The Road to Roses: Heartbreak, Hope, and Finding Strength When Life Doesn't Go as Planned

by Desiree Hartsock Siegfried, Autumn Krause (Primary Contributor)

For anyone looking for a light in the darkness, The Road to Roses?is a transformative guide to finding the strength to hold your head high, even when you're at your lowest. Whether your heart has been broken, your dream has been put on hold, or your character has been placed under the microscope, Desiree Hartsock Siegfried's story will give you the encouragement you need to keep going.

When Desiree joined the cast of Season 17 of The Bachelor, the world met a down-to-earth California girl looking for love. After watching her endure a painful rejection from Bachelor Sean Lowe, viewers cheered Desiree on as she became the next Bachelorette. Although audiences had a front row seat to Desiree's journey to find true love, what they couldn't see was how she deepened her faith along the way. 

For the first time, Desiree is ready to share an up-close-and-personal look at her experience starring on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, where she endured devastating heartache and went on to meet her now-husband Chris Siegfried--all in front of over four million viewers around the globe.

The Road to Roses is a never-before-seen look at Desiree's story, from the heartbreak to the healing. Within the pages of The Road to Roses, Desiree also shares valuable life lessons she's learned about:


Brokenness, vulnerability, and the power of sharing your story
Fully trusting God with your life, no matter what it holds for you
Falling in love with yourself first
Staying open to love and trust even through the ache of heartbreak, loneliness, and criticism
Navigating marriage and motherhood under the scrutiny of social media
Following your passions and embracing the journey of entrepreneurship
Desiree's story is an honest look at how she found the strength and courage to keep going, even in her darkest moments--and how you can, too.

Praise for The Road to Roses:

"Desiree's story is a beautiful testament of God's grace and his ability to give us beauty for our ashes. The Road to Roses takes us on a journey of identity and ultimately reveals God's unending faithfulness in each and every season."

--Mariela Rosario, founder of She Speaks Fire Ministries

"Desiree's honest voice and engaging story will captivate you with each turn of the page. With her desire to be true to who she is--who God made her to be--she navigated the spotlight. Through her story you will learn how to unpack the lies the world has told you so that you too can write your own fairy tale through the life you are living every single day. She invites you to live boldly, love hard, and follow the call that God has for your one beautiful life."

--Jenna Kutcher, host of the Goal Digger podcast

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Audiobook, Autobiography, Adult

208 pages, Hardcover

Published June 22, 2021

Reviews

[Lydia Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book of encouragement. Desiree I wish I would've had your book when I was younger through all my heartbreak, loneliness, and criticism. It gave me such an uplift about life and made me see things way differently even at my age of sixty three. I think any age can learn from your book. Have courage and don't let life get you down. God already has a path for all of us. The right path. Thanks Desiree for opening up your kind heart, thereby opening up my heart and eyes. Highly recommend.

[Ashley Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I won this book in a giveaway Desiree did! So glad I did! I loved it! It was a quick easy read! Desiree was my favorite bachelorette, I remember her season vividly. I remember having tears in my eyes (dramatic I know) when Christ proposed. He gave the sweetest speech! I love her faith journey and what an example of a true Christian she is. I love her realness!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Road to Roses is the story of Desiree Hartsock Siegfried’s “arduous journey…around the world and through twenty five relationships and twenty four breakups...It seems ideal to have twenty five men to choose from, but in all reality…you want to give your heart to one.”

Although her season on The Bachelorette was framed as a fairy tale, to Desiree it felt more like a soap opera. Brooks’ breakup and Chris’ proposal: those two events became the defining elements of Season 9--and the disruption of Bachelor Nation! “Our chemistry was the real-life equivalent to the fire emoji...[but] our compatibility was as flammable as a wet birthday candle.”

While Brooks and Des went together like gummy bears and peanut butter, Chris and Des went together like two peas in a pod. “I’d forgotten what it was like simply to be seen for who I was, not the rose I could offer...I knew what it was to be loved by God and, because of that, I could love someone for the right reasons.”

“When I was cast on The Bachelor, all of it came with me--the wounds and the walls and the wants. But God was working.” “I felt a convergence of all the roads that had led me here and all the relationships that had guided my steps down them, enabling me to choose freedom in Christ over the lies of the enemy.” The Bachelorette is “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that...changes the very fabric of your reality...God was taking the dark threads of my past and weaving them into a tapestry of redemption and beauty.”

“If there is anything you can take away from my journey, I pray it is this: your worth does not lie in the relationship you are in, the number of likes on your social media posts, the amount of money in your bank account, or the status of your job...There is no time like today to discover your true worth and identity as beloved by God.”

Like the biblical Bachelorette contestant and spiritual heroine she references, Desiree is a contemporary Esther with a story “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). Desiree Hartsock Siegfried’s The Road to Roses deserves rows upon roses!

[Pamela Stroebel Powers · Rating 4 out of 5]

She's one of my fav Bachelorette's, I'm so glad she got to tell her story on her terms!

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Besides the bits about The Bachelorette, I found the book to be boring. I loved Desiree in the Bachelor franchise but I didn’t learn much more info about her story. I didn’t like how the narrator switched to someone else in the audiobook too(???)!

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit it, I am a member of Bachelor Nation. Not with every people but there are just some people I completely resonate with.....and one of them is Desiree.

I remember watching her season. It was one of the ones I watched in its entirety. Her now husband Chris was always my favorite but like America that watched, I did wonder how she went from Brooks to Chris. (Editing at its best of course). I liked how down to earth she was, how imperfect her family was. I wanted to be friends with her (and still do if I am being serious)

Desiree's relationship with Christ is one of the things that draws me to her even now....and so her sharing her Road to Roses journey, and the impact of her faith before, during, and after, resonated. I love how bold she is about it now....It's why she is one of the few Bachelor National people I follow on Instagram. Well that, her wedding dresses, her and Chris and the boys. I love that she didn't become an uber influencer; I love that she calls Oregon home as opposed to LA or CA or NYC.

The book is not going to win awards. Many will hate how honest and raw she is about her faith. BUT I loved it. I would have enjoyed pictures of her and Chris and the family, just because that is such a part of her life but oh well.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 202 of 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Oh, I have so many things I loved about this one! I started watching the Bachelor yeeeeears ago & love what it used to be. I’ve lost most of that interest in recent years & seasons as it seems to have shifted to a way to kickstart your Instagram career. Even though the success rates were never high, there always seemed to be genuine people who really wanted to find love. I loved Sean Lowe’s season & loved Desiree when she got to take on the role of Bachelorette. I love her Christian morals & the convictions she stood on during her season.

I’m honestly not sure why I hadn’t picked this book up before. Road to Roses contains a lot of behind-the-scenes info (which I LOVED), but it also heavily focuses on how she kept her faith & relationship with God during her time on the shows. To me, it was a perfect blend of the two topics. I also enjoyed hearing how she’s grown in her walk with the Lord post-show, as a wife and a mom. She was vulnerable, candid, and honest.

I really couldn’t have asked for a better summary of her time on the show & how it impacted her walk with Christ. She also did a terrific job of narrating. I think the narrator changed towards the end (?), but both were good. The writing itself was also well done.

Format: audiobook (Libby)

[Danielle Satterfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book! I loved hearing her story from her childhood to her relationships with guys and her growing relationship with Christ along her true perspective from what happened within her season of The Bachelorette. Desiree was always one of my top favorite Bachelorettes (with Trista being the first as no one will ever beat her in my book☺️), but I enjoyed Desiree’s season so much and the guys on it too and felt she was to harshly judged when everything happened with Brooks (who I did love too😉) but absolutely LOVED Chris as well (I mean who wouldn’t want a man like Chris…😍😍😍 swoon worthy all the way around). I felt her heartbreak and rejections in the book as she shared her life in a very vulnerable way. I also didn’t realize how her life was growing up with moving all the time and how financially it was hard on her parents and her. I just relayed so much to her and I would recommend this book to anyone. A very easy read and took less than a day to finish it, but I also couldn’t put it down once I began reading it.❤️❤️❤️. Congrats Desiree on your book! And Good luck with your future! ☺️

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you watched Desiree’s season on The Bachelorette, you’ll enjoy hearing her side of the story. I appreciated hearing more of Desiree’s life story and perspective, along with her insights into God’s hand in her story. It will encourage you to trust God in guiding you and taking risks in your own life.

[Breanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was delightful and it makes me want to rewatch Desiree's seasons of the Bachelor.

[Ariana Merchent · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Elyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 63 of 2021

By this point, everyone knows that I am a proud member of #BachelorNation. I mean, I can't help it. I read all the Bachelor-franchise books when they come out, and this was no exception. I would say that easily some of my favorite seasons of the entire franchise include Sean Lowe's season of The Bachelor (since he is, hands down, the best Bachelor of all time) and Desiree's season of The Bachelorette. Back in 2013 when I met this lovely lady on screen, I knew she was unique and someone to watch out for. But I, like everyone else who was glued to their TV screens, was shocked by the breakup with Brooks before fantasy suites and ultimately a proposal to Chris. But in the end, Desiree and Chris are one of Bachelor Nation's biggest success stories. They married (off-camera) in 2015 and have two boys together.

This was an interesting book because the entire thing was basically why Desiree made the choices she did. She shared a lot about the criticism that followed her choices, and she wanted to share the record straight about her time on the show, Brooks and ultimately Chris. Even more interesting was her deep discussions of faith and her relationship with God and how that changed over the course of her life, and how it impacted the show. This book is perfect for anyone who loves Bachelor nation or loves Desiree because it finally answers all the questions about how that season went down, Desiree's past that led her to make those decisions and how she and Chris have moved forward from the show. This will be in my top four of all-time Bachelor books for sure.

Format -- audiobook
Rating -- four stars

[Sarede Switzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun!

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked Desiree's perspective on her time as the Bachelorette. The book felt a little heavy on the religious aspect, which felt a little off because I am not religious. However, I understand that this was her experience and religion was a big part of it. Overall, I liked the book :)

[Jasmine]

Am I crazy or did the narrator change 2/3 of the way through?! (Ok, I know Des’s voice well enough to know it did change. I get it, things happen, projects get tweaked, but it was weird to change.)

[Mediaman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry Desiree. You seem very sweet but it's unclear why there was any need for this book published eight years after you were The Bachelorette.

It's a simplistic walk through a few of the author's dates and the unstable emotions that she went through on the show. It baffles me that she seems constantly shocked at things that occur every season and that she struggled so much after the show was done with the social media backlash. Everyone on the series has gone through the same thing, and nothing is offered here that we haven't read multiple times before in much better memoirs from contestants.

The book is from a Christian publisher and Desiree does discuss her faith a bit, which I admire and appreciate. But her spiritual journey lacks specifics and depth. She avoids anything that comes close to being controversial among Christians (mentioning nothing in the book about sex or monogamy) and is very guarded in making sure that she doesn't reveal too much.

She also filters everything from her period on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette through her spiritual struggles but hindsight often distorts what really happened. I'm not saying she's dishonest, just that the book is written so many years after things happened that she is presenting a filtered version of a memoir. It's an attempt to spin what she went through to make it fit her theology of "everything happens for a reason." She seems to credit God for everything when in truth He isn't the one that submitted the form to become a contestant, she did. So everything that happened was due to her initiation of the process, not necessarily something God selected for her.

In the end the book is shallow and doesn't have much purpose beyond helping young women that want to go on the series. It has honestly been so long since she was on the air that I had to go back to YouTube to see clips of what she was talking about. Many other more famous contestants have been on the show since, and would have done more with their memoirs than this very basic book that is nothing more than a simple outline of her fairly dull experiences.

[Hubert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairly lucid, honest, open, and decent memoir from Bachelorette Desiree Hartsock Siegfried. The book is organized in a somewhat different manner from other Bachelor-Nation lead authors. Rather than sharing their past, and then their path to get on the show, then their journey on the show, Desiree focuses on specific characters (e.g. Brooks, Chris) on the show, and then after discussion of the show, she reveals more about her family (brother and parents) and then even a bit about her burgeoning bridal design business.

The book is a Christian book, and every part of her narrative is weaved into her thoughts about how to trust God in all your life paths, regardless of difficulties. The reflections are much appreciated, and she and the co-author have done well in this regard.

[Shelby Holliman Carley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for Bachelor nation tell alls! This one was short and sweet. The writing is good but the content can get a bit monotonous at times and even repetitive (describing numerous parts of her life as a period when she worked to get back on track with her faith, the dynamic with her brother, etc.). The pieces she wrote talking about her time on the show and how she got on the show were interesting as well as her experience being scrutinized by the public as many leads are. Always fascinating to hear what was happening in her world while we all had opinions about her season of the bachelorette.

[Rachel Patek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have watched The Bachelor franchise for a long time, and I remember watching Desiree's season. I really liked her choice, and now husband, but I was always curious as to what happened with Brooks. This gave some insight into that whole saga and it was interesting to hear it from her actual perspective, not just what the show displayed. It also had a strong theme of trusting God and becoming the best version of yourself. It was also a light, quick read. The chapters are quick, so you can easily take breaks or read in small portions and not feel lost when you pick it up again.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book really made me appreciate the power of TV editors. I watched Desiree’s entire Bachelorette season (as well as Sean’s Bachelor season) and I had no idea that Desiree is an evangelical Christian. This book is 10% pre-show, 10% post-show, 30% Bachelorette memories, and 50% religion. I really think this would appeal more to readers of inspirational Christian memoirs than to fans of the Bachelorverse. It’s not my thing, but I’m sure it would be very inspiring to readers of faith. Also, I really wish there was a photo section!

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great insight into the experience Desiree had leading up to, during, and after the bachelorette experience. I love listening to these books and hearing their first hand experience and what they went through that we don’t see on camera. Desiree had a difficult childhood and home life and yet now she is married to the love of her life and puts God first in everything she does. Excellent book and now I want to check out her podcast.

[Jenny Bunting]

Desiree was my favorite Bachelorette of all-time so I had to listen to this.

I accidentally read a Christian memoir again. This happens to me at least once a year. Upon reading the blurb, the marketing was straight-forward so it was my fault.

Kinda.

Also, I listened to the audiobook and the narrators switch halfway through!

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I didn’t really know a lot about Desiree coming into this, so I was pleasantly surprised. I also didn’t know a lot of this book was about her faith which I loved. A lot of what she struggled with is similar to what I struggle with so it was really refreshing to hear. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one good because 1) Desiree has a strong religious background and I love seeing others succeed with strong faith, and 2) Desiree's bachelorette experience was a little controversial, so it was nice to have her explain her decisions with the background that allows us to understand why her decisions made sense. She seems to be a genuine person.

[Madeline Nixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Desiree. After all these seasons, she’s still one of my favourite Bachelorettes. I enjoyed reading about her life and getting more context to what happened on her season. I’ve read better written memoirs for sure, ones that are less Godly too, but this was still a good read and interesting to see her perspective on things.

[MC · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always been a fan of the Bachelor/Bachelorette shows and have read many of the books written by the contestants so figured might as well read this one too. I can't say that this was a great read but I did enjoy learning more about Desiree's life before the show and her journey while she was on the show. I'm happy that she found Chris and that they have created a great life together.

[Sara Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was great to hear how God led Des to the Bachelorette and how He continued working through her after. I love the encouragement of trusting God where he takes you. I also really enjoyed hearing about her true feelings about the men on the show and how she learned about herself and found healing through that experience.

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alright, so my original criticism was she did not have enough Bachelor content. Most of the book did focus on her time on the Bachelorette, which was great! But then the ending felt rushed and abrupt. I don't need to know every detail of post-reality life, but the 30 some-odd pages we got were too little.

[Ashley W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall enjoyed as a quick, light, and fun read. A little too much talk about religion- and that is more that I just am not religious and don't view the world from Desiree's perspective. Really nice to get some background on her dating and familial life.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll read pretty much any book about The Bachelor or Bachelorette. This one kept my interest, but was not my favorite book about the show. This book is more about her spiritual journey than the show.