I went into this book totally blind. TBF, I thought this was a thriller. Which it was, in a way...

What I Liked:
1) Full Cast! Yes, the audiobook made me happy!

2) Quick read.

What I Disliked: (or rant fest)
1) Character development? So Grace randomly appears and disappears from Louise's life and when she gets an explanation, Louise is immediately okay with it? Mel has a "secret friend" and no one, absolutely no one, knows about it? Delilah behaves weird? Ray? What the hell?

2) This book slipped into magic realism which I don't like. But that is a "me" problem.

3) The entire premise seemed somewhat off and the reveal was unsatisfactory.

4) The ending was abrupt? Is there going to be a sequel?

Final Thoughts:

I don't know... If you enjoy literary fiction with familial interactions and a dash of magic realism, you will like this. I am sorry it didn't work much for me (so much for going in blind). I think I would have loved to know more about Grace.

3 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC.

First, you should know that once you start listening to, or reading, this story, you won't be able to stop. Janis Thomas has given fans a gut-punch story about relationships with more ups and downs than a Colorado mountain. Great narration only adds to this tale of determination,. hope and redemption.

Louise can't deal with her mother Grace. This time, out of nowhere, Grace reappears in her daughter's life in New York, seeking help to "rescue" an unknown child in California. At first, Louise refuses, but she soon realizes the only to get rid of Grace is to help her locate Melanie, a 12-year-old in foster care. Grace is convinced something is going to happen to the child if they don't "save" her.

All three have premonitions that manifest in different ways. Grace has been in and out of psych wards,. Louise is afraid she's inherited a mental illness, and Melanie just tries to keep her head down and stay out of trouble.

The story goes back and forth in time to show how the past impacts each of the three characters. These insights give you a picture of the secrets that bind the trio. Intriguing is an understatement. Emotional investment better describes how you'll feel about how each person has become who they are -- and how they influence the others.

Some of the experiences are expected, but most come out of left field. And at the end of the story, you'll keep thinking about Grace -- and grace.

This book! Let me tell you! For a bit of it I thought that it was going one direction and thought it was a good story and well written. It was interesting enough to keep me reading but I wouldn’t say anything incredibly special but then BAM! It became something much different and I was almost transfixed.
Back in California, twelve year old Melanie has been moved around a lot in her life since she is in the foster system. She’s always felt very unloved and very unwanted. Now, she is mostly content with her current foster parents but she has a secret that would completely destroy her world if found out. What she does know is that something bad is coming.
In New York, Louise has managed to find a bit of peace in her lonely world. She has a troubled and quite unpredictable mother that she had to grow up with. Then one day her mother, Grace, comes barreling back into her life. She tells Louise they must help her save a child from certain doom. Loise is unwilling, at first, to get caught up in her mother’s madness but she realizes that the only way she will get rid of Grace is to play along.
The two women set off across America to seek out Melanie. They are driven by Grace’s belief that they have to get there very soon and before the bad thing happens. Now, Louise has to understand and to trust her mother but after a lifetime of dysfunction, she’s not sure she can.
This book is so much better than I am making it sound. It’s just one of those books that pulls you in and then really pulls you in again about half way through.
I definitely recommend this book.

I don't think this one was for me. I couldn't really get into it and ended up deciding to DNF it pretty early on. Thank you for the opportunity to review it.

After a disruptive childhood growing up with her mom coming in an out of her life, Louise is unwilling to accept her back into her life as an adult. But her mom, Grace, is persistent that a child needs their help, so Louise agrees to help her find this child on the condition that this will be the last time their lives cross paths. Told from the three perspectives of Grace, Louise and Melanie, Janis Thomas seamlessly weaves an intriguing story of motherhood and forgiveness, along with some subdued mystery and suspense. I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook.

Thank you to the author, Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks, and NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. #FindingGrace #NetGalley

This one was something I wasn't expecting. It's labeled as a thriller, but I really wouldn't consider it to be a thriller. I would say more of a mystery. However, it was still a quick and easy listen. I love multiple POV novels, and this was easy to follow even though it bounced between past and present of multiple characters. The character development really drew me into the story. The four narrators do a wonderful job!

I loved the audio of this book - multiple narrators are always a huge plus for me! Not only for the book to be reflected well but also shows the publisher believes enough in this story to invest.
Such an amazing portrayal of so many marginalized people - mental health; mother/daughter relationships and impacts on future generations; foster care - always a HUGE plus for me; children who are branded difficult, thus sent to so many homes, viewed as tough to place, etc; inability to enter mainstream society - both Louise and Melanie, stigmatized by their family status.

Melanie was adopted at birth - unfortunately her parents were killed, forcing her into the foster care system. After several placements, Melanie has been with Ray and Delilah for a couple of years; still not comfortable, afraid to be sent away. She internalizes her issues - like bullying by her peers, concern over Delilah's mental health, and especially Penny.

Louise is tired of her mother, Grace. Constantly brining strife, stress, problems and just chaos, Louise enjoyed several years without contact. But now Grace is back. Forcing Louise to travel with her, Grace attempts to convince Louise the daughter she gave up at birth is in trouble. They must get there in time.

Grace knows Louise holds intense resentment over all the years Grace failed as a mother. Using all her tactics, Grace convinces Louise to travel with her, desperate to form any sort of relationship.

These characters are so well written. Gut wrenching suspense - who is a danger to Melanie?
The only issue I have is the glossing over of Louise accepting of Grace's gift.
Great book - highly recommend.

This is not the kind of book I normally like but it had me gripped from the very start. The plot was well thought out going back and forth to the past for the different characters. The reader slowly begins to understand the connection between them all. Despite characters having psychic abilities (something which normally puts me off), I thoroughly enjoyed the various character portrayals and the sometimes funny passages. The voices on the audio version were also very good.

Two women and a girl, Louise who battles with voices in her head, and Grace, the daughter of a Mother who struggles with mental health, connected in more ways than one.

I loved that the audiobook features multiple narrators to bring the story to life and give the perspective of each character.

*many thanks to Blackstone and Netgalley for the gifted audiobook ALC for review

I have to preface this review by stating that I truly loved this book so much!

Told from the perspectives of multiple women at different points in time, this book explores mental illness, mother-daughter relationships, life in foster care, and so much more. Right from the start I was pulled in by the dramatic events unfolding. It was so difficult to put this one down because each chapter provided a little more insight into how all of the characters are connected and the truths of each character. The character arcs were beautifully put together and the suspense throughout made this a very thrilling, fast-paced book.

We meet Grace, standing on the George Washington Bridge in New York, as she is picked up by authorities and taken to a psychiatric hospital.

Then we meet Louise, a woman finding her way on her own in New York City and being content with her solitude and loneliness.

Lastly, we meet Melanie, a pre-teen growing up in the foster care system in California, living in secret with her 'friend' Penny, whom she tries to conceal at all times, but Penny has an urgent warning that something bad is going to happen.

As the story goes on, hopping from character to character and time period to time period, we are slowly able to begin to put the various pieces of the puzzle together. Each character is on a quest to find the truth, whether they really want to be or not. Things are not always as they seem, and the characters learn to grapple with this fact as the story moves along.

My favorite part was that the audiobook had different narrators for each character. This kept the story interesting and intriguing and by the end I began to recognize which voice was which character. I think this really hit home the point that this was a multi-generational story told by different people.

This is the first book I listen from this author, and although the narration was really good, the story wasn’t what I’ve expected. There not much suspense and I’d say it’s more a family drama than a psychological thriller. That being said, the characters were well developed and I’ve enjoyed the end. Overall it’s a good book.

I really enjoyed this book! It was so well done giving all the different perspectives of the characters in this twisty, unpredictable plot. I was sucked in from the beginning (it was quite the scene), the book just kept getting better and better. I would highly recommend it, an easy five stars from me!

Finding Grace was my first novel from Janis Thomas but I would definitely read more from her. Her writing is very dynamic. I especially loved the audio narration of this. The different narrators did a great job voicing the different POVs. This took a bit to pick up in drama after the storylines were developed but the latter half of the book was very exciting. I loved how this turned around towards the end. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Confusing at first but once you get the hang of the characters I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen. It was exciting and adorable. Really goes into mother daughter relationships

Finding Grace
Janis Thomas
Three stories interwoven.
Grace used the George Washington Bridge to get Louise’s attention. Mother and daughter had not seen each other in years; Louise moved to New York to avoid dealing with her mother’s mental illness and Grace was back again. Grace begged and pleaded for help; they must travel to California to save Eddie she was in grave danger. The mother and daughter began a journey that Louise will never forget. Her grandmother told her Grace was mentally ill, but is she? Or is she just different.
Melanie was adopted as a baby but now lives in a foster home. She likes her foster parents and has learned not to rock the boat. Melanie is a good student and a sweet girl she is also a girl in grave danger.
The point of view moves back and forth between the three women giving readers a look at the real story. This tale plays out in front of our eyes. I listened to this audiobook until late at night unable to stop. The narrators were wonderful and brought the characters to life. Each character was distinct, and one narrator could not have conveyed that. The success of this book hinged on the relationship/connection between, Grace, Louise, and Melanie. Grace had a gift, but she has been treated as if she is a mental patient. Louise was terrified she may have inherited mental illness. Melanie has a secret: someone lives in her hand. All Melanie wanted was for someone to love her. The relationship between Grace and Louise is incredible. For the first time Louise has to deal with her mother without her grandmother’s interference. Speaking of the grandmother…I see her as a wicked witch. She tried to destroy Grace because she was different.
This is the best book I have read this year!

ARC audiobook provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“Finding Grace” is the story of three generations of women, told from each of their perspectives, each of whom has gone through trials and tribulations that weigh heavily upon them.

In California, we are introduced to twelve-year-old Melanie, who has grown up in foster care following the deaths of her adoptive parents. Melanie’s current foster parents are congenial enough, but Melanie has grown up feeling unloved and unwanted. Penny, a presence residing in her left hand, has kept her company through the years, and now Penny has a warning for Melanie. Is Melanie imagining things? Or does this presence actually exist? As events twist and turn, Melanie is gripped by fear because she has failed to read Penny’s latest message. All she knows is something bad is about to happen.

In New York City, we meet Louise, who grew up with an unpredictable mother who hears voices. Louise has mostly estranged herself from her mother, Grace, but one day Grace comes back into her life with a bang. Grace arrives bearing a message: they must travel to save a child from imminent danger. A child that Louise gave up for adoption nearly thirteen years ago. Louise decides to play along to rid herself of Grace. Grace’s voices continue to send messages along the way, and as events unfold, Louise finds herself questioning whether those voices may just be real. Is Grace crazy? Can Louise learn to trust her mother? Is Louise’s daughter truly out there facing danger? Will they reach the girl in time to save her?

This book alternates between the perspectives of all three women, additionally jumping from the past to the present. The story unfolds beautifully, piecing together difficult pasts with challenging events in the present. The rotation of narrators and timelines could have made the book confusing, but the author does an excellent job of stringing it all together in a cohesive manner. I found the characters easy to connect with even with Melanie and Grace’s questionable sanity. I was instantly engaged with each character, following them along on their journey as it twisted and turned. I was pleasantly surprised by the many twists, often not seeing them coming. As the story unfolds, the pressure increases as Louise and Grace race against time to save the girl, leading the characters to a high-tension climax and satisfying ending.

My ARC copy was an audiobook, so I must also comment on the narration. Plain and simple: it was excellent. Each character in the book was brought to life by a different female narrator, and each of these narrators did a fantastic job, even with male voices (one of my biggest gripes with female narrators). The narration flowed perfectly and kept me engaged in the story.

Overall, this book was fantastic. I loved each of the three female protagonists, scars and all. To me, this book is a first-rate tale of the strength of women in the face of adversity. The story is original and engrossing to the point I couldn’t walk away. I tore through this book, enjoying every moment and not wanting it to end. I was so pleased that I will be looking into this author’s back catalogue for other books to read. I would recommend this book for adult and young adult readers, as well as fans of fiction, women’s fiction, and mystery and thriller genres. I also decidedly recommend the audiobook which features such high-quality narration. Whether in print or an audiobook, you should pick up a copy of this book now!

This was an extremely good book. It had family drama, "mental health" and how family treats it like a plague, mystery, paranormal, and many other things. The only thing I found that bugged me was the title. It should be called Finding Edie/Melanie. Grace is very much not lost and the book centers around the 2 main characters trying to get to Edie/Melanie. Otherwise, this was a good mystery/thriller book.

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of Finding Grace by Janis Thomas.

Melanie is a well behaved twelve year old girl in the foster system. She's reasonable content in her current situation, especially with her foster dad, who has taken Melanie under his wing. But Melanie has an odd secret, she has someone in her head who speaks to her through Melanie's drawings, and offers warnings when Melanie needs them.

Louise is a woman who has also been abandoned by her mother time and time again. But, like she usually does, her mother returns into her life. Except now her mother, Grace, is elderly and desperate for Louise's help. They have to find a young girl that Louise has never heard of. And it's an incredibly urgent matter. But who is this girl, and why is Louise's mother always popping in and out of her life?

I was definitely captivated with this one. I never tire of family stories, complex mother/daughter ones being some of my favorite. There is a supernatural element, but it's just subtle enough to still make this story all about connection and relationships, as well as the beauty of a multigenerational mother/daughter connections.

What a weird and wild book! Thank you to Janis Thomas, Blackstone Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this book.

Without getting into too much detail, this was a really interesting one with a lot hinging on the connection between three generations of women. The end really threw me through a loop with its twist.

I highly recommend some anyone looking for a thriller with a twist.

I loved this audio book so much! Finding Grace tells the story of a misunderstood relationship between a mother and daughter, as they race to save a young girl who is in trouble. Each character was narrated by a different voice, which made the transition of characters so smoother and easy to follow.