Good Joy, Bad Joy

by Mikki Brammer

From the bestselling author of The Collected Regrets of Clover comes a vibrant, heartfelt novel about friendship over the decades, self-discovery, and what it means to have a life well-lived.

Break the rules. Find your joy.

For over eighty years, Joy Bridport has played by the rules: she's been a devoted wife and mother, contributing to the community in her small Hudson Valley town. But her quiet existence is jolted when she learns that her best friend, Hazel, only has months left to live. Hazel has always been the more adventurous one of their duo, and she seems at peace with all that she’s squeezed out of her long life. Yet Joy realizes she can’t say the same.

Determined to live boldly and make the most of the time that she and Hazel have left together, Joy steps outside of her comfort zone—and into a bit of trouble. But as her foray into rule-breaking escalates into committing petty crime, Joy must consider what kind of legacy she wants to leave behind, and whether there's a way for her to embrace the liberation that "Bad Joy" offers without losing all that she holds dear.

Is it ever too late to become who we're meant to be? With laugh-out-loud hijnks and emotional heft, Good Joy, Bad Joy is a heartwarming and wise celebration of the choices we make, the friendships we cherish, and the lengths we go for love.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Literary Fiction, Friendship, Humor, Adult Fiction

304 pages, Hardcover

First published May 5, 2026

About the author

Mikki Brammer is an Australian journalist and author who hails from Tasmania. She is now based in Brooklyn, New York (by way of France and Spain) where she writes about design, architecture and art for publications such as Architectural Digest, Dwell and ELLE Decor. 'The Collected Regrets of Clover,' her bestselling debut novel, was named a Best Book of Summer 2023 by the New York Times Book Review and a Best Book of 2023 by NPR, and is being published in 27 languages. Her second novel, ‘Good Joy, Bad Joy,’ will be published in May 2026.

Sign up for updates at: www.mikkibrammer.com/newsletter.

Reviews

[Delaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️
Mikki Brammer does it again. This was everything I wanted & more. Touching, heartwarming, emotional, hilarious, impactful. I love Joy & I love Hazel with my whole heart.

(I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook - the narration was PERFECT!)

[Lottie Smalley · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️!!! 💐😭 this is a story about platonic soulmates, how relationships shape your identity, the terrifying inevitability of loss, and also the joy of being alive all at the exact same time… like wow!! soooo good!

we follow Joy as she processes the impending loss of her lifelong best friend, Hazel, and begins questioning whether she’s actually happy with the life she’s built. who is she outside of being someone’s daughter, someone’s wife? and what does a life well-lived even look like? there’s so much here about legacy too… what kind of impact we leave, the things we leave unsaid, the versions of ourselves we settle into because it’s comfortable. but it’s all explored in a way that felt comforting rather than heavy 🫶

i loved Joy & Hazel’s bond so much. we got some flashback chapters and really got a window into how they got to where they are today which made it even more real to me. besties forever 😭 (if you loved firefly lane, or the idea of firefly lane, you could love this)!

this book has a huge heart!! yes it’s emotional (and a little cliche), but it’s also funny and warm and full of little moments of hope. joy slowly realizes it’s never too late to take up space, make mistakes, have adventures, and even get into a little bit of trouble!! it made me feel all the feelings!

definitely a right book at the right time situation for me. i was having kind of a slumpy mental health day when i started this and it completely pulled me out of it, so for that we clap and we cheer!!! please give this one a chance if it sounds up your alley! (and thank you to netgalley & st. martins press for the ARC!)

[Saray]

Why do I feel like this might make me cry?

Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the wake of learning that her best friend has terminal cancer, 89-year old Joy is determined to experience all that life truly has to offer in the limited time she has left with Hazel.

First off, my undying gratitude to Mikki and her team at St. Martins Press for sending me an uncorrected bound manuscript of Good Joy, Bad Joy. I am so thankful and will guard it with my life. It’s no secret that The Collected Regrets of Clover is one of my favorite books, so I have been waiting and WAITING for Mikki’s follow-up.

And wow, this book really affected me. It was heart-warming and lovely. I truly savored it and read very slowly. There were so many moments and lines I had to tab, because they affected me deep down in my soul. At its core, this is a story of friendship. Enduring friendship. Devoted friendship. EIGHTY ONE years of friendship.

What really stood out to me was Mikki’s exploration of grief and the effects of losing someone while that person is still alive. We really walk with Joy as she processes the impending loss of her best friend, platonic soul-mate, and one true love, Hazel. I don’t know if I’ve read anything quite like that. The longevity and depth of their friendship was something I really marveled at. The reader gets to know them and their relationship through present-day as well as flashbacks and by the end of the book, my they really wormed their way into my heart.

And it’s the loss of Hazel that has Joy asking herself, what is a life well-lived? Am I happy with my choices? Looking back, is there anything I would have changed? I found her wrestles and inner-dialogue honest and raw. And by the end, she discovers it’s never too late to change, have new experiences, and even get into a little bit of trouble (which will have you giggling).

In addition to the themes of grief, loss, and friendship, Mikki tenderly explores living life in the grey area, motherhood, marriage, and reckoning with one’s mistakes. This book will have you thinking deeply about your own life, what sort of legacy you want to leave (big or small. and how SMALL acts can add up to BIG impact), and not leaving things left unsaid.

Truly, it’s as if Mikki is begging us, the reader, to grab our loved ones by their shoulders and tell them how much we love them, just because we can. Because we are both alive. What a gift living is.

Still kicking.

[Meagan (Meagansbookclub) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of friendship, second chances, and grief. Really wonderful!

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5-5⭐️ Joy Bridport has spent eighty years living by the rules, quietly saying goodbye to one friend after the next. When her last living friend, Hazel, her best friend since childhood, receives the devastating news that she has only months left to live, Joy decides it’s time to step out of her comfort zone and finally live a little.

This story, y’all…

Good Joy, Bad Joy is a gorgeous story of friendship, self-discovery, and grief. It packs a powerful emotional punch, but does so with an exquisite side of humor.

Joy is a treasure; she’s an absolute spitfire who, after years of suppressing Bad Joy, decides it might be time to re-explore her inner wild child, in large part to bring joy and humor to her best friend in her final days. And it is Hazel’s impending death that teaches Joy how to finally live her life to the fullest. While their lifelong relationship is the cornerstone of this story, exploring Joy’s past and discovering newfound friendships she didn’t think possible was as inspiring and heartwarming as her devotion to Hazel.

🎧 The audiobook, narrated by Kimberly M. Wetherell and Maggi-Meg Reid, is equally fantastic and adds even more of that emotional component to the story. I was definitely brought to tears a time or two.

Read if you like:
▪️ friendship fiction
▪️ octogenarian MCs
▪️ emotional stories with humor
▪️ character-driven novels
▪️ family dramas
▪️ The Correspondent

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy.

[Valleri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good Joy, Bad Joy is the story about Joy Bridport, a woman in her late eighties who has always followed the rules. Her quiet, dutiful existence is shaken when she learns her adventurous best friend (from the time they were eight years old) is terminally ill. Realizing she has regrets about her own life choices, Joy decides to live more boldly in the time she has left, which leads her to a series of "unexpected adventures, including committing petty crimes."

It's a bit lonely over here on Outlier Isle! I'm afraid I didn't love this book. I really expected to, but I didn't find Joy's stunts to be humorous. The tagline for Good Joy, Bad Joy is "Break the rules. Find your joy." And break the rules, she did. The driving incidents made me roll my eyes so far back that I was worried they would never return to their normal position. Joy has always driven 5 mph below the speed limit, even when she was young. Yet, here she is in her late 80s (an age when reflexes are few and far between), and Joy thinks it will be great fun to drive 20 mph over the speed limit. (I just want to be forewarned of the roads she's going to be on!) Honestly? I didn't find any of Joy's "adventures" to be humorous, nor did I find Joy to be likeable. Almost everything she did felt childish, or dangerous, or both.

But like I mentioned previously, most of the reviews are glowing. The reviewers are using words like "heartwarming," "beautiful," "enjoyable," and "honest." So, feel free to ignore me, and I'll head back to Outlier Isle.

Thank you, #StMartinsPress, for providing this book for review and consideration via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Good Joy, Bad Joy has an expected publication date of May 19, 2026.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing this through the tears in my eyes- what a beautiful beautiful book. This one is an ode to late-bloomers, to platonic soulmates, to forgiveness and honesty and adventure and joy. I highlighted page after page- the words spoke directly to my in such a meaningful and specific way. Mikki Brammer is an absolute treasure.

[Lindsay L · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars.

Too schmaltzy for me.

A woman in her eighties finds out her best friend is dying of cancer. Her friend is the very opposite of her — eccentric, outgoing, always living life to the fullest. It makes her question her very strict, rule-following ways. This novel is centred around her reflecting on her life.

I enjoyed the focus on female friendship and how important that is to some. The friendship in this story has lasted decades and their memories of past experiences together solidified their love for and loyalty to each other. I also liked that these friends were opposite in many ways.

I can see how many would love this book. It’s a charming, cute, feel-good story with a good message. I can imagine many readers having a big smile on their face while reading the inner thoughts of and situations this main character experiences. However, it was too preachy and cutesy for my liking. It felt very predictable and cheesy at times to the point of me rolling my eyes. I also recently finished reading a 5 star novel that centred around an eighty year old female main character who I ADORED (Mad Mabel) and I felt that perhaps it took away from my potential connection here because this main character didn’t remotely compare for me.

An issue that bothered me throughout this book was the main character regretting so many aspects of her life. The self-pity and self-loathing was too much. It felt very negative and somewhat selfish. She was able to stay home as her husband provided for her and now she is considering how she might have not wanted that. This was mentioned multiple times and rubbed me the wrong way.

I came into this book with high expectations as I LOVED this authors last book, The Collected Regrets of Clover, which is an All Time Favourite of mine. Regardless of my high expectations, this simply didn’t hit the mark for me on any level. It was an ok read, but not one I felt invested in or can recommend as strongly as her last. However, I do feel this is a me-issue as I’m not the kind of reader who enjoys cute, preachy life-lesson-teaching stories. I am simply not the right audience.

Audio rating: 2 stars. I wasn’t a fan of these audio narrators. The main narrator was monotone and bland. To me, it felt as if she was quite simply reading the story instead of performing the story. The voice changes that did happen were cringey and awkward. I cannot recommend the audio version and would suggest reading the physical book.

Thank you to the publisher for my digital review copy and advanced listening copy!

[Kristina Pauls (ARC Reviewer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Joy, Bad Joy by Mikki Brammer is one I’m still kind of sitting with.

It follows Joy, who has lived a very safe, by-the-rules kind of life, and her best friend Hazel, who is facing the end of hers. As they spend that time together, Joy starts to step outside of her comfort zone in ways she never has before.

It was really heartwarming, and while there are sad moments, it wasn’t as heavy as I expected. It actually made me laugh in places too, which I didn’t expect going in.

What I liked most was how the story moves between present day and the past. It was done really well and made Joy and Hazel’s friendship feel real. You get to see all of it—the fun, the history, and the harder moments they went through together.

This is a story that will sit with me for awhile. It prompts you to be thankful for the friendships you have, foster relationships, and be proactive rather than complacent in life. I went on and pre-ordered a copy of this one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

PUBLISH DATE: May 5, 2026
BOOK TITLE: Good Joy, Bad Joy
AUTHOR: Mikki Brammer
PUBLISHER: St Martin's Press
FORMAT: ebook
PAGES: 320

I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Readers Copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, Good Joy, Bad Joy, by Mikki Brammer, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Joy Bridport has always been a good girl, for over eighty years actually, now she wants to be a bad girl. This was a really nice read, I really liked Joy and Hazel.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Everyone blooms in their own time, even if it takes eighty-nine years. Sometimes we need a few false starts before we come into our element, but it’s never too late.”

I’m not always a fan of octogenarian themed novels, but I wanted to read Good Joy, Bad Joy because I loved Mikki Brammer’s The Collected Regrets of Clover so much.

Joy, is 89, and is ready to start truly living her life. After finding out her best friend Hazel of almost 80 years, has stage four cancer and is going to die, she starts to question if it’s too late for her to start living the life she’s always imagined.


I like how the book went back in time so you could see how the relationships developed over the years.


This book will make you laugh, cry, and contemplate- are you truly living the life you want for yourself or for someone else? And judging by how Joy is living her life, it’s never too late.

““I realized I’d been missing out on the fun all my life by always following the rules, and I wanted the chance to see what it felt like to break them.”

[Kristine]

Excited I Have This Book. This is the Author of The Collected Regrets of Clover I really enjoyed that book.

This one sounds good, too. About finding the Joy in Life.

Read Now for anyone who has a NetGalley Account.

🌸🌼🪻🌺

[book bruin · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was such a heartfelt and beautiful read. It’s a celebration of female friendship and a reminder that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself or start again. Each of the relationships and friendships were so special and I adored them all, especially the love between Hazel and Joy. What an amazing thing to find your life’s true love. They were such an incredible odd couple, supporting and loving each other through the years.

The topics of grief and forgiveness were handled with such care and I was in tears by the end. I really liked the discussions about “goodness” and “badness” and how it all goes hand in hand to make us who we are. The audiobook was wonderfully narrated by Kimberly M. Wetherell and Maggi-Meg Reed. Both gave such fantastic performances and conveyed so much emotion throughout. I found myself walking for longer and longer just so I could keep listening. Truly an amazing book that I hope everyone will read!

Audiobook Review
Overall 5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4.5 stars

CW: cancer, death of loved ones, abortion (past), infidelity (not the MC), medicinal marijuana use

*I voluntarily read and listened to a review copy of this book*

[Jenny (Readingwhilemynailsdry) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A touching and quietly sad story that leans heavily on friendship, aging, and the idea that it’s never too late to rediscover yourself. The relationships felt genuine, and there’s a tenderness running through the book that was genuinely moving. I listened to this on audio, and the narration was well done - clear, engaging, and emotionally fitting for the story.

That said, I struggled with the tone at times. I’m usually completely on board with older characters doing absurd or chaotic things. In lighter or more comedic books, that kind of later in life recklessness can feel charming and funny; here, it sometimes felt forced. The story carried a deep sadness that really affected me, especially because it reminded me of watching aging relatives lose friends and family and slowly find themselves alone. That aspect felt heartbreakingly real, so perhaps that’s why the sillier antics didn’t land for me the way they were intended to.

I did appreciate the message about self discovery at 89 and the enduring strength of friendship. There’s something hopeful and comforting about the idea that growth doesn’t stop with age. It's just that I never entirely believed the rebellious streak in the main character. I understood where it came from, as she had spent so much of her life worrying about appearances and doing what was expected of her, but it felt less like freedom and more like overcorrecting for a life spent trying to do everything “right.” I didn’t fully connect with the way the story framed some of her reckless behavior as empowering or meaningful growth.

Overall, it’s an emotional and heartfelt read with strong themes of friendship and late-life reinvention, even if the balance between realism and quirky rebellion didn’t completely work for me.

Thank-you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance listen!

[Laura Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4🌟 After being completely obsessed with The Collected Regrets of Clover, I knew this would be a must read for me. Accompanying 89 year old Joy along the path of her story will make you reconsider all of life, marriage, motherhood, friendship, betrayal, grief, loss, all the things. After being a compulsive rule follower and staying inside her little box for her entire life, Joy blooms into someone she barely recognizes. It’s never too late, my friends.

[ReadingTilTheBreakOfDawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

'If we both need each other, what happens when only one of us is left?'

Having read and loved Brammer's first novel, it was a no-brainer that I would pick up Good Joy, Bad Joy before even reading the premise.

This book follows Joy, an octogenarian that has lived life safely, by the rules. But by 89, she has lost her husband and many friends over the years. Now, her best friend Hazel who is more like a sister to her, announces she has cancer. And Joy cannot fathom doing life without her after over 80 years together. We immediately see how this affects Joy and the decisions she makes in the present while the author also includes chapters from the past to plunge the reader into who these characters are and the importance they hold in each other's lives.

This book was like a charming cup of warm cocoa, or perhaps a warm cup of mint tea (iykyk). It starts out slow and introduces us to all the important people in Joy's life. From Hazel, to her daughter and grandson and her neighbors, we see the quiet and safe life Joy has lived. We follow her as she experiences grief while her loved one is still alive and the relationships she has with not only her family, but neighbors and other people she has let into her life and heart over the years. She begins to really question what she has done with her life and the choices she has made. I loved seeing the spark and spunk she develops and opening up to some things that bring her joy and a zing of excitement. It made me smile and snicker at her antics.

While I thought this was a more quiet and thoughtful story, I really enjoyed how it explored the different kinds of relationships that cross our paths over time and how they can evolve, even very late in the game. I also really liked some friendships that formed between Joy and some unlikely neighbors, especially the new neighbor that was a pleasant surprise. And the little easter egg of a character that was briefly mentioned by Hazel? It brought a smile to my face.

Overall, this isn't a story that is full of action and drama, rather it is one that will have you reflecting on life. How it is never too late to make changes and really live. As Joy says in the epilogue, "Life is long, isn't it? You never know what the future might hold."

Mikki Brammer is a treasure and her words will resonate with you, no matter what your age is. She deals with death in a unique way that has me looking deeper and contemplating the way I currently live my life. If you haven't had the chance to read her first book, The Collected Regrets of Clover, I recommend you pick that one up too.

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joy and Hazel have been friends for 80 years. Joy was a dutiful wife and mother. Hazel traveled the world and was more of a free spirit. And Joy sent care packages all over the world to find her dear friend. Joy lost her husband Tom to an aneurism years earlier, but she takes it very hard when Hazel tells her that she doesn’t have long to live, that she is dying of terminal cancer. She starts to wonder if she has done the right thing always being so strait laced. It all starts when she takes a library book that is being held for someone else. She sets off the alarm, and so starts her life of crime.

I love books about elderly people, and this one is charming and bittersweet. The minor characters are so well drawn and it was easy to get emotional about Joy’s journey. From the blurb, I was expecting this to be funnier and quirky, but it is a lot quieter and more introspective. And although Joy is coming to terms with her mortality (and Hazel’s), this doesn’t read as a sad book. It’s uplifting in its acceptance and life lessons.

The longer the narrative went on, the more I found it to be a coming of age book; maybe a “coming of old age” tale? I think audio is the way to go on this one, it was an excellent and enjoyable performance by all the narrators. The “young Joy” chapters were very sweet.

Life is long and it’s never too late. Thanks for the lesson.

[Anna]

i ADORED mikki brammer’s debut novel and was absolutely buzzing when i saw she was releasing another novel. her writing is marvelous and this premise seems right up my alley so i am super excited to pick this one up when it comes out!

[Bethany Ergican · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first novel by Mikki Brammer and I really loved it 💛 I immediately added The Collected Regrets of Clover to my TBR.

Good Joy, Bad Joy is tender and funny, and powerful in the quiet messages it conveys. At its heart, it’s a love story, just not a romantic one. It’s about Joy and Hazel, lifelong best friends, and the deep, complicated bond they share over decades. When 89-year-old Joy learns that Hazel has been diagnosed with stage IV cancer, she’s forced to confront something she’s spent a lifetime avoiding: grief, change, and the question of what it means to keep living when the person who has always been by your side won’t be there anymore.

I loved how this book explores themes of friendship, second chances, and the weight of unspoken things. It really digs into the idea that avoiding conflict or hard conversations doesn’t just keep the peace, it can also hold you back from deeper, more meaningful relationships. That hit.

I also just loved the characters, especially Joy. She’s quirky, stubborn, and unexpectedly rebellious in the best way. The fact that she befriends an ex-convict adds such a fun and surprising layer, and her generosity really stood out to me. She’s the kind of person who would skip groceries and live off canned beans just to help others, like the students she gives free piano lessons to. Those small details made her feel incredibly real and easy to love.

Joy’s perspective especially stood out to me. There’s this underlying question of whether it’s ever “too late” to change, to grow, to choose differently. Watching her reflect on her life, her choices, and her relationships with both Hazel and her daughter Elizabeth gave me a sense of hope that it’s never too late to repair relationships and build stronger connections moving forward.

The audiobook was fantastic 🎧 There are two narrators, one for older Joy, who genuinely reminded me of my grandma 🥹, and one for her younger years. That dual perspective really brought the story to life and made the evolution of Joy and Hazel’s friendship feel rich and layered.

Overall, this is a story that gently reminds you to treasure your people, say the hard things, and not take time for granted. It’s emotional without being overwhelming, and full of warmth and heart.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

[Stephanielikesbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars.

I really enjoyed this story about Joy, an 89-year-old woman and her friendship of almost a century with Hazel.

Joy and Hazel are yin and yang - Hazel always the quiet, rule-abiding people pleaser, Hazel the independent, adventurous one. But with Hazel’s terminal diagnosis (this is not a spoiler as it’s in the synopsis), Joy begins to question her life and look back on its ups and downs. As she does so, she begins to realize that living a life according to expectations and being good has made her life small and limited. Slowly, she begins to explore who she is, both the good and bad, and to live on her own terms, even if that means breaking the rules.

Joy is a wonderful, lovable character who I was rooting for. She was warm-hearted, funny, and kind, just trying to figure life out, and I wanted to give her a big hug. Her friendship with Hazel was beautiful, and the secondary characters of her daughter, grandson, and her ex-con neighbour were a great part of the story.

I really enjoyed this heartwarming, emotional read. I read the last few chapters through tears but turned the last page with a smile. Highly recommend this read!

Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

[Deanna (she_reads_truth_365) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 star rating

I enjoyed Brammer’s debut novel as I did her new book, Good Joy Bad Joy. There were some slow parts in the story but it came together nicely in the end.

It was an emotional story about female friendships and mother daughter relationships which I love in a novel.

I paired the digital ARC with an audiobook ARC as well. Narrators Kimberly Wetherell and Maggi-Meg Reed are not new to me and they are masters with their voices. I listened at 2x speed, which is normally fast but the voices were slow enough that I could follow along and not miss anything.

Thank you to the publisher St. Martin’s Press books for the gifted ebook and Macmillan audio for the gifted audiobook. I appreciate the opportunity to preview this book. All opinions are my own.

[Kari Ann Sweeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love stories with older characters and I can now add 89 yr old Joy to the list. It’s an ode to late bloomers, platonic soulmates, forgiveness, honesty, adventure, and joy. I tend to be a bit of a rule-breaker who is always up for shenanigans, so I was so excited to watch Joy embrace this new side of herself. It will make you reflect on life, marriage, motherhood, friendship, betrayal, grief, & loss. It left me with a smile on my face, loving the characters and hoping I'll be as cool when I'm 89.

“I realized I’d been missing out on the fun all my life by always following the rules, and I wanted the chance to see what it felt like to break them.”

[Meghan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m unfortunately in the minority with my rating on this, but I really did not like it. Which is really hard to say because Mikki Brammer’s debut novel is one of my top 15 of all time books. This seemed to lack everything I loved about the first book. I did not connect with the characters and the pace was slower than slow. Nothing, and I mean nothing happened for at least 50% of the book. I’ll name a few things that happened, Joy drives over the speed limit which is apparently ground breaking for her. Joy pulls a fire alarm at the library. Joy shoves her shopping cart into her dead husband’s mistress car. This screams immaturity to me. The writing felt very rushed and dragged out for no reason. One thing that I really don’t like in fiction novels is pushing every issue from our modern day. There is no reason to make fiction books political and this continued to do that more times than not. It felt very deliberate due to the broad range of issues that were mentioned repeatedly. I found this to be a 2 star read due to the ending, and the fact that it’s a relatively unique plot. This had so much potential, but unfortunately I just feel it was executed poorly. I was looking forward to this one the moment it was announced, but this feels like an extreme miss. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it would be hard to top such a memorable character as Clover, but Mike Brammer has done it again. I fell in love with Joy from the moment I met her and can only hope that I am as vibrant and full of life as she is when I’m 89! This heartwarming book was such an enjoyable read, with an important message that it is never too late to make changes in our lives for the better. My only regret…that Beacon doesn’t exist and I can’t live on the same street as Joy so I can benefit from her kindness and inspiration to not be afraid to push boundaries and make the most out of the life I’ve been given. Joy will stay in my head and my heart for a long time.

[Book.ishJulie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Just wow! Good Joy, Bad Joy by Mikki Brammer was such an incredible, amazing, and delightful book!

True to my expectations, this book did indeed heal parts of my soul, but it was a different, lighter part than those parts healed by The Collected Regrets Of Clover!

Friendship, motherhood, marriage, aging... they're all represented in this beautiful book!

Joy's character arc was amazing to witness! Watching her quickly grow, bloom, and blossom truly proves that old dogs can, in fact, learn new tricks! Her slow descent into a "life of crime" (Joy's version) just brought a silly little smile to my face! Her antics were believable and relatable, with a very big side of adorable!

I truly appreciate how Brammer left out heavier aspects at the story's end; this book is lighter for the omission, and I'm honestly not sure my heart could have handled witnessing that heartbreak. This one truly is an airier book, and it needed that sense of whimsy at the end, just as Hazel (Joy's best friend) wanted! (And I loved Clover's crossover into this story!)

As this book is told in two different timelines (a then and now, or a good and bad, if you will), it was a delight to have two different audiobook narrators in my ears! Both Kimberly M. Wetherell and Maggi-Meg Reed did a fantastic job, embodying Joy's age and that specific time period, with both narrators feeling as though they were telling their own story, rather than reading one.

Joy will stay with me forever, and I know I will continually ask myself WWJD? (What Would Joy Do!)

Thank you, NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the outstanding debut that was The Collected Regrets Of Clover, I was worried Good Joy Bad Joy wouldn’t live up to my high expectations. But once again, Mikki Brammer has knocked it out of the park while bringing me to tears in the process.

In the wake of her closest friend’s cancer diagnosis, Joy has an existential crisis that has her rethinking everything from her role as a friend to the way in which she’s lived her life. Namely, she reflects on how she conceded her career aspirations, wants and independence for marriage and child rearing.

Through supporting her friend for the final months of her life, Joy begins reclaiming her own. Her antics had me smiling, laughing, thinking “you go girl!” and of course, crying.

I often struggle with feeling like I’m behind in life and have let the years slip away from me. Thank you to Mikki Brammer for sharing a beautiful story that rebukes my fears. And thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

[Kimberly Jaeger · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 What a beautiful story of friendship. Hillarious and heartwarming. Thoughts articulated into writing in a way that says everything you never knew you needed ♥️Everyone needs to read this!

[Stephanie Wilen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Truly everything about it. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Joy is such a remarkable character. She’s smart, lively, kind and so easy to root for. I loved watching her begin to challenge herself and step outside of the life she had carefully built for many years. One of my favorite things about this story is the reminder that it’s never too late to grow, change or begin again. We always talk about “coming of age” as something tied to youth, but this book beautifully shows that you can come into yourself at any stage of life.

The friendship between Joy and Hazel felt like a love story in its own right. Their bond carried so much history, loyalty and tenderness. This book really highlights how meaningful long standing friendships are and how one of the greatest things we can offer another person is simply to show up for them, year after year.

I also adored Joy’s relationship with her grandson. Their scenes together stirred up such beautiful memories of my own grandmother. I used to go to her house every Saturday for dinner and while she washed the dishes, I’d sit on the counter talking to her the entire time. This story captured that same warmth and comfort perfectly.

Good Joy, Bad Joy asks what makes a life meaningful. By the end, it felt very clear to me that the answer is the people we love and the experiences we share with them ❤️

[brewdy_reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you @stmartinspress + @macmillan.audio for the ARC and ALC! ♡ #MacAudio2026

🖍️ It’s never too late to color outside the lines…
After 89 years of following the straight and narrow, Joy decides to spice up her life with some petty crime and misdemeanors.

I loved Joy, our 89 year-old FMC with major main character energy. A widowed homemaker, mother, grandmother, and volunteer piano teacher, she’s always done exactly what was expected of her:

She got married, raised a family, and took up no space, her identity defined by others. And now, in her golden years, she’s become invisible. Society hardly notices her existence. And now, her BFF Hazel, the yin to her yang, is dying of cancer.

My heart dropped when Joy starts off her life of crime by swiping a book off the hold shelf at the library and walks out with it! Oh the horrors! 🙈

👵🏽 Joy 100% leans into the fact that absolutely no one suspects a little old lady and I was here for it!

Lest you think this is all levity and no substance, in the backdrop, Joy is facing up to the aftermath of an unhappy marriage, repairing her relationship with her daughter, and addressing long overdue neighbors issues. And she’s also planning her biggest heist yet.

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||။‌‌‌‌‌|• 🎧 Such a charming story, I def recommend this one on audio format. Kimberly Wetherall and Maggie-Meg Reed were great contrasting voices between the elderly Joy in present and the younger Joy for the flashbacks!