Reese's Book Club Picks

Helen Zhang is the bestselling author who can't write her own happy-ever-after. Grant Shepard is the screenwriter with the movie-star looks who can't afford his therapist. When the two of them are put together to adapt Helen's books for television, it should be a dream come true. Helen can start a new life in Hollywood. Grant can pay his mortgage. Only, Grant Shepard is the last person that Helen wanted to see again. She's never forgiven him for what happened thirteen years ago. So no one is more surprised than her when sparks begin to fly between them in the writers' room. Their history is messy. Their attraction is inescapable. And soon, they're both in too deep . . . This wasn't meant to be a love story. But aren't the best endings the ones you never saw coming?

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The Most Fun We Ever Had is as good as books come' Telegraph 'I loved this book' Bryony Gordon. The perfect, engrossing holiday read' RED MEET THE SORENSON FAMILY MARILYN has somehow fallen into motherhood and spent four decades married to DAVID, who's pretty certain he loves her more than anyone has ever loved another person. WENDY, their eldest, a cause for concern, soothes herself with drink after being widowed young, while VIOLET, lawyer-turned-stay-at-home-mother, is disturbed by the reappearance of a son placed for adoption fifteen years earlier. LIZA, a professor, is pregnant with a baby she's not sure she wants by a man she's not sure she loves and GRACE, their dawdling youngest daughter, lives a lie that no one in her family suspects. 'A gripping and poignant ode to a messy, loving family in all its glory' Madeline Miller. A moving, immersive, often very funny study of family and sisterhood' Sunday Times 'Like Meg Wolitzer. A forensic dissection of family past and present, I loved it. If you like reading about relationships, this one is for you.' Pandora Sykes

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'Rollicking, melodic, tender and true. And oh so very wise'Robert Jones, Jr., author of The ProphetsWho gets to leave a legacy?1985. Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is found dead in New York City; her tragic death is the talk of the town. Until it isn’t. By 1998 Anita’s name has been all but forgotten – certainly by the time Raquel, a third-year art history student is preparing her final thesis. On College Hill, surrounded by progeny of film producers, C-Suite executives, and international art-dealers, most of whom float through life knowing that their futures are secured, Raquel feels herself an outsider. Students of colour, like Raquel, are the minority there, and the pressure to work twice as hard for the same opportunities is no secret.But when Raquel becomes romantically involved with a well-connected older art student, she finds herself unexpectedly rising up the social ranks. As she attempts to straddle both worlds, she stumbles upon Anita’s story, raising questions about the dynamics of her own relationship, which eerily mirrors that of the forgotten artist.Moving back and forth through time and told from the perspectives of both women, Anita de Monte Laughs Last is a propulsive, witty examination of power, love and art, daring to ask who gets to be remembered and who is left behind in the rarefied world of the elite.Praise for Xochitl Gonzalez and Olga Dies Dreaming'Don’t underestimate this new novelist. She’s jump-starting the year with a smart romantic comedy that lures us in with laughter and keeps us hooked with a fantastically engaging story'Washington Post'The sharpest and best written social comedy in a while'Los Angeles Times'An astounding new voice'Esquire

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Everyone in the village said nothing good would come of Gabriel's return. And as Beth looks at the man she loves on trial for murder, she can't help thinking they were right.Beth was seventeen when she first met Gabriel. Over that heady, intense summer, he made her think and feel and see differently. She thought it was the start of her great love story. When Gabriel left to become the person his mother expected him to be, she was broken.It was Frank who picked up the pieces and together they built a home very different from the one she'd imagined with Gabriel. Watching her husband and son, she remembered feeling so sure that, after everything, this was the life she was supposed to be leading.But when Gabriel comes back, all Beth's certainty about who she is and what she wants crumbles. Even after ten years, their connection is instant. She knows it's wrong and she knows people could get hurt. But how can she resist a second chance at first love?A love story with the pulse of a thriller, Broken Country is a heart-pounding novel of impossible choices and devastating consequences.About the AuthorAfter several years of living and working in London as a journalist and writing Pictures of Him and Days You Were Mine, Clare, her husband and three children moved to an old farmhouse in Dorset. The house, the ancient fields surrounding it and the farmers who have a deep connection to the land inspired the setting for Broken Country.Broken Country will be published in thirty-one countries.

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'This compulsive thriller reads like true crime and had me guessing until the very end.' Reese WitherspoonThree friends went on holiday.Only two came back.Ten years ago, after a sun-soaked summer in Greece, best friends Bess and Joni were cleared of any involvement in their friend Evangeline’s death. Although they were found innocent, the case made them infamous and they’ve not seen each other since.Except now Joni wants a favour, and when she turns up at her old friend’s doorstep in need of an alibi, Bess has no choice but to say yes. After all, she still owes her.But can you ever leave the past behind, when the whole world believes you’re guilty?'Beautifully written, suspenseful coming-of-age story... I loved it.' The Daily Mail'Two BFFs are accused of murder in this novel that feels like true crime.' — Cosmopolitan‘A haunting and dazzling page-turner.’ – Laura Hankin'It’s a compulsive thriller, and you won’t want to put down Berman’s second book.'— Shondaland'Slices to the core of a fraught friendship on the brink of disaster.' — PopSugar

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Dive into Tom Lake - the breathtaking new novel from Ann Patchett * THE SUNDAY TIMES AND NO. 1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * * SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2023 * * A REESE WITHERSPOON AND BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK * * A 2023 BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR THE TIMES *‘Filled with the moments I live for in a story’ BONNIE GARMUS, author of Lessons in Chemistry‘[Tom Lake] has it all ... Young love, sibling rivalry and deep mother-daughter relationships’ REESE WITHERSPOON ‘One of the most beloved authors of her generation’ SUNDAY TIMES This is a story about Peter Duke who went on to be a famous actor. This is a story about falling in love with Peter Duke who wasn’t famous at all. It’s about falling so wildly in love with him – the way one will at twenty-four – that it felt like jumping off a roof at midnight. There was no way to foresee the mess it would come to in the end. It’s spring and Lara’s three grown daughters have returned to the family orchard. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the one story they’ve always longed to hear – of the film star with whom she shared a stage, and a romance, years before. Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents lead before their children are born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. ‘One of our greatest living chroniclers of love and marriage … Expect wonder; Patchett always delivers’ ELLE

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The No. 1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller from literary sensation R.F. Kuang *Foyle’s Fiction Book of the Year* *Amazon Book of the Year* *Shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year* ‘Hard to put down, harder to forget’ STEPHEN KING 'Ingenious, astute, hugely entertaining' DAVID NICHOLLS ‘Breathtakingly clever on jealousy, talent, success, and who gets to tell which story’ ELIZABETH DAY Athena Liu is a literary darling. June Hayward is literally nobody. But when June just happens to witness Athena die in a freak accident, she realises now is her chance to find fame. So what if that means stealing her friend’s work? So what if that means creating a new, racially ambiguous identity? So what if a social media scandal is about to blow her cover? As her lies mount up and threaten her stolen success, how far will June go to keep what she thinks she deserves… This is one hell of a story. It’s just not hers to tell. R.F. Kuang’s book ‘Yellowface’ was a #1 Sunday Times bestseller w/c 04-06-23 R.F. Kuang’s book ‘Yellowface’ was a #5 New York Times bestseller 

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A REESE'S BOOK CLUB JULY PICKA deeply satisfying and enjoyable novel about family, secrets, ghosts and homecoming'Entrancing ... filled with mystery' Reese Witherspoon, Reese's Book Club July Picks'I could not put this book down' Ann Napolitano, author of Hello Beautiful'Compulsively readable ... funny, heartbreaking' Oprah DailyOn a secluded cliff overlooking the ocean sits a Victorian house that contains a century's worth of secrets. By the time Jane Flanagan discovers the house as a teenager, it has long been abandoned - yet there are still clothes in the closets, marbles rolling across the floors, and dishes in the cupboards. The place is an irresistible mystery to Jane, and becomes a hideaway for her, a place to escape her troubled, volatile mother.Twenty years later, now a Harvard archivist, she returns home to Maine following a terrible mistake that threatens both her career and her marriage. Jane is horrified to find the Victorian is now barely recognizable. The new owner, Genevieve, a summer person from Beacon Hill, has gutted it, transforming the house into a glossy white monstrosity straight out of a magazine. Convinced that the house is haunted, Genevieve hires Jane to research the history of the place and the women who lived there. The story Jane uncovers - of lovers lost at sea, romantic longing, shattering loss, artistic awakening, historical artefacts stolen and sold, and the long shadow of colonialism - is even older than Maine itself ...

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For fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, comes a debut novel from an amazing new talent.Who is Cate Kay?Cate Kay is the most famous author on the planet. But it’s just a name. Somehow, despite her bestselling novels and the record-breaking film franchise, the writer has remained completely anonymous.Anne Marie Callahan is the name nobody knows. Only the people she left behind. And Annie knows there’s no one there anymore who could connect the dots between the girl who ran away all those years ago and the famous novelist.If you asked, she’d say her name was Cass Ford. That’s what her barista shouts each morning. And it’s how she introduces herself to the woman she’ll eventually call the love of her life.Three names, three lives. But Cate Kay is finally ready to tell you who she really is.And when the truth is out, will everyone’s favourite novelist hold on to her place in our hearts or are some betrayals impossible to forgive?Kate Fagan’s debut novel is an astounding achievement. The Three Lives of Cate Kay explores the cost of ambition, the longings of first (and second and third) love, and how it's never too late to go home.

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THE REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK'Dark academia, secret societies, and murder - what's not to love?' Jessica Payne'Takes you on a wild ride. It's a must-read!' Courteney CoxHow far would you go to belong?Maya has returned to Princeton for her college reunion - it's been a decade since she graduated, and she is looking forward to seeing old faces and reminiscing about her time there. This visit is special because Maya will also be attending the graduation of her little sister, Naomi.But what should have been a dream weekend becomes Maya's worst nightmare when she receives the news that Naomi is dead. The police are calling it an accident, but Maya suspects that there is more to the story than they are letting on.As Maya pieces together what happened in the months leading up to her sister's death, she begins to realize how much Naomi hid from her. Despite Maya's warnings, Naomi had joined Sterling Club, the most exclusive social club on campus - the same one Maya belonged to. And if she had to guess, Naomi was likely tapped for the secret society within it.The more Maya uncovers, the more terrified she becomes that Naomi's decision to follow in her footsteps might have been what got her killed. Because Maya's time at Princeton wasn't as wonderful as she'd always made it seem - after all, her sister wasn't the first young woman to turn up dead. Now every clue is leading Maya back to the past . . . and to the secret she's kept all these years.'A dark and haunting debut that explores secret societies, the bonds of sisterhood, and the intricacies of privilege at an elite college . . . I couldn't put this twisty tale down' Julia Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of The Writing Retreat'Prepare to meet your summer obsession . . . has everything I want in a book: a twisty plot, powerful social commentary, beautiful writing, and emotional resonance' Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of The Girls Are All So Nice Here'Filled with secrets and collegiate scandals . . . I loved this twisty thriller!' Halley Sutton, author of The Hurricane Blonde

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When Margaret Ives, the famously reclusive heiress, invites eternal optimist Alice Scott to the balmy Little Crescent Island, Alice knows this is it: her big break. And even more rare: a chance to impress her family with a Serious Publication.   The catch? Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud, Hayden Anderson, is sure of the same thing.   The proposal? A one-month trial period to unearth the truth behind one of the most scandalous families of the 20th Century, after which she’ll choose who’ll tell her story.   The problem? Margaret is only giving each of them tantalising pieces. Pieces they can’t put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.   And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story – just like the tale Margaret’s spinning – could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad … depending on who’s telling it.

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In this dazzling debut novel of love and secret histories, a young woman unearths the story of a lost Shanghai pencil company and a hidden family ability which will alter the path of her life forever. Monica Tsai spends most days on her computer coding for a program that seeks to connect strangers online. A self-confessed recluse, she finds herself escaping into a digital world, counting the days until she can return home to her beloved grandparents. They are now in their nineties, and she worries about them – especially her grandmother Yun whose memory has begun to fade. Monica has become intent on tracking down her grandmother Yun’s long-lost cousin, Meng, before it’s too late. In her search, Monica connects with a young woman archivist who presents her with a single pencil that holds a clue to a hidden family history. Through this discovery Monica comes to learn of her grandmother’s years in Shanghai, working at the Phoenix Pencil Company. As WWII raged outside their door, Yun and Meng came into a power unique to the women in their family: the ability to reclaim stories from the pencils they were written with. But when government officials uncovered their secret ability, they were both forced into a life of espionage, betraying other people’s stories to survive. These shocking revelations set Monica on a path that will change all their lives in ways she can scarcely imagine. At once a sweeping family epic and a powerful love story with deep emotional resonance, Allison King’s brilliantly inventive debut novel pushes us to question how well we really know our own stories and the many beguiling ways they can connect our lives.

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THE REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERPRAISE FOR RAINBOW ROWELL AND SLOW DANCE'SEXY, SWEET, WISE AND NOSTALGIC' GABRIELLE ZEVIN'A BEAUTIFUL, BELIEVABLE LOVE STORY' MARIAN KEYES'ROWELL'S HUMOUR, TENDERNESS AND SENSE OF DETAIL ARE EXTRAORDINARY' CURTIS SITTENFELD 'SHE WILL BREAK YOUR HEART AND YOU'LL THANK HER FOR IT' LEIGH BARDUGO'ROWELL IS TALENTED ENOUGH TO BE UNCATEGORIZABLE' NEW YORK TIMES--Back in high school, everybody thought Shiloh and Cary would end up together – everybody but Shiloh and Cary.They were best friends, that’s all. But, somehow, everything changed. Both left town – took different paths – and suddenly it’s fourteen years since Shiloh last spoke to Cary. She’s been married, divorced, and is back living in the house she grew up in. But when she gets invited to an old friend’s wedding, all Shiloh can think about is whether Cary will be there – and whether she’s dreading or dreaming if he will be . . .Slow Dance is the story of two kids who fell in love before they knew enough about love to recognize it. And what will happen when they try to make their way back to each other.----EVERYONE LOVES SLOW DANCE:'A will-they, won't-they second chance romance for the ages' People‘Raw, real and romantic, this one got me right in the feels’ Red'I can't even put into words what this book means to me' Reader review‘Who can deny the absolute, dizzy pleasure of loving a novel so much . . . A book that is romantic to its core, and as funny and smart as its wonderful characters' Emma Straub 'No author makes me root for characters like Rainbow Rowell does' Reader review‘Rainbow Rowell has an incredible ability to hide an emotional wallop in the middle of a light and romantic story’ Cosmopolitan'This is the type of book that makes you fall in love with real life' Reader review

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'A novel that will be read and loved for the next one hundred years, and essential reading for right now. I could not have loved it more.' Coco Mellors, author of Blue Sisters'This story left me thinking about the ways we overcome setbacks and redefine what truly matters.'  Reese Witherspoon A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK FOR DECEMBER 2024 * A HARPER'S BAZAAR BEST BOOK OF 2024Slowly recovering from a terrible accident, Natalia is faced with a devastating choice – to return to the cutthroat world of Russian ballet that nearly broke her, or to walk away forever – in this sweeping novel of love and redemptionPrima ballerina Natalia Leonova was once celebrated across the world, her signature bravura in demand on stages from St. Petersburg to Paris to New York. But at the top of her career, an accident forces her into sudden retirement. Injured and alone, she turns to pills and alcohol to numb the pain of her past, still haunted by her relationships with two gifted dancers, Dmitri and Alexander. These men were responsible for her soaring highs, her darkest hours and, ultimately, both played their part in her downfall.So when Dmitri resurfaces with a tantalising offer for Natalia, she must decide what she is willing to sacrifice in order to dance again – and for the chance to return to the great love of her life. Painting a vivid portrait of a world in which ruthless ambition, desire and sublime artistry collide, City of Night Birds unveils the making of a dancer with profound intimacy and breathtaking scope.From the author of Beasts of a Little Land, winner of the Yasnaya Polyana Award'A beautifully crafted must read' Jason Mott, author of Hell of a Book

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THE WHISPERS WERE SCANDALOUS. THE TRUTH WAS WORSE… 'A phenomenal story and so brilliantly written…I would give it ten stars if I could' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ *** They would always choose the Crown over their family. It was the pact they made for the honour of wearing it. It’s New Year’s Day and Lexi Villiers is about to kiss her best friend for the very first time under the dawn light in Tasmania. But by midnight, everything will change. Always destined to be the spare, following her estranged brother’s death, Lexi will arrive in London as Princess Alexandrina, first-in-line to the British throne. But the palace waters are treacherous, rumours are rife, and selling each other’s secrets is a family tradition. And with the Crown just beyond her grasp, Lexi must choose what bonds she will keep…and what she is willing to leave behind. *** Readers are ADDICTED to The Heir Apparent: 'I loved it. I devoured every page of this glorious novel' Holly Ringland 'One to grab as soon as you can. Five stars.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'While I knew I would like this book – I didn't think that I would absolutely LOVE it!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I adored the delicious feeling of being given a sneak into what really goes on behind the tiaras' Natasha Lester 'A dazzling, heartfelt debut that combines the allure of royalty with a deeply human story of love, grief and identity' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Glittering palaces, scandalous secrets, and power plays sit side by side with tender family moments and a romance you can’t help but root for' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Completely addictive…I was utterly transported by the evocative, clever storytelling. Five stars!' Ella Ward 'I absolutely loved this book' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'An excellent debut…more salacious than the tabloids!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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The long-awaited follow-up to the global bestselling The Last Thing He Told Me, soon to be a major series on Apple TV+ (coming 2026).'A master storyteller' HARLAN COBEN'Action-packed and deeply felt, this sequel is every bit as incredible as The Last Thing He Told Me' MARY KUBICA------Five years after her husband, Owen, disappeared, Hannah Hall and her stepdaughter, Bailey, have settled into a new life in Southern California. Together, they’ve forged a relationship with Bailey’s grandfather Nicholas and are putting the past behind them.But when Owen shows up at Hannah’s new exhibition, she knows that she and Bailey are in danger again.Hannah and Bailey are forced to go on the run in a relentless race to keep their past from catching up with them. As a thrilling drama unfolds, Hannah risks everything to get Bailey to safety - and finds there just might be a way back to Owen and their long-awaited second chance.Acclaimed author Laura Dave is back with an adrenalin-fuelled thriller you will never want to end. The gripping follow-up to the global bestseller, The Last Thing He Told Me.------Readers are loving The First Time I Saw Him:‘Amazing! Thrilling! I was HOOKED’ 5-star reader review‘It’s gripping, twisty, exhilarating, and utterly unputdownable. Five blazing stars from me!’ 5-star reader review‘Absolutely incredible’ 5-star reader review‘Wow, I couldn't put this book down!’ 5-star reader review‘Oh my word. This much-anticipated book is everything I had hoped for and more’ 5-star reader review‘This book has fantastic pacing and will keep you up all night’ 5-star reader review‘Pure adrenaline’ 5-star reader review‘A truly gripping psychological thriller!’ 5-star reader review‘One of the best books I have read this year’ 5-star reader review

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A REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK | A LITHUB MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2025 | AN AMAZON BEST BOOK OF 2025The astounding and expansive coming-of-age novel about a young woman whose quest to become the first Cherokee astronaut irrevocably alters the fates of the people she loves most.‘Will break your heart and take you to the stars. I loved it.’ Kiley Reid, bestselling author of Such a Fun Age‘A breathtaking debut about family, identity, and love across generations.’ Reese Witherspoon‘A powerful story about the mixture of combativeness, compromise and love that forms the heart of a family.’ Kaliane Bradley, bestselling author of The Ministry of TimeSteph Harper is on the run.When she was five, her mother ran – with Steph and her younger sister in tow – from an abusive husband into the arms of a small Cherokee community, where she hoped they might finally belong.But Steph soon sets her sights as far away as she can get, vowing that she will let nothing interfere with her dream to become an astronaut, and ultimately, to go to the moon.In Steph’s certainty that only her ambition can save her, she will stretch her bonds with the three women who know and love her most dearly: her younger sister Kayla, an artist whose determination to appear good takes her life to unexpected places; her college girlfriend Della, who strives to reclaim her identity as an adult after being removed from her family as a young girl through a challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act; and her mother Hannah, who has held up her family’s history as a beacon of inspiration to her kids, all the while keeping the truth about her own past a secret.Told through these women’s interwoven lives, and spanning three decades and several continents, To the Moon and Back is an astounding and expansive coming-of-age novel of mothers and daughters, love and sacrifice, alienation and heartbreak, terror and wonder. At its core, it is the story of the extraordinary lengths one woman will go to find a little space for herself.Praise for To The Moon and BackA singular, sonorous, wholehearted novel, one I wanted to devour and savour at once.’ Claire Lombardo, bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had‘A brilliant, faceted, warm-hearted novel, with characters to love and truly root for, and pages that seem to turn themselves.’ Sarah Thankam Mathews, author of the National Book Award Finalist All This Could Be Different‘A captivating debut about family, queer identity, love, career and heritage. This novel has something for everyone.’ De'Shawn Charles Winslow, author of In West Mills‘A soaring masterpiece… Every character in this novel will stay with you forever. I love this book.’ Casey Plett, author of A Dream of a Woman‘A passionate and compulsively readable novel. Dare I say, a stellar debut.’ Margot Livesey, author of The Road to Belhaven

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