Preview - Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Yesteryear

Caro Claire Burke

Copyright 2026

391 pages

Well, well, well… the universe delivered us the most practically perfect momfluencer to ever grace a ring light. According to herself — and only herself — Natalie has crafted a faith‑soaked, hand‑embroidered, ethically sourced childhood for her family. “Perfect,” she says. Repeatedly. So repeatedly it stops sounding like a descriptor and starts sounding like a nervous tic. The kind of tic you hear right before a time bomb goes off. Because there is no universe where this level of curated bliss doesn’t eventually combust.

Natalie prides herself on her “authentic, traditional parenting style.” Authentic in the sense that it exists exclusively in front of a camera, and traditional in the sense that it’s filtered through seventeen presets and a farmhouse‑chic aesthetic. Her Instagram empire — all sun‑dappled porches and children in linen — has millions of followers swooning. Sure, she gets hate too, but that’s just the cost of doing business when your entire personality is “I make sourdough and never raise my voice.”

And then… the magic phrase. The phrase that makes every influencer’s eye twitch: “allegations of abuse.” Suddenly I’m sitting up straighter, because finally, the crack in the porcelain.

Next thing we know, Natalie gets yeeted straight into 1855. No electricity. No modern conveniences. No curated farmhouse aesthetic — just an actual farmhouse. The kids? Similar to her kids, but uncanny enough to make you check for glitches. The husband? Same deal. The whole setup feels like someone recreated her life from memory and got 92% of the details right. And Natalie, bless her delusional little heart, assumes she’s been dropped into a reality show designed to test whether she can live the lifestyle she pretends to have.

I’m hooked. I need answers. How did she time‑travel? Why does everything feel like an off‑brand version of her life? And how long until the façade cracks wide open and the scandal gets deliciously messy? The internet devours influencer drama like it’s a food group, so I’m expecting this to get juicy.

Anyway — gotta run. I need to finish the book and find out just how “perfect” things stay when the ring light goes out.