Side Trip by Kerry Lonsdale is a romance, not my usual go to genre but I have been impressed by the author before so I decided to give it a shot, and I am glad I did. 
Newly engaged Joy Barton is driving solo cross country to reunite with her fiance. The road trip is a tribute to the sister she lost years before in a tragic accident, and along the way she plans to tick off items on the bucket list her sister created years before in an attempt to live for her and expiate some of the guilt she feels about her role in the accident. While stopped at a diner one day she notices a handsome young man who is having car trouble, and somewhat reluctantly agrees to give him a ride to a nearby town. Dylan Westerfield is on a road trip with a mission too, and he has a tight schedule he must adhere to, so he needs Joy to give him that lift, since he is a songwriter and musician ,and he's got a gig to get to. Despite a little initial friction because of their opposing personalities, the two are soon getting on better than either of them anticipated and they agree to continue their trip together all the way to New York.  She's engaged and he does not believe that music careers and romance combine well, so what could possibly go wrong as long as they stick to the rules - no second names, what happens on the road stays on the road, and any side trips must be mutually agreed upon. 
No prizes for guessing that sticking to the rules proves to be a challenge, and that the two find themselves increasingly drawn to one another, but will they decide that what they share is more important than the promises they have made, to themselves for Dylan, and to her fiance for Joy. 
The book uses three different time frames , flashbacks to the past, the time on the road, and after the events of the road trip, and its a device that works particularly well in the hands of a skilled storyteller like Lonsdale. Joy and Dylan are the heart of this book, and if they are not believable characters and you cannot buy into the chemistry between them , the book would fall flat, Fortunately they leap to life from the page, with plenty of sizzle, and as the reader gets to know them over the course of the book, it is impossible not to hope for the best for them. More than anything I liked how Joy finally learned to accept what had happened in the past and move on to live her life for herself instead of her sister since I found it a little frustrating to see her sublimating herself out of guilt. Without spoiling the ending, I will say I found it a little frustrating, almost as though the author second guessed her original plan and instead went with something she thought would be more crowd pleasing, for me the book would have had more impact without that final twist. 
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I've enjoyed a few of Kerry Lonsdale's other books and really loved this stand-alone. It's both a sweet and tragic family, adventure and love story with characters you can relate to. It had some Bridges of Madison County vibes and you will always wonder about 'what ifs'.. Nicely done.

This book had me hooked from the beginning. I usually am not a fan of the typical love stories, they just annoy me for some reason making the women seem like damsels in distress. This one, though, empowered the woman and really made her make the choices that she felt were the best for her in her life. It was a very interesting story line and I found myself unable to put this book down. The ending got me good too. I would highly highly recommend this book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I loved traveling Old Route 66 with Dlyan and Joy! Instead of chasing the sunsets, they went for the sunrises. Each having secrets, and sad tragedies haunting them. Will they truly open up because what happens on the Old Route 66, stays! And there are side trips but only if both agree! A fun summer Side Trip, with a few bumps along the way! Don't throw the book, keep reading for you will love the trip!

I've read every book by this author and have enjoyed them all. This story is the polar opposite of her intense suspense thriller LAST SUMMER. In SIDE TRIP, the characters take us on a unique journey - a romantic "what if" view of the various possibilities when we meet the person our gut tells us is "the one." Do we listen to our gut and take a chance or do we stick with the life we'd already planned out?

Joy is ridden with the guilt of her sister's death, hoping her Route 66 trip will erase that guilt. Dylan is on a cross-country guilt trip of his own, thanks to his recently deceased father. When Joy and Dylan meet, sparks fly. But this is more than a romance story, this is a story about the guilt we carry, the path we feel we "should" take in life, the responsibilities and fear of taking a chance and the fear of failing if we do.

The best thing about this book is the twist toward the end, the insight into the possibility of true happiness when we dare to follow our "what if" options in life.

It's a quick read, and one that will inspire you to look back at those specific times in your life (we all have them!) where decisions you made that once seemed insignificant ended up completely changing your life - whether for better or worse.

Thanks so much to the author and publisher for providing me an ARC of this heartfelt read!

Side trip is a story that you willn't be able put down. A young girl carries her guilt to the extreme. You'll slowly learn as she take her trip cross country. The characters will become a part of you. Taking this trip will help you understand her.

Side Trip is a fun read.  If you ever wanted to take a trip on Route 66. You can do it in your favorite chair with this book.  I enjoyed this book.  It held my interest for the entire "trip".  I recommend this book.

What happens on the road stays on the road! Cute story of a ride down Route 66. Romance and adventure.  A bit hard to stay focused at times, dragged a little. I did enjoy the story and am glad for the opportunity given. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher.

This book is really good. Knowing this author you will get this beautifully weaved story and it will affect your heart when you least expect it. I was not as invested in the characters it felt there was a bit too much disconnect to build their story. I think the last few chapters the development was there and I did feel invested but since I didnt connect until the end I felt at times like I wanted to put the book down. I think it is a cute story about a road trip that will change everyones lives becuase this book touches on a lot of very serious issues that are not typically found in books. i think if a minor revision occurred this would be amazing to every reader.

Two strangers and a long long road trip to New York. They agree that everything that happens on the road stays on the road. Although, what could happen as she is engaged and he doesn't believe in love or love at first sight. Another wonderful story of opposites attracting by Lonsdale!

Chick lit lovers will doubtless love this book!  Sadly, I'm not among them.  I only made it through 50%.
I appreciate this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This one had me from the start. Joy is off on an adventure to fulfill her dearly departed sisters bucket list on Route 66. Not long in ........ boom Dylan appears. I was really intrigued to see where this one is going. 

I totally loved Dylan and Joy's connection. They just seemed to flow and I believed thier friendship. 

What happens on the road stays on the road. They truly believed they could keep that promise to each other. Dylan and Joy's travels were great. Thier sidetrips were the best. Together they were truly living. It's just too bad the road had to come to an end. 

There were certain parts of the book, that I felt dragged for me. However, over all I truly enjoyed this story. 

It's a story of growth, lies, loves, family and being happy with oneself.

I'm a huge Kerry Lonsdale fan, I've read all her books.  I really enjoyed this one, she's a great storyteller and her characters really draw you in and kept me invested in the book until the very end.  I highly recommend this book, 5 stars!

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Side Trip by Kerry Lonsdale is a book of "what ifs". There a a couple of twist...one I saw coming and one I didn't A little slow at times but stayed up late to finish once I got closer to the end. Loved this one.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my review.

I had a hard time getting into the novel The first chapter was too slow and seemed a little all over the place.  I was able to get about half way through the book before putting it down. I would love to get back to it another time but as for now, this just wasn't for me.

This book was a wonderfully paced, emotional journey that took me on quite the ride (pardon the pun). Deftly combining humor and heart, SIDE TRIP is a story about love but it is so much more than a love story. 

I love Kerry Lonsdale’s writing and this book might just be my favorite yet. It deals with complex emotions in a deeply relatable way that had me both rooting for Joy and Dylan while also resigned to what I expected the ending to be. But as Lonsdale is a master at incorporating unexpected twists and turns into her stories, the ending was a complete surprise. 

I sped through the book, unable to get the characters out of my head and desperate to know what would happen to them. For me, the true sign of a great book is when I am both sad to reach the end but satisfied with the journey that got me there. That was precisely the case with SIDE TRIP. I highly recommend you pick up a copy when it is released on July 7th.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for the advance reading copy.

I received an electronic Advanced Reader ops through NetGalley.

I loved Dylan  and Joy, I loved experiencing their road trip with them.

Sadly, I have to go against the grain with this review. After reading all the glowing reviews by others, I was really looking forward to reading Side Trip, my first one by this author.

I found the book too chick lit-ish and romance-y. Are those even words? I found my mind wandering as I was reading it. I could not connect with the characters. 

Then, I hit the last 20% of the book. Redemption! The ending did make the whole read a better experience for me. 

I'm sure the majority will enjoy Side Trip, it just was not the right book at the right time, for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance readers copy in exchange for a review.

Side Trip was an emotionally impactful story. Delving into loss, love, and longing in a very fresh way, it had all the feels. This is Kerry Lonsdale at her finest.

I've read all of Kerry Lonsdale's books and have liked some and loved others.  

This one was setting up to be my very favorite, until maybe the last 15-20% of the book.  In true Kerry Lonsdale fashion, there are unexpected twists and turns of events.  The "before" was amazing, especially as Joy and Dylan came to the final parts of the trip.  I loved how they meshed and helped each other grow, even in the short time they knew each other.

I also liked a lot of the "after" portions of the story.  Blending the two sections together worked well, but when the story takes a tragic turn, it really changed the tone for me.  I went from thinking I was going to cry happy tears to feeling real disappointment!

The last portion of the book was "now", and shows the real ending of the story.  It is much shorter than "after", but much more meaningful.  Even though it gave me the happy ending I was looking for, it felt anti-climatic.  The transition from "after" to "now" felt choppy.  I would have loved it if the ending had wowed me more!

I'm very thankful to NetGalley for the ARC.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3303315622