This is an exploration of family secrets and personal discovery. Rogers masterfully looks at the themes of memory, identity, and the complexities of familial relationships. She crafts a narrative that is both poignant and thought-provoking.

Ok, firstly….This cover! Wow, such a pretty, eye catching design. Whoever designed this really knew how to make it stand out on a shelf.

Here, we follow our main character, Layla. Layla is a Wife, a Mother, has a hard and intensive job as an anaesthesiologist and is doing her utmost to manage them all.
We follow Layla as she tries to navigate her way through life and the variety of challenges it sends her way. As she faces an uncertain future in her marriage, she’s also presented with a host of other issues. And none of them are of the superficial kind.
The author has given us a story that is full of interest & has a depth to it which at times verges on the disturbing.
In Layla we find a character that isn’t what I’d call likeable, but she is real, flawed and relatable.
This book seemed to be a bit of a mixed bag regarding reviews, but for me, I really enjoyed it. I found it immersive and at times it gave me pause for thought.
I can see how it might be divisive, but I’m in the “happy to recommend” category.
I hope to see more from this author in the future.

Megan Rogers' Heart is a Star is a poignant exploration of identity, family, and self-discovery. The novel follows Layla, a doctor whose life is unraveling as she struggles to balance her career, marriage, and role as both mother and daughter. Rogers captures the emotional turbulence of a woman searching for clarity in the midst of chaos, creating a protagonist who is deeply flawed yet profoundly relatable.

Layla’s journey is framed by her deep bond with her late father, a doctor and astronomy enthusiast, whose influence shapes her aspirations and view of the world. His untimely death during a storm left her without the closure she desperately needed, and the void has defined her relationships ever since. This unresolved grief compounds her sense of isolation from her remaining family—her mother, sister, and aunt—who harbor secrets meant to shield her from a painful past.

As Layla uncovers these hidden truths, she realizes the life she thought she understood was built on a foundation of omissions. Her belief in the guidance of the North Star—a metaphor instilled by her father—gives way to a deeper understanding of herself. The novel’s central message emerges: true direction comes not from external symbols, but from listening to the heart.

Rogers excels in weaving themes of astronomy and familial bonds into a narrative that feels both intimate and expansive. The prose is lyrical, with vivid descriptions of the night sky mirroring Layla’s inner journey. The emotional weight of the story is balanced by moments of quiet beauty, as Layla learns to navigate her own path.

While the novel delves into complex relationships and personal struggles, some readers may find the pacing uneven, with certain revelations feeling rushed compared to the detailed introspection elsewhere. However, this minor flaw does not detract significantly from the overall impact of the story.

Heart is a Star is a moving novel that reminds us of the importance of self-reflection, forgiveness, and embracing the truth—even when it is painful. Megan Rogers has crafted a deeply emotional tale that resonates long after the final page.

This was just not the book for me and I found it a real struggle to finish. I have seen a lot of good reviews for the book and recognize that I may be in the minority here, but this one lost me from the beginning and I felt that it lacked believability. Due to the serious nature of the themes in these plot lines I thought it was a real shame that these topics were not explored more fully, I also feel that fewer plot lines would have served the book much better, For example, Layla and Lucas felt farfetched to me and their relationship seems like a gratuitous plot line that was included in the book as part of Layla's midlife crisis. While I didn't jive with this book, there are plenty of others who did enjoy it and I thank Netgalley and Harper Collins for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Heart is a Star focuses on Layla and her struggles as a mother and anesthesiologist with an uncertain marriage, and a mother and past she needs to confront. The book covers a breadth of topics, some of which are very disturbing. Overall it held my attention and is an interesting read.

This is a very slow read, and eventually I gave up. Layla is not a sympathetic character, I could not warm to her at all. She makes some very questionable choices, and comes across as cold and unfeeling. There is way too much introspection and navel- gazing for my taste. Not for me this one, sorry. A DNF.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

I absolutely requested this book first because the protagonist is an anaesthetist, and second because it takes place at Christmas in Australia and I’m a sucker for a summer Christmas. These are not plot points, they are just a setting, a milieu, and that is not a bad thing. If you don't feel like reading a medical novel, don't worry, because medicine barely features. And it's also not stereotypically Australian (like it doesn't use cringey over the top colloquialisms, thank goodness).

The Heart is a Star is about love and marriage, childhood and parenthood, and how they all converge in middle age to knock your wind out (truly I can’t wait). It’s a little slow to get into, but I kept coming back because it leaves an aftertaste like a grapefruit - it quenches your thirst while making you more thirsty at the same time.

Megan Rogers writes lyrically and sensitively, as introspective about life as she does about love. It[s hard to pen down exactly how The Heart is a Star draws the reader in, but it does, and when you reach the end it feels like an end you’ve been dreading, but a welcoming respite, too.

Well this book was another just okay read for me. The characters are all together just unlikable. And I always struggle when I can’t find even one character to connect to.
Laylas life is falling apart……probably because she’s made some pretty awful decisions…….her mom is narcissistic…….and even after all is revealed I just couldn’t find a ton of compassion for the characters.
If you’re someone who doesn’t mind characters with little to no redeeming qualities and a story of family abuse in all its forms then you will like this book.
I received an ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.

This is a perfect fit for readers who crave a deeply emotional and introspective journey, as it explores the complexities of midlife, family dynamics, and self-discovery with lyrical prose and a powerful narrative that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to navigate the intricacies of love, family, and identity.

For readers who:
- like middle-age novels where female characters find themselves
- love a good drama movie/book

Layla is an exhausted mum (set in Australia), working full time as an anesthesiologist, and feeling like she's missing out on her children's lives. Plus, her mentally instable mother calls her, constantly threatening to off herself.
One December, though, the phone call is different. Layla flies to her mother and finds herself reckoning with everything she ever thought was the truth of her life.

My Thoughts: It took me a bit to get into, but then I couldn't stop turning the pages. There's a lot of grief and trauma and heaviness to this book, but there was something beautiful about reading about Layla's world falling apart and how she pieced it back together again.

I know many loved this book, but I disliked the main character, Layla, and did not find her to be a sympathetic character at all. There was too much drama and frankly, I was happy when I finished it.

“The Heart is a Star,” by Megan Rogers, Central Avenue, 288 pages, Jan. 7, 2025.

Dr. Layla Byrnes knows Nora, her unstable mother, will call her just before Christmas, although Layla has already told her that the plane tickets have been purchased. Her mother lives in a remote part of Tasmania.

Layla is an anesthesiologist who lives in Queensland. She has been suspended because she gave a patient a wrong medication. Her marriage is coming apart. She and her husband Gabe have two young children. Layla is also having an affair. Gabe wants her to work, but he still wants her to do everything at home.

Her mother tells her that there’s something she wants to tell her about Layla’s late father. Layla drops everything and goes to her childhood home.

It is slow-moving. I didn’t care for the characters. The plot tried to cover too many themes and became disjointed. Warning, there are sexual and abuse scenes.

I rate it three out of five stars.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This was a struggle book for me really couldn’t get through this book, didn’t keep my attention. I tried multiple times to get into the story and it just didn’t hook me. Sorry

Layla almost lost me. In those first few chapters, I was inexplicably frustrated with her. Her seeming need for self destruction. How she was insisting she wouldn't follow in the footsteps of her mother, and still doing it (just quietly). Most of all her lack of urgency. She kept SAYING things needed to be dealt with urgently, then not doing anything about it.

But when we got to the heart of the story–it erased the sins of those first few chapters. My heart broke for Layla, for Jesse, for Adara, for Nora, for Willow and even for Dawn & Maggie. When they revealed well....everything...I found myself newly captured by the story, even hoping for more past the final page.

The way the prose was written was beautiful, if not sometimes a little overdone- some passages I felt were a touch overwritten, but I forgave it because the author certainly knows how to turn a phrase.

Subtly gripping, slow start but very soon this book becomes a page-turner
Fascinating and gripping story of one woman almost at the end of her proverbial rope but needing to care for her suicidal mother, dying marriage, her lover, her forced removal from her job and two children. Even though she expects the call she gets from her mother, who calls every year right before Christmas threatening to kill herself, she is stunned this time. Something about her Mum is different. Could she really try and succeed this time? She rushes to catch a plane. Her exploits to get to her Mum would be funny if we did not suspect the tragedy unfolding. Layla has hated her mother for a very long time and believes she had something to do with her father’s death. The revelations she will uncover will tear her apart and leave her gasping for air.
We are told the story through the eyes of Layla Byrnes, whether in current or past history. For her, the twist in the story, the final revelation turns her already discombobulated world upside down. Not even the stars that she used as a guide could help her now. What she thought was white is now black. This was a well-told, well-written and edited fictional story of a woman which can make you happy, sad, angry or stunned within only a few pages or fifty. If any of this sounds appealing, you will want to read this book. I could not put it down until finished. I volunteered to review an ARC of it through NetGalley.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of this novel by Megan Rogers, originally published and loved in Australia. All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 4 stars!

Layla Byrnes is exhausted – she’s an anesthesiologist on leave from her job, with two young kids, a dissolving marriage, a needy lover, and disconnected sister. Her mother, who lives on the opposite coast, is unstable and always threatening harm to herself. This year, Layla feels that the threats are real. Layla drops everything to get to her mom and to learn what she has to tell Layla about her dad’s death.

This is a story of generational trauma, family secrets, fractured friendships, and coming to terms with our own stories despite all that. Although not in the same circumstances, many (most) women can relate to Layla’s exhaustion from trying to be everything for everyone and feeling like a failure most of the time on all fronts. There are a lot of unlikeable characters here, but many are relatable, especially when the secrets come out. Left me thinking, which is what a good book should do.

I had high hopes for Heart is a Star. The cover artwork is beautiful and I'm always up for reading debut novels. However, I don't feel that the description was accurate to the story. I feel there should have been a trigger warning with this book about the tough subjects of suicide, marital affairs, family trauma, etc. Yes, there is an underlying story of strong women and Layla overcoming the trauma, but the cohesiveness just wasn't there for me.

I struggled to finish this book, really tried to push through and ended up stopping at the 70% mark.

Personally, the story was just missing something for me. I couldn't connect to the characters. However, if you like family trauma and the tough subject reads this might be for you.
2.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for honest thoughts.

I received an advanced reader copy (ARC) of The Heart is a Star by Megan Rogers through NetGalley, and overall, I found it to be an enjoyable read with some reservations.

What I loved most about this book was the characters. They were relatable, well-drawn, and engaging, which made it easy to connect with their journeys. The book also had moments that genuinely made me laugh out loud, a delightful bonus that added levity to the story. And just when I thought I had the main storyline figured out, it veered in an unexpected direction, keeping me on my toes!

However, I struggled with the pacing, especially in the beginning. The story was slow to start, and the buildup felt like it dragged a bit too long, which tested my patience as a reader. That said, once the book finally took off, it became impossible to put down, redeeming itself in the latter half.

If you’re someone who doesn’t mind a slow burn and loves character-driven narratives with unexpected twists, The Heart is a Star might just be the book for you. While it’s not a perfect read, it’s one that will make you laugh, surprise you, and ultimately stick with you after the final page.

Australia. Mother-Daughter. Strained Relationships. Affairs. Twists. Complexity. Trigger warnings. I truly adored this book. The prose, the many life lessons, the well-developed characters, the many versions of pain, the truth staring back at us. All of it, soul-quenching. This is definitely not a light read, it forces you to go deeper. And deeper you should wander. I can’t emphasize enough how much you need to cozy up to this book.

First my thanks to Central Avenue Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity for an ARC copy of this novel 🫶

Always believe women.

This is one of my personal philosophies in life that has almost never steered me wrong. Always believe women— especially when it comes to safety, their concerns, their gut feelings, and especially men.

This book had me emotionally connected with all of the characters- and not always a positive emotion. The descriptions and thoughts from the characters draw you in and make you have opinions about them quickly.

It’s a good story showing that not everything is as it seems and that people are deep and complex individuals that, perhaps, we can never fully know or understand.

✨slight spoilers below✨

As someone with a friend whose mom is similar to the mom in this book I found it difficult to read at first. As mentioned above I’m always inclined to believe and side with women first. And the more I read the more I realized there had to be something more going on.

I do have to say that the big reveal about the dad did surprise me. I didn’t necessarily trust him the whole time, but what happened was not what I was expecting.

Part of me understood why everyone kept the truth from Layla but at the same time it made me frustrated for her and I didn’t really actually understand why they kept the secret.

I also was a little thrown off by the, in my opinion, random sex scene towards the end. Personally it felt a little gratuitous and unnecessary after everything that Layla had just went through.

Overall though, I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to others.