“A great pick for your book club this summer.” —Working MotherCrushed by guilt over the car accident that killed her father and sister, and torn apart by her mother’s resentment, Darcy Goodridge fled her family estate eight years ago and hasn’t looked back. Now an unexpected phone call threatens to upend what little serenity she’s found. Her nephew, Emerson, who was just a baby when his mother … a baby when his mother died, has gone missing. Darcy must return home and face her past in order to save him.
Once back in Ohio, Darcy realizes there’s more to Emerson’s disappearance—and to the sudden retirement of her mother, Rosalind—than meets the eye. As she works to make inroads with Rosalind, Darcy begins to unravel a decades-old secret that devastated her family and forced a wedge between her and Michael Varano, the man she left heartbroken when she vanished after the funeral. After carrying the scars of that fateful night for almost a decade, Darcy is determined to find closure, healing, and maybe even love where she lost them all in the first place—right back home where she belongs.
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I really loved this book! Darcy is such a damaged soul she can’t find herself, but manages to save Samson. She’s been lost for a long time, but Samson believes that she will find her North Star if she can only find the will to look. Darcy and Sampson, who has just aged out of foster care, form an improbable bond that will carry them through the darkest of times. I really loved all the characters and enjoyed watching them evolve, change, and embrace each other. It was a difficult book to put down and I highly recommend it! My fingers are crossed that Christine Nolfi will write another book to follow this one because I’m not ready to leave their lives just yet!
Darcy Goodridge has been running from her past for eight years, and now she is being called back home. As much as she fights it, she returns to the home she grew up in and has to face her secrets. Along with her is an 18 year old young man, Samson, who she befriended and how is searching for his North Star after being released from the foster care system. Waiting for her is her 8 year old nephew Emerson, who is wise way beyond his age and yearning for stability and love in his young life. Can Darcy face her mother, her past love, and the reasons she ran away….and still be what Emerson and Samson need her to be? The neighbor and her mother bring another whole element into the story, with their love of Emerson, and their own secrets. The story captures the readers’s attention with the journeys of the characters through family crisis and challenges. This book is well worth the read and the emotional ups and downs it brings with it. I received an ARC of this book from the author and Lake Union Publishing in return for an honest review, which this has been. #TheRoadSheLeft Behind
I got this for being a arc member . At first I had difficulty getting into this book but when got further into it couldn’t put down. A good book must read . Kind of has a cliff hanger . Want to know what happens to them .
Darcy has never been close to her mom Rosalind. After an accident takes the lives of Darcy’s dad and sister, Darcy leaves home. 8 years later Darcy returns home. She brings with her Samson who is like her little brother. Rosalind her mother is not happy to see her but her 8 year old nephew Emerson is. As they learn to be together again, lots of family secrets come to the surface. This is an amazing story of family, love, and forgiveness. The characters are so real and multi layered you are laughing and crying with them. If you like stories with amazing characters and a wonderful story then this book is for you! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.
Christine Nolfi masterfully tells the story of Darcy and Rosalind and their losses through life. The mother and daughter attempt to navigate a new way of communicating in this standalone book. This is a book about finding yourself in the least likely place. It also touches on a little-known, but impactful disease that was very personal to me. It brought up the topic, and gave it some detail, but not too much (which was good. It’s a very confusing ailment). While it discussed some of the possible treatments, I appreciated that it did not beautify the terrible disease, nor did it get into the nitty gritty details. The book discusses as much as was necessary to propel the story along. I loved the Sweet Lake series, but I enjoyed this book even more. I hope she continues to write similar books. While there were elements of predictability, there were also surprises along the way. It was the perfect brain break I needed between graduate school semesters.
Three women, two families, secrets…Christine Nolfi gets right into the hearts of the characters.
Tragedy strikes, Darcy leaves blaming it all on herself. 8 yrs later she returns home after a phone call from her mothers housekeeper. With her comes a young coworker whom looks to her as a substitute older sister or mother figure. Can she unravel her distant Mother, build a relationship with her nephew,
Pull her life together?
Read this great book and find out.
I highly recommend!
Definitely one of my favorite books so far this year.
This book has it all and clicks so perfectly. From the characters to the plot to the atmosphere. I loved every single character, even the high and mighty grumpy Grand Dame. Darcy comes home after eight years because her nephew has gone missing. She’s carrying a heavy weight on her shoulders feeling guilt for things that happened in the past. Her mother blames her, too. I loved the relationships, past and present, and the stories that went along with them. Anyone who has ever watched General Hospital, the eight year old nephew has the personality of Spencer Cassidine. I loved it! A lot of revelations and healing take place in this book. Highly recommend it!
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC
Darcy is just a young woman who hasn’t been dealt the best hand of cards. She has spent the last several years of her life running from heartache and grief. Along the way, she meets Samson, who has just aged out of the foster care system. Just when you think that he is a minor part of her story, he becomes a large part of her journey to find herself again. Unfortunately, Darcy’s nephew, Emerson is missing and she is faced with the dilemma of returning home to help or keep running. In order for Darcy to truly free herself from her grief and guilt over tragic events that happened in her life, she must face the places and people in which the pain originates. It isn’t an easy journey. How can Darcy prove herself to her mother, who is overrun with grief herself and looking for someone to blame, and has never understood her daughter? Darcy is fortunate to have so many people in her life who love and support her and push her to be her best self. Is their support enough to help Darcy find happiness again?
Christine Nolfi is a fabulous writer! This might just be my favorite book from her yet! She writes with such great detail and her words have such a fabulous flow. In many books that I have read, authors tend to ruin a book just for the “shock” factor or resolve things in the story line much too soon, but not Nolfi. The timing of every single detail of this story was perfect.
The characters were amazing. Even though I have not experienced the hardships they faced in the story, I found each of them so relatable because of their character traits and beliefs. Characters that I would never expect to have a big role, turn out to be so remarkable and loved! Everyone comes together in such a beautiful and perfect way.
I couldn’t put the book down, nor did I want it to end!
Christine Nolfi has a way of taking a problem such as the family strife in this story and making it something to which anyone can relate. The Road She Left Behind brought me into the life of Darcy and how her past shaped and guided the different directions she chose. This was a story that wouldn’t let me leave and left me wanting more at the end. I cheered and I cried as I read. Sometimes I did both at the same time.
This is another must read story by a very talented author.
Full of strong, heartfelt emotions, this story grabbed me from the beginning. Regret over past mistakes has caused lives to be changed for two families. I could feel the pain of decisions made long ago. I could feel the love still there among the hurt and sadness. My tissue box was close by while I read the story. A great read. I received a complimentary copy of this book. No review was required.
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“We’ve all got a star in the heavens. one made special just for us.”
This novel portrays love, family, friendship, heartache and a lot of guilt.
The main character, Darcy returns to Ohio to find her eight year old nephew, Emerson. She also will find herself in this process after feeling lost for years.
Messages have been missed, misconstrued and hidden deep under the carpet over the years.
The Goodridge family need to iron them out before time runs out.
A wonderful story with characters I will not forget anytime soon.
These people are so real that you feel as though they are friends.
If I have to pick a favorite, it would be Emerson. A young boy with insight, sensitivity and a heart filled with love looking for his star!
A delightful novel as are all of Christine Nolfi’s books!
The Road She Left Behind is a beautifully told story of complicated family dynamics. A perfect summer read!
Darcy left home years ago and never staying in one place long enough to form attachments. When a family emergency calls her home she must face the grief she has been running from.
Once again Christine Nolfi creates an endearing cast of characters, including Darcy’s harsh/overbearing mother, her cheeky nephew and her childhood best friend. As the story unfolds Darcy uncovers some long kept family secrets and finds a stronger version of herself who is worthy of love.
Darcy thought she had moved on from her past. She worked hard to keep the secret. She knows she will never go home. Then a phone call changes everything. Darcy will be forced to face the past to save her nephew. She wonders if facing the secret will destroy what’s left of her family.
Oh my! Well written and steady paced, this book will make you look at family secrets differently. The characters have the most terrific personalities. From page one, Ms. Nolfi pulls you into the story. Her storytelling is definitely world class. You’ve got to make Ms. Nolfi and auto-buy author!
I found no issues.
I gave this one 5 cheers out of 5 because Ms. Nolfi makes you feel all the feels. copy of book provided by author and I voluntarily reviewed it.
Nolfi picks topics to write that easily resonates with the human experience. In The Road She Left Behind, the universal topics of the mother/daughter dynamic, grief, betrayal, devastated friendships, and relationships that are affected by years of rigid pride, loneliness, and secrets, shows that people everywhere suffer through the ups and downs of family dysfunction and that if we were to try to understand each other despite resentment and grief, before illness or tragic events force us to, we’d waste less time estranged from those we love most. There’s always room from multiple second chances if you’re courageous enough and this novel shows us that.
This was my first book by Christine Nolfi. Was expecting a great story and I was not disappointed! Some of it was predictable but it does have its surprises. Ended a bit too suddenly so hoping for a sequel. Looking forward to more of her books.
I loved this book from the very beginning to the end. Combines family issues with romance and left me wanting more.