Georgie, All Along

Georgie has returned to her small hometown in Virginia after various jobs in the movie industry. Her latest was as PA to a well-known producer who has decided to retire. She was exceptional at her job as she could multi-task and adapt well, but now, approaching the age of thirty, Georgie is trying to decide what to do with the rest of her life. For the time being, she plans to home-sit her parents' house but finds she has a roommate, Levi, and his dog Hank. Levi was the town bad boy and older brother to Georgie's high school crush but works very hard to be respectable now.
It's a basic sunshine/grumpy trope, except the author is Kate Clayborn, meaning there are many more layers to this story. Georgie is happiest doing for others, a show more trait she got from her parents. Her best friend Bel is having a baby, and Georgie helps her get settled with a new house and baby stuff. They come across an old fic, stories they wrote in middle school about their hopes and dreams for high school. When Georgie realizes she never fulfilled most of those plans, she decides to follow through now, hoping it will jar something loose within her in planning her future.
Meanwhile, Levi finds himself opening up to Georgie's chaos and optimism and is ready for his own growth. It's beautifully written, and I especially like that the book is in dual POVs, something I prefer in contemporary romances. There is a reason I pre-order Kate Clayborn's books, and Georgie, All Along exemplifies that choice. show less

Georgie Mulcahy returns to small town Virginia to stay in her parents' house and take care of their houseplants while she figures out her next move after the Hollywood person she was a PA for ups and leaves Hollywood. But at home, she discovers Levi Fanning - elder brother of her high school crush Evan and black sheep of the Fanning family - is also house-sitting for her parents while his house is under construction. The two get off to a rocky start, but pretty quickly realize their mutual attraction. Levi agrees to do some of the things on Georgie's "how to conquer high school" list, from her "friend fic" notebook with her longtime best friend Annabel (Bel), who has moved back to their hometown also, with her husband, and is very show more pregnant. Levi is estranged from his family - both parents and his younger siblings Evan and Olivia - which presents a small wrinkle for Georgie, who agrees to work at the family business, the Shoreline.

This follows all the typical romance tropes (it's somewhat grumpy/sunshine), but all characters have real depth, and Georgie's "flaw" is a really interesting one, and something that Bel helps her come to terms with and see as an asset and a gift. Also, there is a dog named Hank (nothing bad happens to the dog).

Quotes

"My job let me...stay distracted," I continue. "It made it so the only future I focused on was the one that mattered for the people I was working for. And right now, I have this slice of time where I don't have to do that." (Georgie, 64)

...well, that's what I do these days. I make things sturdy; I made them stable. (Levi, 156)

A dream I didn't know I had, coming true. (Levi, 192)

"That thing you always think is a liability. You not making plans. You not always knowing the exact thing you want for the future....It's wonderful. It's the most magical thing about you, the way you adapt. I think maybe - maybe the world takes advantage of that quality in you.....But it isn't your flaw. It's your gift..." (Bel to Georgie, 266)

...I've always lived for making things better in the moment....I've been waiting to realize I'm okay, and that I've probably always been okay. (Georgie, 267) show less

Georgie has made a successful career for herself in Hollywood as a PA but after her latest employer retires, Georgie returns to her hometown in order to house-sit for her parents, support her pregnant best-friend, and above all to try to figure out what she really wants to do. In the boxes at Bel’s house, she finds the notebook in which she and Bel wrote stories imagining what high school would be like -- and to Georgie, it’s proof that she once had dreams and ambitions for her own future.

One of the things I love about Clayborn’s stories is how important the friendships, and the other non-romance parts of the characters’ lives, are, not just to the characters, but to the narrative. In this particular story, what stands out is show more Georgie building a better understanding of herself, her long-standing friendship with Bel, Levi’s relationship with his estranged siblings, and the way Georgie and Levi are able to share the vulnerable, messy parts of themselves with each other. And I like how those two help each other, but that falling in love isn’t framed as the answer to their respective dilemmas. It’s just this… good thing which happens, and that feels very realistic.

I liked this one (if not quite as much as Luck of the Draw or Love Lettering). show less

I have read Kate Clayborn's last three books and this is my favorite so far - she just keeps getting better. This book has romance, fantastic friends, small town vibes and most importantly of all it's a book about finding the person you want to be no matter what age you are.

Georgie is returning home after a hectic job as a personal assistant for a famous writer in California. The writer decided to move away from the hustle of California and find a simpler life so suddenly Goergie is out of a job and has no idea what she wants to do with the rest of her life. So like a lot of people, she goes home. Home to the small town where she grew up where everyone knew that she was pretty much an underachiever. The only people who were really in show more her corner were her parents and her best friend Bel. While helping her pregnant friend organize her home, she finds a notebook that she and Bel had written in before they started high school. Georgie realizes that at that young age she had lots of plans for her life and now, years later, her life is a blank page with no real plans. She decides to start doing some of the things that she'd dreamed of but never done when she was young hoping that the desires of the young Georgie would help her decide what she should do now. On her first day back in town she meets Levi, the black sheep brother of the boy she had a crush on all through high school. Since she's house sitting her parents house, she heads straight home. Imagine her surprise when Levi lets himself in to her parents home because they asked him to stay while they were traveling (her parents were a bit unconventional). Levi offers to help Georgie do some of the activities in her teenage book and the more time they spend together, the more that the town bad boy becomes a friend and when the sparks begin to fly between the two of them, she has to make decisions about the rest of her life. Will Georgie and Levi get the happily ever after or will Georgie continue living her life with no real goals as she's always done?

This is a fantastic book. I loved Georgie as she looked for her future life, I loved her best friend who was always there to support her no matter what, I loved Levi who went from a scruffy bad boy to a caring man and I loved Hank - Levi's big old goofy dog who can't seem to stay out of trouble. I know that's a lot of 'loves' in one sentence but I really loved this book. It's way more than a simple romance - it's about re-inventing yourself to the person that you always wanted to be - even if at the beginning you didn't know what you wanted out of life. It's a great read with several serious issues (family estrangement for one) and several laugh out loud scenes - most involving Hank, the dog. Overall, it's a book that left me smiling at the end, happy that I had been able to spend time with these fantastic characters. show less

Georgie Mulcahy's life is filled with taking care of other people's needs. As a personal assistant to a screenwriter, she has very little time that's truly her own. When her boss suddenly decides to retire, Georgie discovers she has no idea what to do with her own future. She travels back to her Virginia hometown to help her pregnant best friend settle into a new home and prepare for the arrival of her baby. While sorting through boxes she discovers an old journal of "friend fic" full of ideas and dares the two of them planned to do before starting high school. Georgie decides that ticking off items on her teenage bucket list will take her back to a time when she was full of plans and ideas, hoping that will spark a sense of direction show more in her life.
Things immediately go awry when she arrives at her absent parents' house to discover someone is already staying there: Levi Fanning, town black sheep and older brother of her high school crush. Levi is as closed off and taciturn as Georgie is open and expansive. Their unplanned living arrangement draws them into each other's lives. Levi offers to help Georgie tick off some items from her friend fic, which only fans the undeniable spark between them.

This book is incredibly warm, heartfelt, and filled with romantic tension. Georgie feels she isn't any further along than she was in high school and only sees a blank slate when looking at the future. Levi is filled with regret over his rebellious, troubled teenage years and has closed himself off in an effort to prove to himself that he is a new man.

Levi's rescue dog Hank is one of the stars of the show here. He is loving, exuberant, and remarkably sensitive. He also brings out a protective side of Levi and it's clear that the two of them are healing each other. The relationship between the two of them speaks more to Levi's character than anything else going on in his life. Hank warms to Georgie immediately and she is uninhibited in her love and care for him.

Georgie is dismayed that she can't figure out what she wants for her future. Levi has worked hard to rebuild his life but his past remains a raw wound to him. They clearly have feelings for each other, but is there room for each other in two lives that are so unsettled?

Georgie's hippie-dippie parents, her friend Bel, and Levi's estranged brother and sister round out a fun cast of characters. The struggles of Georgie and Levi as they figure out their own lives, and if there is a place for each other in them will pull you along all the way. Plus Hank is so adorable the book is worth a read just to meet him!

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. show less

I had read Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn and had really enjoyed it, and those same reasons are why I loved Georgie, All Along. I’m so glad that Clayborn’s romance writing seems to be consistent, and when I need a dose of romance I know which author I’ll be picking.

There are two main reasons why I enjoyed the book so much, and they are the same as to why I liked Love Lettering. The first is there is not a lot of fighting between the characters, a little bit of mixed signals,, and none of the I love him but can’t tell him. All of these tropes drive me nuts when they just keep going and going and going.

And I really enjoyed that Clayborn focused so much on the character development and their stories. I had stopped reading show more romances for awhile because of their lack of character development and how whatever trope they decided to focus their storyline on just kept going.

Georgie was a refreshing character with how in the moment she was, and I could relate to how she just wants to fix people’s problems because she really does know what they need. Levi was a cute grump who really does the work to make himself a better person. And even the supporting characters like Bel (BFF) and Georgie’s parents were super fun.

If you are looking for a sweet romance with great characters and an actual story, check out Georgie, All Along! show less

I've been a huge Kate Clayborn fan since her breakout novel [b:Love Lettering|44792512|Love Lettering|Kate Clayborn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558904735l/44792512._SY75_.jpg|69446812], and Georgie, All Along is now my favorite Clayborn yet. In her talented hands, the cliched "good girl falls in love with the town's bad boy" gets a new twist: both MCs have reputations of being wild and (in Levi's case) dangerous. When Georgie Mulcahy loses her LA job as a personal assistant, she decides to come home to Virginia for the first time in a decade. She plans to stay just long enough to figure out the next steps, give the finger to the teachers and others who thought she'd never amount to anything, show more and help her BFF Bel, who is expecting her first child. An old notebook of "friend fiction" that the BFFs wrote as young teenagers, spelling out their fantasies of all the wonderful things they would do in high school, serves as Georgie's inspiration: she will do all of the things her younger self imagined, and that will somehow lead her to her true path, the antidote to her lack of vocational direction.

Levi Fanning acted out all through his childhood, which led to some disastrously bad choices in the service of defying his controlling father, who tried unsuccessfully to mold Levi into his own preppy image. He's been back in Darentville for a few years, keeping his head down and running his small dock repair business. He still feels pretty broken inside, so his initial interactions with Georgie are surly and blunt. But when the two become unlikely housemates, Levi slowly starts to open up, and a spontaneous kiss from Georgie eventually becomes a passionate relationship. But his insecurities and Georgie's determination to pick a career path instead of drifting along might mean their affair is a short one.

I really liked Georgie, who lives to be helpful to others, but only sees a blank space where her future is concerned. Clayborn always does good female friendship subplots; Georgie fears that her relationship with Bel is growing more distant, but the real reason for the change is unexpected. Georgie's parents are modern hippies whom Georgie views with one part embarrassment and two parts loving gratitude. Even Darentville is interesting; what was once a unremarkable, slightly shabby town is now a tourist attraction, so the "heroine returns to small town and finds love" trope collides head first with redevelopment and gentrification.

But Levi just steals the book away. I'm so glad Clayborn uses dual POV so we can see what he is thinking and feeling even when he's silent. His stoic exterior hides a wounded but kind heart. You can see it when he interacts with his dog Hank (whose timely farts diffuse several tense situations), and as he supports Georgie's quest, even if he doesn't quite understand it. He experiences a lot of growth in the book, and Clayborn's unusual decision to let him narrate the last chapter (in dual POV the heroine usually wraps up the book) demonstrates that she's aware that Levi is one of her best, most complex, and lovable heroes.

Clayborn writes with depth, humor, chemistry, and a talent for staging both the Third Act Breakup and the Big Groveling Gesture. The book feels grittier than either [b:Love Lettering|44792512|Love Lettering|Kate Clayborn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558904735l/44792512._SY75_.jpg|69446812] or [b:Love at First|54231816|Love at First|Kate Clayborn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1609237177l/54231816._SX50_.jpg|84623334], which takes it out of the fairytale realm. But that just makes the love story that much more rewarding.

ARC received by Netflix in exchange for honest review. show less