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The Good Parts
She erased their past. He’s rewriting their future.
When Landon receives a letter from Rose—the woman he once planned forever with—he learns their love story is over. She’s undergone a radical memory-erasing treatment, leaving behind her grief, her past… and him. But Landon can’t bear to lose the love of his life. If she fell for him once, couldn’t she fall for him again?
Now living in Edinburgh, Rose’s world is a blank canvas, and she’s dating someone new. When Landon reenters her life as a stranger, they become fast friends, their lives entwining once more. But what Rose doesn’t know is that this new friend carries the weight of everything they once shared: their firsts, their marriage, and the heartbreak they barely survived. And when she starts exhibiting strange symptoms, it becomes clear their history isn’t gone—it’s just buried. And remembering could come at a devastating cost.
Told in alternating timelines—his from the present, hers from the past—The Good Parts is an achingly poignant story about the people we become across a lifetime, and the beauty of finding our way with what remains.
When Landon receives a letter from Rose—the woman he once planned forever with—he learns their love story is over. She’s undergone a radical memory-erasing treatment, leaving behind her grief, her past… and him. But Landon can’t bear to lose the love of his life. If she fell for him once, couldn’t she fall for him again?
Now living in Edinburgh, Rose’s world is a blank canvas, and she’s dating someone new. When Landon reenters her life as a stranger, they become fast friends, their lives entwining once more. But what Rose doesn’t know is that this new friend carries the weight of everything they once shared: their firsts, their marriage, and the heartbreak they barely survived. And when she starts exhibiting strange symptoms, it becomes clear their history isn’t gone—it’s just buried. And remembering could come at a devastating cost.
Told in alternating timelines—his from the present, hers from the past—The Good Parts is an achingly poignant story about the people we become across a lifetime, and the beauty of finding our way with what remains.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published July 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 912 reviews
July 5, 2026
getting hit by a truck would've hurt me less than this book 😃 how am I supposed to cope with that outcome??
this is a book that's going to stick with me forever. this has the perfect balance of romance and devastation and consider me DEVASTATED. this follows landon and rose in a world where a memory erasing pill exists. it doesn't just erase a moment/moments but your whole entire life and essentially makes you a completely different person, just with the same face and body. this book reminded me of the severance tv show because they refer to their old self as their 'other.'
rose experiences something horrible and decides to take the pill without even writing a letter to her husband landon. she completely forgets him but since he didn't take the pill, he still remembers her. he can't live without her so he goes in search of "her" and starts to hang out with the new version of her. this book was such a good mix of magical realism/sci-fi/romance and really had me thinking about how horrible it would be to be landon in this situation but then also getting glimpses into why rose felt it was the only right choice.
thank you to grand central publishing for sending me this ARC, it's the best feeling for an ARC to be 5 stars ⭐️
this is a book that's going to stick with me forever. this has the perfect balance of romance and devastation and consider me DEVASTATED. this follows landon and rose in a world where a memory erasing pill exists. it doesn't just erase a moment/moments but your whole entire life and essentially makes you a completely different person, just with the same face and body. this book reminded me of the severance tv show because they refer to their old self as their 'other.'
rose experiences something horrible and decides to take the pill without even writing a letter to her husband landon. she completely forgets him but since he didn't take the pill, he still remembers her. he can't live without her so he goes in search of "her" and starts to hang out with the new version of her. this book was such a good mix of magical realism/sci-fi/romance and really had me thinking about how horrible it would be to be landon in this situation but then also getting glimpses into why rose felt it was the only right choice.
thank you to grand central publishing for sending me this ARC, it's the best feeling for an ARC to be 5 stars ⭐️
July 11, 2026
I’m actually very annoyed over the amount of tears I shed reading this book.
I thought people were lying about this book being sad but turns out it was even sadder than how they were portraying it 🧍🏻♀️
I thought people were lying about this book being sad but turns out it was even sadder than how they were portraying it 🧍🏻♀️
July 19, 2026
This one is definitely going to take the reading world by storm, it is an emotional, character driven and impactful story and I can see so many who are not only going to be bawling their eyes out but loving it.
For me personally, it was a 3 ⭐️ read, I’d recommend it but it wasn’t my favorite book, if that makes sense? The pacing was a bit off, going between the two different timelines and I had a hard time connecting to their love story, but I will say, the big thing that happens in this book, almost took me out. It was absolutely devastating and I couldn’t even imagine. And I did like the ending, you don’t see books end that way often, so it was refreshing to read something different. While I flew through this book in less than 48 hours, I felt disconnected from the couple and the pacing was not exactly right (for me), and I feel like there could have been more of the past brought into the story, to further solidify the relationship, I’m not sure if that makes sense, but anyway.
I’d recommend this one to you, if you love character driven stories with past and present tense and an emotional read, but for me it was just okay and not something I am super attached too.
Thank you to the publisher for an early copy!
For me personally, it was a 3 ⭐️ read, I’d recommend it but it wasn’t my favorite book, if that makes sense? The pacing was a bit off, going between the two different timelines and I had a hard time connecting to their love story, but I will say, the big thing that happens in this book, almost took me out. It was absolutely devastating and I couldn’t even imagine. And I did like the ending, you don’t see books end that way often, so it was refreshing to read something different. While I flew through this book in less than 48 hours, I felt disconnected from the couple and the pacing was not exactly right (for me), and I feel like there could have been more of the past brought into the story, to further solidify the relationship, I’m not sure if that makes sense, but anyway.
I’d recommend this one to you, if you love character driven stories with past and present tense and an emotional read, but for me it was just okay and not something I am super attached too.
Thank you to the publisher for an early copy!
August 9, 2026
mais quelle histoire 🥹 une de mes meilleures lectures de l’année, et un des livres les plus marquants qu’il m’ait été donné de lire. je n’oublierai jamais cette lecture ❤️🩹
August 3, 2026
What if you could take a pill and forget all of your heartache, grief, and tragedy?
The Good Parts takes on a unique premise. Rose has endured unbearable tragedy throughout her lifetime, bringing to mind her father's favorite word, apricity—the warmth of the sun in winter—and the way we wrap language around complex human emotions.
At its core, this story centers on Landon and Rose. Theirs is a deeply moving love story that manages to transcend overwhelming grief, devastating family loss, emotional betrayal, physical distance, and the terrifying prospect of a pill designed to erase one half of a couple's shared memory.
While I didn't entirely love the ending, I completely understood why it went the direction it did. Overall, it's a poignant and thought-provoking read about memory, loss, and connection.
**Thank you, Grand Central Publishing & NetGalley for this ARC.
The Good Parts takes on a unique premise. Rose has endured unbearable tragedy throughout her lifetime, bringing to mind her father's favorite word, apricity—the warmth of the sun in winter—and the way we wrap language around complex human emotions.
At its core, this story centers on Landon and Rose. Theirs is a deeply moving love story that manages to transcend overwhelming grief, devastating family loss, emotional betrayal, physical distance, and the terrifying prospect of a pill designed to erase one half of a couple's shared memory.
While I didn't entirely love the ending, I completely understood why it went the direction it did. Overall, it's a poignant and thought-provoking read about memory, loss, and connection.
**Thank you, Grand Central Publishing & NetGalley for this ARC.
August 6, 2026
This was a really meh book for me... Nowhere near as heartbreaking as I thought considering the heavy themes.
I liked the premise and structure, and the ending couldn't be better. However, the execution fell flat. The concept of the "forgetting pill" never fully sold me, and I couldn't connect with the main characters. Rose and Landon's story is supposed to be this great, epic love story, but to me it lacked depth and heart, which made it hard to root for them or stay invested.
Overall, it was ok but didn't deliver the emotional payoff I was hoping for.
I liked the premise and structure, and the ending couldn't be better. However, the execution fell flat. The concept of the "forgetting pill" never fully sold me, and I couldn't connect with the main characters. Rose and Landon's story is supposed to be this great, epic love story, but to me it lacked depth and heart, which made it hard to root for them or stay invested.
Overall, it was ok but didn't deliver the emotional payoff I was hoping for.
August 2, 2026
3.5☆
Did I shed a tear while reading this? Absolutely! The Good Parts is reminiscent of One Day, with the emotional turmoil experienced by the main characters. As a huge fan of dual timelines, I found the author’s clever approach particularly noteworthy. As the story unfolds, the reader’s experiences are intertwined with Rose’s perspective from the past, while Landon’s perspective remains in the present. The book’s prose revolves around the concept of a memory erasing pill that acts as a restart button to one’s life. It’s evident that something unfortunate must have occurred for Rose to desire taking the pill and forgetting. The gradual buildup to this revelation kept me on the edge of my seat, eagerly anticipating the other shoe to drop.
Rose and Landon met during their first year of college, and while they instantly had chemistry, it felt more like insta love to me. I would have preferred a more gradual development of their relationship before they delved into deeper emotional moments. Throughout the entire book, I felt for Rose because of the hardships she faced.
I genuinely enjoy the side characters, Poppy and Connor. Poppy was not afraid to confront Landon when she felt it was necessary, and Connor’s brotherly bond with Landon was incredibly endearing.
I wish there was more scientific explanation or even backstory and depth behind the memory-erasing pill. It was simply thrown at the reader without any real context, except that it erases one’s memory.
Overall, this was a good read for me that 100% pulled at my heartstrings.
Did I shed a tear while reading this? Absolutely! The Good Parts is reminiscent of One Day, with the emotional turmoil experienced by the main characters. As a huge fan of dual timelines, I found the author’s clever approach particularly noteworthy. As the story unfolds, the reader’s experiences are intertwined with Rose’s perspective from the past, while Landon’s perspective remains in the present. The book’s prose revolves around the concept of a memory erasing pill that acts as a restart button to one’s life. It’s evident that something unfortunate must have occurred for Rose to desire taking the pill and forgetting. The gradual buildup to this revelation kept me on the edge of my seat, eagerly anticipating the other shoe to drop.
Rose and Landon met during their first year of college, and while they instantly had chemistry, it felt more like insta love to me. I would have preferred a more gradual development of their relationship before they delved into deeper emotional moments. Throughout the entire book, I felt for Rose because of the hardships she faced.
I genuinely enjoy the side characters, Poppy and Connor. Poppy was not afraid to confront Landon when she felt it was necessary, and Connor’s brotherly bond with Landon was incredibly endearing.
I wish there was more scientific explanation or even backstory and depth behind the memory-erasing pill. It was simply thrown at the reader without any real context, except that it erases one’s memory.
Overall, this was a good read for me that 100% pulled at my heartstrings.
May 18, 2026
4.5
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was like eternal sunshine but ten times more sad to read. The build up between Landon and Rose was so beautiful and the reveal of what happened between them felt like a rug being pulled out from beneath you. This entire book portrayed all of the ways people deal with grief gorgeously and was definitely a tear jerker. The ending was bittersweet but I think it fit the characters and the story perfectly. I would check trigger warnings on this one because one of the main themes can be really difficult to read about but I 100% recommend this.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was like eternal sunshine but ten times more sad to read. The build up between Landon and Rose was so beautiful and the reveal of what happened between them felt like a rug being pulled out from beneath you. This entire book portrayed all of the ways people deal with grief gorgeously and was definitely a tear jerker. The ending was bittersweet but I think it fit the characters and the story perfectly. I would check trigger warnings on this one because one of the main themes can be really difficult to read about but I 100% recommend this.
May 30, 2026
Wow, what a beautiful and emotional ride that was.
The premise of this book was so unique and I am such a sucker for anything with magical realism. The entire time I was reading it, I kept thinking about how this would make such a fantastic book club book. It is so thought provoking and can really stir up some interesting conversations.
I adored Landon and Rose and all of the side characters. Each one played such an important role throughout the story. I would love a version in Poppy’s POV.
This book was so much more than a love story — I felt like the way that it depicted grief and marriage and all of life’s challenges was heartbreakingly beautiful and real and vulnerable.
Thank you Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!
The premise of this book was so unique and I am such a sucker for anything with magical realism. The entire time I was reading it, I kept thinking about how this would make such a fantastic book club book. It is so thought provoking and can really stir up some interesting conversations.
I adored Landon and Rose and all of the side characters. Each one played such an important role throughout the story. I would love a version in Poppy’s POV.
This book was so much more than a love story — I felt like the way that it depicted grief and marriage and all of life’s challenges was heartbreakingly beautiful and real and vulnerable.
Thank you Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!
Currently Reading
August 10, 2026── .✦ pre read
going into this after main characters may be slightly psychotic of me but what is life if you’re not constantly being wrecked by fictional love stories am i right!
going into this after main characters may be slightly psychotic of me but what is life if you’re not constantly being wrecked by fictional love stories am i right!
October 27, 2025
The Good Parts is an exquisite exploration of memory, grief, the choices we make, and the ways we love. The fantastical premise drew me in, and the cozy backdrop of Edinburgh made me want to stay. Normandin's characters navigated the moral and ethical dilemmas she posed in such a way that, despite the surreal elements, made the narrative feel entirely true. For a book about forgetting, The Good Parts will not let you go, and will keep you thinking about the world she has built long after you've finished reading.
July 3, 2026
4.5 rounded down for Goodreads and Netgalley.
It was definitely a thought-provoking and intense read, with a lot of depth in the exploration of the characters’ emotions.
I loved the overall idea of the pill and all the talks about memory and the questions surrounding it. It was such an unique take on an universal feeling: wanting to start over without consequences. Forgetting about all the hurt, all the sorrow, but also all the good. Because I loved the fact that if you forget about the bad, you also forget about the good. You don’t get to choose what to forget, everything gets forgotten. I also liked the dual timeline even though I wished we had a different narrator for one of them. I’ll explain that later.
Throughout my reading experience, I grew a distaste and distrust for the male character, Landon. It’s been quite a while since a character made me feel so many negative emotions (frustration, irritation, disbelief among others). So I’m going to explore that character in this review, because some things have to be said. First of all, there was a duality to this character. With all the other characters he seemed too perfect and sweet and caring but underneath that, there was a thick layer of deceit and a mountain of lies. He was a manipulator and his greatest victim was Rose. Living a part of the story through his eyes was a challenge, and he was the narrator I wish I never had. The constant mask he was wearing with the other characters made him extremely unlikeable and impossible to root for to me. His lies were unbearable, how could he expect anything from Rose if he’s not truthful? He was a coward hiding behind his lies. Lying about his identity to get to her was just nasty. Also, I didn’t like the way he was calling her « his Rose », that was very possessive. It was like she didn’t exist on her own, like she was his possession and nothing more than that. His obsessive behaviour was endangering Rose and he was so deep in this obsession he didn’t understand that he became the danger. During their time together, he was forcing Rose to do things and to become a version of her that just didn’t exist. He tried to control her. He was so selfish and oblivious to Rose’s issues. He kept failing to understand Rose, in so many levels. He did not even seem to try to understand her sometimes. He couldn’t understand her pain, her struggles. So he belittled them. His narrow-mindedness and failure to understand Rose were disrespectful to her. And she deserved to be treated better. He believed his pain was bigger than hers when it has never been and will never be.
And yes, unlike Rose, I do believe it was his fault.
Poppy was the only one who saw through Landon and his deceitful looks. She saw through the lies and she was rightfully protective of Rose. She was Rose’s real support, not Landon. He has never been that. Here when not needed, absent when needed. Inconsistent and unreliable. I do not understand her forgiveness (because I sure as hell do not forgive him) but she always put Rose ahead of him and she always showed love and support for her. And that matters.
Rose… I grew to be quite protective of her too, in a way. And that’s most likely why I felt such strong emotions towards Landon, who massively hurt her. Watching Rose fade away as the story progressed was such a dreadful experience. She gave so much away of herself to that male that she slowly lost herself and this helplessness was insufferable. She went through so much pain alone when she was supposed to be supported by the male she trusted to be on his side at all times. In the present, Rose was absolutely not regretful of her choice and I liked that. When I found out why she made that choice… it was an obvious one. And choosing herself was the strongest decision she ever made. She deserved a life without all that misery and agony. She deserved some peace of mind.
I liked the ending, I’m glad the author chose to write this ending. It was the most realistic ending and it made sense. Anything else wouldn’t have.
This review is most likely all over the place and driven by emotions, but I feel like this is the sort of review this book deserves. It’s a bit messy but it’s raw, and it’s meaningful. The fact that this is a debut is truly remarkable. It will definitely stay with me for a little while.
Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.
It was definitely a thought-provoking and intense read, with a lot of depth in the exploration of the characters’ emotions.
I loved the overall idea of the pill and all the talks about memory and the questions surrounding it. It was such an unique take on an universal feeling: wanting to start over without consequences. Forgetting about all the hurt, all the sorrow, but also all the good. Because I loved the fact that if you forget about the bad, you also forget about the good. You don’t get to choose what to forget, everything gets forgotten. I also liked the dual timeline even though I wished we had a different narrator for one of them. I’ll explain that later.
Throughout my reading experience, I grew a distaste and distrust for the male character, Landon. It’s been quite a while since a character made me feel so many negative emotions (frustration, irritation, disbelief among others). So I’m going to explore that character in this review, because some things have to be said. First of all, there was a duality to this character. With all the other characters he seemed too perfect and sweet and caring but underneath that, there was a thick layer of deceit and a mountain of lies. He was a manipulator and his greatest victim was Rose. Living a part of the story through his eyes was a challenge, and he was the narrator I wish I never had. The constant mask he was wearing with the other characters made him extremely unlikeable and impossible to root for to me. His lies were unbearable, how could he expect anything from Rose if he’s not truthful? He was a coward hiding behind his lies. Lying about his identity to get to her was just nasty. Also, I didn’t like the way he was calling her « his Rose », that was very possessive. It was like she didn’t exist on her own, like she was his possession and nothing more than that. His obsessive behaviour was endangering Rose and he was so deep in this obsession he didn’t understand that he became the danger. During their time together, he was forcing Rose to do things and to become a version of her that just didn’t exist. He tried to control her. He was so selfish and oblivious to Rose’s issues. He kept failing to understand Rose, in so many levels. He did not even seem to try to understand her sometimes. He couldn’t understand her pain, her struggles. So he belittled them. His narrow-mindedness and failure to understand Rose were disrespectful to her. And she deserved to be treated better. He believed his pain was bigger than hers when it has never been and will never be.
And yes, unlike Rose, I do believe it was his fault.
Poppy was the only one who saw through Landon and his deceitful looks. She saw through the lies and she was rightfully protective of Rose. She was Rose’s real support, not Landon. He has never been that. Here when not needed, absent when needed. Inconsistent and unreliable. I do not understand her forgiveness (because I sure as hell do not forgive him) but she always put Rose ahead of him and she always showed love and support for her. And that matters.
Rose… I grew to be quite protective of her too, in a way. And that’s most likely why I felt such strong emotions towards Landon, who massively hurt her. Watching Rose fade away as the story progressed was such a dreadful experience. She gave so much away of herself to that male that she slowly lost herself and this helplessness was insufferable. She went through so much pain alone when she was supposed to be supported by the male she trusted to be on his side at all times. In the present, Rose was absolutely not regretful of her choice and I liked that. When I found out why she made that choice… it was an obvious one. And choosing herself was the strongest decision she ever made. She deserved a life without all that misery and agony. She deserved some peace of mind.
I liked the ending, I’m glad the author chose to write this ending. It was the most realistic ending and it made sense. Anything else wouldn’t have.
This review is most likely all over the place and driven by emotions, but I feel like this is the sort of review this book deserves. It’s a bit messy but it’s raw, and it’s meaningful. The fact that this is a debut is truly remarkable. It will definitely stay with me for a little while.
Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.
July 28, 2026
This is absolutely the kind of book that belongs in a book club because I had SO many thoughts, questions, and feelings while reading it. The Good Parts is an emotional, complicated, devastating love story that asks fascinating questions about memory, identity, grief, and the morality of choosing what parts of ourselves we want to erase.
The concept of a memory erasing pill immediately grabbed me because there are so many layers to unpack. If you could remove your deepest pain, would you? Would you still be the same person afterward? Are our hardest moments just wounds, or are they also part of what shapes us? This book doesn’t give easy answers, and honestly, I loved that it left room for discussion.
From the beginning, you know something truly heartbreaking must have happened for Rose to make such an enormous decision without even talking to Landon first. Watching their story unfold across timelines made their relationship feel incredibly human—messy, beautiful, painful, and filled with all the complicated pieces that come with loving someone for a lifetime.
I was not emotionally prepared for the ending. It was bittersweet, poignant, and completely true to Rose and Landon’s journey. It wasn’t the ending I expected, but it was the ending their story needed. Beautiful, unique, and quietly devastating, this is a book that will stay with you long after the final page.
Perfect for Readers Who Love
* Emotional book club fiction that sparks deep conversations
* Complicated love stories filled with heartbreak and hope
* Thought provoking “what would you do?” concepts
* Character driven stories about grief, healing, and letting go
January 11, 2026
I want to thank NetGalley and Grand Central for allowing me the utmost privilege to read The Good Parts.
This may have been one of the best books I have ever read. I loved the story, the concept, but most of all I love Rose and Landon. This book broke me, I cried at so many chapters, especially nearing the end. Understanding why we got to where we were, but I also, surprisingly, thought it ended perfectly.
The writing is so well done that you can’t help but find yourself there watching the story unfold. I love the way the story is from Rose in the past and Landon in the present. It shows you the story in such a way that keeps you involved and hanging on for each chapter and then for the next to finish the one before.
I would pay to see this book turned into movie or limited series, played exactly as the author intended with the back and forth.
I cannot praise this book more, I hope everyone reads it and loves it and feels as broken as I do now.
Thank you again for allowing me an early release of this amazing book.
This may have been one of the best books I have ever read. I loved the story, the concept, but most of all I love Rose and Landon. This book broke me, I cried at so many chapters, especially nearing the end. Understanding why we got to where we were, but I also, surprisingly, thought it ended perfectly.
The writing is so well done that you can’t help but find yourself there watching the story unfold. I love the way the story is from Rose in the past and Landon in the present. It shows you the story in such a way that keeps you involved and hanging on for each chapter and then for the next to finish the one before.
I would pay to see this book turned into movie or limited series, played exactly as the author intended with the back and forth.
I cannot praise this book more, I hope everyone reads it and loves it and feels as broken as I do now.
Thank you again for allowing me an early release of this amazing book.
June 17, 2026
wow wow wow wow wow 😭😭😭😭😭😭 i have no words
Did Not Finish
July 2, 2026DNF at 17% because I'm not in the mood to angry read a book and I spoiled myself for the ending. I can't believe how poorly Landon was treated by Poppy, and Rose, too. Nobody wants to feel pain, but our pain is what makes us, us. I'm feeling a bit betrayed, too, because I was expecting a happily ever after as this is classified as romance, but is not (there's no HEA for the couple in the end).
I think in the future I'll give a chance to this book, but is a DNF for now.
I think in the future I'll give a chance to this book, but is a DNF for now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2026
if Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and No Matter What by Cara Bastone had a love child, it would be this book.
writing this review with fresh tears, the last 10% really puts you through the ringer. i loved this book, the characters, the writing, the storytelling. it was truly so good. if you could take a pill to forget everything and start fresh, would you? what would you write in a letter to your post-pill self? really thought provoking.
Rose’s decision making was a bit questionable in my opinion but you can still understand why she does what she does. Landon was perfection if not a little overbearing. I LOVED Poppy and wanted more of Conor.
thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the e-arc! 4.5 ⭐️
writing this review with fresh tears, the last 10% really puts you through the ringer. i loved this book, the characters, the writing, the storytelling. it was truly so good. if you could take a pill to forget everything and start fresh, would you? what would you write in a letter to your post-pill self? really thought provoking.
Rose’s decision making was a bit questionable in my opinion but you can still understand why she does what she does. Landon was perfection if not a little overbearing. I LOVED Poppy and wanted more of Conor.
thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the e-arc! 4.5 ⭐️
July 31, 2026
Oh wow this was a gut punch of a read . You immediately get thrown into the story and get to really know Rose and her character and all the things she’s gone through . You can’t but help so deeply for her and understand why she is the way she is and why she does certain things . I loved how beautifully written her meet cute with Landon and the way their love was written with Rose’s trauma and issues in mind . It was so sweet to read about how he changes her for the better and shows her a new kind of love she never thought existed . Their different personalities balanced perfectly. They were so cute . I felt neutral about the concept of the erasing pill because I felt we didn’t get all that into it and it wasn’t really described in detail or centered at all , only its affect really relevant. Landon was so sweet and caring and was the definition of yearning. What a blessing to have someone love you like Landon loved Rose .At its core, deeply sad and gut wrenching. I was sooo frustrated at times and so heartbroken and also smiling at their earlier interactions. I definitely enjoyed the Past POV more and found the current one miserable sometimes .
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC⭐️
“All her life she had longed for this—another person who knew and understood her because of their shared history, idyllic or painful as it might be.”
“And besides, Rose already knew the reason no one had quite gotten Landon's charm before. She'd known when they jumped into that pond. He had been made just for her.”
“Worlds flashed before her eyes: birthdays, and Easters, and Christmases; scavenger hunts, capture the flag, and buried trea-sure; births and deaths. "Where did you come from?" she asked.
"Wherever it was," he said, "I think I knew you there, too."
“All morning he'd looked at her like she was some kind of saint, every vegetable she diced the most perfect cube he'd ever seen. Evening told a different story. In his warm, glassy eyes she was no saint, but with every sidelong touch he made his desire to worship her clear.”
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC⭐️
“All her life she had longed for this—another person who knew and understood her because of their shared history, idyllic or painful as it might be.”
“And besides, Rose already knew the reason no one had quite gotten Landon's charm before. She'd known when they jumped into that pond. He had been made just for her.”
“Worlds flashed before her eyes: birthdays, and Easters, and Christmases; scavenger hunts, capture the flag, and buried trea-sure; births and deaths. "Where did you come from?" she asked.
"Wherever it was," he said, "I think I knew you there, too."
“All morning he'd looked at her like she was some kind of saint, every vegetable she diced the most perfect cube he'd ever seen. Evening told a different story. In his warm, glassy eyes she was no saint, but with every sidelong touch he made his desire to worship her clear.”
July 29, 2026
this was actually a HORRIBLE story. this is not romance, this is a f****ing horror book. I cannot imagine the pain the characters went through but this was such a devastating story to read from the MMCs POV. This woman is selfish to her core. I am utterly DISGUSTED & ANGRY at the way this man was treated. Wasted my time & $30. I was better before this book.
July 3, 2026
ARC provided by the publisher - Grand Central Publishing - in exchange for an honest review.
i feel like i'm in the minority when i say that i really didn't enjoy this book. the premise sounded really interesting and i went into it fully expecting to like it, but it just didn't really work for me.
the pacing felt really strange and i really wish we had seen more of landon and rose at the beginning of their relationship. their relationship just never felt believable to me, especially because we were often told how deeply landon loved rose without being shown enough of why they fell for each other in the first place?? i also struggled to connect with either of them as characters. i disliked rose for most of the first half (dry as cardboard btw), and then spent the second half hating landon (iykyk????!) and by the end of it i just wasn't really rooting for anyone..
however the reason i'm still giving this three stars is because i really really loved the writing itself and some of the quotes were genuinely breathtaking, even when i wasn't invested in the story.
that said, i can still understand why this book would resonate with other readers. it had some beautiful moments and a really good premise but the execution and characters kept me from enjoying it as much as i hoped i would..
i feel like i'm in the minority when i say that i really didn't enjoy this book. the premise sounded really interesting and i went into it fully expecting to like it, but it just didn't really work for me.
the pacing felt really strange and i really wish we had seen more of landon and rose at the beginning of their relationship. their relationship just never felt believable to me, especially because we were often told how deeply landon loved rose without being shown enough of why they fell for each other in the first place?? i also struggled to connect with either of them as characters. i disliked rose for most of the first half (dry as cardboard btw), and then spent the second half hating landon (iykyk????!) and by the end of it i just wasn't really rooting for anyone..
however the reason i'm still giving this three stars is because i really really loved the writing itself and some of the quotes were genuinely breathtaking, even when i wasn't invested in the story.
that said, i can still understand why this book would resonate with other readers. it had some beautiful moments and a really good premise but the execution and characters kept me from enjoying it as much as i hoped i would..
August 6, 2026
4.5 - I had heard so many great things about this book and I’m so glad it lived up to the hype! I cannot believe this is a debut!! The most emotional, heartbreaking, full circle fiction book. Thanks to @grandcentralpub for the free early copy!
PLEASE check TWs for this book, it deals heavily with death, depression, and grieving the loss of a child.
The Good Parts follows Rose and Landon, husband and wife. Landon receives a letter from Rose, after she has vanished, discovering that she chose to take a memory pill to wipe her memory and forget everyone and everything in her life, including him. Landon goes to London, on a mission to find Rose and make her fall in love with him again for the second time. But Rose is resistant to remembering anything from her old life, happy to move on and reinvent her life.
The book is told in the present day and flashbacks, as we slowly learn what happened to Rose and Landon that caused their life to fall apart. I actually felt my heart being torn to shreds throughout the book as we watch Rose and Landon meet in college and fall in love, and see Rose’s struggle throughout her life to find a place where she feels loved. As we get to the end of the book, you learn about Rose and Landon’s many challenges trying to start a family. The foreshadowing is there, but the ending still hits like a bus.
This is not a romance book and it’s not exactly a love story. It’s a very realistic portrayal of a family, of two young people falling in love and the ways in which we hurt each other when we are hitting. I was rooting for Rose and Landon the whole time, but understood and appreciated the ways that they chose themselves and healed separately.
A truly unique book, read this if you want a good cry!!
PLEASE check TWs for this book, it deals heavily with death, depression, and grieving the loss of a child.
The Good Parts follows Rose and Landon, husband and wife. Landon receives a letter from Rose, after she has vanished, discovering that she chose to take a memory pill to wipe her memory and forget everyone and everything in her life, including him. Landon goes to London, on a mission to find Rose and make her fall in love with him again for the second time. But Rose is resistant to remembering anything from her old life, happy to move on and reinvent her life.
The book is told in the present day and flashbacks, as we slowly learn what happened to Rose and Landon that caused their life to fall apart. I actually felt my heart being torn to shreds throughout the book as we watch Rose and Landon meet in college and fall in love, and see Rose’s struggle throughout her life to find a place where she feels loved. As we get to the end of the book, you learn about Rose and Landon’s many challenges trying to start a family. The foreshadowing is there, but the ending still hits like a bus.
This is not a romance book and it’s not exactly a love story. It’s a very realistic portrayal of a family, of two young people falling in love and the ways in which we hurt each other when we are hitting. I was rooting for Rose and Landon the whole time, but understood and appreciated the ways that they chose themselves and healed separately.
A truly unique book, read this if you want a good cry!!
August 8, 2026
This was giving 5 stars until the last 30% and then FMC absolutely fumbled it.
I was SO excited for this book. The premise you ask?
A woman takes a pill that erases her memories of the man she loved, and he comes back into her life as a stranger hoping she’ll fall for him all over again?
Inject it directly into my veins.
For a book called “The Good Parts”, I genuinely thought the entire point was going to be that you cannot erase the bad and expect to keep some perfectly preserved version of love. There is no magic pill, or forgetting pill, that removes heartbreak, resentment, mistakes and hardship and leaves behind only the pretty bits.
That is not love.
The good parts are good because you survived the bad parts together.
But Rose was giving Debbie Downer from page one and by the end I genuinely felt like Landon loved her significantly more than she ever loved him. This man remembered EVERYTHING about her, I mean EVERYTHING, down to the way she moves. He remembered the pain, the fights, the disappointment, the reasons they fell apart, and still looked at her and said, “Yep. Still you.”
Ma’am.
What more would you like from this man?
Landon understood the assignment.
I’m not convinced Rose ever did.
I wanted compromise, forgiveness, growth and the courage to stay when things get hard.
Such a frustrating end to a book that had me convinced for 70% that I was reading a five-star love story.
I was SO excited for this book. The premise you ask?
A woman takes a pill that erases her memories of the man she loved, and he comes back into her life as a stranger hoping she’ll fall for him all over again?
Inject it directly into my veins.
For a book called “The Good Parts”, I genuinely thought the entire point was going to be that you cannot erase the bad and expect to keep some perfectly preserved version of love. There is no magic pill, or forgetting pill, that removes heartbreak, resentment, mistakes and hardship and leaves behind only the pretty bits.
That is not love.
The good parts are good because you survived the bad parts together.
But Rose was giving Debbie Downer from page one and by the end I genuinely felt like Landon loved her significantly more than she ever loved him. This man remembered EVERYTHING about her, I mean EVERYTHING, down to the way she moves. He remembered the pain, the fights, the disappointment, the reasons they fell apart, and still looked at her and said, “Yep. Still you.”
Ma’am.
What more would you like from this man?
Landon understood the assignment.
I’m not convinced Rose ever did.
I wanted compromise, forgiveness, growth and the courage to stay when things get hard.
Such a frustrating end to a book that had me convinced for 70% that I was reading a five-star love story.
July 29, 2026
This novel tugged at my heartstrings and is one of the more unique novels that I have read. If you were able to take a pill to erase all your memories, would you do it?
The Good Parts explores a world where for a price, you can erase your past (at least for yourself). Simply take a pill and all your memories vanish. Many individuals write themselves letters and leave instructions - name, birth date, address, banking information. Maybe they even the leave some memories and history - the good parts.
Rose has taken the forgetting pill and is starting over. Optimistic, hopeful, and embracing life, she remembers nothing from her past and the only olive branch she maintained was through her best friend who has sworn to reveal nothing of Rose's former life. But when Rose's husband, Landon, learns of her whereabouts, he sets out on a mission to make Rose fall in love with him...again. Told over dual timelines, we learn about what led Rose to take the forgetting pill. Why did she leave behind a beautiful love story and a dedicated husband?
At once devastating and poetic, this novel really made me think. There are some traumas so great that maybe forgetting is truly the only way to move on. But who are you after you take the forgetting pill? You're certainly no longer the person you were before because gone are the scars and the baggage. But also gone are the good parts. Because no matter how much you choose to "bring with you," it will never be the whole picture.
I listened to The Good Parts on audio and it was decent. At times, the narrator felt a bit choppy and over enunciated but the drama was well conveyed and the emotion was genuine and impactful.
This would be a fantastic read with a book club and I very highly recommend. This book will absolutely stick with me.
Thank you to Libro.fm and Grand Central Publishing for the copy.
The Good Parts explores a world where for a price, you can erase your past (at least for yourself). Simply take a pill and all your memories vanish. Many individuals write themselves letters and leave instructions - name, birth date, address, banking information. Maybe they even the leave some memories and history - the good parts.
Rose has taken the forgetting pill and is starting over. Optimistic, hopeful, and embracing life, she remembers nothing from her past and the only olive branch she maintained was through her best friend who has sworn to reveal nothing of Rose's former life. But when Rose's husband, Landon, learns of her whereabouts, he sets out on a mission to make Rose fall in love with him...again. Told over dual timelines, we learn about what led Rose to take the forgetting pill. Why did she leave behind a beautiful love story and a dedicated husband?
At once devastating and poetic, this novel really made me think. There are some traumas so great that maybe forgetting is truly the only way to move on. But who are you after you take the forgetting pill? You're certainly no longer the person you were before because gone are the scars and the baggage. But also gone are the good parts. Because no matter how much you choose to "bring with you," it will never be the whole picture.
I listened to The Good Parts on audio and it was decent. At times, the narrator felt a bit choppy and over enunciated but the drama was well conveyed and the emotion was genuine and impactful.
This would be a fantastic read with a book club and I very highly recommend. This book will absolutely stick with me.
Thank you to Libro.fm and Grand Central Publishing for the copy.
August 4, 2026
If a pill existed that erased your memories, would you take it? Who would you become after? And of those that remember you, would you still find and love each other just as much?
What a beautiful and tragic story. This tore my heart out and I loved every minute. Be warned, this was a real tear jerker, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The author perfectly captures the level of intimacy and strangeness of distance that occurs when a married couple has separated. I loved the writing and this storytelling. You as a reader aren’t told “separation is hard” but instead viscerally feel the intricacies and anguish of loving someone that you can no longer and never be with again. I was literally crying only 35% in due to the emotional roller coaster, and I can tell this will stick with me for a long time to come.
If you’re looking for a cathartic cry, especially in a woman centric setting, I can’t recommend this enough! Thank you to Evann Normandin, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
What a beautiful and tragic story. This tore my heart out and I loved every minute. Be warned, this was a real tear jerker, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The author perfectly captures the level of intimacy and strangeness of distance that occurs when a married couple has separated. I loved the writing and this storytelling. You as a reader aren’t told “separation is hard” but instead viscerally feel the intricacies and anguish of loving someone that you can no longer and never be with again. I was literally crying only 35% in due to the emotional roller coaster, and I can tell this will stick with me for a long time to come.
If you’re looking for a cathartic cry, especially in a woman centric setting, I can’t recommend this enough! Thank you to Evann Normandin, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
July 26, 2026
Lucky for us Evann Normandin’s debut “The Good Parts” is filled with just that and more, a superb literary fiction that will hold your attention start to finish.
Normandin drops us into this world that asks its residents: Would you take a magical pill that would help you start over, memory-less? For Rose, the answer is pretty easy. For Landon, it’s anything but. Across the 350 page book, we jump to and from present day that finds our soulmates falling in love to falling into something entirely different. But this isn’t your usual love story — no, Landon has never stopped loving Rose, even after she said goodbye to him and took the memory eraser pill. Normandin and her world will pull at your heartstrings presenting a small but mighty cast of characters that challenge what love is, including if love stops between two people when one of them forgets who you are.
Sometimes, it’s easy to root for these characters and others, you wonder why they made it this far to begin with (just open your mouth and communicate, people!). It only speaks to Normandin’s craft here, creating fully three dimensional characters full of hopes, dreams, and just as many flaws.
Speaking of flaws, this book has very minor ones, including its pacing and how the story is presented. I only wished there was more time to edit this in spots so lulls in the story could be pressed out. I’m also curious if people will loath the ending or appreciate the message. Time will tell.
But no matter, I’ll be thinking of this one for quite a bit. Thank you to Netgalley and publisher Grand Central Publishing for the ARC.
Normandin drops us into this world that asks its residents: Would you take a magical pill that would help you start over, memory-less? For Rose, the answer is pretty easy. For Landon, it’s anything but. Across the 350 page book, we jump to and from present day that finds our soulmates falling in love to falling into something entirely different. But this isn’t your usual love story — no, Landon has never stopped loving Rose, even after she said goodbye to him and took the memory eraser pill. Normandin and her world will pull at your heartstrings presenting a small but mighty cast of characters that challenge what love is, including if love stops between two people when one of them forgets who you are.
Sometimes, it’s easy to root for these characters and others, you wonder why they made it this far to begin with (just open your mouth and communicate, people!). It only speaks to Normandin’s craft here, creating fully three dimensional characters full of hopes, dreams, and just as many flaws.
Speaking of flaws, this book has very minor ones, including its pacing and how the story is presented. I only wished there was more time to edit this in spots so lulls in the story could be pressed out. I’m also curious if people will loath the ending or appreciate the message. Time will tell.
But no matter, I’ll be thinking of this one for quite a bit. Thank you to Netgalley and publisher Grand Central Publishing for the ARC.
August 12, 2026
as predicted, this hurt me🥲
July 15, 2026
Well that fucking hurt, damn. Rtc
July 27, 2026
The Good Parts has been accompanying me throughout my trip to Spain and Portugal, and even after finishing it, I still don't really know how I feel about it.
I went into this one really excited because I'd seen many positive reviews, and the premise was the main reason I begged to receive this e-arc: someone choosing to erase their memories while their soulmate tries to find their way back into their life. Okay, that's a bit reductive, but it sounded like exactly the kind of emotional story I'd enjoy.
What I wasn't expecting was just how heavy this book would be. I knew it would be emotional, but wow... definitely not the holiday read I unknowingly signed myself up for.
One thing I can say without hesitation is that I really liked Evann Normandin's writing. It was so easy to read, and I never felt like I was dragging myself through it. I'm also always a sucker for dual POVs and dual timelines, so those elements really worked for me.
The biggest issue for me? I lost the emotional connection. At some point, I realised I wasn't as invested in Landon and Rose anymore. That sounds harsher than I mean it to, because I genuinely felt like I knew them. I understood their history, their grief, their love, everything they'd been through. But I never quite felt it with them. Usually, books with this kind of emotional weight completely pull me in, and this one just didn't. And yet, the ending still almost made me cry (I mean... how could it not?). So it's not like I felt nothing. I just never reached that point where their story felt like my heartbreak too.
I'm still struggling to put all my thoughts into words, and I hate sounding cliché, but I really do think this was simply a case of "it's just not for me".
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this arc. And happy release day to Evann Normandin!
I went into this one really excited because I'd seen many positive reviews, and the premise was the main reason I begged to receive this e-arc: someone choosing to erase their memories while their soulmate tries to find their way back into their life. Okay, that's a bit reductive, but it sounded like exactly the kind of emotional story I'd enjoy.
What I wasn't expecting was just how heavy this book would be. I knew it would be emotional, but wow... definitely not the holiday read I unknowingly signed myself up for.
One thing I can say without hesitation is that I really liked Evann Normandin's writing. It was so easy to read, and I never felt like I was dragging myself through it. I'm also always a sucker for dual POVs and dual timelines, so those elements really worked for me.
The biggest issue for me? I lost the emotional connection. At some point, I realised I wasn't as invested in Landon and Rose anymore. That sounds harsher than I mean it to, because I genuinely felt like I knew them. I understood their history, their grief, their love, everything they'd been through. But I never quite felt it with them. Usually, books with this kind of emotional weight completely pull me in, and this one just didn't. And yet, the ending still almost made me cry (I mean... how could it not?). So it's not like I felt nothing. I just never reached that point where their story felt like my heartbreak too.
I'm still struggling to put all my thoughts into words, and I hate sounding cliché, but I really do think this was simply a case of "it's just not for me".
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this arc. And happy release day to Evann Normandin!
August 6, 2026
I was rooting for this book up until the last 20-30%
I absolutely adored reading the main characters love story unfold and waiting to see what lead to one of them taking the memory erasing pill. Once that reason was revealed I was utterly devastated for our main characters but more so disappointed at the fact that our FMC chose to forget her former life. It felt like she was cheating life and all the parts that make us feel alive. She chose to forget her life because she couldn’t handle the pain of (what is understandably) one of the most painful things a person can experience! But that’s what makes us feel alive…it’s the pain and loss and love and healing we experience as humans. We don’t get to take a magic pill and forget hard things, we learn to keep living and fight to find beauty in everyday small and big things. Idk this book just missed the mark for me overall and I was so disappointed 😭
I absolutely adored reading the main characters love story unfold and waiting to see what lead to one of them taking the memory erasing pill. Once that reason was revealed I was utterly devastated for our main characters but more so disappointed at the fact that our FMC chose to forget her former life. It felt like she was cheating life and all the parts that make us feel alive. She chose to forget her life because she couldn’t handle the pain of (what is understandably) one of the most painful things a person can experience! But that’s what makes us feel alive…it’s the pain and loss and love and healing we experience as humans. We don’t get to take a magic pill and forget hard things, we learn to keep living and fight to find beauty in everyday small and big things. Idk this book just missed the mark for me overall and I was so disappointed 😭
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2026
this was DEVASTATING
The Good Parts is so beautiful and so poignant, and I cried SO much. All the feels, front to back. It's gut wrenching in the way only a really beautiful book can be, where it wrecks you but you're somehow grateful for it. I sat with it after and just felt everything.
I don't have a single note. This one's going straight on my "recommend to everyone" list, no hesitation.
Thanks to Libro.fm for the listening copy. All opinions are my own.
The Good Parts is so beautiful and so poignant, and I cried SO much. All the feels, front to back. It's gut wrenching in the way only a really beautiful book can be, where it wrecks you but you're somehow grateful for it. I sat with it after and just felt everything.
I don't have a single note. This one's going straight on my "recommend to everyone" list, no hesitation.
Thanks to Libro.fm for the listening copy. All opinions are my own.
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