Pot Shot by Laura Piper Lee
I absolutely loved Pot Shot by Laura Pipper Lee. This book was so well written, with incredible character and plot development that kept me fully invested from start to finish. There’s a bit of spice, but it never overpowers the story—which I really appreciated. The emotional depth and growth of the characters are what truly shine. Julian starts off as closed-minded and a little uptight, but through his rotation in family medicine—and seeing firsthand how people benefit from medicinal marijuana—his perspective begins to shift. Watching him confront his own biases and personal demons added so much depth to his character. Nomi, on the other hand, is more of a free spirit, though she carries her own private struggles with her bowel disease. She’s compassionate, forgiving, and grounded in a way that perfectly balances Julian. Together, they just work. Their dynamic felt authentic and meaningful, and I found myself really rooting for them. Laura also did a fantastic job with the side characters—they weren’t just background noise, but added real depth to the story. I genuinely cared about these people, which made the whole reading experience even more impactful. I’ve already recommended this book across my social media platforms, and it’s definitely one I’d love to own a physical copy of. Such an enjoyable and memorable read!
Pot Shot by Laura Piper Lee, (List Price: $18.99, Union Square & Co., 9781454965558, May 2026)
Reviewed by Savannah, Story Hollow in Madisonville, Tennessee
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“I thought about setting the historical timeline before the Meiji Restoration, when the samurai still would have had social standing and power. But ultimately, I liked the idea of Sen’s family desperately clinging to the past glory of the samurai, because desperate characters do irrational things. I also liked that because Sen’s father essentially wants to start a whole new samurai rebellion from scratch. The stakes feel much more like a personal vendetta than a political movement. I think this decision fit better with the story I was trying to tell — I’m more interested in talking about the mistakes of one family who happened to be samurai rather than commenting on the samurai at large.” 
“When I sat down to write this novel, it ended up going in a completely different direction than what I had intended. I’d originally wanted to write an unrequited love story. As I was writing the first few scenes, I was like, “Oh, these people actually both love each other, so that’s not working. Also, I really feel the need to explore how this character has come to love in this way, and to deny herself love in this way.
