This story was the perfect light read for summer. It follows Lulu as she learns what the important things in life are, such as choosing to take care of her mother instead of constantly immersing herself in work. I think that resonates with a lot of us with the world as it is today, to remember what the important things are. That being said, Gibson does a great job of covering all the emotions brought on with dealing with family. Drama, love, fun, and heartache. This was the first novel I read by her, and I will definitely be checking out more.

This was a new author for me and I Loved this story!! I adored the mother daughter relationship.... Highly highly recommend

Loved this book! Made me laugh and made me cry. Story of a Mom with Alzheimer's (Patricia) and her adult daughter (Lulu). The antics of the very funny Patricia made me laugh and at the same time her constantly changing mental state would then make me cry. Loved that it takes place in Louisiana and has a Cajun flair. Lulu, who has made a living as the Love Guru in Seattle is very displaced caring for her mother there, which also makes for funny reading. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity.

Lou Ann, a.k.a The Love Guru, has built her “brand” and thriving business from a highrise in Seattle. She travels IRL and virtually, spouting relationship advice to thousands of followers. In fact, she’s in the middle of her ten-city Find True Love in February tour! Now her mother, Patricia, age 74, diagnosed with Alzheimers four years ago, has been tossed out of the third care facility and is requesting to spend her last days at the family home near New Orleans. Lou Ann begrudgingly takes Patricia to Sutton Hall, an old sugar cane plantation that comes with its own “To Do” list. Packing for speaking engagements and book signings is not exactly the same as packing for south Louisiana; heat, humidity, possible alligators, a century old cemetery and a crazy bird named Raphael, soon take the place of fame, fanfare & fortune!

Lulu experiences the culture shock of moving across country to a locale of unfamiliar culture and landscape- swamps & bayous; not to mention dealing with the mood swings of Patricia as they both begin to deal with how these last days together would unfold for each of them. Lulu relies on meditating and Patricia gets caught up in TV game shows. Finding common ground and a good mattress turn out to be crucial! Lulu is grappling with saving her business or spending the last days making her mother happy- something many readers may know first-hand or have experienced vicariously. Either way, juggling family, business & volunteer commitments, are always a struggle as ill or aging parents take precedence in our lives. Rachel Gibson deals with the emotional struggles of such a life changing situation with honesty and laugh out loud humor.

How Lulu Lost Her Mind is a magnified view into the dynamic day to day battle of thoughts and emotions that emerge in times of crisis, but also the self analysis & reflection involved. Gibson juggles Lulu’s emotional episodes with Patricia by wrapping the “daily dilemas” in Cajun dialect and taking readers to local shops like Rouse’s market, Monique’s Chic Boutique, and Boots ‘N Roots! Readers will savor the poignant moments of mother-daughter time; and “laugh to keep from crying,” when those heart felt tensions ring so true.

Title: How Lulu Lost Her Mind
Author: Rachel Gibson
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5

Lou Ann Hunter’s mother, Patricia, has always had a passionate nature, which explains why she’s been married and divorced five times and spooned enough male patients to be ousted from three elderly care facilities. She also has Alzheimer’s, which is why she wants to spend her remaining months or years surrounded by memories at her family’s decrepit old plantation in Louisiana with her only daughter.

Lou Ann, a.k.a. Lulu the Love Guru, has built an empire preaching sex, love, and relationship advice to the women of America—mostly by defying the example her mother has set for her. But with her mother suddenly in need of a fulltime caretaker, Lou Ann reluctantly agrees to step out of the spotlight and indulge her mother’s wishes, even if it means trading in her Louboutins and Chanel No. 5 for boots and mosquito repellant.

Upon arrival at Sutton Hall, Lou Ann discovers that very little functions at it should, least of all her mother’s mind. She is haunted not only by creaky floorboards and things that go bump in the night, but also by the living ghost sleeping downstairs. Every good day Patricia and Lou Ann have treasure hunting in the attic seems to be followed by two days of meltdowns and cold shoulders. And as Lou Ann adjusts to this new and inevitably temporary dynamic, she is forced to confront the fact that her mother’s fate is completely out of her hands—and the end may be coming quicker than she even thought possible.

I have a family history of Alzheimer’s, with three straight generations of the women on my mother’s side of the family getting it. In that respect, this was a hard read—because I related to the idea so much. Lulu—Lou Ann—is a great, relatable character, but her mother is wonderful. Patricia made me laugh so many times in this novel! I haven’t worn lipstick in years, but I felt the urge to buy some after reading this.

I really enjoyed the journey in this book. It was great seeing how Lulu evolved, and I loved the Cajun flair of the novel!

Rachel Gibson is a bestselling author. How Lulu Lost Her Mind is her newest novel.

A special thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the ARC to this book!

5 stars! Absolutely, you see I have a mother with extreme dementia. This book many times hit very close to home. I'd recommend this to girls and guys alike, but especially girls who had a sometimes difficult time with their mom, (for me it was her cheating and sexual preferences or lifestyle). Now that she's old and has lost a lot of her memories and mind, I feel like I'm losing mine!

This book made me laugh, cry, reminisce, and cry angry tears and happy tears as well. But it was great for my mind. In fact, I could've wrote this. It hit me in the gut, in the heart and I realize people are different! Her choices may have made me angry at times growing up, but I hold her near and dear to me now everyday, mostly reminiscing because the past is what she remembers. This book could've been titled How Ann Marie Lost Her Mind!
5 stars!

Lulu has been summoned to the care home where her mother is a soon to be Ex-resident! Once again her mother, Patricia, has been found in a mans room…well…you get the idea. Lulu has to change all her plans and business engagements and take her mother home with her. But, that is not the end of Patricia’s escapades. Patricia wants to go to her family home in Louisiana. And boy…this changes everything in Lulu’s world.

Patricia tickles me to death. She is constantly in trouble. And that never stops her from going at it again! She is a mover and a shaker, well, when her mind allows her to be. And she sure does have Lulu’s number. She can send Lulu into a tail spin.

This is a cute read. I just kept expecting more to happen. The story seems to stall and never really go anywhere. But, it is laugh out loud funny in places. And Patricia just keeps the story moving with her antics.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

This is the first time reading a book from this author and now I"m a fan. This author sucked me into the world of Lulu and her mother. It's a perfect story about the love between a mother and daughter. Their story was realistic about the hardship in dealing with Alzheimer and the author did not overlook the heartbreak for a family. It is a beautiful written story that will make you laugh, cry and be thankful for all mothers!

Lulu is a love guru. She makes a very good living, mostly because of her mother Patricia. Who has been married five times. Patricia has Alzheimers and is getting bounced out of the nursing home because her behavior. Her wish is to return to her plantation home with her family. Lulu puts her life on hold and returns home to care for her mother. It was comical yet heartfelt. A story of mothers and gaughters. I loved it. A great story.

I really wanted to enjoy this book because I liked Lulu as a character. She was funny and endearing. My problem with this book came in the subject matter of dealing with a parent with Alzheimer's. I am the primary caregiver for both my elderly parents. It was very tough for me to read about Patricia's character. While I did appreciate the mother/daughter dynamic of the story, I had a difficult time reading this book in general, especially from the very beginning when Patricia gets thrown out of an elder care facility. I know it was needed to further the plot of having Lulu and Patricia go to Louisiana together, but it seemed so callous, especially now when so many elderly people have suffered so much.

As always, just because this book wasn't for me personally, that doesn't mean it wouldn't be right for another reader. It is well-written and Lulu certainly made me laugh out loud more than a few times.

This is a heartwarming story of a Mother Daughter relationship at the worse time of a Mother's life. Lou Ann has a successful career giving love advice and making a lot of money. When her Mom is kicked out of her third nursing home for being "frisky" she has to step up and decide what to do with Mom. Her Mom has Alzheimer's and has expressed she wants to move home to Louisiana so Lou Ann takes her home and cares for her as best she can.

This has a poignancy to it with moments of heartbreak. For all of us daughters who gave up their lives to care for aging parents it will resonate deeply. Not a uplifting read but one that has moments of levity amid the sadness.

Laugh out loud at times and at others heart wrenching you will absolutely love this book. Unputdownable. I read it in one day. That's how good it is. So pick up this gem of a book. Deserves a top spot on your TBR stack. A must read. Deserves more than five stars. Happy reading!

A remarkable story showing how the bond between mother and child, even when the child is an adult is strong. A story about our the loss of our very being that is poignant. humorous, and an extremely enjoyable read.

Lou Ann is Lulu the Love Guru, she has built an empire off her love advice books, blog, and podcast. However her mother is struggling with Alzheimer and gets kicked out of her third nursing home. This puts a wrench is Lulu's plan for a publicity tour. She decides to take a break to take care of her mother.

When her mother decides to go back home to Louisiana where she grew up, Lulu is hesitate but decides it will be a nice vacation where they can get some quality time together. however her mother's outbursts, and feisty behavior adds a lot of stress and comedic relief. It seems like her mother is more interested in planning her funeral. This had heartbreaking moments of Lou trying to have bonding moments with her mother, to being blaming for stealing her mother's shoes and money. Lou is also noticing the house doctor, who is helping restore portions of the house, and their flirty relationship is helping her get through some of the tougher moments.

The moments of care, and heartbreak of caring for an aging parent is real, and was well shown in this book. Finding moments with family, and even those who are helping care for them and become family makes the process just a little more bearable.

I always enjoy reading Rachel Gibson’s books. This one did not disappoint! This is a beautiful story about the relationship between a mother and daughter. A daughter who puts her own life on hold to care for her mother. After reading this book, it has made me realize to appreciate my parents more while I still have them.

Thank you, Rachel, for this beautiful story!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lulu the love guru is about to have her world flipped upside-down. "How Lulu Lost Her Mind" by Rachel Gibson follows Lou Ann Hunter as she navigates life and business after her mother is kicked out of the nursing home treating her for dementia. Lulu runs a popular blog spot and thinks she has love, life, and so much more all figured out (if you follow certain rules and plans), but after spending some time with her mother Lulu discovers that very little in life will go exactly how you plan it. 

In "How Lulu Lost Her Mind" we find a set of very lovable characters. Lulu is business oriented and a little predictable. Patricia is losing her mind, but remembers blips of things here and there that make her both funny and heartbreaking. Simon is a Louisiana native and brings his own southern takes on the story. All the characters have their own side stories going on, but none of it takes away from the main theme.

I enjoyed this book, but it felt very surface to me. Definitely a sweet, quick read, but also none of it really flows deeper than the usual. Lulu loves her mother, but she knows her mother will die. There are darker themes that get hinted at, but we don't really have to sit with them long because things pan out differently.

In the end, I gave this book three stars. It was easy and enjoyable, but I craved a little something more to push it over the top.

How Lulu Lost Her Mind by Rachel Gibson is the story of Lou Ann Hunter aka Lulu the Love Guru, business which includes a blog and numerous books. She is set to start her Find True Love book tour when she gets a call from her mother’s care facility. Her mother, Patricia, is 74 years old and suffers from Alzheimer’s. She was caught in a compromising situation and was no longer able to stay there. Lou Ann must now scramble to find a new facility or nurse for her mother’s care. Soon Patricia begins to talk about her childhood home in Louisiana and wishes to go back. When Lou Ann takes her mom along with her nurse, Lindsey, to Sutton Hall, her family’s estate. The house is in bad shape. With the help of a local handyman, Simon Broussard, Lou Ann sets about fixing up the house and taking care of her mom. Will Lou Ann find a balance between her mom’s care and her business?
I was intrigued by the book’s description that I picked it up, unfortunately it wasn’t the book I thought it would be. It is more a Women’s fiction, mother/daughter dramedy than a romance. Ms. Gibson’s descriptions of an Alzheimer’s patient, their behaviors and the progression were on the nose but her descriptions in other areas were very cringey and uncomfortable. She switches between proper terms and slang. There were many instances in the story that I had to roll my eyes, like “oh geez.” For instance, Lou Ann makes a comment that Lindsey always wears scrubs. What a minute? She’s a nurse, caring for an elderly patient, of course she’s always wearing scrubs! The “family secret” which is casually introduced and then revealed seemed to be an afterthought without any plan to fully flush it out. The ending itself and fell flat. This book was my first by Ms. Gibson and I’m not sure I would be interested in picking up any of her other titles. If you are a fan of Ms. Gibson, you may enjoy How Lulu Lost Her Mind.

How Lulu Lost Her Mind
is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

This will post on the Romance Reviews Today: http://romrevtoday.com/
I will also post a review on Amazon when able to.

HOW LULU LOST HER MIND – Rachel Gibson
A Perfect 10
Gallery Books
ISBN (print): 978-1-9821-1811-2
ISBN (eBook): 978-1-9821-1913-6
July 21, 2020
Contemporary Fiction

New Orleans, Louisiana – Present Day

Lou Ann Hunter has built herself a successful career preaching love, sex, and relationships—under the brand of Lulu the Love Guru. Just as she is about to fly out of Seattle on another trip to an event promoting herself, she receives a call from the Alzheimer’s facility where her mother, Patricia, is staying. Once again Patricia has violated the facility’s rules by “spooning” a patient. For the third time, Patricia is being kicked out of a facility. Unable to find one to accept her mother, Lou decides to take a temporary leave of absence from her business to tend to her. Unfortunately, Patricia wants to go to her childhood home in Louisiana, where she was left the family mansion. Aware that she doesn’t know how much longer she has with her mother, Lou moves with her and the care attendant she hired to Louisiana.

Lou feels like a fish out of water in Louisiana. The old house is likely a money pit and there’s a talking bird in residence that has a mind of its own. Building contractor Simon Broussard is there to help them get settled in. He had been contracted by the estate to make some incidental repairs. According to what Lou can see, he will need to do some more. But does she want to plunk down the money for repairs when she hopes her mother will tire of Louisiana and agree to head home or into a facility? Even with the help of the care attendant, Lindsey, Patricia is a handful. She has her good days and her bad ones, which include being mad at Lou for the silliest of reasons. They soon settle into a routine, but Lou wonders how much longer she will have with her mother before she gets worse—or dies.

HOW LULU LOST HER MIND is one of those books that you know is emotional and maybe heartbreaking, yet you will smile at the mother-daughter relationship between Lou and Patricia. Growing up wasn’t easy—especially since Patricia has a “passionate” nature that resulted in five marriages and even more “hookups”—even in her current mental state. Lou tries to adjust, but it isn’t easy, especially since she is torn between her responsibilities to her mother and her business. There are enough “blowups” by Patricia to try Lou’s patience. Then there is the mansion itself. This isn’t where Lou had envisioned herself living and she must get used to all things Cajun. And keep an eye out for pesky alligators.

Lou soon develops a friendship with Simon as he works on projects in the mansion. One wouldn’t say that HOW LULU LOST HER MIND is a romance, but there is a hint of one brewing between these two. He’s mostly—at first—a friend and soundboard. Meanwhile, Lou learns a couple of shocking things—one about her late grandfather, and another about the care attendant Lindsey. How will Lou adjust to the news? Will Patricia, who is in a fragile mental state, be told? Then there is Patricia’s health. Will Lou have enough time to be able to grow close to her mother before she has to say goodbye due to her declining cognitive functions?

I had to give HOW LULU LOST HER MIND a Perfect 10 because it is just one of those perfect reads that you get engrossed in and can’t put down. It is told from the first-person narrative of Lou, but Ms. Gibson told the story well by making readers understand what other characters are feeling. While I can’t promise a happily-ever-after, I can promise you that HOW LULU LOST HER MIND will win a place in your heart. Don’t miss this heartwarming tale.

Patti Fischer

A charming mother daughter tale. Rachel Gibson swept me away to Louisiana with this delightful story filled with love, family, forgiveness, and memory. Lou Ann has carved out a good life for herself. A successful business woman she has created the Lulu the Love Guru brand. Her mother Patricia has Alzheimer’s and is living in a care home. BUT Patricia is a big flirt and craves physical touch, so when she gets caught in bed spooning a married man the care home asks her to leave. Now Lou Ann finds herself needing to care for her aging mother. Wanting to make her mother’s life as comfortable as possible and perhaps spark some past memories Lou Ann decides to move with her mother back to the family home in Louisiana. What follows is a touching, sometimes emotional, sometimes humorous story, with a splash of romance.

Lou Ann was a likable character, but her mother Patricia was an absolute hoot. Now not going to lie I would hate to have a mom who flirted with any man with a pulse, but it was fun to read about. Really enjoyed the setting of Louisiana and this house in need of lots of TLC. Also really enjoyed watching the sweet romance develop between Lou Ann and Simon. I would be remiss if I did not mention the love-hate relationship between nurse Lindsey and the parrot. A beautiful story of family both the one you’re born into and the one you choose.

This book in emojis 🥄 ☕️ 🍿 🦜 🔨 🐊

*** Big thank you to Gallery Books for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

LuLu trades in her fancy clothes and decides to grant her moms wishes to die in her family home in Louisiana of all places!

When arriving, she suddenly regrets moving into this money out. After a few weeks, it starts to wear on her though and she begins to relax and enjoy the country life. Her mom is happy and that's the entire purpose of the move.

This was a very cute book. I hope I have the spunk LuLu's mom has. I text my daughter asking if she will come get me if I get in trouble for flirting too much ?

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read How LuLu Lost Her Mind in exchange for my honest opinion.