I always wanted to take a road trip in a big bus or RV so when Luella convinces her daughters to go on a road trip with her, I was down for it. The dynamics in this family are crazy but I'm sure some of that comes with fame and the unique pressures that brings. The three sisters, mom, and even their bus driver all have secrets they're keeping.

Even though their situations are very different, I found all the main characters to be relatable. They felt real with real problems. I enjoyed watching them take steps to real healing. There were a few mysteries to be solved, a lot of secrets to be revealed, and a few big twists. It was written well and I'd highly recommend it.

Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

“I’m so thankful the answer was you.”

Y’all. I was so proud of myself for not bawling all the way through The Roads We Follow like I did through The Words We Lost. In fact, while I was just as profoundly moved by this story as I was by its predecessor, I thought I was actually going to make it to the end without crying this time. And then… those seven words had all the tears I’d apparently been storing up since page one spilling down my face. The scene it’s part of, the journey these characters have been on, the masterful plot layers culminating in that moment… all of it just touched my heart so deeply. Because just like The Words We Lost (and maybe even more so), Deese’s new Fog Harbor Romance – The Roads We Follow – exquisitely captures the intersection between complicated human relationships and the complete healing that can only be found in Jesus.

Each of the main characters in The Roads We Follow has pain they’re trying to handle on their own, pain that spans the gamut from broken relationships to life-changing secrets and other high-pressure struggles that come with being part of a famous family. And while the ‘forced proximity’ trope works so deliciously in romance because the constantly-shared space makes it nearly impossible to continue suppressing passionate feelings, it also quite nicely does the same thing with family drama. In this book, that comes in the form of an impromptu road trip across the USA that country music legend Luella Farrow springs on her three daughters (including the story’s heroine Raegan) and includes an impromptu bus driver (whose mother helped launch Luella’s career) on a quest of his own. I felt the palpable tension as the Farrow women’s avoided conversations pile up along with the miles, and I loved the character development that Deese weaves throughout this story. Nobody is the same after this road trip, including the reader.

I also loved the relationship that blooms between Micah and Raegan – not only because the chemistry they share is positively swoony but also because of the sweet way they affirm each other. Micah is truly a good sport whose personality I fell in love with immediately – he’s an absolute gentleman in the way he treats Raegan, yes, but also in the way he treats her mother and sisters … and even in the way he honors the memory of his own mother. And let me tell you, I was completely engrossed in her journals that he and Raegan get to read during the trip, journals that tell a beautiful and at times heartbreaking story of a different kind of sisterhood. I thought this was a brilliant plot device on the author’s part because it served as a poignant parallel to the dichotomy between closeness and distance in the current sisterhood and because it also made Micah’s mom an important supporting character, even in her physical absence.

Bottom Line: The Roads We Follow by Nicole Deese takes readers on a gorgeously-rendered journey through a heap of complex family dynamics to grace-propelled authenticity and healing. At the same time, it also treats us to a sweet-and-swoony romance between two dynamic characters with lots to lose but even more to gain. The characters sent me into a range of emotional reactions – laughter, tears, grins, frustration, contemplation, fanning – and Deese once again proves how talented she is at crafting such vivid characters with such layered stories. And only she could take country music, a road trip, a stack of journals, a tell-all manuscript, yurts, Goo-Goo cluster pjs, and The Wizard of Oz … and turn them into an unputdownable and beautiful reflection of Jesus. Move this one to the top of your TBR list right now – it can be read just fine as a standalone so there’s no reason to delay!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

I am in awe—simply in awe of Nicole Deese and the depth of which she writes her characters. Characters who grab a hold of your heart from the very beginning and remain with you long after the last page. And in this story, characters whose memories, quests for truth, hope for reconciliation, and tears all feel as if they are your own. Characters who not only speak words of grace and wisdom to each other, but to your own heart as well.

The Roads We Follow is not only a beautifully woven story of faith, fame, family, and friendship, but a story that unveils the intricate layers of loving others while healing and seeking restoration. It is a story that whispers sweet reminders of God’s steadfast love and the peace we receive when we surrender our hearts to Jesus.

It is a story that I loved, that made me laugh and cry, and one that I hope you will read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bethany House, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have never met a Nicole Deese book I didn’t love until this one and I’m so sad about it. I adored last years book, but I just couldn’t get into this one. The characters weren’t my favorite and I was forcing myself to pick it up, which is never a good sign. I know this is a me issue and not the book, and I will still continue to be an avid reader of her work.

4.5 ⭐️

The Roads We Follow, the second book in the Fog Harbor Romance Series, transports readers to a summer roadtrip where three sisters, their mother, and a handsome driver embark on a journey of healing relational wounds, learning the importance of honesty and the consequences of secrets, and finding love.

Deese has a way of captivating you from the first page to the last, and while the first book in the series, The Words We Lost, will forever have my heart, this book was such an enjoyable and moving read.

“Hard days only stay hard if you allow them to.”

“Don’t sell yourself short just because you’re afraid to lean in to something new.”

Nicole Deese is one of my all-time favorite contemporary romance authors! This book is just as lovely as The Words We Lost, and I enjoyed it so much!

QOTD: Where was your last road trip destination?

Raegan Farrow wants to establish an identity that isn’t “daughter of a country music star” and publish small-town romances. She and her sisters embark on a two-week road trip at their mother’s behest as she works to determine who is writing a scandalous tell-all memoir about their mother.

Micah works his way into their road trip as the driver with his own intentions. He has a mystery of his own to solve involving his and Raegan’s mothers and an old box of journals.

Read for:
- A tender kisses-only romance
- Road trip
- Dual POV
- Family tension
- Seamless integration of faith content
- Hidden secrets
- FMC who’s an author

Thank you to @bethanyhousefiction for a #gifted copy! All thoughts are my own.

I loved this book and though this was my first book by Nicole Deese, it will not be the last.

I was captivated right from the beginning and did not want to stop listening. The dual POV between Reagan and Micah was perfect and I loved both narrators.

The family dynamics at play in this book are so well written and tug at your heart strings. I loved the interwoven plots of both main characters and how they coincided but also moved in their own lanes.

The romance was fantastic and felt genuine and honest. The faith elements read honest and felt so integral to the story, without ever feeling overdone or forced (which I’ve noticed can sometimes happen with Christian fiction).

I just absolutely adored the writing style, the story, the characters, their faith, all of it! I’m

This was SUCH a good book!!

I was so thankful for a lengthy flight soon after I started reading this; it allowed for uninterrupted time to read the book, guilt-free--not to mention I just had to find out what happened next, and now I could!

While this is the second book in a series, only a couple names/references carry over from the first, and you could easily read out of order without spoilers or confusion. (Which was good for me, because it's been just long enough since I read the first--and I've read a few books in between, heh--that I'd forgotten most of the details.)

_The Roads We Follow_ is a wonderful summertime read, especially with its road-trip theme. (It made me want to take one myself ... but maybe not in a Lima Bean-esque equivalent! I'll take a normal car, thank you very much.) :) The climax caught me entirely by surprise, in a good way, and just illustrated Deese's talent as an author to weave so many moving parts together and keep the reader guessing. And the characters' growth and story arcs were amazing, above and beyond the standard or expected tropes. Quite a few one-lined zingers hit their mark, for sure!

Very well done, and I hope to see more in the series soon.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨 ♡
•Goldie
•Graceland
•dual POV
•the jump seat
•family drama
•sisterly bonds
•secrets
•strangers to more
•country music
•redemption and forgiveness

"𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩."

I really enjoyed this sweet romance! It had so many twists and turns with Micah trying to find out who his real father is. There is a lot of family drama along the way, but where this book really shines is in the character growth. I loved how Raegan was determined to make a name for herself without using her family’s fame. The romance between Micah and Raegan was such a sweet slow burn and I love how they really got to know each other during the road trip. I loved the subtle connection to Fog Harbor and that ending…WHAT?!

Thank you to Bethany House for a gifted copy. My thoughts are my own.

4-4.5 stars

Country star legend Luella Farrow finds herself and "her daughters three" a much needed road trip to bring love back into their lives again. Raegan, is the youngest of the crew, with a writer's heart and a secret scheme to save her family's reputation in the music industry. This journey starts with a mysterious bus driver, Micah Davenport, a man with ties to her family and secrets of his own.

Oh how I love road trips! Nicole always shines with her love of this country setting, especially the PNW! This adventure was full of fun excursions, family bickering, and of course a swoony romance. I loved all the details and stops across the country, especially those I have been to!

The family aspect was well done. Enjoyed the faith elements as well. And though I don't have sisters, the family drama was totally relatable. Micah and Raegan have such a sweet romance. It's adorable. That fishing scene though 😍

Brief thoughts: I struggled a little with the pacing, some slow parts to me. I also had a hard time with one of the sisters. She needed a better redemption arc in my opinion.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this one! I love this series and can't wait to see what comes next!

Thank you Bethany House Publishing and the author for my gifted copy! All thoughts are my own.

The Roads We Follow by Nicole Deese is part of her Fog Harbor series, but I believe it can be a stand-alone novel. Reagan Farrow is the youngest daughter of a country music legend, and is trying to find her place in the family. Her dream is to write books and be her own person. Her mom decides they all need to take a bus trip to her next concert, and Micah Davenport is chosen to drive. He is trying to put the pieces together of his life through some old journals of his moms discovered on the renovated bus. So much can happen on a road trip.

This is my first Nicole Deese book, but it will not be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed this richly woven love and redemptive story. The characters were so well developed that I felt like I was sitting on the bus with them. The mystery surrounding Micah’s mom and Raegan’s mom past made the story so interesting. I was reminded that everyone has a story and the importance of listening closely to discover it. I was sad when the story ended.

This beautifully written story was filled with sweet romance, beautiful redemptive themes, great settings and great adventures. The story touched my heart deeply and I look forward to reading more by the author. I highly recommend The Roads We Follow by Nicole Deese.
I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

WOW! Nicole Deese is a new-to-me author, and I was not disappointed! This heartwarming tale of family dynamics, love, loss and healing swept me in from page one. I laughed, I cried, and I was challenged to look at my own life as I flipped pages long after bedtime. Raegan Farrow, the youngest of three sisters, longs to establish herself as a writer but being the daughter of a country music legend makes that nearly impossible. When Luella, otherwise known as Mama, plans a road trip for Raegan and her sisters, Hattie and Adele, things spin out of control. Four women, a remodeled RV, a bus driver with his own agenda - what could go wrong? As the trip progresses, years of heartache, hurt and misunderstandings surface along with Luella's own desires for her daughters. When things come to a head, can truth triumph and a new course for the family be chartered? Come away with these southern ladies and one very northern gentleman and see what transpires!

I was gifted a copy of this novel by the publisher through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are completely my own. Thank you, Bethany House, and NetGalley.

A heartfelt family road trip story that sees three estranged sisters, their famous country singer mother and a man seeking the truth about his paternity all embarking on a two week bus adventure where secrets and past hurts will come to light and be healed with a bit of romance thrown in too. While this is a Christian imprint, the faith content wasn't too overpowering, the family dynamics were relatable and the kissing only romance delightful. I also liked the mild Cinderella references and the fact that the main character was an aspiring author trying to make a name for herself outside the shadow of her mother's fame. Great on audio too. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This is loosely part of a series but definitely can be read as a standalone.

CW: drug addiction, sexual assault (rape)

Such a good book!!
My favorite thing about this was the characters.
Real people facing incredibly difficult circumstances, and I loved seeing their growth and how it all played out.
Nicole Deese has extraordinary talent when it comes to writing people and issues, life challenges we can all relate to in some way.
This story especially deals with family relationship issues, and various things that go along with that.
It is all woven together in a beautiful way, and had me hooked from the beginning.
I enjoyed reading and getting to know these wonderful people, and seeing them find some measure of resolution.
If you are looking for a book that makes you think, then give this one a try!

Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

The Roads We Follow by Nichole Deese

Celebrity Christian fiction with family secrets and hidden agendas.

Luella Farrow, a country music legend, decides to drag her three grown daughters on a road trip before her last big performance. This story is told from the points of view of her youngest daughter Reagan and the very handsome bus driver Micah.

Ever since the death of her father, the Farrow’s have been splitting at the seams. Built up resentment and untold secrets do not make for harmonious relationships. Over the course of this story we witness vulnerability and the healing that comes with it. The personal growth is truly beautiful as well.

The romance is instant attraction but watching it turn into love was so sweet and satisfying. Micah and Reagan hit it off right away but they put in the work to make it something real.

While there were things that didn’t work for me, I think this book will be a hit for many!

Deese’s writing is remarkable and it shows.

The Roads We Follow is the second book in the Fog Harbor series. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was just as compelling as the first…I cannot wait to finish the last few chapters. Nicole is masterful in carving out journeys of grief and complicated relationships. Her prose is almost poetic at times, her pacing impeccable, and her characters are deep and complex. You cannot help but lose yourself in her beautifully crafted stories of loss, love and healing. If you are willing to pick it up, I am positive you will not be disappointed!

I loved this story.

Luella Farrow is a mature country artist with three daughters, all of whom are involved in the family business. She organises the four of them to go on a road trip before landing at her final concert destination in the North West. The daughters are all sceptical and agree to the trip with a little trepidation.

Lynn Davenport was Luella's best friend and singing partner early in Luella's musical career. Their friendship ended suddenly thirty years ago. Very recently, the two met up again, as Lynn was dying. By all accounts they sought forgiveness from each other and expressed significant regrets on what they'd missed.

Lynn's youngest son, Micah, has recently discovered some shocking news about his paternal origins. Micah seeks out Luella and offers to be the Farrow's road trip driver hoping Luella can help him find some answers.

The story is told in alternate POVs. Raegan Farrow is Luella's youngest and is a budding author who feels trapped by being a Farrow. Raegan is our first storyteller, the second is Micah. Sparks sizzle from the outset between the two and it's lovely being witness to their growing friendship through the road trip.

Deese crafts this story so well. We get a really good sense of each of the three daughters, their roles, characters and personalities. Adele and Hattie are Raegan's elder siblings and they also hold much resentment from being a Farrow.

Luella blesses Micah at the beginning of the trip with his mother's journals that had been left in their original tour bus thirty years ago, never seen by anyone until Luella recently discovered them. In reading these journals, we also get to go back in time to the early years when Luella and Lynn first met, started singing together and sought to crack the big time. It's a lot of fun as we get to experience a little of what life was like for two young women in the male dominated industry of the 1970s and 1980s.

There's plenty of well positioned conflict, sisterly disagreements and a placating mother. Micah, a trained therapist actually serves as a mediator in some of the conflict and helps bring the Farrow women together.

The last 20% of the story really zings and is brilliantly crafted: the conflict, the reactions, the resolutions and the ending. It's great writing.

This is an engaging story from the get go and brought all the emotions with it which I always a good sign of a great novel. And it ends wonderfully leaving the reader with a big smile on their face.

I feel blessed having received an early ebook copy from Bethany House via Net Galley. This has had no influence on my review.

Thank you so much to Bethany Books and Nicole Deese for the gifted copy of this book!

If taking a road trip with your family while blasting some country tunes sounds like an ideal situation (and also if it sounds like the worst), then this book is for you!

This book had a little bit of everything:

- Family Drama
- Romance
- Faith themes
- Mystery/Secrets
- Dual POV

Reagan is thrown into a two-week, cross-country road trip with her mom and sisters to try to get to the bottom of a family rumor/crisis. Along the way, they all learn a whole lot about each other and even themselves! I have two sisters so the three sister vibe was super fun and relatable (well not all of it, LOL) and I really connected with the family dynamic aspect of the story.

The story is told from both Reagan's perspective and a man named Micah's perspective. His parts are my favorite and I want to be intentionally vague about him so you can be surprised by what's revealed along the way!

Not many Christian Fiction authors can weave in faith themes in the way that Nicole Deese does. In her books it always feels natural and never forced into the storyline. I can't wait to see what she writes next!

THE ROADS WE FOLLOW is the second book in the FOG HARBOR series but can be read entirely on its own! I absolutely loved the first book though ;)

This is out now!

Hands down the best book I’ve read so far this year. Everything about it was just beautiful.
Raegan Farrow, the youngest daughter of country music star Luella Farrow, struggles to know her place in the family and how she can follow her dreams to be a writer with the last name she has. Micah Davenport, the son of Luella’s once best friend, ends up joining the Farrow women on a nostalgic road-trip as their bus driver. He intends to find answers about his family’s past, but along the way, he ends up teaming up with Raegan and her own secrets.
As the oldest of 4 girls, obviously the focus on relationships between sisters was meaningful and emotional for me. I also related to Raegan in a lot of ways, trying to take the role of peacemaker and avoiding the need to establish and follow boundaries.
The relationship with Micah & Raegan was also beautiful. Their instant connection and spark was genuine and believable. Sometimes quick relationships like that end up annoying me or not feeling like they were fully developed, but that wasn’t the case with Micah & Raegan’s relationship at all. There were so many layers and details that I just loved.
This was my first book from this author & I can’t wait to read more!

The Roads We Follow is the first book I’ve read by Nicole Deese and definitely won’t be my last! I was immediately pulled in to this sweeping family saga following Country music star Luella Farrow and her three daughters on an iconic road trip from Tennessee to California. It’s a story filled with drama, secrets, forgiveness, romance, and reconciliation that made me laugh, cry, and sigh with happiness.

Youngest sister Reagan dreams of being a writer, but wants to make it on her own without using her famous last name. While things don’t quite go her way, she discovers that someone may be writing a tell all book about her mother. During the unplanned road trip with her mother & sisters, she tries to investigate who might be writing the book and enlists the help of the handsome bus driver who joins them on their journey. But, there’s more than one person keeping secrets and as they’re all unraveled they have the potential to bring them closer together or drive them apart.

School therapist Micah Davenport is still recovering from his mother’s death and the surprising news he learned about his father. Long ago, his mother Lynn was part of a famous country duo until something happened on their last road trip causing a rift between them. When he learns Luella’s in possession of his mother’s journals, he volunteers to drive the Farrow family across country in “Old Goldie,” the newly refurbished tour bus his mother and Luella traveled in back in 1994 to try to unearth the secrets of the past. Along the way though, he can’t help but be charmed by the youngest Farrow daughter. But suspicions and secrets are all around and it’s going to take his best therapist skills to help this family reconnect with each other.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were so many twists and just when I thought I’d figured things out, I was surprised. I loved Luella and couldn’t help but picture Dolly Parton in my mind every time she was on the page. She had that sweet, Southern charm that completely won me over. Each of the sisters presented their own unique challenges and issues and I enjoyed how my perception of them changed as each of their secrets were revealed.

Loved the romance between Micah & Reagan! It was a slow burn, instant attraction romance that sizzled with underlying romantic tension. Reagan’s a positive, nurturer and peacemaker who tends to try to fix everything for her family. She’s under constant pressure to maintain the family’s reputation by her older sister and hesitates to share her writing dream. I loved the way Micah encourages her dreams. I adored Micah. He carries a devastating secret, and had some resentment towards Luella at first. I enjoyed how we get a glimpse of his mom through her journals and the way it changes Micah’s perception of his parents and Luella.

Highly recommend this thoughtful, romantic, inspiring book! I loved the messages of forgiveness, reconciliation, and growth, not to mention the fantastic places they visited that I found myself needing to google. Though part of a series, I was easily able to read it as a standalone having not read the first book, but now I can’t wait to read it. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.