It’s a road trip book where those feelings and Paul and also people find out who they are. It’s touching an emotional and it’s a journey that’s a pleasure to take along with the characters.

Since I am such a big fan of Elvis Presley and Graceland, I was so excited to read this book and I can definitely say that it did not disappoint! I found the author's writing to be super easy to follow, and I loved all of the characters featured in the story. I especially liked the way the author depicted the mother and daughter relationship in the book, as it felt very authentic and relatable. The references to Elvis were one of the highlights of this book for me, and the cover of this book is so bright and eye catching. I think a lot of people will enjoy this book just as much as I did, even without knowing about Elvis or Graceland prior to reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

A lot happens in this book and at times the story felt a little chaotic. There were too many things were going on in scenes, but it all related to what was going on. But overall I did enjoy the adventures (Elvis related or not). Each stop helped Grace unlock something about herself and her life and watching that unfold was relatable.

The characters were wonderful. The relationship between Grace and her mom and the realizations Grace has about her upbringing is relatable is several ways. I enjoyed the characters Grace and her mom met along the way and each one added something special to the adventure.

Read the author's note at the end because it has information about researching the book that adds to the overall affect.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a nice mother-daughter mending fences story that takes place over the course of a road trip to Graceland, as it is the mother's lifelong dream to visit it.

From the description, I expected this to be more lighthearted, but it dealt with some pretty serious issues such as loss from cancer, ongoing terminal illness, marital and child physical and mental abuse, alcoholism, and mental health issues such as anxiety & panic attacks. So, not much fun.

Grace and her mother Loralynn work through the issues of their abusive past and we get a passenger seat (har har) to the drama from Grace's point of view. I am honestly not sure I really liked either of them, they both struck me as pretty selfish and one-dimensional, Grace with her repressing emotions due to her childhood trauma and Loralynn fixating on Elvis to avoid the pain of dealing with her circumstances. Pretty sad.

At the end of the day, they are just people who made decisions they thought were the best for them at the time, but are now dealing with the unpleasant consequences.

I tried an audiobook of this, but the narrator's accent for Loralynn was distracting and I had to stop about 1/4 through. I finally came back to this book after many months and eye-ball read it on my Kindle over 2 days, it was much better in that format. Overall, this was an entertaining read, and although it dealt with deep issues, I didn't like the characters enough to be emotionally vested in the outcome.

I enjoyed This book. It was well written. I was able to engage with characters and plot. I would Read another book by this author and I recommend This book

What a fun read!!! When the journey of the trip becomes more than the destination you know its a winner!! This book is for all the mothers and daughters, those who get along and those who don't. Funny, and laugh out loud moments tied in with some emotional themes and romance.

First thank you to forever and net galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5 stars

Synopsis: Grace controls everything in her life but suddenly she throws caution to the wind and agrees to drive her mother to graceland. This road trip provides mother and daughter plenty of time for all their needs.

What I liked: This book is a hidden gem. I expected a quick read about a road trip that would fade from memory quickly. However it was so much more. Grace is an accountant because it offers her stability after a drama filled childhood. Her mama was married to an abusive alcoholic husband who went through a lot during her life. She fell in love with Elvis and found sanctuary in his music. Her lifetime dream is to go to graceland in style. Grace normally wouldn’t drive her but when her life is turned upside down, she agrees to do it. I loved the journey grace took in this book both physically and emotionally. She avoided dealing with anything outside her comfort level for so long but the time and events made her confront things finally. I teared up several times when she described her childhood memories. Mama had my heart right away. She is a tiny woman but larger than life in her style and attitude. I loved that the author talked about how she handled being in the south as an Asian woman in military towns. She was so strong and fragile at the same time. I don’t want to spoil anything but she had me crying getting my hair done at the end for both sadness and joy. I’m still thinking about their journey.

I don’t recall seeing this book on bookstagram but really feel that it is amazing and should be featured more. I will definitely be promoting it more as a hidden backlist gem.

I will definitely be reading more from this author.

The native Tennesseean in me (who has never actually been to Graceland) thought it would be fun to travel there via fiction, and I was not wrong. I love a mother/daughter journey narrative, and Kristen Mei Chase takes us on a heartwarming (and sometimes heartbreaking) ride.

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

US pub date: 1/24/23
Genre: contemporary fiction, family drama
Quick summary: When Grace's husband leaves her, she has no excuse for skipping her Elvis-obsessed mother's 70th birthday road trip to Graceland. As they start to rebuild their relationship, will they be able to put their past behind them?

Somehow I ended up reading two road trip stories at the same time, and they reminded me how much I love this subgenre. Road trips are a perfect setting for fun, conflict, and self-discovery, and this book had all of these in spades. I loved getting to know Grace's momma Loralynn - her love for Elvis was infectious. But behind the wigs and sequins, she had a lot to work through with Grace, and I enjoyed seeing them take the time to communicate honestly. Grace also really needed the trip - and her interactions with love interest Wyatt and BFF Asha helped move her character journey along.

If you enjoy stories about family, this is a great one to pick up. Kristen Mei Chase did a great job balancing lighter and heavier material, and I also really appreciated the Asian American representation. I enjoyed both audio and text, with a slight bias towards the audio since it made me feel like I was on the road trip with them!

Thank you to Forever Publishing for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I paired this with a library audiobook.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

i'm not sure what i was expecting from this book but whatever i was, it was better than that. the story is wrought with trauma and how to unlearn it and made me emotional in the best ways. the Elvis references throughout just made for an even more fun reading experience. i loved this book, a new favorite for sure.

Big thanks to Forever and NetGalley for this ARC to read and review.

I really, really enjoyed this one. It was a bit deeper than I expected, but a beautiful story.

Grace Johnson has been coasting. She is a CPA and likes her job fine. She is married and her marriage is fine. Her mother is back in Texas and she talks to her once a month. Then everything turns sideways. She decides to join her mother, an Elvis oficianado, on a roadtrip to Graceland for her 70th birthday.

She and her mother have never been close. And through the coure of their roadtrip, we start to understand why. It is a beautiful story of growth, reflection and second chances.

Will post this review on goodreads, retail sites and my bookstagram @scottonreads

This book was alright. I didn’t find the characters overly relatable, and had a hard time getting into the storyline.

After her husband asks her for a divorce, Grace agrees to go on a roadtrip from El Paso to Graceland for her Elvis-obsessed mother’s 70th birthday.

I enjoyed this… the road trip took Grace and her mother on a physical (and an emotional) journey. It was serious in places and light in other places. I enjoyed it more than I thought it would. Also, I thought the audiobook was great.

This was a fun, whimsical novel that delved into the sometimes difficult subject of family, particularly the relationship between a daughter and her mother. I recommend it, even if you’re not an Elvis fan. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a review.

A THOUSAND MILES TO GRACELAND by Kristen Mei Chase

I LOVED this book! A THOUSAND MILES TO GRACELAND by Kristen Mei Chase is a poignant and endearing novel about the complexities of the relationships with our mothers, and about moving forward to healing never looking back - while also having a fun road-trip with the magic of Elvis and Graceland.

Grace Johnson’s marriage is falling apart, and what a great time to escape when her momma Loralynn then a fun road trip for her seventieth on a purple Cadillac. This road trip was more than the destination, but the journey along the way. With equal parts humor and emotional themes, and a sprinkle of romance, this made for a fantastic read I plan to recommend to all.

Ahhhhhhhh so so good!

A Thousand Miles to Graceland by Kristen Mei Chase. Pub Date: January 24, 2023. Rating: 4 stars. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this novel. Filled with themes of culture, family and mother/daughter estranged relationships, this story is a journey of self discovery and making up for lost time. The main character goes on a road trip with her mother after her relationship falls apart. Her mother is an Elvis super fan and wants to go to Graceland. Along the way, the mother and daughter are forced to re-connect and find common ground in the present world. I really loved the authenticity of the voices in this novel and felt a heartwarming feeling at the story building and re-connection of the mother/daughter duo. And, what a fun setting to be on a road trip to Graceland! Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley #athousandmilestograceland

Wow, this one was nothing like what I was expecting. While quite fun at times, it is a poignant story about mothers and daughters. Grace and her mother are not the closest of family, but when Loralynn tricks her daughter into driving her to Graceland from Texas, the women have a chance to get to know each other and reconnect.

The book does a great job of managing the sadness with humor and keeping the book from becoming overwhelmingly sad. We experience the gambit of emotions with Grace from guilt to grief and joy.

It's a sweet story set to remind us that family is everything in this crazy world.

The title of this book was super cute, and what attracted me to it in the first place. After getting into it, I fell in love with the characters and their relationship journey. Definitely a must read!

This was a really fun and heartwarming read, definitely a good recommendation for fans of The Golden Girls . A second or third round purchase for most libraries.