I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
A deeply emotional book so be prepared to ensure that you are in the right heads pace before reading. The writing is OK.
However, i found the story quite depressing to read and difficult to enjoy. The MC did little to draw me into the story and engage with them.
On the whole an OK book.

This took me way too long to get through. I think it was mainly because I could see where it was going and wasn't super excited. I did finish it and overall, the story is okay, a bit too perfect in that, of course, every misstep is forgiven and everyone is a little too perfect in their reactions and you can see the ending from a mile away. Some conversations between characters also felt forced, no natural flow. The book has a strong focus on forgiveness and there is a lot to forgive from multiple characters - cheating, lies. I didn't hate it but I don't think it'll be one I'll be recommending either. I do think I'd enjoy those holiday markets though!

Thank you to Beth Rinyu and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

An amazing and complicated story about loss, friendship (in the most unexpected way), forgiveness (how do you forgive someone who has died? And how do you forgive yourself?!), and love. About moving through grief (different characters, different losses, but each dealing with grief) , coming full circle, and moving forward. This amazing and beautiful story had me smiling, had me in tears, and had me smiling through my tears at the end. I loved it!

This is the beautiful and emotional story of recent widow Jillian and her experiences when she takes a long-planned trip overseas alone, that she had planned with her husband prior to his death. Still struggling with grief and guilt over things that happened between them prior to his death, Jillian hesitantly heads to the airport and immediately befriends a man named DeAndre who is heading to Munich for the same group tour that she is taking. Once there, they also meet Theo and Kate and the four quickly become fast friends. Her relationships with her three new friends continue long after their trip is over and blossom into beautiful long-lasting relationships. While still struggling with her own guilt, however, Jillian learns some enormous truths where she finds herself having to forgive others, along with herself.

What I loved about the book was how well-developed each of the characters were. They truly came to life and practically jumped off the pages. I also loved the strong theme of friendship and the relationships that were built despite Jillian and DeAndre living in New York and Theo and Kate living in England. DeAndre is a larger than life character. Theo is handsome, charming, and witty. Theo’s sister Kate is quiet, reserved, but kind. My opinion of Jillian changed off and on throughout the novel, but overall she was loving, generous, easy-going, and eventually stronger than I had imagined.

I find the blurb to be a little misleading because the “big twist” that Jillian has to deal with and decide if she can forgive or not, doesn’t come until near the end of the book, maybe at around 80-85%. Up until that point, she’s still dealing with moving on from her marriage and her husband’s death while also helping friends in need. I will say, however, that this is one book where I certainly did not see the twist coming and I was completely floored! I’m not sure if I could have done what Jillian eventually did and find that sort of forgiveness in my heart but I admired her for it.

If this review seems a bit vague, it is meant to be. So much happens in this novel from the time Jillian walks into the airport until the very end and I don’t want to spoil any of it. There is grief, loss, hope, new love, and most importantly, life-changing friendships. Jillian learns so much about herself and is faced with numerous challenges along the way. This story is at once sad and regretful while being hopeful and romantic. As Jillian grows and changes, I felt that newfound peace right along with her, as well as, the betrayal she feels when everything is revealed. If you want a novel that carries you through every emotion under the sun, then this should be your next read. Beth Rinyu is an outstanding author and one of my favorites. If you have not yet discovered her talent, I highly suggest you grab this one today!

5 beautiful stars!

*Thanks to NetGalley for providing this review copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

The People We Meet Along the Way is an interested novel by Beth Rinyu.
The book is emotional for sure, as Jillian deals with second chances and forgiveness.
Grief and guilt lead Jillian on the trip of a lifetime, and a journey of meeting some extraordinary friends. I love the instant friendship with strong ties aspect.
The author adds some twists to keep the reader on their toes.
Overall, it's an interesting take on the people we meet during our lifetime. Some are there for a brief time, some for longer.

This book pulled me in from chapter one page one. I loved the author's style of writing and I immediately felt a kinship to Jillian, the main character. The book begins with the tragic death of Jillian's husband, Evan. Unlike other books though the author doesn't paint a rosey picture of their marriage and this makes it much more believable. Jillian decides to take a trip to Europe and meets a cast of characters along the way that help to teach Jillian about her own relationship. This book was an amazing read and highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read his wonderful book.

Jillian O'Rourke 's husband passed away recently. She's sinking in grief. She misses her soulmate so much and when she notices she has to make the payment for a trip they'd planned together before the tragedy, she finds the strength to take a first step from deep inside of her.
Once at the airport she meets the first of her new adventure partners, DeAndre. Such a beautiful character!
And then the journey begins.
I liked this book very much. It's a beautiful rendition of what follows after the most brutal grief and the relevance of the choices we make along the journey. Anywhere we go and everything we do, we'll be carrying it with us. But it's the decision to forgive and be forgiven what moves the characters in this story forward to the next stage of their lives. A decision that is based mostly, in strength, a brave heart and love.
The pace of the story is good and the characters are spectacularly developed through the pages. I definitely fell in love with Kate. So beautifully written!
It's the first book I read from this author and it will not be the last.
Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

My first read by this author and certainly not my last!!
This author took me on a heart wrenching and emotional journey I was totally enthralled with.
Emotional, poignant story of second chances and forgiveness.
This is Jillian’s story and her journey as she struggles to overcome the grief and guilt from a terrible loss. When her friends encourage her to take that planned vacation to Europe she embarks on a journey that turns into more than sightseeing and shopping.
During her trip she makes some important discoveries about herself, she takes some chance learns some secrets. A few unexpected twists gave this story some umph to make it more unique.
Well worth reading!
4.5 stars!

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. When Jillian's husband dies suddenly in a car accident, she is left with alot of guilt. After years of trying to have a child and both of them turning to careers instead of each other,they end up living together as strangers and they are separated for a few months before the accident. They had a big vacation planned and she is convinced by her friends and family that she needs to have this time after losing her husband. While on the trip, she meets three people who she becomes friends with and they all become a big part of her life. It is a typical romance novel with a few little unexpected twists that I felt really added to the story.

There is a screaming baby. Evan is smiling at the baby. She and Evan planned a trip before they fell apart. There was talk of adoption. Jillian meets DeAndre before the flight. I liked reading about how Jillian and Evan meet.

Grab your Kleenex and keep it close. I'm not a crier and this beautiful angsty story had me sniffling. Lyrical and vivid. It invites you in to settle for a while and savor this amazing story. Happy reading!

The people we meet along the way - publication date 17th September 2020.

When I started to read this book, I didn’t think it was going to be my sort of read.

It took me a while to get into it, but once I did, I was hooked.

Without spoiling to much, I liked that the ‘romance’ between two of the characters wasn’t forced and developed slowly. I also felt that the more serious subject wasn’t written well and you felt that you was ‘there’ with the characters as the storyline progressed. I wasn’t expecting the twist, but felt it brought the book together beautifully. I am looking forward to reading more by Beth Rinyu.
Thank you to @netgalley @bethrinyu and xpressobooktours for my advanced reader copy
#thepeoplewemeetalongtheway #xpressobooktours #netgalley #advancedreaderscopy #bookstagram #bookcommunity #bookaddict #booksofinstagram

A nice, light story that was enjoyable enough, especially with what’s going on in the world right now. Predictable storyline but believable although I wish Jillian’s character was developed a bit more especially in the beginning. Happy endings are appreciated right now!

Pulled me right in twist I didn't see coming, forgiving others may be easier then forgiving yourself, give yourself permission to love and to be happy again.

The People We Meet Along the Way is a stand-alone, contemporary romance.
This is Jillian's story. After losing her husband Evan, she can't get over her grief. Eaten by guilt, she doesn't get better. She travels to Europe and there she meets two people who're about to change her life.
I started reading and my heart was reaching out to Jillian, Kate and Theo. But that was about to change when the real reasons for Kate and Theo's trip were revealed. I was so so disappointed of their reasons and their behavior. I will not spoiler here, only so much, there is a major twist in this story, a wrench thrown at Jillian. Idk if I could be as forgiving as she is, I don't think so. Let me just say, I strongly disagree of cheating. But the story is excellent written, I loved reading this heart-wrenching book. I recommend TPWMATW, 5 stars.

After reading this book, I definitely want to tour the Christmas markets of Germany I really enjoyed this book, although it was heart-wrenching at times . For Jillian, this tour of the Christmas markets is a means to try and move forward after the tragic death of her husband and the pain of their last time together. The people she meets on this trip will help her realize that forgiveness and love can give her a happy future.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my review and honest opinions.

The People We Meet Along the Way is the story of Jillian, a woman struggling with life. She blames herself for the death of her husband and to try and escape for awhile, she decides to travel to Europe. On her trip, she meets people who's stories and lives touch her. She discovers the beauty of travel and learns that although life is hard, it is still beautiful.
This was a beautiful story full of every emotion you could imagine. Heartbreak, anger, joy, laughter. Secrets are discovered, lies are told and journeys are taken. Life is beautiful and the people you meet along the way are really what make life the journey that it is.

At the heart of People We Meet along three Way is Jillian. After a tragedy strikes her family, Jillian goes on a tour trip to England. While on the tour, she meets DeAndre, Theo and Kate. Each of them are going thru something major in their life. But what happens is much more than I ever anticipated. This story is about healing and forgiving. But not just forgiving others - learning to forgive yourself as well. I loved all of the characters, which is not something I can often say. They each brought their own incredible dynamic to the story.

People We Meet along the Way comes out September 17 and I most definitely recommend it.

Thank you for the advanced copy. A couple of chapters in, I was unsure if this was really for me but stuck with it.

It was an easy read, well written and the places described very well. The central character grew on me. This book covers a lot of emotions, some that often you don't want opened up.

Seriously cheesy, read not my type.

Thanks to publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.. While I got the book for free,it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.