This is the second in the series -Bethany and Finn and Beth’s story.

It’s a pleasant story of two damaged and lonely people who keep the world out but learn to let each other in. Finn took forever to see the light and I was starting to get seriously pissed at him.

I’m looking forward to Indigo and Levi’s story next .

I was gifted an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't really warm up to this book. Finn and Bethany have so many unresolved issues that it just didn't seem believable. They need couples therapy before they commit to each other.

Overall, this book was an enjoyable read. I loved the setting in New Zealand! I liked watching Finn and Beth both grow through their grief and ultimately end up on a journey together. However, I didn’t feel like their story developed to full potential. It ended a bit abruptly and I was hoping to connect more to their relationship.

All Roads Lead to You by Jackie Ashenden is the second book in the Small Town Dreams Series set in New Zealand. This is Beth and Finn’s story.
 
Beth moved to New Zealand to start over and to become her best self. She is a jewelry designer and that was such a unique job and I really liked to see it. Beth is a warm and kindhearted person, and you can only like her.
 
Finn is a wilderness guide who doesn’t like to interact with people and rather stays by himself. He is very grumpy, and most people understand the message to leave him alone. Except for Beth who asks for his help once and doesn’t leave him alone afterwards. This does him good because after the death of his wife he never expected to find love again.
 
Beth and Finn are a perfect example of the grumpy sunshine trope and that in combination with the beautiful setting in New Zealand was amazing. But then something happened, and it changed their whole dynamic. Only now Finn started to care for Beth and was fussing over her. This felt ingenuine to me and I questioned it.  Was he just not doing it because he felt responsible or because he truly loved her? This resulted in me not fully believing in the romance.
 
Overall, if you like small town romances, definitely check this book out. 3 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

All Roads Lead to You is a sweet story of what starts as a one night stand between two grieving people finding their way to being able to love again. The characters are charming and relatable. There is a LOT of inner monologue - I found myself skimming through most of this to keep my interest with the storyline.

I received an ARC of, All Roads Lead to You, by Jackie Ashendan. Opposites attract in this fun novel set in New Zealand. Beth and Finn are different as night and day. This was an ok book in a great location.

As an ardent fan of this author already, grabbing this ARC offered by NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca was a complete “no-brainer” when it was available. I jumped at the chance to read the second book (in a series I had already fell in love with) set in Brightwater, NZ.
If this author (and/or series) is new to you, you are in for a treat!

Set in the wild, beautiful landscape of New Zealand, these characters are ready to give you hours of enjoyment. Without spoiling your read, I will share that these pages pulled several different emotions from me: happiness, empathy, sadness, frustration, anger, and joy – just to name a few. And this is exactly why this author is one of my favorites! She makes it so easy to connect with her characters.

While I have never been a visitor to NZ, the details of the scenery, animals and landscapes described certainly transported me there, and I felt as if I were walking next to these characters. The writing allows you to feel as if you are invited into the character, to hear and feel the inner-most workings of their hearts and minds.
Finn and Beth have really tragic histories, but it was simple to connect with their struggles, and their efforts to hold themselves together, and continue on. Beth’s strength and intent to overcome her past is admirable and handled with care by this author. Finn is everything we want him to be, given his past, and is a grumpy guy who deserves to be loved. I sincerely enjoyed revisiting the town of Brightwater, and this conclusion was exactly what I had hoped it would be - for everyone!

I strongly recommend reading this in the correct reading order in the series to have the best reading experience. If you haven’t experienced this author’s Alaska Homecoming series (beginning with Come Home to Deep River), I recommend you also read that series. While this storyline is not a direct continuance of that series, it certainly helps complete the narratives and compliments this story.

I am sad to be at the end of my time with these characters! I cannot stress strongly enough how skilled this author is, in crafting worlds and characters I wish were real. I highly recommend reading more from her catalog of entertaining, easy-to-read and easy-to-love works. I am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

This was a cute book to read if you're waiting on other more desirable books however, I would likely not pick it up again. The book felt so rushed and even though the author mentioned the traumatic events that the male and female protagonists went through a couple of times, she didn't dig deep making it hard to connect with the characters and why their past was impacting their future as a couple. I also noticed a few typos which threw me off while reading. Hope those are fixed before the published date.

I enjoyed this story so much that I got onto Edelweiss and downloaded book one in the Small Town Dreams Series. I can't wait to read Find Your Way Home.
All Roads Lead to You by Jackie Ashenden is book two and y'all it warmed my heart so much.
These can be read out of order (different characters).

The atmospheric writing had me wanting to jump on a plane to Brightwater Valley, New Zealand. No lie!
The author certainly captured me with the sweeping details and charming setting. With a great cast of characters. Bethany and Finn were irresistible. Absolutely loved them both!
This was an entertaining and relatable read with humor, a slowly developing new romance and a story that I will not forget! Once I started it I could not put it down. The story line and the characters are so well written that I could almost picture it all!
This was just a wonderful book to read and it was just easy to lose yourself in the story..
A must read story!

(I'm not sure why the description says this is the first book of the set. Unless Goodreads has it wrong)

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

Sourcebooks Casablanca,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Bethany Grant moves across the world, to Bridgewater, NZ, in order to get away from her past and make a new life for herself. While almost everyone around her is drawn in by her cheery personality, there’s one man in town who she can't seem to connect with. Finn Kelly is a brooding widower with no need for Beth's perky attitude. In spite of his best efforts to avoid her, they come to an understanding and Finn begins to see the real Beth underneath her sunshiny exterior.

All Roads Lead to You is a grumpy/sunshine romance with a great blend of sweet and spicy. This is the second book in the Small Town Dreams series set in Bridgewater, New Zealand. It can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the first book, Find Your Way Home, to better understand some of the context and characters’ histories.

This book is very fast paced. While the characters have only known each other for a short amount of time, “circumstances” throw the main characters together very early on in the plot. Although there are some small conflicts here and there, everything is smoothed over quickly. My only issue with the book is how quickly everything plays out. There are only a couple months between Beth arriving in Bridgewater to the start of this book and this book happens over the period of a few weeks. It’s not instalove but it could be considered instalust.

I read and enjoyed the first book in this series and had high hopes for this second installment. While one of the tropes used to get the MCs together is not my favorite, the author does a good job smoothing everything over. I appreciate the caring way in which the author writes about Beth’s past and how it affects the way she feels and acts throughout the book.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series. I hope Indigo and Levi’s story is next.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca!

Enemies to lovers, grumpy x sunshine, a heartwarming read

All roads lead to you is a sweet and heartwarming read. I absolutely loved the way everything was described so vividly that I could picture it. I loved the characters and their arc and the fact that we got to know a about their family background and childhood as well because it helped me understand the characters better and connect to them.

This is a small town romance which deals beautifully with grief and loss. You get engrossed with Beth and Finn’s story and want then both to be happy after everything they have been through.

It is also a Dual POV book which makes it even better because see the characters and their thinking up close and personal.

I loved the relationships between all the characters. This book is part of a series and I have not read the first one but I am definitely going to read it now and I am excited to read Izzy and Levi’s story too.

This book will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy and…hopeful, it’s like a warm hug. I definitely recommend reading it.

My rating-4/5