On a rainy night, Tallie sees a man standing on the edge of a bridge. She pulls over and convinces him to not jump, to go for a cup of coffee. After, she brings him to her house where she finally learns his name: Emmett. What follows over the course of the weekend is two people finding each other and helping each other through their different shared experiences of loneliness.

While this book started out promising, it soon lost me. Tallie is a 40 year old therapist who invades Emmett's privacy by going through his coat and backpack when she thinks he can't see. She should know better, that a patient will let her in and talk when they are ready to share. Emmett does see her but doesn't openly confront her about it. He's equally as bad by creating a fake e-mail account to write her ex-husband and ask him questions that Tallie is too scared to ask him herself, ones that Emmett gleans from Tallie during their conversations.

The book deals with mental health and letting go of your past to move forward.

I did not finish this book. I stopped around the halfway mark. Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an e-ARC of the book. All opinions are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of this wonderful novel by Leesa Cross-Smith - 4.5 stars!

On a rainy night, therapist Tallie Clark is driving home from work when she spots a man on the bridge getting ready to jump. She quickly pulls over and convinces him to come down and go for a cup of coffee with her. And that begins their weekend. Tallie brings him home and they spend the weekend together, supporting each other. Tallie is still reeling from failed IVF and her subsequent divorce and doesn't tell Emmett that she is a therapist, afraid to destroy the tenuous connection they share. But Emmett has many secrets of his own.

While Tallie bringing home a complete stranger and entrusting him instantly might be a stretch, I loved this book. Alternating points of view between Tallie and Emmett let us know what each is feeling as they grow closer over the weekend. I also loved the little bits of narration in the mix as well. While suicide is definitely a trigger warning for readers, ultimately this book is about love, friendship, forgiveness, and hope. It shows the importance each of us has on the other. As Clarence said, "Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" Lots of life lessons here wrapped up in a wonderful story!

The writing in this book is excellent. Unfortunately, it's Christian Fiction, which isn't clear from the description. I found the worldview in the book offensive. DNF.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Grand Central Pub for provide me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

An intimate novel about the power of human connection and healing. It was a conversation between two people, both desperate to be heard and comforted.

On the way back from work Tallie Clark spots a man standing over the side of a bridge ready to take his own life. She slowly approaches him and convinces him to step away. As a licensed therapist she finds herself drawn to helping him. From there she takes him for coffee and then things evolve and the comfort of one another leads to a weekend together. She is eager to learn more about him and his past and he learns more about her struggles that include the devastating end of her marriage. They begin to create a safe place for one another but are still holding back secrets.

The dialogue in this novel felt very intentional. I think it was because Tallie was a therapist and spoke so much like one I found myself feeling like a fly on the wall of a therapist office at times. Also there was a lot of mental cataloging going on as well that felt odd at first but the book does a good job describing why towards the end. Much of the book takes place at her home or over what would typically be daily ordinary tasks. I did feel that the pace was slow. It was not until about the last quarter of the book that everything started to really pick up and I understood the direction more clearly.

Overall, I liked that this book focused on mental illness and the small moments of light that can have an impact and new beginnings. Also it really highlighted the importance of feeling connected in order to heal. It is not a light-hearted read but a unique and mindful one that felt like a call to hope.

I was instantly emerged in this story from page one. This book focuses on the power of healing, forgiveness,faith, and friendship between two emotionally charged characters, Rye and Tallie who crossed paths in the point of their lives, where they're in desperate need. You'll throughly enjoy this emotionally, gripping, cautionary tale and cling to every word. This story really opens your eyes of how important life really is and how providing support and helping others goes a long way; especially when it comes to healing.

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 on the side 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. But what she doesn't realize is that he's not the only one who needs healing -- and she's not the only one with secrets.-

TW: Suicide, cheating, death, mental health issues

This book through me for a loop. I didn't expect me to become so invested in this story. Firstly, let me say this book is heavy and it took me three days to get through it. I'm not complaining. I am very glad that I took my time with this because there was a lot to process.

Tallie... you can't talk about Tallie without talking about Emmett. Although they have separate issues and this chance meeting brought them together, they were extremely connected. Not because their issues are similar because they are not in the lease but they vibed really well together. Despite everything that they were going through, they were it for me.

They were adults and acted as such. Yes, there were secrets but they were honest as much as they could be, there was respect and admiration. I loved them; I really did. They fit so well together that the ending actually killed me. It made me wonder if Tallie actually knew what she wanted or if she just did what she thought was comfortable.

But beyond that the book is detailed and leaves a poetic feel in your brain. It felt like an overall experience and I was honored to be able to read Tallie and Emmett's story, even if it was a snippet.

I know that this review is a bit vague but the summary tells you already what is going on. The only thing left I could say is that this book is great and its my first 5 pickles of the year.

Overall,

5 Pickles

This Close to Okay was such a good read. It was dark and covered real emotions, especially depression and suicidal thoughts but I thought it was really well done. It reminded me of something written by Fredrik Backman. ⠀
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It’s a story about two strangers who come together in a rather unexpected way. Tallie, a recently divorced therapist is on her way home when she spots a man standing on the side of a bridge. She convinces him to leave the bridge and join her for a cup of coffee, the premise felt a bit random from the start. However, I loved these characters and the writing style of this book.

This book was just "okay" for me. The premise was very random and I didn't feel the connection between the characters other than trauma from their significant others. I felt it was long with a lot of extraneous details that didn't benefit the story. That time would have been better spent on building the characters personalities and their relationship with each other.

What on earth could I say about this beautiful book? I'll do my best, but the most important thing to note is that this book is immersive and ethereal. Have you ever slipped your hair under the water while taking a bath? When your ears are submerged and you can hear your own breath, the muffled noises of your house around you, and that dreamlike feeling of having your hair swirl weightless and floating around your head? That was this book. It wraps itself around you and transports you into the room. It reminded me of caramel, it was the gentle whir of a dishwasher running at the end of the day, it smells like a candle that's just been blown out. I absolutely adored this book and I am shocked to see anything less than 5 star ratings.

I really enjoyed this book! I think that the characters were well written and I appreciated the secrets that were kept. I loved that although Tallie was watching over Emmett because she cared about him and was a therapist (so she had the tools to help him), she also kept that part of herself a secret to him. And not only do we learn all about Emmett, but we see inside Tallie's life as well. We meet her family, learn her fears and desires, and watch how she interacts with those around her.

This is definitely a character-driven novel, which I sometimes find harder to get through, but I didn't have a problem with that this time. The only time I wished for more action to help propel the plot was in the middle. I didn't understand the references that were made and I didn't really care about who looked at who during what lunch. I wanted to know what would happen in the end. Things really pick up on Halloween and I can say with certainty I never expected what happened. It was as happy an ending as it can be, given the circumstances of the characters. This is such a great book that talks about mental health and grief. I will be recommending this to so many people!

Recently divorced Tallie Clark spies a dude about to jump off a bridge and she stops him from ending his life. What follows is a whirlwind weekend where bleeding heart Tallie invites this mysterious young-ish man into her home and her life in an attempt to save him from himself. Obviously the guy (who later reveals his name is Emmett) has gone through some heavy stuff in his life for him to believe that suicide is his best option, but (unsurprisingly) Tallie is having a tough time getting him to open up about it. As the weekend wears on, Emmet slowly reveals more of himself and his past to Tallie, and as they continue to converse and grow closer, the reader learns that Tallie's got a not-so-perfect backstory of her own.

I haven't read a whole lot of romance books, but the overarching organization of This Close To Okay fell into a generic bucket of: boy meets girl, boy and girl kinda like each other but don't want to admit it, boy has secrets, girl has secrets, secrets are eventually revealed and there's a big fight/blowup, issues are resolved, happily ever after. The end. Tallie's "secret" that she's a therapist and not a schoolteacher like she tells Emmet is revealed to the reader at the very beginning of the tale, but I thought Cross-Smith did an excellent job of slowly revealing Emmet's backstory to Tallie/the reader as the story progressed. I guessed some aspects of his history, but the full spectrum of his life and what drove him to stand on the bridge that rainy October afternoon all came together perfectly near the end of the book.

Maybe I should've guessed this based on the cover art, but I wasn't expecting race to come into play in this tale at all. And unless I glossed over it earlier, I don't recall anything about race coming up until about half way through the narrative. But I really dug how Cross-Smith wove it into the tale. The relationship between Tallie and Emmett takes center stage in This Close to Okay, but racism and its implications take a not insignificant supporting role.

Although I claim earlier in this review that it all wraps up happily ever after, that's not exactly the case. I would argue that it's a happy ending, but it wasn't the one I was expecting. It felt like more of a real life ending rather than a made for tv movie ending. And it worked.

This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith is an important story that touches on a number of really relevant topics in mental health. I believe this story of two strangers finding a way to help one another is well told with solid character development and steady intrigue.

First, this story takes place in October in Kentucky, so the Autumnal vibes and Halloween themes were all over this one. If you're lining up Autumn reads and want some that aren't scary, add this to your tbr!

This story is intimate, sweet, thoughtful and relevant. The writing is clear and paced well. The characters are flawed and at times aggravating but that made them feel more human and relatable. Another element of the book that really brought out their humanity was food. It's odd to think about, but how many books do we read that more or less blow over basic human needs such as eating and sleeping? There is food in almost every chapter of this book and something about that made the characters feel so real; so raw with human need.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending but I did read an advanced review copy and it could be that the ending just wasn't put together entirely or it just read oddly on my kindle -- it was a strange smattering of letters, texts, and thoughts kind of jumbled together. It lacked closure that I deeply wanted for the two characters. Perhaps it was giving the reader all the materials they need to draw their own ending? I wasn't a fan and wanted to know more.

I want to note a few triggers: suicide, suicide ideation, anxiety, depression, death of an infant, infertility, racial injustice, racism. While all of these topics were handled delicately and respectfully, I still think it important to mention.

Thank you NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing and Leesa Cross-Smith for a gifted copy of this book for review!

This story was a beautiful emotional ride. With trigger warnings of lose of a spouse, lose of a child and suicide, the author tells a heartfelt story of healing. I didn’t know much about the story before I started reading, but immediately I was drawn in and invested in the characters. Even though the new year has just begun, I know looking back this will have been one of my top reads of the year. . This story feels like a warm hug after having a bad day.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC.

3.5/5
CW - suicide attempt; depression/mania; death of a child

Ok, so I really wanted to love this one more than I did. And I enjoyed it, but the middle dragged for me. The last 1/4th of the book is when a lot was revealed, and is when I felt like things picked up.

I did like seeing the relationship between Tallie and Emmett; how they opened up to each other and supported each other. The writing style, and their dialogue, means you learn a lot about both of them.

I really enjoyed this author’s previous works and I think I went in with high expectations. The writing is still solid, but it ultimately was just ok.

This Close to Okay is my second book by Leesa Cross-Smith and I can officially say I love her writing. If you've read Colleen Hoover, you know how much of a gut punch, emotional writer she is. I have to say Leesa Cross-Smith has a very similar style.

I was freaking gutted with this book. So many emotions and heart racing scenes, especially for the last half of the book. I stayed up way past my bedtime reading and paid for it the next day, but it was worth it.

Now, this book is full of triggers since it starts off with a suicide attempt and the other main character talking them off the bridge. So please don't go into this one lightly. It is heavy.

The only reason why this isn't a 5 star book for me is my unrealistic expectations for the ending. My heart wanted it to end differently after everything the book put me through even though my brain understands why it didn't.

4/5⭐️

This lovely book gave me all the feels! The beginning of the story was tense. The unfolding of the relationship between the main characters was tender and heartfelt. The tension grew as more was revealed about the mysterious man on the bridge and once all was revealed the sorrow set in. The ending brought everything back around in a satisfying but not overly perfect way. This was just a really good book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adult fiction, but with a strong trigger warning for suicide. Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for granting access to this book in exchange for an honest review. I will post this review today to my Bookstagram and companion Facebook page @thatreadingrealtor.

This book at its core is about hope. The fact that anything could happen at any moment to completely turn your life around or give you that small glimmer of hope that you are so desperate to find.

The writing had me unable to stop reading, unless I physically couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. I felt attached to Emmett and his story and hoping he would be okay in the end. I questioned some choices Tallie made throughout the story as a professional, although Emmett was not technically one of her clients.

I love stories of two strangers who collide by chance and completely change each other’s lives. The hope this book gave me, put a lump in my throat and made my heart swell. I will definitely be picking up another story by Leesa Cross-Smith.

Thank you Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing for this e-ARC!

I received this book as an advanced reader copy from Grand Central Publishing. The story grabs you at the beginning with Tallie Clark, on her way home, sees a man standing on the bridge in the pouring rain. She is sure he is about to jump and pulls her car over to talk to him. Using her skills as a therapist intertwined with her human kindness, she is able to get the man off the bridge and into her car. Alarm bells are going off for me at this moment because nowadays-- who trusts anyone enough to put a complete, possibly deranged person into their car. Tallie feels she can trust this man, to a point, and and determined to help him. Their relationship starts out on that bridge and carries on to a coffee shop, to her home, to shopping, to her brother's annual Halloween party. There are points in the story where you aren't sure who is helping who with the baggage they each carry.

I love Tallie. I would want to be her friend. Her character is warm, adventurous, kind, and calming. The description of her house makes you want to stay there and talk to her over a cup of tea. Or a glass of wine. She works hard to make the man from the bridge feel safe and calm-- although each hold back on "secrets" they are not ready to share. The story alternates between their two perspectives and the reader learns a little bit more about each of their lives as the book goes on. It keeps you slightly on the edge of your seat because you want answers, but it doesn't make you so antsy that you're frantically reading to find out what's going to happen. The story has a good pace, deep characters, and a very timely read.

I think we all feel not quite okay sometimes, but sometimes we need to be reminded that we aren’t the only ones. On a chance encounter, Tallie sees Emmett on a bridge on her drive home, contemplating jumping. She brings him home with her and thus begins their weekend together.

This Close to okay gives the reader a chance to be a fly on the wall for a weekend full of intimate conversations and unbelievable grief. As these characters unfold, we learn they are both beautifully flawed in their own way, dealing with the blows that life has handed them. Together, may, just maybe, they’ll be okay.

This book felt like a mix of genres. It felt like romance, then it felt like mystery and at times literary fiction. The majority of the novel spans 3 days that occur after a therapist sees a young man contemplating suicide on the side of a bridge. She stops to intervene and talk him down.

Some of the interactions and decisions made by the characters don’t seem likely which gives the book a romance feel with two star crossed lovers. Over the 3 days, the two main characters’ pasts are revealed which gives it a mystery feel and leaves the reader pondering what happened and what will happen next. The author can craft sentences and dialogue so that the reader can have a literary experience.

I was given the opportunity to review an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley.