Georgie Mulcahy returns to her small hometown after the woman she was a personal assistant to decides she wants to leave her Hollywood life behind. What's Georgie to do now without a job or even an inkling of what she wants to do with her future? Get two strawberry milkshakes from a local business and head straight to her best friend Bel.

Georgie's best friend has always been the picture-perfect person. She always had a set plan and goals that she set her heart to. Even now, while only a couple months away from having a baby, Bel managed to unpack the majority of the house that her and husband recently moved into.

While looking through a box of high school memorabilia at Bel's, the best friends come across a "friendfic" diary they wrote. A book fantasizing their goals and accomplishments is the exact push in the right direction Georgie thinks she needs. What better a way to get in touch with her past self than to accomplish the goals she made for herself in her younger years?

Georgie scurries off to her childhood home, friendfic diary in hand, and settles in. She's comfortable until a complete stranger unlocks the door with his dog in tow and says that he arranged to stay over at her parent's house while they were away to plant-sit. The stranger is Levi Fanning: a living, breathing nightmare to the town as a teenager, but very hot, broody, and silent in his current, 30ish year old form.

This was such a fun, emotion-packed read. I loved reading Georgie complete all the tasks in her friendfic and I loved reading her and Levi spend time together and unravel one another little by little.

Something that felt super special about this book were Levi and Georgie's character journeys. Both of their storylines felt fully fleshed out within their own relationship, as well as the relationships they held in their own lives. Georgie was lost in her own life and Levi was damaged in his own way, so reading their journeys from beginning to end was an emotional rollercoaster and I was STRAPPED IN, LAP-BAR DOWN, take me on this ROLLERCOASTER!

I ESPECIALLY loved Georgie's friendship with Bel. I was a sobbing MESS over them at one point in the book. Such a beautiful showcase of friendship that illustrated being there for one another through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

This was my first Kate Clayborn book and it will NOT be my last. The friendfic diary was such a fun way to integrate character growth into the story. I was rooting for these characters SO strongly and patiently waited for their character journeys to reach their final form.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and Kate Clayborn for the early copy in exchange for an honest review!!

Rating: 5 out of 5

Cute book with a perfect main character. I loved her! She is so chaotic but in a funny way you kinda want to be friends with her. Definitely a great weekend read. Perfect if you love a lighthearted story to keep your mind occupied.

4.5 stars rounded up. Kate Clayborn’s books are some of my favorites and her latest did not disappoint. This novel, like the others, is a romance but has friendship and self discovery and once again, I finished loving the characters. One of my favorite romances I’ve read this year! Thanks Netgalley and Kensington for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. Unfortunately, I found it to be forgettable. I did have to get the full arc from the publisher at ALA because this was just a 30 page excerpt.

Ohh my goodness! There was so much to love about this book! I went in prepared to settle through another nice 30-something girl loses job, returns to home town, struggles with her life choices, finds herself and realizes she was there all along and reconnects with love while there, story, who doesn't love it? Nothing wrong there. But I was NOT on Levi's sturdily built dock, book friends! I was not prepared to be swept away by these characters and a giant metal rooster of love!

Kate Clayborn manages to bring a beautiful humanity to the messy realities of being exactly that: human. Georgie is a hot mess AND outrageously skilled in her own right, in spite of the perception of those around her. Bel? Is a hot mess. But is genuine, kind, generous and honest, even when she's barely holding it together. Georgie's parents? Hot messes, but what an extraordinary example of familial and romantic love in a non-traditional way showing that love can be as flexible and delicious as we make it. And the siblings? H-o-t messes in every direction! But what family doesn't host it's cracks and fissures? Everyone, at some point, has to rework how they relate to their parents, their siblings, their friends and themselves. Clayborn grasps this on an absolutely masterful level and manages to bring it to word in a way that is not oppressive and depressive, but provides a reality and levity as the reader is allowed to grow and anticipate with these individuals. She unfolds the truths that no one has to have it all together to be whole, to be valued and valuable, to be loved and love. That it is not our job, our home, our history, our school, opinions of others, even our skillset that makes us who and what we are, because when all of that was stripped away? It was Georgie, All Along.

Fans of Emily Henry, Ali Hazelwood and Talia Hibbert will likely enjoy this title. I'm new to the genre, having chosen to expand my reading horizons in 2022, and I personally could not put it down and was through in 36 hours.

I was provided with an E-Book copy of Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity and I look forward to seeing this book splashed across must read lists and in book clubs throughout 2023 and reading through Kate's previous releases as well as catching upcoming titles!

Thank you to Kensington Books for this advanced copy of Kate Clayborn's "Georgie, All Along"

4.5 stars, rounded up

Georgie Mulcahy is at a crossroads in her life. She finds herself back in the town she grew up in, unemployed and ready to help her best friend as she prepares for her new baby. Her first night home, she finds herself reunited with a journal that she and her best friend composed before they went to high school. The discovery of the journal sparks a flame in Georgie for the first time since she left her former residence and job. She commits herself to do the things she once believed were most important. Her conviction to accomplish these things are reinforced by her best friend, Annabel, and later, her defacto roommate, Levi Fanning.

This book was like a coming-of-age book for an adult. I loved watching Georgie figure out the best parts of herself. The romance between her and Levi was so sweet and it was a good, slow burn. I love the way that Clayborn weaves her stories, making the characters so nuanced and showing how lovable they are. The love story always feels authentic and the conflicts feel real, yet not insurmountable.

I am so happy I got to read this book in advance. I can't wait for her next one.

I read this book in two days, as a mom of four that is no easy feat. I simply could not put it down.

Georgie, All Along is a love story in every sense of the word. The obvious love story is Georgie and Levi, I don’t know if I’d classify it as a slow burn, I truly think they fell early, but so complex and I love what they built together and how well they fit. Their character progression was so well done, when they cried, I cried. They really brought out the best versions of each other, and it was beautiful to read.

Secondary to them, Georgie and Bel are everything. True lifelong friendship, so much love and admiration, and I LOVE seeing books written where the women are so supportive of each other throughout all of life’s ups and downs. They were a heartwarming reminder of why those relationships are so important.

I hadn’t read a Kate Clayborn book prior to this, and now I cannot wait to read more. What a beautiful story, I will absolutely be adding a hard copy to my collection when it releases in January.

Georgia Mulcahy is suddenly whisked away from her bustling LA life back into her small hometown while she tries to figure out her next move. What she didn’t see coming, however, was the love of her life, in the most unexpected of circumstances.

In the beginning, I wasn’t sure if this was just another romance novel. But Clayborn proved this story was far from basic. I found myself relating to the complexities of the characters in ways I didn’t expect. Clayborn writes these characters to perfection and understands the importance of knowing yourself as an individual before being your best self in a relationship.

A wonderful romance that will keep you rooting for Georgie, Levi, and love!

I didn’t realize this was a sample and now I cannot rest until I read the entire thing!! Kate Clayborn is the master of a slow, emotional romance that intertwines the development of the couple with the progress that each character needs to make independently—I can’t wait for more Georgie.

I have so much gratitude to Kate Clayborn for writing this beautiful, comforting, heartwarming, and joyous story. Georgie, All Along is a wonderful story about going back, about second chances, and about realizing that you define yourself and your story. The friendship and the love in this story truly warmed my heart. The small town, summer setting was perfect for the ache of unsureness, the sometimes unanswered question of what comes next. I loved Georgie and Levi (a gruff, vegetarian, dog loving man who works with his hands and deserves the world, um hello what’s not to love!) in their own ways and I’m so glad we experienced this story from both their perspectives. Kate Clayborn’s way with words, the sweet humor weaves throughout (Yes, I’m talking about the endless cute nicknames Georgie’s dad had for her,) and the love this book encapsulated was truly incredible. I actually shed a tear when I finished this book because I had truly fallen in love with it and didn’t want it to end. I’ve already been recommending this book non-stop to people and I will continue to do so until (and long after!!) it’s release date!

A really beautiful book from Kate Clayborn (which is totally unsurprising, given Clayborn's track record). As always, she's doing just gorgeous things with language--watch how she uses the same words in different context throughout the story to echo, parallel, and contrast different viewpoints and expectations ("messy," "sturdy," "stable," "trouble," in particular, and the wave motif). And her characterization is so deep and so well-done that you're immediately connected to the characters. If you're going into this thinking that the book is all about Georgie, based on the title and the cover, it's not--it is very much about both her and Levi.

The friend fic and the whole idea of using it as a checklist to discover her current self could have been a tired romance trope reused, but Clayborn gives it some freshness by not slavishly sticking to the task and also removing the teenage crush from the completion of the task. I did feel that the bleak moment could be seen from miles away, and I was hoping, based on characters' previous reactions, that it wouldn't turn out that way--in a book that's really playing with standard romance tropes, it felt a little too predictable and easy. But this is such a small criticism for a book that came to play hard. 4.5 stars.

This book was so cute and had me laughing out loud so many times. I loved all the characters and how real they felt. I highly recommend this one if you are looking for quick easy read. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

When you start reading a Kate Clayborn book, you'd know instantly it was written by her because she has such a unique writing voice. I think what it is is that she can write in first person, but she manages to still leave you liking the characters at the end of the book without you thinking you've been reading a "me, me, me" story.
And now to the story - two very loveable main characters, Levi and Georgie, who you feel you know almost instantly, and a lot of side characters that you feel just as at home with. Throw all these people into a small town on a river, and you have the perfect setting for awkwardness, joy, and the need to find your voice and identity in who you are rather than in what you do.
This is one of Clayborn's best books, I think. Everything is so believable and emotive, and it all rolls to a very satisfying conclusion.

Another great romance by Kate Clayborn. I loved the characters and how they grew and figured out their needs and wants. Georgie and Levi were great together and I loved how they navigated the issues they encountered. There was space to figure things out and realising they were being unfair while being unfair. I also loved that the dark moment wasn't a real break-up but just space to grow. Amazing book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

What a warm hug of a book. The main characters are so easy to love, and I really liked the way they sort of stumbled through things. The whole story focuses around the idea of picking yourself back up and trying again. I love that the story wasn't a perfectly straight line in terms of their relationship. They messed up and went back and tried again and grew together.

I will definitely be buying my own copy when it comes out because I'm sure I'll want to revisit it when looking for a comfort read.

A solid book, but not a favorite of mine.

Georgie was
free spirited
Thoughtful
Open
Flexible
Loving Affectionate

Levi was
Closed up
Guilt ridden
Thoughtful
Dependable
Deep feelings
Often affectionate

This was a story that moved a little slow. There were two very interesting main characters and several very interesting secondary ones. The 'notebook' was a great unique prop but it lost it's appeal for me after a while. The physical involvement happened too fast and furious and wasn't based a solid relationship. I think there was a great story inside this one but the noise surrounding it made it not as solid. I loved Hank!

Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this book. The opinions are entirely my own.

I want to write sonnets about this book! And buy multiple billboards for it! And win the lottery solely so I can afford to donate enough to a fancy college so that they have to name the library after it! God, Georgie, All Along is cute. Which, of course it is — Kate Clayborn wrote it.

Her writing style reminds me a lot of Beth O’Leary and Emily Henry, in that while there’s romance at their core of their stories, it’s always so much more than just about romance. So much deeper. In Clayborn's case — and especially in the case of Georgie, All Along, which comes out in January 2023 — they're sweet and emotional and hot and often very, very funny. (Side-note: please go read her earlier, swoony Beginner’s Luck series, as well as Love Lettering and Love at First.) Before I continue ranting and raving about how much I adored reading this one (so much so I stayed up until three AM to finish), here’s a quick breakdown of the plot, courtesy of the publisher:

“Longtime personal assistant Georgie Mulcahy has made a career out of putting others before herself. When an unexpected upheaval sends her away from her hectic job in L.A. and back to her hometown, Georgie must confront an uncomfortable truth: her own wants and needs have always been a disconcertingly blank page.

But then Georgie comes across a forgotten artifact—a “friendfic” diary she wrote as a teenager, filled with possibilities she once imagined. To an overwhelmed Georgie, the diary’s simple, small-scale ideas are a lifeline—a guidebook for getting started on a new path.

Georgie’s plans hit a snag when she comes face to face with an unexpected roommate — Levi Fanning, onetime town troublemaker and current town hermit. But this quiet, grouchy man is more than just his reputation, and he offers to help Georgie with her quest. As the two make their way through her wishlist, Georgie begins to realize that what she truly wants might not be in the pages of her diary after all, but right by her side — if only they can both find a way to let go of the pasts that hold them back.”

To be blunt, the set-up didn’t totally grab me at first. I plodded forward with reading the e-ARC anyway because the idea of passing up a Kate Clayborn novel just isn’t in my DNA. And, to be blunter, the set-up still didn’t blow me away, even after I’d finished reading Georgie and fallen deeply, madly in love with all the characters and their lives and their quirks. The ‘friend-fic,’ a term I rolled my eyes at from the get-go, felt a little odd/weak/silly as a plot device, and Georgie’s epiphany at the end of the novel about her life and the direction it should take also rubbed me the wrong way. Oh, and the impetus for the third act break-up was painfully obvious within the first few chapters.

So, there. Those were my gripes. Now that they’re out of the way, let’s discuss more of the good stuff, which far outweighed any issues I had with the overarching plot.

For instance: you know that scene in The Hating Game, when Lucy defends Joshua from his awful father? There’s a (few) similar moment(s) in this book, and that whole trope, or whatever you want to call it, is just chef’s kiss on chef’s kiss on chef’s kiss. Levi’s familial troubles are painful to read about, but Georgie’s unending support for him (and his perfect dog, Hank!), to the point where she’d happily go to battle for him, is such a tender, wonderful thing to behold.

And if you’re wondering if this has steam, it has steam. (Levi . . . mmmm . . . yes.) Maybe not surprise-ghost-pepper-in-your-pad-thai hot, or even last-wing-on-Hot-Ones hot, but a solid level of spice. Like, a single, but extra spicy, jalapeño margarita. Lots of heated glances and couch make-outs and “mine” and blue eyes and excellent beards and, and, and…you get it. The intimate scenes are solid, swoony, and will make you blush, but nothing is over-the-top.

TL;DR - 10/10 would die for Georgie and Levi. Kate Clayborn, if you’re reading this, please make this a series and have the next one be about Evan or Olivia so I can die happy. Thank you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If you enjoy uncomplicated books with little drama, this would be a safe one to pick up. It took me awhile to read the first half because it was just slow. The writing is good; I just didn’t have that pull to pick it up. The second half picked up a little steam but I just wanted it over. It’s not a bad book, it’s just not one I’ll remember or be at the top of my recommendation list.

At the center of the storyline is the “fic”- short for fiction. It’s, I guess, letters or stories the main character and her BFF wrote in high school. Georgie is back home and rediscovers it and decides to complete the “tasks” they wrote about in an effort to find her way. I was confused as to why it’s called “fic” (seems an odd choice) and for it supposedly being a central premise of the book I didn’t think it was focused on. Scenes would randomly pop up related to it but not mush detail.

All in all, I like some more drama and conflict when I read a book. This just wasn’t it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington books for the opportunity to review.

I have literally loved Kate Clayborn since the first book. I picked it up on a whim and it took a couple of chapters for me to be hooked and fall in love. This was nothing different.

Kate's writing is absolutely fantastic and pulls you in so quickly, that you don't even realize it's happening. I blindly requested Georgie, All Along and was SO EXCITED to get this one because how could I not be? Georgie's journey of self-discovery feels daunting but she's such a great main character and kinda figures herself out without realizing it.

I wish I could give you this long spiel about what I love about Kate and why I think you should read her work, but I don't think you should take my word for it. I think you need to go run to your nearest bookstore or library and find whatever book of hers is sitting there and buy it. Trust me and her and just know you're in good hands. Kate builds a world big and small, time after time, and sweeps you right into the world as if it were your own. You're meeting characters as if you're right there next to them. You love them all the same. Georgie is a character that I think we can all connect with because I think we all feel lost or have felt lost after even a minor shift in our lives. She's forced to figure her life out and the way she sees fit is to revisit something she planned for herself a whole lifetime ago. Enter Levi, who is juuuuusttttt..... :D! <3! I LOVED LEVI. He and his dog made me so happy. I thought the characters all came together so well and I just want more. I need it actually.

BASICALLY, READ KATE. KC IS GREAT AND I LOVE HER AND I WANT THE WORLD TO LOVE HER.

Another solid Kate Clayborn book. This one took a bit for me to warm up to the chemistry between the two main characters, but once we felt the romantic tension it just built and built and was delicious. I love that Clayborn’s books always deal with a huge turning point or fresh start for the heroines and this one was beautifully done even if I didn’t relate at all to the heroine at this point in my life. The hero is the silent steady sometimes gruff man of my dreams.