I've read every book by this author and have enjoyed them all. This story is the polar opposite of her intense suspense thriller LAST SUMMER. In SIDE TRIP, the characters take us on a unique journey - a romantic "what if" view of the various possibilities when we meet the person our gut tells us is "the one." Do we listen to our gut and take a chance or do we stick with the life we'd already planned out?

Joy is ridden with the guilt of her sister's death, hoping her Route 66 trip will erase that guilt. Dylan is on a cross-country guilt trip of his own, thanks to his recently deceased father. When Joy and Dylan meet, sparks fly. But this is more than a romance story, this is a story about the guilt we carry, the path we feel we "should" take in life, the responsibilities and fear of taking a chance and the fear of failing if we do.

The best thing about this book is the twist toward the end, the insight into the possibility of true happiness when we dare to follow our "what if" options in life.

It's a quick read, and one that will inspire you to look back at those specific times in your life (we all have them!) where decisions you made that once seemed insignificant ended up completely changing your life - whether for better or worse.

Thanks so much to the author and publisher for providing me an ARC of this heartfelt read! ( )

Thank you to the author for this book.

What a side trip this was. The before and after chapters were interesting for both Dylan and Joy. Nothing like working through a bucket list on Route 66 with the places you go and the "side trips" taken with a good looking "rock star."

No spoilers but the ending was just confusing and it was did it happen or not. ( )

Refreshing Departure. This book evokes both Laurie Breton's Coming Home and Emily Bleeker's Wreckage, and at least to this reviewer those are high compliments indeed - those two books easily rank among the best I've ever read. Here, Lonsdale breaks quite a bit from the mold she's created for herself over the last few years and indeed the one primary commonality across her last four books is not present here at all. Yet she shows her true abilities as a storyteller in still telling a phenomenal story even without that particular device, and truly masters the road trip style tale in the process.

The *one* criticism I have here is that to me, the book could have done without the final chapter and epilogue. To me, the book ends *perfectly* right before that point - but your mileage may vary in this regard, and indeed with the last chapter in particular, Lonsdale does something that would be a spoiler to reveal, but which adds extra depth to the book.

Still, truly a phenomenal work, a very refreshing new style from this author, and very much recommended. ( )

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. ( )

Side Trip was a delightful, breezy read that blended a drive to find meaning and purpose and fulfillment mixed with suspenseful romance. The clever, quirky, and easy-to-love characters quickly drew me in as I plunged into the journey with them. I highly recommend this for not only Kerry Lonsdale fans but also those who love a feel-good story that is not your run-of-the-mill perfect little romance, but real and meaningful with relatable characters and topics.