This tender novel's central theme is hope. Put this at the top of your book stack if you like intimate stories told from two points of view. Tallie is a therapist living in Kentucky. On her drive home, she comes across a man standing at the edge of a bridge in the pouring rain. Tallie doesn't hesitate. She pulls to the side of the road and attempts to save this man in his moments of despair. The entire book takes place over one long weekend, beginning at that moment. Tallie's character is instantly likable. She is kind, tenacious and never gives up on those she loves. As we get to know Emmett, we find that still waters run deep. Both have secrets; both have big hearts. This book felt warm, intimate and cozy. Descriptions of Tallie's home felt comforting. Cross-Smith is a writer who knows how to touch people's hearts. Thank you to @netgalley and @grandcentralpub for the complimentary e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. #thisclosetookay #leesacrosssmith #netgalley #bookstagrammer #bookreviewer #booksandmrdarcy #withhernosestuckinabook #goodreads

I first encountered Leesa Cross-Smith's writing via her 2020 story collection, So We Can Glow. How could I not pick up a book that Roxane Gay called (in a quote on the cover) "unapologetically for women, about women, a love letter to who we are, the best and worst of us, held high and true, so we can glow as brightly as we dare"? Besides loving the cleverness of Gay managing to use the collection's title as praise for the book, I also couldn't resist the idea of stories that celebrate women at their highs and their lows--and the 42 tales in So We Can Glow (Grand Central, $15.99) do precisely that, with a depth of emotion and contexts that show off Cross-Smith's skill as a story writer.

That skill comes through in Cross-Smith's novels as well, delivering the same emotional depth via a different vehicle. Her debut novel, Whiskey & Ribbons (Hub City Press, $16), centers on the death of a Black cop killed in the line of duty. With first-person narration from three narrators, the novel weaves between perspectives (like many of the best short story collections) to coalesce in a moving work about grief and loss, family and love.

While Whiskey & Ribbons moves back and forth in time, the core of Cross-Smith's second novel, This Close to Okay (Grand Central, $27), is set during one long weekend. The novel promises the story of two strangers--a therapist and the man she pulls from the side of a bridge during a rainstorm--and looks like it will pack just as much punch as the stories that drew me into Cross-Smith's oeuvre to begin with. --Kerry McHugh, blogger at Entomology of a Bookworm

<em>Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing house for providing a review copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.</em>

I got an opportunity to sneak peek this release, that is coming to bookstores on February 2nd.

Just as a man is about to jump off a bridge and commit suicide, a talk therapist pulls up and convinces him to stop his attempt and join her for a cup of coffee. Not only does he join her for coffee, but she also lets him stay with her for the weekend so that she can monitor him at her house.

Recently divorced, Tallie finds comfort in his company and the two become fast friends with lots of spark over the course of these three days.

The problem is that neither is REALLY being honest about who they are.

One must suspend reality a bit with this idea of a therapist allowing a suicidal stranger to join them for a weekend, blurring those lines an awful lot.

I read this one really quickly and was disappointed to find the ending to be an abrupt one after so much build-up to their unusual love story, of sorts. Despite not connecting with the story as much as I wanted, I did read this one in a day and would definitely read the author again, even if this wasn't my favorite this month.

I was very tempted to read this book because of all of the hype surrounding it, and am now excited to share my thoughts!

The plot of this book follows Tallie, a therapist, and Emmett, a man she meets one night as she is driving down a bridge and finds him standing on the wrong side of the railing. She immediately pulls over because of her heart for helping others; something that is evident from the start of the book and throughout as well. She convinces Emmett to step back and change his mind. Against her initial hesitation to bring a stranger home, she does anyway as she is convinced that Emmett does not have an evil bone in his body and truly wants to prevent him from ending his life. What follows is a weekend-long journey into learning more about who Emmett is and what lead him to the bridge in the first place.

This book is pretty stagnant as far as changing scenes and timelines. I typically read books with nonlinear timelines, so it was slightly difficult to keep my attention focused on this book. I also felt like the ending to the book left me wanting more. That's not always a bad thing, but I truly did want to see more for one of the characters.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend to a friend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advanced copy!

My. Heart. I love LCS’s writing, and yet again she created these multidimensional characters and pulls you into their intimate lives. I loved the development of Emmett and Tallie’s relationship, and became really emotionally invested in both of the characters. Overall, it gave me all the warm fuzzies despite the traumas that unfold.

📚Book 6 of 2021: This Close to Ok by Leesa Cross-Smith

🗣Who is this for: Anyone who wants a cozy, character driven, page-turner to snuggle up with and get lost in. Trigger Warning: There are discussions about suicide throughout this book.

💬Reader’s Digest Version: Tallie Clark, a recently divorced therapist living in Louisville, is on her way home from work when she sees a stranger attempting to take his own life by jumping from a bridge. Tallie stops the car, and immediately works to persuade him to rethink taking his own life. From there the two go on to spend a wonderful, weird, heartbreaking, transformational weekend together. This book is about how random chance can draw two unlikely strangers together, and how the glorious chaos that ensues has the power to heal, even when you’re going through the darkest of days.

🏃🏻‍♀️My Take: I will start by saying that this book is the first novel in a long time that caused me to have a good cathartic cry while reading it. I don’t think anything I could say would do this book the justice it deserves. I felt so close to these characters throughout this book, that I am still sad they are not real as I write this today. I loved the cozy fall imagery from Tallie’s love of pumpkin candles and coffee, to the feeling of sheltering inside with someone you care about as the rain falls outside. I loved how Leesa Cross-Smith was able to construct these characters so beautifully that you could feel their spirit and their soul jumping off the page. As the story progresses, you get closer and closer to finding out who Emmett really is and the mystery of his background will leave you on the edge of your seat. Throughout the twists and turns of this story, I felt myself desperately needing to know that these characters were going to be ok by the end. That is what compelling, honest, vulnerable writing will do to you. I was completely gutted by this book, and I’m still haunted by it as I write this. Highly, highly recommend.

Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book. The story itself radiated warmth inside and out. The topic of suicide is high in this book, so I'd like to warn you just in case it's a trigger. I loved how Cross-Smith approached the story as a whole. I'm glad I read this and will recommend this to my book clubbers and fellow readers.

This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith is a fascinating novel about the chance meeting of two people on a rainy night. Tallie is a therapist and she is driving when she sees a man standing on a bridge, ready to jump. Without thinking she stops her car, jumps out and talks him out of jumping. She asks him for one weekend to change his mind about ending his life...and so the most intense weekend begins.

This novel is fascinating on so many levels. Can she talk him down without revealing she's a therapist? Should she? What has driven him to this point? Why is he doing this anyway? The conversations are tricky and nuanced and fascinating to read as they work out a plan of attack to keep him alive.

Thank you to the author, Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

* I received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

While Leesa does a good job of writing an easy to read book, the characters and story were a little unbelievable. Maybe it would have worked better for me if Tallie was a college student and not a 40 year old women. That is my biggest thing with This Close to Okay, the believability of everything that is being said and happening between Tallie and Emmett. The conversations were repetitive, the pacing was slow and the ending was unsatisfying but made the most sense given her age.

I just want to note too that I went into this thinking it was going to be something different.

I wouldn't go out of my way to tell people not to read this but I also wont be recommending to my library or friends. I would however check out more by Leesa Cross-Smith in the future.

After reading the premise and reviews of this book, I knew I had to read it. It helped that I didn't go in with the expectation of getting a mental health thesis. This book was incredibly sad, heavy on the issues of mental health but as someone who has been on both sides of the couch myself, I appreciate that the author did not make it a crash course in a fiction novel. We got to meet two beautiful characters In all their vulnerability, fragility, bareness, grief, despair. One is a suicidal man and the other is a therapist who spend an unexpected weekend healing each other. I guess that's why I started this review with that quote; alot of getting to know someone is letting go of your own agenda and listen to the person, then asking the right questions and listening some more. We didn't always get that in this novel, I sometimes felt like Tallie was pushy but it helped to peel away the layers of so much that is suppressed on the regular. Racism, bipolar disorder, PTSD, incarceration, infertility just scratches the surfaces on what remains unseen to the outside world.. Both Tallie and Emmitt showed us incredible patience and love in their most vulnerable and heartbraking moments, trying and sometimes failing to get past these issues. Two seemingly perfect all American families who had their lives upended in the blink of an eye. And this novel constantly reminded me, life is so so very fragile and fleeting. There's a fine line between content and tolerance. Grief is complicated, chaotic and multifaceted. I did not expect the twisted turn of events from these characters and it often made me equally angry and empathic. The characters are intertwined in ways that made this a solid page turner as the story evolves, written with candor and compassion. I did not get the bow tie wrap up I anticipated in the end but sometimes that the point in life, things don't always turn out the way we expect. Nevertheless I LOVED this novel.

This compelling, moving story draws you in and keeps you captivated. Although not a thriller, it often reads like one. It explores the impact made through a chance encounter of two strangers whose lives are forever changed as a result. The importance of offering and receiving help, the power of forgiveness and the healing power of human connection and community are themes artfully interwoven. Although a fast read, these characters and thematic elements linger long after the last page is turned.

Wow. This book. I don’t even know where to start! I guess I’ll begin by saying that it is a heavy read and not a book I suggest going into blind. There are a lot of trigger warnings (attempted suicide, affair, and more). That being said, it is extremely deep and moving. I really enjoyed this one and thought the premise was very unique. I did think there was one aspect that was rushed. I didn’t feel like the characters had gotten to know each other enough for them to feel so betrayed at the reveal. Overall, a solid read. Thank you Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review! 3.5 stars!

This Close to Okay is a beautifully written story about how two strangers help each other face their painful pasts over the course of a weekend.

I loved the characters in this book - Tallie is a therapist trying to get over her divorce who sees Emmett standing at the edge of a bridge. She talks him into not jumping and invitees him to stay with her (I know - it's a stretch but go with it), hoping to ensure his safety and maybe find out what landed him there.

After some awkwardness, Tallie and Emmett start to open up to each other, maybe because it's safe to share their feelings with someone they may never see again. This mutual honesty creates a bond neither one of them expects and changes the course of both of their lives as they come to terms with the issues and secrets that have been holding them back.

Cross-Smith alternates between Tallie and Emmett's POVs to tell the story and also includes flashbacks that slowly reveal what brought Emmett to the bridge. While there are several interesting secondary characters, this novel is all about Tallie and Emmett and the subtle dance they do with each other. I rooted for both of them to find happiness and was surprised by the ending which is satisfying if not what I expected. This Close to Okay covers a lot of heavy topics - mental health, suicide, grief, adultery, and race among them - but I finished it feeling strangely hopeful, almost like I had been to therapy myself.

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing, NetGalley and the author for this copy to review.

The topic of mental health has always been something near and dear to my heart so I was eager to see how Cross-Smith was going to tackle this topic in This Close To Okay.

Ultimately, this is a story of two strangers being brought together through random circumstance and the weekend they spend together. I thought this book was going to wind up being one of my favorites but it just wound up frustrating me and not in a good way. We know that one of our main characters, Tallie is a therapist and that Emmett is the guy she saves from ending his life. The story switches from both their POVs over the course of the weekend. As they get to know each other and as we get deeper into the story, I couldn't get past the fact of the decisions our main characters made-- Boundaries were being crossed, the whole invasion of privacy and the lies... Oh, the lies and secrets just kept piling up. I feel it affected my enjoyment of the story a lot because rather than finding healing and hope, it felt more detrimental than anything. I kept questioning whether the way things played out was healthy or toxic.

Early on, I was just waiting for that "twist" to reveal itself as majority of the story portrayed a quiet sort of build-up to the "big truth" that I knew was eventually going to come out. When the "big truth" does finally come out.. let me tell you, it was just sad. Loose ends do get tied up in their own way but the ending was just so-so.

I think some of my favorite aspects of the book were Emmett's "mental cataloging" and Tallie's thought processes and approaches as a therapist.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Grand Central Publication + Netgalley for the eARC of THIS CLOSE TO OKAY by Leesa Cross-Smith.

Is friendshipmance a thing because I think it should be a book category - books that are propelled forward by a friendship that is meant to be with a happily ever after friendship relationship.
While "This Close to Okay" starts off emotionally heavy (and never really veers from there), I adored how the relationship between Tallie + Emmett characters was a continual focus of the story.as they went from complete strangers to being able to reveal parts of themselves they hadn't been able to previously.
What starts as a story in which Tallie stops Emmett from jumping off a bridge to commit suicide quickly becomes a hopeful story of two people who meet just when they need each other most.

Tallie is on her way home from work one rainy nasty evening when she sees a man on the wrong side of the bridge. He has climbed the rails and is staring at the stormy dark river. Without hesitation Tallie pulls her car over and races to help this man, gently coaxing him to speak with her, accept a ride and leave this dire situation. After a warm cup of coffee and the calming effect of Tallie’s voice, Emmett shares a little about himself. With nowhere else to go he agrees to spend the night on her couch. Tallie is a professional therapist and although this may appear just a teensy bit unethical, she tells Emmett she is a teacher. She decides that someone who wants to kill themselves is not looking for a last minute therapy session. As Emmet opens up to Tallie’s natural warmth and hospitality, she details her own recent heartbreaking divorce and failure to have a child. The two connect on a deep level, trusting each other with feelings rarely expressed out loud. Narrated by both Tallie and Emmett the reader has a chance to see both sides of the coin. As their truths unfold it it is clear that even if fate brought them together it takes extraordinary forgiveness to mend a broken heart. Tiny bits of repetition did not stop me from loving this beautiful story. More therapeutic than sad, I highly recommend!

Loved this! It made me feel and think. Tallie and Emmett are gradually revealed to each other and themselves after spending the weekend together. Mental health issues are explored, including suicidal thoughts and trauma, as well as infertility, divorce, friendship, love, grief and more. Sometimes the right person comes along at exactly the right moment. I read this quickly in two days and loved spending time with both characters' stories. Now I'm eager to read Cross-Smith's other books. She is an amazing storyteller. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review the ARC.

I received a copy of this book thru NetGalley for review.

Content warning for suicide, suicidal ideation, loss of a child.

There are so many things about Tallie that reminded of myself that I've never seen represented in a book. And honestly, the scene where Tallie and Emmett are discussing the art museum scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off is one of my many favorites in this book.

I don't know maybe because I've had a weekend this intense with someone who you know couldn't or shouldn't be a part of your real life and it was a lot like this. You are in this beautiful little bubble where you're your best self, because you know it has an expiration date.

We often talk about "black girl magic" but when we see it, there is a need for her to be humbled. I adored the fact that Tallie was from a good family with no trauma, that she was well traveled, and that she made no apologies for enjoying things she enjoyed. Some of the reviews of this book seem to have an issue that she "acted like a teen" or the dialogue was ridiculous. I would ask why you feel that way about this character and if her race played a part in it.

I don't know if Tallie breached some sort of ethical code bc I'm not a therapist. I'm willing to allow her some grace because this is fiction and because therapists are human and not perfect.

I went into this book with a lot of hype. It was still a great story, and i loved the characters. But parts got a little dragged out for me. AND THE ENDING?? Kinda pissed me off...

Thank you netgalley for an ARC

Well, that was heavy! I really liked the story of two unlikely strangers having an instant connection. I couldn't put it down because I was rooting for both characters, and dying to know the backstories of each character. I thought the ending could have been better, but overall, it was a quick very intriguing read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. And I found it original.

Thank you to Netgally for an ARC for an honest review.