I really love the premise of this novel - Hot shot celebrity meets regular small town girl. But I was very disappointed to find that the narration felt stagnant and the dialogue stilted. From the very first page, I just couldn’t find a way to emotionally connect with any of the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Kay Richard and Lower Peninsula Press for the ARC of Off the Grid. This is my personal review.
This is the first book in The Michigan Wildflower Series.
I read this book very quickly. The story was good, and the location was good. Ellie Snow and Andrew Clarke are the main characters in the story.
The story felt rushed to me, and I wanted there to be more of a build up to the relationship between Ellie and Andrew. I wanted to get to know them better so I could feel the chemistry between them and watch it grow.
The book was good to read and I am looking forward to the next in this series so I can feel more of a connection to the people in the book.

I had such high hopes for this book, but it fell short of my expectations. From the back cover description, I was expecting it to have the warm and cozy feel of a Hallmark movie. Instead, it came off cold, rushed and awkward. Yes, the plot has been done before, huge Hollywood star meets laid back country girl, but I was excited to see how this author put her own spin on the trope. Just because it is a trope doesn't mean it can't be enjoyable. This one though was not done in a way that made me feel connected to the characters and their romance. The whole thing felt really rushed, from the meet cute to the steamy scenes. It was an insta-love which is fine as long as it is written in a way that shows some emotional depth, which this lacked. It jumped around a lot, the steamy scenes were just okay. It just never blew me away. I was also excited because the setting was in my state of Michigan, and I did love all the autumn and winter scenes and activities that are so familiar to me, such as apple picking and ice fishing. Andrew was whiny and I didn't like his character. I also didn't like reading the book from his POV, and Ellie's read much smoother. I would have liked to see their relationship developed more, a bigger character arc for Andrew and Ellie being a little more of a stand on her own two feet kind of girl. She has a huge heart and I would have liked to had more of her and less of Andrew. I actually felt a little bad that a great gal like her had to end up with a guy like him. The matchup just never seemed to click. I did like the plus size representation, but at times it felt like it was tossed in as an afterthought and could have been handled better.

It was fine, but that was it. I'm sure there are lots of readers who will enjoy it, so still give it a try if it seems to catch your attention.

The story had so much potential but I really did not enjoy the way it was done. The author skipped over all the character/relationship development that would make you actually care about the characters and their stories. I enjoyed it enough to finish it but barely. If instead of skipping to the spicy scenes and jumping to several random POVs toward the end, they had focused on the other aspects of the romantic development, it would have been so much better.

I was intrigued by the synopsis of this book but that's the most interesting part about it. It read so juvenile. People just spoke in long paragraphs explaining things to each other like farming and geography. And of course the heroine is "plump" but there's no similar fixation on the heroes physique. This is not for me

This is one of those stories that you will either love or not.

For me it was all too quick. It's basically about a burnt out actor who seeks time away on a farm. Where he falls in love with the owners grand daughter. Next thing you know is they are married with kids.
For me there was no chemistry, and to be honest I felt he was a little creepy. But, hey if it works for you fine.

This book was definitely not for me. There are good romances and bad romances. For me this is a no go.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Lower Peninsula Press, Independent Book Publishers Association, Members Titles and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Hot Hollywood actor burns out meets a midwestern farm girl. The story has been done dozens of times. This one isn’t much different. If you like this style you’ll be happy with any take on it.

I was first attracted to this book because it's set in my home state of Michigan and for that I wasn't disappointed. This sweet romance highlights so many of the fall and winter attractions of the state like apple picking, cider, ice skating, ice fishing, and especially hibernating with your lover during a snowstorm.
However the romance itself, while sweet and cute at times was a little flat overall. The chapters at the end with the other character's pov were odd and didn't really flow with the rest of the story and then the final chapter highlighting the past year in a conversation just seemed awkward. I give it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I received an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Off the Grid by Kay Richard
The Michigan Wildflower Series #1

This short romance sees opposites attracted to one another when a man looking for a break from his stressful job finds a safe have and what will become his home not only geographically but in the woman he wants to spend his life with. The premise for the story held promise and as I read, I noticed parts that were well done and others I found I would have liked more…

What I liked:
* The idea behind the story
* The location in Michigan
* That the book will appeal most to New Adult age readers
* That the story was complete without strings left hanging
* There was a happily ever after for the main couple
* There were also two other couples who found happily ever afters
* That the couple balanced one another in personality and strength if not in income
* Feeling that the author was invested in the characters.

What I would have liked:
* More about the first month that Andrew was in Michigan, working on the farm, and the relationship that must have grown between him and Ellie – I didn’t feel the connection between them and that period of time must have created something to have him returning later.
* More about Andrew’s time working in Hollywood and why he was suffering from what was probably stress related anxiety.
* More back story on both main characters
* Perhaps not having the two other couples end up together in this book but perhaps be mentioned and show up in future books in the series
* Not having the three chapters near the end that were told from the perspective of negative characters in the story – that information didn’t feel it was necessary or further the romance between Andrew and Elie.
* That Andrew wasn’t quite so flaky/immature feeling at times
* Being able to feel the connection between Andrew and Ellie and knowing what they truly had in common
* Feeling more invested in the story

Did I enjoy this book? Kind of
Would I read more by this author? Maybe

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC – This is my honest rerview.

2-3 Stars

A pleasant friends to lovers story of a Hollywood star meets farm girl. Andrew Clarke needs a break from the chaotic Hollywood scene and seeks refuge someplace where he can be himself and out of the limelight. He finds such place in a remote farming area of Michigan and falls in love with not only the lifestyle but the landowner’s granddaughter, Ellie. The story was sweet but the jumped around a bit. There were a couple of steamy scenes that appeared sporadically. The book was simple entertainment that I enjoyed.

Ellie and Andrew are complete opposites. Andrew is a Hollywood movie star and Ellie runs a farm with her Grandmother. After years of hopping from movie to movie, Andrew decides he needs some time away to center himself and find out what he really wants out of life.

I really wanted to love this book. The cover and synopsis originally drew me in. There were parts of the story that were sweet and the description of Gran’s baked goods and food made me wish her B&B was real. Unfortunately, the pacing and descriptions of the story felt off to me. From the synopsis, I thought Andrew and Ellie’s relationship would form during his time on the farm, but within the first few chapters, the leads had a deep connection. The portrayal of this love and connection was not on the page.

I believe my expectations were different due to marketing of the book. I went in thinking it was a completely different book than was written.

I want to thank NetGalley, Kay Richard and Lower Peninsula Press for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

Andrew Clarke, is a hot shot burned out Hollywood actor who Is overwhelmed and just wants some privacy while he steps away from the Limelight. He spends a month away on a farm in Michigan where he meets and falls in love with Ellie Snow, the woman who runs the farm.

Unfortunately, I was not a fan of this book. It had some promise at first but quickly went downhill. I really expected the story to spend more time about his experience on the farm how it helped him to unwind and distress. His time on the farm only lasted a few chapters then he was back again in Hollywood. I'm having trouble understanding how he and Ellie made such a connection when as the reader, we weren't given much to go based off. The characters were under described lacked depth. There was more telling verse showing which created stale dialogue and didn't give much insight to each character’s motivation.

The story is told from the point of view of Andrew Clarke, the novel’s protagonist. Yet oddly, the end of the book switches to the POV of three different characters before switching back to Andrew.. I was honestly confused who one of the characters was. I'm not sure why there was a sudden change in narration it was more distracting than helpful.

I did appreciate how the author tied everything up in a new bow with the ending. There were no loose strings or lingering questions.

Venture Off the Grid at your own risk.

Thank you NetGalley, and Lower Peninsula Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Off The Grid is a quick easy romance read following the story of Andrew, a overworked actor looking for a break to reset his priorities. Andrew stays at an isolated working farm in Michigan and meets Gran and her granddaughter Ellie. Gran fills Andrew with comfort food and Andrew and Ellie develop a deep friendship. After Andrew returns to LA he can’t help but feel the pull back to Michigan and setting down roots with Ellie.

This story is told from Andrew’s POV and is very light even when discussing topics like mental health and body image. Ellie is a strong and capability individual who has a huge heart for everyone. Andrew and Ellie have an easy connection with great chemistry. All the secondary characters are good especially Gran. Gran is a warm hug with a plate full of comfort food. This reads very much like a fall Hallmark movie and perfect for anyone looking for a light read.

Rating 3.5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and publishers for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Well known movie actor, Andrew Clarke, finds himself in the midst of a crisis in his career. Fame has brought too much unwanted attention and no time to himself. He has reached a breaking point. In an attempt to get his anxiety under control and step away for a while to just breathe, his manager books him a month in an out of the way B&B, which is also a working farm, in Michigan. Here he meets Ellie and Gran, who together run the farm and a bakery. Andrew and Ellie are soon drawn together. But his life is in Hollywood and hers in Michigan. Do they stand a chance? Sounds like a nice plot...should make a great little romance read.

However, it was perplexing that so much of the action took place off screen. Much of what happens throughout the story is learned through dialogue between characters. Reminiscent of Christmas newsletters that people used to send out letting everyone know about what had happened over the last year (Facebook and Tik Tok do that now.) The middle of the book seemed to flow a bit better, but the best bits of how Andrew and Ellie's lives changed over the course of the story are left out. What happened it told, but the reader was not there to witness it.

Events are told...not shown. I've never felt that as much as I did in this book. Sadly, this made the book just okay for me.

Thank you to the publisher and #Netgalley for a digital copy of #Off the Grid in exchange for an honest review.

2.4 stars, because I can't round it up to 3

Due to Netgalley not finding the isbn for Off the Grid on Goodreads to link to it, my review on Goodreads can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4270042909

Off the Grid is author Kay Richard’s first book in the Michigan Wildflower Series. It tells the story of Andrew Clarke, hot shot Hollywood actor who gets fed up with the industry and the demands of a life in the public eye. He hides away on a farm in Michigan where he meets and falls in love with Ellie Snow, the woman who runs the farm.

Unfortunately, I was not a fan of this book. It had some promise at first but quickly went downhill. The story and characters lacked depth. Just when you think you will learn something deep and meaningful about the characters, the scene changes. Stilted dialogue makes up the majority of the narrative and thus provides no real clue to each character’s motivation.

The story is told from the point of view of Andrew Clarke, the novel’s protagonist. He proclaims he loves Ellie but the dialogue only points to lust. It felt like what story there was only served to get to the sex scenes that are very explicit and too long. The language is repetitive and unimaginative.

Strangely, near the end of the book, the point of view changes and is told by three separate minor characters. I’m not sure why the author chose to change narrators but the story could have easily continued through Andrew’s point of view.

Venture Off the Grid at your own risk.

Thank you NetGalley, Kay Richard, and Lower Peninsula Press for this ebook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was only okay for me. I love small town, but this was kind of meh for me. I enjoyed it enough to finish but there was no zing.

I really wanted to like this book because the concept and tropes were right up my alley, but I just couldn't get into it. The book started off too abruptly and the pacing was off from the beginning. It also wasn't clear that it started in medias res, and I think that led to some confusion. The writing didn't feel elevated enough for me, and felt clunky. The dialogue felt stinted. I think the biggest weakness was that the book told a lot more than it showed. I unfortunately couldn't love it, and so I have to rate it as such.

Just finished this @netgalley read. Publishes October 5. If you need a quick, feel-good read, this is a good grab. The story moves along quickly and makes you want to go spend some time in small town Michigan.

The story
Andrew Clarke is a Hollywood star who is at breaking point. His anxiety and constant fan intrusion has him close to cracking. His assistant Sage books him in a B&B deep in a rural area of Michigan for a month on the farm. Gran, the owner, is an amazing baker who is ready to feed Andrew up. Her granddaughter Ellie keeps Andrew busy with farm work. At the end of the month, Andrew can’t hold in his attraction and feelings for Ellie. But can they make things work with their very different lifestyle’s?

My thoughts
There are many parts of this book that were really cute and had a super sweet story line. I enjoyed Andrew and Ellie’s easy relationship and her calm strength. So much potential but I wasn’t wowed by some aspects. The first half of the book is written from Andrew’s POV in the first person, which at times feels a bit stilted although I enjoyed the story. Then towards the end, there are three chapters written from other side characters’ POV which just feels odd and I don’t think was really needed. The final epilogue back in Andrew’s POV also felt like a shopping list of things that had taken place in the last year disguised as dialogue between Andrew and Ellie.

2.5 stars that I'm rounding up to a 3. The author tells 90% of the time and shows 10% of the time and that isn't a pleasant ratio for me. The worldbuilding is also lackluster.

I read the ebook version of Off the Grid, the debut novel of author Kay Richard. Richard has been part of the Twilight fanfiction community for a long time, and regularly publishes her fanfic on her website.

The story begins in medias res, and is mostly told in the first person perspective of our hero, Andrew, who is a burned-out famous actor desperately in need of a sabbatical. His assistant books him an entire bed and breakfast in the small town where she spent childhood summers with her grandparents for a month so he can take a break from his overworking nature. The last several chapters of the book are told from different POV characters, also in the first person, and the epilogue brings us back to Andrew's POV.

It is pretty easy to tell that this is a debut novel. The writing, especially the dialogue, is pretty clunky most of the time. I think that if this book was not written in the first person perspective, it might have read a bit better. Many of the sentences in her prose are short, which makes everything feel a bit clipped off. When Andrew introduces a new character to the audience outside of dialogue, he uses first and last names, which is something that felt odd to me. At one point he mentions someone named "Ryan" in dialogue, but then a few pages later in prose "Ryan" is given a last name and a profession.

I was also not a huge fan of how characters were described in the book. Their descriptions were sometimes not descriptive enough and at other times felt overly described. A character that the audience is made aware of in the first chapter is met in the second, and is described as "a short, plumpish woman with a warm smile and kind eyes." I at first read that description and assumed it may be the heroine of the book, who was also briefly mentioned in the first chapter, but it was actually her grandmother.

The main setting, a small town in Michigan, sounded like a really cute and quaint place, but I still don't have a good picture of what the town is like. Again, we are told things about the town instead of being shown them. Even the farm wasn't really shown to us, other than a few key locations. Otherwise, we were just told about the various parts of the farm.

Some spoilery talk below:

At the beginning of an early chapter, our hero tells us there's been a four week time jump and describes some of the things he did in that time. This showcases how much the author tells instead of shows, and I think that's what I dislike the most about this book. Unfortunately, this is a theme across the entire novel. We don't see the two main characters fall in love over those four weeks of working together in the farm. Instead, we get more clunky dialog about how the heroine is his "everything." If the author would have spent some time showing us their early courtship, then she could have also given us better descriptions of the farm and surrounding areas.

We also hear about their eventual engagement through a pretty unlikeable POV character, and their wedding is briefly mentioned during Andrew's POV in the epilogue. I felt like I missed out on the major events in their relationship, and would have loved to them get engaged and their beautiful wedding day.

Another thing that I didn't quite like about this book was that multiple side characters also had relationships happen pretty quickly off-screen that resulted in marriages and/or kids by the end of the story. This is the fist book in a planned series by the author, so those relationships may be explored in future novels. However, to me all of those relationships felt like they were too neatly wrapped up in a bow, if that makes any sense.