Grace Adams is a debut novel that’s funny, touching and unforgettable. Grace Adams has had it. She’s tired of parenting a teenager on her own, tired of feeling invisible to the world and tired of getting older. Intent on getting a very special birthday cake for her daughter, Grace leaves her car in standstill traffic and proceeds to walk across London in order to reach her.

Littlewood’s debut provides a relatable and flawed character struggling with issues of parenting a teenager while struggling with her marriage and getting older. Three timelines are used throughout the story to portray Grace in her 20s, 30s and 40s. The author creates suspense by not revealing the underlying issue and keeps the reader wanting to read more. An emotional and moving story with a realistic view of all the joy, worry and stress of watching your child grow up while recognizing your own youth fading.

Thanks to Henry Holt & Company for the opportunity to review this title.

I requested this book based solely on the cover. I thought it was going to be a light and laugh out loud funny book. It was not funny at all. It’s a story about a complicated mother and daughter relationship and grief. Told via three time periods – current, a few months ago and the early 2000’s by Grace. Grace is a messy flawed character and the current time plot was a little exaggerated and unbelievable with ALL the mishaps that were happening. I really struggled getting through it, it just wasn’t for me.

This was an okay book. The ending was good, but getting there was a chore!

Grace Adams is a multilingual word nerd. She is married to Ben, who also is a linguist, and they have a beautiful daughter, Lotte. The book jumps around Grace and Ben's timeline, from present day (when Grace is trying to deliver a cake to her daughter's birthday party, at her dad's house) to when she and Ben first met, when Lotte was young, and when everything started to go badly several months ago.

There is a reason for Lotte being at Ben's house, and Grace and Ben no longer being together, and for Grace to be coming undone, but the reason isn't revealed until way later in the book. Even after that, there are things I take issue with as being unrealistic and not fitting to the characters.

I skimmed for a good portion of the middle of this book, because I was bored with it, and it was actually painful to read. I'm not sure if it was painful because I, too, have a child turning 16 soon, and I hope he makes good choices, or if Grace's unraveling was just too much to take as a middle-aged woman.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Holt and Company for the ARC in return for my honest opinion of this book. Grace Adams is basically a hot mess. She lost her job, is in the midst of a divorce, and has a messy relationship with her soon to be 16-year-old daughter. On top of that, she is perimenopausal. The story goes back and forth between timelines, and it seems to be a bit confusing to me the way it is written.
I didn't really enjoy the book. I kept waiting for something more to come out of it. People compare it to Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine. I didn't finish that book so it could be the case.

I really liked this story as it went in directions I didn't expect. A relatable premise of a middle aged woman being fed up, with just about everything. It also deals with some heavier themes that deal with deeper relationships and love. I laughed at some points, and intensely read through some parts that stayed me. Definitely more than I expected.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

At 45, Grace Adams feels she has become invisible to her 16 year old daughter and to herself. She decides to just walk away from everything and so she does. Certainly most of us can identify with feeling invisible at times. Grace is trying to find herself and her daughter. There is more to this than just a lighthearted novel.

4 1/2 Stars

If you’ve ever seen the movie “Falling Down” with Michael Douglas, you’ll get a feel for this book which describes the absolute worst and longest day that a person could possibly experience.

There are actually two covers for this book - I am using this one which I think accurately reflects Grace’s personality. This isn’t a whimsical or lighthearted story, although there are some funny moments. It’s the deeply felt, poignant and emotional story of a woman who has lost her way - both personally and professionally. I literally felt at one with Grace, as she reflects back on her younger, brilliant self, and how she got to this terrible, awful day.

Grace is trying to salvage her relationship with her teenage daughter Lotte and is determined to bring an expensive Love Island- themed birthday cake to Lotte’s 16th birthday. But Lotte doesn’t want to see Grace, and Grace is also going though a very painful separation from her husband.

The book takes place over the course of just one day, but is told in alternating, non-linear timelines which works perfectly to establish a connection with the main protagonists. I loved reading how Grace and Ben, both geeky language specialists met and fell in love.

This debut novel shines a light on the inner life of women as well as the joy and pain of parenthood and the dangers of social media today. I loved it! Well done, Fran Littlewood!

One of the best books I have read this year. I will be recommending this one quite a lot. Fabulous book.

Wanted to love this but had a hard time relating to where Grace was in life. More serious than I expected from the cover/synopsis.

A beautifully told and heartfelt story about a woman, Grace, who one day loses it because she’s absolutely had enough. Three time lines create suspense so readers will keep wanting to know the why of what happened. The ending is profound. Being able to personally relate, I shed a few tears. This will be an excellent choice for book clubs.

A beautiful, heart-wrenching, book that hits close to home. A mother of a 16 year old coming to grip with her growing up while exploring her marriage and who she is. Wow what a good book.

Thanks to Net Galley and Henry Holt and Company publisher for a copy of this book for my honest opinion.

Amazing Grace Adams by Fran Littlewood was published on September 5, 2023 and is a Reese's Book Club pick.

The book is told in three different timelines which was confusing to me. I was also frustrated with the main character, who was difficult to sympathize with. I found the book to be very slow moving.

The cover of this book does not do it justice! Does this book have some sweet, fun, lighthearted moments? Yes. But phewwww does it also pack a pretty big punch! Grace Adams is 45. It’s her daughter’s 16th birthday & she is determined to hand deliver her birthday cake, no matter what it takes. While Grace ventures through obstacles across London, we are taken on a journey in her mind through the defining moments of her life, both joyful and sorrowful.

This book took me by surprise and was truly a gem of a story. I would recommend this especially to women in the 30s - 50s age bracket because I think it perfectly encapsulates the complex grief, pride, and fear that comes with watching your children grow up, and the realization that your own youth is in the rearview. A poignant novel that does include some difficult content that may also be a potential spoiler, so message me if you want details! 💚

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy of this title, all opinions are my own.

Oh my goodness, this is one of my favorite books of the year!! I loved everything about Grace Adams!!! This is a must read!!! 5 stars!!!!

I was so excited to get an ARC of this book and then it was picked by Read with Jenna! It must be great! However, I was deeply disappointed. First the cover, I received a physical copy soon after getting the ebook version and discovered that the illustration on the front had the main character giving the middle finger straight up. Not appealing to me. Second, there was a lot of cursing that did not add to the storyline except to illustrate how unhinged and frustrated the main character was. Grace Adams' life has fallen apart, as a middle aged woman goin through menopause, she is recently divorced, lost her job, and loses control of her daughter and her own personal life is a living hell. Yes, you feel sorry for her situation, but truly Grace is a hot mess. She is struggling both mentally and emotionally as she is trying to win back the favor of her daughter by bringing her a birthday cake on her 16th birthday, to which she was not invited. But it seems as if the world is against her. The question is why. Told in multiple timelines that flip back and forth, it makes it hard to follow yet it does mirror the chaos of Grace's life how she has gone from being the golden girl to being unwanted.. There was no humor in this book as purported. While this book has been compared to the book about Eleanor Oliphant, I'm not sure why all the hype as well. I did not find her amazing at all. Does Grace redeem herself in others eyes and her own and get her life together at the end? I'll leave that for you to find out.
Many thank to #netgalley #amazinggraceadams #franlittlewood #henryholtandco for th eopportuwnity to read and review this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. The story was told from different time lines and sometimes was a little confusing as to what was going on.. The book did come together at the end with some shocking revelations. The story of Grace Adams life past and up to current day. She did struggle, as we all do with life. We have good days and then we have I give up days!

Not every book is for every person, and this one wasn't for me, but it will find an audience. Grace Adams is a mess. She has been served with divorce papers, her daughter left her to move in with her soon to be ex-husband, her employer has dumped her, and that is just the tip of her issues. This is a female, somewhat less violent book version of the movie, "Falling Down." The story is told only from her viewpoint but in multiple timelines as you see her life slowly (than quickly) fall apart. For most of the book Grace is taking an endless walk to get a cake to her daughter's sixteenth birthday party, and I kept screaming into the book, take public transportation and just get there already. Grace really makes a mess of things, but this book redeems itself nicely in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for an advance copy. My opinion is my own.

Just wow. Almost quit this one but great reviews kept me going. Just wow. Great read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

Thank you @netgalley and @henryholtbooks for this advance copy.
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I’m really baffled why this book is being called “hilarious”, “feel good” and “laugh out loud funny”. I found it tragic and devastatingly sad. Grace is a woman in her forties dealing with A LOT, and we meet her on a day when this all culminates in a justifiable mental and emotional breakdown. We then get alternating flashback chapters revealing how Grace got to this place. A talented author and a valuable look at mental and emotional health issues and how they impact a family - I just don’t understand the marketing here.

What an amazing book. Like Bernadette and Eleanor that came before her Grace is a wonderful mix of both, peri menopausal and wondering what happened to the amazing creature she used to be Reminiscing Falling Down Grace leaves her car in traffic and walks to get to her daughters 16th birthday party whatever the cost. From past to present you laugh and cry with Grace and ultimately cheer for her. I cannot wait to see what Fran Littlewood does next