Review: Walking on Broken Paths by Amy Aislin
Note: An advance reader copy (ARC) was provided by the author via Neon Rainbow ARC Reviews.
Amy Aislin never fails to tug on my heartstrings whenever I pick up one of her standalones, with her latest one following the trend. Walking on Broken Paths is the story of two childhood best friends who lost contact when one of them left him and everything he held close behind after the death of his younger brother. While this is a standalone, one of the main characters was a notable supporting character in the author's Stick Side series, namely, the sixth book in the series, Star of the Game, and also made an appearance in Game Changer, the second book in the Vancouver Orcas series. Does it help to have read those earlier novels? In a way, yes, but Aislin does a great job providing just enough in this aforementioned main character's back story that you can get away with having not read anything previously and still understand his character arc, some of which takes place before this new standalone.
It's been fifteen years since Jesse Melnick decided to leave life as he knew it at seventeen. Now, he's made the trip back to Prince Edward Island, to his hometown of Charlottetown--the place where memories of the brother he lost were strongest and where his parents continued to live. Now a successful professional hockey player in Vancouver, Jesse makes the drive back to mark Mikey's passing with family and friends, as well as try and enjoy his downtime before the season starts up again. He's surprised to find out that his childhood best friend, Parker Willis, is also back in Charlottetown. He thought Parker was still in Montreal working as a sports journalist, but it seems that he's old friend has taken over his father's dinner cruise business and working freelance as a writer. Their friendship is rekindled, and the promise of something more comes to fulfillment, but will their paths diverge when Jesse leaves and Parker stays?
I admit it--I shed some tears reading this book. Yes, Jesse and Parker's story is about love, friendship, and family, but it's also about grief, something that I've become all too familiar with in recent years. I appreciated Amy Aislin's handling of the subject matter--no sugar coating, but also not being blasé. Jesse and Parker know all too well what the loss of someone close to them, especially someone they've known their whole lives and has always been by their side. I loved how the emphasis, though, was not about grieving the loss, but also celebrating the lives Jesse's brother and Parker's father led and how they touched the lives of others. I also liked how these two men navigated their reunion, with communication and understanding. Walking on Broken Paths is a reminder that a broken path doesn't mean it leads to nowhere, and that the journey is worth the destination. This highly recommended read garners five stars.
Release Date: 22 July 2025
Date Read: 08 July 2025
Learn more about Amy Aislin.
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