"Coming Clean" by Beth Uznis Johnson is a powerful and inspiring memoir that chronicles the author's journey towards self-acceptance, forgiveness, and redemption. With unflinching honesty and vulnerability, Johnson shares her struggles with addiction, shame, and trauma, creating a deeply personal and relatable narrative.

Throughout the book, Johnson's writing is raw and unpretentious, drawing the reader into her world with a sense of intimacy and authenticity. She recounts her experiences with alcoholism, eating disorders, and toxic relationships, laying bare the darkest moments of her life without resorting to self-pity or sensationalism.

One of the most compelling aspects of "Coming Clean" is Johnson's examination of the societal expectations and pressures that contribute to her struggles. With keen insight, she dissects the harmful cultural narratives that perpetuate shame and self-doubt, particularly for women. Her critiques are both sharp and compassionate, inviting readers to reflect on their own experiences and the ways in which they may have internalized these damaging beliefs.

The book's greatest strength lies in Johnson's commitment to sharing her story without sugarcoating or tidy resolutions. Her path to recovery is messy, nonlinear, and often painful, but it is also a testament to the power of resilience and the human capacity for growth. As she confronts her demons and learns to embrace her imperfections, Johnson inspires readers to do the same, fostering a sense of solidarity and hope.

In conclusion, "Coming Clean" is a remarkable memoir that offers a profoundly moving and thought-provoking reading experience. Beth Uznis Johnson's courageous storytelling and unwavering honesty make this book an invaluable resource for anyone grappling with their own struggles, whether with addiction, trauma, or the everyday challenges of living. With its unflinching portrayal of the human experience, "Coming Clean" is a

I enjoyed the realistic nature of this story—it pointed to the truths of life as a working woman. However, I didn’t really like the main character (Dawn). I found her hard to connect with, personally. I will admit that I did have to put it down and pick it back up a few times, but I powered through and found it interesting enough to see it to the end. Regardless, the concept itself was creative and I found that the book was well written despite my lack of “feeling” for the characters. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I won't rate on GR - but this is literally the book of nothing.

Parts were good, and I feel like the accident and Terry and the whole abusive relationship leading up to Matthew was interesting enough to keep reading, but the content and plot was left SO unfinished. OF COURSE WE WANTED MATTHEW TO SHOW UP AT HER TRAILER and OF COURSE WE WANTED HIM TO COME TO FLORIDA but she slept with the guy twice and then wants to text him "come home" like that's not a wild thing to do!? I've been in that kind of love before and this convinces me I could write a book on it because matthew gave me NO ROMANTICAL VIBES WHATSOEVER and jane was useless. she could have been matthews dog that barked upstairs and gave it all away.

Okay, two star book. likely not award winning. will be just a filler book on a shelf and I know how that sounds but also, its more than 90% of the population will ever do so it's something to be proud of!

Coming Clean is a pretty interesting story. The book is about the main character Dawn, who is a self-employed worker living in Upstate New York who cleans houses. When she poses for the house she cleans for her best friend Matthew for a photography project, she connects with other people in the house. While living in the house, Dawn also confronts some dark secrets about herself and her late finance Terry. Although the story focused on forgiveness, family, and a fresh start, this story also talks about serious topics such as grief and losing a love one. The more I read the story, the more I learn about Dawn's character.

Dawn works self-employed. She could have gone to college, but she ended up cleaning houses. She was two parents that are divorced, but supports their daughter. However, her mother is quite mean to her dad. Dawn also has a best friend named Matthew, who I am assumed are possibly more than friends. This book contains mature themes which I do not recommend for minors. I really like the relationship between Dawn and Matthew. I like how the book discuss grief and forgiveness because when losing a love one it's hard to move forward.

Despite the story being short, I enjoy reading the story and it can be pretty funny sometimes. However, I wish there were more chapters in the book that a way we can learn more about the Dawn and her backstory.

Coming Clean tells the story of Dawn, a self-employed cleaning lady who is grappling with the death of her finacé and the role she may have played in it. She finds herself connecting to the lives of the people whose houses she cleans as she and her friend Matthew embark on a photography project.

While I loved the premise of the book and the photography project idea, I had a hard time relating to Dawn during large portions of the book and was expecting her to have a larger secret than she did. Dawn did have some redeemable moments and I enjoyed her growth as a character by the end.

The book was well written enough that even when I wasn’t completely hooked by the plot, I still enjoyed reading it.

The premise of this book sounded interesting and possibly a heartwarming story of making connections with those around you. Sadly I dont know if it was as I found it really difficult to connect with the characters, particularly Dawn, or care where the story was going. Bits of it felt quite tedious and I must admit I skimmed quite a lot.
Thank you to netgalley and regal house publishing for an advance copy of this book

I like this book main subject be about connections and forgiveness. It won’t be a book I pick myself but I did enjoy read it and think many people may enjoy it too. My only trouble is that I feel it drafted and dragged in some point and the ploy become a bit boring. Isn’t a bad book maybe it’s just the execution wasn’t my cup of tea.

Unfortunately I did not finish this book after 24 pages. The writing still wasn’t for me, and the story didn’t hook me in either - I really struggle to read books where I don’t like the main character, and I didn’t like Dawn.

"Coming Clean" by Beth Uznis Johnson appears to be a poignant exploration of human connections, secrets, and the power of forgiveness, all within the backdrop of a unique and intimate setting: the houses Dawn cleans.

The premise of Dawn participating in her friend Matthew's photography project, where she poses within the houses she cleans, offers an intriguing lens into the lives of the homeowners and their diverse backgrounds and struggles. This setup seems to allow for deep character exploration and the unraveling of multifaceted stories.

The mention of Dawn confronting her darkest secret about the death of her fiancé suggests a compelling layer of mystery and personal growth. Readers may be drawn into the narrative as they follow Dawn's journey of self-discovery and healing while navigating the complexities of the lives she encounters.

The themes of forgiveness, family, and fresh starts are universal and relatable, making the story potentially resonate with a wide range of readers. The idea that connecting with others and understanding their stories can lead to personal transformation and closure is a powerful message.

Overall, "Coming Clean" seems like a heartfelt and thought-provoking novel that explores the depths of human experiences, emphasizing the importance of empathy, understanding, and second chances. It promises to be a story of redemption and renewal set against the backdrop of everyday lives and the secrets we keep.

An interesting premise but executed in a way that dragged at certain points, could have benefited from slightly more refining in terms of plot and which storyline is the primary focus.

Coming Clean is a book that follows the main character, Dawn, who becomes a cleaner after her fiancé dies and who sneaks her friend into the homes she cleans to take photos for his project when the owners are away.

This book wasn't for me as I found that once I got to half way I was lost in what exactly was happening- were we following the photography plot line or is there something else? I think too many little things happened that made the story feel drawn out and lost me as a reader. I did enjoy the concept but the execution fell flat and I ended up not finishing this book.

The things I did enjoy were the little descriptions of the homeowners and the interactions but overall, I didn't enjoy the main character and I felt she didn't have much of a personality outside of her cleaner and widowed identity.

Unfortunately I struggled to finish this book I found the main character hard to like and overall I couldn’t connect to the story. A great premise but sadly it fell short for me and my expectations.

Dawn is a young woman who started her own cleaning business after her boyfriend was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident (in which she was also severely injured). Her clients trust her because she does a good job with the cleaning. But what they don't know is that she snoops through her stuff and invites her friend in to do photo shoots while posing in clothes and using their belongings as props. Perhaps that is some sort of "art" but to me, it just felt wrong and I had trouble getting past that.

I'm sorry to say that I only read 50% of the novel. I kept hoping that I would like the characters more, but finally, I gave up. The writing was good and perhaps the story would appeal to other people, but it just wasn't for me.
Many thanks to Net Galley for an ARC of this novel. My opinions are my own and I hope other people give the book a try.

This book is no page-turner but there's something quietly compelling about the protaganist's story and, despite the slowish pace, I found myself very keen to to know how this pivotal week in her life turned out. I was also keen to understand the traumatic events that led such a young woman to make such unfulfilling choices - and the author provided a satisfying explanation, revealed piece by piece over the course of the novel. I'm glad I stuck with this book until the end.

Avery unusual debut novel. I found it difficult to get absorbed with the story and the main character, Dawn, inhabits a world which is totally unfamiliar to me. The situation of Dawn and her backstory evolves slowly but a patient reader will be rewarded.

I chose this ARC on NetGalley because I was drawn to the title and front cover. The idea of a snoopy-style book appealed and I thought it could be fun. There were some hilarious lines, some making me laugh out loud and I found it to be a book which I found myself thinking about between reads, eager to read more! For a slow reader like myself, I finished it relatively quickly.

I thoroughly enjoyed the balance between serious and light and the author managed this perfectly in terms of making sure that this was an enjoyable read. Raw moments and grave topics were touched on, but there were plenty of scenes which ensured this was not a depressing read. The author refrained from exploring issues too deeply, which is perhaps a limitation, and while I understand that it was not the point of the book to go "too deep", serious issues such as alcohol misuse were dealt with superficially. I was gripped by scenes that shocked me, touched me and made me smile. Scenes were described with such precision that I sensed that someone who had experienced life had written this. And actually, Beth Uznis Johnson is a talented award winner.

I liked the main characters (Dawn and Matthew) but I obviously didn't agree with their intrusive actions towards the cleaning clients - most of whom were varied and interesting characters. But it has to be said that Dawn and Matthew's unwise decisions were deliberately included because they were linked to one of the main themes: self-discovery. And this was a central aspect of the story. Therefore, my subjective feelings were put aside for the enjoyment and exploration of the main storyline.

In conclusion, although some of the topics raised could have been expanded on, it was a very enjoyable and well-written book. From a personal perspective, I would have enjoyed the book without the spice and foul language and would have even thought twice about reading it if I had known in advance that there were steamy scenes. In my opinion, that content belongs to the Romance/adult genre, which is not one that I usually choose. I think this book deserves 4 stars because many of the scenes were described with talent - they were easy to read, flowed with the dialogue and were vivid. My imagination found them very engaging. That said, some parts were slow and could have been omitted - but they were few and far between. At the end of the book, I would recommend signposting to websites to help people affected with some of the serious issues touched on in this book.

Just like I thought. I knew once I got into this I wouldn’t want to put it down. Really enjoyed these characters and the story that was told.

Coming Clean was an interesting read, and I'm glad I was able to obtain an advanced copy through NetGalley. The story was very original and the prose was easy to read. At times, the writing was difficult to understand and follow, but that may have been the fault of the eBook settings from my download. The story had a good flow and you grew to care about the characters and what they were going through.

My favorite thing was discovering the meaning of the title, which you will only understand at the end of the novel. Dawn comes clean and the resolution of her story gives you a happy sense of conclusion for her.

Overall, I liked this book, and would recommend it.

A good read. Was a little slow getting in to at first. I decided to finish it up and did enjoy the book once done.

Cleaning houses but posing with house owners bits and pieces for a photographer in their homes. A funny and original idea.