I really enjoyed Lonsdale’s “Everything” series a few years back so I jumped at the chance to read her new book. Unfortunately, this one fell flat for me. I wish it had more depth. I guess I feel like she played it safe with a beautiful story idea. I loved Dylan and Joy and would have loved to delve deeper into their character and emotions; I feel like we only scratched the surface with these two. But it was the ending that spoiled the whole book for me! I cannot believe that’s how it ended. I’m so disappointed.

What if I hadn't received a review copy of this book? Well then I wouldn't have gotten to read about Joy and Dylan's story before the publishing date of July 7th, and I wouldn't have read way past midnight to finish this wonderful, unique love story, and I wouldn't have ended up with a book hangover! Yes, I lost sleep reading this book but I'll tell you, it was so worth it. The story of Joy Evans and musician Dylan Westfield who meet at an Arizona diner on Route 66. Joy's on this Route 66 journey with her deceased sister's bucket list intending to check off everything on that list for her sister on her way to a new life in New York City. Dylan is on his own journey on this same route also on his way New York City with scheduled gigs along the way. His car breaks down outside the diner where they meet and Joy reluctantly agrees to let him drive with her to New York City, where she'll drop him off at JFK Airport. A few deals and rules are made and then this amazing journey begins with a few side trips along the way.

I loved the way it was told in before and after point of views of both Joy and Dylan. The reader really gets to know both characters and why they were on their respective journeys. Kerry Lonsdale never ceases to amaze me with her writing and storytelling. I was drawn into this story immediately and wanted to get to the end and at the same time didn't want it to end because I just fell in love with these characters. It is a beautiful and emotional story about love, guilt, forgiveness and a lot of "what ifs" that gets you to wonder about some "what ifs" in your own life. And the twist at the end really makes you think about just that.....what if?

This is another Kerry Lonsdale book that's going on my Favorites list. I absolutely, one hundred percent recommend Side Trip.

Thank you to Kerry Lonsdale, the publisher and NetGalley for the paperback and digital review copies. All opinions are my own.

Wow! What a beautiful love story! I'm not usually a romance fan but Side Trip...just wow! I loved the story of Joy and Dylan. I was up late reading and now have a book hangover! I'm not saying much because I don't want to give anything away but READ this book!

Side Trip is an emotional story about recovering from loss, embracing life and living it to the fullest and finding love in unexpected places.

Joy Evers is trying to move forward after the death of her sister. As a means of finding healing, she decides to fulfill her sister’s bucket list of items she intended to do in her life before it was cut short. In order to fulfill these dreams Joy embarks on a cross country journey beginning on the west coast and concluding on the East where she plans to meet her fiancé.

Along the way she meets Dylan Westerfield, a song-writer who is her complete opposite in every way. As they journey together, an unforeseen love develops between the two, but it’s ultimately unattainable and wrapped up in what ifs.

The story, while emotional and sweet, was also a bit melancholy. I’m not a huge fan of pondering about what could have been and living with regret. I also thought it was endearing that Joy wanted to do all the things that her sister never would be able to do, but also felt like she was denying herself some immensely important choices of her own.

All-in-all it was an engaging and moving story and one that many will enjoy.

This is a perfect summer read. It has likeable characters that I I found myself rooting for. It is filled with heart as it explores they way that the choices that we make can haunt us much later in life.

Side Trip tells the story of Joy, who is embarking on a road trip. She meets Dylan whilst on the road after his car breaks down. Their personalities are completely opposites and they don't necessarily like each other at first but they somehow end up striking a deal to drive together to New York.

I'll go ahead and admit that anything to do with Route 66 has my interest, and if you add a love story between two opposite characters I will give you my full attention. This was a superb love story and I enjoyed every bit of it, even the very unexpected ending!

A wonderful novel that I can see being made into a movie or even a series (crossing my fingers the right person finds this book). This story will stay with you for a while after you finish it.

Disclosure: I would like to thank the publisher for my advanced reader copy of the book. This is my honest review.

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Refreshing Departure. This book evokes both Laurie Breton's Coming Home and Emily Bleeker's Wreckage, and at least to this reviewer those are high compliments indeed - those two books easily rank among the best I've ever read. Here, Lonsdale breaks quite a bit from the mold she's created for herself over the last few years and indeed the one primary commonality across her last four books is not present here at all. Yet she shows her true abilities as a storyteller in still telling a phenomenal story even without that particular device, and truly masters the road trip style tale in the process.

The *one* criticism I have here is that to me, the book could have done without the final chapter and epilogue. To me, the book ends *perfectly* right before that point - but your mileage may vary in this regard, and indeed with the last chapter in particular, Lonsdale does something that would be a spoiler to reveal, but which adds extra depth to the book.

Still, truly a phenomenal work, a very refreshing new style from this author, and very much recommended.

Joy is checking off her sisters bucket list down Route 66 while traveling towards her fiancee who she is moving to NYC with. While at a dinner, she meets Dylan. His car is broken down but they are traveling the same direction, so it just makes sense to go together right? The only rules are no last names exchanged, what happens on the road stays on the road, and if one of them wants to take a side trip, they both have to agree on it. Will Dylan turn out to be more than the moody singer Joy sees him as?

Ok so I have to start by saying what drove me nuts in this book (though I think it is supposed to, so Kerry did a great job.) Joy was living her life for Judy. Yes, it is heartbreaking that she lost her sister and the way she lost her. But would Judy honestly want to look down and see Joy miserable in her life because she is following Judy’s dreams? I wanted to shake her so hard at times and also wanted to walk her straight into a therapists office!! Overall though, I loved the banter between Joy and Dylan, and this book was really fun. It definitely hit all the great aspects of a long road trip! I’ll keep the rest to myself because I don’t want to drop any spoilers, but I loved this book!

Genre: New Adult / Women’s Fiction
Steamy?: Mild
Cliffhanger?: No
Can be read as Standalone?: Yes
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

***THANK YOU TO Kerry Lonsdale FOR MY ADVANCED REVIEW COPY. ALL OPINIONS AND THOUGHTS ARE MY OWN***

Don’t let the 3-star rating fool you – this was a well written book. It had a natural flow, likeable characters and some intense emotional moments. But it just wasn’t <b><u>IT</b></u> for me. Some of Kerry’s other works I felt were much stronger and THAT’S OKAY! Not everything is for everyone. I’m not a big fan of road trip stories in general so honestly, that could’ve contributed to my feelings on this book. But I don’t think anyone would be disappointed in this if they choose to read it. I still look forward to the next work by Kerry.

Another great read from this author! Complex characters, great character development, ALL the emotions. Beautifully written, it will break your heart and then put it back together.

Guilt drives Joy to live her sister’s best life instead of her own. All of her choices in life hinge on this question: “What would Judy do, say or wear”. That is how she finds herself on a road trip, marking off the Route 66 Bucket List her dead sister created several years ago.

What Joy or Judy didn’t plan on is a stranger accompanying her on the trip. Against her better judgement, Joy picks up a man in Ludlow, California. Dylan is a musician, desperate for a ride after his car breaks down at a tiny roadside diner. Joy feels sorry for him and agrees to take him to his next stop. Their mutual love of music allows Joy to lower her defenses and agree to take Dylan to the rest of his gigs on Route 66 and drop him off at the airport before meeting her fiancé in New York. The only caveat is he has to accompany her on the side trips along the way that will allow Joy to complete the Bucket List. He agrees and so begins an adventure like no other for both of them.

Both Dylan and Joy have secrets and baggage. They have lives outside of the VW Bug that transports them through the heartland of the United States. As the miles roll by, they become closer. If only Dylan didn’t live his life in California and Joy didn’t have a fiancé, they might act upon their growing attraction. Road trips cannot last forever. Theirs is quickly coming to an end.

Ms. Lonsdale takes the reader along for the ride with her characters. We hear the music in the Bug as well as in the seedy bars Dylan sings in at night. She makes us long for the warm rains that are made for dancing with abandon that the travelers encounter one afternoon.

The strong characters are engaging, interesting and could be someone you know. The road trip itself is much more than a setting, coming alive on the pages as we travel along on Route 66. The plot has some twists and turns I did not expect, but absolutely loved.

This is the second book I have read by Kerry Lonsdale, and so far, my favorite. I really enjoyed her previous book, Last Summer, but I could not put Side Trip down, I loved the entire ride of reading this book; the characters, setting and plot. It has a hint of romance, a bit of mystery and ticks all the boxes for woman’s fiction and it is the perfect summer read. I highly recommend Side Trip; you won’t want to miss it. If you are a fan of Jodi Picoult, you will love Kerry Lonsdale’s books.

In addition to Side Trip, Ms. Lonsdale is an Amazon, Wallstreet Journal, and Washington Post bestselling author of the Everything series (Everything We Keep, Everything We left Behind and Everything We Give) as well as her standalone novels Last Summer and All the Breaking Waves.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Copyright © 2020 Laura Hartman

I thought this was a cute pool-side read that made me smile, laugh, tear up - and I enjoyed the ride. Although I didn't love this as much as Everything We Keep (my favorite of Lonsdale), I did enjoy it and would recommend it to those who like women's fiction.

SIDE TRIP is a gorgeous love story, filled with regrets, what ifs and maybes, all culminating in an ending I didn't see coming. Kerry Lonsdale's writing is exquisite, and for the entire book I felt as if I was right there on Route 66 with Joy and Dylan, rooting for them & silently pleading with them to Make. Things. Work. I'd take a side trip with these two any time. Loved it!

This one was a light, romance read. Joy is driving across the country from Cali to NY to meet up with her fiance . She has her deceased sister's Route 66 bucket list in hand and she plans to check off things along the way. She crosses paths with Dylan, a singer-songwriter, his car has broken down and he also is headed to NY. They make a deal, she will drive him to NY but They won't tell each other their last names, and whatever happens on the road, stays on the road! Even though Joy is engaged, she and Dylan fall for each other.

This is love story spanning a decade and is told in 3rd person POV.

I never really felt connected to the characters. It is a fun, summer romance. There are a few twists toward the end that I appreciated.

I have loved all of Kerry Lonsdale books, but this one takes the prize. It's goes back and forth from when the "side trip" happens and the present but Kerry does it so well you will never feel lost, it just flows so well. It will make you sad, it will make you smile and go awwwww, it will make you cry, you will feel every emotion there is to feel when you read this book, you will also the love that you will feel in this book. I don't reread many books these days because there are so many good ones to read, but this one deserves to be read again and again! I could have read this book in one setting but sadly I was not prepared and did not have my kindle with a full charge. Thank you for the Side Trip Kerry they are always the best part of any trips you take!

I'll read everything Kerry Lonsdale writes. Side Trip is another great addition to her collection. Joy and Dylan are the definition of opposites, and they put into action the definition of opposites attracting. What starts as a road trip ends up being a relationship that spans a decade. This is a story about love and about recovering from grief and how the unexpected people can come to matter the most.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Why did I wait so long to read this book by Kerry Lonsdale? I loved every part of it. Reminds me of the song by Toby Keith “What happens in Mexico, stays in Mexico”. But this story happens on Route 66, with lots of side trips, love and heartbreak. This is a must read for your beach bag. Thank you Kerry and Netgalley for the early read.

I so enjoyed this story! I LOVED the characters and how their story evolved. Their adventures together felt so real and there was so much emotion poured into them. Kerry has such a gift that just draws you into each story and leaves you wanting more. I can never predict how the end will go!! I am so thankful for the opportunity to read this early! Thank you!

Kerry has completely outdone herself with Side Trip!!! I was fortunate enough to get an ARC of this book and read it right away! It's been about 3 months since I read it and I still can't stop thinking about it or talking about it! This book played with every emotion I have! Kerry has such a way with twists and turns that they keep you on the edge of your seat! This book made me cry, laugh, hurt, get angry, and then turn completely ecstatic, all at the same time!!

Joy and Dylan have quickly become some of my favorite book characters. If you love a good romance read with adventure and suspense, Side Trip is a MUST read!!!

Side Trip was a special book for me to read because traveling Route 66 has always been a bucket list of mine and I felt I was able to catch a glimpse of it through Kerry's brilliant mind!!

This book blew me away! What an emotional ride and an ending I totally did not see coming. Wow—mind-blown!

Joy sets out on a trip to honor her sister. Little did she know how much her life would change on this trip. She and Dylan, two strangers, agree to share a ride to New York after his car breaks down. But they lay down some rules before they start their trip.

Side Trip is an emotional, gut-wrenching, beautiful story that will make you feel all the feels and break your heart. It brought me to tears, that's how close I came to the characters and the emotions they were going through. I can't recommend this book enough. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I definitely would.

You really need to get your hands on a copy of Side Trip and take a trip thorough this story this summer. It will be a journey you won't soon forget, I promise!