A cross between romance and women's fic, this was a sweet, quirky road trip story that packs an emotional punch. I really enjoyed the flashback snippets to the historical timeline, and how they were woven into the current timeline. A perfect summer read.

When you laugh out loud at a book while reading it late at night in bed only to realize you've woken up the person next to you... that was me with Mrs. Nash's Ashes. A story within a story, Sarah Adler has a bit of historical fiction wrapped in a modern-day romance, but she does this while creating little sparks of humor, like tiny treats along the route of an epic road trip. Washington D.C, to Key West - should be a straight shot down I95, but the journey is never without complications. Millie needs to get to Key West - she's got to get the cremains of Mrs. Nash to reunite with her long-lost love. Hollis's writing career has stalled and he needs to get the creative juices flowing. When Hollis saves Millie from some hardcore objectification they reconnect... and since they're both going the same way, they team up to get to their destination.

There's WW II, there's broccoli, and an Italian/Mexican restaurant I'd drive miles to try.... loved this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
- Opposites Attract
- Long-Lost Sapphic Love
- Grumpy x Sunshine
- An Unexpected Cinnamon Roll Hero
- Attempting Grand Romantic Gestures
- Pee Wee's Big Adventure

What a refreshing book that had me laughing out loud, blushing and sobbing all in the same chapter. I related to Millie so hard with her instinct to just say what comes to mind even when others just think that she is weird because of it AND her ability to trust her gut.

The intertwining of Mrs. Nash's love story from the 1940s and Millie and Hollis's current journey was done remarkably well. My heart hurt for Mrs. Nash while getting butterflies in my stomach for Millie.

Oh Hollis. He has a quite prickly exterior but as Millie is able to weed through those prickles and see Hollis's true self, you discover that he is absolutely swoon worthy and an ooey gooey cinnamon roll. He also knows how to please his ladies 😉😜. Hollis and Millie have some of the best banter that I just could not get enough of it.

There was just one thing missing from this book... an epilogue! When it ended I was like, NOOOOO I need more!!! So please, I am begging for some bonus Millie and Hollis content PLEASEEEEE.

This was a lovely opposites-attract road trip romance. Actually, it is two romances in one.

The contemporary romance concerns former child star Millie, who is upbeat and a shining good person, and grumpy writer burn-out Hollis, who end up on a road trip together. Heading for Florida, where Millie is trying to get Mrs. Nash's ashes to someone who was very important to Mrs. Nash, but whom she had lost contact with years before.

Alternating between road trip/growing attraction and the past, this vividly-written, emotionally engaging story brings home the expected romance, while delivering the unexpected through the World War II era tale. As you'd expect from the title, some deep subjects get touched on, with compassion and sweetness, as our main couple find their way to one another.

Short Review: I laughed so hard I cried. Then I really did cry. All the stars.

"Seeing you cry...it's like watching the sun flickering out."

Long Review: Oh my heart. I loved this book so much. The wonderful humor pulls you in and then the deeper story takes over your heart and doesn't let it go. This is a story about love and the most unlikely places we find it. It's also a lesson in never letting it go. I completely fell in love with Millie. I identified with her internal dialogue so much. I want to be her bestie. Weird girls unite.

Oh my goodness, this book was precious!

We follow Mill as she hits numerous bumps in the road while delivering the ashes of Mrs Nash,her 90 year old best friend, to the long lost love of her life.
Mill ends up traveling with Hollis, someone from her past. He also needs to get to Key West, but for very different reasons.

Very strong grumpy sunshine and forced proximity tropes, both of which were done so so so well. There was no unnecessary angst or miscommunication.

Also side note--but Mills is basically a red head version of myself, so I was obviously rooting for her the entire time.

Absolutely can't WAIT for her next book. This might be my biggest surprise of the year (only bc I haven't heard too much about it) and one of my fave romance books of the year.

🚗 Book Review 🚗

Thanks to @berkleyromance for early access to this book. I grabbed it for the title and I'm glad I did - it was delightful.

✔️ Road Trip
✔️ Forced Proximity
✔️ There's Only One Bed
✔️ Grumpy/Sunshine
✔️ He Fell First

Mrs Nash's Ashes by Sarah Adler was a romp of a read. Millicent is a quirky and larger-than-life ball of sunshine who is trying to bring the ashes of her elderly neighbor to the long-lost love of her life. Unfortunately, to do that, she has to get a ride from a grumpy classmate of her ex-boyfriend due to an issue that grounds all flights (ripped from
the headlines premise, folks!!). Of course, the forced proximity of the road trip gives them a chance to get to know each other while having mini-adventures along the way. Fun premise, right? I love grumpy/sunshine trapped in a car together for long stretches at a time.

Sometimes the quirky character is relegated to side character status, so I am always thrilled when it's a main character - Millie is so fun and whimsical and a little out there, but well-meaning and kind and also awkward. It's everything I love in a main character.

Hollis was a great foil to Millie and I adored seeing his annoyance become affection. I wasn't sure if I'd like him for her at first, but I was won over by the middle of the book. His backstory helped as well as the scenes where he is the most emotionally vulnerable to her.

There where multiple scenes in this book that made me giggle as well. I loved this book - 5⭐️!

Steam 🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕💕💕

If you couldn’t tell by the title, this book deals with death and losing a loved one so if you’re sensitive to that, I’d recommend steering clear of Mrs. Nash’s Ashes. If you can handle the subject matter though, this is the perfect book to enjoy this summer so let’s get into what it’s about.

Mrs. Nash’s Ashes follows Millie who is the roommate and best friend of Mrs. Nash before her death. After she dies, she’s determined to reunite with her long-lost love even though it’s only her ashes. Unfortunately, her flight is canceled and she ends up taking a road trip with an acquaintance of hers, Hollis.

These two are the most unlikely pairing as they head off on a road trip from Washington D.C. to Flordia. For Hollis, it’s a trip of business and pleasure while Millie is determined to reunite Mrs. Nash with Elsie. However, everything that can go wrong does go wrong and it makes for some great comic relief. The road trip is also inter-spliced with Mrs. Nash’s love story with Rose and it’s honestly such a harrowing tale of love and loss.

While Mrs. Nash’s Ashes is certainly a sad and melancholy book at times, the characters are what shone. Millie felt like the embodiment of Jess Day while Hollis felt like a much grumpier version of Nick Miller. Regardless, the two ended up making such a delightful pair and I honestly couldn’t get enough of them once they took their relationship to the next level.

I also enjoyed the addition of Millie being a beloved child actor who quit acting because of creeps. As far as characters went, I feel like Sarah Adler nailed everyone as they felt like such real people.

The only thing I didn’t love was that it felt like the story had too much conflict at the end. It all seemed to happen at once before things finally started to simmer down. The romance also felt like it started a little slow for my liking. Regardless, those are some kinks that can be worked out after publishing her debut.

Overall, I feel like Mrs. Nash’s Ashes is a great beach read. It has such a delightful romance at its heart too. I think it will appeal to a variety of romance lovers too. With such an interesting title though, I feel like it’ll be picked up regardless.

Millicent Watts-Cohen (Millie) has had a rough few months. She broke up with her (jerk of a) long-term boyfriend and had to move out with virtually no notice. She ended up moving in the apartment right next door with the elderly Mrs. Nash, and they form a lovely friendship until Mrs. Nash passes away, leaving Millie bereft, once again without a place to live, but with a single-minded focus on a new project: reuniting Mrs. Nash with her first love. Mrs. Nash - Rose - hadn't seen Elsie since World War II, when they were both stationed in the Florida Keys and fell in love, only to break up when Elsie pushed her to go back home to Wisconsin and marry her male fiance so that she could have the life and the children that she wanted. A clerical error in the 1950s made Rose believe that Elsie had died serving as a surgical nurse during the Korean War, and she died never realizing that Elsie was still alive. Millie has used her research skills to track Elsie down, but time is short because, while she's once again back in the Florida Keys, she's in hospice care. Millie books an expensive flight to Miami, and the present story starts in the DCA airport while she waits for her plane. Almost right away, we learn that Millie was a minor child star, famous for a show called Penelope in the Past, and she is frequently accosted by men who want to tell her, in very gross ways, about the crushes they had on her when they were teenagers too. She's rescued from a particularly gross interaction by Hollis Hollenbeck, a former MFA classmate of Mille's awful ex, who is on his way to Miami for an annual hookup to try to get over his writer's block. Suddenly all flights are cancelled and Hollis agrees to drive Millie at least to Miami, even though he's pretty grumpy about. There are many sunshine/grump vibes here, which is a trope I like, and I really liked both of these characters. Millie, with her bubbly, trusting, romance-loving personality, could easily be a flat and cliched character, but she felt authentic to me, especially in her grief over Mrs. Nash. I found the two of them funny together, and I loved having the story of Mrs. Nash and Elsie told in interstitial chapters. I'm definitely a mood reader and I think I read this at the perfect time - I loved it.

This was a (mostly) fun and lighter read, though it does deal with some heavy topics. I really enjoyed reading this; the characters were wonderful. I would definitely recommend this book for library patrons who like a somewhat deeper romance.

This was such a cute ride mixed with deep emotions. Millie's best friend in the world has passed away. Mrs. Nash became everything to her after she lost so much of herself over the past year. She moved in with Mrs. Nash to help take care of her and while there, Mrs. Nash tells Mille of her first love. Millie promises her that she will help to reunite her with her lost love. So, Millie sets out on a trip to Florida to find her.
In the airport, she sees a man she thinks she knows. Hollis, who she realizes was friends with her ex, is the man who just rescued her from a crazy fan, and he is as grumpy as ever. He is headed to Florida to find his "inspiration" because he is stuck writing. When flights get grounded, they decide to drive to Florida together. If only they can survive the road trip. Hollis is grumpy, Millie is sunshine and everything that can go wrong, does. Along the way though, they learn more about one another and maybe Hollis never hated her as much as she thought because she's definitely getting vibes.
This was on the lighter side even though it deals with heavy topics. The banter between Hollis and Millie really make it a fun read. I loved parts of the book but was pretty irritated with others. It was an endearing read and the end was just achingly sweet and the perfect wrap up to their story.
Thank you to Berkley, Sarah Adler and Netgalley for an early copy.

Adler’s debut novel is wonderful, romantic sure, but funny and touching as well. A former child star and hopeless romantic optimist and a handsome cynical and definitely not a hopeless romantic depart on a road trip from Washington DC to Key West. The quest is to reunite Mrs. Nash’s ashes with her true love, Elsie. Adventures ensue along the way. The main storyline is Millicent and Hollis’s road trip; the secondary timeline is Rose (Mrs. Nash) and Elsie’s wartime romance in Key West. Funny and well written. I wanted more of Rose and Elsie, but in the end it was just the right amount. Very good character development.

When I first heard about this book, it was from an email that was pitching it as perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Ted Lasso. So naturally, being a massive fan of both Emily Henry's books and the show Ted Lasso, I was a bit skeptical. Which might have worked in my favor, because it helped me not overhype this book in my mind – which can sometimes lead me to not like a book as much as I expected.

All that said, I sincerely enjoyed this one! And I think the marketers were pretty right on when using Emily Henry and Ted Lasso to pitch it. It has great banter akin to what one might find in Henry's books, and our main male character Hollis gives off major Roy Kent vibes.

It was such a fun read and had me smiling and laughing out loud at some moments. While it does deal with grief, lost love, and betrayal, there is plenty of witty banter to make this feel closer to a light-hearted read with just the right amount of heft.

I do wish we got a bit more of Hollis and Millie in an epilogue of some kind, but maybe the author will share bonus content in the future??? Fingers crossed.

I loved Millie's sunshine character to Hollis's grump. He really turned out to be a cinnamon roll at his core ◡̈ and I loved it.

Cannot wait to read more from Sarah Adler!!

Thank you Berkley for the eArc.

I think that this was a really strong debut novel where some aspects really worked for me and others just fell a bit flat.

I really appreciated the unique nature of this book that was present down to the basic premise itself of a romance with a road trip to deliver ashes to a long lost love. The situations the characters got themselves in played with common tropes in a newer way that I thought was refreshing. The way that the story within and story aspect was handled was also a great time and I liked what the author did with it. I also went into this book after seeing some reviews comparing it to Emily Henry and can definitely see that in some of the characterization and banter between the love interests.

I think the things that didn’t work for me just come down to personal preference. I was a little bit put off by just how “quirky” Millicent was, but I do think that the discussions surrounding her personality and how other people treat her was interesting. The first person style, narrating to us as things are happening with commentary, also just didn’t connect with me the way I know it will others. Finally I personally found the romance aspect to be a little rushed and I don’t know if it’s just that there were two stories in here, but it didn’t fully land for me.

Overall I can see a lot of people liking this book, especially as a fun escapist romance for the summer, so I will definitely be recommending it.

Sarah Adler's MRS. NASH'S ASHES was a delightful debut. From the heartwarming relationship between Millie and Mrs. Nash, to the steamy scenes between Millie and Hollis, and the LOL moments involving broccoli (yes, broccoli), you can't help but devour this book in a single sitting because you want to know how it all ends. Each character really came into their own. I'll definitely be checking out what's next for Sarah.

Thank you to Sarah and Berkley for the advanced copy.

I genuinely loved Mrs. Nash's Ashes — It was such a lovely, emotional romantic comedy, that is reminiscent of what I love about Emily Henry's books. I found Millicent to be such a quirky but adorable lead, I loved her unwavering optimism, and how deeply she cared for Mrs. Nash, Mrs. Nash's story, as well as the people around her. I love the grumpy sunshine trope, and I think the way that Hollis and Millie worked together was adorable. I'm not the biggest fan of insta love, and I do think that this felt a little bit (a lot) like insta love at times, but I also didn't mind too much. Overall, I just really loved this book!

What an absolute delight. Plenty of surprises, fully drawn characters and not too much overwrought drama. I was fully invested in these characters!

This story has so many fun and delightful pieces, it wraps you right up. You can tell the author poured her heart into the main characters she crafted because they are witty, sarcastic, and a joy to experience.

This story reads like a wonderful movie plot. One-of-a-kind personalities that offer daring and bold decisions with a travel plot that will not only crack you up but endear you to the author for life. This story is gold.

Mrs. Nash’s Ashes brings a story that offers a great balance of characters, a budding and steamy romance, peeks into the past, and a future that is bright. It is heartwarming, quirky, and so entertaining! I cannot wait to read more from Adler!

I read this book so fast! It’s impossible to put down. Another amazing debut novel we are blessed with this year!

There are two love stories in this book, Rose and Elsie’s and Millie and Hollis’s. To begin with the main romance, Millie and Hollis, I have to say that they were delightful. I know this isn’t usually a positive line but Hollis is really not like other heroes I’ve read. Millie often describes his as a burnt toast on the outside that is still soft and chewy on the inside, and I totally agree. Millie was such a wonderful sunshine. God, I loved her so much. So kind-hearted and always trying to believe the best of everyone and everything. My favorite type of heroine. She was determined to reunite Rose and Elsie no matter what and her passion was my favorite aspect of this novel.

Rose and Elsie’s love story broke my heart in so many pieces. God, how unfair. I know they’re fictional but I want to time travel and bring them to today so they can be together. Don’t get me wrong, this book was a really good time, but their story squeezed my heart so hard. It’s a perfect mash of a romcom with emotions. Can’t recommend it enough. 💙

TW: Death of a loved one, grief

Rating: 4.5/5
Steam level: Open door, 2-3 scenes, medium level of detail

ARC provided by PRH International and NetGalley. Opinions are my own!

3.75 stars. Very sweet, although it really did feel like the author was trying too hard with the cute and quirky at times. A slightly different use of the grumpy/sunshine trope, with some good spiciness and a different back story. Nicely done.