This has been a story that touched my personal experiences quite closely, so it has been difficult at times to go through it, but I think the end result has been very worth it for having made me review some difficult experiences from my past.

It begins as a story of disaffection between Gwendolyn and her family, mostly between her and her mother, with an unusual ingredient in the story, which is that after she left her home, her parents take in another girl of an age similar to her, whom they treat like a daughter. And the reason for her disagreement with her family is really difficult to understand. Because she appears as a traumatized woman and a little paranoid about the hatred she thinks her mother feels towards her. And the facts that we are discovering to madida that the story progresses do not seem to be very consistent with that.

The story deals with several difficult topics on their own, but also together they make the story have a great emotional charge, with really moving moments. All the characters have a lot to give each other, they also have things to hide and that are painful for their loved ones. So between hate, love, disappointment and grief, the story has a lot of moments of great sentimental content.

It will not be an easy story to read for some who, like me, know the subject from their own experience. But personally I have enjoyed it and it was worth it.

Oh, y'all this one is soooooo good. Like 100% amazing and you must read it as soon as humanly possible. Erin Zak has written one of the very best books of the year. My friend, you want this one in your life. Just an outstanding read.

Gwendolyn Carter is a Hollywood actress who is a household name but hasn't had the breakout role of her dreams yet. She had high hope for a big film role, but just lost out on it and now has no excuse not to go home for her father's birthday. Gwen avoids going home, at all costs. She has a strained relationship with her mother that has not improved since she fled home after graduating high school.

The Carter family, took in another young lady after Gwen left their sleepy town. Lila Machowicz was one of Mrs. Carter's star volleyball players and invited Lila to live with them when Lila's military father was given orders to transfer to Germany. She has become like a second daughter to Mr. & Mrs. Carter. Gwen and Lila have never met and both have giant reservations about doing so.

So we have a lot of family dynamics at play in this one. What we also have is I don't like you but damn you're hot kinda action as well. Lila and Gwen have chemistry for days. They also have quick witty banter that keeps you on your toes. I love this angsty drama, it is just an amazing read. I could gush over this one for days, but I am just going to say don't deny your self this one. It is well worth the price. This is a book you will definitely want to read more than once.

Emotional.

Gwen up and left everything to pursue an acting career in California. And to be far away from her homophobic mother. Gwen reluctantly agrees to travel home for her father's birthday party, only to discover that her mother is sick. There, she meets Lila, who has been somewhat of a replacement daughter for her parents since Gwen has been away.

The book was written well and flowed naturally. I was always interested in what was going to happen next. The author carefully constructed complicated relationships between Gwen and her mother, father, and friends. So there was a lot of anticipation to discover the inner workings of their dynamic and why Gwen needed to escape so long ago.

I love flawed characters, and this book was filled with them. Everyone was likable but weighted down by failed expectations, uncertain futures, the potential loss of loved ones, infidelity, etc. This was a tough book to get through because you were rooting for things to resolve for them but you kind of new that it wouldn't be the happiest of all endings.

As the story progressed, I liked the chemistry between Gwen and Lila but I failed to understand why Lila was interested in Gwen. Gwen seemed more like an enigma to her than anything. The long lost daughter who is a semi-famous actress that nobody really speaks of. And when they are first introduced, Gwen is a raging b---- to her. I wish there would have been something on a deeper level that initially connected them to help me feel more invested into what could develop there.

The larger theme of this book is the strained relationship between Gwen and her mother. I have to say that I never really felt satisfaction of knowing why her mother treated her so poorly as a child and what/when was the catalyst for her change of heart. Seemed a little bit too easily wrapped up without providing the answers I was looking for.

And there was a bizarre reveal that I don't think was necessary at all in this story.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was entertaining and just emotional enough for when you are in the mood for a rainy day romantic family drama.

I recommend this to those who like to read about romance, estranged families, terminal illness, caring for sick people, infidelity, volleyball, and flailing actors.

I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.

Oh, I loved this book. I really enjoyed reading it, and I read it at once, never putting my kindle down until the very end of it. I love books like this, where there's a lovely chemistry development, gradually built, written with such skills... I wish there were more books like this one.

Gwendolyn Carter is a famous actress in Hollywood, who after several years returns home for her dad’s birthday. She is full with different feelings, as she feels heartbroken and replaced. Lila Machowicz looks like a replacement of Gwen in the family, she doesn’t know anything about Gwen and her mother’s past and, what was the real reason behind her leaving. Even that Gwen feels left out, and dislike for Lila in her family, after she gets to know about her mom’s sickness, she has to work together with Lila.
There is so many development in the book, like Gwen is getting through of her past, till she can forgive for her mother, her and Lila’s love for each other, and about a torn up family trying to get back to normal. A heartwarming romance novel about broken hearts and family.

This book was so much more than I expected. Going into it, I was wary, as the concept of the mother having incurable cancer scared me a lot and I knew it would be a hard-hitting read. But this was so incredible, and the story will stay with me for a long time.
I loved the setting of this book, the sense of community created through the volleyball team and the group of friends was super endearing. I always enjoy books where there is sport incorporated and this one was done flawlessly to ensure that it was a big part of the book but did not overshadow any of the important themes discussed throughout.
Gwen is a really relateable, raw character, and seeing how much she grows from start to finish in this book, I almost felt like a proud mother. She had a lot to overcome in order to learn to forgive people, and the positive therapy representation is always something I'm thankful for in books.
The dynamic between Lila, Gwen and Carol is unlike anything else. I hadn't ever read a book with a familial situation like this before and it truly warmed my heart at points. The sense of support and love that came from this family really drove the story forward.
It was very painful to read this book, I won't lie. Cancer is horrid, and this book makes sure that it is know. While talking about how cancer draws the life out of a person, I was thankful for the few good days that were focused on, and it made it a lot easier to understand all of the character's feelings.
The relationship between Lila and Gwen is ADORABLE. A little odd, sure, but the chemistry is there from before they even meet and being able to see their relationship blossom was such a heart-warming experience.
The ending of this book broke my heart, I rarely cry at books but this one was so beautiful and I cried at multiple points.
Overall, I loved this story, even though it hurt me to read. I think talking about cancer and making sure it's done in an educative way is so important, and there is a lesson to be learnt for everyone within this book somewhere.

Wow! I’m absolutely blown away by Erin Zak’s newest novel, The Road Home. I feel as though I’m going to need an entire thesaurus to share my thoughts about this book with you.

This is a story about a family in crisis. It is a dysfunctional family that has been torn apart by bad feelings, hurtful words and actions and the inability to forgive. But now there may be a pressing need to try for forgiveness, if they can. This is not going to be easy for Gwen, the daughter who is returning after seventeen years away to help her sick mother. She also has to deal with Lila, the woman who seems to have taken Gwen’s place in the family. What Gwen finds even more disturbing, she and and Lila seem to have a connection, a spark that they can’t shake.

Family is obviously the main theme of this romance, but there are so many layers to this theme. There is loss, heartbreak, anger, and hard feelings. At the same time you will see understanding, forgiveness, growth, love, and romance. In other words, you will see a family living through all the ups and downs that life will throw their way.
The writing in this book is excellent. The characters are perfect, the story is heartbreaking and heart lifting at the same time. The romance is beautiful and the overall tale really is uplifting.

This novel has definitely been added to my favorites list. Any book that can make me cry, laugh, frown, and smile as much as this one did deserves to be there. I will give this warning, when you sit down to read this novel, and you must read this novel, make sure you have a big box of tissues close by. You will need them.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Beautifully written romance about a woman who comes back home to an estranged mother after 17 years and has to come to terms with her "replacement" ,Lila, as the daughter that did get accepted unconditionally. After a rocky start both women find there is a connection that can't be denied, but since it's a short visit nothing can come of it. And that's where the story, and emotions, take off as it turns out there's something not being told about Gwen's mothers health and she has to make the hard decision to stay, help and try to repair their rift or go back to her not-so-good career as an actress back in California.
Both Lila and Gwen have their flaws, but their characters are complex and real, the emotions relatable and the storyline with mom: tear-jerker. Erin Zak wrote a book that's not only about a new romantic connection, but the connections of a whole family and she does so while pulling on your heart strings, giving you something to smile about at times and leaves you with a feeling of hope. Well recommended to pick this one up!

** An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ***

This book was heartbreaking.

Gwen left home for Hollywood as soon as she could. After a strict and harsh upbringing by her parents. With the final straw being her mothers' rejection of her being a lesbian. Gwen never looked back Meanwhile her Hollywood dream isn't working for her and she's desperate as to what to do next. When her father calls for her to come back home for his birthday, she reluctantly goes back home.

To face Lila, a girl her parents took in not long after Gwen left. Lila who seemingly became her replacement.

Once home Gwen is full of anger and resentment. Especially against Lila. Nut slowly she starts to soften up and realizes that Lila isn't her replacement. But then secrets emerge and for Gwen, it seems like everything was al ie and falling apart.

I really felt bad for Gwen. Lila not knowing why Gwen left and thus judging her. Gwen's mother for never telling Lila how badly she treated Gwen. Gwen blaming herself for not coming back sooner but none of her parents absolving her even tho it wast heir doing that drove her away and their keeping of secrets and not taking the first steps that also kept her away.

It is a heavy book angst wise and also very sad. Make sure you have kleenex on hand.

Gwendolyn Carter is an actress that after being passed over a huge role, comes back home for her father's birthday. Once home she is faced with the woman she always thought of as her 'replacement' of a daughter, Lila Machowicz, and with the news that her mother is sick and does not have much time left. Gwen has to stay home and work with Lila to support her mother, all meanwhile discovering this attraction to her once rival and discovering family secrets that will test her trust.

The summary of this book seemed very interesting, however once I started reading it - it felt a bit flat. The storyline of Gwen's mother being sick is heartbreaking and well done, however, I went in thinking the romantic storyline would be just as well developed and it just wasn't in my opinion. I thought there was no chemistry between the main characters which made it very difficult to continue reading the the book.

However, while this might not have been the book for me, based on other reviews it seemed to be a book many other people loved, so go ahead and give it a read.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Bold Strokes Books and Erin Zak for lending me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!
Gwendolyn Carter’s life is on shaky ground. After failing to land a dream acting role, Gwendolyn heads home to celebrate her father’s birthday and lick her wounds. Her parents take this as the best time to tell her that not only is her mother sick, she’s terminal and might not have much time left. Their mother-daughter relationship has never been perfect and over the years they have drifted apart. Gwendolyn decides to stay to help her mother and repair the relationship they had lost. What she hadn’t considered, was that she may have been replaced in the daughter department. Lila Machowitcz sees Carol as another mother and is determined to be by her side until the end. The two women find themselves at odds, fighting for Carol’s time and her attention. What neither expects is the chemistry between them.
This is my first Erin Zak book and wow, was I impressed! The characters were written in such a real and raw why that felt relatable. I appreciated a true inside look into a mother-daughter relationship, because let’s be honest, that relationship can be the most complicated. And don’t even get me started on the chemistry between Gwendolyn and Lila! There was definitely some drama, too, don’t get me wrong! There were times my emotions felt like a rollercoaster but it was a fun ride! I will be picking up more Erin Zak reads in the future for sure!

Gwen Carter hasn’t been home for a while. She has been working hard as an actress trying to get her big break. So far she has been in a few movies but when she’s not chosen for a movie role she really wanted she decides it’s time to go home for a visit to celebrate her father's birthday. She gets along fine with her dad but ever since she came out to her mother that relationship has never been the same. Like her mother she enjoyed sports but even that wasn’t enough to keep her home. Now she’s coming home after too many years to find that everything has changed including her mother, who has become much more accepting when it comes to Gwen’s lesbianism. Gwen’s sure it has nothing to do with herself but everything to do with the young girl who lived with her parents not long after Gwen left.
Lila Machowicz has come a long way for the poor little girl who grew up in a home not suited for children. When she tried out for the volleyball team at the high school where Gwen's mother taught her life changed for the better. Carol Carter saw in Lila a girl who needed a more stable life. When Lila came to live with the Carters she felt like she’d won the lottery. She soon took Gwen’s place as the devoted daughter, even though that was something she never wanted. Now she was an adult working as a school teacher where she still works with Carol, helping her coach the school volleyball team.
The one thing Lila could never figure out was what had happened to Gwen and Carol’s
relationship. One thing she did know was that she’d never wanted to take Gwen’s place as Carol’s daughter. Now with Gwen’s return she's hoping to bring mother and daughter together and maybe, just maybe get to know Gwen to. Ms Zak has given us a book about growing up, learning to forgive and living life to the fullest. A very enjoyable read
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books

There is quite a lot to unpack in this story - feelings of inadequacy & rejection, jealousy, a parents' illness, infidelity, and unexpectedly falling in love. Gwen left home for Hollywood and never had the desire to go back home because of her strained relationship with her mother. When she reluctantly goes back home for her father's birthday celebration, she finds herself not only dealing with a lot of "unknowns" but also having a change in what she thought about her father, mother and Lila. When Gwen finally meets Lila (the woman Gwen's parents accepted into their home), they start off on rocky ground. However, when Gwen decides to stay to help her mother deal with her cancer, her feelings towards Lila begin to change. Gwen also discovers that her mother has changed and is not the horrible person from the past. As she begins to appreciate her mother, she then discovers that her father is not exactly the person Gwen thought he was.
There really was quite a lot going on in the road home. I found myself not completely relating to this story for a few reasons. First, the chemistry between Gwen and Lila seemed rather forced. And then, some of the additional things revealed at the end of the story was just not that believable. However, what I did enjoy about the story is how well Ms. Zak wrote about dealing with cancer and being able to reconcile a broken relationship (and everything that comes with that journey).

This book is a very emotional one. Gwendolyn has spent a long time away from her family and finally comes home for her father's birthday. During the time she was gone, someone else, Lila, appears to have taken her place. Lila's parents were going to be moving to Germany for her father's job. However, Lila does not want to go with them because it is her senior year of high school. She begs to stay with their friend. That friend is Gwen's parents. What Gwen does not realize is Lila is terrified to met her. Gwen will realize that Lila is not a replacement at all. She also finds out her mother's cancer has reappeared and is terminal.
This book will pull on your heartstrings.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is an interesting read with a real and sweet romance that warms your heart. It’s not a light romance; instead it’s a hard hitting portrayal of family and the damaging impact of homophobia that reverberates through the years. It’s sad and hard hitting, showing the toughness of trying to repair a relationship when it’s almost too late whilst also coming to terms with an adult view of a parents marriage. To be honest it hits a bit close to home for me to really enjoy reading this book, but it is undeniably well written and engaging. Fair play to the author for authenticity and for pushing the boundaries of a romance novel. Slightly too well tied up at the end, but I kind of welcomed that.

I was a little nervous about reading this book because of the subject - a daughter comes home to make peace with her dying mother. I was worried that the book would be too dark to finish. I'll admit, I was a crying mess by the end, but it was so worth it.

I loved the way Carol and Gwendolyn's relationship slowly healed throughout the story, and how Gwen, not the father she idolized before learning of his major flaws, was the one who cared for her mother during her illness. The characters had a lot of depth, making Carol, someone we feel we should be pitted against in the beginning of the story, become a very likable and relatable character (hence the crying mess at the end).

The relationship between Gwen and Lila was sweet and sexy, and I appreciate that the author didn't throw them together immediately, I liked the slow burn of them coming together.

The toss-in about Gerald at the end was a little convoluted, but it gave Carol some justice, so I was okay with it. I also would have liked to read more about why Carol had a problem with Gwen's sexuality, but she seemed okay with Lila being a lesbian. And what happened to make her not only accepting, but a champion for Lila and Gwen to get together?

Overall, great book. I haven't read anything this in-depth and emotional, yet entertaining in a long time.

‘The road home’ was definitely a book I needed at the moment to just escape into someone else’s world; full of genuine emotion and humanity. The story follows Gwendolyn Carter, an actress who hasn’t returned home since she left for college seventeen years ago and Lila , a young woman who the Carter’s took in shortly after their daughter left home. The two women know of one another and can only assume one another’s faults; one an ungrateful daughter and one a replacement.
When Gwen returns home for her father’s birthday things quickly bubble to the surface for them both but there is something below the surface between them; an undeniable connection. Gwen quickly realises that more has changed within her family than she first thought and the rift that caused her to break away all those years ago has the chance to be mended. Lila also sees that there is more to life than the small world and family she has grown up in. The two women learn what is truly important and how even the seemingly most normal family can be unconventional in the best ways.
I loved how honest this book was about family dynamics and the unconventional path towards love and acceptance. Erin Zak has a brilliant way of depicting the whirlwind of life and the ebb and flow of real- life relationships and although this is my first book of hers I am now definitely a fan!

What a read! I knew going in that this story would pull at me emotionally, and it did. The main characters Gwendolyn Carter, aspiring actress, who returns home for her father's birthday party and encounters so much more and Lila Machowicz, high school english teacher and assistant volleyball coach. Simple story of family, love, yet so much more. As the story unfolds, I thought this simple story is not so simple but complex. Mother/Daughter angst; Father/Daughter issues; Daughter/Surrogate daughter likeability and trust issues. Kleenex are a must as the family battle against cancer takes place. Wiping my eyes and reading, wiping my eyes and reading, etc.

Gwen arrives home after her her dreams have been dashed once again in Hollywood, just in time for her Dad's birthday. She hasn't been home since she left years ago. She's never met the girl, Lila, who moved into her parents home a few years after she left, in her mind replacing her as a daughter. She doesn't expect Lila to be so beautiful or for their attraction to be so intense. When she finds out her mother is sick and her short visit turns into a longer one, slowly she begins to form a new relationship with her mother, thanks in part to Lila, with whom she also finds herself building a deeper relationship.


I found it really hard to get into this one. There was a lot of introspection and not a lot of interaction. It was hard for me to really get into the characters and into the relationship between Gwen and Lila. I liked the volleyball side of all this most of out this book, I liked the community and the bonds it created between Gwen's mother and Gwen, Lila and Gwen, etc... I think Gwen's evolution was really nice and I really enjoyed the second half of the book a lot more where the focus was on rebuilding a family.


I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gwendolyn is an up and coming actress whose career in Hollywood has just hit a bit of a wall and she lost out on a part she really wanted. So. She goes home for her father's birthday. But, her Mom, with whom she has had almost no relationship over the past decade or so (for what I consider very valid reasons), Carol, is the one who has the surprise for her.

Lila is a Volleyball coach at the local high school's volleyball team, and the assistant coach to Carol. Lila has also become like a daughter to Carol and David, Gwendolyn's parents. Or, as Gwendolyn puts it, a replacement daughter (and yes, Lila's young life before Carol and David took her in wasn't perfect.

From my one star it's probably obvious that I didn't love this book. Somehow I stumbled into another story where there is an 'evil' and always wrong character who has to get repeatedly fucked over and not listened to ever by anyone for the 'saint' character to deign to be okay with the evil one (even though they're wrong so wrong). Gah.

The whole 'It's okay that you're wrong, I love you anyway'.Whatever.

And then there was Carol's secret, which, changes none of the underlying crap, but, forces the 'wrong' one to swallow whatever lies the saint wants to keep telling the 'wrong' one over and over and over. Oh, and don't get me started on the Carol character, or the David one for that matter.

I guess based on all the other reviews, this one will be lost in the screams of five stars. Who knows, maybe I read an entirely different book than everyone else, but, there was no balance in Gwen and Lila's relationship, and, that bugs me to no end. There should be some push and pull in the narrative, but, one shouldn't always be pulling and pulling and pulling.

I was given this ARC by Netgalley on behalf of Bold Strokes Books.