Unfortunately, a DFN book for me. I felt it moved very slow and I couldn't connect with the FMC.
Also had a really hard time downloading the book as there was no kindle or pdf version available, so I was reading on my phone.

A light, sweet however predictable romance. Gigi a 30-year-old romance bookstore owner, still mourning the loss of her parents, is gifted a 10-day bus tour in the English countryside to meet Zane, the man of her dreams. The trip gets off to a rough start when Zane is not guiding the tour due to a family emergency. Gigi meets a brooding bus driver Taj and a diverse group of fellow travelers. All the characters have their own unique story and Chantel had me enjoying them all. I liked being a tourist with the detailed descriptions of cities, landscapes and landmarks.
I recommend this book for its charm, humour, emotions and for sure it’s romance. A lovely spring and summer read!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing an Advance Readers Copy via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had high expectations of this book based on the blurb. Unfortunately, while the book is an easy read, it did not meet my expectations partly because Gigi as a main character (who is entering her 30s, mind you!) behaves in a manner that is frustrating to read and support. I was drawn to 'Two for the Road' because of the description and the setting - I love novels that are set in the UK that "take you through" the country's sights.

I found Gigi's key issues bit difficult to buy into and her rationale for following through on her quest to find the audiobook narrator a bit farfetched (how can you fall in love with just a voice?!). Although, I understand that people deal with grief, love and life in different ways, I felt that Gigi was quite immature for her age. I did, however , like the descriptions of the various places they visited, including the bookstores, and the various supporting characters (Taj, Angus, Charlotte etc.). However, that didn't really compensate for my irritation with Gigi as a character.

🚌 Happy Release Day! 🚌

Two for the Road
By Chantel Guertin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

ARC Review:
Overall, I really liked Two for the Road. It was a fast read and would be great to pack for any road trip or vacation. I thought the slow burn womance really worked well and thought the author did a fantastic job of weaving in the stories of the other characters on Gigi’s tour.

Gigi our FMC was hard for me to relate to at first. She is still working through the trauma of losing her parents and couldn’t let go of wanting to meet Zane. But, as things progressed and she started to lean into the experience, I thought she was great!

Taj was grumpy and sweet. And can we talk about those forearm tattoos?! 🥵 I think the book could have benefitted from a dual POV, so we could see Taj’s thoughts on this crazy American.

Thank you to @netgalley, @chantelguertin and @penguinrandomca for an advance copy. This is my honest review.

This was sweet little cute rom-com. Second-chance romances are not my favourite and I didn't really connect with the main character. The humor was cute and the book was well-written.

This book was excellently narrated by Natalie Naudus, and it felt so escapist to travel along with Gigi and the gang of fellow bus-riders while suffering through a chilly spring on the other side of the ocean from them here :) I found the initial concept of this book to be a bit hilarious but also maybe a bit relatable as someone who loves and appreciates audiobooks - Gigi's crush on Zane, the audiobook narrator of a book meaningful to her family, was pretty funny. When she was given the opportunity to travel and have him as a tour guide, of course she'd go! However, it can't be quite as simple as that or we'd have no book, so there are some other significant characters (Taj! Angus! Charlotte!) along for the ride.

Books with travel and various other fun travellers are always fun and this was light-romantic fiction very well done. I won't spoil the way the story pans out, but the reader does come to root for certain characters more than others and overall Gigi did worm her way into my heart with her love of books (especially romance books! I'd say overall this book is a HUGE ode to the genre), and her desire to stick to a plan as well as her character development.

I definitely recommend this book by Canadian author Chantel Guertin and I look forward to watching the book succeed as it publishes. If you enjoyed Evvie Drake Starts Over, The Storied Life of AJ Fikry or Exes and O's, I
think you'd enjoy this one - OR if you just love a good roadtrip type of book :) The audiobook version I listened to was called Gigi Listening (the American title for the book) and in Canada it is being published as Two for the Road.

Everything in this book was well done. The fun travel adventures that I didn’t want to end, the quirky characters on the bus tour with their character development, and the finding of friends and love. Gigi is a bit obsessive over her crush but who hasn’t obsessed about having their own meet-cute and rom-com story to tell?

It is a slower paced book at first, but you can’t help falling in love with Gigi; anyone who loves romance and rom-com this is for you!

Gigi’s story is a humorous reminder that not everything happens the way we imagine, and that acquaintances met travelling can become some of your closest friends. Reading about her experiences really took me back to my own travel tour adventures, and how I still have some of those friends today.

Gigi Rutherford lives and breathes romance. When her friends surprise her with a 10 day bus tour in England, she jumps at the chance to go. Much to her delight the tour guide is Zane, the narrator of her favourite audiobook. Gigi has never met Zane and much to her chagrin, she’s fallen hard for him because of his voice—surely meeting him in real life will confirm her belief they are meant to be together? Once Gigi gets to London she discovers that the reality is much different than her dreams—Zane is nowhere in sight, the bus driver is maddeningly attractive and her fellow travellers are people she would rather not spend 10 days with.

This novel was lighthearted and easy to read. I immediately engaged with the story and would say it’s a humorous look at how life interferes with the best laid plans. I was particularly entertained by Gigi’s internal reactions to how the tour pushed her out of her comfort zone. I laughed at some of the situations, and empathized and/or applauded at others. I thoroughly enjoyed how Gigi’s journey resulted in her own happily ever after.

I’d recommend this book to rom-com readers.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Canada for providing me with a copy of this e-book for review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story follows bookstore owner Gigi, who finds comfort in the voice of audiobook narrator Zane. Having never met him, she falls deeply in love with his voice and ends up travelling to the UK to take part in a week long bus tour where he is the guide, only things don’t go as planned…

Was this story predictable and somewhat unrealistic? Yes. Was it still fun? YES. I would definitely recommend this book to someone who’s looking for a cute and cosy summer read. Gigi’s adventures through the UK, especially in Bath, were so vivid that they brought back memories of my trip to England, which I loved! I only wish we had gotten a bit more closure in the end, as I thought there were a few plot holes.

Unfortunately there was no way for me this book because there was no pdf or kindle file. I was interested in reading this book but was unable to for this reason.

Two for the Road is a sweet romance with wonderful supporting characters.

Gigi is an American woman who owns a romance bookshop. She’s in love with a voice: a man named Zane who narrates her favourite audiobook. Her friends surprise her with a trip to England, where Zane runs a bus tour company: she’ll get 10 days exploring the English countryside, and get to meet the man of her dreams.

Once Gigi arrives in London, however, Zane isn’t there: instead, she’s stuck with an annoying-but-attractive bus driver, Taj, and a bus full of random people she isn’t interested in getting to know.

The supporting characters really made this book for me. Each of them has their own backstory and rich life outside of the tour, and their stories are slowly revealed through the novel. I loved seeing the friendships that developed, and I found I was just as invested in the side characters as I was in the main romance.

The reason this wasn’t quite a five-star for me is that it does start out a bit slowly, and Gigi wasn’t an engaging character at the start for me. She was quite controlling and rude to Taj at the beginning. I wound up really liking her but I think some of her Karen-esque tendencies could have been toned down.

Once we got past that, there was a lot of character growth, fortunately. Gigi makes friends, shows a lot of compassion, and learns to deal with the trauma of her parents’ death. Taj is a great hero and I loved that the romance was a slow burn. They had conversations and side adventures and their relationship felt realistic.

Readers who enjoy travel or reading about new places will especially enjoy this book, as there’s lots of description of the tours that Gigi’s group goes on across England, and bits of trivia about the different towns.

Overall, it was one of my favourite romances I’ve read this year so far, and the characters will stick with me.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for my review copy of this book.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC!

This was an easy happy read, predictable, yes, but enjoyable. I loved the set up – that she owns a bookstore and her parent’s love story, but found it hard to believe a 30-year-old woman would be so obsessed with an audiobook narrator just through his voice, but it’s a modern romance novel so I can go along with it!

With a trip to the UK coming up, the setting descriptions were extra appreciated and made me so excited for my trip. Loved that we had a main character in her 30s and the characters on the trip were fun and I appreciated that we got to know them! Really enjoyed that there was no unnecessary drama added at the end of the book (third act break ups can be great, but I find most of the time they are underwhelming).

Gigi generally felt a bit immature. I was so happy to have a main character in her 30s, but I find every time a FMC is in her 30s, she ends up being so neurotic and that’s the main character development of the story. It kind of feels like “wow even chaotic women in their 30s can find love”. Her initial reaction to just go home when Zane wasn’t on the trip was a bit frustrating, though I understand why it was part of the story.

All in all, I enjoyed this and would recommend it – especially if you plan to visit the UK soon!

I must say, this was a most enjoyable read, one which I almost didn't opt for! This novel was a bit of a game-changer for me. Not usually a reader of the romantic genre, I realized how sheltered I've been in my thinking (that's gently put, dear reader) about what's out there that its into this category. Guertin gives us a wonderful literary journey through books that do fit, even providing a list at the back, in case we want to follow up on some of the titles she's mentioned. Anything goes , "as long as there is a romance in it." My only disappointment here was that she mentioned at length "The French Lieutenant's Woman" but only mentioned the movie, (not to disparage its incredibly romantic dual story), rather than the initial 1969 John Fowles book. However, it made me dig out my old copy for a reread, which I remember mooning over when it first came out. It is a wonderfully postmodern novel, which, of course, doesn't tick a box for romance novels today.
I had three more positive paragraphs about this book, which did not remain in this review for some reason. I had a hard time getting the program to go through, so maybe that is the issue. In any event, I thought this novel was a cut above in writing and awareness for the genre and highly recommend it. I also thanked the publishers and NetGalley, but seeing as how they cut my review, I guess they didn't want that in there.

I found this book a joy to read. I’m not usually a reader of romance novels but this light and humorous novel did the job of entertaining me right until the end! An array of quirky characters make up the the delightful cast of the book and the descriptive prose had me imagining myself on the tour of England too!

Two for the Road

I was drawn to Two for the Road because the description said for readers of Emily Henry so I requested it from NetGalley.

I found the premise of the book a bit difficult to buy into. Gigi is still dealing with the death of both her parents and finds comfort listening to an audiobook, she then falls in love with the voice and thinks he is her soulmate. She ends up travel from the US to England to go on a tour where he is the guide but things don’t go as planned.

I loved the descriptions of the places they visited and also the bookstores Gigi would make sure to visit.

Honestly though, I felt that Gigi was stalkerish and immature. I found the story unrealistic and she bothered me. I did however enjoyed the beginning of the book and the end. I just had to make it through the middle part!

Thank you to NetGalley, Doubleday Canada and Penguin Random House Canada for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

One of the most captivating stories I've read in a very long time.
This super romantic, funny, sweet tale of a single woman, Gigi, who's gifted a trip abroad to meet the voice of her dreams.
Thinking that she's well on her way to meeting the man that's her soulmate, she soon finds life has other plans for her.
Leaving her brother Lars to run her bookstore at home, she ventures to UK in hopes of her dream coming true.
Taking a bus tour with a bunch of strangers hosted by the man with the voice she deeams of. The trip brings some super fun adventures, friendships and romance.  But will Zane, be the one for her.
I truly enjoyed every page of this book. The characters, their friendships, romance and adventure in this story are not to be missed.
5 stars. I really hope to read more from this author.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was funny, heartwarming and the characters were all likeable. While it was predictable, I still couldn’t put it down. Sometimes we all need a bit of romance.

Is it strange that my biggest complaint about this book is the decision to have two very different titles for the same book for two different, yet similar, markets? I know this is not a rare occurrence, as there are often books with varying titles in North America and the rest of the English-speaking world. But this is the first time I have encountered this in North America. When I first came across the titles, there was no indication they were the same book until after I requested both from NetGalley. Goodreads only recently added a note about the different titles and for which country they were.

While I enjoyed the supporting cast of characters, I found Gigi to be a bit too much. I understand she's on a trip of a lifetime, and she's struggling to hold on to her parents, but she is extremely controlling and naive. Are we sure she's 30 years old?

The descriptions of the various places they visited in England were wonderful and made it easy to picture. However, the description of the bus itself felt clunky.

Overall, the first third of the book felt slow and sluggish. I was tempted to DNF it, but I pushed on. Ultimately, I would say this is a 3.5 out of 5.

Thanks to NetGalley for this early copy in exchange for an honest review

Gigi is surrounded by love - literally - she owns a bookstore that only sells romantic fiction. She’s still in search of her own love story, but she sees an end. She’s in love with Zane Wilkinson. Unfortunately, she’s never actually met Zane. She only knows him from an audiobook he recorded of the story that brought her parents together. So it has to be fate, as long as she meets him, right?

Gigi’s friends come together to buy her a trip to England and a spot on one of Zane’s tours of the English countryside. Things get off to a rocky start with Zane not being able to guide the tour, and being at odds with the prickly bus driver. Gigi weighs whether it is better to stick to her plan, or maybe finally just see where living takes her.

Listen, I was not sure about this one. I had a hard time getting around our lead being in love with an audiobook narrator and shaping her whole life around him. It felt so weird for her friends to be like, yep, this is a great idea and why don’t we send you. But honestly, I loved it. It really grew on me. I laughed, I cried, I was jealous over a bus trip through England. The secondary characters were really rich and I loved having their stories too. Also, it featured a couple interesting twists which is unusual for a romance novel. I really loved this book!

DNF- I had high hopes for this book when I started off, but then grew increasingly more annoyed and creeped out by where the storyline was headed. I found her obsession, and stalker like behaviour a bit off-putting. I read until chapter 6, because I wanted to see what happened when she finally she meet him (By this point she didn't). Others might enjoy the premise, but it wasn't for me, unfortunately.