I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I can't really say too much about this novel; it's one readers have to experience for themselves.
It made me cry, it made me smile, and I felt like I was really there, watching Georgie, figure herself out.
Levi and Georgie are just beautiful together. The additional characters Clayborn added, are wonderful too. They all have so much depth to them.
It's one of those books where you forget you're reading.
I'm so thankful I was able to read this on NetGalley.

I adored this book. An utter and complete delight.

*KC’s books are always transportive and immersive for me. Even familiar contemporary settings (like NYC where I lived) feel like they’re own magical worlds. Georgie’s hometown in Virginia is both unique and universal, evoking so much of that quintessential quirkiness of small town America. It also captures how places on the water can have their own personalities.

*Great names! Georgie, short for nothing, is a perfectly unpretentious choice. I won’t spoil Georgie’s middle name, but I laughed out loud because it reminded me of a college friend whose self-described hippie parents almost named her Rainbow. And Levi is such a Levi: rugged, casual, weathered. And Hank! I can’t.

*Despite taking place in the summer, this book felt like the ideal Thanksgiving read? So many of us go back to our hometowns for this holiday, and I I finished the book in stolen moments while taking, umm, breaks from my extended family. I’m writing this review stretched out on a couch that’s older than I am in my childhood home.

*A+ female friendships, a KC hallmark. Also loved the exploration of choices and arbitrary metrics of “success” that extends to the secondary characters, specifically Bel’s regret over moving to a big house in the ‘burbs.

*Levi has my whole heart. He reminds me a bit of my #1 book boyfriend West Ravenel, if West were a bit more in touch with his feelings? Had been to therapy? Something about how Levi embraces his routine as a way to escape his past recalled farmer West for me (plus probably some of that competence porn element too. When he fixes the toaster…be still my heart).

*The families felt really…real. There’s so much in this about how families can fracture, sometimes beyond repair. And also that part of growing up that’s about recognizing that your parents are just people.

Georgie, All Along is a joy. I laughed and cried and highlighted like mad. 💜

What a fun, light, complicated hot mess of a read! Georgie returns home to her small town after losing her big city LA job. She is searching to find herself but what she finds instead is the town bad boy … er, man. Both, are trying to find themselves and neither is certain that they deserve to. But what happens, if they help each other find their true selves? Clayborn is brilliant in the vivid descriptions and settings and is only surpassed by the totality of a brilliant and funny novel. Thanks to NetGalley for the early read!

This book I got for my daughter to read and here is her review!

Loved the book! Hooked from the start. It was grumpy guy meets happy girl. Hometown story, dual POV, and super romantic!

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC!

I was so so excited to get approved of Kate Clayborn's new novel. Her Chance of a Lifetime series is one of my all time favorites. But when I read more about what this one was about I knew I was going to love because I would relate so so much.

Georgie is an adult who doesn't know what she wants to do with her life. She seems to always put others first and even made a job out of that by being a personal assistant. I enjoyed seeing her relationship with her friends and parents and especially Levi.

Levi had a lot of his own issues. I wanted to yell at his family. Even his brother and sister though it wasn't really their fault. I liked how obviously this was about Georgie finding herself, but through her process Levi made a lot of progress as well. I think they helped each other.

For some reason I didn't think this was dual POV and was surprised (happily) that it was! I was so happy to see in Levi's head.

Such a good book, from start to finish!

Georgie returns to her hometown after losing her job, in order to spend time with her best friend and get her thoughts sorted on what she wants to do with her life moving forward.

Her first day home, she and her best friend find an old notebook they made with bucket list-type items from middle school, and she decides she wants to do some of them since they never did them back then.

After a miscommunication with her parents, Georgia ends up sharing a house with Levi. He was several years older than her in school, so she didn’t know him… just knew his reputation for getting into trouble. Their relationship begins to grow as they get to know each other living under the same roof.

Great characters all around… Georgie, Levi, all the secondary characters and, of course, Hank the dog. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for Georgie, All Along to come out January 24, 2023.

I would like to thank Kensington Books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. I have never read anything by this author before. I saw the majority of the reviews for this book were very high- most of them 5 stars. I enjoyed this book, the characters and situations were interesting, but I never felt the level of engagement to warrant that high a review. Georgie, the main character, left her small town in Virginia to be a Personal Assistant for a director in Hollywood. She stayed there for a number of years, and enjoyed her work. When her current boss decides to retire, Georgie comes home to rethink her life. Here is where I am confused from the start. It sounds like Georgie is good at what she does,she makes mention of having plenty of money saved, and has contacts in Hollywood. Yet she arrives at her home town, to house sit for her parents ,and help her best friend( who has also decided to relocate to the old home town) clean her house to prepare for the friends new baby, Georgie also has her clothes packed in trash bags and arrives in town looking more bedraggled than anything. She also is intimidated by an encounter from an old teacher.I would expect that someone who has been working for high powered Hollywood types not to be intimidated by anyone.Georgie and her best friend Bel spend time sorting through old boxes and belongings. Bel is underwritten to my way of thinking. She and her husband are expecting their first child and live in Washington DC. Bel's mother dies and Bel and her husband pack up and leave DC , changing jobs and lifestyle. Throughout the book, very little is discussed about this, with the story line focusing on Georgie. I really feel like there was a lot to say about Bel, which was left unsaid. Georgie and Bel find a notebook that they wrote before High School- they call it the "Fic". They made plans for adventures, proms double dates with Jonas brothers. Georgie wanted to date Evan Fanning, a football player. Georgie finds the notebook and begins to think about her past dreams. Georgie goes to stay at her parents, who are traveling, and finds they had already agreed to let someone stay there- Levi Fanning, the brother of Evan and the "Bad Boy" of the family. The story starts slowly and really took a long time to work towards the plot. It was interesting , but meandering. The.ending was not as predictable as I had thought originally, and there was a nice epilogue at the end. All in all, a good but not a great book.

I loved Georgie and Levi! Georgie, afraid of the empty space inside her. Levi, afraid to break out of his containment of life and feelings. Both of them trying to keep their heads down so their pasts aren't brought up. Small towns never forget. Their meeting starts a process that begins to chip away their fears. I loved Georgie's hippie parents and best friend total opposite Bel. And Levi is not without friends and allies though he thinks otherwise. This is a wonderful and funny book!

Like all of Kate Clayborn’s books, Georgie All Along was absolutely wonderful. When Georgie is let go from her job as a Hollywood assistant she returns to her parents house. When she arrives she discovers that her parents are traveling and have left the house in the care of Levi, a former town bad boy and current town recluse who happens to be the brother of her teenage crush. The pair agree to stay in the house together and sparks quickly fly as they complete tasks Georgie wrote as a high school bucket list. Both Georgie and Levi have their own issues to work through and must figure out how to overcome them so they can be solid partners for one another.

This book was everything I wanted it to be. Kate is the absolute best when it comes to grumpy heroes and this book is no exception. I adored both Georgie and Levi. I liked that neither was perfect and had their own things they had to work on individually and things they could work through together. I was very happy that this book was dual POV because I feel that I truly got o know both Georgie and Levi. I really enjoyed all the side characters and found that they really added to the overall feel of the story. I would be happy to read another book in this world but will be equally happy just to read another one of Kate’s books in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well, this was absolute perfection! I could not have loved this book more! Wow!! It was extremely well-written and just the perfect mix of self-discovery, swoony romance, humor, heart, with just a touch of drama. I loved the theme of "going back" - it was woven so well throughout the book, plus it was really fun and nostalgic to re-visit high school with Georgie :)

Georgie was a joy to read - you can't help but root for her! She's real and brave and just the kind of person everyone should have in their lives. And Levi was EVERYTHING! Such a lovable grump with the softest heart. I loved that he wasn't perfect but he owned his mistakes, every time. GAHH this was just the best!

One of my favorite books I've read, ever!!

I like Kate Clayborn’s Georgie, All Along so much. This is the book I’ve been waiting for since Luck of the Draw. Her other releases have been good, but this one, this one is the perfect blend of heart, sass, and heat. It will make you cry, but won’t make you feel stupid for doing it.

Georgie Mulcahey returns to the small Virginia town where she grew up with all her worldly possessions in her Prius. She’s come back to help her best friend get ready for the impending birth of her baby, and so she can figure out what’s next after her job as a personal assistant ends. The question “what’s next?” is terrifying for Georgie because she’s never been able to figure out her 5 year plan. Trying to figure out her life in the place where she’s considered “a bit of a flake” feels like failure. Things immediately get off to a bad start when she stops to buy milk shakes but forgets her wallet in her car in front of a teacher who didn’t like her and a stranger who looks irritated, but pays for her shakes so he can get his groceries and leave.

Things get better when Georgie finds the notebook of friend-fic she and Bel wrote the summer before starting high school. She’s excited to find hopes and dreams that she had for herself, even though they are full of her crush on Evan Fanning. It is Levi Fanning who shows up with his dog at her parents’ house. Her disorganized parents double booked house sitters. There is some forced proximity, but after that they choose to spend time together. Levi offers to do her friend-fic list with Georgie. The two of them are why I’m always going to be excited for a Kate Clayborn romance.

One of the loveliest things about this book is that while Georgie feels like she is falling short as an adult, the people in her life gently point out that she is not. Georgie is good at making things happen, at bringing order out of chaos. She doesn’t uncover her hidden drive to be a superstar, but she does learn to find balance between helping others and making room for her own life.

January is going to be a great month for romance, and this one should definitely be on your list.

CW: death of a secondary character’s parent in the past, childbirth, emotionally abusive parent, injury to dog (minor), physical violence in the past.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Kensington and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

☽𝔹𝕆𝕆𝕂 ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎☾

💐Coming out 24 January 2023💐

Overall:
3/5 ✰
2/5 (There is only one sexual scene that is not really depicted)🌶

Georgie Mulcahy finds herself suddenly back in her hometown after being forced to abandon her job in Los Angeles. As she finds herself in such a predicament, she reflects on her life, realising that it is just a blank page.

But at that exact moment, she finds her old "friendfic." She kept a diary as a teenager, filling the pages with her dreams and goals. It is now the perfect time to make all of Georgie's teenage ambitions come true.
Nothing can take her attention away from her quest, except the hermit Levi Fanning, who was formerly a troublemaker and her teenage crush's older brother and is now staying at her parents' house...but so is she.
Levi even offers to help her accomplish everything in her "friendfic." And how can she say deny the help of a particularly gorgeous man and his adorable pitbull?

𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:

I couldn't wait to get started on this book. Unfortunately, I came across some factors that did not totally satisfy me. First and foremost, I must declare that the novel's tropes are among my favourites. Levi and Georgie appeared to be wonderful characters, but as their relationship progressed, I grew apprehensive as some of their actions were childish. I had forgotten they were in their thirties. This was maybe what prevented me from completely engaging with the story itself since I cannot think of another "problem" with this work. I liked the writing style, I liked the side characters (my favourite was Hank, Levi's dog), and I liked the notion of attempting to connect with your younger self.

Furthermore, I felt there was a lack of excitement. Something to entice me. As is always the case, this is only my viewpoint and a "me" thing. If any of the books I review interest you, I encourage you to read them. What may not be for me may be ideal for you.

This is my most anticipated read in 2023 and I am so thankful to the publisher and netgalley for giving me an arc!
Kate Clayborn does not miss. It’s incredible to go into a book with the excitement of a kid on Christmas and still be blindsided by how much you love it. Levi is a close second for my favorite heroes and with Reid being number one, that’s a huge compliment.
I would read Kate Clayborn’s grocery list.

Georgie, All Along is a profoundly lovely story about self-discovery and figuring yourself out. Yes, it’s a romance book, but I found that wasn’t the most important part of it for me. Georgie is lost — she’s been let go from her important assistant job out in Hollywood, and has found herself slinking back to her home town. She’s supposed to be staying her parent’s house while they’re out vacationing, but the first night she’s there a man walks right into the house while she’s dancing in her robe and underwear. That night will forever change her life — in the best way possible.

I love, love, loved this book. Every character in it felt like someone I know in real life. They all were dynamic, and understandable and dang if they didn’t just breathe right off the page. Georgie reminded me so much of myself I wanted to scream. She’s such a lovely, bright, bubbly person but all she does is help everyone else. Once she realizes this, she’s even more lost than she already was — who is she when she’s just taking care of herself? Who is she when she has no one to help? Who is she when she looks forward and stops thinking about right now? Georgie finds the answers to all of these, and gah. I want to be her best friend, but that role is already taken by Bel, another fantastic character.

But even more than I loved Georgie, I loved Levi. What a strong person. What a horrible past. What god-awful parents. I loved that Clayborn gave him such a thorough backstory, but what was best was that she sort of peppered it in. You learn in bits and pieces and then when it all finally comes out you want to take Levi and hold him tight. I love that he took his hurt and used it it improve himself, and make a life that he wanted. I loved that he was silly with Georgie, but generally a quiet man. He took care of her without smothering her — Levi let Georgie be Georgie. He loved her — all of her, not just the palatable bits. Georgie and Levi fit together like puzzle pieces.

It’s obvious I’m just gushing now, but I really adored this book. This one is one I’ll come back to again and again, just hoping for more Georgie and Levi. Go pick this one up the second it comes out, okay?

First book by this author and definitely won’t be my last. To Well written characters who come together despite opinions and busybodies of a small town. The characters are deep and complex and I loved their interactions together. Beautifully written.

I really did not think Kate Clayborn could write a more perfect hero than Reid Sutherland and then she created Levi Fanning. GEORGIE, ALL ALONG is pure perfection. I love Georgie and Levi. Their romance is funny and swoony and the perfect union of two imperfect people trying their best. Loved loved loved this book.

Kate Clayborn continues to be one of the pre-eminent contemporary romance writers of her generation. This simple on the surface story of two local misfits finding each other and thus the strength to look beyond what the small minds of their hometown think of them is a total gem. With another stellar cast of beautifully deep characters, charming and genuine dialogue and an organically developed, gorgeous love story she just checks every box on the romance to do list. Its forever being said that people read romance so they can insert themselves into the story but Clayborn writes characters that you actually come to see as real, breathing people in their own right. They become your friends. You root for them and cry for them and long for them to figure it all out and just kiss already. Every time I see another Kate Clayborn book on the horizon my heart skips and every single time she blows me away.

A huge thank you to Kensington Books for the print ARC, the better to hug at the end of this delightfully messy love story. Clayborn is such a master at crafting perfect pairs, right down to how Georgie and Bel compliment each other. And that Levi, man - he’s a good one. Here’s to strawberry milkshakes, dogs that bark to inanimate lawn objects, and being expansive.

This one was a new author for me, but I can see myself going for her backlist after this beauty. While it was predictable at times, my heart was too gooey to resist giving it 5 stars.

Georgie and Levi are a delightful sunshine/grump pair. Georgie is a little lost, and I really felt her fear of that blankness of her life after losing her job. She was sympathetic, and my heart just squeezed every time she realized things were changing. Her relationship with Levi, too, was precious but also anxiety-inducing (we all knew he was going to find The Thing) and I'm SO glad we got his POV.

Levi had a very Mr. Darcy anxiety-too-high-to-speak vibe, and I loved it so so so much. Still, the balance between his reticence and Georgie's open, extravagant love was something very much needed and very well done- a single POV wouldn't have been enough here. His feelings were really complex and to get an inside view to the way he made an effort to improve his communication for Georgie was really reeeeally cute.

I also loved the way Georgie and Levi had to adjust their attitudes and perspectives to keep themselves together- they both had some growing to do, and while it was a little angsty, it all made sense, for the most part. This wasn't all happiness and rainbows, but it was a realistic portrayal of hurt, growth, and communication and it wasn't just a big drawn-out misunderstanding for the third act drama. I mean, it was a LITTLE bit, but I saw it coming a mile away and it didn't hang around too long.

Overall, a super sweet read with a lot of heart and a fabulous cinnamon roll couple that I just want more of.

While I have enjoyed previous Kate Clayborn books, I found something distinctly lacking with Georgie, All Along. For the most part this was a fun read, but whether it was the romance that felt too sudden, or all of the unnecessary drama that was caused, I'm not sure this is the Kate Clayborn book I would be recommending to people for a first time read. It wasn't bad by any means, but in many ways, it pales in comparison to her previous work. Sometimes books just aren't meant for certain people, and maybe this book just wasn't right for me at the time.