An unforgettable and breathtaking novel of love, loss, and the unexpected routes that life takes from Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kerry Lonsdale.With her deceased sister’s Route 66 bucket list in hand, California girl Joy Evers sets out on a cross-country road trip to meet up with her fiancé, checking off the bullets along the way.Singer-songwriter Dylan Westfield has … way.
Singer-songwriter Dylan Westfield has a serious case of wanderlust and a broken-down car. Stuck at a diner between LA and Flagstaff, he meets Joy, his complete opposite. She’s energetic. He’s moody. She’s by the book. He’s spontaneous. She believes in love at first sight. He thinks love is a complicated mess. But Joy has a brand-new convertible.
They strike a deal. She’ll drive him to New York. He’ll pay for gas. Only three rules apply: no exchanging of last names; what happens on the road, stays on the road; and if one of them wants to take a side trip, they both must agree.
A heart-stirring love story that spans a decade, Side Trip explores what-if. What if Joy and Dylan had exchanged last names? What if he’d told her she made him believe love was worth the risk? And what if they hadn’t made that second deal when they couldn’t say goodbye?
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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.
Loved this unusual romance.
WOW, OMG and any other expletive you can think of. This book is the best yet and I have loved each one by Kerry Lonsdale that I have read. This book is a ride waiting to happen. It’s truly a laugh out loud, tearjerker, heartbreaking, heart fulfilling, story of love, loss, love found and new beginnings all in one. One that will stick with you.
Joy is living her life for her sister not for herself. She has blamed herself for her sister’s death since it happened all those years ago. She doesn’t see that she was only a child and most certainly could not possibly be responsible for what happened. The story of exactly what happened with leave you breathless and it will rip your heart right out too. It’s a sad story for sure but not one that a young girl needs to feel such guilt about. Joy is a kind, caring, compassionate, loving and truly free spirited person who deserves to live her own life.
Dylan is traveling cross country for his own reasons when he meets Joy and the two decide to travel together. They make a pact and stick to most of it. Dylan has a lot going on and is a somewhat private person and doesn’t want what he is doing to be made public. He has his reasons and you will learn what and why he is doing what he is doing. He’s also a very kind, caring and compassionate, loving person who is afraid of falling in love. He’s seen a lot in his life that makes him feel this way.
This is a very emotional book. Well written and filled with such hope for the characters. They will feel like people you know and love. You will hurt with them and for them. Cry with them and for them. The scenery feels so beautiful all the way from California to New York. The side trips are exceptional and will leave you breathless. You will feel like you are right there in the middle of it all.
I absolutely loved this book and didn’t want it to end, though that ending floored me. Wonder characters, plot, scenes, build. It was one of those books that makes you feel and you will love all those feels. This author outdid herself. No wonder it came so easy to her writing this one.
Thank you #NetGalley, #KerryLonsdale, #LakeUnionPublishing for this ARC. This is my heartfelt review.
I gave it 5/5 stars and a high recommendation to all.
A suspenseful haunting tale of two sisters who couldn’t have been more different. One tragically dies tragically and the other carries on, even finding her sister’s bucket list and making a cross country Route 66 trip to fulfill her sister’s dreams.
It is a fun summer read.
If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I absolutely would.
The poignant emotional “side trips” that Kerry Lonsdale took me on were heart-wrenching and I had tears in my eyes more than once while reading “Side Trip”.
I was instantly drawn in from the very first page and was on the edge of my seat!
Even heartbroken, but I had to continue …… I had to know how it all ended!!!
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for fair and honest review.
Two kindred souls both on their own journey’s ,meet one fateful day. Joy and Dylan connect through music as they drive to each destination and a few side trips along the way .Their friendship helps Joy shed her past and Dylan slay his demons. This lovely eye opening road trip will resonate with every reader .
Some Twizzlers, a cherry coke, an iPod, a guitar, a ring, a map, a list … what could go wrong or completely right? 10 days and only moments….
I loved reading this story with the different points of view and the interchanging of “before” and “after”
I enjoyed reading about these characters and who they are and how they became who they are. It was an interesting trip. I’m excited about how the story ended.
Can’t wait to see what Kerry Lonsdale comes out with next.
Unforgettable!
Fasten your seatbelt, double check it, because you are about to go on an amazing ride!! Once you dive into this story, you won’t want to put it down. I was completely riveted. My heart, was completely invested. Kerry Lonsdale creates an emotional, heartfelt tale. I thoroughly enjoyed and loved every single second of this book.
This is my absolute favorite Kerry Lonsdale book! It is an absolute MUST READ!!!
Kerry Lonsdale proves once again that romance love stories are a must in our life.
I loved this book so much from the first page to the last. It covers many life topics and not all are easy to digest but as the blurb says, it’s a book of what-ifs and a very well done one. I can’t even decide who I liked more, Joy or Dylan, two characters that are like water and oil but if you stir them up hard enough they will blend together into one.
A must-read novel for sure.
This book blew me away! What an emotional ride and an ending I totally did not see coming. Wow—mind-blown!
Joy sets out on a trip to honor her sister. Little did she know how much her life would change on this trip. She and Dylan, two strangers, agree to share a ride to New York after his car breaks down. But they lay down some rules before they start their trip.
Side Trip is an emotional, gut-wrenching, beautiful story that will make you feel all the feels and break your heart. It brought me to tears, that’s how close I came to the characters and the emotions they were going through. I can’t recommend this book enough. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I definitely would.
You really need to get your hands on a copy of Side Trip and take a trip thorough this story this summer. It will be a journey you won’t soon forget, I promise!
It always takes me a few days to digest Kerry Lonsdale’s novels before I am able to write a cohesive review which would describe my excitement for said novel. I’m elated to say, Side Trip is no different – perhaps Kerry’s best writing to date.
Side Trip will take you on a journey across Route 66 with two seemingly very different characters. Joy is on a trip to recreate her sister’s To-Do list. On the surface Joy is a buttoned up gal, living her life by the book – just as her sister would have done. Dylan is on a trip his father’s last will beseeched upon him. He is a musician, writer, artist – who lives life more freely, and is facing fears of his own. They meet at a cafe on Route 66, and their journey across America begins… they are tied to a strict timeline, due to Dylan’s commitments, but they take fabulous Side Trips along the way – to help Joy cross off things on her sister’s to-do list.
On these Side Trips, Kerry will make you fall deeply in love with both Characters. Though they each have flaws; you will laugh, cry, and cheer them on – to the very end – which has twists and turns you won’t see coming.
The storyline is easy to follow along, and the story will consume a better part of a few days of your life – so be prepared to put your life aside while you take one heck of Side Trip.
I enjoyed Kerry Lonsdale’s Side Trip immensely it is one of her best. Ms. Lonsdale wrote a wonderful story which drew me right in, making me forget everything else and did not let me go until I turned the last page. This was a very well written story with characters that were well defined. Just when I think her books can’t get any better they do I don’t know how she does it. I sat and read this book in one sitting it was that good. I had to keep turning the pages so I could find out what was going to happen. This was a love story with plenty of twists and turns and an ending that was unexpected. Side Trip is an emotional journey of life, sadness, joy, decisions, romance and love. You will laugh you will cry and you will feel like you are right there going on the road trip with the characters. This was a wonderful read, I highly recommend you pick up this book or any of Kerry’s books you won’t be sorry.
An emotional cross country journey for one woman turns into so much more than she ever could have bargained for. Her sister is gone. Guilt consumes her. Taking her last list of things to do on Route 66, her bags and her car, Joy sets out to live the life her sister no longer can. She never though the favor she does for Dylan Westbrook would change everything. Travelling together they find themselves throwing caution to the wind, taking side trips and lossing themselves in each other. But reality is always right there waiting for them. She has a fiancé, he has a job overseas. Will their journey be a side trip and the long winding road of life, or will they take the road less travelled and follow their hearts? It’s a beautiful story, with a bunch of heart and soul and an endless well of heartache and tragedy.
Side Trip is the perfect summer read!
A journey across country, spontaneous daily side trips, and the bearing of two souls.
Ride along with Joy and Dylan, both shedding and sharing memories of trauma. Beginning the drive as strangers, their relationship grows with each day. And night.
Kerry Lonsdale has given us a great story of escape. For her characters AND her readers
Side Trip follows Joy and Dylan on a road trip on Route 66 that will change their lives. Joy is headed from California to join her fiancé in NYC but her reason for taking this drive is much deeper – she’s trying to fulfill her dead sister’s Bucket List along the way. While stopping at a diner, she meets Dylan, a charismatic singer-songwriter whose car has just broken down. In an attempt to be spontaneous like her late sister, Joy agrees to give Dylan a lift to New York not realizing the repercussions this decision will have on both of them.
Joy and Dylan are two people whose lives are filled with regrets and what ifs. They’re lost and lonely but find comfort in each other as they learn how to deal with the ghosts of their pasts. But what happens on the road stays on the road and when their cross-country drive is over, they part ways, not even having exchanged last names, neither ready to take a detour from the plans they had even if it means missing out on true love.
This is the first book I’ve read by Kerry Lonsdale so I can’t compare it to her others but if you’re a fan of Colleen Hoover’s novels, you’ll love Side Trip. It’s sexy and fun with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. Joy and Dylan are a couple you can’t help but root for but the plot isn’t predictable – the ending truly surprised me! Lonsdale’s writing makes you feel like you’re on Route 66 with the couple and there’s even a Side Trip playlist to really set the mood. Throw this book in your beach bag – you won’t be disappointed.
Thank you to NetGalley, LakeUnionPublishing and the author for an advanced copy of this book.
Linda Zagon’s review Jun 30, 2020, · edit
it was amazing
Wow! Kerry Lonsdale, Author of “Side Trip” takes us on an emotional, memorable, intriguing journey of life, decisions, and love. The Genres for this story are Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Women’s Fiction, and Fiction. The timeline for this story takes place over a decade. The author describes her dramatic characters as complex and complicated.
Joy Evers is on a road trip to live out her deceased sister’s bucket list, and to meet up with her fiance Mark to start a new life. Joy is at a diner when she meets Dylan Westfield when his car breaks down. Both seem to have different and opposite personalities. Joy does offer Dylan, who is a musician a ride, with certain conditions. One condition is that if they have to take a “side trip” they must agree.
I read this in one sitting and felt like this was a journey into self-growth and the ups and downs of life. Both Joy and Dylan have secrets and have emotional baggage. I would highly recommend this thought-provoking novel that questions so many things about life.
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While moving from California to NYC to be with fiancé, Mark, Joy plans an epic road trip with various “side trips” along the way to fulfill her deceased sister Judy’s bucket list. But, what happens when her solo trip hits an unexpected speed bump? Will she roll with it, or stick to her original path? Either way, it adds up to 10 intense, unforgettable days!
If you’re unable to travel this summer, then let Side Trip take you on the road trip of a lifetime! The chemistry between Joy and Dylan (aka the speed bump previously mentioned) was palpable and intense. The story was sweet, romantic, and steamy, and I teared up several times. At one point, you’ll probably be tempted to throw the book out a moving car window, but please don’t do it. Instead, take a deep cleansing breath and then keep reading! If you loved Daisy Jones & The Six (4 stars) by Taylor Jenkins Reid, then I’d highly recommend this one.
“The tune made her think of love and loss and life’s unexpected routes, like the road that had led her to him.”
Location: Road trip along Route 66 from California to NYC
I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.