Forgiveness, love, and understanding can lead to 3rd chances at love. A hidden child can change peoples lives and so can knowing that he was denied a relationship. This story takes you through journey of self exploration that is deeper than expected. The cover and the first bit of the book does not prepare you for the heart wrenching feelings that this book provokes.

This was a really sweet romance that drew me in from the beginning. It checks all my boxes of what makes a good book.

I read a crazy amount of romances, and I hate manufactured angst. This book doesn't have any of that. Check.

There are sex scenes, but they are sweet and not over the top. Check.

The story starts right away, and no long, slow background build up. Check.

There are sub stories within. Stories about family, forgiveness, and love.

My only draw back that keeps this book from being perfect was I had a few doubts that it made total sense. If they had such strong feelings for each other in high school, and he compared other women to her, why didn't he try to contact her after that night?

I'm really looking forward to reading more from this author.

Finding yourself in a tough spot and not having any idea that your plans are being thwarted behind your back. Imagine 27 years later, you find that you never know what people who supposedly love you are capable of. 4 people whose lives are deeply connected and time heals all wounds eventually. This book captures the heart and guides the reader through the history of two people who never knew their lives would be pulled apart to find each other again many years later. This book is an excellent read and one you won't want to miss

I feel in love with this book. It made me laugh it made me mad and it also made me cry. It was a wonderful book about how a young girl had to live on her own and bring up a baby . Years later having to forgive the people that hurt her the most and finding love at the same time.

This book confuses me…. One minute I was enjoying it, the next minute I was hating it. Kara bugged the hell out of, the same as Phil. They both have major issues what never got resolved. I Liked Harry though, and I felt sorry for him having to put up with the constant moaning from Kara and Phil. Jessica was like breath of fresh air and added a sweetness to the book. The writing style was easy to get into, and it left nothing out.

Kara Martinson's life turned upside down the one night she spent with Harrison Canton in high school. They both had crushes on each other, and Kara made the first move. The next morning, Kara found herself alone, and later learned from that one night, she was pregnant. Her parents did not take the news well, and ended up with her father throwing her out.

Twenty-seven years later, Kara's artwork is being shown in a gallery and Harry shows up, so does their son, that Harry knows nothing about.

This is a sweet story about long lost love, and the lies told in an attempt at protecting the futures of two young kids. It's also about forgiveness and letting go of anger.

I loved that the author incorporated a special needs child into the story. Jessica was endearing. I did find it difficult to accept that Harry had this huge crush on Kara, and compared any female to her, but after getting with his crush, he just left her and never contacted her again. It plays into the story of him never knowing he was a father, but made no sense that he walked away from the girl of his dreams in the first place. I, enjoyed the ending.

I received an ARC by NetGalley via Pink Sand Press and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.

Don’t get me wrong: this book was OK. It’s easy to read and it definitely deals with some serious issues (teen pregnancies, a kid with Down syndrome, life expectations), but I needed more. Overall I liked the story, but I didn’t reach the point where I couldn’t put it down.

The characters are pretty mature and I liked that. However, the dialogues are repetitive. Kara hates Harry for not being with her. Kara’s son hates her for not giving him a normal life when he was little. And so on and so on. I get it. They are hurt, they went through a lot mostly on their own and it wasn’t fair. But they have to move on eventually and that never seems to happen in this book… almost until the very end. The pace was too slow for me, I guess, and I wanted to see more of Kara and Harry, not just them arguing over what they did or did not do in the past all the time.

A compelling love story that's beautifully writes about love and loss.

After 27 years apart, Kara and Harry find each other again. So much has transpired since high school, and most of it is not water under a bridge. Family is difficult and healing is a long road. Can they make their second chance work?

All the characters in this book were well written. The romance, was central and well built-up. The villains, if you can call them that, all had reasonable reactions to the situations they were in. The son and granddaughter were a fun reprieve to all the angst the other characters gave off.

A good read, will try and find the others in the series.

This book was sent by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

Luanna

• Provided by NetGalley •

I love angsty reads and all but this one just didn’t cut it out for me. I mean maybe I was expecting too much? I think it’s me more than the author.

The book was VERY VERY well-written and the author has somebody magical skills but I just couldn’t get over the fact that no villain of this book was held accountable and punished for their crimes.

A solid 3 star just because I loved how this author writes!!!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is one of those books that, based on my own personal life experiences, I probably should have avoided rather than chosen to review. The story starts out with our heroine Kara at an art show, where she runs into the man who took her virginity 27 years ago. He is also the same man who left her that night, and never came back for her or the son they created. The rest of the book is their story and how they managed to put the pieces back together after betrayal.

Having been the daughter of an absentee dad, I felt like this was a bit unrealistic. You're going to show up in my life after 27 years and I'm just gonna hug you and call you dad like nothing ever happened? Nope. You abandon me on the night you took my virginity and never once tried to look back and not only do I forgive you but marry you in a matter of months? Nope. I'm all for a happily ever after, but this was a bit too sickly sweet, even for my tastes.

It was a quick, easy read, and I can see it being popular with some of the older ladies in our library that don't like a whole lot of smut in their romance. I, however, won't be reading the rest of the series.

Great book about second chances, and trying to forgive the damage caused by parents.
Loved all the character's especially Harry and Phil they were the blue that held the plot together,could not put the book down,highly recommended.

Interesting story that deviated from the typical second chance romance/secret child trope. I would have liked more of the story after she agreed to finally be all in for the relationship, but overall a good read!

This is the first book I've read from this author and I'm so glad I did. I absolutely loved this book. It was an emotionally, heart wrenching story. Anyone can relate to this story at one point or another. I know I did. I'm definitely adding to my collection.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 20%. Very predictable though it stated off with a great story line and promise. This is one of six in a series.

The story of Harrison and Kara has real promise. High school crushes share one night that carries a ripple effect through their adult lives. I feel like there were just too many elements that were rushed into a resolution. That said, there is a lot heart in this book. There were moments when I laughed out loud, moments that made my heart overflow, and moments of real truth.

DNF @ 34%

I’ve been holding off on this one for a while because I wasn’t sure how I’d like the plotline. It started off great with a lot of promise, but came increasingly more cringy and predictable. It’s the first in a 6-part series, which I know I won’t be completing, so I decided to not finish this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Pink Sand Press and Marci Bolden for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating at 34%—2/5 stars.

The Road Leads Back by Marci Bolden was an emotional romance about second chances. Kara and Harry shared one unforgettable night, but family interference changed the course of what could have been their life. Even so, Kara powered on and managed to have a successful career and raise her son. When Harry sees her again decades later, he wants a chance to get to know the son he never knew about and spend time with Kara as well. Can they forgive those who hurt them in the past and find a new future together or is it too late? A sweet second chance romance with all the feels.

Happy reading!

An emotional story about finding your place in life when it seems that all you see around you is rejection. Kara considers herself a strong capable woman. She did what she had to do in order to raise her child to the best of her ability. What she did though might come across to some as flighty and sometimes irresponsible...especially to her now grown son. She constantly runs in order to find herself because she has trouble believing that anyone can want the quirkly person she is. Some things can't be taken back and some circumstances must be faced in order to grow, to face a future that you deserve. Harry may or may not be that future, but he will do everything in his power to allow Kara to be the person she needs to be. I loved the story because the child is now grown, so the dynamics of the usual surprise baby story certainly change and evolve. Anyone who has a rocky relationship with their parents and their past will definitely see parts of themselves in this story...as I did. I look forward to more Stonehill stories in my future.

This book pulled on my heart so much!!! I have teared up a few times reading before, but I seriously ugly cried reading this. A beautiful second chance romance with some real deep past to overcome. This book is so well written, I could feel the emotions of Kara and Harrison as if I were them. I cant wait to read the next book!!

Almost 30 years ago, dorky Harry Canton left artsy Kara Martinson after one night of fumbling sex. Twenty-seven years later, he shows up at her art show and discovers he has both a son and a young granddaughter with Down’s Syndrome. Bolden, in the first book of her Stonehill Series, has written an emotionally-wrenching story of betrayal, forgiveness, and a love that can’t be denied. Kara, after a lifetime of running from commitment and the fear of abandonment, has to find the strength to face the past and forgive not just her parents, but herself so that she can embrace the future. It is impossible to read Bolden’s depiction of the incredible damage that parents can do when they put their own selfish needs ahead of their children’s without wanting to crawl into the pages and throttle them. Regrettably, this second-chance romance relies on too many plot devices that stretch plausibility. Kara never outgrows her penchant for running away, Harry pushes too hard and fast for a commitment, son Phil instantly embraces a relationship with Harry and freely criticizes Kara for his nomadic upbringing, and Harry’s mother and Kara’s father refuse to take full responsibility for their cruelty towards their children. As a result, the book is frustrating and somewhat underwhelming. Not the best of the genre, but it will find its audience.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Pink Sand Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.