The book follows Missy Kinkaid, a fifty-something woman navigating the mess of family baggage, complicated friendships, and the ghosts of old loves. It digs into her rocky relationship with her mother, who spent most of her life institutionalized, her bond with her late father, who adored her, and her often-fractured but deeply entwined connection with her cousin Margo. Around her orbit, other women, like Scarlet and Amber, form her circle of truth-telling, wine-drinking allies. What unfolds is not a neat story but a layered patch.

Reading it felt like sitting across from a friend who doesn’t sugarcoat anything. I laughed out loud at Missy’s breakdown in the cereal aisle, and then I teared up when she admitted how much her mother’s coldness still cut into her. The writing had this strange magic. At times, it was witty and biting, other times, it felt like someone opening an old wound right in front of me. Some parts rambled, but even then, I didn’t want to look away. It felt messy in the best way, like life itself.

I found myself torn between wanting to hug Missy and wanting to shake her. Her bitterness toward Margo stung, but I understood it, and the honesty of that relationship was one of my favorite parts. The book isn’t afraid to show women being selfish, being cruel, and being brave, sometimes all at once. That’s what hooked me most, the refusal to paint anyone as simply good or bad. The emotional swings kept me on my toes. One page I was chuckling at sarcastic banter, the next I was heavy with grief. It felt real in a way most novels don’t.

I was left thinking about how family shapes us, even when we try to escape it, and how friendship can carry us through the darkest corners of memory. I’d recommend this book to readers who like character-driven stories that don’t flinch away from uncomfortable truths. It’s especially for women who have lived through complicated families, failed relationships, and the ache of trying to start over. If you want something tidy, this isn’t it. But if you want to feel like you’ve lived a whole other life, then Missy Kinkaid’s story is worth your time.

Pages: 288 | ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FPYKKFTP