Millicent Watts-Cohen undertakes a quest of sorts to find a woman who was important to her elderly roommate who had recently passed. She has decided on taking some ashes to Key West in an attempt to symbolically reunite the two women. When her travel plans go awry because of a major airline issue in Washington D.C., Millie ends up journeying by car with a friend of her jerk of an ex-boyfriend. Millie and Hollis Hollenbeck are opposites in personality, and life skills as well as an optimist versus a pessimist vibe.

Millie seems to be doing everything possible to get on Hollis’s nerves and as they encounter more mishaps along the way, small facts are revealed about why he has such a grumpy and sour outlook on life. Hollis is an author who is also dealing with some writer’s block issues. His reason for going to Florida is for a liaison with a woman who is a friend with benefits. Quite a bit of this journey focuses on the hookup Hollis expects to have which gets a bit tiresome when it is continually referenced.

Millie’s quirky upbeat personality, along with her determination to fulfill her mission, keep things stirred up especially since she is also a former child star who often gets recognized wherever she goes. Hollis and Millie meet some interesting rural folks along the way as well as a deer incident waylaying them once again.

Parts of this story where entertaining while others such as the Mrs. Nash’s flashbacks were less so as they felt disruptive to the flow. The bawdy elements relating to Hollis’s goals were a bit overdone as well. There are a lot of pop culture references particularly to movies which seem to be a sort guide to Millie’s life. Music plays an important part as well and serves to annoy Hollis as an added bonus for her. The eventual romance between them did not play as well for me nor did the rather dramatic ending.

Somehow, I am supposed to use my “big girl words” to tell you how much I loved this book. I’m not quite sure how to do that, honestly. All I really want to do is scream at every single one of you that you simply must read this book.

This book is “not like the other books” in the BEST WAY. It is so quirky and fun, while simultaneously ripping your heart out and making you cry! Millicent and Hollis are the poster children for grump/sunshine, pessimist/optimist, starchy/chaos, and I adore them wholeheartedly. Mrs. Nash’s Ashes is Sarah’s debut romance, but I know that she will endear herself to you immediately and you will fall in love with her writing style and characters.

Mrs. Nash’s Ashes follows two couples, in two different timelines. Elsie and Rose were a queer couple in the 40s, working on a naval base in South Florida. We get to see these beautiful, and heartbreaking, snippets of their story as Millie and Hollis make their way to Key West. These two women fell in love in a time that was so cruel to them, and Sarah will absolutely destroy your happiness!

This book is bound to become an instant favourite. It’s such a joyful read that had me laughing out loud, gross snorts of laugher, really, and smiling the entire time (when I wasn’t bawling my eyes out over queer love and heartbreak). Millicent is so freaking fun and embraces her weird in a way that is so relatable.

This was such an unexpected delight! An amazing friend told me I needed to read it and her recommendations always hit the mark. I was hooked by the story right away, but it was the references to Pee Wee's Big Adventure that really sealed the deal! LOL

Mrs. Nash's Ashes is two love stories in one - Rose and Elsie in the past and Millie and Hollis in the present. My heart broke for Rose and Elsie as their story was revealed, but it was also such a testament to lasting and enduring love. Hollis was so adorkably grumpy and Sarah Adler described him in THE BEST way - "a cinnamon roll hiding under a thick layer of burnt toast". Millie was no holds barred sunshine and I loved her optimism and quirky randomness. I was laughing so hard at their banter and that build up translated so well to the spicier moments. It's no surprise I fell madly in love with Hollis and Millie.

The narration by Mara Wilson was fantastic and I truly did not want to put this one down. The variety of voices used made it easy to distinguish between characters and the emotional moments packed quite the punch, while the sillier moments had me laughing so hard.

This book hit all the right notes for me and was the perfect mix of quirky, heartwarming, and sexy sweet. I can't wait to read more by Sarah Adler in the future!

Audiobook Review
Overall 5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 5 stars

CW: death of loved one (past), grief, invasion of privacy/overstepping “fans”, manipulative and lying ex’s, parental infidelity, death of parent (past), collision with deer, war

*I voluntarily read and listened to a review copy of this book*

✨In Taylor Swift terms: The romance was Stay Stay Stay in a book that was Marjorie✨

Before I get into the heavier bits, I really need to say that oh my GOD did I love the main romance in this book. Their banter was superb, the sex was HOT, and they were just so good together. Frankly, I’m obsessed.

Millie was so much fun. She was a former child actor and I really liked her perspective on it. It wasn’t a huge part of the story, but it was a nice addition. Hollis can Hall my Oats ANY day. He wore glasses, ordered for Millie in the drive thru (GOD BEHAVIOR), and was gifted sexually. Dare I say she was sunshine and he was midnight rain?

Hollis was a college “friend” of her ex so Millie knew of him, but didn’t really know him. They got stranded randomly at an airport together and reluctantly reconnected, leading to a road trip down to Florida. She was going to spread Mrs. Nash’s Ashes and he literally had a dick appointment (💀).

I loved getting to discover the real Hollis alongside Millie, since he was a bit of a jerk (term of endearment) at the beginning. The whole relationship was just so delicious. Their vibe felt a little bit Leap Year and a lot of bit Letters to Juliet (more on that below). And really, this book would make a PERFECT movie. It had the quirky bed and breakfast, ample only one bed moments, random car troubles, and that serendipity of being embraced by a small town for a few days.

It was only single POV, which I think fit the book perfectly. Mara Wilson narrated the audiobook and gave a fantastic performance!! If you like audiobooks and have Mrs. Nash’s Ashes on your TBR, definitely splurge for the audio. I adored the writing style and Adler really brought those characters to life. I was impressed with how she was able to write such sparkling characters in a rather heavy plot. The romance was Stay Stay Stay in a book that was Marjorie if that makes sense??

✨

I think for me personally where I’m at with my life and where certain family members are, this was a little too Rough On Me for it to be five stars. The grief was so specifically relatable and wonderfully (and excruciatingly) written that it was just so hard to get through by the end.

And I guess I’m not sure I’d need to reread it? I understand love stories end in various ways and they’re all valid, but the secondary love story was just too sad and my romance loving heart was in PAIN. I also just don’t do well with mortality, but that’s on me. I’m torn between wanting to experience Millie and Hollis again because I LOVE THEM and wanting to preserve my sanity and emotional well-being.

I loved the main romance and good lord I’ll be reading everything Adler publishes next, but I don’t think there’s a way this book will never not hurt in a way I don’t necessarily like to feel. I’ve read other romances that deal with grief and loved them, but I don’t know this one hit me right in the mortality feels. Maybe that’s a compliment? Idk.

I think watching Letters to Juliet would be a good follow up after reading Mrs. Nash’s Ashes. The two have a similar feeling…with a less teary ending (at least for me). I loved the idea of taking the road trip and exploring lost love, but the butterflies the main romance gave me couldn’t overshadow the overwhelming sadness I felt throughout the book. I think the flashbacks took it too far in the I Want the Readers to SUFFER department.

It’s a lovely book—it’s a great book even—but it’s a book for people like my mom. She loves the romantic dramas and feeling all the feels and isn’t afraid to confront things, whereas I like to live in delusion. So while it’s not perfect for me, I think it’s going to be perfect for so many people and that makes me very happy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5 🌶️.75*/5

*That first sex scene really knocked my socks off I was NOT prepared. I do wish we’d have gotten a few more open door scenes after since most of those were fade to black or interrupted.


**SPOILERS**

Just knowing that cute little Mr. Nash was dead and one of her other sons was dead and that Mrs. Nash never fully got over Elsie and outlived everyone else that she loved...I mean can I claim emotional damage and request compensation???? And then Elsie’s journal??…I just really can’t handle all of that. I was way happier thinking Elsie forgot about Rose because at least I wouldn’t have been confronted with even more tears.

On a different note, I really really loved the third act. When Hollis went after her in the hall after the fight??? UGH SO GOOD. I’m happy Millie got the distance she needed but I also really appreciated Hollis realizing he couldn’t stay mad REAL fast.

**END OF SPOILERS**

Okay this book was cute, but it just didn’t really have that wow factor I’m looking for. I’ll still recommend it though!

I truly could not put Mrs. Nash's Ashes down. Yes, the book tackles some tough subjects of grief and loss, it's also wildly funny, beautiful, romantic, and definitely has good spice to it. I'm a fan of the close-proximity trope, and this one definitely combined that almost with an enemies-to-lovers vibe (almost being the keyword since Millie and Hollis act like they don't know/can't stand each other.)

Millie is a former child actor who ends up living with her elderly neighbor as her caretaker after breaking up with her boyfriend. They quickly become best friends and after her passing, she vows to reunite Mrs. Nash with the love of her life from nearly 80 years before. When all flights are grounded due to a computer issue, she ends up on a road trip with Hollis.

The banter between these two characters is so well done and at times I felt like I was a fly in the car listening to them. They end up in some pretty ridiculous situations including a B&B with over 25 paintings of Jesus, and a Broccoli festival too.

A wonderful romance with a fantastic ending. This one is not to be missed.
Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC!

A steamy grumpy/sunshine road trip romance between a struggling writer and a former tv star with a fantastic story within a story plot too. I really enjoy intergenerational friendship stories and reading about queer love in the past. Both storylines had a moving romance that tied together in the present in a great way. Fantastic on audio as well narrated by Mara Wilson. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

A delightful opposites-attract road trip romance with a quirky, sunshine former child-star and grumpy, jaded writer. While en route to deliver her roommate’s ashes to her long lost love in Key West, Millie and Hollis unexpectedly become travel companions and much more.

I received a gifted galley of MRS. NASH’S ASHES by Sarah Adler for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, PRH Audio, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Rating: 4 / 5
Publication Date: 5/23/2023
MRS. NASH’S ASHES follows Millicent, a young woman on a mission. After her relationship imploded, she moved in with her elderly neighbor Mrs. Nash. Mrs. Nash would never admit it, but Millicent was her caretaker in addition to being her close friend. After Mrs. Nash dies, Millicent asks her family for a small portion of her ashes to deliver them to Mrs. Nash’s lost love, a woman she fell in love with years ago.

When a systems error grounds all flights, Millicent is left to find an alternate route on her trip from D.C. to Key West. Running into Hollis, an acquaintance of her ex, at first seems like an annoyance, but when she learns he has a car, she finds it an opportunity. It is time for a road trip, even if the two don’t really get along.

I really enjoyed Millicent and the way she wanted to honor her lost friend. In between chapters from the present and the relationship between Millicent and Hollis, we also get passages about Mrs. Nash and her girlfriend, revealing how they met and what went wrong. I really enjoyed these glimpses into the past, even if they were bittersweet knowing that the pair didn’t ultimately wind up living out their lives together.

In the present day, I enjoyed a lot of the banter between Millicent and Hollis. For my own personal taste, I didn’t quite feel like there was enough build up for the swift transition from not liking each other to really really liking each other and there’s a pretty quick shift from practically strangers to smut to feelings. There is quite a bit of failure to communicate trope going on throughout the book as well.

This was an overall easy and entertaining listen and one that I think will appeal to a lot of romance fans!

I ABSOLUTELY ADORED THIS BOOK! IT IS ONE MY FAVOURITES OF THE YEAR, FORSURE! I love everything about a dual timeline but this one was so special! I am never going to forget both of these love stories. Absolutely perfectly executed!

Multigenerational friendship + a road trip + a grumpy/sunshine trope enticed me to pick up this story.

What we know of the friendship seemed sweet and the road trip with grumpy and sunshine was entertaining. However the profanity and open door romance are not to my taste, so it fell short of my expectations.

Thanks #Netgalley @BerkleyPub #BerkleyBuddyReads for a complimentary e ARC of #MrsNashesAshes for my review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Millicent Watts-Cohen is on a mission. She is determined to reunite her nonagenarian best friend Mrs, Nash with the woman she fell in love with during the waning days of World War II. So, she's carrying three tablespoons of Mrs. Nash's ashes to Key West where she hopes to meet Elsie Brown who is in hospice care.

Millie is an optimist despite the blows that have hit her lately. Her best friend's death and the implosion of her relationship with the man she thought she was going to spend her life with have left Millie battered. When all flights are cancelled due to a computer glitch, she finds herself on a road trip from Washington, DC, to Key West with a man who was a part of her ex's cohort in graduate school. Hollis Hollenbeck is Millie's opposite. He doesn't believe in true love or any other kind of love.

This story tells about their adventures as they travel together including a car accident when a deer decides to run into Hollis's beloved car, time spent in a small B&B in a room with 25 paint-by-number pictures of Jesus, and a gig as the Grand Marshall of the local broccoli festival since Millie was once the star of a children's television series.

I love getting to know Millie who is an extrovert without a filter and Hollis who has almost perfected his persona as a grumpy man. I laughed and I cried and was totally emotionally involved in Millie's quest.

Overall, a cute read. A lot of things I liked and a few things that I didn't love.

Let's start with what didn't work for me: The pacing was off. The sexual tension wasn't great so when they get there at the 50%ish mark- it isn't that satisfying. This also might be a "me" problem but Hollis was a big jerk and at first, I kind of hated him. Maybe that's the point, idk. THEN, Millie becomes insufferable during the painful 3rd act breakup. I understand that humans fight, I just think our society needs to stop perpetuating immature fights/conversations and being abrasive/impulsive when we approach a conflict. It's what I teach my children at school.

What I liked/loved!: Hollis came around!! He ended up being such a gem and so sweet! I loved the chapters interspersed with Rose and Ellie. I loved that whole side plot in general. I enjoyed the road trip aspect and ONE BED. I enjoyed the small town they were stuck in.

Other random thoughts: I did feel like something was missing that I couldn't put my finger on. Was it the depth of the characters, the pacing? I'm not sure.

I have to be honest, this book only caught my eye because my maiden name is Nash but I’m so glad I read this despite my initial reasonings!

Millicent is on a journey in this story to reunite the ashes of her elderly best friend/roommate, Mrs. Nash, with her former wartime lover in the Florida keys. Everything goes wrong along the way and she’s reunited with her ex-boyfriend’s frienemy, Hollis, who is also traveling to Florida. They resort to traveling together and this is where humor appears, sparks start to fly, and emotional baggage comes to the surface. These characters are so realistic and fun and just altogether great.

The best way to describe this story is intelligent, I’m honestly surprised that this is a debut novel and not something from a seasoned author. The main characters have a depth that isn’t just spelled out or handed to the reader which is definitely refreshing. The romance is more subtle and deep at first while not being slow or grueling. I liked the unexpected LGBT subplot and thought it was written very well. As for the writing style I got Emily Henry vibes which is always a win for me.

Overall this is an extremely solid, polished book that I’m sure will become a best seller. I’m excited to follow this author to see what she does next! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this title.

I love a good grumpy-sunshine trope. Throw in a road trip and a secret crush and I'm all in. Mrs. Nash's Ashes delivered on all of the above and more. A fun summer read.

I went into this book with no preconceptions, since it's a first novel. At first, it seemed like a very good, very funny, trope-filled (forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, only one bed, etc.) romcom, but then... wait, why am I crying?! Books almost never make me cry, but this one did. So prepare yourself for BIG EMOTIONS!

29-year-old Millie is a former child star whose career ended when she started to develop curves; she now works as a historical consultant to movies and TV shows. After an acrimonious break-up, Millie moved in with her next-door neighbor, the 90-something widow Mrs. Nash, and the two became the best of friends. When Mrs. Nash dies, Millie undertakes a journey from their D.C. home to Key West, FL, in order to bring some of her ashes to one of the dear departed's past loves. Millie's flight is canceled and through a series of misadventures, she finds herself on a road trip with Hollis, a writer who was in her ex's MFA program.

Hollis doesn't believe in love, and is in fact on his way to a "sex date" with a friend with benefits in Miami. Will Millie and Hollis heal each other's broken hearts?! First they have to survive a trip to the world's weirdest restaurant, a B&B with 25 paint-by-numbers Jesus pictures in their bedroom, a small-town broccoli festival, a playlist of 70s soft-rock classics, and so much more. I'm so happy to have gone on this trip with them.

Definitely one of the best romcoms I've read in a long time. Genuinely funny banter instead of the bickering that often passes for banter, fun plot that kept the love interests together the whole time, and a touching ending. A lovely use of the dual timeline for Mrs. Nash's romance that I thought took up just the right amount of space in the story. Points off for having supposedly genz/millennial characters with all GenX cultural touchstones. Also for the use of villanous exes to provide the trauma. Still, I am eager to read more from this author!

I read an early version of the first chapter of this book and knew instantly this was going to be an amazing book. My instincts were spot-on. This was a fabulous read: whimsical, charming, quirky, sexy, and often heartbreaking. I'd call it upmarket romantic comedy, although I'm not sure if that's such a thing - the writing was beautiful and the depth was there, but the banter and shenanigans were pure romcom. Some of the choices the author made upset me as a reader (aka made me cry) but as a writer, I know they were the right choices for the story being told. I can't wait to see what Sarah Adler brings us next. She's an author to watch.

I really loved this book. I flew through it in about a day. It was funny when it needed to be and had just the right amount of sincerity. This grumpy/sunshine relationship made my heart swell to read about.

This follows Millicent as she tries to reunite her deceased elderly best friend’s ashes with the love of her life all while falling in love, herself. Millicent is quirky, charming and relatably anxious.

After her flight is cancelled she has to hitch a ride, cross-country, with snarky but sexy Hollis (an old peer of her ex) as she tries to make it to Florida.

I’ll just leave you with 3 words; banter, banter, banter.

4.5 stars!!

What an amazing debut novel by Sarah Adler! Sunshine-Grumpy, enemies-to-lovers is one of my favorite genres. One road trip with three very different people.

Millie Watts-Cohen, former child star and eternal romantic, has been hurt and used in the past. Her one true friend was her neighbor, Mrs. Nash. Spending a lot of time with her, Millie finds herself bringing Mrs. Nash’s ashes to Key West, Florida. On a deadline, Millie runs into trouble when her flight gets grounded. Now Millie is forced to hitch a ride with Hollis Hollenbeck, her ex’s friend.

The situations they find themselves in are hilarious, to say the least. The more time they spend together, the more uncynical Hollis becomes. I loved watching the journey of a potential relationship between the two. Can they make Millie’s deadline of delivering the ashes? And what happens to Millie and Hollis once their trip is over? You’ll have to one-click to find out.

Like I said, I absolutely adored this book, it was an unexpected fantastic read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I look forward to seeing what Sarah Adler comes out with next.