In the Desert — Deirdre Riordan Hall

Twenty-year-old fiery film student Brighton Holmes knows exactly what she wants: an epic adventure on the open road in her late father's 1969 Chevelle, alone. Her quest is to visit all fifty states and find a place to call home. When a family friend asks for a favor, UK rocker in recovery, Alex Stihl, joins her on the road trip, stirring up trouble; the last thing she needs. It doesn't help that he has a mob of fans and a crazy ex-girlfriend tailing his every move. Brighton and Alex clash as they cruise out of New York, she grows resigned in the rolling hills of Amish country, and he crashes hard in a hotel on the edge of the Smoky Mountains. While Brighton seeks a place to wash her mind of the past, Alex dodges reminders of heartbreak. They both try to escape everything they have in common: heartache, loss, and confusion about what's next. But the magic of New Orleans unites Brighton and Alex as they fight desperately for the other until the desert leads them to discover exactly what they're resisting and missing. When they reach the Oregon coast, Brighton uncovers her musical talent, bringing them closer together and helping her reconcile losing her father. But the trip comes to an end when they arrive in Los Angeles. Real life intervenes, splitting them apart; she moves into her new off-campus apartment and he has to return to his band. After the semester begins, Brighton tries to shake her mind loose from Alex, but the memory of his sexy voice, rainy day eyes, and the miles they shared lingers like a song stuck in her head. Six months later, when his band returns to Los Angeles for a concert, the compass of her heart finally leads her home. In the Desert, book three in the Follow your Bliss Series, can be read chronologically, or as a stand-alone story filled with adventure, anarchy, music, letting go, and love.