Contemporary Romance Review: A Thousand Miles by Bridget Morrissey

Find out our thoughts about A Thousand Miles by Bridget Morrissey. It’s a contemporary romance perfect if you loved People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. Or if you are in the mood for a second chance road trip romance with estranged childhood friends.

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links. That means we receive a small commission at no cost to you from any purchases you make through these links.

synopsis

Podcaster Dee makes it her business to share all her secrets with her audience…except for one. Name Redacted has long been a mystery to her listeners, while Dee shares stories of their childhood relationship. But after ten years of silence, Name Redacted shows up on Dee’s doorstep, asking her to road trip to Colorado with him, because “a promise is a promise.” Will forced proximity help the pair come to terms with their high school fight or will the ten years apart prove to be too much for the pair to overcome?

review

I absolutely loved Love Scenes by Bridget Morrissey, so I was really hoping I would feel the same about A Thousand Miles. Ultimately, the book fell flat for me. I wanted to love it so much, but many times I felt bored with the back and forth road trip commentary. And even though a lot happened, it also felt like very little happened.

In a similar vain to People We Meet on Vacation, the reader spends the first half of the book trying to figure out what happened to break up Ben and Dee back in high school. The pair dance around each other in a state of awkwardness. Neither one of them talking about the elephant in the room or being brave enough to face their feelings. At times I wanted to shake them both out of pure frustration. But then when they finally get together, it feels like they go from 0 to 100 without truly facing their demons, which is just setting them up to fail in the future.

the characters

Dee’s character took some time for me to get behind. She is extremely impulsive, saying things for shock value in the moment in order to hide her true feelings. Her backstory does justify her actions – a toxic relationship with her mother and poverty in childhood. But it took some time for those stories to come out, which added to Dee’s at times frantic behavior. However, the maturity Dee shows in the last 20% of the book really redeemed her character for me.

Ben was the saving grace in this book for me. I loved the depth of his character arc, from the grief of losing his grandmother to the truth about his childhood. The stakes were higher for Ben and instead of shutting down and being emotionally unavailable, Ben was vulnerable, sweet, and so tender with Dee. Not afraid to cry, Ben wears his emotions on his sleeve and I loved that a hero was depicted this way. It’s not common in books, which ultimately made me love Ben more.

I also loved the inclusion of the podcast transcripts. This mixed media element added depth to the story, while allowing readers to see a different side of Dee. It also introduced us to her podcast partner, Javi, who was absolutely hilarious and totally stole the show for me.

in conclusion

A Thousand Miles is a force proximity, second chance friends to lovers romance with mild steam, perfect for fans of People Me Meet on Vacation.

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