Review: Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn

---

Title: Georgie, All Along

Author: Kate Clayborn

Publisher: Kensington

Published: January 24, 2023

Pages: 320

Format: NetGalley e-ARC, thanks Kensington!

---

Goodreads Blurb

“In this heartfelt tale of one woman’s quest to reinvent herself, the acclaimed author of Love Lettering and Love at First delivers a poignant, witty reflection on how the hopes, dreams, and stories from our past shape our future . . .

Longtime personal assistant Georgie Mulcahy has made a career out of putting others before herself. When an unexpected upheaval sends her away from her hectic job in L.A. and back to her hometown, Georgie must confront an uncomfortable truth: her own wants and needs have always been a disconcertingly blank page.

But then Georgie comes across a forgotten artifact—a “friendfic” diary she wrote as a teenager, filled with possibilities she once imagined. To an overwhelmed Georgie, the diary’s simple, small-scale ideas are a lifeline—a guidebook for getting started on a new path.

Georgie’s plans hit a snag when she comes face to face with an unexpected roommate—Levi Fanning, onetime town troublemaker and current town hermit. But this quiet, grouchy man is more than just his reputation, and he offers to help Georgie with her quest. As the two make their way through her wishlist, Georgie begins to realize that what she truly wants might not be in the pages of her diary after all, but right by her side—if only they can both find a way to let go of the pasts that hold them back.

Honest and deeply emotional, Georgie, All Along is a smart, tender must-read for everyone who’s ever wondered about the life that got away . . .”

---

My Review

My first Five-star read of the year!! I was so excited to get to this because so many of my blogger friends have loved this book. I understand the hype now! Not only is the cover amazing, but so is the inside.

Georgie is feeling lost and like a blank page. All her life she’s worried about others and working as a personal assistant has come to an end. She doesn’t know what to do and ends up going home. Her best friend has also moved home to prepare for her first baby. Georgie decides it’s the perfect time to go home and help her out. Still, she’s finding herself feeling lost and not fitting into the lives around her. She finds a book from High School about plans they made. She decides to take it and start doing the things she never did during High School. She’s hoping it will help her find her way or figure out what she wants to do with her life.

Then comes Levi Fanning. Levi is someone that I wanted to give a huge hug and protect from the very instant I met him. He’s had a rough life and those around him think of him as a troublemaker. Sure, this was in his younger years but sometimes it’s hard to shake off those opinions. Levi is a hermit and keeps to himself. He’s got a family he doesn’t speak to and they are the rich family in town. Turns out, there’s a lot of history there and it’s quite heartbreaking. He’s content just being on his own and ignored. Although, that changes when Georgie comes to town.

Georgie and Levi end up in a situation that pushes them together. Of course, you know what’s going to happen but it was so beautiful to see. Levi and Georgie both have a lot of things to work out and I loved seeing them do this together. I was shocked at how deep and emotional this book was. I cried several times throughout this book! It’s so emotionally charged and I just loved Levi so much. At the same time, Clayborn does a fantastic job of adding some light moments to break up all the harder moments.

This is my first book by Clayborn but it will not be my last. I’m going to go through her backlist and see what I can get my hands on. This book was amazing from beginning to end. The chemistry between Levi and Georgie was off the charts and their romance was so swoon-worthy. I have to give a shout-out to Hank, who was the sweetest dog. This is a book that you will not be able to put down. When you finish this book, you will not be able to stop thinking about it! I highly recommend this one. Go pick it up once it releases!!

Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for an e-arc to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.