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Saturday, January 28, 2023

The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise by Colleen Oakley

"In life, there were two kinds of friends: friends who would wish you well on  your journey to battle, and friends who would jump in the trenches with you."


I won a copy of this book on Goodreads and I absolutely loved it! Total opposites, Tanner and Louise are such unique and memorable characters. At 84, Louise has definite views on just about everything. She hates the indignities that come with growing old. And she has a secret past. Tanner, on the other hand, is just 21. She lost her soccer scholarship because of a leg injury, and now she spends her days playing video games so she doesn't have to deal with her rage or grief. She's also Louise's new live-in caretaker. 

Together these two are hilarious. They so don't like each other at the beginning. I loved the wit in Oakley's writing and the banter, the humorous interactions between Tanner and Louise, their different POVs, their snark and sarcasm, and their unexpected friendship. And when they end up on the run together because of Louise's past? Talk about a madcap cross-country adventure. This book is entertaining, amusing, surprising, and heartwarming. A definite 5-star read!

Happy Reading!


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45 comments:

  1. Congrats on winning a Goodreads book! That is so rare. This sounds like a delightful read. Great review!

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    1. It's a very humorous and charming book. I feel lucky to have won a copy of it. :D

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  2. Oh, this sounds great. I like multigenerational books.

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    1. It was definitely the age gap between Tanner and Louise that drove a lot of the humor in this book. But I loved that they became friends at the end.

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  3. This does sound like a good'un. Adding it to my list!

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    1. It's just so fun! I hope you get a chance to check it out.

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  4. This reminds me a little of The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan which I completely loved. Adding this one! :)

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    1. I just looked up The Summer Seekers and it does sound good! Thanks for the rec. I'll be checking that one out. :D

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  5. Sounds like a wonderful funny but also heartwarming read.

    Kind regards,

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    1. It is definitely both. And unexpected in many ways, too.

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  6. Yay for winning it *and* loving it! It sounds charming.

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    1. It's a rare combination; I feel very lucky to have gotten this book.

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  7. We all need a feel-good story every now and then. It sounds like this one fits the bill.

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    1. It does. So much of it just made me laugh. :D

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  8. This sounds like so much fun! Off to check my library website...

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    1. Fingers crossed because this one is a lot of fun.

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  9. Fabulous review, Lark! Does it have any foul language in it or is it a clean read?

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    1. I flipped back through the book to check because I couldn't remember there being any language in it, but there are a few swear words here and there. But like maybe under ten in the whole book? It's a pretty clean read.

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  10. I like the age difference between the two.

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    1. That's where so much of the humor in this one lay!

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  11. This sounds like it would be such a good story.

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  12. I think I would like this. I like when older characters are used and when two different generations interact and learn from each other.

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    1. That's at the heart of this book and the author did it really well!

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  13. Congrats on winning the book, Lark! This one sounds like a winner. Will check it out when the mood calls for it. :)

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    1. If you ever need something humorous, heartwarming, fast-paced and entertaining, this is the book you want!

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  14. Great review Lark and I will try to find this novel later this year in my library. What's interesting is that the author used the plot line from Thelma and Louise, to tell a very different story and I wish more authors would do that because sometimes I'll read a book or see a movie and wish another book could come from it focusing on a fascinating minor character or taking the story in an entirely different direction.

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    1. I loved that she took a unique approach to two female characters 'on the run'; this book just made me smile. :D

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  15. This sounds like such an entertaining read. I'll have to see if my library has a copy. Congrats on winning it! That's awesome! :)

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    1. I never expect to win anything, but winning a book makes it even more awesome. :D

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  16. Okay, I just added Tanner and Louise to my Audible -- these two opposites sound HILARIOUS!

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    1. Oh boo, I checked and it's not out here yet :(

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    2. Fingers crossed it comes out soon because it's worth checking out!

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  17. I'm adding this to my TBR! I love books with multi-generational characters like this and unlikely friendships.

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    1. Tanner and Louise's is definitely an unlikely friendship. But that's what made it so fun.

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  18. I have Tanner and Louise on my TBR and can't wait to read it, especially after your comparison to The Big Finish which I really enjoyed.

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    1. Wasn't The Big Finish great? This one has a similar heartwarming and humorous feel to it. :D

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  19. This sounds so funny and just like a great friendship novel! I recently read one featuring an unlikely friendship as well but it was sad and this seems like a bit more lighthearted.

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    1. This is definitely light-hearted and humorous. :D

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  20. I'm so glad I finally got to this one! How cool that you won it in a giveaway. This book is definitely a keeper!

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    1. It really is! I've been passing it around to my mom and sisters to read and they've all loved it, too. :D

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