BOOK INFORMATION:
After years of dreaming of and working toward a life more stable than the one she grew up in, Hannah is finally about to have everything she ever wanted. With a high-paying job, an apartment in Manhattan, and a boyfriend about to propose, all she and Ethan have to do is make it through the last couple of weeks of grad school, and the future they had planned will be theirs to keep.
But when they take a romantic weekend trip to Sonoma, and Hannah is spontaneously offered a marketing job at the first (and seemingly financially unstable) winery they visit and doesn't immediately refuse, their meticulously planned forever comes crashing down around them. And then Hannah impulsively does the unthinkable--she turns down her job in New York and decides to stay in California.
Abandoning your dream job and life shouldn't feel this good. But for Hannah, it is an eye-opening experience; and she realizes that maybe, after all her dream-chasing, she hasn't actually been caring for herself. And this new life certainly seems like a dream come true--living in a picturesque cottage overlooking a vineyard in lush Sonoma; new friends with pasts and hopes the likes of which she's never encountered before; and William, the handsome son of the winery owners and an aspiring film director who captures Hannah's heart only to leave the very city she let go.
The mission to rescue the failing winery becomes a mission to rescue Hannah from the image of herself she thought she wanted. The young girl who ached to escape Iowa and leave her past behind for a glamorous life is now given the chance to come to terms with the upbringing that made her who she is.
The Shortest Way Home is a heartwarming story of one woman who sheds expectations in order to claim her own happy ending
MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK
Other characters Linda and Everett were sort of boring characters to me. Everett works behind the scenes in the winery. Growing the grapes, tasting them and then processing them into wine. While Linda works in the sales area. They are just another unhappy married couple which I am kind of tired of at this point. Like typical Linda has a past lover she still wants, and Everett is just trying to save his marriage. The twists and turns of their relationship really did not add to the story in anyway.
Overall I don't believe this is a well-written story. Some parts were clunky and rushed, while others were slow and mundane. I found the pacing of the story to be really off. I felt parts went by so quickly while others dragged on and on. An example of this is when Hannah was trying to decide to stay in Sonoma for the summer. It just was far too quick of a decision in my opinion.
This was just an overall disappointing story cause I had such high hopes for it. I did think the ending was short and sweet enough. I missed the emotion in this book that is typical of a romance novel. I wanted to see them not just read about them. I wanted to fell things when reading and all I felt was boredom.
With all that said, I am giving The Shortest Way Home 3 out of 5 stars. Due to some of the good elements, it has and most of the characters were lovely. But it had too many problems to deserve a higher rating.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Penguin Group/ Dutton in exchange for my honest review.
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