if it’s categorized as a romance… I’d say it’s a love story with love itself, after trauma. How to love the 2.0 version of yourself, to let yourself love and be loved a second time. And to choose joy, every time, even if it feels unachievable.
You'll love this one if you enjoy:
-Small town romance
-Forced proximity
-Grumpy/sunshine
-Healing from grief
-Second chance in life
TW for deadly car accident, grief, sudden loss, kidnapping, family secrets, cheating, manipulative family member, trauma
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author as part as a Over the River PR book tour. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
October 8, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions!!
I am such a huge fan of Mara Williams, her writing is beautiful and poignant but also humorous with realistic characters. Every book is such a treat and this was no exception!
Bea is a recent widow who moves back to her hometown with teenage twins to start her life again. Her husband died in a car accident that left more questions because of a lot of missing money. She finds conflict with Simon, a new hire at her parent’s antique store and with Faye, her con artist mother in law who is wants in her grandchildren’s lives.
Bea really goes thru a lot as she discovers some devastating truths about her husband while dealing with growing feelings for Simon and her children growing distant from her and each other. I really enjoyed the pacing and plot of this book; some parts were really heart wrenching!
October 30, 2026
Mara writes the kind of strong, resilient women I love reading about, and Bea is no exception. Everything she experiences feels authentic and real. Her internal struggle of wondering whether she’s doing right by her kids is so relatable. What parent doesn’t question whether they’re making the right decisions? The romance is incredible - the build up and tension …perfection! But at the heart of this story is grief, learning how to help her kids (and herself) move forward, and finding the courage to open her heart to new possibilities.
Thank you to NetGalley and lakeunion for the eARC. Thank you Mara for the ARC and all the fun goodies!
Thank you to NetGalley and lakeunion for the eARC. Thank you Mara for the ARC and all the fun goodies!
August 31, 2026
3.75 ⭐️
Thank you so much to Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing and Mara Williams for giving me the opportunity to read this as an arc!
The other side of starting over is Mara’s third book, this time we’re following Bea in her life journey after the recent death of her beloved husband.
I discovered Mara Williams casually, I saw her first book on Netgalley and decided to pick it up. I ended up loving it and now I’m always on the lookout for her next release. I was so happy to pick up The other side of starting over and to have the chance to read it early.
I have to say I enjoyed this, but not as much as her previous releases. Still, this is a read I will recommend because honestly, I don’t think you can ever go wrong with Mara’s books. Her writing style is amazing, she’s capable of transporting you to the locations she writes about and she’s always able to hold the attention of the reader.
I think with this one, I probably wasn’t the perfect audience. Bea’s story didn’t resonate with me as much as the other stories. Bea is dealing with the loss of her husband and with the betrayals uncovered by his death, while also parenting her teenager twins and moving back home to her parents. It’s… a lot. But Bea is a badass, she’s strong but she’s also just… real. She isn’t perfect, because nobody is and that’s alright.
The love story was nice and sweet, but to be honest it wasn’t the thing that caught my attention. I was more intrigued by the secrets, by the mysteries Bea needed to uncover.
I’m definitely happy I read this one, and once again I can’t wait to see what Mara’s next book will be about!
Thank you so much to Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing and Mara Williams for giving me the opportunity to read this as an arc!
The other side of starting over is Mara’s third book, this time we’re following Bea in her life journey after the recent death of her beloved husband.
I discovered Mara Williams casually, I saw her first book on Netgalley and decided to pick it up. I ended up loving it and now I’m always on the lookout for her next release. I was so happy to pick up The other side of starting over and to have the chance to read it early.
I have to say I enjoyed this, but not as much as her previous releases. Still, this is a read I will recommend because honestly, I don’t think you can ever go wrong with Mara’s books. Her writing style is amazing, she’s capable of transporting you to the locations she writes about and she’s always able to hold the attention of the reader.
I think with this one, I probably wasn’t the perfect audience. Bea’s story didn’t resonate with me as much as the other stories. Bea is dealing with the loss of her husband and with the betrayals uncovered by his death, while also parenting her teenager twins and moving back home to her parents. It’s… a lot. But Bea is a badass, she’s strong but she’s also just… real. She isn’t perfect, because nobody is and that’s alright.
The love story was nice and sweet, but to be honest it wasn’t the thing that caught my attention. I was more intrigued by the secrets, by the mysteries Bea needed to uncover.
I’m definitely happy I read this one, and once again I can’t wait to see what Mara’s next book will be about!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Mara's writing simply sucks me in and doesn't let go until I close the back cover. I adore that feeling!
Bea goes home under less than ideal circumstances. Her husband is dead, money is missing, and the big question of why is haunting her steps. With a plan in place to take over her parents' antique shop, she's confronted with Simon whose plans do not coincide with her own.
I started this on my kindle and abruptly paused to beg Mara to do another traveling arc with us. Probably not the best look on me as a reader (😬) but I just knew we'd love on it as a group. Her ability to make me love on Bea and Simon and hate on... that other "lady" is one of the reasons why reading is my favorite hobby. I was invested and wanted so much for Bea, Simon, and the twins to get their collective HEA. The setting is beautifully done and I once again was happily transported to northern California through this novel. If I didn't know already - trust me, I did - I'll always want to pick up anything Mara writes.
Thank you @marawilliamswrites for the traveling arc copy! All thoughts are my own.
Bea goes home under less than ideal circumstances. Her husband is dead, money is missing, and the big question of why is haunting her steps. With a plan in place to take over her parents' antique shop, she's confronted with Simon whose plans do not coincide with her own.
I started this on my kindle and abruptly paused to beg Mara to do another traveling arc with us. Probably not the best look on me as a reader (😬) but I just knew we'd love on it as a group. Her ability to make me love on Bea and Simon and hate on... that other "lady" is one of the reasons why reading is my favorite hobby. I was invested and wanted so much for Bea, Simon, and the twins to get their collective HEA. The setting is beautifully done and I once again was happily transported to northern California through this novel. If I didn't know already - trust me, I did - I'll always want to pick up anything Mara writes.
Thank you @marawilliamswrites for the traveling arc copy! All thoughts are my own.
November 5, 2026
✨Book Review - ARC✨
The Other Side of Starting Over by Mara Williams
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
MARA WILLIAMS HAS DONE IT AGAIN!!!! And dare I say, this might just be her best book yet?!
I have been an enormous fan of Mara Williams since her debut novel, The Truth Is in the Detours. I fell in love with her writing style, her incredibly complex characters, and her ability to tackle difficult subjects with so much compassion and honesty. Somehow, with every new release, she manages to make me fall even more in love with her storytelling. The Other Side of Starting Over is officially my new favorite of hers.
I'll admit, though, I put off reading this one for a little while. Not because I wasn't excited about it, but because I knew this was a story about grief, and grief has been sitting particularly close to home in my own life lately. I also know how Mara writes. She doesn't just brush the surface of difficult emotions. She dives into the messy, complicated, uncomfortable depths of them and somehow creates something breathtakingly beautiful. And quite frankly, I wasn't sure I was emotionally prepared for that right now.
I didn't put this book off because I was worried I wouldn't love it. I put it off because I knew I would feel every bit of it.
But here's the beautiful thing, I think I ended up picking up this book at exactly the right time. For the first time in what feels like a very long time, I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel in my own life. The grief hasn't disappeared. The difficult things haven't magically resolved themselves. But I'm beginning to feel glimpses of hope again. I'm starting to recognize that there can be joy alongside heartbreak, that healing isn't linear, and that moving forward doesn't mean leaving behind the people or things we've lost. And somehow, that's exactly the story I needed to read.
One thing Williams does exceptionally well is write about grief and messy family dynamics. She doesn't shy away from the ugly, uncomfortable, and complicated parts of being a human. Her characters are flawed. They make mistakes. They hurt people, sometimes without even realizing it. But they also grow, learn, forgive, and find ways to move forward. And THAT is what makes her stories so incredibly beautiful.
Beatrice is navigating the unimaginable. After losing her husband, she's left trying to rebuild not only her own life but the lives of her two teenage children. She's forced to confront painful truths, complicated family relationships, and the reality that the life she thought she knew might not have been what it seemed.
What I loved so much about Bea's story is that starting over isn't portrayed as some beautiful, effortless fresh start. Sometimes starting over is something we never wanted in the first place. Sometimes it's a necessity born out of heartbreak, betrayal, and circumstances completely outside of our control. And sometimes, even when we're ready to move forward, our past isn't quite ready to let us go.
And then there's Simon. 🥹
I absolutely loved the way Williams wove romance into a story that was about SO MUCH MORE than falling in love. The relationship between Bea and Simon adds another layer to an already beautifully complex story, but Bea's journey is ultimately about rediscovering herself, confronting her past, and figuring out what she wants her future to look like.
And, of course, can we talk about the FAMILY DYNAMICS?!
Williams has such a gift for writing relationships that feel real. Family relationships are rarely black and white. Love and resentment can coexist. Grief can bring people together while simultaneously pulling them apart. People can love each other deeply and still cause unimaginable hurt. Williams captures these complexities in a way that feels so incredibly human. I think that's what I love most about her books. She allows her characters to be imperfect. She gives them space to make mistakes and find their way through the consequences. Their growth feels earned rather than conveniently handed to them.
This book is about grief, betrayal, forgiveness, motherhood, love, and the courage it takes to rebuild a life you never expected to lose. It's about discovering that starting over doesn't mean erasing everything that came before.
And I think that's why this book resonated with me so deeply. Maybe I needed a little reminder that even when life looks nothing like we imagined it would, there can still be so much beauty waiting for us on the other side.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing an eARC, and to Mara Williams for personally sending me a physical ARC. All opinions are entirely my own. ♥️
Read if you love stories about:
- Complicated Family Dynamics
- Grief & Healing
- Starting Over
- Small-Town Romance
- Beautifully Flawed Characters
Content Warnings:
- Death of a Spouse
- Grief
- Betrayal
- Difficult Family Relationships
The Other Side of Starting Over by Mara Williams
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
MARA WILLIAMS HAS DONE IT AGAIN!!!! And dare I say, this might just be her best book yet?!
I have been an enormous fan of Mara Williams since her debut novel, The Truth Is in the Detours. I fell in love with her writing style, her incredibly complex characters, and her ability to tackle difficult subjects with so much compassion and honesty. Somehow, with every new release, she manages to make me fall even more in love with her storytelling. The Other Side of Starting Over is officially my new favorite of hers.
I'll admit, though, I put off reading this one for a little while. Not because I wasn't excited about it, but because I knew this was a story about grief, and grief has been sitting particularly close to home in my own life lately. I also know how Mara writes. She doesn't just brush the surface of difficult emotions. She dives into the messy, complicated, uncomfortable depths of them and somehow creates something breathtakingly beautiful. And quite frankly, I wasn't sure I was emotionally prepared for that right now.
I didn't put this book off because I was worried I wouldn't love it. I put it off because I knew I would feel every bit of it.
But here's the beautiful thing, I think I ended up picking up this book at exactly the right time. For the first time in what feels like a very long time, I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel in my own life. The grief hasn't disappeared. The difficult things haven't magically resolved themselves. But I'm beginning to feel glimpses of hope again. I'm starting to recognize that there can be joy alongside heartbreak, that healing isn't linear, and that moving forward doesn't mean leaving behind the people or things we've lost. And somehow, that's exactly the story I needed to read.
One thing Williams does exceptionally well is write about grief and messy family dynamics. She doesn't shy away from the ugly, uncomfortable, and complicated parts of being a human. Her characters are flawed. They make mistakes. They hurt people, sometimes without even realizing it. But they also grow, learn, forgive, and find ways to move forward. And THAT is what makes her stories so incredibly beautiful.
Beatrice is navigating the unimaginable. After losing her husband, she's left trying to rebuild not only her own life but the lives of her two teenage children. She's forced to confront painful truths, complicated family relationships, and the reality that the life she thought she knew might not have been what it seemed.
What I loved so much about Bea's story is that starting over isn't portrayed as some beautiful, effortless fresh start. Sometimes starting over is something we never wanted in the first place. Sometimes it's a necessity born out of heartbreak, betrayal, and circumstances completely outside of our control. And sometimes, even when we're ready to move forward, our past isn't quite ready to let us go.
And then there's Simon. 🥹
I absolutely loved the way Williams wove romance into a story that was about SO MUCH MORE than falling in love. The relationship between Bea and Simon adds another layer to an already beautifully complex story, but Bea's journey is ultimately about rediscovering herself, confronting her past, and figuring out what she wants her future to look like.
And, of course, can we talk about the FAMILY DYNAMICS?!
Williams has such a gift for writing relationships that feel real. Family relationships are rarely black and white. Love and resentment can coexist. Grief can bring people together while simultaneously pulling them apart. People can love each other deeply and still cause unimaginable hurt. Williams captures these complexities in a way that feels so incredibly human. I think that's what I love most about her books. She allows her characters to be imperfect. She gives them space to make mistakes and find their way through the consequences. Their growth feels earned rather than conveniently handed to them.
This book is about grief, betrayal, forgiveness, motherhood, love, and the courage it takes to rebuild a life you never expected to lose. It's about discovering that starting over doesn't mean erasing everything that came before.
And I think that's why this book resonated with me so deeply. Maybe I needed a little reminder that even when life looks nothing like we imagined it would, there can still be so much beauty waiting for us on the other side.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing an eARC, and to Mara Williams for personally sending me a physical ARC. All opinions are entirely my own. ♥️
Read if you love stories about:
- Complicated Family Dynamics
- Grief & Healing
- Starting Over
- Small-Town Romance
- Beautifully Flawed Characters
Content Warnings:
- Death of a Spouse
- Grief
- Betrayal
- Difficult Family Relationships
November 4, 2026
THE OTHER SIDE OF STARTING OVER by Mara Williams is a contemporary, adult, stand alone, romance story line focusing on widow and mother Beatrice ‘Bea’ Bell.
Told from first person perspective (Bea) THE OTHER SIDE OF STARTING OVER follows widow and mother Beatrice Bell as she navigates her new reality in the wake of her husband’s death but as the weeks and months pass, Bea will move back to her home town, starting anew, facing a betrayal she knew nothing about. Working at the family owned antique store, Bea will meet new employee Simon, who gives back to Bea as good as she spits but Bea is struggling with two teenaged children, her former mother in law who is determined to make her life a living h*ll, and her husband’s betrayal that can’t be ignored.
The world building reveals a woman who loved a man since she was fourteen years old but a man whose secrets and lies will affect Beatrice’s life going forward. A former mother in law whose instability is threatening and dangerous, and a young man looking for love, caught in the middle. As the betrayal goes deeper, Bea’s ability to trust threatens any sense of peace and happiness.
The relationship between Bea and Simon begins acrimoniously but slowly turns into something more but the demons from the past refuse to let go, and Bea finds herself spiralling in the face of more perceived betrayal and lies. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
We are introduced to Bea’s Twins Miles and Tess, her parents, grandmother Gigi, as well as former mother in law Faye Dolion, River, friends and neighbors, and Simon, the man with whom Bea will fall in love
THE OTHER SIDE OF STARTING OVER is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, family and friendships, relationships and love. The character driven premise is dramatic, edgy and emotional; the romance is limited but impassioned; the characters are determined and charismatic.
copy supplied for review
Told from first person perspective (Bea) THE OTHER SIDE OF STARTING OVER follows widow and mother Beatrice Bell as she navigates her new reality in the wake of her husband’s death but as the weeks and months pass, Bea will move back to her home town, starting anew, facing a betrayal she knew nothing about. Working at the family owned antique store, Bea will meet new employee Simon, who gives back to Bea as good as she spits but Bea is struggling with two teenaged children, her former mother in law who is determined to make her life a living h*ll, and her husband’s betrayal that can’t be ignored.
The world building reveals a woman who loved a man since she was fourteen years old but a man whose secrets and lies will affect Beatrice’s life going forward. A former mother in law whose instability is threatening and dangerous, and a young man looking for love, caught in the middle. As the betrayal goes deeper, Bea’s ability to trust threatens any sense of peace and happiness.
The relationship between Bea and Simon begins acrimoniously but slowly turns into something more but the demons from the past refuse to let go, and Bea finds herself spiralling in the face of more perceived betrayal and lies. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
We are introduced to Bea’s Twins Miles and Tess, her parents, grandmother Gigi, as well as former mother in law Faye Dolion, River, friends and neighbors, and Simon, the man with whom Bea will fall in love
THE OTHER SIDE OF STARTING OVER is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, family and friendships, relationships and love. The character driven premise is dramatic, edgy and emotional; the romance is limited but impassioned; the characters are determined and charismatic.
copy supplied for review
Review of advance copy received from Author
Big thank you to Lake Union and Mara Williams for the gifted copy of The Other Side of Starting Over! This is Mara’s third book, and as much as I loved the first two, I think this is her best yet!
I keep going back and forth on whether this is more romance or “women’s fiction.” It doesn’t really matter, but I do like to share so fellow readers know what to expect. I can make an argument for both, but since this isn’t a term paper for American Lit 304, I’ll spare you. 😂 All you need to know is that it’s a beautiful story about grief and healing and starting over, with a very swoony love interest and an HEA for our heroine Bea.
When I tell you this is a beautiful story, I mean it. It dives deep into grief and hurt, tackling the tough question of what happens when your person dies and you were mad at them, but also still love them more than life. Bea wonders, “If love turns to grief, where does the anger go?” And that stopped me in my tracks. We get to go deep into Bea’s head as she works through all these complicated feelings and it’s just so well done.
I loved the love story too! Simon is an absolute dream. He and Bea start off as enemies/rivals, and watching him slowly come out of his shell and then coax Bea out of hers is FEET KICKINGLY good. (Yes, “kickingly” IS actually a word, per “Wiktionary, the free dictionary”, thank you very much.)
This is also very much a family drama, and Mara does a fantastic job developing the supporting characters. They feel meaningful and fully fleshed out, their actions feel real, and I really understood their motivations. They add so much depth to the story and make the world around Bea feel just as rich as her own emotional journey.
This book is TRULY stunning. There’s really no other word for it. It blends genres, dives deep into grief and loss, and explores what it means to find your way through to the other side… of starting over.
I keep going back and forth on whether this is more romance or “women’s fiction.” It doesn’t really matter, but I do like to share so fellow readers know what to expect. I can make an argument for both, but since this isn’t a term paper for American Lit 304, I’ll spare you. 😂 All you need to know is that it’s a beautiful story about grief and healing and starting over, with a very swoony love interest and an HEA for our heroine Bea.
When I tell you this is a beautiful story, I mean it. It dives deep into grief and hurt, tackling the tough question of what happens when your person dies and you were mad at them, but also still love them more than life. Bea wonders, “If love turns to grief, where does the anger go?” And that stopped me in my tracks. We get to go deep into Bea’s head as she works through all these complicated feelings and it’s just so well done.
I loved the love story too! Simon is an absolute dream. He and Bea start off as enemies/rivals, and watching him slowly come out of his shell and then coax Bea out of hers is FEET KICKINGLY good. (Yes, “kickingly” IS actually a word, per “Wiktionary, the free dictionary”, thank you very much.)
This is also very much a family drama, and Mara does a fantastic job developing the supporting characters. They feel meaningful and fully fleshed out, their actions feel real, and I really understood their motivations. They add so much depth to the story and make the world around Bea feel just as rich as her own emotional journey.
This book is TRULY stunning. There’s really no other word for it. It blends genres, dives deep into grief and loss, and explores what it means to find your way through to the other side… of starting over.
November 4, 2026
Wow! Mara Williams, the Author of “The Other Side of Starting Over” has written a memorable, thought-provoking, captivating, and intriguing novel. The Genres for this well written novel are: Mother’s and Children Fiction, Contemporary Women’s Fiction, Small Town Romance, Books, Family Grief, Family Drama, and Fiction. Mara Williams vividly describes the scenery, landscape, plot/s, and the colorful and dramatic characters. The Characters can be described as complex, complicated, confused, conflicted, flawed, and each has his/her set of problems. I appreciate the descriptions and depths of each character that the Mara Williams, has created and described. There are twists and turns, secrets and betrayals, and having to learn to cope and start over.
After a tragic accident takes the life of her husband, Beatrice Bell, and her twin children return to her hometown in California’s Sierra Mountains. Left with very little money, Beatrice was forced to sell her home, and go live with her parents and help work in their Antique Store. The children are reluctant to start new schools, and make new friends. When Beatrice goes to the Antique Store she meets Simon, the irritable and irritating Store Manager. Both Beatrice and Simon are are hostile and jealous of each other. They also are attracted to one another.
Beatrice starts to have visions of a young man that looks like her deceased husband. Her Mother-In-Law is a mean-spirited, manipulative and troubled woman, who was kept away from the family. Now she seems to appear, and threatens to break Beatrice’s world with devastating secrets. It seems the boy, River, who looks like her husband, claims to be his son, and her children’s brother. Beatrice has to decide what to do. I highly recommend this intense and powerful book for others. I appreciate that the author discusses the importance of family, friends, honesty, community, personal growth, love and hope.
After a tragic accident takes the life of her husband, Beatrice Bell, and her twin children return to her hometown in California’s Sierra Mountains. Left with very little money, Beatrice was forced to sell her home, and go live with her parents and help work in their Antique Store. The children are reluctant to start new schools, and make new friends. When Beatrice goes to the Antique Store she meets Simon, the irritable and irritating Store Manager. Both Beatrice and Simon are are hostile and jealous of each other. They also are attracted to one another.
Beatrice starts to have visions of a young man that looks like her deceased husband. Her Mother-In-Law is a mean-spirited, manipulative and troubled woman, who was kept away from the family. Now she seems to appear, and threatens to break Beatrice’s world with devastating secrets. It seems the boy, River, who looks like her husband, claims to be his son, and her children’s brother. Beatrice has to decide what to do. I highly recommend this intense and powerful book for others. I appreciate that the author discusses the importance of family, friends, honesty, community, personal growth, love and hope.
November 3, 2026
Beatrice's life has been turned upside down. Her husband died tragically, leaving her and her twin teens buried under a mountain of debt and she has no choice but to uproot their lives and move back to her small hometown to live with her parents. She'll take over her parents' antique shop, like they've always wanted, and start over. But then she meets Simon, a brooding furniture restorer who thought he'd be buying the store when her parents retired. And as her husband's past comes back to haunt her, Bea has to navigate grief, betrayal, secrets, single parenthood and a new business partnership along with an unexpected spark with Simon.
This was my first book by Mara Williams, but it most certainly won't be the last. The depth of emotion and complexity of characters that she weaved into this story was spectacular. I love a romance with deeper themes (especially grief and healing), and reading about Bea's journey through so much was both heartbreaking and hopeful. Simon's quiet strength and willingness to see hold the weight of Bea's baggage was so beautiful. And the tension and chemistry between the two characters was palpable.
This was a wonderful story of the strength and courage it takes to rebuild a life after everything falls apart. I especially liked seeing Bea learn to let others in and ask for help after holding everything together and trying to navigate immense upheaval all on her own.
4⭐️/5
Read if you like:
✨ Midlife FMC
✨ Grief/Healing
✨ Mental Health Rep
✨ Complex Family Dynamics
✨ Single Mom
✨ Small Town
Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author for gifted early access to a digital copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
This was my first book by Mara Williams, but it most certainly won't be the last. The depth of emotion and complexity of characters that she weaved into this story was spectacular. I love a romance with deeper themes (especially grief and healing), and reading about Bea's journey through so much was both heartbreaking and hopeful. Simon's quiet strength and willingness to see hold the weight of Bea's baggage was so beautiful. And the tension and chemistry between the two characters was palpable.
This was a wonderful story of the strength and courage it takes to rebuild a life after everything falls apart. I especially liked seeing Bea learn to let others in and ask for help after holding everything together and trying to navigate immense upheaval all on her own.
4⭐️/5
Read if you like:
✨ Midlife FMC
✨ Grief/Healing
✨ Mental Health Rep
✨ Complex Family Dynamics
✨ Single Mom
✨ Small Town
Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author for gifted early access to a digital copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Other Side of Starting Over by Mara Williams
3.5 rounded up to a 4. I enjoyed this one, but not as much as 'The Epicenter of Forever'.
This one took me a bit to get into. There were things I liked and things that annoyed me in this book.
There was a bit of repetitive phrasing throughout, which once it became noticeable to me; it annoyed me.
Once I got over halfway through, I started to enjoy it more. I kept waiting for more romance.
The romance wasn't the main focus of the story though. It was more focused on the grief aspect, family secrets and drama, and coming to terms with all that.
Bea is a relatable and well-written character. She feels real as a grieving mother trying to hold her family together while also facing unexpected truths about her past.
The family dynamics were a strong part of the story as well, and the antique store was a cool setting to have in the book.
Overall, I enjoyed it.
Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Mara Williams for the Advance Reader Copy.
3.5 rounded up to a 4. I enjoyed this one, but not as much as 'The Epicenter of Forever'.
This one took me a bit to get into. There were things I liked and things that annoyed me in this book.
There was a bit of repetitive phrasing throughout, which once it became noticeable to me; it annoyed me.
Once I got over halfway through, I started to enjoy it more. I kept waiting for more romance.
The romance wasn't the main focus of the story though. It was more focused on the grief aspect, family secrets and drama, and coming to terms with all that.
Bea is a relatable and well-written character. She feels real as a grieving mother trying to hold her family together while also facing unexpected truths about her past.
The family dynamics were a strong part of the story as well, and the antique store was a cool setting to have in the book.
Overall, I enjoyed it.
Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Mara Williams for the Advance Reader Copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 stars
Beatrice (Bea) has just relocated to her hometown with her teenage twins after the untimely death of her husband. As she tries to process her grief, she’s dealing with her sullen kids, her parents & grandmother, and her estranged mother in law.
Not only that, she planned to take over her parents antique store, to find out that it’s being partially run by a handsome, but gruff man, Simon.
As Bea uncovers more and more secrets about her husband and their life, she is faced with hard realities, including learning that her husband had fathered a son who is now in the picture and demanding to meet her kids.
There’s a lot of family drama here as well as the romance between Bea & Simon as well. I started out not really liking this book, but as it went on and some of the story developed, I enjoyed it more. I enjoyed the twists with the mother in law.
Thank you Mara Williams, Net Galley & Lake Union Publishing for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Beatrice (Bea) has just relocated to her hometown with her teenage twins after the untimely death of her husband. As she tries to process her grief, she’s dealing with her sullen kids, her parents & grandmother, and her estranged mother in law.
Not only that, she planned to take over her parents antique store, to find out that it’s being partially run by a handsome, but gruff man, Simon.
As Bea uncovers more and more secrets about her husband and their life, she is faced with hard realities, including learning that her husband had fathered a son who is now in the picture and demanding to meet her kids.
There’s a lot of family drama here as well as the romance between Bea & Simon as well. I started out not really liking this book, but as it went on and some of the story developed, I enjoyed it more. I enjoyed the twists with the mother in law.
Thank you Mara Williams, Net Galley & Lake Union Publishing for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
November 8, 2026
* Small-town romance
* Workplace romance
* Second chance at love
* Family drama
* Grief and healing
The Other Side of Starting Over is my first read by this author, and I can see why her books are so beloved. It is a beautifully written romance and family drama about a grieving heroine who must confront her late husband’s lies, leave her old life behind, protect her children, and rebuild her life. She even has a chance at new love, but only if she believes she deserves it and learns to trust again.
I loved the mix of romance and family drama. Bea had a difficult journey of healing and starting a new life, while feeling anger at her dead husband, unraveling his secrets, and trying her best to support her grieving children. I adored Bea’s relationship with her children. She was such a good mother! Her relationship with MMC, Simon, didn’t have the most auspicious start, but he became an unexpected source of support. I loved how their love story progressed and how he was patient and gentle with Bea. It was very sweet.
The Other Side of Starting Over is romance with depth, and I am glad I read it!
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley
* Workplace romance
* Second chance at love
* Family drama
* Grief and healing
The Other Side of Starting Over is my first read by this author, and I can see why her books are so beloved. It is a beautifully written romance and family drama about a grieving heroine who must confront her late husband’s lies, leave her old life behind, protect her children, and rebuild her life. She even has a chance at new love, but only if she believes she deserves it and learns to trust again.
I loved the mix of romance and family drama. Bea had a difficult journey of healing and starting a new life, while feeling anger at her dead husband, unraveling his secrets, and trying her best to support her grieving children. I adored Bea’s relationship with her children. She was such a good mother! Her relationship with MMC, Simon, didn’t have the most auspicious start, but he became an unexpected source of support. I loved how their love story progressed and how he was patient and gentle with Bea. It was very sweet.
The Other Side of Starting Over is romance with depth, and I am glad I read it!
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley
November 6, 2026
I thought this was such a cute and touching read!
Following Bea figure out her grief and how to move on I felt was so well done. The writing of it, I genuinely felt for her in multiple scenes and I think she is a great FMC.
Simon was the perfect person for her to run into after her loss and I loved seeing their relationship grow. I definitely had some opinions on Jake's mom and the insane stuff she did I felt bad that he had to grow up with that.
The only thing I would say is I felt the ending was a little rushed. I feel the story had amazing pace and then out of nowhere I feel it was a little scrambled to pull it all together.
Such a cute read though and I really enjoyed the audio as well!
Following Bea figure out her grief and how to move on I felt was so well done. The writing of it, I genuinely felt for her in multiple scenes and I think she is a great FMC.
Simon was the perfect person for her to run into after her loss and I loved seeing their relationship grow. I definitely had some opinions on Jake's mom and the insane stuff she did I felt bad that he had to grow up with that.
The only thing I would say is I felt the ending was a little rushed. I feel the story had amazing pace and then out of nowhere I feel it was a little scrambled to pull it all together.
Such a cute read though and I really enjoyed the audio as well!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
✨ Sometimes, starting over is exactly what we need. ✨
I definitely connected with the main character in The Other Side of Starting Over by Mara Williams. I found myself invested in her journey, and I genuinely enjoyed the story from beginning to end!
There was something about this story that made it easy to connect with the characters and stay engaged in what was happening. I was invested in seeing how everything would unfold, and I found this to be an enjoyable read overall.
If you’re looking for a story about navigating life, finding your way forward, and figuring out what comes next, this one is worth adding to your TBR! 💕
📚 Rating: 4/5 stars
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a stunningly gorgeous book. I love Mara Williams’ writing. The actual plot of this book is a tough pill to swallow—which it’s supposed to be! I found myself feeling rage on poor Bea’s account. The way she wrestles with her parenting choices in the wake of her husband’s death and as she learns more of his secrets, balanced with letting herself open up to love again was masterfully handled.
I’m glad I snatched this up when it was on Read Now on NetGalley, so thank you to Lake Union Publishing.
I’m glad I snatched this up when it was on Read Now on NetGalley, so thank you to Lake Union Publishing.
November 5, 2026
Thank you to Mara Williams and NetGalley for an eARC of "The Other Side of Starting Over".
This was such a moving novel. Beatrice and her two children have seemingly hit rock bottom after the loss of Jake. They have to move back to Bea's childhood town because she is out of options.
The author really makes the reader feel the pain and uncertainty that the family is experiencing with their new reality. Fears are prevalent and an old nemesis creates new lows for the family.
I wanted Simon to be a good guy but I wasn't sure if we should trust him or not. That was really well done, perfectly portraying Bea's past meeting her present and the uncertainty she feels for Simon after Jake's betrayal.
I will certainly look for more books by Mara Williams.
This was such a moving novel. Beatrice and her two children have seemingly hit rock bottom after the loss of Jake. They have to move back to Bea's childhood town because she is out of options.
The author really makes the reader feel the pain and uncertainty that the family is experiencing with their new reality. Fears are prevalent and an old nemesis creates new lows for the family.
I wanted Simon to be a good guy but I wasn't sure if we should trust him or not. That was really well done, perfectly portraying Bea's past meeting her present and the uncertainty she feels for Simon after Jake's betrayal.
I will certainly look for more books by Mara Williams.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Beatrice is 38 and a widowed mother of 14 year old twins. She's also back in her little home town because she had to sell their house and her husband's business.
She's supposed to run her semi-retired parents' antique shop. But because they weren't expecting her to come back, they hired Simon a year ago to take over one day.
Grumpy and dark and kind of super hot Simon.
Plus also maybe ... her husband might have a lookalike 18 year old son running around town. WTF?
I really enjoyed reading this! Such a sweet story.
It was fun and sad and a bit mysterious and exciting.
Great locations, great cast of characters.
A beautiful, small town, starting over, life and love story. Full of grief and anger and hope and fear and family and a new job, a new love, a new step-son and a horrible mother-in-law. Read it!
I also wouldn't mind seeing this on TV one day.
If you can't click the buy-links
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💜
Review of advance copy received from Author
The Other Side of Starting Over by Mara Williams is a beautiful story. Beatrice Bell comes back home to run her parents antique store after her husband’s sudden death. She and her teenage twins are trying to build a new life. Simon is the current gruff store manager with demons of his own. They both are forced to work together and truly have more in common then they first thought.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Simon and Beatrice had great chemistry, banter and were very likable. I appreciate how the kids and Beatrice had a good relationship through going through a hard time they persevered. The author wrote such engaging characters who were so relatable I felt like I had met them in real life by the end of the book. The author writes grief in such a relatable way that I appreciate. The author’s insights on life, grief and people were a pleasure to read.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Other Side of Starting Over by Mara Williams. The setting was beautiful, the characters memorable, and the romance was beautifully realistic. I highly recommend.
I was gifted a copy and not required to write a positive review.
CW one skippable open door scene.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Simon and Beatrice had great chemistry, banter and were very likable. I appreciate how the kids and Beatrice had a good relationship through going through a hard time they persevered. The author wrote such engaging characters who were so relatable I felt like I had met them in real life by the end of the book. The author writes grief in such a relatable way that I appreciate. The author’s insights on life, grief and people were a pleasure to read.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Other Side of Starting Over by Mara Williams. The setting was beautiful, the characters memorable, and the romance was beautifully realistic. I highly recommend.
I was gifted a copy and not required to write a positive review.
CW one skippable open door scene.
October 6, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC, which is out on November 3rd!
The new half star rating isn't currently working for me for some reason so it's this book's lucky day! 3.5 stars rounded up.
Beatrice has returned to her childhood home in the Sierra mountains of California with her teenage twins in tow after the sudden death of her husband. She needs to rebuild her life after loss and plans to take over the family antique store. But she didn't plan on Simon, the curt store manager her parents have handed the store over in the time they assumed their daughter would never come home to run the store. And she didn't expect to come across a teenager who has a striking resemblance to her late husband. And run-ins with her estranged mother-in-law.
This was my first book by Mara Williams. I have always heard such great things about her books and her writing, so I went in with high expectations. I liked a lot about this book, while there were other elements I struggled with.
To start off, all the positives!
- I loved that Bea is a somewhat older FMC at 38. She is a mother of teenagers, she has lost a husband, she is dealing with very adult problems. I liked that Bea felt like a complicated character with a lot of backstory.
- This borders on literary fiction, in a good way. In many ways, the romance was a subplot in this. This is a woman whose whole life has been cracked apart, and she learns that her husband had secrets that he kept from her.
- On the other hand, you could almost classify this as romantic suspense! There is a great deal of mystery in this. I really liked the tension of the secrets her husband was keeping and the lurking mother-in-law. The ending had some truly dramatic scenes that I did not expect but truly enjoyed! This plot tension helped build upon the tension that already existed between Bea's longstanding love with her late husband and her new love interest.
- LOVE that Bea's family business is antiques!! SO fun. I loved them brainstorming how to best display them at the festival and talking about the displays in the store.
- I loved the rich history we get about Bea's late husband. Bea and Jake had been together since teenagers and he was her only love. He had such a rich backstory, and I hated he dies before the book begins because he is so interesting to me. I particularly appreciated how he seems to have successfully broken generational trauma and was a great dad for the kids he and Bea had together.
On to things I struggled with a bit:
- The teenagers in this were all uniformly awful. I give them grace because they have been through traumas with their dad dying and having to move and switch schools. But they are so mean and unrelentingly unkind to their mom. I so clearly remember being so upset as a teenager because every depiction and connotation of teenagers was a negative one. I just would have liked to see some glimmers of humanity in them (beyond the twins seemingly to be attached to each other). I DID like that Bea acknowledges this: "They may be jerks right now, but I still love them to their bones and hold every kinder version of them in my hearts."
- If that wasn't enough, Bea's parents aren't super understanding either. Yes, they give her a home and a job, but they question her parenting, never supported her marriage, and put her in a tense situation at work with Simon. Bea talks a lot about feeling guilt for how they're having to help her but I wondered how exactly they were doing that emotionally speaking. It felt like no one was in Bea's corner!
- Sometimes the transitions in this felt uneven. A dramatic scene would end, and the next chapter would be like "That day at the harvest festival" and I would have no clue how much time had passed or how we made the jump. This only happened occasionally but it felt choppy when it did. I chalk this up to editing and not the author.
- I felt like I never really connected with the romance in this. It felt like it developed really fast and Bea is so suspicious of Simon's motivations and backstory that it made it difficult for me to believe she was genuinely interested in him. Also, so much of Bea's thoughts and energy are caught up in her late husband. Her character didn't really feel ready to move on emotionally to me.
Still, a beautiful story!! I will absolutely read more from this author.
Favorite quotes:
"He was all my love stories. The first time we fell in love, we did so in secret - after curfew, behind bleachers, in cramped back seats. The second time, we tried to outrun the odds of distance, and self-discovery. And the final time, we promised each other forever."
"Tragedy hasn't made me an entirely new person. I am still the woman who attended grad school while pregnant with twins, had a thirty-eight-hour labor and gave birth naturally to Miles only to have a C-section for Tess, and then finished my MBA six weeks later with both wounds barely healed and bloody nipples from Miles's poor latch."
"My body pulses with need; my head throbs with guilt at the mess I've made. I am untethered, rudderless. I can list all the reasons kissing him spells disaster."
"People think love is simple and static. But it evolves like our personalities. We are so many people in a lifetime."
The new half star rating isn't currently working for me for some reason so it's this book's lucky day! 3.5 stars rounded up.
Beatrice has returned to her childhood home in the Sierra mountains of California with her teenage twins in tow after the sudden death of her husband. She needs to rebuild her life after loss and plans to take over the family antique store. But she didn't plan on Simon, the curt store manager her parents have handed the store over in the time they assumed their daughter would never come home to run the store. And she didn't expect to come across a teenager who has a striking resemblance to her late husband. And run-ins with her estranged mother-in-law.
This was my first book by Mara Williams. I have always heard such great things about her books and her writing, so I went in with high expectations. I liked a lot about this book, while there were other elements I struggled with.
To start off, all the positives!
- I loved that Bea is a somewhat older FMC at 38. She is a mother of teenagers, she has lost a husband, she is dealing with very adult problems. I liked that Bea felt like a complicated character with a lot of backstory.
- This borders on literary fiction, in a good way. In many ways, the romance was a subplot in this. This is a woman whose whole life has been cracked apart, and she learns that her husband had secrets that he kept from her.
- On the other hand, you could almost classify this as romantic suspense! There is a great deal of mystery in this. I really liked the tension of the secrets her husband was keeping and the lurking mother-in-law. The ending had some truly dramatic scenes that I did not expect but truly enjoyed! This plot tension helped build upon the tension that already existed between Bea's longstanding love with her late husband and her new love interest.
- LOVE that Bea's family business is antiques!! SO fun. I loved them brainstorming how to best display them at the festival and talking about the displays in the store.
- I loved the rich history we get about Bea's late husband. Bea and Jake had been together since teenagers and he was her only love. He had such a rich backstory, and I hated he dies before the book begins because he is so interesting to me. I particularly appreciated how he seems to have successfully broken generational trauma and was a great dad for the kids he and Bea had together.
On to things I struggled with a bit:
- The teenagers in this were all uniformly awful. I give them grace because they have been through traumas with their dad dying and having to move and switch schools. But they are so mean and unrelentingly unkind to their mom. I so clearly remember being so upset as a teenager because every depiction and connotation of teenagers was a negative one. I just would have liked to see some glimmers of humanity in them (beyond the twins seemingly to be attached to each other). I DID like that Bea acknowledges this: "They may be jerks right now, but I still love them to their bones and hold every kinder version of them in my hearts."
- If that wasn't enough, Bea's parents aren't super understanding either. Yes, they give her a home and a job, but they question her parenting, never supported her marriage, and put her in a tense situation at work with Simon. Bea talks a lot about feeling guilt for how they're having to help her but I wondered how exactly they were doing that emotionally speaking. It felt like no one was in Bea's corner!
- Sometimes the transitions in this felt uneven. A dramatic scene would end, and the next chapter would be like "That day at the harvest festival" and I would have no clue how much time had passed or how we made the jump. This only happened occasionally but it felt choppy when it did. I chalk this up to editing and not the author.
- I felt like I never really connected with the romance in this. It felt like it developed really fast and Bea is so suspicious of Simon's motivations and backstory that it made it difficult for me to believe she was genuinely interested in him. Also, so much of Bea's thoughts and energy are caught up in her late husband. Her character didn't really feel ready to move on emotionally to me.
Still, a beautiful story!! I will absolutely read more from this author.
Favorite quotes:
"He was all my love stories. The first time we fell in love, we did so in secret - after curfew, behind bleachers, in cramped back seats. The second time, we tried to outrun the odds of distance, and self-discovery. And the final time, we promised each other forever."
"Tragedy hasn't made me an entirely new person. I am still the woman who attended grad school while pregnant with twins, had a thirty-eight-hour labor and gave birth naturally to Miles only to have a C-section for Tess, and then finished my MBA six weeks later with both wounds barely healed and bloody nipples from Miles's poor latch."
"My body pulses with need; my head throbs with guilt at the mess I've made. I am untethered, rudderless. I can list all the reasons kissing him spells disaster."
"People think love is simple and static. But it evolves like our personalities. We are so many people in a lifetime."
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
🌟 Rating: 5 ⭐️
📖 Favorite Quotes:
I just have to live with it.
With the not asking.
With the not knowing.
With the shame of still loving a man who wasn’t the man I thought he was.
“It’s hard to grieve someone who was buried with secrets.”
“All my friends started to act like I was blown glass. I like that you don’t treat me like I’m fragile.”
We went from hostile strangers to shipwrecked passengers sharing secrets and skin in a roach motel.
“In my experience, we don’t get to write much of our own story. At least not the turning points.”
“People think love is simple and static. But it evolves like our personalities. We are so many people in a lifetime.”
📚 Would I Recommend?: YES
💬 tldr review: This book had me in an emotional chokehold with its layers of grief, vulnerability, messy family dynamics, and learning how to find joy again when life looks nothing like you thought it would. My heart absolutely ached for Bea as she tried to hold everything and everyone together while quietly drowning herself. The romance may be secondary, but I loved how Simon became such an important part of her journey toward the other side of starting over.
Thoughts:
After reading both of Mara Williams’ previous books earlier this year, The Other Side of Starting Over was one of my most anticipated releases this fall. And this book delivered! It was one of the most beautifully written, emotional books I’ve read in quite some time. The layers upon layers of messiness, real life, vulnerability, grief, and acceptance had me in a chokehold the entire time I was reading.
Bea…my gosh, my heart ached for her. As a woman, a wife, and a mother. She was dealing with the unfathomable while doing everything she could to maintain some air of normalcy for everyone around her, even as she was drowning.
Life was absolutely hitting her from all angles. She was grieving the loss of her husband, trying to figure out what to do with her parents’ antique store, worrying about how her twins were handling their move, living with her parents again, AND dealing with her absolutely vile mother-in-law. I mean, honestly, I have no idea how she didn’t just crumble under the weight of it all. There were so many moments when I wanted to reach into the book and hug her.
One of my absolute favorite chapters was when Bea and her Gigi had breakfast at the local diner. Her Gigi gave the BEST advice. I highlighted so many passages from that chapter. Elderly secondary characters with their infinite wisdom are some of my favorite people to find in books, and Gigi was no exception. I adored her.
And then there’s Simon. The shop manager Bea’s parents had hired and were planning to hand the store over to until Bea returned home. He’s gruff and secretive and not exactly thrilled about the change in plans, but he eventually starts to warm toward Bea.
Their romance is secondary to all of the other storylines in this book, but somehow it’s also central to it. If that makes sense? I definitely wouldn’t call this a romance in the way I would a typical contemporary romance. Their relationship is more woven into Bea’s journey and becomes part of how she makes it through everything life is throwing at her. Simon is fighting his own demons in secret, and I loved how his own experiences allowed him to understand Bea in ways other people couldn’t. He didn’t try to fix everything for her. He just helped her keep moving through it.
Like I said, everything about this book is layered with raw vulnerability and emotion. I was invested from the first page, wanting to uncover more of the truth while rooting so hard for Bea to find her way through the grief and the anguish and the anger.
This book captured the pain and complications of starting over–especially when all the pieces don’t fit in the way you expect them to. Sometimes moving forward means accepting things you never wanted to accept in the first place. I just wanted Bea to make it through all of that darkness and finally find some joy on the other side. And gosh, I loved watching her get there.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
Read If You Like:
→ Grief and Healing
→ Forced Proximity
→ Return to Hometown
→ Family Secrets
→ Single Mom
→ Workplace Romance
→ Rivals-to-Lovers
📖 Favorite Quotes:
I just have to live with it.
With the not asking.
With the not knowing.
With the shame of still loving a man who wasn’t the man I thought he was.
“It’s hard to grieve someone who was buried with secrets.”
“All my friends started to act like I was blown glass. I like that you don’t treat me like I’m fragile.”
We went from hostile strangers to shipwrecked passengers sharing secrets and skin in a roach motel.
“In my experience, we don’t get to write much of our own story. At least not the turning points.”
“People think love is simple and static. But it evolves like our personalities. We are so many people in a lifetime.”
📚 Would I Recommend?: YES
💬 tldr review: This book had me in an emotional chokehold with its layers of grief, vulnerability, messy family dynamics, and learning how to find joy again when life looks nothing like you thought it would. My heart absolutely ached for Bea as she tried to hold everything and everyone together while quietly drowning herself. The romance may be secondary, but I loved how Simon became such an important part of her journey toward the other side of starting over.
Thoughts:
After reading both of Mara Williams’ previous books earlier this year, The Other Side of Starting Over was one of my most anticipated releases this fall. And this book delivered! It was one of the most beautifully written, emotional books I’ve read in quite some time. The layers upon layers of messiness, real life, vulnerability, grief, and acceptance had me in a chokehold the entire time I was reading.
Bea…my gosh, my heart ached for her. As a woman, a wife, and a mother. She was dealing with the unfathomable while doing everything she could to maintain some air of normalcy for everyone around her, even as she was drowning.
Life was absolutely hitting her from all angles. She was grieving the loss of her husband, trying to figure out what to do with her parents’ antique store, worrying about how her twins were handling their move, living with her parents again, AND dealing with her absolutely vile mother-in-law. I mean, honestly, I have no idea how she didn’t just crumble under the weight of it all. There were so many moments when I wanted to reach into the book and hug her.
One of my absolute favorite chapters was when Bea and her Gigi had breakfast at the local diner. Her Gigi gave the BEST advice. I highlighted so many passages from that chapter. Elderly secondary characters with their infinite wisdom are some of my favorite people to find in books, and Gigi was no exception. I adored her.
And then there’s Simon. The shop manager Bea’s parents had hired and were planning to hand the store over to until Bea returned home. He’s gruff and secretive and not exactly thrilled about the change in plans, but he eventually starts to warm toward Bea.
Their romance is secondary to all of the other storylines in this book, but somehow it’s also central to it. If that makes sense? I definitely wouldn’t call this a romance in the way I would a typical contemporary romance. Their relationship is more woven into Bea’s journey and becomes part of how she makes it through everything life is throwing at her. Simon is fighting his own demons in secret, and I loved how his own experiences allowed him to understand Bea in ways other people couldn’t. He didn’t try to fix everything for her. He just helped her keep moving through it.
Like I said, everything about this book is layered with raw vulnerability and emotion. I was invested from the first page, wanting to uncover more of the truth while rooting so hard for Bea to find her way through the grief and the anguish and the anger.
This book captured the pain and complications of starting over–especially when all the pieces don’t fit in the way you expect them to. Sometimes moving forward means accepting things you never wanted to accept in the first place. I just wanted Bea to make it through all of that darkness and finally find some joy on the other side. And gosh, I loved watching her get there.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
Read If You Like:
→ Grief and Healing
→ Forced Proximity
→ Return to Hometown
→ Family Secrets
→ Single Mom
→ Workplace Romance
→ Rivals-to-Lovers
Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews