As someone who has dealt closely with Alzheimer's in their life, I was a little hesitant about this novel but I really did enjoy it. This was the perfect mix of chick lit and substance. I enjoyed watching the bond grow between Lulu and her mother and watching Lulu grow as a person. The historical nuances were interesting and the humor was quite entertaining. As a southerner, some of those bits got just a tad annoying but I can overlook that. Overall this was a really solid entertaining novel with plenty of substance and I cannot wait to read more from this author.

I do not have one single negative thing about this book. I have to say that it is now one of my favorite books. I loved the characters. I laughed with them and I cried with them too. I felt like I was right where the story was taking place. Though this book is about Lulu caring for her mother with Alzheimer's, it is so much more than that. This story is about relationships and the love shared in those relationships. It's about living life even when it's not the life we expected. I look forward to reading other titles by this author in the future.

Oh, so so good. So many heartfelt moments intertwined with laugh-out-loud pieces make this book a true gem. I can't wait to share with with my momma!

Fun read...characters were interesting and kept you on your toes. Happily look forward to another book by this author.

With this author it's a hit or miss for me, I couldn't finish this one as it seemed to drag in spots and I was having countertransference with the whole mother/daughter relationship that it got too annoying for me. Don't get me wrong, Rachel Gibson is a terrific writer, just this storyline was a bit too close to home for me.

Reading the synopsis, I know I am going to love this one. But maybe I had too high of expectations because, after the first bit, I just couldn't get invested in the story.

I wanted to love this book. I really, really did. The synopsis was great: successful woman needs to suddenly care for ailing mother who drives her crazy and a relocation to a decrepit plantation home in the hot, buggy south. Throw in a sexy handyman and you got yourself a story.

Unfortunately, the story didn’t go much deeper than my first paragraph. You get a feel for Lulu’s (Lou Ann) mom. She suffers from Alzheimer’s and it’s getting worse. She’s quite the handful and has been kicked out of retirement homes. Thrice. Lulu is a guru and struggles with the balance of running a company and managing her mom. There’s the caretaker, a nurse, and some shenanigans. That’s about it.

There are a couple instances where there may be a haunting, but it does not go deeper than that. Just a few bumps in the night. There’s mentions of several interesting tidbits, but Gibson just does not divulge. Everything and everyone is surface level and the end seemed to come quite quickly. I definitely laughed out loud at a few parts, which is what bumped my rating to 3 stars, but other than that, I felt there was no point to the story. It was enough to keep me reading, but I kept wondering when something would happen, or I’d learn more about some characters’ side stories. The climax, the relationship woes, the issues, all of it came to a head in the last 10% of the book and then it just ended. I felt like the other 90% was a build up to something and then nothing ever came of it.

So to sum up, it was a good enough story to get me going and keep me reading to the end, but then it left me wanting more. And not in the book hangover kind of way.

I received a copy of this book, all opinions are my own

Funny, real, relatable—the three words I would use to describe this novel. I loved the relationship between Lou Ann and her mother.

This was a great storyline. I loved all the characters and the plot. This is definitely a good book to read to break the monotony of your usual genre. This would make a good gift idea for any mothers or daughters that love to read.

I started out loving Lulu... and then I started to see my mother in her mother...and then I started to get down and I had to take a long break from the book as it was forcing me to confront things I'm not ready to deal with..

Author # Rachel Gibson is just delightful. Her novel ' #How Lulu Lost Her Mind is funny, thought provoking and a TBR must. Head over to my Instagram blog post at Maddie_approves_book_reviews.
Thank you,
# Netgalley, # Rachel Gibson and #Gallery Books

How Lulu Lost Her Mind is an enjoyable read, perfect for a weekend escape. Rachel Gibson's character descriptions are realistic and fun and makes the reader want to jump on into the story.

You know how you find a story and you just can’t put it down? How the characters and their personalities just mesh so well with your mood? How the details in the story just leave you wanting to hear more?

How Lulu Lost Her Mind was that and more! It’s the first book from Rachel that I’ve read and I hope to read more like it. It’s an easy, fast, funny but serious, heart wrenching but hilarious read. It was wonderful and I’m here to tell you all to grab it because I know, you’ll all love it, as much as I did…possibly more?

Lulu is a love guru and we begin the story with her rushing to her Moms nursing home for a meeting. Her Mom, Patricia, has Alzheimer’s and has been kicked out of yet another home, due to her “passion” and needing snuggles at night. If this doesn’t make you wanna read, I don’t know what will. Onward though, she ends up bringing her home and one night, Patricia crawls into bed with Lulu begging her to take her “home” to Louisiana, to the family plantation home. Wanting to spend more time with her Mom, she does just that but, before leaving Washington, she hires a caregiver, Lindsey to go with them. Once in Louisiana, memories are made and they’re hilarious, fun and even, sad.

I absolutely LOVED this story and I can’t recommend it enough!! Thank you to the author, Gallery books and NetGalley for the ecopy! So, go grab it wherever you like to purchase your books!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BOOK REVIEW:

I was given “How Lulu Lost her Mind” by Rachel Gibson through Netgalley for my honest review.

This is a story of a mother and daughter’s relationship prior to and as her mom goes through stages of Alzheimer’s. Luanne or as most people call her Lulu has had her mom Patricia in various Long Term Care Facilities. You see Pat doesn’t last long in any since she loves her men and ends up in their beds both day and night. Pat was always used to being a flirt and having men fawn over her. She was married 5 times and even with Alzheimer’s flirts with any man within her proximity. Lulu is often embarrassed by this but over time learns to accept that this is the way her mom was and still is.

Lulu has a very successful business and is called Lulu the Love Guru. She travels and lectures all over the world. However, Pat has gone one step to far and Lulu must take on the responsibility of taking care of her mom now. She hires a young women named Lindsey who is a nurses aide and Pat is accepting of her. Pat however is often agitated and argumentative with Lulu. This causes Lulu to feel like she is “losing her mind.” Her mom makes a request and thus the true story begins.

Pat requests that she be taken to her childhood home in Louisiana. Lulu is hesitant but knowing she may not have many years left with her mom she puts her work on hold and brings her mom back to her childhood home. Things are up and down from their but Lulu actually finds herself and her mom through this journey back to Louisiana.


Verdict:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and loved watching as the main character’s changed and grew over time. If you are looking for a romantic love story this is not the book for you but if you are looking for a book about a beautiful relationship of a mother and child through an illness that slowly destroys one’s mind you will find this here. I felt the emotions and related to Lulu via Ms Gibson’s beautifully written words. I felt the sadness of watching the one you love change as they go through the stages of Alzheimer’s. I give this book 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I had not read this author before, but I will definitely be seeking out more of her titles in the future because this one was a breath of fresh air that I desperately needed!

While not everyone would drop their amazing career to care for their mother, how Gibson wrote LouAnns character and her mother just made it work, equal parts endearing and dramatic. The mother, Patricia is hilarious, I just loved what her character brought to this mother/daughter relationship. An at times emotional read that was THE perfect women's fiction read with lighthearted humor, personal growth, and a relatable plotline that I thought was done beautifully.

This tale is one that so many people can relate to. It is humorous and it pulls at your heart strings. The main character is like so many that have a full plate but has to drop everything to take care of someone. It’s time you wouldn’t miss for the world. I loved the time I spent with these characters.

Oh my dear sweet goodness how I loved this one!! I was a little leery - it had the potential to go saccharine, given the topic and main character's "love guru" job, but it never did. It was snarky and sarcastic and heart-breaking and sweet and aggravating and utterly realistic in its portrayal of the issues in mother-daughter relationships... The romance angle was handled with more discretion than I expected, and I think it worked beautifully as a result - this was a love story about a mother and daughter, with sidebars about men. I really liked that the author retained that focus throughout - it made everything resonant and kept the focus where I think it belonged. I thoroughly enjoyed this one - even when it made me cry - and would definitely search out Rachel Gibson again!

Lulu has created her own business on the internet. She gives love advice and tells tales of romance she never had. She doesn't have time for a man in her life. Then her mother's Alheimers is getting out of hand and she needs her. She takes a leave of absence to care for her mother.

Gallery Books allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published July 21st.

Her mother remembers things from the past but not much of current events. She watches a lot of TV, game shows and the like and she answers all the questions. They are wrong but she doesn't notice. She's been married multiple times. Now she wants to go home where she grew up.

Her daughter tries to talk her out of it but no. So home they go to a big house that has seen better days. She hires a maintenance man and the labor is expensive and there's lots to fix. The worst part is her mother flirting with him. He is good looking but he's not a match for her. Lulu talks to her but it makes no difference to her.

There are ups and downs throughout the story. Lulu learns what's most important to her. The ending is part sad and part with a bit of hope. Lulu will keep going and she may not have to make her way alone...

I adored this book! What a delightful read! Rachel Gibson takes on the tough topics of coping with aging parents, dealing with Alzheimer's disease, and balancing work and family in this poignant, heartwarming, and laugh-out-loud tale.

Lou Ann's momma Patty, who is in the grips of Alzheimer's, is still larger than life. She is kicked out of her third nursing home due to her "lovin'" nature (and the reason for Patty's eviction made me spit out my coffee - no spoilers here.)

Their relationship is complicated and a move to Patty's family home in Louisiana brings a lot of conflicting feelings to the surface. Lou Ann's character is relatable, Patty is alternately delightful and maddening, and the supporting characters add a ton of local color. Gibson balances the tougher aspects of the book with great characters, fantastic, snappy dialogue, some truly laugh-out-loud scenes, and a wonderfully depicted setting. It's very relatable, especially for anyone who's dealt with an aging parent.

One of my favorites so far this year!

A funny, spirited, and emotional story of Lulu, who gives up almost everything in her successful life to tend to the needs of her mother. Lulu's mother after a diagnosed with Alzheimers, is kicked out of numerous elderly care facilities leaving Lulu no choice. So she picks up her life and moves to her mother's family home to spend her last days. Some seriously funny moments with her mom's personality, but clearly shows the struggles of trying to maintain her own life and sanity while caring for her mother. A good read that is emotionally challenging.