I enjoyed this book. Its strength was the two main characters, particularly Kyle. The story is told through her eyes, but we also know she recently tried to commit suicide, so her observations were always a little suspect. Still I enjoyed watching her interact, grow and change throughout the book. Grade: B.

Review used as a stepping stone to post about authors getting details wrong in books https://rannthisthat.blogspot.com/2022/09/how-important-are-details.html

Trigger warning: Book gives a lengthy (and much appreciated) trigger warning for suicide and mental health.

Not to much to say here. I liked the ideas behind this book much more than the actual book. The first 30 pages had me exciting and then it just turned into a not so cohesive romance novel. I think if Watson had either just decided to just do a straight up women’s fiction book, maybe that would have worked better for her. Trying to center the romance in this one just didn’t make sense, and a few times I was like this feels manipulative as anything. I just wish we had focused on Kyle’s journey to deal with her depression. Also I have to say parts of the book did not feel very realistic at all. And I don’t know, I just started getting annoyed with Kyle’s character because I started to find her just as manipulative as others in this book. I also couldn’t even tell you her age because sometimes she feels like a middle aged woman, and other times it’s like she just came out of high school. I dithered between 2 and 3 stars, but honestly couldn’t justify the 3 stars in my own head.

“Closer to Okay” follows Kyle Davies who is currently an inpatient at a mental health facility called Hope House. Kyle has her routine and gets up and makes meals for the other three patients (Joey, Mary, and Eddie) and finds herself watching the coffee shop across the road. During one of her day passes, she goes to the coffee shop (called The Coffee Shop) and finds herself drinking the best cup of flat white she has ever had. And she starts to dream about baking again and doing something else. When she starts to go to the shop more regularly, she gets to know the worker/owners there Jamie and Jackson. Kyle is still in recovery though and has to deal with the warnings from not only herself, but also her doctor, Dr. Booth about developing romantic feelings for Jackson and how it could wreck her recovery.

As I said at the top, I still don’t know how old Kyle is. At one point she mentions going to culinary school and she was trained as a pastry chef. But I am still confused. The book doesn’t do a great job of letting us know her backstory (which was a mistake). We find out in fits and starts about her mother and grandmother. And we find out what caused her to end up at Hope House. But I just didn’t get what was going on with her because things with her constantly change. And I don’t even know why she had “feelings” for Jackson. And it makes zero sense when we get an info depth about her past “relationships” so I was like what is going on here? I don’t know, I think Watson wanted to play both sides of showing that Kyle wasn’t ready for a relationship yet, but LOVE or something.

Dr. Booth is written as a villain, but I am really confused what Watson was thinking of when writing this character. At times he seems quite malevolent and I think it was being set up that he had darker intentions, but then nope not at all. I was just wondering if she meant to write him as a mini-tyrant or what. He’s all encompassing at one point in the story and then he just fizzles out. I also have questions about how he can decide where a patient works and keeps their cash, but I decided to just let that part go.

Jackson didn’t work for me at all. Probably because he’s written one way and all of a sudden he’s just so drawn to Kyle. It didn’t make sense to me. And then when he’s realizing that hey maybe starting a relationship with someone who tried to commit suicide and is still having PTSD over it is not a good idea, he’s treated like a bad person. I don’t know. I just shook my head. The subplot with his shop and father just took away too much of the main story.

Jackson’s dad was another character written as a villain with zero depth.

We also get characters like Mary, Joey, Eddie, Trace, etc. that we don’t spend much time with. They just felt like plot devices after a while and that made me sad. I think if the romance had been nixed then maybe Watson could have spent more time making every character feel “real.”

The writing in the book at times was quite lyrical. Watson will describe a cup of coffee that Kyle is having and I wanted to find this mythical shop and set up with a book and a blanket. It sounded like a dream. But then that’s it. The rest of the book falls flat. I don’t even know what Kyle looks like. I just realized that. There’s no description of her, or really anyone else. I just realized that I went back and forth on Eddie’s race (still no idea) and that’s what was bugging me while reading. I could not picture anyone so just went back and forth on what people looked like.

The flow was pretty bad. The book just stop and starts. And when we get to a key point in Kyle’s recovery the book just goes on and on and it just seems like it’s moving in a different direction, but nope.

The setting of the book takes place mostly at Hope House and The Coffee Shop. They are not that interesting unfortunately. I realized after the fact that the city this is taking place in is Chicago. There’s the mention of the El so that was the only thing that clued me in. I stupidly thought at one point maybe this was taking place in London.

The ending of the book just kind of ends. I don’t even know what to say. I thought maybe my ARC was missing pages, but nope, the book just stops.

This book was cute and deep at the same time! I was hungry imagining the sweets described and also connected to the mental health theme explred in the book.

I really enjoyed the slow burn here. The first half was darker and gave us lots of backstory and set the characters up for success in the second half. I loved Kyle & Jackson both and enjoyed seeing them blossom.


My only complaint is the lack of epilogue to see where these characters made it to later!

This story tells us about Kyle's life, a girl that is a long-term patient in Hope House, a mental hospital. In this book, we see how her illness develops after she attempted suicide. One of her privileges is to get out of the hospital for two hours per day. There is when she entered the coffee shop, that she had been seeing through her window. That was the day when she met the owner of the coffee shop, Jackson.
The first time she saw Jackson, she knew they would have a lot of confidence between them to tell him all the things that she had been through in her life. This would make them inseparable until someone meddles in their relationship. ¿Is the love they have big enough to overcome this problem?

In this book, we read the story of the superation of our protagonist, including physical and mental health. Because the book is about the evolution of her status through the hospital and months later when she gets out. How she rebuild her life, after all the things she had been through.
We see how difficult is for the person that is suffering the illness, to be self-conscious about it and how to face the illness. Because some times is very complicated to understand the suffering of that person, and we don´t know how to help her.
Is a book that I like a lot reading, because of the backdrop that it has. How to deal with an illness of that magnitude and to know firsthand what the lead role is in thinking and suffering.

This was a good book, but couldn’t handle the pace. It felt very slow, then super rushed. I felt like it ended so abruptly. I didn’t understand her dreams being included but they didn’t seem to have much meaning. I would have liked some more back story on Kyle.

If you, like me, are a sucker for vivid characters that pop off the page—characters you’d love to hang out with in real life—Closer To Okay is for you.. I loved this book honestly apologies for the late review school been on my neck .Much appreciation to the author and Netgalley

Closer to Okay is a tender novel, one that allows you to sit with Kyle as she lives with mental illness and her own struggles in the world we all live in. I was admittedly a little biased considering how close to my heart Kyle grew, having similar passions and experiences, but this was a fantastic, gentle, honest read.

Kyle has her routine down. She is living at Hope house and cooking for her fellow patients, but she loves to watch the coffee shop next door and their routine. When she gets the opportunity to leave the home for 2 hours a day, she begins to visit the coffee shop and quick grows feelings for one of the owners, Jackson.

You all know I love a book that focuses on mental health. This book was so well done in in its portrayal of mental health and being in a hospital situation. Especially the romance between Jackson and Kyle and how they would face that while Kyle is still under the Dr.’s care and orders. While Kyle was the one with the visible problems, I thought it was interesting how the book dove into Jackson’s mental health as well.

In Closer to Okay, we are introduced to Kyle who lives in the Hope House as a result of her severe depression. She cooks meals for all the other residents and tries to stick to her treatment plan so she can finally leave the facility. While I can appreciate some aspects of the novel, this was overall very difficult book for me to get through. There were many things that caused me to pause, do a double take, or set the book down.

It can be very difficult to write about all the intricacies of mental health and all the different things that can come with it. Every person in the world experiences things a little differently, and it seems impossible to know how the brain functions. Because of all these things, I have some grace for the wholly unrelateble, seemingly stereotypical, overly weepy main character in this novel. I can appreciate the effort made to portray someone’s struggle with metal health, and this book could have solely focused on that. Instead, the romance aspect and explosive episodes with minor characters detract from the book as a whole.

Kyle has a run in with the male main character, Jackson, pretty early on. He brings her a flat white; she likes it, and all of a suddenly that equates to her randomly hugging him, and now they like each other. The romance between these characters was really hard to believe because it came from nowhere, built into nothing, and somehow was still trying to hang on at the end of the story. Jackson as a character was also a bit strange. The way he was presented in the beginning versus his actions throughout the story made it seem like he changed personalities a time or two. These were characters that I was not rooting for. The conflicts that arose seemed so trite, I didn’t realize they were argument because it didn’t seem like something to even think twice about.

Because she’s living in a rehabilitation type home with other people who suffer from varied mental illnesses, we get to see Kyle interact with a lot of different people. While this may have been written with experience, the other members of the home didn’t feel like people; they felt like stereotypes, and unfortunately at one point, unnecessary plot devices. They almost don’t serve a point in the story except to be there, and the more I think on it, I’m not sure why they exist.

The end of this story wrapped up really quickly and strangely. It seemed to come together without really explaining why anything came together, ultimately making a pretty disappointing ending. I suppose the biggest takeaway from this book is that liking someone will help your depression or hurt your depression or you need to love yourself first or that you should hug your baristas for one minute (she counted) on a random city sidewalk and they will eventually fall for you…something along one of those lines.

Big massive THANK YOU to Amy Watson for an accurate description of mental health. I felt I could relate to Kyle's daily struggle so much, it was refreshing.
Whilst I didn't always love the characters, this was an enjoyable read.

The mental health representation is the best thing about this book. It is relatable and fees accurate. I appreciated the portrayal of each of the patients in the halfway house and do believe they were written in a tasteful and appropriate way. Kyle’s characterization does feel authentic to that of someone with severe depression.
However, the romance plot line in this book just did not work for me. I felt no chemistry between Kyle and Jackson and their attraction for each other seemed to come out of nowhere. Also Kyle’s mental health seemed contingent upon if Jackson was in her life or not. Which sends a message that love or a relationship can heal your mental illness and that’s not healthy.
Lastly Dr. Booth was creepy and very unethical. While Kyle questioned his motives it was never explicitly stated that what he was doing was wrong. And I think that could be harmful to anyone reading this book and thinking that if their psychologist acts like he did that it’s okay.

Closer to Okay by Amy Watson is a compelling and reflective read. This book tackles complex subjects such as suicide, depression, anxiety, panic attacks and OCD. It follows the ebb and flow of Kyle's life, who finds herself in a mental institution, driven by a goal to get out. Her anchor is baking, and life on the outside seems promising as she wishes to pursue her passion. She meets Jackson, a barista who is at personal crossroads, and their slow-burn romance is a delight to read. I appreciate how actual mental health is portrayed with well-rounded characters. One thing to keep in mind with this book is that it focuses on personal growth more than romance. Sometimes, certain sections appeared disjointed, but it didn't take away from the central message. I would have loved to read an epilogue set ahead in time that reveals a sneak peek of Kyle and Jackson's life. I stayed up late to truly decipher how Kyle picks herself up and how the plot unfolds. A 4-star read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for giving me an ARC of this book. This honest review is left voluntarily.

The premise of “Closer to Okay” by Amy Watson sounded interesting but unfortunately I was disappointed. I felt that some parts of the novel were disjointed or random. For some reason I also found myself wanting a little more background about Kyle’s life with her grandmother. I did appreciate that the author included a note at the beginning talking about how this story may be triggering for some people. I think that is important because even as someone without a history like Kyle’s, I found the book difficult to read at times.

This book didn't shy away when it comes to tackling heavy topics and I would recommend that you make sure that your mind is in a good place when you read it. Sadly, this wasn't the perfect time for me to read this. Still, I appreciate the author's realistic approach to the subject of mental health illnesses and what life looks life living with depression.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️

Closer to Okay is the author's debut novel, and reads as a very emotional and raw story, portraying an honest look at depression

i was truly invested in the story of Kyle Davies, her current time at Hope House; a mental institution, and her developing feelings towards Jackson, all while trying to live with her depression and anxiety

do i approve of Kyle and Jackson's relationship? Of course... but I'm honest in saying that i kind of wish they would've found each other again on a different path...one wherein both were in a good emotional and mental place. for instance, i feel that Kyle didn't rightfully "recover" as she kept falling into a depressive state because of Jackson's absence. and because of that (aswell as Jackson not ending up doing something he loves) i wasn't 100% satisfied with the ending but it still showed a promising future for them together

i also did NOT enjoy the doctor's "healing mechanisms"... i feel that it painted psychology in a rather negative light because of that character...
but i also do think that the author did an excellent job in writing about these disorders/situations in a tactful way

but i mean yet again, i was hooked on the story and i couldn't wait to see how it played out. i finished it in one day, and even though not the best ending... it was a bittersweet one :)

*𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳, 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯-𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸*

Netgalley review - I was granted an ARC in return for an impartial review:

I really enjoyed this book!
Closer to Okay brings us along with Kyle, a young woman living in a mental institution, as she lifts herself out of the depths of depression. She rediscovers her passion for baking and begins to explore what her life could look like once she is released.

Having worked in the mental health feild myself, I really appreciated this realistic depiction of life "inside", and how well-rounded each character was, with their own motivations and personalities.

I found this book slightly hard to get into, hence only 4 stars - but once Kyle visited The Coffee Shop for the first time, I was hooked and couldn't put it down! It had me sitting up late to finish it because I just had to know what happened!

Stayed off topic. I expected a romance guy a sad book instead. It’s great with cohesive writing however should be rebranded to be published to the right audience. It feels raw and full of emotion that needs to be heard by a crowd that’s listening rather than a crowd that is fixated on a love story more so than personal growth.

A lot to love here, including the thoughtful consideration given to some heavy topics, and the gentle soothing tone of it.

Unfortunately the romance part of the equation didn't really work for me. It progressed quickly and didn't feel natural. I felt quite distanced from it. I'm disappointed, as I thought the concept sounded extremely fresh and interesting, it just didn't quite come together.

Beautiful cover, by the way.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kyle Davies is a pastry chef admitted in a mental health facility, where she’s joined by other fellow patients struggling with various mental issues. Dealing with depression, Kyle experiences a myriad of turbulences during her stay and tries to navigate through her emotions and anxiety whilst desperately searching for her life passion. When she visits The Coffee Shop, a coffee shop just across the facility that Kyle peers at from her window, she meets its owners, Jamie and Jackson. As Kyle slowly begins to form a potentially deep connection with Jackson, her recovery journey puts her through some difficult situations that would help her grow as a person.

I liked this book for a number of reasons.

First, I really liked the light shone on mental issues and its honest approach. It provides more insight into how people go through these ups and downs during their recovery journey, and how their mental illnesses get the best of them.

I really think that this realistic portrayal truly helps to spread more awareness on this issue and the social stigma that is attached to mental health issues.

Second, the book being very character-driven is a yes from me. Kyle’s relationship with each patient in the facility is painted in such a compassionate and sincere way.

It just goes to show how in such difficult times, they understand one another and never hesitate to provide emotional support despite the struggles they individually face. We get a glimpse into each patient, shining a light on various mental issues and their effect on a person’s mental state of mind.

Also, Kyle’s relationship with Jackson is really sweet and endearing. However, I don’t feel like the miscommunication trope was properly captured, and the pacing was kind of all over the place so I had difficulty in keeping up with their story.

I feel like we could’ve gotten more context on the foundation of their relationship, because personally, it lacked character, and it happened way too fast. Like there was so much to unpack but it was just brushed off. That’s just me.

And I wasn’t a big fan of Kyle’s “angry child-like stomping” behavior to Jackson. I cringed. Not for me.

For a much younger audience, the writing would be considered most appropriate, but it felt just a little bit immature and simple.

Still, the message behind the book is a strong and necessary one, which deserves the 3 stars.