{Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy}
A Million Reasons Why by Jessica Strawser
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Book Summary:
When two strangers are linked by a mail-in DNA test, it’s an answered prayer―that is, for one-half sister. For the other, it will dismantle everything she knows to be true.
But as they step into the unfamiliar realm of sisterhood, the roles will reverse in ways no one could have foreseen.
Caroline lives a full, happy life―a thriving career, three feisty children, enviable marriage, and a close-knit extended family. She couldn’t have scripted it better. Except for one thing:
She’s about to discover her fundamental beliefs about them all are wrong.
Sela lives a life in shades of gray, suffering from irreversible kidney failure. Her marriage crumbled in the wake of her illness. Her beloved mother, always her closest friend, unexpectedly passed away. She refuses to be defined by her grief, but still, she worries what will happen to her two-year-old son if she doesn’t find a donor match in time.
She’s the only one who knows Caroline is her half-sister and may also be her best hope for a future. But Sela’s world isn’t as clear-cut as it appears―and one misstep could destroy it all.
Publication Date:
March 23rd, 2021
Genre:
Family Life Fiction/Medical Drama
Purchase Your Copy:
Amazon Link | LibroFM Bookstore Link
My Review
This book took me by surprise in the best possible way! While I found the writing style totally enjoyable ( have been a fan of Jessica Strawer for a while now!) I quickly labeled it a little too predictable about halfway through. I’m so glad I stuck with it as the second half kept me continually surprised at what the author introduced. The story follows two half-sisters who only discover each other’s existence after matching on a DNA test website.
The discovery upends one sister’s life while infusing hope and possibility into the other. I especially loved how the author incorporated sensitive mental health issues into the second half of the book, as well as how the character storylines all came together in the end.
The characters are well developed and Strawser keeps you hanging with the perfect amount of suspense tied to the unraveling of a family’s long help secrets mixed with complicated family dynamics. This was a page-turner with a completely intriguing premise and I highly recommend adding it to your spring reading list!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy. As always, all opinions are my own.
Disclosure: Some of the links above are Amazon affiliate links. This means if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission that helps support this blog at no cost to you. Thank you!
