The Audacity of Sara Grayson is not that audacious. Bold, brash, nervy are not words to describe the title character. Unstable and neurotic? Not quite (no to the former, but yes to the latter). Sara Grayson is somewhat generic and stuck. Not even the passing of her mother really moves her forward in any significant way at first. But she is capable and it takes the support of new friends and old to guide her on her way. The family dynamics are mildly interesting, but where it truly shines is Sara's romantically complicated relationships, which are unfortunately lightly detailed. Sara Grayson is a mild character which makes for a pleasant enough read.

After being down or when things don't go exactly as we plan we tend to give up on ourselves. This book shows you that pushing beyond your comfort zone and trying new things can sometimes be exactly what you need, it also shows you that sometimes mama does know best.

Two and a half stars rounded up. This book was a slog with some really nice moments throughout. I never felt like I wanted to quit per se, but I kept thinking "Come on, come on, when is something going to happen?"

The premise is lovely and it's what drew me in. Sara is a writer of greeting cards and coupons. When her mother's dying wish is for her to write the last installment of her best selling book series, Sara is confused and doesn't believe she can do it.

This is a story about believing in yourself and about the power of having people around who believe in you too. It's about family drama and secrets and how that impacts future generations. All of that stuff was interesting but it was bogged down in a really slow timeline. The entire book takes place over just a few months but it feels like years. If it had been about 100 pages shorter, it would have picked up the pace and made it more compelling.

I liked Sara, and the other characters, but I never felt attached to or invested in them. I wanted to find out what happened with the book but not necessarily because I was rooting for Sara to succeed. My biggest complaint is the ending did not satisfy all my curiosities that had built up over the course of the story.

But with all this said, it's not a bad book, it just could be better. I still recommend it for readers who enjoy slow paced, character driven stories.

I enjoyed this book, but didn't love it.
Were my expectations too high? Was I frustrated by the side stories and slower pace of the book?
All of the above.
I was hoping for a more gripping read, that gave me feels, and whilst I enjoyed it, I felt pretty emotionless through most of it.
The start hooked me in straight away but then I became a little confused by the number of books Cassandra had written, and I wanted to go straight into hearing about the series and Sara's writing of the final book, but the pace slowed and I found myself skimming paragraphs to get to the 'nitty-gritty'.
This could have been a LOT shorter to keep me engaged for the entirety.

When Sara’s mother (a very famous author) passes away, her last request is that Sarah finish the final book in the mother’s most anticipated series.

This books starts pretty heavy with loss and a lot of sadness but the tone really changes about a third of the way into the book. This book seriously pulled on every single one of my heart strings.

Sara’s witty humor and her banter with the other characters had me chuckling on many occasions. And following Sara’s process of creating a novel was absolutely fascinating!

If you’re looking for a book that is just a delight to read, add this to your list!

Thank you Netgalley and Meryl Moss Media for this digital copy!

4.5 rounded up!

So for some reason, when I requested this on NetGalley, I thought it was a romance. It’s not a romance. Or at least, not mainly a romance. Thankfully I really enjoyed this anyway!! Sara is a great main character and I love her because she seems so real. Her personality is fun, but also stubborn and a little quirky.

I love the mystery of Sara’s parents and that she has to do all kinds of digging to find out what the heck happened and who wrote what. Lots of drama and some hilarity with a touch of love. I can’t get into the details of her search without spoiling that part, so I’ll just say it’s very intriguing and kept my interest all the way.

Throw in a cute man, a dog, and a grumpy old editor and you’ve got yourself a fun read! While there’s a ton of drama and bad blood going on, this still managed to make me laugh out loud as I fell for the characters and the story. If you’re not hooked by the time Sara takes on the book, then I’d be super surprised. So obviously I recommend this one all the way. Mostly to those who enjoy new adult reads that are flocked with drama, humor, and a little romance. But love is definitely not the main focus here!!! Sara and her audacity are just too fun that you can’t help but adore this read!!

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Meryl Moss Media, Post Hill Press, and Joani Elliott for the opportunity to read this for my honest and unbiased opinion!!!

Will be posted on my blog and Amazon shortly.

I had such a pile of books this summer that I only got around to this one now, but I'm so glad I did! As a writer myself I loved the plot and the journey that Sara goes on to fulfill her mother Cassandra's wishes to write the final book in her best-selling series. This was the lighter read that I needed, with a good mix of humor and a little romance. For a first novel, I have to say that I think Joani Elliott delivered an impressive story and I will look for more from her in the future. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Thank you for Netgalley and the Publisher for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

The blurb of this book got me very excited even before I’ve read the book. It felt like a kind of contemporary book that would translate well as feel good chick movie such as Eat, Pray, Love.

My expectations were met all the way. This book was witty, but also bittersweet at times. Showed the struggle and hardships of any given situation one might find her/himself in. But through it all remained positive and showed the possibilities that hard work and the confidence in yourself can bring you. My relationship with my Mother is a lot different but it was interesting to read about a mother-daughter connection such as this one.

The writing enabled an easy reading. We had just enough info and not much clutter.

I would most definitely read more from the author.
5/5 stars from me

This was an interesting book about a girl who steps in to write the final book of her mother’s famous series who recently passed away. It teaches the girl not only about her mother, but she finds herself along the way as well.

Looking for a warm and cozy read for summer or just to pass your time? You found it right here!

Sara Grayson used to dream about becoming a writer, she even wrote her first novel but her dream was crushed when she got scathing reviews which were excellent reasons for her to give up. Sara is also a quitter, a food lover, a writer of coupon cards, a part-time lecturer, a daughter who wants to be there, an ex-wife, a sister. She is actually all that, but she isn't a writer. Or that's what she thought until life proves her wrong.

After her mother dies, Sara deals with the grief in her own way. She is devastated because of her loss, but that despair turns to anger when she finds out that her mother left her a death wish. There is a book to be written, and her mother believed that Sara is the one who has enough aptitude to do that. Struggling with the loss as well as lack of self-confidence, Sara will embark on a journey to find the truth about her family, but also to get to know herself. She will meet many people who will push her to the limits, some of them believing in her, some of them criticizing her and it would be up to her to live up to everyone's expectations.

* * *
I loved Phil's witty remarks, although the author tried to mask his greatness through his harsh criticism and contentious, you can instantly sense that he was the good guy. On the other hand, the author did a good job creating the character of Sara, her constant whining about how she can't do something is actually what makes you irritable. I wanted some characters to be more developed, like Nik's for example which is why I gave it only 4 stars.

All in all, I would say this way an enjoyable read, but when I chose it I had the idea what I might get from it, so I wasn't upset with some cliches or very obvious plot twists. This book contains everything that a light summer read needs to have: a bit of romance, a touch of family mystery, likeable characters.

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Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

What a lovely book. The perfect palette cleanser after some of the heavier books I've been reading. Also how refreshing to have (mostly) healthy relationships, esp with a very successful mother who loved deeply and was loved deeply. I was nervous that with the description it was a mind game from a manipulative mother but that was NOT the case at all. I liked the evolution of the story even if Sara drove me nuts in a few places, she's kind of emotionally stunted (which she does admit) and it's a bit frustrating since she's 32. For a sweet family story about a woman finding her audacious spirit and love, pick this one up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

#theaudacityofsaragrayson #joanielliott #netgalley

Thank you to netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this engaging story by Joani Elliott. I know Joani as a person and she is amazingly witty! I was so excited to read a book written by her comedic mind, and it didn't disappoint. The storyline is engaging and the words and witty and clever. Joani has a way with words, well worth a read!

I seriously struggled through this book, I really tried to engage in the the separate stories and even as it all came together, but this book just wasn't for me. Perhaps because it is not my typical genre, I don't know. I have enjoyed Anthony's previously novels, so I was really looking forward to this new one. Thank you to #netgalley to allow me to review this book and to give my honest review.

I enjoyed this story about a writer finding her words and happiness. Well written and quick read. Good characters and I enjoyed the chapter heading quotes.

My thanks to #Netgalley and #PostHillPress publishing for the opportunity to review this book.

I absolutely loved this. A mix of humour, romance, found family and mystery. I can thoroughly recommend this. The cover makes it look a bit chic lit / humour but I felt it was more than that. Well written and engaging. I’ll definitely be checking out any other books by this author.

I thought this was a good story! I enjoyed Sara's journey both as a writer and as a daughter discovering more about her mother. I found myself thinking about the story when I wasn't reading. I think readers that enjoy a mother-daughter relationship will really like this one!

I really wanted to like this book more, but the writing style really didn’t gel with me. The premise seemed interesting and the actual book itself was well written, but I just found that I wasn’t being pulled into the story. I felt like I was viewing it from the outside world, unlike when I am fully immerse in a character and feel like their adventure is my own. Yea... I dunno

This book was an enjoyable read but after finishing it I do think the book blurb oversold the book. Thirty something Sara Grayson is the daughter of a famous best selling author. Sara tried unsuccessfully to write a novel many years ago and has instead turned to a life of academia. Her mother dies leaving instructions in her will for Sara to write the final book in her most famous series. There is lots of pressure, angst, hand wringing and then half way through the book there are lots of hidden family secrets. I’m not sure the direction the book was supposed to take. Was it a story of finding yourself as a thirty something divorcée and starting a new life? Or was it a story of family secrets and rewriting the family you thought you knew? I feel the writing was good but the plot left me feeling so so.

The Audacity of Sara Grayson

Rating: 5/5 Stars

What would you do if your mother left you the keys to her book kingdom? For Sara Grayson the answer is to hide as quickly as possible.

After her mother, famous writer Cassandra Bond dies unexpectedly before finishing her wildly popular book series, Sara finds that her mother had tapped her to finish the series without her knowledge.

Sara, moved on from entertaining ideas of being a writer after a failed manuscript, is shocked and terrified. What starts as denial becomes flat out resistance to writing the much anticipated 5th and final book in her mother’s series.

Through a quest of self discovery, rekindled love and seeking out family secrets, Sara finds herself chasing a story that she never knew she had in her.

I loved this book - it was super unexpected but once I started I COULD NOT put it down. The characters are beautifully written and give justice to a wonderful story. I was sad when I said goodbye to the characters Joani Elliott has written.

Thank you to Net Galley, Elliott and Post Hill Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Read if you like:

+ Unsolved Mysteries
+ Family Drama
+ Unexpected love/romance

Sara's mother, a famous author, has left a direction in her will that Sara is to write the highly anticipated final book in her best-selling series. The only problem is that Sara has only written one draft novel in her life, and found the criticism of that draft so shattering that she has abandoned writing completely, apart from her side-gig writing greeting cards. The task her mother has left her seems impossible. Nevertheless, Sara gives it a go, and is led on path of discovery about her mother and her family. I really liked both aspects of this - the process of Sara struggling to write, and how it eventually comes together for her, and her discovery of the parts of her mother she'd never known. An excellent debut.