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.

An incredible debut - but that doesn't half describe this novel. Intricate and believable plot, well developed characters, it's difficult to believe that this was the author's first novel. The story is so well set up that when the difficult section, the twist, is described, it made me wonder if I missed something. But no, I don't think so. I believe that the story is clearly told from young Layla's point of view and stays true to that mode, I do not see any instances of foreshadowing or of knowledge she couldn't have had available to her young self. As time moves forward, we are able to see the role of each person in the lead up to the climax and the mistakes that each person made, which contributed to misunderstandings. And the unexpected portion of the novel becomes not unbelievable, everything has been set up nicely. There are no superfluous events or characters, each person has an important role in this story. I only wish I could know how everyone's life unfolds moving forward.

This ARC was provided by the publisher and NetGalley, the opinions expressed herein are strictly my own.

DNF
I love the cover. This drawing is something I could have on my wall, and I could stare at it for an entire day. The title and the blurb are promising, and I really thought this would be one of those magical books that grabs readers' attention immediately, but no.
It's a slow burn and heavy at times. It covers important topics, such as a career as a mother, a failing marriage, and mental health issues, but it`s done in a way that doesn´t work for me. Layla, the main character, doesn't seem to care enough. She's a doctor, an anesthesiologist. When she kills her patient by making a mistake, her thought process is somewhat disturbing. Her marriage is failing, her affair bothers her only because he wants more than just casual sex, her kids desperately seek their mothers' attention, and yet Layla... she's passive. She notices but doesn't care. Layla's mother has some mental health issues, she threatens to commit suicide, but again, Layla doesn't care. She just wants to know the truth about her father. Her emotional detachment is probably explained later in the book (I read other reviews and yes, there`s a reason), and probably it all makes sense, but, just like Layla, I am too tired and emotionally detached.

Unfortunately this book did not work for me and I had to DNF. I hope that it appeals to others and it was just me, and I want to thank the publishers for my copy,

A doctor on probation, Layla is facing a crossroads in her life. Her marriage is failing, her lover is pushing her to new commitment and her mother is threatening self-harm. Since her father's death years before, Layla hasn't had the best relationship with her mother - she's threatened self-harm many times before - but this time feels different and this time, she's promised Layla the truth about her father's death. Despite push-back from Gabe, her husband, Layla takes her aunt with her to Tasmania to try to save her mother and find out the truth that's shaped her life and will possibly undo everything she's ever known.

The Heart is a Star is an Australian-based novel about family and what we think we know about ourselves and our parents. Layla's father always taught her that 'north is always north' but as she discovers in her quest for the truth, the only truth in life is that nothing is what it seems. Megan Rogers has written a wonderful tale of trust and truth and family. Highly recommend this for 2025.

This book was very well written.And I like how story and characters all developed together nicely. LAY APR NE.S was a Anast H ESI A Who left her small town in australia. Her mother was not doing well.. She Had aunt who lived with her to help with the children when they were smaller. She was a strange person as well.But she had a good heart. L a y a would read the antonomy book to help her settle herself down. She also had a lover as well. So when your mother Tried to commit suicide again.She decided to come out there just before christmas. Things started to unravel because she started asking her about her father again. Your sister also was out there.She had problems with her past as well. L a y and enter aunt were there to help her mother but it was a lot different this time. Her children also came to visitors well. This was a really interesting book.Because her father was not the man everybody thought he was. He was a doctor but he had to pass behind this. Mother knew and the sister knew but she did not know you will find out what really happened with the father and what happened in the past. Great plops great thickening everything tied together

A relatable read for my middle aged self. Layla is a successful anaesthetist but this comes at a price. She is by no means the perfect character, she makes some lousy choices but no one is her world seems to have her back, not her husband, nor the Dr's she works with She is drowning in work, juggling kids a husband, and an affair, while also remotely taking care of her mentally ill mother and all the emotional baggage that entails. The whole book is about relationships, the relationship she has with her mother (complicated) and the relationship she has with her husband is hanging by a thread I felt like a peeping tom reading the dialogue and all that was left unsaid between Layla and her husband is enthralling (you can feel their boredom). The relationship she has with her aunt is selfish to say the least and the relationship she had with her dad is about to be blown apart.
There was just the right amount of mystery and intrigue with Layla's dad to keep me turning those pages without it feeling like a mystery novel. What a shocker!

I dropped a stars as I wished the novel had felt more Australian, It could have been set anywhere. It would make a great 3 part BBC series.

Thank you to Netgalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review

Layla is used to her mother threatening to off herself, but this year just before Christmas, the threats feel different, more like promises. After a turbulent childhood and now as a stressed mother of two with a strained relationship with her husband and her job, Layla really doesn't have the time to be flying across countries to check up on her mother. But if she can finally get some answers, it might all be worth it.

This book hit more than one of my trigger warnings and pet peeves, but I just couldn't bring myself to give it less than 4 stars. It's just too beautifully written. Layla's life is messy and full of dark things, not the least of which is her past, but I immediately fell in love with her as a character and found myself easily able to slip into her shoes and feel her skin. The writing in this book is absolutely worth the pain, and even though it ended up not being the right book for me, I still highly recommend it if you're the kind of person who enjoys a book that contrasts pain and beauty in ways that remind us what it means to be human.

Thank you to Central Avenue Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

i don't think the narrative really lived up to its expectations nad i found it in general a little meh. 3 stasr. tysm for the arc.

Heart is a Star is a lyrical and emotional read. I feel like I had an experience reading this, at points I felt addicted and others appalled and wanting to put it down. This is a story about trauma and toxic relationships. The family secrets that bind us and create our identities. I really enjoyed the setting, this was remote and vivid. The use of the stars and flowers in the language was beautifully written.
The sex scenes for me didn’t really fit with the other parts of the story, this felt disjointed but I am not sure if this was the point.
Definitely a book for those who like drama and literary fiction based on the lives of women.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.