I found this one to be a great book about navigating grief but it didn't read like a rom com or a romance. It read more like love story and women's fiction than a than anything else. That's not a bad thing, it still a great story. Knowing that it's not a traditional romance going in would have had me liking the book more.

Gracie Harris is Under Construction
By Kate Hash
I’m certain this will be a “book club” hit. It’s emotional, hopeful and heartbreaking. Overall, such a positive story about moving forward with grief and showing up for yourself.
Gracie Harris is a single mom, who became a viral sensation when her essay took over the internet. People immediately connected with her story and couldn’t help but root for her. Ben, Gracie’s husband has been gone for over a year. Between her writing, grief and family, Gracie needs an escape to feel like herself again. The kids are off to camp and Gracie goes back to their summer house. She hasn’t been back since Ben died. And with many projects left unfinished, Gracie hires Josh (a local general contractor). Gracie finds herself opening up again and having meaningful conversations with Josh. She didn’t think it was possible after the loss of her husband. But Josh just might be her second chance at love.
💕 out JULY 29th!!
Thank you, NetGalley for the advanced copy.


Goodreads (Brenda (Jadore_2read))

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Hash, and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is incredibly beautiful. I have no notes. If you love the way Annabel Monaghan delivers an emotional but hopeful story then you will enjoy this debut. This story follows Gracie navigating grief from losing her husband suddenly. She’s the mother of two incredible children. She is writing a memoir about her life with her husband and how she is dealing with the grief of losing him. She unexpectedly finds herself crushing on Josh who is helping renovate their second home in a heartwarming small town. I loved every second of this book. I could not put it down. I highly recommend it! Please pick up this book. It deserves all the hype it will receive.

This book brought our so many feels - grief and longing and attraction and fear and shame…

Gracie Harris’ husband dies unexpectedly and she unintentionally becomes the Queen of Grief. After a fist round talk show interview, she takes refuge in the summer house she and her husband bought just 10 days before he dies. With the help of Josh, the contractor fixing up her house, Gracie learns how to be herself and to find love again. I can’t wait to read this book again and again!

I’m starting this book at 80% completion, as I don’t think there are any surprises left to uncover.

This story is a slow day-by-day unraveling, much like grief. It paints a very realistic portrait of life after loss, especially when it confronts delayed grief and emotional breakdowns. The way they manifest gradually, through uncontrollable movements or new mannerisms.

This is a lovely love story — but the main characters are in a different place of life than me. The story was quite serious the entire time and there isn’t any graphic spice, but I wouldn’t necessarily call it cozy. It’s just a hyper realistic contemporary fiction that I think many would enjoy.

Thanks #NetGalley for this ARC.

—

Note: Updates TK if I am indeed surprised by the ending!

This. Ok has a lot of depth and emotion. It is a cute fast read that gives insight into heartbreak from loss of a spouse. It has some spicy but mostly fades to black. Great characters.

Read this if you love…
🏡 small town settings
🩷 Katherine Center
✨ stories about healing

Gracie Harris didn’t set out to become the “queen of grief,” but a viral essay penned after her husband’s funeral thrusts her into the limelight. Over a year later, she’s got a popular column in the New York Times and a book deal. A summer in the mountain home she and Ben purchased right before his death is what Gracie needs to finish her memoir while the kids attend summer camp. Her realtor recommends a charming contractor to fix up the place while Gracie writes, setting off a summer of change Grace never saw coming.

Books like this are the reason why I love NetGalley. What a stunning debut. I’ll compare Kate Hash’s style loosely to Katherine Center’s—it’s a nice blend of rom-com and women’s fiction that allows for maximum character growth alongside swoony romance. The tone is conversational with bits of Gracie’s writing incorporated throughout for dramatic effect.

Gracie’s arc truly moved me. It made me think deeply about the ways that grief changes us. I can’t imagine going through the loss she endured. I like how the author showed a healthy grieving process: Gracie attends therapy and leans on her community throughout the novel. She doesn’t bravely soldier on through the pain; it’s raw and real and I definitely cried towards the end.

As for the romance, I appreciated Josh and how attuned he was to Gracie’s emotional state. They have deep conversations and genuinely care about one another as friends before anything romantic happens. They are very sweet together.

Also, I looooved the small town setting and all of the little details Hash incorporates to make it feel real. The quirky coffee shop, the famous local BLT, the friend group get togethers… I wish this town was real!

For the closed door girlies, I’d call this cracked door or fade to black (still more than I prefer though). As well, Gracie frankly discusses her intimate life before and after her husband’s passing.

Thank you to Dutton Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved everything about this book! Gracie’s heartfelt journey of grief and figuring out who she is now in this ‘new normal’ was so interesting and endearing. The characters were well developed and the story layered and beautifully written. I was rooting for Gracie the entire way through and wanting her to heal and find love again. Her banter with Ben and the way in which their relationship developed what I think I loved the most. Above all else her personal growth was what this book was really about. It was raw and emotional and also funny. The perfect balance of romance and grief. I especially love that the intent wasn’t to move on or get over, but was to move forward.
This book will stay with me for a long time to come.

I absolutely loved this book! While it is undeniably a romance, there is so much more to it than just that. The way the author approached grief and the process of moving on was both poignant and real. It was refreshing to see the characters experience and confront their emotions without becoming consumed by them, offering a balance that made the story feel authentic and hopeful.

The small town setting was another highlight for me. The charm of the community and the richness of the supporting characters were so well portrayed. It felt incredibly real and cozy, adding a layer of warmth to the narrative that made me feel like I was right there with the characters. Each person in the town played a part in enriching the story, making it all the more enjoyable.

I also appreciated how the book handled the inevitable conflict. The big blowup wasn’t overdramatic or unrealistic, and the way it was resolved was practical and satisfying. The resolution felt earned, and the ending was simply perfect—leaving me with a sense of fulfillment and joy.

All in all, this was an amazing book, and I was shocked to learn that the author is a debut writer. Her storytelling was exceptional, and I can’t wait to read more from her in the future. Highly recommended!

This book has it all: humor, grief, romance, rediscovering yourself. I was hooked after the first page and couldn’t put it down. I loved Gracie and Josh. Will definitely be recommending this one.

What a beautiful unputdownable debut. So much emotion and love on each and every page. Seeing Gracie deal with her grief while finding herself in this new light was so inspiring. This story made me laugh, made me cry and made me want a physical copy for my bookshelf. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while!

Ok, wow. I LOVED this book. We meet Gracie Harris when she's doing a talkshow interview talking about grief - specifically the death of her husband, Ben. After the disastrous interview she seeks solace in the vacation home that she and Ben bought together as a fixer upper. Enter very hot and very lovely contractor Josh who helps may be there to fix the house but ends up fixing Gracie. This was a very thoughtful book that showed the full spectrum of what grief takes from us - but also what it can give us. I found this to be a tenderhearted and lovely read, maybe one of my favorite romances of the year. (Content warning: death and grief) (Spice warning: like 1.5 peppers).

Wow what a wonderful book and beautiful depiction of navigating grief and learning how to go forward to live and embrace life after loss. Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc. I look forward to reading more Kate Hash books in the future.

Oh, Kate, you really outdid yourself. I adore this book and will be recommending it to our book club as soon as it comes out. The way you intertwined grief and a second chance at love is superb.

Gracie Harris is Under Construction is a heartfelt story about healing, resilience, and finding light after loss. Gracie, a widow and single mother, is still piecing her life together a year after her husband Ben’s death. When her kids head off to summer camp, she retreats to the run-down vacation home she and Ben bought just before he passed. Enter Josh, a kind and skilled contractor who’s there to fix her house—and, in the process, helps Gracie rebuild her life.

What makes this book stand out is its honest portrayal of grief. Gracie’s journey isn’t about “moving on” but learning to “move forward,” a distinction that feels both poignant and authentic. Her growth is gradual and relatable, and her connection with Josh is tender and grounded in friendship. Their slow-burn romance is sweet and hopeful, never overshadowing Gracie’s personal healing but complementing it beautifully.

Gracie Harris is Under Construction is a touching and uplifting read. It’s a story about second chances, the power of connection, and the courage to rebuild after loss. Kate Hash’s debut is a promising start, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on her future work. If you enjoy heartfelt women’s fiction with a side of slow-burn romance, this one’s for you.

Review submitted to Instagram & Goodreads.

4.5 review


Gracie Harris Is Under Construction is such a heartfelt, emotional read about love, loss, and figuring out how to rebuild when life completely falls apart. Gracie never planned to be the “queen of grief,” but after an essay about losing her husband goes viral, she suddenly finds herself at the center of a story she never wanted to tell. A summer at her family’s old mountain house was supposed to be a quiet escape, but then Josh—the charming, slightly too-flirty contractor—shows up, and everything starts to shift.

I loved how this book balanced grief with warmth, humor, and those little unexpected moments of hope. Gracie’s journey felt so real—messy, complicated, and full of those “what now?” moments we all go through. The romance was sweet and slow-burning, but what really stuck with me was how she learned to open herself up again, even when it felt impossible.

If you love stories about second chances, self-discovery, and characters that feel like real people, this one is definitely worth reading!

I was not interested in this book as I was reading it, the characters did not hold my interest, thanks for the arc.

3.75 rounded up.

Gracie Harris is Under Construction is a thoughtful, and kind-hearted look at one woman's journey to learning to love and rebuild her life after losing her husband Ben. Named the "Queen of Grief" after an article of hers goes viral, Gracie is attempting to write a memoir about the loss of her husband. In order to do this, she escapes to her unfinished summer home to get some solitude. This home was meant to be a place for her and her family to renovate and build memories together, but Ben's death delayed its restoration. Gracie, determined to move on with her life hires a contractor to help finish the household projects and make the place livable. When Josh arrives are her door, they have an immediate connection and Gracie must decide if she's ready to move forward with her life and risk her heart for a second love.
Overall, the characters were very likeable and their relationships allowed for deep conversations around grief and loss while also still holding onto hope.

A really great novel with wonderful characters. Gracie lost her husband suddenly and now a year later is struggling to move forward. She heads to being her kids to camp and to reno the house she and her husband bought 10 days before he passed. Being in Josh, who is looking to work on a project while taking a step back from a hard breakup and the over working he's done since. Such powerful writing and the dialogue is perfect. A really moving read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kate Hash for this advanced copy of Gracie Harris is Under Construction.

4.25 stars out of 5

This book tells the story of Gracie, a widow trying to write a memoir about her life the first year after losing her husband. While writing her memoir, she hits a block and decides to spend time renovating the vacation home her and her husband bought about 10 days before he died.
This book is a look into grief, love, and how we find ourselves after tremendous loss. The ending is really beautiful.
My main critique was some parts felt a little too fast for me. Grief is something I’m well acquainted with, and I can’t imagine someone moving into writing about it so quickly. But, that’s just my opinion and doesn’t take away from the story at all.
Also I wish we saw more of her relationship with her children, rather than sidelining them for 90% of the story.

Overall though, a beautiful debut novel with a really emotional ending.

Thank you to netgalley and penguin random group dutton for this earc!!
Grief is such a hard topic to read for me but I absolutely adored this book and Gracie’s journey through coming to terms with Ben’s death, her memoir, and finding Josh. I think this book was so bittersweet and I throughly enjoyed reading it.