I loved Josh and Gracie. The only disconnect I felt was the quick moving on from the death of a spouse and a father. A year later and the kids are encouraging their mom to find a new man? I find that a little unbelievable. I think it did a great job of exploring Gracie's grief but still found the timeline a bit unbelievable.

This book presents a heartfelt and beautifully layered story that captures the messy, unpredictable journey of grief, healing, and rediscovering love when you least expect it. This novel isn’t just about romance—it’s about rebuilding a life that’s been shattered and learning to embrace the unexpected turns along the way.

Gracie Harris is a character that feels wonderfully real—flawed, funny, and brimming with resilience even when she doesn’t see it in herself. After the loss of her husband, her raw, emotional essay unexpectedly catapults her into the public eye, turning her grief into a career she never saw coming. With a book deadline looming and her children away at camp, she retreats to the run-down mountain house she and her late husband once dreamed of fixing up. Enter Josh—the charming and patient contractor who not only helps renovate the house but also begins to break down the walls Gracie has built around her heart.

The emotional weight of this story is handled with grace, balancing heartbreak with hope, humor with sorrow. The chemistry between Gracie and Josh is warm and organic, though the real star of the novel is Gracie’s personal transformation. While some aspects, like her children’s seamless acceptance of change, felt a bit too smooth, the book still resonates with authenticity when it comes to navigating loss, unexpected fame, and the complexity of moving forward.

Kate Hash’s writing shines with depth and tenderness, making this an engaging and uplifting read. If you enjoy emotionally rich stories with well-developed characters and a second-chance-at-life arc, this one is worth picking up. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC!

Gracie is a widowed, single mom turned author. This story felt like a memoir itself. Most parts were reflective.
I liked the interactions between Gracie and Josh but wanted more. I also wanted deeper connections with the sweet town that welcomed Gracie in. Overall is was heartfelt and I really enjoyed it. Thank you NetGalley for ARC.

While I loved how the author handled death and grief in this book, the general story wasn't great. There were some inconsistencies that made me think the author didn't remember what they had already written and there were other things in here that made me go, "nope, would never happen!" Great idea for a story, not so great on execution.

I didn’t quite vibe with this book the way that I had hoped. I thought it was unrealistic. While I understand that everyone moves on at their own paces, for this being a book surrounding grief, it just didn’t feel plausible to me that she’d move on from someone who was a part of her life for that long in such a short amount of time. I wasn’t a huge fan of Gracie. There were also a few inconsistencies in the story that really threw me off and made me not want to continue reading.

Grace Harris is Under Construction by Kate Hash is the story of our protagonist who is dealing with the death of her husband and the celebrity status she has gained as an essay writer and author since then.
Grace Harris is a recent widow and mother of two who temporarily moves to the small town of Canopy while her kids are at summer camp. She reached minor celebrity status when she published essays focusing on the grief she felt after the sudden death of her husband. In her attempts to write a memoir, she becomes close with her contractor, Josh. The plot of this story was intriguing and kept me interested throughout the entirety of the book. I felt the pacing was well done.
One of the things I love about this story is that the idea of Grace betraying her deceased husband is not the conflict of the story. Grace loves her husband, Ben. He continues to be a large influence on her life, even after his death, but she is not using his death as an excuse to hold herself back. I think the way this is handled was written really beautifully. The characterization of Grace, Josh, and the rest of the characters in this story was really well done.
Overall, I gave this book 3/5 stars. I thought the writing was really well done and this is one of the best stories I have seen handling grief and love. The author handles the idea that both emotions can be simultaneously felt without canceling each other out.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Overall, I liked the book and would give it 3.25 out of 5.

I liked Gracie and though I recognize grief is different for each person going through it, I found it implausible that she would've started dating less than a year after her husband died. He was the great love of her life since she was a teenager, so I don't buy that she would have moved on that quickly. That said, at about a year after losing her husband, I bought that she would fall for someone as wonderful as Josh. The kids accepted him very readily, which I don't think would happen in real life but I can accept in the confines of this one story.

Inconsistencies are a pet peeve of mine and there was one in the story that took me out of it. Ben was supposed to be the baby of the family but his mother was very young when she had him, then remarried and had other kids. That would make him the oldest, no? Though for many it would be a minor quibble, for me it really took me out of the story.

Gracie Harris Is Under Construction by Kate Hash is a heartfelt novel about Gracie Harris, a recent widow and mother of two, who navigates grief and finds unexpected love while renovating her mountain house with charming contractor Josh. Hash's debut beautifully explores themes of loss, resilience, and second chances.

Oh this was so much fun to read! Loved Gracie! Can't wait to read more by Kate Hash! To read a good book, especially in the midst of a super cold and snowy winter is such a joy and this was it!

I absolutely loved these characters, this town, and the heart that is clear on every page. My only criticism comes from how easily any form of pushback or threat to Gracie's new life is dealt with. This is a pretty idyllic rendering of a woman in grief. Maybe we need that. But it just felt a little too breezy, considering the subject matter.

This book explored sadness, identity, and second chances at love in a beautiful way. I cried and laughed and all the emotions in between. I found this to be a very touching and heartwarming read. Anyone who enjoys heartfelt, complex, and slightly romantic stories should definitely check it out.

This book was a beautiful exploration in grief, self discovery, and second chances at love. This was a slow burn, forced proximity, NO third act breakup love story that had me tearing up at multiple times. Grace is a relatable FMC who refuses to give up and shows a positive attitude of working to move her life forward after loss and Josh is a swoon worthy MMC who proves that good people are worth waiting for and shows positive ways to support loved ones through a hard time. While the love story can easily be enjoyed by anyone, this is also a great story to help friends and families understand how to support loved ones having a hard and perhaps even provide inspiration to someone going through a hard time themselves. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.

This book was full of emotions, connections, and hope! I laughed and cried and everything in between. I loved everything about it and as soon as I was finished, texted my friends that they need to read this when it comes out! While I hope there aren’t many 40 year old women who have been widowed, I think we all connect to the idea that grief can hold us in place and we have to actively work to move forward with it. Gracie’s journey with her grief was honest and beautiful and I truly enjoyed how her character grew throughout the story. The writing was also very enjoyable to read, descriptions and depth were there and the dialogue flowed well. Solid 5 star read for me!

This was a sweet and heartfelt read that really hit me in the feels. Gracie Harris Is Under Construction beautifully balances themes of grief, love, and finding yourself again after loss.

Gracie is such a relatable, layered character, and her journey is one of immense growth and self-discovery. Watching her navigate the messy process of healing while trying to honour her past and embrace her future was incredibly moving. Her interactions with Josh, the charming contractor, added a light, tender touch to an otherwise emotional story.

The setting of the ramshackle mountain house was so vivid—it felt like its own character in the story, perfectly mirroring Gracie’s inner transformation. The writing is warm and engaging, making it easy to connect with Gracie and her world.

This book is about resilience, second chances, and learning that it’s okay to rebuild, even when life feels shattered. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who loves stories with heart, depth, and a touch of romance.

Beautiful, sad but tender, It's one of those books that will stay with you for a very long time. It's emotional and cute at times yet always respectful of how heavy the themes can be. I cried and I laughed and I am so very grateful that I picked it on whim. I will be thinking about these characters for a long time. I couldn't stop reading it from the first page and when I had to stop (because life) I was thinking about the book. Thank you to the author for sharing this story with us and I hope this debut novel is just the start to many more!

I LOVED this one! This was a great first read of 2025; Gracie's story immediately had me drawn in, and Kate Hash's writing was just what I was looking for in a novel like this, Likable characters, good character development, great witty banter, a wonderful sense of place, and just smart writing overall.... my only "complaint" was is this based on Nora McInerny's life? Although TBH it's not really a complaint, but so much of Gracie Harris reminds me of Nora.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Add this one to your TBR... it's a good one.

Gracie’s story hit me like a quiet storm; unexpectedly gentle yet impossibly powerful. This book isn’t just about love after loss; it’s about rediscovering life itself, piece by piece. The writing balances heartache and hope so seamlessly that I felt every emotion with her; the fear of moving on, the guilt, the tiny flickers of joy that slowly grow. It’s a book about second chances, not just in love but in how we live, dream, and let go of what could’ve been. Tender, uplifting, and so beautifully human, this story left me with a full heart and a reminder that even broken pieces can create something breathtaking.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing me with this ARC of Gracie Harris is Under Construction by Kate Hash.

This is the best book I've read in a long time. I was hooked early on and was so taken by the emotional journey this book led me on. Going into this, I didn't know that this was the authors debut novel and when I found that out I was so impressed! I will definitely be adding this author to my insta-buy list! The way she wrote was so engaging and emotional and I was so captivated by her emotions and what she went through.

I cried so many times and I hi-lighted so many sad and funny lines. I loved that even with the seriousness of the topic at hand, It was a really great balance.

The book follows the main character, Gracie Harris, after the death of her husband, Ben. A year later, she is still picking up the pieces. One of the biggest things that was left unattended to was the vacation home they bought together in the small town of Canopy, barely a week before he died. The house is a fixer-upper to say the least.

Gracies real estate agent just so happens to have a brother, Josh, who is.a general contractor and is willing to help Gracie with repairs. So with her kids off to camp for the summer,, she hunkers down in Canopy to write her memoir while Josh works on the house.

Personally, I loved Josh from the moment he was introduced. I think that he was the perfect person for Gracie and I don't have one bad thing to say about him. Romance was not the focus of this book by any stretch but it was a very well done sub plot and it was essential in helping Gracie move forward in her grief journey.

I'm a sucker for any book that has a main character who is a writer. As an aspiring author I find it relatable and inspiring so that was a really fun element as well.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Penguin Group Dutton , via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gracie Harris is Under Construction 4.5⭐️

First, thank you so much NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC of Gracie Harris is Under Construction by Kate Hash. I was so excited to get the opportunity to preview this debut novel and it did not disappoint.

I will preface by saying while this book is a romance, it is dominated by the topic of grief. If you are a crier, like me, you may be ugly crying in just the first chapter, be warned. This book however, is beautifully written and doesn’t shy away from the tough topics. I think this book could be incredibly cathartic for a reader in a similar situation or experiencing grief of any kind.

Gracie Harris is a realistically flawed main character. She is experiencing the worst year of her life and learning to live in her new reality as a young widow/single mom while also navigating a new career that brings unexpected fame. I found her to be very relatable and funny. Even when she made mistakes it was easy to see why and to continue to root for her.

The author has a beautiful way of talking about the writing process that it made me want to read Gracie’s book and I’m not even a memoir lover. I liked that tidbits of the memoir made it into the story and that we got to read some of the essays/pull quotes from the column.

The romance in my opinion was not the star of the show but I do think the tension was palpable between Gracie and Josh from the start. A closed door romance felt appropriate given the main story line. I think open door may have been too much or taken away from the story. Josh was a wonderful love interest/MMC but honestly I thought he was a little too perfect. I loved how supportive and understanding he was but I find it hard to believe any man would be this perfect. It was also a bit of tease that the ex fiancée was so hyped up for that plot line to only last a few pages.

I also wish her kids had been a little more involved. It seemed too neatly wrapped up to have them at camp for the entirety of the story only to come home and immediately accept Josh, a new home, and completely different family dynamics. They seem like pretty easy going kids but I’m not sure it would ever be this easy in real like.

Overall, I am so happy to have taken a chance on a debut novel and I will for sure be on the lookout for future work by this author.

This was heartbreaking at times with the grief process but overall, I truly loved this book. I love second chance romances due to a death of a spouse and this was just very well written