63 year old PJ is an unemployed alcoholic who won $1.5 million in the lottery some years ago. The tragedy of his older daughter’s death still has him reeling, he is semi-estranged from his youngest daughter, Sophie, and his ex-wife still helps him manage his life. He’s a man-baby.

He plans a road trip to visit the “one who got away”, who he has learned is newly widowed. But before he leaves, he’s contacted by social services and is asked to be guardian of his late estranged brother’s grandchildren, Luna and Ollie, who were recently orphaned.

The kids, Luna and Otto, and his daughter Sophie join him on the road trip. Also joining them is Pancakes the cat who has an unusual gift to predict death.

So yeah, it’s a bonkers premise. It’s quirky and heartwarming, yet serious things happen throughout the story. Every character is dealing with a trauma. There are misadventures along the way, some of them dark & poignant, but in this authors hand it’s blended with enough humor & heart to keep the tone light.

In the beginning I didn’t think this book would work for me due to some questionable actions taken by the deeply flawed characters. I got a little judgy.

But the more I read the more I fell in love with the characters. The author treats them with realism, empathy & compassion. The path to redemption has its ups and downs which is completely realistic.

The reader must hang in there and trust the author to take this absurd premise and work her magic with the characters. And she does! Plus, I appreciated that the children were not precocious or annoying.

In a nutshell, this is a quirky road trip novel about found family, grief, and all the crazy tough things life can throw at you, written with warmth and humor. And with an ending that completely gutted me.

I loved the authors book, Rabbit Cake, but dnf’d Unlikely Animals. After reading this book I think I need to revisit the dnf. I suspect I didn’t give it enough time year old PJ is an unemployed alcoholic who won $1.5 million in the lottery some years ago. The tragedy of his older daughter’s death still has him reeling, he is semi-estranged from his youngest daughter, Sophie, and his ex-wife still helps him manage his life. He’s a man-baby.

He plans a road trip to visit the “one who got away”, who he has learned is newly widowed. But before he leaves, he’s contacted by social services and is asked to be guardian of his late estranged brother’s grandchildren, Luna and Ollie, who were recently orphaned.

The kids, Luna and Otto, and his daughter Sophie join him on the road trip. Also joining them is Pancakes the cat who has an unusual gift to predict death.

So yeah, it’s a bonkers premise. It’s quirky and heartwarming, yet serious things happen throughout the story. Every character is dealing with a trauma. There are misadventures along the way, some of them dark & poignant, but in this authors hand it’s blended with enough humor & heart to keep the tone light.

In the beginning I didn’t think this book would work for me due to some questionable actions taken by the deeply flawed characters. I got a little judgy.

But the more I read the more I fell in love with the characters. The author treats them with realism, empathy & compassion. The path to redemption has its ups and downs which is completely realistic.

The reader must hang in there and trust the author to take this absurd premise and work her magic with the characters. And she does! Plus, I appreciated that the children were not precocious or annoying.

In a nutshell, this is a quirky road trip novel about found family, grief, and all the crazy tough things life can throw at you, written with warmth and humor. And with an ending that completely gutted me.

What begins as a misguided romantic quest becomes a journey of grief, healing, and unexpected family. PJ Halliday is a washed-up lottery winner in Pondville, Massachusetts. When he reads the obituary of an old rival, he learns his high school sweetheart, Michelle Cobb, is newly single and living in Arizona. PJ decides to drive cross-country to win her back. But before he can leave, tragedy strikes again: PJ becomes the unexpected guardian of his estranged brother’s grandchildren—Luna and Ollie—after a murder-suicide. He ropes in his reluctant adult daughter, Sophie, to help, and they all pile into a car for a chaotic road trip. Along for the ride is Pancakes, a former therapy cat with an uncanny ability to predict death. I mean, sounds like a normal family roadtrip!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC!

The Road to Tender Hearts is a warmhearted, dark comedy which involves multiple generations of a family making a cross-country road trip. Annie Hartnett’s novel is reminiscent of the movie Little Miss Sunshine.
63-year-old PJ Halliday won a million dollars in the lottery, but then experienced tragedy when his oldest daughter died suddenly. His marriage fell apart, and now PJ spends his days at the local bar, drinking his winnings. When his estranged brother passes away, PJ is named the legal guardian for his brother’s grandchildren. PJ decides to make a road trip from their town of Pondville, Massachusetts to Arizona. He plans to visit his newly widowed high school sweetheart, Michelle Cobb, at the Tender Hearts Retirement Community. PJ convinces his surviving daughter, Sophie, to come along to babysit her young cousins, Luna and Ollie. The last passenger in their vehicle is a cat, Pancakes, who recently turned up outside PJ’s home. Pancakes was a therapy cat at the nursing home who predicted deaths; this is significant because PJ has already had three heart attacks.
The Road to Tender Hearts is simultaneously funny while dealing with heavy subjects like alcoholism, parental death, child death, domestic violence, and PTSD. Luna and Ollie were such sweet children who brought out the goodness in PJ. Pancakes the cat was a surprising main character. While the travelers had some madcap adventures, their emotions and dialogue were authentic. Ultimately the story is filled with hope and encourages readers that it’s never too late to make positive life changes. The Road to Tender Hearts is an enjoyable weekend read for all adult readers.
I received an advance review copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

" The Road to Tender Hearts" is about a cross-country road trip in a borrowed red Volvo with a 63 YO lottery winner named PJ Halliday, his adult daughter, two orphaned kids, and an orange tabby cat—who has his own story to tell...

ARE YOU CURIOUS YET...?

If you've read one or both of Hartnett's previous books, you know how darkly funny and quirky her writing can be. This one is all that. I giggled and belly-laughed, felt happy and sad, disgusted and repulsed, and at one point, I was utterly appalled. But I always kept reading—my goodness, some of the things these characters had to say.

This segues to the characters—what a motley crew they were, and somehow all related. PJ was my favorite; he stole my heart, then broke it repeatedly. He waded deep in poor decisions; he knew this, yet was immensely likable, wanted to change, and had proven lucky. Who knows what the future holds for all these flawed characters?

"The Road to Tender Hearts" focuses on themes of family and belonging, loss and grief, second chances and forgiveness. The power of connection is vital to this story, so if you're still curious, check it out. It's one I keep thinking about, and I think it might appeal to you, too!

4.5⭐

Thank you to Ballantine Books and Annie Hartnett for the gifted DRC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The DRC was paired with the Audible audiobook narrated by Mark Bramhall, whose voicing and recounting fit this story perfectly—another reason to connect!

I love Annie Harnett’s mind, and this book is full of her signature quirky, quiet beauty. It was, however, a little bit too heavy for me on the pain and suffering front, with severely flawed characters who just can’t help themselves. The ending was beautiful but the journey was hard for me to push through. If you love the musical Kimberly Akimbo, you will love this book.

a "left of the dial" found family saga with a group of unforgettable characters, places, and experiences. complete with Annie hartnett's classic style, this is easily one of the best books of 2025.

Annie Hartnett's latest novel is full of quirky and interesting characters. PJ Halliday, at age sixty-three, has been lucky enough to be a million-dollar lottery winner. But he has also seen some tragedies: the tragic death of his oldest daughter and his marriage.
Now, when his brother's grandchildren are dropped off with him after the tragic (and somewhat bizarre) deaths of their parents, PJ sees that he has a second chance at being the parent he always wanted to be.
He knows he's living on borrowed time: he's already had a few heart attacks, and the fact that he's an alcoholic isn't making things any better.
So, PJ, the two children, and his youngest daughter set off on a road trip. They're off to find PJ's high school crush, who is newly widowed, in Arizona.
The characters are unique, the story has humor, and yet there is more to this book than just a fun way to pass time. I found myself laughing at various parts, and still felt sad for PJ, a great guy with a lot of problems. As soon as I finished this one, I wanted to talk to someone about it and had to hold myself back from sharing bits and pieces that I am hoping my friends will discover during their reading of this one.
Annie Hartnett's storytelling is unique and full of adventure, humor, and wit. They are some of the best books I have read. Don’t miss this one, it’s a 5-star book.

A story of love, grief and family. I loved the added insights from Pancakes. Seeing the mistakes people make but also seeing their humanity is a gift that Hartnett has in her writing.

I loved The Road to Tender Hearts so much. It was the perfect blend of dark, traumatic, quirky, and heartwarming. I so enjoy Hartnett's humor and she creates the best characters. I will read anything she writes. Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy. 4.5 stars.

What a charming book- not saccharine sweet, thank goodness - but heartfelt and quirky. PJ Halliday inherits a great-niece and great-nephew when their parents die tragically. At the same time, he decides to drive cross country to reconnect with his first love, who is recently widowed. The problem? He's had his license revoked and must rely on his (nearly estranged) daughter to take the wheel. This book is full of quirky characters and unreal situations, which could have overwhelmed the story, but mostly it worked out just fine. Thank-you to NetGalley, Ms. Hartnett, and Ballantine Books for the ARC of this title

The Road to Tender Hearts is an absolute gem—heartbreaking, funny, and full of life in all its messy beauty. Annie Hartnett has a gift for writing characters that feel real and raw, and this novel is filled with them. The emotional journey is so rich and layered; I laughed, I teared up, and I found myself thinking about the story long after I turned the last page. Hartnett balances grief, hope, and healing with such tenderness and honesty. This book touched my heart in all the right ways. A new favorite—I can’t recommend it enough.

Meet 63-year-old PJ Halliday from Pondville, Massachusetts. He’s a million-dollar lottery winner, which would’ve made him quite happy if it weren’t for the great losses in his life: the unexpected death of his eldest daughter years ago and the subsequent disintegration of his marriage. Now he lives alone, spends too much money and time at the bar, and awaits his fourth heart attack – surely the one that’ll take him out for good. But then Pondville is rocked by another tragedy, resulting in PJ becoming the primary caregiver of his estranged brother’s grandchildren. In a quest to reunite with his first love, the one that got away, PJ embarks on a cross-country odyssey with the kids, his younger daughter, and a death-predicting cat in tow.

Annie Hartnett accomplishes something so special with The Road to Tender Hearts. It’s not an easy thing to strike such a perfect balance between tragedy and comedy, but she does it effortlessly here. This would actually be an overwhelmingly sad book, if not for the levity that comes from PJ, the kids, and Pancakes the cat, as well as some madcap plot moments. It deals with heavy themes – parental death, child death, domestic violence, PTSD, and alcoholism, to name just a few – and while the narrative doesn’t shy away from addressing the hard stuff head-on, it never feels bogged down with sadness. Instead it’s a charming, heartfelt story about hope: about overcoming those things that seek to destroy us, and realizing that it’s never too late (or too early) to start over.

Hartnett clearly has so much love for these characters; they’re conveyed with so much authenticity, and their dialogue and interactions ring true. I loved the kids, in particular; many authors seem to struggle with writing children, but Luna and Ollie were the absolute best. I loved PJ, too, with his gruff exterior and big, damaged, softie heart. Honestly, there wasn’t a single character here I didn’t adore.

The Road to Tender Hearts is a big-hearted found-family-road-trip story that kept me engaged all the way through. It took me through a whole range of emotions, but in the end, it left me smiling and contemplating all of life’s bittersweet surprises. Highly recommended if you’re looking for a book that’ll make you feel all of the things, all at once.

PJ Halliday is a winner of a million dollars in the lottery. One would think this is the dream of a lifetime but PJ has had a number of tragedies in his sixty-three years. The loss of his daughter, a divorce, and a drinking problem have combined to make PJ an unhappy man.

When his estranged brother's family dies, he assumes the responsibility for his great niece and nephew. With the children in tow as well as his daughter, Sophie, a young woman who can't find herself, they set off to Arizona to find his supposed long lost love at the Tender Heart Retirement Home. Also along for the escapade is Pancakes, a cat who seems to perceive death.

It's a motley crew and with PJ, a man who has seemed to never grow up, it's a trip that has its highs and lows. Blowing through his lottery winnings with drinking and a stupid spirit of generosity, PJ starts to realize what he is. He is lovable, stumbling, and never facing up to what life has given him. Will this cross country trip wake him up to what the important things in life are and yes, it's not drinking!

It's a heart warming story with a bit of a convoluted ending. All in all it was enjoyable, quirky, and one perhaps we can relate to.

A delightfully wild ride! As a big fan on Unlikely Animals I was so excited to pick up this book. Happily, The Road to Tender Hearts is just as quirky and heartwarming as I was expecting. It is a unique story that is hilarious, heartbreaking and life affirming. We get to know the characters so well. They are each flawed and wonderful and such a joy to get to know. I wholeheartedly recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

PJ, a sad sack alcoholic, stuck in a state of arrested development, suddenly finds himself the guardian of a grand-niece and nephew, of whose existence he was previously unaware, as well as the owner of a very prescient stray cat. Chaos quickly ensues.
I'm sad to be done with this peculiar little family, and the bizarre, often comical, adventures experienced on their cross country trip. This story was so charming and sweet, while also deftly covering some really heavy subject matter.
As I got near the end, I was going back and forth about how to rate this, thinking I'd go with four and a half stars; but then the last line of the book got me, like a sucker punch to the heart.
Thanks to #netgalley and #ballantinebooks for this #arc of #theroadtotenderhearts by #anniehartnett in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a touching and lovely read. Annie Hartnett has such a beautiful way with words and the ability to make the most quirky characters. I absolutely adored this story.

Other than a cat that could predict deaths, I found the plot totally believable and somewhat relevant to a large percentage of the population (how many baby boomers are there?). When the story opens in a bottom-of-the-barrel nursing home, I figured there would be some humor, albeit dark, some sadness, and minor touches of magical realism (Pancake, the therapy cat at the nursing , has the ability to read.) However,I have been an animal lover since childhood, and I’ve been certain with many pets that we were communicating, so no problem for me with that aspect.
PJ, the old man that readers meet in chapter two, lives in his own home with stacks of books all over the floor because there are too many to fit on shelves. Unfortunately, despite being a lottery winner who supported good causes, the book hoarding mess is not PJ’s biggest problem. That would be his alcoholism, but he certainly isn’t the only person living or fictional that developed some abusive habits after personal tragedy in one’s life.

I thought there was a good message in this book, about not giving up. However, PJ seemed more like he should have been in his 80’s than his early 60’s. Maybe grief and its effect on human health, both mental and physical, is part of the message? I enjoyed reading this book.

This one has received a lot of buzz, and for good reason. This ragtag group of misfits will capture your heart as they travel cross-country to find the things that they believe will make them happy. For the main character, the high school sweetheart who got away. For his newly orphaned grand niece, her biological father. For his estranged daughter, a chance to figure out her life. The flaws of the characters combined with the spirit of hope and the pacing made this an enjoyable read.

Recommend for fans of the movie Little Miss Sunshine and Frederik Backman.

I had mixed feelings when I began reading this — I needed a break from the stress of life, but I didn’t want to get sucked into a cozy Hallmark story. What a pleasant surprise to go on an extended journey with complex characters who I was rooting for from practically the first page.
The main character is a 63 year old, million dollar lottery winner from Massachusetts who decides to track down an old girlfriend in Arizona.. Traveling with him are a pair of newly orphaned kids and his adult daughter with enough metaphorical baggage to fill the entire trunk of the car.
This is a book about grief and loss and second chances. It is presented with compassion, and even the inevitable boneheaded decisions are understandable to a sympathetic reader..
The biggest compliment I can give this warmhearted novel is to compare it to The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart a story written for youngsters but with the same universal appeal.
Don’t be put off by the sappy title. There is enough lemon cutting the sweetness to make this a great summer read.

Loved the humor and spirit of all the characters! A slight curmudgeon with a sweet soul hidden away!