Welcome to the Buddy Book Club – we have a light-hearted comedic podcast that covers a variety of books. Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon & Harlan Coben is a new 2025 ‘suspense’ novel. This book is really Reese Witherspoon first foray into serious writing while her writing partner  Harlan Coben has already spun out 35+ books. It is described as an ‘unforgettable suspense’ novel. The Buddies read it with an open mind but we came away wishing we could forget it.

We did a full breakdown of Gone Before Goodbye on our podcast episode. Warning: if you liked this book, you’re probably not going to like this episode or our book club questions. The Buddies spent 45 minutes trashing Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben’s new book. It was so spectacularly bad that the Buddies are considering picketing Barnes & Noble. This literary dumpster fire had all the hallmarks of a ChatGPT fever dream: nonsensical plot twists, a plastic surgeon performing expert heart surgery, even the clever character names like “Pork Chop” and “Cinderblock” couldn’t save this one… So if that interests you, feel free to check it out.

Our book club questions try to be a little more outside the box/comedic than your typical book club questions – hopefully you enjoy them.

Book Club Discussion Questions – Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon

-> What genre would you call this book? It seems to mix a lot of different ones, how would you describe this to someone?

Action, getting over loss, sci-fi, superhero doctor, company ethics, world traveler book?

-> What do you think the chances of a plastic surgeon being able to pull off an open heart transplant surgery? Wouldn’t it make a bit more sense to get the best heart surgeon?

The fact that they pretended that this book was set in any sort of reality is pretty absurd.

-> How much is the Grief Bot worth that Maggie’s sister creates? How is her sister possibly in debt?

It’s a revolutionary technology, easily worth hundreds of millions if not more, right?

-> What is Maggie’s motivation to continually try and save everyone? It seems like she keeps running into situations without any plan and trying to save people, isn’t being in the army and a doctor enough?

She was still trying to save Nadia multiple times even when Nadia explicitly said she didn’t need saving, can she just not take ‘no’ for an answer?

-> Did they name a lot of characters just after the physical characteristics? Neck, Pork Chop, Cinder Block, Beefy? Funny or a easy cop out?

Seems like there a was a pretty big lack of diversity in overall character archetypes in this one.

-> What was up with the whole phone situation in this book? She doesn’t remember any numbers except for the payphone at Porkchop’s bar. So she calls him at 10am (one ring, he answers since he’s been waiting evidently all day and night for that call). But then minutes she is calling up the cell number of the “smarty pants” in her college class? How does she have ‘smarty pants’ number? 

Was there not an editor for this book? Why was this whole phone situation even in the book?

-> When Maggie walks into Oleg Ragoravich bedroom, her first thought is ‘You could probably fit 100 people in here for an orgy.” Is Maggie into some kinky stuff?

My guess would be yes, she’s clearly a adrenaline junkie so she probably needs to get a bit wild to feel anything, even in the bedroom.

-> How did you feel about the character of Porkchop? Seemed like his character was the least realistic (in a book full of unrealistic characters). A good-hearted motorcycle gang leader, that everyone likes, a womanizer, who runs a kitschy NYC bar, but also a murder that is into some shady dealings.

Just a complete caricature of a man.

-> The big reveal is Trace killed Marc and Porkchop killed Trace. Did this reveal hit for you at all? Did we know enough about Trace to even care or get what his motives were?

It seemed like they introduce 10 different good looking womanizing men, I couldn’t keep them all straight.

-> Maggie is a Medal of Honor recipient. But only ONE woman has EVER received it (Mary Walker, Civil War, 1868). Only 79 medical personnel total since the 1860s have received one. Is this the most casually insane throwaway line in fiction?

What an embarrassing thing to just throw in for credentials.

-> We still don’t understand the purpose of Nadia tattoo fake-out. She gets a temporary tattoo of Mark’s tattoo to mess with Maggie. What exactly is her end goal? It seemed like a giant red herring, which the character comes out and says ‘yeah, that was just a giant red herring to make you question things.’ Why? Why not just ask her if she killed Trace? Or better yet fly to Baltimore and ask her in person instead of sleeping with a Russian guy in order to potentially have him use Maggie for plastic surgery.

Sorry I feel like these aren’t even questions any more just rants, but this book was so frustrating.

-> Has a book ever made you consider protesting outside of a Barnes & Nobles? 

This book did it for us.

-> How would you rate this book? Will you be picking up the next Reece Witherspoon thriller or passing?

We gave it, not surprisingly, a 0.5 stars/5. So it’s going to be a no from us. 

-> Who would you cast in a movie version of this book?

We do casting for other books, for this one we’re just going to pass. Our hearts not in it.