Hachette unexpectedly sent me This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith. I assume I won it in a contest, but I didn’t know I had! It sat on my TBR pile for awhile, but I was glad I chose to read it. I wouldn’t normally pick up a book dealing with mental illness, but these are deep, complex characters who normalize that everyone struggles sometimes.
Story Summary
The story starts on a rainy night when Tallie, a licensed therapist, is driving over a bridge and notices a man who look like he’s going to jump. She stops and convinces him to get coffee with her, although she hides that she’s a therapist. At the coffee shop, she realizes he doesn’t have any place to go so she invites him to come home with her. (Okay, I thought that was a bit crazy on her part, but I kept with the story.)
Taking place mainly over a weekend, This Close to Okay is told through alternating chapters from Tallie’s and Emmett’s perspectives. They spend the time helping each other heal — from what brought Emmett to the bridge that night, and for Tallie, from problems she hasn’t addressed surrounding her divorce and problems with infertility. Tallie believes she’s helping Emmett, but his presence is cathartic for her as well. Even therapists need help to work through trauma. Everyone needs someone willing to catch us when we stumble or get overwhelmed.
Be aware that This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith contains potential triggers: mental illness, depression, suicidal thoughts, infidelity, infertility, and grief. Even so, the feeling of the book is positive. Through loneliness and loss, even the unexpected compassion of a stranger can change the trajectory of a life. By offering emotional support, both characters benefit. The only thing I didn’t care for was the ending. The author left the book somewhat open ended, but that’s better than a trite romantic ending that wouldn’t fit this novel.
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