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!

The story kicks off with an immediate bomb drop: Claudia’s marriage is irreparably broken, her best friend betrayed her, and Claudia’s left to pick up the pieces for herself and her daughter. Claudia’s complicated relationship with her mom plays a big part, too.

I appreciate the depth to the story. I like the themes of reconnecting with oneself and others, healing, taking risks, and learning to trust again. It’s a short book and I wish we would’ve gotten to see a little more about how things continue to unfold for the characters, but it wrapped up in an uplifting and hopeful way.

Annette Chavez Macias has a way of weaving together stories with heart, centered on complicated intergenerational family dynamics, and embedded with Mexican-American culture. This book, like several of her previous ones, gave me a sense of comfort and familiarity and I think it’s the power of representation. It’s refreshing to be able to relate to the cultural references, and that’s something that’s hard to come by in books. I’m glad ACM brings this touch to her stories, and I’ll keep reading what she puts out.

Thanks to the author, publisher (Montlake), & NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I throughly enjoyed this book and would love to read more from this author. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC

Everything She Never Knew is about the abrupt end of a marriage that coincides with the end of a longtime friendship as well. Our protagonist is understandably heartbroken and has no idea how to proceed, let alone explain everything to her eight-year-old daughter. I could relate so very much, and I really appreciate how this story depicted the overwhelming pain of betrayal. This did drag a bit in the middle, but picked up toward the end, and then before I knew it, it was over. Short and sweet. I would not consider this a romance, but it was still a good story. Three and a half stars!

Okay so I liked the book, a lot, I liked how the author tried to make this heartbreaking journey as real as possible. Poor Claudia couldn't take a break from life :') first her awful experience with her mother in her childhood and when she got married, her husband turned out to be an A-hole 🥹 but I liked how her relationship with her mother was improved in the end, and I'm glad that Rachel was finally out of her life, that b 😑 both Rachel and that A-hole got what they deserve. Now for the romance part, if you were expecting that Claudia and Nick would start dating and being lovey dovey, then unfortunately you'll be disappointed, this book has maybe 5% romance in it, there are moments between her and Nick where you can feel chemistry between them but nothing happens. And Nick starts to show up after reaching half of the book. Overall, the story was nice and it mostly focuses on Claudia trying to adjust and to find her independency again, don't expect a lot of romance from this book. 👏🏻👌🏻

‘Everything She Never Knew’ by Annette Chavez Macias is enthralling, poignant, and yet hopeful.

The breakup of a marriage ( two marriages, in fact), and the breakup of a friendship were portrayed in a raw, honest, and deep manner.

I particularly appreciated the inclusion and the appreciation of the Mexican and the Mexican American heritage in the storyline.

The only drawback for me was that the novel ended. I certainly wanted more of it.

I highly recommend reading this book, and I am thankful to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the e-ARC of this memorable read.