Kate Hash has made a new home for herself...plus a book giveaway

Please help us give a warm welcome to Kate Hash, whose debut rom-com, Gracie Harris is Under Construction, is now available. We enjoyed learning more about Kate and her novel and are excited to feature her here today. Thanks to Dutton, we have THREE copies of Gracie Harris to give away!

A graduate of The George Washington University with a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in English, and an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Louisville, Kate Hash has lived in Washington, D.C., Louisville, KY, and Florence, Italy before settling in Chapel Hill, NC. Her professional path has included magazine publishing, marketing, consulting, and—most recently—a decade in higher education IT at one of the country’s top public universities. 

A lifelong reader and writer, she spends her evenings diving into books or working on fiction once her kids are asleep. Her debut novel releases on July 29, 2025. Between writing seasons, she enjoys watching college sports and rewatching classic TV with her husband. She also writes a weekly newsletter on Substack, It’s Been a Week. (Bio adapted from Kate's website.)

Visit Kate online:
Website * Instagram 

Synopsis:

Gracie Harris never intended to become the queen of grief. But when an essay she writes the night of her husband Ben’s memorial goes viral, she lands a popular column on love and loss and an impressive book deal.

Now, the biggest tragedy of her life is the center of her world. With a looming book deadline and her kids at summer camp, Gracie escapes for a summer of solitude to the ramshackle mountain house she and Ben bought for their family before his death. When charming contractor Josh arrives on her doorstep to help renovate the home, Gracie discovers an unexpected connection that is energizing . . . and surprisingly flirtatious.

As her feelings and resilience grow, Gracie must decide whether she’s ready to embrace a new version of her life. Gracie’s first Happily Ever After didn’t last as long as she’d expected. Now she has to wonder: Could Josh be her chance for a second great love story? (Courtesy of Amazon.)

"A raw and compelling exploration of grief and rebuilding, Gracie Harris left me full of hope and with a renewed faith in second chances."

—Annabel Monaghan, national bestselling author of Summer Romance

“Touching, honest, and hopeful, Gracie Harris is Under Construction is the perfect second chance romance to remind us that there is life and love again after loss. Kate Hash’s stunner of a debut leaves zero room for doubt that she is the next big voice in romantic comedies.”

—Sara Goodman Confino, bestselling author of Don’t Forget to Write

"A stunning and sensitive exploration of falling in love while grieving an unimaginable loss. Perfect for fans of Annabel Monaghan and Beth O'Leary who love to read their love stories with a box of tissues in their laps."

—Ellie Palmer, author of Four Weekends and a Funeral

In one sentence, tell us what the road to publishing was like for you.
My road to publishing has been somewhat unexpected (I’m a debut novelist at forty-one years old!), but altogether a wonderful, very creatively fulfilling experience.

How is Gracie similar to or different from you?
Gracie feels like a friend to me at this point. She feels real and like a girlfriend I would meet on the weekend for brunch. I worked really hard to give her character that relatability. Of course, I want her to resonate with everyone who reads the book, but I had a generalized ‘reader avatar’ in my mind while I wrote – women, in their 30s and 40s, working moms, chronically online, etc. I constantly thought of that reader with the goal of making Gracie accessible to her.
So, in that sense, Gracie feels both familiar and similar to me…I created her to be that way. I hope that a lot of women see themselves in Gracie!

If Gracie Harris is Under Construction was made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
I can see a few different actors playing the lead roles, but I always think of them in pairs. Jo Swisher and Taylor Kitsch would be great as Gracie and Josh. So would Rachel McAdams and Brandon Sklenar. If we went with slightly younger actors, Sofia Carson and Gabriel Basso would be great.

What is the last book you read that you would recommend?
I read across a lot of different genres, so it’s hard to pick just one! The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff and Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir are both recent favorites. 

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 

Anna Kendrick. My life would require a little sassiness and sarcasm in the voiceover!

If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see?
If it was your first time in North Carolina, I’d want to take you west to the mountains (Blue Ridge Parkway, Pisgah Forest, etc.) so that you can see the setting for the book and fall in love. You don’t need to be outdoorsy (I’m definitely not!) to adore this part of the state. After we explored, we would then head as far east as we could go and spend a few days relaxing on the Outer Banks. North Carolina has it all!

Thanks to Kate for visiting with us and to Dutton for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends August 5th at midnight EST.

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