Heaven Adjacent was a heartwarming and feel-good story about a lawyer, Rosie, who abandons city life after experiencing loss. Catherine Ryan Hyde crafts a novel with complex characters---I was sad to finish this novel.

Truth, love, friendship and what makes life full? Thought-provoking and one I will long remember. Love a book that makes me apply the lessons to my own life.

This book was actually life changing for me. I realized that as long as I have a roof over my head, a place to take a shower and fix my hair, a bed to sleep in, and a comfortable chair in which to sit while I read my books...I would be in heaven. Roseanna's life changes suddenly and I felt her pain but also understood her decision to make a major life change.

The people who cross Roseanna's path were each well developed and affected her in ways she could have never imagined. New relationships developed and old relationships healed. This was a wonderful story about what really matters.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of Heaven Adjacent. Roseanna is a big lawyer in a big city. When her bestfriend dies she jumps in her car and drives until she runs out of gas. She buys a piece of property that already has squatters on it. She has to climb a hill to have cell reception. She meets the quirkiest people throught the book!! This piece of land will be her heaven. She has a very a strained relationship with her own son. Once he finds her they work on this relationship!! Another amazing book by this author!

HEAVEN ADJACENT by Catherine Ryan Hyde is exactly why her books populate my Kindle more than any other author. She lures me in with her characters’ situations, captivating my heart and mind with their personalities.

Attorney Roseanna Chaldecott runs away from New York City, deciding she craves personal space far away from people. She buys some property in the country on a whim when her car runs out of gas. It appears Roseanna will get her wish to be alone in the run-down, shack of a home, until she finds the first pair of squatters.

Two by two they come to her as if she has built the ark. Will Roseanna ever accept the chaos of love, or will she continue to guard the gates to her heaven-on-earth with sarcasm?

Roseanna helps her squatters create art out of all the junk they find in the barn, much to the annoyance of the neighbors. When a reporter shows up, hoping to do a human-interest story on Roseanna’s intended new life, she’s skeptical. But he promises he’ll keep her location secret. Roseanna’s best friend’s death pushed her into a new life that she believes no one in her past will understand. She hopes by sharing her story others will find their bliss.

Of course, the reporter gives a big enough hint about her location so that her thirty-year-old son finds her, immediately followed by her law partner and many looky-loos. That was what she feared most.

The squatters range from human to animal, something that Roseanna’s sarcasm finds irresistible, making the reader laugh. She has found a piece of heaven-on-earth, and even though she doesn’t realize it yet, she is a part of what makes this place special. Can she deal with squatters without legalese, allowing herself to care about those less fortunate?

The chapters twist back and forth through Roseanna’s timeline of decisions, giving the reader just enough information to make them insanely curious for more. I love this technique because it is so well-honed. It’s a clever way to reveal a story, making me wonder if Hyde writes like this to begin with, or if she writes, disassembles, and then puts it all back together.

I loved several of the squatters, but the five-year-old really entertained with her outrageous personality. The little girl is so precocious that it tips Roseanna’s sarcasm into overdrive. She’s falling hard for this little girl, realizing she’s doomed in resisting her. Roseanna’s son, who finally comes out about his gay lifestyle to his mom, is a great character. I loved how their relationship healed and grew, making the conclusion especially sweet.

I discovered Hyde’s talent when I reviewed LEAVING BLYTHE RIVER in 2018, quickly followed by TAKE ME WITH YOU. She’s swiftly earning a spot as a favorite author. Every time I read one of her novels, I download more of her backlist, determined to have them all.

I loved HEAVEN ADJACENT so much that I read it a second time to make sure that my review benefited this book’s awesomeness. I think once you try a Catherine Ryan Hyde book, you’ll be like me, buying everything she has written. So far, this one is my favorite and I can’t wait to recommend it to my book club.

Catherine Ryan Hyde always entertains with her quirky characters and tightly woven storytelling. Her books are always active, filled with clever and often witty dialogue that moves the story in a rapid pace. There isn’t wasted description – it plays an active role with the dialogue, forcing me to push page after page late into the night.

There are many reasons why I’m attracted to a book like this. Number one, Roseanna runs away to a farm. Nothing is funnier than a city slicker learning how to exist on very little, including assumed conveniences that don’t exist. Especially a cranky lawyer aching for a set down by common folks just trying to get by. Having lived in the city and the country, I can relate to the humor when opposite ends of the financial spectrum hit the fan.

Secondly, Roseanna has run away from home. Something I say all the time when I’m off on one of my back-to-nature excursions. If you haven’t experienced running away from home yet, Roseanna proves how it cleanses your soul. The quirky characters who enter her life, human and otherwise, are very funny as well as heartwarming, with a little heartbreak thrown in for good measure.

Favorite Roseanna idioms…but you’ll need to read the book to understand why they stand out and make me laugh just thinking about them.

“Somebody just handed me a fish.”

“Do I look like the arbiter of eggs?”

The title HEAVEN ADJACENT makes this book sound religious but it’s not. It has great life lessons, so those with a deep faith will appreciate it, but it doesn’t lean to any specific religion, nor does it include bible quotes. What I loved most was Roseanna’s character growth. The last page is the best true-to-character conclusion I’ve ever read.

Almost everyone is familiar with PAY IT FORWARD, the book that launched a movement, and like me, you’ve probably seen the movie. I haven’t read that story yet, so I came to Hyde’s talent completely unbiased by what came before. I had no idea she wrote PAY IT FORWARD, but now it makes perfect sense when I compare it to what I’ve read so far. I’m so curious about how she creates a book because they’re written seamlessly. I’m sure her path to finished product is especially analytical. It has to be to get all her ducks in a row with no wobbles.

HEAVEN ADJACENT’s focus is one cranky woman’s journey to fulfillment and the fallout she creates with her one moment of self-preservation. It’s entertaining and beautiful, sarcastically funny, and full of heart. Highly Recommend!

Review by Dorine, courtesy of TheZestQuest.com.

While I generally enjoy reading this author’s work, I couldn’t get into this story. I really wanted to like it but, unfortunately, it never clicked for me. However, I do like the lesson in appreciating the little things in life. This book will make you think about what’s really important to you. Thank you, NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing.

Didn't get the book read due to health reasons. I plan to eventually pick it up. Thanks for this opportunity.

Roseanna Chaldecott is a successful attorney living in Manhattan. She has everything she wants until suddenly her best friend dies unexpectedly. While driving outside of the city, she comes up on a run-down farm in a small country town. She decides to up and leave her job, clients and her son to take on this farm life. She is seeking peace and solitude. She finds that she is not alone but others are drawn to her there. She builds heartfelt relationships with these people.

This book will have you thinking about the important things in life. I would highly recommend this book from Catherine Ryan Hyde!

**Many thanks to Netgalley for this review copy.**

I've only read a few of Catherine's book, but they strike me as being deep stories about the strength and struggle of family. This book is no different.

We've got Roseanna, a New York attorney, a partner in her firm, a clearly successful woman who suddenly runs away from home and refuses to go back. Her law partner and best friend had died suddenly. The woman had been working herself to the bone for years so she could retire early and then just dropped dead.

Roseanna was heartbroken, but I think also afraid of the same happening to her. She buys a farm on a whim, and moves right in. Giving up many luxuries, but finding that she can live without a lot of them just fine.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this story. I'm sorry to have to leave Rosie's farm. I'm quite satisfied, though. Reading one of Catherine's books is like eating a hearty comfort food meal. Grab a copy, she keeps her prices pretty low for how well she writes.

I read and reviewed this book voluntarily.
Sometimes having it all isn't really what you want or need. Roseanne leaves her high powered job and life behind in Manhattan and buys a place in the middle of no where. While her law partner Serves her she and her son find each other again, and she builds art in the yard. There is a colorful cast of characters.
I enjoyed the book, but it was a slow book to me. It wasn't o e of those couldn't put it down kind of books.

I didn't think I would like this book. It started out kind of slow and well, in terms of how it's written, it's not literature. It's more folksy.

But I actually really enjoyed this book. In fact, it was delightful. It's a classic Catherine Ryan Hyde tale--a mishmash of dysfunctional people who somehow find each other and make each other whole.

This story is about a high-powered New York City attorney whose world is rocked by the sudden death of her best friend. She reacts in a totally shocking manner for her--and over the course of months learns what is really important in life. It's a lesson we all could learn.

Yes, the moral of this book is predictable and evident throughout. There was never a time you didn't know where it would end up, although there are some surprises along the way. But it's a totally satisfying ending, and most people will find it thought-provoking. Most importantly, the book makes you feel good at the end, and in this crazy world we have today, that's a nice thing as well.

This is the first book that I've read by this author. I love the way she crafts characters and develops a story that you totally immerse yourself in.
The basic premise behind this story is not wasting the valuable time we each have in this thing called 'life.' The main character has a high paying, powerful career but following a loss begins to reevaluate the life she's living.
This book has heart and provides the reader with food for thought. I will be reading more of her books.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

‘Heaven Adjacent,’ is another archetypal Catherine Ryan Hyde read. The plot is very simple, but the emotion and feelings of a small number of characters and their relationships really make the story.

Following the death of her close friend, New York lawyer Roseanna Chaldecott decides to leave the big city behind for a more peaceful life in the country. She comes across an old isolated farmhouse but she soon realises that she is not alone as she first thought as squatters, new friends and her own son come to stay.

As with other books by Ryan Hyde the characters are not 100% likeable but are realistic and have flaws. It is the relationships formed between the unlikely friends that make this a gentle, feel good and ultimately uplifting novel.

"There had been no obligation to begin this story. There was no obligation to finish it. She was writing these new life rules as she went along."

This is a story that challenges one's idea and perception of true happiness. Roseanne has climbed the ladder and has it all, but the view of her life isn't as grand as she had hoped. Following the tragic loss of a dear friend who did not get the chance to enjoy life and the things she had worked so hard for, Roseanne becomes inspired rewrite the ending to her own story.

I found it interesting that I picked up this book in particular at the same time that I am listening Retire Inspired (nonfiction by Chris Hogan). I always have more than one book in different genres going. But he talks about the truth of this exact situation. How many people work their butts off throughout their life, and work hard for a successful retirement, and yet die before they get the chance to enjoy it. Reading these two books at the same time added a flavor that I may not have acquired had I only read them each alone.

Regardless, it was a good story. Yes, good. Not great. There were parts of the writing that I definitely didn't love. The narration flows back and forth before and after "the move" Roseanne makes. I usually enjoy some flashbacks and some backstory, but for this book in particular, I didn't enjoy it. I didn't feel like the flashbacks added anything to the story at all. They felt like a yo-yo dragging me back and forth without any rhyme or reason, and it only prolonged getting to the meat of the story.

Also, some of the writing and editing could have been tightened up for me.

All in all, though, I enjoyed Roseanne's revelations. Her sarcasm was beautifully done. So many snide comments I might have even said myself. And I am so happy that after years of my friend telling me to pick up a Catherine Ryan Hyde book, I finally did. I'm sure I'll read many more of hers to come. This just may not be my favorite.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author you can trust to always give you the best stories, filled with love, pain, forgiveness and with characters that are human, complex, dimensional and completely relatable. In this story, she gives us a great opportunity to analyze how we live, how we deal with loss and pain and how we can turn something heartbreaking & painful into a beautiful beginning for a 2nd chance at life.
I dont know how to share more about my love for this book without giving too much away. Totally recommend!

A sweet story of a high powered, gruff attorney who runs away from her high paying job and city life. She is crushed when her best friend and law partner dies unexpectedly. Her friend worked her tail off thinking that she would eventually retire and enjoy a stress free life. That's when Roseanna is struck by how short life can be and how miserable she actually is. On a spur of the moment whim, she drives away in her fancy car with no plan other than to literally stop and stay wherever she runs out of gas.

She buys a rickety vacant shack of a home with lots of land and a barn she has no use for. Looking forward to peace and quiet, she encounters three squatters on her land, a dog looking for a home, and an elderly swayback horse named Earnest.

In her new life, Rosalie discovers that peace and quiet aren't really what she wants or needs. She reconnects with her estranged son, and with the remaining menagerie of homeless folks and animals, a new family is formed.

I have always liked this author. This was a fun read -- both for the humor, and for an interesting take on a woman's journey toward self-discovery.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

Catherine Ryan Hyde can not write a bad book in my opinion! I know when I sit down with one of her books I better have cleared my schedule, this book was no exception. This book makes you stop and look at your own life, after reading this book I couldn’t help but take a moment to look at my life and examine if I am living my best life. Luckily I am very happy with my life but I appreciate stopping to exam it just to make sure. I thought about this story and the characters for a day or two after I finished the book which to me is what makes a great book. If you finish a book and jump right into another than that book didn’t impact you at all. I have preordered this book for my Mom and Sister.

I kept stalling as I did not want this captive story to end. I cared for each and every character. I felt so many emotions as I navigated this book. Roseanna walks away from a high powered urban job after an early death of a great friend. She drives until she literally runs out of gas and impulsively buys a run down home on 76 acres to escape from family, coworkers and everyone in between. However she finds down on their luck squatters living on her land. Just a wonderful story that had me laughing and crying and thinking all swirled together. This was an ARC provided by #lakeunionpublishing. #catherineryanhyde is a new author for me and I feel like I hit the jackpot. I can’t wait to dive in to other previous books she has written and hope she is working on the next! Just thoroughly enjoyed this! #netgalley #heavenadjacent

The story of a woman who is a successful lawyer who just wants to leave it all behind, the city the high powered everything and just go live a simpler life.
I just devoured it, the best characters, relationships , the out in the country feel to the whole story was my kind of read.
This is one of the ones you don’t want to end. And I feel I don’t have words to describe just how good it is. My recommendation, don’t miss this one, grab your drink some munchies and enjoy.
A big thanks to NetGalley for my copy, I so enjoyed it.

I was not expecting to give this book 5 stars. Originally, judging by the blurb on GoodReads, I thought that it might be a 3 star. I love being wrong! I found a new favorite author. Ms. Hyde's writing style is simple, clear, concise and held my attention throughout! There are not many authors who can do that.

The plot is simple enough -- a fifty something lawyer gets tired of the grind after a friend her age dies, decides to chuck it all and heads out into the country. Green Acres anyone? I would have thought. But I was dead wrong. She finds so much more -- freedom, changes of attitude and communication with people she never would have thought about before her move.

The reader should definitely be the judge of whether Roseanna was successful and if she is now leading a better life. I know how I feel.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.