A second chance, friends to lovers story from a new-to-me author that just didn't quite hit the mark when it comes to romance for me. It felt more like a friendship story overall than a great love come back.

The book started off really strong and I felt engaged in the dynamic between the two main characters. However, the further I got into the road trip with these two the less I started feeling the love if you will. The emotions were sort of everywhere, a back and forth that felt forced rather than vulnerable or honest; I didn't quite get the reason for their long separation and through the middle the story drug on too much.

They are both quirky and charming in their own ways but I never felt the deep connection that I was supposed to feel or that they were feeling themselves. There's a lot of filler it seemed like and the podcast scripts didn't hit the mark for me either. A few scenes I found really great but overall this book just didn't hit the spot for me personally. I understand the appeal to romance readers as it encompasses three great romance tropes and I do think this will be a book that many enjoy.

I think the concept for this book was really interesting. High school bff's who haven't spoke in years, spontaneously take the road trip they always planned. While a fun concept, it wasn't what I was hoping for. The miscommunication trope got really tiring.

Hot Takes
-I hated her previous book, so I didn’t have hopes for this but I was pleasantly surprised!
-I’m turning into a second chance kinda girl and this did it. I loved that dude just showed up and was like boop bitch, here I am ready to keep that promise!
-Of course there was a silly miscommunication thing keeping them apart for a while, but what are ya gonna do.
-The sexual tension of them being in the car was *chef’s kiss*!
-Absolutely loved the concept of her talking about him on the podcast. It brought a great edge to the story that completely worked!

Read If You Like
-Road trips!
-Second chance

Great for readers of "People We Meet on Vacation." A second-chance romance where two friends go on a road trip together.

Characters were pretty likeable, and the roundtrip was fun.

My main issue was the nostalgia. This novel was so laden with nostalgia that it weighed down everything else. We didn't get enough of the couple's present. I got so bored of the same things brought up over and over.. Especially the podcast. I got so sick of them talking about the podcast. That was a weird plot device that became a crutch.

Overall just ok.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

This book was absolutely stunning.

Dee and Ben were the best of friends until they weren’t anymore. Ten years later, Ben shows up on Dee's doorstep to fulfill a promise they made the last time they were together: travel the country to Ben's grandmother's house to open up the time capsule waiting for them there.

At first I thought I was getting a romcom with second chance lovers and a ton of forced proximity. What I got instead was a really poignant look into how two scared teenagers learned how to grow from tragedy, how to communicate even when it's hard, and eventually, how to find each other again.

Beautifully story that's beautifully written.

Who doesn't love a good high-school-sweetheart-second-chance romance? But too many times can it hit the wrong cues. Here, in a dual-POV narrative, it mostly got them right, and I particularly appreciated how honest the communication was fairly soon into the narrative, instead of leaving anything out for a "big" reveal for the sake of drama. The push-and-pull between Dee and Ben was more compelling because these issues were broached early on and we got to see them start to reconnect with that knowledge instead of while trying to avoid any of it. The author balances the fun aspect of the two of them along with the more serious parts (though some of the fun parts rang false and like they were trying too hard to be "out there" and like something "fun" people do). Also, I didn't always believe the pair were in their late 20s; they spoke and acted a bit too young for that. There is a lot of realistic conflict and emotional baggage throughout the road trip (another common trope that can veer, pun intended, horribly wrong, but didn't here) and these two thankfully do not fall into the miscommunication trope as adults even if that's the reason for their falling-out as teens (which is believable at that confusing age). I would have liked there to have been better clarity on what did really happen back then - because the no contact or seeing each other for a decade after that didn't quite fit in with the explanation provided. These characters had traits that would normally annoy me, but somehow here, it worked and I was rooting for them to realise that they belonged together.

I’m sorry to say I did not enjoy this book. The entire story is about two people who are supposed to be lifelong besties and know each other inside and out, yet they can’t communicate with each other at all - ugh. I just didn’t buy it, AT ALL.

I also found Dee to be a strange character overall - I just never really understood her enough to root for her. I'm happy to read female leads who I don't necessarily connect to, but I wasn't really sure why I should even care about her or who she was.

Also I don’t think I laughed once. All the funny-ish bits just felt like they were trying too hard. I appreciate the humor of a cat running onto a baseball field, but the execution fell flat to me.

A Thousand Miles by Bridget Morrissey is now on my top 10 favorite 2022 romance reads! This story will leave you feeling all sorts of remarkable things!

Dee and Ben were best friends in high school.
When they were seniors they took a trip to visit Ben’s grandma.
While there they buried deep in the ground of grandmas back yard a time capsule, pledging to return in ten years to open it.
Then their friendship fell apart in spectacular fashion.
They haven’t spoken to each other since.
It's been over a decade since these two have spoken to each other.
They decide it's time to reunite for a road trip they once promised to take.
They better hold on tight because it’s going to be a sweet bumpy ride.

The miles zoom by, Ben and Dee's friendship awaken. The closer they get to their destination, the more obvious it becomes that their attraction to each other cannot be disregarded. Their last adventure ended in a tragedy, and they’re about to find out if any hope of a future together is in the rear view mirror.

One of the things I can always count on in a Morrissey book is exceptional storytelling. The characters are always well defined and realistic, and well developed. They are so relatable in every way possible.
I liked the tension and realness between these two as they navigated relating to each other as adults while trying to overcome hurts from their teenage past.

It's such a cute, steamy novel about estranged best friends who find themselves back to each other.
This book kept me turning pages as I needed to know how the story would all fall out. 
The story had so much heart, but not only that, it had tons of laughs!
One of the things that I loved most about the book was the descriptions, which are so softly, beautiful and very well-written.
The way the author describes the characters' atmosphere, how it pulls you in into the mood of it, how exquisitively are the scenes and the ambience of them.
This book has became one of my favorite books of this year. 

A touching, sharply written, entertaining, fast-paced and so binge-able.
Definitely a book to jot down on your 2022 TBR list!
I had so much reading their story, it was a rewarding experience!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Berkley,
I can't thank you enough!
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

I adored this book. Dee and Ben were so much fun. It reminded me of People We Meet on Vacation with the long-lost friends having this second chance at connecting. I loved that Ben lives this quite life, not pushing any buttons, and Dee is this force of nature that will not be stopped. They are so different, but truly balance each other so they can be their best selves. Dee had a hard childhood and has grown so much to overcome it, but it left her unable to express some things when she was younger. Ben grew up in a family that avoided conflicted. As teenagers this combo almost ruined their friendship because they didn't take the time to truly talk about things after their 1000 mile road trip. However ten years later they come back and do it again. This time its awkward, fun, spicy, and they take the time to talk and want to do things differently. I really enjoyed how this ended and it felt natural. Usually a third act break up is good or really really annoying and this had the potential to go south, but it turned out really good and was mentally healthy for both of them. I would highly recommend this one to others!

Best friends Dee and Ben haven’t seen in each other in 10 years after a falling out—that is until Ben shows up at her door out of the blue collecting on a promise they made to take a road trip again. A Thousand Miles is so good. It’s told is dual perspectives and having both characters’ perspectives adds so much. It is romantic and sweet and heavy. It is very reminiscent of Christina Lauren’s Love and Other Words, but without the flashbacks. It was funny and fun and heartwarming, and I was addicted to the writing and the characters. I loved the insertion of the transcripts of Dee’s podcasts throughout, and the side characters were so endearing too. The romance is a perfect second chance, friends to lovers and I just loved the chemistry and growth of Dee and Ben! Couldn’t recommend this enough!

This one was just ok for me.

It’s a second chance romance featuring two individuals who were best friends in high school then go 10 years without speaking before reconnecting for a promised road trip.

I think this book could have been great, but I felt like I was missing something. We didn’t learn about what happened between Dee & Ben until about 50% into the book. And it felt so hyped that the reveal was super anticlimactic.

I think the story was sweet & I liked the interactions between Dee and Ben. But I felt like I was missing things - they evaded big topics for a while but also just dove back into their usual banter.

Basically the idea what great, but the execution didn’t work well for me.

A THOUSAND MILES is an irresistible mix of sentimental moments, comical occurrences and a potent romance. It follows a cute couple, Dee Matthews, co-host of a hit podcast and Ben Porter, a handsome, middle school teacher, who are high school best friends. They reconnect after ten years of silence and go on a promised road trip to Colorado. Dee is a well-known podcaster and has hinted at her best friend, Ben, for years under the code name, Name Redacted, on her show. What happens when you put a couple with shared sexual emotions and awkward communication in the confines of a small car? Explosions of all kinds and more! Will their hearts survive driving together? Stay tuned as the wheels turn...

A THOUSAND MILES is a heartfelt, thoughtful, crazy beautiful story. Dee and Ben have natural chemistry and the author breathes deep life into them. I loved Dee's dramatic, independent, earthy personality. Ben compliments her in many ways with his open, sincere and generous nature. I was surprised many times with all the antics they encounter on their trip to Colorado. Their journey is difficult at times but they both do a lot of soul searching and fix their relationship. Do they ultimately find their happily ever after? Come on a journey as a misguided couple learn to move on from their messy past. A THOUSAND MILES is a treasure trove of heartfelt warm fuzzies.

I wanted to love this one. Any romance published by Berkley is au auto buy for me, but this one fell so flat. If an ex boyfriend of mine showed up wanting to go on a thousand mile road trip out of the blue, I’d probably slam the door in his face and call the cops. How does he know where she lives and her not question it!?!? It’s so cringy, and the storyline is so unbelievable. Who does that? I didn’t feel anything for the characters or why they did what they did did. She hates him, but also wants to make out with him after 10 years and no explanation.. just didn’t work for me.

This was so cute. I love a good highs cool sweet hearts friends to lovers sitiuation but it was more than that. The chemistry was wild and the vibes were immaculate. I think it'll be a hit.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of A Thousand Miles!

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pub Date: June 21, 2022

I liked this story a lot. I feel like it combined elements of The Ex Talk and People We Meet on Vacation and made a new story about engaging characters with a past. I liked the two main characters, and I really rooted for them to make amends. I'm a sucker for friends to lovers, especially when there's any pining going on, and this one pulled me right in. These two characters, Dee and Ben, had such life in them! I thought Bridget Morrissey did a wonderful job making these two characters dimensional, and I was really invested in them.

I also really liked the adventure aspect of the book, and how Ben was searching for a way to anchor himself again. He was floundering a bit at times, and I love that Dee was what held him steady. Their journey together is a bit messy, but worth the read. I laughed a lot at their antics, and I thought the chemistry between them was really well-written.

Overall, I enjoyed this one a lot and would love to read more by this author!

I really really wanted to love this book but sadly it wasn’t for me. I can see it’s appeal and would recommend it to any fellow romcom lovers out there to try out. It’s a great quick read for the beach or a day in on the weekend. An author I recently watched at an event said that second chance romances are hard because you have to make whatever happened in the past serious enough to justify the absence but also forgivable enough to make the second chance believable for the reader. That was my main issue with this book. I didn’t buy into the romance at all. I think I would have liked this much better if there had been a shorter gap, like five years instead of ten years. Although the characters were 28, they acted like they were 23. I didn’t think the reason for a ten year separation was good at all and the reconciliation from that was just too fast. I could have seen it differently if they had maybe gone to different cities for post high school life, lost touch, and then reconnected after college. Also I never really got the stakes. A lot of stuff was alluded to, like with Dee’s mom, but it never really explained it enough in depth for me to care enough about the characters.

Dee Matthews has made a career out of airing people's dirty laundry. She and her best friend co-host a popular podcast where they invite people they know to share their secrets. Dee is always willing to give as much as her guests, but the one thing she'll never talk about on the show is the one everyone wants to hear about: Name Redacted. Ben Porter and Dee had been best friends most of their lives. To most, they were complete opposites, but to each other they were everything. But during a trip to see Ben's grandma during their senior year spring break, everything changed.

Dee hasn't seen Ben since, until one night he shows up at her door. When they were young, they buried a time capsule in his grandma's backyard, and promised each other they would dig it up ten years later. Ben is reeling from the recent death of his grandma, who dropped a life-changing secret on him just before she passed, and he promised her that he would finally go after what he wanted in life. And what he wants is Dee. As the miles pass, Dee and Ben reconnect and discover the feelings they had for one another back in high school never left. But can they trust one another not to screw it up again?

I read Morrissey's other book and thought it was fine, so I didn't exactly go into this with high expectations, but I ended up loving it. The road trip aspect was so fun, and I don't think I've read anything that utilizes that trope, but it was so good. I enjoyed Dee and Ben, but Dee had to grow on me because there were times I found her annoying. It was almost as if she said or did things for shock value, or to get a rise out of Ben, and it was a bit juvenile at times. Despite that, I thought they had an amazing relationship. They felt like best friends with their own language who just fall back into their routines no matter how long they've been apart. The banter and chemistry between them were great. I also liked how this touched on grief and family conflicts, and thought that added a nice depth to the story. Morrissey's writing was fast-paced and so binge-able. If you're looking for an entertaining rom-com, this is the one to pick up.

I love a good second chance romance.

Ben and Dee, two high school best friends, reconnect after ten years of silence to go on a promised road trip. Dee has become a well-known podcaster where she talks about Ben every once in a while under the codename Name Redacted, and Ben is a middle school science teacher.

I loved how easily they slid back into their friendship/relationship. But if I'm honest the book dragged in the middle for me. So much so that I put it down for weeks before I finally picked it back up.

Also, I don't really feel like we ever REALLY figured out what happened 10 years ago?

But it was a cute read.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eArc for this book. All opinions are my own.

Ten years ago, 18 year old Dee and Ben take a road trip to visit Ben’s Grandma in Colorado and promised to make the trip again in ten years. At the end of the visit, after burying a time capsule to be opened when they returned, events and words spoken and unspoken lead to the end of the 13 year friendship. Now, Ben has shown up at Dee’s door inviting her on the 10 year return trip….the first time they’ve had any contact since their break up. They loved each other then but couldn’t speak the right words….they wrote them in letter to each other for the time capsule. Have they loved each other all along, do they love one another now? Tofu fish sticks, a stray cat, Ben’s revelation about his Dad, and a Colorado Rockies baseball game are all part of the sweet and emotional journey….culminating in a 10 year high school reunion.
I’m an avid reader and it’s been awhile since a book made me cry….at the hilarious, poignant, and utterly charming bits…..I loved all of it!

"After a decade of silence, Dee and Ben reunite for a road trip they once promised to take. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

Dee Matthews is the cohost of the smash-hit podcast Did I Forget To Tell You?, where she interviews family, friends, and past lovers. Nothing is off limits, except for one man (known on the show only as Name Redacted) who happens to be her high school best friend Ben. During their senior year spring break, Dee and Ben took a road trip to visit Ben’s grandma. They buried a time capsule in her backyard, pledging to return in ten years to open it. Then their friendship fell apart in spectacular fashion. They haven’t spoken to each other since.

Ben Porter’s life since that moment has been unexciting but comfortable, until his grandma reveals a family secret that flips his whole world upside down. Her dying wish is for him to stop doing what is safest and go after what he really wants. He starts by showing up on Dee’s doorstep with every intention of fulfilling their long-ago promise. Despite her reservations, Dee can’t say no. This trip could be her chance to give her listeners the Name Redacted interview they’ve been begging for - and finally put her unresolved feelings for Ben to rest.

As the miles fly by, Dee and Ben's friendship reignites. But the closer they get to reaching their destination, the more apparent it becomes that their attraction to each other cannot be ignored. Their last adventure ended in disaster, and they’re about to find out if any hope of a future together is in the rear view mirror."

ALL about the awkward road trip!