"The Guilt Pill" hooked me with its premise: a pill that erases guilt, designed specifically for women. I really enjoyed how the story delved into the balance between motherhood and being a businesswoman, offering a relatable look at the protagonist’s struggles. However, I found myself wanting more scenes about her everyday interactions and how this lack of guilt affected her relationships outside of her immediate circle. It would have added some extra depth to the world around her.

The back-and-forth between her disappearance and the past events felt unnecessary to me. It repeated itself in a way that didn’t really add much to the story. Still, the core concept made me think about how my own life might change with access to such a pill. While I’m tempted by the idea of saying “no” without feeling bad, I also wonder if guilt serves a purpose—like when my child asks me to play pretend veterinary hospital, and I’d rather do anything else. It’s the guilt that nudges me to say yes, reminding me to stay present for those little moments.

Overall, I’d give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. The intriguing concept and strong exploration of the lead’s work-life balance kept me engaged, but the repetitive structure and lack of depth in some areas left me wanting more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for about advanced readers' copy in exchange for my honest feedback and review.

This review has been posted on my Goodreads

4.5*

Saumya Dave has always been one of my favorite authors of all time and this book just proves why. I knew I was going to pick this up because Dave wrote it, but I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to connect with it as deeply as her previous books being that a big theme of this book surrounds motherhood. However, that wasn't the case. I saw a lot of myself in the main character, Maya, as well as in her best friend Alaina (An ER doctor, mother, wife, etc.). Being that I want to become a mother one day, while also becoming a wife and a doctor, is incredibly daunting. You take that and mix it in with society who constantly tell you you can't do it all and it's incredibly frustrating. Albeit it will be difficult to find something that even resembles a bit of balance, but I've seen it done by so many women around me. It comes with it's good and bad days, but I know that's something I want in my life and let's just say when you have a determined eldest daughter of immigrants who has a goal, she will do just about anything to achieve it

Additionally, this feeling of guilt that Dave weaves into this storyline is incredibly prominent in many people's lives, especially women of color. Being a daughter of immigrants it's hard not to want to check in on your parents and make sure you're there for them because they moved across entire countries to provide you with an opportunity in America, opportunities they didn't have. When you're the eldest daughter, you take up this responsibility of making sure everyone else's lives are in order because that's been your role since you were much too young. Every aspect of this life comes with guilt for not being enough or doing enough. I'm sure many people of thought of this idea that if you take guilt away from these situations, would it in fact become easier to handle these things. You'll have to read the book to find out, but Dave did an incredible job creating this narrative that is both deeply personal and hard hitting when it comes to this idea of guilt and what its role is in the lives of women.

Without giving too much away, I did find that this book was well crafted in the sense that the mystery component was intriguing, and I wanted to learn more about Maya to figure out why she had disappeared in the first place. As readers we were also given snippets of insight from Maya's friends and family in regard to her disappearance. All in all, Dave wrote a spectacular novel once again. I know this will be a book I come revisit when I do decide to have kids. I'm always in awe of Dave and how she also manages all these different parts of her life and makes it look so easy, but now reading this book it just goes to show that social media is not always the full picture of a person and what they're going through cannot be reflected behind carefully taken and edited photos posted on the internet. That's a good reminder when it comes to anyone, not just authors or celebrities, etc.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC. I absolutely love Saumya Dave's writing and after reading her first two books a few years ago and heard she was coming out with a new book, I immediately had to request it on NetGalley. I feel like Dave and I would be great friends in real life because her writing is so real, raw, and inspirational. The Guilt Pill explores the idea of maternal guilt when balancing work, family pressure, and new motherhood. It explores delicate themes of classism, burnout, and feels of inadequacy as a mother. While I am not a parent, I really resonate with these deeply human feelings. I was right there along with Maya as she dug herself deeper and deeper into this rabbit hole she couldn't get herself out of. I think this book is very well set up for a sequel, and I'm really looking forward to it, because I want to see some characters crash and burn and I'd love to explore more of the relationship between Maya and her mother-in-law, Maya's brother and her family, and Maya's parents individually.

Definitely recommend everyone to pick up this book when it hits shelves in 2025!

The Guilt Pill is a captivating thriller that explores the challenges of balancing career, motherhood, and the pressures women face. The story centers around Maya, a CEO of a startup and a new mom struggling with the demands of both roles. She meets Liz, another successful woman in tech, who introduces her to a "magic pill" that takes away guilt. At first, the pill seems to be a solution for Maya, but soon, she finds herself spiralling into dependency, feeling trapped and out of control.

The book delves into themes of manipulation, isolation, and how addiction can change a person, impacting their relationships with family and friends. Maya's transformation keeps readers on edge as her behaviour becomes more erratic, and those around her struggle to understand what's happening. The story also touches on the desire for more support from a partner, even when they try their best.

With twists and turns, The Guilt Pill is a real page-turner that keeps you hooked. While the themes are intense, the story offers a satisfying conclusion. I couldn't put it down and finished it in a day—without feeling guilty for ignoring everything else!

A big thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and the author, Saumya Dave, for providing me with an advanced readers copy of this book!

Such a relatable read! This story brought up so many issues that women deal with in their daily lives. A CEO, wife, and mother trying to juggle all the different aspects of her life to the point of exhaustion. While reading this story, it helped me to understand better the nuances that mothers go through and to have more empathy. Any reader will run the gamut of emotions along with the main character, Maya.