Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub date: January 24th

Thank you, @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for the advanced review copy of this book.

I loved this book! This was a coming back home, early mid-life crisis story that I really enjoyed reading. It gave me serious Emily Henry + Sarah Adams + B.K. Borison vibes.

This has a scruffy + grumpy, bearded MMC who is a reformed bad boy and a carefree, wild FMC who is trying to find her purpose - and they complement each other in the best ways.

I loved the meet cutes and run ins, the laugh out loud moments, the kissing in the water, and the best friend friendship that got me in the feels. I would consider this a must-read for 2023!

Perfect for you if you like:
Grumpy/sunshine
Forced proximity/temporary roomies
Small town

🛑 multiple open door scenes
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 1-2 open door scenes
⚠️ some triggers are mentioned but not focused on

Georgie, All Along was like a warm hug! I read it in just two days and was sad for it to end. It's a romance, but it's also so much more. I loved the friendship and humor and the fact that it's Ok if it takes you a while to figure things out!

When Georgie returns to her hometown after leaving LA, she is worried that she will be looked upon negatively as she was a bit of a live wire in high school. After visiting with her best friend Bel, Georgie finds a notebook in which she write her dreams, beginning her attempt to accomplish them while figuring out who she wants to be and what she wants for her life. Meeting Levi has a big impact on her story, providing some very hot, sexy scenes. I liked the book, particularly Georgie’s quirky parents, but it didn’t blow my socks off. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Georgie returns to her small Virginia hometown after spending much of her 20's as an assistant to a famous female Hollywood writer. Her best friend has just moved back with her husband and is expecting a baby. When Georgie unexpectedly meets the older brother of her high school crush, Georgie starts to question what the next stage of her life will look like. This is a romance novel with a pretty good plot.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington in exchange for my honest opinion.

Genre: Romcom
Spice Level: High (sex on page)
Language: Swearing is frequent
Tropes: Grumpy/Sunshine, Opposites Attract

The first half of this book had me laughing aloud! So it really is a romcom.

(Honestly, I had to skip a bit in the middle because I don't like reading sex scenes. Laugh if you want! But now you know it's there even though I didn't when I picked it up. Maybe the author always has this type of scene but this is the first I've read by Clayborn.)

Seriously, the first part is so funny! I'm glad I took the chance to read it. And if you can believe it, the book even had me cry a bit. It's got all the emotions.

Georgie is on a quest to fill in the blank of what she's going to do in her life. She returns to her home after getting laid off from being a personal assistant. Once home, she discovers her best friend doesn't really need her to set up house. At loose ends, she goes to her family home while her hippy-dippy parents are off on an adventure.

Levi, a reformed bad boy, is on the path to a secure and boring life with his dog, Hank, and his business, building docks. There's no reason on earth he'd ever contact his family. And he keeps things simple. But then he meets Georgie (twice) and she's complicated from her flowing robe to her expansive gestures and chaotic cooking.

So what are the two of them going to do?

Fight?
Completely shut down?
Have awkward apologies?
Make out?
Do crazy teenage things even though they're adults?
Find themselves?
Or even find out that love can't be held tight?

Whatever happens, I can guarantee, it's not going to be easy for anyone.

I enjoyed this book! And I recommend it.

Happy reading!

OH MY GOSH!!!!! Georgie, All Along written by Kate Clayborn was so pure. I loved every single minute of this book. This book truly had so many deep meaning conversations between the characters. I won't lie, this book had me choked up at times. I can't even explain my love for this book, it was such a beautiful love story. The characters had my heart the entire time, even when they made mistakes in their past, they were willing to talk about where they went wrong, and how they can fix those mistakes and become better people. This book made my heart burst with happiness. Georgie, All Along is a witty, deeply emotional story about love, career goals, finding your path while knowing your true worth, and reconciling with your past. I absolutely adored Kate Clayborn's writing style, she made me feel like I was right there experiencing these characters love for each other. Kate, i'm sorry, but you owe me a box of tissues. The vulnerability from our main characters was so raw, pure, and honest. The cover for Georgie, All Along is absolutely gorgeous. I have never read a book written by Kate Clayborn before Georgie, All Along, but after picking up this beautiful and heart breaking book at times, I will definitely read other books by this author. This book deserves all the love possible, so please do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book.

First off, I would like to give the lovely Deema a shoutout for buddy reading this beautiful book with me💕. Second of all, I'd like to thank one of my goodreads friend, Dab for reviewing this book. If it wasn't for you girl, I wouldn't have picked up this book💞.

"I thought i'd let go of the shame about this part of my life, the way I was basically medicating myself twenty four hours a day. It's no different from what millions of people do, good people who are in pain or unsure of where to run; good people who need a break from everything in this world that's hard, sad, and unforgiving".

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND KENSINGTON BOOKS FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!

Georgie Mulcahy is a longtime personal assistant, and has made a career out of herself by putting others before herself. I instantly fell in love with Georgie's character the minute she was introduced in the book. When an unexpected upheaval sends Georgie away from her hectic job in California, back to her hometown in Virginia, Georgie must confront an uncomfortable truth; her own wants and needs have always been a disconcertingly blank page. When Georgie and her best friend, Bel were in middle school, they decided to make a "friendfic", which is a diary where they wrote down everything they wanted to do in high school, jumping off a dock where your wishes come true, notes about their crushes, ideas of how their prom is going to look. When Georgie arrives back to her hometown she's helping Bel finishing up putting Bel's house in shape in time for Bel's baby's due date, when her and Georgie comes across the friendfic. Georgie is overwhelmed when she comes across the diary's simple, small scale ideas are a lifeline, the friendfic is basically a guidebook for getting started on a new path when she arrives back home and she has no idea what she wants to do with her life.

Before Georgie gets started on any of this, and when she first arrives back in Virginia, Georgie stops a Nickel's, a little corner store, where she picks up strawberry milkshakes before they tackle Bel's house. At Nicklel's, Georgie runs into one of her old teachers whose surprised that Georgie is back in town. Georgie also runs into Levi Fanning when she's at Nickel's, when Georgie's trying to find change to pay for her and Bel's milkshakes, Levi gets all huffy puffy when Georgie takes too long, and offers to pay for their drinks. I instantly fell in love with Levi and his dog, Hank immediately. If you decide to read this book, you'll see how honest and pure he is with Georgie. Levi is known formerly the town troublemaker, and the current town hermit crab. As Georgie and Levi get to know each other and spending more time together, Levi offers to help Georgie accomplish her current friendfic goals. Hank, Levi's dog, I could just picture him being a little cutie pie, he also came around and got accustomed to Georgie.

Overall, I loved this book so much, I loved reading about these two love birds story. Levi and Georgie's chemistry was on point. Georgie and Levi made me laugh numerous times, but when they got to telling their stories, it made my heart break a little bit. I absolutely adored how Levi and Georgie both encouraged each other to open up. But in order for these two love birds to complete Georgie's wishlist, they both need to let go of their pasts and start believing in themselves. I still can't express the love I felt for this book, I just can't, but my oh my, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT SO MUCH. Georgie was hilarious, but she wasn't over the top annoying hilarious. I loved both of these characters so so much, they were so real, pure, and just the sweetest people I have ever read about. I found myself cheering on both Georgie and Levi the entire time I was reading. Again, please do yourself a favor and pick up this book, I can't recommend it enough. The only thing missing in my opinion was a music playlist. My love for this book will always live on, forever and ever to come.

Clayborn is a successful American contemporary romance author. In this new release we meet Georgie who has returned to her home town when the Hollywood bigwig for whom she was a Personal Assistant has retired. She is going to stay at her parent's place while they are away, but in a traditional 'forced proximity' trope, Levi (together with his dog) has also been told he can stay there. Levi is a few years older than Georgie, but she knows he had a reputation as a troublemaker, but she fees very attracted to him. This is a fun romantic comedy with some added depth as Georgie comes to terms with what she wants out of life and her value. It is a great recommendation for fans of authors such as Emily Henry or Mhairi McFarlane. I enjoyed it.

I loved reading this sweet, fun, and vulnerable book!

Georgie is hilariously real, but not in the over-the-top way that gets annoying. She is messy, caring, thoughtful, and she is trying her best in this new phase of her life. I adored her instantly.

Levi is introverted and guarded, but so tenderhearted. He has a tough past, he works on himself, and he cares about the environment! *wipes drool* I love Levi, okay? And his sweet dog, Hank. And the way they are so caring toward each other. MY HEART!

The romance was so cute but also so meaningful. I loved their chemistry, and I appreciated all the ways that Georgie and Levi encouraged each other to open up and made each other feel seen. I LOVED THEM TOGETHER, and I wanted to hug them so many times! Oh, AND this book has one of the funniest MEET-DISASTERS I’ve read in a contemporary romance in a long time!

This book was an absolute joy to read, and I cheered for our main characters the whole time. Kate Clayborn’s writing had the right amounts of funny, sad, and heartwarming. I think Georgie, All Along could really resonate with anyone who has ever openly (or reluctantly) embraced the need to change their paths, or anyone who has searched for what feels right to them outside of the limitations of what they (or others) thought they “should do” with their lives.

Unlike the last two Kate Clayborn books I read, Georgie, All Along was just okay for me. I liked the central conflict of Georgie and her unique fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants approach to life, which she is trying to reconcile with suddenly having no plans or ideas for what she wants at all. I liked how she and Levi saw something broken in each other that they were able to relate to and recognize, and turn into a real relationship. I liked the small town vibe, and the people in the town, especially Georgie’s best friend Bel. But somehow, these disparate pieces didn’t add up to a really compelling read for me. I felt that the chapters dragged on with both angst and just the weight of Georgie’s inability to do anything. The ending conflict felt like one last plot device to keep Levi and Georgie apart. That said, I can’t deny that this is a storyline I’ve never read before - and that in itself is worth something. Read if you like slow burns and earned emotional weight.

I LOVE GEORGIE! Kate Clayborn does it again with a realistic, sweet, swoony romance. I wanted to live in Georgie's world. I loved how much this book was about not quite knowing what you wanted, and that being okay!

I don't know why I waited so long to start this one! It was great.
Georgie returns to her hometown to help her best friend prepare for a baby. While there, she finds a notebook she started in eighth grade, called her "friend fic". This notebook is all the things she wants to do in high school. While reading through it, she realizes she has done none of those things and feels like life is passing her by without really having anything to show for it.
She is staying at her parents house while they are out of town, but doesn't realize her dad told someone else, the town outcast, that he could stay there too. When she sees rough and grumpy Levi Fanning at first she doesn't recognize him, but then she starts to remember. Levi likes to keep out of trouble these days, but he can already tell Georgie is going to break down the walls he built and challege his safe space.
As both of them grow and realize they want more out of life than what they currently have, they have to decide if they are willing to compromise or if they are stuck in their ways. Georgie is a mess, but she is a lovely one. She is refreshing and bold and carefree. Levi likes his little safe space he created and I loved seeing him open up and take more chances. He was such a fantastic character and they complimented each other so well.
Thank you to Kensington, Netgalley and Kate Clayborn for an early copy.

Thank you to Kensington, Kate Clayborn, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion,

This was one of my most anticipated January releases, but unfortunately, I had to DNF it. I got to chapter 9 and just could not get into it. I found myself skipping ahead. I was bored, I loved Hank the dog, but didn't really like any of the other characters. I tried, I really did.

DNF at 27%

This one just wasn’t doing it for me. It felt very overwrought with descriptions that didn’t add to the story at all and it felt like I was reading the same thing over and over. I wanted the story to progress in some way, but it was like being stuck in mud with no forward momentum. In the first 27% there were hardly any interactions between the two MCs and when they did interact, again, it felt like I was reading the same thing repeatedly.

Also, as a personal preference the MMC seemed a little too soft for me.

This book was not quite what was described in the blurb. I went into it thinking it would be about one woman’s journey to find herself after spending many years putting another person’s (her boss’s) needs above her own. Instead, it felt like your typical run-of-the-mill romance. I was also disappointed that half of the book was from the love interest’s perspective; it’s hard to feel connected to the title character when we’re only in her head for half of the book.

It’s a fun story with plenty to love if you’re a romance reader. But if that’s not what you’re looking for from this book, you might be disappointed.

In this book, Georgie returns home after being let go from her job as a personal assistant when her famous boss decides to take early retirement. Using the excuse of helping her BFF Bel settle into her new house and prepare a baby, Georgie doesn't know what to do with herself when it turns out Bel has it all together and doesn't really need her help after all. And she certainly doesn't know what to do when it turns out her parents have let former bad boy and black sheep Levi reside in their house with Georgie while they're out of town. To occupy her time, Georgie decides to live out all the fantasies in her and Bel's "friend-fic," from jumping off the pier, to graffitiing, and perhaps even prom.

Georgie, All Along is a cute story about reinvention--both Georgie's and Levi's (and maybe even Bel's). It's definitely a romance, with dual POV and some steam between Georgie and Levi, though it certainly has elements of women's fiction, as the romance is not necessarily the most central of plot points. I think the title is an interesting choice and perhaps does not indicate it's a romance or dual POV--coupled with having only Georgie on the cover. Georgie is an interesting mix of hot mess and highly functional. Essentially, she both creates chaos and thrives in chaos, which is an interesting combination. Overall, I enjoyed the book and I liked Georgie and Levi together. Bel may have been my favorite character of all and I certainly wouldn't mind a prequel story of her and her hottie husband's DC love story...

Thanks to Kensington for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 8/10

DNF at 58%. The book is engaging, but there's really no plot pulling the reader forward. The pacing was too slow for me, without much at stake.

If you like beautifully written, character-driven books with lots of introspection, you might enjoy this book. It just wasn't for me.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

When an unexpected career change puts Georgie out of a job, she heads back to her hometown to figure out what’s next and to help her best friend prep for the arrival of her newborn. While prepping, the women stumble upon an old notebook filled with things they planned on doing in high school. Immediately, Georgie feels that this notebook holds the answers to the blank canvas her life currently is. What Georgie isn’t expecting, is to encounter an unknown roommate named Levi.

This story had my heart in a chokehold from the moment it began. I felt so deeply connected to Georgie and her story and loved her fiercely. Dual POV stories are usually very hit or miss for me and I adored everything about this one. Levi’s chapters were so fascinating and him and Hank were the duo I didn’t know I needed. This read caught me completely by surprise with the emotions it brought out of me. I laughed, I swooned, and definitely cried (more than once). It’s safe to say, this is my favorite of Kate Clayborn’s work.

Georgie, All Along is a heart-bursting, hug of a book. Kate Clayborn always creates such well developed characters with so much depth, and Georgie and Levi are no exception. I adore them, and I already miss them! This was one of the sweetest books I've read in a long time, and I couldn't have loved it more.

*Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There's so much I really enjoyed about this book. First let me say that I'm not a fan of instalove, so when the two MCs catch feelings pretty quickly, I was a little skeptical. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they still decided to take things slow and were self-aware that their feelings were developing quickly. It came across as genuine interest and care instead of just a lusty fling. Georgie can seem like she's a hot mess at times, but she is also a great caretaker and a loyal friend. Levi is a wonderfully flawed but sweet hero. They are definitely a grump & sunshine combo. The way he takes care of his dog, who is also nothing like his reputation, is a heartwarming addition to the story. There was a plot point that was foreshadowed and I knew it was coming so I kept waiting for that shoe to drop. I love that I had no idea when it was going to show up. I've read several books where the heroine is trying to figure out her next steps in life, but Georgie's story is unique in the way it plays out and what she ends up discovering about herself. This story is not a big-city girl goes back to her small-town and falls in love and then proceeds to leave it all behind and change to blend in with his life (like those Hallmark movies we've all seen). I love that in the end, Georgie is still Georgie because she is unique and full of zest. Another plus about this book is that they talk things out! Thank you Kate Clayborn for not using misunderstandings and assumptions for the main plot. And the grand gesture, I loved it. It was sweet but also fit the two characters perfectly. I always enjoy when a romance story has dual POV because, as a reader, I feel like I get to know what they don't know. Overall, this book was refreshing in how it stands out as unique among other romance books I've read.
Thank you Kensington for a free digital ARC. All thoughts expressed are my own.

ARC REVIEW
Thanks NetGalley!

Any Kate Clayborn novel is an experience. This could have been like any other romance novel, goofy- flighty girl and grumpy distant man but Kate makes it memorable.

After losing her job Georgie moves back home to help her bff get prepared to have her baby. Her parents are away on vacation so she has the house to herself, or so she thought. Georgie’s dad is kind of a doof and forgot he asked one of his friends to watch over the house while they’re away. Levi is the black sheep of his family and keeps to himself. Just a man and his dog.

Georgie finds a “fic” her and bestie wrote when they were kids. I’m kinda old so I didnt Understand what a fic was- it was basically like an aspirational diary. Georgie is looking for direction in her life since being fired she’s questioning her life choices. Levi was wonderful, I loved seeing him open himself up to someone after blocking himself off for so long. Like I said before, any other author and this book could have been a cornball grumpy/sunshine; evil meddling brother but Kate made it seem fresh and new.

There wasn’t much of a plot, it was all vibes and emotion and I loved it.