I absolutely loved this one! It had People We Meet On Vacation vibes for sure. The characters and situations have absolutely stuck with me, and I found it to be such a bittersweet second-chance romance.

Synopsis: After a decade of silence, Dee and Ben reunite for a road trip that they promised to take together. Blurring the lines between old memories and making new ones, both struggle to find a new normal in their friendship — and question whether they can survive a second attempt at wanting more.

The only complaint I had about this one was actually the final two chapters. No spoilers, but it felt very out of character with the rest of the book! It was an enjoyable ending, but the tone just felt different.

I truly didn’t know what to expect when I started this book. I loved the title, the cover, and love a road trip romance but went in pretty blind to this book. This was honestly one the the best surprises of the year for me.

I loved and saw myself in both characters. Ben’s mantra of you can do anything for only a minute is something I do in my own life. Both Dee and Ben are at a crossroads in their life, they are trying to be the new version of themselves while also having to deal with what peoples and their own past perception of them was. I also have the habit to revert back to my high school self when I’m confronted with my past cause I think I’m a completely different person now. You want to show how you’re changed but you feel like the other person has this perception of you that could be hard to change

I also loved the romance in this book. It had some of my favorite tropes like second chance, one bed, friends to lovers, but also a little enemies to lovers, and just a fun road trip and a cute cat. From the second they reconnect it’s easy to see the connection between Ben and Dee and I loved that there was no question on what they feel for each other just a lot of miscommunication.

I hope this book gets the love that I’m seeing a lot of other books getting because I have not seen much about it but I was really impressed and I this book now holds a place in my heart. This is a beautiful and romantic book about accepting your past self and moving on with what you want your future to be and not letting your past stop you from good things that may come your way.

Are you prepared for a second chance romance that I liked?? A Thousand Miles plays the echoes of teenage angst against the wisdoms of adulthood to make a messy mess but a worthwhile one. The setup of this story feels like a ya romance that ended badly instead of a classic happily ever after. Then, after a decade has passed, the two work things out as adult people. And that's ultimately more satisfying than riding off into the sunset at the tender age of eighteen in my (supposedly) adult opinion. Through Ben and Dee's memories and what she shares on her podcast (transcripts of which are littered throughout the story), you can easily picture the emo girl and the casually popular boy who were best friends from elementary school through senior year. Without an overload of backstory, you feel connected to what they went through and all the teenage feelings we never actually shake. As the two set off on a thousand-mile road trip to Colorado, mirroring the trip from their senior year that was the beginning of the end, the nostalgia it inspires in Dee took root in me, too. I thought of the trappings of 2000s teenage-dom like writing in sharpie on Converse, listening to what my mom called "angry music," and IMing for hours with friends in a mixture of emoticons and all caps about everything and nothing at all. Dee's experience of wondering how she might have redone her teenage years without the trademark insecurities that make that decade of life what it is also rings true. For Ben and Dee, this is a do-over most of us don't get.

The romance has the angst of ten years of radio silence between them. But it's also based on a best friendship that powered through the most awkward, formative years of their lives. The depth behind the banter means that it's light and playful but built on a mountain of inside jokes and deep knowledge of one another... It's the dream, honestly. Dee muses, "because of Ben, I understand laughing more for the company than the content." And those moments where you laugh just because you're together, not because you're trying to be clever, likable, or generally hilarious are the pinnacle of existence to me.

So I obviously was in my feels on this one, so take a lightning round of more specific things I liked (and one thing I didn't). I loved the road trip's big Midwest energy, which isn't always a positive, but it's nice to see a loving rendition. I loved that Ben is a middle school science teacher (my new fictional comrade in arms) who clearly gets the preteen mind. I loved how Dee's story addresses poverty and food insecurity in her childhood. I love that both characters actively work on their mental health and seek therapy rather than relying on each other for what should be professional help. I love that Dee's bi. I love that the book is noticeably sex-positive on multiple fronts by explicitly addressing consent, not being toxically territorial, having a broader, queer-affirming definition, and not putting expectations or judgments on another person's history. I loved the simple joy Ben and Dee find on their road trip stops but was disappointed Dee didn't turn her eviscerating witticisms on the colonialist bullshit that is a Buffalo Bill museum. I loved an absurd baseball game scene, and that's from a person who finds baseball uniquely mind-numbing out of the many sporting events that exist.

This romance is a real winner, examining how we care for each other and ourselves, how we love even our teenage selves while not letting them drive in the here and now. It's a touching, earnest story (not in a cringe way) that I'm glad to have read. Thanks to Berkley for my copy to read and review!

I loved the idea of a promised road trip 10 years later…but really this novel fell short for me and I struggled to connect with the characters at all.

There wasn’t much connection, although a ton of history, between Dee and Ben.

Probably my favorite part was the kitty and the baseball game, honestly.

I felt like Ben was really struggling with the loss of his grandmother and I really disliked how Dee just walked away to do her thang with a podcast *epic eyeroll* It felt incredibly selfish and solidified the reason I didn’t like these two characters.

Lack of communication is not pleasant when reading a novel- probably my least favorite troupe-genre.

This is my second time trying this author and it's the second time I couldn't get into the book. I think my reading preferences just don't match with her stories and that is okay. Other reviews will be far better to look at than mine. Just not for me.

this wasn’t my favorite, but it wasn’t the worst. i’m a sucker for friends to strangers to lovers but for some reason i just was never fully invested if dee and ben got together.

the vibes:
dual pov
second chance romance
friends to strangers to lovers
haven’t seen each other in years
forced proxmity
roadtrip
1 bed trope
slow burn

I like second chance romances and friends to lovers, but I’m really not a fan of the miscommunication trope, especially in the case of best friends. I understand things happen and people can stop talking for any number of reasons, but the miscommunication trope knocked this down a star for me. Otherwise, I enjoyed it.

This was (literally) a fun trip with Dee and Ben when they reconnect after a decade apart. Dee is a successful and well-known podcast host and so some of the book is written in the format of podcast transcripts and ideas that Dee has for podcasts, which is really fun.

Dee and Ben were best friends in high school, so there is a lot of reminiscing about those days, the good times they had, and inside jokes they shared. They also tiptoe around what went wrong back then, why they haven’t talked in so long.

It’s a bit of a slow roll, but it’s done in a wonderful way and I found myself enjoying both of these characters and their growth through the book. It didn’t all work perfectly, but I think that’s actually the point. We don’t all grow at exactly the same rate, we don’t all handle things exactly as our friends or those we love wish we would. And yet we love each other through it. That’s the beauty of love.

Best friends to lovers, second chance romance, and a road trip — this had all the makings of being my kind of book. But I’m sure you can tell what I’m going to say next and it’s this: it wasn’t a favorite by a long shot. That said, I did like the set up and premise. Dee Matthews cohosts a podcast called Did I Forget To Tell You?, where she interviews family, friends, and more, on just about everything. Only one topic is off-limits and it’s her high school best friend Ben, who she hasn’t seen or talked to in 10 years. Which is why she’s shocked to find him on her doorstep ready to fulfill the promise they made a decade ago — road trip to Ben’s grandma’s house and dig up the time capsule they buried in her backyard. Against all reason Dee says yes and it’s during this road trip (and through flashbacks) that we find out what exactly happened between these two and how much they still care for the other in spite of everything. There were a few things that didn’t work for me, namely the writing (it felt really superficial), Dee (I’m sorry but I just didn’t jive with her), and the pacing. There wasn’t enough for me to really believe in this bond that transcended 10 years of silence. They definitely had cute moments and playful banter but I needed more from the characters and their relationship for me to feel invested overall.

Imagine, you haven’t seen or spoken to your former best friend in many years, and they show up at your door so that you could fulfill a promise you made over a decade ago. That’s what happened to Dee, and what an incredible and emotion journey this was for me. Packed with humor and shenanigans, this was a road trip for the ages. These two got into quite a few sticky situations, but they also managed to break through those protective walls they surrounded their hearts with. I was rooting so hard for these two. When I got those peeks at the friendship they shared since kindergarten, I needed them to repair those broken bridges and to fortify them with a different kind of love. I just felt like they were tailor made for each other and seeing that friendship bloom again filled me with so much happiness. This book was fun and emotional in the best way. Simply a wonderful story of friendship, love, and second chances!

A second chance romance! A second chance romance with road trip. Ben Potter showed up on Dee Matthew's doorstep take the road trip they never got the chance to make. This after years a part. Both characters in this book are very likeable and relatable. Their collective trauma, insecurities, are understandable in the context of their respective individual stories, and this makes you empathize with them. Yet somehow, I only found this to be an okay read. Some things in the book felt random, like the running on the baseball field incident. Overall, just a nice read.

A Thousand Miles is the perfect read when in between intense books. I read something very heavy before this one and this was a refreshing palate cleanser. I liked the road trip setup and that Ben and Dee were estranged high school best friends. I didn't feel the chemistry between them initially but eventually I was rooting for them to work out. The beginning was a little slow while they were reminiscing about the past, but then enough drama happened to make me interested again.

Imagine, you haven’t seen or spoken to your former best friend in many years, and they show up at your door so that you could fulfill a promise you made over a decade ago. That’s what happened to Dee, and what an incredible and emotion journey this was for me.

Packed with humor and shenanigans, this was a road trip for the ages. These two got into quite a few sticky situations, but they also managed to break through those protective walls they surrounded their hearts with. I was rooting so hard for these two, and it was terribly important for me that they work it out. When I got those peeks at the friendship they shared since kindergarten, I needed them to repair those broken bridges and to fortify them with a different kind of love. I just felt like they were tailor made for each other and seeing that friendship bloom again filled me with so much happiness.

At first I was very confused while reading this book. It felt like I missed the first half of the book and it started from the middle. After a few chapters though I was quickly hooked. The banter between Dee and Ben kept me laughing and engaged. I loved the pace of the book and watching them (hesitantly) begin to reconnect. There was some typical “just kiss already” moments, but Bridget Morrissey did a great job of ensuring I stayed interested and not frustrated. Dee was an extremely relatable MC and I enjoyed learning more about her as well as Ben from their own POV’s.

This was a cute read, but it fell a little flat for me. I liked the idea of having the podcast episodes interspersed throughout the book, however, it felt a little cringe-y and just didn't feel at all like what podcasts are actually like. The romance felt a little lacking and I felt like the third act breakup was just silly and didn't make much sense. I will say that I'm a sucker for a public love confession, and this one was so cute!

A Thousand Miles by Bridget Morrissey was such a fun read. It reminded me a bit of People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry because of the travel element and the banter between the main characters.

Dee was such an interesting protagonist because she wasn’t afraid to say exactly what she was thinking, and I admired her boldness and bravery in situations.

Ben was such a sweetheart, and I loved how well he balanced Dee’s personality.

The podcast element of this story was interesting, but I had a hard time understanding how someone could be so comfortable sharing such intimate details with everyone. I think it was mostly a good aspect of the story, but I think Dee took things too far at times.

The added storyline with Ben’s past was okay, but I don’t feel like it was necessary or completely developed.

I loved Abe the cat and was very invested in his storyline.

Overall, I would recommend this book if you’re looking to read something that is mostly lighthearted and sprinkled throughout with humor.

Content warnings: swearing, sexual language and some mild sexual content, death of a loved one, and drunkenness.

There were so many things I liked about this book, namely the second chance and the road trip aspects, but it felt like there were so many missed opportunities to really delve into the relationship between the two characters. The promise of the road trip back ten years later seemed pretty superficial and I would have liked to have seen a lot more development of the early relationship. I did enjoy the book, but I this it really missed the opportunity to be a really *great* book.

I am always here for second chance romances - and this story was no exception!!

I adored Dee and Ben, and their stories, and I'm a huge fan of Morrissey's now! Her writing was laugh out loud funny and clear - and I loved the addition of Dee's podcast transcripts throughout the text. I'm not a huge podcast fan in real life, but I love reading about podcasts and this was a super fun one woven through the book. I loved the road trip highlights throughout the book and the way it led Dee and Ben to rebuild their relationship.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

https://www.tiktok.com/@bettysbooklist/video/7134813646839975210?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&lang=en

I love the premise of this book. I would liken it to Emily Henry's <i>People We Meet on Vacation</i>, so if you were a fan of that book, you might like this one.

Both of these main characters are awesome on their own, and I really like them together. I always like it when characters have history - good or bad - and feel it adds a lot of depth to the story if done right. This was done right. HOWEVER, one of my least favorite tropes makes an appearance in this book - the misunderstanding and everything goes to crap because they don't talk to each other trope. It is SO frustrating to me as a reader.

But the story is great, and I really enjoyed the book.