A book full of secrets and strong emotions.
I found it wonderful that this book came with its own therapist. Otherwise I’m not sure I could have understood everything that was going on in this story. Each of these characters has a lot of baggage and each one is withholding information from others.

Great read for observing family dynamics and seeing the beautiful healing power of forgiveness.

Wonderful character development
I felt I knew them personally.

Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this book. The opinions are entirely my own.

#BookRevew : THE ROADS WE FOLLOW by Nicole Deese

I've enjoyed many books by this author, but this one resonated with me more. This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone. A cross-country road trip with a famous parent isn't a new idea, but the author did well to make it fresh and interesting. I'm glad Luella decided to take her girls on this trip. It's a chance for them to grow closer and rebuild their relationship as sisters. That's clearly one of the legacies Luella wants to leave them.

The complex dynamics between the sisters, Raegan's journey of self-discovery, and Micah's search for his father all intertwined in a compelling way. The pacing was good, keeping me engaged with the characters. The family drama, with its surprising twists, offered both delight and insightful moments. The author's writing style is engaging, and the faith messages were subtly woven throughout the narrative. I highly recommend this book. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.

Rating: 5 ⭐
Pub date: 09 April 2024

Thank you Bethany House Publishers and #netgalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This story is such a lovely read and I loved experiencing Raegan and Micah join the rest of the Farrow family on their cross-country road trip as they discover their family histories. Raegan's mother Luella is experiencing a resurgence in popularity with a song she once wrote with Micah's mother Lynn Davenport. The two were once inseparable, touring together through the late 70s and 80s but suddenly split ways in 1994. As Micah and the Farrow women retrace the stops of Luella and Lynn's previous trip in the 70s, the family learns how the two mothers began their music career, what caused their infamous split, and learn about what legacy they want to leave behind them.

Wow! I loved this book! Relationships, fame, struggles, secrets, forgiveness, romance, and healing are just some of the themes you'll find in this amazing book from Nicole Deese. I couldn't put it down. I related so closely with several of these characters.

I received an early copy from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this story. I was captivated from the get-go and there’s something about Nicole Deese’s writing that draws you in. I loved all of the themes of forgiveness, finding where you belong and reconnecting with your family. This felt authentic to me and I think that’s why it resonated so well. I could feel the complicated family dynamics and sometimes the backwards journey it takes to find balance and a place of peace with loved ones.

The romance was tender and sweet. It’s more instant attraction than I’m generally drawn too but I didn’t have that issue at all here. I felt that connection and that click between Raegan and Micah. I loved that they had the tough conversations, moments to breath, and some good kissing scenes too. This was also dual POV (which y’all know I love) and only added to the story getting Micah’s side and reasoning behind his choices too.

I loved all of the road trip antics. How the journey was up and down and ultimately ended exactly where I hoped it would. I loved all of these characters and watching the relatable nature that is life bring this family together.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: None
Romance: Kisses
Violence: Low
Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of using diet pills/unsafe weight loss, loss of a parent, divorce, depictions of grief, alcohol consumption

✨The Roads We Follow by Nicole Deese✨

“I don’t know how I lived in a world without you before now.” - Micah

This is book #2 in the Fog Harbour Romance series, and it is due to come out next month on April 30th!!! If you loved Ingrid and Joel’s story, you’ll adore Raegan and Micah 🥹

📚About the Book…
This book is set amongst the country music scene, where a surprise resurgence of Raegan’s mother’s, hit song ‘Crossing Bridges’ brings the Fallow family back into the spotlight. With tensions flaring, secrets building up, and relationships near breaking point, can the Farrow women survive a two week road trip across America?

💖What I Loved about this book…
Nicole is the queen of swoony one liners! I mean that first quote at the top of this review - it’s EVERYTHING 🙌🏻

This one’s for you if you love:
🎶 Country music scene
💖 Family Saga
🤐 Secrets
👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Identity quest
🤝 Restored relationships
🚌 Road trips
📕 Diary Entries
✍️ Aspiring authors
✨ Following God given dreams
⚓️ The Words We Lost

If you’ve haven’t already, this is one to add to you TBR pile 📖

Content Warning: cheating/failed marriage and custody battle, and identity quest. Past tense; drug use, eating disorder, post-natal depression, and childhood abuse.

Thank you @netgalley, @nicoledeese and @bethanyhousefiction #bhpfiction for this ARC

I can gauge how much I love a story by how sad I am to say goodbye to the characters when I have finished reading their story. Raegan and I could be good friends! Micah is dreamy (although, I do have to say I was disappointed at the beginning that this wasn’t Chip’s story) I love the depth of each character and the varied ways they approach life and the same situation. I also appreciated the parallel story that adds depth and context to the main story line. Now to wait patiently for the next installment…

I have yet to read a book by Nicole that gets less than 10 stars from me, and this one isn’t any different.

The character development was just amazing. Every character was written with grace and depth.

I absolutely loved the country music vibe. (I didn’t even read the synopsis, so it was a fun surprise. I’ll always say yes to a book with country music themes!) This book had strong family themes, and each sister's love for their mother really showed through this story! I enjoyed reading that they all wanted to honor their mother’s legacy in some way, but they all needed to walk through some forgiveness first.

This story touches on some really deep topics: drug abuse, forgiveness, marital issues, and adoption. Each story was handled with such grace and was written so well.

Nicole Deese is such a fantastic writer. I’ll read every single book she comes out with.

Stunning! Such a beautiful rollercoaster of emotions.

A cross-country road trip with her celebrity mother and her sisters should be relaxing, but Raegan is too preoccupied trying to keep the peace, figuring out how to save her family from public scandal, and falling for the handsome bus driver.

Micah has his reasons for volunteering to drive the bus for his mother's old partner and her daughters, but once he meets the beautiful Raegan, now has even more reasons he wants to be there.

As both Micah and Raegan struggle with secrets from the past and present and trusting those around them, they must learn to rely on each other to find a way forward, even if it means taking a path they never expected to follow.

What to love:
Road trip
Forced proximity
Dual POV
Family drama
Hidden secrets
Fishing
The jump seat
The super sweet romance!!
Yurts
Dynamic characters
Reconciliation and forgiveness

This book was just magical! Raegan and Micah were so raw and relatable - their struggles and challenges - and I felt drawn to them. This book is insightful into complicated family dynamics and watching the characters learn and grown and love gave me all the feels and definitely a few tears.

And oh, their cute romance!! That initial attraction that turned into so much more after hours of time spent together on the road, and that fishing scene will live in my head rent free for a long time. There was so much growth for both of them and I love how they encouraged and brought out the best in each other.

This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone! They are connected by a side character named Chip, an editor at Fog Harbor books who, can I just say, really needs his own story. (Hint, hint...)

This story touched my heart and spoke to my soul, and I wish I could give it more than the 5 stars I am limited to. It certainly deserves much more than that!

I received a complimentary copy but a positive review was not required.

Three daughters start off on a road trip on the way to a music festival with their legendary country music star mom, along with their driver, the son of their mother's one-time singing partner. Along the way they discover family secrets and learn to reconcile their own needs with those of their family.

I know better. I told myself it was a horrible idea to read this at work and out in public. Nicole Deese’s books ALWAYS make me cry, so I knew better.

What to say about TRWF…well, first of all, it’s epic. Like mind blowing epic. I feel as if I’ve been on a road trip with these incredible characters. I saw what they saw, felt what they felt—and they felt a LOT!

Nicole Deese has the uncanny ability to peer into the deepest recesses of the human heart, to slowly and gently peel back the layers we hide behind, to perfectly capture the ebb and flow of relationships in a broken and fallen world…

…and to make it seem so effortless. Which I know it’s not.

Effortless and magical. That’s how I would describe reading a Deese novel. Coming from a family much like the Farrows (just without the fame!) I can say with confidence that you won’t find a more authentic voice in contemporary fiction.

My thanks to the publisher for an advance copy. My review is honest and has not been solicited.

#TheRoadsWeFollw #NetGalley

This book is a sequel to The Words We Lost. It can be read as a stand-alone. I loved both books, and they are worth reading again.
The Roads we Follow was such a tender story. When you feel lost in a celebrity family and feel taken advantage of, it is hard to find your own place. Raegan is the youngest of three daughters and feels like her older sister cares about the family business and wants Raegan to give up her dreams. A family road trip across several states becomes harder as tensions rise, and secrets are kept. 1I thought this book was well written, and I loved the family dynamics. Nicole Deese has bec ome and author I watch for, I love how she writes.

"Life's too short to be questioning what you're doing with your time every day."

Nicole Deese has again penned a masterpiece. Set against the backdrop of a broiling family drama and layers of secrets buried beneath hurt and years past, Raegan and Micah's fresh and honest first person voices are perfect complements and guides for this journey of healing and reconciliation. Their voices are sometimes funny and flirty, oftentimes thought-provoking and contemplative, and always tender, lyrical and poignant. Raegan and her writer's brain was fun to follow around while Micah and his counselor's heart was quite lovely to behold. Raegan's famous mother and her two older sisters were a great combo of personalities. Forgiveness was at the heart of this story and it was rewarding to see all the characters finally see their own worth and potential.

Raegan and Micah are unforgettable characters. It was also nice to see Chip and Allie from the first book have cameo appearances here (maybe the next book will be about them?). If you enjoy contemporary romance with depth and soul, this book is for you.
I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Bethany House via Interviews & Reviews and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

“Freedom and peace work in tandem. And you won’t experience either until you’re finally willing to be transparent with yourself and others.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
No Spice!
Release Date: April 30th

This was the sweetest contemporary romance, and the first Christian one that I have ever read! This story was emotional and deep, and all the characters were so real and complex. A lot was going on here but it came together so beautifully in the end and you cannot help but fall in love with this family.

I LIVED for the romance in this one. Micah was 😍😍 and I want a relationship like his and Reagan’s. Ugh they were so cute and sweet. And their romance was so natural and realistic, and centred on Christ!

This was such a sweet easy story to follow and I definitely want to read more of Nicole’s books in the future. There were so many good lines, and I loved how she explores the themes of family, grief, and loss. It honestly gave me some Sarah Adams vibes which made me love it more.

Save this one on your TBR for April because you will definitely want to read it!

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the ARC!!

I absolutely loved Nicole’s last book, The Words We lost! Since this book consumed the series, of course I had to read it!

The two books’ only connection is the publishing company, Fog Harbor Books, and the agent named Chip. I enjoyed the book and it’s sometimes lighthearted, sometimes serious family squabbles and dynamics. The addition of bus driver Micah Davenport and his search during this family road trip made for some interesting moments, particularly with Reagan, the youngest Farrow daughter. Mother Farrow is a very popular recording artist who previously had a close relationship with Lynn, Micah’s mother, which mysteriously ended abruptly some years ago. The road trip with her daughters in her resurrected tour bus is an effort to reveal some of her early life to her daughters.

I enjoyed this book, especially the way the author told the story and how she wrapped it up!

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review. Four stars!

Who doesn't love a road trip?! I sure do, so I loved the main setting for Nicole's new book: a family cross-country trip to a music festival location. This one proves to me far more complicated and involved than any I've been on, though, as we, the readers, are invited to get to know singer Luella's three daughters (Adele, Hattie and Raegan) and Micah, the son of her dearest friend and singing partner from years ago. We get to know their personalities, struggles, relationships...and family dynamics which have impacted them in the past and present, and quite possibly future as well. As always, the author writes a gripping story about people I wanted to get to know, and whose lives I grew to care about.

An entertaining book following the dynamics of country royalty. I was unsure what I was signing on for when I started the book, but I was pleasantly surprised by the book. I had a hard time connecting with the main character but I think it was because Deese did a great job making the family feel real. I am not a fan of faith driven books, not the main type of book I read, but I can understand the storyline and think it was well done.

The Roads We follow
by Nicole Deese
Pub Date: April 30, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
A cross-country road trip. A secretive box of journals. An unforgettable summer romance.
I highly recommend this well written and engaging book.
I am a fan of journals and stories told through them, so I was immediately drawn to The Roads We Follow. This story was even better than I could have imagined with all its twists and turns and a mystery to solve. The family dynamics between the four Farrow women was elaborately complex. A road trip that repeats a trip made 40 years in the past is full of mishaps, misunderstandings and revelations that will have everyone finally being honest and facing truths long hidden.
Read this author!
5 stars

Every time I read a book by Nicole Deese I’m left in awe and saying “wow!” Her stories have such depth and weave all the threads together perfectly.

The Roads We Follow is a touching story of the search for identity, family, and reconciliation set on the backdrop of a road trip. A sweet love story grows as complex character’s learn how to relate and understand each other. You won’t be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bethany House Publishers, and Nicole Deese for the review copy.

Favorite quote: "There’s a divine intimacy in nature that can’t be duplicated."

Nicole Deese is a fantastic author. In some ways, this road-trip book reminded me of Rachel Hauck's The Best Summer of Our Lives because of the themes of sister-friends, broken relationships, looking back, camp, retro vibes. Each of the characters are distinct and their dynamic is carefully crafted, with growth journeys that intertwine and affect each other's. They each need and are searching for something different.
I loved bus-driver Micah being a therapist by trade, how that played into the communication between the famous mother and three adult daughters that he was driving for, and even the moment he lost his cool. He was so human and still likeable.
I almost gave this book four stars because I had trouble liking and rooting for Raegan - also so human. Ultimately I gave it five because the author did a good job even though I didn't love the character. And maybe I'm too much like her, unwilling to say the hard things and work toward reconciliation. The book had me looking at circumstances in my own life and praying for them in a new way.
Prayer is a bedrock in this book even though most of the characters don't openly talk about God in it- you know they have a faith foundation and some of them seek God more than others. More, I would say, than in The Words We Lost.

I'm grateful for Deese's talent and the way she writes for the glory of God and to the publisher for allowing me to read an ebook provided by Netgalley so I could write an honest review.