I loved Hartnett's debut novel, Rabbit Cake, and enjoyed her sophomore novel, Unlikely Animals, though the latter doesn't stick with me at all. While The Road to Tender Hearts does feature some of the quirkiness I associate with Hartnett, I found this book a bit stranger and less enjoyable than her others. Road trip novels can be a fun escape, but the road trip in this one is a bit slow in coming, and the stops along the way are a mixed bag. However, what I liked least about this novel were the anthropomorphic objects and animals that appear throughout (several animals, houses, etc). The characters themselves are fine, but not astounding, and the protagonist PJ is a bit unbelievably naive and simple for a man in his 60s who has lost a daughter and been divorced. To be fair, there are some witty and fun moments, and the children are unique and enjoyably odd. There is also the occasional heartfelt scene, but overall, this book dragged a bit and lacked Hartnett's usual magic.

THE ROAD TO TENDER HEARTS was such an absolute delight to read that it made me feel so fortunate that I was able to experience reading this book. It's easily one of my favorite books in the past year. There's so much humor, heart, and healing in this book that it felt therapeutic. Who knew a book with so much death in it could be so incredibly funny, charming and heartfelt? Found family, forgiveness, resilience, bettering oneself and finding the love and good even in the craziest of situations...so many great wholesome moments that reminds us of the beauty of life.

I deeply cared for all the characters in this book and loved them dearly. And I really admired the writing and frankly am in just awe of this author. I can't wait to read her other work and whatever she decides to grants us with next!!

Much gratitude to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Ms Hartnett does it again & is propelled to my personal "auto-buy" author list. All of the main characters had appeal & had me rooting for them; the storyline hooked me in from the start, was very engaging. Would love to see follow-up tales of this cast of characters! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for this ARC opportunity.

*Just a heads up, this novel is full of possible triggers, and I'll add a content warning at the end.*
I have heard wonderful things about Annie Harnett's writing, and I have to agree. To take content like this and make it not only touching, but darkly comedic in moments is no small feat. If you've ever faced a life altering tragedy you realize that humor shows its face at the oddest of times. This novel read as being honest even with the smidge of magical realism.

P.J. is a man whose life has been wrought with tragedy. He also happens to be a lottery winner. Upon hearing that his high school crush is a new widow, he decides a cross-country road trip is in order to reconnect and finally get his happily ever after. Before he can leave, P.J. inherits his estranged brother's orphaned grandchildren. He invites his daughter Sophie along because he knows he's going to need a hand. There's also the small matter of his license being revoked from multiple DUIs. Sophie's resentment towards her father is felt in each exchange. My heart went out to her. P.J. also brings the former nursing home cat, Pancakes, who predicts death.

I'm keeping the description ⬆️ rather vague to avoid spoilers because I read this without any prior knowledge, and I think it added to the experience. The characters are well drawn with flaws and heartwarming growth. P.J. is a character that is easy to find frustrating, but I felt like he was written true to his personality and circumstances. His behavior made sense even when I wanted to yell at him. The entire cast of characters had interesting arcs. No one felt glossed over. The pace kept me flying through the pages. The intricate detailing in the plot made this layered story impossible to put down. I cared about each of these characters and wanted them to find their own slice of happiness.

Will this road trip end in bliss for P.J. and his unlikely band of travelers?

There are so many possible triggers in the novel I can't say with certainty that my list is complete.
**Content Warning**
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Suicide
alcoholism
cancer
drug use
sexual abuse
arson
murder
poisoning
death of a child
divorce
A LOT of DEATH

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for providing an Advance Reading Copy for review. All opinions are my own.

Sixty-three-year-old divorcee PJ Halliday feels adrift when his ex-wife and her boyfriend, who happen to be his only friends, leave town for a long trip to Alaska. When he discovers that his high school sweetheart has just been widowed, he decides to drive across the country to woo her. Before he can leave, he is suddenly named guardian of his grandniece and grandnephew, who he didn’t know existed. With the two kids, his daughter, and a cat who can predict death in tow, he decides to make the trip anyway.

Annie Hartnett has done it again with a quirky plot and lovable characters. I enjoyed this dark comedy from page one. The characters are flawed and messy as is the journey they take together. Despite dark themes, the book feels uplifting and full of love and second chances. One of the best books I've read so far this year.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Wow.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Annie Harnett for the advanced copy of this beautiful book.

I have very few words for this book now that I am finished. From the beginning, I knew it was going to be an amazing journey based solely on Pancakes the cat. In my next life, I hope I come back as him. This story was full to the brim of second chances, love, loss, redemption, reality, and dreams. A perfect combination of anything and everything you could ask from a book. I laughed just as much as I cried.

I found myself in Sophie - hurting and broken after the sudden loss of a sibling that no one understands; feeling like you need to bottle it up and be there for everyone else.

I found myself in PJ; a hoper and dreamer, always trying to see the good in the world and the people in it.

I found myself in Ollie and Luna; the whimsy that is trying to find (or keep) a sense of normalcy when life turns you upside down.

This book made me want to go on a road trip of my own, just maybe with less death!

Kind of a dark start at the beginning of the book but I quickly realized it was so I wouldn't grow attached to a couple of characters. Oh Pancakes! Just enough pancakes for him to be a good anchor charcter of the book. Luna and Ollie show PJ how to live again. Great road trip story.

The Road To Tender Hearts deals with a lot of heavy subjects with a light touch. For the most part that works. Alcoholism, Death of a Child, Abuse are among the issues embedded within this story. I often don't like to read novels that deal with such difficult subjects however I was impressed with how the author didn't shy away from these topics and still the the novel never felt weighed down. Much of this trauma is in the rear-view mirror and the main characters are grappling with how to move forward. Overall, this is a hopeful story about found family and repairing relationships. The best character, of course was the cat. Thank you to #NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

I adored the newest title by author of Rabbit Cake and Unlikely Animals.. It is such a heartwarming story but readers must know that it is rooted in sadness and a lot of trauma. Thankfully the trauma is mainly the back story but still it is quite dark and heartbreaking. But this book shows how found family, a community of unusual characters, and a roadtrip can heal our hearts not just the characters themselves. I loved the quirky characters to pieces and also wanted to simultaneously slap them upside the head. For instance, PJ (the main character) keeps screwing up but if he didn’t it wouldn’t be real at all, especially in regards to him trying to break habits that aren’t as easy as he wants it to be. I am so grateful the author didn’t just make everything okay for everyone. It will be an ongoing battle but the characters have each other and that’s not nothing! There are bits of wonderful magic sprinkled in with the cat Pancakes. Although whether that is magic or not we can’t say for sure as grief and animals may have connections we can’t understand but we may believe.

PJ Halliday is an irresponsible alcoholic. But that’s okay because he’s still lovable, right? And he means well!

PJ is on a mission to win the heart of his newly widowed high school crush. To do this he has to take a cross-country road trip from Massachusetts to Arizona. His twentysomething daughter and his adolescent niece and nephew are also along for the ride.

This story is darkly funny and has a certain charm to it that ropes you in. Think Remarkably Bright Creatures and A Man Called Ove. (I’m sorry. I know we’re all tired of those being used as comparisons)

While this book had a lot of good moments, somewhere along this arduous road I grew tired of PJ and his antics. However, I do think there will be plenty of people that love this book. It has book club and eventual mini-series adaptation written all over it.

This is a heartwarming tale of family, tragedy, and redemption. PJ Halliday is a 63 year old drunk who has failed his family time after time after the death of his elder daughter. His wife Ivy finally divorced him, but still, in her way, looks after. His surviving daughter hates him and loves him. She continues to rescue him, telling herself it’s for her mother’s sake, not realizing her love and need for him.
PJ is surprisingly name guardian of 9 and 10 year old grand niece a nephew he had never met.
During the ensuing road trip PJ, his daughter Sophie, and the children, Luna and Ollie face many emotional ups and downs, eventually becoming a family! Humor, sadness, misunderstanding, and so much love make this a wonderful read.

In Annie Hartnetts The Road to Tender Hearts we follow the cross country journey of 63 year old P.J. Halliday, a warm hearted man whose life has fallen apart since his daughter died at the age of 18. Before long we see him departing on a cross country drive with his estranged daughter, a great niece and nephew who have suddenly come into his life after their parents tragic death, and a cat who can predict people deaths.

The story is told in the authors usual brand of quirky humor which did not really work for me in Unlikely Animals but was a hit for me this time. I loved getting to know these characters as they became a real family. Much of the plot is outlandish, but it somehow works and I am sure anyone who has loved her previous works will like this one, and even those who didn't, like me, may want to give it a try if you enjoy heartwarming family stories.

Thank you to net galley and Random house for the e galley in exchange for an honest review

I loved this one so much. I love Hartnett's novels and I think this one is the best yet. There are moments that really stick out and make you laugh and feel for the characters. It really has a Kevin Wilson vibe to it, and that is a compliment for sure. Excellent! Loved it!

Annie Hartnett’s “The Road to Tender Hearts” delivers dark humor, tragedy, and quirky family dynamics as we join PJ Halliday’s single-minded mission to reunite with his high school sweetheart.

PJ is an unlikable protagonist on so many levels: he is self-centered, irresponsible, and leans on alcohol for emotional support. He’s also authentic and goes all in to support his community, friends, family, and exes. For that, you can’t help but love him.

As PJ makes his journey, we follow the journey of an orange cat named Pancakes who has a knack for predicting when death is near. Pancake’s presence as a throughline in the story is a reminder that with every moment, every dumb mistake, or every generous act, death continues to draw closer. And with that, we must continue to go all-in on living life.

This book had me in a chokehold the moment the death-predicting cat appeared. Annie Hartnett is a gifted writer who can take the darkest subjects and weave them into a beautiful, reflective story. I loved following PJ on his arc, and it’s super heartwarming to see characters like him (I.e., alcoholic, lying men) have their redemption and grow as a person, even in their older age. A truly stunning novel, I will always read anything Annie Hartnett puts out.

This book felt so different compared to other things I’ve read recently. It’s sweet, dark, and quirky all at once. The omniscient narration fit the story perfectly, and each character was unique and fleshed out, even if we only met them for a paragraph. I will definitely be recommending this one.

I have loved all the books I’ve read by this author, Unlikely Animals is a book I have always loved and recommend to friends! So when I had the opportunity to read this book early, I had to try. This book had so many emotions in it. This author knows how to take a really tough subject and make it easier and more light hearted to read which I enjoy. It helps because certain things trigger me to read, but the way she words it I am able to get through it and that’s what I love about her reading. I fell in love with all of the characters and I absolutely loved Pancake! I can’t wait for everyone to read this book!

Annie Hartnett is the very best at writing stories that increase a reader’s empathy as they turn the page. All while being truly hilarious, smart, generous and quirky. With a cast of characters that includes a veteran, a psychic cat, a thief, and a domesticated alligator, you would think that all of these elements would make the story too all over the place. But not in Hartnett’s capable hands. She manages to take on a murder-suicide, alcoholism, divorce, parental abandonment, and even the loss of a child in this novel all while feeling like you’ve been given a big, genuine hug in the process.

This adventure is exactly what my worn out mind and heart needed right now in 2025 and I hope that it gets the praise and attention it deserves.

What Hartnett did with this novel is a feat.

PJ Halliday is a retired lottery winner with a heart that's just too big to handle all of the devastation this world. After a family tragedy, he was never quite able to control his drinking. Even winning 1.5 million dollars wasn't enough to save his marriage, but he still visits his ex-wife, Ivy and her husband Fred, every morning for breakfast. His goth daughter, Sophie, never really got to be a kid again after the events that changed her family and has spent every day since having to be the responsible one. Two kids are left orphaned after a family catastrophe, and irresponsible PJ is the only family member that can stop them from ending in foster care. Luna is bright, but strong willed with an aptitude for kleptomania. Ollie is a sweetheart who just wants to stay with his sister and have everyone around him be happy again. This story would be nothing (just kidding) without the sprinkle of magical realism brought by Pancakes by the cat, who can predict who is next to die in a room full of people.

PJ finds out his high school sweetheart is recently widowed, and he ensnares his new crew to come with him on a road trip from Massachusetts to Arizona to propose to his lost love. Hilarity ensues, and you'll find yourself growing attached to each and every one of these flawed people. This story is sweet, without being cloying, and Hartnett is able to bring light to situations that should be too dark to even want to talk about. All I know is I'll have these characters in my heart for years to come.

Big thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for giving me access to an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Look out for The Road to Tender Hearts on April 29th, 2025!

tw: CSA, suicide, cancer, alcoholism, death (a LOT of death), family conflict

If I had a dollar for every time I read an Annie Hartnett book and immediately was like “WOW okay that’s my new favorite Annie Hartnett book”, I would have exactly three dollars - one for Unlikely Animals, one for Rabbit Cake, and now one for her latest novel, The Road to Tender Hearts.

Is Hartnett actually a clairvoyant who can see into the hearts and souls of every living thing, making her perfectly capture the big & small every day worries that make up the tapestry of a life? Does she somehow have the ability to speak to animals, giving her the power to beautifully capture their spirits in written word? I AM LEANING TOWARD YES!

I needed a book that would make me feel emotional, yet hopeful - The Road to Tender Hearts couldn’t be more perfect for that need. I don’t want to describe the plot because getting to know the characters & their respective storylines is such an important part of this reading journey. Just know, you will laugh and you will want to cry and you will fall in love with an orange tabby named Pancakes.

Hartnett writes with a tenderness that makes me feel entirely safe as a reader. Even when bad things happened in the book, I trusted that Hartnett would see these characters (and me!!) through the darkness with a thoughtful, loving hand.

This book is a gem and I am so grateful I was lucky enough to receive an ARC. Pounce on this one as soon as you’re able to; it’s a moving story about family, love, and suffering - but at its heart, it is about hope.