KariAnne’s book is a joyful mix of quips and sweet messages à la the friend you wish you always had. She says it like it is, combined with a little Scarlett O’Hara drama and appreciable humor for good measure. Just like an old house with lots of layers, she peels them back, revealing a profound life message with applicable truths underneath. Her book feels like the perfect afternoon with a familiar friend. Sitting together over a glass of sweet tea after a good flea market trip, she’s the one who says, “I’ll go first.” Friendship is something that happens when two people say, “Me, too,” and KariAnne has a way of reminding you that you’re not the only one. Her honest, real, relatable approach to life is refreshing for her audience in so many ways. So Close to Amazing had me in fits of laughter, paired with unexpected tears that come only when someone is so honest with their own struggles and unexpected twists in life. It’s here that she reminds us in her own one-of-a-kind way not to miss the little moments. Because it’s in the little moments that the most beautiful ones are unexpectedly found.