Thank you to Berkley & NetGalley for the advance review ebook as well as advance listening copies—all opinions are my own!

CW: toxic relationships, substance abuse, alcoholism, sexual assault (on page), homophobia, depression, anxiety

Reading The Road Trip felt like as much of a ride as the trip its characters took. I found myself drawn in, compelled by complex relationships, morally gray characters, and a bittersweet exploration of second chances. Eleanor Tomlinson and Josh Dylan were incredible narrators who truly brought this book to life for me; reading the majority of the book via audio hands significantly elevated the experience for me.

While the first half of the book felt lighter in tone and the back and forth between Then and Now did a lovely job of showing Dylan and Addie’s deliciously sexy, burning with chemistry whirlwind romance, the second half of the book took on a much heavier tone, between Marcus’s (Dylan’s best friend) increasingly toxic behaviors and addictions, Dylan and Addie’s significant issues with communication and trust, as well as the sexual assault experienced by Addie. Like The Flatshare, O’Leary’s debut, this story weaves romantic elements into heavy topics, and while I struggled with the sadness some of these topics elicited, O’Leary had me invested and yearning for Dylan and Addie’s romantic arc and their second chance at love. As for the second chance romance arc, while I know it was important to see Dylan and Addie’s dysfunction in their relationship, I would have happily read/listened to more story portraying their mutual efforts to be healthier humans, their endeavors at better communication and intimacy, and the joy they experience as they work to also heal together.

Addie, her sister, her ex, her ex’s best friend, and a random guy who needed a ride are all headed to their mutual friend’s wedding in Scotland. The problem? They end up in a small car with each other on what turns into the road trip from hell.

The Road Trip alternates between past and present and is told from the perspectives of Addie and her ex, Dylan. As they get closer to the wedding destination, more is revealed about what led to Addie and Dylan’s breakup. They encounter all kinds of crazy problems trying to make it to Scotland while confronting their past mistakes and working through their regrets and resentment.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I am a fan of dual timelines, but I felt there was too much going on for it to work with this story. I couldn’t relate to any of the characters or get invested in their lives, although I thought Addie’s sister, Deb, was a hoot, and I liked a couple of the minor characters (Kevin and Cherry). There was also a lot of miscommunication between Addie and Dylan, which I found infuriating, and I could not stand Dylan’s bestie, Marcus. However, there were several humorous moments in the present chapters and I did enjoy the majority of the past chapters.

2.5 stars

Well, this one was a bit of a disappointment, not going to lie. I can’t say I loved it but I think it’s because I had different expectations for what I was going to read. From the book description I was looking forward to reading a fun yet awkward second chance romance due to forced proximity with the main characters stuck in a car on a road trip. Sounds fun and delightful – perfect for summer.

Yet instead of a light, fun read I found this book depressing and at times uncomfortable to read.

Of course, there was great writing which I’ve come to expect from O’Leary and a good use of flashbacks to move the story along, but ultimately I didn’t like the characters and didn’t buy into their love story.

I found it especially hard to like Dylan because he seemed so wishy washy and weak as a leading character for me. I don’t need all of my romance heroes to be perfect or put together but it was hard to find him worthy of Addie. It’s never easy finding your way in life, especially when you have high expectations from your parents breathing down your neck, but he was a bit of a basket case.

But then there was Marcus who just embodied what you DON’T want in a best friend. His relationship with Dylan was toxic and Dylan should have just moved on. Instead, he was pretty ignorant to Marcus’ involvement in causing distance with Addie. He didn’t even seem redeemable at the end.
Addie was OK but she could have been any book character in that nothing really stood out about her. Plus, the whole piece at the end with her co-worked seemed to come out of left field and then was equally dismissed despite the heavy subject matter.

I would have loved the book to have revolved around her sister instead as she was the best character.

Even though I wasn’t really enjoying the book, it did have me hooked to keep reading to figure out what exactly went on with Dylan’s and Addie’s relationship.

The flash backs were great to build anticipation of what went wrong with them, but they also started to drag a bit and it became hard to see what Dylan and Addie were even trying to save. They really hadn’t spent much time together, neither seemed to have their act together and they really didn’t seem to have that many experiences that solidified their “love” to me.

I appreciated the advanced reader copy from NetGalley but unfortunately this one wasn’t a win for me. All opinions are my own.

“I have no doubt about whether this feeling is really love—how can it be anything else? It’s excruciating, euphoric, so big I can’t seem to write it down.”

Addie and her sister Deb are heading out on a road trip to a friends wedding. Not long after they start their trip, a car slams into them from behind. In that car is none other than Dylan, Addie’s ex, and his best friend Marcus. When they realize they are heading to the same wedding, they decide to attempt the rest of the trip together. Ex’s who both ripped each other’s hearts out and the best mate that probably had a lot to do with that…what could possibly go wrong?

The Flatshare was one of my favorite books of 2020, so I jumped at the chance to read Beth O’Leary’s newest book! Although not quite to that level for me, I did enjoy this one. Some of the characters are quite unlikable (I see you Marcus) and there is a lot of familial drama and subsequent anxiety, but there is also hope. I absolutely LOVE redemptive characters and will always root for their betterment. Towards the end I was furiously flipping pages to see if they could, in fact, be redeemed.

Deb, Addie’s sister, is a hoot and had me laughing out loud throughout the book. There is also a sexual assault and its aftermath that is handled extremely realistically, so much so that I was so angry I had to put the book down for a minute to collect myself. Overall this is the story of an epic love and all of the hurdles that it faces along the way.

Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After their cars collide on the way to their friend Cherry’s wedding in Scotland, exes Addie and Dylan end up on a road trip there together. Two years ago, Addie’s and Dylan’s relationship ended abruptly, and they have not spoken since. The two faced roadblocks in love in the past, and now face actual roadblocks as they encounter issue after issue on the way to Cherry’s wedding.

I liked the structure of the novel with the dual perspective and timeline, and I appreciated the backstory of Addie’s and Dylan’s relationship. The “Now” parts of the story followed the typical problematic road trip storyline where everything that can go wrong does. As the story went on, my interest began to waver because the book started to drag on a bit, and the characters felt somewhat underdeveloped and unlikable. While this was my not my favorite of Beth O’Leary’s three novels, it was still okay, and I look forward to the author’s future books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

“The Road Trip” by Beth O’Leary was a delightful read. I have been a fan of her writing for a while and was excited to have the opportunity to read this book as well. Usually, books that flash back and forth in time are not my cup of tea. I get attached to one storyline over the other and dislike switching from it. But with “The Road Trip” I was excited for each segment. As well as being cute and witty the story was engaging and kept me hooked as a mystery novel would.

ow many things can go wrong in a book before it starts to be ridiculous. For me, thus one went a tad too far. In top of that, I didn't buy the two main characters as a couple and it made it really hard for me to want to root for them to get back together. I think they're better apart 🤷‍♀️. This book for me was fine ⭐⭐⭐.  Maybe just get this one from the library.

With her third book, I think I can confirm that I absolutely adore O’Leary’s writing! This second chance romance had everything I love and will make such a great summer read!

✨Short chapters with alternating first person POV.
✨Flashbacks between now and then, giving you so much back story about Addie, Dylan, and their family/friends.
✨There was a secret that kept me turning pages searching for what happened (similar in that way to PWMOV)
✨Loved the cast of hilarious characters stuck on this fated road trip to their friend’s wedding. And the mini was a character itself!

My only issue was that I somehow missed the chemistry between Addie and Dylan on the flashbacks, which made it more difficult to invest in their reunion. I will say, that there are some tough topics dispersed through this book - so check the content warnings I’ve included.

⚠️: alcohol abuse, sexual assault, homophobia

The Road Trip is the perfect summer read for your own vacation (road trip anyone?) or a nice relaxing beach day read. I have a soft spot for the forced proximity trope, but I also love how Beth O’Leary made the interactions relatable and human and not inflated for the sake of a romance book. The banter and interactions were great and I loved the little twist that was thrown in to keep the plot moving without being too predictable. The romance in this book is definitely a slow burn and despite being a rom com this book is definitely not steamy. However I really enjoyed the read and would recommend it as a summer pick.

DNF 35%

Expectations can greatly affect a reading experience.

I have read The Switch and loved it. I didn't read Flat Share but I've read enough reviews to feel familiar with it. I just finished People You Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry which starts out with a fun road trip as we get to know Poppy and Alex. The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary sounds like a fun and light read....road trips are mostly fun, right? O'Leary's two previous books were romcom-ish. Well.....you can see that my expectations set me up for a reading experience that I did not expect. (in my opinion) The Road Trip is filled with unlikable people, troubling circumstances, sad flashbacks, and a generous helping of profanity. The situation in which these young adults find themselves in also feels a bit forced. It's heavy rather than light, and I had difficulty caring about any of the characters.

I rarely DNF an ARC. Even though I can usually push through, this was not the right book for me. Others in my Instagram buddy read loved it, so please check out more reviews! This is a case of "the wrong book at the wrong time," "expectations gone wrong," "not to my taste," and “no two people read the same book." Because there are mixed reviews, I think it's best to try it yourself and form your own opinion.

Thanks #NetGalley @BerkleyPub #BerkleyWritesStrongWomen #BerkleyBuddyReads for a complimentary eARC upon my request. All opinions are my own.

I liked this book, I did. But there was something about it that just held me back from really enjoying myself while reading.

here are some of my thoughts:
- the content matter is heavier than I anticipated; there are quite a few trigger warnings, and I think I picked it up thinking it would be a light second chance romance. It was not.

- I had a hard time loving the main characters together. Their relationship did not seem very healthy from the start, and it didn't get any better as we discovered what happened between them.

- O'Leary's writing was fantastic, as I have come to expect from her books!

- I don't *love* books that make me wait on a secret, dreading what is to come (hence, why I don't read suspense). If that's your jam in romance books, I'd recommend picking up this book.

I loved both The Flatshare and The Switch, but this one disappointingly fell a bit short for me. It lacked the lighthearted humor of those first two for the most part. Towards the end, there were some humorous moments, but it wasn't enough to make up for the journey to get there.

The Road Trip is, at its core, the story of Addie and Dylan's relationship. Told from the present-day when they are unexpectedly crammed in a car together with three other people on their way to a mutual friend's wedding and from the past with the origins of their relationship and its ultimate demise.

I'm not a fan of stories where pretty much all of the characters know something that the reader doesn't, and those hidden things aren't revealed until very late in the book, yet all throughout people keep hinting about them and alluding to them but not coming right out and saying what happened. I kept wanting to skip ahead and see what the big issue was that caused such a problem and why the dynamics of all of the friendships and other relationships were so strained and strange. Honestly, I didn't care for Dylan at all until nearly the end, and I got pretty angry about his treatment of Addie throughout the book and the constant acting like everything wrong was her fault. There were just many maudlin and depressing elements of this novel which, in a way, created some depth, but also just gave me a dejected feeling because I saw how hard Addie was trying to make things work and how she was basically thwarted at every turn.

I just needed a LOT more humor and light hearted moments (like with Rodney and the truck driver) to balance out the heavier issues. I will definitely keep reading books by this author, but I need more fun and less depression.

Road Trip is told in the voices of Addie and Dylan. They are exes who are traveling to the same wedding, they run into each other (literally). They agree to travel together in the same small car with Addie's sister, Deb, Dylan's best friend, Marcus, and Rodney, who no one really knows. We then travel to Then where Addie and Dylan first met and alternate between Now and Then until we get to the break up point. The characters all have their distinct personalities, even Rodney, who seems to not have one. I really enjoyed this book.

Readers are quickly thrown into the adventure of Addie and Dylan, lovers turned enemies due to a bad breakup. Set to meet again at a friends wedding, plans get backfired as cars hit one another. SO, they must road trip and set apart differences. Beth takes readers on a journey through over 300 miles of fun and breakdowns. We discover flashbacks to learn Addie and Dylan’s story. BUT, sometimes there is too much of Marcus and Rodney. I’d rather there be more Deb and more soundtrack references. As a HUGE Swiftie, that had me gig a way smiling. Overall, I’d recommend this book to any fan of romantic comedies and Beth O’Leary. This book is a classic for road trip romance lovers and those looking for a second chance. Read this and you won’t be disappointed!

This was such a highly anticipated read for me. I loved The Switch so much and in The Road Trip, I did enjoy the writing and some aspects of the story, but it ultimately fell a little flat for me.

While I really liked Addie and Deb and the relationship they share, I found Dylan and Marcus both disappointing and self centered. I could see that Marcus’s character was designed that way, but I didn’t see Dylan’s appeal at all. I found his shallowness unnecessary in a character I was supposed to like.

The Road Trip is told in dual timelines and dual perspective, following Addie and Dylan. In the present, the two of them, along with Addie’s sister Deb and Dylan’s friend Marcus (oh and Rodney-who was a whole other situation) must share a vehicle on their way to a wedding. It is their first time together after their break up two years ago, which brings us to the past timeline, showing the relationship and it’s ultimate demise.

Not everything about this book was disappointing. I did, in fact, find that the character growth of some of these people was great and beneficial to my enjoyment of the book, but it didn’t fully bring me into loving this book.

I look forward to Beth O’Leary’s next book because I am definitely a huge fan. This one just didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

This was a complete roller coaster of a road trip second chance romance. The highs were high and the lows were low. I’m loving the trend lately of romances that address a lot of emotionally weighty topics and this one certainly does! Told in alternating timelines from the past to the present, we get to learn about how Addie and Dylan first fell in love, how it fell apart and how they came back together - all while on a journey to a wedding in Scotland stuck in a mini cooper with three other people.

What I loved:
The strong bonds of friendship/sisterhood relationships and how those got tested

The strong mental health representation - Dylan and Marcus both struggle with depression and seek therapy

The road trip hijinks kept the story moving and entertaining!

Things that didn’t work great for me:
The instant love between Addie and Dylan when they first meet seemed a little too forced to be real

How little people talked about their feelings when they REALLY needed to!

Overall an entertaining read that I found hard to put down with fun characters and great (but complicated) friendships. This book gave me a lot of similar vibes to People we meet on vacation so if you liked that and are looking for your next great summer read definitely give this a chance. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy. This book hits shelves June 1st!

⚠️ CW: drug/alcohol abuse, clinical depression, sexual assault

What could go wrong when two sisters, one ex-boyfriend, his insufferable best friend and a stranger pack into a Mini Cooper to make the eight-hour drive to their mutual friend's wedding? So so much...

Addie and Deb are en route to Cherry's wedding with Rodney, a co-worker of the bride's, when their car gets rear-ended by none other than Dylan, Addie's ex, and his odious friend, Marcus. The guys' car isn't drivable so Addie and Deb take pity on them and offer them a lift. Addie and Dylan haven't spoken since their break up and clearly have unresolved issues (as do Addie and Marcus and Dylan and Marcus). Told in a dual timeline format (one that starts with the two meeting and follows their relationship until the break up and the other on the ride to the wedding), we learn their story.

I really enjoyed O'Leary's other books and like those, this one is well-written but unfortunately I didn't connect with Addie and Dylan the way I did with her other couples. Maybe it's because they're so young or because Dylan is kind of a spineless dilettante but I felt like Addie deserved better. Marcus takes up a lot of the story which was frustrating - his behavior in the flashbacks is completely outrageous, Dylan's inability to stand up to him makes no sense and I found the explanation for why Marcus acted the way he did unearned. Despite that, the scenes on the road trip were enjoyable (Deb is an especially fun character) and this is a quick, entertaining read that left me with a smile on my face.

3.5 stars

Thanks to Berkely and NetGalley for a copy to review.

O'Leary is the successful British author of "The Flatshare" and "The Switch" This new release is another romantic comedy. It features sisters Addie and Deb who though random circumstances end up sharing their small car with Dylan and Marcus on the long road trip to a wedding. In order to make things even more strange they are also giving a ride to Rodney, who asked for one through the wedding Facebook site. We quickly learn that Dylan and Addie used to be a couple, but have not talked to each other in about two years. In various chapters we jump back in time to when their meeting and time together. The trip is riddled with mishaps. Will they get to the wedding in time and will Addie and Dylan finally work out their differences? This is a fun read and a good recommendation for fans of romantic comedies

This is my first Beth O'Leary book and actually my first Rom Com. I am trying to branch out to other genres. I typically read Historical Fiction and Thrillers. That being said, I enjoyed this book but it was slow at times. The supporting characters and humor make this a good read, but the main romance couple was lacking in my opinion. They are at the stage in life where they need to be adults and there are the struggles there that everyone goes through. The heaviness of the future, supporting yourself, acceptance by your family and friends, these themes dragged for me. Two characters struggle with depression and addiction. I guess I was expecting a light fun read. I enjoyed the silliness and antics of the road trip much better than the chapters about the past.
Overall, a decent read but not what I expected.

I read this book in 2 days. I loved the story and all the characters involved. Anyone who has been on an adventurous road trip can identify with at least some of the antics that occur. The love story was sweet, heartbreaking, and real. A great summer beach read... even if you are not at the beach! I recommend it!