On the Way to You

With a dog- bonus ? its an adventure and love story with weight on the issue of depression. This book ignites my love for adventure and asks me what truly is living? Am i just existing? What should i do to live? What makes me happy? Am i happy?

You’ll find yourself guessing the ending, you’ll either be optimistic or pessimistic. Regardless, it’s a great story. Depression simplified for those of us that has never battled, but knew someone.

Kandi Steiner has made it nearly impossible to write a review for what I’ve just gone through. A book like this... a book this honest and overwhelmingly relatable, it’s just hard to put to words the feelings she’s invoked.

Emery and Cooper, they’re struggles and triumphs will bring you so many feels, so much warmth and ache. I highly recommend this one, and every other Kandi Steiner novel.

Told only in Coopers POV. I loved the message and everything Emery, he is a character that stays with you and was well written. It’s Coopers character I struggled with she is all things virgin and naïve.

What makes you happy? The first words of this book are really the most important ones. Depending on who you talk to and where they are in their lives, the responses for this question can vary greatly. How does one answer this when it seems like everything in their lives is upside down? Or if you can't see the light through all the darkness that invades your brain?

Two people who probably should never have met come together to try and beat their demons and make their lives into something special. Cooper has been dealt a pretty crappy hand in life with parents who just couldn't care less about her, an accident that changed her forever and a life in a small backwoods that she just can't wait to escape. Despite all this, she sees the beauty in life and the sunshine in the sky always.

Emery, on the other hand, seems to have it all. But all is not as it seems for him. He lives in a world of darkness that few can understand. Bumping into Cooper at the diner in Alabama gives him a traveling buddy. But it is a trip that these two never expected.

Can Cooper bring Emery to the light? Or will he drag her down into the darkness? This is a journey of self-discovery for both of these people and whether or not they have a future will be discovered through hope, betrayal, love and pain. Kandi Steiner has this ability to draw emotion out of even the coldest of people and this look into depression and those who love people who suffer from depression is truly spot on. It IS difficult to love someone who sometimes slips into a darkness that you can't understand and I believe Kandi tackles this subject remarkably!

Kandi-- if you read your reviews, I just want to thank you for such a beautiful book, for such beautiful characters, and for sharing your thoughts, feeling, and experiences.

This book came at a really good time for me. I have battled with Bi-Polar disease all my life. Sometimes worse than others. Sometimes up to a point that when I have come down I don't remember my actions, thoughts or feelings. I have had to be told what I did and said.
Then the depressions have been so low I have ended up in the hospital. I have had my stomach pumped...I have been judged, told I need to snap out of it, that I need to just pull myself up by my bootstraps. I've been made fun of for it when or if people find out. Behind my back and to my face in crazy because I have a disease. I don't usually tell people for this reason. But the highs are REAL --I work hard accomplishing so much at work--almost never taking a breath. Bosses love me, give me kudos, and awards during this phase. But then when I drop they don't get it. They can't understand what happened and why I'm not performing to the level I was. I've been chastised. Told to snap out of it.
I'm doing better now--most days. But I went through a divorce a few years ago and when I read this book I was feeling very lonely and just sad. I admire you for writing this book, your words at the end, the courage it took to put yourself out there, the realness of the characters, and how you explained and portrayed the depression. "I have explained it as being in a dark hole and you just can't nor want to climb out of it. I feel I will never see the top; never see the light shine into that hole.". Emery's bad days are familiar. I was having a bad day today. Thank you for reminding me that there are good ones, that I can and will see the top again, see the sun again--hopefully tomorrow.
Brave, wonderful, beautiful story. I know this isn't the normal review; it isn't the usual type of reviews I write but I had to say these words to you...thank you!

What makes you happy?

Seems like a simple question, but is it really? When someone asks you what makes you happy, do you tell them the simple answers or do you really think about what really makes you happy?

This is the question that Emery asked Cooper when they first meet. What made her happy, truly happy? She wasn't sure. But what she didn't know was she was about to embark on a journey that would show her the true meaning of happiness.

"Life isn't supposed to be safe," she added with a laugh. "If it was, they wouldn't call it living.They'd just call it existing. And you've existed long enough, baby girl. It's time to live."

Do you believe in fate? Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?

This story will make you believe. Emery, Cooper and Kalo (Cooper's rescue dog) are about to embark on a journey that will change their lives forever. A journey to find out who they really are.

This story talks about real issues people deal with, including depression and loss. It talks about real struggles without sugar coating them.

"The last thing I remember thinking was that living was exhausting. And then I closed my eyes."

On The Way To You teaches you how you shouldn't judge someone before you know them. Everyone is going though something in their lives, even those who you think have a perfect life. What might be a small challenge for you might be a big one for someone else.

On The Way To You is a beautiful romance that will make you laugh and cry. It is full of heart and emotions.

This story is different than other Kandi story. I feel that every Kandi story has its only identify and that every story touches your heart in a different way.

A sad and profound book, but with such an important message! Two lost souls embark on a trip to Washington State, where she wants to pursue a career at Bezyr College and he’s carrying out his late grandmother’s last request: to take a road trip to Seattle and visit several sites along the way. From the start, I recognized that Emery suffers from depression. I didn’t know if it was caused by the loss of his grandmother or from illness and I was very curious to find out.

Cooper is just living. She’s working at a diner, passing time until she can save enough money and get accepted at the college she applied to in Seattle, Washington. She lives in a trailer with her parents, one is a drug addict, the other an alcoholic. They are irresponsible and hateful to her. She’s just waiting for her acceptance letter and will leave Mobile, Alabama forever. Her only friend in town is Tammy, who is a friend and surrogate mother, works at the diner with her, knows about her plans and aspirations, and fully supports her.

One day, this young man appears at the diner. Sandy blond hair, honey colored eyes, two lines between his eyes that don’t mean anger or sadness. Cooper is transfixed by him. She serves hims and he surprises her with the question: What makes you happy? She's nonplussed and has no answer.  She asks him where he’s from and where he’s going and when he mentions he’s going to Washington state, she mentions her plans and he invites her to go with him.

After nixing the idea as crazy, Emery leaves the diner and Tammy convinces Cooper to go, that this is the chance she’s been waiting for all her life, or else she will keep on just existing and her parents will suck her dry. So she leaves, even thought she’s not very convinced he’s not a serial murderer or kidnapper.

The trip from Alabama to Seattle is a beautiful story of this guy who suffers from depression but who is complying with his grandmother’s request. Some days he’s sociable, other days he’s mute. He’s constantly writing in a leather journal and tells Cooper he’s doing it because his grandma asked him to. She tries to make him open up to her but he remains reticent about his family and his motives. As days go by, and she gets more intrigued by him, she succumbs to curiosity and starts to read his journal. She wants to help him and believes if she knows what is the matter with him, she could help him.

Initially, I repudiated her actions because it was a blatant breach of privacy, but as the story continues, I understood that her actions were important in bringing him about. With intuitive knowledge, she gives him hope and happiness, even though there were days when the darkness captured him and didn’t let him go for a while.

I loved reading about the depression because the author wrote with such reality. I also loved that she made the guy suffer from depression instead of the girl. Sometimes, when a woman says she suffers from depression, people will say that she’s hormonal. That can’t be true if the guy suffers from it. So in making Emery depressive, it adds more leverage to the story. I also think that Cooper helped him a lot when she shares about her lost leg and the way she dealt with it. His admiration for Cooper made him try harder to overcome the darkness. Cooper had a dog called Kalo and they both took care of her. I found her to be like a therapy dog for Emerson, except when he was deep into an episode. I hope this book helps people learn about depression and understand that this is a real sickness, not a whim or passing sadness. Emery’s parents didn’t deal correctly with his illness, dismissing the reality and the seriousness.

Apart from the serious message, it was a beautiful love story, fraught with difficult moments but also moments where the joy of life felt by Cooper brought clarity to Emerson. The fact that Cooper practiced yoga daily was another master touch in suggested therapy for depression. Emerson’s love for Cooper and the acceptance and love she gave him took him on a new road. Depression may not be cured, but with different therapies and medication, and with the acceptance and love of important people in the person’s life, it can be handled, and quality of life can be achieved. That was a great message in this book.

At the end of their trip, Cooper finally answered Emery’s question What Makes You Happy? And her answer was beautiful and full of life. Emery found someone who understood him and loved him, and Cooper found life, vibrant life.

I read half the night – I just couldn’t bring myself to stop. On the Way to You by Kandi Steiner is one of THOSE books… It is my first read from this author and I am 100 % sure it will not be my last. Her writing style left me speechless in the end. Yeah I intentionally write “in the end” because the book starts off so quietly and I was wondering why I choose to review this Story

To understand you have to know when a book is offered to me to read I check out the Blurb and then I agree or disagree. I place the book on my schedule with the due dates I get and after that there will be dozens of requests and weeks if not months until I get the book.

And then comes the tricky part. I could go back to reading the blurb to remind off the content but lately I developed the habit of intentionally NOT doing that. So when I opend the book I had literally no idea what I was about to read or what I saw in the Blurb the moment I choose it. The first pages floated over me as a gentle breeze until I read that one line “What makes you happy”. In that second I remembered … My Mind went back to a book I read long ago I can not even remember the title to be honest I am about to ask my cobloggers if they remember my ranting at that time. I have to be honest I must have read more than 1000 books since then but I still remember the answer to a similar asked question in that book that made such a big impression on me that I knew ….

I knew waiting to get an answer to that question in this book would be a road trip of its own.

Road trips are a tricky thing for me – as movies I hate them to be honest but as books they really depend on the travelers and this “lucky Penny” and her “Boy” were worth the journey that much is sure.

Especially when I realized that half of their route was one I had made myself 3 times already and will do so again next year.

I am at a loss what I should tell you about the book because I am afraid that anything might spoiler something and I am not willing to risk that. But I can tell you my feelings…

I was calm
That became interested
Turning in to curious
I smiled a lot only to
Shake my head because I could not comprehend
It made me sad
My heart got heavy while at the same time
My chest got even heavier with love
I cried
And I cried some more
I started hoping
Felt there was something looming in a distance
My heart broke

And then …….

YOU should find out for yourself what happened after that but please have some tissues ready

Kandi Steiner has written another beautiful story directly from her heart, filled with emotion and with a purpose in mind. A purpose meant to bring some light and understanding to the darkness felt by many. An attempt to show others the very real struggle that the darkness can bring every day. Her stories always enlighten me in some way and once again I feel like she was giving us little glimpses into her own inner self which gives the story such an authenticity. The emotions are true and heartfelt, her feelings were jumping off the pages, asking the reader, “Do you hear me? Do you see me?” No matter who is being described in this story, this book of fiction is a very real story in the lives of many.

Some may read this book and question everything. Those are likely the lucky people who live their lives in the light, never affected by the darkness. Those are the people with the most to learn from this story. Many of us have either lived with the darkness, are living with the darkness now, or have lived with someone suffering in the darkness. Hopefully, Kandi’s words will resonate with you in a way that is meaningful, in a way that helps you to help yourself or help others around you.
On The Way To You is a story of journeys, the journey of Emery and Cooper. They met by either coincidence or fate, depending on what you believe but now they are both on a journey, searching for what makes them happy. As they travel, people are brought into their lives for small moments of time and leave lasting imprints and new outlooks on life and the future.

This story helped open my eyes in a small way to the darkness that surrounds many people in my life. To the challenges they may face minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day. Their struggle to survive is real and we can all help by understanding the darkness first and listening to how we can help. Don’t fail them.

Emery and Cooper brought me to tears at times but they also made me smile. This was a book I didn’t want to put down, wanted to devour every last drop, and so I did. I hope you love this story as I did and see all the beauty in it. I hope it starts you on your own path of discovery, discovering what makes you happy, discovering the magnificence of the world around us, discovering your own peace, and most of all, discovering how you can be the rock and the guiding light for those around you who just need you to be there, no judging, just being. Well done Kandi!

“What makes you happy?”
Four simple little words.
Four hard words to answer when formed in a question. What makes you happy? That’s the question Emery asked Cooper the day he met her in the diner. And she couldn’t answer. And that simple four little letter question set them both on a journey, a journey of not only self discovery, but on a journey to find the answer of what TRULY makes them happy.

**“I was dying in that town,” I finally said, my voice low. I wondered if he could hear me over the wind. “And I don’t want to die before I’ve even had the chance to live.”

This book was chuck full of emotions. Cooper is a sweet young woman, always trying to be optimistic no matter how crappy her life got, not matter how bad things were she had a goal for her life. She wanted to go to Washington to her dream school, and when presented with the chance to get out of her small town, she took it. Even if it was with a sexy stranger.

It was hard connecting with Emery, at first. We see different glimpses of him throughout their journey, their road trip across the country that he promised his Grams that he would make.

**She’s the sun and I’m a black hole. I want to swallow her up and lose myself in her, but if I do, I’ll destroy her.

Along the way, we get glimpses of the demons he is fighting. And it’s messy. It’s ugly. It’s painful. It’s raw. It’s real.

The author did a fabulous job with this subject and I think it was done beautifully. It wasn’t sugar coated, it wasn’t over exaggerated, it was real. Depression affects people differently and through Emery’s secret thoughts from his journal I felt his pain, his isolation, his despondent feelings, and I really felt for him. I felt him struggle and felt him try to have good Days for Cooper, I felt him TRY.

These two characters, both broken and flawed in their own ways, were meant to take this journey together and even though is was wrong for Cooper to read Emery’s most secret thoughts, it showed just how strong Cooper could be, how strong I knew her to be and it showed that with the right person, the courage to face your most inner demons can’t be the most beautiful thing ever.

Well done Miss Steiner, I really enjoyed this journey. It hurt and it was painful, but it was also beautiful and heartwarming and will not leave my thoughts anytime soon!

~Michelle

“Kiss me,” I whispered. “And this time, don’t stop.”

Honestly… I don’t know how I feel about this book. Was it filled with that slow burning push and pull that I love? Yes. Was it emotionally gripping and heart-wrenching? Most definitely. Was the writing flawless and smooth? Of course. Would I recommend it? Yes. But, I don’t know… My connection to the characters and their journey was spotty. Before you read this, you need to know this is deeper than a simple romance. It’s two polar opposites colliding in happenstance. It’s raw, haunting, and hits on and represents the darkness of life and how it can make you question everything while pushing you to take that leap of faith. Without a doubt, it’s a perfect representation of Kandi Steiner’s impeccable writing. The way she can create moments of anticipation, moments of longing, and moments of pure desire and make them come alive is something to be admired. And, I love that she touches on a subject that is normally pushed aside, and did so beautifully.

The characters she molded are complex, flawed, and expertly written with backgrounds that would make the strongest of souls fall to their knees. Cooper’s light was contagious and her outlook on life gives hope to a hopeless world. And Emery? Well, his darkness gave him an air of mystery and danger. My heart broke reading about his pain and suffering, but it’s also where the spotty connection comes in. Cooper and Emery had a very odd relationship. They didn’t connect through words and heated glances, it was more like their souls led them to each other; and while that sounds romantic, the constant hot and cold routine was exhausting. One day they would be bantering back and forth then the next their connection was cold. I understand that it was because Emery was struggling with his mental health, but it threw me into an emotional whiplash. But, if that is what Kandi Steiner was trying to accomplish, then well done, because I definitely felt the struggle Emery goes through. Also, everything we learn about Emery didn’t come from his lips but instead came from words written in a journal. This was my biggest problem. He never emotionally opened up to Cooper; she was so desperate to figure him out that she went behind his back and betrayed his trust. Which, I understand, adds suspense and drama, but I wished she would have asked and he would have opened up.

Even though this wasn’t my cup of tea, I appreciate the depth and elegant writing that covers the pages. I’m a huge Kandi Steiner fan and will most definitely keep reading her books, but this one just wasn’t for me.

XX,

Jennifer

*expletive* yes, that is the word that left my mouth after I finished reading this book. And ever since, I've been sitting here for the past hour trying to make the tears stop from falling. I'm a mess. My nose is running and my eyes are puffy. My chest has been cracked open and my heart is lying on the floor. I didn't know that I'd be feeling like this. Like, hands pushing down on my chest making it hard to breathe. Like, bungee jumping with your arms open wide feeling the wind in your face. Like, that content feeling you get when a person you love hugs you, and you don't want to let go. I know that I'm capable of feeling too much, but what this book and these characters brought out in me was astounding and it surprised me.

Kandi warned us, she told us to be prepared. But honestly, I couldn't prepare for this. I knew after reading the first few chapters and without having reached the end yet, that On The Way to You was going to be my favorite book by Kandi and one of my favorites of 2017. There's something to be said when a book reaches the deepest depths inside your soul. The ability that the words you're reading seeps in each and every one of your crevices. That visceral feeling of having your heart squeezed tightly and shattered in tiny pieces only to have it be put back together. Kandi did that. She made me feel every mothereffing emotion possible. Even the ones I didn't want to feel. But she did it so eloquently. She took my heart in her hands and I trusted her with it, because I knew that it would be okay.

On The Way to You is so beautifully written. It deals with real life situations. It is not sugar coated. It is real. It is raw. It is important. It's heartbreaking. It's honest. It's hope. It's soul consuming. It's having faith in the unknown. Its poignant. It’s healing. It's riveting. It's painful. It's truth. It's love.

Cooper and Emery, God I loved them. I want to keep them forever. They were the light at the end of the tunnel. They were beauty in the ugly. They were the missing piece of the puzzle. They were the wish you make on a star. The were imperfectly perfect. They were love.

I can't even begin to tell you what Emery did to me. And on cue, the tears continue to fall. I wanted to hug him and never let him go. Kandi did an unbelievable job giving Emery a voice. One of the best written characters. You better believe he'll steal your heart like he did mine.

"What makes you happy?"
-Kandi Steiner
-Kandi Steiner's writing
-reading On The Way to You
-Cooper and Emery
-Emery
-Emery
-Emery
-Emery
-Emery
-re-reading On The Way to You
-Emery
-Emery
-Emery
-Emery
-Emery
-Emery

I can't recommend this book enough! You NEED to read this book! *shouts from the rooftop* READ! THIS! BOOK!

If you think this is merely another road trip romance, think again. Cooper and Emery are strangers who find themselves becoming unlikely companions, each one harboring certain secrets that may have the other seeing them in a harsher light. I don't want to divulge or even hint what those secrets happen to be because hello, I refuse to be the one that's accused of spoiling the book for you. What I can tell you is that this was a journey for both the main characters, literally and proverbially. They learn things about one another that make it possible for them to see something about themselves that they may have failed to take note of before or to look at things from a completely different, more objective perspective. Not everything they discover, though, is all that great. After all, that isn't how life works and it certainly doesn't come with guarantees that people only see the good in any of us.

Cooper and Emery were young and foolish, but that's precisely why I loved them as much as I did. Neither one was perfect. There were missteps--from Cooper repeatedly invading Emery's privacy and thereby breaking his trust to Emery knowingly hurting Cooper with his words and actions--but from those missteps, these two learned a thing or two, becoming both self-aware and aware of the other's boundaries and needs. Remember, Cooper was twenty and Emery just three years older, and while Cooper's life experiences were far more limited compared to Emery's, Emery had his his own limitations that made it difficult for him to always embrace his own life experiences. These two had my running through a gamut of emotions and thoughts, but they made me feel and think and had me learning a thing or two as well. Sadly, it isn't as common a feat in my extensive reading experience as I wish it was.

Aside from our main characters, I must say that Kandi Steiner gave readers an ensemble cast seriously worth crowing about. In almost every single stop they made during their trip, Cooper and Emery--although more the former than the latter--encountered several individuals and one couple who made them pause and reflect. Some of these encounters even led to turning points in Cooper and Emery's relationship. From John in Texas to Nora and Glen in Colorado Springs, from Zoey in Arizona and Antonio and Trey in Vegas, and then Melina in Laguna Beach and the stranger at Palouse Falls, each one proved to be remarkable in their own way. Oh, and let's not forget Lily, Tammy, and dear Kalo, too. If you asked me to pinpoint one thing I loved most about On the Way to You, I simply wouldn't be able to, because this book? Everything about it was extraordinary. Five-plus stars for this 2017 favorite. ♥

I had already heard a lot about this writer because of the dramatic story A Love Letter to Whiskey . When I see this chance I ever got to know her potential. But nothing really prepared me for what I would find in this book, I'm just not at the bottom of the pit bent in fetal position and sobbing because I read another very light book soon after this one and even so I am still shaken ....
Cooper has always dreamed of reaching her goals, leaving the small town of Mobile and studying in Seattle, but with her relapsing and exploring parents, she had to battle harder than usual. To compensate for the lack of family love, she had the support of her friends Lily and Tammy and the affection of the cute dog Kalo and it is because of Tammy that Copper embarks on a crazy adventure with the unknown Emery.
Emery is a weird and gorgeous guy who pops into the diner where Cooper works the same day that Tammy has a feeling that something different would happen. She accepts the ride of this unexpected visitor and starts heading for a new life in Seattle.
What they both did not expect was that along the way they would discover new sensations and accomplishments as well as find people who would help them on their journey of self-knowledge in which they end up launching themselves.
I was surprised by every sentence, every situation lived, every analogy made by the writer and I found myself facing each page questioning my own life and values. What really matters in life? What do I really need to be happy? Who are the people who love me? And how much is worth living and experiencing new sensations.
I can say with certainty that this book was one of the strongest, most beautiful and moving I have read this year. It was wonderful to accompany the characters, to notice their anguish, to feel their pains and to try to understand what was going on in Emery's mind because as the book is narrated from Cooper's point of view, we only have a few glimpses of the thoughts of the Emery draft when the girl is reading the excerpts from his journal.
The cover was very well chosen, conveying very well the atmosphere of the book mainly of a stretch already there by the end of it. And I found nice to open each chapter with a car drawing that tells what city they were in. I loved every lived experience and I can already say that I will become a fan of Kandi Steiner. Now I need Whiskey n my hands too.
5/5 stars

My Review:
5 amazing freaking stars!

This book had me on an emotional roller-coaster, my anxiety was through the roof and I couldn’t stop turning the page to find out what was coming next.

Every time Cooper picked up that journal, I feared for her. I was so scared she’d get caught. She had a lot of close calls too.

I don’t want to say too much about Cooper or Emery because I really think you need to experience them for yourself.

Cooper has been through hell, she has no support from her parents, and they are awful human beings she needs out. She has felt stuck in her small town in Alabama and has been saving her money and working to get out of there for several years. When Emery enters the diner she works at, not only does he knock her off her feet but he proposes something that she can’t refuse.

“I wanted stories of my own to tell, and I knew that wouldn’t happen if I didn’t step out of the box I’d lived in so comfortably my whole life.”

The two of them take a road trip together and little by little start to learn about the other. There are good days and bad. Emery tries to open up and Cooper tries to understand. Feelings start to evolve and the two try to make something of it. Something casual. This is not an easy relationship there are many ups and downs and a whole lot of angst. Their stop in Vegas killed me.

“I was breathing, and that was all. But then I got in your car, and I took my first breath, and I lived.”

Cooper was light and Emery was dark and they worked kind of bringing them both to even playing fields at times. They come across people on their trip that mean something and matter to the story. It was beautiful.

“Everything is quiet when the first snow falls.”

This is told from the heroine’s point of view but what was so cool about it was still getting into Emery’s head through the journals. I loved how Kandi did that.

If you want a book that is going to punch you in the gut, make you smile, cry, and rip your hair out then this is the one for you. I loved it and loved the emotions it evoked in me. This book will stick with me for a long time to come. It was an amazing read.

** 5 Little Penny Stars **

~ Immediately after reading ~

Be right back with my full review because I'm currently suffering from a syndrome namely, Book Hangovergitis and it will take a few days for me to recover from this masterpiece.

Be warned. The disease is highly infectious because my eyes are red and puffy from all the tears!

Updated Review:

On The Way to You was EXPLOSIVE, EARTHSHATTERING, GROUNDBREAKING, and heart-wrenchingly FANTASTIC.

It has been a long while since I've read a story that can stay in mind for days, long after I have reached "THE END" and still it floats in my mind, tempting me to re-read it for the second time.

It has also been a long while since I've come across a new author whose writing I fell in love so instantly, I believed in the term "love at first sight".

On The Way To You was an emotional journey of loss, love and being found. It was utterly raw and emotional, the writing has a way to expose the most vulnerable part of yourself and make you ponder on the simplest pleasures in life. It's beautiful and intense, and a reminder to be more emphatic in life.

"....depression isn't a one-size-fits all."

Cooper and Emery's whirlwind romance wasn't all smooth sailing. Kandi Steiner took us on an emotional roller coaster ride with the ups and downs of their relationship. There were days when you wanted to curl up and laugh. There were also bad days that made you yearned to hug Emery and cry. It brings me so much and joy and pain to read their story, but it also felt so real.

Thank you, Kandi for giving us such a phenomenal read, one that as promised, will surely stick to our hearts.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book generously provided by Social Butterfly PR and the author. Thank you so much for the reviewing opportunity!

Some of you may have already seen my initial thoughts on this book on my facebook page. The one where I said I wanted to sit and stare at Kandi Steiner all creep-like? Yes, that one! Well, my feelings remain the same. This book! This is my top book of 2017 and once you read it, you can fight me about this!

Why was this book so amazing and received a 5 star rating plus!? Well, let me just tell you, you are in for a real treat. I cried, I laughed, I cried some more. I felt every single emotion in the Webster. I wanted to reach through my screen and hold these characters. Slap these characters. Ask them why. Tell them it would be okay. Tell them I have been there too. Then turn to Kandi and ask her if she has been watching my life for last few weeks - only to release this book and silently whisper to me "It's okay. You are not alone." Shoot man. I read this book over a week ago and goose bumps are still forming when I think about these characters.

I'm not making any sense. Or am I? The storyline is typical. Girl meets cute boy type feel. But there is so much depth and substance to this book that has you looking at page numbers praying it takes you a little while longer to gobble up their story. Kandi Steiner has this magical ability to transport you into her stories and make you feel as though the world around you isn't enough. That there is more out there; if you go out there and grab it.

"What makes you happy?"

We ask ourselves this often. Some more than others. But everything is superficial. Our family. This book. We don't really think about what really makes us happy. And when Emery was kneeling in the snow, tears mixing with the elements, I thought to myself: "What would bring me to my knees like that if I lost it?"

So, before I give away too much information about this book. Grab it. It was released today. Also, grab a box of Kleenex and have your best friend on speed dial. Make sure he/she is reading it too. You will need the support. Or call me. I'm here for you.

"I think I knew, even then, that the greatest adventure of my life was about to begin."

There's not much keeping Cooper Owens in her small town of Mobile, Alabama. Cooper has worked hard, and is so close to finally achieving her dream of starting her new life, getting into her dream school and escaping to Washington, just her, her dog Kalo, and a fresh start. When a stranger in one of Cooper's booths, at the diner where she works, ask her a simple question, she never knew it would start the journey to a life she's been craving.

"What makes you happy?"

When Emery Reed, offers Cooper a chance to leave her town behind earlier than she anticipated, she jumps at the chance. No matter how crazy it may be to get in a car and road trip with this quite stranger, who's eyes show sadness, and smirk makes her stomach flutter. Cooper has to go. She has to take that risk and live.

So off they go, on a epic journey of discover, pain, love, and life. Two people who have faced pain and loss, on separate paths, find in one another something that weren't looking for, and never knew they needed. Two broken pieces fitting together, and offering each other strength, light and second chances

The words in this book flow off the pages like poetry. It is filled with soul, its raw. Hope, loss, romance, wonder, a epic road trip, this book has it all. I was lost in between the pages of this beautiful book and I didn't want to be found.

Kandi Steiner is a truly talented writer, who brought us a griping, page turning story. One that leaves a piece with you long after the last page. Cooper and Emery are characters that leave a mark, they're honest, sexy and real.

On The Way To You is a story with, heart, captivating words and lots of swoon-worthy moments. It shows you there is light in those dark moments. A wonderful, soul touching book, a must read.

·I was provided a ARC by the author·

On the Way to You was an unexpected and surprising journey. I didn’t expected to be heading off to a road trip, one that would stay on my mind for a long time, and that question that seems so meaningless: « What makes you happy? » but really makes sense once you get on this road trip with Cooper and Emery.

If a stranger would ask that question to you, what would be your answer?

One question changed Cooper Owen’s life. That one day, that girl who was trapped in her little town, stuck in her life, was hoping for a better future. She might be seen like fragile and naive, too sunshine and rainbows, joyful in spite of what she went through. And when you get closer, you could see how tough, the fighter she was. The kind of fictional character I’d love to meet in a story.

Emery Reed… a guy as much intriguing as fascinating. The author did an amazing work when it came to this character’s psychology. Tortured, dark, totally the opposite of Cooper’s sunshine personality. I admit, I do like that tortured character. His pain reached out to me, some things I could relate to as well, and oh my if it didn’t hit right in the feels. It was written with such sincerity, speaking about tough issues that the author pointed out in an interesting point of view.

I was swimming into this turmoil of emotions, switching to happy times that would warm my heart to the ones that almost broke me.

It was at times brutal, insanely honest, raw. I appreciated how the author could convey emotions. How in just one look, one touch, you could feel everything. The tension in the air was definitely palpable, the sparkling was here, and the butterflies… wow!

And then there was a little glitch, I’m a bit picky here. After this incredible journey we went on, I was high on feelings, I was so into it. The moment you know that the tables are going to turn, inevitable and leading to heartbreak happened… I was conflicted. And then I was thinking about everything they went through, I wanted more expanding. It felt to me a bit rushed, like things were solved a little easily. I wished more chapters that would give more emotional impact to their story. It was just frustrating to me but it didn’t undermine the beautiful writing.

Overall, I really enjoyed it even if I felt slightly disappointed by some parts especially in the last chapters, I would like to stress how this book moved me. A magnificent story full of strength and hope, reminding us that you should take what’s life has to offer, and our lives are worth, to fight when it’s hard, to take the chance, as crazy as it seemed sometimes.  

Told in first person from dual perspectives in a unique way – via journal – with flashbacks along the way. This story is a steady read that you won’t want to put down. Unexpected twists from the start, I was struck by honesty of difficult struggles & loss that will shred your heart with unexpected hope & strength found where it is lease expected. A wonderful connection between strangers “He nodded, and though I hadn’t told him anything, he seemed to understand everything I didn’t want to say.” who are the same & so different all at the same time. Risking it all to get more out of life & overcome loss, these deeply emotional, wild & wise characters are “…passion unleashed.” sexy & loving “It’s almost impossible to find someone who really loves you – the real you – flaws and all.” From Alabama all the way to the California coast – you’ll experience not just a road trip but an important coming of age journey of self-discovery – healing of mind, body, heart & soul. Putting the possibilities of coming back from being broken, stepping out of the box, & having faith that they will their place in this world. “You’re not getting kidnapped, you’re getting free ride to a new life.”

I loved the way Kandi Steiner’s use of imagery makes you see & feel places, to such an extent they themselves are supporting characters. “The way the sun always manages to come back, no matter how dark the storm, made me happy.” I was gutted by the battles of depression & appreciated so much the level of honest truth with which this tough subject was written. “You are loved, you are understood, and you are needed.”

“What makes you happy?”
THIS BOOK!!!

“It’s about growing together. Changing. And figuring life out along the way,”

‘What makes you happy?’

Those words would change life as Cooper had always known it. A thought provoking sentence that would bring Emery and Cooper together on their travels. Two complete strangers that crossed paths at the diner that Cooper was working in. As often as Cooper dreamed of a better life outside of the confines of Alabama, the offer was too unbelievable to pass up.

How unconventional can it be to leave with a stranger to embark upon the journey of a lifetime?? Cooper asked herself this question over and over. The fact that Emery came into her life at that moment gave Cooper the perspective to see past the fear. A chance of a lifetime that shouldn’t be ignored.

So the journey begins…..a road trip of sorts. One that will change the way that Cooper and Emery look upon life. The road traveled……well….that’s the interesting part!!

On The Way To You is a book about second chances, loss, self discovery, and the road that you must travel for love. Don’t think this is your typical road trip…..It’s a book that centers around mental illness and the lengths that we go to for happiness. A plot that is twisted with heartache and redemption.

While finding myself at a loss to describe this novel without giving away any of the plot, I discovered one phrase that kept repeating in my head. Kandi Steiner has mastered writing unique story plots that revolve around real LIFE!!! Each tattered moment woven with words that will draw you deeper within the story. Evoking emotions that are very hard to ignore. Creating a world that is as realistic as the words upon the pages. All I can say is that you can’t help but FEEL all of the loneliness, longing, and love that seeps from this book. Make sure you add it to your list of must read books!!

Honestly, this book should be 10 Stars. It's THAT GOOD.

This is the third book of Kandi's that I've read, and each one tops the last. If there is one word I could use to describe her story-telling, it's RIVETING.

She brings us these characters; flawed, imperfect, insecure, WONDERFUL characters that could be any one of us. You don't just read about them, you are in the story with them. You are on their journey with every word, every turn of the page.

Cooper and Emery are probably the two least likely people to not only take a cross-country road trip together, but to become friends. Cooper has had a difficult life growing up in Mobile. She's been working her job for four years, saving every penny to escape and start at her dream school in Seattle. Little does she know, one fateful October day, Emery Reed walks into her diner and changes her whole life.

These two aren't just on a journey across the country. They are on a journey of discovery. Of themselves, of each other. One is searching for peace, the other is searching for a life outside of the only one she's ever known.

Kandi deals with a sensitive subject when it comes to Emery. And while I don't have personal experience with it, I feel like she did such an amazing job writing him and everything he's going through.

On The Way To You is one of the most moving books I've read in a very long time. I'm not likely to forget Cooper or Emery, or how their story made me feel. I laughed, I cried, and I loved every single word. Thank you Kandi, for being one of the authors that I can count on to make me really feel while reading.

5 “Little Penny” Stars

Love and Hope. Gorgeous and Broken. On My Way to you was everything I hoped. Cooper and Emery’s story consumed me. I *felt* it all. It resonated with me. This is going to be one of my favorite books I’ve read this year because by the end, it was more than just a story.

Cooper is biding her time. She’s self-sufficient. She’s got goals. She’s just waiting for the time to be right. Emery comes along at just the right time. She doesn’t know it right away though. Something about this stranger she meets at the diner where she works gets to her. When he asks her to come on his road trip with him, well all bets are off. As they begin their journey, Cooper notices that Emery goes from quite to chatty seemingly without cause. And the more time she spends trying to get to know him, the more she wants to know. And when she has a chance to read his thoughts, she takes it, even though she knows it’s wrong. What she learns makes her heart hurt and makes her fall even harder for him. But she realizes that the things she’s learning about Emery shouldn’t be learned this way and it eventually costs her everything.

I just loved everything about this story. Their individual struggles. Their relationship struggles. Their desire for more. Neither Cooper nor Emery are perfect. Both have issues they have to face and they’re issues that aren’t unique to them but still affect everyone differently. Having experienced some of what these two went through made me love them even more. I think everyone can take something away from this book because I know I did.

This book is definitely a book that will sucker punch you in the stomach. I loved everything about this book. I loved the writing, I loved that this book made you feel so many emotions. This book took me to a place where I didn't think my heart could take anymore... but I pushed through that sick, you need to close your eyes feeling you get when you know "this can not be good" ... To one of the most beautiful endings I have ever read.

This book is about Cooper, this beautiful girl. A girl who is stuck in a life that is anything but good. She is working her ASS to get out. When Emery, this good looking stranger gives her a chance to get to her dreams faster... she takes it... They make a journey that begins with being strangers, but as this story progresses. this journey will become so important, so really, the struggles and the triumph that both these two characters experience will be life changing.

I love how the author gives so much passion into broken, flawed characters. She gives them that special something that makes me as a reader so invested in their journey. I feel what they feel... and you want them to fight because you care for these fictional people as if they were real. That right there is so hard to do, and Kandi Steiner does this flawlessly in this book.

I love this book. I think it is one of my favorites of this year! This is not just a story you read and forget, this is one that will stick with you for a while. This one is a #MustRead

Sometimes a book just hits you right in the feels from the first paragraph.
Sometimes a book stays with you long after you read it.
Sometimes a book inspires you, as a reader, to do more with your life and take chances.

This book did all of the above and more! Kandi Steiner, never ceases to amaze me with the stories she writes. They can be very intense and heavy but in the BEST way possible! You feel every emotion like you’re not just reading about the character, you are the character. As soon as I read the synopsis of this book, I knew I had to get my hands on it as soon as possible and thank goodness I did. This story is one of my top reads of the year!

Cooper (I love that name for our heroine!), is working at a diner when Emery stops in and asks her one question that changes her life forever. “What makes you happy?” I fell in love with both of these characters within the first few chapters. Cooper is extremely optimistic and risks everything. Emery is a darker character, and a more somber than Cooper. It makes them very opposite personalities but it works out in the best way.

I don’t want to say more. You need to go into the story spoiler free, without any more details than what the synopsis gives you. I promise you will not regret it! This book is everything!

A story about self discovery, survival, and taking chances, this is a definite winner from Kandi Steiner. You need this book!

“Because I know what death from the inside looks like.”

Have you ever related so completely to a book that it stuns you into not being able to form a though about how you feel? I have, this book did that to me... Reading any Kandi Steiner book I come in prepared to get my heart ripped out but this... this one did something completely different, something I’m still not sure if even I understand. Even as I sit here trying to write this review, as I think back to this story, these characters, I’m speechless.

I am Cooper. I am Emery. This story is my life. This story gave me life..

Cooper is stuck in a town with a longing to leave and erase the hurt and past that is tied to the only place she has ever know. Emery is, well, let’s just say Emery is complicated. This story is about discovery, self discovery and world discovery. A spur of the moment decision and Cooper is on a trip she’s always longed for with a man she’s never met. Emery is a closed book that is on a trip to find something and that’s all he’ll let you know.

“Life isn’t supposed to be safe,” she added with a laugh. “If it was, they wouldn’t call it living. They’d just call it existing. And you’ve existed long enough, baby girl. It’s time to live.”

The journey that this story takes you on is one that you will never forget. On The Way to You has stollen the spot in my heart for my favorite book and I will never be able to thank Kandi enough for the way that this book touched me. Take my word for it, get this books, it is worth it I promise.

This was my second Kandi Steiner book and I should have known that it was going to be an emotional ride from cover to cover. So, if this is your first one, then you are in for a real treat. Kandi will take you on an emotional roller coaster that will leave you breathless with tears in your eyes.

I am not one for reading the blurb before I read a book and sometimes I regret it, but not this time. I was able to be complete surprised and let this story unfold and take me on a journey I didn't know I need until I read this book. So, for people like me, I am writing this review so that you too can be surprised.

This book takes you through a journey that intertwines to people who didn't know that they needed each other. Two broken souls taking the journey of a lifetime cross-country heading toward two very different goals, but somehow bonding and making a connection that just might change everything. There will be tears while reading this book...some more than others depending on how close to home this hits. Your heart will break and there will be moments where you will smile and hope. Take a chance, read this book, it will most definitely leave its mark on your heart and maybe even your soul. Find out how Cooper and Emery's journey begins, how it unfolds and find out if through it all they can find a HEA.

What makes you happy? Simple question, not such a simple answer especially if you are lost but it is certainly one I am going to continue to ask myself every day. On the Way to You is my most favorite book from Kandi Steiner yet. This story entangled itself deep around my heart and it is one I won’t soon forget. This story is one that will stick with you. It is light with a smidge of dark, deep and incredibly emotional yet sweet, charming and endearing - REAL. It touches on a real life subject that is near and dear to me.

Cooper is a girl trapped in a town that is going nowhere. Emery is a stranger passing through to his final destination which happens to be Coopers dream destination. When Cooper takes a crazy leap and hops inside a car with this beautiful stranger to take a trip across country we get to see magic unfold. It’s a long journey across country but a beautiful one that I loved seeing all the sights along the way through Ms. Steiner’s words.

I absolutely loved this story line. Cooper and Emery were two totally different people that ended up needing each other more than they could ever know. Emery was the dark, Cooper was the blinding light and together they were simply magic. An amazing read that I highly recommend!

5 Little Penny Stars

Kandi Steiner's ability to write a hauntingly awesome, gets-you-deep-in-your-soul story never ceases to amaze me. And she does it again with On The Way To You. I've read a few strangers-on-a-road-trip books, but never has one stuck with me this way aside from Whitney Barbetti's Ten Below Zero. Much like that story, On The Way To You has left me somewhat in awe, grappling with the pages that I've just read and the feelings it stirred up inside me.

I don't want to rehash the plot of On The Way To You -- there are plenty of other reviews here that will do that. But what I will say is that this story is not just about a cross-country drive shared by Emery and Cooper, two strangers who become the most intimate of friends and lovers, but a wonderful journey of self-discovery, self-acceptance, survival, strength, betrayal and forgiveness. Mental health plays a huge part in this book, and Steiner tackles the grittiness of it beautifully, taking the reader along with Cooper as she witnesses all of Emery's ups and downs as he struggles with his depression.

What makes you happy?

I am so, so glad that Emery found what makes him happy. This book gave me all the feels, tore me apart and then pieced me back together. It's a keeper, for sure. I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

What makes you happy?

Cooper is one of those people who makes the best out of every situation. She's been through the worst, but she still looks at the bright side. She's living, but not really living... until she meets Emery. He offers her the one thing that she's been afraid to go after, up until the point... Freedom. It starts with the question of 'What makes you happy?' and ends with a road trip that will change both of their lives.

'The way the sun always manages to come back, no matter how dark the storm, made me happy.'

Hope.
That is the main idea that is threaded through out the entire story. Emery and Cooper go on a journey where they end up finding themselves and saving each other. They come from completely different backgrounds, but end up being exactly what the other needs.
Kandi Steiner writes with such raw emotion that it's like a punch in the gut. It'll awaken you and have you thinking about subject matter that you might not have thought about. Or maybe it's about something that you're going through and you'll read this and just know... you're not alone. It'll bring out emotions that you didn't realize were there.

On The Way to You is authentic and heartfelt and deep. It'll change you, in the best way possible.

Kandi Steiner never fails to take me on a reflective and emotional journey with her reads where I’m left feeling like I’ve grown a little bit more as a person once they’re over. On the Way To You did just that but so much more. This is, without a doubt, Kandi Stenier’s best work EVER!

We’re given two characters who aren’t looking for love, but who are looking for life! Though it’s for very different reasons. This isn’t more than just a love story or a “will they or won’t they get their HEA” read. It’s one that is raw, honest, hopeful, tragic, soul touching and yes, lovely. I didn’t race through the pages looking to see what would happen at the end but rather read as slowly as I could to take in the words she was giving, the story she was sharing. Each chapter made an imprint on my heart.

If you are looking for “more than just a romance read” this is it. If you are looking for a read that you can get lost in and makes you feel, this is it. If are looking for a read that makes you feel like someone “gets it” or helps you understand or is the only one you read for the rest of the year … THIS IS IT!

*Arc generously provided for honest review. And thanks and appreciation and a standing ovation is provided by this grateful reviewer*

A Kandi story always makes me feel so great !! There isn't perfection but hope isn't lost - it has the perfect mix of happy and sad. Cooper and Emery may be complete strangers BUT something about their lives gives them a connection and something about this trip changes the way they saw life going for the better.

Cooper had a crappy life and on a whim she says yes to a trip with a customer at her job. It is crazy and so not her BUT sometimes that is what you need to make the change. Emery is on a trip to find something LOL. It is clear he has issues with emotion , it is clear they have a connection and the sexual tension is crazy. Finding his journal may give her insight to Emery's issues but it is also what keeps the reader on edge the whole time. She knows it is wrong , she fears being caught but she cannot help herself. Emery is suffering as did his gram, his intentions for this trip become clear as time goes on. Can Cooper reach him in time or will her betrayal of his privacy ruin her chances at happiness for both of them.

It is an emotional read with an amazing ending.