I was unprepared for this story in the best way. Penelope's grief is palpable at the beginning and I was instantly drawn into the same emotional headspace. Her teenagers are remarkably well adjusted for having been through the same tumultuous year that Penelope has. They still have their emotional moments (and teenager moments) but the juxtaposition between how they handled their dad's death versus how Penelope has is remarkable to witness.

The road trip is a perfect metaphor for how they come back together as a family. I read this book while on a family trip of my own and experienced many of the same emotions and frustrations and laughs and wonderful moments.

This is a beautiful book about love and family and growth and loss. I highly recommend it.

This is a good debut. I liked the exploration of grief and choices people make, and about parenting older kids. The pacing was a little odd at time - so fast for parts of the road trip, so slow for parts of getting to know Ethan, and it also felt at least once like I'd read the whole book but was only 60% done. But the characterization was good and I loved the the way that bartending and cosmetology and other jobs that might not require college were really highlighted as skills and interesting. 3.5 rounded up.

I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

5⭐️

I was lucky enough to receive this as an ARC on NetGalley🫶🏼
A beautifully written story about love, grief and self discovery!
This was such a beautiful story to read. I was hooked from the very beginning.
The tension and chemistry between Nel and Ethan was there from the get go and was just perfect!
I loved reading Nel building a relationship with her children again!
What a debut novel for Ashley!

I’m not a fan of topics of grief or angst in books. It’s just not my cup of tea, but Every Beautiful Mile was a stunning debut novel that I’m glad I picked up. The plot was engaging and managed to grip me from the first page. It’s a heartfelt journey through grief and resilience, and Nel was the perfect choice to tell that kind of story. I thought she was funny and when she cried, I cried with her. I feel like with books like this, there isn’t much I can say, but a lot of the patrons at our library are older patrons with a taste for books like these, and I’ve already been recommending them this title.

Ashley’s debut novel is the perfect summer mix of love, loss, and exploration. She has chosen to bare Nel’s soul in such a genuine way, it drew this reader in and kept my attention from start to finish. I read books across all genres, and this one stands out

A heartwarming story of family, love after loss, healing, mourning, and hope. I thoroughly loved this book and could feel every emotion described in its pages since it was so brilliantly written. Follow Penelope's incredible adventure as she navigates the twists and turns of life's unexpected detours. She's determined to find peace, happiness, and maybe even love again after losing her soulmate.

It's an emotional rollercoaster with moments that will make you both laugh out loud and grab some Kleenex. From beautiful scenes with her children to the charming trials and tribulations of her interactions with Ethan, it's the right blend of humor and tears.


Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book for my review,

This was crazy for a debut novel. I was hooked from the very beginning. Nel was such a good character and I loved seeing her growth throughout the book. Seeing her learn to move on and still be a parent and a human being after her husbands death was great. Her kids were so good with her even when they were rightfully frustrated. They encouraged her to move on and they love Ethan. Ethan was so refreshing to Nel and different from anyone she has ever met. He kept her on her toes and encouraged her to follow her dreams. I'm kind of obsessed.

I received an arc through netgalley.

What can I say about this book....other than it will be one of my favorite reads of 2024. I can't wait to see what Ms. Manley writes next. This book will hit you with all the feels and reel you in to Nel's story as she discovers herself, her kids and her next path after losing her husband in a plane crash. You will feel her struggles and her triumphs in this excellent book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher; I am so glad I hit request on this one!

Penelope’s (Nelly’s) world is turned upside down when Travis, her pilot husband of 17 years, crashes in his plane and leaves her with their 2 teenage children. Overcome by grief, she goes into a shell of herself and cannot cope.

After a year, her father “fires” her from their family beach restaurant and bar for the summer so she can find herself and reconnect with her teenage children. Nelly reluctantly understands her fathers decision and ultimately decides to take her kids, Finn and Marin, on an adventure to get out of her funk and start living again.

The adventure comes in the form of an old camper Travis bought and started to restore before he died. She finds a map of a grand cross country road trip he was planning and she decides to do it with the kids, tweaking and adding a few more stops. Along the way they take a detour to Maine to meet a restaurant owner, Ethan, she has been emailing (and flirting with) about new ideas for the beach restaurant.

The book was a journey to find themselves again and reconnect as a family. The places they visit are vivid and I feel like I am there with the family on their trip. Nature's beauty at its finest.

This book is split into two halves. The first is when she reconnects with her kids on the road trip and the second is when she connects with Ethan and allows herself to be happy again by herself. The two parts blended together well enough but was a little choppy when establishing Ethan in person. Establishing his character as a serial dater/manwhore/flirt was brought up multiple times. Once was enough for me to establish his character. Nel was also very forgiving and got over his flaws pretty quick, would of liked a little more tension or for him to prove he changed his ways because of his attraction, and eventual love, for her. But It was still really cute and I loved her word vomit and also when she put him in his place and schooled him behind the bar!

This book gave me all the feels; heartbreak, love, promise, adventure, connection, memories. I smiled, teared up and got inspired to make new memories with those I love and cherish.

This book was more like:
Every Beautiful Emotion
Every Beautiful Adventure
Every Beautiful Memory
Every Beautiful Moment
Every Beautiful Struggle
Every Beautiful Family
Every Beautiful Love Story

Notes:
I read this book through a digital ARC from NetGalley
Author: Ashley Manley- debut novel and knocked it outta the park!
Genre: Romance, Fiction
Troupe: Adventure, Roadtrip, family

Every Beautiful Mile is the perfect feel-good romance read that we all need in our lives. There’s love, heartbreak, loss, and a roadtrip that changes everything.

After losing her husband to an airplane accident, “Nel”/Penelope, has had an impossible time moving on with her life. Her boss who is also her father forces her to take the summer off to find herself again. On her beautiful, crazy, chaotic, fun, adventurous journey, Nel meets bar/restaurant owner Ethan on one of his most chaotic nights. Nel, being the talented bartender that she is, helps Ethan when he needs it most. In turn, Ethan ends up helping Nel become the person she is trying to be.

This book is heartwarming, drives you crazy at times, and was the exact read I needed in my life. I’m so thankful for getting the opportunity to ARC read this book—it comes out today! Please don’t walk, but run and get your copy of this amazing book. After reading Ashley Manley’s debut novel, I will definitely read anything else that she comes out with!

This was a lovely story about loss and grief, but also love and healing and getting a second-chance at love. I definitely recommend it if you want to cry your eyes out but also bang your head at the two idiots who take forever to get together. But I loved Penelope and Ethan and was rooting for them and Marin and Finn.

Thank you NetGalley, Victory Editing and Ashley Manley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To say I am obsessed with this book is an understatement. I am beyond impressed this is Ashley’s debut novel and immediately started following her. And the cover is stunning. Loved!

Nel is a mother of two teenagers mourning after suddenly losing her husband. After a year of barely going through the motions, her Dad surprises her by telling her she cannot work at the family bar over the summer and needs to figure out how to live again (oh, and maybe do some research for the bar and restaurant).

Once she starts to go through her husband’s things she realizes he had started to repair a RV he bought on a whim with the plans of doing a family road trip. Nel decides to spend the summer with her kids going on the roadtrip her husband planned.

This book was heartbreaking and heartwarming. It was inspiring and realistic. Nel found herself in the most wonderful way.

Ps now I need to use the term thighgasm in real life.

I knew this was going to be a 5 stars from the beginning. I laughed and I cried, this was such a beautiful book. Nel's journey to finding happiness after he husband suddenly passed away was very moving. The romance in this book was one of my favorite I have read about in a while, it felt real and you could feel their chemistry through the pages.
Ashley Manley will not be an auto-buy author for me after this book. I can't wait to read what she comes out with next.

Thank you, NetGalley, Wildflower Books, and Ashley Manley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Every Beautiful Mile by Ashley Manley was a beautiful story that held me captive from the first page.
A thought-provoking read. That held such amazing characters.
First I just loved Manley’s writing. She did an absolute stellar job creating this story and really setting the scene.
Second that characters….. I just couldn’t get enough of.
I will definitely be looking for her next title to come.

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

After discovering an RV her late husband had been renovating Nel Crawford takes here two teenage kids on a road trip around the US to rebuild their crumbling relationship and discover who she is as a widow.

This is such a beautiful, heartwarming book and I loved all of the places they visited on the trip. It’s so immersive, despite being such a fast-paced book with a lot going on. It made me want to collect T shirts from all of the places I visit and make my own cocktails!

Thank you to Ashley Manley, Victory Editing and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Penelope 'Nel' Crawford, now a widow, struggles to move on after her husband's plane vanishes in a storm. Her children suffer from neglect, and her family is weary of her stagnation. While managing her father's bar in Key West, FL, she is dismissed for the summer. In an attempt to progress, she discovers the old RV her husband was refurbishing. Nel and her two teenagers finish the restoration and embark on the journey her husband had planned.

Lately, she's been exchanging emails with another restaurant owner about his farm-fresh food, and their correspondence begins to take a flirtatious turn. Weary from RV travel, she decides to meet the man in Maine. However, upon arrival, she encounters a man who flirts indiscriminately, causing her to question her decision. A rafting trip introduces her to their guide, and unexpectedly, his father and brother join them—the father being the flirtatious man.

It's a touching tale of rediscovering life after a profound loss, filled with sweetness, love, and passion. As a this is a new author to me, I found this book thoroughly enjoyable.

**Spoiler Free Review** This story is so beautiful and moving and puts me in mind of P.S. I Love You. Nel, a widow, decides to go on a trip and take a journey to heal from her grief. She has two teenage children who felt so real and raw throughout this story. On a personal note-- The idea of packing my kids in an RV and doing a cross country drive is actually one I've had for a while. I love the descriptions of the many adventures this family goes on and the the internal exploration Nel has as she grapples with a life without her husband... Was truly wonderful! I loved this book!

Prepare for a babbling review, much like Nel, the incredible and awkward MFC from Ashley Manley's superb debut novel "Every Beautiful Mile."

Having gone through quite a bit of grief last year, I knew I needed to read this book, but I wasn't prepared for how devastatingly beautiful this read was going to be. I was immediately sucker punched with intense grief and the debilitating longing that comes with losing a loved one in addition to the loss of the normalcy of daily routines. Following Nel on her journey of finding herself again was just what I needed. Yes, there are delightful realizations and sentiments that come with each stop of the travel, but the way the story unravels is even more than that. The dynamic relationships between Nel and her family as well as Nel and people she meets along the way were beautifully written with significant character depth. I highlighted quite a bit when stumbling across words of wisdom.

Quirky Nel is relatable and endearing which allowed me to connect to the underlying deep ache of grief throughout the story. The self-discovery journey sprinkled with humor while dealing with loss and love was cathartic. I laughed. I cried (multiple times). I hugged my family a little tighter. The title is absolutely perfect. 'Every Beautiful Mile" is stunning and an easy five-star read, my first for the year. Thank you NetGalley and Ashely Manley for blessing me with this wonderful read.

It’s never easy losing someone, especially someone you were supposed to make endless memories and grow old with. As someone who has also struggled with grief, I felt for Nel and understood her completely (except I didn’t lose my husband but still grief can be hard).

I loved watching Nel try to pull herself together for her kids while trying to still remember her late husband by taking a trip around the country. The people she met along the way would help her heal without her knowing. Watching her grow that connection back with her kids and them keeping her in the loop was so beautiful.

But where do I even start with Ethan… their emails started off sweet and casual then flirty and I was here for it! He brought her out of her shell and had her rambling and confessing her every thought. And whenever they danced in the restaurant!! Stop it, it was such a sweet moment. I loved the moment they met but hated when Nel had to go back home. I think Ashley did such a beautiful job of captivating their relationship because I was so upset for Nel and her finding someone but having to let them go once again.

I loved Nel’s children support and help in getting Nel and Ethan together. I loved that Ethan’s kids kept in contact with Nel’s kids. I loved that Nel was able to figure out how to live her life and jump into a career that made her nervous. I loved the Odysseus reference. I just loved this book okay!!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this arc!

My review for this book has already been posted to my bookstagram account!

Loss. It can grab hold of you and never let go, if you let it.

The key to grief? Keep living. If you’ve ever lost of loved one, you’ll love this book.

Penelope loses her husband and while going through the RV he was renovating prior to his death, she finds an itinerary for a road trip. Thus begins her healing journey and what a journey this book takes us on.

Every Beautiful Mile is a beautifully written story of life after loss. Filled with every emotion from grief to hope and everything in between, it’s a heartwarming story that will take you on aa rollercoaster ride of emotions.

Kudos to Ashley Manley for writing such a well-written and emotional story.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book for my review.
#EveryBeautifulMile #NetGalley