The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise
I had the pleasure of reading an e-galley of this quirky, yet heartwarming tale and what a delight! Tanner and Louise are such an unlikely pair who end up on a mapcap adventure together. As the story unfolds the reader soon finds out all is not what it seems. This is a quick moving mystery tale with a good dose of humor, a little romance, and some nuggets of wisdom thrown in. The overall theme of friendship ties it all together nicely. The character development would make this a great book club read. Truly a pleasurable read!

Thank you to BookBrowse.com, NetGalley, Colleen Oakley, and Berkley for granting me a copy of this novel to read and review.

I expected this book to follow what seems to be a standard plot in a number of books I’ve read lately - an older person meets a younger person and both of them learn and grow from the experience. While I was correct about this underlying theme, the storyline was more like a road trip movie. Driving cross country, running from the FBI, dealing with gangsters – all these were unexpected and kept me entertained. The twist at the end was a pleasant surprise, too, as we finally learned the whole story that set off this adventure in the first place. Overall, an enjoyable light read.

Funny story of Tanner who is angry with everyone. She is coerced into living and driving for 84 year old Louise. The adventure begins in the middle of the night when they set off for California in a Jaguar. Delightful characters .

While I would classify this as a light read, it's also fun and engaging. And once you've finished, you realize that the author has given us a moral lesson (or two).

Tanner and Louise are thrown together through circumstances -- Tanner is 21 and has lost her focus while Louise at 84 prefers to keep her independence despite some health issues. When Jules, Louise's eldest daughter, decides that Louise needs a caretaker, Tanner is hired -- much to the regret of both Tanner and Louise.

While the book centers on the relationship between these two strong-willed women and what happens to them (sorry, no spoilers here), I found that I had to suspend belief (a lot) regarding the storyline. Once I did that, it was easy to settle in for a good story. Tanner and Louise grew on me as characters, and I miss them already.

I would like to thank #NetGalley and #BerkleyPublishingGroup for this ARC of #TheMostlyTrueStoryofTannerLouise.

This novel grabbed me at the beginning - a smart, crotchety senior is pressured to allow a troubled girl into her life as an aide, driving her about and living in her home. For the most part it was a light, easy read, if somewhat predictable. However, the last few chapters took the story in all kinds of "topical" surprising directions, and they all felt forced and jarring to me. The "real story" could have been any one of the secrets revealed but the author threw in so many twists and turns that none of them landed.

If you are ready for a fun adventure in reading this book is a must read. You will be getting to know the two female characters and their back stories. Their adventures, the subtle and not so subtle mentoring going on, the miscommunications and the power of building confidence just shine in the dialog.

The outcomes are predictable and the plot is easy to figure out; nonetheless, it's a perfect read when you just want a good laugh and a well-told story!

As with all good stories, it even has a moral or two to share! Enjoy.

I loved The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley!
According to Louise, 90% of a crime caper is the setup and the best ones contain misdirection and cleverness. Criminals only succeed if they are intelligent and have patience. This book is the perfect crime caper with intelligent and patient characters.
Tanner, age 21, needs a place to live and Louise’s children don’t think she is fit at 84 to live alone. In exchange for a room, Tanner drives Louise to her appointments and is just there. Each have their preconceived opinions of the other. Then, Louise receives a life-changing letter form George and Tanner sees a woman on a TV wanted poster that looks just like Louise. Is this the beginning of an adventure, or just the beginning of the setup? Among those added along the way are a good- looking man, an FBI agent, a priest, a mob criminal, and a bar tender each adding another layer to the cleverness of the caper.
On the surface this book is funny, tender, exciting, and clever. But there is a lot to unpack with each character and in each leg of the journey. I didn’t want it to end.

This book was an easy read but not truly simplistic. Tanner and Louise are quirky, endearing and lovable characters. You have a twenty-one year old self-doubting woman trying to find her footing in life (Tanner) and a wise-cracking eighty-three year old, who is self-assured and breaks all kinds of rules in the name of doing the right thing (Louise).
Colleen Oakley brings you on an unconventional road trip filled with laugh-out loud antics between two characters sixty-something years apart and a cast of friends along the way. The author explores the friendship that woman have with other woman; assumptions of people based on observations only; relationships between aging parent and their children and how we all have a degree of self doubt no matter life experiences or our age.
Tanner is the driver and Louise is the passenger in an odd-ball journey from Florida to California in which you meet well-meant characters along the way. i would absolutely recommend this book for all ages. Tanner and Louise’s journey would make a fantastic book club read.

Colleen Oakley is always an instant purchase for me, so I was thrilled to get The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise. The two strong female leads were an instant draw for me. I inhaled this one. Coming of age, mystery, some romance, it's just so much fun!

This book was what I would consider “light” reading, which genre may have a place in one’s library but is not very demanding of the reader. I like stories with strong female characters or ones who strengthen as the story advances, and this book had several such endearing ones. It was entertaining to see them play off against each other, but was almost undone by the somewhat offensive characterization of the very hot young man to whom very little other than his stunning sexiness was attributed. It was a simple mystery, a running from the law story, and certainly a tale of coming of age although at a later age than usual. I read it on a long plane ride and it kept me engaged and guessing all through the story. I liked that clues were planted inconspicuously and then became relevant and important to the conclusion. I may not be the target audience for books like this as I usually go for more atmospheric novels with deeper character development which evokes empathy and a tear or two.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise

Review by Deborah Cherniss, 10/7/22

Driven to Distraction

What an engaging book! An improbable pair of women, at different stages of life, but both dealing with physical frailties and past mistakes, go on a sudden, urgent road trip across America, learning from each other.

The author brings to life both the pathos of the young woman whose accidental injury ends her soccer scholarship and her dreams of a professional soccer career, and the feistiness of the elderly woman, recovering from a broken hip and dealing with the physical and mental deterioration of Parkinson’s Disease.

Both have distanced themselves emotionally and hurt loved ones. Both have secrets they won’t share. And both come to trust and care about each other as they try to right their wrongs.

The writing is brisk and humorous, capturing both old and young voices and propelling the main characters, Tanner (21) and Louise (84) to an unexpected but satisfying ending.

Note: Though the book begins with an epigraph from the movie, “Thelma and Louise,” one need not be familiar with that story to enjoy this one.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise is a fun story with some surprising twists that I didn't see coming. It has a bit of everything, including self discovery, adventure, and romance. I very much enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone looking for an entertaining escapist read.

This book is more than just a "coming" of age story; it is also a "becoming" of who I am, or was, story (if there is such a thing), or a rebirth. When Tanner, an unsettled college drop-out, has repeated issues with her parents, she is told to leave and find her way. They help her along by connecting her with a senior who needs a caretaker. Tanner reluctantly agrees to take on the job. When Louise, a senior with issues, interviews her and somewhat reluctantly agrees to hire her. Tanner shows up for work, the sparks fly, aggravation mounts, and discovery happens. All of this leads to mystery, an adventurous get-away, pursuit by the FBI, guns, flight, and yes, even some romance along the way. What I found most intriguing is that the main protagonist is an elderly, mobility challenged woman. It is not often that you see a senior in that role. She is the mystery, and it makes for a great read. I was reluctant to put the book down. This is the first Colleen Oakley novel that I have read and I see that I may have missed some excellent opportunities that I will now seek.

Two unlikely fugitives on the run in this fun coming of age story. Full of fun characters and situations I found myself rooting for these two completely different woman hoping they would get away with everything.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise by Colleen Oakley is full of humor, mystery danger and coming of age, with a little romance thrown into the mix. The author begins her novel with an epigraph where Louise is asking why Thelma is behaving so sedate. Thelma says, “Well, I’ve had it up to my ass with sedate.”. The story open with Louise's daughter Jules’ conversation with the police explaining her mother’s disappearance. Jules explains her mother's age as seventy-nine, then corrects herself by saying ..."that's what she tells everyone." Her mother is actually eighty-four. And that statement immediately reveals Louise’s eccentric personality. This conversation serves to advise the reader of her mother’s unpredictable behavior in a humorous manner. This humor is shown throughout the story and gives the reader a certain relief as the novel becomes more tense
Oakley then goes back in time explaining how Tanner came to be Louise’s unappreciated companion. The pair eventually work their relationship out as she drives Louise across country to California, where the older woman wants to get to her friend Georgia.
The reader sees Tanner’s coming of age as a twenty-one-year-old girl who behaves like a twelve-year-old into a mature woman who has purpose in her life.

This author sets a lively pace for this delightful romp with Tanner and Louise. It’s a page-turner as I eagerly await what will happen next! If you are at times frustrated with your teenager or hassles with an elderly parent, he conversations between these two disparate women will ring true. It’s a witty smart novel, and I won’t say much more, because most of the fun comes from the twists and turns you won’t expect. I recommend this as a fun adventure that raised laughter and empathy for these well-drawn main characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. How great to spend time with this delightful and oh so-strange odd couple on the run from the law. It is laugh-out-loud funny with witty dialogue and entertaining character portrayals.

I'm calling this a mystery, because the substrate was a mystery, though it didn't follow the trajectory of most mysteries (which tend to lose me in the middle as people blather on about clues and go on red herring hunts).

This vivid, tightly written novel has a mystery at the center, but it is thoroughly character-driven, as elderly Louise, with a bad hip, is jostled by her middle-aged kids into taking in a 21-year-old girl as a driver and (somewhat) aide. Without knowing that Tanner is hiding her own disability, which was life-changing, and not in a good way.

The women rub each other the wrong way, but each has an innate nature that leans toward kindness, making them both complex and appealing. Louise gets Tanner to drive her cross country by dangling verbal carrots, some of which are stretching the truth, to put it mildly. Meanwhile, there is an FBI cold case that may or may not be related, sparking a chase.

I loved the characters, the sensory details, and I especially loved, loved, loved the kindness of women toward women, without ever straying into exhortation, guilting, or preachiness. The surprises were like flavor bursts. And there were the snaps of expectations being proved wrong that made the book even better for me.

This was meant to be a chapter-or-two-a-night book, but I ended up devouring it in one read. I just loved it.

This was a fun and heartwarming novel with a mystery thrown in to the mix. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
3.5 stars

Review of “The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise,” by Colleen Oakley

This is a very well-plotted story with intriguing characters and an exciting plot!
I was immediately drawn to Louise, an 84-year-old widow whose grown children are concerned for her health, and 21-year-old Tanner, who is reluctantly persuaded to be a live-in companion and driver for Louise. They are not settling in well together, until some unexpected news causes Louise to suddenly leave for a trip across the country. Since she is unable to drive because of recent hip surgery, she convinces Tanner to drive her, with the promise of a large cash payoff when they get to California.
During their trip both find out much more about each other’s lives, but the true reason for the trip is not revealed until the final chapters. Before that reveal, the reader is treated to a series of funny events, as Louise outwits everyone they meet along the way. There is even a bit of romantic adventure for both women.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will be looking for more from this author. This would be a good book for a book club to read together, especially if it includes members of several ages.