Book review: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Genre: Contemporary & historical fiction

Release date: April 7, 2026

Goodreads rating: 4.18

My rating: 5

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Wow! I rarely finish a book and want to jump right back at the beginning and start it a second time, but this is exactly how I felt about this one.

The story follows Natalie, a woman raised with traditional ‘old-fashioned’ housewife values who struggles to find her balance in a more modern world. She builds her identify and career around the illusion of living this old-fashioned life but behind the scenes, she is at odds with everything: her family, her husband, her feelings about motherhood, herself…

But where the story gets especially gripping is when, one morning, she suddenly wakes up in the 1800s and must confront the reality of the life that she has been glorifying.    

I went into this book expecting a time-slip story but it turned out to be something a lot more fascinating. I found myself trying to figure out what had happened and where it was heading but never managed to guess the ending… yet it was so well done and made me want to go back.

This is an easy five-start read for me (and I suspect it will be a top book of 2026). I highly recommend that you go into this book without reading too much about it. Let yourself discover the story without spoilers.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for granting me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

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