OBSESSED
Genre: Romance (open door)
Format: e-book
Status: borrowed via Libby
Published: May 23, 2023
Soundtrack Mood: Wildflowers – Tom Petty
With Adler’s next book coming out next month, I had to post her debut novel, which is a five-star read! If you are looking for a laugh-out-loud romantic comedy with wonderful tension, only one bed, a page-turning plot, and two different relationships to root for, Mrs. Nash’s Ashes is everything you want and more!
Of course there are ways. Women who love women and men who love men have existed forever, formed families of their own. But society isn’t eager to embrace them. It doesn’t hand them their dreams on a platter. They have to fight for their happiness.
Sarah Adler, Mrs. Nash’s Ashes
Millicent (Millie) Watts-Cohen must get from Washington DC to Key West to reunite the ashes (all three tablespoons she was given) of her best friend/former neighbor, Mrs. Nash, with her lover from over 50 years ago. Millie, forever optimistic that she will be able to reunite lost love, is determined to leave DC even if that means flight groundings lead to her road-tripping with an almost stranger. Enter Hollis Hollenbeck, a grumpy knight in a shining car. They hit a few literal bumps in the road and end up in a small South Carolina town where Millie becomes invested in a town festival, the Inn has only one room and feelings begin to grow. As we head to Florida, Millie tells us Mrs. Nash’s love story, and we witness the beginning of Hollis and Millie’s.
His favorite. The word is like a surprise hug—warm and welcome, but briefly disorienting.
Sarah Adler, Mrs. Nash’s Ashes
Oh how I fell for Millie and Hollis. Through Millie’s point of view, we watch her journey to Key West and process her grief over her lost relationships. Adler’s voice is a standout. Her writing is funny and emotional and the characters have incredible depth and relatable feelings. Millie radiates warmth, and you cannot help but love her belief in the happiness of ever after. Hollis is cynical but quickly gets sucked into Millie’s orbit. Adler leaves you laughing, crying, and begging for this novel not to end!
Note this book does have an author soundtrack so I choose something in a similar theme. I found Millie’s music tastes to be rather similar to mine so hopefully she would approve!