Beth O’Leary is so good at writing characters and the oddball combination in here are all brilliant. A road accident on route to a wedding 400 miles away results in five adults squashing into a Mini to make the journey which would be challenging enough but Addie and Dylan used to be a couple and after an emotional split haven’t seen each other in eighteen months and Addie despises Dylan’s friend Marcus, Addie’s sister Deb is very protective of her sister and Rodney, well he’s just there for the journey. As the miles pass by we see how the characters observe changes in each other since they last saw them and we also have flashbacks to Addie and Dylan’s relationship and what caused them to crumble. There’s a few humorous events along the way and it’s fair to say the journey is far from straightforward but it’s the relationships and dynamics that really make this story what it is, very bittersweet with quite a few damaged characters but still with love and hope.

Trigger Warnings*: addiction (alcohol, drugs), anxiety, depression, homophobia (parent not accepting their child's sexuality - mentioned a few times), injury (sprains, brief mention of blood), sexual assault, stalking (side character has an obsession with the female protagonist, and another character has an infatuation with another side character), throwing up, toxic parents, violence (a few punches are thrown)

*This is not an exhaustive list. These are the things I picked up on, there may be others. I've tried to label warnings as accurately as I can.

Oh, how I wish I liked this novel more! I had quite high expectations, considering how much I enjoyed The Flatshare, so I was proper thrilled when I got accepted for an e-arc via Netgalley! Alas, this was not the book for me . . .

What I did enjoy was the descriptions of summer in France. Oh god, I miss going on holiday. And ahhh, the food descriptions - they were killing me!! I also really liked the relationship between Addie and her sister Deb. I really liked how they were there for each other, and both had such distinct personalities. The only character I'd consider reading a spin-off novel for is Deb!

Now, what I didn't like . . .

I just couldn't see myself rooting for Dylan and Addie. I felt no chemistry between them, absolutely nothing. I couldn't see what they liked in each other, and thus I found it hard to invest in their relationship. Therefore, a lot of the novels emotional marks missed for me because I'm just like "Why would you take him back Addie?!" and I detested Marcus. I don't think we were meant to like Marcus, so that was successful at least. But eh. After all the stuff that happened with him, the way his story concluded...nah.

All in all, this novel was just a lot of misses for me. It was just an okay read, nothing I'd shout about from the roof tops, and I'd steer people to other romance novels - like The Flatshare - before I'd consider recommending this.

Thank you Netgalley and Quercus Books for sending me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

A bright, fresh, sparkling read that ticks all the right boxes. I adored O'Leary's two previous books and this is no exception. O'Leary has a way with words that is hard to match and impossible to beat.

I cannot express how much I squealed when I got sent a copy of this book to read. Beth O'Leary has become one of my auto buy authors and that she brought out a third book made me do a happy little dance.

The book is about Addie and Dylan. They are ex-partners and haven't seen each other for some time. There relationship didn't end well and they are both still hurting and you can tell that they have feelings for one another. All is well though they haven't run into each other even though they live near each other - this however changes when they are both on the way to a Wedding in separate cars but it must be fate as they end up travelling together as well as three other passengers to their friends wedding. What could go wrong??

I LOVED IT SO MUCH.

The tension between Addie and Dylan was little oozing off the pages and let me tell you I blinking love a book with a bit of tension. Throw in some hilarious side characters in the form of Addie's Sister Deb who has just had a baby and a bit of a free spirit, Dylan's best friend Marcus - who seems a bit entitled and then you have the random guy who is also coming to the Wedding Rodney - he seems a bit suspicious to me but he adds an extra layer to the already tense road trip!

The book goes back and forth between the present and the past. It shows Addie and Dylan meeting up until there break up and then to the present. I liked that we had the back story as we were going along and that it wasn't dumped on us all in one go. It made you understand why they broke up and that you couldn't side with either Addie or Dylan, or at least I didn't.

All of the characters were flawed. they had issues they all needed to work out and that they were a little broken and real is what I love about Beth O'Leary's characters. You can just understand them, you can hate them a little when they are going about things the wrong way and cheer for them as well.

The book is tense at times but there is also humour to be had as well and this was brought in by Deb, Addie's sister. She made me smile and laugh out loud with her shenanigans.

Definitely a must read book.

A real love story! A great supporting cast with character and humour interlaced with a dramatic hiccup in the main characters love lives.
I think the only negative for me on this journey was the best friend, Marcus. I just couldn’t but into his story, although I could see immediately how the story would go and so had sympathy but just felt his actions towards Addie didn’t quite fit.
I genuinely though could imagine the uncomfortable journey with 5 grown ups plus luggage fitting into a mini!!

Sisters Addie and Debs a stranger Rodney are going to a friends wedding in Scotland, they get rear ended by not only her Ex Dylan who she hasn't seen in 2 years, he and Marcus are going to the same wedding so end up hitching a ride with the girls, what possibly could go wrong all cooped up in a Mini for 5 hours!

If I'm honest I didn't know what to expect a book set purely on a car journey but this tells the story from Addie and Dylan's points of view from the journey and then in the past when they was together.

I found this enjoyable and funny, some real laugh out loud moments, there was always something going on.

I really enjoyed the characters and the chemistry Addie and Dylan still had.

What I would now to go on a road trip.

Many thanks to the publishers for this ARC.

I was fortunate enough to receive an annotated ARC of The Road Trip from Beth O’Leary, and I can’t begin to describe my excitement for another one of her love stories. Both The Flatshare and The Switch (review) are beautifully heart-warming reads, so my expectations for The Road Trip were high. And unsurprisingly, they were met.

Adeline “Addie” Gilbert and Dylan Abbott were once in love. They had the kind of chemistry hopeless romantics daydream about. But it all came crashing down, ending with more than just two broken hearts. They part ways, never to see each other again. Until both Addie and Dylan (literally) crash into each other, and are forced to travel over 500 miles together with Addie’s sister, Deb; Dylan’s best mate, Marcus; and a random acquaintance, Rodney.

The Road Trip starts straight away. No lingering or lazy introductions, it’s just crash, Dylan and Addie are face to face. Again. I’m not the biggest fan of second chance romances, but Beth O’Leary maps out this dreamy tale so brilliantly, it could easily become one of my new favourite tropes.

The chapters alternate between Dylan and Addie. But at the same time, sections of the book bounce between the past and the present. And so, The Road Trip feels like two love stories at once. It’s a concept that breathes life into the book, adding an interest-grabbing quality that quickly becomes addictive. Rather than just tell the reader what happens, O’Leary takes advantage of flashbacks to build a solid foundation for Dylan and Addie’s relationship.

I love the subtle disparities in Dylan and Addie’s tone of voice. It refines their personalities, and contributes to the development of their characters. Dylan is a poet, and is much more whimsical than Addie. In his chapters, his words melodiously blend together to create word pictures with every sentence. Addie, on the other hand, is very matter-of-fact and has a charismatic confidence to her voice.

O’Leary’s writing style feels more sophisticated in The Road Trip compared to The Flatshare and The Switch. But I think the strong characters contribute to this. Her warm and inviting approach is ever-present, but the dark pasts and traumatic trials of the personalities in this book ground its airy and fluffy spirit. The author also perfectly laces humour and emotion together to move the plot along.

One of the great things about this novel, is that it feels like many stories in one. It’s full of life, not just in the dual timelines, but in the adventures and mishaps the five characters experience on their trip. There are twists that keep the subplots interesting. And they work brilliantly alongside the slow revelations of Dylan and Addie’s relationship. It’s more than a romantic comedy, and that’s what makes it so entertaining.

Another highlight of The Road Trip is the sisterly bond between Addie and Deb. I didn’t predict this to play such a major role in the story, but I’m really glad it’s there. While there’s plenty of emotion in the romance, this family tie just adds another moving coating that touches the heart. I can relate as I have a sister, but anyone reading this will surely love experiencing the Gilbert sisters in action.

The secondary characters are a wonderful addition to this story. They all have a charm too. Even those the reader is supposed to dislike, and their individual arcs intertwine flawlessly with Dylan and Addie’s love story. There’s an authenticity to every personality in the novel, whether it’s the way they perceive an event or react to trauma. Depression, sexual assault and alcohol abuse are mentioned in The Road Trip. But they are explored in a sensitive manner that it contributes to the complexity of the characters. And the unexpected grittiness is expertly layered into this hilariously adorable story of second chance love.

The bar for Beth O’Leary just keeps getting higher and higher, and she rightly deserves a spot on my auto-buy list. The Road Trip is the perfect escape. It has characters to love, quotes to remember, and a plot to truly get lost in. Does it beat The Flatshare? I’m really struggling to say for sure. But it’s certainly very close.

Beth O'Leary knocks it out of the park with her amazing new novel 'The Road Trip'. Dare I say, 'The Flat Share': step aside! We have a classic second chance romance for exes Addie and Dylan who have been thrown together in the worst possible circumstances - crammed into a tiny Mini on the way to a friend's wedding after a disastrous fender bender. With all manner of bad luck befalling the motley crew of road trippers, the reader wonders whether they will make it to the wedding in Scotland in one piece.

The present day antics are by far the most entertaining with several moments making me laugh out loud. This contrasts the flashbacks to Addie and Dylan's relationship, portraying them from the dizzy heights of new love to their relationship gradually falling apart. It was refreshing to see a novel which deals so candidly with mental health and the struggle to accept help is needed, particularly around the damaging actions of party boy and best friend to Dylan, Marcus.

This may be a rag tag group of characters but O'Leary allows each one of them to shine with their own fully realised story and personality. I was certainly rooting for Addie and Dylan but I also enjoyed the purity and love of Addie's relationship with her no-nonsense sister Deb. Overall, this was a heartwarming novel, dealing sensitively with some important themes but delivering an uplifting message for all readers. 5 second chance stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A great read - the story of Addie and Dylan told between now, when they are forced to share a car on the way to a weddng, and then, when they first met and what happened when they split up. Will they get a second chance.

I liked how it is told from both of their points of view, but would have liked to have seen more of an elipogue

The Road Trip is another excellent read from this author.
Addie and her sister Debs are travelling to a friends wedding in Scotland, with them is Rodney who is also a guest and had put a post on Facebook to request a lift off anyone also attending, so they have never met, he’s and odd ball but appears harmless.
Suddenly as Addie has to make an emergency stop in her Mini she is rear ended by a Mercedes, the driver is none other than Dylan who was her boyfriend 2 years ago, after a traumatic break up they have not seen or contacted each other, also in the car with Dylan is Marcus a friend who was also around when they met and broke up. After much deliberation Addie allows them to travel in her car as the Mercedes is too damaged to drive.
As the journey progresses very slowly, we start to discover more about their past as the book alternates between now and then, and does so very successfully.
This is a story that has you laughing out loud at events happening in the present and your heart in your mouth with their past.
There is a lot of emotional depth to this book and during this journey we see Addie and Dylan slowly healing and deal with their past.
No spoilers, take this trip with them and enjoy.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

This is a hard book for me to review. I enjoyed the experience of reading the story. Slow for me to get into but page turning once I got into the flow of the book. I wish the romance element was more romancy.

As we enter another month of lockdown, reading about Summer holidays in France and a road trip to a wedding party was the breath of fresh air that I needed. This is a great read, with an emotional core, that kept me turning the pages, eager to discover whether Dylan and Addie had a chance together again.
Split between the road trip in present time and flash backs to the start of Dylan and Addie's relationship during a post graduation holiday in France. The chemistry between the pair is intense, and I loved getting to know them and wonder what led to their relationship breaking down. As I read further I started to get hints that their relationship was actually pretty toxic, and that neither of them were honest about their feelings. As they meeting again, two years later, the book looks at themes of redemption and forgiveness, about being true to your beliefs and having respect for yourself and others. This is all treated with an incredibly light touch, and the emotional depth is wonderfully offset by some utterly hilarious escapades as the group make their way to Scotland.
It's a lovely heart-warming read and I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

To say I had high expectations for this book would have been an understatement. But unfortunately it not only didn’t live upto but I had to struggle quite hard to even finish the book. The characters felt very shallow and superficial and I forgot them as soon as I close the book. Their stories failed to make me feel anything. In fact I found them to be very very annoying. The romance was something along the lines of insta love which I hate. So all in all not a book I enjoyed or would recommend but if you are a fan of Beth O Leary, you can maybe give it a try.

Addie is n her way to her best friends wedding when her ex-boyfriend (also on the way to said wedding) crashes into the back of her car. When the realise Dylan's car isn't driveable she, begrudgingly, agrees to give him and his friend a lift to the wedding. The chapters alternate between Addie and Dylan's view points as well as flashing back to the past, to where and how they met.⁠
⁠
This was absolutely everything I wanted it to be and more. I loved it. I really loved the dynamic of all the characters in the car, I think O'Leary got the balance between sarcasm, emotion and tension just right. It was amazing to be able to immerse myself back in the days when we could all get in one car together and go off to a wedding! ⁠
⁠
I thought all the characters bought something to the table, I especially enjoyed Marcus cheeky whit and even laughed at Rodney the underdog. For those of you who don't want too much uplit it is time for you to breath a sign of relief, it is not all sunshine's and rainbows, this book also touched on some tougher topics which I felt were handled sensitively and brought real emotion to the page ( I would maybe check goodreads/storygraph for trigger warnings on this one).⁠
⁠
I could ramble on more but really you should just pre-order and enjoy the magic for yourself. This, for me, was better than the switch (and you know I love a pensioner in the pages) and so close to knocking Flatshare of my top O'Leary spot but, for me, nothing beats those Tiffy and Leon post it notes!!! ⁠

Still in quiet shock that I somehow managed to get an ARC of this book! Beth O’Leary captured my heart with The Flatshare, and although I haven’t read The Switch yet, I couldn’t wait to start reading The Road Trip.

The story alternates between Addie and Dylan’s perspectives, both in the present and two years prior. Going into the story, we know that they previously dated and broke up - and that they have a road trip to a wedding to fix things. I’m a sucker for second-chance romances, especially when the main characters are so lovable, so this was right up my street! You’re introduced to a whole host of characters, and the great thing is that O’Leary interweaves their stories into the main plot. In some books, it feels like any friends or family members of the protagonists are barely there, or just there to progress the plot, which feels unrealistic. In this novel, the secondary characters have lives of their own, and that made it so much more engaging. As I read on, I become invested in the story and it’s outcome, and I will admit that I cried a bit at the end!

Overall, The Road Trip is another fantastic book by O’Leary, and I recommend that all fans pre-order it now.

This is one of the most anticipated books of the year and it was worth the wait!

Addie is traveling to a friend's wedding with her sister, Deb and Rodney, a guest who wanted a ride. They had planned the trip with timely breaks and lots of snacks. What they didn't planned for was for Addie's ex, Dylan and his friend Marcus to hit them with their car and having to all share a ride in the mini.

It's been a long while since they had seen each other and the forced proximity awakes feelings and memories from the past.

The narrative is divided to the past and present, showing us how they first met and how they got together up until an eventful day in December when everything changed.

The story is so captivating, I couldn't stop reading, I was both invested in the past and present narrative seeing as the one gave answers while the other was filled with tension and humor.

All the characters were very well written, it is a road trip to remember. Addie is a very strong person and Dylan is unbelievable sweet. I have to also mention Rodney because he is just something else, a category by himself.

This is a story about redemption, second change, everlasting love and being a better person by learning from the past mistakes and not repeating them.


* I received an ARC from Quercus Books through Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.

This is a fun, romantic story featuring disaster upon disaster as the group make their way to a wedding. Throw in a random stalker and multiple calls on a breast pump, and the humour passes amusing and goes to hilarious. Complex relationships and an odd sense of melancholy make this book something to pay attention to. If you liked The Flat Share, this book goes to a new level and proves Beth O’Leary is more than a light rom-com author.

Having loved both The Flatshare and The Switch I was very excited for this and it did not disappoint!
I loved switching between both Addie and Dylan's perspectives, as well as the past and present and seeing all the story unfold.
The book dealt with serious issues, such as mental illness and forgiveness, but combined these with funny, light-hearted moments that made it great to read!
Seeing the dynamic between all of the characters and how it changed at different points of the book was also really interesting and I enjoyed seeing how they interacted during different situations.
Overall, I loved reading this and couldn't put it down!

Beth O'Leary does it again! What a fantastic story of love, heartbreaking and family. Road Trip is a a delight of a story that follows Addie and Dylan on a disastrous and unexpected road trip to a friend's wedding after breaking up nearly 22 months ago. Told between the present day and flashbacks throughout their relationship, you will fall in love with Addie and Dylan instantly and be rooting for them from page one. I will be telling everyone I know to read this novel when it is released!

I really enjoyed this book - as I have her other novels. I read it over two days and struggled to put it down!

A road trip with a major difference - Addie and Dylan are forced to face their secrets and find a way forward.

Emotional, heartfelt - just a lovely read.