🤍BOOK REVIEW🤍

Closer to Okay by Amy Watson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

⚠️ TW: mention of suicide, suicide attempts, mental breaks, eating disorders

Kyle Davies is getting it together. As a former baker, she rises early to prepare breakfast for the day and decide on lunch and dinner. She has her routine. She loves her routine. Her routine helps her to forget about the scars on her wrists. Being at Hope House is enough of a daily reminder that life became too much and she tried to take her life. She finds comfort in watching the coffee shop across the street (and the good looking guy behind the counter). When Kyle is finally allowed to leave the facility, she heads over to the coffee shop. What’s the harm after all? Come to find out, the unsmiling and surly Jackson really has a sweet heart and nice sense of humor. How is a girl not to fall for a guy like this? But her doctor has warned her, a romantic relationship will set back her healing. But being with Jackson brings her happiness that she hasn’t felt in a long time. But as time goes by and problems arise, maybe the good doctor was right. How can you love someone if you can’t love yourself?

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My friends. This book. Is. REMARKABLE. If you have ever struggled with mental health, and mental health while in a relationship, you will likely see yourself in this book. I did not remember what this book was about but as soon as I started it, I couldn’t stop. I read this book within a 24 hour timespan. There were moments where I could have sworn Kyle’s thoughts were my own. There were some tears shed, just by seeing myself represented in this character. But also in understanding the pain in healing and the pain in healing while falling in love with someone else. Please guys, do yourself the favor and read this book. I promise, you will not regret it.

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✨Thank you @netgalley for the copy! And bravo @amywatsonwrites! It truly is amazing!✨


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Very cute book, I really enjoyed reading this! I highly recommend this book
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the book

Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

3.5 🌟

Even though this was quite a heavy book (thank you to the author for providing trigger warnings), there were plenty of lighthearted moments to enjoy. I especially loved the way the protagonist’s relationships with all the characters were written and established.

While I do agree with some other reviews regarding the straying/changing of what seemed to be the original intentions/plot of the book, I think each character was extremely well developed which made it really easy to get involved in their lives and recovery.

Overall, a quick and investing read!

Closer to Okay.

This is a book where "enjoy" doesn't seem like the correct word to use to describe it. But some other words come to mind...meaningful, thought-provoking, emotional. Highly recommended for when you need to FEEL your feelings.

We do things sometimes, we FEEL things too much sometimes. Closer to Okay is an example of that.
How do you start to live again when a short time ago, you didn't want to live? How do you move forward when all you feel is stuck? In this book, you look outside and you literally take one step at a time toward your new life. Is it easy? NO. Do you get to do whatever you want to? NO. But, you take what you can and you start to live again.

And, then you are Closer to Okay.

Closer to Okay is an honest portrayal of mental illness and the struggle to forge a new life after a suicide attempt.

It is very easy to connect to Kyle; she wants to do everything right, to commit to feeling and getting better, but it can be difficult to trust that others are looking out for her. Which, in this case, is fair; Dr Booth is a very untrustworthy person with a lot of control over Kyle and the other residents of Hope House. Every decree of his made my skin crawl, and I felt so sorry for all these residents under his rule. Regardless of how cruel or seemingly pointless his decisions are, Kyle follows them to the best of her ability, all in an attempt to earn back her independence.

Is there a better match than a baker and a coffee shop owner? I loved the chemistry between Kyle and Jackson. From day one, Jackson is very understanding of Kyle's situation. Unfortunately, he pushes a little too far too fast, and Kyle - with a lot of pressure from Dr Booth - has to put her recovery first. I have a lot of respect for Kyle submitting to the process, even when it was questionable - it's definitely not something I would be able to do.

Complicated and messy, Closer to Okay addresses formerly taboo subjects with candour. One story could never represent everyone's experience with mental illness, but this narrative does a good job of broadening the discussion.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

A romance novel spiced with heavy topics around mental health, while I always am in for the inclusivity of bringing up the topic of mental health, this novel seems like it focuses on the protagonist navigating through her relationship. Would love to read more on her actually putting herself first and focus on healing herself

4-4.5 stars

It’s not easy to give up control, but that’s exactly what Kyle Davies does when she checks herself into Hope House after attempting to take her own life. With a strict daily routine ingrained from years of working as a baker, and weekly appointments with Dr. Booth, Kyle thinks she’s doing just fine. Eventually Dr. Booth allows her free time to leave the house for two hours a day, something Kyle believes she can handle, but things go a bit haywire when she switches up her steady routine.

After spying on the owner of the coffee shop across from Hope House, Kyle finds herself drawn to the surly yet warmhearted man, and it doesn’t take long for them to develop feelings for one another. They both have issues they need to deal with and Dr. Booth discourages Kyle from getting into a relationship while she is still in treatment, but she can’t help gravitating toward the feelings of being nurtured and taken care of by Jackson. But is that enough to heal her or will Jackson cause her to spiral away from all of the progress she has made?

I really enjoyed this book and found it reminiscent of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. While the subject matter was a bit dismal, I thought the overall emotions conveyed were raw and real. The character development was on point, and I found them all, even the minor characters, to be refreshingly relatable. There were times I was brought to tears because of my empathetic nature and my own struggle with depression, but I applaud the author for taking on the subject of mental health and not only focusing on the main character’s struggle but the struggles all of the patients at Hope House battled with.

Highly recommend!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing a copy of this book to review.*

I can't express how disappointing this book was. To start off, I thought this book was about mental health. No, this is a romance where its quirky touch was serious mental illnesses and conditions. None of the comedy landed and nobody spoke like actual human beings. The mental illness representation was an absolute joke and truly horrendous, boiling everyone down to stereotypes with a one size fits all recovery plan. The romance was unrealistic in every way possible. First off, no matter how you put it, falling in love while at a mental institution is terrifying and a massive red flag. The love interest was so accepting to the point where he lost all "aww thats so sweet" undertones and it just felt cartoonish and ridiculous. The writing really got on my nerves. What's great about writing about mental illness is you can show the readers what it's like to have those thought processes. Instead what this book does is tell you everything. We are told that the main character feels tired, feels depressed, feels drunk, but we are never shown what it's like as she goes through those motions. It really took me out of the story that mental illness was such a side piece of the story, which is messed up in so many ways because she is staying in a mental institution. Don't even get me started on the doctor or nurses. None of the jokes land. None of the deep and emotional moments hit you at all. And the happy moments feel so unearned since all other elements go totally underdeveloped. I'm rating this book two stars because I kept thinking it could have been a lot worse, but it got on my nerves too much to warrant 3 stars. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book. There are way better ones out there that achieve what this book set out to accomplish way better.

Wow, what an emotional read. As someone who also has depression and anxiety, it was interesting to read from Kyles perspective and follow her growth journey. I enjoyed seeing her interactions inside Hope House and her sense of freedom outside the Hope House. While I wish more insight was provided about the relationship between Jackson and Kyle (and the difficult relationship regarding Jacksons father), but overall I think it was a well-rounded read.

Definitely check the trigger warnings before reading this. TW's include: suicide attempt (self harm), suicide (occurs off-page and is mentioned), discussion and depiction of mental illness, suicidal thoughts, abandonment, eating disorder, confinement, violence, and parental death.

Thank you Alcove Press and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

Closer to Okay is a perfectly imperfect book, just like the characters it features - Kyle, Jackson, Jamie, Joey and the rest of the cast. What I love the most about it is that it portrays raw emotions and harsh reality without romanticising depression or mental health issues. It's nowhere near a 'Boy saves the girl' story, a common trope in romantic books. Rather it shows how all of us are dealing with shits in our own life. Also the descriptions of food! I was literally drooling.

What I didn't like was the romance. It was a bit melodramatic, weird and not to my liking at all. The first half was quite okay but the moment the relationship between Jackson and Kyle started taking the spotlight, my mood got ruined. I would have rated it higher if Jackson were more mature and understanding. Maybe the intention was to show that Jackson has his own demons to deal with but the idea was poorly executed. Still it's a lovely book that deserves a chance. I teared up a lot because the emotions are so intense that you can't help but feel what they feel. The words flowed easily though the plot seemed messy sometimes and captivated me from the very beginning with the intriguing start. Recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley & Alcove Press for an eARC of this book. The following review are my honest and unbiased thoughts.

I will always, always, always pick up a book that deals with mental health; we have more representation than ever before but that doesn't mean we have nearly as much as there should be. Mental health and mental illness play a MASSIVE part in any romantic relationship, and I've loved seeing more and more romance authors not just address it as a subplot, but make it the main plot. Representation matters!

Closer to Okay by Amy Watson is the story of Kyle and Jackson. Kyle, a baker who is currently a mental health inpatient at Hope House. Jackson's coffee shop, The Coffee Shop, is across the street, which Kyle begins to visit in her hours outside of her inpatient treatment. It's a complicated romance, as all true romances are.

What really caught my attention was this part of the blurb: "falling in love may be the thing that sends Kyle into a backslide she might never be able to crawl out of. Is Jackson too much for her to handle? Does love come at the cost of sanity?"

As someone with attachment and abandonment issues (yes, I'm in therapy lol), I've wrestled with this question myself, so I was eager to see it explored in fiction. This book, however, massively misses the mark.

To begin, we don't get very much backstory on Kyle and what brought her to this moment, and as any seasoned therapy veteran knows, the backstory is what matters most in resolving trauma and moving forward. Some books can get away with lack of backstory (and many do), but not when focusing on this particular subject.
Also, the doctor was villianized for much of the book (and acted quite erratically), and while mental health practitioners can be very flawed and hurt their patients, many don't, and having a villianous doctor didn't work for this plot, because Kyle's healing was essential to her finding a happy and healthy relationship. And that was my main issue with the book - we never see Kyle truly heal, we never see her actions and behaviour change, and as a result Jackson and Kyle's relationship came across as very co-dependent and unhealthy. They may have had their "happy ever after," but I was still left with the feeling there was much to be resolved.

All in all, good idea, disappointing execution.

I want to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for gifting me this book in exchange for my honest review.

I gave this book 3 stars because it took me two weeks to get through it, when I normally read a book in 4 or 5 days, so it was a bit disconcerting. Nevertheless, it was a very well-written book, and I enjoyed the narration and connected with the characters deeply.

Thanks again for the book!

This book was a very honest portrayal of someone who is trying to get their mental health back together. Kyle has anxiety and depression. Like so many of us, she thinks she can just…. handle it… until one day she can’t. After a suicide attempt, she finds herself under the care of Dr. Booth at Hope House. It comes with its own routine- she makes meals for everyone, has therapy, spends time with her friend (and fellow inpatient) Joey. I understand why we needed to change so much about her life- and there were parts I agreed with; but there were parts where I think it went too far. Dr. Booth seemed almost vindictive at times, pushing his patients too far. His choice of jobs, for example, gave me pause. Why allow a pastry chef to work at a fast-paced restaurant without being allowed to bake or even make the dough? But that’s neither here nor there… For me, this book brought to life the struggles of depression, of actually accepting that we need help and making a plan to get better. In that way, I loved the book. I feel like there was a lot of real growth with Kyle, she wasn’t instantaneously “cured” and the white knight with a bad attitude didn’t miraculously save her… she took steps to make her life better, taking the dr’s advice into account but not letting anyone control her. I loved that. It was honest, believable and above all it felt real.

I will say that the pacing was all over the place. For the first half of the book, we move very slowly, bogged down as we are with Kyle’s mental health and routine. This is important and completely necessary, but it’s hard to get through. I had to take frequent breaks. Then there’s her interaction with Jackson- going from incredibly awkward, to sweet, to cute, to heartbreaking in what felt like a second’s time. I want more of this. I also want more time with Joey. The last chapters flew by, far too quickly for my liking. Is it wrong to want way more happy moments after the pain? I actually wouldn’t mind a companion book- maybe with more from Jackson’s side, or showing what they are up to together? That said, the story did have a fulfilling conclusion- I didn’t feel like there were a lot of loose ends or anything like that. For me, this was a four star book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
On the adult content, there is drinking and language. Some aspects of the story, including discussion of suicide, may be hard for some readers. There was some very light sexual content as well, but nothing I wouldn’t give to a teenager. I wouldn’t actually place any age recommendations on this one, though it was obviously written with an adult crowd in mind.

There was a lot going on with this book. A lot of characters, a lot of themes, and a lot of emotions. While I would sometimes feel like the story was overdone with all it had going on, I actually really enjoyed Closer to Okay. It balances the very serious topic of mental health with some romance and I'd recommend it to any chick lit fan.

I received an electronic ARC from Alcove Press via NetGalley.

Readers should know that there is a lot of profanity used throughout this novel, and should read the synopsis, and make their own decision about reading this novel based on the subject-matter. That said, I appreciated that this story was told from Kyle’s perspective, and enjoyed following her journey of figuring out and getting what she wanted and needed for herself. I look forward to reading more from this author.

This has great potential but is muddled by the mixture of mental health and romance novel. Kyle is an inpatient at a mental health facility after a suicide attempt and a long struggle with depression. She becomes obsessed withJackson, who works at the coffee shop across the street and that's where this went a bit off the rails for me. It's not that Kyle doesn't deserve love or a romance, it's that this is more powerful when it's dealt with her mental health. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

Many Thanks to the author and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book before being published in exchange for an honest review.

A powerful, realistic fiction has truly honest approach to mental health issues including angsty, emotional romance between main characters.
This book opens up to Kyle Davies- a professional Baker trying to get her life back in order after falling into depression by being lonely.
There were some things that were left unresolved which is why I'm a bit disappointed with the abrupt ending. Regardless, it was a good, emotional, soul-wrenching and real book with side characters who had their own little stories and it would stay with me for a while! It's a must-read for those who can relate to the core theme of the book.
Closer to Okay is an honest portrayal of mental illness and the struggle to forge a new life after a suicide attempt.

I'm thankful that I read this book, but I wanted a little more from it. I appreciate a story that centers on mental illness and the struggles it brings. This book explored depression and suicidal thoughts. From beginning to end in this particular story though, I didn't feel like the main character made much progress in treating her depression.

This story opens with Kyle, a female of undetermined age, living in a halfway house after a suicide attempt. When she gets to the point where she is ready to "push" herself to go outside of the home, she finds a coffee shop close by and begins a daily habit of visiting the shop. She meets the two owners, 2 young men of also undetermined ages and forges a friendship with both. The reader learns that she has a passion for baking, and was trained as a pastry chef. Baking is her solace and her meditation.

Kyle has a difficult relationship with her therapist (who has complete control of Kyle's medical decisions). He is portrayed as narcissistic and concerned only with his own observations and methods of treatment. His seeming wish to control her life all of a sudden fizzles. I have to say that I did not love this portrayal. I realize that this is a work of fiction, but it feels like this train of thought serves to scare people away from medical personnel, rather than see them as a resource for help.

Kyle begins a relationship with one of the coffee shop owners, Jackson. The relationship felt very rushed, unhealthy and detrimental to both of their mental health journeys. While Kyle battles depression, Jackson battles parental control and avoidance issues. Their quick union felt counterintuitive to the Jackson's personality. The fact that Kyle fell back into a deep depression any time something seemed amiss with Jackson was such a red flag in my book. Again, I understand that this is fiction, I'm just expressing my feelings.

The other residents at the halfway house were introduced, but we only found out the backstory for one of the characters, Eddie. (And I was confused as to why his actions in the house would be tolerated). I really would have liked to see more background for Kyle and for Jackson. I think that was such an important piece in understanding their decision making that was missing.

The ending made me hopeful that Kyle was healing as she recognized her illness and triggers. I was hopeful that she would continue on her baking journey. Jackson's future was more hazy. I was hopeful that he would stand up for himself and find a life that he wanted. I want them to work as a couple. I want them both to be there for each other. But I also want them to know that they could be fine on their own.

Even with my frustrations, I'm glad that I read this book and I think that many people will enjoy it. Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC to read and review

2 ⭐️

I'll try and write a coherent review, please note that I received an e-arc from the publisher, all opinions are my own an not influenced by that in any way. This might contain spoilers so keep that in mind before reading.

I was very intrigued with the synopsis of the book when I first found it on NetGalley, hoping for a book with a more serious introspective view into mental health. And while I did enjoy the first couple of chapters, I very quickly became confused. We had very little backstory on Kyle and what led her to this moment in life, and I had a hard time picturing her - is she middle-aged, is she in her twenties, is she in her thirties - I felt like there were a lot of very juvenile moments in this story.

Which leads me to the other characters in the book. Was the Doctor supposed to be a villain? Because he is certainly portrayed as incompetent in Kyle's eyes, pushing patients past their limits, leading to one of them ending his own life. He also plays a massive part in Kyle's story, having medical power of decision over her, being this big looming presence controlling her life and supposedly still needing to see Kyle after she leaves the house before he deems her capable. But then that didn't end up happening and he just doesn't show up to the court date and she gets her medical proxy back, it was honestly very confusing. There's also the fact that he got her a job, and she apparently always has cash on her for coffee and stuff, but also doesn't know how she's getting paid, there's just a lot of loose ends in this one.

Onto the romance, I was extremely confused here - she has only ever met the guys from the Coffee Shop across the road maybe twice when she randomly runs up behind Jackson on the street and hugs the guy, and ends up walking with him holding hands. After seeing that she's already late for curfew, they decide to go to his apartment, and she doesn't find it ironical in the least when she says: "(...) seeing as we've just established ourselves as friends an hour ago, I don't think I'm ready for the whole 'meet the family' scene yet." - but hugging and holding hands and going to a strangers apartment is okay. They end up admitting to liking each other very quickly, despite hardly knowing one another, and then dramatically have a fight immediately after. There's also a scene where she has a panic attack because of a razor in the bathroom and then they're making out on the couch like an hour later. Jackson's dad was another character I had no idea what to do with, because once again it made him seem like a villain and that just ended up not leading anywhere, again.

Their relationship felt very co-dependent and unhealthy despite the book ending with them together and happy.

At one point, it's her first full day out of the House, she gets late to work, goes out for drinks with her coworker after their shift, and then ends up kissing him. That also ends up not leading anywhere except for one awkward conversation.

There's also this weird moment where she apologizes for hurting the two coffee shop guys and Fiona (also known as the girl she met once while drinking coffee, and once again briefly at a concert), this girl, woman, who knows, was worried about having hurt Fiona when the book only mentions them interacting twice, much like with Jackson I think there were some very serious attachment issues going on that never got addressed.

I was completely lost on the timing of moments most of the book, at one point Jackson says they've know each other for 10 months and I was completely confused, like when did that happen? And then the story just ends, very abruptly, just turned the page and over.

Hope this made any sense, I'm really sad this didn't work for me. I was waiting for Kyle to actually get a baking job and end up doing something she loved at the coffee shop and that didn't happen. I think that the idea of getting professional help was both recommended but also criticized, seeing as Dr. Booth was a horrible character that only made his patients worse, and discharged Kyle while she was clearly not doing okay, but then she mentally thanks him for all his work in the end. Overall I think the book needed a little more editing, maybe some more indicators of time so that the timeline is better understood.

I enjoyed this book. Its strength was the two main characters, particularly Kyle. The story is told through her eyes, but we also know she recently tried to commit suicide, so her observations were always a little suspect. Still I enjoyed watching her interact, grow and change throughout the book. Grade: B.

Review used as a stepping stone to post about authors getting details wrong in books https://rannthisthat.blogspot.com/2022/09/how-important-are-details.html