“When it comes to raising my 13-year-old daughter Tess, I don’t always know how to act,” admits Monica Corcoran Harel. “I sometimes judge her. I occasionally tune her out. I definitely question some of her fashion choices. (I’d like to thank Princess Polly, peddler of paper towel-size tube tops.)” It’s a relatable dynamic, and it’s so hard to break out of — but today, Harel is sharing the story of how they pulled it off.

— Kelly Faircloth, Executive Editor

It feels like Margo Millet’s entire life has been made up of wrong turns, beginning with her conception — the result of an affair between a Hooters waitress and a professional wrestler. Now she’s 20, and things aren’t going much better. She has a newborn baby with her ne'er-do-well junior college English professor, she has no job prospects, and she needs rent money so badly that she agrees to let her down-and-out dad move in. How did this all even happen? And why not start an OnlyFans account to try to fix everything?

This is absolutely my favorite read from 2024 so far. It is delightfully funny, different, insightful, odd, and tender. I want to say heartwarming, but it’s not quite that saccharine — it’s more like tender. Margo, her family, and her loved ones make up one of the best cast of quirky-but-real characters I can remember, and watching Margo slowly take control of her life, with just a little bit a help, makes for an amazing page-turning story that strikes the perfect balance between literary fiction and summery beach read. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll laugh/cry. I am just plain in love with this book, and I can’t wait to share it with you all!

— Sarah Aswell, Senior Editor, News & Social