Omg this book! The snark! The angst! The incessant Pee-Wee Herman references! I couldn’t get enough. I laughed, cried, and laughed until I cried…and I’ll never look at a pigeon or crown of broccoli the same ever again.

“A starry-eyed romantic, a cynical writer, and (the ashes of) an elderly woman take the road trip of a lifetime that just might upend everything they believe about true love.”

TROPES:
- Grump/Sunshine
- Forbidden Love
- Enemies to Lovers
- Ex Boyfriend’s Frienemy? Is that a trope?

Millie is one of the quirkiest main characters I’ve ever encountered and I LOVE her! Sassy, awkward, and a hopeless romantic, she is definitely easy to adore. Hollis is also lovable even though he’s “burnt toast on the outside”.

There are two love stories unfolding on two different timelines. Millie and Hollis in present day as they road trip to Florida, and Mrs. Nash (Rose) and Elsie as they navigate their lives together during WWII. Both stories are endearing, heartbreaking, and all-encompassing. Although their physical time together was brief, Elsie and Rose’s love endured for decades.

Definitely add this one to your list if you love love, are looking for a quick weekend or beach read, and have a particular affinity for broccoli

Thank you to Berkley for the advanced copy of this book!

Review: MRS. NASH'S ASHES by Sarah Adler https://bit.ly/3INduLI
Publication Date: May 23, 2023
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated 5 Stars

I can’t believe this is Sarah Adler’s debut novel. I loved it! I’ll admit I wasn’t sure at first, but Millie was just too delightful not to fall in love with. Her quirky behavior never became stupid or forced on the page, it was just fun. Hollis was the perfect counterpoint to her. The author effortlessly portrayed his reluctant romantic hiding behind snippy behavior. It was a joy to watch their relationship blossom amid quick and witty banter. And my-oh-my, that romance turned nice and steamy.

Amid the storyline there were some flashbacks to Mrs. Nash’s life and love. Normally I do not like flashback scenes as they tend to pull me from the story. That being said – It was done effortlessly and blended perfectly into the story. I got two love stories in one. Overall, the book was a fun and emotional journey that will stay with me. Sarah Adler is now on my list of favorite authors.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

~*~*~*~

Kindle https://amzn.to/3qjB3Wc

In Mrs. Nash's Ashes we meet former child actress now historical consultant, Millie, as she journeys from Washington, DC to Boca Raton to reconnect Mrs. Nash's ashes with her former lover who is on hospice. When her flight gets cancelled, she ends up road tripping to Florida with her ex-boyfriend's classmate, Hollis, who is hoping to spend a week in bed with his friends-with-benefits to cure his writer's block. Hollis' prickly exterior soon gives way to a cinnamon roll hero and he and Millie bond over Mrs. Nash's story despite their differing views on the existence (or not) of true love.

Guys. GUYS! I can't say enough good things about this book. I read it on a airplane and was both too hot and bothered and near tears for that environment. It's just so, so good. Millie is an amazing MC--she's unique (weird, as she describes herself) but not a hot mess, and extremely self-aware. Hollis is the perfect, bookish smoking hot love interest with a gruff exterior and a squishy heart. The plot and pacing of this book were gold, which served as an excellent foundation for the romance. I will 100% be buying Adler's next book!

Thanks to Berkley for my eARC and finished copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 10/10

wow. just wow. I am a big lover of the grumpy/sunshine trope and this DELIVERED. Millie and Hollis had such great banter and chemistry. Mrs. Nash's Ashes was perfectly paced, and I actually quite loved that it was single POV. I do with that we had a few more open door scenes (but that's the spicy romance lover in me and not a deal breaker by any means).

thank you Berkley Publishing and Sarah Adler for the arc! :)

Millicent and Hollis find themselves on a reluctant adventure to Florida when an airline snafu leaves them stranded. While they’ve met a couple times in passing, what they mostly have in common is a disdain for Millicent’s ex-boyfriend.

The story is told mostly through the adventure that Millie and Hollis find themselves on, but a few chapters of the love story between Rose (McIntyre) Nash and Elsie Brown are interspersed as they were told to Millie by Rose. Millie knows that Rose thought their love story was over once she was informed of Elsie’s death decades earlier. But now Millie has learned otherwise and is determined to reunite at least some of Rose with Elsie after all this time.

The charm of the characters and the relationships between them was addictive. Getting a glimpse into the love of Rose and Elsie, and the unexpected sweetness between Rose and her husband after she and Elsie were separated was a beautiful highlight as Milile and Hollis got to know each other.

While there was so much more that could be told—about Millie’s close friendship with her cousin, the original journey Hollis was on, and what will happen if they pass back through Gadsley to return their borrowed car—this book stood alone fabulously as a 5-star read. It was a fun contemporary fiction and romance, with great historical and LGBTQ aspects as well. Parts of it even brought family drama into the plot. This would be an easy book to recommend if any of those storylines appeal to the reader.

A quirky and delightful romance that will steal your heart.

This story stole my heart with its grumpy/sunshine romance, road trip shenanigans and more. There was so much to love here with both Hollis and Millie’s present day romance and Mrs. Nash’s long lost love story.

Plus, we have so many quirky and funny moments on Millie and Hollis’ epic road trip from DC to Key West with spoonfuls of a dead woman’s ashes in a backpack. A few of my favorite moments included a deer with a death wish, a particular run in with a stuffed bear’s mouth, a motel room filled with Jesus paintings and a small town’s broccoli festival and parade.

Alongside the funny moments were many moments filled with so much heart, depth, grief and love. It was an unlikely story that stole my heart with its characters and charm. I highly recommend adding it to your summer reading list.

I’ve been leaning hard into historical romance this year as my primary source of escape. However, Sarah Adler and I follow each other on Twitter, and having seen her discuss her contemporary romance on several occasions piqued my interest. I thought the setup was fascinating and it involved tropes that I normally love – road trip romance, only one bed, and forced proximity. Cut to me reading this delight of a book that made me, as I posted on Twitter, convulse with laughter as well as weep with heartbreak. This book contained multitudes, all of them very good and emotional and utterly engrossing.

Let’s begin with the introduction of the MCs. This is a book that actually contains two separate love stories. The main romance is between Millicent, a child star turned historical accuracy TV consultant and Hollis, a MFA candidate, and non-fiction novelist. There is a side love story unfolding that goes back to 1944 and shows the burgeoning sapphic romance between a U.S. Navy pigeoneer and a Navy nurse in the midst of World War II.

Millie, self-tasked with reuniting the ashes, or rather three tablespoons of her late neighbor and best friend, Rose Nash’s ashes with her long lost love, Elsie, is supposed to fly from D.C. to the Florida Keys to fulfill her mission. When all flights are grounded, Millie finds herself on a road trip with Hollis, a man she only knows vaguely through her ex-boyfriend (they were both part of the same MFA cohort).

The two couldn’t be more different, Millie is hopeful and optimistic, desperate to find closure for her late friend Rose and her beloved Elsie. Millie, reeling from a very ugly breakup with a toxic ex-boyfriend, wants so badly to believe that real true love exists and is worth all the heartache one may encounter in their journey to a HEA.

Hollis on the other hand, is the cynic. Having grown up with a philandering father and his own romantic past leaving deep emotional scars, Hollis is the counterpoint to Millie’s effervescent cheer and hopeful positivity. If Millie is determined to prove that true love does exist and can last, then Hollis is along for the ride to prove that it actually doesn’t.

Their journey from D.C. to Key West is not without detours and a few bumps…and a run in with a deer. I will say a lot of the road trip was amusing and I found myself giggling hysterically at both their banter and the places and absurd situations they found themselves in. And then when they finally give in to their mutual attraction, under the watchful gaze of 25 Jesus color by number paintings (trust me, the scene goes from hot to hilarious back to hot in a matter of sentences that do not miss a beat), Millie, who doesn’t do one night stands or casual sex, wonders if she can keep her heart intact from a guy who seems determined to keep his own heart closed off from any real emotional entanglements.

Meanwhile, back in the 1940s, Rose and Elsie, both stationed in Key West, find themselves falling hard and fast for each other. However, this is 1944, and same sex relationships are not quite as easily accepted, and to Elsie’s mind, there is no easy way for them to be together. Despite Rose’s determination to fight for their relationship, Elsie realizes that the best thing she can do for Rose is to urge her to find her happiness elsewhere, in a more traditional setting. Their romance is bittersweet and poignant and heart-wrenching. Rose marries her old sweetheart after the war and moves to Chicago and then to D.C. Elsie stays in the Navy and the two reconnect through letters a couple of years after their parting, only to lose touch for good through circumstances beyond their control.

In present day, Millie having lost faith in her own judgment, wants to reunite Rose’s remains with Elsie, who now lives in a nursing home and is on hospice care. Time is clearly not on her side as she is making her way from D.C. to the Florida Keys and also finding herself unexpectedly falling for the guy helping her get there.

The book is ridiculously charming and funny, sweet and tender, and also heartbreaking. The dark moment, when it comes for Millie and Hollis, is full of angry words and hurt accusations. And you wonder how Hollis could possibly come back from that but he finds a way and boy does he.

While this is a book about falling in love, a charming romance full of heart and humor, it is also a book about grief. I loved this book, it resonated with me, the themes of loss and pain, and heartache spoke to me on a personal level that may not feel as comfortable for everyone to experience. The author does an excellent job of laying out the content warning at the beginning of the book. While I loved this book, I recognize that it may not be for everyone. But if you’re looking for a contemporary romance that truly gives you all the feels, from laughter and tears to sighing a happy sigh at the utter romance of Millie and Hollis falling for each other, then this book absolutely has you covered.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘼 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮-𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙙 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙘, 𝙖 𝙘𝙮𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 (𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛) 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙥 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚.

📍 Read if you like:
• Grumpy/Sunshine
• Road Trips
• Forced Proximity
• Opposites Attract

This was such a delightful read, I had no idea what to expect going into it. It’s not something I was anticipating, but I decided to pick it up and I absolutely enjoyed it.

Road trips are always something I’m interested in when it comes to stories. I really enjoyed how these characters - Grumpy and Sunshine - came together on this road trip with the ashes of an elderly woman.

Millie and Hollis had me giggling and I loved the pop culture references sprinkled throughout the story. While the book does focus on overcoming grief, it felt so heartwarming and was beautifully told.

The forced proximity and one-bed trope were my favorites in this book! Not only did we get a present romantic story between Millie and Hollis, but we also get one from the past between Rose and Elsie. It was adorable seeing these characters find true love.

The banter in this book was fantastic. I had to put this book down so many times, but not in a bad way - I just didn’t want to let go of these characters and the story.

While I really enjoyed the multigenerational friendship and the journey these characters took, the profanity did put me off a bit. I don’t usually mind when there’s cursing, but for some reason, it felt too much in this one. It didn’t take away from the story, but it just wasn’t my thing.

Overall, this story was heartwarming, uplifting, and beautifully written. I can’t wait to see what this author writes in the future. These characters were fun + their story was so romantic. There’s a lot of giggling and banger, I would highly recommend reading this one!

Thank you so much Berkley and NetGalley for the review copies in exchange for my honest review!

•𝗧𝗪/𝗖𝗪: Sexual content, cursing, grief

One of the books coming out tomorrow is Mrs. Nash’s Ashes. It is the story of a woman who has the ashes of her closest friend (her elderly neighbor who became a roommate after a break up) and is traveling to Florida to bring the ashes to the neighbor’s first love when her flight gets cancelled. Cue adorable guy going the same direction so a road trip commences. This what romcom dreams are made of…. And throw in the fact that the protagonist is a former child actor. This book had it all. Witty banter, funny quips, flashbacks to Mrs. Nash’s relationship and the obstacles they faced, sweet (and some steamy) romance and so much self growth and finding one’s true happiness. This heartwarming book stole my heart.

This is an absolutely delightful read! I love road trip books in general, but throw in the fact that this road trip includes the ashes of Millie’s elderly friend Mrs. Nash, and a hot budding romance with her unexpected road trip companion Hollis and I was all in!

I was laughing at the beyond hilarious scenarios and escapades of their trip! The small town Broccoli Festival was my fave

I can’t believe this is a debut novel! Absolutely incredible @sarahadlerwrites and I can’t wait to see what you write next!

🚙 Read if you like:
☀️ Grumpy Sunshine
🎵 Road Trip Playlists
💖 80’s references
🛏️ One Bed
…in fact, just read it, you’ll thank me later!!

The premise of this book is wildly hilarious - an overly trusting grown up kid-actor and a cynical writer-facing-writers-block roadtrip to Florida. Mille is hoping to reunite a baggie full of ashes of her passed best friend Mrs. Nash to her long-lost lover from war, and Hollis is on his way to a no-strings-attached sex appointment. How can two people so opposite be such good travel companions?!?

This novel checked a lot of boxes for me! There’s a queer historical romance weaved into the story of a hilariously modern day Grumpy x Sunshine! Even though it teeters the line of insta-love (this story takes place over a week of domestic travel) and I’ve never been a fan of that trope, I still absolutely fell in love with Millie and Hollis!!! Their chemistry was undeniable and this was SUCH a fun read, I sped through it only in a couple days. There are literal loud out loud moments that remind me distinctly of Emily Henry’s great writing, such that Sarah Alder could create heartfelt, tender moments of humor and lightheartedness even in serious conversations between her two main characters.

These two characters are, simply-put, horndogs for each other this entire book. The sexual tension and pining coupled with Millie’s awkward but adorable personality is the formula for the PERFECT ROMANCE. Hollis is so hot. Like oh my GOD this intelligent man with his quick quips and sly demeanor make you fall as fast for him as Millie does. I think the insta-love didn’t come to a surprise to me, it wasn’t unwelcome but I do feel like their relationship progressed REALLY fast. BUT I’m definitely willing to overlook that because of how much I enjoyed Mrs. Nash’s Ashes as a whole.

And with the romance unravelling, you also watch Millie grow into herself a bit, as she’s still processing her breakup and how to learn to trust her own intuition again. I think this is such an important message about independence and being true to oneself - she’s not living for anyone else!!! She’s not there to be someone’s inspiration or muse!! God I love you Millie!! I also liked how Hollis grew to be able to admit when he was wrong, communicate his feelings properly, and open himself up to the world despite the hurt from his past. I appreciate in romances when you learn more about the main characters OUTSIDE of each other so that they feel well-fleshed out, and Adler did a good job of showing us two distinct personalities complimenting each other. Millie is such a goofball and Hollis is so the opposite that seeing them take a road trip together is just hilariously chaotic in the best of ways.

The story of Rose and Elsie is one that I will cherish. Two women falling in love during the quiet, forgotten moments of wartime. Choosing happiness for one another, fighting for one another but fighting for oneself. Loving people and appreciating that even if a love feels different, it does not mean the love is any less real. It was really fun learning their story along with Hollis during Millie’s retelling and all the characters really grow on you as a reader.

I loved everything about this book. Sarah Adler, I look forward to reading your next novel and absolutely hats off to you for making me laugh out loud, smile hard, giggle lots, and reflect deeply from Mrs. Nash’s Ashes.

An excellent debut !!!!

When Millie’s best friend Mrs. Nash passes away (in her 90s), she is determined to bring her ashes to her long lost love. Of course, flights don’t go as planned, so Millie ends up catching a ride with her ex boyfriends “friend,” Hollis Hollenback. As the two travel from DC to Key West together, these two complete opposites start to become close and may quite be perfect for each other.

This book surprised me in all the right ways! Not only was it hilairous, entertaining and steamy, but also sentimental and heartwarming. Hollis was definition of a grump and did not shy away from his tough exterior. I loved how Millie took the time to discover the real version of him and was so optimistic. I’m always a fan of a road trip romance (best forced proximity), and their adventure made for the best shenanigans. I listened to the audiobook and absolutely loved the narration!!

Read if you like:
-Grumpy/sunshine
-Road trip trips
-Childhood actors
-Only one bed
-Flashback chapters
-Emily Henry

This novel was an unexpected pleasure. The synopsis drew me in with the elderly woman having had an affair with a woman back in WWII (well told in flashbacks throughout the novel), and that Milli and Hollis would be taking a roadtrip, but I didn’t know what else I was going to get. The story was unique, charming, and although I didn’t get Milli at all, nor have ever really meet anyone like her, she was really likable and well, I loved Hollis and his gruff exterior. They were an imperfectly perfect fit.

Milli is an ex child actor who is approached by people for autographs, personal stories, etc. alot, like a LOT alot. She had gone through a bad breakup with Hollis’s friend who is more of an acquaintance, but she thinks they’re friends- so she doesn’t really want much to do with him. Milli is a bit of a mess, but she also has a kind heart. Hollis interprets that kind heartedness as being an easy target for others to take advantage of her. Begrudgingly he offers her the ride to Florida and over those next few days she talks at him and he takes it all in. There is of course, great conversations, dialog, bonding, etc, but the kind of people they are, she talks and he listens. BUT, every single tweak of his lip that indicates a smile is meaningful and the subtle shading of their conversations shapes their advancing relationship. I loved how I started out the book thinking one way about these characters but had done a 180 by the time I finished. Subtle yes, but really, really good.

If you like quirky small town romances, you will love Mrs. Nash’s Ashes. It had moments that were so tender and sweet, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the characters and their story.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!

Fantastic debut from Sarah Adler!! This was a really great story. Millie and Hollis wind up taking an unexpected road trip together. Hollis is a grumpy writer headed to Florida to get his groove on with a special someone and Millie is headed to the Keys with the ashes of her deceased friend Mrs. Nash. In a hopelessly romantic gesture, Millie promised Mrs.Nash that she would reunite her with the love of her life, a woman she met eighty years ago. Obstacles get in the way and Hollis and Millie discover more than they bargained for.

I really liked this story. It had great chemistry between the main characters and the love story from the past was a great side story. The past and present stories were written seamlessly. Unlike other stories I wasn’t invested in one story more than the other. I was invested in both and couldn’t get enough. There was a lot of heart, funny and heartwarming moments and some spice! A great beach read!!

4.5 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #MrsNashsAshes #SaraAdler

This is a unique take on the opposites attract storyline. We have a trusting, perhaps a bit naive, heroine in Millicent Watts-Cohen and a cynical, sarcastic hero, Hollis Hollenbeck. These two very different personalities on a long road trip can only be described as unusual, to say the least.

Millie is determined to fulfill her elderly friend’s, Mrs. Nash, last wish - to deliver her ashes to the woman she fell in love with 80 years ago. A strange, romantic reunion of sorts. Millie does her research and learns where the woman now lives, but she can’t waste any time in delivering the ashes and reuniting the women, even if it’s more symbolic than anything else.

It means Millie must get from DC to Key West, Florida as soon as she can. Of course, she runs into problems right from the start when the airline has problems, and all flights are halted. Hollis is, also, stranded at the airport. So, they decide to team up for a road trip they will never forget.

Millie and Hollis’ differences are quite apparent, but at the same time they find themselves drawing closer together with each passing mile. The odds might be against them, but Millie and Hollis do make a good team. They meet many quirky people along the way and find themselves in wacky situations. They are thrown together more than they like and their romance sizzles right off the page.

It's actually two romances in one book. We have Millie and Hollis in the present day as we look back on Mrs. Nash's 1940's romance story. They blend very nicely to give us this enjoyable read.

This is a "feel good" romance with many LOL scenes mixed together. It makes for a fun beach read this summer.

This is Sarah Adler’s first book and she’s off to a great writing career. I look forward to reading more books by this author.






FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Millicent’s 98-year-old roommate, Mrs. Nash, has died, and Millicent sets out on road trip to make good on a deathbed promise; reunite Mrs. Nash’s ashes with her true love, Elsie. Right away, things go awry, and Millicent ends up with an unexpected, handsome traveling partner. Fans of Emily Henry and Luci Adams will like this dual narrative romance.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book! I really enjoyed it.

I think about this book in two pieces, really. The first piece, Millie and Hollis, was the perfect mixture of sunshine and midnight rain. Their chemistry, their banter, their connection, their intimacy...it was sheer perfection, and would have been an easy five star for me. I was GLUED to their interactions, and I was heavily invested in the outcome. Millie is so fun, and Hollis is the perfect balance to her sunshiny attitude. Two thumbs way way up!

The other piece, though, dealt with mortality, death, missed love, etc...all things that are major triggers for me. Now, I knew going into the book what to expect, and I wanted to read it anyway. I think the overall heaviness of these elements, though, keep the book from a complete five star for me. I would rate book about Millie and Hollis exclusively five stars everyday...but the additional love story, while still so good, was a bit too emotional for me. I felt like it pulled the book down in a lot of ways.

That being said, I will read anything Sarah Adler writes because this book is still so so good.

Rating: 4⭐️

4.5 stars
This one looked cute so I requested it on NetGalley. At first I was reading it slowly and I thought maybe road trip romances are not for me but then about halfway I could not put it down. Hollis ended up being so sweet and cute. Hollis and Millie are both flying to Miami when all flights are cancelled. They know each other through Millie's ex so they decide to drive instead. Of course lots of shenanigans ensue as well as them falling in love. Millie is trying to get to Key West to give Mrs. Nash's ashes to the love of her life before it is too late. Millie believes in happy endings and hopes to find hers one day. Hollis has been hurt too many times and does not believe in happy endings so we have the grump mixed with the ray of sunshine. I enjoyed both characters especially when they got together. I ended with a smile on my face and I was a little teary as well.

-"I have never once claimed to make sense as a person. And I would appreciate it if you would stop remarking on my idiosyncrasies as if you've caught me in some continuity error."

-"Did that actually awaken something in you?
"You awaken all sorts of things in me."

-My limbs are still wrapped around Hollis's torso, like I'm a koala and he's the tree.
(I just have to highlight when koalas are mentioned in a book)

-"You can let go, Mill. I have you. I'll always have you."

Former child star, Millicent Watts-Cohen, has long made peace with her expired 15 minutes of fame. Much harder to make peace with? Her ex boyfriend unceremoniously dumping her, breaking her heart in the process.

After the breakup, Millie develops an unexpected friendship with her much older neighbor, Rose Nash. Then Mrs. Nash dies, Millie feeling a whole other level of heartbreak. While she was alive, Mrs. Nash confided in Millie, revealing her one true love was a woman named Elsie she was forbidden to be with many years prior. Millie, now armed with some of “Mrs. Nash’s ashes”, sets out on a road-trip that will reunite the two women, even if it’s not the way love would have initially intended it to be.

As if the road to true love wasn’t difficult enough, Millie is forced take a ride from struggling writer, Hollis Hollenbeck, a man who just so happens to be acquainted with Millie’s ex. Opposites in every way, the two begin to grow on each other. But as they get closer to their destination, are they any closer to being honest with each other?

Mrs. Nash’s Ashes is the delightful debut novel by author, @sarahadlerwrites. Not only does it have a grumpy sunshine romance with excellent banter, it has an historical queer romance as well. This book is also full of pop culture references and laugh out loud moments. Adler is a writer who feels like she could be a friend. The quirk factor is high, and I mean that in the best way possible.

I’m so looking forward to what Adler has in store down the line. Here’s to hoping the word on these ashes spread soon!

I absolutely adored this book! I was surprised that it was a debut because Adler’s writing was so well balanced. She was able to take a sad story of transporting someone’s ashes and turn it into a charming love story. I loved the dual timelines with Millie’s story in the present and Mrs. Nash’s story in the past. I was invested in both timelines and enjoyed them equally.

Millie was such a fun loving character. She was adorable with all of her quirks, and her personality was full of sunshine. Plus she had great taste in music! I really liked Hollis too. Beneath his “burnt toast” persona was a “cinnamon roll”, and I found myself really liking him throughout the book.

The road trip with Millie and Hollis was so much fun! I enjoyed all of the places they stopped along the way and the banter between them. Adler did a great job of combining equal parts romance and comedy while pulling on our hearts with some emotional elements as well.

I’m not always a fan of insta-love in romance, but I found it believable in this story. There were some steamy scenes that worked well for me, and there were other parts that had me laughing out loud!

If you’re looking for a romcom with a little more depth this is the perfect story for you. I look forward to reading more of Adler’s books in the future.

Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.