THE MOSTLY TRUE STORY OF TANNER AND LOUISE is a cross-country road trip unlike any other that pays homage to the infamous Thelma & Louise.

After an injury derails Tanner’s collegiate soccer career she is reluctantly hired to move in as a caretaker for Octogenarian Louise. Needless to say, the two don’t hit it off. When Louise’s secrets from the past threaten to catch up with her, the two embark on an unforgettable road trip to California.

The story shines in its portrayal of intergenerational friendships and the unexpected paths life can take when we are open to new experiences. Tanner and Louise were an unexpected dynamic duo and I adored watching their friendship evolve. With a zany personality and a plethora of well-kept secrets, Louise is a character I won’t soon forget.

Colleen Oakley has written a charming story woven with a fun mystery element. This story felt fresh, snappy, and a bit suspenseful. Pick up THE MOSTLY TRUE STORY OF TANNER AND LOUISE if you enjoy characters who play by their own rules, a daily 4pm (sharp) happy hour, and unconventional friendships.

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: March 28, 2023

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review will be posted to www.instagram.com/kellyhook.readsbooks in advance of publication date.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
by Colleen Oakley

Oil and water, that is Tanner and Louise. Eighty three year old Louise broke her hip and now that she is home from the hospital and rehab her daughter won't mind her own business and has made Louise get a live-in caregiver. Louise cherishes her alone time and not having a person in her house that can act as a nosy spy/tattletale for her daughter.

Tanner was flying high mostly. And then a disaster led to more disasters and now her only desire is to play her favorite video games all the time. But her mom has kicked her out of the basement and she had to get a job watching over a cranky woman old enough to be her great grandmother.

The two eventually fall into mutual ignore-ment, with set times for Tanner to use the only TV for her gaming and set times for Louise to have the TV for news and favorite shows. They barely have to speak to each other which suits both of them just fine. So things are working out as best that they can when...ROAD TRIP!!! What the heck! Tanner is going to bow out but the bribe is too good and she knows that Louise really does need her. Louise knows she is good for Tanner whether Tanner likes it or not. Plus there is some emergency that Louise won't disclose. So off they go!

I can handle these two. For all their tough veneers, Tanner (I need nobody) and Louise (prim and proper with a fierce bite) are a nice combination of vulnerable and capable of adapting to what comes their way. Both of them are really good with the zingers and now Louise doesn't have to be lonely on her road trip while Tanner is actually growing in confidence in this extremely odd employment opportunity. Sometimes I want to pinch both their cheeks which would not go over well with either of them but they are just so cute, each in their own ways. For me, this is a feel good story, finding the help you didn't want to admit you needed, in the least likely place.

Thank you to Elisha at Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC.

It would be hard to find a more unlikely pair then Tanner and Louise. Tanner has recently been kicked out of her parents house. A year after an awful injury that left her unable to play college soccer she is lost and looking for a new path. Louise took one wrong step and broke her hip, now her daughters think she needs around the clock care. What starts as a business arrangement of convenience quickly turns into a friendship for the ages when Louise's past catches up with her. You will laugh and cry as you follow Tanner and Louise across the country as they try to stay one step ahead of their pasts.

This was a cute feel good book. It was a fun quick read but not something that will really stay with me. It will be great for readers who like Richard Osman for Fredrik Backman.

This book started out slow for me, but I'm so glad that I kept going because I loved this book! Tanner and Louise were such fun, quirky characters. Tanner is a college student who had an accident and can no longer play soccer. She lost her scholarship and is feeling lost and angry at everyone. She takes a job as a caretaker for Louise. Louise needs help driving to her appointments, but is not happy about needing Tanner's help. The two don't get along at first. Then one day Tanner sees Louise's picture on the news as a suspect in a years old jewelry heist. That night they hear sirens and Louise convinces Tanner to leave with her so she can drive her to California. The two set off on a cross-country trip and find themselves along the way.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise
By Colleen Oakley

This is not my typical go-to type of book but I loved it! Tanner loves soccer and would be getting a scholarship due to her soccer skills until she fell off a balcony. After surgery her leg would never be soccer worthy. She is angry, bitter, and takes it out on everyone. Her mom had enough and said to get out!

Louise fell and now nursing her repaired hip from a fall. She's in her eighties but normally takes care of herself but her daughter demanded that she have a person stay with her. That person could drive her places, be there in case she falls again.
It's a rocky start and it's funny how the generations differ but somehow the same!

Tanner gets suspicious of several things. One is a composite drawing of a jewel thief aged to what they might look like now. Tanner thinks it looks like Louise. Then Louise comes in her room in the middle of the night and has her pack, they leave to go when sirens are coming down their street.

The adventure begins! It is one wild ride too! The people, places, and situations they get into! Oh my! Louise has a dry wit that had me giggling. Everyone is after them! Great fun! Love the ending!
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this awesome book!

I loved this book, and couldn't put it down!

I have no idea if I would place it in an adventure, mystery, realistic, or humor genre, but I think fans of all of those would enjoy this read. I'm enjoying the multigenerational relationships (think, 100 Years of Lenni & Margot), and felt a great connection to both characters even though my age is somewhere in between theirs.

Old fashioned crimes, meet new-age problems in this book about friendship, resiliency, and following your gut despite the risks.

What a delightful book! I loved the story and was often surprised (in a good way) by the story line. I loved the arc of Tanner and Louise's relationship. I loved the dialogue. This was my first Colleen Oakley book but won't be the last. The book made me smile many times - highly recommend!

This was such a fun book! It made and laugh and smile!! This is something I look for in my books so I appreciated it! If you are looking for an entertaining read, I highly recommend adding THE MOSTLY TRUE STORY OF TANNER & LOUISE to your list.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) closer to pub date.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for my ARC!!

<i>I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own, and I am writing a voluntary review.</i>

This is an adorable read. The plot and stakes feel a little all over the place, and it probably could have been a tad shorter if the pace had been a little more robust, but its really cute.

After an accident ends her soccer career at college, Tanner is the epitome of wallowing in self-pity. After one too many angry outbursts, she's kicked out of her family's home and goes to live as a sort of companion to a family friend. Throwing 21-year-old Tanner and 84-year-old Louise together was genius and as the story moves along, the things they learn from one another are truly touching.

There are a lot of asides that are cute, but not totally necessary to the plot, which sees Tanner and Louise going on the lam and both being pursued by the FBI. This forced road trip is full of cute moments though a couple of the beats feel more like filler than anything.

There's a lot to be said about female relationships in this story, as well as, surprisingly, female strength. There is a small subplot <spoiler>that sees a young george and patty/louise helping abused women get out of their abusive relationships</spoiler> that I honestly wish there had been more of. It seemed important to the story but introduced as late as it was, lacked true depth.

I am always amazed to discover new-to-me authors that spark joy in me. This is my first Colleen Oakley read and she did exactly that in "The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise."

Synopsis: Tanner needed a place to live. Since she has no credit or money to speak of, her options are limited, so when an opportunity to work as a live-in caregiver for an elderly woman falls into her lap, she takes it. Louise took a slip on a rug and now her daughter is demanding she have a caregiver. She doesnt need one or want one. The authors blurb goes onto to state "the story of a not-to-be-underestimated elderly woman and an aimless young woman who—if they can outrun the mistakes of their past—might just have the greatest adventure of their lives."

The title, synopsis and my feelings from reading Marinanne Cronin's, "The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot," plus the feelings from the classic movie Thelma and Loiuse (which I couldnt shake when seeing this title) hooked me, but Colleen Oakley's words kept me coming back in this most enjoyable tale of friendship that spans the ages. When Tanner and Louise meet, they are like oil and water. Tanner immediately is aware of the quirky behaviors of Louise. It seems that Louise is not exactly the typical 80-ish woman. Tanner doesn’t appear to be a typical 21 year old person either.

Tanner is in for quite a surprise, when Louise insists they leave town immediately. The two go on an adventure with twists and turns. There are rumors of a large jewel heist from the seventies, and Louise seems to be called another name when she meets some people. There are more twists and turns. Louise is on a mission to find someone, and at the same time is avoiding both murderer and the law.

This is a delightful adventure and a fun ride - two women try to remedy the mistakes from the past, to be able to move on to the present and future. Throughout the book, Oakley imparts the importance of family and friendship. Read this for the adventure. Read this for friendship and connections. You will not be disappointed.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and Colleen Oakley for. this ultimate road trip with enjoyable quirky characters. Thanks for bringing me along on a wild surprising ride!

Tanner Quimby would rather sit around playing video games all day, but life takes money. So she finds a job as the live-in caregiver of an elderly woman. Indignant that her daughter is forcing a nanny upon her, Louise wants nothing to do with Tanner. When Tanner begins to wonder if Louise is actually an infamous jewel thief, they set out on an adventure to outrun the mistakes of their paths.

Even though I loved The Invisible Husband of Frick Island, Oakley's last novel, I had a really hard time getting into this cheesy light-hearted story. I will say that I enjoyed Louise's sense of humor but Tanner wasn't a great protagonist, veering more toward annoying than likable. Readers seem to be raving about this one on Goodreads, but I wasn't impressed with the story or the writing.

So much fun. Full of unexpected twists and turns sending readers off on many tangents. Great story.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
by Colleen Oakley
Pub Date: March 28, 2023
Berkely
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. A “wildly surprising, entertaining” (Jodi Picoult) novel featuring a college dropout and an eighty-four-year-old woman on the run from the law, full of tremendous heart, wit, and wisdom from the USA Today bestselling author of The Invisible Husband of Frick Island.
I loved this book and it came along at the perfect time for me!! What a fun read reminiscent of 90's movies vibes like Thelma & Louise, Driving Miss Daisy, Midnight Run. The mysterious plot blended with laugh out loud text made me enjoy this book immensely, I highly recommend it.

5 stars

The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise is a character-driven, fun dramedy about an elderly woman who’s not ready to throw in the towel and a twenty-year-old who has no idea where her life is going.

Eighty-four-year-old Louise Wilt is elderly, but definitely not dead. She’s living happily independently when a slip and fall causes a broken hip and her cadre of children to decide that Louise needs a caretaker. Quick-witted Louise is in the mood to do anything but be babied – especially because a long-held secret is still looming over her head. But even the tough need to recuperate from surgery. So when Tanner Quimby shows up one day to take care of her, Louise chooses to benevolently ignore her.

Tanner is a twenty-year-old Northwestern college student with no direction in life after her collegiate soccer career died at the hands of dive off of a balcony during a party. Having dropped out of school after her scholarship dried up, she prefers privacy and video games to people. The job with Louise gives her the opportunity to start saving again, but soon she begins to get a little suspicious about the person whom she’s been hired to look after. There’s a shed she can’t touch – and a long-ago jewel heist which is piquing local interest again after years of dormancy. It turns out that Louise is in fact Patty – ringleader of a jewelry heist which has seen her wanted by the FBI for decades now. When Louise gets a phone call from her old friend, George, who is in deep with the mob, Louise offers Tanner a hefty bonus to leave town with her and drive her to California to save him. But along the way, Tanner and Louise discover sisterhood – and themselves.

This is head-to-toe fun on the bun. Louise is your typical crusty oldster and Tanner is the common clay who needs to be molded into something better by experience, Louise’s example, and the world at large. You know where this is going but the whole process is so fun and bouncy that it’s impossible to be too grinchy about it. Just let it take you down the highway and enjoy the ride.

That ride is fun, the personality conflict is great, and the road trip-ography great to track. I was deeply fond of Tanner by the end, but Louise I liked from the first page. Text-laden asides from Louise’s family, and getting to meet new folks along the way just simply iced an already delicious cake. The ending is perhaps the only part I’d change due to its predictability, but I was willing to let that little tiny faux pas slide.

This is about friendship that is grudging, and finding your very own happily ever after. The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise is ultimately worth its weight in diamonds.

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This was such a fun and very entertaining story.

I went into this one pretty blind, and I read a good 45% in one sitting. It’s a very quick read but I also really enjoyed the story.

Tanner is a young adult home from college after a freak accident leads to losing her soccer scholarship and multiple surgeries. Louise is an octogenarian who is in need of some assistance at home. Tanner moves in with Louise and a day later they end up on the run.

The situations that Louise and Tanner end up in are so crazy. And the way they interact with each other is so funny. I really really liked seeing their relationship change over time as they share secrets and as more of the truth is uncovered.

This was a really enjoyable book and I would definitely recommend for anyone looking for something a bit ridiculous but also so engaging.

This was a very enjoyable read, with lots of twists and turns I didn't expect. I'll be recommending it to anyone who likes unlikely friendships, road trips, mysteries and/or found family. The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise is the first book I've read by Colleen Oakley, and I'll definitely be checking out her backlist.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the chance to read the story in advance of publication.

Colleen Oakley does it again. I really loved this book and especially the relationship that Oakley created between Tanner and Louise. It's the story of an 80 year old women and her 21 year old "caretaker," who's been made to live with her. It's a story of escape and why we make the choices we do and what being a woman in America is like. It's so good.

It's absolutely a Thelma and Louise-style tale, it's romance and mystery and thriller and comedy all mixed into one. Oakley always does a wonderful job at twisting the story where the reader doesn't expect it to go.

I enjoyed each individual section, but I did get a tiny bit confused between characters and wanted a little bit of clarity as the characters changed.

I loved the romance between August and Tanner, as well as how Oakley developed Louise's story. The comments on women and patriarchy were poignant—and so much of the book comes together and makes sense by the end.

Colleen Oakley's newest novel is full of spunk and insight. Her "Thelma and Louise" retelling is even better than the original with the multi-generational pairing of Tanner and Louise/Patty. You will laugh out loud while cringing with empathy for both characters and the lives they have endured. Colleen Oakley is one of my favorite authors to recommend to new readers as she tells stories that feel honest and authentic.

After a horrible fall ruined her leg, and killed her soccer scholarship, Tanner needs money to go back to college and finish her final year. Meanwhile, Louise’s children think she needs someone to take care of her and her healing hip. The two are not fans of each other right off the bat. But when Louise wakes Tanner in the middle of the night telling her they need to leave, Tanner jumps into action. Now the two are on the run, and apparently on a road trip.

This book was an absolute delight. Like seriously, the only word I can use for it is delightful! Tanner and Louise were just the complete opposites of each other, but their weird non relationship had me cracking up. The characters were just beyond perfection, I seriously felt like I knew them by the end of the book! The twists their road trip took were not just great, they were comedic gold. The added mystery of why they were on the run added a fun twist to the story! Overall, this is one that should be on your pre-order list for sure!