Loved this book! So different. And empowering. Loved the idea behind it and the characters. With a mystery built in. I have recommended this book as a summer read to many! Great and would love a sequel.

The Change is a tale of betrayal, secrets, revenge, love, and bad ass women taking down (some of) the patriarchy. Nessa, Harriet, and Jo are three women who all experience The Change. Whether it's the acquisition of new powers or a strengthening of dormant powers, these women learn how to shape the world through fire, botany, and visions. When Nessa's powers lead her to the body of a young woman, the three start a journey together to understand the cuase of her death, only to uncover so much more.

This book was fast paced and beautifully written. The main characters were strong, well developed, and a comfort when looking at the world they're dealing with. This was a great book for those who like some magical realism or subtle supernatural features in their books without going overboard or seeming to obscure. While the "twist" at the end was somewhat predictable, I felt that it was important to the plot and still strengthened the message of the book.

🌿 B O O K • R E V I E W 🌿
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Title: The Change
Author: Kirsten Miller
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (Rounded up to 4 stars on Netgalley, Goodreads and Amazon)
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I’m a little torn on my rating here. Did I enjoy the story? Absolutely, but there are a few things that really kind of irked me about this one. I wasnt really sure what I was getting myself into reading this one, but it is most definitely unique.
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The Change follows three women with very unique “powers”, Nessa can see the dead, Harriett is a horticulturalist and Jo can channel her inner anger through the palms of her hands. Intrigued? So was I! I really liked the witchy vibe, but in a more realistic sense. The story was set up and executed with the perfect mystery, involving the discovery of a serial killer in their town. I enjoyed how the story unfolded and how each piece fell into place perfectly, Miller left no stone unturned. A huge bonus for me was that we get a little insight to the victims in some chapters, where we see their side to the story. It really gave such a powerful perspective to the story. The acts of revenge in this one were perfectly placed throughout. The ending - twisty and one I did not see coming. I loved it. Truly phenomenal.
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If I truly loved this story then why am I so torn? Well, if I am going to be completely honest, this story really seemed to be a huge bashing on men. I am very proud to be a woman, and I absolutely loved the strong female roles in this one, and yes enjoyed the acts of revenge at points, but this almost felt like this was written in pure angst against men and at times the over abundance of hate for men was off-putting. There were a bunch of characters that seemed to get distorted through the lengthy chapters in this one, there were points where I was reading and a name came up and I thought “wait who was that?”. Could this have been shorter? Sure, did I mind the length though? No not necessarily.
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I think this will most definitely be the book of the summer, I think that it is one that will have great discussions that will be a favorite for many! This one is well written, though can be long winded at times, has a great storyline; I just personally didn’t like the anti-men message that I perceived.
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Huge thank you to Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my unbiased opinion.
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#netgalley #netgalleyearc #netgalleyreview #threeandahalfstars #tornrating #feminismbutnot #antimen #perfectmysteryandmagicalrealism #thechange #kirstenmiller

Such a great story!! I didn’t know what to expect going into this but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised for sure.

This certainly wasn't what I expected when I started reading a book about 3 women who are going through "the change". One is going through menopause, one is going through coping with an empty nest, and one is going through losing her job and her marriage. Stories as old as time. Right? WRONG! Well the traditional changes that women face are certainly in the story but add in a splash of supernatural, a little witchcraft, and some superhero for extra measure and that is closer to what this book is about. And these 3 women are able to channel all this into results we all want to cheer for but are afraid to do in real life. If you want to read a book that keeps you not just interested but intrigued throughout and hoping it isn't the end of the book yet when you turn the page, pick up The Change. I know I will be looking for more books by this author.

As a 40-something year old woman, I have to believe I am part of the target audience for this book. I heard a lot of buzz about this book on bookstagram and was very excited when I had the chance to read this book via Netgalley. The "change" the book is talking about seems to me to be a play on the term referring to when a woman hits menopause, and flips it on its head and instead, turns it into a term for when women stop wasting their energy on men and start channeling it in a new, much more productive, direction, thus creating a feminist manifesto for those over forty.

This book was super fun to read, and even better, it has a lot to say on women's role in society and, more particularly, how the value of a woman can changes throughout the course of her life based on her age. I related to this book so, so much. Not so much the superpowers, unfortunately. But more so to the feeling that as I get older, I care less and less about things that used to matter a lot more than they do now. The mystery portion of the book was also very compelling and well written.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it resonated with me a ton. I purchased a hardcover copy and I plan on sharing it with all of the other powerful (older) women in my life, and with some of the younger ones as well, so they know they will have a lot to look forward to in the future.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for this honest review!**

The Change is a murder mystery/magical realism offering about a group of women who develop supernatural abilities as they enter menopause. The plot line and characters are interesting and held my interest, although both were rather over the top in terms of believability. The ending was a bit disappointing when the perpetrators don’t have to face the justice of the legal system—just the vigilante justice of the main characters. In spite of this, I would read the next book if it is the first in a series.

I loved this book! I loved these women! This is a book that will be in my top reads of 2022. When young girls go missing, their souls cry out and they are heard and cared for by Nessa, a widowed empty-nester. Two other women help her with their womanly powers and will not be stopped by any type of authority. They will do what they have to to uncover the truth and set these souls free.

This book is all about woman power. A great fantasy/murder mystery all in one.

It follows our main characters Jo, Nessa, and Harriet. They each have a gift in which they are each learning how to use and control throughout the book. These gifts allow them to help solve a mystery in which young girls are disappearing from their neighborhood and wind up dead. The police aren’t helping much since the girls are poor and their existence didn’t matter. Yet that’s what the author leads us to think.

This book has many twists and turns. At the same time when a new character is introduced to the story, their backstory is explained to gain a better perspective. That point may turn off some readers but I didn’t mind it at all.

Would I recommend this book? Absolutely. I loved it. Harriet is by far my favorite character. Always straight and to the point. The strength of a woman far surpasses what we think and know. These women proved that.

This was a great story about women finding themselves and discovering their abilities after 50.

Three women who previously only knew each other by sight join to solve the kidnaping and murders of teenage girls. All are troubled girls that no one would miss if they went missing. The murdered girls call to Nessa James for help and with her ability to her the dead, she goes to them. Harriett Osbourne has forsaken the corporate world for growing herbs and flowers with varying uses. Jo Levison owns a for women only gym where everyone is accepted. Many find themselves using the facility to work off negative emotions by pushing themselves far beyond their comfort zone.

The women’s quest into solving the murder one young girl leads them into a society of people so rich that normal laws and societal expectations do not apply. Danger abounds as the three use their talents to find justice.

I found this book to be exciting, interesting, well-written and intriguing. I want these ladies as my besties! A great read.


I received an ARC from William Morrow through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

I loved this book. It pulled me in right from the start. Great cast of characters, Harriet being my favorite! Book full of mystery, sexism, and female empowerment and magic! Will look forward to seeing more from Kirsten Miller. Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for the opportunity to read this fantastic book!

WOW! The Change was one of the very few books that I truly did not want to be done with, despite it being almost 500 pages long. I was hooked from the very beginning, never wanted to put it down, and couldn’t wait until I could pick it back up again! After being done with it for nearly a week, I still find myself wanting to pick it back up!

I loved getting to know all of the characters and their backstories, and couldn’t get enough of the murders they were trying to solve. The witchy vibes added a really fun element to the whole story!

Loved, loved, loved this one so much more than I expected to!

You don’t want to mess with the ladies of The Change. They will get their revenge. This was a fun book and I really enjoyed this modern spin of The Witches Of Eastwick!
I could have done without the chapter of their past periods, but once you got past that, I couldn’t wait to see how these three ladies solved the mystery and see how the men who treated them badly got their comeuppance. Recommend!

Thank you #Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for my honest reviews.

What an amazing, inspiring read. I loved seeing these women take their power and use it. They were not to be discounted and made it clear. This is a powerful read.

Wow! What an amazing book. I don’t know if I would have read this book if the publisher hadn’t offered it to me, but I’m so glad I did. It’s brilliant, clever, and much of it is sadly true to life. There’s a touch of the paranormal and occult included, but they work very well with the storyline.

Nessa James can see the dead. They call out to her to come find them, to tell their families about them. It’s a gift that Nessa isn’t always sure she appreciates; it’s just something she has to follow and do. Harriet Osbourne is a former advertising exec who has turned her attention to nature. She’s getting over her anger at being dumped by her company, her profession, because despite her high level of skill, she’s not a man. Jo Levison runs a women’s gym. She has a young daughter who’s mature beyond her years. Jo also has anger issues. Together, they team up to solve the murder of three women who have reached out to Nessa.

There’s so much packed into this book, in no particular order: drug use, friendship, betrayal, women superheroes, serial killers, equality-or lack thereof-between the sexes, family, mystery, strong, determined women, psychic abilities, retribution, justice, punishment, rape, child molestation, and so much more. This book will definitely give its readers something to think about.

I’m so grateful to the publisher for sharing this book with me. It’s a book I had a hard time putting down. The story is compelling and captivating. I’ll be watching for other books by this author, and I can only hope that it be another book including these characters. So, yes, I'm hoping for a series.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.

WOW. Feminism, anger, justice. Need I say more?! This is the type of book I didn't know that I had to have. The unique concept, combined with the incredible characters, makes this a read I'll be recommending again and again.

4.5 Stars rounded up
What a fantastic cast of characters! Harriet in particular has an energy that made me feel like maybe I too could wander naked through wild gardens in order to become the most powerful version of myself. And I don’t like the outdoors. Harriet is full of fun and rich details, making her a captivating friend for Jo and Nessa and a fictional friend for me.
This book is dark, dark, dark- with so many murders, sexual assaults, sexual grooming of minors, and constant reminders of all the ways that the patriarchy has been crushing women. This is a revenge fantasy, and one that didn’t leave me feeling like the women exacting the revenge were just as bad as the men, because the punishments generally fit the crimes- an annoying man received an annoying inconvenience- a true monster or a man who took the lives of others had their life ended, saving many women from becoming future targets.
One of my favorite details was that in the case of Nessa’s gift, it was something a woman came into in each generation of her family when she was in the third act of her life, particularly when she was done raising children. As a new mom I appreciate that a magical matriarchal gift would hold space for motherhood before asking for the kind of sacrifice Nessa’s gift requires.

I can only say that I'm bewildered and delighted by this strange and empowering story. I saw the author's name and knew I'd have fun but...(shakes head) it's very different- and at the same time, not- from my previous Miller reads.

Miller gives her characters a life after 40. A life, a purpose, and power! While anyone under 40, can read this book I don't think it will resonate the same way.

Miler's magic ensares the patient reader. (Trust me, I too was on the fence) She creates a bridge over the gaping whole of nothingness and leads readers to a change. A gratifying change. The ability to be useful after usefulness is deemed over. She captures the fears and worries and gives the power to fight back. It's a crazy story to be sure but it's everything I didn't know I needed to read.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Collins for an ARC of this novel.

Powerful story with three strong female characters who use their combined powers to unravel a mystery in their beloved beach town and find justice (or revenge) for those affected. I loved seeing the story unfold, with just the right amount of magic and fantasy. The story is mostly told from the three main characters' perspectives, but I also loved hearing the perspectives of other girls and women who were part of the story.

Wow!! This was a mind blowing read. I went in thinking that it is a fantasy novel and not knowing what to expect. Turned to be an amazing story of female strength, friendship, resilience and collaboration. Yes we all do have our own superpower we just need to discover it!! Totally recommend!!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC