I adored this book and I need everyone to read it when it comes out in August. Childhood best friends to strangers to lovers is the best trope and I can’t be convinced otherwise

A romance with mystery elements?
Swoonworthy scenes?
Road-trip vibes?
Beautiful vocabulary and expertly-penned chapters?
Yes, please!

Such a poignant and beautiful book! Her dad has recently passed and in process of emptying his house she uncovers a massive family secret. Cue a reunion with her estranged childhood best friend. They’ve grown apart and no longer in each other’s lives - despite being inseparable as kids. Backyard weddings and treehouse kisses made up their childhood, teenage angst fractured their friendship - can they find a second chance in adulthood?

I adored the perfect symmetry that they’re going cross country interviewing people who have secrets and their impact (for his latest book) all whilst trying to solve the mystery of her big family secret. This was so beautifully written - I was so surprised to find this was a debut as it has the poignancy of a seasoned author. It was just such a lovely book with a perfect balance of romance, humour and a heartbreakingly beautiful journey. It was a journey not only in distance, with the road trip the characters went on, but a journey of self discovery and discovering who they were together.

This will easily be one of the best books I’ve read this year - it’s a must read!

ARC copy provided by Lake Union Publishing & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

✨Book Review - ARC✨

The Truth Is in the Detours by Mara Williams

Mara Williams knocked it out of the park with this debut novel. The Truth Is in the Detours is an absolute treasure and easily a 5 star read for me. I would honestly give it 6 stars if I could.

I instantly fell in love with Williams writing style. The way she immediately created depth within her characters was beautiful. You become invested in their lives, future and past, quickly. I don't know if I have ever wanted to see character growth as much as I did in this book and Williams delivered.

Ophelia is a relatable FMC who has a hard time making decisions in life. She took the path of least resistance in most things until her dad passes and she discovers her dead mother was actually alive. The moment turns her life upside down and changes the way she approaches life. It's beautiful to see how much "Phe" grows throughout the story. She finds herself, her own voice, her wants and boundaries. This is a romance novel, but it is also a novel about finding oneself and gaining confidence through that.

Beau is a soon to be divorced MMC who recently went through a truly rough separation from his cheating wife who won't let him go easily. He is a professor and writer on the way to doing research for his new book about lies and deception. He is on a mission to discover why people lie to those they love, what their motivation is. Phe, quick to wanting a distraction during her grief, chose to go with Beau on his research roadtrip across California and Oregon.

Through this roadtrip, these old friends become acquainted again. They both have different perceptions of the past and have to learn to fix their miscommunication issues. I think Williams balanced the tight rope of having just the right amount of miscommunication that didn't have you so frustrated with the characters that you'd want to toss the book away. I absolutely applaud her for that triumph!

If there was one thing I'd want more of with this book, it would be Beau's POV. I'm here to advocate for this exact story from Beau's POV!! I would EAT. THAT. UP.

Bravo to Williams on her debut novel. This is a masterpiece and I cannot wait to read anything and everything she releases in the future.

Lastly, thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Mara Williams for providing this ARC for me to review!

5/5 ⭐️
3/5 🌶️

Read if you love stories with:
- Slow Burn Romance
- Opposites Attract
- Forgiveness
- Second Chances
- One Bed
- Childhood Best Friends to Lovers
- Friends to Enemies to Lovers
- Roadtrip Romance
- Divorced MMCs

Trigger Warnings:
- Mention of Miscarriage
- Addiction
- Parent Death
- Loss of Parental Rights
- Grief
- Cheating
- Bipolar Disorder

I loved this one. The only thing that keeps it from being 5 stars is that there was a little too much miscommunication for my taste. Other than that, it was a perfect romance story about childhood friends who fall out as teenagers and then reconnect as adults. But it's also a story about reconciling difficult truths, personal growth, grief, and so much more.

Ophelia has just buried her father and is cleaning out his house when she finds some paperwork that shows her mother didn't actually die in an accident when Phe was a young child, as her father had told her. Just as she's making this shocking discovery, Beau shows up at her door. They bicker a lot, but also start to reconnect. And before long, Phe decides to join Beau on his research trip for his new book. She can be his research assistant, and maybe along the way they can try to find information about her mother. Win-win. And a ton of road trip fun.

I loved the dynamic between slightly chaotic Ophelia and uptight and kind of grumpy history professor Beau. Their rekindling friendship and growing attraction was beautiful to watch, and they are both dealing with some serious revelations about their families along they way. I loved how they supported and challenged each other. I also loved Beau's parents and his friends. (Not Ophelia's friends though, they are terrible.) The ending actually made me shed a few (happy) tears.

Their road trip takes them through California and Oregon, and I really felt like I was there along with them. The book was great at establishing the setting, and the writing overall was beautiful. I will definitely be looking out for more by this author. (I also had just read her second book, The Epicenter of Forever, and realized that the book Beau is writing here is mentioned in Epicenter. I like it when authors add these little Easter egg connections between their standalone books.)

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book is ROMANCE. Honestly, I just kind of want to leave that as my full review because that's what it really comes down to.

Beau and Ophelia got married under his treehouse when they were six years old. Best childhood friends that drifted apart and reconnected as adults after Ophelia loses her dad. More things come to light and they find themselves chasing after truths to help them navigate their grief.

What transpires is a story of reconnection, of shedding grief and anger, honest and hard conversations, and some of the most romantic moments between two hurt and lonely people. There's a moment in a cabin that had me SWEATING and they didn't even KISS. His declarations? Beau, please.

There wasn't a single thing I disliked about this story and Mara Williams is here on our a forever auto-buy author for me. What a triumph of a story!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Mara Williams delivers an emotionally resonant debut that explores the unexpected turns of life, love, and self-discovery. The characters are relatable and imperfect, drawing you into their journeys with warmth and sincerity. While the ending wraps up more neatly than life often allows, the story’s pacing and insight kept me fully engaged throughout. A thoughtful and compelling read that reminds us the detours may hold the answers we didn’t know we needed.

This beautiful romance is a road trip for answers, back to friendship, and to find true love. Beau and Ophelia were childhood friends that parted ways and are pulled back together to take a revealing journey of truths. I love the writing style, the banter, the hilarious situations, and the oh so hot chemistry. I think I may have a little crush on Beau and Ophelia and I must surely be kindred spirits. There are some heavier topics in the novel, but they are handled with care and sensitivity. The audiobook is a fantastic way to enjoy this sparkling love story and gorgeous life story.

There are some books that just click from the very first page, and this one had me hooked and fully invested from chapter one. Mara Williams’s debut is a masterclass in storytelling. It’s rich in emotion, sharp with tension, and overflowing with chemistry that practically scorches the page.

Set against the backdrop of a perfectly executed road trip, this novel thrives on movement, not just across states, but through memory, grief, and longing. Ophelia and Beau’s journey unfolds with delicious slow burn tension. The kind where every glance feels loaded and every conversation buzzes with unspoken history. Their chemistry is undeniable. And Beau? Let’s just say hot professor doesn’t even begin to cover it. Grumpy, glasses, and abs… I mean, come on.

Ophelia is such a standout lead. She’s chaotic in the most relatable way. She’s funny, vulnerable, and endlessly endearing. Her dynamic with Beau is built on years of unresolved tension and differing memories of their shared past, which makes their reunion even juicier. I loved that the book didn’t get too bogged down in rehashing old drama. It gave us just enough before diving headfirst into present day tension and high stakes vulnerability.

And while I typically lean toward dual POVs, the single POV here worked. Beau’s secrets unravel at the perfect pace, keeping me completely glued to the page. Add in a moving mystery about Ophelia’s mother and her own search for truth, and you’ve got a story that’s as emotionally layered as it is steamy.

It’s honestly wild that this is a debut. Mara Williams’s writing is confident, captivating, and gorgeously intimate. If you love a soul searching road trip, second chance tension, and a romance that burns hot and hits deep, this one absolutely deserves a spot at the top of your TBR.

4 stars for me,was very good from start to finish.We meet Ophelia Dahl that has just buried her father and when she cleaning his house she finds document that shock her to core-her mother is alive. Meet Beau Augustin- Ophelia’s childhood bestie turned teenage nemesis,who have project for his new book, and looking to meet on his road trip people who are keeping secrets from they families,and consequences of such behavior.

With Beau Ophelia want to find out what happened that her father keep the secret from her.

I like Beau and Ophelia together,she's more fun and he is so grumpy,but they work good together.And the chemistry between them was sizzling.The only thing that I give 1 star short is Beau talking about his ex.The way he trough that his marriage will last forever,I had feeling that the ex was "The one",not Ophelia.It just bother me,but that just little thing,it didn't put me off the story.

This book had the perfect mix of emotion, angst,betrayal and romance.

Will Ophelia find what she looking for?
Will they be friends again or something more?
Perfect for romance and women's fiction fans.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

I devoured this book! It was so good. I read this book in less than a day. Almost from the very beginning it has me hooked and flipping pages.

While this is a road trip rom-com, this book also deals with grief and other heavy emotions. I feel that these issues were handled well and there was a pretty accurate portrayal of these issues.

Ophelia has just lost her father. Beau, her former neighbor and ex-best friend, is also going through hard times. Some things happen which cause Pei to go on the road trip with Beau. I don’t want to give too much away.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

Wow. Just… wow.

This book was such a delight! Fun, beautifully written, sooo romantic, and very emotional. I devoured it in under a day.

I’m a sucker for road-trip stories, which is what initially drew me in. The childhood friends-to-lovers trope usually isn’t my favourite, but this one completely won me over. I really appreciated that it didn’t rely on the usual back-and-forth timeline, jumping between the past and present. Instead, it focused on who the characters are now, revealing their shared history naturally through dialogue and introspection.

The slow-burn romance and banter were so satisfying, but what really stood out to me was Ophelia’s character. She’s messy in the most relatable way, and her journey through grief and growth felt so real and had me tearing up a little at the end.

The mystery surrounding her mother added a thoughtful, compelling layer that kept me guessing along with the characters.

I did expect the interviews to be a bigger part of the book, but instead quite a few were just skimmed over, and even the ones relating to the characters and their own journeys felt a little short, I would have loved a bit more focus on these.

An incredible debut—I’ll definitely be watching for whatever this author does next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Truth Is in the Detours by new to me author Mara Williams, published by Lake Union Publishing is a stand alone novel.
Ophelia cleares her father's eastate when she find something that puts her whole world upside down. Nothing she believed was real and soon she finds herself on a journey accompanied by Beau her neighbor and writer. Beau has his own issues and soon they're in for a reality check/rude awakening.
A well written story with some lengths, suspenseful, a good read, 4 stars.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Mara Williams and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3,5 ⭐ - I was rooting for these main characters throughout the whole read, it follows old best friends Ophelia and Beau - who grew apart after high school.

After each of them dealing with their own issues, Beau with his internal struggles and Ophelia's found out her deceased mother isn't actually deceased?

This was such a nice story with likeable characters, however the constant lack of communication in the storyline was a little annoying at some point.

Wow. Wow. Wow.
This book was something truly special. It felt like it was filled with pure magic. ✨

After Ophelia’s father suddenly passes away, she discovers a life-shattering secret: her mother didn’t die when she was four…she gave up her parental rights. This lie sends Ophelia spiraling, feeding into old (and not so old) insecurities and making her question everything; her grief, her relationships, her entire identity.

Enter Beau: Ophelia’s childhood best friend turned stranger, who is also reeling from a deep betrayal of his own. What follows is a road trip wrapped in heartbreak, healing, and hard truths. A journey of two people trying to make sense of their betrayals, and find answers about why people lie.

The dynamic between Ophelia and Beau? Perfection.
They had me laughing out loud, giggling, kicking my feet, and tearing up. Their chemistry is palpable, and Ophelia’s yearning, paired with her uncertainty, felt so raw and real. Neither of them is perfect. Ophelia’s insecurities hit home, and Beau’s reserved and grump sometimes cuts a little too deep… but that’s what made me fall in love with them all the more.

There’s so much heart packed into this story. It’s a beautiful childhood bestfriends-to-strangers-to-lovers romance, full of reconnection, healing, and the kind of love that shows up right when you need it most. ❤️

Mara’s writing is tender, honest, and brimming with emotion. It pulled me in from the very first page.

And what’s life without a few detours.

The Truth Is in the Details by Mara Williams is a layered and emotionally complex story about two childhood friends—Ophelia and Beau—who remember their shared past very differently. Each carries personal baggage: Ophelia is reeling from a failed marriage and the discovery that her supposedly deceased mother is actually alive, while Beau battles his own internal struggles.

Their journey to reconnect and track down Ophelia’s mother is filled with miscommunication, unspoken truths, and emotional tension. While I understand this was a deliberate choice by the author, I found the constant lack of communication frustrating at times, which made it harder for me to stay fully engaged with the story.

That said, I’m glad I stuck with it. The ending offered the closure I needed, and the overall plot really is strong. I might even give it a reread—I wonder if I just wasn’t in the right headspace the first time around. There’s a lot of emotional depth here, and it deserves a thoughtful read.

Thank you to Mara Williams, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I honestly loved this one from the first page to the last. It was the kind of story that made me feel a lot, and I didn’t want to stop reading. The writing was beautiful but not too complicated, and the author made everything feel real and full of emotion. Ophelia and Beau were both amazing characters, and I really liked how they were written. Their connection felt strong, natural, and sometimes full of tension in the best way. The banter between them made me smile a lot, and I could feel the history they shared. Even though the book was only in Ophelia’s point of view, Beau still felt like a fully developed character too. I also enjoyed the road trip part. It added a lot of fun and made the story move in a nice way. And the setting was super well done. What I liked most was how the story mixed romance with real life struggles. This was Mara Williams’s first book, but it didn’t feel like a debut at all. I can’t wait to read what she writes next. Thank you so much to the author, Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving a honest review

I’ve officially found my new favorite romance writer. ❤️ Obsessed doesn’t even begin to cover it.

The characters are flawed, real, and heartbreakingly human. The banter is sharp, funny, and full of that perfect tension. Ophelia has just lost her father when she discovers a devastating secret: the mother she thought died decades ago is actually alive and chose to leave. Still reeling, she joins her ex-best friend, Beau, on a road trip up the California coast. He’s researching secrets and truths for his next book while quietly trying to make sense of his own failed marriage. They’re both attempting to piece together lives they no longer recognize, but in the process, they find each other. Truths unravel on a road trip full of unexpected turns and emotional detours. Can they reconcile with what they uncover? Is there a path forward to friendship, or maybe something more?

The emotional depth, the slow-burn chemistry, and unresolved history. I’ve already preordered Mara Williams' next one. This debut author is one to watch!

This was a really cute second chance romance. The story was fast paced and full of cute moments! I highly recommend this book!

The book was very interesting and the timeline kept you hooked on the book. I enjoyed all the loops the book took you through to show you that not everything as black and white as people think.