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Passing Through #1

Drove All Night

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When the only way is up
Out of luck, out of hope, and out of diapers, Poppy Williams is so far out on a limb she's clinging by one broken fingernail. On a last-ditch road trip to save her young family, Poppy finds herself stranded in Twin Elks, Colorado, and-quite literally-throws herself at the mercy of the local Police Chief.
Strong, silent-type Police Chief Ben Crowe has seen it all until Poppy's minivan runs a red light, and she leaps into the road begging him to arrest her. Done with love and marriage, he is suddenly drawn into the tangled lives of Poppy and her four lively children.
In a town filled with warm, funny characters, Poppy finds the helping hand she needs to build a new life for her and her family, while Ben must learn to trust in what he believes is impossible-the healing power of love.

306 pages, ebook

Published June 5, 2019

71 people are currently reading
655 people want to read

About the author

Sarah Hegger

47 books643 followers
Born British and raised in South Africa, Sarah Hegger suffers from an incurable case of wanderlust. Her match? A hot Canadian engineer, whose marriage proposal she accepted six short weeks after they first met. Together they’ve made homes in seven different cities across three different continents (and back again once or twice). If only it made her multilingual, but the best she can manage is idiosyncratic English, fluent Afrikaans, conversant Russian, pigeon Portuguese, even worse Zulu and enough French to get herself into trouble.

Mimicking her globe trotting adventures, Sarah’s career path began as a gainfully employed actress, drifted into public relations, settled a moment in advertising, and eventually took root in the fertile soil of her first love, writing. She also moonlights as a wife and mother.

She currently lives in Draper, Utah, with her teenage daughters, two Golden Retrievers and aforementioned husband. Part footloose buccaneer, part quixotic observer of life, Sarah’s restless heart is most content when reading or writing books.

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5 stars
94 (50%)
4 stars
65 (34%)
3 stars
24 (12%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
Profile Image for Susan.
2,760 reviews85 followers
December 6, 2019
I truly enjoyed this endearing romance. Great characters, lots of warmth and gentle care was found in this giveaway. Glad to have had a chance to relax and settle into this book!
Profile Image for Lauren.
2,589 reviews13 followers
June 5, 2019
My first book by this author and it didn't disappoint. Ben and Poppy meet by chance when she blows through a red light and he realizes there is more to the story. This book is definitely a slow burn and it takes both Ben and Poppy a while to realize whats going on and what they wanna do. These two have amazing chemistry but Poppy has 4 kids and a dead husband and Ben has the ex wife from hell that keeps popping up. I loved how noisy Ben's mom and the prayer chain were and how they kept butting in. I loved how much Poppy and her kiddos bonded with Horace and how amazing he was. This book was really sweet second chance romance.
Profile Image for Vanessa Lawford.
1,176 reviews10 followers
May 14, 2019
This was my first Sarah Hegger book and it definitely will not be my last.

I enjoyed reading Ben and Poppy's story from the beginning until the end.

This is a heartwarming story about a second chance at love with a little help from some meddling family members.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review for Sweet Treats Book Blog 💜
Profile Image for Júlia.
132 reviews9 followers
June 7, 2019
Blog Sol and Us
EN/PT-BR
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I had two problems with Drove All Night, I didn't like Ben (one of the main characters) and I didn't liked the narration. I think it was the first time I had a problem with narration, which is weird because I am not picky. However, it was not enough to make me not like the book. I loved the other characters and the story and the world created by Sarah Hegger.

So, albeit not liking two important things, I liked the book, recommend and plan to read more books by Sarah Hegger.



Follow Sol and Us: https://linktr.ee/solandus2
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Eu tive dois problemas com Drove All Night, não gostei do Ben (um dos personagens principais) e não gostei da narração. Eu acho que foi a primeira vez que eu tive um problema com a narração, o que é estranho porque eu não sou exigente. No entanto, isso não foi suficiente para fazer com que eu não gostasse do livro. Eu amei os outros personagens e a história e o mundo criado pela Sarah Hegger.

Então, apesar de não ter gostado de duas coisas importantes, eu gostei do livro, recomendo e pretendo ler mais livros da Sarah Hegger.



Sigam Sol and Us: https://linktr.ee/solandus2
Profile Image for World Of Books 65.
3,245 reviews61 followers
June 2, 2019
Do Prince and princess really exist not for Polly left too raise 4 young children on her own - but that was before she stumbled into Twin Elks meet the Chef of Police and feel in love with the nosey funny kind hearted people that live there!

I too feel in love with this town and the funny yet emotionally written story and so will you!

After the death of her husband Polly packs up her children and heads for California for a new start and to built a relationship with her absent mum.

However, fate steps in and Polly becomes ill on the journey. In her fevered state She ends up in Elk Grove a small town where everyone knows everyone’s business; runs a red light and pleads with Ben Crowe the chef of police to “lock her up as she is a bad mother’

Ben takes one look at the ill woman and her 4 children and decides to take them to his mom Dots house (the matriarch of the town)- there the story really begins - a town ready to help this young mum- well everyone except Bens ex wife Tara who feels threatened by the growing attraction between Polly and Ben.

Ben fights his growing feelings for Polly and her family fearing he doesn’t have anything left in him to give this broken woman what she deserves and when Polly’s mother-in-law and brother-in-law Finn turn up will she turn her back on the town that has come to love her and her family and instead built a life with Finn or will she stay fight for the man she loves and build her dreams in a house and a town where fairytales can come true.

Profile Image for Jennifer Pierson.
11.7k reviews188 followers
June 5, 2019
Sarah Hegger is a new to me author, and I really enjoyed this small town gem a ton! Polly has her hands full with 4 tiny humans that she's responsible for after her husband dies, so she packs them up for a fresh start in California to try & build a relationship with her absentee mom. However, on the journey, things don't go smoothly, as she runs out of diapers, and gets sick to where she lands in Elk Grove with a fever, she runs a red light, then falls on her sword, begging the Chief of Police, Ben Crowe, to lock her up for being a bad mother. Ben is an angel, as fate obviously stepped in, and takes them to his mom's house to get them some help. The whole town is one of those places which everyone knows everyone else's business, but also helps anyone in their time of need, so Polly ended up in the best place possible, though she's so used to doing things herself, she's not sure how to accept that help. Then there's Ben, and the growing, slow burn attraction they have, and I do mean slow burn, as he's fighting his feelings hard. I'm ready to choke him out by this time, and then BAM! Twists come into the picture, and my f-bombs drop! This story obviously had it all, and I can't forget to talk about the hilarious interactions of the small town charm, because Drove All Night has it in spades. So if you want to know how it all pans out, you know what you have to do! Get to one clicking because I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO ALL!
1,187 reviews4 followers
June 13, 2019
Poppy Williams stumbles out of her car and collapses on Sheriff Ben Crowe. She feels hot and that concerns him but what really scares him is the four sets of eyes in the van. A baby, who is crying, a young boy and twin girls. Now what? He does what any small town Sheriff would do, he calls his mother. She gets them all settled, the doctor on the way and Ben shopping for diapers.

This is an absolutely wonderful book. The characters are simply amazing. They are complicated, personable, flawed, eccentric, practical and human, and they draw you into the story. You can’t help but grow attached. The descriptions of the small town and the atmosphere established makes you more invested in the characters and their outcomes. They go through everyday trials, deal with past mistakes and experiences all while coping with their fears, feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty of the future. This is an emotionally charged book that plays with the readers emotions and makes you want to keep reading page after page. There are a few hot scenes but they are important for the storyline. This is one of my favourite books of this year.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Carrie.
3,662 reviews36 followers
June 4, 2019
Ben & Poppy's story opens with a bang, but isn't really a fast-paced story. It's a slow burn, as Ben navigates his way through helping this single mom of 4 kiddos. I struggled getting into it at various points, because the writing style is a bit different. This takes place in Colorado, but the tone is more British/Australian, and there are some bits that took me out of the story a time or two.

However, once I got used to the style, the story was able to shine through! The town & characters were able to keep my attention. I liked the real struggles Poppy has with accepting help from Ben's mom & the community. It's a small town & everyone wants to step up & help, but Poppy is used to doing everything on her own - and is used to a fair amount of judgement from her ex and his family. It's hard for her to accept that ppl want to help because that's what they do.

I also really enjoyed the friendship she & the kids form w/ Horace, and love the solutions they come up w/ in that situation! : )
Profile Image for Chaos.
45 reviews20 followers
January 16, 2020
I loved the beginning of this book! What a cute "first meet" story!!
And, I loved a lot of the rest of the book, as well. I could "see" each of the characters as I read and grew to be especially fond of both Horace and Ryan--what a pair those two are! It's very seldom each character is drawn so vividly.
Parts of the story appeared to be written by a Brit and that would pull me out of what was going on--I hope in future books an editor catches that as I plan to continue reading this author's work.
And, I'm not a prude but I may play one when I am reading because the sex scenes, in my very humble opinion, were overly graphic, overly long, overly crude and mostly unnecessary.
The language I could take or leave--I swear like a long haul trucker (no offense to truckers) on a good day, so I've heard the words before--but I wish the author had left it. Again, mostly unnecessary.
This review is of a book I received free from GoodReads.
Profile Image for Jamie Bee.
Author 1 book122 followers
June 10, 2019
Poppy Williams is on a cross-country trek and is running out of gas. Turns out this mom of four has a bad virus. Luckily, she collapsed in the arms of the police chief in a small town in Colorado after she accidentally ran through a stop sign. He and his mother care for her and her children while she comes back to help. Will Poppy stay in this small town or continue on to her mother in California?

This is a very long book. I thought the author spent too much time on scenes that actually don't do much to further the plot or round out characterization. There were places where she was clearly attempting humor, but it fell flat because of awkward phrasing or the strange images of the word produced. I found this book to be tedious.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

Read my reviews at https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com.
Profile Image for Diddly Do.
190 reviews
July 29, 2019
This is one of those books that had me hooked from the first paragraph. The author did a great job describing the struggles of a mother of four following the death of her husband who left her with a mountain of debt, an overbearing mother-in-law, and her cross country trek to start to rebuild her life. However, the baby gets sick along the way, then she gets sick. Poppy blows a red light in a small town and gets pulled over. She comes out of the vehicle and passes out at the officers feet. When Ben looks inside her van, he sees four sets of eyes, smells a terrible smell and has no clue how to deal with this situation so he takes them to the one person who will know just what to do, his mom.
There aren’t enough adjectives to describe how much I enjoyed this book. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Profile Image for Sissy's Romance Book Review .
8,992 reviews16 followers
June 1, 2019
Drove all Night by Sarah Hegger is book One in the Passing Through Series. This is the story of Ben Crowe and Poppy Williams.
Poppy is a struggling mother of 4 who is barely making it. When she is on a run for diapers at the local Walmart in Twin Elks, Colorado she ends up getting pulled over by Ben. Ben at first things the Van with out of State Tags running red lights might be someone up to no good. With his had on his gun he is taken back by a women falling out of the van asking to be arrested, then passes out. The looks into the van to see 4 little kids and some of them are sick. What is a hardcore officer to do with such a incident...he calls his mom for help.
This was such a fun read! I have to have more of this series and author's writing soon.
Profile Image for Nicole.
4,259 reviews53 followers
June 5, 2019
4.5 Stars
The blurb sold me on this book and I'm so glad that I read this one. I devoured it really quick. I loved all the characters in this one. I fell in love with Twin Elks and it makes me want to go visit it. Dot and Horace are quite the characters and some of my favorites. Poppy's children are too cute with all their sass. Poppy and Ben are great. Neither are looking for any kind of relationship, but Poppy's forced stop in Twin Elks will change everything. I love how Dot and other ladies meddle. This is a well rounded book that delivers on the angst, feels, heart, humor, and heat. The characters instantly pull you in to the series. I'm putting the rest of the books in this series on my TBR list because I'm invested in this town.
Profile Image for MaLoBe.
484 reviews2 followers
June 7, 2019
Funny, entertaining, sweet and heart-warming

Lately my read list consisted of dark romances and heavy on angst young adult reads. This one was exactly what I needed to brighten my day, to let me forget about daily struggles and put my mind at ease.
I don't remember when was the last time I heartily laugh out loud when reading something that wasn't some over the top hilarious situation but just easy, carefree children banter and situations in which they put adults. Author outdid herself here with the four of the little ones. Their characters are what makes this book special. I totally loved the epilogue. It's worth to read the whole book to get there. Can't wait to read the next part and see what will happen in this small quaint town. Perfectly, perfect read!
11.6k reviews49 followers
June 18, 2019
What can happen when you have the flu in a small town................a whole new life and love!!!

Drove All Night is the first book that I have read by Sarah Hegger so I was not sure what to expect, as you just never know when trying out a new author. But the description looked fun so I figured what have I got to lose except a bit of time. I was not disappointed as Sarah has written a funny, entertaining and engaging story with well crafted and interesting characters and story-line.

I really enjoyed this book and will be moving on to read the second in the Passing Through series, Ticket To Ride.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
6,028 reviews45 followers
June 11, 2019
Sadly there is such a thing as a well timed breakdown- even if it is a health or nerves type breakdown. Poppy falls into the arms of a hunky small town Police Chief at a turn off the interstate near a big box store. High fever. One son dirty diapers I’ll disposed, the other nausea, and twin six year old girls besides.

What should a kind man do? Yup, mom and a prayer chain to the rescue. A dramatic start continues with small town/ small children single mom drama- complete with mother in law and estranged mother drama.

There might be a happy in there somewhere if they can all hang on

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Jocelyne.
4,924 reviews22 followers
June 21, 2019
This is the first book in the Passing Through Series. I love this Small Town Contemporary Romance. The story is beautifully written. The first scene is totally hilarious! Poppy and Ben's story is fun, sweet and sexy. I love their HEA. The kids are adorable! The secondary characters are interesting and great characters! I love Dot. She's so kind. Horace is hilarious. Twin Elks's scenery is beautifully described, and the gossips in this village are hilarious. This was a long and beautiful journey. The Epilogue is surpringing and intriguing, and I can't wait for the next book in the Series. I voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free copy.
Profile Image for Sandy.
673 reviews29 followers
July 19, 2019
I'd like to give this book 4.5 stars. It isn't great literature but it was a good read, a love story about a single mother with 4 little kids whose car breaks down as she drives across the United States hoping to get to California where her mother lives. The town where she lands takes her and her children in -- the Sheriff, his mother and the crotchety old man who owns the house where they eventually settle in...and her precocious children all turn into her personal fairy god-whatevers to make her life work in a way it hasn't since high school. If you're looking for an enjoyable read for the beach or the plane, Drove All Night is a good bet.
3,545 reviews14 followers
April 3, 2023
Drove All Night is a delightful contemporary romance by Sarah Hegger. Ms. Hegger has provided readers with a well-written book but her star power is her characters. Her characters are what keep me returning to her books. Ben is the Chief of Police in Twin Elks, the town where Poppy flung herself out of her car and begged to be arrested...as her children watched from the car. Ben and Poppy's story is crammed full of drama, humor, sizzle and did I mention the outstanding cast of characters? Be prepared to laugh!
Drove All Night is book1 of the Passing Through Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliffhanger.
Profile Image for Heather W.
4,066 reviews35 followers
June 11, 2019
This story was very enjoyable and had realistic characters. A single mom of four busy children meets the sheriff of a small town when she runs a stop sign. The characters in this story are very well-written and you have to love that the community joins together to do everything they can to help Poppy and her children. The romance with the sheriff, Ben, is slow to take off but definitely comes together just right.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
3,352 reviews18 followers
June 11, 2019
A book that grabs your attention from the fist sentence is a great book and this book does just that. Add in some humor and some romance and you have a great book that you can sit and read all day. Ben and Poppy's story is fun and entertaining to say the least.The characters are easy to fall in love with, the story line is written very well and I can't say enough nice things about this book. Stop what you're doing right now, get this book, find a comfy spot and just read away your day.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Conny.
1,137 reviews35 followers
August 23, 2020
I love have been a fan of Sarah Hegger, and I got this book without even reading the description since I trusted that I would enjoy the read, and I was not disappointed. The Author brought the book alive with her description of a wonderful sounding city filled with interesting characters that I can't wait to get to know better. There was good chemistry between the Poppy and Ben, and everybody needs a Dot in their lives. Very entertaining and I can't wait for the next installment.
Profile Image for Evelyn Ryan.
150 reviews7 followers
March 31, 2023
Caught this from one of my other authors and decided to give it a shot.
I enjoyed the story and really only had one complaint (and it's because of my previous career and being a widow). Why didn't anyone have her apply for Social Security Survivors benefits for the kids???
As to the story itself, I loved all the characters and I hope these stories go on for more. It may be a small town,but lots of people seem to be looking for love!
Profile Image for Tracey  Trask.
135 reviews
April 8, 2023
Love Twin Elks!

Sarah Hegger delivers another story filled with laugh out loud lines and delicious romance. Poppy is a strong, lovely, lonely young mom desperately seeking a good life for her children. Along the way, she stumbles into the arms of the community of Twin Elks, and realizes there is a lot more to living than she realized… but how will it end?!? Pick up the story and start turning the pages. You won’t regret it!

Profile Image for Gladys.
14k reviews162 followers
June 4, 2019
This book stole my heart! Poppy and Ben's story was heartwarming, heartbreaking, funny, romantic, dramatic and sweet. This entertaining read also offers small town charm, heavy doses of humor, a stellar cast of memorable secondary characters and plenty of emotion tension. A wonderful read that left me eager to read more from this series. By my own choice I am posting a candid review.
Profile Image for Mary.
1,844 reviews16 followers
June 10, 2019
Ah, yes. Living life in a small town where everyone knows your name - and everyone knows your business - there’s nothing like it! But in Twin Elks life is even better and more interesting than most residents will ever know. Love is all around and constant in this story. And our two main characters, Poppy and Ben, are about to learn those lessons in varying degrees.
Refreshing storyline and wonderful characters make up this tale of how life can steer you into a happy accident. Look forward to reading more about life in Twin Elks.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
1,641 reviews
June 9, 2019
Ben & Poppy’s story consumed me! I read in one sitting over a couple hours.

I loved every word & page of this book. I wished I lived in a small town like Twin Elks. I loved the community of Twin Elks!

This is the first book that I have read by Sarah Hegger & it definitely won’t be my last!

16.7k reviews155 followers
July 9, 2019
She is out of luck, hope and even nappies so she drives all night when she runs a red light. He is the cop who pulls her over and is shocked when she gets to be arrest. Can a new life in a new town give her her hope back? Will he join her? See what will happen

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
908 reviews18 followers
July 16, 2019
A beautiful tale of love & loss, crisis & hope, grit & courage.

This is one of the most inspiring stories I've come across in a while. The lead characters pull your heart strings and make you live through every emotion that they feel.

A must read for everyone.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Kelly Knapp.
948 reviews21 followers
December 5, 2019
Cute and Compelling

This was a delightful story and had everything I have come to expect from a good romance. I deducted 1 star because there were too many "f" bombs dropped. Frankly, if my lover used the F word while making love to me, it would ruin the moment! The heroine deserved more respect.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews

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