On the Road to Ruin

West Siblings #1

by Emily Tudor

Teagen West has made a mistake. Moving to another state with her short-term boyfriend seemed like a good idea to escape her grief, but when he gets down on one knee and proposes, she runs back to her old life with nothing but regrets and a suitcase. When she gets home, she goes to the one person she knows won’t tell her family she’s back—her brother's best friend.

Dominic Graves is not having fun. Not only are his parents sending him across the country to franchise the family business, but when his best friend's little sister shows up on his doorstep like a runaway bride, he agrees to harbor her like a fugitive. That is, until she suggests a detour to his trip to get her things back from Arizona. The two of them enter a mutually beneficial agreement—she gets her things back and poses as his girlfriend to get his parents off his back.

The rules on the road are simple: no strings and no feelings. But the miles have a way of blurring the lines, and sometimes, the road to ruin can lead you exactly where you're meant to be.

Genres: Forced Proximity, Romance

403 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 25, 2025

About the author

Emily Tudor creates characters and stories about platonic and romantic love for anyone and everyone. She lives in the state of New York and loves listening to music and creating stories. She loves Marvel movies, the song mirrorball by Taylor Swift, and buying too many books when she already has many to read at home.

Reviews

[joni ౨ৎ (semi - ia) · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh this was so good rtc <3

𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-read
always in the mood for a romance that'll emotionally wreck me !! after adoring rewriting the story i was dying to read more stories by emily!! thank u sm for having me on your arc team ily 🤍

grief, brother's best friend, road trip, and one bed??? sign me uppp

↪ started sept 14

[Liana Cincotti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to beta read this and WOW, emily tudor, I love you and your characters

[charisse ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

˗ˏˋ 5 stars ⟡ ݁₊ .

AHHHH! DID I FINISH THIS BOOK OR DID IT FINISH ME??!! domteags will forever have a piece of my heart. they were literally so perfect together, always being their for each other. i loved their banter together as well.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• teagen west
this girl has been through so much i just want to give her a hug. she made me feel so seen. ngl, she is me and i am her. and not to spoil anything but THAT SCENE!?!! WRECKED me so hard.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• dominic graves
honestly, the king of acts of service. loved how he cared so much for teags. learning about how his family treated him broke my heart a little, but i'm glad that he has his own found family with his college friends. and his mouth, omfg- 10/10

the grief rep was honestly done so well. emily writes it's in such a way that made me cry more than once. it reminds us that grief doesn't look the same for everyone, that it isn't linear. there's going to be good days and bad days and everything in between.

this was my first emily book and certainly not the last. and with that being said, i'm going to have to go back and read all of emily's book right tf now. also cuz i desperately need to know more about bree and vince lol

tropes:
🏞️ brother's best friend
🎧 road trip romance
🏞️ millionaire
🎧 mental health rep (grief rep)
🏞️ fake dating
🎧 forced proximity
🏞️ one bed
🎧 found family

︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶˗ˋ୨♡୧ˊ˗︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶

₊˚⊹♡ pre-read ♡⊹˚₊ ↴
24/11/2025 — life got sooo chaotic so im actually officially reading this today!! (AN. ENTIRE. MONTH. LATER.) finger cross it delivers

16/11/2025 — ahhh it's official, i'm doing a collab with emily!! literally so excited omfg

18/10/2025 — going into this book blind and i saw joni giving it 5 stars so i trust her implicitly lol

[sierra ꪆ&#x133f2; · Rating 2 out of 5]

first off, thank you ember literary and emily tudor for the arc in exchange for an honest review 🫶🏼 if this contains any spoilers i apologise.

the premise of this book was very good and i was so excited to read it. i’m not sure if my excitement made my expectations a bit too high or even too critical of it, but this book was just not my favorite.

the first half of the book followed what i was expecting it to be for the most part. it was very fast paced, a little cringe at times, but overall fun and easy to get through.

the second half (particularly after the 70% mark) is where i felt myself begin to struggle to get through chapters. the pacing took a 180 in comparison to the beginning portion and i felt that a lot of the thoughts and dialogue from the characters was extremely repetitive. i also felt that the book could’ve ended sooner and the side quest of the opening of the record store, while had good intent, wasn’t needed.

i also do wish it had been a bit more clear that reading other books the author wrote prior to this one would’ve been helpful in understanding the lore with the side characters. when they became a large part in the second half i felt that there were mentions of things happening from past books that i didn’t quite understand the full importance of.

and lastly, i feel that the amount of swearing in the book was excessive. while i don’t think swearing in books is the devil and we have to stop it outright, i do think having swearing of some sort on almost every page is just out of hand. there are other words out there that you can use that convey what you want.

if you enjoyed this book, i think that’s wonderful for you. i personally just don’t think this one was for me and that’s okay. thank you

[annie ۫꣑ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75/5⭐️

“I would do fucking anything to see you smile at me how you are now, and that’s not even the best part.”

this book follows teagan, who after her short-term boyfriend gets down on one knee and proposes, decides to run back to old life with basically nothing in pennsylvania, once she arrives, she realizes she has nowhere to go, except her best friends brother’s house. from here, enter dominic graves, who has been trying to please his parents for years, and his parents have now told him to go on a road trip for work, however when his best friends little sister shows up at his doorstep things take a turn…

wow, once again another amazing story by emily, she genuinely never misses, her writing is so absolutely amazing, and the stories she writes not only have so much fun and found family in them, but also writes in such amazing details about deeper topics like grief so beautifully. this story was so amazing, and it was nice to see more in depth of teag’s character and her story, her story was really incredible to read, and her strength to go through the things she’s gone through and end up where she is at the end of the story was so truly amazing to read about. dom was of course also incredible to read about, i loved witnessing his character growth throughout the story and seeing him be stronger and more confident in himself. dom and teags were genuinely so so good, it was such a fun read and the SPICE?!? absolutely immaculate. def recommend if you like tropes like best friends brother, millionaire, and found family!!

thank you emily for having me on your arc team!!

[samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

O N T H E R O A D T O R U I N
•beta//ARC review•
OUT 9/25/25

read if you looove…
✨brother’s best friend
✨road trip
✨best banter
✨grief rep
✨found family

yallll… @authoremilytudor came to P L A Y with this one!! when I tell you this is her best book yet, know that I’m saying it with my whole entire chest.

Dominic Graves is the acts of service KING!!!! and the mouth on this man… hooollllyyyyyy🥵 sign me up for a cross country road trip with this man any day of the week, please and thank you😮‍💨 and my girl Teagen🥹 she’s on a journey to find herself amidst her grief and I just wanted to give her the biggest hug. her and Dom fit together like two perfect puzzle pieces.

the grief rep in this book is absolutely immaculate. I feel like it’s a concept that you don’t fully grasp until you’re in the trenches of it, but grief isn’t linear. there’s good days, bad days, happy tears, sad tears, and all the things in between, even if it’s been years since you’ve lost a loved one. Emily writes about this topic with so much nuance and care, and even though Teags and I share a different grief journey, she made me feel less alone in losing my dad and it’s a gift I’m forever grateful for. 💖

thank you Emily for letting me beta//ARC read this one!!!!!!🥹💖🫶🏼

[Emily Tudor]

gonna lose my mind when people read this that's for sure!

[alex :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved literally everything about this book!! i adore the universe that emily tudor has created so much. the hart sisters & the west siblings forever & ever 😭😭😭🩷

[charls · Rating 5 out of 5]

arc review | 5 stars
— @authoremilytudor

speechless actually. emily, i love you, your mind, your words, your books, your characters, everything.

i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again, emily’s books never fail. she’ll always be an auto-buy author for me

after the road not taken came out, which you must read if you haven’t, i begged emily for domteags to get their own book, i hoped one day it would happen and now i’m here, finished reading their book and writing a review for it :,)

teags is so personal to me, i felt so seen by her (she’s lowkey me). teags’ storyline is so important, you have to make mistakes in life, you’ll never get where you’re meant to be without those mistakes and lessons you learn and grow from. she’s a character that i hold so my close to heart, i loved her so much when i read trnt but reading her story and getting to know every side of her just makes her so much more special. i don’t quite have the words to summarise how important she is, please just read this book.

i need my own personal dom pls and ty, the way he cares for teags actually killed me. i was not prepared for his backstory to kill me off like it did. he’s one of my favourite mmc’s that i’ve read about!

domteags, they were everything i wanted them to be and more. they were honestly just perfect. being able to watch the crumbs of them throughout the hart sisters duology and fall in love with them to finally get their book was a crazy experience, this book genuinely exceeded my expectations. they were literally made for each other, i crashed out so much over them (and this entire book)

mentions of grief:
the west siblings are a perfect representation of how grief affects every person differently and how everyone copes with grief in their own way. this book captured perfectly how people will go through the same loss but their experience with that loss will always be different. grief is a topic that’s personal to me and affects my every day life so reading this book was like a gentle reminder that it’s okay if your grief experience looks different to others and even if it doesn’t feel like it, you don’t have to drown in your grief alone, people are and will be there for you. <3

thank you for always making me feel less alone with your books, ily always emily! <3

[Joana (joanasbookshelf) · Rating 5 out of 5]

immediately 5 stars!!! forever obsessed with Emily Tudor’s books and her writing.
I have absolutely no words to describe how much I loved this book!!! Teags and Dom supremacy!! I love them I love them I love them!!!! I’ll try to gather my thoughts and stop crying to come back here and do a proper review.
but important things: read this book!!!!!

[&#x1fa90; · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.25 ⭐️

Thank you to Ember Literary & Emily Tudor for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t want to write anything negative because I was so excited to read this and it sounded right up my alley. Unfortunately, in the end, it ended up disappointing me.

It started off normally, but as I kept reading, it felt like being dropped in Ep 9 season 5 of a TV series. There were so many side characters that were there and were apparently relevant to Teagen & Dominic, but that ironically served no purpose to the story, as their presence barely influenced the main characters’ personal development. I know the love story was a fast burn but I don’t think that can work in an almost 400 page book if you want to flesh out the characters completely. That was the thing, I feel like there was an attempt to give them depth but with the pacing and barely no context, it was hard for that to be done well.
I have no idea if there is another series before this one because the other characters were presented to us as if we should known them already, and even if you want to write a spin-off, you have to be mindful of how you introduce them in a brand new standalone book.

I also had a problem with the writing. If I took a shot every time the words fuck or fucking were mentioned in a single chapter (or even page) I would end up in a coma. You don’t need to insert that word in the middle of every sentence or before every adjective. I promise not swearing every 5 seconds can pack the same punch.
Regarding cringe worthy moments, there were many. If you don’t want me to make a weird face while reading your book do not mention dark romance unironically ever again. No mentions of YouTube, Kindle, or social media unless you’re Jessica Joyce/Emily Henry, please and thank you.

This book also discusses grief because of a dead sibling mainly. Another thing that was not done well by my standards. I was reading and I felt nothing for the main character because she kept being redundant and saying the exact same 5 things every time she thought of her brother. I get that she’s not over his death, but I was so incredibly bored and frankly, did not care at all about the situation. I feel like it was hard to do so when the plot is ironically barely focused on her (because we only get to know how sad she was with her ex and that her brother and dad died) and Tobias felt like a stranger, as he was written in such a way that did not spark anything in me.

The amount of smut clashed significantly with the purpose of the story, the way it was introduced and how it influenced the main characters’ relationship was strange to say the least. The romance was not believable either, because they’re already falling in love by 40% and at 60% I was bored out of my mind, asking myself what else was there to tell. I had to practically drag myself through the last few chapters because every character was SO unbelievably boring. Also can we retire the trope of the angry brother because the sister is dating the best friend? He’s your friend!!! You chose him!!! Why would you be friends with him if you don’t think he’s a good enough person for your sis???

Extra .25 because I didn’t loathe it, I just REALLY disliked it.

[Tabitha Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ 4.5-Star — On the Road to Ruin by Emily Tudor

On the Road to Ruin is one of those stories that sneaks up on you—soft at first, then suddenly hitting you with emotion, growth, and a romance that burns slow but real. Emily Tudor delivers a heartfelt, messy, beautifully human story that blends heartbreak, healing, and “what if” chemistry in the best way.

Teagen West is a character you instantly feel for. She’s grieving, lost, and freshly untethered after making a life choice that wasn’t truly hers. When everything crashes down, she comes home with nothing more than a suitcase full of regret… and a need for someone to catch her breath with. Enter Dominic Graves—her brother’s best friend, walking pressure cooker, and the last person who should be offering her refuge but the only one she trusts enough to ask.

Their deal—fake dating, no strings, definitely no feelings—was doomed the second they hit the road. Watching them unravel each other mile by mile was my favorite part. The road-trip setting gives this book its heartbeat: long drives, quiet confessions, shared music, and the kind of moments where something small suddenly becomes everything. The chemistry is there, but the emotional layers are what shine. Teagen’s healing, Dominic’s fear of disappointing everyone around him, and the way they slowly become each other’s safe place make this story feel grounded and real.

This book has:
✨ Brother’s best friend
✨ Fake dating
✨ Forced proximity + road trip
✨ Healing after grief
✨ Slow-burn tension that pays off

My only wish was for a bit more depth in a few emotional moments—some scenes flew by too fast when I wanted to sit in them longer. But overall, this is a heartfelt, romantic, beautifully written journey about second chances, choosing yourself, and finding love when you’re not sure you deserve it yet.

If you love emotional contemporary romance with real characters, real flaws, and real growth, you’ll devour this one. I can’t wait to read more from the West Siblings series. 💙🚗

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Emily Tudor and Ember for the ARC of this book!

I have had two books by Emily Tudor on my shelf waiting and this was the push I needed to read them (including the start of the original series this book spins off of). I really enjoyed her writing. Her strength is her ability to write so many different plot lines that are serious while giving them all the attention they deserve.

I found the characters to be likable and interesting. The relationship forged between Dom and Teagan was fun to explore and they complemented each other well.

The biggest downfall of this book, however, was it felt like two books in one. The first half was a romance, and the second was an emotional novel. I thought they were both executed well, but I would have liked it to be more fluid throughout. I also found some parts slightly repetitive, which may have been cured by a slightly shorter and more concise book.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this and look forward to reading the two currently on my shelf!

[miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the Road to Ruin ARC Review

i was very fortunate to receive an ARC of On the Road to Ruin by Emily Tudor, thank you so much!! 🤍

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️/5

content warning: on-page descriptions of grief, mentions of suicide, parental neglect, and mentions of an emotionally abusive relationship.

“it took falling apart at the seams for me to realize that once a door closes, there are so many ones that can open, and i have time to choose the wrong one. i have time to pick the wrong thing. i have time to make mistakes and be twenty different versions of myself because the real path will always wait for you. sometimes, it just takes a few difficult moments to get to it.”

if emily wrote it, i’m 1000% reading it!! i am once again blown away by emily’s writing. emily wrote yet another beautiful love story! when we first got introduced to teagan and dominic in the hart sisters duet (not necessary to read first but still recommend reading anyways!!) i wanted to know everything about them!! so when emily announced she would be doing a west siblings duet i was beyond excited and she did not disappoint with the first book! emily's writing keeps getting better with every book she puts out and i think she did a beautiful job of portraying the stages of grief in this book.

teags and dom are forever etched into my memory and will forever hold a special place in my heart! i just loved everything about them and their relationship. everything from their chemistry and banter to the way they supported one another through the toughest situations. they both just understood each other in ways no else did, it was everything i could have hoped for and more.

i’m so excited for the next book in this duet!! once again thank you so much for providing me with this arc!! 🤍

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars ⭐️

Firstly, thank you so much to Embery Literary PR for an ARC of Road to Ruin.

This book was a whirlwind of grief and love. I loved the balance between the two, and how well it written to show that even in the happiest moments, grief is still there lingering behind waiting to get you when you least expect it.

I loved how much Dom cared for Teagan, he wanted to help her in any way he could and wanted to see her smile. He also respected her grief which is something I really liked to read about. Teagan I felt a lot of sympathy for, she didn’t know how to deal with her grief and thought bottling it up was best, I enjoyed reading about her progression!

I enjoyed the plot and loved meeting the side characters, who all had their own demons too.

Check trigger warnings!

[gracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
This was such a fun and heartfelt read with a really interesting concept. I loved the dynamic between Teagen and Dominic, and the way grief was woven into the story felt thoughtful and well-handled.

I do wish it had leaned more into a slow burn, especially since she had just gotten out of a relationship, and I would have loved to see more of the actual road trip details — things like car karaoke, audiobook debates, or quirky pit stops would have added even more charm.

That said, I really enjoyed the second half of the book, especially the focus on family and friends, which made the story feel full and satisfying.

thank you to ember literary pr for an arc copy!!

[freyajamiee · Rating 5 out of 5]

had to add to my cry count

[Carolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars ⭐️

Full review coming soon!

[ryna &#x1f3a7;&#x1f49f; · Rating 5 out of 5]

AS A TEAM READER,
this book WRECKED me in the BEST way possible. honestly, i think that’s all i have to say. dom has to be one of my top MMCs. he’s truly perfect. teags is so relatable. her pov (especially THAT scene) made me cry. thank you emily for this masterpiece. cant wait for theo’s story (WE STILL HAVENT MET HIS GIRL???)

PS: i heard the music.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars

Content Warnings: Grief, Mental Health, Mentions of Suicide, Drug Use, Emotional Abuse, Domestic Abuse
3/5 spice rating

*** Thank you to the author for a copy of this ARC. All opinions in this review are mine and are freely given. (THANK YOU EMILY TUDOR FOR LETTING ME BE ON YOUR STREET TEAM. I AM EVER SO GRATEFUL.)

If you know me, you know one of my favorite Emily Tudor books is A Road Not Taken. So to have a book with some of my favorite characters, this was a dream!!! One of my favorite parts of any Emily Tudor book is the found family. The found family in this book make you feel the love they’re radiating through their support for each other. You want to be friends with Bree, Liv, and Teags talking about books and life in your twenties.

Teags … you’re so lovable queen!!! Dom… you too!! These two start the book feeling like no one will ever love them and they’re so unloveable…. Only to find true love with each other!!! Their love story was on the road to ruin!!! am I right, bookish pals? Dom rents out a whole tattoo shop for her to feel comfortable Teags feels loved and Dom feels whole and it was only 46% into the book !!!

Another aspect of this book that I really enjoyed was the focus on music. Everyone loves music and feels it differently. Especially, Teags who had this connection to music with Tobias (her dead brother). Grief can be a confusing painful thing to go through, and finding a way to remember those lost people in your own way is important. For Teags, it was music! For me, it was long walks by boats and revisiting old places that remind me of my loved ones.

[tanvi · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf @ 18 pages… this book doesn’t have the type of writing that i enjoy. it is very “tell, not show” which is unfortunate because i could really go for a brother’s best friend book trope right now

[The Booktrovert Records · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review
📍 On the Road to Ruin 💿
Book 1 of the West Siblings Series
Written By: @authoremilytudor

Overall: 5/5
Overall plot: 5/5
Character development: 5/5
Pace: 5/5
World building: 5/5
Spice 🌶️: 2.5/5

First, thank you, Emily, for allowing me to be a part of your ARC team and read On the Road to Ruin ahead of its release date.

Second of all, Emily never ceases to write amazing stories. Emily’s books are always auto-pick up for me.

The journey of grief is what it is - a journey and there’s no timeline or ways to trick yourself into thinking that you’ve gotten over it, no matter how much you’d like to gaslit yourself. As someone who's recently had a death in the family and someone’s who was very much dear to my heart, Teagen West’s journey hit very close and a very good reminder that even though there’s a loss, it doesn’t mean they’re gone as long as we continue to remember the beautiful times that you’ve had when they were alive and continue to remember the love you’ve had with that person.

With Teagen, we learn very early on and throughout the story that she’s struggling with the loss of her oldest brother and continued to do so when her boyfriend at the time proposed to her and that solidified her decision to run back home. She literally flew back to her old life the same afternoon she decided to quit the job that she hated. But very much hoping to straighten things out in her head and heart without grievance or worry from her family, she pops up to the one person’s porch who won’t tell her family that she’s home - her brother’s best friend, Dominic Graves.

Dominic Graves goes on a different journey himself, literally going across the country to help his family’s franchise business but that’s the last thing he wants to do because it sucks the soul out of him. However, because he thinks it'll win their respect if he does this for them.

Lucky for them, Teagen decides to join Dominic’s trip and as people say, on a road trip, you get to know each other at their best and worst and there is an unspoken bond you create with the friends you travel with. BOY!!! Do Teagen and Dominc do both!

They help each other navigate those journeys and what a masterful job Emily’s done with that. Not only do they think they’ll have no strings and no feelings on the trip, but the building tensions and feelings developing seem more than they do. What happens when they get back home? Can they stay away from each other and keep what happens on the road to stay on the road?

Lastly, Dominic may be my new favorite book boyfriend. Harsh, aloof exterior but such a golden retriever by nature and the things he does for Teagen during the trip; how he’s there for her on the road as well as when they’re back home… *swoon!*

Trigger warning⚠️: Grief, mentions of suicide, parental neglect, and mentions of an emotionally abusive relationship. Your mental health matters!

If you want a brother’s best friend, a contemporary millionaire romance with so much heart and banter and an amazing found family, this book’s for you. Oh! there's some fun spicy times too! 🌶️

Tropes:

📍road trip

💿 fast burn…
📍 millionaire 

💿 mental health representation
📍 found family
💿 brothers best friend
📍one bed
💿 forced proximity

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I've learned that the unknown is sometimes the best part. Not knowing something leads to so many roads I didn't even know where an option"

My thoughts (spoiler free):
Just like all of Emily's books, I absolutely loved this one! Emily always writes a perfect blend of swoony romances, gut wrenchingly raw moments, and beautiful prose and insights into feeling lost in your 20s.

I loved both Teags and Dom when they were supporting characters in the Hart Sisters duology (this book can definitely still be read as a standalone) so I was thrilled when Emily announced that they would be getting their own story (she left so many little breadcrumbs in the other books for them). Everything from their chemistry to their banter to the way they supported one another was everything I could have hoped for and more! They definitely kept each other on their toes!

Some of my favorite moments in the book came from when Teags and Dom slowly opened up to each other with each stop on their trip. I loved how under the cover of night, they began to feel connected and comfortable enough with one another to share the heaviness they both were experiencing in this chapter of their lives. It was beautiful to see how even with them showing their emotional scars that they were worthy of the love they deserved.

Emily has always done such an amazing job of weaving music within her stories and in OTRTR it plays such an integral part of the story telling in a way that it leaves a mark on your heart. (I don't want to say more than that so I don't spoil anything!

(see my last slide for the official blurb for the book)

Tropes:
~roadtrip romance
~brother's best friend
~found family
~mental health/grief rep
~fake dating

Thank you Emily for not only letting me arc read but also beta read this amazing book! I couldn't be more excited for Theo's book and to be back with the West siblings again!

"It took me falling apart at the seams for me to realize that once a door closes, there are so many ones that can open, and I have time to choose the wrong one. I have time to pick the wrong thing. I have time to make mistakes and be twenty different versions of myself because the real path will always wait for you. Sometimes, it just takes a few difficult moments to get to it."

"It's okay to be scared. If you're not scared, you're probably doing something wrong"

"No, but i have hope that the people we love can talk to us even when they're not here"

"I think love is finding someone who can make the mundane moments most people take for granted meaningful"

"I enjoy everything thing when I'm with you"

"This is dangerous. Teagen West is dangerous to me"

[Zara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5/5

On the Road to Ruin is a road-trip romance that leans hard into the well-loved tropes of brother’s best friend, forced proximity, and found family, along with honest grief and mental health representation.

Teagan West is a character whose mistakes resonate. She flees a proposal she’s not ready for, returns home with nothing but regrets, and ends up leaning on the one person she trusts won’t tell her family she’s back, her brother’s best friend, Dominic Graves. Dom is reluctantly roped into an agreement where she will accompany him on a road trip while he’s taking care of some things for his family business, and she’ll pretend to be his girlfriend so his parents stop pushing him. The forced-proximity setup is classic, but the execution is anything but predictable.

What I liked most about this book was how much Teagan and Dom feel like real people finding their way through mess. Their chemistry and banter are electric, but it’s the emotional moments, when they support each other in the dark places, that stayed with me. Dom is such a green-flag hero. He’s protective, loyal, generous, with those little acts of service that speak volumes.

Teagan’s journey really had me rooting for her. Her grief, her guilt, her search for herself, all of that resonated with me. The way the West siblings are portrayed is an accurate representation of how multiple people can experience the same loss, and yet cope in wildly different ways. And yes, there’s spice, and a good amount of it (and you can best believe I enjoyed reading it!).

That said, I did feel like the spice sometimes clashed with the emotional arc, in how abruptly it showed up and how much weight it tried to carry. I found myself wishing for more slow, tender moments and a more gradual buildup. The romance, in places, felt a little rushed and it seemed to go from “benefits” to “relationship” really quickly without enough breathing room to watch them settle into one another. I also felt the internal monologues and descriptive passages occasionally veered into repetition. As much as I understand real people rehashing thoughts and pain, I did wish for more concise prose.

Overall, On the Road to Ruin is an emotional, messy romance with a side of healing and found family, baked into the journey!

[Marlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
* Brothers best friend
* Mental health/grief rep
* Sex pact
* Fake dating
* Found family

Favorite quotes:

“‘Yes, but I need my—‘ ‘Your coffee is on your fucking table. Look to your right.’”

“I’m in a room full of people, yet somehow I still feel alone.”

“‘You’re never a disturbance,’ Theo says from across the line.”

“Bree: You’re not a disturbance.”

“Music always helps. Something about the lyrics to certain songs that showcase exactly how I feel helps my body calm down.”

“I like to be f*cked, and if I can’t get that in real life, at least I can live vicariously through the books I read.” As you should queen 🤏🏽🤏🏽🤏🏽

“She sounds like the devil on my shoulder, and Ben though I know I should not be doing this, I couldn’t give less of a f*ck.”

“I knew I loved Vince when he made normal moments some of the best. One time, he cut my strawberries and hung around chatting with me in the kitchen all night, and it was the best night of my life.”

“You are music to me, Teags, and I f*cking love you.”

My thoughts:
This is the kind of my brothers best friend I want. I want angst. I want anxiety. I want steam. Yesss, Emily!! I related to Teagan and many of the feelings she felt—feeling alone in a room full of people, finding self deprecating humor hilarious because i hate myself and you probably do too, feeling numb then being hit by huge waves of emotion, feeling broken and like nothing or no one could fix me. I was her and she is me. Emily does such an amazing job of capturing the true feeling and mental anguish of invisible enemies while also capturing the mask that people who suffer with grief or depression can often put on.

I was literally so invested in this book and talking to the pages or Emily as if she were in the room because I’ve met her so obviously I can talk to her like i know her… right? 😂 i laughed through this book and i cried through this book. This was definitely a journey and i loved every minute of it!!

[Trini Tran · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC Read- This was a 3.75 ⭐️ read. It was an okay read. At first, I was so excited for it– we met Teags in the Hart sister’s duology, and I was so excited for her to be a little spitfire. The dedication had me sooo excited. But the first chapter? I was like okay, Teags is more than what was revealed about her in other book. And Dom was kind of just pushed onto the reader. I didn’t think he had any significant traits that made him stand out. He was a book boyfriend with the tattoos and would notice little things, but I just found little details that I didn’t like about his character. I do want to point out though, I do love him as boyfriend Dom. He had no prior experience, but you’re doing amazing, sweetie!!

Let’s continue talking about Dom’s character… I hated the insinuation that Dom is the best option in the beginning for Teagan’s character. I understand that he’s better than her ex because he would pick up on small details that Teag’s ex didn’t, but it just made me think that it made him a good person???? I just felt like his character was heavily pushed onto the reader as hot and the perfect book boyfriend.

Teagan’s character was realistic. I didn’t hate her, but I can see she’s struggling with grief. HOWEVER, I just dislike how she would handle some situations regarding her grief. She is a grown woman, but the fact that she would act towards her brother (Tristian) like his grief isn’t valid pissed me off. Overall, I just wished Teags dealt more with her grief throughout the book and not just small little parts in the beginning and end. It made me feel like there was no character development for her.

As much as I thought that I would love this, I don’t love nor hate it. It was an okay read. I like that there is realism in Teags and Dom’s love story, but then again, everything just felt like it was happening so fast.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What to expect:
Road trip
Millionaire
Grief rep
Fast burn
Found family
Brothers best friend


This is my second book of Emily Tudors that I have read. The first was from the Grand Mountain series. On the road to ruin is book one of the west siblings duet, however, it probably would have been helpful to me to have read the Hart sisters duet beforehand. Sooo I will be going back and reading them!

This book focuses on Dominic and Teagan. They go on road trip together and it all changes from there. He is on the trip due to the family business and Teagan doesn't want to go home to her family just yet and tell them what happened in Arizona.

I love being able to read both of their point of views and how they are both hesitant but there is some kind of connection there besides the benefits agreement they agreed on the trip. He is a giverrr 🙂‍↔️ lol

When I first started reading the prologue I got emotional because it talked about grief like right away. Being that there is the grief representation in this book and it is talked about quite a bit, it really had me thinking about how grieving looks different for everyone and theres no timeline of when you “get over it”, to me its something that sticks with you and sometimes makes you question everything. So as I was reading I just appreciated seeing how Teagan was handling it and having others as a support.

Reading about Dominic and his family dynamic really made me feel bad for him because of how his parents treat him. However, I appreciated his character growth and his growing confidence in himself. I enjoyed reading about how he cared for Teagan and respected her continued grieving as he was there for her brother as well.

*Check content warnings!

Thank you to Emily and Ember Literary PR for the opportunity to arc read this story!

*read in Sept ‘25

[Samantha Carol-Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book 🥺

On The Road To Ruin had me laughing, crying and hot 🥵

Everyone needs a Dominic in their lives.

This book focuses on our main characters Teagen and Dominic.

After leaving her life in Arizona, Teagen finds herself in her home state of Pennsylvania. She has no where to go; her family home brings back painful memories and she doesn't want to hear her brother tell her how right he was. So she goes to the only place she can think of, the house of Dominic Graves. Her childhood crush.

Dominic is set on not letting Teagen into his house but seeing her in the state she is in, we'll he can't find it in himself to turn her away. Only problem is that he is set to go on a cross country road trip to appease his parents. Teagen offers to go with him because it gives her the opportunity to go back to Arizona and get the reminder of her things.

A cross country road trip with your childhood crush, what could possibly go wrong?

Be sure to check out the newest @authoremilytudor book releasing tomorrow

There is a content/trigger warning page in this book so please make sure to check that before you read.

📍road trip
💿 fast burn…
📍 millionaire
💿 mental health representation
📍 found family
💿 brother's best friend
📍one bed

Thank you @authoremilytudor and @emberliterarypr for the opportunity to be an ARC reader for this book. I had a fantastic time reading it and I can't see what comes next.

[Priscilla Herchold · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book - it has some of my most enjoyed tropes: forced proximity, only one bed, and a road trip! It may seem weird to say this, but I was also glad to see grief representation listed as grief has been something I've dealt with recently. It seemed like it would be right up my alley.

Unfortunately, my big issue is that I have never read any other Emily Tudor books before. As this is the start of new series, hypothetically, that shouldn't be a problem except the side characters kept alluding to events and information that had happened in other books prior to On the Road to Ruin. This would be fine if I had known this going in except, I believe this was marketed as a standalone with characters you may have met in other books. That can be fine, and it often is. Here though, the references to events and information outside of this book pulled me outside of the plot here to the point where I felt lost. Having read the prior books felt necessary the further along I got into On the Road to Ruin.

I enjoyed Tudor's writing, and I think the grief representation was wonderfully done. Sadly, this just wasn't a true standalone to me and that greatly affected my reading enjoyment.

🛻 Brothers Best Friend
🛻 Road Trip
🛻 Forced Proximity
🛻 Found Family
🛻 Only one bed
🛻 Millionaire
🛻 Grief Rep
🛻 “I didnt know where else to go”

Thank you to the author and Ember Literary PR for the gifted copy!

[Emily Walter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this as an arc and when I signed up for it, I knew I was gonna love from the moment that I started it. Now it is difficult. I have lost a family member suddenly and it was hard so reading through this and Teagan‘s grief and how she’s handling it is how I feel some days, especially not being able to feel the person that you’ve lost anymore. Found Family is one of my favorite tropes in romance books because it just shows you that it’s not just about your blood. You can make your family what you want it to be with the people that you love. Everyone deserves to be loved and shown that. I love how both Teagan and Dominic get to show the other one that especially since neither of them feel like they deserve it. Especially after everything they’ve been through and what they’ve seen and how they’ve been treated. This is why I love reading because you get to connect with characters and their struggles and it hits home. And it’s good to get that weight off your chest. This was my first book by Emily and honestly I need to read all the ones that she’s had in the past so they’re all added to my TBR and I can’t wait to read them. Thanks, Dominic and Teagan for being the first. I loved reading their story.