A darkly comic and warm-hearted novel about an old man on a cross-country mission to reunite with his high school crush—bringing together his adult daughter, two orphaned kids, and a cat who can predict death—from the beloved author of Rabbit Cake and Unlikely Animals

At sixty-three years old, million-dollar lottery winner PJ Halliday would be the luckiest man in Pondville, Massachusetts, if it weren’t for the tragedies of his life: the sudden death of his eldest daughter and the way his marriage fell apart after that. Since then, PJ spends both his money and his time at the bar, and he probably doesn’t have much time left—he’s had three heart attacks already.

But when PJ reads an obituary of his old romantic rival, he realizes his high school sweetheart, Michelle Cobb, is finally single again. Filled with a new enthusiasm for life, PJ decides he’s going to drive across the country to the Tender Hearts Retirement Community in Arizona to win Michelle back.

Before PJ can hit the road, tragedy strikes Pondville, leaving PJ the sudden guardian of his estranged brother’s grandchildren. Anyone else would be deterred from the planned trip, but PJ figures the orphaned kids might benefit from getting out of town. PJ also figures he can ask Sophie, his adult daughter, adrift in her 20s, to come along to babysit. And there’s one more surprise addition to the roster: Pancakes, a former nursing home therapy cat with a knack of predicting death, who recently turned up outside PJ’s home.

This could be the second chance PJ has long hoped for—a second shot at love and parenting—but does he have the strength to do both those things again? It’s very possible his heart can’t take it.

I received a free audiobook of this title from the publisher. All thoughts are my own.

I picked this one up after hearing nothing but praise from readers I trust, and I’m glad I listened. It’s sharp, funny, poignant, and layered in all the right ways. While the premise sounds light—lottery winner goes on a road trip to win back a high school sweetheart—it’s far from fluffy. This is not a warm-and-fuzzy Hallmark story with neat emotional bows. It’s a dark comedy with a heart. A story about grief, second chances, messy family dynamics, and, strangely enough, a possibly psychic death cat. Yes, you read that right. More on Pancakes in a bit.

The heart of this novel is PJ Halliday, a sixty-three-year-old Massachusetts man who won the lottery but lost far more than he gained. He drinks too much. He’s grieving the sudden death of one daughter, estranged from the other, and holding on to regrets that span decades (mostly the divorce from his wife whom he can’t seem to let go of). When an old rival’s obituary sparks the realization that his high school love is now single, PJ decides to do something wild: drive across the country and try to win her back.

That premise alone would be enough to carry a novel, but Hartnett complicates it beautifully. A local tragedy lands PJ in the role of guardian to his estranged brother’s two young grandchildren. His daughter Sophie, adrift in her twenties and unsure where she belongs, reluctantly joins the journey as backup. And then there’s Pancakes, the cat with a strange and unsettling ability to predict death, who inserts himself into the road trip with a calm, silent judgment that steals every scene he’s in.

The dynamic among the travelers is prickly and often hilarious. PJ is gruff but well-meaning. Sophie is guarded, with a biting sense of humor that masks her own grief. The kids are kids, but not cutesy props. These are real, complicated little humans dealing with a sudden and massive loss. Together, this crew bickers and stumbles their way across the country, confronting past failures and uncertain futures. It’s familiar territory—road trip fiction is a well-worn path—but Hartnett manages to inject fresh energy into it with her voice, her characters, and her willingness to let things get ugly before they get better.

What surprised me most was how often I laughed out loud. This book is funny, and not in the forced or sitcom way. It’s observational, character-driven humor. PJ’s internal monologue is gold. Even the situations that arise had me snorting unexpectedly. But the humor never feels out of place. It walks hand in hand with grief, which makes the emotional moments land even harder. This is the kind of book that slides from laughter to tears in a single paragraph.

Now, about Pancakes. This cat deserves his own paragraph. He’s a former therapy animal with a peculiar talent: curling up next to the people who are about to die. It sounds grim, but Hartnett uses this device to deepen the novel’s emotional resonance. Pancakes becomes a kind of barometer, both comic relief and an eerie reminder of mortality. Every time he settles near someone, you hold your breath. Is this it? Is this the moment? The cat never speaks, never does anything overtly magical, but he carries a weight that’s impossible to ignore.

My only minor quibble is that the road trip structure sometimes follows a predictable rhythm. People thrown together. Mishaps. Emotional breakthroughs. Growth. It’s a familiar framework, and while Hartnett does it well, it never fully surprises. That said, the ending absolutely did. I didn’t expect the final chapters to take the turn they did, and I appreciated that.

As for the audiobook, Mark Bramhall’s narration is top-tier. He doesn’t just read the character of PJ. He becomes him. His gravelly voice, dry delivery, and emotional control all serve the story beautifully. He gives each character their own cadence and energy without overacting. At times, it felt like I was listening to a memoir instead of a novel, and I mean that as a compliment. He brings the story to life in a way that deepens the experience.

This book is about failure, forgiveness, and finding connection even when it seems impossible. It’s about what we do with second chances. It’s about loving the wrong way for a long time, then learning to try again. It’s a road trip, yes, but one with unexpected detours that make the ride worth it. I highly recommend this one, especially in audio. It’s one of those stories that lingers. Not just because of what happens, but because of how much heart it holds.