Emma Da Silva’s 2020 self-published novel, The Path that Led Me to You, is a romantic thriller that centres around a couple of young adults, Andrea Reid and James Kelly.
Andrea grew up with a controlling mother, and although she was a good girl and eager to please, by the time she was a teenager she felt unhappy, restless and dissatisfied. Her mother’s plans for Andrea’s life threatened to derail her own dreams and desires. James grew up in a rougher world, one in which he felt trapped. His father was an alcoholic who used him for one thing – money. He was also stuck in a life he didn’t like, constantly at war with his father and chafing at the bit.
After they meet unexpectedly, the pair fall in love and plan to run away and build a new life together. Their respective parents have other ideas and throw obstacles in their path.
Surrounded by danger and facing betrayal and ruin, the two fight to escape their unhappy realities.
The characters were well developed, and because of the world they found themselves living in, grew up fast and hard. They were sympathetic to relate to, and compelling both individually and together.
Even the setting was so well written that it became an essential part of the story, playing an important role in the every day of their lives.
I thought it was a delightful book, easy to read with a surprise at the end I hadn’t predicted. I had a problem with the quality, as there were a few loose pages that fell out, but overall I have no hesitation in recommending this book.
Thelma’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars.