I’m entering that feel good stage in my reading. This is a necessary thing I think, based solely on the utter shitshow that’s happening in our country right now, I’m just finding the need to temper my reading with some stories that at the end of the day make me feel good. Makes me believe in the best parts of people and maybe even shed a tear of happiness, you know what I’m saying?
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This is one of those books. Annie Hartnett’s books have drawn comparisons to John Irving before and I totally get it. They’re filled with flawed characters who mean well and face their trials and tribulations in life with a dash of dark humor.
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Her latest involves a sixty three year old lottery winner, PJ Halliday, who has spent a large part of his millions drowning his sorrows after the dissolution of his marriage following the loss of his oldest daughter. But a light on the horizon comes in the form of news that his lost love Michelle Cobb, the one that got away, is suddenly a widow and PJ decides to set out on a road trip to proclaim his love for her. What was not in his playing cards is the addition of his half brothers grandchildren who end up in his care after their parents unfortunate demises, and a tabby that has a knack for easing people off this mortal coil. What follows is a road trip of loss and forgiveness. Of a series of misfits who are looking for love, for answers, and a shot at redemption. I loved this. There was a moment at the start that I thought it was going to get too dark but it avoided that, as well as becoming a narrative that could easily feel twee.

"The Road to Tender Hearts" by Annie Hartnett offers a journey that is both heartwarming and undeniably quirky. The premise is promising: an old man embarking on a cross-country mission to reconnect with a high school crush, bringing along his adult daughter, two orphaned children, and a cat with a rather unique ability.

What truly shines in this road-trip novel are the dynamics among the unlikely traveling companions. The interactions involving the children and their new, elderly caretaker, PJ, provided genuinely laugh-out-loud moments, adding a wonderful lightness to the narrative. I found myself looking forward to seeing this motley crew reach their intended destinations, and their developing relationships were certainly a highlight.

However, once the initial destinations were established, the journey felt a bit protracted. While the extensive middle section clearly aimed for character development and to build rapport among the travelers, some of their adventures along the way seemed to drag, making the pacing feel a little slow at times. I often found myself wanting to fast-forward to the resolution.

The plot also required a significant suspension of disbelief, and while the book touches on important themes like family, acceptance, addiction, and navigating difficult life circumstances, these complex subjects were generally treated with a lighter hand.

Overall, I'd give "The Road to Tender Hearts" 3.5 out of 5 stars. It's a pleasant read for those looking for a unique road-trip story with memorable characters and plenty of humor, willing to overlook some plot conveniences and a leisurely pace.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

CW: death (including death of a child), murder, suicide, suicidal ideation, alcoholism, terminal cancer

I might have to carve out an extra place in my heart just for this book.

PJ Halliday may have won the lottery but that's about the only good thing going for him. After his daughter dies in a tragic accident, he succumbs to alcoholism, consequently destroying his relationship with his remaining family and losing him his driver's license and job. But all is not lost, because his recently widowed high-school crush is back on the dating market. He just needs to tell a few white lies to get his daughter to drive him across the country to declare his love. The only complication? He's now the sole guardian to his great-niece and nephew as well as a stray cat (who may just be an omen of death). Now, the entire motley crew is starting a cross-country road trip together—what could possibly go wrong?

It takes effort to create writing that feels effortless, but there's something so comforting about a book that is well-done. The Road to Tender Hearts leads you by the hand and guides you through an emotional and richly-layered family saga; no moment is wasted in the telling. I found myself completely drawn in by the characters and their fates, spending as much of the experience laughing out loud and tearing up. Only two chapters in, I stopped and encouraged (forced) by husband to read this with me. (As a native New Englander himself, he says the representation is Biblically accurate.) I would highly recommend this to fans of Fredrik Backman (but really, I recommend this to everyone, everywhere).

The Road to Tender Hearts is a super quirky, yet very dark road trip novel.
PJ Halliday decides to go on a road trip to find his past long lost love from Massachusetts to Arizona. And while it can be funny, it even features Pancakes, a cat who just knows when someone is going to die. Pancakes defintely was my faborite character in the book, and I'm not always a fan of when animals have more personality than humans.
Trigger warnings: pedophilia, family deaths, including one of PJ's daughter, orphans, nd more misery. AND this book is incredibly quirky, but I found the writing style to be so simple, that it seemed amateurish at times.
PJ was insufferable to me, and I just couldn't get over it. It's supposed to be funny, but the depressing storylines didn't meld well together.

I love Annie Harnett. She is one of my favorite authors and I thoroughly enjoyed this book - it can't top unlikely animals for me though. The plot line was cute but had depth and humor. Sometimes the humor leaned a little too cheesy though

Of all the sources I rely on for book recommendations, I think I’ve only seen this incredible novel mentioned once, and that’s a shame! After spending the better part of 5 days with my last book, this one day read was the perfect palette cleanser. It’s equal parts profound and lighthearted, dark and comedic. It’s the most satisfying early 2000s quirky indie comedy in book form.

An alcoholic, his grown daughter, a pair of Irish twin 10 year old siblings he was surprisingly granted custody of, and a cat who is a harbinger of death set off on a cross country road trip… Reminiscent of Coyote Sunrise with added adult themes and language.

Very special thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for letting me review this book for my honest opinion. Now go read it!

Thank you Random House and Netgalley for the complimentary digital copy of The Road to Tender Hearts - Annie Hartnett is three for three on my scorecard for excellent novels, and they just keep getting better! There is some complicated family dynamics going on, but I had no trouble keeping straight the connections between the these singular characters and, as per usual, Hartnett writes child personas from such an authentic place. I lost my father when I was just eight years old, so I really felt for these children who lost their parents, and appreciate the way they were gracefully depicted with all of their magical thinking, failings and foibles.
As with her other novels, there is a sprinkling of mystical whimsy that just adds something special and makes her books so unique. I highly recommend picking up Rabbit Cake, Unlikely Animals, and now The Road to Tender Hearts. All of these stories are told with such humor, tenderness, and light that will melt your heart.

Loved this! It was quirky, heart breaking at times, but mostly heart warming and weirdly fun. It’s a bit Kevin Wilson-esque (whose recent great read is also a road trip.)

I loved this book. Truly.

If you enjoy stories with road trips, found family, love, hope, loss, grief, humor and cats then you will love The Road to Tender Hearts. I did not think that I would rate this 5 stars when I started it, but these characters are ones that I will not forget. They will remain on my mind for a while.

An absolutely lovely read. Once I started this book I found it hard to put down. The story sucks you in right from the beginning and does not loosen the chokehold. Tender and emotional without being cloying. The writing just flows naturally. Great storytelling.

Thanks for giving me an arc of this title. It was an enjoyable beach read, fastpaced and filled with quirky, but fun characters. PJ Hailday becomes the legally guardian two young kids Luna and Ollie Meeklin. Together the kids and PJ take a summer road trip along with his adult daughter Sophie and Pancake, an orange tabby cat. This unique group has lots of interesting adventures along the way.

Unfortunately alot of bad things happen to these characters, but somehow the author manages to still keep the story happy. I love the author's unique writting style as she brings levity to dark things. This is a character drivin escape novel that focus on finding literal found family (extended family that you never knew)

through the story the reader feels emersed in the characters and there world as if you are tagging along on there summer road trip with them. I really enjoy taking the "road trip" with everyone.

Endearing, dark, and quirky! The Road to Tender Hearts had several themes I tend to enjoy - road trips, dysfunctional families, navigating grief, second chances, found family, etc. Similar to The Guncle from an unlikely caregiver and grief perspective, but it also gave me some Little Miss Sunshine vibes (quirky characters, dark, family dynamics, road trip, etc.). The most surprising character of the story was Pancakes, an orange cat that has the ability to predict death.

Thank you for the eARC!

The Road to Tender Hearts is the perfect summer road trip book. It's full of heart, humor, and flawed characters you can't help but fall in love with. I love the small magical elements woven through each of Annie Hartnett's story. This is a story I won't soon forget.

PJ is 63 years old, living off his million-dollar lottery winnings, and the new guardian of his brother's grandchildren. This was not what he expected for this stage in his life. After losing their parents, these kids end up with a stranger they never knew existed. The three of them, along with PJ's adult daughter, set off on a road trip to meet PJ's high school sweetheart. This road trip was not what any of them had planned for their summer.

This cast of characters kept me laughing throughout the book. PJ was very frustrating at times, but his dynamic with the kids, plus the addition of Sophie and Pancakes, made the whole trip worth it. There are a lot of heavy themes in this book and a lot of grieving. There is also a lot of healing that goes along with it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the ARC of The Road to Tender Hearts.

The Road to Tender Hearts is quirky, heartwarming, and unexpectedly touching. PJ Halliday, a flawed but endearing 63-year-old, sets off on a chaotic cross-country trip with two kids he unexpectedly inherits, his estranged daughter, and a scene-stealing cat named Pancakes. What starts as a mission to reunite with an old flame turns into a messy, beautiful journey about second chances, family, and healing. It’s funny, cheesy at times, and full of lovable, well-drawn characters. Annie Hartnett nails the balance of humor and heart—this kept me up reading past 1 AM, and I don’t regret a minute of it.

If Little Miss Sunshine & The Guncle (about young kids & their grief) made a book. Will definitely recommend!

I'll be honest, this book was not one I likely would have picked up right away, but my favorite book podcaster was RAVING about this novel, so I had to read it. I loved Annie Hartnett's last book, Unlikely Animals - again, another novel I likely would not have gravitated towards - so I knew I was in for a fantastic story. This novel was exactly what I needed in my life right now. Annie writes characters so beautifully, every one so well developed and nuanced, with really witty commentary woven throughout. She takes very serious subjects, such as death and suicide, and helps readers find the magic and humor in everyday life, even when things are incredibly sad and depressing. This was such a sweet, hopeful and unconventional book, and I'd highly recommend it - especially for book clubs. Thank you Net Galley for the early copy.

I requested this because I was in the mood for something emotional and boy did this deliver. My heart was full and I was feeling everything the main character was right along with them. This was just a beautiful story that I think is best done into blind

For fans of literary fiction that delves into themes of grief, redemption, and the enduring bonds of chosen family, The Road to Tender Hearts offers a journey that emotionally resonant and whimsically unpredictable.

Thank you to Penguin-Random House and NetGalley for an advance readers copy of this book.

This quirky, dark comedy about a makeshift family is both funny and poignant, and I’m glad I could be with them for their road trip.

It is Spring, 2014, in small-town Pondville, MA. We meet P.J. Halliday, 63, former postman and million dollar lottery winner, trying-to-recover drunk, who still has breakfast every day with his divorced wife and her partner, a retired judge named Fred.

Into his life come Luna and Ollie, 10 and 9 years old, PJ’s half-brother’s grandchildren, who are orphaned when their parents die of a murder-suicide. PJ is their only living relative, and he is given guardianship of them. PJ’s underachieving, Goth daughter Sophie, 26, joins them on a road trip to the Tender Hearts Retirement Community in Arizona, where PJ is looking for a lost love.

The final member of their team is Pancakes, a large orange cat, taken from his role as a companion animal in a nursing home after it becomes clear his attention to a patient portends imminent death. (Fortunately, this does not apply to PJ and his crew.)

The family relationships are complicated, with more half-siblings than full ones, a sister who dies young and another one who is discovered later in life. Some of the situations are absurd, some are touching, but in either case, along the way, love and understanding builds. Despite the difficult circumstances faced by each of the characters, the book ends on a hopeful note, leaving this reader to wonder what the following years brought to these flawed but endearing people.