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

Casey Black is known worldwide as @YourGirlCaseyB, a famous influencer. However, when her life falls apart in front of millions of followers, she is humiliated and doesn't know where to turn. Her overbearing mother/ manager is too much to handle. Her husband wants a divorce.

Casey leaves New York City for the Lowcountry of South Carolina searching for her father's family. Her mother has never allowed her to meet them or even know about them.

Arriving in South Carolina, she finds the family she never knew. Through her Great-grandmother's journals, she learns the history of her family and their 300-acre farm in Georgetown. The slow-paced lifestyle, delicious food, and love of a family bring healing to her heart and soul.

As old family secrets come out and she learns the truth about her life, Casey has to make some choices. This is her story.

I truly enjoyed reading this book! I love the South Carolina Lowcountry. The Gullah-Geechee culture is fascinating and beautiful The food is amazing. McKnight truly captures the beauty of the region and the people who call it home. The characters are well-rounded. I could see the people, the land, and the food.

I don't read many books with romance as a key player. However, this one was a joy to read. I look forward to reading more books by Rhonda Mcknight. She brings the beauty of the region and its people to all of us through her words.

Read this book if...

...you love southern fiction

...you love stories about the South Carolina Lowcountry

...you love feel-good stories

...you are interested in the Gulla-Geechee culture

...you love romance

...you love starting-over stories

The Thing About Home by Rhonda McKnight is the first book I’ve read by this author. And it was wonderful. I love stories about family, the South, Southern foods, traditions and legacies. Oh, and farms, gardening and small-town living. This tale had it all, including generations of that family love. I hope you will grab a copy to enjoy and don’t forget tissues. It’s that kind of good!!

I receive a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions expressed are my own.

What can I say about The Thing About Home. Meeting Casey Black and her family was like curling up with a cup of hot chocolate and looking at family photo's and the feeling of being grabbed into a big bear hug that you do not want to be let go of. Ms McKnight made me want to see who the Black family was and how would they accept a long lost granddaughter who came to them confused and lost.
Casey Black was a very important brand maker who had many followers until she didn't. Casey was so involved in branding herself and her company that she didn't see that her marriage to Drew was falling apart until it did, at her vowel renewal. Being left at the alter is bad enough, but having a breakdown in front of your millions of viewers pushed Casey over the edge. Fighting her manager mother, disappointing her many followers Casey knew she needed to decompress. She decided to find her father's family and see if not only see if she can connect with them in some way, but also get her life and company back on track.
Finding the Blacks was easy for Casey after a few visits to the town hall she stumbles upon the Black Family farm which is a big thriving farm down south. Not only does she finally meet the grandmother she had so many questions about. She also met the extended family she never knew she had. Since Casey was an only child and worked since she was a young child, her mother never told her of this family., her father's family. She only knew that her father died young and before she was born. Would Casey's Granna Black or any of her extended family be able to fill in the gaps of her father. The gaps that Casey's mother refused to tell her about. With her marriage torn to shreds, will she ever be able to accept Nigel into her life and have the baby and family she always wanted?
I loved the home feeling to this story. The characters Ms. McKnight wrote about were loving and accepting of this total stranger. A grandmother who opened her arms to an adult granddaughter really with not questions asked. All of these characters were so alive and I couldn't wait to meet them all. I loved the relationship between Casey and her Granna. When she started telling Casey the history of their family and all the journals she shared with her. You truly felt the love between grandmother and granddaughter. As complicated and confused the character of Casey was I like how she grew from the events in her life. Even though her mother didn't want to tell her all about her father and his family, they seemed to have grown closer when the truth finally came out.
Ms. McKnight's description of the south in the olden times and to the present time transported to those times. You got to see how the Black Family came to be , and how the family carries on the traditions in the present time. This is truly a feel good story about family and love. Old love, new love and how to heal and move on. It leaves you with a warm and loving feeling.
Thank you Rhonda McKnight for a wonder feel good story. I hope to read more from Ms. McKnight. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this novel. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was so beautifully written and I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed every second of it and was truly sad when it was over.

This was such a heartwarming, homely read. I really enjoyed how the main character developed through the book and I think the story is so true of todays society.

Loved this book. It was warm, engaging and told a great tale. I have never read this author before but I def will now.

Home is where the heart is. This is a story about a woman named Casey who is a social media influencer who gets left at the altar. She wants to know her father's side of the family. After the mishap, she travels to South Carolina to find her belonging. This is a heartfelt story about family, love, sacrifice, and loss. The story brought back memories of my childhood. This story will make you laugh, cry, and smile. it took me on an emotional roller coaster ride that I didn't mind being on. The dialogue between the characters was realistic and I could relate to them. I learned some things about my state that I did not know. I love the cover that depicts the storyline. I recommend this book to book clubs. I give this book four stars.

Home is truly where the heart is.

I enjoyed this book so much. The author literally pulled me into the story from the beginning and didn’t let go. I found myself so engaged with the characters that I felt like part of the family.

When Granna comforted Casey by telling her “ Sometimes when a woman ends a marriage, she don’t have no grief left because she grieved the end of that marriage while she was still in it, moving day-to-day, waiting for the change to come that would separate her from her husband. By the time she is legally free, the emotional healing was already done.” I wanted to jump up and shout! No truer words have been spoken.

There were so many beautiful nuggets in this book that brought love, laughter, and hope. I love a story that not only entertains me but gives me something I can take with me. The author did that for me with the statement “This is where I tell you to do something you want to do. Build something you want to keep forever.”

I highly recommend this book.

Such sweet story of a young black woman needing a change in life and finding her roots. Casey Black, a social media influencer in New York, planned a wedding vow renewal to be shown on her site. Unfortunately, her husband appears at the church and refuses to go through with the vows, and even asks for a divorce. Casey's life is now in ruins, and all of her followers discover that. She decides to find her father's family in South Carolina, and what proceeds is a lovely story of how families live in the South, and the joys and pitfalls of learning one's past.

The Thing About Home is well written with charismatic characters and a sweet story that moves from present to past and back again several times. The writing got just a tad long - I might have skipped some of the descriptions in order to keep the story moving. The end of the book was wonderful, and worth waiting for.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Thing About Home.

I think the book could start with her leaving to the low country. The introduction of her ancestors in book 8 felt too late. More character development of Odessa would have been good too. I didn’t find myself as invested as I wanted to be. Like there was a part of the protagonist holding back still. But I really enjoyed the concept and the story. I think more emotion behind it and more time building character development would have had me more invested in the characters. I wanted more time with them and to feel part of their world. I love the meaning of finding what you enjoy and love and do that. Its a message we all need to hear more often.

This is a book that is really great in the second half. The history and the Southern food just draw you in.

The first part of the book was a struggle for me. I couldn't connect with the main character and the social media influencer part of her. I'm an introvert so that might be why I was turned off. Someone who really gets into that type of thing might really relate. I will say that it is extremely relevant in today's society.

Very well written and will be a great book in the hands of the right audience.

Wow! This is a fantastic book! Spanning two time periods it tells the story of two courageous and strong women. Odessa, a woman who put her dreams on hold but loved her family fiercely. She had advice that passed down to her great granddaughter- "The women before you could only dream. But I know they hoped for a better day for their daughters and all the women down their family line. Do me and them the honor of living your dreams so that our sacrifices will be seed that has fallen on good ground." 150 years later, Casey faces a horrible situation that changes her life. She ends up searching for herself and finds home. She realizes that her dreams have changed and she embraces the change. Along the way she finds family and love that change her life.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book is fantastic. I wasn’t sure how I felt with the first few scenes of the book but it got so much better. I don’t want to give any spoilers but I’m glad that with time and open-mindedness Casey found out where she needed to be.

Unput-downable! This book is well written, engaging, relatable and thoroughly enjoyable. I highly recommend this book for anyone struggling with whether they are living their life purpose, or anyone who just needs a good book to read!

I like to read books set in the South, the food always makes my mouth water and the scenic descriptions just make me want to get in my car and visit. This book did not disappoint with either! The author plainly loves Southern food and she lovingly describes some classics. I want the crab and bacon chowder recipe so badly.
The tale is a classic, girl gets hurt and runs away to find herself but this version has enough freshness to keep it interesting. Lots of Black Southern history to read about around the freedom for slaves and the few decades after. What I loved most was our heroine found the joy of extended family,, the love of living a simpler life, and the company of a good, solid man,
A great read. Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

The Thing About Home by Rhonda McKnight is a delicious meal of a novel (and yes, there is a lot of food in this book so you might have to put it down every once in a while because of vicarious hunger pangs). Casey Black is a model/influencer whose meticulously planned vow-renewal ceremony goes horribly wrong. She runs from NYC to South Carolina, where she finds comfort with the family she's never had a chance to know. Her great grandmother's journals lead her on a journey to discover a new life and a new love. Highly recommend.

Casey Black is a former model and asocial media influencer. Her spouse breaks up with her minutes before they are to renew their vows. Casey is asked to give her followers an update to protect her image. Casey isn't her poised self and says things normally would not say. Feeling the need to take some time away, Casey decides to visit her deceased father's hometown. This leads her to learn about her family history and so much about herself. This was a really interesting book. The family history mixed in with the current-day farm activities made for great nuance. It helped to know why the farm was such an important part of the family's history. Their name was chosen from the river. The farm was their heritage. The family built this for future generations. It was so heartwarming to hear the family take pride in knowing they had a family member who could tackle any problem or situation that arose. I am so glad Casey got the answers she needed about her father and his family. Reunions aren't always as wonderful as the one in this story. I'm glad Casey's reception was positive and I'm glad Casey and her mother had a chance to talk about Casey's father.

I was provided an e-arc by NetGalley and the publisher for an unbiased review.

I received a complimentary electronic ARC of this excellent novel from Netgalley, author Rhonda McKnight, and Thomas Nelson Publisher. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read The Thing About Home of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I have happily added Rhonda McKnight to my favorite authors, and recommend her works to friends and family. She writes a Southern tale with heart and soul. Thank you, Netgalley, for introducing me to this fine author.

New York City resident Casey Black is pushing 30-something and an internet Beauty Influencer with hundreds of thousands - maybe millions - of viewers on social media. Most folks over thirty-something don't even know what that means and find it hard to appreciate the time and effort she expends to keep her reputation sharp and maintain the income this enterprise supports. Casey's mother, who has been her manager since Casey completed her first commercial for Pamper's diapers at two years old and her years of modeling understands all, but has little sympathy for the personal sacrifices involved. Casey's husband of 7 years, Drew, certainly enjoys the perks of her efforts but resents the time and lack of privacy her career requires to keep her viewers happy. And so he doesn't show up for the highly advertised vow renewal ceremony shared by every internet follower Casey has ever had. He in fact uses that platform to inform Casey that he is seeking a divorce because he hates their life. And her reaction, or rather over-reaction, will lose her many many of those fans.

Casey passes off the 'second honeymoon in Hawaii tickets' to Leslie and Swella, the staff who help her support her online business. And in an effort to distract herself, stay out of the public eye, and avoid the wrath of her career manager mother, Casey takes a road trip to visit the hometown of her father, Georgetown, South Carolina. Her Father died in a car wreck before she was born. She knows very little about her mother's family, and absolutely nothing about her father's people. And right now, she needs family very badly.

Georgetown is small, quaint, and insular. It is a lifestyle that Casey can appreciate in her current circumstances. Nobody knows her or expects anything of her, and the place is teeming with her Black family. She is drawn into tracing the ancestry of that family after meeting her paternal grandmother, 99-year-old Odessa Black. Odessa has pictures, stories, and data of the family and their farm ranging from their years as slaves to the growth of the family and the town over the last 150 years. And Casey has found a new path to her future. She couldn't ask for more than that. Because the thing about home - it's not a place.

pub date May 9, 2023
Reviewed on January 22, 2023, at Goodreads and Netgalley.

3.25/5 stars! I have to start by saying, I feel like this book wasn't a great fit for me. It was very well-written but I had trouble connecting with the main character. The premise of a social media influencer heading back to small-town, simple life was interesting. I just felt like her journey didn't develop as much as I'd have liked. The pacing in the second half of the story was great and I enjoyed that immensely. But some readers may not stay engaged in the slow first half of the story to get to the uptick.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Casey is an influencer who, when left at the altar just a few minutes before their recommitment ceremony, compounds the horror by going nuts on social media. Fleeing to the South Carolina countryside, she finds her late father's family. The only one left in her direct line is her 99 year old grandmother, an affluent landowner with a prosperous farm. Grandmother Ida welcomes her with open arms, and soon Casey is enveloped by the love of aunts, uncles, cousins...and a very handsome farm manager by the name of Nigel.

Now in her early 30's, Casey must decide how to live the rest of her life. Will she return to her New York City lifestyle, back to the business managed by her fiercely loving but way-overbearing mother (who kept her from knowing Ida and the family all those years)? Or will she accept Nigel's love and make a place for herself on the farm? While this story unfolds, we're treated to a parallel story, told in flashback, of the great-great-grandparents who fought their way to self-sufficiency in the post-slaveholding South. This was a really interesting story, a fine romance, with lots of great description, humor, and kindness. Very much recommended. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.