DNA tests in books seem to be all the rage and I get it, with all the sites where you can send in a swab to discover or learn more about your ancestry, which countries you are from, etc. DNA tests can bring people together, even help you find a sibling you did not know you had!

Caroline is married with three children. She is close with her parents and in-laws.

Sela is divorced and suffering from Kidney failure. Her mother has passed away and while she is still grieving, she needs to find a donor. She has learned that Caroline is her half-sister....

What would you do if you learned you have a sibling close to your age? What if you learned that your parents are not perfect? Will you image of them change? What would you risk for someone you just met? What would you do if you were either woman? How would you feel if your world were turned upside down? What makes a family? What sacrifices are you willing to make for your family?

There are quite a few surprises in this book. Also, a lot of "what's as in what would you do or what- ifs?” Also, plenty of secrets and denial to keep piling on the drama - and there is a lot of family drama! As you know there is no drama like family drama. This book gives new meaning to the term "save that drama for your mamma." As the secrets come out, characters in this book must take a long hard look at themselves, those he/she loves, and things he/she thought was the truth and examine his/her life choices. Who will you root for? Will you feel for each character or just certain ones?

You will also learn some about kidney donations, asking for help, not wanting help, and the stain of stress on individuals. Organ donation, we are asked if we want to be organ donors when we get a driver’s license, that is an easy yes or no and something that will happen in the event of death. But ask yourself, would you donate an organ now, today, to a family member? Would you donate an organ to a stranger? That is a BIG decision. This part was very thought provoking for me.

There are a lot of themes in this book - love, marriage, infidelity, missed opportunities, loneliness, chronic disease, regret, secrets, deception, motherhood, friendship, choices, and family. I was all over the place on how I felt about certain characters while reading this. This would make a really good book club book as there is a lot to discuss.

I found this to be an enjoyable thought-provoking book.


Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an emotional family drama with a lot of dialogues and monologues about feelings, motivation, and coulda, woulda, shouldas. There are secrets, lies, and a chronically ill character. This would be a good book for a book club as there is a lot to pick apart. Overall, not a bad read, but for me, there was too much talk and too little action.

I was pulled in right away. Caroline's husband gave the whole family DNA tests for Christmas. Caroline doesn't pay attention to it until she gets an email from someone claiming to be her half-sister. She does some sleuthing in her mom's and dad's accounts and finds out her father is a match. From there all kinds of mayhem ensues. There were a lot of moral dilemmas that bear some thinking about. What would I do in a situation like this? I think it would make a good book club discussion.

There were a bunch of interesting characters. Caroline is married to Walt and they have three children, while Sela is divorced. You find out early on that Sela has chronic kidney disease and Caroline could be a match. At first I couldn't warm up to her. She was raised by her mother and never knew who her father was and so they were very protective of each other. Hannah, Caroline's mother, did not leave me with a good impression, nor did her father, Fred.

I would totally recommend this to friends. I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with this book.

With A MILLION REASONS WHY, Jessica Strawser explores our common fascination with DNA testing to learn more about our genetics, connections, and history. Strawser's unique talent in teasing out the most fascinating and compelling "What if...." questions is in full blossom here with the story of Caroline, an only child whose DNA test results are the beginning of an unraveling of the life she thought she chose, broken hearts and trusted relationships alike. When a previously unknown relative reaches out to her, Caroline's exquisitely balanced family and work lives come to a screeching halt as she struggles with the secrets, hopes, desires, and responsibilities we have to our blood, our families, and ourselves. Strawser has delivered another terrific read with her trademark piercing insight into the heart and mind of a working woman juggling children, marriage, friendship, and relationships.

Caroline and Sela are half-sisters who find each other via a dna test. Add to the awkwardness of finding a secret sister is the fact that Sela is dying and needs a kidney. Is Caroline the answer to her prayers? Will Caroline's family stand between what Caroline thinks is the right thing to do because of their own issues? All this plays out together in a narration that bounces back and forth between the two sisters. I enjoyed the story of the sisters getting to know and care for each other. Equally, I enjoyed learning a bit more about organ transplants, though this does play a smaller part of the narrative. It was also nice that Ms. Strawser wrote in a manner meant to keep the reader on their toes. Obstacles popped up, surprises were had, and it all combined to make for an enjoyable read, even if I thought the resolution was a bit contrived.

For as much drama there was in this book, it sure was boring. I really wanted more, but instead all we got was lies and failure to communicate. An open conversation would have gone a long way in this book and I think that's what frustrated me. The characters were hard to connect with and understand their decision making processes. There was one twist that made me gasp, but other than that, I just wanted this book to end.

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Sela and Caroline have never met until a DNA test provides both with an opportunity to meet. This is a novel filled with questions, hope and family crisis as one sister fights to survive and the other fights to understand. It addresses the issues of medical advocacy in the area of transplants and handles the issues of adoption and genetic testing with informative and plausible dialogue. Well written and enjoyable book.

This is absolutely the best book this author has written. It's almost to lyrical. Like reading with your whole heart. It hits your soul. It's told through the eyes of Sela and Caroline. Each with a beautiful, painful, and heartfelt story to share. One that will stick to you long after you close the book. It hits you full force all the way through. From beginning to end.

One of two of my favorite quotes from this book: 1) What kind of woman would be upset when her husband confesses that he's grown to love her more with time, a climb so steady they never stopped to notice the heights they'd reached, even as couple all around them lost hold, tumbling to their demise?
2) Organ transplantation and donation are acts of charity, agape love, and self-sacrifice. We recognize the life-giving benefits of organ and tissue donation and encourage all people of faith to become donors as part of their love and ministry to others in need.
I believe everyone who can should be an organ donor. I lost my youngest brother who needed a liver transplant. He was so close... I miss him everyday and wonder what would have life been like had he gotten that transplant. If you can donate please do.

This is truly a heartfelt story of two sisters who never new the other existed until they did. Until one did the DNA test to find out if she had any family. To find out if she had anyone who could possibly donate a kidney that would save her life. From there things go full force towards a whole new life. New relationship. Two sisters getting to know each other as grownups. Despite the fact that mothers kept them apart.

I loved almost all the characters in this book. They were open, honest, caring, and loving. The parents of the two woman, Sela and Caroline, I did not like. I thought of them as selfish and even if they were doing things for what they thought was the right reason it was just wrong. Some things are just not right to keep to yourself. I especially thought Caroline's dad was a jerk. That is my opinion of him. A first rate jerk. But only after he knew the truth. Before that he was in the dark as much as everyone else that counted.

This book draws you in and will hold you captive until the very end. You will root for the sisters. You will also find some pretty intense things going on. Some things that are not as they seem. A bunch of lies being told but some for reasons that are not meant to hurt or harm anyone.

This book shows you what it's like to have some mental health issues and feel like no one cares or that there is nowhere to turn. Or that you just can't or are not ready to let go. It's about organ transplantation. About needing something that will save your life. Knowing that without it you will die. There is no way to survive. It's about the possibility that you may want it to end. All the things you can't do or have anymore. All the things that can go wrong with just one slip. Even the fact that you can't drink as much water as you want. This is a very emotional book. One that makes you feel like you are right there with these two young women. A part of what they are going through. You will feel their pain.

The last several chapters had me weeping so hard it was hard to read. My eyes were so full of tears that I had to get up and move around. My heart broke so many times. But it's a beautifully written story. The way the two tell their story is so realistic you will believe it. You will not doubt that this actually happened. The sad thing is it happens every day. People depend on people to survive.

Thank you #NetGalley, #JessicaStrawser, #StMartinsPress for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book.

5/5 stars and I recommend it to everyone who loves a good cry and a good heartfelt story. It's truly perfection.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reading copy of this book.

Caroline is a woman who has it all - a warm and secure marriage, a loving relationship with her parents, 3 great kids, and a close friend she can confide in. One year, her husband is in charge of the gifts and buys DNA kids for his wife and her parents. When the results link her to a half-sister, she's sure it can't be accurate as she is an only child. For her half-sister, Sela, the DNA test has brought forth both a sister and a potential kidney donor which she so desperately needs. For Caroline, it has opened Pandora's box. How could her parents have kept this from her and are they keeping other secrets?

This book sounded like a page-turner, but it was very slow-moving. I never looked forward to picking it up again after setting it down.

The premise behind this book is a great "what if" scenario. What if you have a sibling (or half sibling) you never knew about? What if you found about about them via a random mail-in DNA test? What if one of you has a potentially terminal illness? This is all great material and opens so many venues for thoughts and opinions. For Caroline and Sela, this is what happens and their worlds are both shaken to the core. It makes them each evaluate what they thought they knew in their lives and what's most important.

I thought this book was a genuine exploration into family dynamics. So much happens behind closed doors. Each character in this book was carrying around secrets. The only difference was that some had more power to wound and destroy than others. I noticed the book is classified as a thriller. I don't believe that is an accurate description. I would view it as more family drama and women's fiction. It was a wonderful read, albeit sometimes heartbreaking. I wanted more for these characters. I felt like there was a bit of damage done that wasn't quite unraveled - - but maybe that's more realistic.

I know one thing for sure. I look forward to reading more by this author. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

A Million Reasons Why was a sad story but a believable one.

With the help of a DNA kit, Sela is able to locate her half-sibling, Caroline. Sela is in need of help. She has chronic kidney failure. She feels tired, unable to do much exercise and sometimes feels like she can't take care of her child. Her best friend and her ex-husband are pushing her to do the Big Ask. To ask her half-sibling whom she has never met for a kidney. Sela feels conflicted but she also wants to live.

Caroline had no clue that her husband's Christmas gift to her family was going to be the one responsible for creating chaos. Caroline's world implodes when Sela's email arrives. She is shocked, to say the least. She can't believe that one of her parents was not faithful. It shocks her to her core. Worse, she and Sela are almost the same age.

Sela's email also opens old wounds for Caroline. Sela lives in the town Caroline thought about moving to with her boyfriend, Keaton many years ago. When a job doesn't pan out, Keaton breaks her heart without a good explanation. Yes, she is now married to Walter, she has three children and Walt is attentive, sweet and a great dad but Caroline still thinks about what it could have been.

The road for Sela and Caroline is not an easy one. So many secrets affecting them all. Some are hard to forget and to forgive but can they find a way to do so?

A Million Reasons Why was a well-written and well-developed novel. I was rooting for both sisters to find a way to each other and also I really wanted Sela to get a new kidney. At times, I felt like Caroline had it all and Sela was due for something good to happen to her. I was not happy with the decisions taken by Caroline's parents but I guess, it works in the end.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Caroline has a seemingly perfect life until she gets a notification one day that the mail-in DNA test she took has revealed a new match, a half-sister named Sela she had no idea existed. The two are the same age and share a father but thats where the similarities end - where Caroline is happily married with three healthy kids and two parents who dote on her, Sela was raised by her mom who passed away, has a son who was born premature and is suffering from kidney failure and desperate for a donor, the strain of which has ruined her marriage. The sisters decide to get to know each other but each secret that gets revealed threatens to turn their worlds upside down, and Caroline is faced with a difficult decision - will she save the life of someone she barely knows?

I had a hard time with this book. I liked both Caroline and Sela but found most of the other characters annoying. There's also a lot going on - the reveal of the sisters, the story behind Sela's birth, a long-lost love drama for Caroline, a strange backstory to her relationship with her husband, Sela's premature son's issues. her fraught relationship with her not-yet-ex-husband, a nurse/comedian who gets close to Sela... I could go on. There's also a twist near the end that really bothered me. It didn't feel necessary and undermined everything I
d come to feel about several characters. The central question of whether Caroline would donate her kidney to this sister she just met would have been enough for me - the extra layers felt extraneous and the final resolution was a bit of a cop out in my opinion.

Full disclosure: This was the second book I read this month about DNA tests revealing secret relatives (I'll share my review for the other, Little Pieces of Me by Alison Hammer, this week) and I tried not to compare the two considering the test is really the only thing they have in common.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy to review.

What lengths do you go for love and forgiveness?

Shortest Summary Ever: Caroline and her hubby live a cozy family life that’s suddenly upended when they learn through mail-in DNA testing that she has a half sister. That’s right - dad was messing around... with her mom’s bestie.

Sela, half-sister, suffers from chronic kidney disease, her husband left her during the worst moments of her life, and to top it off her beloved mother passed away. Life has been dark, but Caroline could offer a light if she’s a viable donor match. How do you ask for something from someone who is a stranger? Or DO you ask? There’s no simple answer to difficult questions. So many complications... so many turns in this tale.

Thoughts: This book is so much about themes of love (in many forms) and forgiveness (in equally as many forms). I feel like a better person having read this. I never suspected love and forgiveness could be so layered, so many shades of gray, but this book reveals those shades like the dawning of a new day. The colors change depending on your view. The colors transformed so many times for me from hope to sadness to light and love and family to devastating shock and loneliness.

On a personal note, this book touched a huge chord for me as I have lived with chronic illnesses for 8 years - 5 physical ones to be exact. While Sela’s journey and disease is not my own, the commonalities are endless. I am handling mine alone and have handled it (with help from loved ones), but ultimately as many chronic illness warriors know, we all travel our journey solo. There truly isn’t an alternative. I have thought dark thoughts. I have had some moments of pure light... but yep - shades of gray consume my every day. The only people who “get it” are those who have walked the road and know.

Bravo to the author for NAILING it.

All my reviews available at scrappymags.com around time of publication.

Genre: Contemporary Literature/Women’s fiction (though honestly I don’t see it as “chic-lit!!)

Recommend to: Its a best-seller type, reminded me a bit of Jodi Picoult, and I highly, highly recommend this to all my chronic illness warrior peeps! 💜💚💜💚💜

Not recommended to: If the topic of being a donor is too raw.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for making me feel heard. Simply heard.

This book is a family drama, involving grown two half-sisters (who just met), the father of both, and their respective families.
The two sisters met under strange and stressful circumstances.

The plot is multi-layered and intense. It involves secrets that everyone carries. The discovery of these secrets is proving to be devastating.

The characters are all well developed and realistic. They suit the story well. The 2 sisters take turns narrating the story. Their perspectives of the situation are not the same. It gets intense. Then comes the question to the reader: What would you do? There are decisions to be made, the reader is kept wondering what the outcome will be.

There is a huge double twist to the story as it nears the end. It surprised me and made the story even better.

Fans of Diane Chamberlain and early Jodi Picoult will enjoy this book. The complex plotline is very similar to the type of stories they produce.

Now, my negative comment about this book.......it was a hard book to read. This was not about the storyline but the writing style. It is very wordy, sometimes I had to reread whole sentences or paragraphs to understand what was being said. The one thing that bothered me several times throughout the book: one character would say or ask something. Then there were a lot of lines of narrative before the other character replied or reacted. By that time I had to backtrack to refresh my mind about what they were answering. I did finally get somewhat used to the writing style but I found that it detracted from the story. From my perspective, it is not necessary to have a fancy writing style to convey a good story. Sometimes, simple is good.

This book would have been a 5 star rating for me if I hadn't felt that I was slogging through parts of it. I enjoyed the story and the characters a lot but could only rate it 4 stars. Perhaps if I had read it at a different time, the writing style would not have been an issue for me. But, I am glad that I read this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

2.5 Stars

I’m torn on this one. It started out good. The complexities of family and love tinged with betrayal is explored. But then it just started to drag and some of the points the author was trying to make just didn’t go over well with me. I’m not sure. Or maybe I just can’t think outside of the box.

When I realized the twist, I finally understood and was angered for one character and completely unsympathetic towards another who probably deserved my sympathy.

And then I thought the last few chapters of the story were going to save it for me. But, alas, no such luck. I kinda hate how this ended.

A Million Reasons Why is my third book by this author. I would classify it as Women's Fiction. But with a bit of suspense added.

This book alternates between two female 3rd person POVs: Caroline and Sela.

Caroline has a husband and three young children at home. Sela has a young child, a dog and a husband who has recently left her.

The two women's lives become intertwined. And I was completely fascinated by their story.

This book deals with chronic disease, DNA tests, and lots of family drama.

I honestly was not sure where the story was headed. And I was very impressed that the author made parts of the story unexpected and less predictable. The last part of the book was very strong. And overall I really enjoyed it.

Wow, this was a powerful story. It has all the feels: sad, happy, confused, heart-broken, hopeful. The author certainly creates both tension and empathy for the characters and what they are going through. And there are many compelling pieces of the story to keep the reader turning the pages to see how it ends.

A Million Reasons Why is solid women's fiction that starts with a gift of DNA kits and evolves into a nuanced look at sisterhood and a great exploration of organ failure as well as mental illness and coping mechanisms.

Caroline, a do it all and have it all wife and mother finds out she has a half sister, Sela, from the DNA test. After trying, unsuccessfully to prove it's a mistake, she finds out that yes, Sela is her sister, and starts to bond with her over the objections of her mother, who has her own reasons for wanting them to have no contact, her father, who comes off as a jerk, and her husband.

Sela has more that just a reason to find her birth father when she took her own DNA test, something her ex and best friend want but that she isn't sure she does, especially as she gets to know Caroline.

I thought A Million Reasons Why had a great storyline and grew to love Caroline and Sela, though my thoughts about their families are more mixed, but that's the beauty of this thoughtfully written novel.

Different, and relatable, this will definitely be a must read for women's fiction fans and would pair really well with Jodi Picoult's My Sister’s Keeper, which is a huge plus since Picoult blurbed this! Highly recommended.

W.O.W! OMG! Fabulous story line with more twists and turns than a roller coaster ride. Amazing, authentic characters with complex relationships and dynamic growth. LOVED IT! This is the most powerful book I have read all year!

After reading “Forget You Know Me” last year, I knew I had to read this one when I saw it on NetGalley. Jessica is truly an amazing storyteller with an eye for details. It’s that eye that brings you deep into the story and refuses to let you go.

This story was so much more than I thought it’d be. There was suspense, heart wrenching pain, and there was a couple of twists. Twists that I never saw coming. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and know that y’all will too! It’ll be available next week on the 23rd (March 23, 2021) courtesy of St Martins Press. Make sure to grab it, you won’t regret it.

What happens when you do a mail in DNA test just for fun, except something else comes back. Something else that threatens to tear your entire family apart. Can you recover from it without breaking apart every emotion that’s jarring you to be mad and angry? Can you put anger aside and do what needs to be done to save someone? Or will it blow up in everyone’s faces.

This novel was very hard to put down, so grab it! Thanks to NetGalley, St Martins Press and the author, Jessica for the advanced reading copy!