Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley publishing for the ARC.

I’m all about giving new authors a chance. I think it takes a lot of courage to put their work in a world saturated with so many different books, and hope that readers will pick up theirs to read.
And that is why I wanted to read this book. The premise sounded interesting and I was excited to read it.

I personally didn’t click with the story. I didn’t make a connection with the characters.
I felt a lot of times the dialogues were forced and they just didn’t come naturally to the characters. Like the author was trying too hard to make the banters witty and funny, but it actually had a cringey effect.

The conflict towards the end was a bit dramatic and over the top. Mil’s reaction was exaggerated. I never warmed up to either character.

Overall an okay read.

*me, taking deep breaths, trying to play it cool, but secretly knowing this book is about to become my entire personality and I'm so not cool about it*

At its most basic, this book is extremely readable. Approximately one page in and I was already hooked. It's interesting, SO funny, ~spicy~, and a grumpy/sunshine tale that utilizes your favorite tropes while still feeling completely and joyously fresh. And that's an understatement -- it's one of the most unique and endearing books I've ever read.

Sarah Adler's magnetic debut follows former-child-actor Millicent Watts-Cohen, who is on a quest to reunite her elderly best friend's ashes (well, three tablespoons of them) with her long lost love. Her determination to give the two women a long-due happy-ever-after also coincides with her desire to (hopefully) reassure herself of love's lasting power in the process.

She just didn't expect to have a living travel companion on her quest. After a computer glitch grounds flights, Millie is forced to catch a ride with Hollis Hollenbeck, an also-stranded acquaintance from her ex's MFA program. Hollis certainly does not believe in happily-ever-afters--symbolic or otherwise--and makes it quite clear that he can't fathom Millie's plan ending well for anyone.

But as they contend with peculiar bed-and-breakfasts, unusual small-town festivals, and deer with a death wish, Millie begins to suspect that her reluctant travel partner might enjoy her company more than he lets on. Because for someone who supposedly doesn't share her views on romance, Hollis sure is becoming invested in the success of their journey. And the closer they get to their destination, the more Millie has to admit that maybe this trip isn't just about Mrs. Nash's love story after all--maybe it's also about her own. (Tbh, two love stories for the price of one!!!)

MRS. NASH'S ASHES is its own little world of unforgettable moments and distinctive yet stunning writing. (I honestly can't believe this is Sarah's DEBUT! It will blow you out of the water!) It's infused with luminous characters, offbeat but magnetic banter, ~feels~ of precise and relatable depth, and these perfectly-crafted, unexpected moments that keep you cackling, crying, clutching your heart, and desperately turning pages. It's honestly and truly masterful!!! I adored the back-in-time flashbacks, and the past weaving itself with the present. I cherish the discussions of grief and the introspection on relationships and HEAs. It was a hopeful and satisfying story, without being roll-your-eyes, off-into-the-sunset naiveté. Truly, I did not want to leave this world.

Honestly, I can't wait for y'all to star MRS. NASH'S ASHES and be like, *nervous laughter* "I'm in danger" because you KNOW, you just ~know~, it's going to change your life.

A few ~treasures~ from this story to whet your appetite and convince you to pick up this book:

-Grumpy men getting caught singing
-broccoli facts
-Steam so swoony (and hot!!!) you'll need a fainting couch
-"Loving you is making me so damn stupid." Can I just? *screams*
-Commentary on FOREARMS (a must in every romance I read, tbh!)
-long-lost sapphic love
-a drunk insistent on group hugs
-cinnamon roll lust
-banter so captivating and funny it should be illegal
-the celebration of weirdness!
-A 'Most Likely to Voluntarily Assist With Her Own Kidnapping' MC
-uncovering the shiny bits in other people
-A wacky bed and breakfast that is its own character

And just as a personal side note: the MC ends a relationship with an ex because he weaponized her "weirdness." But when she finds someone who cares for her *just* as she is...like, that hit a chord in me so important and resonant that I've haven't been able to stop thinking about it. We don't have to change ourselves just to be worthy of someone else's love. Our "weirdness," our quirks, our idiosyncrasies are what make us who we are, and there are people who will CHERISH those things about us, instead of making us feel stupid or broken, or try to manipulate us out of them. Such an important part of this story and I'm SO thankful to Sarah for sharing this with us. Five unequivocal, indisputable stars.

A big thank you to Sarah and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. This story is one I'm going to be thinking about, re-reading, and sharing with friends for a loooooong time.

Cute book, fantastic cover, and characters I know I'll never forget! This road trip romcom is going to be a hit this summer!

This was a fun road trip romance with family, historical storylines intertwined. I felt it dragged in several places and really could have been edited more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: ableist language, parental death (past, off-page), death of a loved one (past), death, grief, historical homophobia, objectification of girls and women, and toxic relationship (past)

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-road trip romance
-grumpy/sunshine
-amazing banter
-opposites attract
-only one bed
-I hate everyone but you
-an obsession with Pee Wee's Big Adventure

I had a lot of friends hype this book up to me and let me tell you it did not disappoint. Millie was sunshine chaos personified, not letting life get her down after ending a relationship, and the death of her elderly best friend. Instead she chooses to honor her best friend by taking her ashes on an adventure. This book had just amazing pacing, you just keep turning the page and couldn't put it down. Millie was authentic, a bit naive, and just wore her heart on her sleeve.

She runs into grumpy Hollis on a journey of his own, add in some airport troubles, and they're off on a roadtrip to remember. Grumpy Hollis who had given up on love long ago, was fighting it every inch of the way here, but couldn't help falling for Millie. He was a grumpy man with an ooey gooey center and he'll just make you swoon. Trying to pretend he doesn't care about Millie, his concern is so evident even as he tries to push her away. Their slow build of emotional intimacy and their attraction just had me cackling as Hollis tried to pretend Millie annoyed him but was just gone on her.

And then there's the story of Rose and Elsie, Mrs. Nash's own love story and her life. I loved how that flowed through the story as it's own being but also intertwined with Millie and Hollis' While I won't give spoilers, the ending gut punched me in the throat in the best way and just had such a beautiful resolution that I was swooning, hand over my heart the entire time. If you're looking for a read that will make you laugh but also hit you in the feels, this is a must check out debut.

Steam: 3

This gave me so much Emily Henry vibes in the sense that it is, in its heart, a story filled with hope, tenderness, warmth, forgiveness, and love. While I enjoyed Millie and Hollis's banter and road-trip romance, it's the love story of Elsie and Rose that really pulls at the heart strings and gives this some gravitas and makes it truly memorable. Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for providing me with a free arc.

Mrs Nash’s ashes by Sarah Adler publishes may 2023. This is such a sweet book. Of a young woman taking her best friend’s ashes to the woman who she has always loved that she meet in the war. Millicent believes in eternal love. But her travel companion has lost his faith in it. Will Millicent and this trip change his mind

This was a beautiful and touching road trip romance with two unique main characters that I was absolutely fascinated by from the first chapter.

This is super fun book. I loved Milli & Hollis their connection. Fun banter and a fun road trip.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

A cute, easy road trip read! Really enjoyed the characters and felt they were well drawn. My fav was the flashbacks to Elsie and rose’s romance. Very adorable.

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

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars

What an absolutely delightful read. Mrs. Nash’s Ashes is a fun, romantic road trip romp with lovable characters and excellent dialogue. The story follows Millie, a former child star and whimsical romantic, as she goes on a trip to reunite the ashes of her best friend (Mrs. Nash) with her long-lost love. Hijinks ensue and she is forced on a road trip adventure with cynical writer, Hollis. The two could not be more different, but they also could not be more perfect for each other.

From the first chapter, I knew this would be a 5 star read. The humor spoke to me and reminded me of an Emily Henry or Linda Holmes story (my all-times). I truly loved the grumpy/sunshine dynamic between Hollis and Millie and their banter was *chef’s kiss*. I also appreciated how well-rounded the characters were and how Millie turned her Manic Pixie Dream Girl energy on it’s head. Perfection.

An excellent debut novel that makes Sarah Adler one of my auto-buy authors.

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

Such a wonderful debut!! Sarah Adler is a fantastic writer, and I absolutely fell in love with Hollis and Millicent's story!

such a cute story! loved the period-accurate LGBT representation without it being horribly depressing; really cool concept to have one love story sandwiched inside another.

This book is excellent. It's funny as hell, while still full of emotional depth and connection. Millicent is such a delightful character and Hollis is the perfect counterpoint to her. I can't wait to read this with my Romance Book Club.

I wanted to like this but found the plot hard to understand and I couldn't relate to the characters at all. It didn't feel like something I'd want to read.

Only one word can truly describe this book: SPLENDID! The dynamic between Grumpy and Sunshine, a perfect blend of opposite attraction tropes, is a hilarious and poignant story that also includes a heartwarming and powerful queer love story between Rosie and Elsie.

Millicent Watts-Cohen is a brilliant, quirky, and lovable character with a gold heart and an unwavering optimism. As a former child star known for her role as Penelope Stuart- time traveler, she is a one-of-a-kind heroine that you'll want to be best friends with. She made me laugh and cry, and the world would be a much better place if there were more people like her. In fact, if you Google "sunshine," her name might just pop up on your screen.

Millie is best friends and chosen family member to Mrs. Nash, and her caretaker after separating from her narcissistic ex. At Mrs. Nash's last days, she confesses her love for Elsie, a nurse she met during World War II, but lost to the Korean War. However, Millie discovers that Elsie is not dead, but rather, in an assisted living facility in Key West. Unfortunately, Mrs. Nash passes away before she can share the news. Now, Millie is grieving and on a mission to reunite Rosie with her love by carrying three spoonfuls of her ashes in her backpack and heading to Miami.

On her journey, Millie crosses paths with her ex-boyfriend's frenemy, Hollis Hollenback, a grumpy, handsome man with writer's block and commitment issues. Despite his gruff exterior, Hollis may just be a cinnamon roll in disguise. When their flight gets cancelled, Millie needs a ride, and Hollis becomes her travel companion. The grumpier he gets, the more time he spends with Millie, who is quirky, beautiful, and truly one-of-a-kind. The two of them find themselves in humorous circumstances as they embark on their road trip, and they begin to see the universe has other plans for them. Hollis starts writing again, and Millie tries to resist her growing attraction to him. Will they arrive at the assisted living facility in time, learn the real story of Elsie and Rosie, and fall for each other in the process?

This book was a great surprise and exceeded all my expectations. I didn't plan on falling in love with the characters, but I did. It's a heartwarming, inspirational, and sentimental reading experience that will awaken many emotions within you. There aren't enough words to express how much I enjoyed this splendid read.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this wonderful book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Such a fun read about finding love where we least expected. I adored the voice in this one, a well as the slightly prickly, slow-to-love hero.

Like Hollis Hollenbeck, I, too, would follow Millicent Watts-Cohen to the end of the earth (or Key West). It was a privilege to spend a few hundred pages in Millie’s head. She’s delightfully quirky with tons of heart, and I loved watching grumpy Hollis fall for her exactly as she was. This is road trip romance at its best, enriched by flashbacks to Mrs. Nash’s beautiful and bittersweet love story with Elsie. I’ll be rereading this one!

Mrs. Nash's ashes went on quite an adventure and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about it. A young woman, Millie, had an elderly roommate and she promised Mrs. Nash that she would help reunite her with the nurse she fell in love with in World War II. The nurse was in a nursing home in Key West and Millie decided to fulfill her promise and take Mrs. Nash's ashes to the nurse before she also dies. The trip to Key West does not go as planned. Her flight is grounded and she accepts a ride with Hollis, who is an old acquaintance. They have an event filled journey with an eventual happy ending. I found this book to be very entertaining and fast moving. Thank you to Net Galley for letting me read this book in return for my honest review.

The epitome of bittersweet, this book was a love story within a love story that’ll take you on a journey both down the east coast and back in time. It’s full of engaging and endearing characters, humor, heat, and poignancy. Well-written and well-paced, this was a stunning debut from the author.