This is my first read by Christine Nolfi and I really enjoyed her style of writing which pulled me into the story effortlessly.

The Goodridge family have been torn apart by a heartbreaking tragedywith many secrets and misunderstandings kept secret.

Darcy Giidridge has always run from her past and the hurt which she experienced. Her only friend Samson looks up to her and when a family drama unfolds they both return to her family home. Darcy is reunited with her controlling mother, her nephew who she has never truly known and the man she loved but left behind.

This beautiful story with its believable characters really touched me. The way a tragedy can affect a family and the way different people deal with such a tragedy was sensitivity explored.

Grieving, family relationships, forgiveness, infidelity, healing and letting go are all powerfully depicted in this page turning book , I would definitely recommend . Be warned your emotions will be tested, from laughing to crying to cheering on the fantastic characters.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for my chance to read this book which definitely left me wanting to read more .

I suppose it's not exactly fair for me to rate this book as I couldn't finish it. The premise of the book was interesting which is why I made the request to read. After the first few pages, I couldn't really comprehend what was going on. The writing was all over the place jumping back and forth between thoughts of the narrator. I felt that the language and dialogue were stilted and didn't belong to the characters themselves (an 18 year old doesn't speak like a 90 year old man) and this was a huge turn off. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get through the book because of these faults (again, just my opinion). Giving the book two stars because I liked the premise a lot. I just feel like it needs a lot of polishing up.

Darcy has a secret that she has been hiding, one that has had her on the move, never staying anywhere longer than a year, never letting anyone get close to her. It all changes when she is ready to pick up and move yet again….always on the anniversary of the deaths of her father and sister; her way of remembering and of not allowing herself to experience joy. She gets word that her nephew, Emerson, has gone missing from his home where he lives with his grandmother, Darcy’s mother, in Ohio. Darcy makes the tough decision to return home, fighting her demons, to help find Emerson. She knows this is entering into a situation, seeing and confronting her mother again, after 8 years of estrangement, opening up wounds and feelings that she has not allowed herself to face may prove to be too much. Once back, Darcy uncovers the reason she was called back to Ohio and along the way, perhaps allows herself to finally grieve and heal from the devastation that rocked her family.
Thank you, Christine Nolfi and Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Road She left behind is an emotionally compelling book about a family torn apart by grief, guilt, and lies. Darcy left her hometown, her family, and her best friend eight years earlier following the deaths of her father and sister. She hasn’t spoken to her mother in all that time, and now is urged to come home when her young nephew disappears. The family dynamics in this novel are taut and honest, so many layers of frustration and hurt festering beneath the surface. The characters are well-written, true to life people who are complicated, stubborn, and endearing.

Another must read by Christine Nolte. We meet Darcy Goodridge, as she leaves job number eight, headed for number nine, when she gets a call from her mother’s housekeeper, imploring her to come home. Grudgingly she does, reluctant to experience a reunion with her estranged mother, after eight years.
So we are introduced to her family and neighbors, where secrets, lingering conflicts and heartache have alienated many. But her young nephew Emerson needs some stability in his life, and Darcy may be the right one to provide it.
But first, she must try to repair the relationships that she has been running from, and settle her own conflicts.
Christine Nolte is a talented story teller, with lovely locations, well developed and complicated characters and the ability to draw the reader in. I really enjoyed everything about this book, and appreciate the ARC for my honest review. I highly recommend it!

The Road She Left Behind by Christine Nolfi was so captivating! This book follows a young women named Darcy Goodridge and her story of returning home after almost a decade of avoiding her past. I thought this book was beautiful because it captured so many elements to this wonderful experience we call life. The top for elements that stood out to me were familial love, healing, friendship, and forgiveness. So if any of those qualities about life interest you, I suggest reading this book!

The Road She Left Behind is so funny! I flew through this book! I loved reading the conversations in this book because the characters have such distinct personalities and it made me laugh! I'm not going to lie though, this book gave me so many different emotions. But I think that's what makes a book a good book! This book also has a little bit of romance in it, so if that's something that interests you, read this book!

I think my favorite part about this book was how easy it was to understand Darcy. I felt like I could feel what she was feeling. While I might not have made the same decisions she had decided to make, I completely understand why she did. Christine made me feel like I was in Darcy life experiencing everything right along side her! Honestly, it's so hard to explain everything I love about this book without just giving it all away!
When I finished this book, I had so many questions! I couldn't believe how it ended, but maybe I'll be the only one to feel this way? With that being said, I loved this book! It kept me wanting more, and I wasn't ready for it to be finished! I guess there will just have to be a second book. One can hope!

I gave this book 5 stars. Thank you Christine Nolfi for writing this amazing book.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 1/2 stars

Secrets, betrayal, hope, redemption. This book has it all. Ms. Nolfi writes such great characters and this book is full of them! Colorful, disagreeable, lovable, realistic.

A horrific accident leaves 2 dead and a third wracked with guilt. On her way to a new job, Darcy gets a frantic phone call that her nephew is missing. She ran out on a promise she made to her sister years ago, but she dreads coming back home to her Mother, estranged for 8 years. With her special friend in tow, she makes a decision that will change her life and lead her where she needs to be for total forgiveness.

This book will have you smiling one minute and tearing up the next. Ms. Nolfi reveals details a little at a time to keep you turning the pages. I’ve been a fan of this author for a while, and this book didn’t disappoint!

I received an ARC of this book. Opinion is my own!

THE ROAD SHE LEFT BEHIND by Christine Nolfi is a beautifully-written and moving story of family, love and second chances. Riddled by guilt over a tragic accident that claimed the lives of her father and sister, Darcy Goodridge fled from her family home and her resentful and overly-critical mother, leaving behind everything she knew including a budding romantic relationship with her childhood friend and neighbor, Michael Varano. Darcy lives a solitary life, moving from city to city, never allowing anyone to get close to her. After eight years, she receives an unexpected phone call that calls her back home to face her mother, the young son of her sister and the past that has always haunted her. Back at home, Darcy is determined to figure out what happened that fateful night and what drove her family apart. As she tries to unravel the past, she exposes long-held secrets and old betrayals that help explain the rift between her family and Michael’s. Slowly, the characters begin the process of forgiveness and healing that brings them the closure they all desperately need to move on. The characters are expertly portrayed and so relatable. I enjoyed this engaging story of family, love, loss and redemption and highly recommend it! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.

This is the story of the Goodridge family. It’s about a mother and daughter whose strained relationship is completely severed for 8 years due to tragedy and loss and the feeling of guilt. Because of extenuating circumstances, the daughter returns home to try and repair their broken family. It’s a heartwarming story of family secrets, heartache and lost loves. The biggest lesson here is forgiveness. It was an emotional read for me as it brought tears to my eyes more than once. There was also a part to the story that had me holding my breath afraid of what might possibly happen. After having read several of the authors books, it’s my personal opinion that this is her best work yet! I really enjoyed reading this and will be recommending it to my reader friends. It’s a story that covers many emotions, but leaves you feeling hopeful and optimistic. I give this a 5 star rating!

Darcy has been carrying around guilt over a car accident that killed her father and sister.
Relationship with her mother has been torn apart.
An unexpected phone call has her returning to her family home.
A story of two families torn apart by tragedy and past buried secrets.
A heartwarming story with love, forgiveness, betrayal, grief and how to move forward instead of running away.
I loved the book!

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing and Christine Nolfi for the opportunity to read this book.

Christine Nolfi has done it again! The Road She Left Behind is another book by Nolfi that I just couldn't put down. I loved how the story unfolded, learning about Darcy's difficult past along the way. It was cool to see Darcy bring Sampson with her on her journey back to her family. I could feel the struggles that Darcy had with her difficult mother while forming a trusting relationship with her nephew, Emerson. The characters were well-written and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I highly recommend this book!

I received an ARC from NetGalley..

This is my first time reading anything by Christine Nolfi, and it will not be my last. I appreciated how the relationships matured through the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read 'The Road She Left Behind'. This was an easy and enjoyable read with strong characters. Christine Nolfi clearly portrayed a family in disarray and I particularly loved Emerson and his mature-beyond-years voice which echoed his grandmother's. Although a little predictable, it is a feel-good book and worth reading.

Right from the beginning we’re told there are deep dark secrets concerning the death of the sister, the death of the father, the family split and the best friend split with the next door neighbor. Whew! And then for chapter after chapter we’re given hints about these deep dark secrets which are increasingly magnified with grudges!

Starting about the middle of the book the guilt and anger and grudges the characters have held for 20 years (in some cases), just magically disappear and by the ending everyone lives happily ever after. A modern day fairy tale.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Darcy hasn't been home in ages. Guilt has kept her away. But then she gets a call and knows she must heed it. She must go back and face her demons. Once she does, she finds both love and redemption. And gets to know her nephew. Plus she and her mother do away with their feud. A great women's fiction read. All about family and forgiving others as well as ourselves. Great read!

I’ve read (and loved) several of Christine Nolfi's books and this book was no different! She has a gift for creating truly special characters that you don’t want to let go of at the end of the book (seriously, I was so sad when the book ended – I wanted more!!) While I enjoyed all of the characters, I especially loved Emerson and Samson – Emerson is an 8 year old boy who is mature WAY beyond his years, taking dental floss with him when he escapes to the woods on an impromptu solo camping trip. Samson is an 18 year old young man who appears much younger than he is, but he’s a devoted friend to Darcy, even when she tries to push him away as she tries to continue her nomadic way of life.

I thought Nolfi did a great job unfolding the story and slowly revealing why Darcy has lived the way she has for the past 8 years, revealing enough to pique your curiosity and keep you reading on. Once I started, this book was hard to put down!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing, NetGalley, and Christine Nolfi for providing a copy for review.

I was given an advanced copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

When tragedy hits you either stand and fight or you run from the hurt pain and guilty. Darcy ran from her home leaving her critical mother, loving house keeper, the love of her life Michael, and the new baby boy Emerson, her sister Elizabeth had just weeks before her death. Darcy never stays anywhere longer than a year.

It is a family emergency, Emerson is missing that finally brings Darcy home. Will Darcy be able to finally build a relationship with her mother? Will Darcy get a second chance at love? Is it too later for Darcy to be there for her nephew Emerson like she promised her sister?

I enjoyed this story because the characters were believable. The events and reactions were in align with human nature. There was not a magically wand to fix the issues that have torn them apart.

I have read several books by Christine Nolfi and this one does not disappoint. Darcy has never been close to her mom Rosalind. after an accident takes the lives of Darcy's dad and sister, Darcy leaves home and after eight years she is asked to come home to help find her nephew who is missing.

There is a lot of rich development of each character and misunderstandings that are cleared up. I really enjoyed Emerson, the nephew. Darcy was able to heal the relationship with her mother. And she was able to reconnect with her childhood best friend who was hurt when she left town. This story is about healing and getting past childhood hurt. The writing was very good, and I found no errors I recommend reading this book. Thanks net galley for letting me read it.

Full of strong, heartfelt emotions, this story grabbed me from the beginning. Regret over past mistakes has caused lives to be changed for two families. I could feel the pain of decisions made long ago. I could feel the love still there among the hurt and sadness. My tissue box was close by while I read the story. A great read. I received a complimentary copy of this book. No review was required.

I had the pleasure of receiving an e-book ARC of The Road She Left Behind in exchange for my honest review. I finished the book last night and I have to say, I absolutely loved it. Christine Nolfi has written a tender and compelling family drama that easily drew me in. The story centers around Darcy, who has been estranged from her mother, nephew, and an old flame in Ohio since a tragic accident there changed the terrain of her family 8 years prior to the book's opening. In that season of estrangement, she's moved around the country working temp jobs for a year each before moving on. She doesn't form attachments in any of these cities- until she lands in Charleston, SC, and meets a young man, Sampson, who recently aged out of the foster care system and thinks of her as a big sister. When circumstances beckon her back to Ohio, she must face her past head-on, and in doing so, finds that running from her problems hasn't made anything better, and she still has personal demons to face in order to embrace the life she wants with the people she's always loved.

Darcy is a delightful protagonist. She's been beaten down,(mostly by her own sense of guilt) but possesses a resiliency that, I think, even surprises her at times. When she realizes that she's needed back in Ohio, she goes even though it's the last place she wants to be. She faces her critical mother head-on and builds a relationship with the nephew she hasn't seen since he was a baby. She opens up to her former boyfriend and discovers the power of forgiveness- from others and also from herself.

The story is very much about Darcy, but each of the characters are compelling. You'll find yourself wanting to spend more time with Latrice, Michael, Tippi, Sampson, Nella, Emerson, and, yes, even Rosalind by the time you reach the last page. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy family dramas that aren't too, too heavy, that have a touch of romance, and a whole lot of self-discovery. The book will be released on June 11, so go put it on your wish list now!