I've enjoyed Colleen Oakley's books in the past and was really looking forward to this one. The blurb sounded promising, and there's just something so sweet and charming about a friendship that blooms between an elderly person and a teen/college student. You expect, of course, the passing of wisdom from the older generation to the younger one, and if a story is handled well then you'll also get to see the younger generation teaching the older one something in a way that is respectful but fun and interesting.

Unfortunately, this book needed more development of everything -- the plot, the characters, the settings, all of it. Tanner's anger and guilt are understandable, but it feels like those were the only things defining her. Louise's "past" came in fits and starts, and at times it felt like some plot elements were being forced to fit a specific idea or maybe even an outline. The road trip that Tanner and Louise take together started off with some promise, but it quickly fizzled into what felt like the two of them driving in circles. I know they make it from Atlanta to California, but it didn't feel like a bona fide road trip story.

There were some incredibly sweet moments between the two of them, but there were also plenty of things that got overlooked in a major way. About halfway through the book, I completely forgot that Tanner's family even existed. After the initial "where is my child and what's happened to her" scene that her parents and siblings experience, they get left behind for several chapters. The portions with Louise's children were somewhat better -- I loved the text exchanges between Jules, Charlie, and Lucy! -- but those kind of fizzled out too. It felt like there was some sincere effort being made to build the story of Agent Huang, but that got superseded by the main plot of Louise and Tanner's road trip. And the comment that August makes toward the end -- about the mix-up -- just left me disappointed, because I had a similar, "That's it?" kind of feeling.

The sweetness carried this book for me and earned it three stars. Otherwise, everything felt pretty under-developed and was kind of a let-down. I do love Colleen Oakley's work, though, so I'll be keeping an eye out for her next one, but this one just didn't quite hit the mark for me.

almost did not read this book. I am not sure why but it just did not sound like a book I wanted to read. BUT… I did pick up the book and I am so glad I did. It was a one day read for me. I could not put it down.

I laughed at Louise and Mrs. Wilt’s adventures. I cringed at the reason why they had these adventures. But, oh what adventures they had. I loved how they interacted with each other; you could see their age difference but you could also see how they did care about each other.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise had me turning pages as fast as I could read. I recommend picking up with fun and unique story and falling into all the adventures.

This was such a fun read! As I sit here deciding what to say about this book I just keep coming back to what a fun ride it was. All of the characters were witty and I smiled throughout the book at Louise's antics. Humor was on point in this one. The interspersed chapters of conversations between Louise's children cracked me up. They were so entertaining & I found them especially interesting because although they weren't necessary to the storyline, they added such a fun vibe to the book (as well as a little glimpse into Louise as a mother). Colleen Oakley is a genius for including them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such a fun, light, and easy read with lovable characters that were entertaining to follow. Tanner and Louise's forced proximity allowed the author to develop their characters and explore their nuances so well. I was completely engrossed in the story from start to finish, and I enjoyed reading about the side characters that occasionally popped into the plot. Read if you want to be taken on a lighthearted adventure with lots of unexpected elements!

Read if you like:
🚙 Road Trips
🩻 Healing
👯‍♀️ Unexpected Friendships
🎥 90’s Movie vibes

This one is so cozy and so unbelievably heartwarming! I absolutely adored this book and its characters. I loved the overarching theme of finding genuine help and support where you absolutely don’t want it, and from a source you would never have expected.

Both of the characters are dealing with their own struggles when the unlikely pairing are smashed into each other’s lives and seeming like a terrible fit, but beauty and true growth for both characters was such an unexpected result.

I highly recommend this heartwarming story of opposites coming together and being what the other needed whether they wanted it or realized it at first.

Thanks so much Berkley Publishing for my ARC of this one in exchange for my review!

This was a cute story with some fun twists! I enjoy stories with older characters and Louise was so great. Entertaining characters and humor along the way made this one an enjoyable, fun read

The Mostly True Story of Tanner Louise by Colleen Oakley was an story of unexpected adventure and friendship between the two title characters.

After an accidental injury causes Tanner to lose her soccer scholarship at Northwestern, she moves home to Atlanta. After essentially getting kicked out of her parents home, Tanner moves in with 80-year-old Louise to help around her around the house and drive her to appointments while she recovers from hip surgery. But when someone from Louise’s past reaches out with a cry for help, Louise convinces Tanner to drive her to a California before it is too late. So the pair embark on an adventure across the country and are on the run from the law because Louise is also believed to be a jewel thief, the two form an unlikely friendship along the way.

Overall, this was a beautiful story that warmed my heart. I loved the characters and their respective growth throughout the novel. There were also a few fun surprises in the plot that I didn’t see coming. This is a book that I would definitely recommend.

I absolutely love Colleen Oakley’s books! I’ve read all of them and they are all wonderful. This book was such a joy to read with an entertaining storyline, great dialogue, and great pacing. Once again the author has given her characters such interesting, unique, and unforgettable personalities. There is a great mystery weaving throughout the plot which slowly begins to unravel. At times the story is humorous, thrilling, heart warming and poignant. As Tanner and Louise head out across the country it is reminiscent of other stories about strong women but this one is definitely uniquely it’s own. I loved this feel good book from start to finish. Make sure to add this one to your reading lists.

A fun mystery centring around an evolving multigenerational friendship! Tanner is a 21 year-old college dropout who goes to work as a caregiver for Louise, an 84 year-old recovering from a fall. The two couldn’t be more different and butt heads at the beginning. When Louise knocks on Tanner’s bedroom door in the middle of the night with her bags packed and an urgent plea to flee into the night, the story kicks off.

This story is funny, and Louise is one mysterious lady…is she a jewel thief from decades ago? Why are they running from the law? There is more to the story than meets the eye, and as Tanner and Louise travel together, they begin to form a bond and a friendship. Tanner begins to find herself and find hope after her sports injury, and Louise endeavours to tie up loose ends. Throughout the story we are privy to text conversations between Louise’s children which adds so much fun to this adventure.

I thoroughly recommend this book. Thank you so much to Berkley, Netgalley, and to Cindy from Thoughts From a Page for arranging the advance reader copy and discussion with the author.

Twenty-one year old Tanner has (begrudgingly) moved in with 84-year-old Louise Wilt to act as her caretaker, which mostly means driving her around in between hours-long sessions of playing video games. The arrangement is working out fine until Mrs. Wilt wakes her in the middle of the night insisting that Tanner drive her to California. With a bag of cash pulled from beneath the mattress and police sirens approaching, they speed off together. Thus begins a cross country journey between an unlikely pair that just might become friends.

This was a fun, light-hearted take on the ‘friends on the run from the law’ story we all know and love. While a quick and enjoyable read, there wasn’t anything particularly special that set this book apart from the rest. Still an entertaining, easy read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the advance copy of this book.

Louise's kids think she needs a caregiver. Tanner needs a job and a place to stay. When Louise suddenly decides she needs to go see her old friend George in California and needs Tanner to drive her, the two are off on quite an adventure.

This was a fun intergenerational story with humor and heart. Told in dual POV over the course of a cross-country road trip, Louise and Tanner learn they may have misjudged each other.

I liked both of these characters who start off very prickly but eventually allow parts of their inner selves to be seen. There are themes of found family, aging and how to handle life's curve balls. I recommend adding this unlikely friendship story to your TBR. Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy of this book.

Review will be posted on 3/31/23

Louise Wilt is an 84 year old woman who lives alone and is recovering from a fall that hurt her hip. Much to her chagrin, her children have decided she needs a caretaker. They ask a family friend, Tanner, who is twenty-one years old and does much of nothing all day since she dropped out of college. Tanner had a scholarship as a soccer star, but all it took was one accident to injure her leg and her dreams went up in flames. Tanner hasn't quite gotten over this bump in the road and spends most of her day playing video games much to her parents' disappointment. Tanner reluctantly takes this job and neither Louise nor Tanner want to deal with each other. They are most definitely an unlikely pair. As more time passes, Tanner realizes there's more to Louise than just crossword puzzles, doctor appointments, and her daily routines. Tanner notices that a suspect from a jewelry heist in the 70s looks exactly like Louise. How can this be? Before she knows it, Tanner starts noticing strange things around the house and then to make matters worse, Louise demands they leave town after she receives a mysterious letter. Colleen Oakley's The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise is an entertaining story of an unlikely couple who go on an adventure filled with hijinks, mystery, and a surprising friendship.

I really enjoyed Louise from the beginning of The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise. I just realized that the last two books I read have female protagonists that are sixty years or older and I am here for it! I love that Oakley paints Louise as so much more than a grandmother stuck in her house. She lived quite a full life and has aspects of her life that her own kids may not know about. In fact, the FBI even gets involved regarding Louise's mysterious past. Then there's Tanner who was a bit frustrating at times due to her lack of drive. She really let her injury dictate her future and hasn't bounced back at all. Her interactions with Louise were pretty funny at times - a lot of witty back and forth banter. It reminded me of the Odd Couple at times.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise took me by surprise. I thought it was going to be a mostly funny story involving an unlikely friendship and while it definitely is that, it was so much more. It highlighted many aspects of society like what it means to be a woman, the difficulties of aging, female friendship, as well as what does it meant to do the right thing. Also, there was definitely a good mystery to the story, which I also enjoyed. While I didn't like The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise as much as The Invisible Husband of Frick Island, it was still a solid story and would most definitely be a fun one to throw in your bag for spring break.

So, have you read The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise? Are you a fan of Colleen Oakley? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

I couldn’t get past about 25% of this one. The storyline interested me but once I started reading it wasn’t enough to keep my attention.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is an adorable story with well-drawn, three-dimensional characters that you have to root for. The author does a great job slowly building the friendship between these two protagonists, who go from disdain to a strong friendship. The ending is terrific, too. Highly recommend.

This book is so fun. I loved the development of the unlikely friendship between Tanner and Louise. Each is a great character in her own right but together they are fantastic. Anyone taking a road trip will want to take this along and enjoy the adventures with these two. I loved the generational gap between these two and how they each learned from the other. Fun read!

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.