The Road to Tender Hearts: A Novel

5 star book

Ron's recommendation.

This was a big departure from what I normally read but I enjoyed it. It was a nice change; a bit cheesy at times with some funny moments and some endearing ones sprinkled throughout. PJ Halliday is a 63-year-old retired alcoholic who won the lottery and is embarking on a road trip in a "borrowed" Volvo with his adult daughter, 2 orphaned kids (who are oddly related to him) and an orange tabby who has his own story to tell-It is a wacky story-driving cross country to see his high school crush that got away with a side trip to TX to find Luna's "real" father. Once I got the background figured out and understood how the kids (Luna and Ollie) were related to him, I could follow the story better. All of the characters are flawed, and I found myself rooting for the kids the most, probably because they were kids. They had enough tragedy already. The more I read, the more they all tugged on my heartstrings. It is a quirky story about newfound family, grief and hopefulness with equal parts hilarious and heartbreak.

I liked this lighthearted book. I liked the kookie characters & their kookie road trip. It was an enjoyable easy read.

corny corny corny!!! i don’t understand why “easy to read” novels (ie plot driven modern fiction) have to be so flat. this book really smacked you on the head with any messaging it tried to convey. everything was “told”. i was looking for a little miss sunshine style romp and this delivered in some ways but by the end i was actively rolling my eyes. the characters all felt too juvenile, especially PJ. disappointing!!!