i was invested in this story before i had even begun reading it. the story is about family, loss and emotion. it was the perfect read for when you wanna feel all of the emotions, loved it

To be completely honest, I was bored. This read younger than I expected and i was not in the mood for a Young Adult- esque story. Being in the mind of a 16 year old for part of the story made it feel younger and the issues being talked about felt dealt with in a more youthful way. If that’s something you enjoy, definitely give this one a try!

Jane loses her father and in cleaning out his desk she discovers the letters of his other life that he had been living all through her childhood. So many secrets that she never understood finally came to realization for Jane and her mother and brother. As the truths unfolded the family could find healing within themselves.
Thank you to NetGalley for ARC of this book. I enjoyed reading this story.

On the West Coast, Jane‘s father has just died. Her emotions are mixed as their relationship has been far from an easy one. As she struggles with her pain, she makes a discovery about her father which delivers a big blow. A series of letters from the 1980s reveal he has had a double life, They appear to have shared him with another woman who may have had his child.

Meanwhile on the other side of the country, 16 year old Adam is struggling with a number of issues. His adoptive parents give him some unsigned letters from his birth mother which understandably makes Adam want to learn more. Although divided by thousands of miles, both are seeking answers to major questions. Will they find them and get some kind of closure?

I do not find the start as riveting as I hope but eventually I am pulled into the narrative although it never fully grabs me. This is because I think it’s drawn out in places and maybe would have had greater impact as a novella.

However, it is sensitively written, at times it is tender and sweet and there is plenty of emotion. The letters add a good bit of mystery to the storyline. I like Adam very much and his portrayal is very good and his issues could be very relatable to other teens struggling with difficult issues and indeed, the novel could be marketed as YA. I grow to increasingly like Jane as the novel progresses, as at the start she’s a bit of a bull in a china shop though she has the grace to later recognise that. As what she has had to contend with becomes clearer, she wins my sympathy and a measure of admiration.

The novel is good on issues such as eating disorders and grief. I like the ending very much and it feels right as we dismount the emotional rollercoaster as the truth sets characters free.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Lake Union for the much appreciated epub in return for an honest review.

I thought the premise was super interesting but unfortunately it never grabbed me. The story was pretty boring for me, I was unable to push through , I had to DNF.

I don’t love this one and in fact I didn’t finish it. I can’t put my finger on why I got bored with the story. The plot was appealing to me. I did find the young wife of the grandfather annoying! I think that played into me putting the book down early. I didn’t find her believable.

This book is a gentle, reflective, sometimes heartbreaking and sometimes joyful novel that follows two characters with seemingly separate lives. For each, letters from strangers come into their lives and irrevocably change them. The characters are lovable and relatable, and I enjoyed taking this journey with them.

A family saga with letters revealing a secret life. Will the lives meet? What if they don't want to be found?

I did not see all the twists and turns coming in this one. Such an exhilarating ride.

Letters from Strangers is a heartfelt story of love, loss, and family. After Jane’s father dies, she uncovers secrets that connect her to Adam, a teen searching for his identity. As they seek a woman who doesn’t want to be found, they confront painful truths about family, forgiveness, and belonging. Spanning two decades, this emotional novel explores how love endures, even through loss, and how words—no matter how delayed—can still change everything.

After Jane's father dies she discovers he lived a double life and she might have a sibling out of that affair. Looking for answers she gets a totally different outcome as she expected.
A very interesting story with a lot of twists and a happy ending.

When Jane's father dies, she's left with a stack of letters and the secrets he left behind.

Jack lives across the country from Jane and his adoptive parents give him letters when he is desperate for answers and they feel it will help his mental health.

Jane and Adam both find themselves looking for a women who doesn't want to be found. They learn they need to confront the secrets so they can embrace their true identity.

Susan Walter has written an emotional masterpiece and I gave this a strong 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC ebook.

Netgalley has provided me with an ARC.🙀✨

Plot 💖💥💌
The story pulled me in from the very beginning. Theres lots of emotions and personal thoughts and feelings from the characters. The letters were obviously the main part. But they weren't the main focus... if that makes sense. As someone who enjoys reading letters or messages in fiction, this was a standout feature that made the plot feel intimate and engaging. If it was a plot twist or a misunderstanding on my part ( which I don't think it was) it was a shocker.

Engagement 💍🤞🏼🗣😲
From the moment I opened the book, I was hooked. Although this isn’t my usual genre which is YA, the writing style completely drew me in. It felt like a YA story, and for me, that’s a positive thing. The flow of the narrative and natural conversations made it easy to stay read.

Characters 👥🙈🤡
The characters are written well. They each have their own personalities that make them memorable. Kenny, Jane's brother, is organized and accountable, while Cindy, his wife, is cheerful and bubbly. Their interactions feel genuine and add a realistic feel to the story.

For the first few hundred pages it's not romance but then romance does pick up. The author did a great job at foreshadowing a couple things. I really love the book, the more I read and Think about it, the more I like it.

Thanks Netgalley!!!🌃

This was such a strong story with the emotional impact that worked with the plot of the book. The characters had that realism that I was looking for and thought it had that feel that I was looking for. It had me invested in what was happening and was glad everything flowed together with the characters. Susan Walter wrote this well and I was glad I got to read this.

Letters from Strangers by Susan Walter is a compelling and deeply emotional exploration of family secrets, identity, and self-discovery. The novel weaves together the stories of Jane, an adult grappling with her father’s death and a series of shocking revelations about his hidden life, and Adam, a teenager struggling to find his place in the world and reconcile with his own identity.

Walter’s writing is heartfelt and engaging. She masterfully balances the mystery of the letters with the personal growth of her characters. Jane’s journey through grief, infertility, and the disillusionment of idolizing a flawed parent is raw and relatable. Adam’s story provides a poignant look at adolescence, adoption, and self-acceptance.

The twist connecting Jane and Adam is both surprising and deeply moving, and the resolution of their stories feels satisfying without being overly neat. Walter also tackles weighty issues like disordered eating, sexual identity, and family dysfunction with sensitivity and nuance, making the story resonate on multiple levels.

The novel begins as a mystery but evolves into a touching examination of how our pasts shape us and how we find the courage to embrace who we truly are. With thoughtful storytelling and emotionally rich characters, Letters from Strangers is a beautiful and memorable read.

I liked this book, it was good! It was sad, heartbreaking, happy, love-filled and really was that rollercoaster ride of emotions throughout the book. I loved the themes of family, guilt, past trauma, and growth that are in this book. Over all i think it was written very well and I liked it a lot!


Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

A great emotional read. It starts out a mystery and evolves into a deeply moving coming of age with the discovery of second chances at familial love. It was a beautiful story.

A story that has you cheering from within. I can not get over the beautiful words throughout each page and the way this pulls on every string of your heart.

A thought-provoking and interesting novel by Susan Walter that brings up many problems experienced in our modern time, particularly by the young.
I enjoyed the story and found myself invested in the book.
My one small niggle, every time I found myself engrossed in a characters storyline, the book would transfer to focus on a different character for a couple of chapters which kind of put the skids on my progression and sent me back-peddling for a couple of pages.
Overall, a novel definitely worth reading and another on the list of books by Susan Walter which I have enjoyed.
Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This is a lovely novel, narrated by several engaging and likable characters. The catalyst for the story is the death of Jane’s father and her discovery of letters indicating that he had a secret life which might include another child. No, it’s not a mystery, but the story unwinds, full of twists. There are many secrets, not only those of Richard who passed away.

Rarely is there a story so full of kindness and decency. The author touches on so many timely issues that I was drawn into the drama of the story. Adoption, anorexia, abortion, infertility, sexual identity issues are all blended together to create a fascinating and compelling story. I wanted a happy ending for all these wonderful people!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read, review and enjoy this novel.

Do you like literary fiction novels? If so, check out Letters From Strangers by Susan Walter. It was a solid book.