When her husband’s tragic death uncovers long-buried secrets, a young mother fights to protect her family and heal her heart in an emotionally resonant novel about loss, love, and second chances.
“Honest, tender, and the best kind of complicated—I loved every page of Simon and Bea’s unexpected love story. As always, Mara Williams balances difficult family dynamics, complex grief, and full-bodied romance with charm and style.” —Lauren Okie, author of Tropesick
“Heartbreaking and hopeful…Williams tells the emotional story of a grieving widow blindsided by loss, betrayal, and the possibility of new love. Set against the backdrop of a small California lake town, readers will fall in love with the Bell family and all their complications, then root for Bea to find her footing in the chaos. The Other Side of Starting Over is a novel that stays with you long after the last page.” —Julie Hatcher, author of Not Quite by the Book
“The Other Side of Starting Over is a beautiful, nuanced story of how the people we’ve loved—and the people we’ve been—can haunt us. Williams doesn’t shy away from complexity, giving her characters room to be realistically and endearingly messy as they relearn joy in the midst of intense grief. This book is a resonant reminder that while we can’t change the hand we’ve been dealt or outrun our old lives, we can give our past a safe space to live on inside us, and find comfort in the love of people whose baggage fits right beside ours.” —Ellen O’Clover, author of The Heartbreak Hotel
“Tender, incisive, and endlessly emotional, The Other Side of Starting Over should come with the warning May change your life. With expansive, lush prose and pulse-pounding twists and turns, this book explores something vulnerable and deeply universal: How do we let the biggest pieces of our hearts exist outside our bodies, and how do we learn to trust again if the unthinkable happens? Mara Williams is an auto-buy, drop-everything-to-read author for me, and this story about family, grief, and a second chance at love is nothing short of spectacular.” —Isabelle Engel, author of Most Eligible
“The Other Side of Starting Over is one of the most emotionally resonant books I’ve ever read. Mara Williams has the rare ability to make me ache and smile on the same page—and often in the same sentence. Her skill is on full display in this moving, tender, and utterly inspiring book, where grief, joy, and chemistry are so fully intertwined that they stop feeling separate at all. Mara Williams is truly in a league of her own.” —Ann Adams, author of Racing Hearts
After her husband’s sudden death, Beatrice Bell retreats to her childhood home in California’s Sierra mountains with her rebellious teenage twins in tow. Her plan is to take over her parents’ antique store, ensure it survives another generation, and build a new life from the rubble of the old one.
But Bea didn’t plan on Simon, the gruff store manager with his own ambitions for the business. As they’re forced to work together, animosity gives way to grudging respect and ignites an unexpected spark. Before Bea can find her footing, everything is upended. First by River, a local boy who bears a striking resemblance to her late husband. Then by her estranged mother-in-law, who reveals devastating secrets that will test everything Bea believed about her marriage.
As Bea navigates grief, betrayal, and an unexpected connection with Simon, she finds that it may be possible to begin again, but only if she confronts the truth of her past.
THE OTHER SIDE OF STARTING OVER will be published on November 3rd, and we’re celebrating all month long with this fantastic line-up of book influencers. We hope you will follow along on our virtual book tour and enjoy the many reviews, features, character studies, excerpts, and book giveaway opportunities these bookstagrammers will be sharing:
11/03/26: Dea’s Bookshelf
11/03/26: Book Princess of Cali
11/03/26: Quilted Reads
11/04/26: Reading is My Remedy
11/04/26: She Reads with Coffee
11/04/26: Alice the Reader
11/05/26: Left on Read Reviews
11/05/26: Nurse Bookie
11/05/26: Book Obsessions Linda
11/06/26: We Break For Books
11/06/26: Cat Reader 18
11/06/26: Books Love and Understanding
11/07/26: Purrfect Pages
11/08/26: Audrey Oaks Reads Everything
11/09/26: Books with Blair
11/09/26: Reading Diaries
11/10/26: Bookslover 16
11/10/26: Books and Coffee MX
11/11/26: The Calm Chapter
11/11/26: Epicurean Reads
11/12/26: Book Musing
11/12/26: Books Cats Travel Food
11/13/26: Danish Mustard Reads
11/13/26: The Book Cover Lover
11/14/26: The Book Club Mom
11/16/26: Secret Reading Life
11/16/26: Bbecca Marie
11/17/26: Inspired J Reads
11/17/26: Books and Biewers
11/18/26: Sarah’s Bookish Reviews
11/18/26: 2 Many Books 2 Little Time
11/19/26: A Novel Account
11/19/26: Shobiz Reads
11/20/26: Book Addict 827
11/20/26: Reading Late into the Night
11/21/26: Red Reviews 4 You
11/23/26: Page and Place
11/24/26: Armed with a Book
11/25/26: My Bursting Book Bag
11/26/26: Rebekah Dolmat
11/27/26: Subakka Bookstuff
11/28/26: Nissa the Bookworm
11/29/26: Love my Dane Dolly
11/30/26: Tammy Reads 62
12/01/26: Books Writing and More
12/01/26: Bookish Bri
12/01/26: Mandy’s Book Nook
12/02/26: Love my Books 2020
12/02/26: Booked by Christina
12/03/26: Carol Doscher Reader
12/03/26: Rittle Reviews
12/04/26: The Page Ladies
12/04/26: Angela Reads Books
12/04/26: Meghan Reads Books
