This Changes Everything by Lisa Scottoline: Book Review
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This Changes Everything by Lisa Scottoline brings back Julia Pritzker Moretti, the heroine of The Unraveling of Julia, for another fast-paced mystery – this time one that takes her from her new life in Tuscany back to Pennsylvania when tragedy strikes her best friend’s family.
I loved The Unraveling of Julia enough that I actually reread it before starting this one, so I was especially excited to return to Julia’s world. This Changes Everything wasn’t quite the Tuscan escape I was hoping for, but familiar characters, a twisty mystery, and some intriguing new additions to the cast made it well worth the read.
My Take: A fast-paced, twisty thriller that continues Julia’s story with familiar characters, a new mystery, and just enough Tuscany to make me wish there had been more of it. My Verdict? Read. But this book should be read after The Unraveling of Julia.
What Is This Changes Everything About?
Three years after the events of The Unraveling of Julia, Julia Pritzker Moretti has built a new life in Tuscany with her husband, Gianluca, and their young daughter.
But when Julia’s best friend Courtney suffers a devastating family tragedy in Pennsylvania, Julia leaves Italy and flies home to support her. Courtney’s grandmother has been murdered, and although the police have their own theory about what happened, Julia and Courtney suspect there may be much more to the story.
Their search for answers brings Julia into another dangerous mystery and introduces Philadelphia attorney Bennie Rosato, who becomes involved in helping the women uncover the truth.
As Julia becomes increasingly caught up in what happened – and in helping Courtney find justice – her stay in America stretches longer than expected, putting pressure on the family she left behind in Tuscany.
This Changes Everything – What I Liked
Returning to Familiar Characters
One of the biggest reasons I wanted to read This Changes Everything was simply that I wanted more of Julia and the characters I had come to know in The Unraveling of Julia.
About three years have passed in the characters’ lives, which gives us a chance to see what happened after the ending of the first book rather than simply leaving Julia’s story there. She and Gianluca have built a life together, they now have a three-year-old daughter, and their relationships have had time to develop.
For anyone who loved the first book, that familiarity makes it especially easy to slip back into Julia’s world.
A Little More Tuscany
I’ll admit it: I wanted more Tuscany.
The gorgeous Italian setting was one of my favorite parts of The Unraveling of Julia, so I went into this book hoping Scottoline would take me right back there. She does – but only briefly. Most of This Changes Everything takes place in Pennsylvania.
Still, I appreciated the glimpses we get of Julia’s life in Italy, and the Tuscan connection remains an important part of who Julia has become. I just would have happily taken a lot more of it.
The Mystery Kept Me Guessing
The mystery also went in directions I wasn’t expecting when I started the book. It’s fast-paced, twisty, and continually gives Julia – and the reader – new questions to consider.
It isn’t simply a repeat of the type of mystery we encountered in The Unraveling of Julia, which I appreciated. Scottoline takes these familiar characters and puts them into a very different situation.
Bennie Rosato
One of my biggest surprises actually came after I finished the book.
I discovered that Bennie Rosato, the Philadelphia lawyer who becomes involved in Julia and Courtney’s investigation, isn’t simply a new supporting character. She is a major character from Lisa Scottoline’s Rosato & Associates books.
I hadn’t read those books, so I didn’t recognize the crossover while I was reading This Changes Everything. Now, of course, I want to know more about Bennie – and apparently I have much more time to spend with various Scottoline books.
This Changes Everything – What I Didn’t Like
My biggest frustration with the story involved some of Julia’s choices once she returned to Pennsylvania.
Her determination to support Courtney after a devastating family tragedy made complete sense to me. Their friendship is important, and Julia’s loyalty to her is one of the things I like about her character.
But as the story progressed, there were times when I found Julia’s decisions about how to balance helping Courtney with her responsibilities to her own family difficult to believe. Without giving anything away, I’ll just say that as a wife and the mother of a very young child, some of her choices didn’t feel entirely realistic to me.
It didn’t ruin the story – and I was happy with where Scottoline ultimately took it – but this was the one part of the plot that had me questioning Julia rather than simply rooting for her.
This Changes Everything – Read, Re-read, or Reconsider?
Read.
I thoroughly enjoyed returning to Julia’s world, and the combination of familiar characters, new faces, and a mystery that kept changing direction made this an easy book to keep turning the pages.
Interestingly, The Unraveling of Julia has now unofficially earned a ReRead from me – I enjoyed it enough the first time that I reread the entire book before starting This Changes Everything.
Frequently Asked Questions About [Book Title]
Is This Changes Everything a sequel to The Unraveling of Julia?
In practical terms, it certainly feels like one. This Changes Everything takes place about three years later and continues the story of Julia Pritzker Moretti, along with other familiar characters from The Unraveling of Julia.
However, Lisa Scottoline officially categorizes both novels as standalone thrillers. You can read This Changes Everything on its own, but I think readers who have already read The Unraveling of Julia will get more out of seeing where Julia’s life has taken her.
Do I need to read The Unraveling of Julia first?
You don’t have to, but I recommend it. This Changes Everything provides enough context to understand Julia’s current life, but you’ll already know Julia, Gianluca, Courtney, and the events that shaped Julia if you’ve read The Unraveling of Julia. That made the second book more meaningful for me – and I enjoyed the first one enough that I actually reread it before starting this one.
Is This Changes Everything set in Tuscany?
Partly, but don’t go into it expecting another full Tuscan adventure. Julia now lives in Tuscany with Gianluca and their daughter, but the central mystery brings her back to Pennsylvania, where most of the story takes place. If the Italian setting was one of your favorite things about The Unraveling of Julia, as it was for me, you may find yourself wishing for more Tuscany.
Who is Bennie Rosato in This Changes Everything?
Bennie Rosato is the Philadelphia attorney who becomes involved in Julia and Courtney’s search for answers. She’s also a familiar face for longtime Lisa Scottoline readers: Bennie is a central character in Scottoline’s Rosato & Associates series.
I hadn’t read those books before This Changes Everything, so I didn’t realize I was meeting an established Scottoline character until afterward.
Will there be another book about Julia Pritzker Moretti?
Lisa Scottoline has not officially classified these books as a series, but This Changes Everything certainly leaves Julia’s world feeling as though it could continue.
After two books featuring Julia and several recurring characters, I wouldn’t be surprised to see her return again. For now, though, both books are officially categorized by Scottoline as standalone thrillers.
Is This Changes Everything Worth Reading?
Yes. If you enjoyed The Unraveling of Julia, I think This Changes Everything is absolutely worth reading.
It wasn’t quite the book I expected going in – I was hoping for considerably more Tuscany – but I enjoyed seeing how Julia’s life had developed over the intervening years. The mystery kept me guessing, the familiar characters made it easy to jump back into the story, and Bennie Rosato added an unexpected connection to another part of Scottoline’s fictional world.
I had one fairly significant frustration with Julia’s choices involving her family, but it didn’t outweigh everything that worked for me. The story ultimately ended in a way that left me satisfied – and also wondering whether we’ve really seen the last of Julia Pritzker Moretti.
I hope we haven’t.
What To Read Next
- The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell – Best fit for the psychological suspense angle: family secrets, complicated relationships, and a past that becomes increasingly unsettling.
- Saltwater by Katy Hays – Another twisty mystery built around a family tragedy, secrets, and questions about what really happened.
- The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd – A layered mystery with strong female characters and secrets that gradually reveal a much bigger story.
