The Roads We Follow by Nicole Deese Book Review
The Roads We Follow by Nicole Deese is a novel about family and learning to be who God created you to be. It follows characters on a cross-country road trip where they have to learn to lean on each other and accept each other for who they are.
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The Roads We Follow
Author: Nicole Deese
Pub. Date: Apr. 30, 2024
Series: Fog Harbor book 2
Genre: Adult Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 394
Rating: 4 stars
Spice: none
Content Warnings: grief, death of a parent, mentions infidelity, drunkenness, & drugs
Synopsis:
As the youngest daughter of a country music legend, Raegan Farrow longs to establish an identity away from the spotlight and publish her small-town romances under a pen name. But after her dream is dashed when she won’t exploit her mother’s fame to further her own career, she hears a rumor from a reliable source regarding a tell-all being written about the Farrow family. Making matters worse, the unknown author has gone to great lengths to remain anonymous until publication.
Raegan chooses to keep the tell-all a secret from her scandal-leery sisters as they embark on a two-week, cross-country road trip at their mother’s request and makes it her mission to expose the identity of the author behind the unsanctioned biography. But all is complicated when she discovers their hired bus driver, Micah Davenport, has a hidden agenda of his own–one involving both of their mothers and an old box of journals. As they rely on each other to find the answers they seek, the surprising revelations they unearth will steer them toward their undeniable connection and may even lead them down the most unexpected of paths.
Book Review
Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for the ARC and physical copy of The Roads We Follow by Nicole Deese. All opinions are my own.
Last year, I read my first Nicole Deese book, which was The Words We Lost, the first Fog Harbor book. I knew after enjoying that book that I would want to read the next book in the series.
While this book wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, I did really enjoy it.
Thoughts
The Roads We Follow is marketed as a contemporary romance, but I would say that the romance isn’t the focus of the book. With family being the main focus, I would classify it more along the lines of contemporary fiction or women’s fiction.
This story follows Raegan and Micah and is told using dual points of view. I enjoyed reading from both perspectives, and I think that added to the meaningfulness of the story.
One thing that Deese does well is to tell stories in such a beautiful and heartfelt way. I loved how she talked about family, faith, communication, and learning to accept yourself in the way that God sees you instead of focusing on what others want from you.
The Farrow sisters had such an unhealthy relationship with each other, so it was nice to see each sister grow and realize that they didn’t have to be stuck in the choices they had made.
Micah was such a sweet character. I loved how he and Raegan connected quickly and formed a strong friendship. I also liked that Micah helped reconnect the Farrow family members and taught them how to communicate better while also dealing with his own issues. He was so calm and thoughtful, and I liked how he brought out the best in other people.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a slower paced story that’s more about character growth and reuniting with family.
This is a story of redemption and growth. It shows that it’s never too late to change the path you have chosen in life.
Where to Read & Purchase
You can purchase a copy of this book at the following retailers:
Bookshop.org (supports independent book stores) [affiliate]
Libro.fm (audiobooks that support independent book stores) [affiliate]
→ get a free audiobook when you start a membership
Chirp (get 30% off your first purchase with code: JESS30)
Amazon [affiliate]
Books a Million (BAM) [affiliate]
AbeBooks [affiliate]
You can also find this book on:
Everand (30-Day FREE Trial)
Have you read The Roads We Follow or any other books by Nicole Deese?
I would love to hear your thoughts! Comment down below.
Other posts you might enjoy:
The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese Book Review
A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure by Angela Bell Book Review