Book Chatter

All the Little Ways
By Laura Lekkos
Gallery, June 9, 2026, 320pp.

The Short of It:

A wholesome exploration of female friendship.

The Rest of It:

Liz and Victoria couldn’t be more different.

Liz is a wayward soul with a good heart, but she can’t quite stick the landing on any one thing. Raised by her hippie, eccentric mother and with no real relationship with her father, she drifts through life somewhat happily, but always with an underlying sense of restlessness.

Victoria is older, driven, and successful. She knows exactly what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it. She’s effortlessly put together, polished, and shrewd when she needs to be. What could these two possibly have in common?

They’re both expecting their first child and end up in the same parenting class.

Liz quietly observes Victoria, admiring the way she carries herself. After they exchange a few kind words, Liz starts to wonder if Victoria might be the friend she’s been missing.

As they navigate pregnancy and their relationships, it becomes clear that neither woman’s life is as perfect as it appears. Victoria and her husband are forced to confront a serious breach of trust, while Liz realizes that she and her boyfriend, Preston, simply don’t fit the way she always imagined they would. Sure, he’s the baby’s father, but do people really have to stay together just because they share a child?

Both women face challenges throughout their pregnancies. Some are professional, but most are deeply personal. They lean on each other through it all until they don’t. Can two women with such different outlooks truly support each other when their values and choices begin to clash?

This was a very readable novel, but the real magic comes together in the final third of the book. For a debut, I was impressed. I would definitely read Lekkos again.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

Maybe in Another Life
By Taylor Jenkins Reid
Atria, July 2015, 352pp.

The Short of It:

Romance with a twist.

The Rest of It:

At 29 years old, Hannah Martin is still trying to figure life out. She moves from city to city, always convinced a fresh start is exactly what she needs. But before long, she settles into what’s comfortable, starts feeling restless, and finds herself wanting more. She’s unhappy, far from successful, and her latest breakup with a married man has her packing up once again.

The one constant in her life is her best friend, Gabby. Gabby encourages Hannah to come home. For Gabby, the answer is simple. For Hannah, the bigger question is, what does “home” even mean?

After moving in with Gabby and her husband, yep… awkward, Hannah goes to a party where she runs into an old flame. Back in the day, she and Ethan were a great match, but Hannah’s inability to stay in one place ended their relationship. When he asks her to hang out after the party, she’s torn.

Should she go with Ethan? Or should she get in the car with Gabby and head home?

This is where the story takes on a Sliding Doors premise. Told in alternating chapters, one storyline follows Hannah if she chooses Ethan, while the other follows what happens if she goes home instead.

Both storylines are compelling and surprisingly easy to follow. As the novel progresses, the timelines begin to pick up, and there were moments when I had to stop and remind myself which version of Hannah I was reading about. You’re never quite sure if something supernatural is happening or if Hannah’s emotional state is creating these alternate realities.

Without giving anything away, I was satisfied with the direction the author ultimately took, even if it wasn’t one hundred percent believable. That said, I still think Daisy Jones & The Six is Taylor Jenkins Reid’s stronger book, and I’d recommend that one first. Even so, this was an interesting take on a story concept that’s been done before.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

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