Goodbye Earl

A Revenge Novel

By: Leesa Cross-Smith

Narrated by: Mela Lee, Kamali Minter, Sarah Beth Goer, Erin Bennett, Traci Odom, Julian Thomas

Four women take fate into their own hands in this big-hearted story of friendship, resilience, and revenge on monstrous men, from the award-winning author of Half-Blown Rose.

Taking inspiration from the infamous, empowering song, Goodbye Earl follows four best friends through two unforgettable summers, fifteen years apart.

In 2004, Rosemarie, Ada, Caroline, and Kasey are in their final days of high school and on the precipice of all the things teenagers look forward to when anything in life seems possible . . . from falling in love, to finding their dream jobs, to becoming who they were meant to be.

In 2019, Kasey has returned to her small Southern hometown of Goldie for the first time since high school—and she still hasn’t told even her closest friends the truth of what really happened that summer after graduation, or what made her leave so abruptly without looking back. Now reunited with her friends in Goldie for a wedding, she’s determined to focus on the simple joy of being together again. But when she notices troubling signs that one of them might be in danger, she is catapulted back to that fateful summer. This time, Kasey refuses to let the worst moments of her past define her; this time, she knows how to protect those she loves at all costs.

Uplifting, sharp-edged, and unapologetic, Goodbye Earl is a funeral for all the “Earls” out there—the abusive men who think they can get away with anything, but are wrong—and a celebration of enduring sisterhood.

Critic reviews

"I can’t help devouring Leesa Cross-Smith’s prose like it's candy, with turns of phrase so unexpected and delightful, so uniquely her own, that I just want to chew and chew them. Filled with charming characters and beautiful details, Goodbye Earl makes murder as delicious as cherry pie."—Rufi Thorpe, author of The Knockout Queen and The Girls From Corona Del Mar

PRAISE FOR LEESA CROSS-SMITH
“Leesa Cross-Smith’s richly vivid prose pulls you in and transports you to Paris. Sharp-edged and sexy, Half-Blown Rose is an utterly intoxicating story of love, betrayal, and loyalty.” —Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Malibu Rising

“With Half-Blown Rose, Leesa Cross-Smith has given us a brilliant, sexy, funny masterpiece. Reading her stunning prose is a full-blown experience. Within the deeply intimate worlds she conjures, she captures love, lust, and longing with such emotional intricacy and verve, I’m fairly certain I read this entire book with my hand pressed against my heart.”
—Deesha Philyaw, author of National Book Award 2020 finalist The Secret Lives of Church Ladies

"Leesa Cross-Smith is a consummate storyteller."—Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author

“By far the most exhilarating and sexy American-in-Paris story I’ve ever read. Leesa Cross-Smith’s Half-Blown Rose is smart, intriguing, and pure delight.”
—Lily King, New York Times bestselling author of Writers & Lovers

“This Close to Okay hits the ground running. Cross-Smith writes tenderly about the trial and error of intimacy and draws you in with enormous warmth and control.”—Raven Leilani, New York Times bestselling author of Luster

"Leesa Cross-Smith writes the way many people wish they could: ferociously, tenderly, and with a tremendous amount of heart."—Kristen Arnett, New York Times bestselling author of Mostly Dead Things (on So We Can Glow)

Absolutely Loved it

I loved this story- so fun to listen to, and I was so sad when it ended.

Easy listening for a stress break

3 stars = solid story, nothing outstanding, no major flaws. Just a good book for the end of a stressful semester about the collective power of women when we choose to come together. Its also about our own blindness to who we really are, and the ways we miss living into our need for community. That was my take away from the third act, when certain people begin finally showing up for one another.

I did not have this kind of childhood so the ease of this foursome’s friendship and loyaltiy felt unreal to me. The beginning was a bit slow in that regard as well. Something about it all did not ring true to me. Most relationships don’t work out this way. But in that way it is also aspirational about what we ought to be to one another - as girls, as women.

If you want something deep and mysterious, this is not that. But its a good staple for a holiday break. I enjoyed it overall.

Love Love Love this book

Overall the audiobook was great. I did not like how all the officer voices were the same. Particularly Silas Castelow. He had been “voiced” in earlier chapters and when it got to the officer interviews the deep male voice just didn’t match up in my head.

Goodbye earl

I loved the friendships! The ups and down are told beautifully. This story took care of each person being told about and I hope to see it in a film one day!

What in the actual hell?!

The ending was not satisfying enough to me. I was preparing myself to cry about Roses, and then it ended! Besides that, I enjoyed the book. It's an easy, fun, emotionally charged book about friendship.