Journey Back to You by Leigh Shalloway was good. I didn't really connected with Kathleen but her struggles with dreams and family expectations were dealt with raw emotion, and the small-town fallout when things change hit hard. It’s not perfect, some pacing issues that probably are explained by the fact that it's a debut novel, but overall I enjoyed the story.

Journey Back to You had an interesting premise and delivered an emotional, heartfelt story. However, the pacing felt uneven, going from slow to going through parts too fast, which made it a struggle to keep up and stay invested. I also feel that although there were sweet and emotional scenes it didn't help keep the story flowing through the slower parts.
While I did finish this, it wasn't my favourite book. Others may feel differently though!

Leigh Shalloway delivers a heartfelt and beautifully written story in Journey Back to You, a novel that reminds us how love always finds its way, even when the path is unexpected or uncertain. At its core, this book explores the inevitability of love—the way it can choose us rather than the other way around—and the emotional journey that comes with embracing that truth. From the very first chapter, the story draws you in with its warmth, sincerity, and sense of fate that lingers over the characters’ lives.

The pacing is well-balanced, giving readers time to settle into the characters’ emotions while also keeping the plot moving forward with steady momentum. Shalloway’s strength lies in how she layers tension and tenderness together—moments of longing, hope, and doubt are woven into the narrative, making the characters feel authentic and relatable. You can’t help but root for them, and as the story unfolds, there’s an irresistible pull to keep reading just to see where their hearts ultimately lead.

What makes this story shine is the way it handles the unpredictability of love. The characters face obstacles, heartbreak, and self-discovery, but through it all, there’s an undercurrent of hope that makes the reading experience both emotional and uplifting. Shalloway doesn’t just tell a romance—she crafts a journey that feels lived-in, with all the ups and downs that make love stories resonate on a deeper level.

Journey Back to You is more than just a romance; it’s a moving reminder that love often finds us in ways we least expect and teaches us lessons we may not realize we need. Readers who enjoy emotionally rich romances with heartfelt characters and a satisfying sense of destiny will find this book hard to put down.

Journey Back to You had an interesting premise and the potential for an emotional, heartfelt story, but unfortunately it didn’t deliver the way I had hoped. The pacing felt uneven, dragging in some sections and then rushing through others, which made it difficult to stay invested. I also struggled to connect with the characters—their choices often felt unrealistic or underdeveloped, leaving me more frustrated than empathetic. While there were a few sweet or thoughtful moments sprinkled throughout, they weren’t enough to balance out the slow narrative and lack of depth.
Overall, this book wasn’t for me, though readers who don’t mind a slower, less character-driven story might enjoy it more.

This story didn't appeal to me. I was able to read through until the end, but it was tough and left me wondering how this all fit together.

The main characters, Kathleen and Jase, fall in love much too quickly, and it doesn't feel genuine. The storyline wandered in multiple directions and, also, didn't make sense or feel sincere.

The themes in the story were some deep and heavy subjects, yet they felt shallow because of how simply they were stated and dealt with. The love scenes were extremely short and lackluster.

As always, I do appreciate the opportunity to read new books. Thank you, NetGalley and Koehler Books, for the advanced reader's copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #JourneyBackToYou #KoehlerBooks #GeneralFiction #NewAdult #Romance

3.5/5
Journey Back to You is an emotional, second-chance, coming-of-age romance that blends small-town nostalgia with themes of loss, identity, and healing. Kathleen’s return to Hilltown after college forces her to confront her past, her family, and the pull of a love she never truly left behind.

I appreciated the emotional honesty of the story. The author explores hard topics such as grief, addiction, and the decline of a hometown with care and authenticity. Kathleen’s internal struggles felt real, and her growth is tied not just to romance but also to reconciling with her roots. The setup for the Hilltown Trilogy is promising, and I look forward to seeing these characters and themes developed further in the next books.

That said, some parts of the narrative felt uneven. The pacing sometimes rushed through pivotal moments, particularly Kathleen’s college years, while other sections lingered more effectively. At times, the writing leaned toward telling rather than showing, which created some distance from the characters’ emotions. I also wished for a little more chemistry between Kathleen and Jase, as the emotional connection didn’t always fully come through.

Overall, this is a poignant debut with heart. Readers who enjoy reflective, character-driven romance with deeper themes will find plenty to connect with here.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This author’s debut novel had an intriguing premise with the second-chance lovers, but the pacing and overall story fell flat for me. I felt like it was rushed in a way that wasn’t conducive to the reading experience. As a mental health professional, I can tell the author put a lot of thought and effort into that side of things and I commend them! Just wasn’t the book for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

for a debut novel i applaud Leigh and hope it was all she wanted it to be going in. i cant imagine getting a writing career off the starting blocks never mind then be lucky or talented enough to get it put out there for real. it must be a terrifying and exciting time.
and for a first novel i thought it was a goodie. it certainly showed promise for what could be to come. i always feel you can tell when its someone first. there is a tentative finding your voice moment and allowing your new audience to do so too. so this explained a lot of the parts i might have struggled with a little. but they were by no way stumbling blocks.
this book felt raw and honest of a young woman and getting into that next steps phase and age. its not easy. not at all especially when home life and home expectations dont always feels solid or align with your own.
this book reminds me also of that line "wherever you go, you are" and that is definitely the case for me when i was thinking and reading our main characters story. certain moments when she got to her new life i thought ah yes i see whats coming or who might take advantage of this part of her.
its an emotional and aching story in some parts but also hopeful and relatable in others. you are in and watching one young woman life here and it felt true and full of courage at times that not many would have been able to muster.
there is trusts to be gained and rebuilt and knowing when to strive or let go. there is finding where you belong and also where you belong within your own self. this can be made all so much harder when strife at home and with loved ones are swirling around.
how people grow up i just dont know lol. its hard! i promise you the issues of those days do come with a change in thinking when you get older. and i say that with kindness not snide.
this is a moving story and one i felt lucky to read. to read someone first book is a privilege and i thanks Leigh for being brave in handing it over to us.

Journey Back to You is a tender, emotional second-chance romance about love, loss, and the courage to begin again. I was drawn into Kate and Daniel’s story immediately—their shared history, unresolved feelings, and the slow, careful rebuilding of trust felt authentic and deeply moving.

Leigh Shalloway writes with warmth and sensitivity, balancing heartfelt emotion with moments of hope and joy. A beautiful read for anyone who believes in the healing power of love.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Journey Back to You is a poignant and deeply heartfelt coming-of-age story that blends romance, family drama, and a powerful exploration of identity, loss, and coming home. Leigh Shalloway captures the weight of small-town expectations and the ache of growing up—and growing apart—with honesty and grace.

Kathleen is a relatable protagonist: torn between duty and desire, tradition and independence. Her journey from Hilltown to Northwestern and back again is filled with tough choices and emotional detours. Jase, the mill worker with a quiet strength and deep integrity, is a compelling counterpart who shows her a different side of the world—and herself.

The novel handles difficult topics like addiction, grief, and economic decline with nuance, especially in the second half as Kathleen returns to a Hilltown that’s crumbling under the weight of change and loss. The contrast between her past with Jase and her polished new life with Richard creates a strong emotional tension, and the mystery surrounding Jase’s whereabouts adds a layer of suspense.

The pacing is a bit uneven at times, with the college years feeling slightly rushed compared to the richly detailed Hilltown scenes, but the emotional payoff is worth it. Shalloway's writing shines most when it focuses on character introspection and the quiet moments of connection and reckoning.

Bottom line:
Journey Back to You is a moving story about what it means to leave, to lose, and to find your way back—not just to a person or place, but to your truest self.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC of "Journey Back to You" by Leigh Shalloway.
Unfortunately this book was not a hit for me. I could sense how much time and effort, the author put into researching addiction and the usage of drugs, and therefore I'm rating this 2 stars. The book was too much telling and not showing, and I didn't feel anything for the main characters at all. This book should at least have been a 100 pages longer, because I felt like we jumped way too much in the storyline and the story was not told in depth enough. There was also a lot of smut scenes, which i normally don't mind, but the smut scenes was not described well enough and I couldn't feel the chemistry between Kathleen and Jase at all. It was too much insta-lust for me.

Journey Back to You had potential, especially as a debut. The idea of a second-chance romance between Kathleen and Jase was promising, and the short chapters made it a quick, easy read. I could tell there was careful research behind the story, and the book touched on meaningful topics like addiction, grief, and healing.

However, where it stumbled was in the execution. The writing leaned heavily on telling rather than showing, which made it hard to emotionally connect with the characters. Kathleen’s voice often felt detached, and her privileged lifestyle clashed with the story’s attempts at empathy. Jase, didn’t quite balance charm with depth, and his actions felt self-righteous rather than romantic.

📝 What stood out:
-Interesting premise with emotional weight
-Quick pacing thanks to short chapters
-Thoughtful portrayal of trauma and recovery

💬 What didn’t land:
-Romance felt rushed
-Lacked chemistry
-Flat character development
-Cliché family tropes
-Missed opportunities for emotional immersion and stronger dialogue

Overall, it’s a good debut with strong intentions, but the uneven writing and frustrating character choices made it hard to stay engaged.

3.5 rounded up.

While not perfect, this story surprised me.

This New Adult book follow's Kathleen as she heads to college and yearns for independence from her family. Unfortunately, she is hiding from her true feelings and falls into a familiar overbearing situation. When she heads back to the town and the people she misses, her reality is spun upside down.

It was a quick read full of raw emotion. I was intrigued by Kathleen and her journey. There are some shortcoming. I feel like there were some pacing issues, too much detail in certain spots and not enough depth in others. I feel like if the story was told in three parts it would have flowed better. The ending felt rushed and sort of chopped off. I feel this book needed to be longer.

I really did enjoy Kathleen on her journey and can see where this author could go in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, Koehler Books and Leigh Shalloway for this ARC.

I adored Kathleen and Jase’s story, and thought it was absolutely beautiful. I felt a couple of the events in the book could have been explained with a bit more detail, as one event was quite extreme and there didn’t seem to be any closure on why it happened/how the perpetrators were connected to the survivor- unless I was just tired and missed that on Mama brain. I also felt the ending was a little terse and could have had a little more added to it: But otherwise I absolutely adored it. 🥰

This book was definitely unique. The chapters were short, which led me to read the story more quickly than I'd anticipated. I could definitely see how much research went into writing the novel. It was just a lot of telling and not showing. I wanted to feel more emotion and not just read about it (maybe stronger word choices?). I also wasn't really connecting with Kathleen and Jase's romance. They fell in love very quickly and I think it could have worked better with a slow-burn romance (especially while Kathleen was in college and then returns).

For the author's debut novel, it was pretty good - the book dealt with important topics that the author conveyed well throughout this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!

i was trying to finish it but ended up DNF’ing less than halfway through. I didn’t feel a connection to the characters and felt more like i was just reading words in paper.

I received a free eARC from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is my own honest opinion about the book.

Book Review: Journey Back to You
Release Date: August 26, 2025

(These opinions are mine, if you don't agree, talk about that on your page)

*Spoilers Ahead*

DNF’d at 8%. In the third chapter and I have no connection to the main character. The repetitive use of I did this and I did that drove me nuts. Calling out Z-2 in a B-I-N-G-O game was the last straw for me.

This book was dense, moved fast and had a lot of layers. In the first chapter or two there was a huge info dump of who everyone is and family dynamics that I think a lot would have spoke for themselves if we just got into the story. I kept thinking this book could have been really fun if done as a flash back style potentially. The end of the book really just got info dump-y with all of the drug stuff again. While this book was based around a relationship, this felt more like a story of Kat finding herself than a romance novel. I felt like there was a lot of missed resolutions and the ending felt lacking. The book was moderately engaging but fell flat for me.

I would definitely read the trigger warnings prior to beginning as this is not Cinderella or Snow White story. This story is so real and full of emotion. The author put lots of emphasis into the raw feelings of love and the nitty gritty rather than the fairytale love story. This is an open door romance as well with 1 POV. I would have liked to see some of Jase's feelings on the page as Leigh did such an amazing job expressing Kathleen's yearning and need for love. Overall rating is 3.5 stars (rounded to 4).
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Köehler Books, and Leigh for this ARC!

I liked this book I will give my updated feedback when done! Like to say that this is my first book by author Leigh Shalloway.