I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed the first half of this book. The writing drew me in and I found the whole premise to be entertaining and promising. However, once the main characters started their trip, I felt the book started going downhill. The chemistry was lacking between them and them opening up to each other didn't feel natural, as they hated each other one moment and then were sharing secrets afterwards. Additionally, the book glossed over various portions of their trip, where a city/country only got a mention, but other places had whole chapters dedicated to it. Similar to how the author treated those places, I ended up skimming the last third of the book, as the climax and ending were predictable and quite frankly, boring.

<i>Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

[author:Elle Everhart]’s debut is light as a feather. The joys of [book:Wanderlust] are in its glimpses into the nine cities Dylan and Jack visit.

Dylan, overworked and under appreciated magazine writer calls in on a whim to a radio contest for a trip around the world – with the only catch being she has to go with whichever random person the radio station picks from her phone contacts. Months ago, Dylan and Jack met out at a bar, and sparks flew - but she never called. Naturally, it’s Jack who gets selected, and we set off on a whirlwind second chance romance.

Mostly, I wanted <i>more</i> – more of why Jack is such a crabby jerk (it’s hardly a big deal for someone not to call after a single drunken makeout sesh), more of why they fall for each other, more of Dylan’s motivations to get a column in her magazine (for someone who always just <i>knew</i> she wants to write, we never really know about what; travel writing seems like a happy accident).

Perfect for those looking to vicariously escape to some amazing places without too much drama.

[book:Wanderlust] by [author:Elle Everhart]
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5 rounded up
🌶️ 🌶️ The Mexico City tacos aren’t the only thing making Dylan see God
🤖🎸🎤 Robot cabaret?
🧳✈️🌏 Gave me itchy feet

Wanderlust was exactly the palate cleanser that I needed after all of the dark, heavy books I've been reading lately. It's fun and mostly funny, with some real life stressors thrown in. The main character, Dylan, wins an amazing, envy-inducing trip around the world with one catch - she has to travel with a randomly selected contact in her phone. Jack, the chosen contact, is someone she ghosted a while back. The dynamic between Dylan and Jack is reminiscent of Ali Hazelwood characters (Love on the Brain, The Love Hypothesis), although I ended up liking Dylan more than the male leads of those books.

This book made me want to do some extensive traveling - I was loving the descriptions of all the fun places that Dylan and Jack got to see. I give this book 3.5 stars, rounded up!

Thanks to NetGalley for the early access. This book hits shelves in early July.

This started off great for me. A writer who wins a round-the-world vacation with a random phone contact and the guy chosen is an attractive man who you made out once and then never contacted again? Yes, please.

By chapter 24, Dylan had crossed the line from “highly grating” to “I really dislike this character” - her immaturity, inability to take responsibility for her own actions and decisions, and putting off doing what’s difficult but right, and then the final clinch - laughing when Jack fell (I really don’t think people falling/whatnot is something to laugh at).

Jack has his own issues in this one too.


There’s not much chemistry here between the two that I could detect and the slow burn stopped being enjoyable when Dylan started actively deflecting coming clean to tell Jack something pertinent and important to his own life. I felt like adding this to the DNF list but took a night off, and started again the following day. I kept at it but I wasn't enjoying it any longer.

I think my issues with this one outweigh the positives, including that in some ways the novel was anticlimactic due to the loss of more in-depth round-the-world locale descriptions.

Fun travel romance. When winning a radio station contest clear all random hookups out of your phone or this could be your story... which I guess may not be terrible! This was an interesting (almost) strangers to lovers story and set on the world stage. Fun read and reminded me of many other romance novels I've read. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oh my, what a fantastic read!!! Wanderlust is a romantic comedy that’s so fresh and original!!!

Wanderlust centers around Dylan, who decides to enter a radio contest and ultimately wins a trip around the world!!! The catch is the radio station randomly selects a contact from her phone to call and ask to be her travel companion!!! As fate would have it, Jack is the random person selected. At first, Jack doesn’t ring a bell as anyone Dylan even knows!! It turns out Dylan and Jack met at a club months ago and Jack gave her his phone number in hopes they could go on a date and Dylan never called!! When the radio station asks Jack if he would be interested in traveling the world with Dylan he actually agrees!!! It was from this point that I knew I was “all in” and would be glued to my kindle for the foreseeable future!!!

Elle Everhart knocked my socks off with this gem! I really thought this romcom was going to be light and fluffy, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much depth was packed into this novel. In saying that, this novel isn’t heavy by any means, but I really enjoyed the layers that the characters peal back throughout the novel. I finished this 5 star book in record time. I was shocked to learn that this is Elle Everhart’s debut novel (because it’s just that good) and I’m so excited to see what she comes out with in the future!

The premise of Wanderlust is pretty fun and unique. Dylan is a writer for an online magazine, her boss is terrible and won't give her a column even though she wrote an article that went viral. On a particularly low day, Dylan enters a radio contest and wins a trip around the world. The catch is she has to go on a trip with a randomly selected person in her phone contacts. The contact chosen is someone named Jack, whom she cannot remember until the station gets on the phone with him. Apparently Jack was someone she met at a bar for a celebratory drink with her article getting published. They smashed faces and agreed to go on a date. But the next day Dylan's world imploded as she faced a backlash about the article where she shares her abortion story.

Jack agrees on the spot to attend the trip. Which, that's kind of weird because what about jobs and responsibilities? Whatever. Dylan tries to connect with Jack before the trip but he is pretty gruff. It's very much the sunshine/grump trope. But perhaps traveling the world these two may catch feelings for each other?

I appreciate the book for including social issues in this novel. I do wish there was more there, there.....I wanted more travel experience. I didn't really get a sense of Jack as a character. I would have loved more description of the night they met.

All in all, a fun and light read. Thank you Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review.

I love romantic comedies and this one was no exception. The vacation aspect of it had me wanting to take a trip. I loved this book so much.

The premise of this book was so unique and enjoyable. I love books where characters travel and I can live vicariously through them! Dylan and Jack are both very compelling characters- creative, a bit quirky, but also very much finding themselves as individuals. Lots of social issues are also delt with in this book, but in a non-weighty way that added conflict and character growth to the story, but didn't consume the story.
I'd categorize this book as a marvelous summertime vacation read!
Thanks #NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC.

Dylan and Jack’s relationship definitely did not get off to the right start, but watching these two get to know each other as they work towards their personal and career goals was incredible. The connection built up between the two over the course of the book is captivating and definitely swoony! The banter and jokes are hilarious! Definitely am entertaining read!
@rachelbookclub

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam's for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
Great premise, wish we had more background on the night the two MCs met, and I think the book would have benefited from Jack's POV. I didn't like Dylan for a lot of the book and didn't really sense a great chemistry between her and Jack. Best friend Gwen was a nice side character and I really liked that she called Dylan out when she pulled some stuff on Jack (no spoilers). Considering the title, I also would have liked more description of the places they visited - at times I felt like they could have been anywhere. Not a bad debut and I would definitely read more from this author in future.

I overall really enjoyed this book and thought it was very solid. The premise of the book gave me second hand anxiety because I do not think that I could ever put myself in the position of having someone pick a random contact in my phone to go on a trip with. The author does a good job of setting up the story and writing about all the different places that Dylan and Jack travel to. Although this is supposed to be a romance novel, I think it's more about figuring out a person's self worth and confidence. I liked that the author really built the friendship between Dylan and Jack before having them get together. It made the whole relationship all the more believable.

I will forgive: the idea of influencing, the male main character being named Jack (my brother's name is Jack so when a romance character has the name Jack it give me the ick), and the improbable circumstances because this book is a GEM. The main character is outspoken about her abortion and her bisexuality both at work and in her personal lives. The male MC accepts her for all of that. She deals with some very real family trauma as well as getting doxxed and he is pretty upfront about his trauma as well. The traveling cirumstance of this book felt respectful and fun, although improbable. The ending of this book made me squeal it was so sweet. Thank you to the author, Netgalley, and the Publisher for the ARC

This was a super fun read, so thank you Elle Everhart for the ARC! This story follows Dylan who is a writer for a popular UK magazine, Buxom. Well she was a writer, until she wrote a controversial article, and was demoted to doing puff pieces and quizzes. And honestly? She's sick of it.
One day while she's working, she is listening to the radio, and finds out that they're giving a free trip around the world to their number 10 caller. All they have to do is give them access to their phone, and travel with the person on their phone of their choice.
The first winner refused to give up her phone, so she didn't end up winning. Therefore, Dylan tries to call in herself. She doesn't care who they choose off of her phone. She ends up winning. When she gets to the Radio station, and they go through her phone, they choose someone named "Jack the Posho". The funny thing, she has no idea who he is. Eventually she realizes that he's the guy she ghosted. Of course it is.
Before she takes off for her trip, her boss gives her the chance to write a series about her travels, but she has to write it as a travel love story.
Once they actually start their trip, she realizes they could not be more different. She thinks that if she embellishes a little bit about their romance, it wouldn't be a big deal. Her boss promised her a permanent column if this series is a success! As her series becomes more popular, she starts to become closer to Jack. And she realizes she doesn't really want to share as much about their relationship. Not only that, but Jack doesn't want her to. Is getting her own column worth ruining her relationship with Jack?
This book was quick and easy to read. The writing was really good. I've never read this plotline before, so I will say that it was pretty unique compared to other rom-coms. My favorite character through this was Jack. He was sweet and completely relatable. While I enjoyed Dylan, I felt like she was very combative, and looking to make a conflict when there actually wasn't one. At least initially. I also felt like she was pretty selfish. I wish that they talked more about their travels. I think the book might have been better paced if they went to less places, so more can be written about each location. Overall, this book was a fun read, and I look forward to seeing what else Elle Everhart writes!

sadly this was a dnf for me…i found dylan to be frustrating and didn’t quite buy into their whole angry indifference. i think i needed a little more context at the start to really feel connected to the characters.

Gorgeous, lush, and romantic! As a world traveler myself this is exactly the kind of book I want to be reading! Will appeal to a wide variety of readers.

if you like,

● enemies to lovers (kinda)
●second chance romance
●one bed trope
● finding love while traveling

This was okay, I found my bored most of the time, the characters felt like cardboard, but they was still some funny parts.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for an eARC in exchange of a honest review.

If you are a fan of: forced proximity, enemies to lovers, opposites attract, travelers, and pining.... THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!!

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for allowing me to read this ARC.

Dylan Coughlan is a writer who is willing to do anything for her own column at her work. The perfect opportunity comes up when Dylan decides to ring into a radio competition. To her surprise, she wins a three week fully paid trip around the world. The catch, Dylan's travel partner is to be randomly selected from her contacts in her phone. The person who happens to be chosen is Jack the Posho, a man which Dylan accidentally ghosted. During the trip, Dylan is expected to write about the trip and her relationship with Jack. Dylan is willing to do whatever it takes to get her own column but she then gets stuck questioning if her work is more important than her relationship with Jack...

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK! I definitely judged a book by it's cover since I am a sucker for a pretty cover and was immediately sold with the traveling aspect. The synopsis was giving me People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry x Just My Type by Falon Ballard, which I loved both so much! Dylan and Jack together was just so great! I loved the built up tension between them! My favorite interactions between the two have to be in Sydney and Tokyo. Jack is just perfection and a dream man of mine! He reminded me a little of Charlie Lastra (YALL KNOW I LOVE THAT MAN SO MUCH). Besides, the love blossoming between Dylan and Jack, I really enjoyed the aspect of them talking about how they got into careers and if the career they are in is what they really want to do. NORMALIZE NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE AND CHANGING CAREER PATHS.

Although I REALLY loved this book, I felt robbed of more descriptions and encounters between Dylan and Jack in all the countries. Once it got towards the middle of the trip, the locations were just mentioned and nothing else!

While this was an enjoyable book, it did not stand out to me. I couldn't relate to any of the characters or the storyline. Maybe I just couldn't get past someone dropping everything to go on a vacation with practically a stranger. I needed more to get truly invested in this book. The main characters supposedly shared a kiss at a nightclub, but we really don't get much of that part of the story. Also, the lead female refers to herself as bi-sexual many times without going deeper into her feelings or backstory.

4.5*
I love reading.
I love traveling.
Wanderlust combined my two loves and became one of my favorite reads of 2023!

Strong-willed, contrary, spontaneous Dylan wins a radio contest for an all-expenses-paid trip around the world for two months. The caveat? The station gets to choose someone at random from her contacts list to go with her. When grumpy, uptight, planner Jack is chosen, Dylan barely remembers the “posho” she met while out one night that she never ended up calling. It is an absolute JOY watching Dylan and Jack navigate sharing a hotel room, exploring the world, and finding out more about themselves/each other and their places in the world.

This book really hits home how life-changing travel can be. One of my favorite quotes that I feel in the depths of my very soul is: “It felt silly, but she could feel the ways this had changed her. How it had opened her heart and her mind so that when she looked at the world, she was looking at everything with a completely new set of eyes.”

This book had the slowest of burns, but W O W, was it worth the wait when the slow burn burst into an inferno. 🔥

There are some tough subjects (abortion, cyber bullying, estranged relationships), but the author is real and writes about it so well.

P.S. Everyone needs a best friend like Gwen.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Elle Everhart for providing an ARC of this amazing book!