Onyi Nwabineli’s Someday, Maybe is a beautifully written heartbreaking debut novel. I was drawn in by the sense of community and the vivid and complex characters who came to life on the pages of this book even as the heavy topics of suicide, death and grief were heavily explored.

Nwabineli delved into the multilayered and complex emotions experienced by a young widow who lost her partner to death by suicide. This was an astute portrayal of the grieving process in the wake of death by suicide.

I recommend this novel with a caveat; it should be read when the reader is emotionally prepared for potentially triggering topics. It is not a light, fun read, although I did find myself laughing occasionally while reading the funny dialogue and descriptions. It took several weeks for me to get through it because I had to take breaks from the deep subject matter. However, I am glad I finished. This novel has stayed with me long after I finished the last paragraph.

Finished this last week but unable to write a review then.; I was totally spent. This is such an emotionally charged book, full of grief and sorrow.. thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy. I am not sure I have adequate words for this book. First, I cannot believe this is a debut! Nwabineli captured the rawness and all-consuming devastating reality of grief in a truly incredible way. I felt gutted for the main character the entire time I was reading. The author also did a gorgeous job writing all of the characters - particularly Eve’s family and friends. I also loved that the author didn’t tie everything up neatly at the end. We never find out why Q committed suicide and there is no new romantic love interest who comes in to rescue Eve from her sadness. Eve is still finding her way out of the pit of grief and I think that was the most realistic way to end the novel. I will definitely be on the lookout for future books by this author.

This book has left me emotionally spent. I was wrapped up and consumed by Eve's grief from the very beginning. At times I was angry with her and didn't understand many of her choices, but grief is not a one size fits all. Eve had a amazing support system in her family and friends. They were there for Eve even when she tried to push them away. Awesome read I highly recommend this one. Thank you Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Publication: November 1, 2022

This was a heartbreaking read about grief. The writing was well done and lyrical however, I found it too heavy for me as a reader. This book had similiar vibes to "Queenie" and "The Four Winds" so I think fans of those two books along with character driven stories should give this book a try.

Unfortunately for me, I struggled and I don't think I was the right reader for this story.

Eve is not okay. She was deeply in love with her husband, Q, so the fact that she was the one who found him after he committed suicide, has left her reeling with pain and questions. Her British-Nigerian family is gathering around to offer love and support (and a barrier between Eve and her husband's mother). As Eve spirals into the the cycle of grieving, she soon finds out that she is pregnant. No longer able to numb the pain with substances, Eve has to try to figure out what clues she missed and reconcile her thoughts on her marriage with the fact that Q killed himself. She starts to explore her new life without the love of her life and with a new baby. This was deeply moving and powerful commentary on love, loss, and, eventually, acceptance of the new life one has to live after a suicide.

Fantastically written. Nwabineli writing brings you along Eve’s devastating journey of the loss of her husband, almost like you are reading her diary. You feel Eve’s grief and pain, it’s gut wrenching. It’s almost painful to read because the loss feels like your own.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC and the chance to review it!

Eve adored her husband Quentin. He was everything she was not-wealthy, from a socially prominent family, successful in his artistic career, white. He seemed to be perfectly happy.
So why did he commit suicide?
With the help of her friends and her close-knit Nigerian immigrant family, she starts the process of recovering from this loss. But she and her mother-in-law are so much at odds, even though Eve makes a discovery that should bring them closer together.

This book took me thru all the stages of grief, and the reality of suicide. Which I have been thru with a close family member. It was really sad , heartbreaking, and dealing with a mother in law that doesn’t like you is more painful., However, she doesn’t understand how much a mother grieve for their child.

Thanks to NetGalley and Graydon House for the ARC. TW: suicide, suicidal ideation, pregnancy, and discussion of pregnancy loss.
This book was well done in a devastating way. As someone who has lost one of the people closest to me by suicide, the feelings in this book are relatable. It was sometimes hard to read, but that is because of the content and not the story itself. The story gradually lightens, and I could feel my breath come easier as the story came to a close. Eve's grief is never gone, nor will it ever be, but the reader can feel her come to a place where she can both grieve and live at the same time.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this digital ARC of 'Someday, Maybe' by Onyi Nwabineli. This book is something everyone at some point in their life needs to read.

Grief is a messy thing. It's complicated, and unpredictable. Nwabineli managed to somehow convey this perfectly with every heartbreaking detail in this book. The pain, and brokenness that lived in simple phrases and reflections was tangible.

I recently had a discussion with my students about books that they've read that have always stuck with them.. and after today, I have another one to add to my list.

5/5

This book was very well written, however, it is very, very heavy. It was a little too heavy for me. The author does a brilliant job describing the character’s grief journey after an abrupt loss.

Be prepared for this one! This is the story of Eva. Her husband died by suicide and she was left behind. Her grieving is hard to witness, but it’s a good book! I love the family and friend connections that support her during this horrible time.

It is as hard to decide who I would recommend this book to. It is hard to say I liked the book. I will recommend it, though, and I did like it, but so much of the story was so very sad. It was a sadness, grief, that could not be wiped away or even abated. Maybe the reader’s window into the mental health issues that confront those who remain facing loss from an unexplained suicide will be appreciated by some, yet I can’t imagine giving the book to someone going through that experience. It was not a fun read, yet I found it rewarding. I can’t find a way to explain why I still gave it five stars other than I was so drawn into the story.

“… it is the not knowing that cuts the deepest. Leaving wounds I am unsure will ever heal.”

Wow.
From the first page, this is an unapologetically powerful novel about a young widow struggling to exist in the aftermath of her husband’s suicide. It literally overwhelmed me…I felt like I was grieving alongside Eve, the main character, throughout the length of the book. This debut author peels back layers of grief of not just losing your husband, but in the lack of closure in the shadow of suicide. Eve’s world is full of questions but also filled with love and hope with a strong cast of characters who protect and support Eve in such a patient and loving way. (I especially love Drew and Luisa…they provide a welcome respite.) Nwabineli also showed how the suicide didn’t just impact Eve, but ripples through other characters, most especially her mother-in-law who is horrid, but also desperately alone.
Incredibly written. Heavy, but also with shards of hope.

“I want the strength to explain that it’s okay that I don’t know.”

Thank you to Harlequin Trade and NetGalley for the ARCs!

This is a lovely, yet often depressing debut about Eve and her husband of ten years, Quentin who has committed suicide before the book opens. Grief-stricken, Eve is wallowing in her sorrow as there was no indication he was unhappy and no note to anyone explaining his pain. And so we as the reader are enveloped in all the mighty emotions and questions that Eve and her family are mired in as she attempts to make sense of what she assumed was a happy life for both of them. And yes, I wanted answers too. But who assured us life would give us that neat little bow at the end of a story? So go in blind, weep for Eve, and hug your loved ones close!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

The story of grief and the story of one woman's grief and how she survived the suicide of her husband with the unwelcome surrounding by her family.

Eve's husband committed suicide and left no notes or letter's about why. While trying to cope with her grief, questions, and guilt, she is assaulted with her mother-in-laws hate, grief, and questions. How does someone survived their own grief while at the same time having to try and deal with an unreasonable mother-in-law? Without the love of her Igbo family and their insistence of surrounding her and caring for her, Eve may have grieved herself to death.

Told with love and candor, this is a remarkable story of survival, family love, and learning your on strength.

(3.5 / 5.0) Someday, Maybe checked all the boxes of books that I gravitate towards. The first half of the book was focused on loss and grief and I was prepared for a soul-cry, however my feelings made it only as far as defensive of the main character. I was wanting more of an understanding of their love and their backstory to connect to her grief and the pace was so slow that it was only a few chapters a day for me.

I gravitate towards character over plot and love a book cry so sitting in grief would have been okay, but I couldn't connect with the it. In the second half of the book, pace and plot increased and the book found it's stride. Maybe that was intentional, highlighting the slog of grief and how life slowly increases its pace in pieces and events. If so, well done.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and want to read more from the author. Thank you for allowing me the chance to read this book early!

Someday, Maybe is a depressing novel about suicide and unless you are going through the same circumstances the first half of the book is depressing and slow to read. However, the second half of the story moves along and hope is evident and blackmail also evident creating more excitement. The ending is promising.

This was such a great debut that opened my eyes and lifted my spirits. I can see this becoming a bestseller when it is released. The narrative structure is great, the story is both gripping and touching... this is one to stick with me for a while.