Heather Mulgrew is taking one last holiday after graduating from college. With her are her two best friends Amy and Constance and they are backpacking their way through Europe when Heather meets a fellow American boy from Vermont called Jack. He is using his grandfathers post war journal and following in his footsteps, seeing the sights his grandfather had once seen and described so enticingly in his writings. They are on an overnight train travelling between Paris and Amsterdam and when they arrive they share a kiss, their mobile numbers and arrange to meet up in Amsterdam. Heather’s life is already all mapped out for her. When she returns to the USA in September she is set to move to New York to work for a prestigious company; the job giving her plenty of opportunities for a bright future and facilitating her desires to travel. She is beguiled by Jack who is like no other boy she has met before: he is alive and full of adventure, seeking out sights off the beaten track, so it is no surprise that they hook up and decide to travel on ahead together.
So the story continues with Heather determined to have the time of her life before dedicating herself to her new job. Jack leads her to places that are off the map but totally out of the world. Their feelings are heightened and Heather does not want their relationship to stall. She feels as though her life is only complete with Jack by her side and is thrilled to discover her feelings are reciprocated. At last she feels secure in their relationship as Jack promises that they will work it out and that they will be together, but what she doesn’t know is that Jack is keeping a secret from her that will change their lives and dreams completely.
‘The Map That Leads to You’ is an emotional contemporary novel not only about a fledgling romance, but also about the hurt of broken promises, the pain of loss, and the joy of adventure. It’s full of drama and gorgeous travelogue-types of descriptions of some of the most scenic places and customs of the European cities and countryside, but I found it very slow moving in parts and I was not drawn to the two main characters in this story at all. Most of the entire story was at times whimsical and unrealistic and I found it difficult to believe situations such as these could really happen. I quite enjoyed the romance between Heather and Jack but my least favourite part of all was the very abrupt, albeit totally unexpected ending which was both shocking and a letdown.
I would like to thank NetGalley and publisher St Martin’s Press for my copy of this sweeping novel, sent out to me in return for an honest review. It’s a 2.5* review from me.

A charming and interesting story that had me drawn in and involved from the start.

Getting into this book was close to impossible, but once I did, I enjoyed every minute of it.
The start is slow, but the writing is well-done, and while the characters don’t carry any special characteristics, they still jump off the page. The organization of the text left me with question marks throughout the reading process, but something about the story kept me reading. I loved the abundance of drama, it’s why I love romance novels so much.
This is the perfect read for any fan of romance novels. That Nicholas Spark’s quote on the cover says it all.

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and JP Monninger for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I ended up liking this book a lot more than I thought I would, or even that I did while reading it! It is somewhat of a coming-of-age young adult romance travel story - how's that for mixing genres?

Three best friends - Heather, Amy, Constance - head off to travel Europe after college graduation. The friends fit specific roles - Heather is the responsible one, with a perfect job awaiting her with Bank of America in NYC; Amy is the wild child; Constance is the spiritual beauty, intrigued with saints.

What was interesting was that they visited more off-the-beaten path kind of places, which added to the mystique and romance of the book. While on the train to Amsterdam, Heather meets Jack. They seem to perfectly fit together, they spar on equal terms, they delight in learning about each other in unique ways (fencing!). Jack is traveling around Europe following his grandfather's journal cataloguing his end-of-the-war traveling before returning to his Vermont farm.

While I couldn't always see real people saying the words, I loved Heather's exit lines and thoughts. She didn't fall into the trap of having total blinders on during her time with Jack in Europe. When he said something that upset her, she let him know - in succinct, admirable ways. As opposed to real life when we all seem to exist in that "I wish I would have said..." mode in those situations.

A great read!

Kleenex alert with this one! The Map That Leads to You is an amazing story about young adults traveling through Europe! Heather, Amy, and Constance have just graduated from college and taking a trip before starting jobs and entering “the real world.” Jack is traveling through Europe following his grandfather’s journal, visiting the places he once visited and just trying to enjoy life. After meeting Jack, Heather decides to ignore her detailed itinerary and follow along with Jack and his journal travels and experiencing the most amazing romance of her life.

All of the characters were instantly likable in this novel, but especially Jack and Heather. From the first time they meet they engage in endless banter back and forth between them that is sometimes serious, but often hilarious and sarcastic. After Amy has to suddenly return home, Heather and Constance continue on with Jack and his friend Raaf, resulting in both Heather and Constance finding love.

Romantic just isn’t a strong enough word to describe this powerful love story. Romance is everywhere whether they are strolling through Paris, reading and discussing Hemingway, or just experiencing new things together. It would have been impossible for them not to fall in love on this incredible journey, but despite the setting, I still think Jack and Heather were soulmates and simply meant to be together. The author’s writing transports you to the places they visit where you can see and hear what’s around them, smell the food, taste the drinks, and fell the emotions building between them. The vivid imagery, dialogue, and characterization completely blew me away from beginning to end.

I don’t want to give any spoilers about this amazing story, but you will need a box of Kleenex nearby while reading this one. This novel evokes feelings of adventure, romance, disappointment, sadness, and joy – but there are a few tearjerker moments! I cannot stress how much I recommend this novel which I found myself completely lost in for hours. Between Monninger’s exquisite writing and the beauty of the plot, this is an amazing novel.

*THANKS TO NETGALLEY FOR PROVIDING THIS ARC IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.

I was not blown away and felt myself wanting so much more, especially at the end. The dialogue between Heather and Jack was witty at times, but overall this book just didn’t work for me. I know why Nicholas Sparks gave it a good review… and I stopped reading his (incredibly repetitive) work many years ago. I’m sure it will be beloved by many… just not by me.

"It was pretty to think so, wasn't it?"
I absolutely love, and hate, and love this book! Such an inspiring tale of love, adventure, and life lessons all rolled into one heart wrenching tale between two people on a quest with Hemingway through Europe. Jack and Heather's story begins on a train, which propels their relationship into the stratosphere and gives it a mystical quality. The characters are real, and their relationship true, which brings such poignancy, that you become invested in them and are rooting for them throughout all the enigmatic tones of their journey together.

"Love finds us, passes through us, continues." as it does in The Map that Leads to You. This one will stay with you long after you've put it down. The numerous highlights and rereads are already upon me, as I love, and hate, and simply love this book.

Such a good story. Reads like a very realistic fairy tale. The ending was wonderful. Made me ready to travel the world.

Wow...so this was so NOT what I thought it would be about.

Three female best friends have planned a summer trip through Europe throughout college, that this was what they had saved money and planned for. The three of them together a last hooray before starting jobs and parting ways most likely all living in different states, but always being friends. They had it all planned from start to finish, staying in all different type places to be able to afford it and when I read the first time they are staying in hostels I am thinking the crazy horror flick. This is anything But a horror story it is so Much MORE! Gosh I had no idea how this was going I know something was going down and secrets were being hidden but when that secret is finally revealed I truly was BLOWN AWAY

A train going from Paris to Amsterdam bring two strangers together, they each have complete different reasons to be in Europe but they become entwined in ways I don't think anybody saw coming. and then he has a sheep herder from Australia that he met before that also gets brought to a party they are all young people and they are drinking and sight seeing and going to bars and some places and probably not always safe.

This story should be read raw, I am not giving very much away other than people are meant to meet for reasons, secrets always hurt people and I cried ugly at the end....thank you JP MONNINGER and St Martins Press for such a wonderful look at Europe a lot through Jacks grandpas journal a trip he took after a war. A young group of people that think they have life all planned out but that plans can change quickly and secrets are never good. I Loved this Book and Highly recommend everyone to read it! The author did a great job creating this world and these characters I promise you will be transported to Europe for a little while! I am so thankful for the opportunity to give my honest review of this book

This book may appeal to some, but for me not so much. The first 10 chapters goes on and on about Heather, Amy, Constance and guys they want to hook up with. Too repetitive. There were many interesting parts to the story, some suspense and the ending was interesting.

This title will be given a spotlight at the Dew on May 1st along with three other titles. http://dewonthekudzu.com

Three young women, recent college graduates, embark on a whirlwind tour of Europe as a vacation before the real work grind starts. Two fall in love, one returns home early. Both that love find it’s a forever love or true, as the trios has named long lasting, real things in their lives. The story weaves the tale of one of the women, Heather, and Jake, who she meets on the train to Amsterdam. Theirs is a tale of creating memories together that might lead to more. The story is so much more than a couple’s travelogue through Europe. It is one of the effects of love felt hard and the aftermath of disappointment and a strong desire for closure.

Perfect trifecta! Developed characters, great structure and emotional connection. The Map That Leads to You will keep readers engaged and invested to the very last page.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Eric Segal's love story came to my mind the minute I started reading and "hearing" the witty exchanges between Jack and Heather. They meet in Europe on a train from Paris to Amsterdam and hit it off right away. Heather is traveling with her two best friends Amy and Constance, they all just graduated from Amherst and having some fun before they start their post college life. I enjoyed the description of Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Krakow, etc. It bothered me some that it was not known, how long this whole trip took, it seemed they were in a different city almost every day, or on the train in between. There was also too much detail of what happened wit Amy and Constance. I could not understand Heather's obsession with Hemingway and his work, and how that related to the story.
Since this was an unedited copy, lots of typos, grammatical errors were really so bad, it took away from the reading experience. It was also hard to tell sometimes, who was speaking. The dialogues were not clearly separated. I assume this will be corrected in the final copy.
Overall, a nice love story, 3.5 stars.
Thanks NetGalley, St Martins press and the author J. P. Monninger for this advanced copy.

I like this book until about 75% in. I felt like out of nowhere there was sadness and that's fine but the end didn't feel believable. I think it would have been better for Jack to forget his journey and find him. Not retrace his grandfather's journey but create his own with Heather. I as a reader just didn't feel satisfied with the ending turn of events. I have to say what I did love about this book was the way they met and the travel. I know this is a galley book and edits are still probably happening but I still feel like it needs to be said there were many grammatical errors and formatting was off.

Tried to read this one a couple of times, and struggled to stay engaged with the story and characters. Overall, not a bad book, but perhaps would be best with a younger than me reader. I am middle age, and a lot of the angst and language didn't interest me. Not for me, but if I was in my 20s I would have enjoyed it a lot more.

It took me less than 24 hours to read “The Map That Leads To You.” I was thoroughly caught up in the close friendship of the three young women and their adventure through Europe. The romance between Jack and Heather alternated between beautiful, maddening, and heartbreaking. Some of the scenes in the novel had me laughing hysterically and others had me sobbing. The ending was gut-wrenching and a reminder that life is not fair. All of the pieces blended together to create a beautiful love story. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this book playing out on the big screen one day. It’s that good!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a complimentary digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s press for the chance to read this ARC copy of ‘The map that leads to you’.
Heather has graduated from college, next on her agenda to travel around Europe with her two best friend, on a train to Amsterdam she meets the ‘dashing’ Jack (who is also traveling Europe…following in his grandfather’s footsteps), Heather falls in love with Jack and decides to travel with him.
This is very much a YA novel and even though I am a few years (cough. Cough) years away from my teens I did enjoy it. The descriptions of Europe make me want to take a ‘gap year’.

What a book! It's been a while since I've read a really good contemporary love story. Everything about this story was captivating...from Jack and Heather's meeting cute on the train to their world wind romance throughout Europe. The descriptions of the cities was absolutely beautiful, and I felt like I was seeing it through their eyes. The story made me laugh and it made me cry, but it also renewed my faith in love. This book warmed my heart and touched my soul. I loved it from the very beginning to its bittersweet end.