As someone who shares a name with the main character, I was so excited to dive into this novel—until chapter two left me gutted. What happens to Claudia is one of my deepest fears, and seeing it unfold on the page felt like watching a nightmare I’ve imagined in secret, brought to life. But that’s what made it so compelling—I couldn’t look away.

You know, I have a complicated relationship with my best friend. And although, god forbid anything like this ever happens to me, this book was my worst fear in story form—but I loved it so much. It’s almost like Annette Chavez Macias wrote the exact scenario I’ve driven myself crazy with for years. A scenario I’ve never said out loud… suddenly there it was, spelled out on the pages of my Kindle. There was even a passage toward the end that eerily mirrored something my husband—and even a few friends—have said to me about my best friend. It’s crazy. And it made me feel seen in a way I didn’t expect.

The betrayal Claudia experiences—her best friend Rachel running off with her husband—is so intimate, so personal, it’s not just about a marriage ending. It’s about the devastation of losing someone you trusted with your heart, who knew what would hurt you most… and did it anyway. As painful as it is, it’s also a beautiful story of resilience. Watching Claudia slowly reclaim her identity, reconnect with her roots, and find strength in the rubble felt like watching someone bloom through the cracks.

I especially loved how she began to rediscover her Mexican heritage—something that really resonated with me, as I’ve been on that same journey myself. Macias doesn’t shy away from life’s messy, complicated truths, and yet she always weaves in hope. Claudia’s growth, her love for her daughter Maya, and even the subtle sparks with Nick, all made this story linger long after I finished.

Heartbreaking, raw, and ultimately empowering—Everything She Never Knew is a novel that cracked me open a little. Thank you, Annette Chavez Macias, for writing this story. It meant more to me than you know.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the entries in the diary. I felt so bad for the mc but she turned out to be a tuff cookie. I would recommend this book.

4.5 ⭐️

A book with all the ingredients that would dive you in not just in Claudia’s journey rediscovering her worth and value but also her Mexican roots and traditions. A family story full of emotions and reconciliation.
I can relate myself with Claudia in many ways because what happened to her happened to me, although with some differences, I was left alone with a daughter after believing I had an almost perfect marriage. The betrayal and lifting myself not only for me but for my daughter reaffirmed to me how strong and independent I had always been. But not all of us are prepared to face those situations from minute one, and that's okay, as long as you do it and see how strong and valuable you are, that’s all that matters.
I know there’s so many Claudia’s out here and this story definitely would teach one or two things that would help us to get ahead or keep going rewriting our journey to happiness.

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for providing an ARC on exchange of my honest review.

Firstly, thank you to Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review.
The use of Spanish words and phrases throughout the story taught me some new things, especially about 'The Day of the Dead'.
However I did feel like the story dragged a little bit in the middle. I picked this book up as it was being advertised as a romance novel but found there wasn't really any romance happening at all in my opinion and wished there was a little bit more of a connection between Claudia and Nick.
On the whole I did enjoy this book, it was a good storyline with a satisfying ending

I have really come to love this authors writing. She once again gave us a beautiful story about the strength a woman has when she doesn’t realize it. I enjoyed this story more because I feel that it is very relatable as it shows how perfectly flawed we are. Claudia’s anger was focused on her friend throughout the book as that is where her true heartache came from.

I loved the flashbacks with the diary entries that detailed Claudia’s childhood experiences and how they related to present day events. A great depiction of breaking generational trauma.

Thank you Montlake and Netgalley for this Advance Readers Copy ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This was a raw, powerful journey of healing, pain, and emotional resilience.

The story centers on a woman who was once intensely independent but has chosen the stay at home mom life. Her world shatters when she discovers her husband has run away with the person she trusted the most ... her best friend. But the deeper question becomes: whose betrayal hurts more?

There are moments when the main character will frustrate you, she makes messy, human choices that might make you want to scream. But that’s where the beauty lies. This story does not offer flawless people or easy answers. It offers the brazen truth. It’s a reminder that we all react to trauma in different ways, and that’s okay.

Her relationships are raw, especially the one with her mother. The woman who should’ve been her safe place had failed her time and time again growing up. And yet, in her darkest hour, her mother returns, bringing both support and buried secrets. Watching their connection evolve is as healing for the reader as it is for the character.

The diary entries scattered throughout the book are especially powerful. They add emotional depth and context, revealing the inner thoughts of a woman who’s trying desperately to hold herself together. They also show how love can blind us, and how we often excuse those who hurt us the most.

One of the most beautiful surprises in this book was the rich infusion of Mexican and Mexican American culture. It doesn’t just exist in the background, it embraces the narrative like a warm hug, adding layers of authentic meaning.

While the book is slotted under romance, it’s more accurately a reflection on relationships in all their complexity. The romantic element is there, yes, but it’s more quiet. It is less about falling in love and more about learning how to open up again. In the end there is something a bit unfinished left with the story, something that leaves you hoping for a sequel or a novella that gives possible relationships the space they deserve to grow.

This book will test your patience, but it will also reinforce your empathy. Whether or not you agree with the characters’ choices, you will find yourself rooting for those who have been burned the most not only to win but to grow. It’s not a light read, but it is an intensely human one, and sometimes, that is what you need to remind yourself that we are all living life for the first time.

Annette Chavez Macias does what she does best: Tells a relatable story with endearing characters while infusing Mexican culture into the fabric of the story. Everything She Never Knew combines a strong story line with a protagonist that had my heart from the beginning. The complex mother/daughter relationship and abuela felt familiar as strong leads like in her other novels, but the conflict different and the story line moved at a good pace. As an Angeleno, I especially appreciated the setting and the characters' ties to Los Angeles, a place rich with history that evryone should know about. Marriages ending, best friends breaking up, betrayal and heartache, but eventually healing, hope, and a new version of happiness. . .all the things I have come to expect with Annette's books.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So when going into this book , I read the reviews and knew what I was getting into; a chick lit cheating ex book about moving on with a side dish of new love. The romance is not the main course of the book.

I did emphasize with the fmc, she proved to be resilient after the worse betrayal of her life. She wasn't just betrayed by her husband and father of her child but by her supposed best friend of 20 years.

She accepts help from her estranged mother, is hit with being financially cut off and abandoned with an 8 year old to raise with no income. She finds herself a job and starts to even accept help from her best friends ex husband who is also betrayed.

I thought that the book vibes well and I finished it in one night.


Then I got to the end and was disappointed by the ending. I felt like it was rushed and really could have been expanded upon. There also could have been more of karma for the ex and best friend. I would have liked to see a happy for now epilogue feasting 5he fmc, the mmc and her daughter. I also wanted to see more of regret from the ex. I didn't want to see them together , I just wanted him to tell her he realized what he list and form more of a bond with their daughter. (hide spoiler)]

I had the pleasure of reading an ARC courtesy of NetGalley. We not only go through the heartbreak of a marriage. But the heartbreak of a 20+ year friendship. And each hurt for a multitude of reasons.
The only downside to this book, is now I have nothing left to read from Annette Chavez Macias. Her writing just always hits so close to home. It’s an amazing amount of representation that I feel is lacking in our literature.

Claudia is happily married to David, they have a lovely daughter Maya and she is lucky enough to live next door to her childhood best friend Rachel. She wakes one day to find her perfect life in tatters David has left her …. A great read about relationships and understanding that things are not always as they seem. Some lovely insight into Mexican culture with some good twists

Annette Chavez Macias, you have a beautiful way of writing heartbreaking stories. I love how you always include Hispanic communities and food. We have such a rich culture and you showcase that. (YOU are definitely mole worthy). I always appreciate the real life scenarios in your stories and you don’t hide the ugly stuff. The grief, heartbreak, betrayal and forgiveness. But there’s always hope, redemption and peace.
Thank you, NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Goodreads: Brenda (Jadore_2Read)

This book kind of dragged. It has a lot of plots going on going on, but none of them seem to start until the very end.

Everything She Never Knew by Annette Chavez Macias, published by Montlake, is a heartbreaking, raw and gritty read, warm at the some time.
The story jumps from past to present, has some lengths that I had to battle through, but all in all a good story, well written, a good read, 4 beautiful stars.

This was such an emotional and healing read for me. When I saw the author post this book on social media, I stopped everything to get my hands on this read as fast as humanly possible.

Imagine living your life thinking everything was fine, only to suddenly have to navigate the upheaval of betrayal, lies, and uncovering secrets. Claudia must do this while trying the best mom she can be to her young daughter while also navigating her complicated past with her own mother.

Annette Chavez Macias does an incredible job invoking raw emotions from her characters and in turn, her readers. There were times were I was crying along with the characters and just as furious as the FMC. She also writes so beautifully of Southern California, which makes me homesick and nostalgic. I kind of wish I would have slowed down and savored this book, but I just couldn't stop reading.

This book gave me the feels! Definitely tears ran down my face towards the end. Love it!

Claudia didn’t deserve to be betrayed and cheated on by her husband and long life 20+ years bestfriend. How can her cowardly husband just walk out of her & their daughters life without even being mature & talking to them. Disgusted by his actions to even run off with her bestfriend, Rachel. The love Claudia had for Rachel was so real. Not only was she her bestfriend, she was also family, a sister.

Nick (Rachel’s husband) was also trying to figure out everything. So glad Nick and Claudia gotten close & became good friends. They both knew their boundaries & what to focus on ( which i hope in the future they get together ;) )

Mercedes brought so much Joy and life to Claudia. Thankful for giving her a chance & getting her the business office manager job. It definitely kept her occupied.

Gloria ( her mother ) so many wrong doings when they were younger, in & out of Claudia's life. I’m glad she showed at her front door when she least expected it and helped around. Although she focused on Claudia and Maya more than herself as she was also not feeling too well. Their love grew stronger! Also, glad Gloria focused on herself and getting that surgery even knowing she was going to be blind in one eye.

Maya, 8 year old, happy kid. confused .. questions .. but she understood why her daddy won’t be coming home. Love how she loved to learn Spanish.

Claudia is such a great mom. When came to it she stood her ground. She didn’t back down. She spoke up. She was strong. She was brave. She got what she wanted out of the divorce & All she really needed and wanted was her daughter, the house, and child support.

- I teared because I knew the feeling about losing a bestfriend for that much plus years. Not the same situation as Claudia and Rachel but still losing someone who you invested your whole life in & no longer exist in your life sucks -

I have many things to say, and almost none of them are good. But here goes. First of all, this is not a romance story. It took until around 51% for Claudia and Nick to even have a real interaction, and even in the very last chapter of the book, Claudia says she's not sure she sees herself and Nick together. So. No romance. Which is not what I was wanting when I picked this up in the first place.

Moving on. Claudia was INSUFFERABLE.

She's one of those girls that, instead of blaming her husband for being a shitty person who cheats, she blamed the girl that he cheated with. Everything was Rachel's fault. Any time anything went wrong, it was Rachel this and Rachel that. Everything was all because of Rachel. Because heaven forbid anybody else be at fault for anything that happened within these 255 pages.

Every time Gloria said anything, it was met with a scoff or an eye roll or defensiveness that was really undeserved. Claudia was always looking for a fight and was never willing to admit that she was the problem in a lot of the problems she was having.

She bonded with Mercedes because she felt Mercedes was the only person who could truly understand her for losing her husband. To be clear, David just moved to San Fransisco. But Mercedes' husband DIED. But yeah, sure. Totally the exact same thing.

She got upset when she went to a parent teacher conference, and the teacher had concerns about Maya's behavior. She suggests Claudia be a bit more honest about the situation of the divorce, Claudia says no, because she isn't ready for that conversation, and also suggests counseling. And instead of taking that advice, and thinking about what is best for her child, Claudio wants to be offended because that means the teacher is telling her that she isn't helping Maya enough. This is particularly annoying because Claudia admits herself that she hasn't been a good mother up to this point, and is created an environment where her daughter is not thriving. Which is exactly what she hates Gloria for so much. She also made mention at some point that she was glad she had Maya so she didn't have to go through the divorce alone, and I'm sorry, BUT WHY IS THAT A BURDEN YOU ARE HAPPY TO SHARE WITH YOUR 8 YEAR OLD???

Claudia was also a huge hypocrite. She was angry at Gloria for hiding the tumor because she was just "avoiding dealing with something kind of huge--as per usual," as if Claudia didn't also spend the first 87% of the book avoiding her own problems. And then she blew up about how Gloria has never put Claudia first for just doing what is easiest for Gloria to handle...WHICH IS THE EXACT SAME THING CLAUDIA HAS BEEN DOING WITH MAYA FOR MOST OF THE BOOK. She literally refused to explain David's absence to Maya because it was too hard for Claudia to talk about. But sure. Gloria is the only bad parent here.

According to Claudia everybody else is wrong, and Claudia is right, and perfect, and wonderful, and has done nothing to deserve any of the bad things that have happened to her.

Claudia sucked. And I really didn't enjoy reading her voice at all

Annette never disappoints with her books. Everything She Never Knew was such an amazing read. The book was packed with so many emotions. Heartbreak, betrayal, new found self discovery and coming back to one’s true self. It was truly an emotional roller coaster. When Claudia discovered her husband left her and why he left her was so heartbreaking I sobbed with her. I love how Annette touched on the complicated relationship with Claudia and her mother and how they were able to resolve their differences. The ultimate betrayal from Rachel, Claudia’s best friend and the closure Claudia got from that was so well written. I also love how Annette always incorporates culture in her books. I absolutely loved the history on Dia De Los Muertos and The Placita Olvera. Overall I will always be a huge fan of Annette and will always recommend her books! Thanks to NetGalley and Annette for the ARC!

With this title, Macias has done a great job exploring the imploding of a marriage and a friendship. The story captivated me, and the action moves at a good pace. It held my attention. I love the cover as well! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I’ve never read an Annette Chavez Macias book, but I was pleasantly surprised by Everything She Never Knew. ✨

This story kicks off with a gut punch: Claudia’s marriage is over, her best friend has betrayed her in the worst possible way, and she’s left to pick up the pieces for both herself and her young daughter. Add in a complicated relationship with her mother, and Claudia’s journey to healing becomes even more layered and real.

I appreciated the depth Annette Chavez Macias brought to Claudia’s story, like how it centered on reconnecting with oneself, taking risks, learning to trust again, and ultimately finding strength and independence. Even though it’s a shorter book (and I definitely would’ve loved to spend even more time with these characters!), it wrapped up with an uplifting, hopeful tone that left me smiling.

ACM has such a gift for weaving stories with so much heart, grounded in intergenerational family dynamics and rich Mexican-American culture. It’s always so comforting to see cultural representation done authentically, and Everything She Never Knew was no exception. Claudia’s journey felt personal, emotional, and deeply relatable.

While the romance is very subtle here (don’t expect a full blown love story), the hints of chemistry between Claudia and Nick were a sweet touch. At its core, this book is about healing and not just falling in love, and I loved it for that.

A beautiful, heartfelt read from Annette Chavez Macias. I’ll be first in line for whatever she writes next. ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley, Annette Chavez Macias, and Montlake for the eARC of this book.

I’ve never read an Annette Chavez Macias book I didn’t like, Everything She Never Knew was no different ✨

Thank you Montlake + NetGalley for the ARC! Everything She Never Knew is out 16th September 2025!