Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I am a huge fan of Parks and Recreation, and when I saw that this book would be released, I was excited to learn some behind the scenes stories from Jim O'Heir and a few other cast members. While the stories were entertaining, and I appreciated hearing from other actors and production staff who were involved, I did find that the stories were a bit scattered. It was difficult to follow a through-line from beginning to end at some points. Additionally, when the stories jumped from one person to the next, it was sometimes difficult to determine who was "speaking". Nonetheless, I did find myself reaching for this when I wanted to read something fun and light-hearted, and this was perfect for a Parks fan like me.

Every Parks and Rec fan needs to read this book. It’s a reminder of how incredible that show is and now I have the need to binge it all again.

The majority of the book is told from Jim O’Heir’s personal experience but there are also conversations with the producers and other members of the cast.

As a fan of Parks and Recreation, I knew Jim O’heir (one of my favorite characters on the show) would have a really interesting point of view regarding cast, scripts and funny bloopers! He didn’t disappoint us fans!

If you’re unfamiliar with the show, it is co-written by Michael Schur, the same person that co-wrote The Office. It shares a lot of the same type of antics as The Office, but in other ways it’s entirely different. I love both shows for so many different reasons!

In “Welcome to Pawnee” I could almost feel Jerry (or should I say Gary) stepping back into his role on the show. He explains that Parks and Recreation was really his first big show, and then shares how that impacted him so much.

His book includes many backstage stories and jokes, and probably some lesser known trivia of the show! If you’re a fan of the show or a fan of Jim O’heir, definitely give this one a read!

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion. I rate this book as 4 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Very enjoyable, this was a delight to read. Wouldn't expect anything else from Jim O'Heir. Stories sometimes felt a little all over the place but that didn't take away from my enjoyment. A must-read for every Parks and Rec fan.

Not only is Jerry (among other names) a really nice guy on Parks and Recreation, clearly so is Jim O'Heir. There is a lot of great content about the making of the show, but don't expect a lot of dirt. It is an enjoyable and fun read and I appreciated learning more about him and the show.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

Welcome to Pawnee is a love letter to one of my all time favorite shows- Parks and Rec. Reading the book is like getting a coffee or a drink with Jim O'Heir and having him tell stories, plus we get some interviews or snippets of information from some of the creators and other cast members. I truly enjoyed reading it and it was lovely to hear how close the cast was and how they supported each other.

What a cute read! The stories did feel a little sporadic, I wish there was a bit more of an order to them. It was an easy read which was nice.

If Jerry / Garry / Larry had kept a syrup-soaked definitely spilled on but surprisingly well-crafted and meaningful scrapbook of the meta experiences of the Parks & Rec cast, it would be this book. O'Heir's old-white-dudeness comes through occasionally, but weirdly kind of adds to the charm.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy of this title in exchange for honest feedback

I met Jim O’Heir at ALA and he’s a delightful person, so I thought I would give this a try. I a lo love Parks and Rec. This was an interesting read, but if you’re expecting a full behind the scenes like the West Wing book, this doesn’t have that same level of detail. Still entertaining though.

Thanks to NetGalley, Jim O'Heir, and William Morrow for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Welcome to Pawnee. I received an advanced reader copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

As a Parks and Rec fan, this is a must read. Note though that it does seem to be about Jim O'Heir's life and background, which feels like this book is about him rather than being mainly about the show. He does mention a lot of behind the scenes tidbits and different things that were going on at the time of filming. It also features excerpts from various cast and crew, including Chris Pratt and Retta. It has a lot of humor and has quite a few photos to highlight certain parts.

I am a huge fan of Parks and Rec and I loved this book and perspective. I have already recommended it to friends of mine who I know are fans of the show. I loved Jim O'Heir's thoughts and point of view. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

I didn't finish this before it expired. I listened to the Parks and Rec podcast so a lot of the information was repeated. I still enjoyed what I read but didn't feel compelled to keep reading.

I love a behind-the-scenes glimpse at a movie or tv show that I enjoy watching, and it makes me so happy to see that there are so many podcasts and books devoted to exactly this! Anything Michael Schur and Greg Daniels work on (especially together) is bound to be hilarious and relatable in some way, and Parks and Recreation was no exception to this.

Through the book, Jim O’Heir (who played Jerry) walks us through the time span of the show from beginning to end, sharing tidbits about the cast and crew and making of its episodes. He also sprinkles in personal anecdotes about his own life, as well as interviews with other cast members and behind-the-scenes photos. There are many insights into the insecurities actors might feel, especially when they don’t perfectly fit into the stereotypical Hollywood aesthetic.

While I’ve read multiple books on other tv shows (ahem, about The Office), this was the first one I’ve read about Parks and Rec, so most of the stories were ones I hadn’t heard before. (I can’t promise you’ll feel the same if you listen to Jim’s podcast or have read other books about the show, though!) Overall I thought this gave some interesting insight into the show and I’d recommend it if you’re a fan!

I am a huge Parks and Rec fan, and I love these behind the scenes books so I was excited to see this book. The book was written by Jim O'Heir, but includes lots of guest spots of other characters telling their sides of stories. It was not the most well written book I've read. It seemed to jump all over the timeline which was rather annoying.

I received a digital ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. Because i got it as a digital ARC, it was a bit difficult to read due to the formatting and lack of pictures. I believe it would be much better to read with the actual book, which would make browsing it a lot easier.

WELCOME TO PAWNEE is a fun and sweet read that allows the reader to get a look behind the camera of the hit show “Parks and Rec.” it’s filled with great stories, funny bits and memories for a found family forever. There are several sweet moments that would make me tear up thinking of how supportive and encouraging the cast and crew and producers are all to each other. What gift that show was/is!

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Parks and Rec is one of the shows that gets funnier every time I watch it. This was a fun trip down memory lane, and Jim O'Heir's love of the show and of his costars is evident on every page. Amy Poehler apparently treated the crew really well and did what she could so they had the best time possible making the show. The audiobook is fun too, because of the many narrators.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book.

The audiobook is much more immersive of a read than the physical book because the guest inserts are read by different narrators. You will be missing out on the photos included though unless you look up the PDF that sometimes comes with audiobooks. Throughout this book I felt like it was probably ghost written and Jim confirmed this in the acknowledgments. There’s nothing wrong with ghostwriting (the vast majority of celebrity memoirs are) but I really appreciate it when the author takes the time to thank the person who actually sat down and did the work to write the book.

I’m not going to lie, I don’t believe all the guys are as amazing and wonderful as Jim says they are. It practically worships Chris Pratt which gave me the ick. It was especially baffling that Jim thought Pratt’s full frontal nudity “prank” was so funny that he would try to recreate it in a surprise mooning knowing that a crew member felt uncomfortable about the first incident. Many people call this prudish but it’s not sexy. It’s sexual harassment. The crew on that set are not in a position to speak up when actors decide it would be cute and funny to flash their fellow actors with complete disregard for everyone else in the room.

I did love how much he highlighted Amy Poehler’s advocacy for the inclusion of all the actors especially him and Retta.

This was a fun read! If you love Parks and Rec or are just a pop culture fan, this book is for you! It was funny, sweet, and gives you a peak at how some of your favorite celebs are in real life.

I gave it 4 stars because the book tends to jump around a lot and it's hard to follow who's talking at times. To be fair, I did have a preview copy so that might be fixed in the finished product!

Overall, highly recommend!

Oh my. First off, I'm definitely a Parks and Rec super fan, so when I saw that this was being published, I was ALL about it. But this...this was just not it. I walked away from this feeling all sorts of cringe about Jim O'Heir, his interactions with his co-stars and how ridiculously he was fawning over everything and everyone. And, I wanted actual dirt! There is none of that in this book. If you want to hear about how much Jim loved everyone he worked with, and how there were never any issues, pick this one up. But, I find it unlikely that there really were no conflicts, no differences of opinion, no angst.