This book was a good read although it took me awhile to get through. The book spanned multiple timelines over the course of years. You got to see the group friendship dynamic at all the highs and lows. I thought it was realistic to having a set group of friends. Some of the characters were downright dislikeable and you just wanted to yell at them. There were some spelling and grammatical errors.

What a fantastic love/friendship story! This is my first book by this author and I fell in love with her writing. The way she portrayed the characters, introduced subtle nuances and then totally transformed them into something else is mesmerizing. I love how she started with Luke & Chloe's relationship, the dynamics of the friendship among the 6 of them and how it all changed with adulthood. I also like the fact that the author didn't shred that friendship into pieces when they grew up into adults and life got tougher. A definite and well-deserved 5-star.

Throughout this book, I couldn’t decide if this is the worst friend group or the most realistic.

The Group Trip follows Chloe as she goes on a trip with her friend group one year after essentially blowing it up when she refused her longterm boyfriend’s proposal. Despite being at a beautiful beach house with a perfectly planned itinerary, it doesn’t take long for things to go (more) wrong. Turns out everyone has secrets and no one is perfect (although some people are VERY much more flawed than others and possibly not deserving of as much grace as they were given IMO but I digress).

Avoiding spoilers, some bits worked for me, some bits did not, and ultimately I’d probably read the sequel so I guess I liked this dysfunctional found family more than I expected.

4.5/5 ⭐️

Thank you to Audrey Ingram and NetGalley for this ARC!

I didn’t see any trigger warnings for this book but I would exercise caution reading this if you are sensitive to books involving motherhood, postpartum depression, infertility, etc.

I was so excited to receive a galley of this book. I met and heard Audrey speak at an event for the VA Festival of the Book in February and purchased a copy of her first book - The River Runs South. It sounds amazing, but I haven't read it yet, but when she was talking about her second book, it struck a chord with me. When we left, my mom said - that reminds me of you and your friends. I was intrigued.

This book centers on a group of college besties, a group of six who are inseparable. They begin a tradition of a spring break trip their first year of college and 10 years later, are still carrying on the tradition. It is told in alternating time perspectives between current days and each of the 10 years between freshman year and present day. You see this group grow and change together. They experience some of life's biggest highs and lows together. They are friends that become family, but their are cracks in their foundations - the biggest being that Luke and Chloe's 10 year relationship ends.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was really relatable and it reminded me a lot of my own group of college friends and even post-college friends. The friends that become family aspect is so near and dear to my heart. But it's always changing and that really resonated with me. It was interesting to watch each of these characters develop and find their place within the group and the world. I have already recommended this book to several people!

Wow! 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5

I want to start by being very clear - I loved this book. But I wasn’t sure about it going in. In fact, I had several reservations. Despite those reservations - have I mentioned how much I hate third-person, present-tense narration in other reviews? - I found myself unable to put this book down. This was a beautifully told story about a group of friends navigating jealousies, secrets, and the complexities of adulthood in the wake of a major falling out.

It’s difficult to review this book in more depth without spoiling things, but here are a couple of quotes that I think apply to both the platonic and romantic relationships within the book:

“Love isn’t the absence of conflict. It’s important to fight for the things you deserve.”

“Loving a person isn’t enough. You have to figure out the love you need in return.”

Believe me, I highlighted so much more. (Is that the best measure of how well a book is loved?)

If I had any complaints, it seems like the resolutions for Chloe, Wyatt, and especially Luke were a little rushed.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the advanced reader copy of this book, provided in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Explore 'The Group Trip', a compelling tale tracing the lives of six college friends: Sloane, Alden, Chloe, Luke, Marianne, and Wyatt, as they transition from college pals to adults. When Luke proposes to Chloe, only to be rejected, their bond is shaken.

Sloane emerges as the group's leader, determined to repair their fractured relationships. Organizing a spring break trip, she hopes to revive their fading bond. Yet, time and emotional wounds cast doubt on their chances of reconciliation.

This narrative delves into friendship, love, self-discovery, forgiveness, and the challenges that relationships face in establishing their own identity. Each relationship is tested in different ways, exploring themes of infertility, motherhood, and professionalism. As they navigate life's complexities, each character harbors their own secrets, grappling with whether to share them with the group or keep them hidden.

'The Group Trip' evokes a sense of nostalgia, prompting readers to reminisce about their own past friendships and cherish their current ones. With poignant moments that tug at the heartstrings, this book elicits tears and laughter, leaving readers eager for a second dive into this literary treasure.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for an advanced copy of this book in an exchange for my honest review.

This was a book about six friends and the ups and downs of their lives. I enjoyed this book and getting to know the characters. This is a great summer read. I look forward to more books by Audrey Ingram.

I loved this book...I have never read anything by Audrey Ingram and I cannot wait to find her next book. This is a story about 6 lifelong friends who met in college and became inseparable. Fast forward to 9 years later when they are all living separate, but still intertwined lives and they reconnect on a group trip. They have so much history and while tensions are at an all time high ( I don't want to spoil anything), they need to find a way back together. Such a fun beach read!

Chloe and her group of friends have been friends since college. They’ve endured and weathered some big life changes and are getting together for a reunion type group trip. But people in the group have secrets. And after a messy failed proposal between Chloe and Luke, tensions are high.

Overall, this was a decent read, but I found there to be a general lack of character development and the characters all seemed a little two dimensional to me. I also found Luke insufferable (lol) he’s been cheating on his ex almost fiancé for the better part of a decade and flips his lid when she doesn’t want to marry him. I think this book had so much potential given the setting and premise but it fell flat for me.

Once I read a book in 24 hours, I consider it a good book. Like The Group Trip.

The story is about six friends, a group with six different personalities, and two couples. From the moment the group get to know each other at university, they experience different things over the course of a decade, growing up to adulthood. Due to circumstances, the group falls apart for a year and they try to find each other again during a luxury holiday week. Ofcourse there will be a lot of drama. The story is well constructed, starts with a proloque and then switches between the present and the past (with a year moving forward) until you reach the point where only from the present is told.
This story did a lot to me, the mutual friendship that is well thought out, the emotions that come with friendship and relationships but also difficult and painful topics that many adults from the age of late 20/30 can struggle with.

A catchy, fast paced and well thought story!

Thank you NetGallery for the ARC of this book.

Well written novel that tells the story of friendship throughout years through the ups and Downs

Could definitely resonate with it in my various groups of friendships throughout my lifetime!

This is a very engaging story of a group of friends who met in college and try to stay close throughout the following decade. The timeline jumps around, but isn’t hard to follow. I liked each of the characters except Luke, but he was written well. Sometimes their voices blended, but I suppose that can be expected from close friends. The topic of infertility is discussed in a meaningful way. Chloe comes across a bit too self-deprecating, and sacrifices a lot of herself for too long, but I was glad that she gets the happy ending she deserves.
Thanks #Netgalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this spawling novel about friendships across decades. Six uni friends go away for a trip to mend their friendships after two of the group had split up the previous year throwing group dynamics out of whack. It's a very well plotted exploration about the changing nature of friendships as people grow up. The characters are all well-drawn and the story well paced. A great read.

I was so excited to read The Group Trip. No spoilers ahead! This story spans a decade of relationships between college friends, Sloane, Alden, Chloe, Luke, Marianne and Wyatt. When Chloe and Luke end their relationship, the groups secrets unfold, and the question is will they grow together or apart? It is full of twists and an in-depth look at the characters and their relationships. This book is well written, compelling and you find yourself rooting for each of the characters.

If you are looking to find a book that is witty, complex and explores the triumphs and lows of friendships, this book is for you!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC The Group Trip. This review is my honest opinion.

Since Ingram’s debut “The River Runs South” was one of my favorite reads of 2023, I was stoked to get an advanced copy of “The Group Trip” (shout out to Alcove Press and NetGalley!). The Group Trip definitely lives up to my high expectations. The characters all had such a depth to them. The story was intricately woven and tied in the full story line. It was powerful to get a view of the friend group over time - it was much more than just a group trip, and I’ll be recommending this book all year!

Such a fun summer read! Very reminiscent of Happy Place, so if you’re looking for found family, a beach setting/annual friends trip, and lots of drama, this is the perfect read for you. This book comes out August 6 and I would definitely recommend picking it up - this is the perfect book to bring to the beach! I loved reading about each of the friends and their own struggles as they transition from college to the real world. This was a very realistic depiction managing friendships into adulthood while also being an entertaining read.

Six friends who meet in college decide to take a vacation together. They come together as they see where life has taken them.

Six friends who meet in college navigate life's challenges big and small while attempting to hold on to their friendships. When a refused proposal fractures their group, they attempt to rebuild by taking a vacation together. They reminisce while learning to navigate their new normal a la Happy Place. A great story of friendship and the choice to love your friends as they change and grow.

Interesting relationship drama about what happens when a couple in a friend group breaks up and how that breakup impacts all the friendships. The story is told thru time hopping from current day back thru the years of the group and what led to the breakup. In current time, the group gathers for a vacation in Florida which the hostess is hoping leads to a reunification of the couple. Lots of secrets and drama unfolds during the story. I found the story interesting and well told and would recommend it.

Thank you Alcove Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I was initially attracted to the title, cover, and storyline but this one didn't necessarily work for me. It wasn't terrible but I imagine I won't remember it either. In full disclosure, I have had an adult group trip to 30A go to complete shit and maybe I have some salted memories from that experience. I think what might not have worked for me could work for others. I got sucked out of this one real quick and couldn't get past my issues. I really couldn't see how this group could realistically move forward in life without some sort of give and take within these relationships. The pressure to continue to do all these group trips like you're still in college and don't have adult responsibilities is wild to me. A group text full of hilarious memes and witty jokes is a great way to stay connected in my opinion, plus the occasional gathering. And don't get me started how they all lived together that one time. The demands of one of the friends was too much - who died and put you in charge girl? I would not continue to enable that type of behavior. She needs some therapy.

If you enjoy light reads that extend over a decade that centers around a history of friendship - good, bad, ugly - this could be a good match for you. Even writing this I am wondering if I am missing the whole point of the book. Relationships are messy but I didn't connect with this mess or this group. I think this is a total case of it is not the book, it is me.