Nicole DeeseBesprekingen

The Roads We Follow is the first book I’ve read by Nicole Deese and definitely won’t be my last! I was immediately pulled in to this sweeping family saga following Country music star Luella Farrow and her three daughters on an iconic road trip from Tennessee to California. It’s a story filled with drama, secrets, forgiveness, romance, and reconciliation that made me laugh, cry, and sigh with happiness.

Youngest sister Reagan dreams of being a writer, but wants to make it on her own without using her famous last name. While things don’t quite go her way, she discovers that someone may be writing a tell all book about her mother. During the unplanned road trip with her mother & sisters, she tries to investigate who might be writing the book and enlists the help of the handsome bus driver who joins them on their journey. But, there’s more than one person keeping secrets and as they’re all unraveled they have the potential to bring them closer together or drive them apart.

School therapist Micah Davenport is still recovering from his mother’s death and the surprising news he learned about his father. Long ago, his mother Lynn was part of a famous country duo until something happened on their last road trip causing a rift between them. When he learns Luella’s in possession of his mother’s journals, he volunteers to drive the Farrow family across country in “Old Goldie,” the newly refurbished tour bus his mother and Luella traveled in back in 1994 to try to unearth the secrets of the past. Along the way though, he can’t help but be charmed by the youngest Farrow daughter. But suspicions and secrets are all around and it’s going to take his best therapist skills to help this family reconnect with each other.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were so many twists and just when I thought I’d figured things out, I was surprised. I loved Luella and couldn’t help but picture Dolly Parton in my mind every time she was on the page. She had that sweet, Southern charm that completely won me over. Each of the sisters presented their own unique challenges and issues and I enjoyed how my perception of them changed as each of their secrets were revealed.

Loved the romance between Micah & Reagan! It was a slow burn, instant attraction romance that sizzled with underlying romantic tension. Reagan’s a positive, nurturer and peacemaker who tends to try to fix everything for her family. She’s under constant pressure to maintain the family’s reputation by her older sister and hesitates to share her writing dream. I loved the way Micah encourages her dreams. I adored Micah. He carries a devastating secret, and had some resentment towards Luella at first. I enjoyed how we get a glimpse of his mom through her journals and the way it changes Micah’s perception of his parents and Luella.

Highly recommend this thoughtful, romantic, inspiring book! I loved the messages of forgiveness, reconciliation, and growth, not to mention the fantastic places they visited that I found myself needing to google. Though part of a series, I was easily able to read it as a standalone having not read the first book, but now I can’t wait to read it. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

I am a fan of Nicole Deese's writing. In The Roads We Follow, as in her other books, Deese examines the working of interpersonal relationships. In this book she focuses on communication and expectations, and does so with authenticity and without settling for superficiality. Given the variety of personalities, talents, experiences, and interests interacting in a small space as five people take a two-week road trip, there are many opportunities for readers to find a person or circumstance with which to relate. The plot of The Roads We Follow flows smoothly and is very engaging. I highly recommend this novel and am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Bethany House via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Not my favorite by this author (because nothing will ever top my favorite) but still well-worth the read.

4 Stars

Tropes: Romeo and Juliet
Content: kissing

4.5
would have liked some details tied up better at the end

Throw mom Luella Farrow, who is a Country Music Icon, her three daughters and the son of her deceased best friend onto a refurbished tour bus for a two week nostalgic road trip and you have unexpected consequences. Driver Micah: *I am not here by chance. And neither are any of my passengers.*
Youngest daughter Reagan, wants to be able to shine on her own, not in the shadow of her well-known mom. But her dream of becoming a writer of fiction stutters when someone threatens her family and its treasured history.
*Forgiveness. Both given and received. It is meant to come in a perfect pair, no matter how pride may tell us otherwise.* (Luella)
What struck me besides being a highly readable story about family, was how the characters were living out their faith and that God and scripture were their foundation. As in real life, the players were not without their mistakes and fears, but the author clearly showed the family working through obstacles thrown in their path. Long held secrets and old hurts surfaced to help the characters grow in ther faith.
But do not think this book is morose or solemn. There are wonderful descriptions of places visted and a liberal sprinkling of humor in the right places. I loved the old Inn where they stayed out in farm country. It was decorated in Wizard of Oz splendor. And romance is included as Micah and Reagan learn to trust eachother.
A well rounded womens fiction with a dash of romance.
*I received a complimentary copy from Bethany House via NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*

The Roads We Follow is a perfect blend of realistically flawed characters, a captivating plot, a budding romance, and an intriguing mystery. Talented author Nicole Deese has written an exquisitely-crafted story of the importance of family, the power of love, and the necessity of following your heart. She deals sensitively with some deep topics as she carefully unfolds the story layer by layer.

It was easy for me to relate to Raegan as she tried to deal with her sisters and their varied personalities and quirks, since I have several sisters myself. Micah was a trooper as he drove the bus for the three sisters and their mother Luella. That would be quite a daunting task for most people, and to do it while trying to solve his own mystery had me rooting for him. I enjoyed the trip across the United States visiting some interesting areas with the Farrow family as they recreate the road trip Luella took with Micah’s mother, Lynn, many years before.

Deese’s stories are always infused with plenty of deep meaning and brimming with wit and charm. This one is a beautifully written tale that takes the reader on a journey of healing, hope, and discovery. I recommend it to those who enjoy clean contemporary Christian fiction.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Bethany House through Interviews and Reviews. All opinions are my own.

This story is such a lovely read and I loved experiencing Raegan and Micah join the rest of the Farrow family on their cross-country road trip as they discover their family histories. Raegan's mother Luella is experiencing a resurgence in popularity with a song she once wrote with Micah's mother Lynn Davenport. The two were once inseparable, touring together through the late 70s and 80s but suddenly split ways in 1994. As Micah and the Farrow women retrace the stops of Luella and Lynn's previous trip in the 70s, the family learns how the two mothers began their music career, what caused their infamous split, and learn about what legacy they want to leave behind them.

"Life's too short to be questioning what you're doing with your time every day."

Nicole Deese has again penned a masterpiece. Set against the backdrop of a broiling family drama and layers of secrets buried beneath hurt and years past, Raegan and Micah's fresh and honest first person voices are perfect complements and guides for this journey of healing and reconciliation. Their voices are sometimes funny and flirty, oftentimes thought-provoking and contemplative, and always tender, lyrical and poignant. Raegan and her writer's brain was fun to follow around while Micah and his counselor's heart was quite lovely to behold. Raegan's famous mother and her two older sisters were a great combo of personalities. Forgiveness was at the heart of this story and it was rewarding to see all the characters finally see their own worth and potential.

Raegan and Micah are unforgettable characters. It was also nice to see Chip and Allie from the first book have cameo appearances here (maybe the next book will be about them?). If you enjoy contemporary romance with depth and soul, this book is for you.
I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Bethany House via Interviews & Reviews and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

Who doesn't love a road trip?! I sure do, so I loved the main setting for Nicole's new book: a family cross-country trip to a music festival location. This one proves to me far more complicated and involved than any I've been on, though, as we, the readers, are invited to get to know singer Luella's three daughters (Adele, Hattie and Raegan) and Micah, the son of her dearest friend and singing partner from years ago. We get to know their personalities, struggles, relationships...and family dynamics which have impacted them in the past and present, and quite possibly future as well. As always, the author writes a gripping story about people I wanted to get to know, and whose lives I grew to care about.

I’m not even sure where to start.

Nicole Deese has this a.m.a.z.i.n.g ability to pull on readers’ heartstrings with a story that may look like it is all fluff but it is so much more, so deep, and so powerful.

The lessons in “All That Really Matters” are spot on in this age of social media and Deese did it in a way that showed just how vulnerable social media can leave you yet it also showed how social media can be a good thing.

Silas and Molly are just so adorable, together and apart. And let me say that I am so looking forward to Deese’s next book because of the main characters.

Recommendation 18 due to two things though they were shown in a bad light as they should be.

I voluntarily received and reviewed a complimentary e/copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Amazing, fantastic, wonderful! These are just a few words I'd use to describe this book! The story is unique and original. The setting of Port Townsend is picturesque and filled with memories.

The characters are relatable and easy to like! Ingrid is so complex. Her childhood is filled with hardships that she keeps hidden from even her closest friends. Joel is a protector. He's strong, even tempered, and someone who can be relied on. Cecelia is brilliant!

There are some difficult subjects brought up. Alcoholism, abandonment, illness, and death. But, there is also hope. "But just as life doesn't end after a final breath, neither does a story end with the turning of a final page." This is true. I will be pondering this book for a while. It touched my heart.

A solid four star romance. Thanks to LibraryThing for the review copy. I’m glad I gave this one a chance.

What an amazing, heartfelt story about love and loss and learning to deal with grief. Once I started this novel I couldn't put it down and finished it in a day. I was greatly touched by the characters and their journeys of friendship and love.

Thanks to LibraryThing and Bethany House Publishers for an advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

Friendship, grief, and forgiveness are the hope-filled themes of this absorbing 5-star novel that can be summarized as “Three friends. Two broken promises. One missing manuscript.”

The novel begins with Ingrid trying to redeem her professional reputation as senior acquisitions editor at a San Francisco publishing house by locating a missing manuscript written by Cece, her recently deceased best friend and award-winning novelist. The present day story alternates with the past (written by Cece) as she explains what has happened via a history she wrote and left for Ingrid and Joel to read together.

The characters are all believable, the story is captivating, the villain is thoroughly devious. Author Nicole Deese skillfully describes the beautiful Pacific Northwest landscape as well as the emotions and struggles of the three main characters. Perhaps this story is especially authentic because it’s based on the author’s own grief experience – she lost her little sister at the age of 26, the same age as her character Cece.

Ingrid describes her relationship with Cece and Joel as the novel begins, “The three of us had been something wonderful once upon a time, sharing a bond in friendship that was almost too good to be true, but it hadn’t been that way for many years now. It was death that had divided our original trio into a duo, and death, once again, that had divided our duo into two broken individuals who’d lived as little more than strangers up until a week ago.”

This un-putdownable novel is a romance, a mystery, and a story of love, loyalty and the power of friendship. I highly recommend it.

57431

This is the first book I've read by this author. I found that there was a book before this, but it's not necessary to read it first. Nicole Deese has a way of writing that gets you into the plot and characters right away. I like the alternating chapters of Miles' and Val's points of view.½

I can finally write a review of this book after waiting a day for the tears to dry. What an emotional and heartbreaking read. You can tell that every word was poured into this book directly from the author's own tears and grief. It shows in every line and scene. I don't think I've ever read an author who has every nuance of every dialogue between characters so exactly right. My heart broke right along with Ingrid and Joel, Cece and Wendy. I even spared some tears for Captain Hal. This was a magnificent tour de force. And even though it was emotionally wrenching, I know I'll find myself wanting to return to this place again, to check in on these characters once again. And I can't say that about too many books. Excellent!

It felt like a good mix of emotions: grief, love, bitterness, homecoming, regret, relief, sacrifice, hope..... As I was lead along toward the ending, I hoped I was predicting correctly, but couldn't be sure until the end when things were resolved and/or explained. This is a book with Christian characters and principles, but it didn't feel to push it or hit you over the head with it, it was just a part of who they were and brought up occasionally. And I'm always a sucker for a book about books! This book fulfilled that in a few different ways, so that was satisfying. I recommend it!

Mollys Fans lieben sie. Könnte man die Anzahl ihrer Anhänger in Zahlen ausdrücken, wären es über 600.000, denn so viele Followers hat ihr Internetkanal. Doch das reicht nicht, sagt ihr Freund und Manager, Ethan. Innerhalb kurzer Zeit soll sie eine Million Follower haben, denn damit hätte sie große Chancen eine Hauptrolle bei einer Fernsehserie zu bekommen.

Molly sieht Ethan nicht oft, ihre Beziehung scheint in erster Linie aus geschäftlichen Verabredungen zu bestehen. Da Molly, wie ihr Freund sagt, wenig mehr als ein hübsches Gesicht ist, soll sie eine wohltätige Arbeit aufnehmen, um ihren Followern mehr Persönlichkeit zu zeigen. Ihr Zwillingsbruder kennt zwar eine Einrichtung, die perfekt zu passen scheint, doch bei einem ersten Vorstellungsgespräch ist sich der Leiter sicher, dass Molly überhaupt nicht zu seiner Einrichtung passt.

Doch was Molly neben ihrem Charm und ihrer anziehenden Persönlichkeit auszeichnet, ist Beharrlichkeit. Schon bei ihrem ersten Besuch spürt sie, dass sie in diesem Haus eine wichtige Aufgabe hat. Wenn sie nur den Leiter auch davon überzeugen könnte!

Dieses spannende Buch erwärmt das Herz. Schon nach wenigen Seiten ist die sympathische Molly für den Leser wie eine Freundin. Auch die anderen Mitarbeiter und Bewohner der Einrichtung werden wunderbar gezeichnet und sind mit ihren Stärken und Schwächen richtig liebenswert. Sehr schön an dieser Geschichte, sind die vielen humorvollen Momente.

Das Problem der Eingliederung von jungen Menschen mit einer problematischen Kindheit oder Jugend in unsere Gesellschaft, ist ein wichtiges Thema in diesem Buch. Dabei werden Mitgefühl und Verständnis für die Schicksale benachteiligter Jugendliche geweckt.

Neben dem Glauben an einen Gott, der den besten Weg kennt, geht es in dieser Geschichte um Authenzität. Molly entdeckt, dass so viel mehr in ihrer Person steckt, als das, was sie ihren Fans präsentiert. Sie überdenkt ihr Leben, um herauszufinden, was im Leben wirklich wichtig ist. Dabei kommt ihre großzügige und liebevolle Persönlichkeit immer stärker zum Vorschein.

Fazit: Eine sehr schöne Geschichte über Neuanfänge und Echtsein, die mit tiefgründigen Gedanken zum Nachdenken über Glauben, Freundschaft und Lebensziele einlädt. Sehr empfehlenswert!

A young book editor's boss threatens to have her fired unless she can find the lost manuscript of the fifth volume of a popular five-volume series by an author who died. The author happens to have been the editor's best friend. The editor has been avoiding the author's family because she thought the author's cousin was to blame for her father's death. The editor works through all her painful memories and, of course, keeps her job and gets her man, and everyone who's still alive lives happily ever after. Stories as sweet as this one should only happen in real life. People who buy sweet romances will love it.

I’ve never had this happen to me before. I can’t read this book (but not for the reasons one might write that in a review! Please don’t think that!)
I’ve been having problems with my eyes, and the print in the copy kindly sent to me by the publisher and LibraryThing Early Reviewer program is both too light and too small for my eyes in their current state to interpret. (Uncertain if the font is also a problem— that’s another level of visual acuity.) The magnifier I have was not enough. Most of my reading of late has been large print, ebook, or audio, and I’m just not used to not being able to read an actual book. Hopefully it’s temporary. I’m having another procedure this month, and will try again after healing. Please accept my apology.

The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese is a captivating, deeply moving and a beautifully written engaging story. I was glued to this book from start to finish and it is till percolating in my brain and heart. It's absolutely at the top of my "best read 2023 books" and I can't wait to read more of her books!

5 + Stars!

I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own. Thank you to Bethany House Publishers and Ms. Deese for the opportunity to read and review this book.
An Emotionally Moving, Engaging Spectacular Read!

5 Stars!

This is only the second book I've read by this publisher and each time I've been pleasantly surprised. The Words We Lost is lovely, from the simple, but elegant, cover to the prose. It's a dense book (not in a bad way) that packs in plenty of emotion--a must for me. I would recommend and read more from author Nicole Deese--I really enjoyed her voice.

Thank you to Bethany House for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a review on LibraryThing.

I loved everything about The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese. The second-chance romance trope in this novel delivered plenty of depth, a heartbreaking backstory, steady attraction between Ingrid and Joel, plus a side helping of enemies-to-lovers tension. I was hooked from the beginning. It was a delight to watch Joel and Ingrid tiptoe around each other as they searched for Cecelia Campbell’s lost manuscript and honored her final request. The questions surrounding their past and the missing manuscript kept me flipping pages, but the swoony moments and delectable romance made me want to read slowly and savor the interactions between Joel and Ingrid. I am ready to read it again.

I marked many quotes as I read through The Words We Lost. More than a great romance, this was a story of grief over lost loved ones, a father and a best friend in Ingrid’s case. Readers dealing with grief may recognize the stages and truths presented. The book was deep, but not hard to read because of all the hope it set forth. The author seamlessly integrated spiritual themes that were honest, not overly convenient or awkwardly preachy. The author’s note tells of her own journey with unexpected grief which undergirded the profound authenticity found in the story.

The Words We Lost by Nicole Deese starts the Fog Harbor Romance series, and I am eager for book two. Doubtless, this novel will make my list of favorite reads in 2023. Five stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

This book is beautiful, heartbreaking, and chock-full of mystery. The author reveals in the book’s note to the reader that her younger sister died in a vehicle accident at the age of 26. You could feel the author’s pain as it was portrayed throughout this novel. Each character deals with grief in their own unique way. Joel immersed himself in his work, Ingrid ran away, and fans of CeCe’s books invented conspiracy theories about her passing, with some speculating that she planned her demise to attract more media attention. The author notes in her novel that, “There are no winners in grief, only survivors.”

I think the author’s decision to include a memoir inside a book was outstanding. It helped in setting up the romantic storyline involving Joel and Ingrid and as well as the other mysteries and challenges the cast face.

I appreciated how the author took the reader through CeCe’s publishing journey from the first draft to Ingrid’s editing, next rewrites, and the final product, ready for marketing. The process gave the book a lighter feel while giving the impression that CeCe was present for most of the book. Because of this the reader gets a unique perspective of these three friends.

I appreciated how this book had a spiritual undercurrent to it. Joel and Ingrid were not happy about CeCe’s request for them to read a memoir she created just for them to be read together. As they read aloud to one another, things became clear as secrets she kept to herself were revealed. As a result, the plot is clarified, and CeCe is introduced to the reader throughout the story. It also helped the reader understand the strong bond between Ingrid, Joel, and CeCe. With this cast of likable, heartfelt characters, you’ll smile, laugh, and cry along with them as the mysteries are revealed.

This is not an easy read, especially if you are grieving, but it’s well worth your time. This is a thought-provoking read you don’t want to miss.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/