Woman on the Verge

A Novel

By: Kim Hooper

Narrated by: Dana Green, Abigail Reno, Jordan Claire McCraw, Amanda Stribling

A sexy, propulsive meditation on modern motherhood, tracking the lives of three women as they struggle to define themselves in the face of new obligations and heightened expectations.

Some women, with their perfect children and pricey athleisure, make motherhood look easy. But not Nicole. She never wanted to be a stay-at-home parent—losing her job left her no choice. Now, between her toddlers’ demands, husband’s distance, and father’s deteriorating health, she’s pulled in every direction except her own.

Something has to give.

Katrina’s in the same dissatisfied boat. After flirting with a handsome stranger at a bar, she’s ready to choose pleasure over responsibility. But when her impulse goes surprisingly awry, she must reconcile her reawakened desires with the realities of home.

Housewife Rose battles the constraints of motherhood in the ’80s. Venting her growing restlessness into a diary of secret ambitions, she wonders whether it’s all worth it. Is an unhappy mother really better than a selfish one?

In a shocking twist, the women find their lives intertwined. But as they face their longings head-on, it’s unclear whether they’re destined for a breakthrough…or breakdown.

©2025 by Kim Hooper. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“With profound bravery and admirable grace, Hooper takes the reader on a surprising journey brimming with raw emotion and unexpected forks in the road. The beating heart of Woman on the Verge is the idea of maternal ambivalence inherent in modern motherhood, and how this internal conflict reverberates through all aspects of women’s lives. Hooper is truly at the pinnacle of her craft: one of the finest writers of contemporary fiction today.”—Heather Frimmer, award-winning author of Better to Trust

“Kim Hooper is a masterful storyteller, and Woman on the Verge will have you on the edge of your seat, desperately trailing its protagonist as she walks a fine line between life as usual and the fantasy of escape. The book brilliantly shines a light on society’s demands on women—as mothers, as wives, as daughters—and the ways in which these all-consuming identities can take a toll. An absolute page turner, be prepared to read this book in one sitting.”—Kerri Schlottman, author of Tell Me One Thing

“Twisty and funny and deeply empathetic…I devoured Woman on the Verge, anxiously turning the pages, desperate to know what happens next. Readers will finish this novel with tears in their eyes and the breath knocked from their chests.”—Michelle Gable, author of A Paris Apartment and Darling Beasts

Relatable and captivating

It's so good! It's very relatable, as a wife and working mom. I couldn't put it down. great character development.

Take time for yourself

This was a great read for me. It really shows that mom's should really take time for themselves if they are main ones taking care of the kids. Wasn’t expecting the ending but it was still a great read.

Trigger Warning!

This is a very well written story, unlike many I have read before and the narrator was perfect. Though, I wish there would have been some small warning that this story deals with child abandonment from a mother and a terminal illness of a father, which lead to a very descriptive and realistic hospice care experience and death. A very dark and triggering story for someone who has recently gone through one or both of these issues, like myself. (No offense to hospice care, as the volunteers are special people who help guide the living through the death process with kindness and compassion. I will forever be thankful for my dad’s hospice team who helped me through this painful journey.)

4 stars

Woman on the Verge by Kim Hooper is quite enjoyable. The first twist was predictable while still being enjoyable, but the second and third twists threw me. I especially liked how the narrators handled this in such a unique way. I do have a couple of questions about how it was all achieved, but I understood it as a whole.

As a mother, I completely relate to Nicole and how motherhood is sold to us as the fulfillment of our gender — something we’re supposedly made for — which is simply untrue. That said, there are a couple of parts in the book involving her daughters that were too vivid and made me uncomfortable, which is why I deducted a star.

Dana Green, Abigail Reno, Jordan Claire McCraw, and Amanda Stribling are good narrators.

Wow! A story about motherhood-let me know you’re not alone!

Wow! A story about motherhood-let me know you’re not alone!

These women and their stories of how they feel lost after becoming a mother is so true and made me felt seen! Absolutely relatable and done in a way that was entertaining, heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.

The audio book of this is absolutely phenomenal. Done in a way I wasn’t expecting, especially at the end! 🤯