What if? What if you never read this book, and then you will miss this incredible journey, a road trip like no other? From the moment Joy sat in that diner watching Dylan try to fix his car; through their 10-day road trip filled with passion and adventure; following the trajectory of their lives over a ten-year span filled with what-ifs, living with the choices they’ve made—I was riveted. The characters and their stories were so captivating, that I never wanted this trip to end! By the time I finished, I was an emotional wreck, completely enraptured by Joy and Dylan and all of the feelings they brought out in each other, and in me.

Side Trip
4 + I am very stingy with stars and give very few 5 star reviews.

My favorite genre is psychological thrillers but there are times that I am in the mood for a nice romance.

Story is told before and after a 10 day road trip across country. Joy is traveling to New York from California to be with her fiancé, Mark and also to carry out her dead sister Judy’s “Route 66 ~ Bucket list"
which includes:
• Drive across the country in a convertible
• Do something I always wanted to do
• Do something spontaneous.
• Do something daring
• Do something dangerous
• Sleep under the stars
• Fall in love.

Joy and Dylan meet in a diner. When Dylan’s car breaks down and since they are heading in the same direction, Joy gives Dylan a ride.
They agree that Joy will drive and Dylan will pay for gas ~ additional 3 rules:
1. No last names.
2. Whatever happens on the road ~ stays on the road.
3. If one wants to take a side trip ~ both need to agree.

Early in the novel I was fearful that Dylan’s nasty language was going to be a challenge for my low tolerance. Have to admit Dylan’s nasty language was in character!
I was also fearful that Joy and Dylan’s relationship was going to be sort of a Stockholm or Helsinki Syndrome”. Although not a bond between captive and captor but two people with no previous connection are together for 10 days sharing secrets. It seemed to me that a very personal relationship was going to happen.

There were times I wanted to shake Joy. Her relationship with fiancé Mark was never going to make it as long as Joy kept secrets from him and continued to lead the life of her sister.

The story certainly kept me curious as to what Joy was going to do and you, too will be thinking “What if”?
I look forward to author, Kerry Lansdale’s next novel “ No More Words” the first in a new series available summer 2021.

Want to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishers for this early release granted in exchange for an honest review.

Break out ALL THE STARS...author Kerry Lonsdale has outdone herself again! 

Side Trip is everything (and more) that I have come to love from a book by Kerry. From strong characters to unique settings to an unable-to-put-down (even though I would be exhausted the next day) plotline, I was hooked from the first paragraph. 

While I eagerly flipped through each page dying to know what would happen next, I did truly appreciate the journey that the main characters, Joy and Dylan, embarked upon. The connection between them was so magnetic that you could feel the electricity through the pages from their first encounter. Joy and Dylan made this story buzz with excitement and anticipation from the moment they connected and put the car in drive.

Kerry has mastered writing the alternating timeline where it is so seamless that you are just as invested in what has happened in the past as you are in the current day story. 

Side Trip has it all - romance, suspense, joy, disappointment, dreams and a string of hope that ties it all together. 
And can I just talk about the ending?? OK, I won't because it's one you have to honestly read for yourself to even believe it. This is the type of book you immediately flock to find someone to talk about it with and would make for perfect book club discussion!

Thank you, NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Kerry for an e-ARC of this 5 star read! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was fortunate to receive an advanced reader's copy of this book from Kerry Lonsdale. I devoured the book in two days. It would have been one, if obligations in life hadn't gotten in the way.

The prevailing theme in the book is "What If". How many times have we asked ourselves just that question?

***Semi-Spoiler Alert***

Joy and Dylan take a 10 day road trip - starting out as complete strangers, becoming so much more. Sometimes it's the complete stranger that allows us to open up about ourselves, sharing details when "what happens in the car stays in the car".

I love how Kerry makes us love these two characters through their faults and struggles. Joy, grappling with the death of her sister and the guilt she feels that compels her to try to live her sister's life for her. Dylan, who feels he's doomed to repeat the relationship errors of his father and battles with a performer's nightmare - stage fright.

There's a huge twist towards the end of the book that brought this reader to tears because of the bond I felt with these characters.

The story, set on Route 66, in a convertible Beetle, with a musical theme just feels fun. I'd love to hop in the car and make my way across the country - taking a side trip here and there. So happy to have gotten to experience this Side Trip!

Wow! Another great book by Kerry Lonsdale! It kept me reading from page one, the only thing that kept me form reading it faster was just not having time. That ending....what a shock times two! Loved it!

This was the first book in a long time that I read within one day. I am a huge fan of Kerry Lonsdale, and her latest did not disappoint. This was one of the best love stories o have read in such a long time. It had depth, sweetness, and humor wrapped up in an intimate and quickly developing relationship. The surprise at the end was interesting and shows the talent that Kerry has as an author. I highly recommend this book!

OMG!!! Kerry never disappoints! This happens to be my favorite book of her so far, which isn't saying much because i have loved every single book she's written so far. I fell so in love with the characters in this book that i had to pull myself back to reality most times, the plot, the twists, everything was amazing! YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!

I've read all of Kerry's books, and this book is by far my absolute favorite. Everything you expect from a Kerry Lonsdale novel is in this book--fantastic characters, great setting, a story that draws you in so much that you can't put the book down--but this one really stands out. I absolutely loved Joy and Dylan. I felt their connection, and I even felt like I was on the road trip with them. I loved all the music references and "side trips" along the way. The character development and depth to these characters made them so easy to relate to, and get attached to! I felt like Joy and Dylan were real people. It was so hard to put the book down and even harder once I finished the book because I didn't want to leave these characters.

Kerry expertly alternated between time periods in this book. This format can be hit or miss for me and Kerry absolutely nailed it. The book includes flashbacks, the road trip itself, and the years after the road trip and it will all tug at your heart. It's such a beautiful story that will leave you emotional and thinking about the story long after you finish the book. More than a love story, this book is about forgiving yourself, making peace with the past, taking chances, and asking, what if?

This is hands down Kerry's best book yet--and deserves all the stars!

Kerry not only wrote another great book, but I think this one might be my favorite of hers!! There were secrets, betrayal, love, mystery.... and definitely some HUGE “wow” moments!!! A complete emotional rollercoaster of a journey! This will be a MUST READ on your summer reading list!! In the mean time, pick up her other books, I’ve loved them all!

Nothing provides greater satisfaction than relishing and reliving a good book. Even after reading this story weeks ago, I can honestly say that I am still unsure as to whether I am satisfied with the ending or would have preferred the alternative. Either way, my indecision is the mark of a wonderful novel. (Ultimately, Joy was finally able to let go of the past and open her heart.) As far as book boyfriends go, Dylan was a show-stopper.

Although it took a bit longer for this story to grab hold of me (especially with the jumps in the time line), I found it to be an emotional, thought-provoking, yet uplifting story. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Kerry Lonsdale for an ARC of 'Side Trip' in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

This was just okay for me. The previous books I’ve read from this author were more mystery-themed and this was more romantic. But the ending was absurd and not realistic at all so it really made the book fall flat for me.

I've read most of Kerry Lonsdale's books, and I've enjoyed all of them. This one is no different. This novel is about two individuals who meet up in a diner and drive across the United States along Route 66 over a week and a half journey with Joy's deceased sister's bucket list to accomplish along the way. It was a much different book than I was anticipating and a nice change from my typical genres that I read. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline, as well as the plot, which were well thought-out and accomplished. I look forward to seeing what else she has plans in the future. I definitely recommend this book.

I would like to thank the publisher/author/Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! It's been awhile since a book grabbed my attention and heartstrings like this one and I couldn't tell you the last time I read a book within a 2 day time frame but I just couldn't walk away from this one. Joy and Dylan are loveable characters, Kerry does such an awesome job of building the relationship along the road trip and as the relationship grows so do the characters. The ending about did me in! Thank you Kerry Lonsdale and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this amazing book!

Another hit from Kerry!

Joy is on a road trip driving along Route 66 from California towards her fiancé in New York. In her pocket is a list- a bucket list of her deceased sister. Joy is taking the trip that Judy was going to-in her honor.... But holding onto a big secret.

Dylan is the son of a famous singer. He just wants to write songs for others to perform. He's headed to Chicago-playing in dive bars along the way. He's doing this to honor his father's last wishes. He doesn't want to but there's a secret he's holding onto.

They find themselves together. Taking side trips along the way. What happens is a great friendship and more.

The story tore my heart in two and then mended it in a very interesting twist. It made me cry out of sadness and then out of happiness.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Side trip
Kelly Lonsdale
Release date 7-11-20

What a beautiful story chock filled with resentment, forgiveness, love and loss. This may officially be the best book of 2020 that I read.
We follow Dylan and Joy who meet and travel across country together. They are both jaded, and have secrets they are not quite ready to share. Joy is a women I could easily relate to and would love to have in my corner. She is at a crossroad, she is heartbroken and needs to find her way, she is devastated at what life has handed her..... Dylan also has turmoil in his life and trying to work through it and figure out his own path. Their lives intersect at a very pivotal time. The characters become alive, I found myself wondering what if..... many times during the book.

I believe in destiny and think certain people come in and out of your life with a true purpose. Kerry Lonsdale does not disappoint. She makes you question falling in love so quickly while also questioning timing.

Can love last when you are broken? Such a moving story that will stay with me for a long time. Go into this book blind, I found it complex and would NEVER of guessed the ending. A romantic read filled with suspense and a longing to believe everything happens for a reason.

Thank you the NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me the ARC for my honest review of It Side Trip.

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Just when I thought I couldn’t love an author any more than I do, Kerry delivers AGAIN.
What a JOYRIDE I just went on.
Joy and Dylan might possibly be my favorite fictional duo.
I just finished this book and my head is still spinning, so I will update this review when I can formulate words again.
Just know that I LOVED THIS STORY.

Joy and Dylan have a complicated story. They meet as they both take a road trip for differing reasons. Dylan is fulfilling a request and really doenst want to be there, and Joy is grimly following in her sister's bucket list footsteps.
I found the side trips the most interesting, and wasnt expecting Joy to be leaping into the air from a great height.
The ending was unexpectedly gentle.
Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy of this book.

Kerry broke my heart. Ripped it right out of my chest, shattered it, stomped on it for good measure, and then put the pieces back together. What. A. Trip! I cried real tears, something no other book has ever made me do, for Joy and Dylan's story. Their journey, both individually and together, is something so relatable, so understandable, that I forget this was fiction, a book. I didn't realize how much I had come to care for Joy and Dylan until I had literal tears streaming down my face. I haven't read a book in one sitting in YEARS. Joy and Dylan grabbed me right from page one. 10/5 stars.

Love this surprising and twisting love story about two lost and lonely people offered a chance at happiness. Will they take it....or let life make those choices for them? A highly romantic and heartwrenching story by a writer who rarely takes the expected route.

Side Trip is a rollercoaster of emotions that will leave you thinking long after you finish reading. Joy and Dylan meet by chance, each with their own secrets and regrets and on a journey to whatever might come next. Their connection is undeniable though and their brief, unexpected adventure changes both of their lives in unexpected ways. Told in both present day and flashback, Kerry Lonsdale does a remarkable job of creating characters, settings and relationships that produce all the feels for readers.