Honestly shocked at how bad this was. How is this the same person who wrote Whiskey and Ribbons?? The story is so sappy and adolescent and melodramatic. And these characters are kind of awful; seriously Tallie would be the worst therapist in the world. Has she ever heard of boundaries? Emmett also commits such a crazy violation of privacy; it made no sense and was unforgivable. I did keep with it because I wanted to know what would happen, but, just, no.

This was a sweet story and I would say 3 1/2

A little slow in the middle but offered a lot of clarity toward the end. It is a book about small mercies and chance encounters. There were some parts that felt a little unrealistic but I know how chance encounters work. I guess I was torn between a strange feeling of "Yeah, this can totally happen" to "This is wild". The book was wholesome and I got that the author wanted to give the reader closure since it was important to her characters as well. I thought that was nicely done because the book was heavily influenced on how having closure is important to healing. I may have cried a little toward the end but overall, it was a great read!

In general, I liked this book. I struggled getting through the first half of the book, though. A lot of the dialogue and techniques used to develop the characters and their relationships felt too much and a little pointless.

The last 80 pages or so were page turners. That’s when I finally started to feel the “I’m hooked” sensation and connected with the characters. It’s when the substance of the plot really shined through and there was even a shift in literary energy for lack of a better way to explain it.

It succeeded at dealing with loaded and complicated topics without feeling like a heavy read. After the first half, the characters were lovable and kind of reminiscent of Lifetime movie characters (which I love).

(more of a 3.5) I absolutely adored the last 50-ish pages of this, and there were obviously other good moments and beautiful writing throughout, but some parts just felt...weird? only way I can describe it. just off.

This book was like an x-ray of human behavior: from family relationships to unfortunate events in our lives that have a strong impact.

Audiobook
I am absolutely obsessed with this story.

Emotional. Powerful. Unforgettable. "This Close to Okay" by Lesa Cross-Smith is a literary gem that will leave you breathless and profoundly moved. This book is a remarkable exploration of human connection, compassion, and the profound impact we can have on each other's lives.

The story centers around two strangers, Tallie Clark and Emmett, who meet by chance one rainy evening on a bridge. Tallie, a therapist, spots Emmett on the edge and reaches out to offer him a lifeline, inviting him into her home to ensure his safety. What unfolds over the course of a few intense days is a deeply affecting tale of friendship, healing, and the complexities of the human heart.

Cross-Smith's prose is exquisite. Her writing flows effortlessly, drawing you into the inner worlds of the characters with stunning emotional depth. Through alternating perspectives, we witness the vulnerabilities, regrets, and hopes of both Tallie and Emmett. Their stories are woven together with remarkable precision, as their encounters challenge them to confront their pasts and find solace in the present.

What truly sets this book apart is the raw emotion it evokes. Cross-Smith delves into the depths of grief, trauma, and the search for redemption with such honesty and tenderness that it feels as though you are experiencing the characters' emotions firsthand. The way she captures the complexity of human emotions is nothing short of masterful.

Moreover, the characters in "This Close to Okay" are beautifully rendered and utterly relatable. Tallie and Emmett are flawed, imperfect beings, which makes their struggles and triumphs all the more authentic. You'll find yourself rooting for them, empathizing with their pain, and celebrating their small victories.

This book also touches upon important themes such as mental health, the healing power of human connection, and the significance of reaching out to those in need. It challenges us to question our assumptions about others and reminds us of the transformative impact a simple act of kindness can have.

In conclusion, "This Close to Okay" is a literary masterpiece that will leave you emotionally stirred and deeply reflective. Lesa Cross-Smith's exquisite storytelling, coupled with her profound exploration of human emotions, makes this book an absolute must-read. Prepare to be captivated from the very first page and take a journey that will resonate with you long after you've turned the final one.

I can completely see where people are giving this book 4 and 5 stars. There are parts of it that are really well written, but I just could never get over the actual premise. I can’t help but think a read like this is really dangerous for people who struggle with savior complexes and co-dependency. Taking in a friend and giving them a safe space to process and get over a hard patch is a really beautiful thing to do. Bringing a stranger home who was literally about to jump off a bridge and sleeping with them in the same weekend is just wrong. Tallie is a bad therapist. Full stop. Whenever I read a book really fast it is easier for me to think it was really good. This sucked me in somewhere in the middle, and it got easier to swallow the whole premise, and for a moment it tricked me into thinking this is a good book. However, when I pictured handing it to a friend and telling them it was good literature all I could see was them handing the book back to me and saying I probably should call my therapist and talk to her about liking this book.

**Yes there are spoilers**

Here we go again... In hindsight, I think we need more books that have to deal with POC/black characters who deal with mental illness and create more awareness on the subject. However, I also think there was a way to execute mental disorders that were presented in this book without tying it to a horrible end. For instance,

Christine had both BPD and Bipolar disorder, and when you look at statistics for those who have these disorders and that commit su*c*de, I felt as though there should have been a different ending for a character such as herself.

I do think this book was more of a therapeutic book for the Author, therefore, I do not know if it is right to comment on so much on this story because it deals with heavy topics. Because the story has such heavy topics it makes you wonder how much research has the author done or is this based on experience, or from others around her that she knows. I am not sure, so I will comment on the positives I loved from the story and what could have been better.

Pros:
Emmett/Rye: I think he was a well-written character, and maybe because he was written from the female gaze that made me adore his character. I wanted him to be okay and seeing his sensitive side, his grief being expressed made me feel for him at every moment. He was intriguing. He loved to cook, he had aspirations, an overall likable character despite his flaws when it comes to the email situation

Pop-culture references, made the characters feel much more real and the world much more realistic.

The timing: I forgot this all happened in a matter of three days no matter how much it was mentioned, it felt like a build-up over time

Cons:

Tallie: I don't think she was a bad character, I just think she was not written as well as Rye, maybe because I tried so hard to love her and adore her but it kept falling short. She seemed like she was compassionate and she cared, but at the same time she seemed so dis-ingenuine, There are too many moments where I felt as though she did not really care for Rye, really she took care of him because she did not want to take care of herself. She also needed therapy and yet she did not get it. I know she is not perfect and I think that is the most real thing about her, I think because she was not put on this peddle stool, I also didn't leave any room for her. However, I kept trying to find that room in my head and heart to adore her, but I could not altogether.

Why did she sleep with Rye on the same night, but also in that night she was jealous if she suspected Nico had a date, but she was also still mad about her ex-husband...like Ma'am pick a man, and give me a break.
That is another thing, the author built up Rye as this relatable character, yet in the end, Nico was the winning man and the audience doesn't even know him. 300 pages of Rye went to Nico as the winning man, and maybe that is like real life but then you start to wonder what was this book for
?
If it is about hope, fate, and faith, then write a book on that. You can build a beautiful, meaningful, PLATONIC relationship. Tallie and Rye did not have to sleep together, because the ending would have still been the same. That's the crazy part, the sleeping together worked as a catalyst in order to launch a specific part of the story, but it was not needed if they were not going to be together, so why not build a beautiful friendship? I'm a sucker for beautiful healthy friendships.

Telling instead of showing: This book told a lot, and I say this in a way where Tallie has to be seen as a good person; she donates to stop sex trafficking, and Rye say's "you're an actual good person" but as the readers, we did not really need to hear that to see that, correct? There were too many moments like that; it was as though the readers did not get a chance to form an opinion on these characters. it is basically Tallie=good person, Rye = broken, but no one is 100% good and no one is broken, people aren't broken beings; they are complex and filled with intricate layers of all the terrible and beautiful things of this world.

Right person, wrong timing: This book makes you believe that there's hope, and you can be okay. Correct, that is the lovely part. But, it makes it seem like those who deal with mental illness are not capable of being with others unless they fix this "broken" part, no matter if you agree or disagree with that, it is not the absolute truth of the world. It simply isn't fact. Therefore, you see Tallie and Rye fall for each other, but cannot possibly be together because life happens for us, not to us. They move on with their lives, no matter if they liked or even loved these bits and pieces they knew about one another. The right person is timeless...but the right person who was timeless is Nico, and that breaks my heart every time I think about it.

**End of that list**

We are led to believe that Rye was the runner-up, he was the right person for her. Yet, he was not, was the author trying to say "broken" people are not the right person? I do not think that is her intention. This was my first book by her and I do not know if I would read her work again, maybe I will, but at the same time maybe another one of her books might resonate with me.

I would like to say, I did cry at the end of the book. I cried so hard, the headache type of cry. It was this bittersweet ending. I would like to note that I read this book in less than 24 hours, so I couldn't put it down, but I wish there could have been more for these two characters.

To be fair, I like that it showed that mental health is not this romanticized or fantasized thing; it is messy, hurts you, and impacts those around you. So maybe Ms. Cross-Smith did get it right because when you are okay, things around you start looking like that and you attract that.

This book really shows you that life does not work out the way you expect it, it shows that from the past and the present, and maybe that was the hardest pill to swallow with this book. Maybe I am mad at this book because all of it was hard to swallow, and I can at least thank the author for that.