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I don’t read a lot of funny novels about death. I definitely don’t read a lot of funny novels about death. And I have never read a funny novel about death where a cat named Pancakes might be working for the Grim Reaper.
The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett follows a grieving 60+ grieving, divorced lottery winner on a road-trip with his annoyed daughter and potentially adopted young children to reunite with a long-lost love in a retirement community in Arizona.
Sounds ridiculous, I know. But hear me out. It IS completely ridiculous. Dark, funny, heartwarming, redemption arc. One of the best books I’ve read (listened to) this year.
This is part of my 100 book reading goal for 2026 (Book #71)
My The Road to Tender Hearts Book Review
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Where to Get It
Available in multiple formats, depending on how you like to read (or listen).
- 🎧 Audiobook (Indie Option): Listen on Libro.fm
- 🎧 Audiobook (Amazon Option): Listen on Audible
- 📚 Support Local Bookstores: Buy from Bookshop.org
- 📦 Amazon (Paperback/Kindle): View on Amazon
The Road to Tender Hearts Book Summary
PJ Halliday is 63. He won the lottery. He’s also had three heart attacks, lost his oldest daughter, watched his marriage fall apart, and spends most of his time and money at the bar.
Then he reads the obituary of his old high school rival and realizes his high school crush, Michelle, is single again. She lives at the Tender Hearts Retirement Community in Arizona. So PJ decides to drive across the country and win her back. Before he can leave, another tragedy makes him the guardian of his estranged brother’s two grandkids. So they come too. So does his adult daughter Sophie, who he recruits as a babysitter. And so does Pancakes, a former nursing home therapy cat with a reputation for showing up right before people die.
It’s a road trip. It’s a grief story. It’s a comedy. And love story. And found family comedy-drama. The book came out in 2025 and became a national bestseller. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Mark Bramhall, and he nails PJ.
Who is Annie Hartnett?
- 📚 Author of three novels: Rabbit Cake, Unlikely Animals, and The Road to Tender Hearts
- 🏆 Unlikely Animals won the Julia Ward Howe Prize for fiction
- 🐰 Rabbit Cake was a New England Book Award finalist and a Kirkus best book of the year
- ✍️ Co-runs the Accountability Workshops for writers with Tessa Fontaine
- Road to Tender Hearts won the 2025 New England Book award for fiction
The Road to Tender Hearts Rating
My innovative system for rating humor books is explained here
Wholesomeness: 2/5
Lots of death. That’s kind of the point. Profanity, alcoholism, violence, abuse, serious illness, mental health issues, and even kleptomania. But a charming kind of kleptomania, because it’s from one of the adorable, orphaned kids.
Hilarity: 5/5
A cat who might be a messenger for death. Come on, that’s funny. Darkly funny from start to finish. I laughed at things I probably shouldn’t have.
Overall Awesomeness: 5/5
Loved it. Very unique. Dark, funny, hopeful, and cats. That’s not a combo I find very often. Also, loved the twist at the end. Let’s just say PJ’s search for a long-lost love takes an unexpected turn.
Things I liked
- Pancakes. Best supporting cat. Possibly employed by death.
- Dark humor. Not my personal style, but I appreciate when others do it well.
- It ends up hopeful. I didn’t expect a book this full of death to leave me feeling better.
- The audiobook. Mark Bramhall sounds exactly like a 63-year-old guy with a bad heart.
Things I didn’t like
- Now I have to question the intentions of my 2 cats.
- PJ won the lottery and essentially ran out of money. Now I have to re-think my lottery fantasies.
The One Thing I’m Taking With Me
It’s never too late. PJ is 63, three heart attacks deep, and still figuring out how to grieve. How to be a dad. How to build a family out of whoever happens to be in the car. If he’s not done, none of us are.
Where to Get It
Available in multiple formats, depending on how you like to read (or listen).
- 🎧 Audiobook (Indie Option): Listen on Libro.fm
- 🎧 Audiobook (Amazon Option): Listen on Audible
- 📚 Support Local Bookstores: Buy from Bookshop.org
- 📦 Amazon (Paperback/Kindle): View on Amazon
Got any DARK HUMOR book recommendations? I didn’t think I would be interested, but this book makes me want to find more in this genre.
