This is one family getaway they'll never forget . . .

Leigh Somerset wants to spend some quality time with her kids before they grow up, and her husband has always fancied himself sort of a Clark Griswold figure. So the Somersets will be spending their family vacation on the road, driving from suburban Milwaukee to Orlando, Florida. Already off to a rocky start, they stumble upon an abandoned, half-burned down farmhouse in Indiana, and the Somersets inadvertently unleash an eerie history that will follow them the rest of their trip.

From creepy indoor waterparks to paranormally plagued Cracker Barrels, it's one thing after another in the pursuit of the great American summer road trip. Will the Somersets be able to shake these bad vibes and get on with the family bonding? Or will the road less traveled quite literally become the highway to hell?

I found Nightmare of a Trip by Maureen Kilmer a wild and spooky ride as Leigh and her family encounter everything from disappearing teeth to haunted restaurants along their pursuit of the great American summer road trip. But while it is wild and spooky, it is also real and genuine as Leigh also struggles with changes happening in their family and learning to embrace being a mother even when things are difficult.

I love how authentic the family is as the children and husband Nick are three-dimensional and as important as Leigh. And while the story is written from Leigh's point of view, it is the how the family faces things along their trip and come together as a family in the end that are the heart of the story. The story is perfectly paced as the spooky and wild events come to climatic conclusion but it is the family I fell in love with.

If you like road trip stories with spooky ghosts, this story is for you. It is a wild and spooky ride that is full of family and heart, genuine characters and family willing to be there no matter how difficult the trip becomes. The ending is beautiful and comes full circle.

Rating: 5 out of 5 states ~~ Andrea Rittschof

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