Lady X by Molly Fader: Book Review

Lady X is the latest release from bestselling Canadian author Molly Fader. Expected to be released on July 14, 2026, this dual-timeline story discusses what happens when women take matters into their own hands. Margot’s world collapses in a matter of minutes. Ginger and her friends get fed up with their complaints being ignored and take matters into their own hands.

I want to thank Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Lady X. All opinions presented here are my own.

Synopsis from Goodreads

Los Angeles, 2024. After learning that her A-List actor husband sent explicit photos to multiple girls on social media, Margot Cooper runs away from the world—and the paparazzi—by fleeing to her childhood home with her teenage daughter in tow.

But home isn’t the sanctuary Margot was hoping for. In a cardboard box in the corner of the attic, she finds damning evidence of an infamous urban legend, the mysterious vigilante “Lady X”—including a blurry newspaper photo of a woman who looks an awful lot like Margot’s mother.

New York City, 1977. In the midst of an infamous summer, Ginger Daughtry and her two beloved roommates are able to shield each other from the chaos—until one of them is assaulted. Astounded by the lack of response from police, the young women decide to engage in some light payback, signing their handiwork as “Lady X.”

Soon copycats appear, and a movement inspired by acts of vandalism against terrible men spirals out of control, with criminals running amok under the guise of the enigmatic “Lady X.” When a body is found fallen—or pushed—from five stories high, the hunt reaches a boiling point.

But Lady X has vanished into thin air.

My Opinions

Lady X was a book I added to my TBR because of its subject matter. What do I mean by that? Simply put, it’s about women fighting for what’s right and showing the world that women are important.

The story is told through two timelines, 1977 and 2024. Each chapter tells you at the beginning which year and which character we are with — Ginger or Margot. At the same time, the story is told in third-person POV.

Margot is a woman I can relate to, as she wonders what’s next in her life now that the kids have all grown and she’ll soon have an empty nest. She’s struggling because she’s set aside her hopes and dreams, even friendships, to be there for her family 100%.

Ginger is a woman trying to make it in New York City. But she finds that the men around her see her only as an object, not a person. If she doesn’t give them what they want, they won’t give her what she wants. After a friend is attacked, Ginger has had enough and starts letting the world know what’s going on.

Both women grow and develop the more we get to know them. Ginger goes from being a bubbly pageant queen who lets things happen to a strong woman willing to stand up for what is right. Margot stops caring about everyone else’s feelings except her own. I know that may sound harsh, but she is so worried about rocking the boat that, in many ways, she lets people walk over her.

Overall, I feel that Lady X is a book that everyone should read. Given the current state of affairs in the world, and how women are still treated, I feel that Lady X is a timely read. It’s a perfect mix of historical fiction, contemporary fiction, and mystery.

Are you looking for some more books to read? Check out my bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.