Miles From Where We Started

Drawing from 33 years as writer/producer and on-air voice actor for the daily 15-minute radio broadcast The Heartbeat of the Home, Cynthia Ruchti now tells stories hemmed-in-hope through novels, nonfiction, devotionals, and at speaking events for women.  Her books have received numerous awards, including the Carol Award, Christian Retailing's BEST Award, and Inspirational Readers/ Choice Award, as well as being a finalist for the Christy Awards and TR Reviews Inspirational Novel of the Year.
Cynthia serves on the worship team at her church and as the professional relations liaison for ACFW.  She's a member of AWSA, WFWA, is represented by Wendy Lawton of Books & Such Literary Management and recently joined the Books & Such team as a literary agent.
Cynthia and her husband live in WI not far from their three children and five grandchildren.

You would be blessed to connect with Cynthia through...

• Website:  www.cynthiaruchti.com
• Facebook:  CynthiaRuchtiReaderPage
• Instagram:  @cynthiaruchti1994
• Twitter:  @cynthiaruchti
• Pinterest:  @cynthiaruchti
• YouTube:  @hopeglows

These no-longer newlyweds want out of this road trip and their marriage.  Too bad they can't find the off-ramp.

Weeks away from their one-year wedding anniversary, Mallory and Connor Duncan can't even agree on how to end their marriage.  But when a last-minute crisis lands them on a three-thousand-mile road trip together, Mallory wonders if their story may not be over after all.

The trip begins to unravel before the key is even in the ignition.  When an at-risk, trouble-seeking eleven-year-old is unexpectedly thrown into their travel plans, close quarters get even tighter.  Soon, the couple believes this whole experience will spell disaster.

Their first year of marriage hasn't been the arm-in-arm togetherness Mallory and Connor expected.  But is it possible they will find a new beginning at the end of the road?

My Thoughts:
Typically I don't highlight or underline in Fiction books.  But, when I am reading a Cynthia Ruchti book a highlighter/pen is close at hand.  Her latest, Miles From Where We Started, proved to drain the highlighter dry.  This book is not one to be read quickly but savored.  Ruchti's writing in Miles From Where We Started is poetic.  There were times in Connor and Mallory's story that I had to just stop and ponder things before moving on.  I appreciated fully experiencing the journey from both Mallory and Connor's perspectives.  Ruchti kindled my emotions and as I turned the last page I was undone in the best possible way.  With admonishments like...

"This is not how our story ends."

"Forgive more than you think you should have to."

"Start living with what I'd been dealt and with the blessing that came out of the risk."

"Freedom," she said, "has a lot more to do with contentment than the absence of boundaries." 

"It turns out a family can drown in more and thrive with less."

 you will come away from this story not quickly forgetting the characters or the snippets of inspiration for quite some time.  One last thought...hope, there is always hope.

*I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher.  All opinions stated here are my own.

Happy Reading Ya'll,
Jennifer