Wisteria Falls

by Jessica Goodman

Love, lies, and ambition collide this summer in Wisteria Falls, the compulsively readable adult debut from the New York Times bestselling author of The Counselors

“Vivid, sultry, and propulsive.” —Andrea Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of We Were Never Here

Leah Silver hasn’t set foot in her idyllic Hudson Valley hometown in nearly a decade, when she escaped its constraints and the end of her tumultuous first love. Until now.

Unexpectedly laid off from her high-level job at Tyrion hotels with no reference, she is forced to return home with her warm-hearted fiancé, Isaac.

But Leah isn’t the only prodigal child of Oliver Point returning that summer. Grant Hockner, her complicated first love, has big plans for their small Wisteria Falls, a luxury boutique hotel set to rival the chic resorts of the Hamptons and Nantucket. With a hefty investment from his heiress wife, Odie, Wisteria Falls will put Oliver Point on the map – and not everyone is thrilled about it.

Despite their tempestuous past, Grant still lights a spark in Leah. A fact she’s desperate to keep hidden from Isaac. But she’s not the only one keeping secrets. Lies, betrayal, and desire set the two couples on a collision course they may never recover from. When Wisteria Falls goes up in flames, everyone is a suspect—and not all will make it through the summer unscathed, or even alive.

Sharp, suspenseful, and brimming with irresistible twists, Wisteria Falls is as compulsively readable as it is emotionally rich.

Genres: Thriller, Adult, Mystery Thriller, Fiction

400 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication May 10, 2027

About the author

Jessica Goodman is the New York Times bestselling author of young adult thrillers They Wish they Were Us, They’ll Never Catch Us, The Counselors, and The Legacies.

She is the former op-ed editor at Cosmopolitan magazine, and was part of the 2017 team that won a National Magazine Award in personal service. She has also held editorial positions at Entertainment Weekly and HuffPost, and her work has been published in outlets like Glamour, Condé Nast Traveler, The Cut, Elle, Bustle, and Marie Claire.

Reviews

[Jackie · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Passionate. Twisted. Redemptive.

For a while, I kept waiting for something to really pull me into this story. And then, almost without realizing it, I was caught up in everyone’s complicated lives.

Part romance, part mystery, part psychological drama. An unexpected combination that gave this story a personality of its own. For her adult fiction debut, I thought Jessica Goodman did a nice job blending these genres. The simmering tension, secrets, and complicated relationships made for quite the messy romance. Even more, there was plenty of betrayal thrown in. I also loved the small town setting and the luxurious hotel. There was something about that combination that made the story even more intriguing.

Not everything worked for me, though. The slower pacing definitely tested my patience. And some of the decisions these characters made had me wanting to shake some sense into them. Seriously frustrating. I appreciated the redemption and the way things ended, but it all felt too easy considering everything these characters had been through.

What started as a collection of messy relationships turned into a whole lot of chaos, buried secrets, and storylines that eventually collided. And somehow it all worked.

Many thanks to Putnam for the opportunity to read this one ahead of its release. I always appreciate the chance to discover a story early and share my thoughts. This advance copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Melissa · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I requested this ARC, immediately questioned my life choices, and went in expecting a mediocre 2–3 star read. WELL. CONSIDER ME HUMBLED. 💀 What I got was a deliciously messy combination of mystery, suspense, small-town drama, romantic complications, and an entire cast of people who apparently consider honesty a personal attack. TRUST NOBODY. QUESTION EVERYBODY. I was hooked almost immediately. Short chapters, multiple POVs, suspicious little breadcrumbs EVERYWHERE, and just enough information to make me feel like I was conducting a federal investigation instead of reading a book. Every time I thought I knew what was happening, another revelation showed up to remind me I didn't know SHIT. And the pacing?! IMMACULATE. Not a single dull moment. No unnecessary dragging. Just a steady stream of secrets, lies, questionable decisions, and increasingly suspicious people. Did I want some of the romantic backstory to be a little more scandalous? Absolutely. If you're going to make me investigate nine years of unresolved drama, at least give me scandalous. 😂 But the storytelling, the twists, and the way everything ultimately came together? SO satisfying. Is it romance? Mystery? Thriller? Small-town drama? YES. Stop trying to put it in a box and just enjoy the damn ride. What an unexpectedly fantastic read.

Thank you to Putnam for providing a free Advance Review Copy through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

[carol · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Guys, this has the chaos of 'Tell Me Lies' except they're all grown adults. Everyone is interested in everyone, and aren't they all pretty much cheating? By the way - Grant is exactly like Stephen (the original mastermind of chaos), and you can't convince me otherwise.

Meet Leah Silver, recently laid off from her job and now forced to move back to Oliver Point - a relic of her past. For all these years. she avoided her hometown because of her first love, Grant Hockner - a wealthy, successful business man who has plans to change Oliver Point. 

After all this time, Leah is surprised by her residual feelings for Grant and her now-complicated relationship with her fiance, Isaac. With Grant's plans to bring a boutique hotel, Wisteria Falls, Leah has to face her complicated past with Grant and uncover some secrets from everyone around her. 

Grant is literally the messiest person to ever exist. Without any spoilers, he is exactly like Stephen from Tell Me Lies, except he is a little bit more redeemable at the very very end. But not by much, don't get me wrong!! This man is a walking red flag, and no wonder everyone dislikes him. 

This was a solid read, I was really into the story and the characters but I do wish Leah had more sense. I'm surprised Isaac stayed with her at the end but then again, I felt like everyone was emotional cheating so perhaps they deserve each other. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy!

[Mandy · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read *Wisteria Falls* in advance!

This book is **BINGE WORTHY.** Seriously, I could not put it down.

The complex lives of these characters, the drama, the tension, and the deep LOATHING I felt for Grant made this such an experience. Because this man REALLY makes you hate him. And somehow, that only made me more invested.

I was also pleasantly surprised by how atmospheric this book was. I felt like I was right there, watching everything unfold through a window. Almost like I was witnessing a train wreck I couldn't look away from.

And through all the chaos, I absolutely loved getting those little glimpses into Sophie's world. Her passion for cooking, creating, and bringing people together over the most delicious meals really resonated with me. Those moments were such a nice contrast to all the drama.

I was SO frustrated for Paul, OMG.
Isaac, Odie, and Margot had PMO at times but to be fair they were all caught up in such a tangled web. 😂

This was easily one of my favorite reads of 2026. The kind of book that pulls you in, gets you emotionally invested, and has you needing to talk about it the second you finish.

Thanks again to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the advance reader copy!

[Pía · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, thank you, NetGalley and Putnam, for letting me get an e-ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

4/5 — stars

I was confused because this book was classified as a romance, and it isn’t a romance, so I will definitely take that into consideration when picking up a book. If it says this book is a romance, it’s not. I would say it’s more of a character-driven story or literary fiction.

The book follows Leah returning to the Hudson Valley with her parents because she can’t afford the rent on her NYC apartment. Every single character in this book is someone you will hate, but they are the type of characters you would love to hate.

Once I got past the lack of romance I was expecting, it was a fun, entertaining book, and I didn’t see the plot twist coming.

[Beth Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This started a bit slow, but once it started going it ran. Starting with tragedy in the beginning, it goes backwards and lets you know how all of the characters got to where they were. It was a little confusing at first, but finally started to make sense. And pretty much all of the characters had some interesting choices. Overall a good read! Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part mystery, part drama, part love story… this book had a little bit of everything. And with that… it was a little bit all over the place. The backwards narrative structure was tough for me when I wasn’t really rooting for anyone (so many unlikable characters and questionable decisions IMO).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.