5 Stars

I absolutely LOVED this story. I’m a huge fan of friends to lovers and, if done right, I love road trip books and this one was was amazing.

I adored both Wesley and Sam, they were so sweet and lovable. As friends they fit together great and once they moved to lovers, it was even more amazing. The progression of their relationship from friends to lovers was natural and best of all, believable. I can totally see this happening in real life.

Wes and Sam had amazing chemistry and they were passionate and hot together. I loved watching them slowly realize their feelings for each other were changing.

This wasn’t always an easy read, it has some serious angst and Wesley’s situation isn’t something that’s easy to face, especially at such a young age, but I loved that Sam was so supportive of Wes and willing to help in any way he could. I thought the author handled the subject matter nicely and It seemed well researched and realistic.

The story was well-written and although not all of it was fun, I loved getting to tag along on this two-week adventure with Wes and Sam. Ms. Anderson has definitely become one of my go-to authors and The Long Way Around is a great addition to her list of books. This was such an enjoyable read that held me captivated and turning the pages. I couldn’t put it down and I can’t recommend it enough!!

* Copy provided to me by the author/publisher via NetGalley for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. *

5 Stars!

I've been a fan of Ms. Anderson's writing ever since I stumbled upon The Other Five Percent and I've loved all the other books by her I've read. Despite that, nothing could've prepared me for the emotional impact The Long Way Around would have in me.

The book starts a bit slow, giving a bit of background information about Sam and Wes and what makes them decide to embark on a 2-week road trip, but as we advance into the story, I found myself captivated, completely engrossed in their adventures and invested in their relationship and the trainwreck that was Wes's life.

I loved both Sam and Wes and my heart warmed seeing the progression of their relationship from best friends to lovers. I loved the awkwardness, the realization, the intensity of their feelings. They were sweet and fun and passionate and I couldn't get enough of them. And then my heart broke when I realized what Wes was dealing with. While, thankfully, I've never dealt with what Wes was going through on that or any level, I think the author did her research and managed to write about it in a realistic and sensitive manner. It was a rollercoaster for me and by the end of the book, I was a slobbering mess, albeit a happy one.

The Long Way Around is a book that will certainly stay with me for a while. I couldn't recommend it more, just stock on the tissues, because you'll need them.

*** Copy provided to me via NetGalley by Riptide Publishing for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

Drama, angst, twists and turns I really enjoyed this friends-to-lovers book and whilst dealing with some pretty tough issues it was still fun and adorable too.

THE LONG WAY AROUND by QUINN ANDERSON is an emotional journey, full of twists and turns. At the center of the story is friendship and love. I found the book fascinating, with lots of drama and angst.

This is my first book from Quinn Anderson and I have to say I really enjoyed it. I will have to look back through her previous works and add them to my TBR stack.
We start off with our MC's, Sam and Wesley, both stuck in a bit of a rut with college finished but no jobs as yet obtained. Wesley convinces Sam to drive across the country to reach his sister's wedding but via cities that they want to visit.
It's a good premise for a story, I think these men are slightly older than other travel stories and they have enough life experience between themselves to have strong thoughts, feelings and emotions about the world around them.
Having been best friends for years, they know quite a lot about each other but as this story slowly reveals, not everything is as it seems with one of them and being in such close quarters whilst driving cross-country, emotion and tension run high. When it comes to talking about the things currently happening between them, it takes a lot of work. Not as easy for them to discuss as things normally are but the heat and attraction between them seems to come so naturally.
It's very well written and I was completely drawn into the drama between the two men. It was so easy to start reading and just keep going, wanting to know what happens next? Do they talk? Kiss? ignore it all?
The cities that are visited are made to sound beautiful and appealing, places that I now want to visit.
I cannot recommend this book enough. A great friends to lovers romance.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.

A sucker for slow-burn and friends-to-lovers books The Long Way Around hit the mark for both. The emotional depth and connection between Sam and Wesley was the highlight of this book. Really enjoyed savoring this book over a few afternoons.

An enjoyable friends-to-lovers/road trip story that touches on some tough topics.

The depth of the friendship between Sam and Wesley is the highlight of this story. Set against the backdrop of those difficult "not a college student anymore but don't quite feel like an adult yet" years, both Sam and Wesley are struggling to figure out where they fit into the world and in each other's lives. With Sam's sister's wedding looming (and Sam feeling conflicted about facing his family), Wesley talks him into doing a road trip. As the two travel across the country, their relationship develops in a way that seems natural even as they discover things about each other they didn't know.

I loved the way Sam and Wesley compliment each other. The flavor of each city they visited came through in the descriptions and hints about the truth behind Wesley's struggles were there from the beginning, so it didn't seem like a major twist when it was revealed but more of an "ah ha" moment.

Although I did like the book overall, there were parts where the story moved a little too slow for my taste. One of the difficulties with a road trip book is not getting bogged into the minutia of the logistics of driving and checking into hotels. At times it felt a little repetitive.

For the most part, the way Wesley's struggle was handled was very well done, but some of the conversations felt a little too stilted for two twenty-something guys, almost like they were reading out of a treatment manual. I did appreciate that they both came to the conclusion that they needed to address any co-dependency head-on, but it just seemed a little too pat.

I would still recommend this book to anyone who liked road trip stories and/or the friends-to-lovers trope.

Sam and Wesley are best friends and are taking a road trip to his sister’s. Wesley is in love with Sam and has been for years. Their attraction starts to come out and an addiction is discovered and it is addressed. I enjoyed this book. There was angst, fun, and I loved Sam and Wesley as a couple.

Sam Cooper and Wesley Reed have been best friends since rooming together at college. Its hard being adults so they take to opportunity to escape responsibility and take to the open road on the way to Sam’s sister wedding, an event he really isn’t looking forward to since things went wrong last time he was home over a year ago. Wesley knows how to distract Sam and they have a great time exploring new places. I loved the vibe and the times had by the boys on the road, Quinn really knows how to capture emotions and open things up. Great.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Sam and Wesley have been best of friends since freshman year of college. They have always been aware that others had always thought they were a couple, but only friendship was ever in their minds. That is until Sam and Wesley travel cross country together in a car to get to Sam's sisters wedding. Sparks fly and passion ignites sending the best friends into lovers for the first time. But will secrets that Wesley is holding be the make or break of this new relationship? Or will they both decide that there friendship means more to them than romance? With great characters and an emotional storyline this was a great read.

Snippet of the email I sent a library coworker also on Netgalley to let her know it was available:
BEST FRIENDS? ROAD TRIP? SHARING BEDS? FEELINGS?

I was really excited to read this book as it hit every single trope I love without any shame. Sam and Wesley have been friends are five years, since their first day in their new dorm in Freshman year of college. Insta-friends is another trope I love, and acknowledging that it wasn't so much insta-friends as it was "we're going to be friendly until you drag me out of my comfort zone and I'll never look back."
Their relationship seemed genuine and real and reading about the men going from incredibly close friends to kind-of-but-not-really FWB to lovers was so much fun. I also really enjoyed the other plot point. It felt realistic and I honestly didn't see it coming until Sam's realization. I like that they were responsible enough to take some time apart to figure out what they each wanted before giving it a real try.

All in all, I really enjoyed The Long Way Around and it's not surprising that another book I loved came from Quinn Anderson.

I love (best) friends to lovers stories. It's like the ultimate slow burn but when you get dropped into the story there's already all this history between the characters that makes it easy to feel a spark from the beginning. 

The Long Way Around is like that. These guys really are best friends and are everything to each other. It was beautiful to see how that connection got ever deeper over time. 

I also loved their road trip and adventures out and about. Their travel was a fun and very fitting background. 

But I also have to say that this book was very very slow at times. Things get repeated or dragged out and that really took a lot of the fun out of it for me.

Still a cute story about one of my favorite tropes.

Best friends who were roommates and are both gay and are going on a road trip to a wedding as dates and have to bed share at a few motels on the way and who constantly get asked if they are dating. Sign me up!

Sam is an extreme introvert who gets roomed with Wesley, who is an extrovert. They help balance each other and become best friends. They are determined to show the world that two gay men and be close friends without having to hook up.

Years later, Sam is without a job at the end of an internship and Wesley is between jobs. Sam's sister is getting married and is begging him to come back home to the wedding. Sam doesn't want to because his parents are super pissed at him for calling off his own wedding the night before the ceremony. Wesley convinces Sam to go the wedding and he will tag along as his date.

They decide to leave early and make a road trip out of the whole thing. Two weeks on the road together, sharing hotel rooms is causing some feelings to pop up that neither were prepared for.

Sam was super sweet. I loved him. I understood his character a lot. I am an introvert and I tend to stress over everything like Sam. Wesley was fun and exciting!

This book covers a very heavy topic a little over half way through. I was pleased that the topic was addressed and it was handled well.

Overall, a lovely book.