Who likes road trips?
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I love them, and road trip books are so much fun. The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley is excellent. I love a feisty old woman and Louise is perfect!
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Even better, I recently found out that Louise was inspired by the author’s own grandmother. I just love that. This character is not one to sit around and wait for things to happen, she charges out and makes them happen on her time.
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Sitting around is part of the problem, Louise has been sidelined by a broken hip and her daughter insists she have live in help. Tanner‘s life as a college soccer player has been sidelined as well and she is somewhat forced into taking the job as Louise’s care giver. Neither of them are in the place they want to be and resent the other’s presence. Louise can’t understand why Tanner sits around all day in baggy sweats playing video games. Tanner can’t understand why Louise has so many locked cabinets and doors or why the news is talking about an old jewel heist and posting a picture of a suspect that looks just like Louise.
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When Louise wakes Tanner up in the middle of the night to drive her out of Atlanta, Tanner goes. Then the adventure really begins. I laughed and cried and had the best time reading this book. This cross generation friendship that developed is pure gold.
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I loved all the characters, all the banter, all the situations they encountered. I also loved that they were driving cross country in a Ferrari!
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I highly recommend this fun book!

I absolutely adored this book from start to finish. The fun dynamics of an 84 y/o woman and a 21 y/o woman and the evolution of their relationship as they start out as employer/employee to best friends is nothing short of fantastic. The witty banter, the spitfire personality of Louise, the tentative but learning that she is stronger than she realizes Tanner, the kookiness of their adventures and missteps along the way, and the smart humor all unraveling on a road trip of unexpected twists was just so much fun to read. If I didn’t have to adult and be a mom or work for a living this would have been a book I could have finished in one day because I did not want to put it down. It had me giggles, it had me smiling, it had me with all the dang feels the way it all resolved in the end. If you need a good book to end March with, I highly recommend picking this one up.

Sweet tale of friendship.

I really enjoyed my time with Tanner and Louise! Tanner was a junior in college with a scholarship for soccer, but a freak accident left her leg shattered and without soccer, no ability to pay for school. Her recovery and lack of direction has caused her to go into a deep depression, spending time playing video games and taking out her frustration on her parents. Louise is 84 and a widow, recovering from a broken hip. Louise's children hire Tanner as a companion to Louise, to drive her around and perform basic tasks until Louise is recovered. The two don't particularly mesh, but remain in a cordial existence. Until Tanner starts hearing some rumors about Louise's past, notices many locks, and sees a news report about a long ago robbery committed by a woman who looks a lot like Louise. Then Louise wakes Tanner in the night and the two start on a cross country adventure that may or may not include some illegal activity.

Such a fun adventure! I loved how Tanner and Louise helped one another to learn some things about themselves--even Louise realized that she could grow and change, but Tanner realized that in some ways Louise was more progressive than she was. These are two women that appear to have nothing at all in common, but the more time they spend together they realize that they are actually very alike.

I spent a great deal of time smiling, and while this book didn't quite reach the emotional depth of The Invisible Husband of Frick Island, I still enjoyed my journey with Tanner and Louise. I highly recommend it as an enjoyable unlikely friendship story--full of whimsy and humor.

This was such a fun read! Louise is 84 is recovering from a broken hip, and 21-year-old Tanner becomes her live in caregiver. Tanner has no idea of Louise’s past and soon finds herself on a road trip across the country trying not to be caught by the police or FBI.

The book was entertaining with quirky characters and some laugh out loud moments. Tanner and Louise are an unlikely duo but they both learn from each other and develop a friendship. It was such a heartwarming read, I highly recommend!

Are you a fan of road trips? I can handle a few hours in the car but beyond that, I am a plane person.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise is the hilarious story of a college student who gets hired to take care of an elderly woman and the adventures they embark on. To put it simply, I loved it. I absolutely loved it. The witty banter had such a sarcastic bite, the emotions were raw and so realistic and honest, the text conversations interspersed were hysterical, the dynamics of these women becoming unlikely friends were so entertaining and charming and the whole story just worked so perfectly. It worked to tug at my heart strings, make me smile and giggle and make me stay up too late reading.

I absolutely loved this book! Tanner and Louise are an unlikely inter generational pair that brought so much life to the story. I love books with hilarious grandma characters! With humor, hijinks, and lovable characters this book is a pure win! I absolutely cannot wait to read Colleen’s backlist and whatever she has coming up next!

This was a fun intergenerational cross-country road trip book. We follow twenty-one-year-old Tanner Quimby, whose life is turning out not at all how she expected, as she begins to cohabitate with Louise Wilt. Louise recently fell and broke her hip but she absolutely does not want a stranger living with her. The two get along as well as oil and water. Until one night when Louise wakes Tanner up and says they need to go on the run. Adventure ensues from there.

Both these characters have good banter, even when mostly ignoring each other. For me this was a fun road trip book. It did take me a little bit of time to get into it, but once I did I found it to be an enjoyable read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for gifting me a digital ARC of Colleen Oakley's new book - 5 wonderful stars!

Tanner left college after an injury ended her soccer career and she had to move back home with her parents. She's angry, and sits around feeling sorry for herself. When her mom tells her she needs to move out and do something with her life, she grudgingly takes the job of live-in nanny, watching over an elderly neighbor, Louise, who is recovering from hip surgery. Louise's kids forced help on her and she is not happy about it. These two women basically exist together until things start happening - Tanner sees a news report with a woman who looks remarkably like Louise, talking about a decades-old crime. Then Louise wakes Tanner up in the middle of the night and their adventure together really begins.

I loved everything about this book - definitely Oakley's best yet! It's laugh-out-loud funny (especially the texts between Louise's kids), it's poignant, it's the best road trip story. It's women sticking up and standing up for each other. A reminder that "Nothing in life goes accord to plan" and "Everyone has their shit." You will fall in love with these characters and their interactions. And that ending was perfection! A must read and fingers crossed that it becomes a big screen hit as well!

I tend to like octogenarian stories, especially ones where the 80+-year-old is feisty. Maybe it is because I spent a lot of time with elderly people growing up and now my own parents are in that category. In fact, my mom is the exact age as Louise in this story. The other part of this story that caught my attention was a cross-country journey, another trope I love.

Tanner’s life is over, as far as she thinks. She lost her full-ride scholarship to Northwestern and her dream of playing professional soccer to a stupid accident. Now she spends her days hiding in the basement playing video games. Louise’s daughter believes she can no longer live alone after a slip on a rug and hires Tanner to be her aide, someone to take her to her appointments and be there in case Louise needs assistance. Let’s just say that neither Tanner nor Louise is thrilled with this idea, but Tanner doesn’t have a choice. After a blowup over a jar of pickles, she’s been kicked out and has to live with Louise.

Even after a few days together and numerous trips to physical therapy, the two still aren’t really getting along. Tanner’s about to jump ship when she sees a news story of a wanted criminal with age progression who looks suspiciously like Louise. Tanner starts to put a few things together….the locked nightstand, the weird phone calls, the gun, and starts to wonder what is really going on with Louise.

That night, Tanner is woken at 1 AM by Louise with a packed bag and a new adventure ahead of them if Tanner is willing to help. What else does Tanner have to lose? What ensues is a cross-country adventure of a lifetime that brings Tanner and Louise closer and reveals years of buried secrets that even Louise’s family won’t be able to imagine.

“Sometimes it just feels like we still spend so much time trying to teach the house not to catch on fire, instead of teaching the arsonist not to light it.”

I’m embarrassed to say I am mostly unfamiliar with Oakley’s writing. Her most recent novel THE INVISIBLE HUSBAND OF FRICK ISLAND published in 2021 is the only one of her books I had at least heard of. But, I will be watching for her now. She is a character novelist and draws you into the story by making you care about the characters. Neither Tanner nor Louise was especially likable in the beginning. They both treated their family members quite horribly and were generally not very nice people. They also were pretty rude to each other. But, I knew there was more to each character because of the way Oakley told the story, building the reader up to this exciting cross-country adventure with a surprise ending I didn’t see coming.

The side characters including Louise’s children who meet to discuss the sudden disappearance of their mom, the FBI agent who just wants to break this cold case, and the neighbor, August who Tanner can’t seem to stop thinking about also add a lot of fun dimension to the story. I loved the chapters that gave us a peek into the texts between Louise’s children and their interviews with the FBI. I loved the different roles each of her children took from the worrier to the nonchalant to the practical. Pretty much exactly how my siblings would be divided up.

This journey that took Tanner and Louise across the country was also a personal journey where each one was able to take a step back and right a wrong or realize a mistake or two that was made in their past. They also found that they actually liked each other and their friendship had value. I highly recommend this funny, lighthearted story that will touch your heart and surprise you, and maybe inspire you to take a road trip with an octogenarian you love. I would love to see this adapted for a movie!

I loved this book! It was such much fun to be on the run with this unlikely duo. Louise is an 84-year-old woman whose family insists that someone move in after she suffered a broken hip. Tanner is a 21-year-old former college soccer athlete who takes the job but would really rather just be left alone to play video games. When they leave their home on a cross-country journey, they form an unlikely friendship. Once I started reading this book, I did not want to stop.

I was taken by both of these characters and really enjoyed watching them get to know one another. It appears that Louise has a bit of a past and I couldn’t wait to see exactly what was going on. They each had their own story to tell and seemed to understand each other. Their road trip across the country was full of surprises and I just had a lot of fun waiting to see what would happen next. I loved the sense of humor worked into the story which helped keep a smile on my face the entire time that I was reading this book.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Hillary Huber did a fabulous job with the story. I thought that she did a fantastic job with the various character voices which helped to bring the story to life. I found her voice to be very pleasant and easy to listen to for hours at a time. I do believe that her narration added to my overall enjoyment of the story.

I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this story was fun from the very start and quickly fell in love with the characters. I cannot wait to read more of Colleen Oakley’s work.

I received a review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group and Penguin Random House Audio.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise is a fun road trip adventure story featuring two endearing and memorable characters. Tanner is 21 years old and desperate for a place to live. Luckily, she stumbles upon a caretaker position for Louise, a mysterious elderly woman. As Tanner begins to question things around her, Louise wakes her up one night insisting they leave town immediately. Are they on the run or on an adventure?

This is such a humorous and heartfelt story that is so easy to become invested in. There is mystery, romance, unexpected friendship, caper vibes, and, above all, fun. I loved escaping into this story.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a hoot! I was in from the beginning as the generation gap between Tanner and Louise erects walls that we know will come crashing down as they cross the country in that green jag on the cover. There are mysteries in the past that establish the destination on the opposite coast. Who are they going to see? Will Tanner hang in there for the entire journey? Road trip books can really provide relationship building time and Oakley uses the trip from Georgia to California to do just that. Both Tanner and Louise are better for the journey and the reader is too. We are not just passive in this exchange. As we spend time with these two very different women, we are also changed. Don't miss this new title from one of my favorite authors. Pub date is tomorrow, March 28.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Louise is a widower needing assistance in her day to day life. Tanner is a recent college dropout in need of a job and place to live. Initially content to live in blissful avoidance, their worlds collide when Louise needs Tanner to be her driver when her past starts to catch up with her.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise is laugh out loud funny and honestly- the entertainment I have been lacking in recent reads. The audiobook was narrated perfectly by Hillary Huber.

The storytelling was handled at a perfect pace and the end gave twist after twist that I never saw coming. This is my first book by Colleen Oakley but if The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise is any indication of her talent, it won’t be my last. The romp I didn’t know I needed, I highly recommend grabbing a copy of The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise!

Sometimes I have to think about a book after I finish it before I post my thoughts, but not with The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise. This story of a twenty-something on the run with a cranky octogenarian, through a series of circumstances that are no fault of her own, is fun, heart-warming, and a great reminder that, just because a body is old, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t any more adventures to be had. Tanner and Louise are unlikely friends and allies, but maybe that’s what makes them so special. Thanks to much for the opportunity to review! The world needs more books just like this.

When Tanner Quimby begrudgingly takes a job as a live in caretaker for Louise Wilt, she knows she’s hit rock bottom. Bummed out a busted leg has derailed her college plans, she also figures she doesn’t really have anything better to do than drive “Miss Daisy”.

Meanwhile the elderly but spry Louise is just as thrilled as Tanner is with the new arrangement. After all, she’s done a fine job of looking out for herself for 80 plus years, thank you very much. This is how the pair find themselves reluctantly cohabiting like two ships in the night.

Then Tanner starts to notice some strange things. Why is Louise sitting in her car in the middle of the night? Why is the town cutie supposedly fixing said car, but not heading towards her garage? And why oh why does the wanted woman on the evening news look so much like Louise?!

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise is a refreshing take on the road trip trope from underrated author, Colleen Oakley. Unlikely allies, both Tanner and Louise ultimately learn a lot about themselves by observing the other. While reading this, I couldn’t help but think of Dirty Dancing when the cute old Schumacher’s were the last people anyone would suspect to be the thieves. This book playfully reminds us to not judge a book by its cover, or its number of pages. 😉

Thank you Berkley for the gifted copy of this book.

Colleen Oakley has done it again, book friends. She has written a book that sucked me in from page 1 and made me laugh and cry and just adore every word on the pages. Louise is probably one of my favorite characters ever, and after briefly chatting with the author about our grandmas, I can see why I love her so much.

Louise is an elderly woman with Parkinson's and after a fall and broken hip, her daughter is insisting that she needs live in help. Tanner is a 20 year old college student that is recovering from an accident that destroyed her soccer career and in turn, turned her life upside down. Tanner's mom kicks her out after one too many fits of anger, and Tanner ends up moving in with Louise. Little things happen that starts to make Tanner wonder just who Louise Isaac and what exactly is she hiding, until one night when Louise wakes Tanner up and says they need to leave and go to California. Now.

Bits and pieces of Louise's past start falling into place as Tanner drives them cross country, yet things aren't exactly what they seem. As I finished the book, the title made perfect sense, and it made me giggle a bit.

I just honestly loved everything about this book, and the fact that it made me miss my grandma just added to that love.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley
Rating: 5 stars
Pub Date: 3/28

I don’t know what to say about this book, except if you’re going to read one book this year, let it be this one. I have a feeling this will be my favorite book of 2023, and if I could, I would give it ALL the stars.

Tanner is a 21-year-old college dropout and former soccer player, and Louise is 84 years old and has trouble getting around after her hip surgery. Tanner needs a place to live, so she moves in with Louise to take care of her and drive her to her appointments. But this gun-toting, crossword puzzle-loving, elderly grandma is not exactly what she seems and is keeping quite a few secrets. When Louise wakes Tanner in the middle of the night to take off on a cross-country road trip, Tanner realizes that she doesn’t know the person she’s been living with at all.

This book gave me all the feels. My favorite part was the intergenerational friendship between Tanner and Louise. Their story was heartwarming and genuine, and I loved getting to know these two very different women.

Louise has been living a double life for a long time, and the secrets of her past come to light slowly. It was a lot of fun trying to put the pieces together without having all the information.
We get the story from both Tanner and Louise’s POV, and I loved the juxtaposition between their two perspectives of the same events! This isn’t just a story of an unlikely friendship but a story about strong women and how even strong women need some help along the way.

Full of laugh-out-loud moments and quirky and loveable characters, this book worked its way into my heart and is a story I’ll carry with me for a long time. I even shed a few tears along the way! This book made me miss my grandmother, who was a lot like Louise and the strongest person I’ve ever known.

Read this if you like: unlikely friendships, road trips, family drama, feminism, jewel heists, hilarious misunderstandings, twists, turns, and a romantic subplot. This is my first book by Colleen Oakley, but it won’t be my last! Get your copy of The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise when it hits shelves tomorrow! Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book. A lot of reviews have compared it to Thelma and Louise. Sadly, I’ve never seen Thelma and Louise!

I loved the relationship between Tanner and Louise. I always think we have so much to learn from older people and sometimes they are not given enough credit for all they’ve seen and done. OK, Louise has seen and done a lot of things illegally. Still, we can learn from her right?

I loved this book so much! It's Thelma & Louise if one of them was a grandm!!

Louise needs some assistance at home, due to her age, her hip and ability to get around. Tanner is down on her luck, a bit lost and trying to find her way. They seem like the perfect fit - NOT! At first their interactions are awkward and tense.

But oh my as they start to get to know each other, they are hilarious. I laughed out loud so many times during this book!

Tanner sees a news story about a jewel thief from 40 years ago. They have "aged" the woman and she swears it could be Louise. Later, Louise appears in Tanner's bedroom in the middle of the night, tells her to pack immediately as they are hitting the road. She will pay Tanner to drive her to California. As they drive away, sirens are blaring and Tanner is sure Louise is, in fact, the jewel thief.

Their road trip was full of crazy adventures, twist and turns, and had me rolling And the way their relationship took a detour on the road as well just warmed my heart. And there were some twists I didn't see coming.

I highly recommend this gem! Such a fun read!!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Bestselling Atlanta author Colleen Oakley delivers an exciting road trip adventure with two unlikely multi-generational characters for a suspenseful, heartwarming, witty, and highly entertaining read—THE MOSTLY TRUE STORY OF TANNER AND LOUISE. One road trip you do not want to miss!

A rip-roaring fun caper—two zany road trip companions form an unexpected bond in an uplifting novel about the past—lost and found.

Set in Atlanta, Meet 21-year-old Tanner Quimby, who had an injury and lost her college soccer scholarship and destroyed her dreams of playing professionally is out of a job and career.

Her parents told her she needed to get a job instead of sitting around playing video games in her sweatpants all day and night. They have kicked her out. She did not want to go to community college but wanted to return to Northwestern and live in her off-campus apartment with her friends. She is also good at working with cars.

Elderly Louise Wilt (widowed octogenarian) was married to Ken for 48 yrs. —she is eighty-four—eccentric, bright, and funny. Unfortunately, she fell and broke her hip, and her daughter Jules wants her to get live-in help to get her to the doctors and help around the house. Her children are Lucy, Jules, and Charlie. She wears Revlon Cherries in the snow pink lipstick, the same since 1972, with her orthopedic shoes, and loves her nightly cocktails.

The two meet and Tanner moves in as her caregiver. She plans on doing the least amount possible for this old lady and her bum hip, which smells of toilet water and something floral. She knows nothing about the internet or technology. How hard could it be driving her around to her appointments?

There is also a sexy, mysterious dude named August who helps Louise occasionally and is hot to look at, keeping Tanner interested.

However, there is more to Louise than meets the eye.

Ten days later, they are on the road, running from the law—this is when Tanner has a new respect for her fellow companion. She also has a gun and soon learns her new roomy may be a jewel thief.

Louise had a plan. She received a letter from George (the brains behind their operation). She must leave for California before it is too late.

Was she a jewel thief? Had she gotten away with her crime? A forty-eight-year cold case from Ohio led investigators to Atlanta. One of the most notorious and largest jewelry heists—in which more than $3 million of cash, jewels, and a 37-carat Kinsley diamond were stolen at a luxury hotel in Boston in 1975 and ended with no arrests.

Her daughter, Jules, reports her mom missing. Readers get updated with texts from Jules, Lucy, and brother Charlie with the police.

Louise continues to tell Tanner: "Enjoy your life of following the rules." Tanner had always followed the rules, and it had gotten her nowhere. This old woman lives on the edge; however, her children know nothing of her past. Tanner tries to figure out who Louise is.

In the meantime, Tanner feels ALIVE for the first time. She loves this escape and driving the (mint-green Jaguar XKE convertible model 1961-1975) across the country. Louise agrees to pay her and this will give her enough to go back to college. $10,694.00

Their banter is hilarious!

However, when she realizes they are in danger and Louise gives her an out, she wants all IN! This leads to an FBI hunt because Louise may be a suspect in a major jewel heist from 1975 and has lived under an alias since then. How was she connected to the mob?

What a wild ride! I loved Louise, Tanner, and August! A life changer for both Tanner and Louise. Loved the two together. Fast-paced, full of action, suspense, mystery, heart, and fun with well-developed characters.

Oakley's best yet! A total blast —I loved the satisfying conclusion. The testament to unlikely friends and the power of hidden strengths.

There is something about multi-generation characters together as they have so much to learn from one another. The elderly are wise and offer so much to the younger generation if willing to listen and get their face out of their phones, social media, and video games. I am always intrigued by grandparents and the elderly— and the secrets they keep. More grandchildren must quiz their grandparents about their mysterious secret pasts before they are gone.

From aging, unlikely friendships, being a woman during the 60s-70s, abusive relationships, love, crossing ethical lines, and making difficult choices.

For fans of Thelma and Louse and authors Mary Kay Andrews, Catherine Ryan Hyde's So Long, Chester Wheeler, and Mark de Castrique's Secret Lives. Louise Wilt (84 yrs old) and FBI agent-turned-boarding house landlady (75 yr old) Ethel Fiona Crestwater would make a great team with their sidekicks: nephew and Tanner.

Highly recommend! Get this gem on your spring/summer reading list!

INTERVIEW: Stay tuned for my #AuthorElevatorSeries QA with Colleen on March 28th, where we go behind the book and the author.

Thanks to Berkley and #Netgalley for a gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review. #CoverCrush I also pre-ordered the hardcover and the audiobook narrated by the fabulous Hilary Huber (it will be epic!)

Blog Review Posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: March 28, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars ++
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