I’m still in awe that this is a debut novel. It is a beautiful love story about tenderhearted Gracie Harris—a mom of two and recent widow—as she navigates the unexpected curveballs that adulthood throws and takes her second chance to find love.

I was so emotional reading Gracie’s story. It was so beautifully written. The characters all feel wonderfully real. The connection between Gracie and Josh was so special. Their love story is sweet and was born through friendship. And while this is a love story, it was truly so much more than that. Seeing Gracie’s growth and transformation while she is in the heavy stages of grief was beautiful. Not moving on…but moving forward. Married to my high school sweetheart, I can’t even begin to imagine the heartbreak of losing your spouse, especially when it’s so sudden.

Highly recommend this emotionally rich story. One of my faves of the year.

Thank you, Kate and @netgalley for gifting me an advanced copy of this incredible book. I look forward to reading mode from you, Kate!😍

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Gracie and Josh are couple goals! This was a beautiful story about grief and moving forward while honoring loss. The writing was beautiful and thought provoking. I definitely shed tears as I cheered for Gracie and Josh. I loved how they organically got to know and trust one another. I loved how she developed relationships around town and became part of the community. Josh was such a good guy and his consideration of Josie, her late husband, and her kids was really touching. I liked that Gracie and Josh brought out the best in each other and helped the other become the best versions of themselves. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Wow, what a beautiful emotional journey! It's hard to capture the layers and nuances of grief after losing a loved one. Still, Kate Hash does so in such a masterful way—Gracie's healing journey and moving on perfectly balance heartbreakingly sad and happily optimistic.

I loved the small town setting and the close-knit community of characters that support Gracie's journey. I was also impressed by the way the author introduced a new love interest for Gracie. Without spoiling too much, Gracie finds someone who can love her for who she is - grief and all - while still honoring her husband's memory.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and look forward to more work from this new author.

If you liked Emma Grey's The Last Love Note or any books by Annabel Monaghan, you'll love this novel by debut author Kate Hash. It's equal parts women's fiction and romance-- a story about working through the grief of losing a spouse as a late-30s mom of two, and moving forward with a new romantic relationship.

My Impressions: Kate's writing style is excellent, and it is hard to believe she's debut author! I will definitely be watching for more of her books. She did a great job with a hard topic, and balanced it well to where the book is not too dark/depressing, but doesn't brush off the hard parts of grief either.

The setting was unique (North Carolina) and a nice change from the overused big city settings of many novels. Gracie and Josh were well-written main characters that felt realistic and relatable. I identified a lot with the issues Gracie faced as a mom in her late 30s with two pre-teen kids.

I took off one star for two reasons. I thought Gracie's kids were a little too accepting of Josh right away to be realistic. I think it would be more believable to see the kids work through their grief and challenges accepting a new dad-figure into their lives. The timeline for that was a little rushed and idealistic. Also, I felt like the 65%-85% mark had a different tone than the rest of the book, and was more self-absorbed and focused on Josh's and Gracie's physical connection. I didn't personally agree with their glorified sexual relationship before marriage due to my Biblical worldview; they laughed about their "fornication" a few times.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and really liked the way the author handled Gracie facing her grief and working through it in a healthy way.

Content Considerations: Sparse profanity (maybe one f-- and a handful of light words scattered in the book), a few sex scenes between an unmarried couple that are fade to black or vague open door (akin to Annabel Monaghan's style and mostly focused on emotion not descriptions), grief themes related to loss of spouse, a few innuendos, mention of previous one-night-stands.

Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley and for the complementary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. My review is my own opinion and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.

Man, what a debut. Talk about smashing heartbreak and love out of the park. A woman who has lost her everything and writing it for the world, can she find it again? Can she believe she's worth it all again? This one got me in my feels and if you saw me sobbing aggressively on the train last week, don't worry it was just the heartbreak and beauty of this book.

This was really well written, bringing the reader through the different stages of grief and all the emotions that come with the perspective of meeting someone new.
While moving slowly through the dense fog of death, Gracie Harris wrote about the passing of her husband. Now that time has fluttered on — like the sun through a tree's seasonal branches — she is starting to come alive again, albeit in a different way. Life now looks like an alternate reality without the man she thought would always be her other half. The romance is sweet, and Josh is a great character.
This is like a blend of women's fiction and romance, with a slow build to the relationship and a realistic look at grief, shame, anger, and adjustment. Recommended.

This one got me. My husband did not die, but this story so closely parallels my own in a few ways. It really made me emotional in a few places. It was well written, the characters were relatable and lovable, the network of friends remarkable. It was such a lovely example of meeting people where they are at and loving them for who they are. The only thing I had trouble wrapping my head around was dropping my kids off at summer camp for 8 weeks, but that’s a me problem, not a problem with the story. Josh and Gracie were a great pair.
4 stars for sure.

I'm going to begin this review by telling you I cried through the last quarter of this book. And I cried not just because this is a book about grief (although it's definitely that, too), but because this is really about the beauty of relationships and memories and the people we find through life. It's a book that is so authentic and raw in the way it talks about grief from so many angles, and yes, grief is sad, but the way it does this is relatable and real and just a book I so, so needed in my life because grief is a journey that is never ending. From a plot perspective, this is a story about Gracie who has found fame as the queen of grief by writing an essay about the loss of her husband. For the summer, with her kids at summer camp and needing to finish a book, she decides to work on a house she bought with her husband before his dead. A neighbor recommends his brother to help - Gracie and Josh find a connection, and they have to figure out just what this is for them. I'll say again that this book is emotional and beautiful and just so, so good. It's the kind of book that I finished and immediately wanted to read again to be back in those feels. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early look at this July 2025 release.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for the arc!!

I just love a good "bought a house in a small town after a personal tragedy and fell in love with the contractor" type of romance 🤭🤭

In general this was a heartfelt story about starting over and finding yourself after loss.

I found the writing to be emotional and easy to connect with, and the relationship between Gracie and Josh feels real. Some parts, like how quickly Gracie’s kids adjust to everything, might feel a little too perfect, but it doesn’t take away from the overall story.

Overall, it’s an uplifting read about overcoming tough times and finding new beginnings. A great pick for anyone looking for a feel-good, emotional story. :)

In a time of great grief for myself, I found this book to be freeing. I’m not sure where my journey through grief will take me but I understand Gracie’s need to write about it, to be authentic while also holding back some pieces that are closest to her. I loved her growth in this and her willingness to be vulnerable. I started this book before my tragedy and was so grateful to have it in this time.

<b>3.5 Stars Rounded up to 4</b>

For the first 30% of this book, I felt like I was reading a memoir. And Gracie is my twin. Does anyone else hate hugs? Physical contact is not my love language unless you are my husband or someone close to me.

Gracie goes through grief and becomes famous. She is a heck of a writer. She needs to get away to finish her real memoir so while the girls are at summer camp. She does just that. Goes away to her old house that needs remodeling. In walks the contractor, "you can call him Josh," she did too. The relationship, chemistry, and everything are so real and emotional.

Kate Nash did an excellent job with this book. Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC in exchange for providing an honest review.

I could NOT put this book down! As someone who has lost many people in my life, this book ruined me. Kate Hash does a wonderful job at exploring grief. Not just the typical grief we see displayed on television or in media, but also the ugly truths. That grief shows up when you least expect it, that you can feel relived within your grief, that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

I loved this book and I think one aspect that made it so meaningful for me was the inclusion of ACTUAL parts from Gracie’s (FMC) book. I felt that it gave us a bit of insight into Gracie and how she was dealing with her grief and how in some ways, she was stuck in it.

Along with the amazing representation of grief and how it may show up for us, the romance in this book was TOP TIER. After losing a significant other, how do you move on? I feel that this is a widely debated topic in modern day. However, as this book explores and proves- it is not that easy. Sometimes it’s not about moving on intentionally, it is putting yourself out there.

Overall, this book made me laugh and it made me snot cry.

A charming and hopeful read. Gracie’s memoir writing and pre-publicity engagements are the main focus of the story, and since Gracie’s memoir is about her first year as a widow, her grief takes center stage. With the big exception of losing her husband in a sudden and devastating way, Gracie seems to have a perfect life—two homes (and an attractive, single, and very talented contractor renovating her Craftsman), two well-behaved children, staff, wealth, beauty, fame, admiration, an NYT column, a lucrative book deal, etc. She manages to ace her interviews, finds many hours to successfully write each day, almost everyone loves her and wants to be her friend. Josh is also incredibly talented, wealthy, handsome, single, loves children, This perfectness made both characters a little less compelling to me though I do think they had lovely chemistry. A nice story if you are in the mood for an escapist, wholesome read.

Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

I loved everything about this book! Gracie’s heartfelt journey of grief and figuring out who she is now in this ‘new normal’ was so interesting and endearing. The characters were well developed and the story layered and beautifully written. I was rooting for Gracie the entire way through and wanting her to heal and find love again. Her banter with Josh and the way in which their relationship developed what I think I loved the most. Above all else her personal growth was what this book was really about. It was raw and emotional and also funny. The perfect balance of romance and grief. I especially love that the intent wasn’t to move on or get over, but was to move forward.
This book will stay with me for a long time to come.

Note: NetGalley Advanced Reader Copy Review - Thank you to Dutton Imprint and Penguin Publishing

Follow Gracie Harris as she navigates her life a year after her husband’s sudden passing. What started as a cathartic release has inadvertently earned her the unofficial and unwanted title of the Queen of Grief when it turned into a gig with the New York Times and a in progress memoir. While working on herself and through her grief she decides to spend a summer at her summer home that badly needs repairs. Luckily her friendly realtor knows just the man to help.

Easily a 6 star read for me. I absolutely love the voice Kate Hash brought to Gracie and her ability to make you fall in love with her characters. Such a touching story and one of the most realistic depictions of a love story I’ve read. Nary a miscommunication trope in sight which truly makes my heart happy.

As special as this book was to read I would highlight in warning the amount of grief discussed. While it is handled impeccably well in my opinion, I do think for anyone in the thick of grief it is probably too much to read too soon.

Kate Hash will be on my must read list for her future novels.

I found this one to be a great book about navigating grief but it didn't read like a rom com or a romance. It read more like love story and women's fiction than a than anything else. That's not a bad thing, it still a great story. Knowing that it's not a traditional romance going in would have had me liking the book more.

Gracie Harris is Under Construction
By Kate Hash
I’m certain this will be a “book club” hit. It’s emotional, hopeful and heartbreaking. Overall, such a positive story about moving forward with grief and showing up for yourself.
Gracie Harris is a single mom, who became a viral sensation when her essay took over the internet. People immediately connected with her story and couldn’t help but root for her. Ben, Gracie’s husband has been gone for over a year. Between her writing, grief and family, Gracie needs an escape to feel like herself again. The kids are off to camp and Gracie goes back to their summer house. She hasn’t been back since Ben died. And with many projects left unfinished, Gracie hires Josh (a local general contractor). Gracie finds herself opening up again and having meaningful conversations with Josh. She didn’t think it was possible after the loss of her husband. But Josh just might be her second chance at love.
💕 out JULY 29th!!
Thank you, NetGalley for the advanced copy.


Goodreads (Brenda (Jadore_2read))

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Hash, and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is incredibly beautiful. I have no notes. If you love the way Annabel Monaghan delivers an emotional but hopeful story then you will enjoy this debut. This story follows Gracie navigating grief from losing her husband suddenly. She’s the mother of two incredible children. She is writing a memoir about her life with her husband and how she is dealing with the grief of losing him. She unexpectedly finds herself crushing on Josh who is helping renovate their second home in a heartwarming small town. I loved every second of this book. I could not put it down. I highly recommend it! Please pick up this book. It deserves all the hype it will receive.

This book brought our so many feels - grief and longing and attraction and fear and shame…

Gracie Harris’ husband dies unexpectedly and she unintentionally becomes the Queen of Grief. After a fist round talk show interview, she takes refuge in the summer house she and her husband bought just 10 days before he dies. With the help of Josh, the contractor fixing up her house, Gracie learns how to be herself and to find love again. I can’t wait to read this book again and again!

I’m starting this book at 80% completion, as I don’t think there are any surprises left to uncover.

This story is a slow day-by-day unraveling, much like grief. It paints a very realistic portrait of life after loss, especially when it confronts delayed grief and emotional breakdowns. The way they manifest gradually, through uncontrollable movements or new mannerisms.

This is a lovely love story — but the main characters are in a different place of life than me. The story was quite serious the entire time and there isn’t any graphic spice, but I wouldn’t necessarily call it cozy. It’s just a hyper realistic contemporary fiction that I think many would enjoy.

Thanks #NetGalley for this ARC.

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Note: Updates TK if I am indeed surprised by the ending!