Ok, I have to confess I never watched One Tree Hill. But that did not affect in anyway my enjoyment of this book. Really love story. Enjoyed immensely.

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.

There were so many amazing take-aways from this book. The recipes definitely made me hungry and feeling adventurous in my own kitchen. I can't wait to try some of Hilarie's cooking and DIY tips and tricks. I enjoyed how human this "celebrity" felt. She was just like you or I... navigating her way through life, finding new love, moving somewhere unknown, starting a family, dealing with loss and taking on new adventures.

I truly appreciated the end of the story where she shared her experiences regarding the #metoo movement and how it personally impacted her life. It was powerful and necessary to share her story with the world, so that other women knew they were not alone.

This was absolutely a 5 star read for me.

Who doesn't love HIlarie!!
I Enjoyed reading more into her life. I love Memoirs an learning more about people.
Thank you so much for the ARC!

I loved Hilarie Burton since her One Tree Hill days and this book was a lovely look into her life. I really enjoyed this book. It really took a look into so many areas of her life without sugar coating it.

There's hardly any Hollywood or celebrity gossip and somehow it's still...really great??? It makes me want to go out there and get my own working farm and start my own gardens even though I'm really what you would call an indoors girl.
Hilarie was also a big part of the 2017 resurgence of the #metoo movement, and reading about her experiences really changes the way I look back and think on certain shows now.

I love this book. It reads like a novel and every turn is a delight! Been a fam since One Tree Hill but happy to see that she has more depth than I was expecting,

The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm by Hilarie Burton Morgan was an entertaining read. I liked it. I give it four stars.

Title: The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm



Author: Hilarie Burton Morgan



Ch: 17



Pg: 272



Genre: Memoir



Rating: 4 stars



Publisher: Harper One



As a teen I was a fan of the show One Tree Hill and Peyton Sawyer played by Hilarie Burton was my favorite character, so when I was that she has written a book I knew I had to read it. She writes about her life and how she and her now husband Jeffery Dean Morgan bought misfire farm.



I listened to audio version which Hilarie narrates the audio and her reading you the book just adds to the experience. And the recipes sprinkled throughout just adds to the experience.



I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading about rural life, farming. And people themselves who just want to enjoy the simple paced life of a small town.



I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Posted by Carissa at 6:00 A

I'm a One Tree Hill fan (currently rewatching the series again) and I had to request this book! It's great for fans and new fans alike. I hope to own a hardcopy to keep on my bookshelf.

To be fair to <i>The Rural Diaries</i>, it gives you exactly what it says it's going to. The other part of the title is <i>Love, Livestock, and Life Lessons from Down on Mischief Farm</i> and that is essentially exactly what we get. So it's unfair of me to be salty that we didn't get more about Burton-Morgan's time on <i>One Tree Hill</i>, especially given that I know there was a lot of pain wrapped up in her time there. I completely forgot she was ever a host on <i>TRL</i> though... Anyway, so what to expect when you pick this book up:

Essentially this is the story of how Hilarie Burton met and eventually (a long while later) married Jeffrey Morgan. They had a pretty whirlwind of a relationship and there were some definitely rocky moments after she had their first child, but eventually, they buy this house in the middle of upstate NY and start settling into having a real community. As a person who loves that sense of community, I thought this exploration was the strongest part of the book.

The book also explores some themes of grief and love and fighting for a relationship. Burton-Morgan and her husband eventually decided to try for a second child and there were many miscarriages on that journey. It was heartbreaking to listen to, but also really awesome that Burton-Morgan was so open about it. She also shares how her midwifes taught her to handle contractions (she calls them something else) and I was kind of imagining other people who have been through childbirth giving her the same face when people tell me to just calm down when I'm anxious. Oh, there are also some recipes in here, which is nice. And a small discussion of the #MeToo movement, with some oblique references to what happened on the set of <i>One Tree Hill</i>.

I purely picked this book on Netgalley because I loved watching Hilarie on One Tree Hill. I knew a little about her life on the farm from Instagram but was blown away by how down to earth she really is. I wish I had half the talent in renovating and gardening as she does. I admire her grit and determination to be the best mom, wife, friend she can be.

I applaud her for how she tackled her #metoo story in the book and how she has not let that overshadow her life. Instead, she gathered all her strength and courage and made her life what she wanted.

Anyone who reads this fast-paced memoir will learn something about themselves or how to face a difficult situation.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, HarperCollins, through Netgalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

I was obsessed with One Tree Hill when it was aired. I adored Peyton with all her angst, love of vinyl and I completely shipped her with Lucas (in fact, I stopped watching after they left!). So when I found out she had written a memoir, I had to read it. And wow, I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did! Memoirs (well, non-fiction in general) are definitely a hit or miss with me but her writing was super engaging and I could totally hear her voice in my head as I read. She's just so honest and genuine that even if you weren't an OTH fan, it's still worth picking up. I was vaguely aware of her post-OTH life, namely that she had married Jeffrey Dean Morgan aka Denny from Grey's Anatomy aka Negan from The Walking Dead. I had a lot of questions about how that happened and all was answered in this book. She delves into their whirlwind romance but also the ups and downs of their marriage, personal struggles with fertility and this incredible, unexpected life they built together on a farm. I thought Burton did an great job of going back and forth between the person she was and everything that led to where she is now, including finding a community in Rhinebeck, NY (where I went to for a spa weekend with my bestie!) so I knew a lot of the landmarks she mentioned. It made me want to go back and visit! I knew she was involved in a candy store there (amazing coffee and sweets) but I didn't realize her home was there too. I came away from the book with a lot of admiration and respect for Hilarie. She forged her own path and defined what happiness looked like for her. I think that's something we all can aspire to!

Do I recommend? Yes I do! I'm almost tempted to buy a copy to be honest. Or maybe, I'll just take another trip to Rhinebeck (when it's allowed) and see if the local bookstore will have signed editions.

2 stars
I knew very little about Hilarie Burton before I read this book. I knew she was married to another actor and that was all. So, I thought, why not give her book a shot.

It is reassuring to know that no matter how famous you might be or how much money you have, sometimes Mother Nature refuses to cooperate with us humans. This true story of how a woman's plans take a 90 degree turn when she decides to focus on family first, is a truly entertaining look at her dedication to making a difference in the community into which her son will grow up. She and her husband want a better, settled home as the family base and work hard to blend their celebrity into the background. neither hard nor easy, they did not give up on their goals.

it’s taken me six weeks to read this and normally I read a couple books a week, My attention keeps wandering but I found the book to be
well written and I liked the real Hilarie mired in old farmhouse restoration projects. it was harder to appreciate the yuppies buy a cabin and a horse farm in Rhinebeck and
throw tons of money at it while dressed in their new Carhartts...but I do like the focus on rural life which usually gets short shrift in city centered literature of place. I definitely
will read again and am sure to have another opinion. The Rhinebeck core locals were really well drawn and the book is totally worth the
price of admission to meet them.

I really enjoyed this memoir. I've always been a fan of Hilarie Burton and getting a peak behind the curtain both in her life as a celebrity and then to her living on a farm, I was very entertained! I think readers will enjoy her honestly and maybe find a little inspiration in these pages. Also, the recipes! Yum!

I loved Hilarie Burton on One Tree Hill and it was nice to catch up with where she is now and her life on the farm. I wouldn't mind it having a little more humor but it was a solid read.

I think I wanted to like The Rural Diaries more than I did. I really did not know anything about Hilarie Burton before reading this book. I appreciated the conversational tone of the book but it definitely hit a little wrong at moments. It felt at times like she was trying really hard not to seem like a Hollywood type coming into a rural community, how real she was, but she was...a Hollywood actress coming into a rural area where Paul Rudd happened to have a home. It was pleasant enough to read, it just felt a little off because of this.

I’ve always been fond of Hilarie Burton but this book made me love her more!! I appreciated how open and honest she was in this book! I enjoyed hearing the stories of how she took on the task of remodeling each home she was in and faced so many struggles head on. Really, really enjoyed this book!!

I really enjoyed this book. I've always been a big Hilarie Burton fan, ever since her days on TRL. While celebrity memoirs are my guilty pleasure, this one was different. While there was still your typical Hollywood stories, the main focus of the farm and small town setting definitely set it apart. I loved the recipes peppered in and how this wasn't about her acting career but her life after acting. This ALMOST made me want a farm. Almost.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.