Cover Image: The Rural Diaries

The Rural Diaries

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I liked The Rural Diaries but I wish it had given us a little bit more of how Hilarie was actually feeling. It felt more like an account of what happened in her life, rather than how everything has affected her. I really loved learning about how her sweet shop started and hearing more about her dream to start the farm. Very cute, fun quick read that I have since told others about.

Was this review helpful?

Everything I want in a memoir - beautiful writing, humor, and enough personal details it's like a conversation with a friend. I was originally listening to the audiobook, which is narrated by the author, and while I highly recommend it I was interested enough that audio was too slow. I needed to read faster and also, the physical book has recipes and pictures. Highly recommend if you enjoy farm memoirs, celebrities making major life changes and/or you're a "One Tree Hill" and Hilarie Burton fan. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy!

Was this review helpful?

This is perfect for fans of Hilarie Burton Morgan and her husband. They seem to live an idyllic life on their farm in a small town in New York. It honestly sounds amazing.

Was this review helpful?

This book by Hilarie Burton Morgan put me through the ringer! I laughed, cried (a lot), reflected, and smiled. I knew bits and pieces of her life story but had no idea what her life was like after the fame of One Tree Hill. I loved how open and honest the author was about her struggles and her successes! I felt like I was listening to a story from a dear friend.

Was this review helpful?

I remember seeing Hilarie Burton on MTV and then One tree Hill and even now I listen to the Drama Queens podcast that she co-hosts.

She feels like the kind of person and friend you want to know. Someone who's always going to have your back? And who will entertain you with stories from her life. That is exactly what this book felt like, getting to know a good friend.

Her writing and storytelling were great. Everything flowed really well and she covers many different parts of her life There were lots of fun details and antidotes, but this book doesn't shy away from the hard and emotional things either. I appreciated getting an honest view of what she was going through, how it affected her, and that things aren't always easy.

I really hope that she writes more in the future because this was a wonderful book!

Was this review helpful?

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll admit, I requested this book because I really like Hilarie’s husband and have a secret desire to move to a cabin in the woods. However, I really enjoyed this book and found her story refreshing. She is honest and relatable. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is familiar with this actress.

Was this review helpful?

Hilarie Burton Morgan is a lovely human, and it was nice to hear her voice in this story. She's quite a different person than me in many ways, not just in her celebrity. I'm not typically one for celebrity memoirs, but this didn't really feel like one for the most part. Rather, this was a fairly enjoyable book about- yes, her career, but even more so about her love and passions in life. I did find it a bit repetitive and/or boring at times, but it was nice overall.

Thank you #HarperCollins and #Netgalley for a complimentary ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This was not my favorite book but I couldn’t stop reading it, so there is that. I hadn’t seen anything the author has been in, but with the new push to homesteading I wanted to read it. Don’t get me wrong there was nothing wrong with this book. It is a perfectly fine book, just not what I was expecting.

Was this review helpful?

I have loved Hilarie Burton since One Tree Hill, and the second that I saw she was releasing this book I was so excited. I love, love, loved this.

Was this review helpful?

I didn't know about the Swords and Fire series that is set in the same world as this before I started reading. Doesn't seem like it was necessary to read it before hand but I liked this book so much I'll be heading back and starting that series as well. This one was so fun to read. Political intrigue, assassinations, demons, magic, family drama: it's got it all. Can't wait to read on.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved this book! Hilarie made me want to drop everything and start a new life on a farm in upstate New York. Fantastic writing and a great story. 5 stars!

Was this review helpful?

Okay I normally don't enjoy books by celebrities but this is freaking amazing! This read like a biography but felt like a self help book. I cried, I laughed, I loved every minute of it.

One Tree Hill is my favorite show so I knew I had to read this book but Hilarie and Jeff's stories are so much fun and heartbreaking. I love how they left Hollywood for a life in the middle of nowhere, a dream. This book was so perfect.

Was this review helpful?

One Tree Hill is one of my top 5 favorite television shows of all time so whenever I saw that Hilarie was coming out with a book, I knew I had to read it!

I follow her on social media so we already get.a glimpse of her everyday life but this was a whole other level. She dived into different parts of her life and each section were equally interesting. Whenever she would describe an event that went on in her life, it packed a big punch - she knew how to write it out to where I felt like I was listening to a friend.

All the hardships she has faced in life in her childhood, rising into stardom, missed opportunities, and the miscarriages (broke my heart listening to these chapters), it made me love her even more. She was able to tell us her story in a way where I could envision the scenes, especially when she was talking about the farm.

Was this review helpful?

to read this book thanks to NetGalley. Like many people my age I was obsessed with the tv show One Tree Hill in high school snd college. So when I was that Hilarie Burton had a book I was all in and knew I had to read it. It was such a nice surprise. I really enjoyed it. It was extremely well written and very entertaining. I was so invested in her story and I want to be her friend. I have recommended this book to friends and I’d love to read more from her in the future. Thanks again to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Was this review helpful?

Oh man, I loved this! I’ve known of Hilarie Burton from way, way back in the TRL days. (I remember when she was auditioning for it and Christina Aguilera wouldn’t talk to her on the red carpet and she was like, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ “she didn’t win” and it was funny and you had to be there). Then she was badass Peyton on One Tree Hill and then she kind of disappeared and I didn’t really know what happened. Then I found out her partner was Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and then of course during the #MeToo movement the Ben Affleck interview came to light as well as what happened on the set of One Tree Hill. I started following her on Insta and I saw she was writing a book about her new farm and life and I was like, yes please!
.
It’s absolutely wonderful and inspiring. I have never had an interest in gardening (lazy) but this quarantine and now this book is making me want to go to town! Hilarie is so relatable and you can easily imagine being friends with her. Also - there are recipes!! Which I’m super excited to try. Anyway, read this! It was very enjoyable and now I want a farm. 🤷🏽‍♀️

Was this review helpful?

It really feels like you are reading her diary & not a heavily edited version of the story. Hilarie gives us a very open & honest look into her life starting when she first met Jeffrey Dean Morgan & following their journey into becoming a family. The random recipes she has thrown in are a fun bonus.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed Hilarie's style of writing. I didn't know much about her besides that she was on One Tree Hill so I enjoyed learning about how she met her now husband and became a mother. It honestly felt like reading a letter from a friend. I look forward to seeing more from her!

Was this review helpful?

This book is a complete delight! I had no idea that I would just feel so happy when I closed that final pages. Yes, there are some sad stories but for the most part, it really is a feel-good story about finding your place in this world, your home, your family. The love that she has for her family and friends is apparent. You will fall in love with the town of Rhinebeck. I so want to go visit and stop at these lovely stores, especially Samuel's Sweet Shop. You will not be disappointed in the least when you pick up this book.

Was this review helpful?

I have loved Hilarie Burton since ONE TREE HILL, so it is only natural that I would want to read this memoir. It is honest, fun, and takes a wonderful look at what a "simpler life" can be like. Honestly, this book made me like her even more.

Was this review helpful?

Loved this one! I've been a passive fan of Hilarie Burton since her MTV days and this was a fun way to see what she's been up to in the years since One Tree Hill. And really, who hasn't dreamed of buying a farm? Definitely a fun read and a cool look into a "different" sort of lifestyle.

Was this review helpful?