Dee Matthews is a successful podcaster. At 28, she has built up her brand by asking friends and near strangers on to her podcast to talk about personal issues. Starbucks Girl, who Dee thought was asking her out but was really just wanting to be friends, came on the podcast, and they straightened out the misunderstanding. Dee and her cohost Javi talk about their relationships, their thoughts, their hopes, their dreams. But there is one thing Dee won’t reveal on her podcast, and that’s who is Name Redacted.

Name Redacted is her high school boyfriend, who broke her heart and left her right before their senior prom. She moved on from him, maybe, although she still talks about him a lot on the podcast. Just not his name. There are posts on Reddit of listeners who are trying to figure out who this person is. Dee is trying to move on from that relationship, and from other difficult relationships (particularly family relationships)of her past.

And then, one day, Name Redacted shows up at her apartment and knocks on the door. Ten years ago, they had gone on a road trip from Illinois to his grandmother’s house in Colorado, and then he shows up on Dee’s doorstop, asking her to take the trip again. That was the plan, to take that same trip again in 10 years. And now Ben’s back, saying that a promise is a promise.

Dee is stunned that Ben has showed up out of the blue, but she’s on hiatus with her podcast and can’t help but wonder what would happen on the trip all over again. So she agrees. And as the states roll by, the adventures stack up. From Dee’s choosing tofu fish sticks in Iowa to Ben and Dee’s kiss at the Nebraska-Colorado border to Ben discovering the scene-stealing Abe, that thousand-mile trip creates new memories and brings up a lot of old (and new) feelings.

Dee is not one to back off from a difficult conversation, so she pushes Ben to reveal some of his secrets. They talk about what had gone wrong in high school. They talk about their lives now. Ben tells her the family secret that set him off on this trip, and Dee has to pull back on her instincts to poke the bear. But when Ben’s family drama takes center stage, Dee has to choose to make herself a part of it or back away. Will their love be able to survive real life, or will this trip end up just being another podcast about Name Redacted?

A Thousand Miles is a moving romance about growing up and learning what it takes to make an adult relationship work. Author Bridget Morrissey has crafted this lovely, funny, sweet, honest romance that makes you cheer for these characters. It’s realistic but also original. It sparkles like champagne, or maybe more like a good ballpark beer.

I fell for these characters. I wanted to race through this book and get to the happily ever after at the end, but I couldn’t. This story is so powerful that I had to slow down and take some time with it. I needed a chance to turn this over in my head and in my heart. I needed to process. And I’m glad I did. This book deserves time and attention. It’s worth the wait. And just a warning: if you’re anything like me, Abe will steal your heart completely.

Egalleys for A Thousand Miles were provided by Berkley through NetGalley, with many thanks.