 Author: Nicole Deese Genre: Contemporary Romance Series: A Fog Harbor Romance #2 Release Date: April 30, 2024 Publisher: Bethany House A cross-country road trip. A secretive box of journals. An unforgettable summer romance. As the youngest daughter of a country music legend, Raegan Farrow longs to establish an identity away from the spotlight and publish her small-town romances under a pen name. But after her dream is dashed when she won't exploit her mother's fame to further her own career, she hears a rumor from a reliable source regarding a tell-all being written about the Farrow family. Making matters worse, the unknown author has gone to great lengths to remain anonymous until publication. Raegan chooses to keep the tell-all a secret from her scandal-leery sisters as they embark on a two-week cross-country road trip at their mother's request and makes it her mission to expose the identity of the author behind the unsanctioned biography. But all is complicated when she discovers their hired bus driver, Micah Davenport, has a hidden agenda of his own--one involving both of their mothers and an old box of journals. As they rely on each other to find the answers they seek, the surprising revelations they unearth will lead them down an unexpected road of love and reconciliation.
 Reviewer: Tammy Lunsford This book was jam-packed with emotional scenes between the characters, which will tug at your heart. I found myself crying a few times. The collision course of the past and present was masterfully penned. Luella Farrow is a country music superstar with a life full of good memories as well as regrets. She knows her daughters need something, which is how she comes up with the idea of a road trip in her newly refurbished tour bus on their way to her last performance before her retirement. Her daughters have completely different personalities. Adele is the serious one who is all business, even with her family. She is an attorney and the CEO of the recording company. Hattie is grieving the loss of her marriage and more. She is at her wits end. Lastly, the youngest daughter, Raegan, is the yes woman of the bunch. She is the peacekeeper. She has put her life on hold to make her sisters happy. She is a closet writer who wants to spread her wings. Micah Davenport is the son of Luella's former bandmate, Lynn. When he finds out that Luella has found his mother's journals, He offers to come and get them and be their designated bus driver for the trip. He needs some answers about his mom, whom he recently lost. The road will not be smooth, as emotions are running high for everyone and no one seems to communicate. These are family members who truly love one another, but they cannot seem to communicate that love in the way most family members communicate. Micah has an agenda as well, but he was, by far, my favorite character. He could see so much as an outsider looking in on this family. This is a wonderful story of forgiveness, legacy, communication, and most of all, prayer. It was also an inside look at how hard being a part of a famous family can be for its members, where everything is scrutinized. I fell completely in love with this book and this family. The added bonus of Luella being a country music superstar was just the cherry on top for this reader. Thank you to Bethany House for this ARC through Interviews & Reviews. I am leaving this review voluntarily. Reviewer: Winnie Thomas The Roads We Follow is a perfect blend of realistically flawed characters, a captivating plot, a budding romance, and an intriguing mystery. Talented author Nicole Deese has written an exquisitely crafted story about the importance of family, the power of love, and the necessity of following your heart. She deals sensitively with some deep topics as she carefully unfolds the story layer by layer. It was easy for me to relate to Raegan as she tried to deal with her sisters and their varied personalities and quirks since I have several sisters myself. Micah was a trooper as he drove the bus for the three sisters and their mother, Luella. That would be quite a daunting task for most people, and to do it while trying to solve his own mystery had me rooting for him. I enjoyed the trip across the United States, visiting some interesting areas with the Farrow family as they recreated the road trip Luella took with Micah’s mother, Lynn, many years before. Deese’s stories are always infused with plenty of deep meaning and brimming with wit and charm. This one is a beautifully written tale that takes the reader on a journey of healing, hope, and discovery. I recommend it to those who enjoy clean, contemporary Christian fiction. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Bethany House through Interviews & Reviews. All opinions are my own. Reviewer: Jeanette Durkin This is another brilliant book by Nicole Deese! What's better than a cross-country trip with people who have huge secrets, pent-up resentment, and are all at a crossroads in their lives? A path that's filled with forgiveness, healing, and hope! The characters are relatable and easy to like! Luella's remarkable faith is inspiring. She truly wants to pass on a legacy of hope. The road she traveled was filled with painful experiences, and she wants her daughters to follow a different path. Micah, the bus driving therapist, had my heart from the beginning. His tender heart and compassion are endearing traits! There are some really deep topics touched on in the story: drug abuse, adoption, marital issues, and health problems. Each topic was handled with extreme care and grace. The absolute best part of the book for me was the country music aspect! I'm a huge country fan, and I have great respect for artists and their gifts! I was provided a copy of the book from Bethany House through Interviews & Reviews. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Reviewer: Charity Henico Family. There's nothing quite as infuriating, frustrating, and maddening. But there's also nothing quite as endearing, cohesive (when things are going well!), and fiercely protective. This book brought all those feelings to the surface. This is one of those books where I kept taking a break after each chapter, just because I didn't want it to end. Nicole Deese manages to pack all this emotion into each of her books that have real-life issues and breaks up those intense reactions with bits of humor throughout. I'm honestly not sure how to close this review, other than to say that I've never considered myself to be a romance reader. But Nicole Deese may have changed my mind. I was given a complimentary copy of this book by Bethany House through Interviews & Reviews. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own. Reviewer: Raechel Helwig This was such a sweet novel! It had many heart-touching themes and real struggles portrayed throughout, and it was so easy to get pulled into the story and become attached to these wonderful characters. Family dynamics are never cut and dry, and that was certainly true for the Farrow family. Raegan is the youngest sister of three, and their mother is a famous country singer. Life in the public eye is a struggle for various reasons. Each of the characters really came to life, and I loved how we got to know them on their road trip. Micah's involvement in the story was also wonderful, and I loved his character as well as his relationship with Raegan and the dynamics between him and each of the Farrow ladies. Author Nicole Deese writes in such a captivating way, and there's always so much depth, especially relationship depth, which is my favorite. And yet, even with the amazing depth, it never felt too heavy. The faith message was good, and I appreciated the vulnerability each character went through to reach a point of readiness to move on and start healing. I also really liked the writing aspect. Raegan's passion for writing was easy to see. I admit, I always enjoy reading a book about a character who writes because it encourages me to keep writing too. There's a definite joy to be found in the written word, and it's delightful when a character believes that too. I didn't realize that The Roads We Follow is the second book in a series, so I'm excited to go back and catch up on the first one. This one was completely fine to read as a stand-alone, and I didn't feel like it was missing anything, but I am curious to read more that's related to this book! This book was provided courtesy of Bethany House through Interviews & Reviews. I was not required to write a positive review, and all thoughts expressed were entirely my own. Reviewer: Mindy Houng
"Life's too short to be questioning what you're doing with your time every day." Nicole Deese has again penned a masterpiece. Set against the backdrop of a broiling family drama and layers of secrets buried beneath hurt and years past, Raegan and Micah's fresh and honest first-person voices are perfect complements and guides for this journey of healing and reconciliation. Their voices are sometimes funny and flirty, oftentimes thought-provoking and contemplative, and always tender, lyrical, and poignant. Raegan and her writer's brain were fun to follow around, while Micah and his counselor's heart were quite lovely to behold. Raegan's famous mother and her two older sisters were a great combination of personalities. Forgiveness was at the heart of this story, and it was rewarding to see all the characters finally see their own worth and potential. Raegan and Micah are unforgettable characters. It was also nice to see Chip and Allie from the first book make cameo appearances here (maybe the next book will be about them?). If you enjoy contemporary romance with depth and soul, this book is for you. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Bethany House via Interviews & Reviews and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own. Leave a Reply. |
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