Claire reluctantly agrees to.accompany Jonathon on a road trip on Route 66. She is pushed well.out of her comfort zone, but will it be worth it in the end?

This story is a heartfelt and uplifting journey of self-discovery, laced with romance, vulnerability, and just enough roadside charm to make you want to pack your bags and hit the highway.

Claire Marin, a protagonist many will relate to, starts the novel burdened by fear and anxiety. But when she’s coaxed into a cross-country road trip with the enigmatic author Jonathan Edwards, the story takes off—literally and emotionally. As they cruise down the historic Route 66, the narrative blossoms into more than just a travelogue. It becomes a deeper exploration of what it means to face your past, trust your instincts, and allow space for love.

From cozy bed-and-breakfasts to classic diners, the atmosphere is warm and nostalgic. Claire’s evolution feels genuine, and Jonathan, while perhaps a bit idealized, serves as a solid catalyst for her growth. Their chemistry develops slowly and believably, giving the romance an organic feel that avoids cliché—most of the time.

At times, the pacing stalls with introspective detours, and certain plot developments feel a touch predictable. But overall, the emotional payoff and sense of empowerment make up for it. It’s the kind of comforting, quietly inspiring story that sticks with you after the final page.

If you are a fan of road trip romances, healing journeys, or stories about women reclaiming their strength and purpose, then this book is definitely for you.

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Claire Marin is crippled by her agoraphobia, self-doubt and anxiety. She writes a travel blog using the pictures from her sister's trip She is given an opportunity to go on a road trip with her former professor and mentor to co-write a book for contest. She needs to win that money to cover her finances when an unexpected change happens. It forces her out of her condo and on to the open road with Jonathan.

I enjoyed this book very much. The first few chapters were a little rough because the author's description of Claire's anxiety was so realistic it made me anxious. I truly felt for her and wanted to see her succeed. Her personal journey was filled with bumps along the way but it was inspiring to see the developments along the way. The physical journey was interesting and included real places with history. I don't think it should have been called a romance because that part was strictly secondary and a slow, slow, slow burn..

I would recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

a heartwarming and uplifting novel. one for the soul this book is.
this is more than just a journey of locations. its one for the inner world locations of the character too. its brave and fearful. its raw and worrisome. and its touching whilst exposing. its not easy to do, to try overcome demons, especially when some demons have literally formed into making you ill. the courage to do so doesn't come easy, sometimes doesn't even come at all. its all very well in even our real world to question why someone doesn't just "get over it, get help, why not now, why then if they manage, what even is it "snowflakes"(ugh term should be abolished) but there is so much more going on for people. so much to unpack when things like this hit. and its never a choice. not in the far too often ignorant way people are STILL calling it.
and so this book gives us Claire. shes living with fears. fears of many, even to the point of fearing the outside world. she writes. but she writes places she never been able to go and she hides behind her writing. getting lower in her ebb she braves a chance, an option, a offer to travel across the route 66 with her professor. and something finds a chink. something finds a opening in her. there is hope alighting.
when Claire takes a leap with Jonathan and opens up to more and more courageous routes taken she is slowly healing, finding new, and might even blossom because of it.
this is a wonderful read. i felt truly inspired by it and was rooting for Claire the whole way through. and lots of times i wanted to scoop her up and just make sure she was ok and would be ok.
getting to witness her feelings going from complete impossible dread to hope and even excitement was such a gift.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

So from the cover, I went into this thinking it would just be a silly little road trip story - heartwarming but very lighthearted. I'm happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised at the depth and story of healing, growth, and connection.

Claire is a 32 year old woman that is attempting to live with severe agoraphobia and anxiety - she writes about places that she's never been, but uses her sisters photos in order to write and she hides behind her blog rather than experiencing things herself. When things fall apart though, Claire accepts a offer from her former professor in order to travel across America via Route 66. Slowly Claire works at healing, at facing her fears, and trying to re-discover who she is as a person outside of the anxiety. Watching her slowly open up and feel some excitement as she steps outside the little bubble in which she contained herself is incredibly satisfied to read.

The slow burn romance is just a sub-plot, but the real joy from this book comes from seeing growth and understanding how having the right support system can truly change everything.

A cozy road trip read, this novel felt more like one woman’s journey through her anxiety than it did a romance. It was fun to read about the places they visited along the way though! I thought the dialogue felt a tad stiff or unnatural at times and there were errors that took me out of reading the story. I would be interested in trying something else by this author again!

I would hesitate to classify this book as a romance, it’s more of a self-discovery journey in my opinion. Although there is a romantic connection between Claire and Jonathon, I didn’t feel like we really got a lot about the development of their relationship. I could see where the author was going but it was lacking for me. It felt like their relationship teetered too frequently between colleague, friend, and more.

The writing style often felt clunky and repetitive to me. There were also some writing errors (like using the sisters name instead of the main character’s name at times) that really threw me off.

I liked the underlying theme of Claire finding her confidence and maybe I just don’t know enough about agoraphobia, but it just felt really jumbled in terms of her growth throughout the book.

It was fun to read about stops along Route 66 and I thought it was interesting the brief pops of history that were sprinkled in! I also want to visit every single B&B they went to.

This book was a tough finish for me. I found the writing highly repetitive, and I did not feel that we actually got to know the characters. We know extremely little about Claire's anxiety and only find out the root of it about halfway through the book. While I know nothing about agoraphobia, her condition did not ring true to me. Why is she afraid, so that she needs to put extra locks on her door? I was left with many questions unanswered, while certain details (even phrases!) were repeated to the point where I just wanted to stop reading.

Lol I absolutely adored this book!
In some ways it reminds me of my own journey that we took. But not along rt 66
It was rt 70 and then on 40 back.
I feel like I'm reliving my own adventure.
I enjoyed watching Claire come out of her fear and anxiety on this journey.
Turns out she's a remarkable person herself. I really enjoyed in getting to her.
We can't leave handsome Jonathan out either. I liked him instantly. I loved his encouragement to Claire as her friend and confident. What a great guy!
I simply couldn't put this book down! It was very exciting and a grand adventure in itself.
I didn't want this story to end. I hate to say goodbye to a wonderful stories like this.
I've learned a lot through this book. Places I'd never heard of and some I've been to. Wow!
Meeting new friends along the way was my favorite part of this story. Especially Mabel. She tickled me pink.
You'll see why when you read this book.
Claudia was a wonderful character too.
I enjoyed her tour as well.
I'm so very glad that I decided to read this book.
I like that cover of the book holds the many mysterious places that one might want to go to or be pleasantly surprised when they get there.
I think that's the magical part of this story.
5 stars for a job well done and for keeping me engaged. I highly recommend
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

The Journey (4.29): Don’t judge this book by its cover. It’s a cute and courageous story of a woman plagued with anxiety and agoraphobia and her journey traveling along Route 66 with an old flame. I loved the main character, Claire and working through her challenges along the way.

An emotional and uplifting read about growth, healing, and daring to step outside your comfort zone ✨🌿🚗. The romance is very light and definitely takes a backseat 💭—this story is more about the power of supportive friendships and family bonds ❤️‍🩹👭. Claire’s journey is full of baby steps, setbacks, and quiet wins that made me root for her every mile of the way 🥹. A warm, gentle reminder that change is possible—even when it feels impossible 💫
⭐️ 3.5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a free ARC copy to read!