Review: The Road Ahead

The Road Ahead by A.E. Radley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finished on May 21, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: "If you want my advice, you'll find whoever it is who can make you look this happy and build a life with them."

I really enjoy most of Radley’s books, but this one just didn’t connect with me. It’s a solid book with good writing and an intriguing premise, but it just didn’t pull me in.
    
A computer error causes planes to be grounded two days before Christmas. Rebecca is determined to get home as soon as possible, but she doesn’t have the money to rent a car. Arabella has the money to get the car, but they can’t rent a car to someone with a broken leg. Despite Arabella’s abrasive nature, Rebecca offers to drive them home so that neither of them misses their events.

I was really intrigued by the storyline. I enjoy the idea of people being stuck together on a road trip. It forces interaction for no other reason than to allay boredom. The problem is, there usually has to be something more to it for me to be invested. Compelling characters, time to develop a relationship, just something more. I didn’t really find that something more in this book.

Arabella is a hard character to warm up to because she’s a bit demanding and off-putting. She eventually gets better, but even then, it took a while for me to care. She doesn’t seem to mind being rude to people, and even considers it the best way to get what you want. Rebecca on the other hand seems a bit too good. She’s understanding and caring. When she snaps at someone it’s because she was pushed to the limit and had no other choice. I just wish both these characters had more obvious middle-grounds where they could meet and feel realistic.

The road trip portion of the book was kind of a letdown. There was some socializing and getting to know each other, but it just didn’t sit right with me for some reason. The portion after the road trip wasn’t bad and it helped the two to develop together. It just seemed a bit unlikely and out of character for Arabella to have been behaving the way she did and doing the things she did because of a two-day road trip.

This isn’t a bad book. It’s good and it’s a nice comfortable book if you just want to read without too much drama. This book just didn’t get to me the way other Radley books have. If you want a cozy read, go for it.