I got this book because of the title. Then I kept hearing the song over and over as I read it. I wondered how good a book could be based on a song and this one was definitely interesting.

Four friends from the small town of Goldie somewhere in the South are definitely BFFs. The story is told from all four friends' POV and the setting alternates between now and their senior year in high school. While we get all the girls' views, the main character is clearly Kasey Fritz, who left Goldie without a hearty goodbye and refused to return for 15 years, not even for two of the girls' weddings. It's a big deal when she finally returns to Goldie to confront past demons, only to find that the living hell she left is being played out in the marriage of her friend Caroline. Kasey is determined to finish what they started 15 years ago.

I really liked the friendship dynamic and easygoing nature of those in this book. I actually moved to a small town from Southern California for my senior year of high school and so the setting felt familiar to me where everyone knew everyone forever. My one complaint about the whole book was that it went on far too long. There were a lot of minute details that didn't matter (like the whole ritual of using the bathroom described step by step, could've done without that - and it happens multiple times). A fun story of friendship based on a song by the Chicks. I enjoyed it but don't think I'd re-read it.

I tried hard to like this book, I really did. The story was not engaging for me, and I honestly had a hard time connecting to any of the characters. The storyline itself likely would have drawn me in eventually but I felt as though the characters were not relatable at all, and the story too farfetched and cliche in many ways. I started this book twice in an attempt to get myself to like it, and it didn't work for me. Hopefully it works for someone else.

DNF at 6%. I just really don’t like the writing style - it’s all telling and no showing, and the dialogue feels so fake. The only part I’ve liked so far is the descriptions of dogs. I cannot finish this.

This book just wasn’t for me. I felt like the pacing was a little too slow and I never found myself eager to pick the book back up. It wasn’t the writing that I didn’t care for but the development of the story.

After being blown away by this author's debut last year, I have to say this book was a departure and not necessarily in a good way. The four POV intermingled at times and the skipping around of the timeline became confusing... a chapter would start in one place and end up somewhere else with no means of how it got there; it just felt like a lot of skipping around. I didn't love this book but I believe in this author and will continue to read her work. Hope you have better luck with this one!

Goodbye Earl comes out next week on July 3, 2023 and you can purchase HERE.

Yep. That electric slut-red cherry on top of the Goldie Dairy Dee sign was zapping like always, even though Kasey Fritz hadn't been back home to see it in fifteen years. She rolled the rental car window down and stuck her hand out--like maybe she could touch the ghosts she knew were there, like lightning bugs wisping through the summer dark.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll be honest right up front, this book was not for me. I really wanted to like this book, but I DNF’d at 26% into the book. At this point, nothing has happened and I just can not continue.

This is a story about 4 friends in multiple timelines and different points of view. It is hard to follow and you have to pay close attention to which perspective you are in and the year. Sometimes the years mush together and you have to figure it out as you are reading.

Leesa Cross-Smith is such a beautiful, warm hug of a writer--and yes, I'm aware that it's probably a little odd to say that in the context of a book with so much abuse and murder. Here, Cross-Smith is doing what she does best: focusing on a tight-knit group and providing endless sensory details to really transport the reader to the Southern town she's imagined. I couldn't put down this story of four friends whose lives are marked by their strong love for one another and marred by the violence of men. Ultimately, I thought the all-encompassing evil reach of the Foxberry family undermined some of what the book got across about patriarchy and systemic misogyny, but that's a relatively minor quibble. Primarily, this book made me want to call my best friends, bake a pie, listen to the Chicks, and queue up a showing of Waitress with a big ol' bowl of popcorn. What more can I ask for in a book?!

Goodbye Earl was not at all what I was expecting, and I couldn't have been happier! I was originally drawn to this book as a big "The Chicks" fan. I really loved this book, it was a perfect combination of nostalgia, life's triumphs, and friendship told through the lifelong friendships of Rosemarie, Ada, Caroline, and Kasey (RACK). RACK have been friends since before they could speak and grew up together in Goldie. After their college graduation, Kasey fled Goldie and returns just now, 15 years later. This story chronicles their coming of age as well as catching up to where they are now, the same theme still carries, they would do anything for each other, even if it meant making sure they said goodbye to any "Earl" in their lives.

I would highly recommend this book, especially to anyone who enjoyed "Sweet Magnolias" on Netflix!

DNF at 35%

I was expecting a dark comedy centered around revenge but the part I read was so boring, with a focus on the women's' friendship with lots of flashbacks and very little action and/or forward momentum. I also found the transitions between scenes choppy and distracting. I could see the direction it was heading and wasn't interested enough to keep reading.

One of my favorite things about Leesa Cross-Smith’s novels is that each one is wildly different from the others in terms of the plot but the characters and themes are always endearing and relatable. Her ability to weave tragedy and humor together, as well, continue to charm me as a reader and keep me coming back for more. Her upcoming Goodbye Earl: A Revenge Novel explores the depths of friendship and exactly what can happen in a community where injustice has been allowed to endure for too long. But while the title declares itself to be a revenge novel, I’m not sure how much I agree with that. At least, it’s not the typical revenge story, which is intriguing and more satisfying in a lot of ways (but also a little less entertaining in other ways than I’d hoped).

Kasey Fritz is finally returning to her hometown of Goldie after leaving fifteen years following the tragic and frustrating death of her mother. Her best friends, Rosemarie, Ada, and Caroline have kept in touch but have also been disappointed that it’s taken so long to get her to come back. Kasey is finally ready to face the truths of what happened to her mother and move beyond the bad memories, focusing on the better ones as the quartet celebrate Ada’s younger sister’s wedding. But when it becomes clear that Caroline’s husband, Trey might be just as bad – maybe worse – than Kasey’s stepfather was, the friends band together to make sure that history won’t repeat itself.

In many ways, Goodbye Earl is a love letter to family and community – especially the relationships that can develop between women. Though it’s mostly told from the perspectives of the four core women (both in flashback and the “present”), it’s clear that there are strong female relationships between the other women in Goldie as well – between the girls’ mothers/maternal figures, among their neighbors, coworkers, and classmates and across the generations as well. The diversity represented in terms of situation (family structures, family histories, financial situations, and racial backgrounds) among not just the core friend group but the town as a whole is convenient and unrealistic in many ways but it all serves the goal of finding the things that can (and should) bring us all together – like making sure that abusers and those who take advantage of others with no remorse don’t get away with things forever.

Without giving away spoilers, my favorite aspect of the novel might well be precisely where it ended. As with Half-Blown Rose, there’s an underlying optimism to Goodbye Earl that feels like it should be incongruous to the heavy elements that make up so much of the novel’s plot, but Leesa Cross-Smith somehow makes it work. The ending encapsulates that lightness and optimism. At the same time, for how dark the subject matter gets at times and the fact that revenge is such a key part of the plot, the focus and drive of the story isn’t quite where you might expect it to be. The focus is always on the women and their friendship and how it gets them through the difficult points in their lives – whatever they may be – but without those difficulties taking over or distracting from the underlying love and sisterhood they’ve built.

Goodbye Earl: A Revenge Novel will be available July 3, 2023.

It is easy for the reader to invest in the characters early on in this story. The love story centered on these four friends is memorable long after finishing the book.

I always admire how Leesa Cross-Smith combines whip smart intelligence with heartwarming charm. Her latest novel, GOODBYE EARL, provides another stunning example. The characters are fully-fleshed, and the pages practically turn themselves. Ultimately, this is a story about the remarkable bond between friends. We can all wish for friends like these, friends who are as close (or even closer) than family members.

I look forward to this author's next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary e-galley; all opinions are my own.

Goodbye Earl is a story about four besties whose friendship withstood the tests of time. Rosemarie, Ada, Caroline, and Kasey aka the RACK were best friends since forever. They each had each other’s back through good times and bad times. Even fifteen years later, their friendship was just as strong as though nothing changed. But something did change. Caroline married a monster… Which brought back painful childhood memories for Kasey. And Kasey vowed to make things right for everyone.

I struggled with Goodbye Earl. My struggles had nothing to do with the characters or the plot. It was the pacing. The narrative chugged along and nothing exciting occurred until past the 43% point. By that time, I just about lost interest in the story. It didn’t help that the multiple timelines jumped forward, backward and in-between. Toss multiple points of view into the mix and you have a hot mess. I was constantly referring to the table of contents to determine the point in time for the characters.

In the end, I was just grateful it was over and done with. Two okay stars.

I received a digital ARC from Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

If you have a playlist of wronged women in country songs who take matters into their own hands, you'll enjoy this book. I slightly expected Goodbye Earl to be a dramatization of the Chicks song by the same name. While that would've been a great time on its own, what we get instead is a more complex story that is highly influenced by the iconic song. The story follows four lifelong best friends, Rosemarie, Ada, Caro, and Kasey, through two timelines of pivotal eras in their lives: the weeks leading up to their high school graduation, and fifteen years later, when they all reunite in the hometown for the first time. The common denominator in both timelines are no-good, dangerously violent men, and how these friends promise to protect each other from these types of men, dubbed "Earls." I wouldn't call this book a thriller, per se, but it definitely has strong "good for her" energy, which is satisfying in its own right. While the dual plots felt a bit unwieldy at times, especially with the chapters switching POV, everything does tie together rather nicely in the end. It's a lovely homage to the resolve of small-town Southern women and the blood-deep ties of lifelong female friendships.

I loved this! As a fan of the song, I was immediately pulled in by the title and had to read it. This story of friendship is incredible and made me want to be a part of a group like this. I took this on vacation and it was the perfect beach read. Highly recommend!

Thanks to #Netgalley for the ARC ebook.

Like other readers, I expected this to be a dark comedy in line with the song/lyrics by The Chicks. While there were loose similarities, the plot focused more on the friendship between four girls/women from high school to early 30s: Rosemarie, Ada, Caroline, and Kasey (RACK). Rosemarie moves away after high school and travels the world. She has a semi-open relationship with both Esme and Leo. Ada runs the family business and married her high school sweetheart - they now have 4 sons together. Caroline went to pastry school and runs the local bakery. She recently married the town's rich kid. Kasey left for New York the night of graduation and is returning for the first time with a lot of secrets of her own.

Growing up in a small town is hell - I personally don't understand why people stay or return. But, this book tries to make the point that it's the people there who will support you through thick and thin that make all of the difference.

The beginning was slow, the middle sped along, and the ending was really not my style. I didn't care for some of the tropes that were included <spoiler> Rosemarie's cancer was not necessary. Nor was Caroline's pregnancy. </spoiler> The small town religious aspects also weren't my style and didn't really seem appropriate in the plotlines. 2/5 stars.

This story was different than I expected. I thought it would be campy but was deeper than that. Less a revenge novel and more about lifelong friends.

I think the friendship parts were particularly well done and the soundtrack so familiar that I could hear the songs as I was reading.

The revenge theme was where it fell down a bit for me. It was too over the top without the humor to make it fun.

Four girls that are like sisters in a small Southern town of Goldie. Each of them met when they were four years old and have stayed friends ever since then no matter where they live. Each character you get to hear their side of Rosemarie, Ada, Caroline, and Kasey. Kasey is one of the characters that you hear the most of and who kicks off the storyline. Kasey hasn't been in to Goldie since 2004 and returns back to the area in 2019. Upon arriving a lot of the history is brought back to light and some of the current things that are happening is very similar to what happened in the past. You can see the love and friendship that is within the group of ladies.

I enjoyed the story and the reference to the Chicks. Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy.

RACK has been inseparable since they were kids. The four girls have been best friends since childhood, and being adults has not changed a thing. This book has a dual timeline between their childhood and current day. Though Kasey hasn’t told anyone, even RACK what happened the day of graduation, when they all come together for a wedding now, the friend group will be brought back to the past, and finally decide to do something about it…

So it’s the beginning of June and these won’t post until the end of July, but damn I don’t know if it’s me or the books, but all the tears this weekend! This book had me laughing, infuriated, and crying. I mean talk about the trifecta. This book truly shows the amaze-balls value of childhood friends. I am so lucky to have some of these friends, and though we don’t live close, when we chat it’s like no time has passed at all. I just adored the friendship, and the close relationships throughout the town of Goldie. While I strongly disliked (maybe even hated) some characters, the way the book came together was just perfection in my mind. As a side note: there is a good amount of domestic violence in this book, so if that is a trigger I would avoid.

Relationships are complicated and life is complicated, but if we have and empowering, ride-or-die crew, things are so much better. That's what four friends, Rosemarie, Ada, Caroline, and Kasey ("ROAK") show us as they are on the cusp of graduating from high school in a small Southern town in 2004. They are on the edge of "becoming," in their love lives, work lives, and maturing into their real selves. But when horrific events intervene, it will take all their found-sisterhood to hold them together and ride out the storm. Fast-forward to 2019, when Ada's little sister's wedding brings them all back to their hometown, they hope they can just enjoy being together again. But when one of them is put into danger and echoes of their past threaten to overwhelm and divide, they decide to stick together and make things right.

This was, essentially, a Southern story. It is lyrical and true, and doesn't shy away from the dark underbelly of society (abuse, alcoholism, escapism from anxiety). It's about friendship and high school and about having to grow up too fast. Cross-Smith did so well at capturing dialogue and dialect. I also loved all the references to The Chicks (not surprising, given the title) and other cultural elements of the South from 2004-2019. The story highlights love in so many different forms (I loved that it is LGBTQ+ positive), and explores the theme of romantically loving two different people at once and what that means in different situations and with different people. When relationships are empowering and are based in love, it's amazing what miracles they can work in this world.

Triggers: abuse, violence, alcohol and drug use, abuse of power, police corruption