While Pay It Forward is one of my favorite movies, reading Allie And Bea shattered my mind, so it was no wonder I nearly jumped from joy when this book landed in my hands. And once again, I am sitting here, humbled and in awe by a brilliant story, the clever plotting, and the characters whom will stay with me, destinies and lives that touched my heart, life-lessons that had a profound impact on me. Such an inspiring, uplifting, real, and raw story about life, priorities, relationships, family, and friends.
At first, I wondered why the timeline was chopped up and the story went back and forth within three to four years, but as the story unfolds, it all starts to make sense, and I turned to appreciate it being presented as it was, so I could understand the nuances and tones of the events.
Roseanna Chaldecott's struggle to find peace, to realize her true life goals, her needs, the bare necessities she needed to be happy, and the priorities she would and could set in her life, is a journey and a battle that will make the reader evaluate and ponder on their own life as well, if they allow the story to touch their minds and hearts.
Her relationships have always been distant, keeping people at the arm's length, even her son. The patching of the most important connection in her life, to Lance, while finding her true self, was eye-opening and inspiring. The story shows repeatedly, how people are capable of change, or refind themselves when the core values are recognized and set in place.
What do you really need to be happy? How much material things do you really need to live a satisfying life? Are things, success, being right, winning the argument, being the best more important than inner peace, meaningful relationships, deep connection to the people surrounding you? Contentment, joy, and peace of mind, or being busy, dealing, and wheeling through life?
Each one of the cast and crew in the book contributes with their unique stories, their unique way of life and living, their character, highlighting some of the major characteristics in most of us.
This story gives hope, it encourages to look deep inside and embrace what you find. It reassures that there is still goodness in people, it cheers you to re-define what makes you satisfied in life, what family means to you, and how happiness is not tight to the material possessions.
If read with an open mind, this heartening story just might change your way of thinking or at least give you a new aspect to the outlook of life.
~ Five Spoons!

Have you ever wanted to completely change your life? If you had the chance, could you ?
Roseanna and Alice have been best friends since college, they stared a successful law practice together and both have beautiful homes and cars and all things material, but they are truly workaholics, saving up all their fun for retirement ! Unfortunately Alice dies suddenly and this changes Roseanna, she gets in the car and drives to a remote location and decides to stop and live there ! She trades everything in to live simply, a one room cabin , and lots of land ! That comes with a eclectic group of squatters !
One day her son Lance shows up , they had never been particularly close with Roseanna working all the time , they start to develop a relationship and I loved that storyline !
I loved this story and Roseanna ‘s strength to change her live that drastically and I don’t know if I could ever do that, but I’d sure love to try !
Catherine Ryan Hyde Thank you for this story that will resonate in me for a long time !

Thanks to Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for a review.
In this book the main character is a high powered attorney that has made millions of dollars and owns her own company. Her best friend and partner in the law practice died suddenly leaving Rosie lost. She has a break down and leaves her high powered job and life in NYC behind. She finds a farm that has lots of squatters and she buys the farm and tries to get rid of the squatters. Rosie reconnects with her son that she was never close to and she learns that money doesnt really buy happiness after all.
I enjoyed this book as far as the life learning lessons went. There was some subtle humor and sarcasm that made this book readable to me. I'm not sure why i didn't like it better than I did, I cant really explain it. It was just ok for me. Luckily it was a quick read.

Meaningful story about Roseanna and her realization of what she wants in her life and what her priorities are. She continues to evolve throughout the entire book and it prompts us to ask ourselves what are the most important things in our lives.

There are some days when everything is going wrong and we each question our purpose in life. Roseanna Chaldecott is a high-powered lawyer in Manhatten when Alice, her law partner, and best friend, drops dead in the middle of a meeting. Roseanna gets in her car one day and decides to keep driving, out of the city and out of her life. She runs out of gas and happens upon a neglected farm that seems perfect for her new life. Considering her current state of mind, perhaps Roseanna should have investigated the barn and the other building on the property. Unexpected developments threaten her peace of mind and solitude. Leaving behind all of her responsibilities in the law firm, Roseanna soon realizes that "heaven" comes with a price.

Hyde writes books that always makes me hopeful about the inherent goodness in people. Her interest in "paying it forward" shines clearly in her novels. It is such a warm, thought-provoking story, that I didn't want it to end. Her relationship with her son is complicated as it often is in families, however, it rings true. There are many humorous situations and I especially enjoyed Ernest, the orphan horse.

My Review of “Heaven Adjacent” by Catherine Ryan Hyde Lake Union Publishing, June 19, 2018

I appreciated and enjoyed the thought-provoking novel ” Heaven Adjacent” by Catherine Ryan Hyde. The Genres for this novel are Fiction and Women’s Fiction. What would you do if a tragedy made you re-evaluate everything in your life? How would you handle a terrible tragedy?

Roseanna Chaldecott is a high-powered and successful attorney in Manhattan. Roseanna is wealthy and has the opportunity to live in a materialistic and extremely comfortable way. When Roseanna’s partner and best friend pass away unexpectedly, she takes off in her Maserati, unsure of where she is going or what she is going to do.

The author describes the colorful cast of characters as complex, complicated, quirky and unpredictable. This is a story of second chances, searching for what is important, finding meaning, love and forgiveness. It is also a story about finding where you belong, and where your home and heart is.

Roseanna, finds over seventy acres of land and is looking for serenity, peace and quiet. She purchases the land without really looking at everything. What Roseanna doesn’t realize is that she does have a story to tell. Also she seems to find a knack of finding some quirky people, and animals that already are living on the land. Roseanna thinks she wants a simple life. She has to climb a steep hill to use her cell- phone. In reality, she is hiding.

A newspaper reporter is fascinated by Roseanna’s story and writes about it in the newspaper. When it is published, her estranged son Lance comes to take her home. Her partner threatens if she doesn’t return to the law practice he will sue her for everything.

This is a heartwarming novel that I highly recommend to readers of Women’s Fiction. Of course, some of my favorite parts center around the animals in the story. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! I love the storyline, the idea behind it, the characters, the tone... I just love all of it! It does remind me of Pay it Forward in the sense that it has a very deep thought-provoking basis to it, one that will stay with you for a long, long time. I am confident that this is going to be a bestseller and a movie someday just like Pay it Forward. Catherine Ryan Hyde is such a talented author who develops these amazing ideas and carries them out through her characters in such a talented way, and she shows this yet again in Heaven Adjacent. Highly recommended, a must-read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Who in their life hasn't had second thoughts about the way they are living and what is really important. That is the focus of this book. The main character, Roseanna, has a great job and is living the life she thinks she wants, but when her best friend dies suddenly, all that is called into question. I think this story will resonate with readers, especially those going through a "what if" period in their life. It's touching and you can't stop reading to see what will become of Roseanna.

I loved this book and its characters but not right away. Roseanna was a hard no nonsense attorney who suddenly made a major life change. As the story unfolds,the reasons become obvious. The author delves into relationships with family,sytangers,co workers and even with pets, all of whom become family by story's end.
Roseanna's life was complicated but in the end I think those controversies were resolved.

I have always enjoyed Catherine Ryan Hyde's books. They take people down on their luck, or losting everything and flip it around to such positives. Her books are about the resiliant human spirit, and I love reading every minute of them! In Heaven Adjacent, you really start to think about what makes happiness in your own life, and how much stuff do you really need for a good life.

Roseanna wakes up one morning, after the death of her best friend, and decide she has had enough of being a lawyer and city living. She drives until she runs out of gas. She finds herself in a very small town and finds an amazing property up for sale and on a whim buys it. She has found her Heaven. Add in some quirky squatters and some funny animals and Roseanna is home. I loved Roseanna. Her relationship with her son Lance is very flawed and they both work on making it better when Lance comes to stay with her. The characters in the story are flawed, honest, and real. They will stay with me for a very long time. I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing. All opinions are my own.

Thoroughly enjoyable book about one woman's heaven and how she made a new life for herself. In this case, heaven became much more than she expected.

Thank you for letting me read the advance copy of this book ; I am a big fan of Catherine Ryan Hyde books ; she is a very talented writer ; I really enjoyed this story as I do all of her books ; would defiantly recommend

Every time I read a new book by Catherine Ryan Hyde, I say to myself, this is the best one she’s ever written.

And then I read the next one. I am positive that Heaven Adjacent is indeed the best one she’s ever written (although I could be proven wrong - she’s such a prolific writer that maybe I’ll say the same thing about the next one ... )


In Heaven Adjacent, a perfect title, by the way, Roseanna, a middle aged lawyer in New York City, literally runs away from home, for reasons that reveal themselves as the story unfolds. Yes, runs away. She just gets into her red Maserati and drives until she runs out of gas, and eventually finds herself in a little hamlet. She sees a property with a ramshackle house and a nicely kept cottage and lots of acreage for sale, and she almost buys it on the spot. At last, she thinks to herself, I can be alone and in silence. There is not even cellphone reception, unless one climbs what’s known as CPR Hill, which initially seems to be akin to scaling Mt. Everest to Roseanna.


Her plan to be alone and silent, reflecting on what she’s run from, or, perhaps, ignoring what she’s run from, is shattered almost instantly when she meets the woman and young daughter who inhabit the cottage, a family that the property’s late owner allowed to live there as squatters. Although Roseanna tries to evict them, she fails, when the young woman gives her several good reasons that she and her charming, albeit screechy-voiced daughter should be allowed to stay.


Oh well, Roseanna says to herself, I have 27 acres here. I’m sure I’ll have the solitude I need.

Well. Not quite. As time goes by, Roseanna’s property attracts quite an eclectic group of what she initially calls squatters but then calls her people, who eventually become her family. She is reunited with her son, Lance, and together they forge the relationship they never had. She discovers a barn full of metal and miscellaneous junk that she eventually turns into interesting metal sculpture, and creates a zoo of these creations. Unfortunately, a reporter from the New York Times discovers her, and this not only brings people who want to see her zoo, but allows her former law partner to find her and sue her, probably for just leaving him in the lurch with all her clients. And, we learn, that there was a third partner, Alice, who had died unexpectedly, leaving Roseanna without the only person she truly cared about.


This book is involved and may seem complicated, with the various cast of characters, and the back and forth between past and present, but like Roseanna, who learns to do this, if the reader just goes along as the story ebbs and flows from past to present, with each chapter revealing more about Roseanna, in particular, and the other characters as well, it’s almost like sitting on a porch rocker hearing someone tell the story of her life. And it’s delightful in this style. Roseanna is a complex woman, wickedly intelligent, and her decision to run away from home is not without significant financial consequences. But, just as she’s learned, with practice, that CPR Hill is not Mt. Everest but just a hill, so, too, does she learn that life, with its ups and downs, won’t kill you if you just keep on going.

I strongly recommend this book. I felt as though I was a member of Roseanna’s adopted (and not adopted, as Lance and his partner play stronger roles in the last quarter or third of the book) family, including Earnest the horse and Buzzy the dog. Every single character in this lovely story is unforgettable.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing. I received no compensation for writing this review, nor was I required to write a review that was anything other than my honest opinion.

It was a bit of a tough go when I first started reading this book; for some reason I just didn't care for the main character right off. But I persevered and I am SO glad I did! This was one of the most satisfying and heartwarming books I've been lucky enough to read in quite a while. A well written, wonderful story that made me feel good for the characters in such a way that I was happy I met them and didn't even feel bad when I'd finished the book. Read this one, for sure!

Perfect example of one trying to move on with their life after an incident that really affected them in some way or another. We as humans know that is not an easy thing to do. The author portrays the character in a very enticing way, and it really kept me intrigued the whole way through. The details in this book were wonderfully written and I am so glad I have found a new author to read! It is always exciting to open up to different authors/books that you have never thought of reading before, and to not be disappointed by it!

Such a beautiful story ! Sad, poignant and lovely. How we deal with our grief is always unpredictable but to pick up and leave everything behind on a moment's notice, crazy right ? So you would think, but no. A sudden and tragic death and how it affects her and changes her whole life. Better than expected . Sad and funny. I think I have found another new favorite author to read !

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC

I didn't immediately like the main character, Roseanna. While claiming she found paradise in going back to basics, she was so grumpy all the time, quite a contradiction.
Then the story unfolds and it becomes clear she has every reason to sigh. She seems to attract people like a magnet and pretty soon has a handful of squatters living on her property. So much for peace and quiet.
But slowly Roseanna becomes Rosie, learns to deal with ups and downs and becomes a pleasant character.
Heaven Adjacent is a thought provoking story about giving and receiving, accepting and forgiving. Live life, choose happy!

This was a great story and very relatable. I have known many people like Alice, and a few like Roseanna.
The characters in the story were exceptionally engaging, each with their own interesting stories to tell. It was humorous and quite thought provoking at times. I especially enjoyed how the supportive, protective, and loving relationship between Roseanna and Lance evolved throughout the story.
Ultimately, this book will leave you questioning your own life choices and happiness, especially the old adage…can money really buy happiness.

Once again Catherine Ryan Hyde does not disappointment with a story that draws the reader in to its grasp. CRH is masterful at creating characters that are flawed but likable. It is a story of people that are better when together.