This was an intricate family drama, where two women find out they’re half sisters from a DNA test. But what if that isn’t even the biggest secret in their lives?

Caroline’s husband gifts the adults in their family a DNA test for Christmas. Seems like a fun idea, right? But a few months later, Caroline gets a notice that she has a match—a new family member that she’s never known anything about. As expected, family upheaval ensues. While she’s reservedly happy that she may now have a sister, like she always wished for, the discovery that there may be an ulterior motive for them reconnecting threatens to destroy the relationship they’ve built so far.

The first half of the book was more or less predictable, although the fact that Sela wasn’t as driven to get Caroline’s kidney and save her own life was a bit unexpected. The author explained her reservations quite well, and the character’s motivations were believable. The twist toward the end of the book was a surprise, though.

Overall, I gave this book four out of five stars. The twist cast a whole new light on the characters’ lives, organ donation, and the expectations and responsibilities of the medical community. It can really make a reader think. I’d recommend this book for those who enjoy contemporary family dramas.

Wow! What a can of worms you can open with a fun gift of DNA tests. The author does an excellent job addressing how the test results affects multiple people. The characters are well developed and the way Caroline and Sela’s viewpoints are shared in alternating chapters is handled well. Because I have a friend who has had three kidney transplants … two cadaver donor and one personal friend donor that resulted in a three-way donation … this story really appealed to me. The decisions that have to be made and the way it affects so many people is touching. So many emotions are addressed … from loneliness, love, regret, infidelity … so many aspects that will have you giving serious thought to how life can present some major issues with which you will have to deal.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Oh. Wow. That's the best way to describe my immediate emotions after I finished this book. I truly had no idea what to expect as I requested it because of it's cover. I didn't even read the synopsis until I was part way through it, but it didn't really explain much of what was to come. I will admit that I didn't find the beginning overly intriguing or interesting. I wasn't sure where it was headed and figured it would turn out to be another typical DNA test turns up secret sibling book. There was SO MUCH more than that in this book.

The characters weren't truly overly likeable, you definitely feel for them as they go through all that they do throughout the book, but it's hard to like them overall. In this books case, that worked, because it added to the story. I think this is a complex family drama, with a lot more to it than you'd think. Definitely an underrated, not talked about enough book, that everyone should check out!

Fabulously written if you enjoy character-driven stories over those seeking a lot of action. The web of connections felt as real as if it were happening to your next-door neighbor. Highly recommended.

Two women leading drastically different lives discover they’re related through a mail-in DNA test. Caroline was happily living her life with her husband, children and a great relationship with her parents. Her husband purchased DNA kits for the family as a Christmas gift only to unexpectedly discover that her family isn’t as close-knit as they thought.

Discovering a half-sister, Caroline begins to build a relationship with her sister Sela only to discover that Sela is terminally ill and in need of a donor match immediately for any chance at survival. As the two begin to learn about each other, they uncover hidden secrets that both of their mothers worked for years to bury.

On the surface, this was a fun book about sisterly bonds and family ties. I loved exploring Caroline’s idea of what makes up a family and Sela’s grief managing her illness, a failed marriage, her mother’s passing, and her fear for her two-year-old son. It would be a lot for anyone to navigate even just one of those obstacles, but combined, it was extraordinary. Jessica Strawser went so much deeper than just the surface bonds though and really delved into each of her character’s strengths and weaknesses. She exposed their insecurities and their flaws, making them face themselves wholly in the process.

While Caroline is learning to understand and navigate Sela’s world, she begins to learn more about her own past. Understandably, like when any decision or event is thrown into question, Caroline begins to ponder the road not taken and analyze why she ended up where she did. I can’t imagine finding out I have a half sister out in the world, but I think most of us can relate to the “what if?” game we so often play whenever new possibilities arise.

Overall, I absolutely loved this novel and thought it was compelling and thought-provoking.

A Million Reasons Why is a totally engrossing, provocative, and thought provoking book that deals with DNA testing, which has been a recent hot topic, both in the news and in many books. This story of half-sisters who discover each other through a DNA test, and the resulting ethical conflicts, immediately intrigued me and drew me in. Carolyn and Sela are the protagonists and narrators of the story and it is told in their alternating points of view. As the story unfolds, the reader learns more of Sela’s and Caroline’s complex, individual stories and there is exploration of many family dynamics and secrets from both of their families.

This was a slow-burn character-driven story with relatable and believable characters. The author’s great descriptive writing and storytelling brought the story and all of the primary and secondary characters to life. The dialogue was always genuine and honest.

Even though this book is a family drama (or melodrama), there were many suspenseful and surprising plot twists and turns, some of which were totally unpredictable. To say any more about the plot would be wandering into spoiler territory. There were so many secrets and twists I often didn’t know what would happen next. There is so much more to the story than you might expect. There are numerous themes including: motherhood, friendship, chronic disease, love, sacrifice, letting go, family dynamics, infidelity, loss, betrayal, hope, familial bonds, and loyalty. In addition, there was a lot of interesting information woven in about organ donation from several perspectives. Even though the recent trend of mail-in DNA tests is a common occurrence, Strawser elevates this topic by incorporating so many other themes. What I liked the most about this book was that with so much going on, you can’t help but put yourself into the same situation and ask, “What would I do if faced with these same decisions?” This would really be a great book for a book club discussion since it is filled with many moral dilemmas, and each character is faced with difficult decisions. A book club would have a lot of material to debate about the issues and the decisions that these characters made.

This book was endorsed by Jodi Picoult and would appeal to her fans. I highly recommend this book for fans of family dramas, with a little suspense thrown in. This was my first book by Jessica Strawser and I am looking forward to going back and reading some of her other work.

Incredibly beautifully story. Families are definitely complex and this book explains this complexity as well as the love they shared as well as forgiveness. Get your tissues but many tears are happy tears. Just wonderful. Amazing author ❤️

I am a huge fan of Jessica Strawser's books ever since reading her debut a number of years ago. A Million Reasons Why is my favorite book of hers so far. The story has heart and is a compelling read. I couldn't put this one down. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This Author has done it again. She weaves her characters and the story so magically you can’t help but devour her book up and forget about anything else.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Jessica Strawser is one of my favorite female writers. I would classify A Million Reasons Why as a women's fiction with some suspense.

Two women are brought together by a mail-in DNA test, claiming they are half sisters. Caroline is happily married with three young children. Sela is divorced, with a young child, and is in kidney failure and needing a transplant. Caroline could be that match she desperately needs. Amidst all this, the drama starts within the family, and lives are disrupted.

Told from Sela's and Caroline's viewpoints, it was easy to be absorbed into Sela's disease and fight to survive and Caroline's family drama. The characters were well developed and easy to connect with. The turmoil and struggles that Sela was going through, made your heart break for her. There were times that I had tears rolling down my cheeks when she would talk about her son and not wanting to leave him.

Caroline's story line was just as equally good. The family drama that ensued. The fact that all past mistakes somehow affects the present.

I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend it. Definitely a heart-tugging, thought provoking story that will leave you thinking about it long after you have read it.

This book brought tears to my eyes at times. This was a beautiful novel about family packed full of emotions. It was about the beautiful and the difficult times when two women get the results of their DNA tests. Both of their lives changed so much. How their lives are effected and those around them is presented beautifully. It was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. This reminded me of the emotional style of Jessica’s earlier novel Almost Missed You.

Wow, what an intriguing, emotional family drama. I haven’t cried with a book in a while, but I did with this one. This book did not seem unrealistic in any way to me like other family dramas. The information about the DNA testing and medical aspects regarding organ transplants I found very interesting. This was my first book but this author and I look forward to reading more. This one will stay with me for a while. 4.5 stars

This book….wow. I had major Jodi Picoult vibes throughout, which kept me so interested because I love JP. The situation the sisters found themselves in had me asking myself so many questions, and several times I did not have the answer. I love when a book makes me think, and this kept me on my toes.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Hmmmmmm. This title should have worked for me.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy it enough to keep going. I can't put my feeling on exactly why except to say. ehhhhh, my shelf is too full to read mediocre books.

I have decided to put this down. Thank you for the opportunity to review this title.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. Unfortunately, I did not connect with the characters and did not finish the story. I won't be leaving a full review.

Caroline's husband Walt gives the whole family DNA kits for a Christmas present. They send them in, not expecting to find out anything surprising. Caroline was shocked, when the results came back saying that there was a match, showing she had a half-sibling. Sela, having entered her information in the database because she has kidney disease and is in desperate need of a kidney transplant, contacts Caroline. This starts a chain reaction with far-reaching consequences.
I have read several other books by this author, so I was really looking forward to reading this one. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this one as much. It was a very depressing book, although it did have an interesting twist near the end, I just did not enjoy it like I have previous books. It was well written, just not my favorite book.

Mail-in DNA kits have been all the rage in the past number of years helping people learn more about their ancestry and meet new relatives. It has also made people discover some secrets from their family's past. That is the case with the two main characters in this book. Caroline and Sela are strangers who discover that they are half-sisters. Caroline has a happy life with her husband and 3 young children. Meanwhile, Sela's life is not going as well. She has kidney disease and the stress of her illness has caused her and her husband to separate. The two women also uncover other family secrets as well.

This one slightly missed the mark for me. I see it classified as a thriller but it wasn't super thrilling for me. *shrug*. I liked the DNA test aspect and as someone with friends/family members with kidney disease that side of the plot caught my interest, but I just didn't connect with the story. It was one of those stories that I kept waiting for MORE...more connection, more intrigue, more something.
This was the first book that I've read by this author and I would still be interested in reading more. by her.

I have read several books by Jessica Strawser and enjoyed them so when I saw A Million Reasons Why I knew that I just had to pick it up. Jessica Strawser’s novels are all marketed as thrillers but with this latest I almost felt as if it were more of a family drama with just a touch of thriller.

The story introduces readers to Caroline, a wife and mother of three children. Caroline is about to have her world turned upside down when she gets the results of a simple DNA test. Somehow the results show that Caroline has a half sister that she knew nothing about, how, why??

On the other side of that DNA result sits Sela who is in the process of fighting for her life. Given a grim diagnosis Sela needs to find a match to give her any hope of survival so she submitted her DNA but now that she may have found someone Sela doesn’t know if she could possibly as for help.

While I wasn’t sure while I was reading this one if I’d really have called it a thriller myself it did have some twists along the way. The story was one that was very thought provoking too making it very compelling to continue to read to find out how it would turn out for these characters. I have known people who have found unknown relatives so I know it’s not uncommon but I couldn’t help but be curious about this particular fictional situation and feel for all of the characters as they navigated a tough situation.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

After Caroline gifted her family mail-in DNA tests for Christmas, she discovers that she has a half-sister. Caroline grew up as an only child close to both of her parents. On the surface, she has the perfect life. Sela on the other hand grew up with a single mother who she's recently lost. And she discovered that she has irreversible kidney failure while she was pregnant with her son and is in search of a kidney donor. As the two of them grow to know each other, Caroline explores the possibility of being that donor.

A Million Reasons Why is told from the alternating perspectives of Caroline and Sela. I loved getting to know both characters as they got to know each other. Both main characters are well-developed.

This book had an interesting premise, the family that people find through DNA tests. It completely changes the lives of the two half-sisters in the book, Sela and Caroline. Sela has kidney failure and her life is full and uncertainty. Caroline’s is settled and happy, and the existence a sister upsets everything she’s known about her family.

I highly recommend this book, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.