Longtime personal assistant Georgie Mulcahy has made a career out of putting others before herself. When an unexpected upheaval sends her away from her hectic job in L.A. and back to her hometown, Georgie must confront an uncomfortable truth: her own wants and needs have always been a disconcertingly blank page.

But then Georgie comes across a forgotten artifact—a “friendfic” diary she wrote as a teenager, filled with possibilities she once imagined. To an overwhelmed Georgie, the diary’s simple, small-scale ideas are a lifeline—a guidebook for getting started on a new path.

Georgie’s plans hit a snag when she comes face to face with an unexpected roommate—Levi Fanning, onetime town troublemaker and current town hermit. But this quiet, grouchy man is more than just his reputation, and he offers to help Georgie with her quest. As the two make their way through her wishlist, Georgie begins to realize that what she truly wants might not be in the pages of her diary after all, but right by her side—if only they can both find a way to let go of the pasts that hold them back.

As a Kate Clayborn mega fan, I found myself in the enviable position of reading Georgie, All Along as it was being crafted. Kate is a preternaturally gifted writer who strings together some of the most beautiful sentences in romance today, and this is her most playful, ambitious book yet. I have been waiting impatiently for over a year to sing its praises!

When Georgie Mulcahy finds herself suddenly unemployed, she is a mess. And while she might finally have an opportunity to chase her dreams, she doesn’t know what those are, exactly. Back in her hometown she’s met with constant reminders of her childhood reputation as a flaky ne’er-do-well, which she fears, deep down, she really is.

Then Georgie finds her old ‘friendfic’ notebook full of dreams drafted with her childhood best friend. She hopes to find direction by retracing her teenage steps to remember what once inspired her. Georgie recruits an unlikely ally in town hermit and unexpected hot roomie, Levi Fanning (strong contender for Best Book Boyfriend of 2023). In fact, every character rises vibrantly from these pages, inviting readers into this charming but complicated town, where Georgie, with Levi at her side, discovers the grit and love she’s carried inside all along.

This book perfectly captures what I love about romance—the heat, humor, wisdom, friendships, and sweet satisfaction of “happily ever after”—and it’s hard to find words to do it justice. But one thing is for certain: Georgie, All Along is the book I’ll recommend above all others in 2023.