Not going to lie, I chose this one simply after seeing the adorable cover and I'm happy to announce the contents are just as precious! It's filled with warmth, wit, and life lessons. I absolutely recommend!

Jodi Wexler is a foot doctor living in Florida with her gem of a husband when she gets the call from their daughter that she needs her mother to drop everything and come to the Berkshires immediately to help look after Jodi's granddaughter. She gives little information as to why, but Jodi jumps on this opportunity. She can't wait to have a week to herself with her grand baby considering her other grandma gets to see her all the time.

Soon upon arrival Jodi realizes it's not the week she originally had in mind. Turns out she has competition when it comes to Macallen's affection and she's not only dealing with one other grandma, but two! To make matters worse, something is not sitting well with her when it comes to her daughter and the vague situation she has described.

Follow Jodi as she navigates a week of learning that not every family looks the same and sometimes it's ok to put yourself first while also being the best you can be towards everyone else.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my advanced readers copy!

Normally, I'm all for a book about grandmas. I had such a special relationship with my Nana that I adore heartfelt stories about grandmas. This wasn't it. The writing was clunky, and the story line felt a bit immature. However, I did like the ending (for the most part).

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ARC of this book

This was a nice read about an elderly woman (grandmother) who has been asked to go down and look after her granddaughter who she hasn't seen much.

We can see in this book a grandmother who feels out of place in her daughters and granddaughters' lives, not knowing where she stands anymore and trying to overcompensate to her granddaughter while she is down there ... everything and everyone feels like an attack (deep down some of it was though because you can see manipulation, gaslighting and the other grandmother who is so self-centred and selfish that she is so self-involved).

This was not an amazing book but I did enjoy seeing a grandmother working through the feelings emerging and dealing with how she feels she has been neglectful of others in her life, it's never easy to confront yourself and ur failings but they do help you realise what's important etc.

I do suggest this for others to read

3.75 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

Marilyn Simon Rothstein’s “Who Loves You Best” is a delightful, laugh-out-loud story about love, family, and self-discovery. Jodi Wexler, a podiatrist juggling her flourishing career and a suddenly retired husband, drops everything to spend time with her eight-year-old granddaughter, Macallan, only to find herself in the middle of a “grandma war.”

The cast of characters is as colorful as they are relatable. Jodi, the self-sacrificing and thoughtful protagonist, is impossible not to root for. Her journey of putting herself first—after years of prioritizing everyone else—will resonate with many readers. Di, the no-nonsense real estate agent, brings sharp humor (and occasional frustration), while Grannie Annie, the quirky and immature girlfriend of Macallan’s grandfather, adds a whimsical touch to the chaos.

The dynamics among the three “grandmas” are hilarious, but the story doesn’t shy away from deeper themes like marriage struggles, family obligations, and self-worth. Lisa, Jodi’s daughter, presents a more complicated character—self-centered and sometimes unlikable—but her bombshell revelation pulls the family together in surprising ways.

Rothstein’s sharp wit and keen observations about family life are on full display, making this a book that alternates between heartfelt and laugh-out-loud moments. From the drama of a blended family to the touching realization that it’s never too late to find yourself, this book strikes an emotional chord while keeping things lighthearted.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the complimentary eBook. All opinions are my own.

I am a fan of books with older character and Who Loves You Best hits the mark! The book features diverse age representation among its characters, adding depth and authenticity to the story It offers a realistic portrayal of relationships and situations involving childcare, grandparent relationships, divorce, affairs, and marriage. Jodi prioritizes family connections over all and almost at the expense of her professional life. Her need to be in her grandchild's life comes through clearly on every page. The way she navigates the other people important in Macallan's life drives this story and those extra characters are not one-dimensional - Di and Grannie Annie are well written and play a major role in the story.
This book also presents a refreshing take on a professional woman's journey, where Jodi asserts her career ambitions rather than defaulting to prioritizing her husband's needs. Overall, I liked this story and have recommended to readers of all ages who enjoy a well rounded book of family conflict that is not all about the conflict (humor and love are part of the story). I particularly like this one for older readers who are happy to see people of a similar age as main characters. This was my first book by Marily Rothstein and I look forward to her next one!

I really thought I would love this book. Who Loves You Best focuses on Jodi, a 67-year-old grandmother, who lives with her husband in Florida while her only grandchild lives in the Berkshires in Massachusetts. When her daughter calls her to ask her to come and stay while she goes out of town, Jodi jumps at the chance, even though she’s a podiatrist and has to cancel a number of patients to do so.

My personal experience, while not exactly like hers, is close enough that I figured I could really relate to the character and her story. Sadly this was not the case. I found the main character to be completely unlikeable. Some of the other characters, such as the other grandmother, Di, were equally unlikeable, if not more so. An unlikeable character doesn’t have to be a death knell for a book, if the story is gripping. But this one wasn’t, at least for me. I did not find myself drawn to read further; I more or less had to force myself to keep going, to give it more of a chance. But finally, at 40%, I decided that there were too many other books waiting for my attention and called it quits. From the reviews I’ve seen, I’m apparently in the minority on this one, so you may like it a lot more than I did.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book so much! This was a reflective look at what matters most. Perhaps not trying to take care of everyone and everything, but doing what’s best for yourself and allowing others the freedom to guide their own paths.

Jodi Wexler is a successful Florida podiatric doctor who goes to the Berkshires to temporarily care for her 8 yr old granddaughter Macallan (Mac/Callie - depending on whom 😉). When she arrives, she is surprised that she’s not the only “grandmother” there. Di - her daughter’s mother in law, needs to be there too. She’s the area’s #1 realtor, letting clients stay at her home until their closing date. And then there’s Grannie Annie, the 27 yr old girlfriend of Jodi’s daughter’s father in law. Talk about a quirky, messy family group!

The book was funny, heartwarming, and went into depths of the character’s struggles, doubts and hopes.

Put this on your radar!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎉 Pub date 10/15/2024

Review post Instagram @on_a_sandbar

It’s not every day I read a novel from a grandmother’s point of view, but I had lots of fun doing so. When I read the book description I thought this was going to be a laugh-out-loud comedic read. In many ways it was and I often burst into laughter, but surprisingly it actually also has substance with the MC having nostalgic moments of reflecting on her life since her teenage years, and introspection on considering what’s best for her future. At the heart of the story it’s not only about the love of a grandparent, but also the message that even in your golden years you can still learn new things and make life-altering choices.

Sometimes the dialogue felt a little stunted and there were several abrupt changes in pacing, but overall, Who Loves You Best is a heartwarming, humorous look at old age, as well as how different grandparents hold opposing views of their grandchildren and their commitment to their grandkids. This is a light, wholesome read and one that I devoured once I got started. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

This novel is a smart humorous view of life in all of it's messy glory. Jodi, Di, and Annie are the grandmothers and they have to learn how to share their space and time as they all contribute to babysitting their granddaughter. The story is very relatable and brought a smile to my face many times as challenges and difficult situations arose. I enjoyed the friendships that came about, the surprises in the storyline, and I always love a happy ending.

I found this novel slow and boring. I’m all for a quiet novel with depth, a silly superficial romance that moves, a book with a slow start that takes off… but this never really materializes into any of that. The characters are two dimensional at best, the jokes fall flat, and the big reveals aren’t that big or that revealing. The main character’s internal monologues are pretty flat and her self discovery is nice but not revelatory. Granny Annie is the most fun and interesting character with some growth but overall is a kind of ridiculous caricature.

Thanks to NetGalley for an opportunity to read this advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Some people might enjoy this, but it wasn’t for me.

Taking place in a charming small town in the Berkshires. A story about mothers and daughters, grandmothers and granddaughters, grandmother rivalry and marriage. This deals with real family issues and was so relatable. I loved the banter between the grandmothers. Certainly every grandmother wants to be the favorite and Jodi won't be playing second fiddle. This has all the feelings and laugh out loud moments you expect from Rothstein. I read it in one sitting. Excellent! I highly recommend.

I really tried to love this book, but it was just not for me. I found it quite boring at some parts and the characters a bit annoying.

I wanted to like this novel and the author can certainly write a good story but sadly I was irritated by the main character through almost the whole book as well as her daughter! Was able to read this thru NetGalley and finished it just to see how it ended.

I know this isn’t a holiday read, but it FEELS like a holiday read.

But, like, significant.

Between the family dynamics, the deep themes of care, health, blended and multi-generation living, and female friendships, it’s like a weighted blanket for the soul.

Now, that’s not to say I liked every character (I’m lookin’ at you, Lisa) at every moment – I even wondered if Jodi was going to have an Unreliable Narrator Reveal – but I was certainly rooting for all of them, by the end.

Well, maybe not Milton. I was perversely pleased with his comeuppance.

I’m not sure that speaks well of my character, but I said what I said.

thank you negalley for the e-arc. i was excited to start reading this one because it's rare to find a book with older characters when you're tired of reading 20something's lives. its nice to see a true generational story where you get to meet most of the family and more. i didn't know this author beforehand so now i'm looking forward to her backlist.

These characters are …characters. From Di’s bigger than life persona to Grannie Annie’s lopsided love affair, there’s always some kind of interference ruining Jodi’s time with her granddaughter. The writing is serious yet delivered in a humorous way. There’s alot of details about everything, some could be done without to make it flow a little faster. Overall, it’s a fun read with a big twist within all the other twists poor Jodi has to deal with.

A HUGE thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this amazing book!

Have you ever read a book that you connected to on such a level, it feels like it was written just for you? Who Loves You Best is that book for me. Now let me say - there were LOTS of things in this book that are nothing like my life, but there were so many things that I just felt in my heart, I could have been Jodi, the MC.

Who Loves You Best is just an absolute gem of a book with so many life lessons and messages. On the surface it's about a grandma learning to accept the other grandmothers in her granddaughter's life. But it's so much more than that. It's about mother/daughter relationships, keeping the connection to your grandchildren when you're 1000s of miles apart, understanding that there's often more to a person than just what you see, finding friendships in the unlikeliest of places, taking control of your own life, and when you see that someone needs a friend, be a friend. I could go on and on! I've never seen an author tuck so much into 250ish pages!

Some little personal side notes:
You simply CAN NOT help someone understand the love they will have for their grandchildren. It's something you just have to experience for yourself. There's a passage that says grandmothers are chemically drawn to their grandchildren. I 1000% know this to be true. I can't explain it. It just is. The MC comments that there's nothing finer than the scent of a child - the world's most beautiful fragrance. I 1000% know this to be true also. I know what Jodi was feeling; I live nowhere near my babies and I struggle every day with feeling like I'm not doing enough for them and that I'm missing out on their small moments. But I'm pretty sure they know Who Loves Them Infinity. ❤️

This is the first book I've read by Marilyn Simon Rothstein. I promise I will be reading the rest in 2025!

This one wasn’t for me at all. It follows a grandmother that lives out of state from her granddaughter. She wants nothing more than to spend more time with her. She finally gets the chance and is met with two other grandmas with their own quirks that she has to deal with. She learns something about herself along the way.

This is a very character driven story. I didn’t really like any of them. I found myself annoyed at some of the behavior. Definitely not a story for me, but try it out if you can relate more to the story.

This is a tough one for me to rate, because it's not particularly bad. It just wasn't my cup of tea. I am an admitted plot girly, and at its heart this is a book about female connection. This is more of a character driven book. Some people love that, but for me I simply suffer through it. I simply think I wasn't the target reader for this book.

There were a couple lines I liked "you don't stretch before you run" / "no I just jump right into it before I change my mind." And a couple I hated re: joking about a man having relations with a "twelve" year old (the age was a joke, as a insult to the man - the woman was his age) which gave me major ick. Literally any other consenting age would have gotten the point across.

This isn't something I would recommend to anyone personally. But if youre looking at this review, I'd recommend it if you like character focused books with all the keynotes of a Hallmark movie.

Thank you @marilynsimonrothstein @amazonpublishing @netgalley and @suzyapprovedbooktours for the #gifted ebook.

WHO LOVES YOU BEST is a fun, humorous and heartfelt story of family and friendship. Jodi is a 67 years young podiatrist living in Florida with her husband who was forced into retirement. Jodi drops everything to go to Maine to watch her granddaughter Macallan for a week while her daughter Lisa is away for business. She is excited to spoil and spend time alone with Macallan.
Little did she know that she would have to fight to spend time with Macallan with two other grandmas. Di is Lisa's MIL and is a narcissistic real estate agent and Grandma Annie is a 27 year old living with Di's ex-husband.

The characters are relatable and the story is well written. As you can imagine, the three grannies clash with their very different and colorful personalities. I enjoyed Jodi's internal dialogue that always made me laugh. Di slowly won me over and Grannie Annie I just wanted to give her a hug. This is a realistic and witty story of what it is like to be a grandparent and learning to put yourself first. If you would like to read story that is guaranteed to make you laugh, I highly recommend WHO LOVES YOU BEST.