Before Anyone Else (BAE Series, 1) Paperback – March 24, 2020

"Before Anyone Else" and "After Everyone Else" are excellent to the point of nearly being therapeutic in understanding and accepting relationships. There was so much dialogue between Leslie's characters that touched my heart. The characters in both of these books teach a great lesson on the importance and rewards of not giving up on friendships and/or love. As I read these two books I was constantly in awe of the keen insight and understanding Leslie has of the emotions of her characters. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Leslie does an excellent job of incorporating a tantalizing mystery as well. Don't miss out!

What a wonderful page turner perfect for our social distancing days at home or a day at the beach (sigh)!This romantic novel is about the power of first love; it’s about roots; it’s about coming of age, spreading our wings, making mistakes and making our way back home to the arms of the people who loved us first. The story validates my belief that real and true growth both personally and professionally occurs when life kicks us in the teeth and we all eventually get that kick.On a weird side note - the book feels good in your hands and has short chapters which are perfect for breaks when we must tame screaming children, do the dishes or get to our paying jobs!Leslie Hooten has given us a wonderful escape book released with unintended perfect timing.

The Secret of Rainy Days by LESLIE was my favorite book of 2021. It was Leslie’s second book so I was eager to go back and read Before Anyone Else, her debut novel. I am so glad I did! There was a lot to love about this book - - beautiful upscale restaurants, gorgeous NY settings, delicious cocktails, lots of champagne plus incredible character development. Bailey Ann Edgeworth is such a delightful and relatable character. I really enjoyed getting to know her and several of the other characters as well. Leslie’s writing provides the perfect amount of detail to let readers picture her characters to the point that they feel like friends. I am thrilled to know that their story will continue this summer in Leslie’s third novel.

This is an amazing debut novel by Leslie Hooton. She writes with much wit as well as a grasp of the depth of human experience. You will fall in love with Bailey Ann Edgeworth as she journeys from the South to the upscale New York City restaurant design world, discovering much about herself, relationships and ambition along the way. I can’t think of a better escape and way to spend these slower days of quarantine than curled up with BAE.Happy Reading!

This is a wonderful book and the perfect escape from the current world. The characters feel like your friends from the first chapter. You will not want to put this book down but you will also be sad to finish it! Hoping Leslie Hooten is already working on the sequel! Just ordered another copy of Before Anyone Else and sent it to my sister. Do yourself a favor and order your copy today!

Bailey, the youngest in a culinary family, who hopes to accomplish her own great things. She strikes out to make her way in NYC and creates a life for herself. We get to share beautiful highs and dark lows along with her. This is the author’s first novel, and it’s pretty good! Once I had read the first few chapters, I looked forward to finding out what would come next!

This book was written by Leslie Hooton from Roanoke Alabama ! I grew up In Roanoke and knew her family very well. I was delighted to have my sisters tell me to order this book!! We 3 girls read it and loved it!!! Thank you Leslie! Jane Beverly Reynolds

This book was a refreshing escape from our current quarantine reality. Leslie Hooton created the most honest and relatable characters in her book. I was definitely cheering for some while detesting others. The story itself is lovely, too. There is ambition and romance and adventure, but none of it is overdone. Leslie's writing is wonderful. She paints a picture so clearly, I could envision every place and taste every dish she described. This was a wonderful read!

Absolutely amazing book I read this in 3 days beautiful addictive heartwarming story you will love it too