Rating: 4.5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | All Romance | Amazon UK
Length: Novel

Boyd Matthis has been waiting his entire life to take this road trip.  He’s been pushing pins in a map, marking off the places he wanted to see for one sentimental reason or another, and he has been planning.  Finally, fate throws him a bone and the perfect car is available: a 1969 Road Runner in beautiful condition and ready to drive.  The price is right and everything aligns, so Boyd makes the purchase and flies across the country to drive her back while stopping at all the places he’s wanted to see.

But in Las Vegas, Boyd spies a defeated and broken young man.  Always one to help, he talks to the kid and buys him coffee.  And then he finds himself offering Oliver Martin a ride across the country.  It’s clear Oliver is running, but he won’t say from what, and Boyd is just happy to help.  But the more the two men get to know each other, the more they form a connection.  They become friends, and then more.  But as their destination looms closer, they both know it has to end.  Except maybe it doesn’t.  Maybe fate brought them together for a reason.

I’m a car girl.  A classic car is always going to turn my head, and I will admit that the car was as much of a draw as the storyline was for me.  But reading the blurb, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this story.  But oh, it was good.  In turns sweet and emotional, Road Trip had all the elements of a wonderful little story.

Boyd is our narrator, and he’s the perfect man for the job.  He’s a no bullshit, kindhearted, wonderful man.  We get to know him incredibly well, right from the start, as he shares his dreams of his road trip and the reasons behind it.  And as the story progresses we get to see so much of his heart and character.  What I really loved about him was that he was utterly and perfectly consistent.  He was exactly who he is on every step of his journey.  A character like that could have been stagnant, but the author did a fantastic job of showing his steadfastness as well as his growth.  Boyd is just fantastic, and I loved taking the journey with him.

Oliver is a bit more of a mystery.  We get to know him in pieces, as he shares bits of his past and experiences with Boyd.  It’s clear he’s in trouble and trying to correct it.  Maybe running away isn’t the best solution, but Oliver is good at that.  What I loved about him is watching him start to heal and come out of his shell, a little at a time.  He was the guy I was rooting for from the very beginning, and I wanted nothing more than to find his way.

The chapters are broken up into the days of the journey across country, and I thought this was an ingenious way to set the story.  Henley gives us bits and pieces of places Boyd visits.  It’s just enough to give us a real feel of his journey and the country, without being overwhelming.  I loved the pacing here for the story.  In particular, it was a perfect way to show the growing connection Boyd and Oliver had.  Trapped in a car together for days on end is a good way to get to know someone.  And I loved the way Henley showed us Boyd and Oliver through the things they experienced along the way.  Throughout the journey, they guys are clearly falling in love, and my only little quibble was that I would have liked to see more of them settled and together.  The ending felt a tad rushed to me after the long journey though.

Guys, this one is a sweet story about two men finding each other at the right time, and how a journey brought them closer together.  It’s definitely worth a read and I recommend you pick this one up.