Thank you Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC!

Elle Everhart's "Wanderlust" is a captivating book that offers an irresistible escape for travel enthusiasts. Through exquisite prose and vivid descriptions, the author transports readers to enchanting destinations around the world. The protagonist's journey of self-discovery and the tantalizing touch of romance add depth to the story. Everhart's love for travel shines through every page, evoking a sense of wanderlust and inspiring readers to embark on their own adventures. "Wanderlust" is a delightful read that will leave you yearning to explore the globe and savor every moment of life's extraordinary journey.

Overall a fairly enjoyable read! I saw a blurb that this is like a cross between People We Meet on Vacation and The Unhoneymooners, and I think that’s a fairly accurate description.

This is definitely a SLOW BURN. There is -no- spice until the last 40ish pages of the book. I honestly thought this might be closed door, that’s how long it took to ~get to it~.

As a MC Dylan struck me as a little… immature? I don’t know that that’s totally the right word, but to me, she was a relatively relatable MC but kind of unsympathetic as a lot of the issues she had would have been solved by some better communication skills & some therapy.

I don’t feel like any of the parts of the book were extremely memorable. As I was thinking back on the book to write my review, I was trying to think of scenes that impacted me… and I came up with nothing.

I had high hopes for the travel portion of the book, but I feel like that kind of disappointed. The most descriptive travel scene ended up a pseudo-lecture on melting glaciers & climate change. I was really looking forward to more descriptive scenes of their destinations, and I didn’t get that. I actually almost missed some transitions from destination to destination—I think headings of each destination when they moved around would have been a great addition. Also, some places were completely glossed over. Would have loved at least a FEW paragraphs in each destination.

I also think it would have been cool to read Dylan’s articles in their entirety at the end of each destination. It would point out transitions easier for readers and it could add in some descriptive destination content. They went on and on about how Dylan was writing about the places and not including Jack in her articles, but we didn’t get much (if any) of that in the actual book.

CONTENT WARNING: Abortion is a fairly heavy plot line (no graphic depictions or anything like that, but it is talked about a lot and is a driving force for some plot points) so if you’re sensitive on that subject, this might not be the one for you.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so cute!

I loved traveling the world, and going on all of the fun adventures with Dylan and Jack! Definitely a slow slow burn, but I think it was worth the wait.

The fact that the characters won a holiday through a radio contest was so fun and old school. Does that even happen anymore??

My only complaint is that I wished it was dual POV. I would have loved to get Jack’s perspective on the trip.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read/review this ARC. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

A cute, romance read that takes you all over the world!

Magazine writer Dylan Coughlan impulsively enters a radio contest and wins the trip of a lifetime-a trip around the world! But there’s a catch. Her travel partner will be chosen randomly from her phone contacts. Contact roulette lands on Jack the Posho, a one-night stand she accidentally ghosted. Dylan and Jack couldn’t be more different. There goes not a day without a small argument until they learned to get along.

At first glance, it gives an enemies to lovers vibe. But the focus isn’t solely on romance as Dylan and Jack begin to open up to each other. Dylan’s trying to get her own column in the magazine while living with the backlash of a past article. Jack’s trying to figure out his next step after being done living under her parent’s expectations. They might’ve started on the wrong foot but Dylan and Jack bring the best out of each other and became each other’s support system.

Other notes:
✨ I appreciate the around the world tour and highlights.
✨ Romantic/ sexual tension build-up that will leave you in a cliffhanger. It’s a sort of “just kiss already” moments.

I was unable to finish this book and thus will not be posting a full review. It was a slog from the first chapter and I made it about a one third of the way before abandoning it because I was miserable. Thank you for the opportunity.

This debut novel is an excellent take on a slow-burn, second-chance romance—and one with a surprising amount of depth. But what really drew me in here was not the love story (even though it was perfectly satisfying) but the travel elements: Everhart’s writing is so descriptive that I felt like I was there with the characters on top of the bridge in Sydney, at the robot café in Tokyo, and seeing the Empire State Building for the first time. She did an excellent job of bringing each destination to life. I really enjoyed this one!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I liked the plot of this book. It is fun and fast paced to keep things interesting.

Wanderlust is such a charming and witty debut! I loved Dylan’s voice - very effortlessly contemporary and hilarious. Her vibrant personality against Jack’s uptight demeanor made for wonderful banter as they traveled and grew closer. I was happy to see a book not shy away from the topic of abortion and allow so much on page discussion of it. Dylan and Jack communicated so well and it made watching them overcome their hurdles very fulfilling.

I absolutely adored “Wanderlust.” This was such a joyful read that really packed in quite a lot of emotion. I loved the evolution of Jack and Dylan’s relationship. One of the best parts for me was actually the realistic portrayal of honest communication, not only between Jack and Dylan but with parents, employers, and friends.

I also loved the setting of an around the world trip, I’ve certainly got new places to visit as a result of reading this book. This will be a perfect addition to our Summer Beach Reads shelf, a great choice for anyone who has got the travel bug (or wants to!)

Thank you Net Galley and GP Putnam for the opportunity to read this one early!

This was an enjoyable rom-com read that had an interesting concept. I liked Jack and Dylan was ok most of the time. The chemistry between the two during their world vacation was fun to read. The reason I didn’t give 5 stars was I wish there was more depth to some of the locations they visited. There was also some glossing over the time they spent together because a chapter would pick up with action happening between the two days later. It’s a solid debut and a 3.5 star read to me. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC!

Such a lovely, charming debut from Elle Everhart! This story takes readers on an adventure around the world and I enjoyed every minutes of it. The characters and their love was so wonderful. Can't wait to see what Elle Everhart does next!

Dylan is a writer for a magazine and after a particularly bad start to her morning one day, she decides to call in to a radio contest to win a trip around the world. She ends up winning the trip, but the catch is that they can choose any person in her contacts to accompany her on the trip. They end up choosing Jack, a guy that she met on a night out and has not spoken to since. The two start their worldwide travels with tensions running high, but as they get to know each other it becomes clear why they how these two may have connected in the first place.

I really loved the concept of this story and how Dylan and Jack are reunited by chance. It was really fun as the reader to travel with the characters and watch their evolution individually and as a pair. Both Dylan and Jack have dealt with some difficult things in their lives prior to meeting and I love how much they support each other through these challenges and encourage each other to be the best they can be.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

WANDERLUST by Elle Everhart comes out July 4th, but I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy from the publisher of this lovely debut novel.

The setup: our heroine has won a free trip around the world, but the catch is that has to take it with a random contact selected from her phone. And the contact they pick is a guy she met once and never called back. Awkward!

The author does a great job of capturing the awkwardness and intimacy of traveling with basically a complete stranger, as well as the softening as they get to know each other and become closer. It was really quite charming.

As a content note, the plot deals heavily with online harassment that the main character experiences after writing an article about the abortion she had in college. Definitely something to deal carefully with if that is something that would distress you. It is all too real of a an experience for women online.

I'm also just really glad this book talks about her abortion without regret. I know not everyone agrees with them (which is fine! Don't get one!) but it is also an important issue for healthcare, bodily autonomy, and religious freedom. It's so common to see books with accidental pregnancies as the main engine of the story, but not enough matter of fact discussion of abortion. It may turn readers off, but I hope not. I hope everyone can read it and empathize, even if it's a choice they wouldn't make for themself.

Oh, how I loved Love Interest. The writing by Casey and Alex was funny, heartfelt and I couldn't stop reading this book once I started. Sadie and Jack were both characters that had so many layers to them. . It’s everything I love in an HEA wrapped up in a pretty little bow.

Thank you to NetGalley and G. P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Wanderlust, by Elle Everhart, takes the reader on a journey around the world with beautiful scenery, fun antics, an unlikely couple and lots of drama that needs unpacking. At the core, however, is a sensitive topic that some readers may find offensive. That aside, the story is still easy to follow and enjoyable, and the ending is rosy, albeit somewhat expected.

If you’re looking for a quick romance summer read then this is your book! Dylan wins a free vacation through a radio station but the thing is she must take a random person from her contacts alongside with her. Just with her luck a random man she met at a bar named Jack is chosen out of her contacts. Now they must deal with one another as a they take their trip. Personally, for me I found the characters to be quite annoying and immature which is something that really bothers me when I read a book. Although the tension and romance between the character really did come through and save the day. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this eARC!

This was an entertaining book, good concept and easy to read story. Definitely average and great for a quick easy read

Wanderlust is a cute story with a fun premise— two people that hardly know each other traveling the world together. I enjoyed the plot and getting to read about many different countries. Once the characters finally got together the chemistry was great! I did find myself wishing that the characters and relationships were fleshed out a bit more prior to the trip. I also wished there was an epilogue showing the relationship more after the trip. Overall, I think this was a fun read but I don’t think this one will stick with me for a long time. I am thankful to have received this ARC!

This was a super fun, light read that would be perfect for the beach or, even better, vacation! I loved both Dylan and Jack almost instantly and their chemistry sparked off the page even before they started to find common ground. While there were times I wished we could have gotten a bit more of the local flavor of the locales they visited on their trip, I thought that overall the narrative and character development were balanced well with giving sufficient page space to the experiences and locations that Dylan and Jack visited.

putting a bourdain quote at the beginning of your cartoon cover romance novel sure is a Choice. breezy airport fluff without much of anything behind it but i'm sure fans of that sort of thing will like it enough