Pinky Swear
By Danielle Girard
Atria, February 24, 2026, 288pp.

The Short of It:

Compelling story.

The Rest of It:

Lexi thought she knew everything about Mara Vannatta. Best friends since middle school, they drifted apart after a tragedy derailed their senior year. But when Mara shows up on Lexi’s doorstep sixteen years later fleeing an abusive husband, Lexi takes her in without question. Lexi’s own marriage has been strained by her desire to have a baby, and when Mara offers to become her surrogate, their friendship feels stronger than ever.

But four days before the due date, Mara disappears. ~ the publisher

What drew me into this story is the childhood friendship. I am a sucker for these stories. Mari, Lexi and Cate are best buds, but buds with a ton of secrets. Years go by, and they are never quite right after the death of Cate. It was an accident, or was it? Lexi honestly doesn’t know anymore. She thought she new Mari, but as the search for Mari deepens, she’s learning all sorts of things about her and none of it good. 

Of course, the search for Mari is amplified by the fact that the baby is due any minute and Lexi has no idea if she will ever see either of them again. What’s coming out about Mari is not looking good. She had a dark side and was hanging with a rough crowd but it’s Mari, her dear friend Mari. In her mind, Lexi is convinced that Mari’s life is on the line and of course, that means her own baby too.

This story offers enough twists to keep you guessing and adds a few endearing characters that I really enjoyed getting to  know. I found Pinky Swear to be a good distraction from the world I am currently living in.

Recommend. It comes out February 24, 2026.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
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