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Both Can Be True: A Novel
Not yet published
Expected 19 May 26When a local mother goes missing, two estranged sisters are pulled back into each other’s lives and forced to confront old wounds, fractured trust, and the many ways a woman can disappear in plain sight.
Frankie is the funny one, full of restless energy and sharp edges, the sister who got sober, opened a bookstore, and slipped into a version of domestic life without ever fully confronting the past. Mere is the steady one, the caretaker, a mother quietly unraveling under the demands of her neurodivergent daughter and the loneliness of a marriage to a husband who sees the world through an entirely different lens.
For the Gilmore sisters, losing their mother to cancer at a young age gave them a brief window of closeness they’ve never been able to reclaim. But over the years, a mentally ill father, the unspoken trauma of sexual violence, and the different vices they turned to for survival fractured their bond and created a divide of resentment neither of them could bring themselves to cross. When a woman in Frankie’s social circle disappears, the sisters are pulled into a shared reckoning and can no longer deny the past that has shaped so much of their present.
Set against the backdrop of a quiet Northern California mountain town, this gripping and emotionally layered novel unfolds in alternating perspectives, revealing the many ways women vanish inside motherhood, addiction, marriage, and shame. Told with raw honesty and wry compassion, Jessica Guerrieri’s sophomore novel is a story of sisterhood, acceptance, the unspoken truths we carry, and the redemptive power of bridging pain into connection.
Frankie is the funny one, full of restless energy and sharp edges, the sister who got sober, opened a bookstore, and slipped into a version of domestic life without ever fully confronting the past. Mere is the steady one, the caretaker, a mother quietly unraveling under the demands of her neurodivergent daughter and the loneliness of a marriage to a husband who sees the world through an entirely different lens.
For the Gilmore sisters, losing their mother to cancer at a young age gave them a brief window of closeness they’ve never been able to reclaim. But over the years, a mentally ill father, the unspoken trauma of sexual violence, and the different vices they turned to for survival fractured their bond and created a divide of resentment neither of them could bring themselves to cross. When a woman in Frankie’s social circle disappears, the sisters are pulled into a shared reckoning and can no longer deny the past that has shaped so much of their present.
Set against the backdrop of a quiet Northern California mountain town, this gripping and emotionally layered novel unfolds in alternating perspectives, revealing the many ways women vanish inside motherhood, addiction, marriage, and shame. Told with raw honesty and wry compassion, Jessica Guerrieri’s sophomore novel is a story of sisterhood, acceptance, the unspoken truths we carry, and the redemptive power of bridging pain into connection.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication May 19, 2026
456 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Guerrieri
4 books157 followersJessica Guerrieri (pronounced grrr-air-eee) is a writer and novelist who lives in Northern California with her husband and three daughters. With a background in special education, Jessica left the field to pursue a career in writing and raising her children. With over a decade of sobriety, she is a fierce advocate for addiction recovery.
Her award-winning debut book club fiction novel, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Harper Muse), is out now. Her sophomore novel, Both Can Be True (Harper Muse), will be published in May 2026.
Her award-winning debut book club fiction novel, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Harper Muse), is out now. Her sophomore novel, Both Can Be True (Harper Muse), will be published in May 2026.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 6, 2025
This book sucked me in and I couldn’t put it down till I finished. Loved the female lead characters and loved the themes of motherhood, missing persons, estranged family, and old wounds. I was able to relate to both Frankie and Mere in different ways. This book does a great job showing how trauma in our past shows up in different ways. This book is very relevant to all women whether you’re a mother or not. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 29, 2025
This powerful novel delves into the complexities of sisterhood, addiction and its aftermath. I was instantly captivated by the intricate relationship between sisters Mere and Frankie, and I found myself engrossed in the narrative, finishing the novel in less than 24 hours.
The book takes readers on a profound journey, filled with raw emotions and heartbreaking moments. I believe this novel will resonate well with fans of Demon Copperhead and The Blue Sisters when it releases in May 2026. I would also predict a Read with Jenna pick!
Please be aware of the following trigger warnings: sexual violence and addiction.
The book takes readers on a profound journey, filled with raw emotions and heartbreaking moments. I believe this novel will resonate well with fans of Demon Copperhead and The Blue Sisters when it releases in May 2026. I would also predict a Read with Jenna pick!
Please be aware of the following trigger warnings: sexual violence and addiction.
December 15, 2025
This book pulled me right in! I read Jessica’s first book this summer and when I learned she was writing a second I couldn’t wait to read it. I love her writing style. She doesn’t hold back. She’s real and raw. I think this book is even better than her first. Frankie and Mere are both great women in their own ways. I could relate to both of them and at some points I was like Dang! Has she been inside my head bc I felt like she ripped a page out of my daily life. Being a woman and a mother is hard in today’s world but when we can lean on each other we can make each other’s lives better and this book shows just that. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 26, 2026
I’m not quite seeing why this book is getting so many good reviews. The characters didn’t really grab my attention, and it felt like each chapter was just a repeat of the last.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Jessica Guerrieri’s Both Can Be True shattered me in the quietest, most unnerving way, like realizing the life you’ve carefully built has tiny cracks running through the foundation and you’ve been calling them “character.” Published by Harper Muse, thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC.
I went in expecting a layered family drama with a thread of mystery. What I got was something far more intimate. Yes, a local mother goes missing in this small Northern California mountain town. Yes, there’s tension and unease humming in the background. But this novel isn’t really about the disappearance you can report to the police. It’s about the disappearances no one names. The slow fading of identity inside addiction. The erosion of self in motherhood. The quiet compromises in marriage that pile up like unopened mail.
Frankie and Mere are two sisters shaped by the same childhood but scarred in different ways. Frankie, sober and sharp, owns a bookstore and carries her recovery like both a shield and a burden. She’s restless, funny, a little controlling, and painfully human. Mere is the steady one, the caretaker, the mother trying to hold together a neurodivergent daughter, a strained marriage, and the unspoken weight of grief. Watching them circle each other again after years of distance felt almost voyeuristic. Their conversations are layered with history, resentment, loyalty, and a love that refuses to fully die.
What makes this story exceptional is how Jessica Guerrieri writes emotional truth. Trauma isn’t used for shock value. Addiction isn’t glamorized or simplified. Motherhood isn’t painted as either saintly or suffocating. It’s both. That’s the point. The title isn’t clever for the sake of it. It’s the thesis. Two things can exist at once. You can love your family and still feel lost inside it. You can be sober and still crave escape. You can be strong and unraveling in the same breath.
“I thought I needed to build a wall, when what I really needed was a bridge.”
I underlined that immediately. And then I sat with it. Because this book doesn’t rush you. It asks you to look inward. To consider where you’ve built walls and convinced yourself they were protection.
The missing woman becomes a mirror. Through her absence, the sisters are forced to confront their own patterns of vanishing. Frankie’s fear that sobriety is a fragile illusion. Mere’s realization that self-sacrifice can morph into self-erasure. The emotional tension isn’t explosive. It simmers. It lingers. It feels real.
Reading this, I kept thinking about how often women are praised for endurance. For holding it all together. For being the dependable one. But what happens when endurance becomes invisibility? Guerrieri doesn’t preach. She simply shows you. Scene by scene. Conversation by conversation. And somehow that hits harder.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is a five-star read for me without hesitation. Not because it’s flashy or twisty, but because it’s honest. Because it made me reflect on addiction, on sisterhood, on generational trauma, on the version of myself I present versus the one I quietly protect.
If you love character-driven women’s fiction that explores complex family dynamics, recovery, motherhood, marriage, and the messy gray areas of life, this book will feel like it was written for you. If you highlight sentences. If you pause to reread paragraphs. If you’ve ever thought, “I’m fine,” while knowing you’re not entirely sure what that means anymore. This one is for you.
I already know I’ll reread it when I can hold a finished copy in my hands and fill the margins with ink. Some stories don’t just entertain you. They hold up a mirror and gently ask you to look.
Have you ever read a novel that felt less like a story and more like someone quietly telling the truth about your own life?
#BothCanBeTrue #JessicaGuerrieri #HarperMuse #BookReview #WomensFiction #Sisterhood #AddictionRecovery #MotherhoodReads #FamilyDrama #FiveStarRead #Bookstagram #EmotionalFiction
I went in expecting a layered family drama with a thread of mystery. What I got was something far more intimate. Yes, a local mother goes missing in this small Northern California mountain town. Yes, there’s tension and unease humming in the background. But this novel isn’t really about the disappearance you can report to the police. It’s about the disappearances no one names. The slow fading of identity inside addiction. The erosion of self in motherhood. The quiet compromises in marriage that pile up like unopened mail.
Frankie and Mere are two sisters shaped by the same childhood but scarred in different ways. Frankie, sober and sharp, owns a bookstore and carries her recovery like both a shield and a burden. She’s restless, funny, a little controlling, and painfully human. Mere is the steady one, the caretaker, the mother trying to hold together a neurodivergent daughter, a strained marriage, and the unspoken weight of grief. Watching them circle each other again after years of distance felt almost voyeuristic. Their conversations are layered with history, resentment, loyalty, and a love that refuses to fully die.
What makes this story exceptional is how Jessica Guerrieri writes emotional truth. Trauma isn’t used for shock value. Addiction isn’t glamorized or simplified. Motherhood isn’t painted as either saintly or suffocating. It’s both. That’s the point. The title isn’t clever for the sake of it. It’s the thesis. Two things can exist at once. You can love your family and still feel lost inside it. You can be sober and still crave escape. You can be strong and unraveling in the same breath.
“I thought I needed to build a wall, when what I really needed was a bridge.”
I underlined that immediately. And then I sat with it. Because this book doesn’t rush you. It asks you to look inward. To consider where you’ve built walls and convinced yourself they were protection.
The missing woman becomes a mirror. Through her absence, the sisters are forced to confront their own patterns of vanishing. Frankie’s fear that sobriety is a fragile illusion. Mere’s realization that self-sacrifice can morph into self-erasure. The emotional tension isn’t explosive. It simmers. It lingers. It feels real.
Reading this, I kept thinking about how often women are praised for endurance. For holding it all together. For being the dependable one. But what happens when endurance becomes invisibility? Guerrieri doesn’t preach. She simply shows you. Scene by scene. Conversation by conversation. And somehow that hits harder.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is a five-star read for me without hesitation. Not because it’s flashy or twisty, but because it’s honest. Because it made me reflect on addiction, on sisterhood, on generational trauma, on the version of myself I present versus the one I quietly protect.
If you love character-driven women’s fiction that explores complex family dynamics, recovery, motherhood, marriage, and the messy gray areas of life, this book will feel like it was written for you. If you highlight sentences. If you pause to reread paragraphs. If you’ve ever thought, “I’m fine,” while knowing you’re not entirely sure what that means anymore. This one is for you.
I already know I’ll reread it when I can hold a finished copy in my hands and fill the margins with ink. Some stories don’t just entertain you. They hold up a mirror and gently ask you to look.
Have you ever read a novel that felt less like a story and more like someone quietly telling the truth about your own life?
#BothCanBeTrue #JessicaGuerrieri #HarperMuse #BookReview #WomensFiction #Sisterhood #AddictionRecovery #MotherhoodReads #FamilyDrama #FiveStarRead #Bookstagram #EmotionalFiction
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A sad and beautiful story about all the different ways that women disappear and how we show up for each other when the men in our lives fail us.
Told in alternating POV, this novel follows Mere, a mom to Lily, and her sister Frankie, mom to Chloe and who is sober. Together they are taking care of their ailing father and bearing the mental load of their families. Then another mom goes missing, and the story follows not only what happened to her but all the secrets and hopes the women carry.
I love Jessica Guerreri’s writing, it is a mixture of deliberate symbolism and intriguing plot. It is sneakily feminist while exploring themes of motherhood and presence. Even the minor characters stand out in this story, some of the most touching scenes belong to those on the periphery. One of the gifts that sobriety brings is the privilege of being fully present for the pain, the joy and the miracle of everyday life.
This year I celebrated 14 years of sobriety in AA, and I work an active program. The role that AA plays in this story is very respectful without being overly positive. I love how Frankie’s sobriety journey isn’t linear. It’s a tradition that goes throughout sponsorship lines, and different people have different ways of doing things, with a variety of ways to interpret the work and the overall program. I’ve sponsored many women over the years, and without spoiling the story, I can definitely attest that this can be a roller coaster. And yet, this is how we stay sober. We get to keep it by giving it away. AA isn’t the only way to get sober, but it’s the way that worked for me.
I think that women- like myself- will see themselves in these pages and will start to question of numbing the stress of motherhood is really worth it after all.
At times I found Frankie to be controlling and even cringy in her talking to her daughter Chloe about her relationship. I’m always pretty critical of “purity culture” in books and while it made me uncomfortable, it made sense for the character arc and the experiences the reader later learns about Frankie.
At the end of the day we all want to be seen and loved for who we are.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the ARC. Book to be published May 18, 2026.
Told in alternating POV, this novel follows Mere, a mom to Lily, and her sister Frankie, mom to Chloe and who is sober. Together they are taking care of their ailing father and bearing the mental load of their families. Then another mom goes missing, and the story follows not only what happened to her but all the secrets and hopes the women carry.
I love Jessica Guerreri’s writing, it is a mixture of deliberate symbolism and intriguing plot. It is sneakily feminist while exploring themes of motherhood and presence. Even the minor characters stand out in this story, some of the most touching scenes belong to those on the periphery. One of the gifts that sobriety brings is the privilege of being fully present for the pain, the joy and the miracle of everyday life.
This year I celebrated 14 years of sobriety in AA, and I work an active program. The role that AA plays in this story is very respectful without being overly positive. I love how Frankie’s sobriety journey isn’t linear. It’s a tradition that goes throughout sponsorship lines, and different people have different ways of doing things, with a variety of ways to interpret the work and the overall program. I’ve sponsored many women over the years, and without spoiling the story, I can definitely attest that this can be a roller coaster. And yet, this is how we stay sober. We get to keep it by giving it away. AA isn’t the only way to get sober, but it’s the way that worked for me.
I think that women- like myself- will see themselves in these pages and will start to question of numbing the stress of motherhood is really worth it after all.
At times I found Frankie to be controlling and even cringy in her talking to her daughter Chloe about her relationship. I’m always pretty critical of “purity culture” in books and while it made me uncomfortable, it made sense for the character arc and the experiences the reader later learns about Frankie.
At the end of the day we all want to be seen and loved for who we are.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the ARC. Book to be published May 18, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Both Can Be True is a quiet, devastating novel about the ways women disappear—into addiction, into motherhood, into marriage, into the stories they tell themselves to survive. When a local mother goes missing in a small Northern California mountain town, two estranged sisters are forced back into each other’s orbit, confronting not just the mystery at hand but the long history of grief and silence that fractured their relationship years earlier.
Frankie and Mere are shaped by the same losses but hardened by different choices. Frankie—sober now, restless and sharp-edged—has built a life that looks stable on the outside without ever fully reckoning with the past. Mere, the “steady” sister, is quietly unraveling under the weight of caretaking: her neurodivergent daughter, her emotionally distant marriage, and a life that values efficiency over tenderness. Guerrieri’s writing is full of moments that land like truths you didn’t know you were carrying—at one point noting that “it turns out walls don’t just protect you from hurt. they protect you from being known,” a line that feels like a thesis for both sisters’ emotional lives.
Like Guerrieri’s first novel, this one is uncomfortable in the best way. It asks readers to sit with the things we don’t say out loud—about active addiction, sexual violence, shame, and the ways women learn to minimize themselves to survive. The story resists clean answers, instead offering hard-earned insight, including the idea (articulated beautifully in another line from the book) that partnership isn’t about perfection or efficiency, but about “building a life that could hold the fragile things—together.”
What stayed with me most is how familiar this disappearance feels. The novel returns again and again to the idea that women can vanish without ever leaving—slowly dissolving into obligation, trauma, and silence—and it does so with a compassion that never feels sentimental. Both Can Be True is raw, emotionally layered, and deeply humane, a story that breaks your heart precisely because it recognizes how common these losses really are.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Harper Muse for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Frankie and Mere are shaped by the same losses but hardened by different choices. Frankie—sober now, restless and sharp-edged—has built a life that looks stable on the outside without ever fully reckoning with the past. Mere, the “steady” sister, is quietly unraveling under the weight of caretaking: her neurodivergent daughter, her emotionally distant marriage, and a life that values efficiency over tenderness. Guerrieri’s writing is full of moments that land like truths you didn’t know you were carrying—at one point noting that “it turns out walls don’t just protect you from hurt. they protect you from being known,” a line that feels like a thesis for both sisters’ emotional lives.
Like Guerrieri’s first novel, this one is uncomfortable in the best way. It asks readers to sit with the things we don’t say out loud—about active addiction, sexual violence, shame, and the ways women learn to minimize themselves to survive. The story resists clean answers, instead offering hard-earned insight, including the idea (articulated beautifully in another line from the book) that partnership isn’t about perfection or efficiency, but about “building a life that could hold the fragile things—together.”
What stayed with me most is how familiar this disappearance feels. The novel returns again and again to the idea that women can vanish without ever leaving—slowly dissolving into obligation, trauma, and silence—and it does so with a compassion that never feels sentimental. Both Can Be True is raw, emotionally layered, and deeply humane, a story that breaks your heart precisely because it recognizes how common these losses really are.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Harper Muse for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Coming soon, Both Can Be True by Jessica Guerrieri, is a story of family and friends, focusing on two sisters, one who likes control and the other a recovering alcoholic. All while trying to figure out what happened to woman they know in their town.
For some reason, I thought this was a Christian fiction book but it wasn’t so that was a a bit of a disappointment to me. There were a couple times that same-sex attraction was mentioned in the book. As I read it I thought of the many ways of what Jesus would have wanted them to know and how they can truly be saved.
However, it is still a great story worth reading. I learned more about addiction and the AA program. How these two sisters worked at overcoming the hardships they endured, having a mother who died young of cancer, an addict father, and a college sexual assault, and how each of these issues affected the sisters differently. But also how important it is to also share our story and difficulties with one another, so that not only we can learn from one another, but also be helpful, understanding, and encouraging. This is a book that will teach you humbleness and a reminder hat God can use anything to help us grow.
I took a few highlights from the book:
I thought I needed to build a wall, when what I really needed was a bridge.
And in that stillness, she understood something new: Just like he wasn’t God, she wasn’t a monster. But she was responsible for her choices…
What makes you think you have control over any of the things that happen in this life
I hate how easily our culture absorbs assault into the fabric of everyday life.
I would definitely recommend this book to adult age readers, but read with discernment.
Many thanks to Netgalley for providing this book for review! Opinions are 100% my own! I did receive the product in exchange for this review and post.
For some reason, I thought this was a Christian fiction book but it wasn’t so that was a a bit of a disappointment to me. There were a couple times that same-sex attraction was mentioned in the book. As I read it I thought of the many ways of what Jesus would have wanted them to know and how they can truly be saved.
However, it is still a great story worth reading. I learned more about addiction and the AA program. How these two sisters worked at overcoming the hardships they endured, having a mother who died young of cancer, an addict father, and a college sexual assault, and how each of these issues affected the sisters differently. But also how important it is to also share our story and difficulties with one another, so that not only we can learn from one another, but also be helpful, understanding, and encouraging. This is a book that will teach you humbleness and a reminder hat God can use anything to help us grow.
I took a few highlights from the book:
I thought I needed to build a wall, when what I really needed was a bridge.
And in that stillness, she understood something new: Just like he wasn’t God, she wasn’t a monster. But she was responsible for her choices…
What makes you think you have control over any of the things that happen in this life
I hate how easily our culture absorbs assault into the fabric of everyday life.
I would definitely recommend this book to adult age readers, but read with discernment.
Many thanks to Netgalley for providing this book for review! Opinions are 100% my own! I did receive the product in exchange for this review and post.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
🏕️ ARC REVIEW 🏕️
PUB DATE: May 18th 2026
My Rating : ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫 4.5 unraveling stars
“ Sometimes leaving isn’t a decision at all. It’s the final, flickering instinct of a woman trying to stay alive . A quiet kind of survival.”
“What good was choosing simple if it meant carving out the parts of herself that once reached for more ..”
“You don’t have to know all the answers right now . You just have to know what your heart is asking for .”
Jessica has done it again , and has written us a shattering novel and even though this book has ended it still echos in my mind 🖤
Jessica is an author who should not be taken lightly. She writes these beautiful passages, mastering in family drama and characters who are so raw , real and relatable to many.
This author has definitely found her niche in writing deep , compelling stories using her real life past experiences and putting them onto paper and it must be so healing every time she puts pen to paper .
Without giving too much away , this story centres around two estranged sisters who are both battling their own personal demons . Then one day a local woman goes missing who Frankie was her sponsor and feels only guilt for her disappearance.
Will past trauma reopen old memories and old habits take form again ? Or will sisterhood strengthen as the story unfolds?
If you like family dramas, blurred lines , coming undone characters, a constant foreboding dancing in the background, mystery , flawed cast and fiction that reads so realistically then definitely add this one to your TBR🖤
Thank you NetGalley, Harper Muse and @jessicaguerrieriauthor for this electric ARC 🫶🏼
QOTD- What was the last book that refused to let you go ?
#books #bookstagram #bookcommunity #bookworm #fyp
PUB DATE: May 18th 2026
My Rating : ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫 4.5 unraveling stars
“ Sometimes leaving isn’t a decision at all. It’s the final, flickering instinct of a woman trying to stay alive . A quiet kind of survival.”
“What good was choosing simple if it meant carving out the parts of herself that once reached for more ..”
“You don’t have to know all the answers right now . You just have to know what your heart is asking for .”
Jessica has done it again , and has written us a shattering novel and even though this book has ended it still echos in my mind 🖤
Jessica is an author who should not be taken lightly. She writes these beautiful passages, mastering in family drama and characters who are so raw , real and relatable to many.
This author has definitely found her niche in writing deep , compelling stories using her real life past experiences and putting them onto paper and it must be so healing every time she puts pen to paper .
Without giving too much away , this story centres around two estranged sisters who are both battling their own personal demons . Then one day a local woman goes missing who Frankie was her sponsor and feels only guilt for her disappearance.
Will past trauma reopen old memories and old habits take form again ? Or will sisterhood strengthen as the story unfolds?
If you like family dramas, blurred lines , coming undone characters, a constant foreboding dancing in the background, mystery , flawed cast and fiction that reads so realistically then definitely add this one to your TBR🖤
Thank you NetGalley, Harper Muse and @jessicaguerrieriauthor for this electric ARC 🫶🏼
QOTD- What was the last book that refused to let you go ?
#books #bookstagram #bookcommunity #bookworm #fyp
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A searing and complex look at identity, sobriety, loneliness and longing — centering on the internal world of women, caretaking, motherhood, and the insidious push for disappearance into societal roles that, much as they may feel that way, do not ultimately define us.
Between these pages we will follow the lives of two North Californian sisters: Frankie Marino, a mother of two daughters, who must learn to live a life, in all its fullness, without the crutch of alcohol; and her older sister, Mere, crushed and isolated by the responsibilities of caring for a daughter (and likely a husband) situated on the spectrum.
Frankie and Mere’s lives will unfold in vignettes, in tragedies, backwards and forwards in time, and in language so beautifully written that the story will settle itself in layers, as if into deep and quietly brilliant carpets of snow, — an evocative backdrop to the beginning, and the end, of a tale that includes a winter storm, a missing person, and two individual and anguished journeys, which may or may not ultimately find their way to merge into one.
As the women each explore their pasts, the challenges of their current lives, and their relationship with their essential womanhood, motherhood, sisterhood and identities, it will become clear to the reader that love can be expressed in many languages, some of which we may be “still learning to hear.”
I loved this book, — a raw and tender exploration of all that it takes to be human, and the connections that can be seen to be there, once we are open to accepting them.
A great big thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.
Between these pages we will follow the lives of two North Californian sisters: Frankie Marino, a mother of two daughters, who must learn to live a life, in all its fullness, without the crutch of alcohol; and her older sister, Mere, crushed and isolated by the responsibilities of caring for a daughter (and likely a husband) situated on the spectrum.
Frankie and Mere’s lives will unfold in vignettes, in tragedies, backwards and forwards in time, and in language so beautifully written that the story will settle itself in layers, as if into deep and quietly brilliant carpets of snow, — an evocative backdrop to the beginning, and the end, of a tale that includes a winter storm, a missing person, and two individual and anguished journeys, which may or may not ultimately find their way to merge into one.
As the women each explore their pasts, the challenges of their current lives, and their relationship with their essential womanhood, motherhood, sisterhood and identities, it will become clear to the reader that love can be expressed in many languages, some of which we may be “still learning to hear.”
I loved this book, — a raw and tender exploration of all that it takes to be human, and the connections that can be seen to be there, once we are open to accepting them.
A great big thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Beautifully heartbreaking and heartbreakingly beautiful. Jessica Guerrieri weaves together a story full of heart and heartache, womanhood and motherhood, love and resentment, addiction and recovery, trauma and healing, neurodiversity and acceptance.
The story focuses on two very different sisters, Mere and Frankie, as they live their lives over a stressful few weeks.
Mere, who needs to provide care so no one gets hurt. Who is disappearing in her life beneath the weight of her marriage and childcare. Who appreciates the quiet, finding it a form of honest and truth.
Frankie, who needs to be loved so she’s not abandoned. Who is fading away as she chases the high to numb the pain. Who fears the quiet, finding it threatening.
However, a lot more characters come in to play. Each with her own story and struggles that intertwine and impact Mere and Frankie.
In the end, why I liked about this book is that it felt so real. The characters: all so relatable, capturing their strengths and flaws. Seeing them failing, some learning from their mistakes and others not. But ultimately showing that you can only save the people who want to be saved. The writing style: descriptive, without being slow. Carefully interwoven to pull together multiple subplots in a way that felt natural. And the underlying messages: everything from it’s never too late to change to life nor recovery being a linear path. So much can be taken from Guerrieri forcing readers to sit and think about uncomfortable yet crucial topics.
Thank you to Jessica Guerrieri, Harper Muse, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
The story focuses on two very different sisters, Mere and Frankie, as they live their lives over a stressful few weeks.
Mere, who needs to provide care so no one gets hurt. Who is disappearing in her life beneath the weight of her marriage and childcare. Who appreciates the quiet, finding it a form of honest and truth.
Frankie, who needs to be loved so she’s not abandoned. Who is fading away as she chases the high to numb the pain. Who fears the quiet, finding it threatening.
However, a lot more characters come in to play. Each with her own story and struggles that intertwine and impact Mere and Frankie.
In the end, why I liked about this book is that it felt so real. The characters: all so relatable, capturing their strengths and flaws. Seeing them failing, some learning from their mistakes and others not. But ultimately showing that you can only save the people who want to be saved. The writing style: descriptive, without being slow. Carefully interwoven to pull together multiple subplots in a way that felt natural. And the underlying messages: everything from it’s never too late to change to life nor recovery being a linear path. So much can be taken from Guerrieri forcing readers to sit and think about uncomfortable yet crucial topics.
Thank you to Jessica Guerrieri, Harper Muse, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 ⭐️
Previously, I enjoyed the author’s debut novel, “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea,” and was thrilled to learn about her latest work. “Both Can Be True” is narrated from the perspectives of two sisters, Frankie and Mere. Frankie is a recovering alcoholic, and the novel delves into the strained relationship between the sisters due to complex family issues during their teenage years. They discover that a local woman named Brie has gone missing in their town. This unexpected turn of events brings them together, prompting them to unravel the layers of their own relationship. Brie’s disappearance also tests Frankie in many challenging ways.
The book tackles a wide range of topics, including marriage, friendship, parenting children with special needs, parenting teenagers, addiction and sobriety, sexual assault, and dysfunctional family dynamics.
Initially, I found it challenging to keep track of all the characters and their relationships. The plot is filled with various subplots. At times, it overshadowed the main focus on Frankie and Mere’s story. In the end I believe the author skillfully intertwines it all together by the conclusion.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher, Harper Muse, for providing me with an eARC of this story. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Previously, I enjoyed the author’s debut novel, “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea,” and was thrilled to learn about her latest work. “Both Can Be True” is narrated from the perspectives of two sisters, Frankie and Mere. Frankie is a recovering alcoholic, and the novel delves into the strained relationship between the sisters due to complex family issues during their teenage years. They discover that a local woman named Brie has gone missing in their town. This unexpected turn of events brings them together, prompting them to unravel the layers of their own relationship. Brie’s disappearance also tests Frankie in many challenging ways.
The book tackles a wide range of topics, including marriage, friendship, parenting children with special needs, parenting teenagers, addiction and sobriety, sexual assault, and dysfunctional family dynamics.
Initially, I found it challenging to keep track of all the characters and their relationships. The plot is filled with various subplots. At times, it overshadowed the main focus on Frankie and Mere’s story. In the end I believe the author skillfully intertwines it all together by the conclusion.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher, Harper Muse, for providing me with an eARC of this story. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
January 24, 2026
Thank you so much to the author and publisher for my #gifted ARC. This was one of my most anticipated for 2026 and I’m honored to have read it early!
After absolutely loving The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea, I knew I had to get my hands on this asap. It was worth my begging. This story about sisters and addiction was deeply relatable as someone in recovery. While my own relationship with my sister is vastly different, and my journey through sobriety hasn’t been the same as Frankie’s, it still hit home in many ways. Jessica has a way of crafting relatable characters and plots that I believe anyone can connect with. Her writing is powerful and emotional, and the reader can feel the personal connections. All things that drew me in from the first page. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
After absolutely loving The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea, I knew I had to get my hands on this asap. It was worth my begging. This story about sisters and addiction was deeply relatable as someone in recovery. While my own relationship with my sister is vastly different, and my journey through sobriety hasn’t been the same as Frankie’s, it still hit home in many ways. Jessica has a way of crafting relatable characters and plots that I believe anyone can connect with. Her writing is powerful and emotional, and the reader can feel the personal connections. All things that drew me in from the first page. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
Review of advance copy
Both Can Be True is a poignant, beautifully written novel that stays with you long after the final page. Jessica Guerreiri handles tragedy with remarkable care, crafting a story that is emotionally honest without being overwrought. The prose is lyrical yet restrained, allowing the weight of the themes to unfold naturally. The relationships, their complexities and simplicities, are the drivers of the novel, allowing you to examine your own in a way that feels personal and important.
What makes this book exceptional is its ability to hold complexity—grief and love, pain and hope—at the same time. It’s tragic, but deeply thought-provoking, inviting the reader to sit with uncomfortable truths and recognize that contradictory emotions can coexist. A powerful, reflective read that feels both intimate and universal.
What makes this book exceptional is its ability to hold complexity—grief and love, pain and hope—at the same time. It’s tragic, but deeply thought-provoking, inviting the reader to sit with uncomfortable truths and recognize that contradictory emotions can coexist. A powerful, reflective read that feels both intimate and universal.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Guerrieri has done it again. I loved “Between the Devil” and wasn’t sure how much more raw human experience could fit in a book after that…but she has again found ways to capture gripping experiences for characters who feel like friends (or, like myself!) with her words.
“Both Can Be True” hits the target and the heart perfectly, with a combination of mystery, deep reflections on parenting, and the many ways to feel alone (and to lose yourself) in our modern society. I was especially touched by the reflections of parenting when it doesn’t always feel easy to parent, and showing up for others when it doesn’t always feel easy to show up. Somehow reading this book makes me remember how to be the kind of human I want to be, and it was also just a page-turner—I couldn’t put it down!
“Both Can Be True” hits the target and the heart perfectly, with a combination of mystery, deep reflections on parenting, and the many ways to feel alone (and to lose yourself) in our modern society. I was especially touched by the reflections of parenting when it doesn’t always feel easy to parent, and showing up for others when it doesn’t always feel easy to show up. Somehow reading this book makes me remember how to be the kind of human I want to be, and it was also just a page-turner—I couldn’t put it down!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Both Can Be True is the raw and real reality of recovery, relationships, past trauma and the desire to live authentically. The relationships in this book are powerful. As a person in recovery - I think this book does an excellent job expressing all the nuances, challenges and most of all the beautiful magic that can happen in sobriety when you have an amazing sponsor and you work a solid program. For me personally - it shows the reality of what can happen if a person only does recovery with "half measures" and is not 100% honest with themselves and others. Once again, Jessica Guerrieri has written a beautiful book full of hope.
December 22, 2025
Thank you for allowing me to read an advanced copy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I had previously enjoyed Jessica’s other book so I jumped at a chance to read another. Her writing style is smooth. I appreciate the research she put into the characters especially as an OT and an advocate for the ND. However this book felt like water repeatedly hitting the bank. It never really changed, the same things were talked about over again and by the end, I just didn’t connect.
This book covers a lot of topics such as relationships, motherhood, supporting individuals with special needs, trauma, alcohol and drugs.
I had previously enjoyed Jessica’s other book so I jumped at a chance to read another. Her writing style is smooth. I appreciate the research she put into the characters especially as an OT and an advocate for the ND. However this book felt like water repeatedly hitting the bank. It never really changed, the same things were talked about over again and by the end, I just didn’t connect.
This book covers a lot of topics such as relationships, motherhood, supporting individuals with special needs, trauma, alcohol and drugs.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
"Alcohol didn't make people brave-it made them vanish." Love this! Jessica Guerrieri really knows how to write about addiction. There are layers in this book!
I wanted to love this book as much as her debut but I think I got it in my head that there was more mystery to the story than actually plays out. This one is a bit slower moving, sometimes repetitive, but has a lot of impact, and is one I do recommend.
"You'll drive yourself crazy trying to save people who don't want to be saved." - so true!
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for the early edition of Both Can Be True. Opinions expressed here are my own.
Jessica is a talented writer and storyteller whose work has only improved and matured in her second novel. She masters dual perspectives of sisters who are figuring out their relationship and their lives in the wake of a mystery in their town. A propulsive read that tackles important, difficult issues around substance abuse, sexuality, marriage, parenting and sister-relationships, this is a book that will make many people feel seen.
Jessica is a talented writer and storyteller whose work has only improved and matured in her second novel. She masters dual perspectives of sisters who are figuring out their relationship and their lives in the wake of a mystery in their town. A propulsive read that tackles important, difficult issues around substance abuse, sexuality, marriage, parenting and sister-relationships, this is a book that will make many people feel seen.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Beautifully written, my first time reading anything by Jessica and I was not disappointed!
On a surface level it is about women and dealing with motherhood, but it is way more than just that. It’s about not seeing the battles we all are facing how tough everyone’s journeys are and as a woman and a mother how all we really want is to be seen and to be seen is to be loved
Beautifully written, my first time reading anything by Jessica and I was not disappointed!
On a surface level it is about women and dealing with motherhood, but it is way more than just that. It’s about not seeing the battles we all are facing how tough everyone’s journeys are and as a woman and a mother how all we really want is to be seen and to be seen is to be loved
Review of advance copy received from Author
Jessica Guerrieri has done it again! Her ability to so poetically write about the deep corners of the mind & heart with such beauty & care is masterful! Bravo on your second book! I could not put it down, literally. I was enraptured by the way she wove the story from multiple perspectives & shared many vulnerable moments that you can sense she has either lived or those close to her have. This was a remarkable read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a book that looks at motherhood, family relationships, and addiction. I thought it was well written. As someone without an alcohol or drug addiction, I feel it’s not my place to comment on how it was portrayed. I do think the motherhood and family relationships were portrayed accurately- they are complicated!
February 1, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for an ARC of this book.
I was immediately pulled into the lives of Mere and Frankie, sisters whose bond is both unbreakable and shaped by a long, complicated history. This novel beautifully captures how women can move through life feeling as though they’re watching from behind glass—present, but not always truly seen. Through the sisters’ experiences, the story tackles difficult themes such as sexual assault, mental illness, abandonment, death, and substance abuse, all while navigating the everyday roles of wife, mother, daughter, and sister. This was my first time reading a book by Jessica Guerreri, and it certainly won’t be my last.
I was immediately pulled into the lives of Mere and Frankie, sisters whose bond is both unbreakable and shaped by a long, complicated history. This novel beautifully captures how women can move through life feeling as though they’re watching from behind glass—present, but not always truly seen. Through the sisters’ experiences, the story tackles difficult themes such as sexual assault, mental illness, abandonment, death, and substance abuse, all while navigating the everyday roles of wife, mother, daughter, and sister. This was my first time reading a book by Jessica Guerreri, and it certainly won’t be my last.
January 15, 2026
This book is so many things at once that it’s honestly hard to fully describe how deeply it landed with me. The prologue alone was a FIVE STAR read for me, and I’ve gone back to reread it multiple times because it captures the heart of this story with such raw clarity. The author writes with a level of emotion that it makes the characters painfully real for the reader, like women you know, or maybe parts of yourself you don’t always let out. Frankie and Mere’s perspectives show how unresolved trauma, addiction, grief, and survival shape the women they’ve become, as well as, the distance that has grown between them over the years.
This story demonstrates confronting demons while still showing up for everyone else. It’s about surviving addiction, carrying trauma, and holding the weight of being a wife, a mother, and a sister without ever being allowed to fully fall apart. What stayed with me most, though, was how seen this book made me feel. While it explores loneliness in marriage and the slow erosion that can come with motherhood and caretaking, I realized that this loss of self doesn’t only happen when things are bad. It happens even in happy marriages. Even when life looks successful from the outside. Even when everything is technically “going right.” Being a mother and a wife brings so much love and fulfillment, but it can also quietly take pieces of who you are if you don’t fight to hold onto them.
This story demonstrates confronting demons while still showing up for everyone else. It’s about surviving addiction, carrying trauma, and holding the weight of being a wife, a mother, and a sister without ever being allowed to fully fall apart. What stayed with me most, though, was how seen this book made me feel. While it explores loneliness in marriage and the slow erosion that can come with motherhood and caretaking, I realized that this loss of self doesn’t only happen when things are bad. It happens even in happy marriages. Even when life looks successful from the outside. Even when everything is technically “going right.” Being a mother and a wife brings so much love and fulfillment, but it can also quietly take pieces of who you are if you don’t fight to hold onto them.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Where do I even begin. I started this journey of reading Both Can Be True not knowing how deeply I would connect and relate to literally every character. Jessica Guerrieri was able to make these characters not only relatable but they felt like versions of myself in many different points of my life. From struggling with the worry that comes with being a mother to an atypical child, to staying strong through life’s many losses and trials. I rarely cry while reading a book and I can now add this lovely book to that very short list. I felt and loved these characters with my whole heart and i am honored to have been given a chance to read this novel early thanks to Harper Muse, NetGalley and Jessica Guerreiri in exchange for my honest review. I will be thinking about this book for a very long time!
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