Book Club Night Kit
It Could Have Been Her
Lisa Jewell
Cozy night
A Lisa Jewell mystery where an ordinary house and a missing teenager stir up long-buried memories, perfect for a night of shared shivers and cozy conversation.
Blankets, Warm Drinks, and One Unsettling House
Come get cozy for a night with Lisa Jewell's It Could Have Been Her. Bring your slippers, we will bring the comfort food and gentle conversation.
Reading level: Easy
Best for: A relaxed club that loves a page-turner they can curl up with and talk about like old friends
Discussion
Warm-up
- 1.Settle in with your blanket and drink: where were you when the story really pulled you in, and did you read it in one cozy sitting or savor it slowly?
- 2.Was this a book you wanted to read alone under a lamp, or one you kept wanting to text a friend about? Tell us which and why.
Digging in
- 1.The story turns on a house that holds unsettling memories. Is there a place from your own life that still carries a feeling the moment you picture it?
- 2.Jane returns to somewhere tied to her past. When has revisiting an old place brought back more than you expected, and did it comfort you or unsettle you?
- 3.This book leans on the quiet unease of ordinary homes and neighbors. What everyday detail in the story gave you a little shiver, and did you find that cozy or uncomfortable?
- 4.A missing teenager sits at the heart of the story. What did the book stir up in you about worry, protectiveness, or wanting to keep the people you love safe?
Going deep
- 1.Without giving anything away, which character stayed with you after you closed the book, and what did you find yourself wishing you could say to them?
- 2.Thinking back over the whole story, what feeling did it leave you sitting with once the last page turned, and did anything about it quietly comfort you?
On the table & to sip
To eat
Bubbling shepherd's pie
A warm, buttery British comfort classic that suits Jewell's homey UK settings and a curl-up-on-the-sofa night
Cheese and pickle toasties, cut small
The kind of unfussy home snack that fits a story rooted in ordinary houses and kitchens
Warm apple crumble with custard
Nurturing and a little indulgent, the dessert equivalent of a soft blanket for a suspenseful read
To sip
Proper pot of English breakfast tea (no alcohol)
A cozy British staple to sip slowly while you swap theories, kept topped up all night
Spiced hot chocolate with cream (no alcohol)
Comforting and indulgent, a soothing counterweight to the story's quiet dread
Mulled red wine
Warm, spiced, and gently grown-up, perfect for settling in as the tension builds
Run of show
7:00
Warm welcome
Greet everyone with tea or hot chocolate and let people settle into the comfiest seats
7:20
Comfort supper
Serve the shepherd's pie and toasties buffet-style so chatting stays easy and low-pressure
7:45
Gentle warm-up
Open with the two warm-up questions to get everyone talking about how the book felt
8:05
Heart of the discussion
Move through the theme and deep questions, staying spoiler-kind to anyone still finishing
8:40
Crumble and trivia
Bring out warm apple crumble and play a relaxed round of trivia
9:00
Cozy wind-down
Fill in scorecards, share one-word reactions, and pick next month's read
Host tips
- Keep a spoiler-free zone until you confirm everyone has finished, and flag the deep questions before you reach them
- Have blankets and warm drinks within reach so no one has to get up to feel cozy
- If the room goes quiet, invite people to share a feeling rather than an opinion, it keeps things warm and personal
Playlist
Hushed, warm, and a little haunted: soft piano and gentle voices for a rainy-window kind of night
- 01 Skinny Love - Birdy
- 02 The Night We Met - Lord Huron
- 03 Holocene - Bon Iver
- 04 To Build a Home - The Cinematic Orchestra
- 05 Breathe Me - Sia
- 06 Liability - Lorde
- 07 Promise - Ben Howard
- 08 Northern Sky - Nick Drake
Trivia
- 1.What genre is Lisa Jewell best known for writing? (Domestic suspense and psychological thrillers)
- 2.In which country was Lisa Jewell born? (England (London))
- 3.Jewell's earlier career began with a bestselling debut novel; what was its one-word-ish title about a young man named Ralph? (Ralph's Party)
- 4.Domestic thrillers like this one often center their unease on what everyday setting? (The family home)
- 5.The central mystery is set off by which kind of event involving a young person? (A teenager reported missing)
- 6.Lisa Jewell has published her novels across roughly how many books over her career: around a dozen, around two dozen, or over forty? (Around two dozen)
- 7.What narrative technique, common in Jewell's work, means readers slowly uncover the past alongside the present? (A dual or shifting timeline reveal)
- 8.Is It Could Have Been Her fiction or nonfiction? (Fiction)
Bookmarks
Print, cut, and tuck one at every seat, a small keepsake from the night.
“Some houses remember what we tried to forget.”
It Could Have Been Her
Lisa Jewell
bookclubnight.com
“Curl up close, the past is knocking softly.”
It Could Have Been Her
Lisa Jewell
bookclubnight.com
“Warm mug in hand, secrets one page away.”
It Could Have Been Her
Lisa Jewell
bookclubnight.com
Rate the book
Coziness of the read☆☆☆☆☆
How much it moved you☆☆☆☆☆
Kept-me-up factor☆☆☆☆☆
Characters you cared about☆☆☆☆☆
Would recommend to a friend☆☆☆☆☆
One word for how this book made you feel: ______________________
The moment I felt most for a character was: ______________________
I would reread this on a rainy day: yes or no ______________________
That's a wrap
Thank you for coming
We hope the company was good and the conversation even better. Until the next chapter.