Thank you to Morgan James Fiction and to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I really wanted to like this one. The premise sounded really good. I really was disappointed in this book. Most of the characters were cliché. I could see what the author was trying for , but it didn't work for me. I couldn't finish this one.

This book sounded like it would be a journey of self discovery. I think that was what the author set out to accomplish. However, I found it to be forced and trite. The author brought in these people every day that sat next to Judith on her ride across country with their doleful stories. All I could think of was that Judith and the reader was supposed to think was "thank goodness, I'm not that person". The songs added nothing to the story. It just never quite achieved the goal that it set.

I feel a little conflicted about this book. There were some parts of it that were brilliant, and other parts that took me too far out of the story itself. The overall message is an enduring one that makes the book worth the time it takes to read (I prefer audio books but none was available when I read "Finding Grace").

In many ways, it's the kind of book that makes you take a step back and examine your own life and relationships. It's clear from the dedication that the author was using the book to pay tribute to his wife and share lessons they learned on her journey with a(n apparently terminal) illness.

SPOILER BELOW

In my opinion, there are too many details that could come across as "teaching moments" but instead stretch into lengthy lectures. Case in point: there's no need to include that much detail about EXACTLY how blood infusions work or the history of St. Jude Hospital. Those details may prove difficult to read for some and just plain distracting for others. I mean... it's clear the author wants to teach the reader about leukemia and to encourage the reader to support St. Jude, but at the same time, this is a novel... the mention could have been made in passing instead of in such minute detail.

That said, the book was a good one and I would recommend it to others who believe that "the unexamined life is not worth living." (Plato?)

DNF Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for my honest opinion. I liked the premise of this story in that this woman would meet people while riding on a bus and visit different places as she traveled to be with her dying grandmother. However, I could not finish this book. The characters were too cliche and the dialogue was just too cheesy. I tried to make myself keep reading hoping that the next character would have more substance, but I was disappointed. Each character’s song was another sappy part that just made me want to put the book down and be done.

Finding Grace by Gary Lee Miller is a story about finding one's self in the midst of a busy and bustling world. Judith Lee was raised by her grandparents after her parents died by overdose. They didn't have much money, but she always felt loved. Grown now, and with her own business in California, Judith is upset to learn that her beloved grandmother Grace has leukemia and the prognosis isn't good. She makes plans to head to Nashville to be with her, but her grandma asks her to bring the bus cross country rather than fly. She wants her to tell her all about what she sees and who she meets. With many reservations about the entire idea, Judith does as she is asked. What she discovers along the way, though, is a group of people who will mold her future. There is the young lady running from an abusive relationship, the old man who is spreading his wife's ashes, the young girl with cancer, and the man who lost his hand and can't play his guitar anymore. What she finds is that life is not so much about the destination, but more about the journey. Full of sweet moments, I really enjoyed this book. I lost my daddy to cancer and so it was an emotional read for me, but well worth the reminders that it held.
Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.
All opinions are my own.

Finding Grace follows a young woman, Judith Lee, who grew up with her very poor grandmother, Grace, and grandfather, Virgil, in Nashville. As a child, she was bullied and mocked in school. After attending Vanderbilt University on full scholarship, Judith moves to California, where she starts her own tech company and becomes extraordinarily successful and wealthy.
Grace calls Judith with a dying wish…for Judith to travel from Los Angeles to Nashville to come to visit her. But, there’s a catch, Judith must make the journey by bus.
Each day of Judith’s bus journey becomes a story, as the people she encounters and places she visits along the way challenge her to rethink life. Finding Grace is about Judith’s transformation back into the real world during this journey as a result of the people she meets on the bus, how she deals with the imminent passing of her grandmother, and how all this changes her future life plans. There are tears and laughter throughout, with interesting, well-developed characters whom readers would recognize from their own lives. Today, more people are reflecting on what is and is not important. Finding Grace provides food for thought on many levels, and inspiration, recognizing each of us is on our own journey in hope of finding grace.

I read this for a review for Net Galley.

In this story we follow a woman named Judith who travels on a bus to Nashville to visit her grandmother. Judith lost her parents at a very young age. Her grandmother Mimi raised her. When Mimi found out that she was diagnosed with Leukemia she requested that Judith ride by bus to come visit her.

We watch as Judith meets a new individual daily and reports it to her grandmother at the end of the day. She even stays at cheap hotels as that is what her grandmother would have done if they were on a road trip together. A heads up before she meets a new person the author does a descriptive story about the person. It confused me at first until I realized it was giving you an idea of whom Judith was going to meet and why she was going to meet them.

This was a very cute short story. I rated it a 4 because even though it was cute it didn't get me sucked in like other books. There were a few things in there I felt could be left out that didn't really go with the story. I understand why they were in there but I ended up skipping over. Overall I highly recommend if you are looking for something cute, light and fluffy to read.