Sonja Yoerg * NAL * September 1, 2015 * 336 Pages
Liz Kroft is turning 30, and she isn’t sure she likes where her life is…or where it’s going. She’s recently widowed, but has moved on and is in a relationship with her likable and endearing boyfriend, Marco. The two of them are hiking the John Muir Trail together, though Liz had planned on hiking alone. Easy-going Marco tries hard to keep things positive while they travel, but there is no masking the tension between them. (The fact that Liz is hiding a major secret isn’t helping…) Their personal drama gets put on the back burner, however, when they meet (and then are followed by) two very strange and aggressive men. Liz and Marco have to decide if they will stick together and defend each other or choose to go their separate ways.
This book is a solid 3.5 stars, in my opinion. It started slowly, and it took me some time to feel hooked by the story. But I ended up really enjoying it. The story and characters, both, are very well-developed. I’m basically in love with Marco (though I’m not sure I’m supposed to be). I will say, though, that I so appreciate how competent a hiker Liz is in this story. It is a refreshing change from two memoirs I’ve read recently that feature overwhelmed and clueless female hikers (I’m talking about Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail–which I loved–and Walking Home: A Pilgrimage from Humbled to Healed–which I hated).
In the end, this isn’t a life-changing book, but it is a nice story to get lost in for a few hours.
