Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this read. It was a good read that was faced paced and interestingg. The story flowed and it felt realistic too.

This was a really sweet and heartwarming story. I absolutely loved the South Carolina setting (I'm not from there, but my sister recently moved there, so I have a new appreciation for the South Carolina lowcountry).

This was a story about family, history, and self-discovery. I thought the main character, Casey Black, had a great character arc, which is something I really appreciate in a book. She grew and changed and learned a lot about herself over the course of the book.

I found several of the characters really endearing, and that kept me really engrossed in the book. It was hard to put down once I picked it up.

I loved that Casey had access to her great-grandmother's journals, and would have loved it if even more of the journal entries made their way into the book. I also loved the storyline in both timelines. Sometimes with dual-timeline books, I find myself really engrossed in one and eager to just rush through the other - but with this book, I could truly appreciate both.

Having visited South Carolina for the first time last year, I learned about the Gullah-Geechee culture, and it was really neat to see that culture interspersed throughout this book.

While I did really like Casey and Nigel together, their relationship was probably the one part of the book that felt a bit rushed to me. I would have loved more development of their love story, which seemed very heavily focused on physical attraction. While they did have a fun date and some good talks, I still would've loved their deeper connection to have been fleshed out a bit more. But I also realize there are limitations with keeping a book to a reasonable length and also including all the details you can. The fact that I wished there were more to a few of the plotlines is not a criticism. Instead, it shows my appreciation for the book - I would've been happy to keep reading it!

Overall, the book left me with a warm and happy feeling. While it does address serious topics, it did so in a way that didn't leave me feeling down after finishing it. I felt that it all came together really nicely and the book stayed on my mind long after I finished it.

This was my first time reading Rhonda McNight, but it won't be my last!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Author Rhonda McKnight skillfully intertwines themes of love, self-discovery, and the power of connection, creating a captivating narrative that resonates deeply with readers. The vivid descriptions of the enchanting Lowcountry, with its charm, warmth, and tantalizing culinary traditions, transport readers to a palpable world. McKnight's meticulous attention to detail immerses readers in the sights, sounds, and flavors of the region, making the setting come alive.

While the book follows a familiar storyline, it is the emotional depth and growth of the characters that keep the narrative engaging and poignant. Protagonist Casey Black undergoes a profound transformation that is portrayed with authenticity and grace, resonating with readers on a profound level. Her journey from a place of uncertainty to a profound sense of purpose and belonging is both captivating and deeply moving, forging a strong connection between readers and the story.

The Thing About Home by Rhonda McKnight is a satisfying and heartwarming novel that beautifully captures the essence of finding oneself amidst a vibrant and richly depicted backdrop. It reminds us that home transcends physicality, encompassing the feelings of connection, love, and acceptance. With compelling characters, an evocative setting, and themes of self-discovery and renewal, this book will undoubtedly appeal to fans of contemporary romance and those who appreciate narratives exploring the transformative power of family and heritage. - Orsayor L Simmons

This was such a cute novel that really added features from present day 21st century life that made reading it pretty fun and like "real life". Overall a cute read that felt predictable at times but I did enjoy reading it. Looking forward to sharing it with others!

Rhonda McKnight has combined chic lit with historical fiction about a South Carolina town and story of the Black family following the Civil War. The main character is at a crossroads in her life and returns to her roots to discover a grandmother and family she never knew. Themes of forgiveness, faith, and hope pervade this beautiful story. Why do some people think they can only make one choice when faced with adversity. Our heroine chooses a new path and finds happiness in the end.

The thing about home is that your home is where your heart it. The place that make you happy. For Casey, a famous influencer, just left by the altar for her husband with milions of people witnessing the crash, home is nowhere. Until she travels to Georgetown, in search of her father family and legacy and discovers secrest, tragedies, stories from the past and a new life, new friends and family and possibly the love of her life. Only if she is brave enough to look for it. Great book

I loved The Thing About Home so much! It's the first Rhonda McKnight book I've read, but it won't be the last. The description of the book drew me in. How many of us are on social media? How many of us follow influencers on Instagram or TikTok? I'm guessing that the answer to both of those questions is lots!! So, a book about a social media influencer having a LIVE meltdown after her what was supposed to be a LIVE vow renewal...I'm there for it! Though for real, I have seriously cut back on my social media use since it can be so toxic. It just leaves me in a bad mood most of the time. When I do get on Instagram, I TRY to make myself use the search function and just look at Christ-centered accounts or photos of Great Britain and Ireland (I'm a little obsessed!). But, it is really hard to not get sucked in and scroll, scroll, scroll! Now imagine scrolling, getting a little message at the top of your screen saying your favorite influencer @CaseyB (Casey Black) is streaming live. You've been watching all day, waiting for her vow renewal, wondering what's happening. Then finally, she's streaming. And she has a total meltdown. You know you're there for it!

As it turns out, that meltdown leads her to the most wonderful discovery. She heads to Georgetown, SC in search of her father’s family. Family her mom never talked about nor took her to see. Unbelievably, she finds her grandmother right off the bat. And her life is forever changed. The bond she forms with her grandmother reminds me of how I was with my grandma. She was one of my best friends. I’m fortunate to have had her in my life for so long. When Casey finds hers, she’s already 99. But what a miracle! Her grandma owns the 300 acre Black family farm, and Casey learns what it’s like to have a quiet life. What it’s like to feel the soil on your hands, to plant, to grow. And through her great-grandmother’s journals, she learns about her family’s past. She meets new family and friends. Most importantly, she finds her grandmother’s faith in God.

The Thing About Home is absolutely breathtaking. It will make you laugh, and it will make you cry. These characters weren’t just characters in a book; they were so real. Casey grows so much during her time in the South. Her story becomes infinitely more than it ever would have been had she not been a jilted vow renewal bride. In our lives, things often look bleak and hopeless. We mess up. But God always has a plan; He’s never surprised. He doesn’t make bad things happen to us, but bad things happen because we live in a flawed, sin-filled, evil world. But God promises to be with us through the fires, storms, darkness, and valley of death.

If you are a fan of southern fiction with romance and life-altering events, you will love The Thing About Home by Rhonda McKnight. I highly recommend it!


I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

Thank you to the author, Thomas Nelson and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story of Casey, a social media influencer whose life - and career - implodes starts slow and I struggled with the character and the life she lives, but as it develops it becomes increasingly heartwarming. Casey decides to step out of her life and explore the roots of her father's family in the "Low Country" of South Carolina. Casey doesn't know this side of the family at all, and it becomes evident that Casey's mother - who is also her manager - kept many secrets from her over the years. Casey's story is interspersed with short chapters highlighting the history of her father's family, which is fascinating and I wish it was expanded more. Overall, a lovely story of a heroine who discovers completely new aspects of life, goals and family.

Oh, how I was not ready for this book to be over! I absolutely loved the Black family and the characters in this book! Really feel like there needs to be even more follow up and may be a second book written just to continue the story on! Casey B is a social media influencer who was left at the altar for her vow renewal, and basically feels like her career is over, she’s never really had much to do with her family and goes on a self exploration journey to discover more about her family and their roots. She finds deep connections, faith, history, some romance and much more. So beautifully written, you will love the characters in the entire story!

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson fiction for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Hands down one of the best books I ever read. As a mood reader, the fact that this author was able to seamlessly cross genres throughout the story was perfect. There were elements of a romance as we watched Casey and Nigel’s friendship. The historical fiction fan in me loved the dual timelines and the exploration into post slavery South Carolina. Casey’s journey of finding herself gave the story a coming of age feel while diving into the generational history of the family felt literary. It was done so well that you won’t notice it. But if you are a fan of any of the aforementioned genres, that is what you are most likely to see reading this story. I couldn’t put it down and didn’t want it to end. I want to know so much more about this family and have my fingers crossed that we get more.

The Thing About Home, by Rhonda McKnight is stand alone Christian contemporary fiction story that is so good and filled with so much to think about. Casey is a major, well known beauty influencer who never had a real wedding. When she plans a very public vow renewal, her husband decides to leave her. With needing to flee the social media and having nowhere to go, she drives to South Carolina to try to find her father’s family, which she know nothing about.

This is such a great story to read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It is such a realistic feeling story. It is so easy to feel for Casey as she has been in the public and under her mother’s management since she was very young. I rejoiced with her as she found her family and learned more about them. I just loved her grandmother and how welcoming she was. It was fun to see the change that came over Casey as she spent time with her father’s family. I just loved this story!

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley, this is my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book overall. The southern setting drew me in and wouldn't let me go. The family overall draws you in with wide open arms like a warm hug. I will say I was confused by the wording of a few items in the story, but overall I really enjoyed it.

My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest while reading. I enjoyed this book immensely. It captured my heart and won my affection.

A beautiful story with rich family history, forgiveness and hope.

The characters had me from the first line. They told the story of the book effortlessly. They were relatable and really touching. The plot was heart warming and inspiring. Did I add thought provoking?
It answered one of life’s probing question: “what really matters?’

I did not want the book to end. I enjoyed every bit of it. I loved that the conflict started at the beginning of the book. It actually gave me something to look up to.

Highly, highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.

This is a novel I read as an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest opinion. Rhonda creates a beautiful novel in which the main character is left at the alter, and then goes to South Carolina where she meets some of her fathers family and learns a family secret. This novel encompasses heartbreak, forgiveness, family history, finding one’s self, and South Carolina beautifully.

I struggled to connect with Casey, though that did improve later in the story. The writing overall was okay. I expected more character growth, and the pacing was uneven. Some readers may enjoy the peak into an influencer's life.

For this engrossing story, we travel from the Big Apple to South Carolina’s Low country, Georgetown, South Carolina. Casey Black aka Casey B, is on the run from a super humiliating cancellation of renewal vows with her soon to be divorced husband, Drew. It’s super humiliating because Casey is a very popular beauty and fashion influencer who has/had over a million followers. Every step of her forth-coming renewal vows was posted, snapped and followed until that moment when the vow ceremony was cancelled. It’s a very poignant scene. That, and a “come-to-Jesus” moment, leads Casey to find out about her father’s side of the family that she had no connection with other than her last name. It has always been Casey and her mother, who had no desire to ever acquaint Casey with either side of her family. Well, that changes when Casey goes on a personal mission, and takes the initiative to find out for herself.
The Black family dynamic from the Post-Civil War era to the present day is one of the most arresting features of this story. Likewise, when Casey finally grasps her place and future in the family, marks a pivotal moment in the story. Casey is constantly encouraged by her best friend, Leslie, and her love interest, Nigel, the manager of Black Farms. As Casey meets members of the Black family during her extended stay, she is convinced that she is part of the legacy, and being with her Low Country family is home.
This story is brilliant! I highly recommend it for your reading pleasure. It is rich in history and family love. The Epilogue is everything! Make sure you add this book to your library and marked as read. It’s too good to linger on the TBR pile. You can thank me later.

The Thing About Home
Rhonda McKnight
Pub Date: May 9, 2023 🗓️

The Thing About Home was an absolutely beautiful story about self-discovery, family, and forgiveness. From the first page, I was hooked and felt like the writing style was just flawless!

Casey Black is a social media influencer who gets stood up by her husband during her vowel renewal, which was set to be live-streamed on social media. Following the devastation, Casey takes to social media, while not in the best state of mind, to talk about what happens. After, she finds herself with lost followers and no sense of direction about what’s next. On a whim, she decides to find out more about her father, who passed away before she was born. To do so, she must travel to South Carolina and enter a world unlike what she’s used to in NYC.

Through listening to others tell her stories about her family, journals from her great grandmother, and some self discovery, Casey finds her own people.

I absolutely adored Nigel and his relationship with Casey and loved watching their friendship unfold throughout the book. Perhaps my favorite part was watching Casey and her Granna make up for lost time.

I cannot recommend this book enough! It is just absolutely beautiful and it had me in tears as I followed Casey’s journey and self-discovery. Please add this one to your TBR and read it ASAP!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Favorite quotes:
“Sometimes we have to grieve the dead thing in the quiet of the night. When we lie on our beds, we can shed our tears, because life doesn’t allow us to stop moving.”

“The thing about home is, it’s not a place. It’s a feeling.”

Thank you to Rhonda McKnight, Thomas Nelson, and NetGalley for providing me with a gifted copy of The Thing About Home.

Posted on Instagram on April 10, 2023 (Currently Reading): http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
Posted on Goodreads on April 15, 2023: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram (full review) on May 9, 2023: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Instagram (mini review) in early May 2023: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on May 9, 2023
**-will post on designated date

This is my first ARC and for this reason alone I won't give the book any less than a three-star rating. I did however have several issues with it.

If you like small-town stories, where the MC is a city girl who goes home and discovers a whole new life she loves and leaves the old one behind, there are probably better books out there for you, There aren't many other books, however, that center around a POC main character who goes from being a famous influencer to becoming a farmer and learning her family history in an old plantation. That I really enjoyed. It was a breath of fresh air and I did learn a few things myself thanks to the time jump back to the late 1800s, which focused on the MC ancestors.

Unfortunately, the writing style wasn't the best and the plot didn't have a solid structure: for example, the timing and ages seem off at first, and as a reader, I struggled to focus on everything that goes on in the story because I spent the time wondering how the main character was in her thirties and her great-grandmother was living in the 1870s. Also, the ending has a sorta plot twist that comes out of nowhere, is mentioned for a few chapters, and is never mentioned again. There was no need for it to be in the book, I assure you. Other issues I had were the cultural references (too many), her last name being Black (not my place to say, but I found it confusing), and the fact that in every other chapter, the MC is "on the blink of starvation".

What I did like, however, other than what I have already mentioned , where the family bonds. I loved how the MC spent time with her newfound family and cooked all the best meals, how she celebrated with them and cried with them and how she started working on their farm right away and found a home for herself. It was truly heartwarming.

Finally, if you asked me whether this book is worth your time or not, I would say 100% yes. I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, it has its flaws and could use some editing, but overall I think the story is worth reading, even just to take your mind off of things and

I enjoyed this book. A young Black influencer has come to a turning point in her life. Casey's husband humiliates her when he waits until he was supposed to show up at the alter to renew the vows from their wedding to tell her he wanted a divorce. Casey's mother has always closely directed Casey's life, but Casey the only thing Casey knew about her father was a name. Her social media account is exploding over the failed wedding ceremony and Casey's response to it, so she decides to take a break and find her father. In the process she finds a new family she had never met and makes some serious decisions about what she really wants in life. While she is doing that we who are reading get to learn something about Black history in the south. Second chances also include a little romance. I received an arc from NetGalley and am under no pressure for a positive review.

Social influencer Casey Black spends months planning an elaborate vow-renewal ceremony, only to have her husband ask for a divorce minutes before going live on the big day. When the dust settles at the church, Casey loses her cool. Live. On Instagram. Her millions of followers turn into maybe a million, and Casey longs to escape.

Her cousin urges her to go South and find her father’s family. The mysterious family her mother will never speak about. Casey gathers up her courage and heads to Georgetown, South Carolina. For the past 36 years, Casey has let her mother manage her career, but this time, she strikes out on her own.

When she arrives, she discovers her people—a grandmother who’s prayed for Casey her entire life, cousins, aunts, uncles, and a legacy she never imagined. Casey also finds a new friend—someone who doesn’t know about her fame or fortune and challenges her to connect with the land. Nigel, her grandmother’s farm manager, breaks down Casey’s barriers and helps her discover her true self.

Journal entries from her great-great-grandmother add depth and perspective to Casey’s understanding of home.

What I Loved About This Book

McKnight crafts a sweet second-chance romance in This Thing About Home. Readers will relate to Casey as she works through her grief (over her failed marriage and lost opportunities with family). Casey’s helicopter mother makes it difficult for Casey to stand alone, and readers will cheer Casey on as she learns to set healthy boundaries and make choices on her own.