The Road Home by Erin Zak
- Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, 2020
- Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: Paperback (eARC)
- Page Count: 263 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
Gwendolyn Carter left home seventeen years ago and never looked back. When she went home to celebrate her father’s birthday after failing to get a big acting role, Gwen came to face Lila Machowicz, a woman who basically became the Carters’ second daughter over the last fifteen years. Getting off on the wrong foot yet mutually attracted, Gwen and Lila had to work together and navigate through Carol Carter’s life-threatening cancer as well as other familial issues.
The focus of Zak’s The Road Home was more on familial relationships than romance, and the story was incredibly moving. Even though Gwen spent years hating her mom, dealing with Carol’s cancer with the possibility of losing her was still messy. Zak did a wonderful job at capturing all the feelings, thoughts, and emotions of the characters. Most descriptions were dedicated to both Gwen’s and Lila’s panic and overthinking. As readers, we were inevitably pulled into the emotional ride with them, experiencing the journey of getting reacquainted with family and finding love.
As for the romantic pair, both Gwen and Lila were very relatable with their own minor flaws that made them more human. Their respective relationships with Carol Carter were highly contrasting at first, and that indirectly had them disliking each other in the beginning. The building of their romance after the initial attraction was done carefully and beautifully. And them going through family crisis together was one of the most engrossing thing about their relationship.
“Thank you,” Gwendolyn whispered against her lips. “For loving me through this.”
The closing of the book was indeed a little bit random, but I think it helped lighten the mood. There was also a mention of of my favorite musical Come From Away, and now I secretly wish for Chicago having its own production and not just the touring one.
The Road Home was not a light read because of its topic of loss, but it was a heartwarming one. I totally recommend this book and would read more of Zak’s works. [6 May 2020]
I received an e-ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
