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Book Club Night Kit

In Her Defense

Philippa Malicka
Cozy night

A courtroom-adjacent secret keeper and a splashy celebrity libel trial make for a page-turner full of hushed confidences and simmering suspense, perfect for a cozy night of shared theories.

Blankets, Cider, and a Very Big Trial

Come curl up for a cozy night with In Her Defense by Philippa Malicka. Bring your softest sweater, your favorite mug, and your theories about the girl at the edge of the courtroom.

Reading level: Easy Pages: 352

Best for: clubs that love a talk-worthy thriller wrapped in blankets and mugs of something warm

Discussion

Warm-up

  1. 1.Where were you when you did most of your reading of this one, and did it become a book you looked forward to curling up with?
  2. 2.What was the first small moment or detail that made you feel at home inside the story?

Digging in

  1. 1.The book plays with the idea of who gets to be believed. Was there a character whose voice felt especially comforting to you, and why?
  2. 2.Everyone in this story is watched in some way. When have you felt the quiet relief of not being watched, and did the book stir that feeling up?
  3. 3.Secrets sit at the heart of the book. Without sharing anything you don't want to, did reading it soften or complicate how you feel about the secrets people carry?
  4. 4.Celebrity libel is the loud surface of the story, but tenderness hides underneath. Which quiet scene lingered with you the longest?

Going deep

  1. 1.The young woman at the center holds real power in her silence. How did the story make you feel about the times you've chosen when (or whether) to speak up?
  2. 2.By the last pages, what feeling did the book leave you sitting with, and did it feel like comfort, ache, hope, or something harder to name?

On the table & to sip

To eat

Courthouse-steps grilled cheese with tomato soup shooters
Handheld comfort food echoing long days of testimony and quiet lunches away from the cameras
Buttery shortbread 'verdict' cookies
A homey nod to hushed teatime confidences, easy to bake and pass around a coffee table
Slow-cooker herbed chicken and dumplings
Nurturing, spoon-in-a-bowl fare for a book about people quietly holding a lot together

To sip

Honey chamomile 'hush' tea (no alcohol)
A calming pour for a story built on secrets and small brave moments
Spiced apple cider with a cinnamon stick (no alcohol)
Warm, inviting, and impossible to gulp, perfect for slow conversation
Mulled red wine with orange peel
A gentle grown-up option that mirrors the story's simmering tension

Run of show

7:00
Soft landing
Greet guests with a mug of chamomile tea and let them claim a blanket or cozy spot before anything starts
7:15
Warm-up chatter
Serve grilled cheese and soup shooters while working through the two warm-up questions
7:40
Into the story
Move into the theme questions, keeping the pace unhurried and letting quieter voices in
8:15
Sweet break
Pass around shortbread and cider, then run a quick round of trivia for fun, no scores required
8:35
Deeper waters
Ease into the two deep questions once everyone is settled and full
9:10
Scorecards and send-off
Fill in scorecards together, share one-word reactions, and send everyone home with a bookmark

Host tips

  • Keep lighting low and layered (lamps, candles, string lights) so people feel at ease sharing personal reactions
  • Have a 'pass' rule so anyone can skip a question without explanation, especially the deeper ones
  • Prep food ahead so you can actually sit down and be part of the conversation, not hover in the kitchen

Playlist

soft, hushed, and a little suspenseful, like lamplight through rain-streaked windows

  1. 01 Liability - Lorde
  2. 02 The Night We Met - Lord Huron
  3. 03 Skinny Love - Birdy
  4. 04 Landslide - Fleetwood Mac
  5. 05 Cornelia Street - Taylor Swift
  6. 06 Youth - Daughter
  7. 07 Motion Sickness - Phoebe Bridgers
  8. 08 Holocene - Bon Iver

Trivia

  1. 1.In Her Defense was chosen by which celebrity-founded book club? (Reese Witherspoon's Book Club)
  2. 2.What is the year of publication for In Her Defense? (2026)
  3. 3.Who is the author of the novel? (Philippa Malicka)
  4. 4.What broad category is the book shelved under? (Fiction)
  5. 5.Roughly how many pages is In Her Defense? (About 352)
  6. 6.What type of high-profile legal case sits at the center of the story? (A celebrity libel trial)
  7. 7.Libel refers to defamation in which form? (Written or published (as opposed to spoken))
  8. 8.Reese Witherspoon's book club is known for spotlighting stories centered on what kind of protagonists? (Women at the heart of the story)

Bookmarks

Print, cut, and tuck one at every seat, a small keepsake from the night.

In Her Defense
In Her Defense
In Her Defense

Rate the book

Coziness of the read☆☆☆☆☆
How much it moved you☆☆☆☆☆
Characters you rooted for☆☆☆☆☆
Staying-with-you factor☆☆☆☆☆
Would recommend to a friend☆☆☆☆☆
One word for how this book made me feel: ______________________
The scene I'd want to reread with a warm drink: ______________________
A friend I'd hand this book to next: ______________________
That's a wrap
Thank you for coming

We hope the company was good and the conversation even better. Until the next chapter.