Roadside Assistance

Roadside Assistance #1

by Amy Clipston

A very bumpy ride.

Emily Curtis is used to dealing with her problems while under the hood of an old Chevy, but when her mom dies, Emily's world seems shaken beyond repair. Driven from home by hospital bills they can't pay, Emily and her dad move in with his wealthy sister, who intends to make her niece more feminine---in other words, just like Whitney, Emily's perfect cousin. But when Emily hears the engine of a 1970 Dodge Challenger, and sees the cute gearhead, Zander, next door, things seem to be looking up.

But even working alongside Zander can't completely fix the hole in Emily's life. Ever since her mom died, Emily hasn't been able to pray, and no one---not even Zander---seems to understand. But sometimes the help you need can come from the person you least expect.

Genres: Young Adult, Christian Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Christian, Fiction, Realistic Fiction

278 pages, Paperback

First published March 10, 2011

About the author

Hi! I'm a bestselling author of heartwarming romance and happily ever after.

Contemporary Romance (Non-Amish)
The Heart of Splendid Lake (2021)
The View from Coral Cove (2022)
On the Way to Christmas (Anthology) (2022)
Something Old, Something New (2023)
Starstruck (2023)
Finding You (2024)
With This Ring (2025)
Second Chance at Sunshine Inn (7/2025)
The Lighthouse at the Cove (12/2025)

Stand Alone Amish Fiction
Caring for the Amish Family (4/2025)

Guideposts Amish Suspense
A Heart Set Free (9/2025)


An Amish Legacy
1. Foundation of Love (2022)
2. Building a Future (2022)
3. Breaking New Ground (2023)
4. The Hearts of Shelter (2023)

An Amish Marketplace
1. The Bake Shop (2019)
2. The Farm Stand (2020)
3. The Coffee Corner (2020)
4. The Jam and Jelly Nook (2021)

An Amish Homestead
1. A Place at our Table (2017)
2. Room on the Porch Swing (2018)
3. Seat by the Hearth (2018)
4. A Welcome at Our Door (2019)

An Amish Heirloom
1. The Forgotten Recipe (2015)
2. The Courtship Basket (2016)
3. The Cherished Quilt (2017)
4. The Beloved Hope Chest (2017)

Hearts of Lancaster Grand Hotel
1. A Hopeful Heart (2013)
2. A Mother’s Secret (2014)
3. A Dream of Home (2015)
4. A Simple Prayer (2015)

Kauffman Amish Bakery
1. A Gift of Grace (2009)
2. A Promise of Hope (2010)
3. A Place of Peace (2011)
4. A Life of Joy (2012)
5. A Season of Love (2012)

Amish Anthologies
• An Amish Kitchen (2012) – Spoonful of Love (Stand-alone story)
• An Amish Cradle (2015) – A Son for Always (This story complements A Mother’s Secret)
• An Amish Market (2016) – Love Birds (This story complements The Forgotten Recipe)
• An Amish Harvest (2016) – Love & Buggy Rides (This complements The Courtship Basket)
• An Amish Home (2017) – Home Sweet Home (Stand-alone story)
• An Amish Summer (2017) – Summer Storms (Stand-alone story)
• Amish Sweethearts (2018) –Complements The Kauffman Amish Bakery Series and also has a sequel to my story in An Amish Summer
• An Amish Heirloom (2018) – Complements A Place at our Table
• An Amish Homecoming (2018) – Complements A Place at our Table
• Seasons of an Amish Garden (2019) – Complements The Christmas Cat, novella included in An Amish Christmas Love
• An Amish Reunion (2019) – Complements Room on the Porch Swing
• An Amish Christmas Bakery (2019) – Cookies and Cheer (Stand-alone story)
• An Amish Singing (2021) (Collection of four stories by Amy Clipston)
• An Amish Christmas Wedding (2020) –Evergreen Love (Stand-alone story)
• An Amish Barn Raising (2021)
• An Amish Schoolroom (2021)
• An Amish Quilting Bee (2021)

Young Adult
1. Roadside Assistance (2011)
2. Reckless Heart (2012) (Kauffman Amish Bakery young adult book)
3. Destination Unknown (2014)
4. Miles from Nowhere (2015)

Non-Fiction
A Gift of Love (2014)

Seasonal
• A Plain and Simple Christmas (2010) Naomi’s Gift (2011)
• Kauffman Amish Christmas Collection (2012)
• An Amish Christmas Gift (2015) includes Naomi’s Gift
• An Amish Christmas Love (2017) –The Christmas Cat
• An Amish Christmas Bakery (2019)
• An Amish Christmas Wedding (2020)
• On the Way to Christmas (2022)

Reviews

[mary liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

PRAISE GOD ALMIGHTY I'M DONE.

To put it plainly? This was one of the least memorable, meaningful, or interesting books I've ever read.

No joke - this was pretty bad, folks. I knew I shouldn't have wasted my time on it. *cringes*

L I K E S:

- Chelsea was kind of a fun character. Honestly, she was the only one who had a bit of authenticity & depth.
- The last thirty pages were kind of good?? I think they were the only parts that had my interest and didn't make me want to throw the book across the room.
- I'm trying to be positive and think of other things I liked . . . but I've got nothing. xD

D I S L I K E S:

- WHERE DO I START?? Lol, this could get lengthy.
- The writing was. the. worst. It was shallow, stilted, and incredibly boring. I might have been able to bear the book more if the writing had possessed any life to it. Allow me to demonstrate the beautiful intricacies of this prose:

"No," Logan said with a sigh. "She's still mad about my math test." He schlepped toward the door. "See you later."

"Bye, dude," Zander called.

"Bye, Zander," Logan called, heading toward the path."

What did I tell you? Stunning.

- The characters are SO ANNOYING GOOD GRIEF. They're so shallow and cliche and aggravating that I can't care about them at all. I don't connect with any of them. They honestly just feel like cardboard characters with no personality. I'm supposed to feel for Emily as she struggles with losing her mom to cancer and moving to a new place. But what do I feel? NOTHING. Nothing except a loooooot of annoyance. Ahem. :P
- Um . . . WHERE'S THE PLOT?? Literally, there's nothing. It rambles on about nothing the first half of the book then some drama happens later and BOOM! Emily magically gets a boyfriend + Jesus at the end. Yay.
- It's just so shallow ugh. I hate this kind of cheap, superficial Christianity. It doesn't feel authentic or real - just a bunch of trite sayings and "going through the motions." I'm sorry but . . . the faith theme in this book felt so forced and fake. None of the characters seemed very genuine about their faith & the main character magically "comes back to God" in the end in a very cliche, unmoving way.
- CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW BORING THIS WAS 'CAUSE IT WAS REALLY BORING
- The "romance" ewwwwwww. The majority of it was just Emily having fluttery feelings, being attracted to Zander's eyes and chest (wuuuuut), and kissing. There was a ton of talk about guys being hot and wanting to be kissed and that was about the extent of the "love." GUYS. This. Is. Not. Love. I'm sick and tired of this kind of romance being catered to teenagers. It felt like just another angsty, drama-filled high school romance novel. NO THANKS.
- Emily was just ??? I DON'T GET HER. She drove me crazy.
- A few things just really got on my nerves. For example, ALLLLLL the stuff about cars. It got old, fast. The same jokes are used over and over again because wasn't that hilarious?? *rolls eyes* Emily also is constantly saying she's sick of stereotypes about girls having to like makeup and shopping, etc. But then she turns around and TOTALLY sterotypes guys by saying video games "must be a guy thing" and that she never understood them. *squints* Ummmmm . . . nope. Totally not just a guy thing. Ask my sister. I'm not even a fan of video games myself, but stereotypes like that drive me up the wall.
- Soooooooo many cliches omw
- I'm just so sick of this book and never want to look at it again lol

WELL THEN. I would say more, but we'd be here all night if I kept going with my dislikes. *cough* Needless to say . . . reading this was a mistake I shall not be repeating. But hey - at least I have a good example of how NOT to write. :P

1.5 stars

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars for Roadside Assistance, Book 1 (audiobook) by Amy Clipston read by Hope Hoffman.

This was a interesting YA Christian romance. I didn’t realize that there was going to be a religious theme in this story but it worked for the situation. The reason that I gave this audiobook a try is that the main female character is really into cars. She’s not afraid to get dirty and work on them herself. I really like themes like this that are outside the norm. I enjoyed this story enough that I’m going to listen to the next book in the series.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was a cute YA, I would definitely continue on in the series. I liked both Emily and Zander. The narration wasn’t the best, nor was the quality of the audiobook, but as a whole I liked the story.

Audio book source: Hoopla
Story Rating: 3.5 stars
Narrators: Hope Hoffman
Narration Rating: 3 stars
Genre: YA Christian Fiction
Length: 7h 15m

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 5 out of 5]

About this book:

“A very bumpy ride.
Emily Curtis is used to dealing with her problems while under the hood of an old Chevy, but when her mom dies, Emily's world seems shaken beyond repair. Driven from home by hospital bills they can't pay, Emily and her dad move in with his wealthy sister, who intends to make her niece more feminine---in other words, just like Whitney, Emily's perfect cousin. But when Emily hears the engine of a 1970 Dodge Challenger, and sees the cute gearhead, Zander, next door, things seem to be looking up.
But even working alongside Zander can't completely fix the hole in Emily's life. Ever since her mom died, Emily hasn't been able to pray, and no one---not even Zander---seems to understand. But sometimes the help you need can come from the person you least expect.”


Series: *screaming, ALL CAPS, bold, size 36* THE SEQUEL COMES OUT TODAY *enter millions of !!!s* “Destination Unknown”’s review will be up tomorrow. :D



Spiritual Content- Hebrews 11:1, Deuteronomy 31:6, & Isaiah 41:10; Throughout the whole book, Emily is feeling like God abandoned her after her Mom dies, feeling pushed by others to talk to a God she’s iffy about, *Spoiler* but she later finds out the God was carrying her during the hard times. *Spoiler*


Negative Content- N/A


Sexual Content- A few (not-detailed) kisses.

-Emily Curtis
P.O.V. of Emily
278 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

*Oh my goodness. I love this book.*

I’ve read this book before, this is actually my third time reading it. Now, I’m not one for re-reading books (Don’t shoot me!) I feeling like the “magic” goes away. Haha. Not with “Roadside Assistance”. Uh-huh. I’ve felt the same tears in the same spots, the laughter when Emily’s being sarcastic and just hugging the book when I’m done.

Folks, I’ve been waiting for a sequel for two years now. When I interviewed Mrs. Clipston (hands down one of the best days of my life) and she said about a sequel to "Roadside Assistance", yes, I screamed. (Good thing it was an online interview! ;) )

*dramatic music* Today, Tuesday, February 04, 2014, we get a sequel! Yes, I was pestering calling my local LifeWay & Mardel’s asking them when they’ll have it, it’s now in my hands. :D



Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

2020 Read- I loved this book more than I ever thought I would. I finished it in a day and that rarely happens with me. There’s so much I loved about it. Honestly it was the book I needed at the moment and those always are so special to me.
•
I related to Emily on so many different levels. She was one of those characters I feel kindred spirits with. She’s a big introvert, she’s different from other girls her age, and she has her insecurities. She’s not perfect. She has her doubts and her struggles. She feels misunderstood, like no one “gets her”. She feels like a misfit and unknown. Sometimes she just needs her time alone to sort things out and realize how she’s feeling. And I felt that a lot! My heart went out to her and I sympathized her so much because I honestly can’t imagine what that would be like to go what she went through.
•
The side characters really captured my heart too— Zander was such a great guy. Plus I really like his name!. At the surface you think he’s just one of those popular guys but he’s so much more than that. He was so sweet. Chelsea was such a fun, caring character and a really good friend. She reached out to Emily and really went out of her way to show how much she cared. Whitney was a character that I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to like at the beginning but as the story progressed, I really started to like her and see her in a different light. She became one of my favorites!
•
There’s a lot of aspects to the story that I liked a whole lot. Zander and Emily’s love story was my favorite kind, best friends to falling in love. :) Their relationship was so good. It wasn’t shallow but was meaningful while also really fun. I also really like that the romance isn’t what the entire story revolves around. There’s a lot more to it. It’s the perfect balance.
I really liked that Emily isn’t perfect but she’s flawed.
•
For me, this was just the story I needed right now. Just a story about a seventeen year old girl trying to find her way in the world and figure out what it’s all about. Being a teenager can be really confusing and hard at times and this story really captures that. I could relate in so many ways and the whole message really touched me in a way I didn’t know it would. God is there even when we don’t realize it or feel His presence. “There Was Jesus” by Zach Williams is a really good song for this book.
•
This story really impacted, Inspired, and made me think a lot. I teared up not just once but many, many times in this book because a lot of stuff hit me. But I also found myself smiling and snickering a lot too. I think it’s just really cool how you never know which books will speak to you. You never know whenever you pick up a book that it might just be something in it that will touch you. You may read a dozen or more books and not feel or think much about it but then you’ll randomly pick up a book and it’ll become special to you because it spoke to you in that time in your life. And one book might touch one person but another person won’t think anything about it. We’re all on our own journeys, facing different things, on different walks of life. I just find it neat. :)
Anyways, I’ve rambled long enough!! I loved this book and I wanted to document these late night thoughts before I forget them. I also want to remember how I connected with this book!
•
I recommend this book completely, especially to teen girls!!! It’s clean and inspiring. We need more books like this in the Christian YA genre. :)


2022 Reread-
I still love this book so much! These characters are the best. They feel like friends. I loved revisiting this story! The faith and emotion still touched me. It still made me smile. I’m so happy to have reread this beautiful book. 💗

[★*☆♪Ev★*☆♪ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It's so sweet and simple.

[Abby (Reader of Clean Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I binged this

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started off this book, I was really enjoying the story...until the preaching began. I have no problem when people believe in God, seeing as I do, but it was a bit excessive in this book. Nothing in the summary said anything about faith, yet a lot of the book had to do with Emily finding comfort in fixing cars and trying to talk to God. I could connect with Emily in her personality and I really enjoyed reading about her, but I was tired of all the talk of God always being there and finding her faith in Him. Some things I really liked were Zander, her cute next-door neighbor, and their trials and growth of their relationship, along with Emily's cousin, Whitney. So over all, it was a really cute story, it just could have done without the details that put it in the "inspirational" genre.

[Amy | Foxy Blogs · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Road Assistance follows the story of Emily, a high schooler navigating life after the recent death of her mother. Forced to move with her dad, they end up living with his sister and her family. As Emily adjusts to her new reality, she finds herself constantly being compared to her seemingly perfect cousin, Whitley. The story explores grief, identity, and what it means to find your own way when everything around you has changed.

Audiobook source: Hoopla
Narrator: Hope Hoffman
Length: 7h 15m

[Libby May · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Hmm...
It was good.
Almost junk-food, but not quite.

Let's take this a step at a time.
SETTINGS: Super! I loved the house and Zander's garage. And I loved the house (I know I said that twice).
PLOT: Hmm... It was well done I guess. I mean, yes. It was well done. It had a beginning, middle, end.
But it was of cliche. Girl loses mom. Dad and girl move to aunts house. Girl is sad, dad seems ok. Girl goes to school, next door neighbor is a cute guy. Nobody else understands, girl and guy get close. Go to party, girl hears gossip, girl and guy fight. Girl's dad has accident, girl and guy make up. Dad is ok. The end.
CHARACTERS: my favorite part of the book. Emily was ok, she didn't think she was pretty, but it wasn't like for real. I feel like the author put it in just because its stereotyped that girls never think they're pretty? I don't know.
I appreciated her heartache over losing her mom, but I was sort of confused about her "not being able to pray." Umm, as in she didn't hear God answering? "The words didn't come" was used several times... but how does that happen? What does it mean?
Zander was fun. He wasn't the gorgeous blond hair, blue eyes Angel. But he was his own.
Yes, Emily's "watching him through the window" before she even know who he was was odd, annoying even. But if we push her aside and look at him as a character, he was really well done.
I appreciated his "Christian outside of church" and his honesty, his sarcasm and I had such a blast reading their little bantering comments between Emily and him.
I also appreciated the fact that he wasn't a jock. (What!? The MC's gorgeous boyfriend isn't a jock?!)
What I didn't like was his attitude towards his dad. He was going to do what he was going to do and his dad was just going to "have to get over it or die ticked off." Yeh, I didn't like that.
I'm not saying he should do everything his dad wants, but that's not the way I would have liked the situation handled.

The faith thread was well woven I think... it was actually the most steady part of the book, the least cliche. The verses quoted, the points made, they aren't the ones that are always used, and I found that super refreshing. So that's well done. However the gospel was not at all explained or portrayed, so it's written assuming the reader knows/ is a Christian.

When I reached for this, I was in need of a sappy boyfriendish book that wasn't yucky. And it was perfect, however I probably won't ever read it again. (despite the fact that I'm going to finish the trilogy).

Language: not really any. No cursing. Emily does yell at her dad and her aunt though, which made me frown.
Violence: Non, but *spoiler!* Emily's dad does have an accident and ends up in the hospital and blood is mentioned, as well as surgery *end spoiler*
Lust: yeh... nothing serious. Emily finds Zander's muscles attractive. Mention of girls in bikinis, Zander in tight jeans. A couple of kisses, not detailed, mention of being "hot and heavy" but it didn't actually happen.

3.5 stars. Not really important to your TBR, but if you come across it and are in need of a clean junk-food, you might like it.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily Curtis is a teen whose world was totally turned upside down. A tomboy who is most comfortable under the hood of a car, the last year has been one of the hardest of her young life. Her mother died of cancer, and then her fathers repair business goes belly up, so because of the staggering medical bills and the loss the business they lose their house. Her dad, Brad, looks at it as a way to make a fresh start so they move in with his sister and her family who lives in an affluent neighborhood, but somewhere along the way Emily has lost the ability to pray. Even though people around Emily try to help her, she finds it difficult to open up, until she meets Zander, the boy next door, who shares a love for working on cars, and has no problems sharing his strong Christan faith. Can the boy next door help her find her way back to God?

Amy Clipston sure knows how to weave a story. I have read plenty of her Amish fiction and wondered how she might do with something that wasn't centered around the Amish and all I can say is she has hit a home run with this one! She easily draws you into the life of Emily a young girl that is so easy to relate to. Emily is sort of a loner who has always sort of kept to herself, her life has many upheavals so its easy to understand why she might have lost her way spiritually. Zander was such a good match for her, he not only gave her a place to tinker on cars but he also listened to her. The secondary characters were just as interesting. Whitney was someone I totally misread, I expected her to be one way and she was the opposite.I also thought it was perfect how the author had Emily writing letters to her mother as a way to cope with her feelings.While this book is geared toward young adults I would easily recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading a good story
that has a nice christian message woven in that will make you laugh but will also touch your heart.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Hannah Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

After sitting on my to be read shelf for four years, I finally knocked this one off my list & let me just say, I loved every minute of it.

There's Emily, who your heart just breaks for after suffering the loss of her mum. Then there's Zander who I completely had a crush on from the moment he was introduced to the story. There's faith, truth and love and the journey Emily goes on to find her way back to God after her mum died.
There was a few cheesy moments but overall I thought it a cute contemporary romance without the plot being driven by the romance. It was clean, sweet and a perfect little summer read!

I look forward to reading Whitney & Chelsea's stories soon...

[Angie Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm...

Honestly, I'm conflicted on this one. I liked a lot of the supporting characters, but I had a bit of a harder time with Emily. At the beginning, not so much--it was obvious she was hurting and had closed herself off, but as the book went on and she continued not dealing with things (or not dealing with them correctly), it started to wear on me. I totally didn't understand her fight with Zander; not the fight itself, but the reasons behind it. I can get her confusion about him and Whitney, but why did that make the whole "he only sees me as a mission project" thing resurface?

I liked the way that Emily's assumptions about her cousin, her schoolmates, and even her aunt were challenged; the rich-and-popular-people-are-snobs stereotype isn't one that I see addressed very often. I liked her friendship with Zander and the way that she was able to relax while working on cars. Didn't like the eventual focus on "is he going to kiss me?"--seriously, why does everyone think high-schoolers have to kiss?--or Emily's conflict with her dad.

And parts of the faith element just felt...off...to me. I get that people can feel far away from God, or be angry at Him, or feel like He's let them down, but some of Emily's thoughts and reactions made me question whether she ever really knew Him in the first place. Case in point--when the family prays before their meal, Emily's reaction is that she didn't know her aunt "was religious." After going to church with them, she's still surprised to find that her cousin owns her own Bible. Those are the kinds of reactions I'd expect from someone just being exposed to Christianity, not someone who supposedly lived with a strong Christian mother for 15 years and was/is one herself. Maybe it sounds like splitting hairs, but it bothered me, especially because there didn't seem to be any kind of distinction made between real Christians and generically moral/religious people. I know there are a lot of inspirational books out there that just talk about belief in God and never mention Jesus specifically, so maybe this one's catching the flak for a bunch of others, but especially in a story about coming back to faith, I would have liked a little more proof that Emily understood that a relationship with God was more than going to church and being able to talk to God about her problems.

I think in the end the disappointing (to me) faith component, the have-to-get-to-kissing aspect of the romance, and Emily's general attitude end up knocking the rating down for me. 2.5 stars

[Emily ✞ || [fallon's vrs] (writing hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

╰┈➤ ✿ ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ . . . :･*✧ ♩♪

。°⋆✫Have Your Way ⇾ Britt Nicole✫⋆°。

1:25───●────3:40
◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹



❝ I'm sorry he did that to you, but you can't let him hold you back from someone who cares for you ❞






Ahhhhhh!



Why, why, WHY didn't I read this sooner? I'm so angry at myself! This has been sitting on my shelf for over a year, and I wasn't even the slightest bit intrigued. And to make matters worse, it was at my local Christian library! 😭 Why am I so dumb?



This has revived my love for the Roadside Assistance series! I'm going to reread the sequels very, very soon. Emily is a very likable character, despite her struggle of faith and her many flaws. The relationships felt so real. The character development and the writing was amazing! I'll have to look back at my reviews for the other two books, but I think I said something against the writing. I'm certain I was a little dumb back then.



And I absolutely LOVE Zander.



Okay, that's all I'll say or I will be raving for hours and there won't be any room left for the content warning.







sexual:
one-sentence long kisses, a high school student asks if Emily wants to see her twins, and for a moment Emily thinks sed character has twin sons, but the thought is quickly disproved and joked about




substance abuse:
a mention of beer



violence:
a story is shared how an important character got hurt. Spots of blood are on his shirt while telling Emily



trigger:
death of a mother due to cancer, grief, pulling away from God



verdict:PG/11+

[Catherine Wolff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zander. Strange name right? But nontheless, I grow to love this boy. When emily,( Our main character ) is going throgh a really tough time in her life, Zander shows up! And it's not even like, "love at first sight". They became best friends who relied on each other and romance grpw from that. Thats why I love this book so much, relationships don't have to be hot an heavy for them to turn out. You just need love.

[Jennifer Showalter - · Rating 4 out of 5]

See all my reviews at http://mamabookasaurus.blogspot.com • Follow me on Twitter: @MAMABookasaurus • Follow MAMA on FACEBOOK • MySPACE • Pinterest • Tumblr • BookBlogs.com

TECHNICALLY 3.5 ROUNDED TO 4

I was really torn as to how to rate this book, but it ended up squeaking out a four. The book felt torn in two as well. One minute it was well developed fiction and then the next minute it was the typical "cookie cutter" Christian fiction. (I'll explain that in a minute.) There was dynamic and rich relationships.. and than bam.. stale and cliche dialogue. It had a fascinating tale of a girl struggling with drastic and life changing events but then those struggles ended up being treated one dimensionally. I felt like this:



I was completely pulled into the book, so the writing overall was very good. The downfall are the cliches. I was so hoping Clipston wouldn't fall victim to the "cookie cutter" Christian writer sand trap:



If you are unfamiliar with this concept, let me explain. The book is filled with Christian neighbors, church members and classmates. ALL of them are there to help you in ANY way they can. Riiiggggghhhhttt. As a Christian myself, I can FULLY attest to the fact that Christians are as fallible and messed up as everybody else. They are not all the same and they most certainly are not the "perfect-there-for-you-oh-come-and-give-me-a-hug" types. The idea that they will just envelope you and support so completely is a bit much. It's too idealized... especially the portrayal of the church staff. I ask writers to take off their rose colored glasses and see the reality of pastors and youth leader staff.

One the other hand, the spiritual and emotional struggles Emily deals with are completely relatable. Her character is incredibly engaging, personal and tactile. Emily's loner aspect was another realistic portrayal. Her mom's illness and death, moving, being forced into a life of personal poverty, being criticized and rejected by family members are all things the masses can relate to. The storyline is rock solid.



I love the fact that she is into cars. Being a motorhead is extremely unique and refreshing in the fiction world. It's a YA version of Mercy Thompson.. but without the whole shape shifter/werewolves thing.

Most of the characters were interesting, but I felt some were undercooked. This book could have shone like a supernova if Clipston had just enriched the characters and lengthened the book. It was an "almost there" kind of feeling... like when you're eating a large chocolate cake but it just needed some ganache and be more moist. You might say it is like after running a 5k race, your personal best time is within your grasp and then you hit "the wall"... collapsing along the side of the road to hurl your insides just before the finish line. The aunt, grandmother, Chelsea and Zander could have launched me into orbit if they are just been sharpened and given more depth.

Sometimes Christian writers push too hard. They force the spiritual aspect in scenes that can't support it. Other times, they speak what I like to call "Christanese". An example: most of the secular world has no idea what "being saved" or "lost" mean. The writers need to add a translator filter to their writing to appeal... and be understood... by the mass audience.

The ending felt extremely abrupt. I was left tumbling off the question cliff. What's going to happen to...? What happens with this relationship? Does this happen? Too many loose ends does not a good ending make. (Channeling Yoda.) Since there was no mention anywhere of a sequel... I went a bit out of my mind. I couldn't believe she would end it with so much left wide open.



One thing I really related to was how she and Zander were trying to fit God into this neat little box of their own making. Christianity is not a 1,2,3 "paint-by-number" experience and they seem to understand that in the end. Her feeling abandoned and alone struck my heart deeply. Emily had a couple scenes toward the end that had me sobbing.



And as for Zander... yum! I just wish we had more from him. Though I did want to hit him over the head in one spot in the book. Men... so stubborn. Sigh.

I think this is a book you will enjoy, especially if you are into contemporary fiction. So go ahead and give it a try!

[Natalya's Reading Corner (Becoming Renewed) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was SO good! And that is coming from a girl who isn't super into romance books.
The characters were all so memorable and written well. Overall the book was so enjoyable that I finished it in one day. (Or should I say a few hours) I loved this book and I bet I'll read it again someday. A 5 star book for sure!

My thoughts:

Emily:
I felt like I connected with Emily on page one. She's such a likable character especially since she is a tomboy like I used to be so much growing up. Plus she's my age. Great character development! I also love how she has so many feelings that I've had so I really cared for her.

Alexander:
I love love loved how it started off with Zander. Honestly, if I met a guy like him I'd be head over heels. Or heels over head? He's absolutely adorable and sooo cute! Like honestly. Such an awesome supportive dude.

Dislikes:
I'd say the only one thing I didn't like about the book is that I could already guess what was going to happen and there were not any plot twists really.

Overall this was an awesome book! I'm definitely gonna have to read the next books in the series!

[ChildOfGod💜🙌🏽 (for God I live and for God I die) ~ in my Christian pop era · Rating 3 out of 5]

Man that felt so long 😭. I loved the writing style but unfortunately the FMC was really unlikeable in my opinion so it really dragged the story and just kept me upset most of the time. Idk if I’m going to continue the series bc it took me so much effort to finish the first book. But I may simply bc of Zander lol. Anyways, I did love the author so I may check out another one of her books. It would def be at least 4 stars if I find characters that are more likeable…😊 byeeee ✌🏽🥰

*Update: Ooh I found out Whitney is the FMC of the next book. Maybe I will check it out then! That sounds good 😁!!!!!!!!

[~•hannah•~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

~Roadside Assistance~

•Characters•
~Emily~ i loved her. She is the sweet, shy, awkward mfc of this book. Also a complete tomboy! She was so funny and so sarcastic at times i literally laughed out loud! Her character development *in-hale* OH MY GOODNESS THAT WAS ONE OF THE BEST CHARACTER DEVELOPMENTS EVER! She had her flaws and her moments of weakness, but that just made her so relatable!
~Zander~ he is our mmc! He is our classic boy next door- the guy that every girl dreams of being with. But he wasnt like- proud about it yk? He was so genuin in all his interactions with Emily and i really think he helped her through her situation! He was kind, charming, and supportive. Book boyfriend material here!
~Whitney~ Whitney is Emily’s cousin, the cousin Emily is forced to live with. She is popular, bubbly, and a complete girly girl!

•Main Review•
Where do i start!? This book moved me. This had an inspiring message. After a life turning tragic event, her whole world spins upside-down. Her faith in the Lord is completely tested. She and her father move in with her cousin and aunt and uncle. Of course Emily doesn’t wanna move here, but things look up when Zander comes into play! This just makes the book 10X better! The characters are relatable and funny. The ending had me in literal tears. Like actually. This had a clean, genuin plot that had me hooked wanting to know what was gonna happen next! Every page was better than the last!

•Content warning•
First few pages mention a funeral and a death. There is a big accident with one of the characters involving an ambulance and blood, but its not graphic. No cussing! This is a Christian book so obviously it has many Christian elements to it (youth group, prayer, church ect.)

•dislikes•
This is my all time favorite book so i don’t really have any dislikes! Yes all books have their flaws but the plot and characters were so good that when i re read it for the 2nd time- then and only then did i notice a few tiny flaws :)

•Final thoughts•
I LOVE THIS BOOK. It spoke to me in a way no book has before because of the faith elements. I appreciated the realism of it and everything was written beautifully! 5 stars! 🛞✨✝️

[Grace Mycek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book leads the reader on a very spiritual and meaningful journey about finding one's way in life as well as finding the path back to God. I picked up this book expecting a typical run-of-the-mill young adult contemporary read...how very wrong I was. This book weaves the realistic story of a high school teenager coping with the loss of her mother and the idea of finding one's way back to God after a fairly difficult event together nicely.

That's all I can honestly say about the book though. When I was trying to put the one word I would associate with the book up, that's all I came up with. It was...nice. Not stupendous or amazing or breathtaking. It was alright, entertaining to stay the least but not overly special in any way. It didn't particulary stand out for me among the throngs of other young adult literature that I've read and therefore I can't classify it as an outstanding book.


Also, I thought the parts that were about God and finding your faith again were maybe much too en masse to fully be appreciated. Don't get me wrong, I believe in God myself but it was almost too preachy for me. There needed to be more of a balance between the realistic high school portion and the spiritual reconnection that was taking place. I think that Clipston had an interesting idea for a book about a girl dealing with religious conflictions but she maybe executed the delivery a little poorly.


This book wasn't horrible but it didn't stand out to me.

[Olivia Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book "Roadside Assistance" by Amy Clipston is a great book. A teenage girl who loves to work on cars, loves her family and goes to church every Sunday one day wakes up and finds out her mom has died from cancer. Because of financial problems her and her dad move in with her aunt and uncle only to find out the future love of her life lives next door. They had their love of cars in common and by hanging out so much they soon fall in love. Emily thought that everything was going great, until one day she got terrible news from her boyfriend Zander. With everything going on, Emily does not know if she can handle it anymore. When she thinks nobody is on her side anymore, not even god, Emily has to find a way to stay positive and strong.

This book does not get boring. This book keeps me interested and makes me not want to even put the book down. While reading "Roadside Assistance" the book does not just tell what happens next, it makes you guess and want to know more and more.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about drama and romance all at the same time. Someone who could maybe relate to loosing someone, and to see how Emily deals with her life when one day it gets turned upside down.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sweet, enjoyable book!
Emily Curtis's mom has died, her dad has lost his job, and they've lost their house and have had to move in with her cousins. Since her mom died, Emily has felt herself drifting further from God, and she can't seem to be able to pray. The only time she finds solace is working on cars. Then she meets Zander, the boy next door who also loves working on cars. He has a strong faith and seems to like her. Emily's journey throughout the book is hard, but she realizes the truth that God has not abandoned her.
I haven't read a book like this in a long time. Emily was really relatable - she's an introvert and doesn't like being the center of attention, and she has her doubts and insecurities that she struggles with every day.
Emily's faith journey through the book I found so powerful. She felt like God had abandoned her, but He was really there all along, bringing people into her life to help get her back on her feet.
This amazing book even brought tears into my eyes in places! It's not even that sad, but I think that because the writing is so well done and the emotions are so well expressed that it's so easy to relate and to feel what Emily is feeling. There's nothing to criticize about this book, and I can't wait to read the next one!

[Celestria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read Roadside Assistance like 6 years ago and I absolutely loved it. It instantly became one of my favorite books of all time and Zander was my new favorite name. So I bought it recently and have been super excited about reading it. It wasn't QUITE as amazing as I remember it being, but it's still a favorite. I think I would have given it five stars if Emily had been nicer to her family. It frustrated me that from the start Whitney was trying to be her friend, but Emily wasn't trying AT ALL. And yeah, Aunt Darlene definitely needed to be talked to about the things she was doing wrong, but at the same time, she was doing a lot for Emily and doing it out of the goodness of her heart and Emily didn't appreciate any of it. Anyway, It was driving me crazy, that's why it's only 4/5 stars.

I can't wait to read the second book in the series, I never knew there was a sequel about Whitney.

[Kameron Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't cheesy, and the main character wasn't a pain to listen to. The only thing i didn't really like about this book was that it seemed that everyone was shoving religion down the girls throat, like she had no choice. Including Zander. But i liked Zander, he seemed like a sweetheart :)

[Sarah Lawton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely, completely, utterly, without a shadow of a doubt LOVE this book. I've read it multiple times and it has never gotten old. 500,000,000 stars.

[aundrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

rtc😔
-
upon further reflection, i’ve realized i have nothing nice to say, so i’m just gonna refrain from reviewing 😀 i’ll see myself out, thanks.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe 3.5 stars

[Emilie Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just... so good. I loved the character development of Emily and the surrounding characters. at times, it made me feel so much compassion and sympathy toward Emily and her family, more specifically, her father; at other times I could just relate to most of the characters.
I loved how the book had romance but didn't focus on the romance, and instead focused on the faith aspect of this book. I read this book when I needed it most, and I think it allowed my outlook on life to be different, pertaining to how I view my family and those I love. As aforementioned, the faith aspect was what really stood out to me the most. The fact that Emily discovered who she truly was through Christ, and that God allows things to happen for a reason, were two things that really stuck out to me for a good reason. Because I have been there. So, to Miss Amy Clipston, thank you for such a beautiful, character building, all-around awesome book. I can't wait to read the other two books!

Also, Zander is literally the best. lol

[Abigail Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

So this is my second time around the block with this book and I have to say it was a bit of a letdown. When I first read it a few years ago, I absolutely loved all the characters, the plot, and the writing.
Now? The writing felt a bit forced, the main character, Emily, was over dramatic, the romance felt shallow (if cute), and the faith element felt slightly preachy and cliche.

Don’t get me wrong. I love it when a fictional book involves a faith element or faith struggles that the characters have to work through. But when it involved other characters repeatedly telling Emily to trust God and have faith, without even slowing down to help Emily process her grief and emotions, it just felt a little shallow.

Perhaps it’s only because I’ve gone through more of my own struggles, and I know what it’s like to quaver in your faith. Through my own experiences, I know that hard emotions cannot be solved simply by trying to ‘trust God’ and ‘have faith’. Yes, that is what a lot of it boils down to, but it starts with a lot of searching, wise council, unpacking emotional baggage, and coming to grips with the hard reality of the broken, ugly, sinful, and painful world we live in, while also understanding that God is working to redeem it.

Okay, rant over. As I said before, I absolutely loved this book the first time through, and I’ll stand by that experience. Maybe it’s just a milk vs meat problem.

If you’re looking for a fairly quick read and cute romance, this will be satisfying. If you’re hoping for deep and insightful truths, I’d look elsewhere.

[Sandy Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book touched my heart and soul like no other book ever has. Like Emily, I lost my mom at a young age. In fact, I lost my dad when I was 10, and my mom when I was 13. There were so many areas of Emily's story that I could totally identify with. Like Emily, I was uprooted from the only home I'd ever known, but I had no family to turn to. I instead ended up with a family friend who went above and beyond to provide love and comfort, along with doing her best to provide a stable home life for me. This book was exactly what I needed. It brought up emotions and feelings that I had never yet dealt with, and brought SO much peace and healing to me. Although this book is Christian YA fiction, it's a PERFECT book for anyone to read who has lost a friend or loved one and is finding it difficult to cope. I can never thank Amy Clipston enough for penning such an amazing story, and sharing the pain and rawness of losing a parent. This will definitely be a book that I'll re-read MANY times through the remainder of my life, and I also want to thank Lindsey (Christian Books for Girls) for recommending this book on her YouTube channel. Thank you God for steering me to this book and using it to heal my shattered heart.