Rocky Road

Creek Valley Creamery #1

by Taylor Delong

Campbell Drake.

My first love and once slated to be my last. Until six years ago when she up and left Creek Valley—and me—without explanation.

Over the years, I’ve tried to let her go, convincing myself she was never returning. Not even for all the plans we made once upon a time.

An unexpected death finally drags her home. She’s not the girl I once knew and loved, not by a long shot. But my heart won’t accept that.

My head knows she'll never be “my” girl again, but I need to know why she left. Especially because when she leaves again, she’ll destroy what remains of my shattered heart.

Genres: Second Chance, Ebooks, Romance, Contemporary

312 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 5, 2022

Reviews

[KaylaJane]

Ugh..NO! I've read worst romances then this which is why I'm only giving it 1 star, but if the MCs are not celibate during separation and the reason for said separation is so weak that is laughable AND on top of it, you have a shitty ending where the MCs are "going to work on their relationship" and argue about everything. Including a brief 5 yrs later, doesn't make up the time I wasted on this nonsense.

MCs were childhood friends and lovers. They were deeply in love & making plans to be together when one day out of the blue, heroine leaves and doesn't return for 6 years. Hero has no clue why she left. No explanation, calls or anything.

Heroine had a "bully" who would "gently" touch her boobs here & there, stalk her & threaten harm to Hero and loved ones. He never rapes her or anything, nor does she tel anyone of his constant bullying. She even allows this behavior to continue for years because she is "scared" of him. So she leaves.

It takes almost the entire story to find out what happened which then leaves you with what the hell type moment of THAT'S IT?. I mean come on! If he had raped her or killed someone she loved, I could have understood her running. But this? She was a grownup - not a 5 year old for Pete's sake!

What the heck is wrong with these writers these days? Do they not have any imagination at all? And then to crap on it in the end by not even providing a proper HEA where they stop fighting for crying out loud!!? She left both the characters & reader questioning whether these two can survive long term with the way she ended it - and I don't mean that 5 yrs later she inserted..

It's as if this writer has issues with love & romance too and if that's the case, why the heck are you writing fictional romance and wasting our time?

[Tabby]

DNF @ 52% Honestly I am so disappointed, this book had so much potential but the way the FMC treated the MMC was so wrong. I felt so bad for him the entire time, like girl you are 27 and still cannot communicate? And the whole her saying “you didn’t ask me to stay” when he clearly told her not to leave. Like you’re a big girl, own up to your feeling when you clearly know he’s in love with you. That was it for me, I don’t understand how the story kept going on without even telling us what the heck happened at that point I didn’t even care. DNF.

[Denise Coughlin]

Ice cream and love!! Sign me up

I had no idea what to expect with this new series by Taylor Delong, but she did not disappoint with her lovable and quirky characters that I grew to love rather quickly. The setting is a small town that I could see myself visiting and wanting to go to the Creamery daily! I could almost taste the amazing flavors. The main hero and heroine sucked me in immediately and I was so invested in their outcome all while dying for my tidbits of the rest of the crew. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a swoony read and I can’t wait for more from the Creamery Crew!

[Libby Waterford]

the rocky road to love

Campbell and Reid do have their ups and downs but reading about their second chance romance was so enjoyable. The friends group had great chemistry and I can’t wait for Tyson’s group. Warning: reading this awesome story will make you crave ice cream (with bourbon)!

[Tessa]

From what I read I didnt like the herione and thought she was super selfish

[tattooedbooknerdgirl35 (Amanda Lynn)]

First time reading a book by Taylor Long.
I enjoyed Rocky Road, the story is relatable and the relationship between the friends and Campbell & Reid.
Campbell went through something bad which made her run away from her life in the place she grew up at. She fled for six years. She comes back for a funeral for a man she respected (the owner of the ice cream shop) she worked there as a teen.
Read & see how she copes with being back and seeing Reid again ( her true love). See if true love will help them back to each other.

[Jenn the Readaholic]

Man, the truth of never getting over someone but still having doubts and anger and worry are all too real here. Campbell and Reid were once everything to each other, until they snapped into nothing with no discernible reason why. So why do they both feel like they can’t let go now, six years later?

We start this one with sadness in the form of Bernie’s death. But I guess if one man’s passing can bring five friends together, one relationship hope, and one bitter man his comeuppance, we have to thank Bernie for his untimely demise and his knack for comedic planning and timing. And while these five figure out what to do with their unexpected future, maybe Campbell and Reid can finally figure out what to do with theirs too.

As much as I wanted to scream at Campbell a few times along the way, I got it. She reacted in the way a scared girl would once upon a time. It’s all in what she does now that could make or break everything. And the journey toward true happiness in family, life, and love is one that she and Reid both needed to go on together. And boy, did they learn to build a life together even when communication sounded more like slamming doors. But they found their forever and that’s what matters here.

I see good things ahead with this group and I can’t wait to spend more time with them. After all, ice cream dreams and friendship are involved, so who wouldn’t want to spend more time along these friends?

[Sheena]

I really loved the way this author writes; her descriptions of the small town landscape and the people inhabiting it are vivid and the world feels realistic.

Told from the two main characters perspective, Reid and Campbell have a complicated past and present; they were each other’s first and forever, until they weren’t. I wanted these two to find there way back to each other because they seemed so right together. Especially, as I didn’t feel her reasons for going made any real sense, not when you have such a loving, strong and supportive partner. However, I also felt frustrated, at times, by their insecurities and lack of commitment and I never felt their relationship truly developed.

The side characters are also great fun and add extra drama to the story as well. I would love to read more about them.

This wasn’t an all consuming love story, it was however, a well written and enjoyable bittersweet romantic read….I received a copy of this book from the author via Quirky Blind Date with a Book

[Dawnmarie Burke]

Campbell and Reid's emotional story is your quintessential small town romance boy meets girl they fall in love expect to be together forever until something happens. This causes Reid to leave without a word of warning or explanation to Campbell ignoring all the plans they had made. Six years later an unexpected death finally makes her come home and she's not the same girl I knew and loved but even though I know she won't be mine again I still need to know why she left in the first place before she leaves again. You really need to read this emotional story to see what happens. I would recommend reading this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Vera Blaz]

Where do I begin? When the story started off with the death of someone so beloved, I knew I would be a goner. Bernie J took a group of teens, his Creamery Crew, and made a lasting impact on them. The fortunate five, Reid, Campbell, Tyson, Sawyer, and Brynley weren't as close as they once were. Reid and Campbell were once a couple. They had dreams for the future, but something happened that changed that trajectory. Bernie's death and the subsequent reading of his will veered their course back on track. What I loved most about this book is that when Reid and Campbell found their way back to each other, they didn't have the perfect HEA. They were still flawed, had moments of second-guessing their decisions, and moments of fear of not being enough. Even towards the end of the story, I second-guessed the strength of their bound, the longevity of their relationship. The characters were still raw and real. They were not embarrassed or afraid to show emotion. I cannot wait to see what the author has in store for this series.

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

[Devan]

I loved meeting the Creamery Crew! I couldn’t stop reading trying to figure out why Campbell would have mysteriously up and left a seemingly relationship, job, and town. The mystery unravels as the Creamery Crew is brought together by the loss of their former employer.
Rocky Road takes you along on an adventure of new beginnings. The characters feel like the readers old friends. Through their sadness, they are reunited to continue a legacy, each in their own way.
Rocky Road dives deep into Campbell and Reid’s relationship both past, present, and future. Find out why Campbell left town. Find out what Bernie has in store for his favorite crew!

[Tracy H]

This book!!! OMG, it is too good. I laughed out loud, I ugly cried. I even skipped to the middle to see what happened and then went back to read what I missed. This book is too much, it took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. I absolutely loved the bonus Epilogue. I love who Cassidy's crush is. Campbell and Reid had such chemistry. I loved how all the characters felt like real people. I totally recommend reading this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kelly Seibold]

I've read books centered around businesses, but I think an Ice Cream shop is a first! It works, and I can't wait to read more with the group of friends. Reid is hot. It's all I can say, and I love how much he loves Campbell, even though there were a couple of times that I wanted to smack him Gibbs-style in the back of the head. I do love a flawed heroine, and even though she made decisions that might not have been the right ones, I know deep down there was a reason, and I loved finding out that reason. Beautiful couple beautiful book.

[Kimberly]

Rocky Road by Taylor Delong is a good, and enjoyable small town romance read. The story has fantastic story line. The characters are good, raw, real, and they have good chemistry. They are not afraid or embarrassed to show real emotion. The story has twists that happens on the road to happiness but the twists were really good.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rachel Kennedy]

The story of Campbell and Reid. She left town 6 years ago and hasn't been back since, but he never got over her, so will he have a second chance now she is back in town for a funeral. Will he find out why she left last time and convince her not to leave him again?
Their gang of friends is back together, and the book introduces them all - looking forward to the next book in this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Allison]

This book captured my interest from the very beginning as I wanted to know why Campbell left Reid all those years ago. Once the reason was revealed, Im glad Campbell had the strength to stand up for herself, move on, and live the life she hoped for. The "family" the creamery created was unique and I look forward to future stories in the series.

[Lauren Hutchinson]

Wow. What an absolutely addictive story this was. It was a fantastic storyline that I absolutely couldn't get enough of. I loved how they still felt for each other despite everything that had happened. Talk about twists along the road to happiness but they were incredible. Epic story. I need the next one now.

[Cindy Fong]

Rocky Road is an apt name for this second chance story. Reid and Campbell used to be the "it" couple of the CVC crew, but when Campbell ghosts Reid for six years, the path back to each other is bumpy. Angst surrounds Reid and Campbell as their friends and fellow CVC crew look on. This is a story of lifetime friendships formed.

[Leisa Ann]

I really enjoyed the first book of this new series. Reid and Campbell were young loves but then she left town for unknown reasons which are eventually revealed. This is a slow burn book full of second chances.

[Deb]

An emotional story with a mystery that was intriguing. I liked the characters. I could identify with his character and was interested to understand why just as much as his character. I liked this story.

I requested a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ashtyn Fischer]

Well-written and suspenseful! The only reason this did not rate 4 stars is because I simply disliked the female main character as a person. A great start to this series and I can’t wait to dig into book 2!

[Nicole]

Awesome Read!!

Like her other books, this author wrote another winner. I totally enjoyed the characters and storyline. I can't wait for the next one!

[Jaeann]

DNF’d at page 107 out of 300. Took me days to just get to ch 10, didn’t like at all. I always strive to finish books, and this is the 4th book I’ve DNF’d.

[Anna Catherine Gates]

This was a cute read! Definitely fell flat at some points

[Hailea Miles]

This story of true love and ice cream is one of the best. The Creamery Crew has become one of my favorite groups to read about. You can’t go wrong with this series!

[Stacy Mahon]

I loved this book. It was the kind of book that you think about when you finished reading a chapter.

[Sky Lewis]

So I read the third book in this series as an ARC first. Then I absolutely had to go back and read the other books! I was not disappointed. I absolutely LOVE second chance romance and Reid and Campbell take the cake for my all time favorite! Their story is so sweet. A little heartbreaking at times but I loved reading about their journey to happily ever after. These two are absolutely soul mates ❤️

On the spicy side of things I just loved how much they wanted each other. Like. All. The. Time. So good. I can’t wait to read the next book!

[Emily]

To me this book was very reminiscent of the movie The Big Chill. This is the first book of a new series. A group of friends gather in their hometown following the death of someone very dear to them. The series is going to focus on these friends and the Creek Valley Creamery where they each worked at some point.
This book in particular is a second chance romance. The female lead had left town and the male lead for very mysterious reasons. He’s very conflicted because he’s mad, but still cares. Plus, she’ll be leaving town again soon. Eventually her reason for leaving is revealed. She’s has to decide what to do next.
I really enjoyed this book. I did feel like her reaction (leaving everything behind) was a little extreme, but it worked for the story. Maybe it’s because I’m not a drinker, but it seemed excessive.

[Sarah Lehman]

I loved this series starter! These were fun & quirky characters and it takes place in an interesting small town. The question that has to be asked is "do you ever truly get over your true love?" which is what these characters have to ask. I loved the Creek Valley Creamery crew and am excited for more stories set in this town.

[Kitty Berry]

One of the Indie world’s best-kept secrets is author Taylor Delong.
In Delong’s newest work of art, she gives us an unlikely group of friends brought together by their summer jobs at the Creek Valley Creamery run by a man dear to each of their hearts. In true Delong fashion, Taylor creates a world that feels like home and characters who the reader can easily identify with and see as their friends. She weaves her known love for the cold, sugary dessert seamlessly in while her descriptions make the reader want to run to their freezer for a bowl.
In this first book of the series, we’re presented with the (first love) relationship between small-town boy, Reid Madera, and the secret-keeping Campbell Drake.
Throughout, Delong sets the groundwork for the other members of the CVC crew to tell their love stories in future books.
This is a great read you do not want to miss.