I saw this book advertised on Instagram and with its really cool cover design and the fact that I am a One Tree Hill fan, I decided to order it. I didn’t know much about Hilarie other than watching her as Peyton Sawyer on OTH and as Sara Ellis on White Collar. So finding out that she left “Hollywood” to raise her family on a farm and run a candy store in NY intrigued me.
Genre: Biography/Memoir
My Review:
What I liked: I’m honestly not normally a biography person at all. It’s just not one of my preferred genres. But like I said above, the book intrigued me for various reasons and I decided it would be a nice change between thrillers. I liked Hilarie’s honesty throughout the book. She doesn’t shy away from hard topics and admits her struggles. I loved the relationships with the townspeople she described throughout the novel and how she found such an awesome community to raise her family in. It’s obvious that she has a heart for others and especially the people in her town. She is also an extremely hard worker and master of all trades. She isn’t afraid to try new things and get her hands dirty when needed.
What I didn’t like: There is a fair amount of foul language sprinkled throughout the book, which if you follow me you know I’m not a huge fan of personally. I’ll be honest and say that obviously I don’t know her husband, but there were times I was angry with the way he seemed to brush her and her feelings off. Especially because Hilarie seems to be a person who loves deeply and needs caring and acceptance from those around her. She does admit their marriage struggles, but says that they learned how to work through them and are in a great place now. The book did jump around a little which could be somewhat confusing at times, but this may just be the memoir/diary style of writing that I’m not really used to.
Disclaimer: PG-13 for language
Do You Read Me?: I would say if you are a One Tree Hill fan or just a fan of celebrity memoirs – go for it! It was a definitely a quick read.
Overall, this was a good book. It’s honest and gives you a look inside the life of a celebrity that I think up to this point was pretty private about her personal life. I admire the way the town of Rhinebeck rallies around and supports each other and would love to visit sometime.