I was first introduced to Deanna Lynn Sletten’s work when I reviewed Maggie’s Turn in 2013, and I’ve loved her writing ever since. She creates wonderful stories with vivid settings and vibrant characters, and she always leaves you feeling like the world still holds hope – something we all really need right now.

This novel, One Wrong Turn, is no exception. A family drama, it takes place in the present on the Northern California coastline, and in the past (via flashbacks and memories) mainly in Southern California. While the scenes in the past were crucial for understanding the relationship between Clay and Jess in the present, I was more drawn to the contemporary scenes, probably because I lived in Northern California for a good chunk of my life (if I could afford it, I’d be running a B&B in Half Moon Bay right now) and was really wishing for those cool coastal breezes while I read this in hot, humid, Texas.

I really liked that Clay and Jess were depicted both as a couple and as separate individuals, and I liked the details of his being a musician. One thing that really resonated with me was an early flashback where he cuts his hair after meeting Jess and receiving her unfavorable comment about his pony-tail. My own husband (we celebrated 22 years in March) had a mullet when we met – I knew it was real love when he cut his hair short for me.

While characters who are young children don’t typically appeal to me, Sletten is so good at her craft I found Jess and Clay’s daughters, Maddie and Jilly, to be surprisingly not-annoying, the way the kids of most of my friends are. I know that sounds like an odd thing to comment on, but writing children well is a skill not every author has.

Overall, One Wrong Turn is one right choice if you like heartwarming family dramas, plausible love stories, and novels that end with hope and happiness.

Goes well with clam chowder, crusty bread, and IBC root beer.

A book about second chances with good story line and characters. The take on alcoholism and how it affect the family was nice to read

Jess Connors takes a wrong turn and she ends up in a tragic accident that results in her in a coma. Clay Connors must return to his family and take care of his girls and hope for his wife to return to them. He had to leave his family two years ago to get himself in a right place and find a sober life, he did but didn't return and now he is back and has a lot of amends to make.

One thing I loved about this book is how the glimpses into this couple's past were sprinkled into just the right times. It was the way to get Jess' voice as in the present she lay in the coma.

One thing that I didn't love was the repetition of Clay and his alcoholism. I understand that this could be truthful, but for a story it made the middle to end drag just a little. When the conclusion happened (no spoilers) I just wanted more pages after that. I thought that the end was going to happen, but I just wanted more.

So after all this, I would say I definitely want to read another Deanna Lynn Sletten, just need to figure out where to go next.

Jess has an accident one day as she is driving home and ends up in a coma. Clay is contacted and he rushes to the hospital claiming to be her husband. They have been married for almost 15 years but haven't been together in two years.

Clay is a musician and Jess was a stay-at-home mom. What started out as Clay having a couple beers a day turned into an alcoholic problem. He had been in rehab three times and after the last stint, he didn't think he could handle the stress of being a husband and dad so didn't go home. His 12-year-old daughter, Maddie, now hates him for leaving and his 7-year-old daughter, Jilly, doesn't remember him. It's time for Clay to step up and be the dad and husband he should have been as they wait for Jess to come out of her coma.

This is the third book I've read by this author and I liked it. It is written in third person perspective. It starts in present day and then shifts back and forth to how/when Jess and Clay met and their lives together until they broke up (the dates are at the top of the section so it's obvious when the story goes into the past).

I liked the characters. Jess and Clay were good for each but then his addiction started getting in the way. Jess eventually had to put the safety of her family before her marriage to Clay.

I look forward to reading other books by this author.

My Rating:

4.5

Favorite Quotes:

Jilly stood and looked at him with sad eyes. ‘I don’t really remember you enough to hate you.’ … ‘Oh, Jilly-bear. I think that’s worse than if you hated me.’

One wrong turn. One wrong choice. He understood the devastation that one moment could cause.

My Review:

The story begins with a woman’s (Jess’) inner musing while driving, her mind wonders to her To-Do List and family members instead of the rain-slicked road. An accident leaves her in a coma and her estranged husband of several years (Clay) is contacted by the hospital. The plot was relevant, relatable, and well paced while the writing was emotive with a full range of feels and heart-squeezes across the present and past timelines. Ms. Sletton excels at setting a scene with thoughtful little touches and colorful details that pull in all the senses. Her characters are likable, knowable, and common everyday people whom we may recognize in our own families or circle of friends.

The tweenaged daughter was a boiling cauldron of animosity and hostility toward her father for his perceived abandonment, with the resulting girl drama of abysmal behaviors and verbally lashing out at every opportunity, which further stressed the family and threatened Clay’s sobriety. I had made assumptions about Clay, as many of us often do in regards to those battling addiction, but was happy to cast my misperceptions aside as he struggled to maintain his hard-fought sobriety while stepping up for his family, reacquainting himself with his children, and maintaining his own career - which was a tall order and not an easy task as his children have not seen him in two years, and for some reason their mother had not informed them of the why. One Wrong Turn was a poignant, thought-provoking, and engaging story that could easily happen on any street.

Clay returns home to his wife and girls, but only after tragedy strikes. Now Clay has to rebuild his relationship with his daughters while keeping up hope that Jess will awake from a coma. This story was so sad, but very heartwarming. I absolutely loved it. Just shows that anything can happen with just one wrong turn.

3.5 stars. Rounded to 4.
In One Wrong Turn Deanna Lyn Sletten explores a family wounded and hurt by one of their members struggling with alcoholism. Clay has struggled for years with this disease, he loves his wife and two girls very much, but every time he endeavours to overcome it, some stress or other sends him over the edge. Now he hasn't been home with his family for two years, yet he has managed to stay sober for almost two years. However he is afraid to return home in case he falls into old patterns.

However when his wife Jess has a car accident he is called back by the medical people. Naturally his daughter Maddison, 12 years old is not over welcoming. She has seen her father repeatedly let them down, so her frosty challenging behaviour is very understandable. Jilly, just 7 remembers less and is delighted to have her father with her.

The tension in the story comes from a few factors. Firstly the antagonism of Maddison towards her father, she holds out against him, continually giving him a challenging time. It breaks his heart because he loves her, understanding at the same time he is responsible for how she sees him. Maddie has been let down too many times, she has seen her father leave and not return, she is hurt and doesn't trust.

As well there is the fact that Jess is in a coma and nothing seems to be waking her. Will she wake? Will they have to go on without her? The continual visiting with no sign of life is wearing on them all and the hope and faith they have wavers for some of them.

The question is can Clay keep his head above water with all this going on around him? He does have some good support people and it is to them he turns when times are really tough.

I enjoyed the read, the story moves along well, the struggles were real and I was cheering the family on as they dealt with a serious crisis.

When Clay gets a phone call to tell him his wife has been in a car accident and is now in a coma, he rushes home to be with his children. There's just one problem. He hasn't seen his family in two years and not everyone is ready to welcome him back with open arms.

Clay is an alcoholic and while he's been sober for a few years now, he's never felt strong enough to go back home, fearing he would let his family down again. But now he doesn't have a choice. Will he be strong enough to resist the beer? Will he have what it takes to take care of his children? Will his wife ever wake up from her coma?

The story is mostly set in the present with some flashbacks to explain the life of Clay and his wife, Jess, and his downfall into alcoholism. I found all the characters to be highly believable and realistic, especially the children. Eldest daughter Maddie is angry at her father for leaving and doesn't hesitate in letting him know she doesn't trust he will stick around this time. The youngest daughter Jilly doesn't really remember much and is far more willing to accept her father back into her life.

At 206 pages, it's a very quick read and if I want to be picky, I might say it could have been a little longer and maybe have some more depth to it. However, I found this to be a truly beautiful written story about the effects of alcoholism. It's a story about forgiveness, love, loss, finding your inner strength and second chances and I really enjoyed it.

A young mother, Jess, has plans of opening a B&B when her life changes in the blink of an eye. Jess has a wreck and is comatose. Her estranged husband, Clay, hears of the wreck and rushes to be by her side. Clay is a recovering alcoholic who went to rehab three times and after the 3rd rehab stent, he doesn't return to his family because he's afraid he can't keep his promise of staying sober. Clay has a hard time reconnecting with his 12 yr old daughter Maddie who remembers Clay leaving and not coming back. Maddie is angry, bitter and scared. Jilly is Clay's 7 yr old daughter who accepts her father back into her life with open arms. The 3 of them visit Jess in the hospital on a daily basis hoping for a miracle. This is a great book that shows the sadness and upside down life of families who live with alcoholics. The emotions were raw and cause the reader's heart to ache for what Jess and her two children endured. I highly recommend this book to others.

I just finished reading One Wrong Turn - smiling with tears streaming down my face. The characters are well developed. Ms. Sletton nailed the personalities of both the girls. Their attitudes and reactions are spot on for their ages and the situation. The story line is interesting and believable, and the ending makes the reader feel good about this family's future. These are characters I would like to see again in a sequel.

Jess and Clay's marriage has had many ups and downs due to Clay's alcoholism. After Clay's 3rd time in rehab, he decides to live apart from Jess and their 2 daughters as he is scared to disappoint them again. Jess has a terrible car accident and Clay rushes to her side at the hospital. As Jess lies in a coma, Clay must try and rebuild his relationship with his daughters. This is a beautifully written book about the effects alcoholism has on a family. It is a story of love, family, and redemption. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Well written story about dealing with real live problems such as coping with accidents,dealing with teeanage children and fighting ones demons such as vlay and his drinking problem.
Flashback in the book help the reader to understand what has happened before so it keeps the reader up to date with the story line.It is an outgoing story that is not repetitive or boring keeps you in suspense if Jess will come out of her coma easy to understand and shows us how important it is to believe in people and give them sevond chsnces in life eith the hrlp of close friends and support groups as in the case of Clay.
Well written I can not wait to read other books by this author.
The only thing that was not to relate with the syory wzs the cover did not seem to fit with the story line.Other than that I have recommender this book to students,friends and family.

There is something about a simple family drama novel that just pulls at my heart strings. One Wrong Turn by Deanna Lynn Sletten is the perfect example of this. It is such a heart wrenching, yet heart warming story, that will stay with you well after you finish reading it. I read this book over a weekend when the kids and I were all sick, and it was so nice to just sit with a cup of tea and hunker down with this beautiful story. It has been a while since I have been able to really invest in a character and their family, this was perfect.

On the way home from running errands, Jess swerves to miss a dog in the middle of the road and unfortunately flips her car, leading to a brain injury and ultimately a coma. After hearing about the accident, Jess’ ex-husband, Clay, runs into the hospital telling the staff that his wife is there and he needs to see her. Even though Clay had been away from his family for a long time, he still feels that he is entitled to Jess and to know about her well being.

Clay has trying to get clean, and yet the mistakes he made still haunt him. Like the fact that his daughter doesn’t want anything to do with him, and the hurt he has caused his wife and youngest daughter. Taken from Clay’s heart, we learn about all his past transgressions, and what he would do for his family now that he has gotten the help he so desperately needed.

This is a sad, and redemptive story. One that will touch your heart, it reminded me of a mix between Jodi Picoult and a lifetime movie. The characters are so real, well written, and people that you can definitely relate to. Don’t read this book with out a tissue or two, as Clay goes through his transformation, the feelings get very real. This story reminds us that sometimes we need to forgive ourselves before we can feel the forgiveness from those around us. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars, a clear winner.

One Wrong Turn by Deanna Lynn Sletten is the story of Clay and Jess. They met, fell in love, married and had two daughters. Life didn’t continue that smoothly though. Clay made a wrong turn and fell into the grip of alcohol, just as his own father had. Jess never faltered in her love for him as he went into rehab time after time. Her vow of “for better or for worse” truly meant something to her. When she could no longer remain stagnant in his decisions she finally made her own decision to protect herself and their daughters. Fast-forward to a couple of years later. Jess was getting ready to open a B&B and while running errands one day is involved in a car accident. Life changed for everyone. Clay, gone from his daughters’ lives for two years, must step up and handle things. Can he ever make his family whole again? One Wrong Turn is a heartfelt story of redemption, second chances, and never giving up. Recommend to fans of novels about family drama.