Published by St. Martin's Press on May 5, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction
Rating:
Goodreads
From the bestselling author of The Collected Regrets of Clover comes a vibrant, heartfelt novel about friendship over the decades, self-discovery, and what it means to have a life well-lived.
Break the rules. Find your joy.
For over eighty years, Joy Bridport has played by the rules: she's been a devoted wife and mother, contributing to the community in her small Hudson Valley town. But her quiet existence is jolted when she learns that her best friend, Hazel, only has months left to live. Hazel has always been the more adventurous one of their duo, and she seems at peace with all that she’s squeezed out of her long life. Yet Joy realizes she can’t say the same.
Determined to live boldly and make the most of the time that she and Hazel have left together, Joy steps outside of her comfort zone—and into a bit of trouble. But as her foray into rule-breaking escalates into committing petty crime, Joy must consider what kind of legacy she wants to leave behind, and whether there's a way for her to embrace the liberation that "Bad Joy" offers without losing all that she holds dear.
Is it ever too late to become who we're meant to be? With laugh-out-loud hijnks and emotional heft, Good Joy, Bad Joy is a heartwarming and wise celebration of the choices we make, the friendships we cherish, and the lengths we go for love.
After learning about her best friend's terminal illness, Joy begins to rethink her life and the choices she made while she grapples with her impending loss.
I have to be honest, Joy taking a walk on the wild side was not what captured my attention. Rather, I was drawn to this book for its beautiful tale of a friendship. These women had been there for each other for 81 years. They grew up and grew old together, and really, they were one another's greatest love story.
The bulk of Good Joy, Bad Joy unfolded in the present but was interspersed with chapters highlighting pivotal moments in Joy and Hazel's friendship. These looks into the past helped paint the full picture of what these women shared. Some moments were sweet and touching while others were painful, but all of them were part of their shared history.
Brammer has a knack for stories involving death. I adored The Collected Regrets of Clover (loved seeing a mention of Clover in this book) which was about a death doula and featured many characters at the end of their lives. Once again, death was explored, however, the focus was not on Hazel but rather on how Joy was affected by Hazel's imminent death.
The way Joy's life changed resulted in a net positive. There were things from her past she finally acknowledged and faced, she had meaningful discussions with her loved ones, but most of all, she spread her wings and was taking chances. Joy was stepping outside her comfort zone and making herself bigger in a world that deemed aging women invisible. She chose to take this second chance and run with it. She was 89, and I love the idea of never being too old to learn something new, do something daring, or reinvent yourself.
Overall: This was a moving portrait of a fierce female friendship which thoughtfully explored life, death, love, growing old, and second chances.
Published by MIRA on May 19, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
One book. Two strangers. An unforgettable journey as they rewrite the ending.
Daisy Douglas has spent her life behind the at work, in her relationships, and now, in planning a wedding she isn’t sure she even wants. As an entertainment journalist, she can spot the start of a story a mile away. So when her routine 4 a.m. bus ride to the newsroom takes a surprising turn, she notices.
For months, the same man has boarded at the same stop, reading the same tattered copy of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando over and over as if his life depends on it. When a broken-down bus and a shared walk through the quiet early-morning London streets finally throws them together, Tom reveals the heartbreaking truth as to why he can’t be without his novel.
Determined to help him find the answer to the riddle hidden in its pages, Daisy joins Tom on his strange literary quest—one that leads them to places neither of them ever expected. But as their friendship deepens, she starts to wonder if what they’re both looking for might not be in the book after all.
Just when I thought I would go without a 5-star read, The Night Bus won my heart. This was a sweet story of two people who connected on the night bus with Daisy offering to help the Tom figure out how to win back his ex.
This was a romance but it was kind of light on romance. For most of the book, Daisy was engaged and planning her wedding while Tom was pining for and trying to reconcile with his former partner. Therefore, the focus was largely on their friendship and their personal journeys.
I was a big fan of the friendship between Tom and Daisy. Both had lovely people in their lives, but their partners were not necessarily the best for them. Neither noticed any shortcomings until they had each other in their lives and found that they filled their unknown cracks. They had this beautiful and fulfilling union where they were allowed to explore their feelings, reflect on their past, and follow their hearts regarding their futures. They were a safe space for each other, and it was obvious they belonged together. And, for me, Bickers built a good enough case that I didn't feel bad for their partners.
Tom and Daisy had a great community as well. I won't pretend that Tom's six-year-old sister wasn't my favorite because she was. Her unfiltered observations were gold, and somebody needed to point out the obvious to these people. She injected so much fun and spirit into this tale as well.
Overall, I enjoyed riding the night bus with Daisy and Tom. This was a beautiful and touching tale featuring characters I couldn't help but cheer for as they confronted their pasts and reached for their dreams.
*ARCS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER
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