I loved, loved, loved Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn. It was such a beautiful, well-written story. I think this book did a fantastic job of being a romance but also being so much more. It was very much a story where character development plays a huge role and I cannot wait to recommend this to everyone I know.

What I enjoyed most about this book was how adult Georgie and Levi were. Each has insecurities and fears and worries but overall they were able to verbalize things to themselves and with each other.

I loved how hardworking and persistant Georgie is. Levi calls her expansive and that was a terrific way to describe her. I love that he was able to reflect that back to her so she could see how much she brings to other people when she just sees herself as a flake and a screwup.

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.

So emotional and funny! Loved the story, but best part was the side characters.I love the time taken to develop them.

I read Kate Clayborn's previous book, Love Lettering. I enjoyed it, but I remember feeling like I wasn't sure she would be an author that I repeated. I can't even remember why I felt that way, but I didn't immediately jump on Georgie, All Along simply because I wasn't a fan of the author. Sometimes I read a book by a new author and immediately know I will read more of their books. But I didn't feel that way about Kate Clayborn even though I enjoyed Love Lettering. I initially decided to pass on Georgie, All Along but something changed my mind, and I picked it up.

Georgie has recently been let go from her position as personal assistant to an actress. The actress has decided to go back to a "normal," quiet life and no longer has a need for a personal assistant. She hints that Georgie will be able to focus on herself and do things she's always wanted to do for herself. But the problem is that Georgie has never known what those things are. She never had a big plan for after high school. She feels a bit blank. Her high school best friend has moved back to their hometown and is expecting her first baby. Georgie plans to help her set up her house and prepare for the baby. Only once she gets there, everything is pretty much already done. And once again, she isn't needed. That's when she finds the old fiction story that she and Bel were writing in high school, and Georgie feels inspired to go back and do some of the things her teenage self imagined doing that she never got around to doing.

I was worried this would be like a bucket list story. And in some ways, it is. But mostly, it didn't feel like one, and that's good for me because I don't always enjoy bucket list stories. Georgie isn't trying to do all these things simply because she never did them. She's trying to find the answers that have her feeling like something is missing. Some of the things she does with Bel and some she does with Levi.

Speaking of Levi, he has the most interesting story in the whole book. He was basically a troublemaker as a kid. Most of the things he did out of spite towards his dad. And his dad disowned him for it. And since he's been in some way or other trying to live his life in a way that proves he's worthy. He had the furthest to go. Although Georgie, via Bel, has a big revelation about herself also.

One gripe...if I may. There's no mistaking what side of the political fence Kate Clayborn is on. Recreational marijuana usage, hippy parents, Prius, no air conditioning, natural peanut butter, gluten-free bread, mushrooms, composting vs waste, LGBT, sustainability, polyamory, climate change, protesting animal dissection. Not all of these things are liberal agendas, but put together they sure do seem to press a particular message to the reader. Maybe Kate Clayborn was trying to write a specific type of character. Maybe. I doubt it though. I will say that these mentions felt like they fit the story better than some other authors who try to throw the whole political checklist into their books. (I'm thinking of you Today, Tonight, Tomorrow.)

To go with that, Georige, All Along was the first book I've read with a character who has "they/them" pronouns, and boy, did it throw me for a loop. I really thought it was a typo until it kept happening. I meant I didn't have a clue how this mess of a grammar mistake could make it past the editors even for a first draft. But then I realized it was on purpose, and I wanted to bang my head against the wall every time I stumbled upon a they/them reference. Another discussion for another day, but this seriously pulled me out of the story every single time.

Favorite quotes:
-"I'm sure sorry for the confusion here," says Paul. "I put you both in an awkward situation, didn't I?" He doesn't know the half of it. I've seen his daughter in a state of undress, and my dog's worn a pair of her underpants.

-But there's an old war inside me now, and the Levi I want to be is losing.

-Hank's always been good at reminding me how happiness looks.

So here's the thing, when I pull out the liberal political agendas, I was hooked into this story. Even the hippy parents were fun characters to read about. I liked Georgie even though she's about as different from me as they come. I liked Levi and his struggles and his journey. I enjoyed the relationship and the conflict about overcoming our past traumas. I still enjoyed the story enough to rate this one 4 Stars. But I'm conflicted over who to recommend this to. I guess if you don't like politics in your books, skip it. If it doesn't bother you, then maybe this one will be a winner for you. Have you read Georgie, All Along? What did you think? Let me know!

I got this ARC months ago and I'm so kicking myself for putting off reading it, I LOVED this book!

Hank was definitely the star of the book, but really Levi is the one who captured my attention. I know Georgie is the main character, but Levi did the most growing and it was a joy to read along to see his progression.

I should add watching Georgie grow was great too, from thinking she has no direction in life or know what she wants to do, to where she ends up at the end, but Levi starting the book still viewing himself as the troubled kid even 15-20 years later to seeing he was worthy of love and his siblings too, was quite the journey. Plus I love a grumpy love interest since they're usually a cinnamon roll character. It broke my heart when Georgie kissed him the first time and he didn't respond because he was so shocked that she would do such a thing. He just had such low regard for himself, and I loved seeing Georgie accept him at who he was, never making him feel bad for his past and even standing up for him. It was a really sweet relationship, and I loved that Georgie never gave up on him.

Loved, loved LOVED this book!

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t yet another reinvention.”

And with those opening lines, Kate Clayborn once again plucks my heart from my chest and makes it dance to her tune. Her latest, GEORGIE, ALL ALONG (Kensington, 331 pp., paperback, $16.95), is a retelling of Jane Austen’s “Emma” that plays up the small-town setting.

We talk a lot about coziness in small-town romances — all those cupcake bakeries and boutique hotels — but there’s a sinister aspect to them as well: In romances, small towns can be traps built out of the past. You’re going to have to grapple with who you were.

Hot-mess heroines are not rare these days, but many of them feel as flat as the cartoon people on the cover. Not Georgie Mulcahy, who once thrived in the chaos as a Hollywood hotshot’s personal assistant. But now that her boss is retired, Georgie’s back in her Southern hometown and grasping for something, anything, to give her aimless life purpose. A notebook full of unachieved high school dreams gives her the script, and a mix-up by her absent-minded parents gives her a houseguest to pull in as a companion. Levi Fanning is the black sheep of the town’s classiest family, and the brother of Georgie’s old high school crush — but his stoic intensity can’t stand up long against Georgie’s warmth and enthusiasm.

This is a book is for plunging into, a river of feelings with an inescapable current. Even as you are swept away, you know Clayborn’s hand is safely on the tiller, steering you expertly through the rapids.

This was a really lovely, calming read - and also romantic. There is very little peril (maybe no peril?), just two people trying to figure out who they are and what they want in the world. And if you’ve ever wondered what you’re doing with your life and why everyone seems to have things better planned than you, this may well speak to you on a cellular level. I often say that I’m very lucky because I knew what I wanted to do for my job at a very young age, and turned out that be good enough at it that I’ve been able to earn my living doing it (so far!). But I don’t really have a grand plan. I’m much better at knowing what I don’t want to do, than what I *do* want to do and so I really enjoyed watching Georgie working out what she wanted from life and also the way it all resolved - and I can’t really say more, because: spoiler.

This book is well-written; I didn’t love it or hate it. I just struggled to connect any of the main characters. The aimless floating through life that seemed to be Georgie’s main way of existing wasn’t as relatable to me as I originally thought a character would be.

This book contains two of my most favorite things, pit bulls and giant metal animals, so of course I love it. And sure, part of that is me being silly, but it’s also a (highly inadequate) explanation of what I love most about Kate Clayborn’s: how real the characters feel. I want to go over and hang out on the dock with Georgie and Levi while Hank snoozes under a giant metal rooster, and it almost feels like I could. The author treats them like real people, too! There’s just so much heart and understanding in how the characters and their pasts are handled. And on top of that, she takes the “returning to your small hometown” and “grumpy/sunshine” tropes and turns them into something completely different – and better.

After her celebrity client abruptly decides to retire, Georgie hesitates to take another PA job. Now that she’s no longer taking care of her client’s every whim, she’s forced to face the fact that she doesn’t know what she wants to do next with her life. So Georgie decides to do the next best thing – help out her BFF who’s just moved back to their hometown and who’s about to have a baby. The discovery of old middle school journey about all the fun things they’d do together in high school leads Georgie to take on a challenge. If she completes a bunch of those long unfulfilled dreams, will she be able to get back in touch with the Georgie who had plans for her future?

“I put you both in an awkward situation, didn’t I?”
He doesn’t know the half of it. I’ve seen his daughter in a state of undress, and my dog’s worn a pair of her underpants.”


While Georgie’s parents are out of town, they tell her to stay at their house. Unfortunately, they’ve also told one of their friends, Levi, to stay there while his house is having some necessary repairs done. Now Georgie, Levi and one farting pit bull (Hank) are stuck together sharing the same house. And while Levi seems gruff and unfriendly on the surface, Georgie soon realizes he’s actually quite kind, if a bit unused to making friends. And it’s hard to deny they’re both attracted to each other. But with both of their pasts invading their present, do they have any hope for a future?

While Georgie is spending all her time trying to relive her past in order to find her future, Levi’s stuck living in the past. He knows his reputation around town is well-deserve. He sees no reason to fight it, preferring to just keep his head down. His life consists of his work building docks and his dog, Hank. He started helping out building docks and when the owner retired, bought the company. I’ll be honest and say I’ve never thought a lot about docks before, but Levi’s love for them and being on the water in general was shown so well that it was never uninteresting. While Georgie’s parents were loving and accepting of her unconditionally, Levi’s family, especially his father, expected something different – leading to his eventual estrangement from his family, including his younger brother and sister. And contrary to most romance novels, he hasn’t attempted to make his own found family – well, except for Hank that is. He is the grumpy hero through and through.

“First of all, the last thing I need is some sort of romance when I’m supposed to be focusing on myself and figuring out what I want. Second of all, in a Hallmark movie, no one ever has a hot affair. They open up a bakery and then get married six months later, and to me that sounds like the worst.”


Needless to say, there’s a lot going on. Naturally this is the romance so there’s Georgie’s relationship with Levi. But there’s also her relationships with Bel, with her parents, heck, with her whole dang hometown. Not to mention Georgie trying to figure out how past-Georgie because present-Georgie and how she can figure out future-Georgie. Levi’s also navigating a similar mix of relationships, too, most notably with his family. Both Georgie and Levi have to a lot to learn from each of those relationships and how they’re handled. The revelations, such as they are, don’t necessarily come from perfect moments, but rather stem from arguments or a simple conversation.

“That’s always how it is with Levi: what I want, but better.”


There’s a particular moment with Bel and Georgie where Bel is sharing some of her feelings. It’s literally two paragraphs – and short ones at that – but it absolutely wrecked me. While what Bel’s feeling is at best tangentially related to Georgie’s own story, it absolutely shows the whole dynamic between those two, their love for each other, and their history. Then there’s another single line where Levi is talking about some of his actions in the past, and he suddenly connects it to a sort of, well, isn’t that a problem most people face? I think that’s the magic, where these words or feelings are both deeply personal to a character but somehow still resonate with the reader’s own past experiences.

Overall, I already know this will be on my top-ten list of 2023. Is it my favorite Kate Clayborn? I’m not sure, as Love Lettering and Love at First are both astounding, but it’s right there in the running. Overall, highly recommended if you’re the sort of person who hates making five year plans and loves sweet, funny romances.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I loved Georgie. I loved Levi. I love them together. Georgie is a hot mess when she arrives back in her hometown after recently losing her job and comes home to help her best friend, Bel. Things quickly go in a different direction when she finds an old book of fic that she and Bel made back before high school. Georgie is soon on a quest to figure things out for her future, but first, she wants to check things off the list from the fic that she never got to do as a teenager. She's doing some soul searching when her life gets upended by an unexpected house guest, Levi, and his dog, Hank. Levi has a very troubled history and a pretty sad family history. Life and love happen as they both try to untangle all the messiness of their lives.
It's a beautiful story of finding yourself and your person.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I didn't really have any expectations going into this book but it was really cute. I liked the roommates aspect a lot but I wish it lasted a little bit longer. I also wished Georgie and Levi's relationship had a little but more development. It felt a tiny but rushed to me. Overall it was really cute and I enjoyed it.

This was a good book with a really great cast. However, for some reason I did not love it as much as prior Kate C books. I enjoyed so many aspects of it including the awesome sismance between Georgie and Bel, Georgie’s parents, Hank! Actually, I liked all the characters minus the dad. There was something missing overall though. Some minuses included how fast but slow Levi and Georgie’s relationship developed, to not much conflict I think dulled my enjoyment.

Overall though, I would still recommend this for anyone who wants to read a low-angst rom-com.

Huge thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

I thought this was a cute premise and I liked Georgie and Levi. I didn’t end up finishing, it just got to be too spicy for my liking. Still is an entertaining, well-written book, I just prefer more closed door romances.

📚 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰- Georgie, All Along⁣
𝘉𝘺 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯⁣
⭐⭐⭐⭐️ (4.5/5)⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣
𝐓𝐡𝐞 "𝐆𝐢𝐬𝐭": Suddenly unemployed, Georgie finds herself back in her Virginia hometown. But she never expected how lost and empty she would feel. She also didn't expect to take an interest in the town's handsome, troubled recluse. But maybe the unexpected isn't so bad...⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝗪𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐞 👍:⁣⁣⁣⁣
- The characters! Gosh. LEVI is just....THE MOST. ❤️❤️❤️ Sweet Hank, the pup. Georgie's parents. Bell. *sigh* They are just SO well done.⁣
- The chemistry between Georgie and Levi, the tension, and the spicy scenes 🌶🥵. ⁣
⁣
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 👎: ⁣
- As a whole, I think this one could stand to be just a TAD shorter. There were a few parts that felt a bit sluggish to me. ⁣
⁣
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 💭: I usually dislike romances for the simple fact that I find them cheesy with irritating characters, lackluster chemistry, and I never feel particularly invested in the outcome. ⁣
⁣
That is NOT the case with Georgie, All Along.⁣
⁣
This book was honest and well-written. Emotional and funny. Georgie was a phenomenal character with SO MUCH HEART, and I rooted for her SO HARD. The chemistry between her and Levi was *mwah* chef's kiss! And the growth both character's display at the end is beautiful (particularly Levi). ⁣
⁣
As a leading man, Levi is the bearded, soft-spoken gentleman with a dark past we all dream about. ❤️⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 📖: You are after a non-cheesy, feel-good romance with likable characters and a side of spice 🌶🌶🌶⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: MA (sexual situations)

Big fan of Kate Clayborn. This book definitely carries her usual charm. It’s an enjoyable book; immersive and character driven. I will say it didn’t quite grab me like her previous books have. Something about the insta-love just never connected for me. I wanted more initial development there. I think a lot of people will enjoy this sweet romance, it just didn’t click for me.

Georgie, All Along was a delightful story about finding yourself, falling in love, and learning to let go of past reputations.

Firstly, I loved Georgie as the main character. The inner conflicts she dealt with in the story felt universal to problems most people in their 20s face. Her major conflict is the "terrifying blankness in [her] head," which was a wonderfully descriptive way to say Georgie felt stuck. The notebook - or the 'friendfic,' which it is often called - is the catalyst that encouraged Georgie to find a way to get rid of the blankness.

While the word "friendfic" doesn't roll off the tongue, I did like the overall concept of it and how it was used as a plot device to push the story forward. The friendfic was a notebook Georgie wrote as a teenager about all the cool things she'd do in high school, and most of those things involved her crush, Evan Fanning (Levi's younger brother). As she starts to check the items off her list, we see Georgie's desires as a teenager don't necessarily align with her current desires. It makes her question what she really wants now. I didn't keep a regular journal in high school, but this book made me question what I would write in my teenage diary if I did and would my desires back then be the same as it is now. I think Georgie, All Along would be a great choice for a buddy read or book club. Georgie's notebook would be a great topic to discuss. Did you keep a journal in high school? What would be in your friendfic if you kept one? Also, there is a list of discussion questions at the back of the book too!

Lastly, Georgie and Levi's romance was so sweet. Anytime a synopsis promises two people who don't like each other will become unexpected roommates, I know it will be a fun read. While there were plenty of funny embarrassing moments (like Levi's dog getting a hold of Georgie's underwear) and witty back-and-forth bantering, there were also sweet, romantic moments, like when they danced in the moonlight or when Levi crafts with Georgie's mom. The most heartwarming moment was seeing Levi learn to be vulnerable and open up about his rough past. Their relationship was so cute; I didn't want the story to end.

Overall? I'd give this book 4-stars. Everything from the characters to the plot was done exceptionally well. Give this book a read if you like romance books with sweet, heartwarming moments and strong character development.

It doesn’t take a genius to know how this story is going to end but sometimes that doesn’t matter because the tales along the way are worth it. Told from both Georgie’s and Levi’s point of view, their awkwardness as they navigate those early days of liking someone will ring bells with anyone who has fallen fast. Add is some small town “everyone knows everyone” vibe and you know there will be more than one bump along the way.

Like a Sunday afternoon romcom this was non-challenging, predictable and enjoyable.

I received a reviewer copy of Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn from the publisher Kensington Books, from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

What It’s About: Georgie Mulcahy has been working as a personal assistant for a long time and really has made a career of putting others before herself. But when her boss decides to leave Hollywood behind, Georgie is left jobless and back in her hometown, trying to figure out her own wants instead of others. When she returns home she finds a 'friendfic' diary she and her best friend wrote as teenagers that explored possibilities of what awaited her. As she works through her younger self's plans, she is disrupted by an unexpected roommate, Levi, the bad boy brother of her high school crush. And Levi works his way into this process of discovery.

What I Loved: Oh gosh, this book made me so happy. This reminded me why I loved Kate Clayborn. Georgie is such a really thoughtful and loving character and it is so relatable to discover yourself and figure your shit out when it feels like everyone around you has their stuff figured out. This book is highly relatable because some things go off the rail or life hands you some disappoints. Mix this self-discovery with a swoon-worthy romance and you have this book. The chemistry between Georgie and Levi and the way they just fell into each other just made so much sense. This book of two people healing and finding their happiness is just chef's kiss. Also the side characters in this is just lovely.

What I didn’t like so much: So I know this is messed up but there are some behaviors that Levi displayed at times that made me feel like if only he was a bit further along in his healing it would be perfect. His lashing out at times sometimes felt like a lot for me.

Who Should Read It: People who loved Love Lettering. People who love stories of two characters finding themselves and also falling in love.

Summary: A woman returns to her hometown to find herself and finds love too.

Everything positive you’ve heard about Georgie, All Along are all true! This book is emotional, deeply personal and unbelievably romantic.

I honestly have no idea how many times I cried while reading Georgie, All Along but I couldn’t help finding myself constantly overwhelmed by the onslaught of emotions this book brought upon me and soul. There were happy tears, and there were sad tears and between them all the tears, I was a mess… but if there’s one thing I learned from Georgie, it’s that it’s okay to be a mess. It’s okay to not have your whole life figured out, having the pages of your book be blank is totally fine, there’s no time limit to starting your life. Just take it one day at a time. And that’s what I did while reading this book, I took it a page at a time and I found myself falling in love with Georgie and Levi’s story in no time at all.

One of the things I adored about this book is the fact that we get both Levi and Georgie’s POV, and I don’t think the story would have had as much impact if it wasn’t. It’s as much Levi’s story as Georgie’s, though they both develop individually and in different ways, the catalyst for their changes is each other.

It’s impossible not to fall in love with the two of them. They both carry so much baggage but the magic of their relationship is that they unpacked those things together. Kate Clayborn put so much thought and care into Georgie and Levi’s love story that it draws you in, keeps hold of your heartstrings and doesn’t let go until the very last page. These two are so gentle with each other and their intimate moments brings tears to my eyes. (But don’t worry, they do bring the spice to the pages when they have to.)

Georgie, All Along is truly a special book with a cast of incredibly special characters and even though it’s only January, I already know it’s one of my favorite books of 2023. The story in its pages is as bold, bright and impactful as its beautiful yellow color.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Georgie, All Along
by Kate Clayborn
Pub Date: 24 Jan 2023

I am a Kate Clayborn fan and this book did not disappoint! I loved the character development so much and the strong friendships as much as the romance. Georgie and Levi...both of them trying to overcome their label of "trouble" from their youth by their small hometown. I was so utterly peeved at the teacher and anyone else who tried to make them feel small and unworthy! I adored Georgie's parents and Bel (and Hank!) so much for having faith in their girl. Just as much as I despised Levi's parents...boo-hiss!

The whole book had a magical, nostalgic quality sprinkled with moonbeams and filtered by a dose of quirky, sweetness that absolutely filled up my heart! I am still smiling!!

5 Stars