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Sarah Adler

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Mrs Nash's Ashes: a sweet and spicy opposites-attract romance Kindle Edition

by Sarah Adler (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.3 3,501 ratings

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'A sparky, bright, hilarious road-trip rom com' BETH O'LEARY, AUTHOR OF THE FLATSHARE

'Full of humour and heart' TAYLOR JENKINS REID, AUTHOR OF DAISY JONES & THE SIX

Two love stories decades apart. One chance to prove love is worth the ride.

Former childhood star and die-hard romantic Millie is bound for Key West from Washington DC, determined to fulfil a promise to her elderly best friend, Mrs Nash, by reuniting her ashes with her long-lost love. And if this grand gesture also reassures a recently heartbroken Millie that love is real, all for the better.

When flights are grounded, Millie is forced to catch a ride with Hollis, an also-stranded near-stranger from her ex's grad school. Rising literary star Hollis doesn't believe in forever-loves (or even for-now loves). He was headed to Miami for a no-strings-attached hook-up, in the hope of curing his writer's block.

But as Millie and Hollis make their way across country, racing down open highways and staying in questionable hotels, will their trip turn into a love story all their own?

A joyous road trip romcom, perfect for fans of Lucy Score, Rachel Lynn Solomon and Ali Hazelwood.

'A complete delight' CARLEY FORTUNE

'Heartfelt and hilarious in equal measure' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ READER REVIEW

'Sweet and charming' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ READER REVIEW

'Witty, romantic and full of gorgeous storytelling' CATHERINE WALSH

'Romantic and sexy' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ READER REVIEW

'Soft, sweet and utterly enchanting' ASHLEY POSTON

'Funny, tender, emotional and sexy' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ READER REVIEW

'A wickedly funny romance' WOMAN'S OWN

Print length

354 pages
Language

English
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On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

Quercus
Publication date

May 25, 2023
File size

2339 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

1

Rose McIntyre Nash died peacefully in her sleep at age ninety-eight, and now I carry part of her with me wherever I go. I do not mean that figuratively. She's inside a small wooden box tucked away in my backpack as we speak. Not all of her, of course. Geoffrey Nash wasn't about to hand over his entire grandmother to the weird girl who lived in her spare bedroom. But Geoffrey was kind enough to give me three tablespoons of her ashes (again, not figurative; he portioned her out with a measuring spoon from the kitchen). Probably not the request he was expecting when he asked if I'd like something to remember her by, but he didn't seem to mind too much. I think he was mostly relieved I didn't want her highly collectible radioactive Fiestaware.

Geez, this is making me sound like a total wackadoo. I'm not, though, I promise. I know that's exactly what a wackadoo would say, but I'm really just a relatively normal person who happens to be traveling to Key West with a small amount of human remains.

I'm going about this all wrong; let me start at the beginning.

Mrs. Nash had been living in Apartment 1B for almost seventy years when my boyfriend and I moved into Apartment 1A. Thanks to rent control, she was paying like five dollars a month for her two-bedroom between Dupont and Logan Circles. And we became fast friends, because I am a damn delight and so was she. So when Geoffrey and the rest of the extended family began fretting over her living alone around the same time things with Josh imploded, I moved in with Mrs. Nash. It was the perfect situation: Geoffrey let me live there for practically nothing in exchange for cleaning, cooking, running errands, accompanying Mrs. Nash to her medical appointments, and generally attending to his grandmother's needs. But mostly what Mrs. Nash needed was friendship, which I was more than happy to provide since that's mostly what I needed too.

Well, one day about three months ago, we were in the living room, me sprawled on the Persian rug with some book on the War of 1812 I was reading for work and Mrs. Nash sitting with her eyes closed in her favorite threadbare chair, the sunlight covering her plump little body like a blanket. She appeared to be napping, but suddenly her cornflower-blue eyes fluttered open and she sat up straighter.

Millie, she said with a sense of urgency in her voice that sent a jolt of panic up my spine. I was relieved-albeit momentarily confused-when she continued, I would like to tell you about the love of my life. We met during the war. Her name was Elsie.

Anyway, that's the ultra-abbreviated version of how I wound up here, sitting cross-legged on the floor at National Airport, waiting to board a plane to Miami with a bit of Mrs. Nash in my backpack. There's a lot more to the story, of course, but right now I'm a bit too distracted to tell it properly-a man across the gate's waiting area keeps glancing my way when he thinks I'm not looking. Like he thinks he might know me from somewhere and is trying to figure it out. That's nothing new; people still recognize me sometimes, even though I haven't been on TV since I was fourteen. It's not a big deal when they do since I'm about as extroverted as they come.

Usually the way this situation plays out is they approach me, saying something like, "Hey, aren't you that girl from that show?" Then I respond, "If you mean the actually kinda problematic kids' show from the early aughts about the time-traveling redhead and her poorly rendered CGI lizard companion, then yes. That's me. Millicent Watts-Cohen, also known as Penelope Stuart on Penelope to the Past." Then they say, a little sheepishly, "Right. Yeah, that show was awesome, and you were great in it." Except I know they are lying because the show was terrible. The history it taught was inaccurate at best and flat-out offensive at worst, the special effects sucked, and I was never talented at acting so much as at having a cute face and a good memory. Sometimes they'll mention a Penelope episode they claim was their favorite, but it's usually a conflation of two or more, or even a different show altogether. I never bother correcting them, just smile and nod. And I'll usually agree to a selfie when they say, "Oh my god, my friend/sibling/partner/parakeet will never believe this!" because it keeps them from taking an unflattering stealthy pic of me eating a corn dog a few minutes later, and also staves off the biannual tabloid rumors that I've died from huffing glue.

It's possible this guy is a fan; he looks about my age, give or take, and thirtyish is the right demographic. Except something about the way he's looking at me feels familiar. Like maybe he recognizes me from real life.

I think I might recognize him too. But I can't seem to place him. Did we go to school together? Not grad-my master's program was small and absurdly insular-but maybe undergrad. I'm running through a mental catalog of various classrooms I've been in over the years, hoping he'll snap into the memory of one of them, when a man's voice interrupts my mental riffling.

"Hey, are you . . . ?"

I turn to find an almost perversely muscular dude in a tank top, which feels like a real choice on a cloudy day that didn't even break sixty-five degrees in the DC area. His shaggy, sun-bleached hair sticks out from the edges of a flat-brimmed Nationals cap with its iridescent sticker still in place. His biceps are the size and color of whole honey-baked hams. He's wearing sunglasses-indoors. This person is what I imagine would result if a beach bum and a lax bro had a thirtysomething baby.

My meeting-a-fan smile automatically plasters itself to my face as I stand. "Penelope Stuart on Penelope to the Past," I say. "That's me. Millicent Watts-Cohen."

"Whoa, yeah, I thought it was you. That's so rad. I can't wait to tell my boy, Todd. He won't believe it." He pulls out his phone and holds it up. "Can I get a selfie?"

"Yeah, sure," I say.

We lean in toward each other, and he angles the phone downward to get us both in the frame. His proximity assaults my nose with the scent of beer and an excessive amount of musky body spray. Even after he snaps a few shots and tucks his phone back into his shorts pocket, his grin remains. "Todd and I watched every episode of Penelope to the Past like a million times back in the day."

"That's great. Always nice to hear that people enjoyed the show," I say.

"Ha, no, the show itself was kind of garbage-no offense."

My smile droops in response to this surprising development. Not that I'm offended (I mean, I wholeheartedly agree with him), but these lines aren't part of the usual script for this interaction.

"You were like the hottest girl our age we'd ever seen. Especially that episode when your family was on vacation in Mexico. You know, the one where you went back to Aztec times? You were in this little yellow bikini, and your, you know . . ." Don't do it, I think. Don't do it. But he raises his hands to his chest and palms invisible breasts, then mimes them bouncing while he slo-mo runs in place. ". . . When you had to escape from the human sacrifice." He laughs and nudges me with an elbow. "Ha, yeah. You know what I mean. You know."

Oh god.

It's not that I was unaware until this moment that my awkward fourteen-year-old body starred in a lot of my fellow teenagers' early sexual fantasies. It's that most people keep this shit on the internet, where they can say gross things anonymously and without inflicting it directly upon my person. That's one of the main reasons I don't do social media. I learned a long time ago that I can't stop the world from objectifying me, but I can choose to shield my brain from absorbing the worst of it. Luckily (and perhaps surprisingly) this is the first time in years someone has been so candid when meeting me. But as much as I want to call this dickhead out for what he's said, my mouth is paralyzed in this sort of horrified gape, which he's unfortunately taking as encouragement to continue voicing his disgusting train of thought.

"Wow. I had so many dreams about you in that yellow bikini back then, you can't even imagine." He lets out another laugh. My whole face grows hot with this terrible combination of embarrassment and fury. "You look good, still, by the way." He lifts his sunglasses, and his eyes travel over the front of my body like a dog show judge might check out the standard poodle before taking a closer look at its teeth. "Really good."

A warm hand cups my shoulder, and I flinch before I realize the touch is coming from somewhere behind me. From someone who has yet to comment on either the past or present state of my tits and is therefore very welcome to enter this conversation.

"There you are," a voice says as the hand leaves my shoulder and slides down my arm, spreading a strangely reassuring heat over my skin. "I know you said you put the hotel info in my bag, but I can't find it and I need the phone number. Can you come look?"

I glance over at my rescuer as he hands me my little leather backpack and grabs the handle of my rolling suitcase. He's the guy from before, the one I remembered but couldn't place. Except now that he's closer, I can see his features clearly: dark chocolate-colored hair, mussed in a fashionable way where you can't tell if it's deliberate or if he really did just roll out of bed; light olive skin; full lips surrounded by the kind of stubble that manages to be ever-present yet has zero aspirations of becoming an actual beard. And I'd never forget those eyes in a million years-one gray-blue, one cognac brown, staring from behind round, tortoiseshell glasses. I've definitely had those mismatched eyes focused on me before.

"Yeah, sure." I hug my backpack-and Mrs. Nash-to my chest and mutter a quick, "Nice to meet you," to the fan, even though it wasn't nice to meet him at all.

"Sorry to interrupt, man," my new companion calls out as he guides me away. Then he adds in a hurry as if he just can't help himself, "But also, hey, learn some fucking appropriate boundaries maybe."

The memory comes together like a time-lapse video of a jigsaw puzzle. The crisp, late-September air on my face, chilling my tears as they tumbled down my cheeks. The whooshing sound of city traffic that replaced the restaurant's hubbub as I stepped outside into the night. A man's voice-this man's voice-reaching out of the dark, asking, Hey, you okay?

Hollis Hollenbeck. From my ex's MFA cohort. One of those fancy literary friends Josh talked about and constantly compared himself to but rarely let me interact with beyond hasty introductions and quick hellos at parties. Hollis was there that horrible night eight months ago, leaning against the brick wall beside the restaurant's entrance, the light from the old-timey lantern suspended above him highlighting the different colors of his eyes.

Now, Hollis leads me to the row of chairs in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows as a plane zooms down the runway in the distance. His blue duffel bag waits in front of the seat he vacated to save me. I consider joking about how he must have missed the last twenty years of PSAs about not leaving your bags unattended in an airport, but instead I say, "Thank you. That was getting . . . gross." I am grateful, of course, for his intervention. But I also can't ignore the tiny twinge of shame deep in my stomach, as if part of me feels like what that guy said is somehow my fault, that I should have shut it down or prevented it or been able to walk away without Hollis's assistance.

"Getting? Dude rocketed past gross and was well on his way to abhorrent." The look on his face is almost comical, the way his mouth droops into a perfectly symmetrical arch. Like a postcard of St. Louis.

"Hey. I know you, don't I?" I say.

His thick eyebrows raise in question. "Do you?"

"You know Josh Yaeger, right?" Somehow my smile stays perky and unaffected by the name coming out of my mouth.

"Yeah. And you . . . also know Josh."

He doesn't say it like "Wow this is so awkward because you dated my friend for three years and probably would be engaged to him right now if he hadn't betrayed your trust." It's more of an "I can only guess that's why you know me, but I really have no clue who you are." So maybe he wasn't looking at me because he remembered me after all.

"Um. He and I were together for a while," I say.

"Right."

"Back in September . . . at Josh's book release party at that restaurant in Georgetown. You drove me home," I explain, hoping to jog his memory. "So I probably owe you a thanks for that too."

"Oh. Did we . . . ?" He waves a finger back and forth between us.

"What? No. You didn't even come upstairs, just waited to make sure I got inside okay then left."

"Then you must be mistaken. That doesn't sound like me."

I don't understand the game he's playing here, why he's fighting against my good impression of him. "Well, from the little I know, helping a woman out of an unpleasant situation sounds very much like you."

"No way." He shakes his head. "I never do anything out of the goodness of my heart."

"Then what was that a minute ago?"

"Purely selfish. If I had to listen to another word about that guy's wet dreams, a tidal wave of vomit would've escaped my mouth and swallowed up this terminal."

The mental image of that makes me chuckle, but his expression remains serious. "Whatever," I say. "Regardless, I'd like to thank you somehow, both for today and for that night."

I immediately regret the open-endedness of my offer as his eyebrows raise again, but he eventually shakes his head. "Not necessary. Like I said, I was just being selfish. Now, not to be rude, but I went over there to stop a conversation, not get roped into a new one. So if you'll excuse me . . ." --This text refers to the paperback edition.

About the Author

Sarah Adler writes romantic comedies about lovable weirdos finding their happily ever afters. She lives in Maryland with her husband and daughter and spends an inordinate amount of her time yelling at her mischievous cat to stop opening the kitchen cabinets. Mrs. Nash’s Ashes is her debut novel. You can find her on Twitter (@sarahaadler) and Instagram (@sarahadlerwrites). --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Review

“I laughed. I sobbed. I loved it! Soft, sweet, and utterly enchanting, Mrs. Nash’s Ashes by Sarah Adler is a delightfully funny and poignant romance that sticks with you like a warm and gooey cinnamon roll.”
—Ashley Poston, New York Times bestselling author of The Dead Romantics

"Sarah Adler nails the ultimate rom-com alchemy with her sparkling debut, Mrs. Nash's Ashes. Full of zippy banter, gorgeous prose and tender-hearted characters who give the novel a deep, emotional core, it’s a complete delight."
—Carley Fortune, New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After

"This is a perfect romance novel. I loved this book from the hilarious beginning to the heartwarming and triumphant ending. Mrs. Nash's Ashes is funny, hot, smart, and is so full of love, with a couple I cheered for from page one. I can’t wait to devour everything Sarah Adler writes."
—Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author of Drunk on Love

"Mrs. Nash's Ashes is instantly addictive! Following the vivacious Millie and scrumptious Hollis on their hilarious road trip into romance is pure romcom gold. Witty, fun, and yet also deeply affecting, this remarkably strong debut from Sarah Adler is sure to win hearts. It certainly won mine, I loved it!"
—India Holton, bestselling author of The League of Gentlewomen Witches

“Mrs. Nash's Ashes was a total joy to read. Witty, beautifully-written, and laced with sexual tension and suspense that tightens with each twist of Hollis and Millicent's road trip, I expected that I'd be enjoying one romance, but ended up falling in love with two. Extraordinary storytelling.”
—Sarah Hogle, author of Just Like Magic

"A delightful debut from Sarah Adler! This is a road-trip romance at its best, with all the forced proximity, unexpected intimacies, and questionable music playlists that come with it. Warm and witty, charming and romantic, Adler took Mrs. Nash’s Ashes—and me—on a journey I didn’t want to end."
—Jen DeLuca, USA Today bestselling author of Well Matched

“With an unforgettable voice, Adler crafts a tale full of humor and heart, proving that love sometimes finds us when we least expect it."
—Ashley Herring Blake, USA Today bestselling author of Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail

"Mrs. Nash's Ashes is at turns both zany and heart wrenching, a layered road trip romance with equally fascinating characters who will sink their teeth into your brain and not let go long after you've finished the final page. This is a treasure of a story that lived and breathed inside my heart."
—Anita Kelly, author of Something Wild & Wonderful

"Brilliantly constructed and full of unforgettable characters, Mrs. Nash’s Ashes is an unequivocal delight. Sarah Adler’s witty, idiosyncratic voice grabbed me from the first page, and as soon as I finished I was tempted to start all over again. Fans of Emily Henry and Sarah Hogle, you’ve found your newest obsession."
—Ava Wilder, author of How to Fake It in Hollywood

“This unforgettable road trip runs on laugh-out-loud humor, deeply felt romance, a profound sense of the unexpected, and classic rock radio—we loved every mile. Millie and Hollis’s perfectly surprising journey with, and to, each other leads them to reckon with grief, trust and hope in this uniquely wonderful debut.”
—Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of The Roughest Draft

"A total mood-lifter of a book that charmed me from the first page. Witty, romantic, and full of gorgeous storytelling, I couldn't believe this was Sarah Adler's debut!"
—Catherine Walsh, author of Holiday Romance

“Mrs. Nash’s Ashes is delightfully a fun and utterly romantic debut. I was charmed by Millie, Hollis, and the titular Mrs. Nash from page one. Adler has it all—fresh characters, fabulous writing, and enormous heart. I can’t wait to read what she writes next.”
—Sarah Grunder Ruiz, author of Luck and Last Resorts

"Mrs. Nash’s Ashes had me giggling from the very first page. Adler perfectly mixes humor, heart, and steam to create a flawless rom-com. Millie and Hollis are an absolute delight and have joined the ranks as one of my all-time favorite book couples. I laughed out loud throughout the entire book, which I read in one sitting because I couldn't put it down! If you're in the mood for a true rom-com, you cannot go wrong with this book!"
—Falon Ballard, author of Lease on Love and Just My Type

"With warmth and wit packed into every page, Mrs. Nash's Ashes is a story about loving hard while we have the chance, and how sometimes being vulnerable is the bravest thing we can do. Glimpses of Mrs. Nash's own love story will break your heart a little, but Millie and Hollis's quirky road trip to happily-ever-after will deftly put it back together again. Playful, sexy, and unexpected in the very best way, Sarah Adler is a dazzling new voice in romantic comedy."
—Jen Devon, author of Bend Toward the Sun

“With a road trip, only one bed, and giant misunderstandings, Adler perfectly deploys her novel’s abundant romance tropes. Alternating between Millie’s and Mrs. Nash’s stories, this laugh-out-loud funny contemporary will have readers swooning over and cheering for Millie and Hollis....Adler’s delightful opposites-attract debut is perfect for fans of Tessa Bailey and Christina Lauren.”
—Library Journal (starred review)

“This grumpy-sunshine romance is an absolute treat, and a superb debut from Sarah Adler…If you’re in the mood to giggle helplessly while falling in love with absurdly endearing characters, then Mrs. Nash’s Ashes will be just what you need, too."
—BookPage (starred review)

"Debut author Adler combines heat and sweet in this charmingly offbeat rom-com....Adler’s well-drawn characters leap off the page, and she handles difficult topics with grace. She also shows off her comedy chops in some laugh-out-loud road trip mishaps…This delightful debut is sure to find fans.”
—Publishers Weekly --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BBQLY2Q4
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Quercus (May 25, 2023)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 25, 2023
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2339 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 354 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0593547799

Best Sellers Rank: #516,116 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #2,270 in Enemies to Lovers Romance eBooks
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- #12,553 in Romantic Comedy (Kindle Store)

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Sarah Adler

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Sarah Adler writes romantic comedies about lovable weirdos finding their happily ever afters. She lives in Maryland with her husband and daughter and spends an inordinate amount of her time yelling at her mischievous cat to stop opening the kitchen cabinets.

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Jeeves Reads Romance

Great debut

Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2023

Verified Purchase

I love a good road trip romance, and this one grew on me more and more as the story progressed. It's a debut that I knew very little about going in, and that made the experience better for me. It's sentimental one minute and super playful the next, with a grumpy/sunshine dynamic that absolutely shines in the back half. I loved learning about the hero in bits and pieces (we only get the heroine's perspective), and it was great to watch the self-proclaimed pessimist open up his heart a little more with every page. I also loved the heroine, who maintains her sunshiney demeanor even while grappling with grief and heartache. The two complemented each other perfectly, and the forced proximity allowed them to grow their emotional connection in a way they wouldn't have in the real world. They've got fantastic chemistry, and the comedic moments with them balanced out the heavier aspects of the story. It truly did put me through my paces emotionally, and ended up being a very memorable read.

The story follows Millie, a woman who is grieving the loss of her best friend. That best friend happened to be several decades older than her, but Mrs. Nash made a lasting impression on Millie. That's why Millie is determined to deliver Mrs. Nash's ashes to her long-lost love, reuniting them in the only way she can. Unfortunately, Millie becomes stranded at the airport, and the only familiar face she sees is her ex-boyfriend's professional nemesis. Millie has only met Hollis in passing, but it's obvious that he's a bit of a grump. He begrudgingly agrees to let Millie ride in his car only when it becomes clear that she's out of other options. As the two total opposites embark on their adventure together, they bond in a way that neither expected. But the pessimist and the eternal optimist have very different opinions about Millie's mission, and that causes plenty of tension along the way.

Someone recommended this to me as an excellent road trip romance with You, With a View vibes, and I definitely think this appeals to a similar audience. We get the bonus of Mrs. Nash's queer love story, told in little moments sprinkled throughout the book. There's also the forced proximity and the road trip aspect, which are two personal favorites of mine. I loved that Millie and Hollis had just enough history that they weren't total strangers, but they were truly getting to know each other for the first time on this trip. Hollis grew on me a LOT as the book progresses; he starts out as this jerk of a guy who is literally on his way to a sex date with his f-buddy, but he slowly opens up and reveals a softer side of himself. I loved the way he let Millie be her true (bubbly, quirky, and vibrant) self, while also being the person who grounds her and supports her when she needs it. The back half really pulls it all together, and that's what earns this 5 stars from me. It's emotional and sentimental, yet also hopeful and uplifting - and funny - which made for such a multi-faceted read. I really enjoyed it!

Audio note: The audio is good! This is my first experience with Mara Wilson, and I thought her voice was ideal for the storyline. It's soft and relaxing, but she also brings the emotion when needed. My only (minor) complaint would be that there were a couple of moments when I wasn't sure who was talking - her voice for Hollis wasn't all that different from her voice for Millie. But those moments weren't that frequent. The runtime (9-10 hours) makes for a great single-day listening experience, and the slowish burn meant that this could at least be started at the office. There are several spicy moments in the back half, so you might run into trouble with those. I think the audio definitely enhanced the reading experience for me, so I'd easily recommend the format.

3 people found this helpful

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Lena

Good Read!

Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2024

Verified Purchase

It was a cute book! I'm someone who has a hard time finishing a book if it doesn't capture me; but i finished this in a few days, kept me engaged! Good story line. There were some R-rate scenes- so not for young readers.

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Maree LaRue

Incredibly delightful and well-written!

Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2023

Verified Purchase

Finally, a romance that handles all of the little miscommunications and confusions that pop up in a new romance or FWB situation--and makes them sexy. Okay, just some of them, this isn't an all-out romp, but Hollis is incredibly charming and sexy when he needs to be.

Back to an overall summary, got carried away there! The story is told from Millie's first-person POV. At first, that annoyed me because I love a dual POV, and Hollis is so grumpy, but it made for a WONDERFULLY sweet ending. Well done, Ms. Adler!

The friendship between Millie and the deceased Mrs. Nash is shown through adorable flashbacks. As is Millie's relationship with her odious ex. Whom Hollis was a classmate of, which is important, I promise.

Millie is a bit like Jessica Day, and I love how that is explored. She says what she's thinking but not in an obnoxious or flighty way, and I would like her as a friend, too.

There are regular chapters of the WWII time romance between young Mrs. Nash and Elsie. They are sweet and tender without the ah-hem, details of our modern couple. I teared up at one of them.

I would definitely read another book about Millie & Hollis traveling again. Maybe through Europe?

3 people found this helpful

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Alan and Emily

Opposites Attract During an Eventful Road Trip

Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2023

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4 stars out of 5 for Mrs. Nash’s Ashes by Sarah Adler

Mrs. Nash’s Ashes touches on love, grief, and friendship, and Millie’s first person perspective is perfect for this novel, as she’s truly on a personal journey of discovery as much as she is on an accidental road trip with Hollis.

Millicent Watts-Cohen is a quirky and hilarious woman on a mission. Millie was the caretaker of her wonderful and wise elderly best friend, Rose Nash. Before Rose passed away, she shared surprising stories with Millie about her long lost love, Elsie Brown, who she believed was killed during the Korean War. Millie discovers shortly after Rose’s death that Elsie survived the accident in Korea and is now in hospice care in Key West, so she decides she must symbolically reunite some of Rose’s ashes with Elsie in Florida before it’s too late.

When thousands of flights are canceled due to a computer glitch, Millie finds herself traveling to Florida by car with grumpy acquaintance, Hollis Hollenbeck. It’s a classic story of opposites attract, with optimistic and trusting Millie frequently annoying pessimistic and sarcastic Hollis. They bicker over topics ranging from music choices to life choices, but as the miles pass they also find common ground.

Mrs. Nash’s Ashes is really funny, with great dialogue and entertaining hiccups during Hollis and Millie’s road trip. They fall into bed a little too quickly for this old reader, but it’s not totally unbelievable due to their close proximity and shared conversations during their long drive.

The novel is also deeply moving, as it touches on heartache and betrayal, love and grief, all woven seamlessly into the developing story of Millie and Hollis against the historical backdrop of Rose and Elsie.

Take a chance and fall in love with Mrs. Nash’s Ashes. With romance, humor, and, yes, even some sadness onboard for this road trip, it’s a journey that checks all the boxes for a great reading experience.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Dana

Story Balance

Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2024

I wish there was a better split between the two love stories, I would've loved to hear more of Elsie and rose's story.

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Top reviews from other countries

Kindle-Kunde

Huuge recommendation!

Reviewed in Germany on February 18, 2024

Verified Purchase

A perfect read to go through a lot of emotions in a short amount of time. Very (very) lovable characters, conversations full of wit and so many feelings. Please read this book, you're not gonna be disappointed!

Ali's Adventures

This was a truly stunning debut and one I won't forget.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 24, 2023

Verified Purchase

REVIEW
⚠️cw: grief, bereavement⚠️
Extreme extrovert and former teen star Millicent Watts-Cohen (Millie) is on a mission to reunite her elderly best friend, Rose Nash's ashes, with her long-lost love When Millie's flight is cancelled, she finds help from an unlikely source: Hollis Hollenbeck, her exes frenemy. Hollis is the complete opposite of her. Grumpy, blunt, and seemingly frustrated by everything Millie does. But as their road trip progresses and they grow closer, she starts to wonder if he might just be her perfect match.

Wow. What a debut! I absolutely adored everything about this book. It was heartfelt and hilarious in equal measure. Both Millie and Hollis were such complex characters. I really loved Millie's confidence, as well as her quirky and sometimes self-deprecating humour, which was counter-balanced by Hollis's dry sense of humour. Seriously. Their banter was perfect, and I laughed a LOT. Secret cinnamon rolls are one of my weaknesses, and Hollis was definitely a huge cinnamon roll, particularly when it involved Millie. I particularly loved his acceptance of all of her little quirks. They were SO adorable together, and woah! Hollis might just be the king of dirty talk. Their chemistry was palpable, and the intimacy was well worth the wait.
But this isn't just a story about Millie and Hollis. There's also a truly beautiful yet bittersweet sapphic love story running throughout the book about Rose and her wartime girlfriend, Elsie. I won't spoil the ending, but it really was perfect. This was a truly stunning debut and one I won't forget.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Heat Rating: 🔥🔥.5
Emotional Rating: 🤦🏻‍♀️😊😂😬😉💓😂🥰💓🦌🙈😍🥧😂🥦🙈😍🔥🥰🤬🥰💓😢💔💓😬💓😢💔😍💓😭💔💓🙈😂💓🥰

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review. Mrs Nash's Ashes is published on 25th May in the UK*