Contemporary fiction
This Close to Okay
Early Release
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Quick take
A near-tragedy brings together two lonely strangers who might just have the ability to save each other's lives.
Good to know
Multiple viewpoints
Inspirational
Sad
Literary
Synopsis
On a rainy October night in Kentucky, recently divorced therapist Tallie Clark is on her way home from work when she spots a man precariously standing on the side of a bridge. Without a second thought, Tallie pulls over and jumps out of the car into the pouring rain. She convinces the man to join her for a cup of coffee, and he eventually agrees to come back to her house, where he finally shares his name: Emmett.
Over the course of the emotionally charged weekend that follows, Tallie makes it her mission to provide a safe space for Emmett, though she hesitates to confess that this is also her day job. But what she doesn't realize is that he's not the only one who needs healing—and she's not the only one with secrets.
Free sample
Get an early look from the first pages of This Close to Okay.
Why I love it
Bryn Greenwood
Author, The Reckless Oath We Made
It’s no secret to say that we are living in difficult times. And in a holiday season where so many of us are isolated from friends and family, I suspect many of us are yearning for a sense of connection. That’s part of why Leesa Cross-Smith's new novel spoke so powerfully to me. This Close to Okay is a love story, but not in the usual sense of romantic love. Rather, it's a story about one wounded soul reaching out to another in a moment of love and compassion, changing both of their lives forever.
When we meet Tallie and Emmett, they are resigned to their fates—her to living a life of loneliness and disappointment after a failed marriage, and him to ending a life of pain. But when Tallie stops on a bridge one rainy night to rescue a stranger, making the arguably reckless decision to welcome the secretive and suicidal Emmett into her home, the two share a cathartic weekend that reaffirms their humanity.
This is undoubtedly a story about grief and pain. But it is also a story of two people who, in the process of getting to know one another, rediscover the healing power of love, family, and community. Now, more than ever, my heart needed a story about starting over and choosing hope over despair. This is that story.
Member ratings (12,409)
Briana L.
Calabasas, CA
What’s stellar is this immediate sense of living in the moment of each protagonists’ story. Both leave a visceral mark on the reader’s investment of how they came together and what that leaves behind.
Jenna A.
Plano, IL
5/5. Such an interesting concept & development of characters. There were some important conversations being had in this book. I’m also glad the author did not fall into the “unethical therapist trope”
Linsey G.
Liberty, NC
OMG ???????????? I loved this book.... the secrets and the connections were fantastic. Tallie is such a kind soul, and Emmett is a person worthy of sainthood. They both inspire me to be more understanding.
Alexandra A.
Nashville, TN
I cannot describe how emotionally invested I was in these two characters. I loved their story, their connection, and how they were needed in each other’s lives in ways they could not have guessed. ♥️
Sarina C.
Fairfield, CA
I was blown away by this book. It took me a while to get going, but — once i did — I devoured this. Lyrical prose, sympathetic characters, and a heartwrenching twist that worked beautifully. Loved it!