All Roads Lead to You by Jackie Ashenden was tough reading with contradictory elements and too prickly characters. The idea of a 'new start' for Beth and Finn's characters was an appealing aspect in the story, however, just did not translate authentically in the narrative.
Review copy received from SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca via Netgalley

This was such a cute story. Though also kind of crazy. Who gives up everything and moves across the world? I loved the characters.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Ahhh! I’m so excited to review this book because I feel like so many of you will love this book as much as I have 🥰😍 As a lot of you know one of my favourite book series ever is the ‘Simple Wild’ series by K.A Tucker, and I have been searching for a book with similarities since. 😌

‘All Roads Lead to You‘ by Jackie Ashenden caught my eye as I was scrolling on NetGalley which I don’t really use much as I don’t have a kindle or iPad etc. so it’s not the greatest to read ebooks on my small phone screen but this synopsis caught my eye! ☺️
I feel like it’s the Australian/New Zealand version of ‘The Simple Wild’ series in a way as it’s set in New Zealand and shares a lot of our cultural sayings and norms. I loved how the ‘grumpy vs sunshine’ trope played out in this story and it was such a fun slow burn romance! There was just so much to love in this story - the slow burn romance like I’ve mentioned, spice 🔥😉, the scenery, the cultural similarities, and the many other characters with complex personalities that I grew to love. 🤍
I also loved how this story dove into the main character Beth and Finn’s lives so much, I’m so sad that I’ll have to wait for the next book to see what happens next in their lives 😅
‘All Roads Lead to You’ is released on the 29th of November, I can’t wait to see what you all think of this one 😁
Thank you to NetGalley for my eBook in exchange for a review.

This is a very sweet, heartwarming read.
The characters and the setting are the stars here. I would certainly love to get lost in Brightwater Valley! The small New Zealand town charmed me. The characters here are lovely. I particularly loved Beth. I found her strength and outlook on life to be very inspiring. Finn was the perfect grumpy hero. He wanted to be left alone in the wilderness but Beth was not letting that happen (not when fate seemed to have other plans having them keep bumping into each other!). It was awesome watching Beth tear down his walls. I loved how protective man bear he becomes too.
This book charmed me and I will definitely be looking forward to Ashenden's next book!

Perfect cuddle up in a cold day and get lost in a book read. I enjoyed it from start to finish. A great pallet cleaner when you just need something light and romantic.

This is a romance set in New Zealand. The story deals with grief and second chances at romance. I liked the story and look forward to the next book in the series. This book is part of a series but could easily be read as a stand alone. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I wanted to love this book so much because I really enjoyed the first book in this series. But unfortunately, I chose to DNF this one at 25%. The writing, unlike the first book, just felt so forced & stilted & awkward.

All Roads Lead To You was a wonderful read. It was sweet and sexy. It also dealt with grief and loss and finding the courage to love again. I enjoyed it. I loved Beth and Finn’s journey and I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series as well as the previous one. I definitely recommend it.

A sweet, romance that held my attention! I absolutely enjoyed the story and loved the characters! A feel-good book for sure!

I really liked this book and I am planning on checking out more from this author in the future. The second book in the series, it had all the things you want: grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, vacation, unlikely love, etc. The writing was great, the characters were well developed and had top tier chemistry and the plot itself was engaging and intriguing, making it a book I just couldn't put down.

Overall, this was a great read and worth checking out! Thank you to the publisher for kindly providing me with an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Bethany Grant moved from her hometown of Deep River, Alaska to Brightwater Valley in New Zealand South Island six weeks ago along with her friends Izzy Montgomery and Indigo Jameson.

She’s here to find new markets for her jewelry design and to reconnect with herself. Also, Bethany alongside Indigo and Izzy is about to open Brightwater Dreams, an art gallery.

Bethany has managed to make friends with just about everyone except a guy named Finn Kelly. He always seems distant and acts cold towards Bethany. But that doesn’t deter her.

Finn Kelly enjoys guiding wilderness hikes, except for the part where he has to interact with people every day. But outgoing Bethany is hoping to fix him and proceeds to involve herself in every aspect of his life. Will Finn give Bethany a chance?

A cozy romance in a beautiful rugged setting. The characters are likable and relatable and the story moved along well. Would recommend.

Thank you to Jackie Ashenden, NetGalley, and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the arc of this book.

This is the second book in the series. Bethany moves to Brightwater Valley with two friends, Izzy and Indigo. She is attracted to Finn Kelly, who lost his wife to cancer 5 years ago. They have a one night stand and Beth ends up pregnant. Finn feels he cannot love anyone since he lost his beloved wife. Finn needs to figure out what place Beth and the baby will hold in his life.

This was the first book I’ve read by Ashenden and I liked it. I didn’t realize it was the second in the series but it was OK to read as a standalone. I did check out the first book and I’m looking forward to the third. The writing was very good, the characters were well developed and I found myself invested in their stories. I felt there was a nice balance of emotional depth and lighthearted humor. The ending seemed a little bit rushed but overall an enjoyable read. Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC.

All Roads Lead to You by Jackie Ashenden.

I had never heard of Jackie Ashenden until I stumbled upon this ARC on NetGalley. I was inspired to give her book a go based on the fact it was set in New Zealand, a location I have been to many times.

This is book two in the series, although I didn’t think I missed anything by not having read the first one.

This is a classic opposites attract trope, and while I did finish it, I wouldn’t pick it up again. In some parts, the book felt very rushed, and despite a very brief mention of the traumatic events that the main characters experienced, it wasn’t delved into, leaving the characters lacking dimension which meant that I found it hard to connect or engage with them. The pacing was a lot slower than I was used to in a romance novel, and there were some typos, but all books have those, even ones professionally published.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was kindly sent this ARC to review from SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca through NetGalley. I will be honest and admit that I haven’t read the first book in this series but it is absolutely on my TBR now! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A grumpy wilderness guide who just wants to be left aloneA cheerful jewelry designer determined to get him to open up a breathtaking New Zealand town that inspires second chances an unlikely love that won't be denied Brightwater Valley, New Zealand is beautiful, rugged, and home to those who seek adventure. Finn Kelly loves everything about guiding wilderness hikes, except the part where he has to interact with people every day. But when sunny jewelry designer Bethany Grant moves into town and involves herself in every aspect of his life, he wonders what it might be like if he let in some of her light...

I love that the author chose to set this story in New Zealand. It’s a refreshing change from the popular city settings. I love how close knit this small community is. This is an opposites attract romance. This story has a trigger of grief so watch out for that if you pick up this book. Although it is one of my favorite parts of this book because I feel heavier topics like this should be discussed more openly to end the stigma behind them. I feel that everyone should have a person in their life that is straight forward and honest with them and tells them the thing they don’t want to hear but need to hear. I normally prefer a good slow burn because it keeps me interested through to the end and keeps me picking the book up more often but the chemistry alone between these two characters was plenty enough. I can’t wait to dive in to the first book of this series to see where this whole Journey began and fingers crossed that this isn’t the end of this adorable series!

4/5 This is my first Jackie Ashenden and it was an easy step into her world. The characters are flawed but still enjoyable, and considering the reaction some friends have had to miscarriage, I believed the main character’s journey. I look forward to trying more books by this author for light enjoyable reads.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another story in the engaging “Small Town Dreams” series, “All Roads Lead to You”, by Jackie Ashenden (Sourcebooks Casablanca), features characters going from apparent animosity to attraction, and a fascinating grumpy hero with a very intense inner life.
As usual with Jackie Ashenden you are fully invested in the characters, their relations and interactions, and in the beautiful, unique setting of the very small town of Brightwater Valley (New Zeland).
A brooding hero still dealing with deep grief over the loss of his wife, Finn is as handsome and sexy as grumpy. I liked how the author portrayed his still aching soul and the fracture between past and present.
I also loved the intensity and generosity, the depiction of desire and intimacy, the chemistry (“that raw, crackling electricity” between Finn and Beth, and the blending of all this with humor.
I felt enigmatic, isolated Finn was more interesting than open Finn and the obsession with Sheri was a bit exaggerated for my taste (and lasting until the end).
Of course any reserves about his character are mitigated with the hero’s sense of honor, fierce protectiveness and honesty.
Ashenden excels in portraying the impenetrable, wounded hero who so very slowly opens to the healing that comes with love.
I also liked to watch the process through which grumpiness is replaced with sweetness and gentleness and devastation with happiness. The fact the alpha, dark hero is so capable of affection is heartwarming.
Beth is also dealing with her kind of loss, but seems more adapted to it than Finn.
I liked meeting again other characters from the series and watching the interaction between Chase and Finn. The side characters, the sense of community, the animals all make for an enjoyable read. I’m eager to read the next installment and curious to watch how this series will turn.

This was an overall good read. The second book in the series, it had all the things that made "Find Your Way Home" so special. The writing was great, the characters well developed and overall the premise itself was very engaging.

Thank you to the publisher for kindly providing me with an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

We are all products of our past. Things that happened, events that had the power to move the trajectory of our lives. Some distinct and clearly remembered. Others hidden in the recesses of our mind. Problem is that memories have a strange habit of popping up at some inopportune times.
Beth is rediscovering and re-inventing herself. Finding her new normal so to speak. She is a ray of sunshine albeit even when her bright smile is truly forced. Most people don’t notice that and that was fine with Beth. But she was not prepared to meet Finn Kelly when she relocated to Brightwater Valley with her two friends Indigo and Izzy. Naturally their immediate reaction to each other wasn’t the stuff romances are written about. But time was wearing Finn down. He found his life better with the random ray of sunshine called Beth. Intuitively, Finn recognized that very often that smile was not real.
Now as their loosely termed relationship grew to a point where they were able to spend time with each other without Finn’s ever-present scowl, things were going to get very interesting.
Big issues were how to label the deal between Finn and Beth. They weren’t strangers anymore. Certainly not lovers. Couldn’t even say they were friends. It was this gray area that had them both on edge. For Beth who had huge trust issues this was going to be a jolt to all the hard work getting to the point where she was finally feeling strong and confident.
What people thought of her was immensely important. Big question just what would become of Beth in her new hometown once Finn walks away, which in Beth’s mind was practically a foregone conclusion. There was no good way for this Beth – Finn thing to end.
Finn on the other hand was stubbornly determined to arrange this relationship with Beth to meet his need to protect her. There are times it is hard to determine which of these two folks can claim to be the most damaged good. Both have a past, but Finn’s is preventing him from moving forward. Everyone sees this, except for Finn. There’s an expression – there’s no way but up to go. Hopefully Finn realizes that before this odd relationship with Beth ends in heartbreak for at least one of them.
Jackie Ashenden takes us on a journey of sorts in ALL ROADS LEAD TO YOU. There is a realism that touches your very soul and Jackie Ashenden masterfully crafted these characters is a point where they matter. Her characters bare their very souls through the dialog. The sense that these folk are genuine good, caring people jumps off each page. So in the end – the ending of ALL ROADS LEAD TO YOU – matter. And I guess that was Jackie Ashenden’s goal and she did it with aplomb.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Bethany decided to movecto New Zealand to have a fresh start and forget about the past couple years. She meets Finn who wants to be left alone. The more time she spends with him, the more she likes him. This book was a quick read.