This was such a touching and lovely read. Annie Hartnett has such a beautiful way with words and the ability to make the most quirky characters. I absolutely adored this story.

Other than a cat that could predict deaths, I found the plot totally believable and somewhat relevant to a large percentage of the population (how many baby boomers are there?). When the story opens in a bottom-of-the-barrel nursing home, I figured there would be some humor, albeit dark, some sadness, and minor touches of magical realism (Pancake, the therapy cat at the nursing , has the ability to read.) However,I have been an animal lover since childhood, and I’ve been certain with many pets that we were communicating, so no problem for me with that aspect.
PJ, the old man that readers meet in chapter two, lives in his own home with stacks of books all over the floor because there are too many to fit on shelves. Unfortunately, despite being a lottery winner who supported good causes, the book hoarding mess is not PJ’s biggest problem. That would be his alcoholism, but he certainly isn’t the only person living or fictional that developed some abusive habits after personal tragedy in one’s life.

I thought there was a good message in this book, about not giving up. However, PJ seemed more like he should have been in his 80’s than his early 60’s. Maybe grief and its effect on human health, both mental and physical, is part of the message? I enjoyed reading this book.

This one has received a lot of buzz, and for good reason. This ragtag group of misfits will capture your heart as they travel cross-country to find the things that they believe will make them happy. For the main character, the high school sweetheart who got away. For his newly orphaned grand niece, her biological father. For his estranged daughter, a chance to figure out her life. The flaws of the characters combined with the spirit of hope and the pacing made this an enjoyable read.

Recommend for fans of the movie Little Miss Sunshine and Frederik Backman.

I had mixed feelings when I began reading this — I needed a break from the stress of life, but I didn’t want to get sucked into a cozy Hallmark story. What a pleasant surprise to go on an extended journey with complex characters who I was rooting for from practically the first page.
The main character is a 63 year old, million dollar lottery winner from Massachusetts who decides to track down an old girlfriend in Arizona.. Traveling with him are a pair of newly orphaned kids and his adult daughter with enough metaphorical baggage to fill the entire trunk of the car.
This is a book about grief and loss and second chances. It is presented with compassion, and even the inevitable boneheaded decisions are understandable to a sympathetic reader..
The biggest compliment I can give this warmhearted novel is to compare it to The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart a story written for youngsters but with the same universal appeal.
Don’t be put off by the sappy title. There is enough lemon cutting the sweetness to make this a great summer read.

Loved the humor and spirit of all the characters! A slight curmudgeon with a sweet soul hidden away!

Annie Hartnett really loves to devastate her characters and then put them in absurd situations. And I love it too! Ha. THE ROAD TO TENDER HEARTS is perhaps more grief-soaked than I was prepared for, but as always, Hartnett blends the tragic and the funny to deliver a story that really captures the human experience.

A lovely read about the power of friendship and family. A great road trip book. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced read!

Ballantine eARC
This was a tender story about found family, messing up, and all the complexities of life. PJ was so flawed, yet lovable. His effort and determination to make a change in his later life to support his niece and nephew was admirable. I love her characters because they are so complex and messy and redeemable. This is a dark story at times, and it mirrors life in lots of ways. I also love her sprinkles of magical realism in her novels. They keep things fresh and unique. Pancake was such a winner character for me, and I even enjoyed the hat at times. A perfect road trip novel for summer.

4.5 stars

The Road to Tender Hearts is another fantastic read in Annie Hartnett's repertoire. Filled with quirky characters, heartfelt moments, and some offbeat humor, readers will be charmed by PJ, his orphaned grand niece and nephew, and his estranged daughter as they travel together to identify a soap opera star and rekindle an old high school flame.

This book took me a long time to read, but only because of my life circumstances. I was fully invested and in love with these characters and their madcap adventure. This book will be loved by fans of quirk and oddball people.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advance reader's copy of this book. Unfortunately, I did not finish because I was not a fan of the writing style or the over-the-top quirkiness of the characters. I may give it another try, but I was not a fan of this author's last work, so she may just not be for me.

The Road to Tender Hearts
4.25 ⭐️

What a heartwarming story of found family!

PJ is not the most reliable person, but he finds himself with two young kids after their parents pass away. He, the kids, and his reluctant adult daughter decide to travel across the country on an adventure to find love.

I really enjoyed this story. There’s a quirky dark sense of humor and I always love that in a book. While I would have loved a little more on PJ’s final character growth, I do think the ending was beautiful with that mischievous cat!

Thanks to @netgalley for this copy!

A lovely, heart-warming story with fully formed characters with depth. I loved this road trip with substance story. 5 huge stars!!

#coffeeandcurrentlyreading on this beautiful Monday morning- The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett.
‌
I got some bad news this weekend and finished a book that left me a bit unsettled so I grabbed this one, because a good road trip book always makes me happy. This one is doing the trick so far. I love quirky characters and old men in so many books, these are perfect. Plus we get a scene stealing cat and that is giving me all the smiles.
‌
Cheesy, just the right amount, quirky, and fun are adjectives I would give this so far. PJ doesn’t think he has much time left, he has had three heart attacks already, and decides it is time to reunite with his lost love, who happens to live across the country. He sets off on the road trip, bringing along his estranged daughter, two orphaned kids, and a cat that seems to have to ability to predict death.
‌
I told you, it’s an odd ensemble and ideal for this book! From Massachusetts to Arizona, page one to the end, we will be entertained. If I am not as happy with the end of this book as I am at the start, I will let you know. I expect to spend a delightful day on this road!

PJ Halliday is a charming mess at 63—lottery winner, recovering alcoholic, hoarder, father to a grieving adult daughter, and still hung up on his high school crush, Michelle Cobb. When he discovers Michelle is now a widow living at Tender Hearts, a retirement community in Arizona, he decides to drive across the country to win her back. But life intervenes: PJ becomes guardian to his estranged brother’s grandchildren—Luna and Ollie—whose parents were tragically killed. Joined by his resentful daughter Sophie and a telepathic cat named Pancakes (who senses imminent death), they embark on a road trip that becomes a journey of grief, humor, and fragile healing. I very much enjoyed this story and was deeply invested in the characters. Hartnett expertly crafts a found-family narrative—PJ, Sophie, the kids, and Pancakes slowly bind together, each wrestling with their own trauma and loss. It’s part dark comedy, part redemptive family drama, and fully heartfelt.If you loved The Guncle for its blend of humor, found-family dynamics, and emotional resonance, you'll also be a fan of The Road to Tender Hearts.

Oh this was just a fantastic book!!!!
I had been in a horrible May slump, but this was a book that was funny and poignant and so WELL written.

Pancakes for life❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Pancakes—yes, the cat—brings you into this story and I immediately fell in love with every character. This dark comedy is full of humor and heart. The laughs are earned as the characters make one bad decision after another. Given what they’ve all been through, their terrible choices made complete sense. I really loved this tender story of found family and forgiveness. As you travel the miles with P.J. and crew, you’ll ride an emotional rollercoaster and love every minute.

Another Winner from Annie Hartnett

I was obsessed with "Unlikely Animals" by Annie Hartnett, so I was delighted to receive an e-ARC of her latest. "The Road to Tender Hearts" delivered on my expectations.

This road trip tale follows four individuals with complicated familial ties as they contend with the tragedies each has faced. Hartnett's signature blend of humor and wry observation, threaded through genuinely dark events, is on full display here. With such difficult subject matter involving children, I wasn't convinced I could smile while reading this, but smile I did. Hartnett deploys absurdist situations as a means to imbue humor into even the darkest of human experiences.

What continues to impress me most is how Hartnett captures the imagined inner lives of both children and animals. Children are often profound without realizing it, and she captures that quality with such authenticity and heart.

While I really liked this book, it didn't quite reach the heights of "Unlikely Animals" for me—I missed the mystery element that made her previous novel so compelling. Still, after finishing the e-ARC, I purchased both the physical book and audiobook—a solid endorsement.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the advanced reader copy. My thoughts on the audio narration can be found on my Substack at https://tarabanuelos.substack.com/.

The Road to Tender Hearts is a quirky, bighearted novel that hit all the right notes for my reading mood. Hartnett has a knack for creating deeply flawed characters you can't help but root for. Here me when I say that in no way are the plots similar, but if you liked the vibes of Margo's Got Money Troubles, I think you'll love this.

I’m entering that feel good stage in my reading. This is a necessary thing I think, based solely on the utter shitshow that’s happening in our country right now, I’m just finding the need to temper my reading with some stories that at the end of the day make me feel good. Makes me believe in the best parts of people and maybe even shed a tear of happiness, you know what I’m saying?
‌
This is one of those books. Annie Hartnett’s books have drawn comparisons to John Irving before and I totally get it. They’re filled with flawed characters who mean well and face their trials and tribulations in life with a dash of dark humor.
‌
Her latest involves a sixty three year old lottery winner, PJ Halliday, who has spent a large part of his millions drowning his sorrows after the dissolution of his marriage following the loss of his oldest daughter. But a light on the horizon comes in the form of news that his lost love Michelle Cobb, the one that got away, is suddenly a widow and PJ decides to set out on a road trip to proclaim his love for her. What was not in his playing cards is the addition of his half brothers grandchildren who end up in his care after their parents unfortunate demises, and a tabby that has a knack for easing people off this mortal coil. What follows is a road trip of loss and forgiveness. Of a series of misfits who are looking for love, for answers, and a shot at redemption. I loved this. There was a moment at the start that I thought it was going to get too dark but it avoided that, as well as becoming a narrative that could easily feel twee.

"The Road to Tender Hearts" by Annie Hartnett offers a journey that is both heartwarming and undeniably quirky. The premise is promising: an old man embarking on a cross-country mission to reconnect with a high school crush, bringing along his adult daughter, two orphaned children, and a cat with a rather unique ability.

What truly shines in this road-trip novel are the dynamics among the unlikely traveling companions. The interactions involving the children and their new, elderly caretaker, PJ, provided genuinely laugh-out-loud moments, adding a wonderful lightness to the narrative. I found myself looking forward to seeing this motley crew reach their intended destinations, and their developing relationships were certainly a highlight.

However, once the initial destinations were established, the journey felt a bit protracted. While the extensive middle section clearly aimed for character development and to build rapport among the travelers, some of their adventures along the way seemed to drag, making the pacing feel a little slow at times. I often found myself wanting to fast-forward to the resolution.

The plot also required a significant suspension of disbelief, and while the book touches on important themes like family, acceptance, addiction, and navigating difficult life circumstances, these complex subjects were generally treated with a lighter hand.

Overall, I'd give "The Road to Tender Hearts" 3.5 out of 5 stars. It's a pleasant read for those looking for a unique road-trip story with memorable characters and plenty of humor, willing to overlook some plot conveniences and a leisurely pace.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC.