Title: Falling Apart and Other Gifts from the Universe
Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde
Publisher: Lake Union Publishers
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Pub Date: November 11, 2025
My Rating: 4.7 rounded up
Pages: 288

Our wonderful author has a trigger warning at the beginning of this book . I have read many of her stories and know they can be very emotional so I did appreciate this heads-up.

Story features sixty-two year old Addie Finch who is an Army vet, a former cop, and now AA member. She admits she is an alcoholic. She has had a rough life with some bad luck dealt to her. As a baby her father was disappointed that she was a she and not a boy. This rejection has been a part of her all her life.
.She currently is working nights in security at a storage place. She has a license and does carry a weapon so the owner feels comfortable with having a female
One evening Addie comes across Johnathan . He is seventeen years old and homeless.. He is running away from someone who has hurt him. Addie feels sorry for him and offers the back seat of her car for him to sleep. She takes the keys so that he cannot drive off in it. She goes back to work viewing the monitors and also watching her car.

Much to our delight it doesn’t take long for Addie and Jonathan to form a surrogate grandmother, grandson bond. These two both need saving and have found the right person.
Drama continues but I don’t want to give away too much as I know you will love reading every page as much as I did.
As one reader said ~ This was a story I didn’t know I needed! Oh so true!

I got on board the Catherine Ryan Hyde train somewhat late when I read " Brave Girl, Quiet Girl" in May 2020 . I not only loved the book but have been a big fan ever since!
Psychological thrillers are my 'go to' stories – who knew I was going to love her stories so much?

She has had 40+ book published. As well fifty of her short stories have been published in professional Reviews and Journals.
Now I am willing to read anything she writes! When I saw this I knew I wanted to read it without knowing anything about it!

Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde's writing style is different than any other author I read and I love it! Her stories are character driven but there is always a message and thoughts that linger long after I am done reading.

Want to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishers for this wonderful early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for November 11, 2025.

Catherine Ryan Hyde has become one of my must read authors. This was a powerful, heartfelt story about second chances.
Addie is a recovering alcoholic, attending AA meetings. Currently she is working as a security guard for a storage unit on night shift.
She meets Jonathan a homeless teenager who had a tragic childhood.
I lived watching the relationship grow between Addie and Jonathan.
A story of family, love, empathy, forgiveness, trauma, childhood neglect, poverty, addiction.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "Falling Apart & Other Gifts from the Universe" and all opinions expressed are my own. I enjoy reading books by this author, always interesting and the words flow smoothly. The characters in the story were real and you feel what they are feeling.

Another great book from Catherine Ryan Hyde. This book follows Addie, a recovering alcoholic and Jonathan, a homeless young man. The two form an unlikely friendship and help each other through some difficult and trying times. It helps to see what people in these situations go through everyday.

This story rejuvenated my faith in humanity by believing in a person’s ability to change regardless of what stage you are in your life. Definitely a five star read, like all of her books, that makes the whole heart and soul feel good.

I absolutely love this author! She writes on subjects that nearly everyone can relate to. This particular story dealt with a homeless teenager and a recovering alcoholic working her 12-step program. I got a little emotional in a few places, a testament to her dynamic writing.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Anytime there us a book by this author, I immediately dive right in,
She has such a talent for storytelling, and she proves it again and again, book by book

This book involves Addie a recovering alcoholic, homeless teens, second chances, redemption, and forgiveness and proof that family is not always blood relatives

Every time I read a book by this author, it makes me want to be a better human, each book always reaches down into my soul and challenges me to be better than I was yesterday.

I loved this book, it did deal with some harsh subjects, but I am glad I was all in from page one till the last page

I firmly believe that Catherine Ryan Hyde's books are a gift to the world. Every time I read one, it leaves me feeling hopeful. In this book, every character is struggling with something. Addie Finch and a boy named Jonathan are two of the main characters.

Addie is an older woman, a recovering alcoholic, army veteran and former policewoman who has no idea how she will ever be able to retire. She is working part time as a night security guard for a self-storage business and would work more hours if she could get them. The is near an abandoned warehouse where a lot of homeless people take shelter. I was shocked that so many of them were young.

Her life changes forever and for the good when she meets Jonathan, a homeless teenaged boy. After Jonathan was assaulted by a dangerous boy in the warehouse, Addie allows him to live in her shed. Jonathan sees the potential in her overgrown vegetable and flower garden, and makes it into a real garden that provides them with more vegetables than they can eat. They even learned to can food. This was so important to Jonathan, who was frequently hungry after he became homeless. His mother had sent him to live with his abusive father when she got a new boyfriend. Jonathan left his father's house soon after, for the street.

I can't recommend this book highly enough.. I received an e-arc from Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I requested this one because I have read the author before and really liked her writing style. There is so much to feel when reading one of her books...This particular one was about a woman who had lost so much, including her relationship with her son...and a homeless boy she meets at work one day and decides to take in. They teach each other so much and are so good for each other that it was just really a great read. So much feeling, so much growth, so much to think about when it comes to life. I will continue to read each one of her books that comes my way.

Falling Apart and other Gifts from the Universe is possibly one of my favorite Catherine Ryan Hyde books, and that's saying a lot. A lot of issues were covered, and it was done well I think. Addie's character was pretty fleshed out, although I wanted to know even more about her! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

To be fair, at this point, and this far into CRH’s backlist, I’d read her shopping list. So far, she has not written a single disappointing book, even though I do have favourites.
Without exception, her stories are full of raw vulnerability, quiet strength, emotional honesty and complexity, of crisis and growth, of hopeless situations that are turned around by one thing and one thing only. Human connection, community, empathy and solidarity, without being saccharine. The polar opposite of what capitalism would have us believe, to keep us down and isolated. On this account I wouldn’t be surprised if some MAGA “cultural minister” put her on a blacklist. Which in itself would be a compliment.
CRH is a tonic. I have obsessively read dystopia throughout my life and I’m coming off it, because it’s just too close to home. Not just in me, but in my bookshop customer base, there is a real hunger for stories that instil hope, and my mantra was always, if you need to believe in the goodness of people, if you need to read a book that picks you up out of a pit and puts a little glow in your chest, while still validating the ugliness of life, read CRH. In my shop, I prescribe her like a literary antidepressant.
When I explain to people that she’s the one wrote Pay it forward and explain the premise of the book, their eyes get that little bit wider with awe, with disbelief, that someone could voluntarily help someone else without expecting something back. Sign of the times.
CRH doesn’t shy back from the hideousness of human existence. Common themes of her books are addiction, poverty, abuse, homelessness, trauma, without ever degenerating into the gratuitous detail of misery memoirs. But she also looks for beauty, for lessons, for the way we grow and overcome. And what is particularly commendable is how she manages to take the stigma and prejudice out of Alcoholics Anonymous, which many outsiders can perceive as cultish, but is really a therapeutic community based on trust and shared experiences. You wonder how many people read her books and then took the first step into AA. I know a handful.
I’ve been reading all her books since I discovered her 20 years ago, and I swear it doesn’t matter which book you start with. In the absence of access to therapy, she’s the next best thing.
This book is no exception. Addie is a middle-aged security guard for a self-storage place next to an abandoned warehouse full of homeless kids. She’s been discharged from the military because of her drinking, sober for 8 years and is just trying to make ends meet, when she find a homeless teenage boy hiding from his attacker in a storage unit, fragile, roughed up and frightened. She gives him shelter in her garden shed in exchange for doing some garden maintenance, and a friendship develops with the grateful and strangely optimistic boy that becomes a lifeline to her when her life falls apart after an incidence. And that’s all I’m gonna share. It’s an incredibly powerful book about addiction, about accountability and facing hard truths about yourself, and how connection and forgiveness bring healing – yet with a very realistic depiction about how complex and up and down that healing process can be. All the characters are rich, multifaceted and so real you can almost hear them speak, and the pages are packed so full of wisdom I’ve drained a highlighter.
I’m so glad she publishes so regularly because at this point her books are one of the reasons why I haven’t completely lost faith in humanity yet. They show what is possible, and that this possible doesn’t have to be huge to be powerful.

I received a free copy of, Falling Apart and Other Gifts from the Universe, by Catherine Ryan Hyde, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Addie Finch has been through a lot in over 6 decades of life, army vet, former cop, AA member, Addie has a lot going on, and some lingering anxiety. Addie meets a homeless teenager who needs help. This was a good read, but a heavy read. Addiction, homelessness, low self esteem, and more. I enjoyed this book, more than I thought I would.

What a wonderful reminder that though struggles are real and that love and a continued willingness to keep moving forward can lead to peace. The characters in this story were so real you felt yourself stepping into their shoes. To me that is the very best a book can offer.

Addie works the night shift at a storage facility. They need someone there because the next door, the empty warehouse has become full of addicts and homeless people who occasionally try to sleep in a storage room. Addie is 8 years sober and used to work as a police officer and is an army vet. She isn't retired from either due to her drinking. She has some family, but lives alone and never hears from them.

One night, Addie meets Jonathan. He's a kid who tried to sleep in a storage room. It's obvious he was recently beaten and he's quite thin. For reasons she doesn't understand, she takes a liking to him and she lets him sleep in her guard room to him out of the cold. He returns a few nights in a row and then one night he doesn't.

This is the story of how Addie saved Jonathan and how Jonathan saved Addie.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. Falling Apart & Other Gifts from the Universe by Catherine Ryan Hyde (out 11th November 2023) is a beautifully written, heartfelt story about second chances and unexpected connections.

Addie is a recovering alcoholic, quietly navigating her night shifts when she meets Jonathan, a homeless teenager. Their unlikely friendship becomes a lifeline for both, leading them on a journey of redemption, healing, and hope. Hyde weaves themes of childhood trauma, addiction, family dynamics, and the mysterious workings of karma into a tender, uplifting narrative. From the very first page, you’re rooting for Addie and Jonathan, holding your breath for the happy ending they both deserve.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is a skillful architect of storytelling. Her powerful and much-needed spotlight on homeless youth, a part of society that many would rather ignore, showcases her ability to tell a story with tremendous heart and astonishing reporting skills. This heartfelt story is a call to action.

If you haven’t experienced this author’s stellar work, what are you waiting for?

Addie Finch has a big heart. She also needs to be rescued. So do two at-risk youth she meets while at work. The three of them save each other…in many shapes and forms over multiple occasions.

This is the book I didn’t know I needed.

I’m forever changed. Thank you.

I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Catherine Ryan Hyde has become one of my favorite authors. There’s a comfort factor when I read her novels and I trust her formula will generally be the same each time. Her latest book is entitled “Falling Apart and Other Gifts from the Universe” and it was another solid read for me.

Addie Finch is sixty-two years old. She’s currently working nights as a security guard for a storage place. Previously, she had served in the military and then worked as a cop. She’s been sober for eight years and regularly attends AA meetings.

Addie meets Jonathan one night. Jonathan’s seventeen years old and homeless. He stays sometimes in an abandoned warehouse next door to where Addie works. Addie offers him a safe place to sleep, at first, at her work or in her vehicle. As she gets to know him better, she soon offers him a place to stay at her home, in a shed, in exchange for him doing yardwork.

Addie and Jonathan form a surrogate grandmother, grandson bond. As each other’s chosen family, they navigate life’s up-and-downs. There was one part of the book that was left open-ended, but it made sense based on the nature of the book. Also, I appreciated the author including a trigger warning at the beginning of the book for those who may need one and/or find them helpful.

Overall, I recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

I love getting involved in one of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books. Her characters are so relatable and the story draws you in so much that you are almost living in it. This book is a perfect example. Addie is the heroine of the story. She’s sixty-something and is a recovering alcoholic. Addie has lived a hard life but an interesting one. She was in the Marines, she was a policeman and now she’s a security guard at a storage facility- doing the night shift. I could tell you the entire story but then you wouldn’t get the pleasure of reading Ms. Hyde’s moving, descriptive words and feeling the pain and love between Addie and Jonathan. Oh, I’ll definitely recommend this book and at some point, read it again. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

This was a moving story of lost, broken people trying to mend themselves and help others which ultimately leads to helping themselves heal.

Addie has nearly 8yrs of sobriety and is struggling in a job she hates but feels she deserves, for letting her past problems with alcohol get her drummed off the LAPD and cut short her military career. Addie is tough as nails and will power through, but she needs to learn to give herself a break, and to recognize that she has a ton of unprocessed trauma that contributed to her situation.

Fortunately help comes, in the form of the young homeless Johnathan, who appears at the door of her graveyard shift security job. He is scared and hungry and also sweet and so grateful for every little kindness, that Addie feels compelled to keep helping him. Addie is then motivated to get a new sponsor who makes her review the steps as if Addie was just starting her recovery, focusing on the personal inventory. Digging deep into her history, brings up many issues from her past that she had buried and also unlocks a period of depression. Jonathan, opens Addie's heart, and risks losing her trust by reaching out to her brother Bill and asking for help for Addie.

This bold step helps the siblings reunite and mend fences, assuage old guilty feelings, and find a better way forward. It also leads to ending a long estrangement between Addie and her son, because finally Addie can vocalize the trauma that led to Spencer's birth, and why Addie was more focused on being strong, than on being warm or loving.

Jonathan isn't as lucky reconnecting with his mother but is still grateful for what he has with Addie. Your heart will break for this sweet young man, who just wanted a place to belong and feel safe in. Sometimes taking a chance on someone helps both parties.

I had to read this book as soon as it was offered to me. She is a favorite author, beautiful stories that come alive, as did this one. A story of empathy , forgiveness, love and family. Jonathan, a young homeless lad, has every reason to be bitter and angry and yet he survives with an open heart. Addie has had a hard life and yet is open and empathetic when she meets Jonathan. A family can only be a family if there is a lot of love and understanding.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.