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The Flight Risk
Things are going great for Baylee Lawrence. Her writing has won awards, been adapted into an outrageously successful movie, and she’s just achieved her childhood dream of selling out a storytelling show at the Ryman. It’s incredible. Her life is perfect—a series of grand adventures. She has no intention of changing anything. Why would she? She finally has exactly what she’s spent her whole life chasing and sacrificing for. After a long night celebrating her success, Baylee is confronted with an unexpected blast from her past, setting off a domino string of events that sends her spiraling into a part of her life and heart that she’d spent the last decade trying to forget. She doesn’t want to go back. Normally she wouldn’t—but there’s a bucket list, a debt to pay, and the promise of what might be her grandest adventure yet. Spanning 19 years - and one really weird week - The Flight Risk is a modern retelling of the red thread of fate, a love story exploring with humor and heart what it means for the universe to conspire for you, despite you
391 pages, Paperback
Published August 4, 2023
81 people are currently reading
1404 people want to read
About the author
Macon Leigh
2 books106 followersMacon Leigh is a romance evangelist, writer, and person who is usually reading.
She lives in Arkansas (in the good part - yes, there is a good part), where she runs a summer camp when she isn’t reading, writing, or playing outside. Macon writes queer love stories with hopes of wrangling one into a romance novel one day. You can find her on Twitter, Substack, and Instagram - probably (okay, definitely) talking about books she thinks you’ll like. Say hi.
She lives in Arkansas (in the good part - yes, there is a good part), where she runs a summer camp when she isn’t reading, writing, or playing outside. Macon writes queer love stories with hopes of wrangling one into a romance novel one day. You can find her on Twitter, Substack, and Instagram - probably (okay, definitely) talking about books she thinks you’ll like. Say hi.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
September 17, 2023
Sometimes, you’ve barely started reading a story and you know it’s going to be good. The kind of good that makes you want to swear because it’s so fucking good. The kind of good that makes you have to stop reading every page or so to process what you just read. And even the repeated stopping doesn’t hurt the flow. Trust me on that, I had to put this book aside for a couple of weeks because life sucks (though something really fantastic happened during that time so it wasn’t all awful) and when I went back to it, I fell back into the story almost immediately.
Let me tell you what the most amazing thing is about this book being so good: it’s a debut novel. Which means two things: the author is fucking talented (yes, more swearing, get used to it if you plan on reading this story, which you should) and there’s more excellence to come, hopefully.
What’s it about? Baylee Lawrence wakes up one morning in Nashville—in circumstances that are worth noting but I won’t spoil anything—to find a teenage girl waiting for her outside her hotel room. A restless travel writer, Baylee never stays very long in one place, especially not in Nashville, but she can’t resist an adventure either and when the girl, Rivers, asks for help finding people who mattered to her mom in the past (Baylee being the first she finds), she tries very hard not to get involved. And fails. Obviously.
The story is told in two intermingling threads, one over a week in 2010 and one spanning a couple of decades, from Baylee’s arrival to yet another group home as a teen to a few years before the 2010 present timeline. And yes, I got slightly lost in time and between Nashville and Knoxville because of the -ville thing and my working memory is unreliable and I often miss chapter titles (thank you dyspraxia) but I made myself pay attention and it mostly worked out. Even without remembering the exact day something was happening on (despite reading the date a page earlier), the timeline made sense and I was never confused for too long. Someone with a brain wired differently than mine might very well not be confused at all. And you know what? Even if you do get confused a little, it doesn’t matter. Life is confusing. This book is life. And it’s worth every effort you might have to put in.
The Flight Risk tackles a lot of difficult themes—kids with no parents, kids with awful parents, grief, survival of all kinds—but even though the topics are heavy, the book isn’t. Because the characters are so complicated and well-written, so lovable and warm and all you want is for life to give them a break, because they deserve it so much, or for them to realize the break is each other. And the writing… It’s free and sharp, tough yet tender. It’s perfect for this story, for this character (the story is told in first person from Baylee’s POV). As cynical and matter-of-fact as she can be, Baylee also has the ability to be delighted and I don’t know if she remembered the feeling before Rivers showed up. And then there’s the longing. I haven’t mentioned all the characters because it will be so much better if you meet them as you read but damn, is there longing… And yearning. And want. And pain, because as it turns out, despite being a sucker for fluffy and heartwarming, my favourite stories are the ones that hurt then soothe. The Flight Risk is one of those. It hurts and it soothes. It’s also a favourite now. I had my first book hangover in a pretty long time after I read it and had to go back to an older favourite–The Perfect Match by Milena McKay–before moving on to something new. Now I hope there’s an audiobook someday (Natalie Naudus comes to mind as a narrator), I would love to experience these characters and this story again. I’m ready for the tears and the laughs. 4.5⭐️
I received a copy from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Read all my reviews on my blog (and please buy from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars
September 10, 2023
I am out of words! This was one of the most interesting books I’ve ever come across! Ever! I can’t seem to explain why! I keep writing and deleting because there is no way I can explain how I feel about this book. Except that I won’t ever forget this one! Crazy, I know!
Sorry if I’m confusing you with this review (it’s not really a review even)! Maybe rating it can help?
My rating is a solid 100 stars!
Sorry if I’m confusing you with this review (it’s not really a review even)! Maybe rating it can help?
My rating is a solid 100 stars!
October 4, 2023
4.5⭐️
The story of Baylee, Harper, and Rivers is complicated, intertwined, and tangled - and heartfelt. The story is told from Baylee's point of view. Growing up in the foster care system, she doesn't know what it means to have a family and roots. Today she is a successful travel journalist and is at home everywhere and nowhere. She is complex, sometimes superficial and complicated, but when the past catches up with her, she shows that her heart is in the right place. After only a brief hesitation, she accepts the challenge and looks for solutions.
Along with Baylee, we experience a roller coaster ride of emotions as she comes to terms with the past and witnesses that even if a friendship fell apart, years later there can still be a bond. And more importantly, once you find your soul mate, fleeing is useless. They keep running into each other, and eventually, everyone, including Baylee, realizes that obsessive running and even great adventures, no matter how cool, don't bring peace if you don't have someone to come home to.
I had to get used to the writing style which is a bit staccato at times, but it fits this story perfectly.
I have to admit, I had a problem with Baylee and her friends being drunk that often. I honestly don’t understand how anybody gets home drunk like a sailor, almost every time they go out. If my friends hadn't convinced me, that it was worth reading on, I would have given up after the first few pages. I can't stand drunk people and the worst part for me is when they throw up. It’s because of personal experiences with friends and that my grandfather was an alcoholic. It didn’t make it easy to like Baylee in the beginning. But I'm probably the only one who was bothered by it.
The Flight Risk is a wonderful and heart-touching story about family ties, foster families, friendship, soul mates, and connection. And also, that sometimes life is unfair, and good people have to leave way too soon.
The story of Baylee, Harper, and Rivers is complicated, intertwined, and tangled - and heartfelt. The story is told from Baylee's point of view. Growing up in the foster care system, she doesn't know what it means to have a family and roots. Today she is a successful travel journalist and is at home everywhere and nowhere. She is complex, sometimes superficial and complicated, but when the past catches up with her, she shows that her heart is in the right place. After only a brief hesitation, she accepts the challenge and looks for solutions.
Along with Baylee, we experience a roller coaster ride of emotions as she comes to terms with the past and witnesses that even if a friendship fell apart, years later there can still be a bond. And more importantly, once you find your soul mate, fleeing is useless. They keep running into each other, and eventually, everyone, including Baylee, realizes that obsessive running and even great adventures, no matter how cool, don't bring peace if you don't have someone to come home to.
I had to get used to the writing style which is a bit staccato at times, but it fits this story perfectly.
I have to admit, I had a problem with Baylee and her friends being drunk that often. I honestly don’t understand how anybody gets home drunk like a sailor, almost every time they go out. If my friends hadn't convinced me, that it was worth reading on, I would have given up after the first few pages. I can't stand drunk people and the worst part for me is when they throw up. It’s because of personal experiences with friends and that my grandfather was an alcoholic. It didn’t make it easy to like Baylee in the beginning. But I'm probably the only one who was bothered by it.
The Flight Risk is a wonderful and heart-touching story about family ties, foster families, friendship, soul mates, and connection. And also, that sometimes life is unfair, and good people have to leave way too soon.
September 14, 2023
As many of my GR friends have said -this is a very unique and moving book. It has a lot to say about family, about loss and about love. Macon Leigh had written a memorable book that I will remember for years to come.
I hope she will write us another great novel to enjoy.
I hope she will write us another great novel to enjoy.
Read
May 4, 2023It is said, in various versions of the ancient Eastern proverb, that there is an invisible red thread connecting those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place or circumstance. This thread is unbreakable, no matter how much we stretch it, tangle it, or risk our lives flying away from it.
With ‘The Flight Risk’, Macon Leigh has created a story that is wrapped in threads and it is our pleasure to undo the knots to discover the life of Baylee Lawrence. Even if that pleasure hurts sometimes. Makes us ache in sympathy for her pain. Because in ‘The Flight Risk’, Baylee, in her attempt to outrun her threads, discovers that they always dry out even when soaked in tears and alcohol.
Baylee Lawrence is a travel writer; a very good one, a famous one, a risk-taker in a constant state of restless flight, the perfect travel writer. Waking up in a hotel room with two complete strangers begins one of the strangest, most astonishing weeks in her life. And that’s saying something because, as we discover, Baylee Lawrence has had a heck of a life so far. More life than most of us could handle in two lives.
Macon Leigh, through the voice of Baylee, takes us on a forward and backward journey where nineteen years of life is coalesced into a single week. The drop into the past while sitting in the present is so smooth. The two slide together like those ice-skaters in long distance races when they swap over lanes with each lap of the rink.
We tend to remember people, and events rapidly. It is entirely possible to remember nearly two decades in a few days. Perhaps a few more days because we sometimes sit in the memory for a little while, allowing the nuances to wash over us. Baylee certainly does. For a week, she sits in the memory of Carly, and Noah, and the Rogue Peach, and Naked Man and Rivers and drinking and drinking and drinking and hangovers and remembering and not remembering. And Tovi, and Harper. The threads between Baylee, Tovi and Harper are so strong that they are surely visible to all those around them, even if Baylee refuses to see. In this aspect, we are the audience to Baylee’s nineteen years, but participants in her week.
Through memories that are fragile in their ferocity, important and clear vignettes halt Baylee’s constant movement, despite the fact that she is running. It’s possible to run and not move at all. Suddenly Baylee’s past, the events, the people, her people are her present and we pause in anticipation.
And it is an edge-of-your-seat feeling, because Macon Leigh ensures it. Her writing is forward-leaning choppy. Punchy. We’re calm because there’s a beat but we’re holding our breath; we know something monumental is about to happen. Soon. Now. Punchy. Her writing is staccato where each individual note is played so it’s disconnected from the next and the one before. It stands alone, but needs the others to create a whole. Macon Leigh gives us Baylee’s threads, her beats.
One of the aspects of this book is that it evokes a sense of film. It plays like an indie movie, where past memories and past Baylee exist, like in that filter on your camera roll where you can sharpen the photo to the point where it’s grainy. And sharp. But grainy. That’s how memories can feel sometimes. A kind of grainy sharp. They certainly are for Baylee. So sharp that when they appear in her present in the form of thoughts, or places, or actual people, those memories cut and Baylee bleeds. You’ll see what I mean when you read the book. Grainy sharp.
It is an indie movie with long scenes where the camera pans alongside the action, but pushes in for a close up, then a mid-shot, then a close up, then the long, long shot, because that’s how memories are remembered. There is a scene where Baylee and Harper go for a drive in Baylee’s shit box of a car. Macon Leigh writes a long sentence detailing the procedure for starting the car, then short, sharp sentences, then we breathe, and it’s a movie.
It’s Juno. But…better. Punchier. Staccato.
‘The Flight Risk’ is Baylee’s story about running away, but Macon Leigh asks us to consider the idea that perhaps the flight risk is not the person, but the threads. Maybe Baylee is chasing the threads, but more and more threads keep appearing and she chases and is chased and suddenly she can’t anymore, so she walks beside those threads. Then they curl around her body and she realises that they’ve made the shape of her. She consists of those red threads. And she no longer wants to fly away.
With ‘The Flight Risk’, Macon Leigh has created a story that is wrapped in threads and it is our pleasure to undo the knots to discover the life of Baylee Lawrence. Even if that pleasure hurts sometimes. Makes us ache in sympathy for her pain. Because in ‘The Flight Risk’, Baylee, in her attempt to outrun her threads, discovers that they always dry out even when soaked in tears and alcohol.
Baylee Lawrence is a travel writer; a very good one, a famous one, a risk-taker in a constant state of restless flight, the perfect travel writer. Waking up in a hotel room with two complete strangers begins one of the strangest, most astonishing weeks in her life. And that’s saying something because, as we discover, Baylee Lawrence has had a heck of a life so far. More life than most of us could handle in two lives.
Macon Leigh, through the voice of Baylee, takes us on a forward and backward journey where nineteen years of life is coalesced into a single week. The drop into the past while sitting in the present is so smooth. The two slide together like those ice-skaters in long distance races when they swap over lanes with each lap of the rink.
We tend to remember people, and events rapidly. It is entirely possible to remember nearly two decades in a few days. Perhaps a few more days because we sometimes sit in the memory for a little while, allowing the nuances to wash over us. Baylee certainly does. For a week, she sits in the memory of Carly, and Noah, and the Rogue Peach, and Naked Man and Rivers and drinking and drinking and drinking and hangovers and remembering and not remembering. And Tovi, and Harper. The threads between Baylee, Tovi and Harper are so strong that they are surely visible to all those around them, even if Baylee refuses to see. In this aspect, we are the audience to Baylee’s nineteen years, but participants in her week.
Through memories that are fragile in their ferocity, important and clear vignettes halt Baylee’s constant movement, despite the fact that she is running. It’s possible to run and not move at all. Suddenly Baylee’s past, the events, the people, her people are her present and we pause in anticipation.
And it is an edge-of-your-seat feeling, because Macon Leigh ensures it. Her writing is forward-leaning choppy. Punchy. We’re calm because there’s a beat but we’re holding our breath; we know something monumental is about to happen. Soon. Now. Punchy. Her writing is staccato where each individual note is played so it’s disconnected from the next and the one before. It stands alone, but needs the others to create a whole. Macon Leigh gives us Baylee’s threads, her beats.
One of the aspects of this book is that it evokes a sense of film. It plays like an indie movie, where past memories and past Baylee exist, like in that filter on your camera roll where you can sharpen the photo to the point where it’s grainy. And sharp. But grainy. That’s how memories can feel sometimes. A kind of grainy sharp. They certainly are for Baylee. So sharp that when they appear in her present in the form of thoughts, or places, or actual people, those memories cut and Baylee bleeds. You’ll see what I mean when you read the book. Grainy sharp.
It is an indie movie with long scenes where the camera pans alongside the action, but pushes in for a close up, then a mid-shot, then a close up, then the long, long shot, because that’s how memories are remembered. There is a scene where Baylee and Harper go for a drive in Baylee’s shit box of a car. Macon Leigh writes a long sentence detailing the procedure for starting the car, then short, sharp sentences, then we breathe, and it’s a movie.
It’s Juno. But…better. Punchier. Staccato.
‘The Flight Risk’ is Baylee’s story about running away, but Macon Leigh asks us to consider the idea that perhaps the flight risk is not the person, but the threads. Maybe Baylee is chasing the threads, but more and more threads keep appearing and she chases and is chased and suddenly she can’t anymore, so she walks beside those threads. Then they curl around her body and she realises that they’ve made the shape of her. She consists of those red threads. And she no longer wants to fly away.
June 4, 2023
When I read the last line, my first thought was : I am mad at Macon Leigh. Why? Because she made me cry reading her book. Was it worth it? Absolutely.
The novel is focused on Baylee McKenna Lawrence. She is complicated and flawed : she is inhabited by restlessness, swears like a sailor, drinks a bit too much, vomits every time she is overwhelmed by emotions (whether they are positive or negative), and is incredibly judgy over men in flip flops.
She can bring mixed feelings, but I loved her complexity and dry humor. She is the way she is, unapologetic about it, and takes life as a series of adventures.
I don't want to say too much because readers deserve to experience the book with a fresh eye. Leigh takes you on the journey of different moments of her main character's life, interacting with other characters that are far from being extras, each one serving a purpose.
It is written with travels between past and present scenes, making readers want to get the next piece to finally solve the puzzle. The past scenes not being especially in chronological order, it was a bit confusing for my brain; so quickly, I made myself a timeline sheet with major events.
The way Leigh connects characters in a tangled web was clever. I discovered the red thread of fate tell with this book, with its version of Baylee's long journey to searching herself, how she is always pulled back to some people in her life, when nothing is supposed to be permant in life. It's the kind of book you want to read again right after you finished it because you want to experience it again having all the cards in your hands. The storytelling, the emotions that Leigh took out from me, emotions that still linger after I closed the book, makes it an excellent (debut) novel.
The novel is focused on Baylee McKenna Lawrence. She is complicated and flawed : she is inhabited by restlessness, swears like a sailor, drinks a bit too much, vomits every time she is overwhelmed by emotions (whether they are positive or negative), and is incredibly judgy over men in flip flops.
She can bring mixed feelings, but I loved her complexity and dry humor. She is the way she is, unapologetic about it, and takes life as a series of adventures.
I don't want to say too much because readers deserve to experience the book with a fresh eye. Leigh takes you on the journey of different moments of her main character's life, interacting with other characters that are far from being extras, each one serving a purpose.
It is written with travels between past and present scenes, making readers want to get the next piece to finally solve the puzzle. The past scenes not being especially in chronological order, it was a bit confusing for my brain; so quickly, I made myself a timeline sheet with major events.
The way Leigh connects characters in a tangled web was clever. I discovered the red thread of fate tell with this book, with its version of Baylee's long journey to searching herself, how she is always pulled back to some people in her life, when nothing is supposed to be permant in life. It's the kind of book you want to read again right after you finished it because you want to experience it again having all the cards in your hands. The storytelling, the emotions that Leigh took out from me, emotions that still linger after I closed the book, makes it an excellent (debut) novel.
October 15, 2023
An epic story that feels like you’re reading a classic. The author takes us on a journey that lasts several decades. We travel back and forth between Balyee Lawrence’s milestone moments in life. Growing up in foster care, college life, and present day.
The people Balyee encounter in this book are so unique and colorful. Tovi, an enigmatic girl full of magic that ropes Baylee into being her sidekick. Rivers, a persistent runaway that ropes Baylee into a journey for peace. And Haper, with her science fiction eyes, that ropes Baylee into an eternity of wanting something more than she thinks she deserves.
What I really enjoyed about this was the abundance of background storytelling. I felt so connected to these characters through their past experiences that I couldn’t help but be invested in the fate of every single one of them.
This has been a difficult book for me to review. While this isn’t any type of suspenseful whodunit, there were so many elements that took time to discover outcomes. And a few surprises here and there. I feel like anything I write about could spoil the experience.
This is a story about Baylee’s journey to understanding who she is and how she can fit the people she wants in her life. It’s about finding a way to choose to be there for those who matter.
I recommend this to people who like to read about angsty romance, epic-feeling stories, meaty characters, foster care, and rogue peaches.
The people Balyee encounter in this book are so unique and colorful. Tovi, an enigmatic girl full of magic that ropes Baylee into being her sidekick. Rivers, a persistent runaway that ropes Baylee into a journey for peace. And Haper, with her science fiction eyes, that ropes Baylee into an eternity of wanting something more than she thinks she deserves.
What I really enjoyed about this was the abundance of background storytelling. I felt so connected to these characters through their past experiences that I couldn’t help but be invested in the fate of every single one of them.
This has been a difficult book for me to review. While this isn’t any type of suspenseful whodunit, there were so many elements that took time to discover outcomes. And a few surprises here and there. I feel like anything I write about could spoil the experience.
This is a story about Baylee’s journey to understanding who she is and how she can fit the people she wants in her life. It’s about finding a way to choose to be there for those who matter.
I recommend this to people who like to read about angsty romance, epic-feeling stories, meaty characters, foster care, and rogue peaches.
August 17, 2023
This book was troubling, confusing and a good heart wrenching read.
This is one of those stories you will need to read yourself to understand what a person writes in their review. I also think you will either hate it or love it, there is no in-between for this one.
Unless you are me, there is always an in-between for me 😉 I loved parts of it, hated some others, liked more than I disliked. It’s good.
This is one of those stories you will need to read yourself to understand what a person writes in their review. I also think you will either hate it or love it, there is no in-between for this one.
Unless you are me, there is always an in-between for me 😉 I loved parts of it, hated some others, liked more than I disliked. It’s good.
August 23, 2023
Sometimes, rarely, a story is so beautifully told that it feels almost perfect.
This first person account of travel writer Baylee Lawrence's life is told in both present and flashback over 19 years, taking readers on an incredible, emotional adventure. Baylee is a wonderfully unique, incredibly self aware character and her journey - and the people in her life past and present - is truly unforgettable. While I'd love to ramble on about how expertly woven this story is and the individual characters I absolutely fell in love with, I think it would do a disservice to those who haven't read it yet. They deserve to have the wonderful experience I just did without any preconceptions.
Those that loved The Art of Us by KL Hughes and Separate Like Stars by Diana Kane will be just as enamored with this one - and that's saying a lot. This is moving onto my all-time favorites list. I don't expect to recover from it for a long time.
I read the ebook, but need to own the paperback as well to cradle it to my chest and hold it like the treasure that it is. It's just that good.
This first person account of travel writer Baylee Lawrence's life is told in both present and flashback over 19 years, taking readers on an incredible, emotional adventure. Baylee is a wonderfully unique, incredibly self aware character and her journey - and the people in her life past and present - is truly unforgettable. While I'd love to ramble on about how expertly woven this story is and the individual characters I absolutely fell in love with, I think it would do a disservice to those who haven't read it yet. They deserve to have the wonderful experience I just did without any preconceptions.
Those that loved The Art of Us by KL Hughes and Separate Like Stars by Diana Kane will be just as enamored with this one - and that's saying a lot. This is moving onto my all-time favorites list. I don't expect to recover from it for a long time.
I read the ebook, but need to own the paperback as well to cradle it to my chest and hold it like the treasure that it is. It's just that good.
January 17, 2024
Baylee Lawrence is a famous travel writer, an absolute free soul who goes where the wind takes her. No ties to any place or any person. But when a teenage girl parks herself outside Baylee’s hotel room, everything changes. In order to understand Baylee, the author breaks the story into fragments that jump into Baylee’s past, her teenage years in foster care, her time at college, her early career, and finally the present. Sometimes while reading, I felt déjà vu until I realized that the author had briefly touched on an incident then later revisited the situation in more detail. It’s a risky way of telling a story but I think it gives off the same frenetic energy that is Baylee. The author is sure-handed and I was able to follow the storyline without issue.
To me, the best thing about Flight Risk is how integral the other characters are to Baylee’s story. They are not just background but rather the author shows Baylee’s journey through the good and the bad of these friendships and relationships. Baylee is not Baylee without Harper, Tovi, Noah, and so many others. But it also takes the distance of time for Baylee to understand.
Top stars for this book, especially for having one of the most emotionally satisfying finishes I’ve read in a while.
Thanks to all the GR friends who encouraged me to read this book.
To me, the best thing about Flight Risk is how integral the other characters are to Baylee’s story. They are not just background but rather the author shows Baylee’s journey through the good and the bad of these friendships and relationships. Baylee is not Baylee without Harper, Tovi, Noah, and so many others. But it also takes the distance of time for Baylee to understand.
Top stars for this book, especially for having one of the most emotionally satisfying finishes I’ve read in a while.
Thanks to all the GR friends who encouraged me to read this book.
August 29, 2023
4.5 Stars - not your average sapphic romance
There is a lot going on in this story beyond the romance. There is a twist I did not see coming. There is a lot and I do mean a lot of vomiting. I enjoyed this book but now that some time has passed I am still really glad I read it but I probably would not read it again.
There is a lot going on in this story beyond the romance. There is a twist I did not see coming. There is a lot and I do mean a lot of vomiting. I enjoyed this book but now that some time has passed I am still really glad I read it but I probably would not read it again.
September 5, 2023
Loved loved loved this sweet and chaotic story. Macon’s voice is strong and funny.
Read
May 18, 2023"I misremember you." Her voice was low, and she hadn't moved any closer, but it felt like she had. "I let myself forget how beautiful you are and how good you smell and the way your voice feels warm inside my ears. I just . . . I misremember you."
This is a brave book, with a very, very thin layer between the pages and its thumping heart. Macon Leigh's debut novel doesn't play it safe, either emotionally or narratively, and is all the more compelling for it.
In the book blurb, Leigh describes The Flight Risk as a love story, and that's exactly what it is, in so many different ways. It's a love story between Baylee and her college friend Tovi; a love story between Baylee and Tovi's teenage daughter Rivers; a love story between Baylee and the one who got away, Harper; and most importantly, a love story between Baylee and her pain. The Flight Risk, I should add, is also a love story between Leigh and all of her characters. It's so clear how much tenderness there is behind each of these flawed, messy, and good-hearted people, and reading about them was even more pleasurable for it.
What truly astonished me about this book was its structure. Over the years, I've read a lot of books with achronological sequencing, and it doesn't usually work for me unless there's a real thematic reason for it. In other words, if the novel's chronology is all over the place, there needs to be a clear and compelling connection between that choice and the MC's narrative arc.
Boy, is that connection clear and compelling here. Without spoiling too much, this is a novel about the way the past isn't ever really past, and how—even if we want to, or try really hard—we can never pull free from some of the ties that bind us. I also want to note that even the flashbacks are not always in sequence; in other words, we don't proceed linearly through past events. And despite this, I never once felt lost or confused while reading. That's a remarkable accomplishment for a book that's as loose with time as this one is—although the specific time stamps help quite a bit!
I'll admit that during the first few chapters, I was a little thrown off by how short almost all of the paragraphs were. Many of them are just one sentence long. (While I know many readers prefer short paragraphs, part of the pleasure I get from reading is how related sentences build on each other.) But here's the thing: eventually I realized that, again, this is a choice Leigh makes that brilliantly connects form with story. Baylee is exactly the kind of character who would narrate in very short paragraphs, because 1) she struggles with staying in the same place; and 2) it's hard for her to linger, even for a short time, with her own thoughts. Once I realized this, the choice worked perfectly for me.
Baylee is a very easy character to root for. She makes a lot of painful choices throughout her life that are born out of her own trauma—who doesn't?—but she has so much compassion and love for others, even when she's struggling to apply those same feelings to herself.
I loved spending time with Baylee and all the people who weave in and out (mostly in!) of her wild, messy, and beautiful life. As Pat Conroy once wrote, "No story is a straight line."
August 30, 2023
This is a book that will be lodged in the lining of your heart. It simply will not leave. You won’t want it to.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Baylee McKenna Lawrence has the life she always dreamed of. As an adventure travel writer she explores the world looking for crazy shit to do and then write awesome stories about it. While on a book tour her past comes knocking on her door. It’s the start of an adventure so wild she could not have thought of it herself. A ride that takes her to her own history, the people she loved and maybe, just maybe, the place inside her own heart that she has always been too afraid to explore.
Macon Leigh has a talent that is rare to find. She spun a story of such genius it will keep you fervently turning pages. Wishing it would reveal its secrets faster and at the same time willing it to never end.
The story is told from Baylee’s perspective. She is a person that you’d be happy to know and also be a little afraid of. Because Baylee’s specialty is leaving, she’s a flight risk. All of the people she met before and meets along her journey are well rounded characters that could easily live amongst us in the real world. The lives they live are intricately woven into Baylee’s.
I’ve laughed out loud at more than a few occasions. Macon Leigh’s talent for using humor while describing Baylee’s life and thoughts are brilliant. Things might be sad or dark but she has a way of bringing levity to almost all situations. Baylee may not be perfect, she loves the people around her fearlessly and the way she sticks up for them is one of the things that make her so awesome as a friend, a person and a lover.
Baylee’s story will grab you by the heartstrings. Maybe her choices in life wouldn’t be your own, but while you’re getting to know her, it all makes sense. The hurt and loneliness are palpable, but so is the undying love that’s underneath.
This book will be mine to treasure. It is not a run of the mill sapphic romance, but the story of a lifetime. A tale of running away from love and, eventually, returning. Please, please, go on this adventure with Baylee and let her own your heart, at least for a little while.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Baylee McKenna Lawrence has the life she always dreamed of. As an adventure travel writer she explores the world looking for crazy shit to do and then write awesome stories about it. While on a book tour her past comes knocking on her door. It’s the start of an adventure so wild she could not have thought of it herself. A ride that takes her to her own history, the people she loved and maybe, just maybe, the place inside her own heart that she has always been too afraid to explore.
Macon Leigh has a talent that is rare to find. She spun a story of such genius it will keep you fervently turning pages. Wishing it would reveal its secrets faster and at the same time willing it to never end.
The story is told from Baylee’s perspective. She is a person that you’d be happy to know and also be a little afraid of. Because Baylee’s specialty is leaving, she’s a flight risk. All of the people she met before and meets along her journey are well rounded characters that could easily live amongst us in the real world. The lives they live are intricately woven into Baylee’s.
I’ve laughed out loud at more than a few occasions. Macon Leigh’s talent for using humor while describing Baylee’s life and thoughts are brilliant. Things might be sad or dark but she has a way of bringing levity to almost all situations. Baylee may not be perfect, she loves the people around her fearlessly and the way she sticks up for them is one of the things that make her so awesome as a friend, a person and a lover.
Baylee’s story will grab you by the heartstrings. Maybe her choices in life wouldn’t be your own, but while you’re getting to know her, it all makes sense. The hurt and loneliness are palpable, but so is the undying love that’s underneath.
This book will be mine to treasure. It is not a run of the mill sapphic romance, but the story of a lifetime. A tale of running away from love and, eventually, returning. Please, please, go on this adventure with Baylee and let her own your heart, at least for a little while.
August 31, 2023
Omg! This book. THIS book! … it tore my heart up into little pieces and somehow managed to glue them back together stronger. What a journey.
August 12, 2023
What an outstanding book. Baylee McKenna Lawrence is an adventure writer. But her personal life is an adventure by itself. She was brought up in the foster system, that's where she met Harper Grey James.
By going from the present to the past, Macon Leigh takes us on a journey. Some parts are heartwrenching, others not. But, you follow Baylee and Harper's lives.
Your introduced to Tovi Grace Montgomery and her daughter Rivers Montgomery, who takes Baylee on an epic journey.
I can't tell you more, you must read this book. It's worth more than 5 stars!
By going from the present to the past, Macon Leigh takes us on a journey. Some parts are heartwrenching, others not. But, you follow Baylee and Harper's lives.
Your introduced to Tovi Grace Montgomery and her daughter Rivers Montgomery, who takes Baylee on an epic journey.
I can't tell you more, you must read this book. It's worth more than 5 stars!
did-not-finish
November 5, 2023After reading the amazing reviews, I jumped into this with high expectations. Unfortunately it was a DNF for me as I wasn't invested in the story or main character.
Onto the next!
Onto the next!
August 28, 2023
Let’s start with the good part. The book was excellent. It was very different than what I am used to reading. I felt the character’s every emotion in my bones. But that, at least for me, made it hard to read and get through. I try to avoid unnecessary negative emotions. I don’t watch scary movies because I don’t want to be scared. I don’t ride rollercoasters because I don’t want to feel like I’m plummeting to my death. I don’t read high angst books because god knows I have enough of that on my own. This books was high angst. It was about idiotic young kids in awful situations forced to make hard decisions and how they decide to adjust to those decisions as adults. It’s heartbreakingly sad at times, super awkward and uncomfortable at other times, and every once in awhile, it makes you feel good. I would give it a 4.5 because it was very good, just hard for me.
September 10, 2023
Messyyyyyyy af. Beautiful disaster. It’s as elaborate as Inception but with college kids’s lives then adulthood.
I’d love to hate one character in particular but feminism and all that. So, live and let live but she did Bayley dirty for sure. And Harper. Sweet Harper. My heart goes out to you girl. Unfortunately, we don’t choose who we love.
It was slightly difficult to get a grasp on the story to begin with but soldier on, it’s worth the heartache and tears.
May 14, 2023
Macon Leigh’s debut novel is simply BRILLIANT! The Flight Risk is a modern retelling of the red thread of fate - the Eastern myth that states that we are connected by an invisible thread to the people who are meant to be in our lives, no matter how knotted, twisted or stretched it becomes it is impossible to break. Leigh’s gift at her craft is clear in the way that she connects characters, timelines, and complexities in such a flawless, smooth and ever flowing delivery - it is a result of pure genius.
The story of Baylee Lawrence pulls you in immediately, you become invested in her journey as you travel along the bumpy road that leads to her current success of a writer. The many detours throughout her grand adventure of life are presented with humour, love and deep emotion. Prepare to be hooked as you crave the next page, needing to follow the twist and turns along the road, taking in the scenes of beautiful and tangled relationships in Baylee’s world.
This is one of those special books that stays with you, deep in your heart and soul. Do not hesitate, it is an experience worth having!
The story of Baylee Lawrence pulls you in immediately, you become invested in her journey as you travel along the bumpy road that leads to her current success of a writer. The many detours throughout her grand adventure of life are presented with humour, love and deep emotion. Prepare to be hooked as you crave the next page, needing to follow the twist and turns along the road, taking in the scenes of beautiful and tangled relationships in Baylee’s world.
This is one of those special books that stays with you, deep in your heart and soul. Do not hesitate, it is an experience worth having!
May 4, 2023
Macon Leigh has been holding out on us folks. I finished my ARC copy of The Flight Risk today and I am just wrecked. Wrecked in the best possible way, because Macon made sure all of my emotions are in working order. I think I felt every feeling possible when reading this work of art. Macon's characters (main and ancillary) were so beautifully developed that I felt I really knew them. I loved all of their flaws, their vulnerabilities, and their goodness. They felt so damn real that I knew I would ache when I turned the last page and had to admit my grand adventure into Macon's book was over. I can't begin to express how brilliant Macon's use of the past and present is throughout this book. Totally masterful.The dialogue is so authentic that I felt like the characters were having a conversation right next to me. It's really hard for me to give this book enough of the praise it deserves. I am not a wordsmith like so many wonderful authors I follow on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. So...I'll just say READ THIS BOOK! I promise you the adventure is absolutely extraordinary.
August 28, 2023
Wow this book was absolutely amazing
October 13, 2024
Excellent!
6 stars 🌟
6 stars 🌟
November 28, 2025
I am not sure why this book was so f long on my reading list.
I am changing my first rating (4.5) to straight 5 because I just figured - it was a f debut.
If you are into the back and forth random timeline, complicated friendships, complicated (and fup) family relationships, excellent writing and storytelling, hudge recommendation.
I am changing my first rating (4.5) to straight 5 because I just figured - it was a f debut.
If you are into the back and forth random timeline, complicated friendships, complicated (and fup) family relationships, excellent writing and storytelling, hudge recommendation.
August 17, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.75)
First of all WOW.
This book left me absolutely wrecked. By the end I was crying, sobbing, and clutching my IPad like it was at fault for my reaction.
The Flight Risk is one of those rare stories that manages to be deeply emotional, mysterious, and utterly addicting. The writing pulled me in immediately, and once I got into the flow, I didn’t want to put it down.
Baylee is such a fantastic protagonist: flawed, funny, loveable, sometimes a little too fond of alcohol and swearing, but also deeply human. Over the course of the book, I grew to love her so much, and by the end I just wanted to be her friend and give her a hug.
And then there’s Baylee and Harper. Oh my heart. Their relationship is complicated, messy, and nearly until the very end, I thought we were dealing with some kind of tragic, star-crossed lovers situation. But somehow, their imperfection and all the angst made me love them even more. If you like high-angst romances, this one will eat you alive, in the best way.
I can’t write this review without mentioning Rivers- what an absolute gem of a character! At fourteen she’s funny, sharp, chaotic, and heartbreakingly real. She made me laugh, cry, and even question my sanity a little bit, and honestly, I wish I had been like her at that age (or at least had a friend like her).
One small note: the timeline can be a little tricky at first. The story switches between present-day Baylee and teenage Baylee from fifteen years ago. I’ll admit, after two chapters I had to restart and really pay attention to the year labels to keep everything straight. Once I did, the dual timeline became one of the book’s strongest elements but it definitely takes some focus in the beginning.
Overall, The Flight Risk is beautifully written, raw, and unforgettable. It’s the kind of story that lingers with you long after you’ve finished. A solid 4.75 stars from me. I adored it, even through the heartbreak
First of all WOW.
This book left me absolutely wrecked. By the end I was crying, sobbing, and clutching my IPad like it was at fault for my reaction.
The Flight Risk is one of those rare stories that manages to be deeply emotional, mysterious, and utterly addicting. The writing pulled me in immediately, and once I got into the flow, I didn’t want to put it down.
Baylee is such a fantastic protagonist: flawed, funny, loveable, sometimes a little too fond of alcohol and swearing, but also deeply human. Over the course of the book, I grew to love her so much, and by the end I just wanted to be her friend and give her a hug.
And then there’s Baylee and Harper. Oh my heart. Their relationship is complicated, messy, and nearly until the very end, I thought we were dealing with some kind of tragic, star-crossed lovers situation. But somehow, their imperfection and all the angst made me love them even more. If you like high-angst romances, this one will eat you alive, in the best way.
I can’t write this review without mentioning Rivers- what an absolute gem of a character! At fourteen she’s funny, sharp, chaotic, and heartbreakingly real. She made me laugh, cry, and even question my sanity a little bit, and honestly, I wish I had been like her at that age (or at least had a friend like her).
One small note: the timeline can be a little tricky at first. The story switches between present-day Baylee and teenage Baylee from fifteen years ago. I’ll admit, after two chapters I had to restart and really pay attention to the year labels to keep everything straight. Once I did, the dual timeline became one of the book’s strongest elements but it definitely takes some focus in the beginning.
Overall, The Flight Risk is beautifully written, raw, and unforgettable. It’s the kind of story that lingers with you long after you’ve finished. A solid 4.75 stars from me. I adored it, even through the heartbreak
September 21, 2023
Absolutely brilliant
This book jumped right into 1st place on my favorite books list. I loved the writing style, the characters, and the plot. At first I wasn’t sure about the timeline and how it jumped back in forth in time but caught on pretty quickly. At about 85% I was crying my eyes out. I hardly ever do that! Books bring up lots of emotion for me but I hardly ever cry. I absolutely loved this book and now my only question is how long I will wait before reading it again.
This book jumped right into 1st place on my favorite books list. I loved the writing style, the characters, and the plot. At first I wasn’t sure about the timeline and how it jumped back in forth in time but caught on pretty quickly. At about 85% I was crying my eyes out. I hardly ever do that! Books bring up lots of emotion for me but I hardly ever cry. I absolutely loved this book and now my only question is how long I will wait before reading it again.
November 18, 2023
One of the best books of 2023! Phenomenal storytelling and great characters make The Flight Risk unputdownable! I laughed, I cried and was thoroughly engrossed from beginning to the perfect end.
September 14, 2023
In the words of Macon Leigh, this is not a romance. It is a love story. And wow. What a love story it is. Leigh is a masterful writer and guides us on a beautiful and achy journey of love, loss, and discovery. Please read this beautiful debut.
October 25, 2023
I really enjoyed this! Complex characters with distinct and well-fleshed-out character motivations, historical trauma, and relationships revealed in a skilful way via timely flashbacks: all these components come together to form a fantastic first novel.
I especially enjoyed the skilful use of key phrases to thread back in time to provide context (rogue peach, etc.) and, above all, the realistic reasons for how the main characters are and their frustrations with each other and their relationship.
I especially enjoyed the skilful use of key phrases to thread back in time to provide context (rogue peach, etc.) and, above all, the realistic reasons for how the main characters are and their frustrations with each other and their relationship.
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