The Truth Is in the Detours

A Novel

by Mara Williams

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Pub Date 12 Aug 2025 | Archive Date 26 Aug 2025

Lake Union Publishing

General Fiction (Adult) | Women's Fiction

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Description

In this sharp-witted and poignant novel, two former friends with a complicated history are thrown together on an unexpected road trip, where old lies unravel and new truths emerge with every mile marker.

Ophelia Dahl has just buried her beloved father when she finds among his personal effects a blindsiding document. The mother Ophelia thought died thirty years ago isn’t dead after all—she abandoned her. But how could she, and where is she now? With some neighborly help, Ophelia’s going to find out.

Beau Augustin is an acclaimed author and Ophelia’s childhood bestie turned teenage nemesis, still chafing after all these years. As luck would have it, Beau’s current project—family deceptions—is set to take him across the West Coast. Ophelia has a brilliant idea: Beau’s book. Her life. Win-win. In a Subaru filled with baggage, they hit the road.

Despite detours, dead ends, and old grudges, Ophelia is desperate to unravel a lifetime of lies. And Beau’s research is a little more personal than he’s letting on. Mile by mile, they’re getting closer to their truths—and to each other—than they ever thought possible.

In this sharp-witted and poignant novel, two former friends with a complicated history are thrown together on an unexpected road trip, where old lies unravel and new truths emerge with every mile...

A Note From the Publisher

Mara Williams drafted her first novel in third grade on a spiral notebook—a story about a golden retriever and the stray dog who loved her. Now she writes novels about strong, messy women trying to find their way in the world. When not writing or reading, Mara can be found enjoying California’s beaches, redwoods, and trails with her husband, kids, and disobedient dog. For more information, visit www.marawilliamsauthor.com.

Advance Praise

“Why does childhood sweethearts to estranged friends to lovers have to go so hard? I loved all the history between Ophelia and Beau in Mara Williams’s The Truth Is in the Detours, and I loved watching them fall for each other as adults with all the complications that come with having more life experience. By the time they finally hooked up, I had been dying for it to happen—these two were always meant for each other! Mara Williams is definitely a romance writer to watch.” —Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of Never Been Shipped

“Clever, funny, and wonderfully romantic, The Truth Is in the Detours tells the story of a woman who finally gets to know herself. It delivers all the best story elements: delicious banter, tension, a road trip, gorgeous California settings, and hot romance. I devoured this sharp story. Mara Williams is a talent.” —Sierra Godfrey, author of A Very Typical Family

“A rare gem of a book that captures the beauty and pain of grief, love, and finding yourself, while still feeling like a hug. With sentences that sing and settings that feel like characters, The Truth Is in the Detours is the perfect blend of frenemies-to-lovers road-trip romance that will steal your heart and set it racing, and a woman’s journey to finding herself as she searches for the truth about her family. An outstanding debut.” —Holly James, author of The Big Fix

“Mara Williams’s debut is everything I love in a frenemies-to-lovers romance: delicious tension, fleshed-out history, and so much pining! The slow-burn romance between Ophelia and Beau delivers (and then some), and the mystery regarding Ophelia’s mom kept me riveted to the pages. Williams levels it up even further with masterful writing and vivid imagery that truly allow the reader to feel like a third passenger on the road trip. I could smell the salt water and feel the sand between my toes like I was right there with them. The Truth Is in the Detours is a must-read for this summer!” —Meredith Schorr, author of Roommating