The Conditions of Will by Jessa Hastings
on April 1, 2025
Genres: Fiction / Family Life / General, Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / New Adult
Pages: 464
Format: Paperback
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The Conditions of Will is one of those rare books that slips under the radar but absolutely deserves to be shouted about from the rooftops. Jessa Hastings has delivered a deeply emotional, raw, and layered novel that explores grief, family dysfunction, love, and identity in all its messy, painful glory.
At the center of this story is Georgia Carter—a brilliant behavioral science expert who can read emotions through body language alone. But no amount of professional insight can prepare her for the emotional minefield she walks into when she returns to the American South after years of estrangement to attend her father’s funeral. Her family is toxic, complicated, and wounded in ways that feel achingly real. The only person she’s ever felt connected to is her younger brother, a recovering alcoholic who’s spent his life fighting for acceptance in a family that never offered it freely.
What unfolds is a beautifully tangled story of secrets, inheritance, emotional damage, and slow-burning personal growth. Georgia’s internal monologue—analytical, perceptive, and painfully honest—makes for such a compelling lens through which to experience this story. Watching her navigate the storm of unresolved trauma, parental neglect, religious rigidity, and sibling detachment was heartbreaking and unflinchingly human.
And then there’s Sam Penny—Georgia’s brother’s AA sponsor, and one of the most subtly powerful characters I’ve read in a while. His presence is grounding, his complexity is refreshing, and the way he balances being there for Georgia while honoring his commitment to her brother? Impeccable. Their chemistry is complicated, but it’s never forced—it simmers under the surface, charged with grief, guilt, longing, and restraint.
This book isn’t a light read—it digs into heavy, often uncomfortable territory—but Hastings handles each theme with incredible emotional precision. Every sentence feels intentional. Every character, flawed and frustrating as they may be, feels fully realized. The story doesn’t tie everything up in a neat bow, but that’s part of what makes it so powerful. The growth is gradual, the hope is earned, and the ending feels honest.
The Conditions of Will is a standout novel that deserves way more attention than it’s getting. If you’re drawn to messy family dramas, deeply introspective protagonists, and writing that pulses with feeling—add this to your TBR immediately. It’s a story that lingers.
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