The Road to Heartbreak

by J.L. Baldwin

From that first moment I saw Roscoe until he left town, we were the best of friends growing up.

My feelings for him grew with time, but when I finally decided to tell him how I felt, he left to travel the world with a country band, taking my heart with him.

Life has a way of giving you your own country song. I know it did for me when years later, Roscoe breezed back into my life as if no time had passed, and returned keeping a promise I thought he'd forgotten with his guitar and my heart in tow.

This novella was originally published in the Rocked to the Core Anthology, and has been rewritten and expanded with new scenes and chapters. Hope y’all enjoy!

148 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 4, 2020

Reviews

[Cathy Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Road to Heart Break by J. L. Baldwin is the story of a foster child, Roscoe Sinclair and his foster sister Ophelia Stark. Ophelia's parents took Roscoe in when he was fourteen years old and Ophelia was 8 years old. They had an instant connection. Even though Ophelia's parents did not adopt him they were his parents none the less. Ophelia's mother could not have anymore children after she had her and so she was glad to have another child and a son at that. So when Ophelia turned 18 Roscoe had to leave to follow his dream to become a country singer and he became a successful one. The problem started after her graduation and they had a party for her and because they had this connection they actually sort of almost let things get out of hand sexually, so Roscoe ended up leaving without saying good bye. Roscoe formed a band with his friends Wesley who played the drums and Angelo who played the guitar. The named of their band was Whiskey Kisses. Ophelia worked as an assistant to a Veterinarian named Dr. Quinton aka as Dr. Q. This is the story of these two young people deciding if they could explore the feelings that they had for one another. Ophelia, aka Peaches was scared because Roscoe was always on the road and had screaming women always fawning over him and she didn't know if she could do long distance. It was an enjoyable book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roscoe and Ophelia have been best friends since he was fostered by her parents, until he left her heartbroken on her 18th birthday as he left town to follow his dream after she had told him her true feelings. Now 2-years later Roscoe is the lead singer and acoustic guitarist to the band “Whisky Kisses”, and they meet again when Ophelia’s dad is ill, and the chemistry between them is intense and undeniable. This is a well written sweet small-town romance story which had me totally intrigued throughout this addictive page turner. I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I recommend for all.

[Nicole Banks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute and super sweet story!!! I loved the characters and the rockstar element!

If sweet contemporary romance is your jam you need to pick this bad boy up.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a good sweet small town romance read. The story has a good story line. The characters are good, and they have good chemistry.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[J.M. Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so freaking sweet. Like one of the sweetest things I have ever read. I usually go for all the smut and I actually went into this book blind, so I had no idea that it was as sweet as it was. But I am totally fine with that! It was a nice change compared to some of the dirty books I've read.

Roscoe and Ophelia grew up together. He came to join her family when they were kids and they ended up being foster brother and sister. But that of course never stopped their feelings from growing for each other.

They both have careers of their own. With Roscoe being a big musician and Ophelia working with animals, they focus on their jobs until something happens that calls both of them home.

Roscoe decides to take Ophelia on a little trip but of course, that doesn't go as planned. She's not used to being in the spot light or seeing the women fawn over the man she's in love with, so it puts a damper on things and her feelings for him.

Together they fight the little issues that life throws at them but like all romance books that we love to devour, love conquers all!

I really enjoyed this book and could see the growth in JL's writing. I understand that it's been two years since she published a book but you can clearly see that she took some time to expand on her writing and story telling.

[Jennifer Pierson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ophelia Stark's parents took in a foster boy named Roscoe when he was 14 years old, and they became very close. However, despite being foster siblings, their feelings got stronger as they grew up, but there came a time when their paths veered in opposite directions. However, I want to say how irritated I was that he left without saying goodbye after things took a turn for them. They cross paths again, and this time they're trying to decide if they want to explore things further (they have some intense chemistry) but it gets complicated quickly. See, he's made it as a country music star, so when she goes on the road with him for a time, she watches how many women throw themselves at him, so she's not sure this is something that would be worth pursuing since it would be long distance. In order to see if they can get past this issue, you'll have to hit those one click buttons because I've said enough! HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND! 

[Elizabeth McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roscoe came to live with Ophelia’s family when he was a young boy to be her foster big brother. From the beginning Roscoe and Ophelia became best friends. Then secretly fell in love with each other. When she graduated from high school he broke her heart because he had to leave due to his feelings so he went on tour with his band. Several years later he is back a successful country singer and now Roscoe and Ophelia are breaking through her hate riddled feelings and heartbreak to try to establish a lasting, fun and exciting romance without allowing the complications of life interfere. Interesting read

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, this cover is gorgeous! The colors and design are perfect.
I really enjoyed Ophelia and Roscoe right from the start. They had such an interesting dynamic and just the right amount of emotional drama to keep me on edge along with the story rolling forward.
There was plenty of emotion and angst in this short novel, and I absolutely loved the smidge of taboo that was written in as well.
This is my favorite Baldwin book to date! I hope to see more of these characters again in a future book.

[Holley Cuppia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ophelia first meets Roscoe when he joins her family as a foster brother. There was a connection between them like none other. He chases his dreams and becomes a popular country music artist, while she stays in their hometown, still working on her dream.

It was a sweet read. I felt like some parts were rushed and would have liked to have seen a little more depth to the characters though. It was enough to keep me reading to make sure they found their happily ever after.

[Maja · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first read from this author and I absolutely loved. I loved the dual, first person point of view of the story which is a deal breaker for me. This was an amazing, sweet read. I will read more from this author in the future.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because I fell in love with the characters. The author wrote a story filled with emotion using descriptive dialogue and revealing thoughts. The push and pull of their attraction was the core of the story which was perfectly crafted.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 4th book I've read written by J.L. Baldwin; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

[Melissa B · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do you deal with feelings that you shouldn't have for someone that's supposed to be your foster sibling? This is that story and it's captivating, sweet, well-written, enjoyable and cute.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Spunky N Sassy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spunky N Sassy Rating: 4.0

~~~~~~~~~~Lindsey's ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review~~~~~~~~~~

Great Book

This novella was absolutely worth the read. I was hooked from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down.

[Elvira · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters are great and entertaining throughout the storyline that they held my attention from page one to the end.

I received a copy and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

[Melissa Reavis · Rating 4 out of 5]

so sweet

I really enjoyed this quick novella. It was short a short and sweet second chance romance. I will be continuing with this series.

[Sarah Strawinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute, sweet romance story. I read the first version when it was in an anthology and I loved how it was expanded to give us more of the story. It was a great story and I really hope the other guys in Whiskey Kisses get their own books.