2.5 Stars. Well here comes a potentially unpopular review. I really struggled with this. This is my first time reading Spencer and after all the talk about how wonderful Casting Lacey was, I had high hopes for this book. On top of that all the early reviews/ratings for this book were 4 or 5 stars. Maybe that is part of the problem, maybe my expectations were too high? I just don’t know. I tried to find something I liked about this book but it just wasn’t for me.

This book felt like a soap opera, but not a good soap opera. Have you ever watched say General Hospital? The show might not be for you but it’s interesting and has some good actors. But then you flip to another channel, to another soap opera and you just scratch your head. Who’s actually watching this soap opera? Why is everyone’s acting so over the top that people seem like living cartoon characters? Unfortunately that’s what I felt this book was like.

This is exes who hate each other storyline. Actually it’s only one person who everyone hates, but that is the basic storyline. So we start the book knowing that something bad happened for all this hate, but what? The book answers that with my favorite literary choice (just kidding) flashbacks. Flashbacks how I hate thee, let me count the ways. The main problem was the flashbacks spend so much time on what went wrong, that I don’t know what went right. Why did these two love each other so much that there is such hate now? Why is this “the one who got away” type storyline? Besides them being friends since they were kids, I never felt an actual romantic connection. I needed something in the flashbacks to tie the rest of the book together.

When it came to the mains themselves, I guess they were okay. One was always crying and the other was always mad. I didn’t have any big issues with them but I felt like I only knew them on the surface. They were a little two dimensional for my tastes. It was the secondary characters that really bothered me. The “mother”, the “villain”, they all felt like big fat stereotypes to me so that didn’t work either.

There were also just cheesy moments and choices I didn’t care for. I would read a line and just start head scratching again. Or I would read something and roll my eyes so hard I was worried they would stick.

I can’t recommend this book at all. However, I’m an outlier already. Other people clearly liked this book so please read some other reviews before you make a decision either way. I think I will still read Casting Lacey, but I have to admit I’m a little gun shy on this author now.

I've been struggling with writing something up for this one.

This is very angsty. Don't get me wrong - I love angst. But this this book just seemed overwrought and was a bit heavy handed - which surprised me as I really enjoyed [book:Casting Lacey|37765959] by Spencer. If you like angst and have a better tolerance, then this may be something you enjoy more than I did.

The story flips between timelines focusing on Madison and Ana's early friendship turning to romance and the ultimate betrayal that has led them to the present situation where there's a serious amount of hate, regret, and general angst. It helps put things into perspective but I found that the flashbacks were sweet and innocent and didn't match the intensity of their feelings in the present and left me thinking Ana and Madison needed to just move the hell on - without one another.

The villians are villianous, the hate is vitriolic and the plot seemed uneven and not overly realistic, where everything was sort of piled in a hodgepodge of plot points that aren't fully explored or necessarily resolved. I also didn't think that the writing style was as refined as I remember from Spencer's other book. I finished The Road to Madison wondering if this was an early draft or fanfic that could have stood a bit more polishing and refinement to tighten the storyline and characters.

This one just didn't do it for me - but I won't give up on Spencer.

Elle Spencer sure can write! Two of my all time favorite books are Casting Lacey and Forget Her Not and I anxiously awaited this book. Elle has a way of weaving in emotions with compelling and entertaining dialogue so that the reader can feel the raw emotions of the characters. Madison and Ana's relationship was portrayed in a way where the reader was rooting for them from the beginning. The book was filled with enlightening flashbacks to help the reader understand the love Madison and Ana had for one another from age 8 and how it was demolished by Madison's father George. This reader couldn't even imagine what kind of human would do the things he did to his daughter. But she was smart and strong and mangaged to become a wonderful person, no thanks to him. This book was emotional and definitely pulled at the heartstrings. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next one from Elle Spencer!

This has been a pretty good romance with a lot of underlying anguish throughout the whole story. It is a somewhat atypical story between the rich girl, Madison, and the poor girl, Ana, who have known each other since childhood and who must separate due to Madison's family demands. And I say atypical because there is some surprise that makes turn around many of the opinions that we have been able to make, throughout the story.

The book is structured with flashbacks that intermingle with the present day.The past events are related with short passages that give light and meaning to each new situation between Madison and Ana. The whole of the story is quite coherent and well related.

The romance itself is quite strong and heartbreaking, with moments of great emotion and a background of great sadness for the unfairness of everything. And with everything that surrounds the two protagonists, sometimes it is difficult to predict how the story will end.

I did not have much hope in this book, but I must admit that in the end has been a very pleasant surprise.

I fell in love with Elle Spencer's writing style after I stumbled open Casting Lacey. Such a fun read with a fabulous push-pull dynamic between the two leading ladies, it really had that something special that makes a book memorable. The Road to Madison is no different, this book will break your heart, make you smile and have your fingers crossed that true love wins in the end. A damn fine read!

When we meet the two main characters Madison Prescott has just buried her father. This is a man she despised with her whole being. She is standing by his grave glad that he is gone and can no longer control her life. Ana Perez picks that exact moment, graveside, to reappear fifteen years later. Ana and Madison were childhood sweethearts. Star crossed lovers from a different class, madly in love but torn apart by the cruelness of George Prescott and the power and influence he yielded. In Madison's dreamworld, once her father was out of the picture, she could reclaim the love the heart of the girl she once let go. The only problem is Ana's heart has never healed and she has never forgiven Madison for turning her back on their future.

Elle Spencer weaves a tale of full of sadness, remorse but one filled with those little moments that make you have the flutters. Her characters are well developed, the dialogue is seamless and natural, you really get thrown right into Madison and Anna's world. You feel what they feel. This book grabbed my attention and had me turning the pages through the night. A delightful story that I thoroughly enjoyed. I cannot wait for the next adventure Elle Spencer takes me on.

Stories about lost love I find the most heart breaking to think of people missing out on so much of their lives with the person they love due to some sort of circumstance always makes my heart hurt for the characters. This book had me glued to the pages wanting to follow the story of Ana and Madison who lost 15 years together. I enjoyed the flashbacks and the present day story which I found moved at a really good pace to keep the story really interesting.

I felt for Madison straight away and loved her character. I really felt for her and the position she was put in. I will admit that I struggled with Ana for a large part of the book. I completely understand her hurt and anger over what had happened but found it went on too long. She just felt all over the place with her emotions and actions. She was never warm which I think would have been important to have a balance of some warmth and hurt/anger to better help me connect with her character.

I did really enjoy the ride the book takes you on but just felt maybe the drama went on too long making the ending to happen too quickly.

On the surface level I thought I would like this book more than I did. This story had a LOT of angst, which is normally something I enjoy. That tension usually adds a suspense to a book but the angst in this book lead to sooo much bitterness that I was turned off by it. It was overwhelming at times.

The bitterness also just made me dislike Ana. I was left feeling at a certain point like she didn't deserve Madison. Madison kept apologizing and explaining over and over again and she would brush her off in emotionally cruel ways. 2/3rds of the way through I felt like Madison wasn't realizing that Ana had grown up into a person she shouldn't have been in love with because she was nothing like how she was when she was younger. These two were in love with their 17 year old selves, not their present late 30 year old selves.

There were also too many flashbacks for me, and the structure of them were confusing. It kept skipping back and forth in time in the timeline of the flashbacks. For instance, we would get a flashback at 10 years old, one at 17 and then it would go to 14 years old. It wasn't my cup of tea.

The author's actual dialogue, descriptions, and writing is great. She definetly has a talent, but I think storyline layout and character developments need fine tuning.

The Road to Madison is not your typical Lesfic romance, and it was a refreshing change. Ana and Madison were torn apart by Madison’s father, but now that he’s dead Madison has hope for a future with Ana. Much of the book recounts memories from their time together before, during, and after the split. It creates addictive suspense that keeps you glued to the pages as your interest is constantly piqued as more of their story is revealed. Their present is not what Madison expects and the pain is evident. In fact, the pain of their predicament, past and present, becomes an overwhelming central theme. Madison and Ana hang constantly on a precipice of despair and hard feelings that will not be easy to overcome. It’s frustrating to watch them struggle as the issues to overcome become a circular and redundant argument. This story is well-written with added suspense I wasn’t expecting, but be prepared for an immensely emotionally charged story.