A review by fairytalefootnotes
Off the Beaten Path by Madison Wright

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
Tropes: Small Town, Age Gap, Single Dad, Grumpy/Sunshine, Secret Pen Pals, Fake Dating.
3rd Act Breakup?: No

The Praise: I really enjoyed the characters in this one. I also really loved Wren’s relationship with June and how Wren showed up for her when Mia didn’t. The premise of this book was really interesting and the pacing was great. 

The Critique: I wish there had been more to the anonymous-friends-on-the-app part of the story. The author tells us how Wren and Holden had been talking anonymously for months but we only really see a sliver of it and it makes it hard to buy Holden’s opinion of Wren changing so quickly. I also think the story could’ve benefitted from more scenes of Wren’s impact on Fontana Ridge. The town shows up for her in a big way at the end but I didn’t really understand why. It would’ve been nice to have a few scenes of her helping out around town.

Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. The story and the characters were sweet and interesting. There were just a few things that kept it from being a 5 star read for me. 
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