Whiteout: A Novel

by Carola Lovering

From the bestselling author of the Hulu sensation Tell Me Lies comes a gripping puzzle of a novel about the aftermath of a tragic accident and the fault lines it exposes in a seemingly perfect marriage.

When you can’t remember the truth, who tells your story?

June Lyons has built a beautiful life in Aspen, Colorado, where she lives with her husband Shep and their young daughter Ivy. Shep is a bestselling author whose skyrocketing career has put June's own ambitions on the backburner, but it's a small price to pay. She has a gorgeous, mountainside home, and her sister Penny—her closest friend and confidante—lives just across town. But when June loses her second pregnancy in a tragic ski accident just weeks before her due date, the family's world is immediately shattered, and everything that she thought she knew about her life is thrown into question.

In the months that follow June's devastating loss, her despair is exacerbated by the fact that she can't remember anything about the crash. Why was she on skis, so late in her pregnancy? Why wasn't Shep with her? And what if it wasn't actually an accident? Determined to find the answers that no one seems able to provide, June begins to piece together what happened that day, intent on unveiling the truth at any cost—even if it reveals something about herself, or her marriage, that she’d rather not face.

Brimming with secrets and twists and including a past timeline that follows June and Penny through their early years in Aspen—and the beginning of June and Shep’s relationship—Whiteout excavates the thin line between fact and fiction, memory and reality, as it explores the complexities of marriage, sisterhood, motherhood, and grief.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery

Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 9, 2027

About the author

Carola Lovering is the national bestselling author of the novels Tell Me Lies, Too Good to Be True, Can’t Look Away, Bye, Baby, and the forthcoming Whiteout. Her work has appeared in The Cut, Vogue, Marie Claire, W Magazine, National Geographic, Outside, and Yoga Journal, among other publications. Her books have been translated into ten languages and her novel Tell Me Lies is now a television series for Hulu. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and three young children.

Reviews

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Dazzling and Propulsive Story of Love, Loss, and the Lies We Tell Ourselves

What begins as a simple pact between two sisters quickly unravels into something far more complex. June and Penny agreed that Aspen would only be temporary—one year, no more. Penny followed a boy there, while June planned for a publishing career in New York City. But everything changes when June meets Shep after a restaurant shift.

At the heart of the novel is a marriage that is equal parts passionate and deeply troubled. Shep is charming on the surface but driven by ego and ambition, leaving June to shoulder much of their life together. Their growing conflict is intensified by his desire for children before June feels ready.

What makes this story so compelling is its embrace of moral ambiguity. Love and resentment, devotion and neglect, truth and delusion exist side by side. As imagination blurs with reality, you're left questioning whose version of events can be trusted.

Beneath the marriage lies a story of unimaginable loss, failing memory, and a family history of mental illness that casts a long shadow. When tragedy strikes, the revelations that follow are genuinely shocking, recontextualizing everything that came before.

Propulsive, emotionally rich, and utterly unputdownable.

[Lady Georgette (ieatpagesforbreakfast) · Rating 5 out of 5]

• BOOK REVIEW •

NEW ARC!
Releasing Date : 9th March 2027!!

Date : 21st July 2026
Book : Whiteout
Author : Carola Lovering
Genre : Novel / Domestic Fiction / Psychological Thriller

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

This is the story of June Lyons, who moved to Aspen with her husband who’s actually quite a famous writer. Together they have a 3yr old and are blessed with a second pregnancy. Well.. that is until June unfortunately gets into a ski accident in her final trimester and loses her baby. (Yikes!)

To make matters worse, she has no recollection whatsoever on anything that had happened that day. She can’t understand why she even went skiing that day knowing her due date was coming!

You get a little POV from the past and present throughout this book. This was a really good read and it definitely touched a lot of grief and other important matters. I can’t elaborate more on the topics as that would spoil it. I did get mad at a certain character for the amount of gaslighting that was shown. But overall, I thought the writing flowed well and was fully engaging from start to end.

Thank you, @stmartinspress , @carolatlovering and @netgalley for giving me the chance to read this #gifted arc and for allowing me to give my honest thoughts on it. ❤️

[mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

a little bit on the nearly-too-slow-paced side but at the same time i was on the edge of my seat!! i loved the mystery element but this is also a family drama that covers heavy topics so well. immediately yes.

+ thank you to netgalley & the publisher for an arc! all opinions are my own <3

(day 22 of 30 books in 30 days!)

[Andi_loves_2_read · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️
This gripping fiction novel reads somewhat like a memoir (an interesting one!) We hear June’s POV as she shares current events, while thinking back on the past years that have led her to the tragic mess her life has become. Carola Lovering weaves themes of family, loss, betrayal, dreams for a life un-lived, and more into this page-turner with deep emotions to the very last page!
I especially appreciated the focus on women’s antenatal health concerns and will not soon forget the way I felt so seen while reading some of June’s struggles and triumphs.
This book had everything I want in a read: excellent writing, characters that become real to me almost instantly, themes that are relevant to myself and the current times, and a gripping storyline!
I highly recommend this book to all readers and to check out Carola Lovering’s other books if you haven’t already!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Pub Date: Mar 9, 2027

[Ilyssa Tillotson]

No one writes a man that I despise like Carola Loverling. Felt a bit slow but I was still shocked by the ending!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into WHITEOUT blindly, but thinking it was a murder mystery. It's not. There is a mystery at the book's center. It's really more of a family drama, though. The novel's emphasis is less on what really happened with June's accident and more about the relationships in her life and how they affect her as a sister, a wife, a mother, and an individual. The relationships are complex and nuanced, which makes them feel realistic and relatable. Although Shep irritated me from the moment he stepped into the picture, I liked June and Penny. They're warm and caring. Even though I didn't always get what June was experiencing (I'm a mom, but I didn't have ante- or postpartum depression with any of my three pregnancies) or agree with the decisions she made, I felt for her. I wanted her to heal and find herself again. As far as plot goes, I found WHITEOUT entirely engrossing, even though it's not the page-turner I expected it to be. Still, it's quietly compelling with lots of tension and conflict to keep things interesting. There's a lot of backstory, which I never got bored with. I enjoyed the build-up; it helped me get to know the characters and care about what happened to them.

In addition to all this, WHITEOUT explores some intriguing questions about women's roles, mental health, marriage, family, etc. It's thought-provoking in addition to being a riveting read. Although WHITEOUT deals with some difficult subject matter, I enjoyed it. I'll read more by Lovering.

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for language, sexual content, and illegal drug use (marijuana and mushrooms)

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for a smart, interesting psychological drama, get Whiteout by Carola Lovering when it drops in March 2027. It delivers a sharp, unsettling, almost creepy look at memory, marriage, and gaslighting. There is a lot happening, and it's pure suspense but also kind of sad.

June Lyons survives a horrific ski accident in Aspen, Colorado, but tragically loses her baby just weeks before her due date. She wakes up with selective amnesia, and has zero memory of why she was even skiing that late in her pregnancy, or why her famous author husband, Shep, wasn't with her. The storyline swings between June's frantic hunt for the truth in the present, and flashbacks uncovering her messy relationship with her sister, Penny, and other family members and friends. Who can June trust?

The snowy Aspen setting feels icy and cold - just like June's internal life! There is a lot happening here within June and in her messy, wealthy, mixed-up world. Lovering tackles love, family, marriage, grief, friendship, and more, but it never feels forced. This may be her best book yet.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Abby Mace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book about loss, grief and love
June a wife and mother didn’t expect that her life was going to turn off this way. She wanted to read and edit books in New York. Aspen was only supposed to be one year. Yet things changed. She met her husband, and he moved to Aspen and from the outside it seemed like they had the perfect life together. That was until the accident.
June got hurt and every step of the way we find out more about her husband lying and manipulating her.
Overall, this book was fast paced, and as it went on the snapshots back in time both from June and Rose made more sense.
My only two complaints are I live near Swampscott and I know for a fact that Stop & Shop and Whole Foods are directly across the street from each other lol and the ending, I would’ve liked to have seen a future snapshot of June.

Thank you to st. Martin’s press for sending me an arc copy of this book.

[Allie Wensman · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

This is a book about grief and love, focused mainly on the relationship of June and her sister Penny, and how their lives unfold after settling down in Aspen. Pregnant June gets into an accident during her third trimester and loses her baby, only she doesn't even remember going skiing that day!

The book flows between past and present, and shows the POVs of both June and her neighbor Rose. I enjoyed that there was a little bit of mystery regarding the accident and what happened there, although this is certainly not meant to be a thriller.

I felt invested in the character of June and her journey into motherhood, and couldn't put the book down. It was gut wrenching but also ended on a hopeful note. I really enjoyed it.


Thank you to St Martin's Press, NetGalley and Carola Lovering for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an emotional read that kept me turning pages. It starts with a devastating tragedy, but the mystery of what actually happened that day, kept me completely hooked. The story goes between past and present, and reveals how many different relationships and factors in June’s life led to decisions she made and the moment everything changed. I loved that this wasn’t just about grief experienced with a tragedy and also included mental illness, complicated relationships, depression and how difficult it can be to know what’s real when your own mind is working against you. There were definitely a few characters that irritated me but that was their role in the story and it was written well. The ending brought everything together in a hopeful, somewhat satisfying way but could have been more clear for my taste. Overall, this was a great read!

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really great book that reads more like women’s/general fiction than thriller. There is a big psychological component but the characters are too well developed to say it’s just a thriller. I looked forward to continuing the story each time I put the book down, and even though it feels on the longer side, there was not a single moment where it felt slow to me. There are several heavy topics discussed and I believe the author did a great job shining a spotlight on those topics, even though at times it felt a bit preachy.

The only reason I didn’t rate it a 5, is that the ending was revealed to the reader in a way that felt like the author was telling me, instead of showing me and making me feel. That could be a “me thing” though. And I did not see the ending coming, but it sure was heartbreaking. 💔

Aside from that, I think Whiteout could make a bit of a splash when it hits shelves!

[Randi A · Rating 3 out of 5]

If there’s one thing Lovering is going to do well, it’s gonna be write a shitty, shitty man. I have mixed feelings on this book. The pacing was solid, but it also felt way too long and monotonous at times. The whole Jasper storyline felt useless and a waste of space. I get why we see Rose’s POV, but it felt out of place only sprinkled in as it was. I believe this book makes some strong arguments about women’s health, important conversations, but it did feel muddled down in so much else at times. The epilogue also felt just off to me - just too convenient. I wanted good for June, but for a 30 year old who has never really worked, this all felt fantastical.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jodi Schulz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I was one of the few people who didn’t like Tell Me Lies, although I loved the show. Two things you can say about Carola Lovering is she writes the most toxic men and you cannot put down her stories. This is about a pregnant woman who loses her baby while skiing pregnant, and she can not remember what happened. Although I had figured out the big twist pretty early on, I could not put this down and just kept reading and reading and reading to see how this plays out. This is the kind of book you should never start at 10 pm if you plan on going to sleep that night.

[Marsha Casner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this book. The opinions stated for this book are my own.. I really liked this book. I thought the book was a very propulsive. I found myself wanting to pick it up. I loved June and Penny's sister dynamic. I thought that the character of Shep, June's husband, was written very well. I don't want to say too much about the plot, because it would give away a lot of the story. Please check your trigger warnings, as there are some serious topics discussed and have been relevant in the news lately. I am giving this book 4 stars and will be checking out this author's backlist.
Come

[Melissa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Bye Baby” was one of my favorite books from last year so I was so excited to read Carola Lovering’s new book! When June loses her pregnancy in a tragic ski accident, she is at a loss for what happened as she has no memory of the event. Why would she be skiing so late in her pregnancy?

This was a great book with important issues and the whole book I was so intrigued to see how it would all play out. This felt more like contemporary fiction with a mystery element which I love verses a thriller!

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

June is a wife and mother who has given up her dreams for her wonderful husband Shep (boo, hiss!). Afte losing her unborn child in a skiing accident that she has zero memory of, she must put together the pieces to find out what really happened that day. This was a decent mystery novel. This author is great at writing male characters that are hateable and all too realistic.

[Jayne Evangelista · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️I’m a fan of Carola Lovering. Her books always pull me in and keep me turning the pages.This one especially hit home with the Lindsay Clancy trial in the news. The book is about motherhood, mental health, the ways people let us down, and how easy it is to lose yourself trying to be who someone else wants you to be.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm just such a huge fan of Carola Lovering. Her stories are always unique, engrossing, infuriating and addictive. This one holds an extra special place in my heart because it's a commentary on motherhood, mental health, the failures of others, and shrinking yourself to fit someone else's dream. This was an excellent novel and I adored it.


4.5 stars rounded up

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this down and was so sad when it was over. What a great depiction of grief. The scenes with her dad were just gut wrenching.

[Kailey (kmc_reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5ish? I flew through this one, another great story from a fave author’

[Megan Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not want to put this book down! Loved it.

[Christine M in Texas (stamperlady50) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming soon