Within the first few pages of this book, I was texting all my friends telling them how amazing it was. I read the entire book in an afternoon. The author so perfectly captures summers on the Cape. From medicine cabinets that contain Jean Nate, old sunscreen, and random bandaids, but no Tecnu to mornings with the Spelling Bee and outdoor showers. I kept stopping to read excerpts to my friends on the beach.

And then the books gets deeper and delves into how it feels to be a woman in menopause and how it feels to be a woman and a mother in general. How sometimes we just need a little space and sometimes we need a hug....

I loved this book. It's so well-written and evocative. I think it's the book of the summer. One of my friends has already pre-ordered it!

Because I read and loved We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman, I couldn't wait to read her next novel, Sandwich. I so enjoyed laughing and crying along with Rocky and her family: solid husband Nick, snarky twentysomething daughter Willa, wise adult Jamie and his sweet girlfriend Maya. The family is spending their annual summer vacation at a beach house on Cape Cod where they swim, nap, play games and eat ice cream. The grandparents join in for a few days creating the aforementioned "sandwich." I wanted to spend even more time with this quirky, funny, sweet and loving family, but I'll settle for a week. Maybe we could revisit them at a holiday gathering?

Catherine Newman's writing is so poignant and beautiful. I highlighted lots of quotes including, "This is how it is to love somebody. You tell them the truth. You lie a little. And sometimes you don't say anything at all." The author tugs on heartstrings and just nails emotional complexity so accurately. I can't wait to read her next novel. This is in my top three books of 2024 so far.

I will recommend this to readers who like women's fiction with a literary emphasis.

Many thanks to Harper and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sandwich is my first read from Catherine Newman. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I really enjoyed reading this and getting to know the characters. I found myself being able to relate to the characters and the chapters are short (which I love).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

I absolutely loved this beach read! I fell in love with the characters right from the beginning. I absolutely adored the setting. It was so well written. The plot was connectable. I highly recommend this book!

This gorgeous, funny, heartbreaking book!! It is poetic catnip for the anxiety-ridden, menopausal, empty-nesting mothers who loves their children so much, they desperately want to gobble them whole.

first, a warning: … not a lot happens. Which is also ridiculous because SO MUCH HAPPENS in 200 words. But imagine going on a weeklong vacation with a family you don’t know, and just observing the strange habits, traditions and in jokes they’ve spent lifetimes developing. Sounds horribly tedious, right?

It’s not. I’m 15 years away from being in the narrator’s position. Yet I felt SO SEEN. I want to give this book to my husband as a guidebook for why I am the way I am. I highlighted lines on every three pages, and I can’t wait to get my tangible copy in hand so I can annotate and dog-ear the heck out of it.


Thank you NetGalley and Harpercollins for the early arc. But more important, THANK YOU for publishing Catherine Newman’s work and for shining a light on the colossal hormonal hurricane of female middle age.

Sandwich by Catherine Newman tells the story of Rocky, her husband, and their two adult children on their yearly vacation to Cape Cod. A chain of events is set off that sends Rocky hurtling towards the secrets of her past that she has been keeping buried deep for a long time. This is definitely a character-driven novel and Rocky is definitely not the most likable character, but I was definitely able to empathize with her. I wasn’t really gripped by the story until about 35% of the way in, but I was eventually invested in understanding these characters. I think We All Want Impossible Things was definitely a stronger novel, but did enjoy reading Sandwich. Definitely check the trigger warnings before reading if you are sensitive to topics surrounding pregnancy/miscarriage.

This spans one week with a family on their annual trip to Cape Cod. Rocky, the main character/mom, is menopausal, struggling to let go of her children as they become adults, and reflecting on secrets from her past. It’s equally hilarious and heartbreaking with beautiful musings on motherhood. The beach setting is perfect. My heart hurts but I’m smiling!

I really enjoyed this short novel. I am always a fan of short chapters, complex multilayered characters, a few secrets, and a beachy location. In Sandwich, Rocky's thoughts on aging, motherhood, menopause, caretaking for parents and kids were so relatable and real. This was great.

Thank you Netgalley & Harper for the advanced reader copy.

Catherine Newman can do no wrong--she nails witty dialogue, real characters, and the joy and pain of the everyday human experience. I loved Sandwich. I wish I got to stay longer than a week, even with the shared bathroom.

LOVED this book. 5/5 stars for me, easily. It was complex, emotional, funny, & witty all in one. I absolutely love Newman's We all want impossible things & was very excited to receive this arc copy. I'm highly recommending to everyone!

What an emotional roller coaster! I really appreciated how the narrative had me laughing at one bit and on the verge of tears a couple pages later. Some of the observations were so spot on and funny that I had to read them aloud to my husband. Newman captures the heartbreak and joy of being a middle-aged mom so adeptly. I identified so much with Rocky and her relationship with Willa (such a kind daughter). While every reader might not identify with the choices the characters make, Newman does an excellent job portraying their humanity and helping us focus on the things that unite rather than divide us. Side note - I didn't see it until after I finished this book, but I am not suprised that Mary Laura Philpott wrote a blurb for "Sandwich" because as I was reading, I kept thinking that it was like a novel version of "Bomb Shelter" (another great read).

“Life is a seesaw, and I am standing dead center, still and balanced: living kids on one side, living parents on the other. Nicky here with me at the fulcrum. Don’t move a muscle, I think. But I will, of course. You have to.”

This slow paced, character driven novel had me choking up during many passages - the curse and the gift of being a 62 year old reader with grown and flown children, who feels so very seen.

One week for 20 years, the family of 4 (+1) returns to the same Cape Cod rental.
Present day mom Rocky navigates the changing tide of her family in a place where memories lurk around every corner. As she copes with how menopause has been changing her mentally and physically, she embraces the chance to reflect on the past in an attempt to cope with big changes in her family. Funny and heartfelt scenes ramp up when Rocky’s parents arrive for a few days, the one bathroom cottage already bursting at the seams. We’ve all been there, right?

For those unfamiliar with Cape Cod, there is a town named Sandwich. In this case the title shines a light on Rocky’s journey as a mother, as a daughter, and somewhere among the madness, as herself.

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Books for the early copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was beautifully written, but quite sad. Rocky, the main character, is part of the sandwich generation - in the stage of life where a person’s kids are in their young adult years and parents are aging. This story highlights the confusion and grief that comes along with this phase of life, and it was so authentic in its telling. While I recognize the rawness of this book, however, it wasn’t for me. It was a little too heavy and made me feel a bit depressed. Yet I feel like people who are in a similar stage will really connect with this book, and they will find solidarity and empathy in Rocky’s story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in advance of publication in exchange for an honest review.

Sign me up for the Catherine Newman fan club. The irreverent wit and beautiful relationships of We All Want Impossible Things are very evident in her second novel. This book is so beautifully written, poignant and laugh out loud funny (to the extent that it might be embarrassing to read it in public.)
Not much happens plot-wise but Sandwich is a study of a woman in a new stage of life and her relationships sandwiched between her children, husband and parents. This book has a lot to say about growing older, parenting adult children, how to keep the spark in a long marriage, grief and loss, mental health struggles and caring for aging parents. I loved the Cape Cod setting and all the sumptuous descriptions of a beach vacation. I will be eagerly awaiting Catherine Newman’s next book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I INSANELY loved this book. Catherine Newman’s writing is absolutely stunning and you will wonder at the magic that allows her to craft a sentence the way she does. Not only that, but she has the power to make you laugh and cry at the same time, which if I’m being honest, is not always attractive. Her first novel, We All Want Impossible Things was one of my favorite books of 2023, and I was so excited to read this.

Caught between her aging children and her aging parents, Rocky is balancing the joy and the pain of both. The book takes place during their annual weeklong vacation in Cape Cod, and is imbued with a sense of place so strong I could almost hear the crash of the waves. This book is perfect for women in or nearing middle age and I could not recommend it more strongly!

Thank you to @netgalley and @harperbooks for the advanced reader copy.

Sandwich is an ideal book for menopausal women who are in between the memories of their children when they were young and the reality that these children are now adults. Rocky and her husband, Nick, are staying at their usual Cape Cod cottage for a week with their grown children, and Rocky's aging parents who visit for two days. The vacation is filled with delicious meals, beach days, and midnight pond swims. In the background lurk several personal family issues including miscarriages and other medical emergencies. Recommended for discussion groups and library collections.

Catherine Newman is on my radar now with this relatable novel that hits all the sweet spots. Rocky and her family go to Cape Cod for a beach vacation. She thinks of her pregnancies and shares intimate recollections with her daughter in alternate chapters. Joy and grief feat and valor honesty and secrets surround the family as they make decisions that are seemingly mundane but actually quite impactful. Definitely want to see more from this author.

Copy provided by the publisher and Netgalley

A truly enjoyed this novel centered around a mother navigating menopause, marriage, and memories while on an annual family vacation on Cape Cod. Rocky's descriptions of the physical changes she is experiencing are painfully accurate (and laugh out loud funny, at times) and her feelings about her changing role as a mother and wife and highly relatable. As someone who had a very similar family vacation for years, I found myself nodding and laughing and crying at various times throughout the book. It's raw and vulnerable, poignant and joyful . . . and messy. Just like life. Catherine Newman has done it again and I will be recommending this one to all of my friends.
I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rocky and her husband and kids go to the beach every summer. This summer, things are complicated. Rocky likes to talk about the changes to her body due to menopause a LOT. This year, she is sandwiched between her parents, who are increasingly frail, and her kids who are adults but still need their parents. Set over one week at the beach house, it's a cute novel. But really, Rocky could try to stop complaining about her weight and how hot it is.

I loved this book! Thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this amazing book.

Rocky (aka Rachel) is on vacation with her two young adult children, husband, and cat named Chicken. They take an annual week-long holiday to escape the city and flee to Cape Cod. Her son has been bringing his longtime girlfriend Maya for several years. They always stay in the same rental and go to the same beach, bakery, pond, etc. Rocky loves it and wouldn’t have it any other way!

This book is about a week in the life of an ordinary family on their annual vacation. But it’s not ordinary because no one leads an ordinary life. To the person, the daily decisions and happenings are crucial, exciting, heartbreaking, etc.

I devoured this book. I swallowed up Rocky and could relate to this 50-something woman on many levels. This book was exactly what I needed right when I needed it! *chef's kiss*