***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

I was really excited for this book, but was sadly let down. I was imagining a beautifully illustrated guide or touching story with lots of pictures. (Think Magnolia Table or Whiskey in a Tea Cup). I still love Hilarie Burton and respect what she was trying to do, but I was a little bored.

The Rural Diaries was an amazing book of inspiration, love, hope, and confidence. I grew up with Hilarie on my tv screen and I was such a fan of her! I think this book was written and put together so nicely chronicling her move from city life to farm life and her journey through life intertwined throughout. It was fun seeing the beginnings of her relationship with Jeffrey and how it's evolved until now. I just loved reading her story of chasing her dreams and being a risk taker and seeing how it paid off. I'm a country fan and I love the idea of a farm life and I felt her love for that life and her time on Mischief Farm with the animals, plants and the overall atmosphere. She also includes some recipes that sound amazing! Overall, I'm in love with her even more than I always have been from her time on One Tree Hill. Highly recommend!

The year was 2006, and my new college roommate and I basically had nothing in common EXCEPT for the fact that we'd watch One Tree Hill on our tiny TV. Fast forward after college and I was visiting a friend who moved to Wilmington, North Carolina. "This place feels *so* familiar!" "Did you ever watch OTH? It was filmed here!" Fast forward again to a handful of made for TV Christmas movies and there she was again, Hillarie Burton. When I saw this book pop up on NetGalley, it was like a blast from the past, and an awesome premise: two Hollywood stars take up life in rural New York? Sign me up! Hilarie's writing style is flowing and conversational - enough details to paint a picture, but nothing super flowery or Dickensian. I loved her stories of taking on farming, home renovation, raising her son, becoming a small business owner, and her relationship with now-husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan and the work she put in to their family. I enjoyed coming back to this book over a few days and it was especially nice to read about the outdoors while being stuck inside along with the rest of the country for COVID-19 Quarantine. I'm also eager to try some of the recipes!

As a pre-teen/teen of the early aughts, Hilarie Burton Morgan has long been a part of my pop culture consciousness, first as a host on MTV and then as Peyton Sawyer on teen drama. One Tree Hill. Here, Burton Morgan mostly shares stories from her life post-OTH, her relationship with her husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and their small town farm life in Rhinebeck, NY. A lot of these stories, from her pregnancies to her running of Rhinebeck's local candy store, and her post-OTH part in the #MeToo movement, have been shared in the news before. But Burton Morgan gives unprecedented access into the private side of these stories, unflinchingly sharing the often complex and complicated nature of her life with her husband, the birth of their two children and her struggle with miscarriages, and their choice to leave Los Angeles in favor of life on the farm. Burton Morgan is charming as she shares her daily life in a tightknit community and people who love stories of small town life will find a kindred spirit in Burton Morgan and the meaningful life she and her family have created for themselves.

I've been a fan of Hilarie Burton since One Tree Hill premiered in 2003. When I saw her book was available from her publisher on NetGalley I knew I had to read it. The Rural Diaries is the story of Hilarie's relationship and life with her husband, Jeffery Dean Morgan, and how they built their community and farm in Rhinebeck, NY.

This book is honest, beautiful, and raw. Hilarie talks about her highs and lows and doesn't shy away from the moments her life was difficult or the moments she worked to bring herself joy.

Throughout the book, there are family anecdotes, advice, and recipes for bringing a little bit of farm life into the everyday. She talks about the difficulties she had working as an actress and a mother, and the rise of the #metoo movement and the role she played. Her words are powerful and it was a joy reading someone's story who was so articulate, brave and confident.

I’ve been a fan of Hilarie since OTH so I was so excited for her book!
I loved getting to look inside her life and see how truly down to earth she really is and what she cares about.
There’s so much growth and knowledge that comes in her story.

If you’re a fan you won’t be disappointed and if you’ve never heard of her before then you’ll fall in love with her after this.

I really enjoyed this story! I felt by the end that I knew Jeff and Hilarie and if I ever ran into them, I could say hi and have a conversation with them. I have no dreams of living on a farm, but I love how they had a dream and made it happen and their farm has expanded rapidly. Reading about their miscarriage struggles was hard. I’ve been there, and it never gets easier to talk about. But it was so great to read that they got that little baby they so desperately needed to complete their family. Great read! They seem like very down to earth people.

Hilarie is an amazing storyteller. I remember her becoming a VJ and then watching One Tree Hill. I always wondered why she left the show early and why we didn’t see her anymore.... well, if that is you, too then this book is for you.

Also if you live small town living and learning how to live simply in a smaller community this book is for you.

Her story and journey reminded me a little of my own. I think there is more than meets the eye with everyone especially Hilarie Burton Morgan.

As a reader who went through junior high while One Tree Hill was in it's prime, many of my friendships centered around this show. I've been a fan of Hilarie and the characters she's played for the past thirteen years, so when I saw on twitter that she had written a book, I was excited, but still skeptical. She isn't an actor known for writing like Mindy Kaling or Lena Dunham. I was blown away by The Rural Diaries; it was truly remarkable. In the preface, she calls this book "a love letter" and that's the most authentic way to describe it. She does a marvelous job sharing the genuine, heartwarming places and people that make her life and the community in Rhinebeck so special. It's clear that she's thriving, and it's inspiring to the rest of us to see how we can live our best lives too!

I am going all the way to five stars with this one! What a fun ride!
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hilarieburton brings the ✨MAGIC✨ people! Do not hesitate one second from picking this book up the first chance you get (it also looks like she narrated the #audiobook so that will be fantastic, no doubt).

This book will make you happy, it will make you dream, it will make you feel understood, it will make you brave, it will just bring joy and hope and so many delightful vibes. Hilarie brings us along in such a warm, inviting way as she reflects on her journey building the life she loves. She is open about the high and lows. It's relatable, kind, fun, and imaginative. And, you may come away with a cozy recipe or two.

Beautifully written. I have been a fan of Hilarie since OTH. I loved reading her story of the beautiful life she has. It made me laugh and cry. I mean she is married to Negan. #thewalkingdead

An interesting look into a celebrity life that doesn’t make you roll your eyes 900 times. I found this to be heartfelt and honest. I greatly enjoyed a peak into Hilarie’s life and her family.

Hilarie Burton gives us an exclusive look into her life with Jeffery, Gus, George, and Mischief Farm. From meeting the love of her life, giving birth to a curious baby boy, moving to a reclusive small town to get away from the noise of the cities to becoming a mother of 2, farmer, sweet shoppe owner, board member and still pursuing her love of acting. Full of recipes, stories of loss, and even agriculture advise, you get a feeling of being one of Hilarie's best friends as she lets you in on what she has been up to during her time off. This was a book that I read until the very last page and closed with it with a smile but also a feeling of it not wanting to be over. The overall feeling of the book was wholesome and raw. I am so grateful that I was able to read this book before it hit stands. I will definitely be buying a physical copy when I can.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

First let me say that I've admired Hilarie since her days on TRL, and through One Tree Hill. She's a badass, powerhouse of a woman, and I admire and respect her. I just wanted to get that out of the way before my review.

I read this all in one sitting. I absolutely couldn't put it down. It was a like a warm chat with your best friend, over tea or coffee or wine. Her voice is so clear and true as she writes of her relationships with herself, her family, her husband, and her community. It's a book of discovery, and I loved it from the first words.

This is a book of honesty and strength. Hilarie writes of loss, gain, life, death, and other topics in a smooth, perceptive voice that I found so refreshing. If I liked her before, I am a serious Hilarie Burton Morgan fangirl now!

One of the top finds this year! . Burtons book was a magnificent read. . Her stories are filled with fascinating accounts of the trials and tribulations of her marriage and life in upstate New York. She is my hero!.
Love, love, love this book! Have been telling everyone to read it!

What a love letter!! I told my husband, pack up! We’re moving to Rhinebeck! That’s what Rural Diaries did for me - the story is so strong and moving you can’t help but fall a little in love with it, and her too.

This was sooo good! Probably my fav book of 2020 so far. I related v closely w Hilarie in that she wanted to get out of the city and back to a small town snd nature. I loved every bit of this book. Everything in it felt genuine and real and def felt like a real person and not a celebrity. Comes out March 5.
Tw: miscarriage

This is a wonderful book the author is open real shares with us moments in her life her career.Fallling in love having babies.Her life on a farm getting involved in her new neighborhood.She honestly says nothing in life is ever easy but she has a very positive spirit.A delight to read, #netgalley#theruraldiaries

I have a confession. I have never seen a single episode of One Tree Hill and I only requested this book because I LOVE farm memoirs. And this farm memoir did not disappoint! I absolutely loved it. Burton writes with such honesty and she is such an approachable author. I really enjoyed every second of this book! I felt like I was there with her at Mischief Farm and like I was learning with her. I devoured this book in a few short days and just fell in love with it. What a fabulous book and author!!

I really enjoyed this book! I have watched Ms Burton on One Tree Hill, but never knew that she was a writer! I thought that her writing style was very conversational, as well as humorous. I loved the story about her and her husband while she was giving birth to their first child. Hilarious! I did feel like there were some parts that could have had more information or back story, like when she went from giving birth to then having the distance between them emotionally. I felt like that needed fleshed out more, but overall it was an enjoyable, very easy to read and understand book. I enjoyed getting a peek into her life and I hope that she continues writing books!