I don’t know how much each of these writers wrote of this story and I don’t care. It was beautiful and I cried.

Mothers and daughters. The relationship is never what we thought it would be. I read this soon after my own Mother passed and this book brought me so much peace.

A mother and daughter unpack a lifetime’s secrets while on vacation in Paris.

Laurie and her mother are two very different people. Laurie is an artist. She travels all over the world collecting experiences.

Her mother is a famous Doctor. Dr. Liz, they call her and she is full of secrets! She only travels with matched sets of luggage and is pretty near perfect.

When a medical emergency shocks them both, Laurie suggests they go on a trip to Paris and Norway. Liz is excited about it and the rest of the book is the unpacking of secrets they have both had for decades.

This book was not at all what I expected. It was, however, the book I needed to read. Relationships are complicated between a mother and her daughter. When my mother passed, I had conflicting emotions. This seems like a much better way to work through your grief.

NetGalley/ April 17, 2023, Little, Brown, and Company

This was an unexpected delight. I never would have associated the name of James Patterson with a “woman’s” novel about the difficult relationship between Laurie and her mother Liz. Mom is a well-known OB-GYN who has always been critical of her daughter. After a heart event, they go on a journey to Paris and her mother’s native Norway.

Every moment of their journey kept me totally enthralled. The fraught mother/daughter issues were so well done and nuanced that I felt like I could hear echoes of my (and lots of other women’s lives). The details were exquisite and I felt transported to Paris and Norway.

This is a book that I highly recommend. It is simply a trip that all of us will relate to.

Bravo! Thank you Netgalley for this terrific, beautiful, compelling novel.

Susan Patterson and Susan DiLallo have the gift of the written word. This was a delightful read and something that every mother and daughter should read. It had great characters and the story was heartfelt and a story I will remember and look back of for days.

I enjoyed everything about this sweet novel. Laurie Ormson is a successful New York marketing executive in her thirties who couldn't be any different than her successful mother, Dr. Liz Ormson, an OB-GYN doctor in New Jersey. When they agreed to travel together to Liz's home in Norway, I was thrilled to read about their trip and how they managed to get through each encounter with Paris and Norway without too much friction.

Laurie has always felt that her mother expected more from her. Dr. Liz is a perfectionist and looks impeccably dressed at all times. Laurie is more adventurous and loves enjoying life in its messy state. She adores French pastry, wine, and all the cuisine Paris offers. Laurie often has to leave her mom behind when she wants to feel free and a bit wild.

It isn't until the duo reach Norway that some of the mystery Laurie has often wondered about her mother begins to surface. I enjoyed every bit of this fantasy novel and recommend it to everyone, whether you get along ideally with your mom or not!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

I am not sure which of the three authors wrote what in this book, but it doesn't really matter, as the end result is a beautiful story about the relationship between a mother and her adult daughter. The two decide on the spur of the moment to take a two-week trip to Paris and Norway. The time spent in Paris is a travelogue in itself, with vivid descriptions of out-of-the-way places to explore in that unique city. I felt like I was right there with the two of them. I am not sure how I feel about the ending, but I do know this book will make an excellent choice for book clubs, generating many animated discussions. I highly recommend knowing little about this book before jumping in to read it! Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing an ARC.

Laurie and her mother, Elizabeth, couldn't be more different. Laurie is a successful marketing professional--a divorcee in her mid-thirties who was a prize-winning swimmer in high school. She has a casual personal life, not putting a lot of thought into what she wears or whether her luggage is old and stained. By contrast, Dr. Liz is a widowed OB/GYN for whom appearances are everything and work is prioritized above all else. She hasn't exactly had a warm parental relationship with Laurie, but now she is experiencing medical issues that may bring the two closer by necessity. In fact, Laurie has surprised herself by suggesting a two-week trip together to Paris and to Norway, her mother's birthplace.

This is the story of their trip, narrated by Laurie, which includes at least two meltdowns and some surprising revelations from both sides. I reveled in the descriptions of Paris and several Norwegian cities--the food, the shopping, the men, and, of course, the Northern Lights. I found the two women's story, along with their sharp mother-daughter dialogue, accessible and interesting. The ending was unexpected--it took me a minute to roll with it, but I ultimately found it satisfying. A quick read, recommended for mothers and daughters in particular.

My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Some books stay poignantly with you long after you read the last page and Things I Wish I Told My Mother was one of those for me. The authors have crafted a compelling book that I binged in one reading. The book moves quickly and is very interesting to its memorable end. The mother and daughter talk, experience, love, argue, share, enjoy, dread and treasure special moments - or do they? A treasure for parents and children to read…


Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown for the opportunity to read this engaging ARC.