Everything Must Go by Camille Pagan is the second book I’ve read by this author. It’s a family saga with some romance elements. The story follows Laine Francis, a woman in her thirties who is on the verge of divorce, wanting to have a baby, and grappling with the fact that her mother is losing her memory. I love how Camille’s stories tend to explore women in their thirties and dealing with family and career issues. In Everything Must Go, we see people-pleaser Laine find her voice and how that impacts her marriage, her career, and her family.

I thought this was a good story. I love to see women feeling empowered and finding their voice and standing up for what they want in their life. But there was also a lot of back and forth on many aspects in this book. Where she was going to live, was she going to stay married, etc. It seemed to change constantly and the indecisiveness was frustrating. I did enjoy the family dynamic, the bond between the sisters, and especially the bond between Laine and her friend Ben. I’m not sure the story ended how I would have expected, but it was a good read overall.

The premise of this story is interesting... Our heroine is realizing that she really wants a baby- and her husband of 10+ years might never be ready. In addition, her mother is dealing with dementia and needs care- hundreds of miles away. Throw in an old love interest (the one that got away) and we've got the basic tension points of our story. This story has the potential for some real relational introspection and growth, and yet those dynamics remain largely unexamined. Instead there's a lot of "will she or won't she" back and forth.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.
#EverythingMustGo

There were some things I liked about this book and some things I really didn't like. First, as someone who has had a loved one with dementia, this hit close to home. I related a lot to Laine's character and I loved that she was able to tell when she was being manipulated and learned to stand up for herself. I also liked hearing from her mother's perspective as she was battling her dementia. I think the Alzheimer's representation was done quite well.

Laine's sisters, on the other hand, were a nightmare to read and I couldn't believe that a 38-year-old woman's siblings were so invested in her relationship with her husband and loved her husband so much that they were willing to invalidate their own sister's feelings. It irked me. There was also a second-chance romance subplot, but I feel like the book would have been better if that hadn't been included. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

At the start of this novel, Laine is grieving the loss of her dog and the realization that her marriage may not be working anymore, when her sisters ask her to come back to NYC because they are worried that their mom is starting to lose her memory. Now in her late 30s, Laine has barely even visited since leaving for college, so coming home stirs up all kind of memories, and all the more so when she runs into the boy next door she hasn’t spoken to since a falling out when they were in college. The book is mostly told from Laine’s perspective, with the occasional chapter from the perspective of her mother Sally.

Laine is such a conflict-avoiding people pleaser that I definitely spent a bunch of the book wanting to give her a good kick in the pants both for her current abs past actions, but I really felt for her as well.

I am a longtime fan of Camille Pagan and never miss one of her books. This wasn’t my most favorite of her books, but was a solidly entertaining family drama/contemporary women’s novel.

3.75 stars

Everything Must Go by Camille Pagan is everything you’d want in a book about family, real life struggles, and love. I really enjoyed some of the life lessons that are written into these pages. There’s a lot to be learned from the journey that Laine Frances goes on from the beginning of this book, right up to the very end. I’m kind of hoping there’s more to her story in a future novel…I felt like Laine was just getting all of her ducks in a row just as the book ended.

My favorite random book moments are: one of the kittens having the name Joy (my daughter’s middle name) and how Laine likes watching cooking shows to relax because I do that too.

Another page-turner from Camille Pagan. I’m so glad I discovered her books during the pandemic. She writes real stories that so many people can relate to.

A deeply moving and relatable women's fiction story about mothers and daughters, sisters and second chances. This book grabbed me from the start as Laine gets called home to help her sisters deal with her mother's advancing dementia. Along the way she runs into a man from her past and uncovers a deep secret her mother has been hiding for years. Full of heart and Camille Pagan's trademark sharp writing. Definitely recommended. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Everything Must Go by Camille Pagan. Pub Date: April 26, 2022. Rating: 3 stars. This is the story of a female who is at a crossroads in her life. She is in a marriage that is stagnant, has a mother with declining memory issues and ultimately has to pick up her life in Brooklyn and travel back home. While home, she encounters her childhood friend Ben. With this realization, she has the chance to rekindle her relationship and help her mother. What unravels is family secrets, honesty with herself and grief and the power to forge a new future. This book was okay, but not my favorite. It was a very character driven novel, with a storyline that felt flat at times. Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this free e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Laine is feeling the pressure from her family when it comes to her mothers failing memory. While she doesn't want to leave her suburban Michigan life to come back to New York and unburden her sisters who have families of their own and cannot handle the added pressure of being caretaker to their mother. So she comes to New York, to help her mother, except when her old best friend Ben is back in town as bringing up some bad memories of their fallout. Can Laine find a way to have a baby, keep her husband, help her mother and have a successful career in Michigan? Or will someone/something have to give to make it all work.

This book was so emotional and compelling. I loved the dual perspective of both Laine and her mom Sally. If you like family dramas with a little bit of romance sprinkled in this will be up your alley! There are lots of interesting sub-plots as well. Laine debates getting a divorce after realizing, after years, that her husband doesn't want kids, and her child bearing years are running out!

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 4/26!

This one hurts in a good way - Pagan really hits the nail on the head for children making the difficult decision on what to do when a parent has dementia. There’s so few options and every single one has major drawbacks. The main character has to make some of these decisions while in the midst of a separation from her husband. I felt for her that the timing was terrible - as if there is ever a good time for this. I really rooted for her. In large part because I found her sisters to be incredibly manipulative and insensitive, especially Piper.

Overall a beautifully written novel told mostly from the main characters POV, with occasional insight from her mom with small characters expertly weaved to give us just enough of her fear and confusion with bouts of clarity. Highly recommend for anyone going through this type of situation or for lovers of stories about family relationships (the good, the bad, and the ugly).

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy of this books. Review contains my own thoughts and opinions.

A powerful story of staying true to yourself and the love between family, and the importance of friendship and love, despite secrets and confessions from the past. I truly adored this novel!

A mesmerizing and intriguing read. Great plot and characters that make you want to turn the pages. If you are new to the world of women's fiction and font know where to start, you might want to pick this up.

Laine and her mother Sally tell this tale of a daughter who learns more from her mother, who is struggling with dementia, than she expected. Laine hasn't been home to Brooklyn for years but she's about had it with her husband Josh and her sisters claim her mother needs her. She finds more than she expects when she gets there, notably in Ben, an old friend from whom she's been estranged. Parts of this will echo with daughters who have had the same issues in their own families. The ending. however, felt of (no spoilers) to me. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed this story of Laine and her family as she and her sisters realize that her mom may have some memory issues. I liked the characters in the book and I like how the memory concerns were portrayed. I liked Ann Arbor and NYC as the backdrop as well! I have loved other books by this author and this is another great read. Thank you to Netgally for the opportunity to read an early e-copy of the book!

A story about a woman who decides to divorce her husband because they don’t seem to be on the same page with regards to having kids. She travels home to Brooklyn to help her mother and bumps into old friend and flame.
Unfortunately I found this really slow and boring. It sort of reminded me a bit of early TJR stories (after I do) but I just never felt invested in the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the digital ARC of ”Everything Must Go.”

I was very excited to read Camille Pagán’s latest novel as I have enjoyed her writing style and sense of humor in her other books. This one did not disappoint. I enjoyed the story of the relationships; whether between husband/wife, mother/daughter, or childhood friendship. I also liked the alternating points of view of Sally as she struggles with Alzheimer’s disease and Laine’s point of view as a daughter dealing with that and some major life realizations. It was nice to see a story about divorce playing out without fighting and drama, but more of a realization that being good friends doesn’t always make for a good marriage. Getting to see Laine learn to stand up for herself and what she needed was very relatable and I like how that journey played out in the novel. Overall it was a quick read with a lot of heart

A moving tale of navigating family dynamics and staying true to oneself. As Laine examines her life she realizes the influences of her family sometimes take her away from her own goals. As she learns to stand up for herself there are obstacles including her relationships with her sisters and mother. This story has two settings, New York and Ann Arbor. Pagan writes in a way that makes the reader appreciate both locations. A well to,d story with a satisfying conclusion. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for the opportunity to read an advance copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I will preface this review saying I am childfree by choice and have never really gotten the baby-fever that covers this book. Had I known that was going to be a big focus, I probably would have skipped this one.

The writing is easy enough to read and the characters are OK, although I think Laine's husband is quite one-dimensional and I was not at all surprised even though I had only met them a chapter ago that she wants to divorce him. However, the subsequent goings on about wanting a baby to love her unconditionally and envy over other people's children just rubbed me wrong and it was not my cup of tea.

I love Camille Pagan's book. She is almost always an automatic buy for me. This one... not my favorite. It had all the right components for a great story, but it just didn't come together for me. Laine was kind of boring and a major pushover. To the point that she WASN'T BOTHERED THAT HER EX-HUSBAND OF 5 MINUTES AND HER SISTER WERE GETTING TOGETHER. That just bugged me so much. So much was unrealistic. I get suspension of disbelief and it's fiction, but there was just too much. This one is ok, but Pagan has many other great books.

Absolutely loved Camille Pagan's Everything Must Go! A story of a mother showing signs of early Alzheimers and her childrens' acknowledgment of trouble and steps to help out. The story also intertwines some family dynamics among sisters and a romantic relationship or two. Beautiful story!

This book was a VERY quick read, cute but doesn’t go much further beyond that! I wouldn’t turn someone away from this book but also don’t think I would recommend it!! I felt like the characters lacked a certain level of depth & almost too much was going on! I don’t want to continue to talk about the negatives because I know that so much love & hard work/time went into this book. I am SO grateful Camille Pagán, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC!! I hope this book finds incredible success, I know there is the perfect audience out there for this…it sadly is just not me!