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.

Loved the audio version of this book. The narrator did such a masterful job of bringing all the characters to life and I especially appreciated the care with which she honored the Hawaiian characters. Excellent job!

I don't read a ton of romance, but decided to give this one a try. This was cute and touching, while also being heartbreaking at times.

I love second chance love stories and I really don’t like friends to lovers stories. This was kind of both but the fact that Beau and Ophelia never truly had a romantic relationship and were estranged at the beginning of this story made it work for me. There was tension as they begin to connect and plenty of snark to keep it interesting and not full of secret pining like I usually see in friends to lovers.

The mystery of Ophelia’s mom and the social science experiment/research of deceptive people definitely kept me interested. I found both of those concepts fresh and well done. I also thought the growth Ophelia goes through as she learns the truth and also struggles through past hurts and her relationship with Beau was a great story. The pacing was right and I enjoyed the narrator’s performance.

I do wish it wasn’t open door. I think it could have easily been done without the spice. While I found the spice to be skippable (I think both scenes were mostly contained within its own chapter), I can’t recommend to all readers because not everyone is okay with skipping. If you are an open door reader or don’t mind skipping, I enjoyed this and I would read another book by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted audiobook. The thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Content Notes: 2 open door scenes; some strong language

Thank you to Brilliance Audio for the gifted audiobook!

The Truth is in the Detours is a heartfelt, character-driven roadtrip romance with amazing banter and A+ chemistry. I’d recommend it without reservation to fans of Emily Henry and Clare Gilmore — if you love their work, don’t miss this one. It’s out 8/12 and I’ve already preordered a shelf trophy because I just love it so much!

Read for:
Childhood best friends to lovers
Road trip romance
Healing journeys
Divorced hero
A+ banter

Beau and Ophelia grew up as best friends, living next door to each other, until a falling out just before college. Years later, Beau is a nerdy academic planning a Pacific Coast road trip to conduct interviews for his new book about the deep secrets and lies people tell and why. Ophelia, back home packing up her childhood house after her father’s death, discovers a devastating secret he kept from her. Desperate to get AWAY, she offers to join Beau as his research assistant.

I couldn’t put this book down. The roadtrip is filled with the chaotic misadventures and LOL shenanigans you’d expect from a romcom, but it turns into a deeply personal journey for both of them. Beau and Ophelia feel so real — they’re just flawed humans figuring out how to handle what life’s thrown at them. Plus, there’s banter for dayssss, and their chemistry is OFF. THE. CHARTS.

One last thing — this book had the perfect mix of emotion and angst. I'm not in the right headspace these days for high-angst drama, but I still want to feel emotionally moved. TTIITD checked both boxes!

Audio: The audiobook is narrated by Barrie Kealoha and I’m going to be straight with you, I can’t remember a single thing about the performance. It held my attention so fiercely that I was fully engrossed in the story and not the performance… which is very high praise! Definitely check it out!

Full of secrets, slow-burn romance, and second chances.

After losing her father unexpectedly, she uncovers a devastating truth: her mother—long believed to be dead—is actually alive. Searching for answers, she reconnects with Beau, her childhood friend and neighbor. They haven’t spoken in years, but the bond between them still lingers, filled with unspoken feelings and buried longing.

He’s always loved her, quietly and completely, and she’s finally ready to face what her heart has always known. As they travel together for Beau’s research on people who’ve lived with lies, their own truths start to rise to the surface.

This book is a beautiful journey—one of healing, honesty, and the kind of love that grows over a lifetime. I really enjoyed this love story, especially the friends-to-lovers thread that tugged at my heart.

This was such an intriguing premise—Sophie can see how many days people have left to live, and when her first love Adam shows back up with only 24 days remaining, everything changes. The story blends grief, fate, and second chances in a way that’s both emotional and thought-provoking.

The narration was strong and kept me engaged, and I flew through the audiobook. I really wanted to love this more, but something felt like it was missing. Maybe it was the emotional depth or how little we really got to know Adam. The core concept was fascinating, but I found myself wanting more explanation, more exploration—especially around Sophie’s “gift” and the countdowns.

Still, it’s a lovely, bittersweet story about love, hope, and fighting for the people who matter. I’ll be recommending it to others who enjoy speculative romance with a twist.

When Ophelia's dad dies, she inherits his house and, along with the house, a lifetime of memories and secrets. Thirty years ago, Ophelia's mom died in a car accident- or so she thought. When Ophelia finds court documents proving that her mother is alive and out there somewhere, she determines to find answers. Why did she abandon her, and why did her dad take that secret to his grave.

Ophelia accompanies Beau, her childhood friend turned enemy, on a road trip to help him conduct research for his next book. The topic? Family deceptions. Along the way, truths about their pasts are revealed,

This book was a delightful read! It was a good mix of a romance novel and a "finding yourself" story, both of which fall into my favorite types of stories. I enjoyed both the writing and the narration, and I have already added Williams's next novel on my to-be-read list.

**A Delightful Road Trip of Secrets, Reconciliation, and Unexpected Love** The Truth is in the Details by Mara Williams is a charming and engaging journey—both literally and emotionally—that had me hooked from start to finish. Ophelia Dahl’s world turns upside down when she uncovers a startling secret about her mother’s supposed death, igniting a cross-country adventure filled with twists, surprises, and heartfelt moments. The road trip trope has never been more entertaining. Ophelia and Beau’s chemistry is wonderfully complicated—once childhood friends, then rivals, and now reluctant partners in uncovering a lifetime’s worth of lies. Williams deftly balances humor, tension, and genuine emotion, making for a story that’s both lighthearted and deeply moving. Their quirky banter and shared vulnerabilities make Mile after mile a delightful read. The mysteries unravel slowly, revealing secrets that challenge what Ophelia believed her whole life, and Beau’s own motives add an intriguing layer of depth. The scenic West Coast setting is almost a character itself, adding a sense of freedom and discovery. If you’re craving a road trip story that’s as about emotional journeys as it is about Miles traveled, The Truth is in the Details is a wonderful read—full of surprises and the kind of bond that only the open road can nurture.

I enjoyed this book. It's a bit of romance, but contains some tough topics such as parent death, parent abandonment, found family. It's more of a journey of Ophelia navigating her past, her way and herself.

The romance part was a little tough. I am not the biggest fan of miscommunication tropes, and I wish I felt more of "feeling" between Beau and Ophelia. Looking for the lead up... reflecting on their past more? I loved the banter between them though!

Overall, it was a good read, paced, and I enjoyed the. narrator.

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced reader copy

Thank You NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the Audio Arc of The Truth is in the Detours I thoroughly enjoyed the writing still of the Author Mara Williams and will definitely read more of her books. Barrie Kealoha did a phenomenal job bringing each character to life and giving then the shine they deserved. There is a wide range of emotions in this book from anger to love and she made sure you felt it.

Now on to the actual story. Beau is a History Professor and Ophelia is a freelance virtual assistant and grew up neighbors and best friends till college split them up. Both main character are dealing with their own for of deceit and betrayal in their lives and are looking for the answers. Ophelia offers to go along with Beau as he writes his third book on Secrets after her father has passed away and she finds proof her mother was never dead. Beau is also looking for a way to come to the terms of his divorce and failed marriage. During the trip the tension between them becomes unbearable and a kiss starts the chain reaction. There is a happy ever after and I was swooning for it the whole time.

I wasn’t expecting to love this as much as I did.
The characters were realistic and human, flawed and funny.
I do love me some childhood friends who fell apart to lovers type of story. And although the third act breakup and miscommunication is hard to pass when we’re talking about 34 year olds,

Great narrator, especially good voice for the Beau parts.

There was a lot to love about this one - - friends/enemies to lovers, some forced proximity, great banter & chemistry plus an eventful road trip with some planned and unplanned detours along the way. I loved Ophelia and Beau’s shared history. They were both fantastic characters and Barrie Kealoha was spot on as the narrator. Ophelia was relatable for me - - an only child who had put up some walls to protect herself. I was rooting for her to find answers and happiness both personally and professionally. Absolutely loved this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the advanced copy of the audiobook.

One of my favorite romance tropes is a travel slow burn with plenty of drama and that’s what this book is.

Ophelia has recently lost her beloved dad. In the process of going through his home she finds that the mother she thought died when she was a child had not died at all. Enter her childhood bestie and former teen nemesis, Beau. Beau is going through a divorce and working on a project that has him taking a roadtrip to interview people. They go on the trip together and end up healing parts of their past they never thought they’d address again.

this was a great book. the relationship between ophelia and beau was fun to watch over time. this book made me laugh a few times, feel sad a bit, but overall left me feeling happy. the narration had a good flow and helped the overall likability of the book.

thank you netgalley and publisher for the arc.