I totally loved this book. The romance was well done and was so quirky. The characters are well crafted too.

I had trouble getting into this one. I’ve enjoyed the authors previous books, but this one just didn’t keep my attention. I struggled to pick it up and found I wasn’t invested in the characters or their stories. I will still read this authors work in the future because I really enjoyed the Flatshare and the switch! This was just not a win for me.

I have loved a lot of Beth O'Leary's books, but this one fell a little flat for me. The beginning was quite slow and it took me a bit to really get into it and by a bit, I mean 1/4 of the way through until I could really get into it. From there, I felt super into the love story between Dylan and Addie. I appreciated Addie's sister, Deb, and Marcus (even though he was a huge butthead), but didn't think that Rodney was needed? I loved the story and thought that it could have been better executed, but it was okay overall!

Overall, this book was ok. The second half was very good but the first half was a little slow. I did like the humor in the book though.. Addie and Dylan meet when he stays at a mutual friends villa in Provence for the summer and Addie is the caretaker for the villa.. in the present they are forced to go together on a road trip for a wedding. They had dated but were broken up for a bit and things didn’t end well. Slowly, very slowly, we find out the backstory about their relationship. I’m unsure if I’d recommend it but I’m sure there are a number of people who’d really enjoy it, but I guess I wasn’t one unfortunately.

I fell in love with Beth O'Leary after reading The Flatshare! I think a mixture of having high hopes and reading so many good books lately, The Road Trip just didn’t live up to my 5 star expectations. This book was just ok for me. It is a good summer read, especially on vacation.

Unlike many, this was the first novel I've read by the famous and talented Beth O'Leary. I really enjoyed this one! The premise reeled me in immediately (exes trapped in the car on the way to a Scotland wedding? Sign me up!) and I was entertained throughout. While I have heard her other books described as lighthearted and fluffy, this one was a bit heavier. I didn't mind though, and really just thought it added a uniqueness to the story. I'm giving this one a solid 3.5 stars, and will definitely be catching up on O'Leary's backlist while I wait for her next novel to come out! Thanks Netgalley for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

A book about second chances, forgiveness, and more, The Road Trip takes the reader on a compelling ride. Addie and Dylan were madly in love with each other after meeting at a friend’s villa in France. The book alternates between the present and the past, giving us insight into the ups and downs of their relationship. When a fender bender results in five friends traveling together in a small car to a wedding, including Addie and Dylan, all kinds of feelings and adventures include laughs and tears. Addie’s close relationship with her sister Deb is a true tribute to sisterly love and devotion. Dylan’s friend Marcus can be both a hated and a sympathetic character. I liked going on this road trip and recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Beth O’Leary, Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Told in alternating timelines ("then" and "now"), O'Leary's "The Road Trip" is a second chance romance between Dylan & Addie, forced to travel to a wedding together due to circumstance. I enjoyed the premise of the story, and I can see this becoming adapted for the screen.

"The Road Trip" is a heartwarming romance imbued with witty banter and quirky misadventures. I would recommend to readers of Sophie Kinsella and Emily Henry ("Beach Read," "The People We Meet on Vacation").

BOOK REVIEW: The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary

A slight departure in tone from her previous books that works for this story… And for me too!… ✨😎✨

--------------------

All my reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Books, Lifestyle & Home Ideas for Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at www.thisismyeverybody.com

You can see my complete book feature on The Road Trip at https://www.thisismyeverybody.com/books/2021-books-new-books-coming-out-in-2021-june-books-tbr-books

* A big thank you to Beth O’Leary, Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in my reviews and content are my own… ✨😎✨

Beth O'Leary is an incredibly talented writer. The Road Trip is very well written and I loved the idea of the plot. It was a bit of a miss for me, as I didn't connect with the male lead. As we learn about Addie and Dylan's relationship, and slower discover what tore them apart, my sympathies lied solely with Addie and I had a hard time find redeeming qualities in Dylan. My problem wasn't with the book itself but the choices and characterization of some of the characters.

This book was a bit of a disappointment to me. I'm a big fan of Beth O'Leary and The Flatshare is my favorite contemporary romance. The author is a fantastic writer and can always transport me into the setting of her books. I still felt that way with The Road Trip, but I didn't connect with any of the characters this time. To me, the relationship seemed unhealthy all along. I think other readers may enjoy this, especially if they're looking for a realistic, messy relationship, but it was hard for me to enjoy reading when I wasn't routing for any of the characters.

Y’all, I FINALLY finished a book! And of course, I highly recommend buddy reading with @thechicklitbookclub if you never have before.

And now, on to my thoughts about The Road Trip. In this book, Addie and Dylan (who were once in love) get in a car crash on the way to their mutual friend Cherry’s wedding. They decide to carpool to the wedding, along with Addie’s sister, Dylan’s best friend, and a guy from a facebook wedding group who needed a ride. Dramatics subsequently ensue. Throughout the book, we are treated to flashbacks of how Addie and Dylan’s relationship came to be.

So at the beginning of this one, I enjoyed it. The road trip wasn’t too crazy so far (though, what a coincidence to start it), and I loved reading about Addie and Dylan’s relationship. However, toward the middle, I got so bored that I almost DNF-ed the book. So much of it wasn’t believable, I didn’t like how their relationship fell apart, and by the last third, I was only finishing it for the discussion. Plus, Dylan’s best friend was absolutely awful.

Did I enjoy Beth O’Leary’s other books? Yes, I think The Flatshare is the cutest thing ever. Would I recommend skipping this one though? ABSOLUTELY.

CW: alcoholism, sexual assault, emotional manipulation, slut shaming, depression

3.5

Addie and Dylan are both on there way to their friend Cherry’s wedding. An ‘unfortunate’ accident happens and the exes agree to road trip to the wedding together. A car full of four people with a lot of messy history and a stranger? What could go wrong?

While I did enjoy this book it took me a while to get into and was really meh until about 75/80% in. At first I didn’t find Addie and Dylan’s relationship believable, they jumped in and said I love you very fast, and I didn’t feel it at first. They proved me wrong further along and I grew to love them together, along with their character development.

Marcus, Dylan’s best friend pissed me off continually (too much) but in the end I hated him less 🤣 Dylan also aggravated me a lot in just going along with Marcus; what a toxic relationship.

Deb, Addie’s sister was my favorite. Damn straight you don’t need a man to have a child. I just thought she kicked ass. I loved her and Addie’s closeness and her personality! Also, I thought Kevin was hilarious!

I loved the amount of forgiveness that went around in the end. For a second chance novel there were A LOT of second chances; I loved that forgiveness wasn’t just about the main couple.

A lot of the chapters were quite short. There were a couple of really short ones, flipping back and forth between Addie and Dylan’s perspectives in the heat of things. Loved that!

Lastly a hint of diversity was there, although I do wish there would’ve been more. A gay brother and his partner, and an Indian groom. The wedding ending was taking me back to my husband looking good in his sherwani! 😉

Addie and her sister are going to Scotland for a friend’s wedding in Deb’s Mini. As they’re headed out, they are rear ended by a Mercedes driven by Addie’s ex, Dylan, who is also headed to the wedding with his friend Marcus. Five people end up packed into the Mini Cooper on an uncomfortable (in more ways than one) road trip.
I love @betholearyauthor and her books. She draws up the cutest characters and this did not disappoint. Addie and Dylan’s story told in Then and Now is a darling PG rated romance and I absolutely adored it. Take it on your summer road trip and read it while you let someone else drive.

I loved the idea behind this book. Second chance romances are my thing. However, this one just didn't work for me. I never really connected with the characters or even felt that deep connection to them as a couple. It just felt underdeveloped to me. With that being said, I would like to thank you for the chance to read and review this book.

Thank you so much to Berkley and Netgalley for an ARC of the Road Trip in exchange for an honest review!
.
I loved the Flatshare and I adored The Switch so The Road Trip was definitely one of my most anticipated releases for 2021!
.
Told in alternating timelines and between two points of view we follow Addie and Dylan. It took me a bit to warm up to the characters but I ended up becoming really invested in their stories. I found some aspects of the story and some decisions that were made questionable, but the alternating time format did help me stay attached to the story and wanting to know what happened. Questionable and toxic behaviour did get addressed/called out and there was a good emphasis on seeking out help from a therapist in the end.
.
O’Leary’s writing is wonderful and she is definitely an auto read author for me!!

.
.
CW: drug and alcohol use/abuse, discussions of infidelity, manipulation, sexual assault/attempt/escape (on page and discussions in memories), victim blaming (more detail would be a spoiler- dm if you would like to know more), stalking, mental illness, toxic relationship/friendship,

I tend to like Beth O'Leary but I struggled with this a bit. I just didn't particularly like any of the characters. I have a feeling it has a lot to do with the fact that they are mostly still in their early to mid-20s, even in the later, looking back timeline here. Addie and Dylan met and fell in love in France, where she was working as a caretaker for a fancy rental property owned by her friend. Dylan's whole family is meant to stay in there property but they have some kind of falling out (they're all truly terrible people) so it's just him until his uncle shows up (terrible) and his best friend Marcus joins them as well (really, really terrible). When the summer ends, Addie goes back to Chichester to start a job as a teacher and Dylan continues to aimlessly travel the world with Marcus (who is, as a reminder, terrible), who doesn't want Dylan and Addie to be together. He sabotages their relationship in a million small and large ways, and they end up breaking up. This narrative is cut in with scenes from the current day, several years later, when a car accident forces Addie and her sister (and a random guy who was catching a ride with them) to let Dylan and Marcus ride with them (in a Mini) to their mutual friend's wedding. I did think that both Addie and Dylan had grown up in their time apart and it made sense for them to consider rekindling things, but Marcus was still awful even though he was slightly better than before. I will happily read Beth O'Leary again, but I think I nee to set my expectations for romances that feature 20-something protagonists.

3.5 stars. Ack, 5 adults in a mini Cooper for a long road trip.... just that alone made me hella claustrophobic and anxious! The book is in dual timelines and I have to say that the present timeline drew me in far more than the past. I felt like there was a disconnect between the two and I can't really put my finger on why. I think the characters feel really different as the timelines converged more. I really enjoyed The Switch by Beth O'Leary so I was so excited for this one but it was just ok for me.

The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary was difficult for me to finish, I would pick it up to read but still not get any answers to the leading question of " Why did they break up?" I enjoy books with a drawn out mystery, as long as the story itself remains engaging, but this one wasn't that for me. None of the characters seemed fleshed out or likable other than in an, "Isn't she so quirky?" way. I've enjoyed her other two novels but this one was a miss for me. Messy relationships, both platonic and romantic, may be realistic, but that doesn't automatically make them compelling. Obsession is better demonstrated in a first person perspective than from a third person subjective observer. Perhaps if Marcus was given his own POV I would have been more shocked or interested in his toxic behavior. Some of the dynamics reminded me of The Secret History, where the characters were also messy, toxic, and unlikable.

Imagine getting in a fender bender with the one person you have been trying to avoid for almost two years. Addie and her sister are on their way to her friend’s wedding when her ex boyfriend, Dylan crashes into her car on his way to the same event. Since they both want to get to Scotland on time, Addie offers Dylan and Marcus, Dylan’s best friend, a ride. Talk about awkward! As the trip advances, the past begins to unfold. Beth O’Leary transverse between the past and the present day to explain what happens between all the characters; the love, hate, jealously, and misunderstandings that can make and break friendships. At the end of the road trip, relationships are mended and forgiveness is granted.

I found the story to be moving and a bit humorous, but not as good as the author’s other novels I have read.

Thank you for your advanced copy.