Digging In by Loretta Nyhan is the story of a widow struggling to hold her life together. Her teenage son is angry. She may be losing her job. Her neighborhood HOA is less than thrilled with her yard. Everyone thinks she has gone off the deep end when she starts digging in her backyard. Her new friend from the farmer's market helps her put in a garden. This book was excellent. I could have easily read it in one night if not for the need to sleep. It has something to which everyone can relate. I am not always a fan of the women's fiction genre, but I loved this book.

How cute is this cover?! Digging In was a cute, chick lit book about Paige Moresco. She lost her husband (and dear love since eighth grade) 2 years ago in a terrible accident and is trying to muck through her grief in the midst of single parenthood and life's twists and turns. Her life, her house, her work life, and her yard are all a mess. She hits rock bottom and starts to dig in her yard, paving the way for her to build a garden. With her job on the line and her grief overwhelming, Paige tries to put her life back together one plant at a time. I could completely understand the nature element as I too find gardening to be relaxing and therapeutic. This is a cute, easy read. Thank you @amazonpublishing for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Ever have those times when you want to hang up your reading glasses, set your cuppa tea or mug of coffee to the side,  because you're feeling like you're about to have your bookworm card revoked? You've lost your reading mojo. Well, welcome to my life the past couple of months, people. I thought it was all over until I scored an ARC of Digging In by Loretta Nyhan. Finding out about and receiving this book was right on time! Sometimes all you need is a little chick lit. ;)

On to the novel.

Paige Moresco's husband, her childhood sweetheart and the love of her life, passed away a couple of years ago. Now she’s "sleepwalking through life, barely holding on for the sake of her teenage son." Her life has come undone, her home life is mess, her job is on the line, and to say that her relationship with her son is strained is putting it rather generously. One evening while on the verge of a nervous breakdown, Paige begins to dig in her yard. Then she digs some more in hopes of starting a vegetable garden, despite not knowing the first thing about gardening. As the garden project comes to light and starts to take shape, so does something within Paige.

If you've dealt with heartache, are a fan of women faltering for a few steps, getting their ish together/persevering and seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, then you will definitely enjoy this story. Sidenote, gardeners will especially love it! 

I'm normally not of fan of this genre (Shopaholic series aside), but this book was so good. It was light, but still had substance. It was heartbreaking, yet ended with a realistic feel and on a good note. Oh my god, I can't forget, it was the perfect length. Short and sweet, folks.

All the feels. I definitely recommend this one.

I didn't think I would love this book as much as I did. And I really did. The story is so genuine, heartwarming and funny and Paige is such a wonderful and very relatable character. My heart ached for her at times as she was doing the best she could with life and raising her 17 year old son after the death of her husband. I loved all of the characters in the book. They were quirky and authentic and I liked how their friendships developed mostly because of Paige's garden. This book moved me in a way that surprised me. It made me laugh and it made me tear up, especially reading the author's acknowledgments at the end. Overall, I found it to be a very delightful book and it is one that I will be highly recommending.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

I’ve read some strong reviews for this one, but I must admit that I found it ok but didn’t love it.

Payge is in her mid forties, has been a widow for 2 years, and she’ll still trying to find her footing. Her relationship with her 17 year old son is shaky and her job with a small advertising agency seems to be hanging by a thread. The story bumbles along somewhat predictably, as Payge sinks to new lows, and slowly makes her way uphill to a better place. Along the way, she digs up a crazy garden and makes new friends.

Despite the starting point, the tone of this novel is quite light. Humorous and sentimental — it has a definite romcom feeling. To me, the best part of Digging In was the afterword, in which the author describes losing her own husband at age 45, and how she and her two sons were helped and supported by family and friends. With that context, the book seems like the author’s own attempt to cope with her grief. I have a lot of sympathy and can understand the need for a immersive project, but I didn’t love the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

3* Digging Deep Stars

I was really excited to read this book as I had heard rave reviews about it. Unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me, I found that I was skimming through paragraphs instead of being totally invested in the book. It was well written but I was hoping for more humor to the story, as some of the characters were quite unusual and quirky.

This book centers around loss and grief and how to deal with it in the best way possible. I felt sorry for Paige as she really did not have any support around her during her loss. As the story develops hope presents itself in the most usual ways and new friendships are formed and healing takes place.

I applaud the Author for being so brave and honest with her heartfelt Authors Note at the end of the book.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book for an honest opinion.

Paige and her son Trey are trying to live after the loss of husband/father two years prior. In addition to raising a teen boy by herself, Paige is struggling with a work environment that feels more like a reality tv show than a business office. In one of life's less dramatic meltdowns, Paige digs up her backyard, her entire backyard, located in a snobby gated community. As the story continues, Paige begins to plant a garden and the other things around her seem to start falling into place. This isn't a romance or coming of age book, just an enjoyable heart warming book about a woman who starts to realize her life is something worth saving. It almost makes me think about gardening! (almost)

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for the free review copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

This novel was so sweet and realistic. I loved how Paige went about finding herself after her husband’s death. Her attitude was wonderful. I loved that this character adopted a no-nonsense, don’t mess with me persona. She didn’t let those around her bully her.

Paige showed what it’s like to find yourself. This book was all about self-exploration. It’s easy to get caught up in what is going on around someone: school, work, family, and other commitments. I liked how the author gave this book a very independent, it’s okay vibe. Taking time to heal after a tragedy is important. The friendships, work relationships, and parenting all added to the depth of this novel.

I have enjoyed this book so much! It is written with a flowing pace and almost read it in one sitting - its that good!

Digging In was not my typical read, but it was a Kindle First book and it sounded interesting.

I had also read that the author lost her husband while she was part way through writing this book, and thinking about how difficult it must have been to write this definitely intrigued me.

Paige is a quirky, lovable character who came from a rough background. She lost the love of her life in a tragic car accident and is left with a teenage son and a job she loves. But, then the other main man in her life passes, her boss. And, now his son has taken over the ad agency where she works and Paige and her friends are in for an interesting ride.

While they embark on an adventure, Paige also starts to rediscover life on her own. She starts by digging up her backyard, which she turns into a garden. This leads to many wonderful things that she never could have expected.

Filled with quite an interesting cast of characters, this was a heartwarming read. Good for you Loretta, for making this work through your grief.

4.5 stars. My only complaint is it was a bit lagging 50% in. Otherwise a fantastic book. I can already picture the ideal customer/reader for this book. I can hardly wait to sell it at the store.

I enjoyed the warm, emotional and heartwarming novel “Digging in” by Loretta Nyhan. The Genres for this book are Fiction and Women’s Fiction. The timeline is mostly written in the present and goes to the immediate past when it is pertinent to the characters or events in the story. The author describes the characters as complicated, complex, dysfunctional, quirky, and confused. Most of the characters are likable.

I appreciate that the author uses the symbolism of “Digging In” referring it to the emotional and physical characteristics of the colorful characters and their actions.

Paige is a widow, with a son, who manages to exist and live day-to-day, often in the memories of her deceased husband. Paige is used to the same job, with the same friends, and the same neighbors. Unfortunately, a major change at work means a major change for Paige and all the characters.

In frustration, Paige starts digging up her backyard. The more she digs, the better she feels. She starts to plant a vegetable garden. As the vegetables take, root, something in Paige starts to take root as well. The author discusses the importance of family, neighbors, community and friends at work. Also mentioned is communication and collaboration together. I love the growth in the characters. I would recommend this book to readers that like Women’s fiction. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

Paige is a widow that, after grieving her husband for a couple of years, and not paying attention to the life around her, started digging at her backyard for no reason. She is struggling at her job, a life without her husband, and her son that suffering, she didn’t have any other option but to find a purpose in life. This book is about finding the strength on simple things like growing a garden, of new beginnings, new friendships and the importance of taking care of yourself even when you feel that you are in a “whole” with no way out.
I highly recommend it.

Loretta Nyhan! Bravo, woman! You make me laugh and think and shout out loud whilst reading your books. This book Digging In reminds me of “digging deep” into ourselves and rediscovering our-self after suffering a heartbreaking loss. I relate with Paige in every way and felt a kinship with her as she rediscovers herself in her own way. I love the humor as I think we as women use humor as a tool to deal with the hard stuff, the stuff that shakes us to the core. I have goosebumps writing this because it’s so real. We go through loss and seeking our own ways to stay above water and take care of children, ourselves and LIFE. I loved this book and I will continue to recommend to all the women I know. GO READ THIS BOOK. Just got get it, read it (are you going?) Good. 5 stars, easy!

This was a fun, quick read. I really like comeback stories, especially with divorced women as I can personally relate. Paige was a very relatable character, and I loved the many different community characters introduced to lead on on her journey to self-realization. I flew through the ending--perfect tie up for the story!

"Digging In" is a novel about loss and moving forward that manages to avoid a lot of the clichés that you see in novels of this type. Paige’s husband is gone, and the company she has worked at for years is experiencing changes. Paige’s son is going through his own growing pains and like many moms, Paige doesn’t know how to help him—or herself

In another writer’s hands, this plot could end up being trite, but Loretta Nyhan has a solid understanding of her characters and what makes them tick. The lively plot and humorous twists make this novel a page-turner.

For any fan of a well-written story that resonates with the reader after you finish the final page, I highly recommend this book. I'd like to thank NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy.

4.5 stars

I received an ARC of "Digging In: A Novel" from NetGalley for an honest review. I wish to thank NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Loretta Nyhan for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a wonderful book from the minute that I started reading. It is the type of novel that grabs you! I so wish that I was reading this by a roaring fire sipping tea with rain pouring down OR by an ocean-blue pool with an icy drink in my hand with the smell of Coppertone permeating everything.

This book has a very sad and tragic premise, but it is so well-written with such a great storyline and character development that it didn't matter that it was a tragedy! But, I also consider is a fabulous book! I highly recommend it!!

"Everything can be learned, you know? Some people learn sooner, others later. Not a big deal if the outcome is the same."

Guys, this book wrecked me. I've been a fan of Loretta's writing since her previous novel, All The Good Parts, was released. I was left itching for more of her witty charm and boy, did I find it here. Her novels are emotional for sure, but they still manage to deal with tough themes in an upbeat and hilarious way. When I pick up one of her books, I feel as though instead of reading the book, she's relaying it to me over a glass of wine. It gives the impression we're just two good friends curled up on the couch and she's telling me the latest tale that's manifested in her brain. It's rare for this to happen for me, but when it does, these books receive an automatic 5 star rating and glowing review.

Before I jump into the book itself, I think it's important to note that you're getting as authentic of a story as possible when it comes to Digging In. Nyhan has written in detail about the experience on her Goodreads review of this book (found here), but I'll give you the spark notes version. A few years ago the author's husband left to play a round of golf and had a fatal heart attack right on the green. She took this experience and turned it into a novel about how to find yourself again when the unthinkable happens and how to work through grief when it feels as if there's nowhere to go from there. If you are the type of reader who connects with fiction that is propelled by real experiences, this alone should put the book on your TBR.

"That's the beauty of a garden," she said. "Some stuff works, some stuff doesn't, and some stuff you think isn't working ends up producing the following year. Keeps you living in a constant state of suspense, so whatever comes, you're grateful for it."

If you decide to pick up Digging In, you'll find our main character Paige is struggling to cope with the loss of her husband Jesse two years after the tragic car wreck that took his life. Her teenage son Trey is struggling in his own way too, and the mother-son relationship is taking it's toll as well. The struggle is real all around folks. Paige has most certainly hit rock bottom when she suffers another tough loss and her job is on the line. After a hazy night of weepy drinking, she wakes up with a pounding headache and a giant hole in her backyard. What follows is a journey of new beginnings-new friendships, new hobbies, new opportunities, and new love. There is a whole lot of self healing, along with a healing that bleeds out into a myriad of other relationships too. By the end of the book, you're left in a place of healthy, hopeful bliss, a place only Nyhan could take us to.

While this novel is for everyone, I do think a number of seasoned mothers and 40-somethings will really appreciate the themes and connect with the characters. There's so much relatable here to the hard working female who has done her job well for decades, only to find herself being pushed out by the younger, fresh crowd. I know the overall theme of grief sounds heavy and depressing, but honestly it was a joy to read this story! I did shed a few tears, but the majority of the novel's tone is upbeat and flat out hilarious. I was doubled over laughing, I was crying, and I was moved. I'm not sure what else I could want from a story, and for that reason alone I will sing Digging In's praises from the highest rooftop to anyone who will listen. Highly, HIGHLY recommended if you enjoy a feel good novel about love and loss. Don't forget that this is a Kindle First pick for the month of March 2018; if you're an Amazon Prime member that means you can download it this month for free! If you're not a prime member, it's only $1.99! <3

Paige and her teenage son Trey have had two years to deal with the unexpected loss of their husband/father, Jesse. Yet, understandably, they are stuck in a rut. Paige is trying to keep her act together, but after some stressful events at work she starts digging in her back yard, and doesn’t stop until she’s torn her entire lawn up. This one act opens her up to a variety of new experiences and people, including a young farmer named Mykia, her ornery neighbor, and a friendly police officer who makes her realizes that there are some parts of life that she’s missing out on. There are some truly touching discussions about loss, change, and grief between Paige and Trey which felt completely authentic – it was not surprising to find out in the author’s notes at the end that she has gone through something similar herself. It is a surprisingly dry-eyed book though, given then subject matter, as it takes place long enough after the initial loss that the emotions are not so raw. There’s also the hilarious side-plot of her boss obsessing over a corporate self-help book and subjecting her and her co-workers to endless shenanigans. Overall it’s a funny and heartwarming read.