This was an unusual book. Definitely a dysfunctional family, one wrought with tragedy after tragedy. There’s also a prescient cat whose thoughts the reader hears, and a hat that talks to PJ. You see what I mean by unusual?

The family also loves each other, although they hide it down deep. The road in the title refers to a road trip taken by PJ, his surviving daughter Sophie and two children that PJ was appointed as guardian to after their parents died (tragically of course). Once they finally reach the destination, there’s more surprises waiting for them, but the most surprising is the bonds that grew along the trip.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

This was such a sweet story about a man who is left 2 kids in the will of his niece (who he has never met because he was estranged from his brother). After being left with the kids, PJ goes on a roadtrip to meet back up with the one that got away.

This story is heartwarming, has found family, humor, precocious and lovable kids, and a lot of places to look at your own life. I loved this quirky story and would recommend to any reader who loved The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife and The Guncle.

This was a super quirky and fun book. It took me a bit to get into the story, but I was hooked once the road trip starts about a third of the way in. It definitely borders on cheesy at points, but I think it worked for the story.

* I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a lovely, heartfelt, cosy, adorable and funny story about family, love and relationships, with a slight dose of dark topics, such as death and grief.
It's also a road-trip kind of novel, so it might please readers who are into road trips.
The main character can be easily relatable, regardless of the reader's age, and all characters read very realistic.
Personally, I prefer this author's previous novel, Unlikely Animals, but this one can definitely be recommended to anyone who has read that book and enjoyed it. Also, if you enjoy reading older main characters with daily real life issues.

Thank you, NetGalley and Ballantine Books, for providing me with a free eARC of this novel in exchange for my own opinion.

4-4.5 stars
PJ, an alcoholic senior citizen, unexpectedly becomes the guardian of two orphaned children and a cat and sets off with them (and his remaining daughter) on a cross-country roadtrip. I love this kind of book: quirky, mismatched characters building relationships as they face challenges on the road. The only thing I didn't like here was that the main character, PJ, seemed to have the mental and emotional level of a ten-year-old.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

If you're in the mood for a quirky, dark comedy that allows its characters to honestly confront loss, grief, disappointment and heartache, while also dealing with past decisions and failures, yet leaving room for second chances and found family? This is absolutely the book for you. Join PJ, his daughter, Sophie, and two newly orphaned children, Luna and Ollie, as they embark on a cross country roadtrip to confront the past and the future. Joining them is Pancakes, agent of death and orange tabby cat.

I loved everything about their journey.

Content warnings can be found on Storygraph if that's a concern. There are a few. But this was my introduction to Annie Hartnett, but now her previous novels have been added to my TBR.

Annie Hartnett, author of one of my favorite books, Unlikely Animals, is back with another heartfelt quirky story. PJ Halliday is planning a road trip to reconnect with the one who got away with two orphans, his daughter, and a cat named pancakes. It’s a book about second chances and found family and grief and a cat and so much more!

As with Hartnett’s other books, it is hard to bucket this book with any one theme. Her voice is truly unique and may not be for everyone, but I’d like to convince everyone to give her a try! As with any good road trip book, it is truly about the journey, both physically and emotionally. Hartnett has created well developed and truly lovable and flawed characters that each go on their own journey. I loved the tiny twists of prose and plot that popped from the book and made me laugh out loud. This book has both humor and heart with a touch of magical realism. It is a binge worthy book that I planned my schedule to read so I could binge it, and I was not disappointed!

<u><b>The Road to Tender Hearts</b></u>
Annie Hartnett
Release Date: April 29, 2025

ARC courtesy of Ballantine Books and NetGalley.

The epigraph from Clark Griswold (National Lampoon’s Vacation) sets the tone for this raucous cross country trip of a novel, following PJ Halliday, along with his daughter, two orphaned children he “inherited”, and Pancakes the cat, to the Tender Hearts retirement community seeking to be reunited with his recently widowed high school sweetheart.

While mostly light-hearted, the novel likewise deals with serious issues of grief, love, relationships, and forgiveness. The writing is sharp, and the narrative complex, as Hartnett takes us on a compelling journey through human imperfection and second chances.

I really enjoyed The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett. It's a well-written, heartfelt novel that tackles difficult topics—like loss, addiction, and family estrangement—with a surprising blend of humor and hope.

Hartnett has a talent for exploring emotional depth while still keeping the story engaging and even light in places. The characters are complex and relatable, especially PJ Halliday, who’s navigating personal struggles and a complicated family past. One of my favorite parts of the book was Pancakes, a cat with an unforgettable presence that adds a unique and magical touch to the story.

Themes of healing, second chances, and the idea that we’re not defined by our past really stood out to me. The “finding father” aspect especially resonated. If you enjoyed The Guncle, I think you’ll connect with this one as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine | Ballantine Books for the ARC. This is my honest review.

I still need to go back and read Hartnett's debut, Rabbit Cake, but this newest book of hers cements her on my auto-read list. This is a road trip novel full of heart and larger-than-life characters. PJ Halliday is 63 years old, a former lottery winner who is drinking himself to death in the small town of Pondville, Massachusetts. The plot of this novel sounds ludicrous, so I'm not going to try to write it out, but trust me when I say that PJ, his estranged adult daughter Sophie, two young children that end up in PJ's custody, and Pancakes the cat make for an absolutely fantastic cast of characters as this oddball group embarks on a cross-country drive. There are so many interesting twists and turns in the story, and I enjoyed it from start to finish. If you liked The Guncle, you will adore The Road to Tender Hearts. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for a digital review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group / Ballantine for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

If you have a dark sense of humor, or just a twisted sense of humor, and you are in need of a laugh? This is the book that you will want to pick up upon release day!

I'm not sure what I expected reading this one, though it's one I'm glad I didn't read the blurb about! If I had, I might not have been so willing to pick it up which would have been sad as oh man did I laugh over this book. It was utterly absurd, but in a good way (if that's possible).

The start of this book is an utter mess - it's a disaster right from the start but once you get past that and into the heart of the book, it does improve some. PJ Halliday is an alcoholic (trying to recover) and former millionaire winner - he's been basically trying to drink away his pain since losing his daughter suddenly 14+ years prior and it's caused him to lose his wife, his other daughter, and pretty much anything/everything else. What I loved though was his perseverance; he'd see his house, he'd acknowledge his daughters former room, and then he'd go on about his day - he really is a mess though, and suddenly he sees a light - could he become the guardian to 2 tragically orphaned kids?

What follows is just an epic road trip - the young girl wants to meet her "real" father, as she just knows he's this professional actor, and PJ wants to reunite with his former high school sweetheart in a romantic way - aka, driving across the country to make a grand entrance. Instead it's mishaps, misfortune, and a whole bunch of antics and things that are just so absurd - but it's the type of absurdity that keeps you laughing and asking "what's next?" Throw in a younger boy that is really hurting, worried about his sister, and just desperate for love, Sophie the 20yr old daughter of PJ that is really just lost and trying to coast through life, and an adorable but twisted orange cat named Pancakes. If it sounds like a mess? Well, it is!

The emotions are all very real, and the choices that are made sometimes are wrong, but there is a lesson learned each time, and the twists?? Can't say I ever saw them coming but they worked with the overall crazy/insane plot, so I just kept on rolling with it!

I found myself shaking my head more than once, and questioning my sanity for continuing to read this book on more than one occasion but when I read the last page I found myself really leaning into thinking about the story - seeing the growth arcs, the realization that sometimes things lead to the most unexpected paths but they're the ones you are meant to take. The grief, the love, and the strength to keep going all are recurrent themes in this book and it's a powerful take on life and all that it entails.

What a wild ride this story was. The characters were all flawed and quirky and the plot itself was just crazy enough to still be believable. I loved being in the car with PJ, Sophie, Luna, and Ollie. Between the devastation surrounding this family and the comfort and forgiveness they all found with each other, the underlying themes of family, moving on, and surviving this crazy life was heartwarming even in all its oddities.

Tender hearts, indeed! This was super cute and cheesy, I loved the cast of characters and the relationships in the book. Pancakes the death predicting orange cat was definitely the star of the show here! Also, the beginning of the story and what happens to the kids parents was one of the most engaging hooks I have read in a long time. I found PJs character to be slightly annoying in the middle, but feel like the character arc totally redeemed him in the end. Total feel good book, feeling all of the warm fuzzies.

Thank you to random house Ballentine and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

I really loved “The Road to Tender Hearts” by Annie Harnett. It was so full of charm that it might be my favorite book of 2025. PJ Halliday should be a happy man, having won the million-dollar lottery a few years back. But his life is full of tragedy, and he can’t stop drinking. He never got over the death of his oldest daughter and his wife left him for a man that ultimately became his best friend. He barely can manage on his own. So what is he going to do when his ex-wife and her new partner (whom he meets every day for breakfast) decide to go on an extensive cruise to Alaska. He’s worried his life will be nothing but empty days. But that’s not to be. First, he somehow adopts a cat with magical powers. Then, he becomes the guardian of his brother’s two grandchildren who are suddenly orphaned because of a murder/suicide. And his younger daughter, who he’s had a poor relationship with shows up to help. And then they all set off on a road trip.
This book deals with some heavy issues such as death, family estrangement, child abuse/neglect, but it is done in a heartwarming way that is full of hope. Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel. My opinions are my own.

A book full of quirky characters, that I couldn’t help but root for. I didn’t always agree with PJ’s decisions I liked reading to see where they got him. There were lots of dark moments with lighter moments to balance the story out.

PJ's 63 years have been full of tragedy, and more stress might kill him - he's already had three heart attacks. He drinks away his lottery winnings, masking the grief of losing his eldest daughter in an accident, and then his marriage as a result. When he finds a stray cat who can predict death and then becomes the guardian of his estranged brother's very traumatized grandkids, PJ takes the oddball gang on the road to look for his old high school love, all of them kept in line by his resentful adult daughter. There's so much trauma surrounding this group, but PJ manages to be optimistic and find humor in the face of great tragedy. And there's a cat who serves as an agent of death! This title is irreverent and dark, but full of heart. I've never been so happy to watch things go so wrong.

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

CWs - Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Pregnancy, War

the road to tender hearts is a bit heavier than the wacky road trip premise that the description of the novel hints at. a big theme in this book is how addiction is something that is not easy to recover from. sometimes this journey can be a bit non-linear and despite best hopes to stay sober, that is often better said than done. if hartnett had spent more time developing this more in a “show not tell” manner this would’ve been so much stronger. at times the writing feels fredrik backman like but it doesn’t quite get there as a result of not trusting the audience.

Take a roadtrip in a “borrowed” red Volvo with the most quirky, chaotic, sympathetic, thrown together family you’ve ever met.
This story will make you re-think the phrase “getting there is half the fun”
You have to read it to believe these misadventures!

Introductions;

PJ Halliday: Obstinate, irresponsible, generous, kind-hearted, unkempt, alcoholic, retired postman, former lottery winner.

Sophie Halliday - PJ’s unemployed, undirected, slightly unhinged 20 -something daughter; desperate to change her trajectory.

Luna and Ollie Meeklin - the recently orphaned grandchildren of PJ’s horrible, hated half-brother. Strangers to PJ, but now his wards as next-of-kin. 10 year old troubled “Irish Twins.”

Pancakes - the most intelligent and enchanting passenger on board. Orange tabby cat and sometimes mystic.

The chaotic cuteness of this family reminded me of the 2001 cult classic , all-star cast film “The Royal Tenenbaums”
directed by Wes Anderson.

If anyone knows how to get ahold of Wes Anderson, he should read this book ASAP!!! (Wow, Gene Hackman would have made a great PJ… maybe Owen Wilson or William H Macy could pull it off…)

I apologize for the overtired cliche, but this one honestly WILL make you laugh and cry. Its expected release date is 4/29/25. It would be an amazing addition to your book club list.

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the honor of reading this before the release date. And thank you to Annie Hartnett for the magic on the pages.

This one was funny and heartwarming and tender. It’s about family and being there for each other.

It follows PJ, his daughter Sophie, two orphaned children, and a cat who travel cross country. On the trip, they come across different people and find themselves in some interesting situations.

It was wild to me how in each place someone dies. I didn’t keep track, but there were a lot of death of side characters.

I just loved the interactions between everyone. And this whole story. This was so enjoyable and such a great read.

Thx PRH audio for the advanced listening copy.

The majority of this book felt like a fever dream, in the best way. While it took me a little while to catch on to the writing style, it quickly became a book I had a blast reading as PJ, Sophie, and the kids went on all of their adventures. The little thoughts thrown into the story from characters randomly cracked me up. Some of the more sensitive topics were jarring at times but I did like how all loose ends were tied up by the end and it was overall a heartwarming story with quirky lovable characters.