This book was a great one but the main character did not like her husband t kids it seem like she was always complaining about them I understand needing a break but she just gave off I don’t want to be married or have kids it was good overall

This was quite the rollercoaster. I made it through this book super fast, though it was not at all what I expected. The prose was well-written and made for an easy and enjoyable read, but my god was it depressing at times. I’m not sure the description really captures what a downer this book is; 80% of it is either describing the agony of a loved one’s decline into illness or candidly describing the hardest parts of motherhood. However, if you know this going in, it is definitely an intriguing read.

Much of it feels slice of life, with just enough foreshadowing to keep you constantly theorizing about what might happen next. Of the major twists, I’d say I called one really early, one before it happened, and one had my jaw on the floor because I didn’t see it coming at all. It seems to be an unpopular opinion but the last part of the book was my favorite and felt like the perfect conclusion to me. I also particularly enjoy the select moments of female rage where we see one of the characters lose it. I imagine people who do not relate will think these parts are unrealistic or exaggerated, while the people who do relate will nod and say they’ve been there.

All in all, a recommended read if you're someone who reads to feel seen and understood, or if you’re a fan of brutally honest depictions of parenting, complex characters and family dynamics, and stories about finding resilience in every day life. If you're someone who reads to escape real life or are particularly sensitive to descriptions grief or mental health struggles, this may be one to skip.

Kim Hooper’s Woman On The Verge hit me like a gut punch in the best way possible. It’s a searing, sexy, and deeply human exploration of what it means to be a mother—not the filtered, Instagram-ready version, but the real thing: complicated, conflicting, and often overwhelming.

The novel follows three women—Nicole, Katrina, and Rose—each at a breaking point. Their stories span decades but feel strikingly connected, like echoes of the same question: What happens to a woman when she becomes a mother, and what part of her is allowed to remain?

Nicole’s storyline especially resonated with me. As someone currently navigating the emotional weight of my own mother’s illness, I felt seen in her struggle to juggle caregiving, motherhood, and the quiet erosion of self. Hooper doesn’t sugarcoat the exhaustion or the isolation—it’s all there, raw and real. Nicole’s fraying sense of identity, her simmering anger, and her aching need for something—anything—that belongs solely to her made me tear up more than once.

Katrina’s storyline takes a bold turn, and while her actions are messy, they’re never judged. Instead, Hooper gives us a character who dares to question what fulfillment really means—and what it costs. Her desire, both physical and emotional, is palpable and honest. And Rose, writing in her diary from the 1980s, feels like the foundation of it all—a woman who wants more but doesn’t know if she’s allowed to want it. Her reflections are haunting, especially as we see how her life intersects with the others in ways I didn’t see coming.

The twist that binds these women together is surprising but beautifully executed. It doesn’t feel like a gimmick—it feels like fate, like history repeating and reshaping itself in new generations.

Hooper writes with such clarity and compassion. The narrative pulses with emotional urgency, but it’s also full of quiet moments that hit even harder—small observations about motherhood, marriage, and identity that linger long after the final page.

If you’re dealing with caregiving, burnout, or even just questioning where you fit in the middle of everyone else’s needs, Woman On The Verge will speak to you. It doesn’t offer easy answers, but it does offer honesty—and sometimes, that’s the most comforting thing of all.

This book isn’t just a meditation on motherhood—it’s a lifeline.

When I think about the main character in this book, I legit get angry. This book was not for me. I’m a feminist, and I love to read books by female authors that are all about deeply flawed women who made bad decisions. But this was too much, even for me. The main character wasn’t just dealing with depression in my opinion, she was not very intelligent and kept making terrible decisions. I could not find any sympathy for her whatsoever. And then we get to the cat part… what?! Why was that necessary? After that, I was done with the main character and no longer cared about what happened to her.

This book is filled with terrible people who make tons of bad decisions, lie and keep truths from each other. There’s nothing that I liked about it. What was the point of this? If it’s to share an experience with PPD, this was not the way to do it.

Kim Hooper did an incredible job detailing both the love and absolute exhaustion surrounding the raising of toddlers, and the desperate sadness of watching a beloved parent in their final days.

I empathized with Nicole and could hear the endless whining of little ones, while my resentment grew for the absentminded Kyle. Just because someone can do something, doesn't mean that they don't sometimes need or want help anyway. Kyle's lack of help, because Nicole 'had it' was infuriating. He married a career woman with interests outside the home and yet was far too content to let her lose everything about herself so she could raise THEIR children, not her children alone. And then he had the nerve to be mystified and hurt when she rebuffed his advances in the bedroom.

When Katrina's story began, I suspected very quickly that this was Nicole and cheered. She so deserved a man like Elijah in her life. We all do. Especially once her stepmother contacted her to say that her father wasn't okay.

Now in addition to handling a full load at home, Nicole has to commute several hours by car to spend time with her father who is suddenly dying. From about age 2 to 9 Nicole and her father were a team of two and while stepmother Meredith was a welcome addition to their little family, Nicole is a daddy's girl and this news is unbearable. Again, author Kim Hooper is unrelentingly realistic in the descriptions of the decline, and the steps towards the end of life, the powerlessness the family feels, the desperate search for clues that this might not end as it inevitably will. The regrets of moments missed and the apprehension of what life will be without your loved one. My heart broke for Nicole.

Fortunately, she had the lovely Elijah. Caring, thoughtful, hot, sexy, but more importantly empathetic and kind. He always knew what she needed, even if it was just a hug, or to forgo sex and just sleep with no demands or hurt feelings. He also knew when to pamper her, when to pleasure her, when to make her laugh, indeed how to be there without making it all about him.

So after the accident I grieved for Nicole, the losses were palpable. I was surprised that the book then took the turn of Nicole absenting herself from her family to deal with her mental health but I understood it, especially in light of Rose's story.

I'm glad that at the end, Nicole was in a much better place (and that Kyle finally manned up and began stepping up with his children) but I still felt awful for what she had lost, and for how bad things were that she had to 'turn to' Elijah. Overall, a really unexpected story.

Woman on the Verge hooked me from the very beginning. This book is unflinchingly raw, emotional, and at times hilarious, with plenty of intriguing plot twists to keep you on your toes. But as much as I liked the story, I don't think I would be able to read it again because of the plotline regarding Nicole's father. If you're sensitive to stories about elderly people suffering from neurodegenerative disorders, proceed with caution.

Great book. I found myself relating to the struggles of motherhood. Enjoyed the twists and turns. Thank you for the ARC.

I didn’t know what to expect going in to this book but I was intrigued by the synopsis and haven’t read anything like it. The journey of this book explores maternal ambivalence from multiple female perspectives, as well as themes of grief, mental health and relationships.

This is definitely a great book to sink your teeth into if you want to read about complex characters and relationship dynamics. It was a bit twisty too which I didn’t see coming and really upped the book in my rankings overall.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publishers for an advanced copy!

I agree with pretty much everyone that Kim botched up the ending...but I loved it so much before that, that I will still be giving it a well-deserved 4 stars. The writing was brilliant and it was very hard to put down too. Nicole is a very funny heroine. Could have been 5 stars though!

A well written story that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
The characters draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found myself hooked, turning the pages.
This was such a great read.

Woman on the Verge by Kim Hooper is a raw, insightful exploration of motherhood and identity that refuses to sugarcoat the challenges many women face. Through the lives of Nicole, Katrina, and Rose—three women grappling with loss, desire, and expectation—Hooper delivers a narrative that’s both intimate and wide-reaching. The characters are flawed, relatable, and vividly drawn, each wrestling with what it means to find themselves beyond the role of mother.

The novel’s strength lies in its unflinching honesty and emotional depth, weaving together different timelines and perspectives to reveal how choices ripple through generations. While the story can feel heavy at times, it’s balanced by moments of tenderness and hope. A thoughtful, compelling read that captures the complexities of womanhood with nuance and heart.

I was hooked until around the last ten chapters, and then I just couldn't follow anymore. The ending ruined what was, until that point, a really good book.

What an interesting read!

I never really knew where this book was going until the end, yet it was so compelling. It was deep, messy and very real.

I’ve seen a lot of negative reviews for the ‘twist’ at the end, and whilst I agree it didn’t seem to fit the plot, it definitely didn’t ruin the brilliance of the other 90% of the book, it just possibly limited its potential.

I thoroughly enjoyed the element of grieving for somebody who is still here too, as a girl in healthcare I felt this was done perfectly, and if not a lived experienced shows how well researched this topic actually was.

This was a book that encapsulated the struggles of being a mom in today’s world. I loved the multiple POV and unreliable narrator. Great for fans of Verity and The Push!

I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley.

I am a big fan of this author, beginning with her very first novel. (I claim to be the first person to review her debut novel on Goodreads. It, like this one, was a 5-star novel.) I wondered, when I began this book, whether it was really targeted to a female audience. I feared that I might lose interest, even though this author’s writing style always resonates with me. My fears were false ones. This is a powerful novel about life as a married person, as a child of aging parents, as a parent of challenging young children.

The novel’s protagonist, Nicole, is a married mother of two little girls under five years old. She gives up her career to become essentially a full-time mother. Her husband is very into his job and leaves most of the parenting responsibilities to Nicole, which frustrates her. Nicole’s father, who she loves and adores, is dying of a rare disease. Eventually, the stress of parenthood, marital strife and seeing her father succumb to disease, becomes overwhelming.

I asked myself many times while reading this book why anyone would want to get married, why anyone would want to have children. It is hard work!!! (But worth it if you get it right.)

Brilliant writing with tons of insight on the subject matter. It really makes you think.

Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for this ARC!
"Mothers are expected to sacrifice all, and do so calmly and contentedly."
This was such an emotional, raw, and reflective book about motherhood, womanhood, and grief. As a woman i just felt so seen
All the twists kept me reading and I just couldn’t put the book down.

Refreshingly raw and honest, perhaps too raw for some. A wonderful conversation starter and inspiration for internal reflection regarding motherhood, marriage, freedom and - at the end of it all - womanhood. A true character study with deep, real explorations of grief in multiple senses of the word. Whether it was just the right time for me, this book has become one of my favourites of the year.

this book took courage to write. and might take courage to read. because its raw and honest with how motherhood can feel to some. and not every mother but there are even bits within it that all mothers will have faced, sadly simply from being a mother(woman) in today's society. so often throughout this book i was thinking "oh if this was a man feeling this or a world geared not to a man"
it was clever and and didn't overdo it. you just cant with these things sometimes.
there are mothers in this book who dont always feel like motherhood was natural or came like magic. and thats ok. it doesn't mean there is any less love either.
we can empathise with each woman's stories. there are feelings that you have to take on as a mother that when i look to my own i cant fathom.
we have a mum who the title never meant this. we have a mum who took things one way and it ended her somewhere she never thought shed be and isn't sure she wants to be there. at all. and a mother who is in the past sadly struggling with the same as woman today(ugh) but she vents these feelings in a diary.
Nicole, Katrina and Rose tell us their stories and im glad for it.
its sounds weird to say i really enjoyed this book but i did. i really do like books that make you feel. its doesn't have to be a good feeling, you dont have to agree. but to feel from a book is something i look for time and time again over many genres i love.

This book was not what I expected at all.
Hooper cracks open the guilt, joy, grief, contentment, annoyance, tenderness, worry, hope, and unbalanced perfection of motherhood.
I think even if you’re not a mom who has suffered from maternal ambivalence, there are piece every mother can relate to here.
I was prepared for the twists and I didn’t love Nicole, one of the POVs, but I did feel for her.
The hardest part of this read for me was her reactions to her husband. I felt like she was always so bitter without expressing why.
Anyway, this was an interesting read. Totally took me off guard. Thank you netgalley for the arc!

Woman on the Verge by Kim Hooper captures being torn by caring for an elderly relative with balancing the pressures of motherhood. This will be enjoyed by readers who like a twist and I could see it as a TV drama.