When Grace’s ex-husband, childhood best friend, business partner drops a “bombshell” on her, Grace impulsively flees for Florida to the home of her long lost aunt.

I know you were wondering, and yes, this was also a state testing read! I really enjoyed this. It has been on my TBR since 2020, and I just never picked it up. I hate that I waited so long to read it! It’s definitely a classic women’s fiction trope, but it had so many fun surprises!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I tried to get into this book, even checking a copy from the library once it came out but I can't seem to like the main character.

I'm a fellow Only child and I love to see us represented in stories. There is this weird thing where it’s just you and your parents and as they start to get older you do sort of feel alone. for those reasons I really resonated with the main character. I also I’m always a fan when I get to see older characters represented on the page. I really enjoy that it was a nice departure for my usual super dark. I thought this was a fast read with interesting plot points and made me think more about Aging, family, and resilience,.

When Grace’s husband tells her that their marriage is over, Grace has to find a way to unravel their connections. Working together in a family business, living in houses three doors apart, brings extra stress for Grace to move on, as Brian has with a new girlfriend. When Grace discovers she has an aunt she never heard of, she impulsively leaves Missouri and goes to Cypress Keys, Florida to find out why her Aunt was estranged from her family. Aunt Millie is a larger than life character, and helps Grace to cope. I really enjoyed the story, and he characters, as well as the issue of transgender people that is introduced. I recommend this book for readers of women’s fiction and thank NetGalley for the ARC.

Ever since her husband left, Grace has held out hope that they can reconcile and be together once again. They grew up together, after all. They were best friends. They were meant for one another! But ever since Grace learned that she can't have children, things between them have been different. And since they work together and live next door to one another, it makes things a bit...awkward.

Things become even more awkward when her ex brings home another woman, dashing all of Grace's hopes for getting back together.

And that's when Grace discovers something. Correspondence from Florida: a note for her mother from someone who clearly was unaware the woman had recently passed. Now, Grace, not quite bereft but certainly alone, realizes that she may not be alone after all.

Throwing all caution to the wind, Grace books a flight to Florida to meet the woman who claims to be her long lost aunt. Not only does it mean a little bit of freedom and adventure, but it also means a chance to learn some things about her mom and her family that she never expected!

Phoebe Fox's latest is a sweet read about family secrets and forgiveness.

It's also a book about finding who you are, no matter what your age!

Grace has never really lived a life of her own. She did what was expected of her: she went to school for law, took over the family business, and married her best friend (who also happened to be the son of her mother's best friend/business partner). And when her mother got sick, she took care of her until the very end.

Aside from her father, who abandoned her and her mother and has a new family of his own, Grace has no one but her ex.

Until she finds a note to her mother from Florida. Grace imagines the letter is from an old friend or maybe even an old lover. She certainly never expected it to be from her mother's aunt! Until now, Grace never even knew her mother had an aunt!

The discovery is fortuitous because Grace could really use some time away. But Grace is pretty averse to change of any kind and even the last minute plane ride to Florida is almost too much for her to handle.

Fortunately for Grace, her Aunt Milly is exactly what she needs!

Milly has lived a life full of adventure and she's only too willing to help Grace open up. But Grace desperately wants to know why Milly was never mentioned. She wants to know this almost as much as she wants to know what her mother was like as a child. Because, as it turns out, her mother was a bit of an adventurer and dreamer as well. Very different from the woman Grace always knew.

I enjoyed Fox's latest. It's charming and breezy! It's a beachy read in more ways than one, and one that'll ultimately make you smile!

I adored the characters in this book! For some reason I find senior citizens to be some of the best characters in books and this one is no different! I found myself really getting into this story and connecting with the characters really well. I also think the main character, Grace is especially well done. The story is very well written and quick paced. I really enjoyed it and definitely recommend it!

This was such a delightful, heartwarming book about a woman recovering from her divorce who heads to Florida to visit with a long lost relative she never knew existed. This book told the story of love, heartbreak, forgiveness, family and resilience. It was so clever and witty while very descriptive and colorful with such great character development. I loved that Grace was flawed and yet so lovable and her relationship with her aunt was so sweet and endearing.

Family is everything—Grace Adams McHale's mom must have said it to her a thousand times before she died. Before Grace's dad ran off with an aspiring actress half his age. Before only-child Grace found out she was unable to have children of her own. Before Brian—her childhood best friend, business partner, and finally her husband—dropped a "bombshell" on her in the form of her stunning new replacement.   
  
Which means Grace now has...nothing.   
  
A Little Bit of Grace is a book that has a little bit of perfection in it. The characters have such an usual relationship that is makes the storyline magical.   
  
Grace is an amazing strong character that matches perfectly with funny, wise and crazy Millie. There two different characteristics just seem to flow perfectly together!  
Millie has a secret that when Grace finds out it ends up bringing their relationship to near perfect.   
  
A Little Bit of Grace is a story of family, friendship and forgiveness. It’s full of compassion, self discovery and frustration with a certain male character. If you are trying to squeeze in a few more summer reads definitely add this to your list!   
  
3͟ T͟H͟I͟N͟G͟S͟ I͟ L͟I͟K͟E͟D͟  
• 𝙶𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙼𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚎  
• 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗  
• 𝙶𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢  
  
3͟ T͟H͟I͟N͟G͟S͟ I͟ D͟I͟D͟ N͟O͟T͟ L͟I͟K͟E͟  
• At times a little predictable but doesn’t take away from the story  
• Would have liked more Millie   
• A Little slow in parts, almost like rambling   
  
Thank you to   Netgalley the author and publisher for this ebook in exchange for my honest review which is my own opinion.

Linda's Book Obsession Reviews "A Little Bit of Grace" by Phoebe Fox, Berkley Publishing, August 2020

Phoebe Fox, the author of "A Little Bit of Grace: has written an entertaining, amusing, emotional, and thought-provoking novel. The genres for this book are domestic fiction, contemporary fiction, and women's fiction. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events. The author describes her colorful and dramatic characters as complex and complicated. Some are dysfunctional, quirky, and eccentric.

One of the things that Grace Adams McHale's mom believed in was that "Family is everything". Grace thought she had it all. She shared a law practice with her best friend Brian and marries him.  Brian seems to want "more" and the two still practice law together, but get divorced.  Grace moves a few doors down to take care of her Mom until her Mom passes away.

Grace discovers a postcard that was sent to her Mom from Florida. Grace investigates further and finds that it is from a relative that she didn't know existed. Feeling she has nothing to lose, Grace visits Florida and finds an aunt that holds the keys to some intriguing family secrets.

I appreciate that the author mentions contemporary and controversial issues in society and also discusses the importance of forgiveness, second chances, acceptance, family, friends, love, and hope.  Sometimes endings can turn into chances for new beginnings. I would highly recommend this thought-provoking novel.

Grace Adams McHale was raised to understand that family is everything. This is despite the fact her father ran off with a younger woman when she was still a child and, now her husband and law practice partner has another woman in his life as well. If that isn't bad enough, Grace's mother has just died and she's just not sure how to move on with her life is Missouri.

While sorting through her mother's things she discovers a letter from someone she doesn't know. She soon learns that she has a great aunt named Millie in Florida. It's someone her mother had never mentioned. Not only does Grace need some time away, she's curious about a family member that was never mentioned before, so off to Cypress Keys she goes to meet great aunt Millie.

Millie, is a full of energy 81 year old with a large network of friends. She is known for helping people move on with their lives when bad things have happened. Millie is a fabulous character with a secret from her past that had severed her relationship with her family. I went into this novel expecting a light, fluffy read but, ended up with so much more. The setting is lovely, the characters will make you laugh but, there is also a serious side to the story with a theme of family and self discovery. READ IT (perfect for COVID times).

https://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2020/07/2-lighter-with-hopeful-messages-reads.html

A Little Bit of Grace is an engaging, page-turner that had me captivated from beginning to end! Most families have secretes, but what happens when the secrets get out and everything you thought you believed about yourself changes? If you're looking for a Summer read to get lost in, this is the book!

Grace married the boy next door, her best friend, and they practiced law in the same firm. A HEA if I ever read one. And then Grace’s husband told her he wasn’t happy and they divorced. There’s more to their story and when faced with the last straw Grace realized she needed a change of scenery. She flew to Florida to visit her (newly found) great-aunt Milly. I loved Milly and Grace and the way they got to know each other. Milly had a lot to teach Grace and Grace was family that Milly didn’t know she had – what a gift! This is a story about finding the courage to take a new direction. It’s about trusting yourself first and accepting (some) change as a new normal. I loved this heartfelt story and recommend to fans of women’s fiction. I can’t wait to see what Phoebe Fox writes next.

Thank you to @net galley and @berkley pub for the ARC of A Little Bit of Grace by Phoebe Fox.

Grace grew up in the small town of Sugarberry. She is married to Brian. Together they run an estate law practice that they both inherited from their families. Grace and Brian have recently divorced but remain best of friends. Grace lives in her childhood home right beside Brian. Her mother has passed away and the closest thing she has to family is Brian. The only other family she has is her Aunt Millie, who lives in Florida. But, her mother has severed ties with Millie years ago; although Grace doesn’t know why. Grace has also been gifted a huge sum of money from one of her past clients.

Grace soon discovers that Brian is involved in a new relationship. Her world is falling apart. She decides to use her gifted money to go visit her Aunt Millie in Florida to seek answers about her relationship with her mother. When she does, Grace’s world starts to transform. She discoveries family secrets and she starts to discover who she is as well.

A Little Bit of Grace is a heartwarming story that reminds us that true happiness can only be achieved by being true to yourself. I really enjoyed this book and loved the character of Aunt Millie, who also shares her story as a transgender woman. A Little Bit Of Grace will be released on 8/11/2020.

The cover alone sold me on this novel, as it looks so welcoming. However, I did not know what to expect from the story. It definitely matched the feeling I got just from looking at it!

I loved the travel aspect of A Little Bit of Grace. It made me feel like I was on a virtual vacation with all the descriptions of the beaches and other locations. It also made me miss my Miami trip from last year. Millie seemed like so much fun and the family secret endeared her to me even more. There was a really funny part with a misunderstanding that I couldn't stop laughing about. I also got teary-eyed when the family secret was revealed.

I really enjoyed this story and getting to know the characters. I liked seeing Grace's growth throughout. Phoebe Fox covered a topic that not many books talk about within this genre and I appreciated it. I felt it was well-researched and handled sensitively.

This is the book you're going to want to put in your virtual beach bag (unless it's safe for you to go to the beach) later this summer. It's a sweet story that you will enjoy from the moment you pick it up!

Movie casting suggestions:
Grace: Sarah Levy
Millie: Ann-Margret
Brian: James Lafferty
Angelica: Elyse Levesque
Jason: Jason Ritter
Bridget: Katherine Barrell
Helene: Kristin Chenoweth