This year our Book Club has been resurrected. After a hiatus, our sweet group of ladies are gathered once again to read and discuss one book a month. We hole up in my home library, while the rest of my family does their usual evening routine in the rest of the house. We eat appetizers, have a glass of wine, and Ryan makes his appearance to say “hi” to all the girls and chat for a little, until I kick him out. 🤣
Every fourth Monday of the month, we meet for Book Club and discuss the month’s book. We wrap up our time together by throwing out book ideas for the next month, and decide before leaving.
In January, we met to catch up and brainstorm what we should read for our first book of 2026.
In February, we read Theo of Golden by Allen Levi.
This month, we read The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Heartnet.
I’m giving this ⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars (out of 5).
Here are some of my thoughts:
1. This book definitely had a list of quirky, unlikely characters. From a 63-year old alcoholic dad, to his 20-something daughter, both whom grieved the loss of the oldest daughter who died on prom night. To the ex-wife/mom and her new husband, both of whom took care of PJ (the alcoholic ex-husband/dad) by grocery shopping and making him daily breakfasts. There were the 9- and 10-year old grandneice and nephew that were given to PJ to take care of in the wake of their parents murder/suicide deaths. And the least likely character, Pancakes, the cat that we get to hear his thoughts all throughout the book. While I didn’t exactly appreciate all of the character traits of each character, it was easy to follow along and watch the plot unfold, as we got a unique glimpse into the thought world of each character.
2. While being a total wreck and mostly unfit to care for kids, PJ did waiver back and forth between deadbeat dad and redemptive caretaker. He was quirky yet funny. The thing I struggled most with was PJ’s fantasy mindset. His ideas were ludicrous and immature. But this mindset is what most likely allowed him to entertain adopting these two troubled kids. His unconventional (and sometimes inappropriate) responses to the kids’ wishes, are what allowed the kids to feel heard and seen, which felt redemptive after all they had been through.
3. I had a hard time watching Sophie (PJ’s daughter), navigate her dad’s choices. She is a way more serious individual than I prefer, no softness there. I felt sorry for her life after her sister’s death, where roles reversed, and she was thereafter responsible for her dad and making sure he didn’t sabotage his own life and wind up dead. There were inklings of softness in Sophie towards the end of the book, which I appreciated. This led to her finally coming around to the notion of being willing to help her dad raise the kids, also leaving the reader feeling a sense of redemption.
4. The reason I only gave this book 3 stars is because there were just too many extreme ways that people kept dying in and around the main characters. It just wasn’t believable for me, nor necessary, in my opinion. It felt forced and dark, but then immediately was asked to laugh at the next scene.
5. I did, and always do, appreciate the happy ending though. PJ finally has motivation to remain sober, commits to attending AA. Sophie promises to help her dad care for the kids. PJ apologizes to Sophie for being bereft after her sister’s death. And the kids feel loved and safe, the future looking hopeful for all.
I’m not sure if I would read another book from this author. I think her style feels too farfetched for me. I enjoy a little more pragmatic and realistic storylines and characters and I had a hard time relating to any of the characters. But it was an easy read with quirky entertainment, so overall I didn’t mind reading.
If you want to look back at past books and reviews, you can check out my BOOK REVIEW page.
That wraps up our Book Club’s March review!
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