The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm

It was a very heart-warming and refreshing story of farm life, making choices and love of family and friends. Well written with humor and honesty.

I have always loved Hilarie Burton Morgan but after reading this book, I have a whole new respect and admiration for her. Her writing is exceptional and the stories she recounts are so detailed and filled with emotion, you can feel yourself there. I read this book in one day because I couldn’t put it down. I laughed, cried, felt all the things while reading this book and immediately went to purchase her newest book Grimoire Girl. My husband and I watched the Walking Dead together years ago and he has always loved Jeffery Morgan so when I told him I was reading a book his wife wrote he started asking me all about it, it was sweet. Their story is authentic and unique, this is truly a must read!

Such a great and entertaining read! Love Hilarie and all her work! Learned so many farming tricks and tips!

I loved this book way more than I thought I would! Being a Hilaire Burton fan from her days on One Tree Hill and being obsessed with Jeffrey Dean Morgan from both Greys Anatomy and Walking Dead I thought this book would be an interesting read! I don’t typically care for books written by celebrities but this book is sooo much more than that! It’s such an intimate memoir. It is quick paced and I would constantly find myself just smiling randomly while reading it. It is raw, yet carefree and incredibly honest. The writing is great and real! Never once was I bored and truly had trouble putting it down each night! I forgot I was reading about celebrities because they don’t carry themselves as typical celebrities! The things they are doing and have done for their community go above and beyond! Their love for their friends and family is beyond words! I am inspired by their story and was sad to finish the book! Side note: I need a trip to Rhinebeck, NY in my future! It sounds so magical! And I definitely want to try the sweet shop!

It was a five stars read for me, because it was warm and intimate, and loving. I didn't know who Hilarie Burton Morgan was before I read it, but it didn't change how much I enjoyed this book. What I know now is that Hilarie Burton Morgan is the force of nature! This woman is so strong and resilient and capable! I am seriously impressed how much she was able to achieve and how much work she put in her relationship, farm and community. What's even more important: she did it with a lot of grace. For me working so hard on a relationship even with an amazing, handsome and loving man would be simply too much. The same goes for the farm. To spend my days digging in the dirt or renovating a shack, that was falling apart would be pure torture and hard labour. I would do it if I had to, but I would be moaning and complaining all day long. But Hilarie Burton Morgan does it with pleasure. To have such a partner! Hilarie Burton Morgan is a real treasure as a member of family and community, it is easy to tell. Her presence warmed the pages of the book and made me connect with her, even though we have a very different views of what is fun and what isn't. I wouldn't even want to handle all these farm animals! I love animals, but dogs is all I ever want to have. No ducks or alpacas for me, thank you very much.

Autobiographies aren’t my usual genre, but as part of our book club’s first read of the year, I was determined to start off as a team player. So here’s my review. (I docked one star because the first few pages of my paperback copy were misaligned—no fault of the author, just a total book-concept review.) This book offers an intimate, grounded look at what it means to step away from a high-profile career and build a life rooted in patience, purpose, and community. In this memoir, Hilarie Burton Morgan chronicles her transition from television sets and red carpets to muddy boots and early mornings on a working farm in upstate New York, where she and her husband, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, chose a slower, more intentional rhythm. Rather than presenting a glossy escape fantasy, Burton Morgan shares a deeply personal account shaped by both fulfillment and hardship. Her reflections move fluidly between formative childhood memories, the pressures and privileges of Hollywood, and the realities of sustaining a marriage under public scrutiny. Some of the book’s most powerful passages confront loss head-on, as she writes candidly about miscarriage and the emotional resilience required to keep moving forward. These moments of grief are balanced by stories of renewal—welcoming their children, Gus and George; restoring old homes; volunteering and renovating a children’s home; caring for an ever-growing menagerie of animals; and breathing new life into a small-town candy shop alongside close friends. What ultimately sets this memoir apart is its sincerity. Burton Morgan writes with warmth and humility, never positioning herself above the reader but alongside them. Interspersed with personal essays are practical touches—recipes, garden wisdom, and hands-on projects—that reinforce the book’s central message: a meaningful life is built deliberately, one choice at a time. Her descriptions of the Hudson Valley’s changing seasons and tight-knit community create a vivid sense of place, making The Rural Diaries feel less like a celebrity memoir and more like a shared conversation about redefining success on your own terms.

This book by Hilarie Burton Morgan put me through the ringer! I laughed, cried (a lot), reflected, and smiled. I knew bits and pieces of her life story but had no idea what her life was like after the fame of One Tree Hill. I loved how open and honest the author was about her struggles and her successes! I felt like I was listening to a story from a dear friend. There were so many amazing take-aways from this book. The recipes definitely made me hungry and feeling adventurous in my own kitchen. I can't wait to try some of Hilarie's cooking and DIY tips and tricks. I enjoyed how human this "celebrity" felt. She was just like you or I... navigating her way through life, finding new love, moving somewhere unknown, starting a family, dealing with loss and taking on new adventures. I truly appreciated the end of the story where she shared her experiences regarding the #metoo movement and how it personally impacted her life. It was powerful and necessary to share her story with the world, so that other women knew they were not alone. This was absolutely a 5 star read for me.

First let me preface this by saying I am a HUGE fan of Hilarie and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, but I was hesitant to grab this book when it was first announced. I am a CITY girl. Raised in the rural south, I ran as fast as I could and prefer the bustle of a larger city so the book didn't seem like something I would enjoy. I don't camp, I can't grow anything (everything besides humans and dogs/cats that comes into my house dies), and the idea of cleaning more than a litter box makes me cringe. But, in brief moments reading this, I longed for the life of Mischief farm. I read this book in one 12 hour shift; gobbling up every morsel of the road to Mischief Farm. When Hilarie explains her broken hand, and getting the flu I giggled in empathy and related to something so hard without having actually been a farmer. My husband and I have always joked our luck is rotten, the timing on sickness is amazingly ironic, and my klutzy habits never cease to amuse my husband. Do yourself a favor and grab this book. Its a quick, mostly light read with plenty of life lessons and relatable stories that give a glimpse into real life without the tabloid spin. I appreciated the candid look into issues like fertility, relationship struggles, and expectation.

During an amazon hunt for an old JDM movie, some Amazon algorithm decided I may be interested in Hilary’s book. I’d never seen One Tree Hill but I did love her character on White Collar. I’m not a big reader honestly so I wasn’t sure if I bought the book that I would even end up reading it. Scrolling through some positive reviews I decided to add the book to my cart. Few days later I got the notification that it would be delivered by 10pm that evening. Once it arrived I opened the package intending to read the book jacket, which turned into reading the prologue and before I knew it, it was late into the evening and I had finished part one. The next morning I made my routine coffee and sprinkled in a dash of cinnamon from a tip I had read in the book and just drank coffee and read most of the day. (Spoilers Ahead) Hilary writes in such a relatable way and draws you into her world and takes you on an adventure. I felt a swell of happiness when they finally signed the contract for the store and felt a tear of sadness at the death of their beloved family dog, and other tragic loss. She writes easily and draws you into her story, family and town filled with warmth but also reality. I loved the whimsy of the recipes nestled throughout the pages as well. Needless to say I loved this book and will definitely be passing it on to friends and family to share.

Amei saber mais da história de vida da linda atriz Hilarie Burton.

Absolutely loved this book. I used to watch One Tree Hill & I’m a fan of JDM, so as a Supernatural fan when I realised that Jensen & Danneel Ackles had introduced Hilarie Burton and JDM and they’d been a couple for sometime I thought how sweet. As fans we always view their lives with rose coloured glasses and assume for the most part that everything must be perfect. So to read this story, the brutal honesty, with added humour, about their relationship, the friends they made along the way, the ups and downs of life, I literally couldn’t put it down and about 3 hours later I finished it. I loved Hilarie's writing style, it just draws you in and you want to read more, how she describes events makes you really imagine the scenario played out. Despite the ups & downs these two are clearly meant for each other and have two beautiful children, so whatever storms come their way they will weather them together.

Absolutely loved it! One of the most honest books I have ever read. I enjoyed every sentence. So much emotion and care put into 260 pages. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down. Thank you for sharing this beautiful story.

Hilarie Burton ve Jeffrey Dean Morgan'ın aile kurma sürecine dair sıcacık bir kitap. Okurken keyif aldım ancak bazı bölümler gereğinden fazla uzundu, bir de tarifler aralara yazılmak kerine en sonda toplansa çok daha okumayı kolaylaştırır dikkat dağılmasını engellerdi. Bunlar dışında severek okudum.