I received a copy of this book thru NetGalley for review.

Content warning for suicide, suicidal ideation, loss of a child.

There are so many things about Tallie that reminded of myself that I've never seen represented in a book. And honestly, the scene where Tallie and Emmett are discussing the art museum scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off is one of my many favorites in this book.

I don't know maybe because I've had a weekend this intense with someone who you know couldn't or shouldn't be a part of your real life and it was a lot like this. You are in this beautiful little bubble where you're your best self, because you know it has an expiration date.

We often talk about "black girl magic" but when we see it, there is a need for her to be humbled. I adored the fact that Tallie was from a good family with no trauma, that she was well traveled, and that she made no apologies for enjoying things she enjoyed. Some of the reviews of this book seem to have an issue that she "acted like a teen" or the dialogue was ridiculous. I would ask why you feel that way about this character and if her race played a part in it.

I don't know if Tallie breached some sort of ethical code bc I'm not a therapist. I'm willing to allow her some grace because this is fiction and because therapists are human and not perfect.

I went into this book with a lot of hype. It was still a great story, and i loved the characters. But parts got a little dragged out for me. AND THE ENDING?? Kinda pissed me off...

Thank you netgalley for an ARC

Well, that was heavy! I really liked the story of two unlikely strangers having an instant connection. I couldn't put it down because I was rooting for both characters, and dying to know the backstories of each character. I thought the ending could have been better, but overall, it was a quick very intriguing read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. And I found it original.

Thank you to Netgally for an ARC for an honest review.

One Thursday night, Tallie spots Emmett, who is minutes away from jumping into the Ohio River. She puts her therapy training to practise, and talks him down to the ledge, before eventually convincing him to take shelter from the rain in her home. This unique story then explores the new and untainted relationship between two strangers, and the secrets that may just stain it.

Leesa Cross-Smith has a winsome writing style that I found to be the most engaging component of this book. There were moments where the plot dipped, but her way of describing deep human anxiety, estrangement, and heartache is captivatingly moving.

It’s interesting to me how this book is so unbelievably unrealistic, but still quite enjoyable. The chances of a woman stumbling across a troubled man about to jump, talking him down, and hiding that she’s a therapist before bringing him home are implausibly slim. But the way they talk, loosen, learn, and bond is where this book shines.

Despite being trained to understand how the mind works, Tallie has a human nervousness to her that makes her appealing. She's a bit of an over-thinker, and still finding her feet after her divorce. Emmett is quite the mystery in the beginning, but Tallie slowly begins to pull him out of his shell. I love that both the characters have a weightless to them through their new and budding friendship, but are heavy with insecurity, grief, longing and depression.

As interesting as the lives of the characters are, there are moments where I struggled to connect. Their trials and their secrets seemed real, but didn't come together to make a personality that seemed real. A lot of the decisions and admissions they made seemed unexpected, and at times just bizarre. However, the dialogue is a big win. Because the characters begin as strangers, their conversations reminded me of The 36 Questions That Lead to Love series. That element is absorbing to read, and I like the way it played out between two people in desperate need of healing.

Although the plot isn’t the strongest in this book, Cross-Smith’s writing is therapeutic and uplifting. The journey the characters go on in just a few days is refreshingly cathartic. And despite its substantially heavy themes, This Close to Okay is an emotionally liberating read.

Not many books can surprise me and have me delving deep into my thoughts and feelings. I usually know right away, when I finish and close a book, what I'm going to rate it. This Close to Okay is a conundrum.

There are SO many wonderful themes in this book - forgiveness, redemption, self-discovery, healing. The bonds between family are strong and run deep, and Tallie and Emmett have a wonderfully tense and complex connection. I enjoyed their rapport and their tentative nature at trying to trust again. Their individual journeys toward healing are also so realistic and tender.

The pacing was not my favorite - it was like slowly, slooooowly pulling a rubber band taut, and then releasing it. So much build up, slow and steady, for a quick finish that felt rushed and unsettling. I also don't love dishonesty as a theme. I appreciate that Tallie and Emmett both felt the need to protect themselves, but their added layers of deception and subterfuge weren't appealing.

Leesa Cross-Smith certainly creates an atmospheric, deeply emotional, character-driven novel. Her writing and vision are commendable, and I would recommend that people give this novel a read. It just wasn't a fit for me.

Thank you to Grand Central Pub for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith is a heartfelt and beautiful story that follows Emmett and Tallie, two broken characters who meet one night as Tallie talks Emmett off a bridge.
Throughout the story, we as the readers witness the tension between the two as they each try to hold onto secrets yet still attempt to forge a genuine connection.
Both of them seemed so vivid and real to me in their thoughts during the weekend spent together.
The narrative tackles some difficult topics and does so in a thoughtful manner.
I will say, though, I didn’t need the “twist” at the end. By that, I mean the actual information conveyed was good, I just didn’t think it warranted the dramatic build-up. It didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the story, but it did stick out to me.

🚨CW: suicide, death of family member, infertility

Honestly, I drug my feet a little on reading this one. I had a feeling I’d love it (I did) but that it would be a heavy kind of sad (it was but also has some moments that made me smile). I don’t think this is a book you want to stumble into but when you’re ready it is worth the read. I really am glad I waited until after the stress of December before picking this up.

When Tallie first meets Emmett she talks him off a bridge and is calm, reassuring, caring. I loved hearing how she handled the situation and communicated with Emmett. But I also appreciated her internal dialogue which felt... authentic. That’s the word for this book, these characters, their feelings. Emmett doesn’t immediately trust Tallie with his past, Tallie thinks about letting someone know she’s getting coffee with a stranger. It felt human and raw and real. So many stories have you suspending your disbelief (fast friendships, trusting strangers, insta-love, etc.) but this book always felt like this was appropriate for the characters. I liked that their relationship wasn't forced, it wasn't rainbows and butterflies, but it was authentic.

I think Leesa took a very difficult topic and handled it and wrote about it well but also maintained a story and writing style that allowed the reader to not be completely weighed down. I was sad but felt hope for our characters. It made me think but what kind of person do I want to be? This book took me deep and yet, I never felt overwhelmed. It was a fine balance that I’m not sure I’ve seen before.

Can I give this more than 5 stars?

Thank you to Netgalley, Grand Central Pub and Leesa Cross-Smith for the e-arc of this book.

4.5 rounded up

Well, this book was exactly what I needed to close out my January. I was on the struggle bus with pretty much everything I read. I can't even remember the last time I was in a reading slump, but this broke through that. I'm new to Leesa Cross-Smith, but something told me to check this story out. I had no idea what I was in for. Her writing is fantastic. It was so soothing and contemplative and therapeutic. There were very big themes discussed (suicide, grief, etc.), but it was never in your face. In fact, the reading experience was like therapy itself. I felt in such safe and measured hands the entire time I was on this journey with these characters.

Some people may struggle a bit with the first half (I've seen some say it's slow), but I never felt that way. I knew I was in capable hands the entire time and it would require patience for Ms. Smith to reveal her genius and boy did she. The ending was IMPACTFUL. It was emotional. It was honest. It was very well done. I highly enjoyed this book and would absolutely recommend it to everyone.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and Leesa Cross-Smith for finished review copy in an exchange for an honest review.

Review Date: 02/02/2021
Publication Date: 02/02/2021

{Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.}

I just finished This Close to Okay and can't get over how beautiful and emotional it was. It has the contemporary fiction/romance element but with such a deep amount of heart. All the honest conversations about love, life, grief, and death made this so layered, and real.
⁣
it was an especially timely book to read after the holidays because it can be a really hard time for many people so the message was especially powerful as a reader. It was my first book by Leesa Cross-Smith and am so excited to have a new author to follow along with.

🌟 This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith 🌟
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On a rainy October night in Kentucky, recently divorced therapist Tallie Clark is on her way home from work when she spots a man precariously standing at the edge of a bridge. Without a second thought, Tallie pulls over and jumps out of the car into the pouring rain. She convinces the man to join her for a cup of coffee, and he eventually agrees to come back to her house, where he finally shares his name: Emmett.

Over the course of the emotionally charged weekend that follows, Tallie makes it her mission to provide a safe space for Emmett, though she hesitates to confess that this is also her day job. What she doesn’t realize is that Emmett isn’t the only one who needs healing—and they both are harboring secrets.
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NEW FAVORITE READ!!!!!!!!

I absolutely loved and adored every moment in this book. Such an amazing and meaningful story about a therapist,Tallie, saving a suicidal man,Emmett. It was such a fun and cozy ride throughout the whole book and I really loved every moment. I was really anticipating this one when I heard of and I honestly thought it was going to disappoint since I had high expectations for it. I’m so glad it lived up to it and so glad I ended up reading this. I was recently falling into a reading slump and oh my goodness this book has saved me.

It was the perfect time for these strangers to meet each other and get closer to one another. Both of them really needed someone like each other. It’s like fate was there at the perfect time. I seriously can’t stop thinking about this book. It’s definitely going to be an all time favorite and one I remember for a long time. It was packed with details that honestly made me feel so much more comfortable and cozy.

Everything about this book is great. Such fantastic and lovable characters. An amazing storyline and ending. Absolutely phenomenal representation on life. It was just an overall amazing book. I really do appreciate everything the author put into this. All the effort and time put into this book was definitely worth it. I honestly really want to check more from this author.

Oh how lovely this story was. Such an impactful and meaningful read. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for that comfort in a book and that meaning in life. This is honestly such a great read to help define who you are as a person. I’ve definitely learned so much and gained so much more wisdom and knowledge after reading this. I had a blast with this story and will forever be talking about it!!
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Rating: 5/5 ⭐️ (Are you shocked?!?)
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**I honestly would like to give a huge thank you to NetGalley and Leesa Cross-Smith for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.**

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the free book.
Wow, this will be one of my favorite books this year. Tallie was such a remarkable character, and I just loved her sensitivity throughout. I also enjoyed Emmett and the way the author didn't shy away from mental health issues in this book. She handled these characters with sensitivity and honesty. I appreciated how she approached a suicide attempt and managing in the time directly after that crisis.
The friendship between these two characters was delicate and filled with truths and omissions. They slowly built up the trust. The slow revelation of who these people really are felt realistic and honest. I appreciated how the author chose to end this book because it mirrored real life. It handled mental illness and suicidal ideation in an extremely real setting, and I appreciated how the author had the character get they help they needed.

Aaaah! Our two flawed characters that are lying to each other and maybe a bit to themselves as well. I truly enjoyed seeing how they needed each other. I am not sure I liked the ending, but I did really enjoy the journey to get there and how Ms. Cross-Smith managed to bring in their colorful family members but at the same time really keep the story's focus on the relationship between Tallie and Emmett. The balance between all the elements of the story kept it feeling very relatable and realistic and provided room for the main characters to shine. Definitely a good read!

Tallie meets Emmett when he is contemplating suicide on a bridge. She brings him home and they spend an emotional weekend together. I can't decide if the mystery of Emmett either distracts from the story or propels it. But I loved Emmett and Tallie and although it begins sad, the ending is quietly hopeful.

I received a free digital advance review copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

I could not stop turning the pages of This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith, a story unlike any other I've ever read. The timeline is compressed into just 4 days, from the rainy Thursday when Tallie pulls her car over to coax a stranger off the side of a bridge to the Sunday where their paths diverge. In between, they each share intimate details about their lives, fostering a deep emotional connection, while also each not being fully truthful with the other. From the very first page, Cross-Smith's strong narrative voice made me feel as if I could hear her reading aloud to me (I expect this book would be great on audio), and her vivid descriptions allowed me to envision each scene as if I was watching the story unfold on the stage or screen. There is a major plot twist that did strike me as perhaps a bit far fetched, but that did not detract from my enjoyment of the story and especially Cross-Smith's message about our common humanity and the difference we each can make in a stranger's life, even though - or perhaps because - we all in some way are broken. I'm so glad to have had this introduction to Leesa Cross-Smith's work, and I can't wait to read her backlist.

All these feels... I am wrecked and uplifted all in one.

Shortest Summary Ever: Psychologist Tallie is driving across the bridge and suddenly stops when she sees a man about to jump. Talking him down, she offers him a ride... the story evolves from there as Tallie befriends Emmett...

Thoughts: Man did this author crack open MY bag of feels. And I’m not a “feely” girl - I’m bad ass! I’m not crying... YOU’RE crying! That’s my face to the world. My TRUE face is one of struggle, years long with several chronic illnesses plus mental health issues. Yeah well, I dropped some unabashed tears, cathartic tears - like someone cracked a peak at my life and KNEW. KNEW me. I’ve battled depression and severe anxiety and it’s always so difficult to try to explain how difficult it is to those who don’t know. To put words to those feelings.. so to hear that voice on paper was revealing and somehow satisfying. It wasn’t a “downer” of a novel - more of a “here’s how this goes for many.” Cross-Smith eloquently, and with detailed bulls-eye aim, nails what depression is for many people.

The book swings on a pendulum of hopelessness to hope - a dichotomy many people unfortunately know well: While I’ve never been suicidal, I know hopelessness. And like many who have managed their illnesses I know hope. That light. It’s there. The simple power of those two emotions can do much for two lost people.

All my reviews available at scrappymags.com around time of publication.

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Recommend to: Those who know the struggle or know someone you’d like to understand, all the book clubs, those in the mood for just a great story.

Not recommended to: You know it’s about mental health so if that doesn’t appeal - not your book dude.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for making me feel understood.

This Close to Okay is Leesa Cross-Smith’s second novel. I’d describe it as a work of literary fiction about Tallie and Emmett, two strangers who meet unexpectedly and spend the weekend together. They learn small bits about each other throughout the weekend, but soon realize that they’re hiding big parts of themselves from one another. Like her debut novel, this one is beautifully written, but the premise is a bit odd and uncomfortable at times. It starts of slow, but really comes together at the end and makes a great novel.

CW: mental health, suicide, burns

This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith

Pub Date: February 2nd

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“Depression was a vacuum that sucked out everything — leaving nothing behind except the burdening weight of nothingness.”

TW: Suicide, loss of a child

I avoided reading up on this book before diving in, as not to spoil the plot for myself. With that being said, the book opens with a very dark/sensitive situation. Tallie is on her way home from work when she encounters a man on the “suicide side” of the bridge’s railing. Her professional therapist instinct kicks in and she immediately attempts to stop his from jumping. She manages to coax him off the edge by telling him he is cared for, by making conversation, and playing music. Before long, Tallie has taken the man under her wing in an attempt to learn his story and confirm he’s okay. His and Tallie’s truths begins to unfold as their lives begin to intertwine.

“I believe in God...but I think He’s forgotten about me.”

This book was interesting and ended up being rather funny at times, Tallie and “Bridge” are such a lovable characters. I’m glad because I wasn’t sure what to expect and was a little hesitant to read on when the open scene involved a suicide attempt. This book depicts friendship, love, healing, and strength so well; and yes, I sobbed over the ending.

“See. There is soft light. There are small mercies.”

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Thank you @netgalley and Grand Central Pub for sending me this e-galley copy to read and review!

This book explores suicidality in an usual way, one that I haven’t seen before. A therapist thwarts a suicide attempt and takes the guy home with her in order to look after him. That’s just the beginning of a long line of events where people act nothing like they would in real life. I should say that I am a PhD with expertise in mental illness and training in therapy, and this book is totally unbelievable. I don’t necessarily mind that, I understand the concept of poetic licence. However, the characters were like automatons programmed to always take the least credible action. Are we really supposed to believe that this accomplished and insightful woman takes a stranger back to her house, one that refuses to tell her his name, that carries a mysterious backpack, that won’t tell her anything about his past, sweet talks cops and also has a knife in his pocket?! Everything in this book seems ill researched, this includes anything mental health related (I cannot imagine a well trained therapist recommending writing ‘mh’ on your hand to promote ‘mental health’). There are also weird details throughout, an example, what sort of Irish pub brings vinegar for fish and chips to the table in a ramekin? A silly thing to be irritated by but this is the sort of bizarre detail that furnish this story. A better example perhaps, are we really supposed to believe in the scene where the therapist character reads to the suicidal one from Harry Potter? It’s all just a bit silly. I think that this sort of romance/mystery is just not for me. If you like romance/mystery then you probably will like this fluffy little book. But be warned, it is so saccharine that it will make your teeth hurt. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy, sorry my review couldn’t be more positive!

Quote: “Of course he’d asked for a sign when he was on the bridge: Dear God, if You’re there, if You’re real, if I shouldn’t do this right now, please have someone stop me.”

First, I want to thanks @netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the e-ARC in an exchange of a honest review.

I was expecting so much from this book... I wanted to love it. Buuut, it felt like the character where underdeveloped and wasn’t feeling it. This Close to Okay is a story that alternates between two people who meet in the weirdest way. Tallie is a therapist. On the way to her home, she saw man (Emmet) standing at the side of the bridge. Using her therapy skills and knowledges, she helps him and decides to create a safe environment for Emmet to get better. Both characters are keeping secrets about themselves.

I felt like the chemistry between them was really uncomfortable to read it. The decisions the characters made were inexplainable and sometimes, I wanted to scream at them. For me the book was Okay and felt flat sometimes.

I liked how the author explores mental health, trauma, infidelity among other things. Also, I really enjoyed the ending is was beautiful and heartbreaking.

This was a very interesting read. The alternating chapters allowed the reader deeper into the minds of the two main characters, flaws and all. A central focus was the complexities in sharing ourselves with others, and how we experience and deal with grief. I would recommend this as a thoughtful examination of relationsbips in all their forms and what it means to be human.