I got sucked into this romcom by the words “Road Trip”, plus the fact it was a novella, and I was looking for something short. Sara Jane Woodley’s story, The Last Chance Road Trip wasn’t quite what I expected. Yes, there was a road trip, but it took place over a measly weekend.

Val Reyes-Murphy and Ethan Holmes were best friends as children, and then dated in high school. But, Ethan broke her heart, and Val has avoided him every time he came back to Mirror Valley. This time, he returns after the death of his grandfather, someone Val loved, too. But, Pops, the man who loved treasure hunts and mysteries, left one more trick in his will. He asked that Ethan take a weekend road trip, accompanied by Val.

Val just started her first job after college, working as a receptionist at Brookrose Inn. But, the other receptionist is a romantic, and offers to take Val’s shift over the weekend so she can travel with Ethan. The two head out in Pops’ truck, heading to places that meant something to them when they were younger, everything from a waterpark to a petting farm.

Val and Ethan are twenty-one, both recent graduates. But, Ethan seems much more mature than Val is. And, frankly this second chance romance could have been more honest and romantic if the two had just talked to each other. That lack of communication seems to be a problem in a number of contemporary romances. I finished this one because I liked Ethan, and wanted the couple to have a HEA, Happily-Ever-After, even though the sweet story seemed so-so.

Sara Jane Woodley’s website is https://sarajanewoodley.com/

The Last Chance Road Trip by Sara Jane Woodley. Eleventh Avenue Publishing, 2022. 166p.

FTC Full Disclosure – I picked up a free copy from Kindle Unlimited.