I just want to start this review out by saying that I really love this book and it gave me all the feels. Its tackles a topic that os very prevalent today, children taking care of their parents with Alzheimer's. Rachel Gibson beautifully wrote about Patricia's memory loss and how it affects her daughter Lou ann/Lulu and their relationship with each other.

This book wonderfully details strong female characters, the dynamic between daughters and mothers and the challenges that we all make in our lives, especially accepting things and moving on. The characters were wonderfully real and the plot was deep with a sense of poignancy. It was funny, honest and emotional. I loved it and totally recommend it.

I would like to thank Rachel Gibson, Gallery Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest, voluntary review. The way this book began I thought it was going to be a humorous, light hearted read but as you get into it you find out it is anything but. This is a story of fear, regrets, sacrifices, forgiveness, some humor, love, and loss. Written very well with very entertaining characters. I highly recommend. Enjoy! 📚

What a delightful book! There were some moments of laughter, heart-wrenching sadness, and spunkiness. There is a little more "bad" language than I care for, but there are so many other things that make up for it.

Lou Ann's (aka Lulu) mother, Patricia, is a hoot. Lulu's willingness to step down from her successful business to care for her mother was touching. The characters were well developed, including the parrot, Rafael. And the relationships that develop between the characters are entertaining and you will find yourself cheering them on.

Lula departs on a journey of self-discovery, an effort to survive and improve a relationship with her mother, a willingness to let go of her control issues, and examine the validity of some of the "love" advice she has spouted for years.

When you've closed the book, you will have shed a few tears, but the laughter you've experienced helps balance out the sad moments.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

How Lulu Lost Her Mind, by Rachel Gibson, is a bittersweet story centered around LouAnn Hunter, also known as Lulu the Love Guru, and her aging mother, Patricia. Patricia is suffering from Alzheimer’s. As LouAnn rushes to make a flight to begin her latest tour she is contacted that it is imperative she come immediately to her mother’s assisted living center only to learn that her mother’s transgressions have warranted immediate dismissal into LouAnn’s care.

After canceling her tour, LouAnn gets her mother settled in her Seattle high rise condo and decides she needs a bit of time to spend with her mother while memories can still be made. After LouAnn has hired a live in nurse to take care of medical needs, Patricia becomes determined to return to her southern Louisiana family home, Sutton Hall.

The day they travel to Louisiana is one of the worst LouAnn has had and doesn’t get any better when the car service drops them off at the tired old manor where the key doesn’t work, and that is just the beginning of the downhill slide. It is also the day that Simon Broussard, local historic renovator and godson of Patricia’s late uncle, comes into the delightful cast of characters

In the following weeks, LouAnn learns to employ a slower pace, parsing out pieces of her self help empire so that she can focus on her mother. And even then, there are times she still almost loses her mind! This is a story so well put together that it is simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking, laugh out loud funny and tearful. Ms. Gibson has given the reader a wonderful morality tale with a lesson so many today need to learn. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Rachel Gibson for the opportunity to read this poignant story about mothers, daughters, family, loss - 4 stars!

Lou Ann, aka Lulu the Love Guru, has built an empire teaching women how to navigate love. She's single, wealthy and loving her Seattle life. However, her mother, Patricia, has Alzheimer's and the latest home where she lives just required her to leave the facility. Lou Ann takes her home and hires a nurse, Lindsey, but Patricia is soon begging Lou Ann to take her back to her family home in Louisiana. Deciding to put her mom before her business, Lou Ann does just that with Lindsey in tow.

This book obviously has a difficult subject matter - caring of aging parents and losing them to dementia - but there is a lot of wonderful, light-hearted humor to keep it from being sad. It's also a wonderful tribute to figuring out what's important as Lou Ann takes a somewhat difficult and contentious relationship with her mom and turns her mom's last days to making memories. Good life lessons for us all. Loved the humorous names of the chapters as well.

Being the first book I've ever read from this author, I didn't know what to expect. As a women's fiction story it was just ok for me. LouAnn temporarily gives up her lucrative career to care for her mother who is suffering from Alzheimer's. The author tried to put a cute spin on a terrible disease for entertainment purposes, and she did succeed. That's not to say there weren't emotional, tug at the heartstrings moments...there were plenty. All in all I did enjoy this story, but not enough that it kept me wanting to keep turning the pages.
I received this book from Netgalley and Gallery Books in return for my honest review.

Oh how I enjoyed this, even as I cringed in spots, recognizing some of the issues between Lou Ann and her mother Patricia, especially when Patricia is in "Rattlesnake Patty" mode. Lou Ann has a vibrant career and an upscale lifestyle when her mother's care home (her third) abruptly expels her for continuing bad behavior with male patients. Patricia is 74 and she's got Alzheimers. Lou pivots, hires Lindsay as her caretaker, and then, when Patricia announces she wants to go home to Louisiana, packs the three of then up and does just that. What she finds when she arrives is a house that's half beautifully restored and half a total mess. And a parrot. She also finds Simon, the "house doctor". Don't worry- (or do) this is largely about the relationship between Lou and Patricia, not a romance but Simon is hot. And what a relationship they have! These are terrific characters and anyone who has dealt with a parent with dementia will recognize Lou's struggles, Lindsay is also wonderful (she's a hoot) and she's got a secret I won't reveal. Yes these are all privileged people but that doesn't make their pain any easier. This was a great read that made me laugh and brought a tear to my eye. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A terrific one.

Lou Ann Hunter has built an empire giving love and relationship advice under her brand, Lulu the Love Guru, It is ironic really, considering the fact that her mother was married and divorced five times, and Lulu herself can't find a man who is worth having. Her career is everything to her, so when she gets a call from her mother's latest nursing home saying she is getting kicked out and Lulu is going to have to make other arrangements immediately, Lulu finally finds a problem she can't just resolve by throwing enough money at it to make it go away.
This is one of those laugh-out-loud books that keeps you smiling page after page. One where you just have to read parts out loud to someone else because they are so funny. I highly recommend this fun, quick read.

This is an especially useful story for readers who are interested in a further understanding of what a caregiver must cope with when a loved one has Alzheimer's. It is at turns heartrending, uplifting and funny. There is the suggestion of attraction between Lulu and the hunky handyman but it doesn't really go anywhere which was disappointing. However we do see how Lulu makes life changing decisions.

I can't say I enjoyed this book although it is certainly well written. I'm just not in a place to like a book that elicits so much sadness, for despite the humor, Alzheimer's is very sad. But that doesn't mean it wasn't a very worthwhile read. Expect to feel sad, to laugh, to cry and to understand a bit better.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I found the story to hit pretty close to home as it centers around mothers and daughters dealing with dementia. I have several friends right now who I’m watching deal with the daily struggles. This book will make you both smile and cry and appreciate your Mom even more. This is a good read that I would recommend.

I really liked the characters in this book. If I could I would give this book 3.5 stars. This book was more funny than sad, but the mother in the book has Alzeimer's so there are definitely sad parts.

Rachel Gibson did a good job of telling the story that so many are going through as our parents age. There are beautiful moments and then very sad moments.

I liked that ultimately this book has a happy ending.

Lou Ann Hunter's picture-perfect life spirals out of control when her mother's Alzheimer's gets her evicted from her group home. Caring for her mother becomes a 24-hour job and both Hunter's are losing their mind. When Lou Ann places an ad for a caregiver, 26-year old, Lindsey is an answer to Lou Ann's prayers. When Patty's (Mom) implores Lou Ann to return to the family's ancestral home in Louisiana, Lou gives up her career to tend to her mother's last wishes.

Full of heart while tugging on readers' heart strings, Gibson explores the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters and the controversial topic regarding the right to die. I had trouble getting into the story but I soon found myself "baited and hooked" falling in love with Patty's quirky antics and Lou Ann's steadfast devotion.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the advance edition in exchange for an honest review. Watching my grandmother struggle with dementia and my parent's commitment to make her last days memorable, brought a personal connection to the story. I laughed and cried with the characters and watched Lou change from a high-power executive to the head of her family. I would caution that someone going through this situation with a family member might find it difficult to read or on the other hand, find camaraderie with the characters.

"I'm not just going to try to get along with Mother. I am going to get along with her. I have to remember that she can't help her attitude and behavior...Obviously her mind retains the good and forgets the rest." "How Lulu Lost Her Mind"

Lou Ann Hunter is known as Lulu the Love Guru, advising the women of America about love, sex, and relationships. Her mother, who currently has Alzheimer’s, has been married and divorced five times, and was kicked out of multiple aging care facilities for getting too close to the men there. Lulu’s advice empire is pretty much the opposite of what her mother has ever done. Her mother has no other facilities to go to, so Lulu has to put aside her career to care for her mother. Unfortunately, nothing goes according to plan.

We start with Patricia getting thrown out of the nursing home and landing in Lulu's condo right when she's at the start of a tour. With as much speed, we get the rundown on Lulu's life growing up with Patricia, bouncing around from one place to another, the actual start to Lulu the Love Guru, and then Patricia's wish to go to the family estate in Louisiana. It's a rapid-fire first three chapters, and we have a rollercoaster of emotions in the following ones.

With Alzheimer's disease, there are times where memories and personality are crystal clear, and it varies with moments where Patricia flubs her way through the day. Lulu is stuck with emotional whiplash, so we are as well. Some moments are wonderful, others devastating. "They say they know how I feel. I don't think that can possibly be true. Not unless they've experienced a pain so deep it pierces their soul. Not unless they are completely alone in the world and nothing will ever fill the massive hole where their heart once beat."

There are brilliantly written passages that draw me in, and I really enjoyed the journey that Lou Ann took as she let go of Lulu and got to know her mother and the extended family she never knew about. She opens up to new possibilities for her future, cherishing the good days she has with her mother and mother's nurse. They feel real, and the topic is a serious one that many people go through as the population ages. It's handled here kindly and seriously, with hope for the future.

Rachel Gibson has created such a fun read with How Lulu Lost Her Mind. I think that readers of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books would enjoy this book as well. The main character's mother reminds me a lot of Grandma Mazur. This book takes you on a voyage! It is funny, yet heartbreaking; romantic and gritty at times. I loved the characters as well as the descriptions of an old southern, money pit, plantation. All I ask for is a sequel.......and soon! Thank you to Netgalley for this free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

“I’m Lulu the Love Guru and I can do anything. Except move to Louisiana.”

Well move to Louisiana she did! Lulu’s mother, Patricia, has Alzheimer’s, and after an incident (that involved spooning another male patient) at her assisted living facility, Lulu is forced to figure out other arrangements. She ends up putting her career on hold and moving Patricia and her freshly-hired in-home health aid down to Sutton Hall, Louisiana.

I felt that things moved a little abruptly in the beginning, surrounding Lulu’s decision to actually move her mother to LA (at the end of one chapter she is saying she can’t move, and the beginning of the next she is on the plane??). But ooooh I felt for Lulu trying to take care of her mom while coping with her exhausting antics and memory loss. It’s such a tricky situation, trying to balance making sure her mom has a good quality of life, while dealing with her outbursts and growing confusion. I also love how Lulu and Patricia’s relationship strengthened over time. This read comes out on July 21!

Read if you enjoy
🧳City to country living
🧳Mother/daughter relationships
🧳Dealing w/ Alzheimer’s (okay likely you don’t enjoy this but it’s a major plot line so maybe you find it relatable!)

Building an empire and a life on sex, relationships and love lives is how Lulu has build her life and career. She has been married five times, been kicked out of many elderly facilities for her sexual nature and she can't decide if her life has been to much or not enough!

Despite her chaotic childhood, Lou Ann has built an empire as Lulu the Love Guru. In fact, her childhood may have contributed to her success, as she followed her mother, Patricia, through five marriages and countless entanglements, jobs, and moves. On the eve of a long-planned tour, Lou Ann receives a call from the facility where her mother, now suffering from Alzheimer's, currently resides. She is unsurprised, as Patricia's affection for men has already caused her to be kicked out of two facilities. But this time, Lou doesn't get 30 days notice.

Her tour on hold, Lou reluctantly agrees to take Patricia to her ancestral home in Louisiana. A private nurse, Lindsey, makes the trip easier, but adjusting to life in a ramshackle mansion with an irascible senior citizen, bugs the size of birds, a bird with attitude to rival Patricia, and a hot home restoration specialist nearly brings Lou to her knees. Her business suffers, but her libido, thanks to Simon the home restorer, is also restored. As she navigates the challenges, Lou not only becomes closer to her mother, but reevaluates her own life.

Although the novel definitely has romantic elements, it is more about mother-daughter relationships, friendships, and personal growth. #HowLuluLostHerMind #NetGalley

As a fan of Sweet Home Alabama this book gave me all the feels. The story had me intrigued from the start and the author has an easy tone in her writing. This is the first book I have read by Rachel Gibson but, now I want to research and see what else she has written. Her storytelling was superb and I think anyone who loves southern romance will enjoy this book!

“How Lulu Lost Her Mind” is a sweet story about the bond between a daughter and her mom. There is enough funny thrown in to make dealing with the lapses caused by Alzheimer’s less sad for the reader.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

And I WILL be honest and tell you that for about 25% of this book, I did not like it at all. I didn't like Lou Ann and her Mother drove me bonkers.It wasn't until she took her mom to Louisiana for her dying wish and other people started showing up in the story line that I changed my mind. But THEN I fell in love...with everybody and everything. Lou Ann became hilarious, her mom became someone who mostly lived in the past but was still really happy because she now lived where she grew up, the caretaker of the house was just plain sexy, her mom's new helper was someone you wanted to take under your wing and show love to, and the bird? That thing became a huge part of the book because his personality was so big. I LOVED the way she talked about the house and it's environment and if it is based on a real house, I would love to visit it some day. This book was so full of growth and just plain FEELING that at times, my heart couldn't take it.