A huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC of this novel!

Cape Cod holds a very special place in my heart, so I already went into this book with a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. Two old friends reigniting an old flame set against the coastal charm of the Cape was exactly what I wanted it to be! This was a pretty quick read with very likable characters and a cute story. I would definitely read Demas again!

The Road Towards Home by Corinne Demas is a wonderful novel. This book starts in a retirement home and reunites a man and woman who haven’t seen each other in fifty years. This novel is definitely a second chances novel, but the characters and their advanced ages really makes the story more interesting and more complicated, too. The characters have lived long lives and there are many emotional obstacles to explore. This is a really fascinating novel and I recommend it fully. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I feel this book was great. It had what I felt was a theme not seen too often. It shows the thoughts and questions that people may face as they age. I think this was a great read and would recommend it to everyone!

I"m still now sure how I feel about this book. I thought it was going to be a cute, elderly love story. but it really just made me mad. These two older people, Noah and Sandy, just don't know how to flirt or be a couple. I wish it was a little more clear and cuter. Just seemed like I was reading some awkward teenager romance. Maybe once I let it sink in and simmer I might feel different but this is just my inital thought. It also started out kind of slow, I know we needed to build the characters and their stories but it seemed FOREVER!

Loved this story of an older couple finding each other, becoming friends and sharing histories to discover a new love. Very heart warming. Loved the rapport between them.

I've recently found that I love books about senior citizens finding a new spark in life. This book is a perfect addition to this niche genre. I loved that they found love outside of the stereotypical attraction of looks. The chemistry between our MC was so fun to read, I highly recommend this!

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

The Road Towards Home by Corinne Demas is a lovely second chance romance about two senior citizens. The characters were funny and I felt this was a great book with such an interesting story that I literally stayed up all night to finish. This was my first book from Corinne Demas but it will not be the last.

Lovely book. Enjoyable read with adorable, quirky, lovable and relatable characters. I loved the relationships, chemistry, and the relaxed atmosphere of the story. I think there are a lot of takeaways generally from this book that everybody can relate to. Highly recommend.

The Road Towards Home: Corrinne Demas

𝘞𝘪𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘕𝘰𝘢𝘩 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘦𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤, 𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘦-𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢 𝘑𝘰𝘺𝘤𝘦―𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮, 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘕𝘰𝘢𝘩 𝘮𝘦𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘨𝘰 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦.

I fell so immediately in love with Noah and Cassandra (and of course, Melville the giant Newfoundland). This story was so sweet. The writing was clever, witty and even had me laughing out loud at points which is always impressive to me as I don’t often laugh out loud while reading.

I loved the overall message that getting older doesn’t mean you stop living and we see Noah learn this through Cassandra throughout the story. There’s family, love and a big dog. What more could you need?

How about a cute cottage on the Cape? I’m sold.

I am so thankful for @netgalley for getting this arc to me because now Corrinne Demas is on my radar and I am definitely going to be reading more of her.

My only complaint, if you can call it that, is the ending. If anybody else has read this book I need to know your thoughts on the ending. Half of me loved it and half of me felt it was too abrupt and I needed more.

I would’ve given this a 5 star rating if it weren’t for the ending but I still give this a very high 4.5 rating and highly recommend, especially if you’re looking for a cute, fast-paced, beach read.

I'm clearly not the target audience for this, so maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I was closer to retirement age. I've read and enjoyed many books with characters whose lives and experiences were very different from mine though and could still feel a connection to them, so I don't know.

Mainly, I just found this to be incredibly dull. Nothing really happened. Even the central conflict between Noah and Cassandra and came and was resolved so quickly that I'm not even sure if could be called a conflict. I'm all for more character-driven books with very little plot, but the characters here still just felt really one-dimensional to me.

As for some things that I did like:

the Cape Cod setting- I enjoyed the descriptions of the Cape and if I was judging this solely on atmosphere, this would be a super positive review.
Melville - If your book has a dog, that's an automatic positive from me.

He hears laughter. Laughter that he remembers. Laughter that he hasn’t heard for a long time.

Her name is Cassandra Joyce.
She was an entomologist.
His name is Noah Shilling.
He was an English professor emeritus.
Residents of Clarion Court, an independent living community.
She has a dog named Melville.
He has a cat without a name, in other words, simply Cat.
He loves music.
She does not.
They both love the pool.

They could escape the renovations that will close "The Terrace" dining room and pool if Cassandra accepts Noah’s invitation to stay with him as friends at his cottage on Cape Cod. Can 2 independent individuals, different yet the same, forge ahead together?

I loved this novel, from the meaningful epigraph to the last sentence. It captures the essence of aging in a heartwarming way, from the differences in how each person has moved forward in their lives after experiencing love and loss, after retirement, after downsizing homes to reactions to rules in a community, and when long-held emotional baggage is noted and called out by another. The writing is intelligent, witty, and oh-so-real. It showers the reader with the beauty of love at a certain age, miraculously breathtaking from discovery to the unknown time it will be shared.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read an eARC of this novel.

The Road Towards Home by Corinne Demas was a really enjoyable read and that’s why I’m having a hard time deciding if I want to give it a 4 or 5 star rating. I think the reason I enjoyed reading this as much as I did was because it’s about two senior citizens and there aren’t many books written about them. This story is about Noah and Cassandra. They are both in their 70’s. They meet in the dining room at the Clarion Court which is a senior living facility where they both have apartments. They are both widowers, Noah having been married only once and Cassandra having been married 3 times. They actually aren’t really strangers because they did know of each other from back in their college days. Neither of them are happy living at Clarion Court, and both are dealing with issues with their children. One day they both decide to head out to Cape Cod together where Noah has a summer cottage. It’s there at the cottage while living together that they really get to know one another and they find that they are starting to have feelings for each other. Their personalities are complete opposites of each other and I think that is what made reading this almost comical and so entertaining. During this time together, they had to learn to be open and forthright with each other. They had to find forgiveness for things in their pasts and learn to be accepting of their futures. It was a really great story and I’m glad to have found it on NetGalley’s Read Now section. I’d like to thank them for the arc, as this is definitely a book I will be recommending to other readers. This is a story that will appeal to readers of all ages but I think it will be especially appreciated by seniors like myself. It was my first time reading this author and I look forward to reading more by Corinne Demas in the future.

What a lovely second chance romance about an older couple! Heartwarning and tender, full of hope and humor, this touching novel will leave readers smiling and believing it's never too late to start over, never too late to follow your bliss. - Meg Shaffer, "The Wishing Game"

I absolutely loved this book. Any fans of not-too-romancey-romance books, witty humour, insects, music, or cosy vibes, please read The Road Towards Home!

Noah feels relegated to Clarion Court, an independent senior's living facility, and longs for his independence (and often for his late wife). After enduring the monotony of Clarion in the company of his nameless cat, Noah meets Cassandra, a brand new resident and long-lost college friend. They form a bond based on their shared annoyance at Clarion and other residents and quickly become friends. When Clarion's dining room is closed for a few weeks, Noah and Cassandra head up to Noah's cottage on Cape Cod where nature and their own desires intermingle in a (mostly) light-hearted rom-com.

The Road Towards Home by Corinne Demas was a remarkable page turner.
I love about this book.
The story was spectacular.
Our characters are extremely entertaining.
And Demas’ writing was on point.
Great storyline and character development.
The Road Towards Home pulls on your heart strings, and keeps you turning those pages.
Noah and Cassandra aren’t looking to find love in those golden years, but

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This was such a lovely story! I really enjoyed Noah and Cassandra's banter, their life stories, and their beachy adventures. This was a beautiful story that showcased the strengths and difficulties of family, and I enjoyed the bit of "second chance" romance vibes. It felt summery and beachy and just the right amount of serious. I read this on kindle and listened to some on audio and both were wonderful!

4 stars!

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the copy to read and review!

I really loved reading about the two main characters and how they navigate life in the later part of their years. The setting was great and the way Demas wrote the dialogue was fantastic. I felt invested in what was going to be the outcome for these two! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars.

4.25⭐️

<i> In this witty, warm novel by award-winning author Corinne Demas, unexpected changes bring two retirees together on a voyage of self-discovery from past regrets to the true meaning of happily ever after. Widower Noah Shilling considers Clarion Court to be less an independent living community and more a prison. But there may be hope for the place yet. The newest resident is bold, eccentric, rule-breaking Cassandra Joyce—whom, as it turns out, Noah met long ago in college. As Noah and Cassandra get reacquainted, major changes at Clarion Court force them both to reevaluate their living situation. When Noah invites Cassandra to rough it with him at his Cape Cod cottage, the old friends must decide whether they should risk embarking on the next stage of their journey together. But moving forward means coming to terms with the past and relying on each other to do so, which is something the stubbornly independent pair may not be ready for. They’ve come this far on their own, and unless they can reconcile a lifetime of emotional baggage, the road they started down together may lead instead to parted ways. </i>

This is a lovely story of two people navigating life and love in their golden years. Each Cassandra and Noah is struggling in some way to reconcile the past and envision a future, in both cases complicated by their grown children treating them as older/ less capable than they are. Cassandra and Noah are both lovely, well-defined characters and it’s a heartwarming reminder of the possibilities that can still lie ahead, even in our advanced years.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review.