This Story Might Save Your Life: A Novel

Name: This Story Might Save Your Life: A Novel
Rating: 7.5 (111 reviews)
ISBN: 9781250395238

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"Both a riveting mystery and a love story, This Story Might Save Your Life is one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year." —Amy Tintera, bestselling author of Listen for the Lie
“A heart-pounding thriller and a heart-melting romance, this is the most compelling novel I’ve read in years.” —Annabel Monaghan, New York Times bestselling author of It’s a Love Story

Best friends Benny and Joy like to say they’ve been saving each other’s lives since the moment they met. Until the day Joy disappears and Benny is suspected of murder . . .

Benny Abbott and Joy Moore host one of the most beloved podcasts in the world. Each week, they delight listeners with a different “against all odds” survival story, gleefully finding the weird, life-affirming humor in near-death experiences. Since their first episode on Joy’s experience with severe narcolepsy, they’ve been the best friends everyone wants to befriend—and thanks to the meticulous management of Joy’s husband, Xander, they’ve built a lucrative empire.

The problem is, their next survival story may be their own. When Benny arrives at Joy and Xander’s one morning to record, he finds shattered glass and an empty house. The one clue shedding light on the couple’s disappearance is the incomplete, previously unseen first draft of Joy’s memoir. Benny is desperate to find them, even when the police soon zero in on him as their prime suspect.

Millions of devoted listeners think they know the “real” Benny and Joy. But as the hours tick by, and the odds seem increasingly stacked against Joy and Xander being found alive, not even the most devoted fans could guess the terrible secrets their favorite famous BFFs have hidden from the world—and from each other.

“I truly loved reading This Story Might Save Your Life. The pace was terrific, and it was so smart and engrossing. The pages practically turn themselves in this nuanced thriller. I couldn't put it down!”
—Nina Simon, bestselling author of Mother-Daughter Murder Night

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Published Mar 10, 2026

368 pages

Average rating: 7.5

111 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

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ValerieRuiz

Apr 24, 2026

3/10 stars

This review might save your time. Not the worst book I've read, but definitely not good and I'm utterly disappointed after being so excited about getting to read it. What's marketed as a thriller, was more of a romantic suspense novel and I was not into it past part 2. This book is basically just two adults who don't know how to be honest and hurt everyone's feelings, including their own, along the way. That's it, that's the review. Also, I thought their podcast concept was dumb.

Angie B.

Apr 14, 2026

9/10 stars

Some books tell a story—this one pulls you into one. The unique format isn’t just there to be different; it actively shapes the experience, making you feel like you’re piecing things together as you go. That constant sense of discovery kept me completely hooked, and the pacing strikes a perfect balance—tight enough to keep the tension high, but never rushed. Every chapter feels like it’s building toward something, and more often than not, it delivers in ways you don’t quite see coming. What really makes it land, though, are the characters and the twists. The characters feel messy and real, the kind you recognize in yourself or people around you, even when their choices are frustrating. And the twists aren’t just shocking for the sake of it—they feel earned, the kind that make you want to go back and see how all the clues were there. Just when you think you’ve figured things out, the story shifts again in a way that’s both surprising and completely fitting.

MamaBear66

Apr 10, 2026

7/10 stars

Great first effort by Tiffany Crum. However, as suspense/mysteries go a little predictable and too many supporting characters. Dual POV added nice touch and Benny and Joy were likeable albeit frustrating at times. Secrets were theme; seemed like every character had one or more. Learned a lot about narcolepsy!! Try audio version for a more fun experience. Jill Whelan narrating for Joy doesn't disappoint.

TrishAM71

Apr 02, 2026

8/10 stars

First of all let me say that I really enjoyed this book, I found it very difficult to review because there was so much going on. It is a great concept flowing well between two timelines, I did however think that it dragged a bit towards the end. There is a large cast of diverse and sometimes, oddly weird characters, the main ones being Joy, Benny and Xander. Joy Moore and Benny Abbott had been BFF, they knew one another so well that they decided to set up a podcast " Against all Odds", creating sometimes funny, sometimes ludicrous but dangerous situations that they had to talk their way out of. The podcast was very popular, the banter between the two was both witty and sarcastic, the following just grew. Much to Benny's disappointment, Joy had married Xander but Benny took it on the chin, he liked Xander and with Xander's contacts and organizing skills the podcast became even more popular and they were on their way to making a lot of money. All was not as it seemed, Benny turned up ay Joy and Xander's house to find a window broken and no sign of Joy and Xander, had they been kidnapped ? why would they leave without a trace ? no matter what the reason, Joy would have let him know, or she would have left him a clue ..........but had Joy left him a clue ? was Barry reading too much into the state of their marriage or was that just wishful thinking, he was soon to find out when the police headed their suspicions in his direction. The story twist and turns, flips timelines and the suspense builds, were their lives in danger ? In short I loved the podcast, I love how they bounced witty ideas off one another, I love how the author addressed the condition of narcolepsy, I am not so sure about the romance, I found Benny a bit immature, he seemed more like a brother to Joy than a romantic rival but overall, an enjoyable read. Thank you Net Gallery for this ARC, my review is totally voluntary.

@sweettea_and_a_book

Apr 01, 2026

8/10 stars

An addictive plot, Julia Whelan’s narration?! This story most certainly saved my reading life!!! I was so deep in a slump yall, I was beginning to think my reading era was no more, but all I needed was the right books to come along and remind me of the avid reader I am! Benny and Joy are besties who team up to lead a podcast about how they’d respond in potential survival scenarios. The podcast quickly tops the chart and they become famous, sought after celebs! They’ve always shared everything with each other, but when Joy turns up missing Benny realizes there’s some things he didn’t know. Will he be able to save Joy, or is it too late? I really enjoyed this dual, multi timeline story; it’s fast paced and full of suspense. I enjoyed the friendship and natural humor between Benny and Joy. I wasn’t quite as fond of their years long secret pining for each other, while bringing others into the mix. The story was great. It’s mostly slow burn, with fast paced twists thrown into the mix. But towards the end it kind of fizzled out for me. However it was still a great and much needed spark in my reading journey!! The audiobook was narrated by Julia Whelan and Sean Patrick Hopkins and they gave a magnetic performance! It was my first time hearing Sean, but yes, he was a great pair for Julia!!