I loved this story! If an author can make me sad cry and happy cry it's a great book! I have read other Kate Clayborn books and really loved them.
Georgie comes from a very eclectic family and has moved back home when her job in L.A. goes away. Enter Levi, who covers for her when she doesn't have enough money to buy a milkshake at the local grocery store. Levi is the black sheep of his family but has put his life back on track. Needless to say, he still has a lot of issues to get through and Georgie is there to help him through. Also, loved Hank the dog. He plays an important part of the story.
Thank you to #Netgalley and #Kensington for the ARC.

Kate Clayborn is an author I adore. Her books just bring you in like a warm hug. Books such as Georgie, All Along just leave you with a happy feeling after you've shut the book for a final time. It's not to say she shies away from tough subject matter, but rather finds ways to focus on love and light and self-growth at the same time.

In Georgie, All Along our female protagonist, Georgie, is kind of floundering. She's back to her small town from LA where she had served as a personal assistant to the big wigs in Hollywood. Her last boss having just decided to take a step back and reevaluate her life, while good for her, has left Georgie scrambling to figure out what she wants to do, what she wants from life, where she wants to be. All the big questions that we are bombarded with from the time we're five (what do YOU want to be when you grow up?) like we should have the answers figured out and never veer from that straight and narrow path.

But what if you don't know? What if it doesn't seem like a clear path? Coming home and being around some of the people who made her feel less than as a young adult, isn't exactly something she's looking forward too, but being with her best friend right before she delivers her first baby and housesitting for the parents she loves doesn't seem like too bad a place to crash land while she figures things out.

What she doesn't expect is to run into Levi Fanning, a man labeled as TROUBLE when they were growing. That image doesn't quite fit with the quiet and stoic man she meets when she's back in town.

Our male protagonist, Levi, is also trying to figure things out. He's constantly working to be better and more stable than the young man he once was. While he may think he's got it figured out and is living his best life, he's letting his past rule him and Georgie may just be the person to help him see that clearly.

This read left me feeling cozy and happy with the ending, proud of the characters and how they grew and the truths they uncovered about themselves. It's easy to see yourself in at least one of the characters Clayborn creates in this space.

Can you go home again? Well, Georgie has after a life in LA which is cut short when the writer/director she works for decides to decamp for New Mexico. Since her BFF Bel has also recently returned home and is pregnant, well, it's not such a bad thing. Or is it? She thinks she's going to stay at her parents house while they're out on the road (love her parents!) but they've also promised the house to Levi (and his terrific dog Hank). Levi is the older brother of the boy Georgie crushed on all through high school and the black sheep of is family. Fans of the genre will see this one coming but Claiborne has a terrific touch with comedy (even with Bel's meltdown) and a big heart. This is centered around a notebook of things Georgie and Bel planned to do once they hit high school but that's not the important part of the tale. I enjoyed this because it made me smile- I liked everyone (except that music teacher!) and could visualize the houses, the bars, and so on. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Great read.

As a fan of Kate Clayborn, I had high expectations for this book -- and Georgie, All Along surpassed every single one. This book was fantastic and so classically KC!

Georgie, All Along packs a punch in all the best ways, and I found myself so deeply involved in the lives of Georgie, Levi, and their family and friends. But none more so than Georgie. Her character and her experiences just really resonated with me. Her indecision and feelings of being lost and confused and "blank" towards her own future had me nodding along the whole time.

While not a new idea, KC's take on looking back and trying to rediscover your path felt refreshing and real. And I loved how this journey helped Georgie determine not only her strengths but her self-worth as well. She was able to use these experiences to grow her own character and help Levi through his own journey too.

I also loved how realistic Levi's character was. His struggles with mental health and overcoming his criminal history weren't sugarcoated or downplayed. Having his POV throughout meant that we (readers) got a better understanding of his thought processes and mental commentary for all the things he didn't say aloud. Again, it was refreshing -- and enjoyable to watch him overcome and grow as a person, and build a truly supportive network of people.

I'm a HUGE fan of the grumpy x sunshine trope and Georgie, All Along was top tier. I couldn't have loved it more. This is a book that will last with you long after the final pages.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC.

Georgie, All Along is so much more than a rom-com (although it is SUCH a good room -com at times, to be fair).

Georgie Mulcahy has been living the not-that-glamourous Hollywood life of an incredibly helpful assistant to an equally incredibly demanding boss for a good while. A bump on her professional road takes her back to her hometown, where she is supposed to help her very pregnant best friend Bel, care for her parents' plants and figure out what she wants from life. And maybe spend some time making her teenage dreams come true.

Kate Clayborn takes her time building a charming setting for the story, a very appealing plot and, specially, a set of realistic, imperfect, truly loveable characters. There is so much more depth to Levi and Georgie's grumpy-and-sunshine relationship dynamic, or to Bel's role as the friend who has it al together than you would imagine when starting the book.

I would absolutely recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys sweet rom-coms with detailed, well-rounded characterization. I can't wait to read more things by the author.

Perfection.

Kate Clayborn can do no wrong, in my opinion. And each book she releases has such a chokehold on me. I read Georgie in one sitting and I’m still thinking about her and Levi. My heart is bursting.

Beautifully written and just a lovely lovely story.

Charming! I love Levi's passion for conservation (and the cameo from my favorite climate change read All We Can Save), and his story resolved nicely with the mirror image of his brother's experience.

Georgie is a bit harder for me to grasp... but only because her worldview is so alien to me: I'm not a natural caretaker and I have no shortage of dreams. I think I wanted a nicer button on her resolution... "I choose to just live adrift" or whatever.

Overall, though, this was a read that frequently had me grinning, brought a bit of joy to my life, and left me thinking about how I, too, can be more expansive.

Heat Factor: The kind of sensuality that comes with a lot of emotional but not specific description
Character Chemistry: Mercy
Plot: Georgie’s a mess on the outside, Levi’s a mess on the inside, and their messes complement each other until they crash and make me cry
Overall: I knew this book would give me big feels and tears, and I was right, and it was AWESOME

I’m two for two with Kate Clayborn. She really knows how to punch me right in the feels and make me cry, and it feels SO GOOD.

Georgie and Levi are probably relatable to most people, not necessarily in the details of their lives, but in the lived experience of either feeling like floundering through life or having a tight rein on life because stepping out of bounds is frightening. People have complicated relationships and struggle with a feeling of not belonging. People grow and change over time, but also have a really hard time letting go of feelings and memories of childhood. People see other people doing so much better and feel worse about where they are. So is it any wonder that a book dealing with all of these feelings will grip you by the guts, make you feel all the feels, and then make those feelings leak out your eyes? But make it a romance, so we get a dopamine hit at the end instead of more trauma.

This book is a small town romance set in a fictitious Chesapeake Bay community in Virginia. (If you are not from around here and are confused by Levi being on the river one minute and then mentions of the bay another, it’s just that there’s more property available on a river (or neck) that leads out to the bay than on the bay itself because it’s kinda all rivers around there.) The small town setting amplifies the tension and intimacy of the story beautifully, because of course George would meet the teacher who disapproved of high school Georgie her first day back and of course Levi can’t completely avoid his estranged family. Of course the external influences in their lives will have the power to push out secrets they’ve been holding on to and force them to face what they’ve been burying.

The pacing of the book is not fast; it’s meant to be savored. There’s not action forcing us to turn the page and find out what’s next, but there’s plenty of emotional tension derived from our curiosity about how Georgie’s going to figure out what to do with herself and when that can they’ve been kicking down the road is going to explode and make a mess all over. The book is really tight—there was no time that I wanted to hurry up and get on with any meandering points. In another romance book (a thousand other romance books), Levi would be the grumpy, taciturn hero who is a MAN and doesn’t understand his feelings until the bitter end, but here he’s a whole person who has feelings and is beautiful for that as well as his incredible forearms (he builds docks for a living, so…yeah, he’s built.) It’s also a great example of a book with white M/F protagonists that’s easily inclusive. AND it handled the complexity of interpersonal (family) relationships with plenty of painful history in a nuanced way that didn’t magically wipe the past clean and did treat each of the parties involved with three-dimensionality. It was a really lovely reading experience.

Long story short: I’m not sure the plot synopsis really matters here. This book is about feelings, the reader’s journey with the characters, and it hits its mark every time. Hence my leaky eyes.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

This book was a 6/5 star for me. This was my ever first Kate Clayborn read, and I thought it was outstanding. I love how much the characters developed over time and how you can become a better person when you have the right people supporting you. This book is a bit of a slow-burn-ish, there’s spice but it’s a bit of a slow burn too, which I loved.
This book- my heart and soul. This book shocked me to the core because I went in without thinking there wouldn’t be anything spicy but my god KC knows how to write spice. And the build-up to it.

The protagonist of this book, Georgie, goes back to her hometown to try find herself with the book she wrote when she was a teen called the ‘friendfic’. She decides to do all the things she’s written in there with her roommate who happens to be her ex-crush’s older brother. Little did she know they’d get into some chaos together which results in perhaps falling in love…

Georgie and Levi. Both their characters were amazing and so very well written. Kate was able to write this book so beautifully, it was as if I knew the characters personally. Levi is the dream. Even when things were falling apart and didn’t know what was happening in his own life, he got back up to get what he wanted.

I love how this book has the factor of trying to find yourself and what you want, instead of doing things for others. You don’t have to worry much about the past, you just have to move on with the future and become a better person, and realise that you have changed for the better.

I DNF'd it after the first chapter. The set up did not appeal to me. This book's reader target is for younger people. The writing style was cringy.

We were pleased to share this title at our live Spring Book Preview event for the Modern Mrs Darcy and What Should I Read Next communities on January 10, 2023, when 1200 readers attended live and twice that many watched the replay in the following week. The PDF from that event is attached. Long story short: My only complaint is that Kate Clayborn can't write faster! I enjoy her elevated romance so much; Georgie is no exception.

5 star read.

This book could perhaps be one of my favorite modern romance books I've ever read. The sentiment was strong, the chemistry was electric, the originality was unique. Along the lines of following a romance of the "romcom" variety, while still touching on incredibly human moments, Kate Clayborn gave us a beautiful miniature bildungsroman with Georgie, AND Levi. Levi's history and growth was so moving, that he quite literally stole the show.

I requested this arc way back in the fall, and almost, quite frankly, forgot about it. Slowly, I began hearing buzz. With nothing to lose, I began this book in the early hours of 2023. I laughed, I cried, and I plan on breaking my book-buying ban resolution to purchase this book upon its release. It was so good to the point of I can't wait until it comes out to buy it.

I have a feeling I'll pick up this book from time to time and come back to Georgie and Levi's tale of growth and love, whenever I need a book to lift spirits.

I’ve been a fan of Clayborn’s since “Love Lettering” so I was excited to receive a copy of “Georgie…” but I was very surprised by how different this book is from her past ones. Yes, this is a billed as being a romance book but it’s also a redemption story and there is a lot of seriousness in it. However, there are plenty of swoon worthy or LOL moments so the book doesn’t feel too heavy. You could easily devour this book in a day.

The character development in this book is so good. Even with an ending that’s not your typical HEA it was so satisfying because it made sense for both Georgie and Levi and their relationship.

Also, Levi Fanning is one of the best male love interests I’ve read in a long time. Seriously, even when he was being a jerk I loved him and was rooting for him.

I’m giving this book a solid 5 star rating. My only complaint were the typos through the book but this is an ARC so that’s to be expected.

“She seems… expansive, to use her word. Full to the bursting. The kind of person who’d have a hard time with any sort of list, but somehow, in the best possible way.”

Georgie, All Along is a beautifully written love story about two people who are used to being perceived in a certain way, but who have the ability to see each other for who they really are. Author Kate Clayborn once again demonstrates her tremendous skill at internal conflict, witty dialogue, and elegant prose.

When Georgie Mulcahy reluctantly returns to her hometown with her proverbial tail between her legs, she’s determined to keep a low profile. To prove that she’s not the girl she was when she left. The last thing she expects is Levi Fanning, once the town’s most storied troublemaker, who is now her reluctant temporary roommate. Both have felt the sting of their small town’s judgement, and both feel inexplicably drawn to each other. But both have unresolved issues from their pasts to overcome, and the question becomes whether they’ll sink, or if they’ll swim.

“I’ve never felt this fragile and firm at the same time in my whole life.”

Told in alternating first person present POV, this book really showcases internal conflict. In fact, it’s kind of a master class in how to effectively put internal conflict on page. Clayborn deftly give readers an insight into each of the main characters’ innermost thoughts, feelings, and insecurities, while also providing a beautiful, slow-burning love story filled with wit and humor.

There’s a moment in the book when one of the protagonists is waging an inner battle between how they are feeling because of prior trauma, and what they know intellectually to be true, and it is so effective and heartbreaking in its poignance. Clayborn creates flawed, human characters who want to be better but can’t always be in the precise moment. It feels so real. Because how often in real life do we act one way when we wish we would have acted another?

Every character feels purposeful, and every narrative beat feels perfectly paced. I already know this is going to be one of my favorite reads of 2023.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for generously providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

While this is a romance, it's also so much more. Georgie has reached a transition phase in life and we get to watch her past help shape her future. It's a story of love and relationships (friendship, family, work, etc.). This is a great read!

Kate Clayborn’s latest novel, Georgie, All Along, is everything I expect from a Kate Clayborn book and more. I already knew that I was a Kate fan girl, but my love is now reaching dangerous heights.

The thing that first struck me about this story is how well it encapsulates the feeling of reinvention and the hope that goes along with it. Georgie, who’s returning to her hometown after the celebrity she assisted decided to retire, feels lost and out of touch with what she wants for her life. Finding a journal she and her friend wrote about their fictional high school lives, she grasps onto this as a way to figure out what it is she really wants. But Clayborn doesn’t stop with a mere reinvention story, she delves so deeply and honestly into emotions that you get a story that feels both hopeful and so real that it extends beyond the book itself.

Alongside the expansiveness that is Georgie, Clayborn places Levi, who has gone through his own reinvention, but in a way that has focused on routine, familiarity, and control. While simultaneously having Levi be extremely sweet and swoon-worthy, we also get to see more about how we view ourselves and how we lead our lives because of that view.

The romance between the two is sparkling! You can feel how well they understand each other and that magical feeling when they come together. They are different and yet fit perfectly.

And not to mention that Kate Clayborn is truly the queen of writing friendships. We get a full picture of these characters and the complex relationships they hold, making them all live with the reader long after we’ve stopped reading.

This description probably did not do the book justice, but I can say that it is truly one of the best books I’ve read.

I admit, this is one of those instances where the book blurb on its own got me to read this book.

This is my first Clayborn read, so I didn’t even have past work to go on, but I’m so glad I went with my gut because I so enjoyed it.

I can totally commiserate with Georgie who is in a bit of a quarter life crisis because her boss up and retired leaving Georgie without a job, moving home and not sure who she is or what she wants next.

She’s moved home with the goal to help her pregnant best friend, but doesn’t find much clarity about her life path until she finds the journal she wrote as a teenager with a list of all the fun she wanted to do at that age.
I loved Clayborn’s writing, which seemed effortless, as she crafted and moved the story along.

I enjoyed all the characters, but I was honestly more taken with Levi’s character arc and change over Georgie‘s. Georgie‘s “aha moment” wasn’t that gripping to me, but I adored her.

Levi, however was this blend of a hardened man with such a gentle soul underneath. I love how he saw Georgie and how he grew out of his shell of pain from his past.

This book kicked off 2023 with an awesome start and totally deserved its spot on my list of one of the most anticipated romance books of 2023. Highly recommend!

*I received an advanced reader copy from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This was super cute, and I look forward to more books by Kate Clayborn in the future. She's officially made my "automatic buy" list!

A good but not great story I had high hopes would receive the praise I wanted to give it. It was interesting enough but not a favorite of the month.

I went into this one with zero expectations and was very pleasantly surprised! It took me about 70ish pages to get invested, but afterward, I was hooked.

I really loved how Georgie stayed true to herself through it all, and her friendship with Bel was probably my favorite part. I really appreciated that it was dual perspective, because that definitely helped me get to know Levi a lot more since his personality was very closed off at the beginning of the story.

This is probably just a 'me' thing, but I found it a little difficult to keep track of all the character names (but I'm probably just getting old)

If anybody is looking for a feel-good romance, definitely consider checking this one out!

tropes: small(ish) town romance