DRIVING SIDEWAYS By Jess Riley

One of the great things about welcoming new authors to the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit is that I get to discover wonderful new books. And today I'm thrilled to introduce you (and me!) to DRIVING SIDEWAYS by Jess Riley, which looks like an absolutely smashing debut. It's a female road trip book with a heart, a soul and lots of laughs. What could be better?

Here's the book's plot summary:

Driving Sideways tells the story of Leigh Fielding, a twenty-eight year-old kidney transplant recipient who—six years, hundreds of dialysis sessions, and a million bad poems after being diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease—finally feels strong enough to pursue a few lofty goals she’s been mulling for years: find herself, her kidney donor’s family, and the mother that abandoned her over twenty years ago. And what better way to do just that than a solitary road trip across the country? Well, maybe not entirely solitary, because Leigh suspects she may have inherited more than just an organ from her deceased donor. It’s this sneaking suspicion that takes her trip down some unexpected detours—and the juvenile delinquent who blackmails Leigh into giving her a ride is only the beginning.

I got to get my hands on this one! It sounds extraordinary. Here's what critics and other authors are saying:

“…embracing both highs and lows, alternately hilarious, humiliating, and heartbreaking, often within the same sentence. Smart and funny without being forced, sentimental without being maudlin, Riley’s funny, picaresque vision of America will make readers wish they could go along with Leigh on her next trip.”--Booklist

Driving Sideways is a gorgeous novel -- I LOVED it!! It's enjoyable, uplifting, and so so so funny and sparky. I found it hugely entertaining and very touching. Jess Riley's voice is irreverent and wonderful, and her writing is genius."--Marian Keyes, internationally bestselling author of Anybody Out There?

“A hopeful and hilarious debut…Jess Riley may well be my new favorite author.”--Jen Lancaster, bestselling author of Bitter is the New Black

“Brilliant…Jess Riley proves herself a huge new talent.”--Kristy Kiernan, author of Catching Genius

“I loved it--LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVED it kind of loved it. I adore Leigh and want to bring her home with me. All the characters were unique, the relationships worked, and Riley avoided the easy ending. I could read her writing for days.”--Eileen Cook, author of Unpredictable



I hope you'll check out Jess Riley's DRIVING SIDEWAYS the next time you visit your local chain or independent bookstore. To buy online, visit amazon.com, borders.com, barnesandnoble.com or any cyber bookseller. For more information, visit Jess's website at jessriley.com.