First, let me start by telling you that I'm a nurse in a nursing home. The synopsis of this book screamed at me "read me, read me" and I'm glad that I did!

Lou Ann, aka Lulu aka Lulu the Love Guru, is having to put her business aside to care for her mother who is suffering with dementia. This is real life and happens all too often in my world. The mother, spunky and hilarious on her own, is no longer able to live in her assisted living facility and moves with Lulu to Sutton Hall in Louisiana.

Lulu, someone who enjoys the finer things in life, is not eager about moving nor is she happy with the living arrangements, but she persists. It's the man she hires to fix the place up... You'll have to read to find out what happens.

This brilliantly bright book was such a pleasure. I was able to read it quickly and found myself laughing and relating to it. Well done.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery books for allowing me to read this and give my honest opinion.

I adored this book! What a delightful read! Rachel Gibson takes on the tough topics of coping with aging parents, dealing with Alzheimer's disease, and balancing work and family in this poignant, heartwarming, and laugh-out-loud tale.

Lou Ann's momma Patty, who is in the grips of Alzheimer's, is still larger than life. She is kicked out of her third nursing home due to her "lovin'" nature (and the reason for Patty's eviction made me spit out my coffee - no spoilers here.)

Their relationship is complicated and a move to Patty's family home in Louisiana brings a lot of conflicting feelings to the surface. Lou Ann's character is relatable, Patty is alternately delightful and maddening, and the supporting characters add a ton of local color. Gibson balances the tougher aspects of the book with great characters, fantastic, snappy dialogue, some truly laugh-out-loud scenes, and a wonderfully depicted setting. It's very relatable, especially for anyone who's dealt with an aging parent.

One of my favorites so far this year!

Disclosure: I was provided a copy of the book by Gallery Books via NetGalley for review purposes. All opinions are my own. ( )

How Lulu Lost Her Mind by Rachel Gibson
Source: NetGalley and Gallery Books
Rating: 5 HUGE stars

**NOTE: Lest anyone think I am being sarcastic/insensitive/etc. throughout this review, please know, I lost my beloved grandmother to complications from Alzheimer’s Disease.**

Lou Ann Hunter has her hands full. She is the face/words/life behind Lulu the Love Guru, she travels the world supporting her brand, she is hands on as the head of her company, and she is constantly worried over her mother, Patricia, an Alzheimer’s patient living in a care facility. With a thousand things to do each day, Lulu doesn’t really have time for a bump in the road.

Then the phone call comes . . . .

Patricia still has a lot of moments of lucidity, but the other moments are the real problem. Patricia is on her third or fourth care facility and that facility is kicking her out. Apparently, Patricia and her passionate nature have gone one step too far and she’s being kicked to the curb and into the hands of her totally over-worked and under-prepared daughter, Lulu. Lulu has no idea how to properly care for her mother, but she does have a phone and considerable resources. First up, get her mother settled into her new room in Lulu’s elegant home. Second up, putting her upcoming tour dates on permanent hold. Third up, find an in-home nurse willing and capable of taking on Patricia. Fourth up and finally, try not to lose her mind.

It takes Lulu less than 24 hours to understand how out of her depth she really is and how desperately she needs help. As luck would have it, Lulu finds a young, capable nurse willing to pack her bags and move in with Lulu and Patricia. In Lulu’s mind, they will all muddle through in her luxury home, in Patricia’s mind, they will all pack their bags and move to her ancestral home, Sutton Hall, in Louisiana. It seems Lulu’s luck ran out finding the perfect nurse because within a week, the trio is packing their bags and heading to Louisiana.

If Lulu had ever tried to imagine her personal Hell, it would likely be Sutton Hall in Louisiana. From front to back, top to bottom, Sutton Hall is the very definition of a money pit. While Lulu sees nothing but dollar signs, her mother sees the place she has longed for and the place she intends to spend the remainder of her days. Ever the proactive being, Lulu sets about getting her mother comfortable and getting contractors and repairmen lined up to make Sutton Hall habitable. The task is a big one, but Lulu has made the decision to do whatever it takes to make her mother happy and whatever time she has left the best it can possibly be given her circumstances.

As the days pass by, Lulu, Patricia, and their trusty nurse fall into a routine that leaves Lulu exhausted and pulling further and further away from her company. She has determined to spend time with her mother and appreciate every second they have left together. Some days are wonderful with laughter, lucidity, and good times, while other days are filled with anger, hatred, and emotional upheavals. Those days, the really bad days remind Lulu of what she is losing and more importantly, what her mother is losing. Lulu cherishes her time with her mother even when she is being berated; the good times outweigh the bad and Lulu is stronger than even she knows.

The Bottom Line: I am absolutely dumbfounded by the Goodreads star rating for this book! Rachel Gibson has taken a topic, an illness that it utterly terrifying and humanized it in such a way that I was absolutely blown away. There are so many moments in this book that broke my heart, made me cry, and completely renewed my faith in humanity. There are moments that are laugh out loud funny, exhausting, tragic, ridiculous, and beautiful. That, dear reader, is the reality of Alzheimer’s and what it does to both the patient and the family. To say I loved this book is a weird thing, but I did, and I think it is because of my own family’s experience with this devastating illness. Gibson offers a story that is filled with compassion, sensitivity, sarcasm, humor, and love and I found it to be entirely engrossing. ( )

Rachel Gibson is a prolific, New York Times bestselling author. Her latest novel is How Lulu Lost Her Mind.

Lou Ann has built her business from the ground up. Professionally she is known as Lulu The Love Guru - sex, love and relationship advice is her forte. She's on her way to start a new tour when she gets a call from her mother's Alzheimer nursing home. Patricia is being asked (well told) to leave the home due to her behavior. And just like that Patricia is living with Lou Ann. And the tour is on hold. The one thing that Patricia wants is to visit her family home, Sutton Hall, in Louisiana. And Lou Ann wants to give her mother that last wish.

I liked the premise - honoring the wishes of someone who is losing their memories. Patricia is a real character with five marriages under her belt. She loves men and is a real flirt. I really liked her - she's true to herself and has lived her life exactly as she wanted to. Having family members with Alzheimer Disease, I could appreciate this character and her behaviour, dialogue and moods. I would be curious to know if Gibson has had this in her life personally. Every experience is different, but I found some of Patricia's actions and abilities beyond what I would expect.

Now, I loved Patricia, but I was only lukewarm towards Lou Ann. She is the lead, but everything seems to be about her, despite the move being for her mom. The heat, the house, the town, the stores, the workmen and more all rub her the wrong way. I know Gibson was going for humor with much of it, but a lot of it just fell flat for me.

There's a romance here as well - hunky contractor. I liked him and his southern charm and wisdom, but never bought into his attraction to Lulu.

Mother/daughter relationships are a big part of the book. And those parts I really liked. But the title How Lulu Lost Her Mind just reinforced my dislike for her. Why Lulu is the one losing her mind when it is her mom who is literally losing hers? The behaviour she can't help? Maybe. There were lots of other plot lines that seemed extraneous - the 'mystery' of Patricia's father and uncle. Gibson uses lots of description - it grew tiresome to hear every last detail.

I listened to How Lulu Lost Her Mind. The reader was Stephanie Einstein and she was really good. The voice she uses for Lou Ann is perfect for the mental image I created for this character - somewhat entitled, exasperated a lot of the time and judgemental. There are moments when she remembers her childhood and what is happening in the present and a softer, kinder voice is used. Einstein had a good voice for Patricia - believable and suitable. Einstein's voice is clear, easy to understand and definitely engaged. ( )

Lulu is a major influencer whose brand is The Love Guru. Lulu's life gets upended when her mother, Patricia, who has Alzheimer's, gets thrown out of a nursing home for inappropriate conduct with the male residents, which is a habit of hers. "I have a passionate nature," the unapologetic Patricia explains. Patricia yearns for the family estate, a run-down Louisiana manor called Sutton Hall, and Lulu agrees to take a long leave of absence from her company and live with her unpredictable mother for. . . Lulu's not sure how long.

When mother and daughter get "settled" on the estate, there's a handsome handyman in the neighborhood, of course, but the Love Guru doesn't know much about how to manage her own love life very well. I was disappointed that Patricia's imaginary boyfriend didn't turn out to be real and show up in Louisiana.

Who says you can't go home again? Lulu finds out that when life spins totally out of control, surprises can unfold in both heartbreaking and delightful directions. Cute, funny, and with just enough depth, this novel will prove a nice diversion in the summer for readers who enjoy southern family yarns.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from Simon and Schuster and Netgalley and was encouraged to submit an honest review. ( )