Thanks for ARC. This plot was just too busy. There was too much going on. I needed more fleshed out characters. I did not make it past half the novel.

This book about ordinary people in an ordinary town in Michigan should have been a bit more comforting to me than it was. I am okay with ordinary life books but I didn't really like Jane (or her mom) and how she just let her life happen to her. The supporting characters were much more interesting.

For me this was delightful from start to finish and all points in between. I laughed out loud so many times that I surprised myself. Will be recommending it highly to anyone who will listen.

This was a fun, fast-paced read. Great character development and a realistic storyline. Would definitely recommend to friends!

This was as fast, fun read! There were many moments were I caught myself laughing out loud. I really enjoyed the main characters. This is a book that I'd definitely recommend to others.

There was a lot of buzz about this book - The Washington Post called it the “funniest novel of the year.” This was clearly not for me - I guess I just didn’t get it. I didn’t think it was funny - I thought it was sad. At times, I felt sorry for the main character, Jane, and other times I hated her. I didn’t connect with the story, and I completely missed why it was called Early Morning Riser? This is just a hard pass for me.

Thanks to @NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for my ARC!

Love the beginning,
Read to feed brains, read to feed hearts - makes both happy

Then the struggle began,
I tried reading several times, pick up..have to stop
story was slow and confusing to me
I had hoped to like this book as it received such positive reviews

Okay so I really tried with this book. It just went so slow and never got deep. Just like glossing over the characters lives.

I saw lots of good things about this book on Goodreads so decided to give it a go. I am new to Heinys work so went into it with no previous experience. Wow, it is exactly my sort of story, a long epic novel with multiple characters who are both loveable and believable just blew me away. I couldn't wait to pick it up every night. Highly recommend.

Loved this book! Thank you to NetGalley for the advance ebook. Already ordered this for my library and plan to recommend heavily to my gentle readers.

Early Morning Riser is a novel of place and character. The setting is small town Michigan which is brought to life with its homes, school, stores and more. The main people that readers follow are Jane and Duncan. Jane is a second grade teacher. She meets Duncan when she gets locked out of her house. They very quickly become involved only for Jane to learn that Duncan has many exes. Their evolving relationship and those around them form the basis for the novel.

This book got excellent reviews. There is much humor here and also some heart. I definitely liked this one but I hoped for a little more. It may just be that some of the humor fell a bit flat for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

Enjoyed very much. Laugh out loud funny! The characters were great, especially Jane's mother. My library has already purchased, but if it hadn't been I would have put on my next purchase order!

I’m pretty sure this will end up being one of my favorite books this year. What a delightful read.! This book is full of quirky characters you can’t help but fall in love with. I liked how each chapter was another year in Jane’s life and it was fun to see her relationships grow and develop. There were also many laugh out loud moments (especially about Gary!) Highly recommend for those who like to recognize the golden moments in what may seem like an uneventful life.

A slower story with a large cast of stories, set in a small town in Michigan. I didn’t get along well with the humor in this book, but many others have loved this one so I’m sure it’s just me and not the book.

I’d call this Ann Tyler light as that is what it reminded me of without the literary devices that one expects from a writer like Tyler. It passed the time but I’d say more of a good feel read with the protagonist having an epiphany at the end. Been there. And yes I know it’s getting a lot of press

There is a reason Early Morning Riser is on so many booklists-it is fantastic! It is a beautifully written book about love-romantic, parental, familial, friends, and friends of those you love. The first book I read by Heiny was short stories, and I loved the way they meandered and connected to each other. Early Morning Rider is a novel with the best of short story writing embedded. I loved the imperfectness of the characters and the way their flaws helped them be true to their heart. Excellent read-a top five of 2021 so far.

Beautiful story, very well written. I wanted the story to keep going when it ended, which is always a good sign.

*I received a free Kindle copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, but I also had pre-ordered an Audible copy which I listened to as soon as it came out this week. Annie B Jones at Bookshelf Thomasville had recommended it highly, so I had made the pre-order. It was definitely worth an Audible credit.

This was such a great story about ordinary life. While there were some big events- they were just the same big events we all live through. The story did such a good job telling that every day story and the story of how important relationships are.

This is a really fun, easy read that follows the life of a 2nd grade school teacher living in a small town in Michigan, from about 2002-2019. As someone who comes from a small midwestern town, I found something to relate to on just about every page....& also something to laugh/chuckle out loud about on every page too! Having never read any of K. Heiny's books.....I quickly looked her up & found that this is fairly typical of her style.....& I will surely be reading more of her now! I liked her understated witty observations. What a treat!! I recommend this book to everyone.....it's a gem!
I was gifted an e-ARC from the publisher Knopf Doubleday via NetGalley for my own fair/honest review.

Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny is a fantastic book that will have the reader laughing and crying. Jane is the heart of this novel. She is the new second grade teacher in a small North Michigan town. Jane meets Duncan, a divorced, ruggedly handsome woodworker, and falls in love. Jane soon discovers that Duncan has slept with most women in their town and beyond. He is a notorious flirt. Jimmy is an intellectually challenged man that works for Duncan and lives with his mother. When tragedy strikes Jane is bound to Jimmy forever. Heiny's characters are colorful, quirky and lovable. The plot is not complex, but it is rich with insights, twists, and humor. Definitely a must read and re-read.