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.

I received an advance copy of this book courtesy of the publisher. All thoughts are my own.

“The Collected Regrets of Clover” was one of my favorite reads of 2023, and I’ve been eagerly awaiting the next book from Mikki Brammer ever since. While it didn’t hit me as hard as that one, I still really enjoyed it.

Joy Bridport is over eighty and has spent her entire life playing by the rules. She’s been a devoted wife, mother, and contributing member of her small Hudson Valley community. She’s done everything she was supposed to do. But when she learns her best friend Hazel only has months to live, something shifts. Hazel has always been the adventurous one. The one who lived boldly and squeezed every drop out of life. And she seems at peace with how she’s lived. Joy realizes she can’t say the same.

So she decides to do something about it. She’s going to live boldly for the time she and Hazel have left together. She steps outside her comfort zone, breaks some rules, and eventually, she starts committing petty crimes. As things escalate, Joy has to figure out what kind of legacy she wants to leave behind. Can she embrace “Bad Joy” without losing everything she holds dear?

I’m really loving the latest influx of books about platonic friendships. These are their own type of love story and can often be just as deep and complicated as romantic relationships. I loved Joy and Hazel and the unbreakable bond they had. Their friendship is the heart of this book, and it’s beautiful. I really liked how the book went back and forth in time. We see them now, with Hazel dying and Joy trying to make the most of the time they have left. And we flash back to how they first met at school when Joy was the new girl and Hazel took her under her wing. Seeing their friendship develop over decades gave the overall story so much weight.

The two of them are wildly different. Hazel has always been spontaneous and adventurous. Joy has always been cautious and rule-following. They experienced life in completely different ways, but that’s what makes their friendship work. They balance each other. And watching Joy finally decide to live on the edge a bit later in life, in honor of Hazel who is fighting cancer at the end of hers, was really moving.

The book asks a big question. Is it ever too late to become who we’re meant to be? And Joy’s journey is all about figuring that out. She’s spent her whole life being “Good Joy.” The dependable one. The responsible one. And now she’s wondering if there’s room for another version of herself. One who takes risks and breaks rules and lives a little recklessly even though she’s well into her 80s.

The petty crime element adds some humor and lightness to what could have been a very heavy book. Joy’s rule-breaking escalates in ways that are both funny and surprisingly heartwarming. She’s not hurting anyone. She’s just finally doing things she’s always wanted to do but never had the courage to try, and all in Hazel’s name.

I did an immersive read with this one and the voice acting by both Kimberly M. Wetherell and Maggi-Meg Reed is outstanding. They perfectly capture both the older and younger versions of Joy perfectly.

This one is sweet, heartwarming, and filled with unforgettable characters. The writing is warm and accessible. The friendship between Joy and Hazel feels authentic, and the emotional beats land with a lot of heart. If you loved “The Collected Regrets of Clover,” this is worth picking up even though it’s a different kind of story. If you’re drawn to books about friendship, aging, legacy, and living boldly no matter how old you are, you’ll enjoy this. I’d definitely recommend adding it to your summer reading list.