This is the first book that I read from the author and it feels like it's a warm blanket on a stormy day.

This is a story about Brandi, whose mother is an addict living with an addict boyfriend. He has a brother who is neglected. She just got out of juvie and Brandi wants to save her brother Sy from her mother's grasp.

While Brandi is trying to save her brother, she met Mack. An old guy with one hand and a wife with Alzheimer's whom he loves dearly.

I liked how Brandi and Mack just met in an unexpected way and somehow this meeting changed all of their lives. Brandi realised how there are still good people out there like Mack who loves his wife dearly and will do anything for her. Mack realised that him and Brandi have something in common which is protecting their loved ones and doing anything for their sake. He saw great strength in Brandi and this makes him want to help Brandi and her brother.

Their journey made them closer to each other. They faced some challenges which they have endured altogether.

I feel satisfied with the ending. Because of Brandi's quick thinking she was able to escape death! Thank goodness that Mack was also able to understand what Brandi meant with her words also.

Overall this is a fun read. I enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advance reading copy.

This is my first Melissa Payne book. I can't say that I loved this novel. it seemed to me so vanilla and simple and predictable. And while I understand that many readers enjoy that in their fiction, I found it very boring.

An interesting book that starts out really sad.

So sad, that I did not want to keep reading. But I decided to keep going and it got better and better, to the point that I did not want to put it down. A story about the fact that we all need each other. Everyone needs someone to love and to be loved back. We also need to be needed by those that we love. These are things that we need from childhood into old age.

This story that started out so very sad, did have the best possible ending and I was so thankful.

Child neglect because of an addicted mother is the background of this story. Brandi, now 18 but on the run from the group home, goes back to her mother’s place to rescue her young brother, Sy. The two end up out of gas in the area of Mack Anders. Mack is hiding out from society in the hopes of his cancer-ridden, dementia-burdened wife to receive insurance money to pay for her care. These lost souls need one another to move to the next step. Brandi wants to get Sy to safety as her aunt’s house in Casper. Mack needs to find a purpose to move forward, especially as his wife is slipping away.

Melissa Payne has a unique voice in that she always gives voice to those who feel unheard and misunderstood. She repeats the same with her characters of "Wild Road Home" - there is Mack Anders whose wife has Alzeimers and cancer, Brandi who is determined to do the best by her younger brother Sy, away from their drug living mother.

Over the course of the journey while helping Brandi and Sy, Mack comes to understand where his actions are taking with regards to his wife and she is it exactly he needs to do. The three of them begin to form a family of sorts, thus showing to Brandi that families are not formed by blood, but by bond.

This was a very heartwarming and sometimes wrenching story to read. The difficulties the characters are going through seems very devastating and we can't help but feel for them. I loved the way the gradual development of the love and affection between them has been written. This is a lovely read that I greatly recommend to reader in case you want to read something which explores the various facets of tackling responsibilities and handling grief.

The Wild Road Home by Melissa Payne is a great, sweet, sad, and heartwarming book. It is the first book that I have read of Melissa Payne’s. The three main characters all are facing/have faced struggles and some type of heartbreak in their lives. Mack is an older Man who has lost his Son Jesse and now his wife Daisy is dying from Cancer and Alzheimer’s. He is trying to take care of her the best that he can. Brandi and Sy are siblings who come from a bad home situation and they are struggling to escape and hopefully get and build a better life for themselves. They meet Mack when they leave their home and get a flat tire and he is walking and stops to help them. They are frightened at first of course but when they travel together they become closer and they help each other through their struggles and sadness in their life. They become close and remain friends almost like family. This book is sad but it is a great story about family, friendship, and love. It also has a great message in that no matter the struggles we face throughout our lives there is always hope if we stay focused and positive. Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for giving me a complimentary copy of this book to read and review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love that Melissa Payne's books are filled with so much emotion and devastatingly life-changing situations yet there is always an element of hope and the drive of the human spirit to survive and thrive. This book touches on truly heartbreaking topics yet somehow manages to keep a light shining at the end of the tunnel and out of heartbreak comes so much beauty in found family and the caring of others. I listened to the audiobook and it's a wonderful way to enjoy this amazing novel.

Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay in posting this review, I am well behind and trying to catch up!

What a book - heavy and heartbreaking, but also so uplifting and powerful. The story is about two different kinds of circumstances, both heavy topics, hard to deal with and painful, and what happens when paths cross. One strand is that of two children of drug-addicted parents, the older girl trying to get her young brother away from their abusive and neglectful mother, and the other is that of an elderly couple who suffered a tremendous loss when their young son drowned years ago, and are now facing the loss of the love of your life to Alzheimer’s. The paths of these two very different people cross and both learn from the other. Emotional and heartwarming, but hard going at times due to the subject matter. This is the first book I've read by this author, but it won't be the last.

Payne writes with such heart. Her stories always amazes me and keeps me turning the pages.
This was a thought-provoking, emotional and suspenseful novel about secrets and the healing power of friends and family.
This was character driven story and all characters were brilliantly written.
The Wild Road Home was heart touching, deep, and emotional story.

While I liked this book and the storyline, it just was kind of flat and hard to keep my interest in. I think it was well written, but just kind of slower than I expected.

This book was a really good read! I’ve read other books by Melissa Payne but I think this one is probably my favorite. The main characters were absolutely wonderful. I grew to really care about them and felt a real connection to them and everything they went through. The Wild Road Home is a story about 2 different kinds of circumstances. The first being addiction and what that does to the children of drug addicted parents. The second is about being elderly and having suffered a tremendous loss and anticipating another loss of the love of your life due to Alzheimer’s and Cancer. I loved how the author brought these characters together, showing that opposites can come together and really feel love and concern for each other. It’s like they gave purpose to each others lives. I loved reading this and highly recommend it to others. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc. It’s a wonderful, feel good, optimistic story that easily deserves a 5 star rating!

This book is the true definition of you can't always choose your family, but you can make one. Blood isn't always thicker than water. Sometimes the best family one can have is the one they chose, not the one they were birthed too. This book is a testament that no matter where you started in your life, there are forces at work, that can help manifest you to better circumstances if one just believes.

In the most beautiful conceivable way, Melissa Payne's The Wild Road Home is a gut-punch and a heart-stab. This moving and heartwarming tale explores themes of loss, mistrust, sacrifice, fortitude, guilt, letting go, and deciding to support others even when one's own grief makes it difficult to do so.

After decades of marriage, Mack and Daisy are permanently changed by Daisy's devastating Alzheimer's diagnosis. Mack was certain that she would overcome cancer, but not the merciless grip of Alzheimer's. Mack went to Daisy's house on a regular basis but came to the conclusion that she would be better off without him. He made sure she was well taken care of, then pretended to be dead and lived off the grid in the untamed wilderness of Wyoming, alone with his thoughts. Daisy was not his only sadness, though.


In the interim, Troubled eighteen-year-old Brandi had just gotten out of juvenile detention, and her first priority was to get her younger brother out of his abusive and toxic "home" setting. Sy was a shadow in a corner, both emotionally and physically. The siblings stole a car and became lost without any necessities, like gas. The three immediately grew close via their common pain when Mack noticed them and understood how upset they were. They became a different kind of family because they were what each other needed at that particular time.

During her research for this book, the author and her travel companion embarked on exciting road journeys across Wyoming, where they were motivated by the amazing food, people, and scenery. The route in the book was also taken by her and her mother. Discuss about entering the thoughts of your fictional characters!

The story is written with great understanding, consideration, and sensitivity. It's highly character-driven, which is exactly my kind of thing. Despite grit and anguish, everyone has a deep-seated need for love and belonging, regardless of upbringing. The difficulties are genuine.

All The Feels - Including A Few Very Dusty Rooms. Payne is very much making a career out of intricate character stories that pack a lot of emotional depth and complexity in with a fair amount of drama and action, and this book is exactly in that vein. Here, we get truly visceral looks at the emotions surrounding death and abandonment, emotions which will be difficult for some and will cause the aforementioned dusty rooms for more. The way Payne can bring these things to life via her words is truly remarkable, and that she can do so in such a story without ever appearing preachy - if anything, pretty much the exact opposite - is even more remarkable.

If you're looking for a light and breezy "beach read", this isn't that. If you're looking for a "beach read" in that you can read this book while on a beach... and bawl your eyes out in the process... yeah, this is that kind of book.

Very much recommended.

This was my first experience with this author, but I can't say that it will be my last. I enjoyed this tale of sadness, grief, and redemption. Such an engaging story from beginning to end. I just instantly feel in love with the characters and rooted for them the entire time.
Thank you, NetGalley, and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy.

By the author of The Night of Many Endings and A Light in the Forest, both of which I loved. Melissa Payne has written a story here that is so filled with love and hope. Of dreams and acceptance. Of family and loss. It's such a beautiful and sad story.

This story starts out making you have lots of tears. It's a subject that is sad.. Alzheimer disease. Also drug addiction. Also the love a sister has for her little brother. A story of a man who loves his wife so much he truly believes everything will be ok if only he can take her away. To a small cabin in the woods. This is like reading two books in one that intersect in a way that will have you rooting for and weeping for the characters. The main characters that is.

Mack's wife Daisy has Alzheimer’s and her unbeknownst to him her cancer has returned. Her best friend Peggy has power of attorney over her medical decisions. Daisy knew that Mack would not be able to let go. He would want to hang on to her even knowing that is not what she wants. She thought she was making it easier on him. But was it?

Brandi manages to get away from the group home she is in to go see about her brother Sy. He's just a little boy and is living with their drug addicted mother. Nancy, their mother is hooked on Meth and puts that first. She doesn't see what she is doing or has done to her children. Brandi finds Sy and they go on the run. Sy has lots of fears and he doesn't seem to remember Brandi completely. She's thirteen years older than him and has always been more of a mother to him than Nancy.

When paths cross these three will never be the same. Things will go in a direction that Mack never saw coming and Brandi could not have predicted. The things they go through and do together make them a force for sure. They build a friendship that will last a lifetime. But the things in their lives will make it much harder for them to remain together. Things take a turn rather quickly.

This book reminds me of a Catherine Ryan Hyde story. The way it brings two very troubled families together then keeps you hoping for all to be ok. If you love Ms Hyde's books you will love this one. It has all the love and beauty that you will adore. All the ups and downs that keep you on edge hoping they make it. All the emotion that keeps you grabbing tissues.

Thank you #NegGalley, #MelissaPaybe, #LakeUnionPublishers, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five big stars.

The book sounded like a captivating offering but I felt as if I were trudging through the chapters. I found that I did not connect with the characters, Every page contained too many sorrows.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sacrifice. Deep love, and forgiveness. Gripping story of Mack and Daisy, true love at its finest. Brandi and Sy, siblings suffering from their addicted Mother’s lifestyle.
Paths cross and the story begins. You will suffer through all of the emotions in this gripping novel.
Thank you Net Galley

Melissa Payne's latest emotionally charged novel, THE WILD ROAD HOME, brings together three strangers whose lives intertwine. The novel delves into the profound impact and power of friendship and family. Their unexpected connection sets them on a path of growth and second chances—a journey that will resonate with readers.

About...

A sister and brother on the run and a stranger living off the grid who may be their only hope. Trying to stay one step ahead of trouble. An unexpected connection becomes the saving grace for three unlikely souls who become friends in a heart-stirring novel about love, loss, moving forward, hope, and second chances for an unforgettable journey.

Mack Anders
Mack Anders is dedicated to his wife, Daisy, who suffers from Alzheimer's, and her cancer has returned. She needs expensive treatment that they cannot afford, so he fakes his own death to ensure the life insurance money will help take care of the love of his life with dignity and comfort. Even though his wife did not want to go through all the chemo again.

He lives off the grid in a cabin in the forest of Wyoming wilderness and would love to be with his wife, but now he cannot. They had appointed Daisy's best friend, Peggy as her legal guardian.

They ran out of money when they lost Anders Outfitters to a lying accountant, so things had been tight for the past ten years. She wanted him to let her go, but Mack knew deep down in his old broken heart that he could not do that.

He is living in the cabin his son Jesse always wanted. Jesse is no longer here. Mack wanted to bring Daisy to the cabin so he could take care of her and get her out of the facility, but she would not agree. Some days, she did not know him. Daisy and Mack were the perfect couple, and they did not work apart. (Think, The Notebook).

Brandi and brother Sy:
As fate would have it, eighteen-year-old Brandi has just been released from juvie. She is tough and strong-willed and had enough of her mom and her boyfriend's abuse, neglect, and drugs. Willing to risk everything to save her young brother, Sy, Brandi takes him on the run with the boyfriend's car but little does she know what is in the car until it is too late.

The only person she knows who could possibly take them in is her Aunt Casper. But she lives hours away, and she does not have a phone, money, or clothes for either of them. She is unsure of her address and how she will get them there.

The truck breaks down near the forest, and this is where they meet Mack. But she is not sure if she can trust him. Will he be able to help them get to their aunt's house? Little does Brandi and her brother know that Mack is supposed to be dead, but he risks everything to help them. In return Brandi may be saving Mack as well.

Let the fun begin on a road trip with two kindred souls and a scared little boy, as unexpected allies and support when neither sees an end or hope in sight. As danger closes in, each must decide how much they will risk for the other while staying one step ahead of trouble for them both.

My thoughts...

A humorous, moving, multigenerational tale of adventure, suspense, and finding your way.

I loved THE WILD ROAD HOME! You will root for these three from beginning to end. Brandi was rough around the edges and tough, but she loved her brother and would do anything to save him from their environment. Mack's deep love for Daisy was touching. A fun road trip with loads of adventure, danger, hope, new friendships, and some wise life lessons.

Deeply compelling, heartfelt, and character-driven, an exhilarating and emotional novel about grief, hope, friendship, and second chances. A journey to finding a place to call home.

From highly charged topics of child abuse, neglect, drug abuse, death, grief, illness, and so much more. Ultimately, uplifting and inspiring, filled with hope, love, kindness, and grace. A heart-stirring novel about the joy that comes from finding love and support in unexpected places

I enjoyed the author's previous book, A Light In The Forest; however, I enjoyed THE WILD ROAD HOME more—where sometimes family is not blood-related and second changes are found in the unlikely of places.

Recs...

THE WILD ROAD HOME is for fans of Catherine Ryan Hyde, Colleen Oakley, Susan Redfearn, Elizabeth Berg, Nicholas Sparks, and Fredrik Backman (all favorites). It is for readers who enjoy road trips and resonate with characters searching for redemption, love, and second chances.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for providing an advanced review copy via NetGalley.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: June 18, 2024
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Loved it!! I was looking forward to reading this because I LOVED all of Melissa Payne's previous books. This one didn't disappoint. The title describes the book perfectly. Mack, Sy and Brandi were on one wild road home. Little did they know,, they were meant to be with each other. Brandi and Sy would have never survived if they didn't meet Mack. They definitely would have never found their aunt's house. They were all exactly what each other needed. Brandi needed to see that there were people who would always be there for you. People who didn't put drugs and men before their own children. Mack found the family he was missing and he didn't need to be alone. Mack likes to take care of people. From the start I was hoping Brandi would make it to Aunt Heather's house and have a happing ending. There were so many obstacles in their way. A flat tire, no idea how to actually get to Aunt Heather's house, no money, and empty gas tank and a car full of drugs...just to name a few. I was waiting for a cop to pull them over and discover all the meth. Aunt Heather's house was such an emotional scene and not what I was expecting. Loved how Sy immediately bonded with Mack and was always holding his stump. Mack truly loved Daisy and wanted the best for her. He survived so much. A bear attack, the loss of his child and now his wife. Mack visiting Daisy in the nursing home is heartbreaking.

Definitely recommend the book. I felt like I was traveling with Mack, Brandi and Sy. Loved the story, writing style and characters. The book was full of love, forgiveness, tragedy, grief and so much more. Look forward to reading more books by the author. Loved the cover.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Melissa Payne's "The wild road home" is a poignant tale of sacrifice, love, and redemption that grips the reader from the very first page. The story, centered around a mother battling her personal demons, delves deep into the complexities of human emotions and the lengths one will go to out of love for family.

The narrative weaves through the lives of characters entrenched in difficult circumstances. The main character, grappling with the loss of a child and the strain of his wife's illnesses, finds himself intertwined with the lives of Brandy and Sy, two children desperately in need of help. Payne masterfully portrays the struggles of the young, troubled girl, emphasizing the theme of sacrifice and the power of love.

One of the novel's strongest aspects is its character development. Each character evolves beautifully, their journeys rendered with a realism that makes their struggles and triumphs resonate deeply. The protagonist's arc is particularly compelling, as he navigates through grief and the challenges of caring for his ailing wife while becoming a beacon of hope for Brandy and Sy.

Despite the heavy themes, Payne's storytelling ensures that "The wild road home” is a book that can be devoured in one sitting. The narrative pace is well-maintained, and the emotional depth keeps the reader engaged throughout. The author balances moments of heartache with glimpses of hope, creating a reading experience that is both moving and ultimately uplifting.

This novel marks my first encounter with Melissa Payne's work, and it has left a lasting impression. Her ability to craft such a heartfelt and intricately woven story speaks volumes of her talent as a writer. I eagerly look forward to exploring more of her novels in the future.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Melissa Payne for providing an advanced copy of this remarkable book. "The wild road home” is a testament to the enduring power of love and the sacrifices we make for those we hold dear. It is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeply emotional and beautifully written story.