The Road to Tender Hearts

The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett (2025), 384 pages

PJ is struggling. He is a 63 y/o divorced alcoholic that is drifting through life. He gets a wake-up call when he suddenly become the caregiver to his orphaned grand niece and nephew. On top of that, his ex-wife (of whom he is still very close to) and her fiancé take an extended trip to Alaska while his somewhat estranged daughter comes back into the picture. To round out the sudden changes, a death cat appears to provide comfort, warnings, and security. PJ decides that best way to handle all of this is to take a road trip west to reconnect with a recently widowed former high school crush and to get a paternity test from a Soap Opera star for his grandniece. 

 ALL of that is in this book. There is also a bunch more. Despite PJ being a man-child and a bit irritating, I ended up really liking the book. Fair warning, there are a lot of heavy topics covered in the book. It is not a breezy read, but there is enough warmth and humor to keep you invested.