Every Beautiful Mile
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Synopsis
A widowed bartender, a summer road trip, the detour she never expected.
Penelope ‘Nel’ Crawford is stuck. At least that’s what her family tells her. A year after losing her husband of seventeen years, she’s still so deep in her grief that she’s barely hanging on, let alone living. She hardly recognizes her teenage kids and finds no joy in doing the things she once loved.
Her solution? An attempt to heal herself and the relationship with her kids with a summer road trip. From one destination to the next, Nel not only has to navigate life on the road, but the trials and tribulations of motherhood after loss.
When a detour leads her to a flirtatious restaurant owner she’s been emailing off and on for months, she starts to remember that life—no matter how unpredictable—is made for living. And the heart, even if broken, finds ways to love again.
Every Beautiful Mile will make readers laugh, cry, and remind them of the healing powers of nature, family, and love itself.
Synopses source: Goodreads
Review
Genre(s): Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Grief/Loss
HB&W Rating: 4 stars
View on Goodreads, StoryGraph
Buy on Barnes & Noble, Amazon
I was drawn to this book because it’s so rare to find romance books written for middle-aged women about middle-aged women. The FMC is the same age as me with roughly the same number of years married, and similarly aged kids. Being able to relate to that age and stage is a novelty I couldn’t pass up.
This romance was so much more than I could have hoped for. I was afraid it would prove triggering or depressing, but what I got was beautiful writing, insightful reflections, and an intimate portrayal of grief and its healing process.
I loved Nel’s relationship with her family and especially appreciate the portrayal of parenting teens. I loved the the road trip, the “Forced Fun,” and the serendipitous moments with people they met along the way that lent Nel perspective.
I really really loved Ethan. I love how patient and understanding he was, how safe he made Nel feel, and how he loved her. Plus those steamy scenes!
Such a beautiful, emotional, healing and hopeful read. This was my first book by this author and won’t be my last!
Until next time,
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