Rules of the Road is the touching story of two best friends who take a first and last road trip together and discover the true meaning of their friendship along the way.

Terry is a wife, mother and doer for everyone else.  Completely taken advantage of by her family, it's just her job.  From finding ties for her husband, to dropping everything for a daughter who just broke up with a boyfriend to planning vacations, Terry does it all. And she relishes it. Terry does not live outside her comfort zone afraid of what she may find there, or what she may fail to find there.

Iris is her best friend.  Iris has decided to go on a trip of a lifetime and never come back.  You see, Iris is single and has Multiple Sclerosis, and rather than become a burden she would rather leave this earth before her illness begins to completely consume her which it has already started to do.

When Terry finds out about Iris' plan, she drops everything to try and convince her that she has so much more to live for.  She decides to go with Iris on her journey to persuade her that her life is worth living.  This, Terry is sure will give her great distress in so many ways.  Terry must also take along her father Eugene who is in the throws of dementia. His nursing home is being exterminated and he has no one else able to take care of him.

This pilgrimage will take the three of them to places they never would have imagined seeing and put them in situations they could never dream. Their travels are often funny and poignant and filled with excitement, but always looming is the end of their journey.

During the trip, Terry begins to have revelations about her past as well as with her present situation.  She realizes she may not have ever been living her true life.  Her life so far has always been wanting and needing acceptance from others, fearing of letting them down, fear of so many situations she just decided to stop trying. Perhaps, she begins to think, SHE is the only one she has been letting down all these years.

Rules of the Road is a charming, amusing, sensitive story of learning to let go...letting go of your fears, letting go of your ideas about yourself and others, and especially letting go of loved ones.  I suppose you can have a rite of passage at any age, it's just about knowing which direction you want to go and that will decide your next path.

Thank you to #NetGalley #HarperCollins #RulesoftheRoad #CiaraGeraghty for the advanced copy.

Terry and Iris are best friends. Iris has MS and when she goes missing, Terry is understandably worried. The author sends them and Terry's father on a journey that will change things for all of them.

Six days, three people and a whirlwind adventure that is heartbreaking, challenging liberating and gripping.

What it means to be friends, have challenges and embrace what life gives you is entertwined with strong characters and emotional writing. In Rules of the Road, Ciara Geraghty has created a tearjerker of a novel that is also a measure of human strength and resilience.

I loved this novel so much and road trips are always interesting as they show us all the facets of what people really think of life. We discover a lot about the characters and their take on life.

Thanks to Ciara Geraghty and publsher for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 stars.

I wish to thank Net Galley and the Harlequin Trade Publishing Company for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is not a book that I would normally choose to read but I am so glad that I did. It is a strong book of family and family issues, friendships and the choices one makes in life. It deals with tough medical and family issues.

Terry has grown children and a distant husband with little closeness in their lives. Her best friend Iris suffers from Progressive MS and has decided she wants to go to Switzerland to end her life on her own terms. Iris asks Terry to go with her. Terry’s father has dementia and she needs to remove him from his care facility and bring him home and this story is an adventure for the three of them on a road trip that changes all of their lives. The characters are fun, complicated and endearing and the reader becomes a part of the adventure as you read the story and travel with them on this journey.

I loved it and look forward to reading more of her books. She really gets you involved in the story.

A great story that made me smile and move, poignant and heartwarming at the same time.
I rooted for the well thought characters and was hooked till the end.
it's the first book i read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This is a book about friendship and when to hold on and when to let go.

Terry is a very routine oriented person whose family and friends all have a place and fit into certain boxes. Until her friend Iris leaves her a letter about heading to Zurich to deal with her MS the way she wants to before it gets too bad. This does not fit into Terry's box. Terry ends up on and adventure with her dad and Iris across Europe as she does her best to talk Iris into turning around. Not having a planned trip ahead of her truly let's her experience some of what she's been missing by sticking to her routines.

This novel opens up with the women we know as Iris. Iris has been dealt a heavy hand with her diagnosis of MS. However, this isn't going to bring Iris down, and she's bound and determine to do what she wants, when she wants it, which includes completely disappearing. Leaving a note behind, Iris embarks on her own journey. However, her friends aren't too impressed, and her friend Terry decides to go looking for her. Her journey is shared with her father, who suffers from dementia. Together they all learn much more about themselves than they ever thought possible.

I wanted to like this book, and thought it would be a light, airy read, however, I found myself rather sad while reading it. MS is such a daunting and sad topic to read about, and to read about the struggles was more emotional than I was willing to feel during a novel. While the story is good, and the relationships between the characters are wonderful, it was just a bit too much for me.

Rate: 3/5
Fiction
Author: Ciara Geraghty

This was not an easy book to read. It was heartbreaking and touching at the same time. The writing was beautiful. It was descriptive and lyrical and drew me right in. This is a story of friendship, a friendship that only comes around once in awhile.

Terry is married to Brendan, and has two grown daughters. She is at a crossroads, no longer a stay at home mom, and feeling complacent in her relationship. Her father has dementia and is living in a home, but it is being fumigated, so she picks him up to stay for a few days. Her best friend Iris, has progressive MS and her condition is quickly deteriorating. When she tries to get ahold of Iris at her yoga retreat, she finds out she is not there and was never registered. Heading over to her cottage to check on her, she finds a note that will lead her, her father and Iris on a road trip where only two will come back.

The road trip is quite eventful. Iris, Terry and her dad get themselves into some rather humorous situations, do a lot of self-reflection and get to know each other better than they ever thought they would. This is a story of self-discover, friendship, family and acceptance. There are some tough subjects in this story, ethical suicide, dementia, new beginnings after losing your job, and more. This was a poignant story that I couldn't put down once I started. I wanted to find out what was going to happen not only to Iris, but to Terry and her family. I learned a bit about Progressive MS and some of the symptoms. I also saw a bit of the impact of dementia on family members, especially those that have taken on the role of carer. This was an emotional story with a very human side and definitely recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a human story. This is not all doom and gloom, I enjoyed the happy times they shared on this road trip and reminded me once again how important it is to look for the positives and happiness in life while you can. This is one of those stories with characters that will stay with me for awhile.

In Ciara Geragthy's novel, Rules of the Road, Terry is having a difficult day. Her father's nursing home calls her to tell her they must fumigate the home so Terry has to take her father, who has dementia, home for few days.

Terry wants to deliver a birthday cake to her best friend Iris who is at a yoga retreat. When she calls the retreat, they tell her that Iris is not there and hasn't made a reservation. Worried, Terry goes to Iris' home and discovers that Iris is getting on a ferry from Dublin to England, and she plans to go to a clinic in Switzerland where she will end her life.

Iris has MS, and although she is doing fairly well other than using crutches to get around, she fears what the future holds for her. Terry has 90 minutes to get to the ferry and find Iris, so she brings her father along.

Unable to convince Iris to come home, Terry and her father get on the ferry and go with Iris to London. Terry has to keep an eye on her father so he doesn't wander off, and make sure that Iris doesn't abandon them until she can talk her out of going to the clinic.

Terry is a caretaker. She takes care of her home, her husband, and her two grown daughters, all of whom seem to depend on Terry to keep them going. It is out of character for Terry to just up and leave like this, and her family lets her know that.

Iris figures if Terry wants to tag along, then fine. Terry conquers her fear of driving in a big city, and the three set off on an adventure. She does her best to convince Iris that life is worth living, and hopes that Iris will eventually change her mind.

I enjoyed their time in France, where Terry has to save the day when their car breaks down. They end up at a mysterious castle B&B, where they meet the owner, whom Iris takes a shine to.

This road trip allows Terry to grow as person in her own right, be seen as not just as a daughter, wife and mother. Her friendship with Iris also grows on the trip, as they come to a better understanding with each other.

One thing I found humorous was Terry's laundry observations. She knows how to get a stain out of anything. The observations about a long time married couple (Terry and her husband) were also particularly keen. Terry's tender loving care of her father is something that many people will also be able to relate too. It saddens her to watch her father fade away.

Rules of the Road is a buddy road trip story, with a dash of Jojo Moyes Me Before You. Watching Terry break out of her shell thanks to her friendship with Iris is something joyful. I enthusiastically recommend Rules of the Road.

Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on their Summer Reads Blog Tour.

This one was a little tricky for me to get through, although it did grow on me at the end. Terry is a very routine oriented, take no risks type of woman. She ends up on a roadtrip with her friend Iris, who is in advancing stages of MS and has an suicide appointment, and her father, in the advanced stages of dementia. The idea of the story was interesting, especially considering what you might do if your best friend has this plan and couldn't be talked out of it. As someone close to a person with advanced Altzheimer's, the idea of Terry having her father with her for this trip was uncomfortable. Although the experiences he went through were ok in the end, I just couldn't help feeling profoundly sorry for him. The book was a bit quirky and didn't flow very smoothly, but I did find myself wanting to get to the end and find out how everything resolved for the characters. I was also proud of Terry for overcoming the things she was so afraid of.

Rules of the Road is a book that will stick with you for a long time. Its about friendship and so much more. This book had me from the first word to the last and beyond. I loved it so much, U hated for it to end. Hurry and buy this one and treat yourself to a wonderful book. I highly recommend this story to EVERYONE! Thnks to netgalley for the complimentary arc. The opinions are my own random thoughts.

RULES OF THE ROAD is one of those books. The ones when someone says...have you read a good book lately....you recommend. The story of two friends that have known each other and shared lives for so long, they can read the other's mind and predict what each will say. One friend decides it is time to take her last road trip, an adventure filled trip that will cap off her life, leaving the ultimate story for her family and friends. So of course, her life long best friend will not let her travel alone. This is a really emotionally charged read that you'll share with your friends and family.

Wow. What a book.

There are some incredibly tough issues broached within this book, the sort of ones where you’d take a sharp intake of breath if someone tried to discuss them with you. We have relationships, secrets, friendships, disability, mental health and ethics all rolled into a book that actually, given all those topics, has quite a sunny disposition.

From the opening lines until the very end and beyond, your heart will be clasped firmly within the grip of the pages of this book.

You won’t be able to let go and, if you’re like me, you’ll probably be holding onto the emotions for a long while after you’ve processed the final word.

Rules of the Road is a very good adult contemporary book. The journey Terry and Iris take in their friendship and on the road to their final destination is very well-written. Terry and Iris could not be more different and yet, they fit together perfectly. They fill in each other's gaps.

While the synopsis doesn't exactly say where Terry, Iris, and Terry's father, Eugene, are going, I'm going to spoil it because it may be a trigger for some. Iris has MS and has decided she wants to end her life on her own terms. Apparently, this is legal in Switzerland because that's where they go. There's a clinic there that helps people die. The book doesn't go into the whole process of applying to do this, but I'm sure it's extensive.

At first, Iris is going on this journey on her own without telling anyone, but once Terry finds out about it, she immediately runs to find Iris and makes sure she is there every step of the way. Terry is convinced she can persuade Iris to change her mind. Iris is so full of life, how can she want to die?

It takes this journey together for Iris and Terry to fully understand each other and for Terry to accept Iris's choices (and now I'm crying again).

Why is Terry's dad on the journey too? Well, when Terry finds out what Iris is doing, her father happens to be with her and since his nursing home is closed for the week due to "vermin", she has to bring him with her.

What starts out as a journey to help Iris turns into some of the best days of their friendship. They have an adventure full of dancing and good food and wine and interesting people and you can feel the joy as you join them along the way.

I'm giving Rules of the Road by Ciara Geraghty 4 out of 5 stars. While normally, I would give a book that affected me this much five stars, with the subject matter and what happened after I read, I personally can't. This is a completely subjective me thing and not really about the quality of the book.

If you like emotional adult contemporary friendship -love books, you might want to give this a try.

Rules of the Road by Ciara Geraghty is out now but is also being re-released on August 4, 2020

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A story of true of friendship, love, life and death.
Iris Armstrong is Terry's very best friend.
Terry realizes that Iris is getting tired of living with MS.
Iris decides that she is going to take one final road trip alone.
No she isn't! Terry will not let that happen!
Terry decides to also embark on this trip and persuade her friend to not exit the world just yet. She will show her and hopefully make Iris know how much she is needed and loved.
The trip is quite a learning experience for both Terry and Iris and it was definitely highlighted with some crazy things happening.
Terry will learn some major life lessons as well while being on this voyage and supporting Iris.
I enjoyed this book!

This was the first book I read by Ciara Geraghty. I adore her writing style. I will definitely be reading her previous books now that I have this author!

I was drawn to read this book since I love stories with an older person as a main character.

The many relationships in this book were so honestly written. True friendship where a friend puts them self out on a limb to help a love one. The impossible task of dealing with an aging parent, but somehow it is handled with humor and grit. A mother learning that hovering over her young adult children is not helping them. Seeing a spouse and marriage in a new light from a distance.

I definitely do not want to write about the plot. I began reading this book not knowing much about it, and I think that was perfect for me. To experience the journey of this book as it unfolds was fantastic!

This book was so emotional to me. It touched me deeply and I highly recommend it!

I want to thank NetGallery and HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for giving me the wonderful gift of the advance reader copy of this book. My review is my own opinion not influenced by receiving the ARC.

This is an interesting book about confronting your fears and friendship. Terry’s father has dementia and she needs to care for him for a week because his care facility is infested with vermin. After she picks him up, Terry mistakenly finds out her friend Iris is planning a trip from Ireland to a clinic in Switzerland to end her life. She has progressive MS, and does not want to live through the increasing debilitation she is facing, Terry finds Iris before she gets on the ferry. She agrees not to try to talk Iris out of the suicide, so Iris consents to let Terry and her father accompany her to Switzerland. This tale of friendship has many lighthearted moments, as well as lots of serious times. I nearly quit reading this book close to the beginning because of the heavy subject matter. I’m glad I continued to read the book, despite many of what I thought were unrealistic things happening. Who lets a person in the throes of Alzheimer’s drive their car? I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Publishing. All opinions expressed are my own.

Tuesday morning starts like any other—until Terry discovers her best friend, Iris, has gone missing. Finding her takes Terry, Iris and Terry’s confused father, Eugene, on an extraordinary journey, one that will change all of their lives. And along the way, what should be the worst six days of Terry’s life turn into the best.
Because friendship teaches us all to be brave—and that sometimes the rules are made to be broken.

Just a nice read. Everyone had their own disabilities but in the end, it was what a fun six days.

I liked that one of the main characters suffered from MS (multiple sclerosis), as I don't see characters with chronic illness or disabilities in a lot of novels. It was easy to connect with both Iris and Terry as they embarked on their six-day adventure.

Lots to think about with this one, and I looked forward to returning to the story. Well-developed characters and a well-paced plot made this an enjoyable read.

Rules of the Road is the kind of book I am constantly searching for. The characters are so real that I feel like I could pick up the phone and call them. There is a lot of emotional parts in this book, especially surrounding dementia (it may be hard to read if you are dealing with this personally with a family member). However, it also gives you reasons to smile and laugh.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for giving me the chance to preview this title before it’s available to the general public.

Terry, a housewife and empty nester, takes a birthday cake to her best friend’s, Iris, house only to discover Iris has left on a journey that ends with an appointment for assisted suicide. Iris suffers from multiple sclerosis (MS) and doesn’t want to endure what the disease has in store for her. But Terry can’t let Iris go through with her plan. Terry goes to the nursing home where her dad who has dementia lives to find out why they need to see her. Turns out it has vermin and needs to close for extermination. So, she grabs her dad and chases down Iris and the three of them go on a madcap adventure lasting six days.

What a thought-provoking plot that made me cheer on Terry and everything she did. Although not a thriller, I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. The three main characters were very dynamic and three-dimensional. The plot moves quickly and you get some snap shots of quirky characters in other countries.

I highly recommend this book to everyone. It’s not depressing in the least. I would love to read another book from this author.