Review by chaptersofchase - The Road to Tender Hearts

A review by chaptersofchase
The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett

dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Not every trip down the road of life is easy, and The Road to Tender Hearts was no exception—a rollercoaster of dark comedy, self-reflection, and a lot of unexpected moments.

Thank you, Ballantine Books & PRH Audio, for the gifted copy of The Road to Tender Hearts {partner}

Genre: Fiction

Format: 🎧📖

Pub Date: 4.29.2025

Pages: 384

Star Rating: ☆☆☆.5

I had high hopes going into The Road to Tender Hearts. I was expecting a lighthearted, uplifting story about a quirky group of characters on a road trip across the country. But I got a dark comedy (granted, it does say that in the description) with more emotionally heavy moments than I anticipated. There were times when it veered into the borderline depressing side of things.

That said, I still enjoyed watching the characters evolve throughout their journey. They grew and learned from each other, but for some reason, it never felt like enough to win me over. Maybe it's just me, but I struggled with how many seemed to lack understanding of others' struggles or showed selfish tendencies. It's a hard feeling to put into words, but it didn't quite click for me.

The absolute highlight of the book, though? Pancakes. That cat was everything. Sure, his little hobby of predicting deaths was dark, but he was hands down the most lovable character in the story. ___

Audiobook Review: ☆☆☆☆☆

The audiobook is narrated by Mark Bramhall, who also narrated Annie Hartnett's previous book, Unlikely Animals. Bramhall does an incredible job bringing the characters of his books to life. It feels like listening to an old friend tell a life story!

Read if you enjoy:

Quirky, Fun Characters

Road Trips

Second Chances

Character Development

If you haven't already, I highly recommend reading Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett. I read it two years ago, and it's still a favorite of mine!

A review by chaptersofchase The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett

A review by chaptersofchase
The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett