Addie and her sister are about to embark on an epic road trip to a friend's wedding in rural Scotland. The playlist is all planned and the snacks are packed.

But, not long after setting off, a car slams into the back of theirs. The driver is none other than Addie's ex, Dylan, who she's avoided since their traumatic break-up two years earlier.

Dylan and his best mate are heading to the wedding too, and they've totalled their car, so Addie has no choice but to offer them a ride. The car is soon jam-packed full of luggage and secrets, and with four-hundred miles ahead of them, Dylan and Addie can't avoid confronting the very messy history of their relationship...

Will they make it to the wedding on time? And, more importantly, is this really the end of the road for Addie and Dylan?

Thanks to Quercus and Netgalley for an early review copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I loved the Switch, I've recommended it to many people, many times. This book I enjoyed but it wasn't grabbing me like the Switch did. I felt like there wasn't enough distinction made between Addie and Dylan when they were telling their different sides of the story and found myself often checking back to see who was speaking.

An enjoyable read and I will still look forward to what she produces next.

After enjoying The Flatshare a lot and being a bit disappointed by The Switch, I was looking forward to reading this book that I was lucky enough to get an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley (thank you!). I don’t know why but my expectations for this book were high and, unfortunately, they weren’t met.

Don’t get me wrong, the book has a lot of funny situations and a good pace, it is an OK read in general. I enjoyed reading it, despite having an instant romance rather than a build-up relationship.

This story is told from two points of view, Addie and Dylan, and between the present and a couple of years ago when they met. For me, it was hard to know at times who was talking, as I felt there was no distinction between the two voices. The dynamics between characters was lacking chemistry and their relationships were quite toxic. I am all in for second chances but with its limitations.

Overall, is a good read. If you enjoy books that have super-fast paced romances, you will love this. Note that, despite being a contemporary romance slash chich lit book, there are quite a lot of triggers in this book: sexual abuse, alcohol and drug abuse, depression, anxiety, homophobia. These themes are not explored in depth but are present and can be upsetting for some people.

I don’t know if it’s just because I’m unconsciously biased against rich people, but I found most of the characters in this totally insufferable. I cared about Addie and Deb, sisters who first encounter most of the privileged young people while working as janitors in a French holiday home, but I didn’t find out enough about their motivations and inner life. Instead, everything revolved around Dylan, Addie’s love interest and - even worse - his best friend Marcus. There are two timelines depicted, one several years earlier of everyone meeting, and one in the present day when they are reunited by an opportune car accident and have to travel together to a friend’s wedding in Scotland. I preferred the sections set in the past because at least something was happening, and the early stages of Addie and Dylan’s romance were nice. Just not for me, I think, even though I’m usually a fan of O’Leary’s work.

Beth O'Leary produces yet another well-written novel, with good pacing and developed characters. Unfortunately I wasn't too much of a fan of the main male POV and so the dislike of him and his friend, Marcus, spread throughout the novel. I could see this working as a rom-com movie, with a young Hugh Grant playing a rich boy (Dylan) who is struggling to find the meaning of his life whilst falling in love with a woman who is trying to remain grounded in hers.

There is a TW for sexual assault and attempted rape, I don't particularly feel that the messaging around this was handled entirely well and so I don't think it had the intended effect. Deb was the real MVP of this novel though.

Although this was disappointing, I loved O'Leary's previous novels enough for me to place this down to just be an unfortunate one-off.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Escapism and romance.....I have read both of Beth O’Leary’s books so was very much looking forward to this. It’s different to the others but is still very engaging. The book flits to the past when the couple first met and you sense that it’s building up to a big drama which caused the initial break up. It takes a fair while to get there but we then get to see the dynamic between the four main characters.
The ending speeds up a lot and a great deal happens in the last few chapters which bring it to a satisfying close. Although you do wonder if they will ever make this wedding with all the tension and unfortunate events along the way.
The characters are believable and it’s a good read for a sunny weekend in the garden.

This was an absolute joy to read. A smart, engaging and very moving story which sensitively and redirect fully handled some difficult subjects, I loved all the characters finding them realistic and well written.

My favourite thing about Beth O'leary's books is the fact that yes they are romance but they always have a deeper story line or a separate focus that goes alongside the romance and it has meant that I have loved her books. This one however lacked that separate, deeper story line and it wasn't made up for with the romance as I didn't particularly like the characters and so didn't like the romance. Plus the best friend is supposed to be hated and he definitely was but to the point where I hated reading about him and he made me physically angry and I hated parts of the book with him in. So good writing there for sure. I wish this had been for me but alas it was not.

Having read Beth O'Leary's previous books and enjoyed both of them, I could not wait to read her latest release.
And I was pleasantly surprised that this was a somewhat departure from those first two books.
The writing and subject matter felt a lot more sophisticated and the main character wasn't just quirky for the sake of being quirky, which had been a bit of a bugbear of mine with her previous books.
It felt altogether more grown up and reminded me a bit of Sally Rooney's work, in that way.
I was in between giving this book 4 and 4.5 stars and eventually settled on 4 stars, even though I did enjoy it and it held my attention the whole way through.
You get to see two love stories at once thanks to flashback chapters, as we see them fall in love and attempt to sustain their original relationship. And then we see them in current day, with them not having spoke for a few years since they broke up.
I will say, I wasn't particularly rooting for Addie and Dylan to get back together.
Dylan did have some redeemable features but there were just too many things not to like about him, for me. And a lot of their original relationship was a toxic one at that.
I also really disliked Marcus, even at the end I did not get the impression that because he said sorry a few times and had teary eyes, that he had fully changed, given how he behaved the whole way through, both in the past and present chapters. His friendship with Marcus was also toxic and yet by the end all is somehow forgiven.
The resolution/ending also felt rather rushed, as we spend the whole book travelling towards the wedding, only for it to be a bit brief.
It was a nice escapist read and I have a feeling that this would be a great book to read on summer adventures, particularly road trips, as you might imagine.
And if you are a fan of Beth O'Leary's previous books, this is a definite must-read, even though it is a bit different to her first two books but with enough of what will have no doubt drawn people to her work in the first place.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A road trip should be fun, a relaxing adventure especially if you are heading to a friends wedding with your sister. What it shouldn’t be is a hammer blow to your psyche when you get stuck in a mini with your ex who stomped on your heart and his best friend who seems to relish causing mayhem. Addie is determined to get though the journey as quickly as possible, but events keep spiralling out of control and surprising truths are bubbling to the surface.

This third novel by Beth O’Leary shows that she has established herself as a strong writer that characters that pull on your heartstrings. I loved the idea of the time jumps of Now and Then that draw me into the ebb and flow of the relationship and how it crumbled. The claustrophobic feeling of all the emotions rattling around the small car were compelling and at times amusing. The awkward situations add to the heighten tension and the exaggerated drama.

A romantic tale that will charm even the most world-weary soul, it’s delightful.

This is quite easily the best book I've read in 2021 so far. Having loved The Flatshare and Beth O'Leary's ability to capture people and their relationships with one another so beautifully, I knew I had to read this book as soon as possible. I was delighted to receive an ARC!

The Road Trip follows Addie and Dylan, two exes that are travelling to the same wedding. The opening chapter sees Dylan's car crash into the back of Addie's car, meaning that Dylan and Marcus (his best friend) have to tag along in Addie's car for the rest of the journey, sharing the space with Addie, her sister Deb, and Rodney, who is just along for the ride after asking for a lift to the wedding in a Facebook group. A very unlikely bunch of passengers.

The majority of this novel documents the "now" of the road trip, with flashbacks to "then" thrown in, and given from both Addie and Dylan's perspective. Immediately, the chemistry between these two characters was obvious; I would have known that they were exes without ever being told. I loved that within the first few chapters we saw both the beginning of their relationship - Addie was a caretaker for a villa in Provence, where Dylan was staying for the summer - and the remains of their break up, leaving the rest of the story to fill in the blanks. If you enjoyed the summer villa scenes of Sally Rooney's Normal People, then I think you'll love reading about the beginning of Addie and Dylan's relationship.

This book had laugh out loud moments (Rodney was a hoot, and how many times can things go wrong on one road trip?!) and tender moments of vulnerability. Beth O'Leary has such a talent for seamlessly blending the two together in one novel. I fell in love with Addie and Dylan immediately, and it didn't dip once during the entire reading experience.

Awh what a lovely heartwarming story. Not my typical read but really enjoyed it. It was just one of those feel good books that you can curl up with.

While I would happily FLATSHARE with Tiffy, or SWITCH lives for the summer with Eileen or Leena, I cannot say that I would want to take a road trip with this bunch! I liked Addie and her sister, Deb and I could probably sing along with them in the MINI COOPER and tolerate the “random wedding guest” Rodney, who was along for the ride. But, there is no way, that I could spend that much time with Dylan’s best mate, Marcus, who was driving in the BMW with him.

Beth O’Leary is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. I loved this book; especially how the story was told from the perspectives of our two main characters; spanning between then and now. There were some twists I didn’t see coming, and some scenarios that happened as I hoped they would. Thoroughly entertaining and I would definitely recommend,

I absolutely loved The Flatshare, but was a bit let down by The Switch - as so, I wasn't sure what to expect from The Road Trip. I needn't have worried.

With characters that bounced off the page and into my heart, brilliant dialogue and a rich storyline and backstory this book was absolutely unputdownable and I loved every single page.

Cannot recommend more highly.

Addie and Deb Gilbert with misfit Rodney are in Deb’s mini en route from Chichester to Scotland for friend Cherry’s posh wedding to Krish. When bang, out of nowhere seemingly, their stationary car is smashed into by a large Mercedes. Out of which climb Marcus and Dylan ..... the latter is Addie’s ex, they are also en route, same destination. The merc is undrivable, the mini isn’t, so of course they squeeze in uncomfortably for what proves to be a very eventful journey. The story is told Then and Now by Addie and Dylan.

Beth O’Leary nails this genre in my opinion and she’s an automatic pick for me as her books are fun, well written with good moments of laughter but always with something thought provoking too. This is a novel about firmly grasping second chances, the chemistry between Dylan and Addie despite the tampering of outside forces always feels right. During their time apart they mature and possibly for the better now. The journey north is entertaining, the repartee is whip-smart and some events make Rodney blush and hastily pass round the flapjack! The car journey is like a rollercoaster ride with many ups and downs, they’re all watching each other’s every move and the dynamics are fascinating. There’s tension and awkwardness with other undercurrents which adds to the atmosphere with fractured families and friend adding to it. There’s a good mix of characters from wince inducing Uncle Terry to Rodney’s strangeness, some to heartily dislike such as Dylan’s father and I’d have to sit on my hands so as not to strangle Marcus on the road trip! He’s entitled, opinionated and not above sabotaging things. Deb is great as is Addie and Dylan is likeable with his love of poetry, his blustery awkwardness and loyalty to Marcus even when he doesn’t deserve it. The alternating point of view is good and seeing their similar thought processes even when things aren’t going well is interesting. I love the ending - who wouldn’t??!!

Overall, this is good escapist reading, giving some laughs, plenty of emotions, there’s misunderstanding and misdirection along with resentment and jealousy providing a good mix to entertain the reader!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Quercus Books for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I was excited to read The Road Trip as I loved O'Leary's previous two novels - "The Flatshare" and "The Switch".

Besides, who doesn't love a road trip? Or second chance relationships? As luck would have it, Addie and her ex, Dylan, have a collision on the freeway on their way to a common friend's wedding. Addie is driving with her sister and an acquaintance, Rodney. Dylan is driving with his best friend, Marcus. Their Mercedes needs repairs, so the two young men are getting a ride in the Mini. There's five of them, plus luggage, so it's quite squishy in there. There's also awkwardness and animosity. It wouldn't be a proper road trip book without mishaps.

The novel is narrated from Addie and Dylan's perspectives, switching between the past and the present. Occasionally, I lost track of whose POV I was reading, there wasn't enough distinction between the voices of the two protagonists. There were a few amusing moments, but nowhere near as much cuteness and charm as in O'Leary's previous novels. I know, I shouldn't compare. This was a more serious novel, where there's a lot of character growth and accepting responsibility etc.

The Road Trip was like a Favourites box of chocolates - one enjoys certain flavours more than others. Regardless, you end up eating the entire box because while they're not Ferrero Roche they're still chocolates.

I was SO hyped to read this book. I love how Beth O'Leary can make you fall in love with a bunch of characters. Unfortunately though, this book had one likeable character. Deb.
Who wasn't in it nearly enough (but why would she be as she's not massively significant to the plot, which was a shame).

I didn't like Addie or Dylan and I LOATHED Marcus. I felt like the reason for him being such a villain was poor. The 'treat them mean because I like them' is outdated and he went as far as being a stalker and mentally abusing her. Not acceptable and an outburst near the end is not enough redemption for me.

I liked that O'Leary decided to use some harder hitting topics this time rather than a generic love story, whilst it still remained fairly predictable the ending was one that I'd have preferred to be. Even though Rodney was a totally unnecessary side character that just made the entire story feel too far fetched, when usually she writes books that feel like they could be real, we relate to them, we love them.

I'd continue to read more of her books, but I think after two raging successes, I was just a little underwhelmed by this newest installment. Probably not suited for someone going through their own difficulties at the moment.

With the playlist prepped and the snacks packed, Addie and her sister Deb are headed on a road trip to rural Scotland for a friends wedding.

Dylan and his best friend Marcus are headed to the same nuptials when they total their car by slamming into the back of another…driven by none other than Dylan’s ex girlfriend - Addie.

Left with little choice and a Mini jam-packed with luggage and secrets, the group continues on the journey together.

But the course of true love never did run smooth, and apparently neither does a road trip with your ex!


Oh how I wanted to love this book. The Switch and The Flatshare were such uplifting reads that I thought I was heading into this one as a sure thing. Sadly, it wasn’t to be.

This is by no means a slight to O’Leary, the story was just as well-written as her previous works but there was just an edge that was missing. This story was told across a dual timeline, both told from the points of view of Addie and Dylan, and whilst I usually love jumping from present to past I’m not sure it worked here. Perhaps the timelines weren’t quite far enough apart, as I often felt confused where I was chronologically.

Another thing that I found difficult was empathising with either of the main protagonists. I wasn’t invested in their love because I genuinely didn’t feel the chemistry between them. In fact, I thought they had a pretty odd relationship and were ill-suited from the beginning.

On a positive note, I though Deb was an absolute hoot! She had some brilliant one-liners that had me chuckling often.

And of course the banging playlist…as a huge Country fan any book that mentions “Body Like a Back Road”, Florida Georgia Line and Dolly Parton in the first few chapters gets my vote!!

Road Trip is a book with a literal road trip as the basis but it also has a trip down memory lane for Addie and Dylan to remember their love story. When the book starts we realise that Addie and Dylan are no longer a couple but an enforced road trip means they spend a lot of time together. They, and their friends on the trip, face a number of hurdles along the way. A great story of friendship, lost love and a few surprises along the way!

I had really loved The Flat Share by Beth O'Leary and was excited to read The Road Trip but unfortunately it was not for me. Essentially it is a love story between Addie and Dylan, a pair of ex's who collide (literally) on the drive to a mutual friends wedding and have to carshare the rest of the way. I thought it was a really predictable read and it just didn't hook me in at all, making it a bit of a chore to finish.