Book Review for Pinky Swear by Danielle Girard

 

Pinky Swear by Danielle Girard

Published: February 24, 2026 by Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Genre:  Mystery Thriller, Suspense

Taken from Goodreads:  From Danielle Girard, the USA TODAY bestselling author who “effortlessly ratchets up the tension” (J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author), comes a pulse-pounding thriller about a young woman whose surrogate disappears just days before the baby’s due date, leading to a frantic search that uncovers dark truths and the power of a mother’s love.

Lexi thought she knew everything about Mara Vannatta. Best friends since middle school, they drifted apart after a tragedy derailed their senior year. But when Mara shows up on Lexi’s doorstep sixteen years later fleeing an abusive husband, Lexi takes her in without question. Lexi’s own marriage has been strained by her desire to have a baby, and when Mara offers to become her surrogate, their friendship feels stronger than ever.

But four days before the due date, Mara disappears.

Lexi is shocked but certain there must be something wrong—Mara would never willingly leave with her unborn child. Or would she? As she embarks on a perilous cross-country hunt for the truth, Lexi is forced to reconsider a friendship she thought she knew—and what really happened that terrible night their senior year. How many secrets lie in their shared past, waiting to be uncovered? And just how far will Lexi go to bring her child safely home?

 

My Thoughts:  Umm, hello??  What did I just read?   This book is amazing!   I cannot believe it is my first Danielle Girard book but definitely not my last.   I could not get enough of this book, the characters are relatable and quirky, and the storyline was full of twists and turns.  This is a book that I can see being on my top reads of 2026 list.

 

The themes of motherhood and friendship made the story relatable but the twists and turns kept me knowing there was so much more to come.  The current friendship is built off their history and that history is full of surprises and secrets.  Motherhood is a tough topic at time and this story hit some hard motherhood times.

 

Thank you Atria Books for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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Meet the Author (taken from her website):  Danielle Girard is the USA Today and Amazon #1 bestselling author of sixteen novels, including the Annabelle Schwartzman Series, Chasing Darkness, and The Rookie Club series. Her books have won the Barry Award, the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, and White Out was in the top 100 bestselling e-books of 2020. In addition, two of her titles have been optioned for screen. Her next thriller, Pinky Swear, will be out from the Emily Bestler Imprint of Atria books February 24, 2026.

 

Danielle is also the creator and host of the Killer Women podcast, where she interviews the women who write today’s best crime fiction. A graduate of Cornell University, Danielle received her MFA in Creative Writing at Queens University of Charlotte, North Carolina. When she’s not traveling, Danielle lives in the mountains of Montana.