The Road Not Taken is a novel written by E. A. Coe that tells the story of Ty and Seeney’s romance. The book opens with Ty, a US Marines pilot, attending his high school reunion and bumping into Siena, the once-popular girl and a recently divorced bookkeeper. Ty had always had a crush on her but had never pursued it. Together again, Ty and Siena realize that they both have always had feelings for each other and finally decide to give it a go after ten years apart. Ty and Siena’s love story follows where they have to overcome several realistic conflicts; navigating a long-distance relationship, interruptions from their careers, and problems with ex-lovers. Seeing their relationship develop despite these hurdles was incredibly satisfying and heart-warming. Overall, it’s a feel-good romance that will charm any who read it.

I loved the book’s setting the most and how the character’s played into it. It’s predominately set in West Virginia, including a quaint village called Woodstock, a real place that the author resides in. The descriptions were extraordinarily vivid but familiar, making the story feel comforting and nostalgic. Woodstock was the perfect “small rural town” trope- friendly locals, great eateries, and cute mountain trails. These parts were a pleasure to experience.

The author’s writing style is detail-oriented, which paints interesting characters and sceneries. However, I felt that it contains large stretches of exposition at the start of the book and a few points throughout. This exposition does make the story more realistic. An example of the detailed style that E.A. Coe uses is an explanation of a local water spring that a character drives past causally. The author gives readers its complete history of over 200 years. I did enjoy the detail of the main character’s backgrounds. It allowed me to really get to know them and develop a connection. They felt more evocative, and their hardships were more relatable.

The Road Not Taken is a lovely feel-good romance with a rich set of characters, action, and adventure, in a contemporary setting.

Pages: 285 | ASIN : B086K44WBQ