by Kate Clayborn
ASIN/ISBN: 9781496737298
Publication: January 24, 2023

Because Georgie does not adhere to traditional standards of success, she feels out of place. She does not have a college degree and has spent much of her time after high school as a personal assistant, helping other people reach their goals. After being let go from her position, she returns to her hometown to help her pregnant best friend prepare for the baby. Revisiting the past provides an opportunity for Georgie to find direction and figure out what she wants. It also helps that her new roommate Levi offers to assist her.

This is a wonderfully written novel. Georgie may seem like a mess, but she is always willing to help people out. Her kindness and flexibility can often be taken advantage of. Levi is broody, a bit of a curmudgeon really, but is working hard to be the opposite of who he used to be. She’s a ray of sunshine, and he is a grump. While I found Georgie and Levi falling for each other to be extremely quick, I also understood why. Not only is it close proximity, but Levi successfully forged a new path while Georgie is very much trying to do the same with goals she made at a rare time when she planned for the future. They’re both still trying to find worth in the eyes of the people around them.

Not only are Georgie and Levi rounded characters, but many of the supporting characters are fleshed out as well. Hank, Levi’s dog, is the show stealer here. The subplots helped push Georgie’s story forward and were integrated well into her journey rather than feeling like they were afterthoughts to fill the pages. I cared about what would happen to Bel, Georgie’s best friend. I appreciated Georgie’s parents and their free-spirit ways.

Clayborn provides a compelling message through Georgie’s journey of self-discovery. It resonated with me, and at one point I was in tears. I felt incredibly lucky to be on Georgie’s journey with her. For a few days, I lived vicariously through Georgie and was reminded of my own self-worth.