What is it about Influencers, even fictional ones like the main character in this story, that draw us in? I enjoyed going along with Casey on her journey of discovery after a painful experience where her husband leaves her at the altar of their very public vow renewal ceremony. I love how the story takes a simpler path.

Casey Black is a social media influencer, who has been left at her widely publicized renewal ceremony. After a self pity party, she leaves New York and heads to South Carolina, in search of her's family family. Within days of arrival, she meets the grandmother she never knew, a handsome farmer named Nigel and begins to learn about the Gullah culture. In her quest to find herself, many family secrets are revealed and her relationship with her Granna becomes stronger every day.

Granna Black finally had the missing piece to her family and decides to share everything she knows with Casey, before it's too late. This includes her grandmother's journals, further sharing the rich history of the family and how the Black Farm began.

In the midst of all of that, there's a budding relationship between Casey and Nigel, that leaves a smile on everyone's face…except his ex-wife and her overbearing mother. How it turned out, left a smile on my face.

This page turner by @authorrhondamcknight is one of the best books that I've read this year. If you haven't already, please go read this book.

This was my first book by this author, and the story and writing style grabbed my attention and made me look up all published books by this author.

This is a beautiful dual-time story which linked the strength and legacy of the great-grandmother to the present time.

Casey’s meltdown in the beginning was raw and emotional, which led to her journey to find her family and herself during this process.

Back in the past, Casey’s great grandmother lived in the time of slavery and freedom. Her life wasn’t easy, but through her struggles and challenges, she gained an inner strength and wisdom which she passed down to her children and great children thereafter.

The Thing about Home is the first book I have had the pleasure of reading by this author. The author hooked me in immediately to the story I could visualize Casey as she deals with heartbreak, and learning about her father's side of the family. This book is gives you so much in one story.. it's a love story with heartbreak, a coming of age story and also historical fiction all in one. This won' t be the last time I read a book by this author. Thanks NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC.

After her life implodes, Casey flees to the family she's never known--her father's side of the family. With time, and love, as well as her great-grandmother's journals, Casey finds healing and the family she never knew.

A heartwarming read about love and family, and finding your way back to yourself.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC!

The book was excellent, loved it so much. The characters have stuck with me. Will most likely reread!!

Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of The Thing About Home by Rhonda McKnight in exchange for my honest review and opinion. Loved this book and the way the author told the story. It draws you in and keeps you engaged until the very last page. Very heartwarming book.

Family is the most important thing. And Rhonda McKnight does a beautiful job weaving the story about a once famous now lost woman searching for the truth. Very well done.

4.5 stars

I wasn’t too far into The Thing About Home before I regretted not having read Rhonda McKnight’s work sooner! Just look at some of these quotes that I highlighted –

“You’re a Black woman. That means your DNA is made up of survival genes.”
“Besides, you seem like someone who’s looking for somewhere to be.”
He hesitated, reading my face, which had to be in large print.
“A lie shouldn’t make your heart its home.”
“Unprepared soil never grows a good harvest… You have to make your heart good ground for the next season of your life.”
She felt like love, hope, and a good macaroni and cheese rolled together.
“God gives us wisdom to do, not just words to believe.”
“Reclaiming what was lost to us is different from visiting what was stolen.”

I loved the rich rhythm of McKnight’s writing voice, the warmth of her characters, the nuggets of wisdom tucked away between the pages, and the engaging plot that quickly had me unable to put down the book. Most of these quotes can be attributed to – or about – Granna, the 99-year-old matriarch of the Black family in Georgetown, South Carolina. She’s feisty and full of life, insightful and intuitive, a woman of great grief, great joy, and great faith. I need a whole other post to talk about how much I loved Granna, but suffice it to say that meeting her dramatically changes Casey’s life and deeply touched mine. At least one of the quotes comes from Great-Grandmother Odessa’s journals – another element of this story which impacted my heart. The perspective of Odessa and Elijah’s lives during Reconstruction and the years beyond is one that I didn’t learn about in school – it’s one that Casey herself didn’t learn about – but it’s one that everyone should know.

Speaking of… Casey Black is experiencing every big-name influencer’s worst nightmare. Minutes before her live-streamed vow renewal, her husband Drew says he’s not going through with it and leaves her, her marriage, and her career in shambles. I think most of us would say our worst nightmare is the part about the marriage being in shambles, but for “Casey B” it’s the implosion of her career in the aftermath that seems to shake her the most. And therein lies the disconnect that Casey needs to work through on her journey to discover where she came from – and where she’s going from here. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Casey right away. She’s sassy and fun and successful. But I also saw an emptiness in her, even in the few short pages before everything falls apart, and a self-focus that tends to occur when the main brand you’re promoting is yourself. It’s also what makes her character growth across this novel so meaningful and rewarding for readers.

And then there’s Nigel. Whew, goodness, that man is swoonilicious. And not just his killer good looks that Casey couldn’t help but drool over. It’s in the way the author writes him. A suppressed strength – a suppressed sensuality, even – that gives him a constant simmer as he moves through the story. The sparks fly when he’s on the page, even when he’s just sitting there all alone lol. And when Casey and their mutual attraction are in the mix – wowza, just keep a fan handy for your own safety. Don’t want you to overheat when they get to kissing! There were a couple of times when I thought it was about to get spicier than I prefer but the author keeps things chaste without sacrificing any heat.

Bottom Line: The Thing About Home by Rhonda McKnight took me through a range of emotions as I stayed completely absorbed in this story. I laughed, I swooned, I cried, I got angry, I got humbled, I wanted to purse whomp some folks (mainly Casey’s mom), I wanted to hug many more folks, I got hungry (all that yummy Southern cooking – YUM), I got educated, and mostly I just fell in love with the Black family and their amazing farm. Casey’s journey from brokenness to wholeness is compelling and, while I wished her Granna’s faith had been more personal for Casey herself (because I don’t think she can be truly whole without Jesus) I was moved by how she ‘turned the soil’ in her life. A lovely and touching story with insight that will linger.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

I thought this story had a lot of promise. Reading the synopsis had me looking forward to getting lost in the story. However, it ended up being more plot and less character development. So, I was not really invested in the story. Casey Black, the primary character, got on my everlasting nerves. She was so shallow and did not appeal to me. I enjoyed the historical aspects of the story and the Christian focus. It wasn’t too preachy and had a good foundation. But overall, this just wasn’t my cup of tea. In the end, seeing Casey discover who she really is and uncovering her roots was appealing. I just wished getting to that point was a little more pleasurable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC to read and review.

Unfortunately, this book fell rather flat to me. It was an intriguing concept, but the execution was a bit off. I am not a fan of dialogue-heavy books, which this one was. The jumping between multiple timelines was a bit confusing and ultimately did not serve the story well.

The Thing About Home was a different book for me, it took me outta of my comfort zone and I was pleasantly pleased. I have read several books by this author and have never been disappointed but I was pretty skeptical about this one since it was part “Historical Fiction “ I actually really enjoyed the dual timeline and wanted more of it by the time it was finished. The story about the Blacks and Cassie B was very refreshing. It had several life lessons in this book and I enjoyed it very much.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. The story about Casey, a 30 something media star who is left at the altar right before her wedding renewal ceremony, is a wonderful testimony about finding your true self, love and family. I enjoyed the author’s writing style it was so visual for me, I really felt like I was on the farm and literally smell the produce. I particularly enjoyed the development of Casey and Nigel’s relationship, and it was enjoyable to read a “ clean “ book with a great story.

this book really drew me in

Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for this review copy.

Most people all search and long for the same thing - love, acceptance, belonging, and a family unit. Regardless how they describe it or act out to find what they "need", you can usually boil it down to those very simple and basic things. This heartwarming story reminds the reader that sometimes when things initially don't go as planned, that just makes space for better things to come down the road, that we just can't see yet, I highly recommend this well written story about love, family, finding one's self, and where you are meant to be - and how it all ultimately ties together.

Thank you #Netgalley for the copy!

We open with CaseyB preparing for her picture perfect live streaming vow renewal event. Casey is a social media influencer who eloped 7 years ago much against her protective mothers approval. So when Casey decides to do a vow renewal, this time around it is glitz and glam, sponsorships, live streaming and filming a documentary on her life. However, things did not go as planned when her husband tells her minutes before he wants a divorce. We watch as Casey crumbles, worries about her social media presence and what to do next. In an unexpected twist, Casey decides to learn more about herself, particularly her dad's side of the family which has been a mystery to her. Casey sneaks away to South Caroline where she uncovers her roots, both metaphorically and physically as she learns about her families 300 acre farm. Casey soaks in the love of her Granna, aunts, cousins, family and farm manager. We see her come full circle and where she was meant to be.

A story of going home and new beginnings.

Casey Black's carefully curated world comes tumbling down when her husband decides at their highly publicized vow renewal ends in him announcing him intentions for divorce instead. Casey retreats from the shiny world of social media and goes out in search of her roots, tracing her family history to a Southern farming community.

An engaging read, told by Casey in the first person POV. I enjoyed getting to know her newfound family, especially her grandmother. A compelling story of new beginnings, secrets, and turning points.

I really enjoyed the historical parts of the story, from the journals of Casey's great-grandmother. It was cool seeing the how far their family has come over the years.

While a compelling and intriguing read, this book just wasn't my cup of tea, as Casey wasn't the most relatable to me, but I liked seeing her transformation over the book. There were also some scenes like a platonically shared bed between the romantic leads that raised my eyebrows, as well as minor cuss words, and taking the Lord's name in vain.

In the end, while this book wasn't a perfect fit for me, I still enjoyed many things about it and the author is a very gifted storyteller. There are definitely threads of faith woven throughout the story, though not expounded on explicitly. A well written read about finding yourself, and discovering your roots.


I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Beautifully written, inspiring book that I couldn't put down. Home really is where the heart is. My heart is full from this wonderful book.

THE THING ABOUT HOME was such a moving and heartwarming read! I love that the author even brought stories from her own life to the pages.

There was drama and some mystery, and I’m excited to read more by the author.

*many thanks to Netgalley and publisher for the gifted copy for review