This Close to Okay

"I'm totally okay with emotionalism." ~ 48%

One weekend. Two strangers. Life-changing conversation and thoughts.

Recently divorced therapist, Tallie, is on her way home from work one rainy night in Kentucky. She spots a man standing on the edge of a bridge and immediately pulls over. She convinces the man, Emmett, to step down and join her for a cup of coffee. From that moment on, Tallie makes it her mission to provide a safe space for Emmett. Told in alternating points of view, both slowly reveal secrets and inch closer to the truth of what eventually brought them together.

"Demeanor quicksilvers." ~ 21%

This Close to Okay has such an appropriate title for this fictional story as well as real life. How many of us are really this---><---close to okay? I'll raise my hand first. Being able to relate to the title was my reason for wanting to read this new novel. Secondly, the cover caught my attention with its orange and grayish blue background featuring people of color. My third reason was the charm: I had read the author's other novel, Whiskey & Ribbons, and loved it. So what happened here? 

It's the strangers helping one another heal for me. But despite the quick timeframe of one weekend, the story itself had a slow start, slow middle and even slower coming to an end. Maybe because I kept wondering when Tallie would stop throwing caution to the wind. Or why everyone but Tallie recognized Emmett's face. I spent more than half of the book rolling my eyes and debating whether to continue. It is only when I put the annoyances aside, that I was able to finish and can say it was an okay read.

Happy Early Pub Day, Leesa Cross-Smith! This Close to Okay will be available Tuesday, February 2.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins.

Title: This Close to Okay
Author: Leesa Cross-Smith
Published: February 2021
Pages: 336
Edition: Galley
Rating: 🖤 🖤