As I have mentioned before, I don't read a lot of romance novels but something about this book intrigued me.

Heather has just graduated from Amherst college. She will be starting a job as an investment banker in the fall. Until then, she is going to enjoy her last summer free from responsibilities, traveling around Europe with her two best friends, Constance and Amy.

They have been enjoying their first few weeks traveling. Heather loves Paris and doesn't want to leave. Now the friends are on to the next leg of their trip, and the crowded train headed for Amsterdam changes everything for Heather.

"Could you hold this?"

At first Heather doesn't realize someone is talking to her, but when he asks again she looks up and into the eyes of a very handsome stranger. He wants her to hold his bag so he can climb up and have a nap....in the baggage rack. He even uses a bungee cord to strap himself in.

He tells her his name is Jack before he heads off to sleep. Heather continues reading but steals glances at him as he sleeps. When Jack wakes up a little later, they have their first conversation. It starts out well but then takes a quick turn for the worse, with him thinking she's pretentious and her thinking he's a condescending jerk. They make up, almost argue again... both seeming to enjoy the banter between them. All too quickly the train pulls into the station. After sharing a moment on the platform, they head off but make plans to meet up at a party later that evening.

Jack is from Vermont and is visiting various cities around Europe, following a path his grandfather once took. The journey is outlined in an old journal belonging to his grandfather. He wants to see the places that gave his grandfather hope after the ugliness of war.

After a very special night and magical morning. Heather wonders if Jack really is who he claims to be. She feels like there are things he's not telling her. She realizes she doesn't even know his last name. Jack is a fly by the seat of his pants sort. Seizes the day. A spontaneous free spirit. Heather likes to have fun but she's more of a planner, and likes to stick to a schedule. There's also the fact that Jack's a bit judgemental about her career plans and has made a few passive aggressive remarks.

She's crazy about him. But after such a short time? Maybe for once in her life she doesn't have to have everything figured out.

Or will his secrets change everything?

I thought the character development was great. Heather's relationship with her girlfriends was heartwarming. I liked how Heather stuck up for herself with Jack, but she could also see when she may have overreacted. She came across as very well-balanced. I could see how Heather could fall for Jack right away. Not just good-looking, but funny and charming, though of course he wasn't perfect.

"Insta-love" is something that usually doesn't work for me. However, I found myself wondering if MAYBE it wasn't quite so "Insta". In the beginning there were times I was frustrated at some of the actions of certain characters. But I stopped over-thinking it, and got pulled into this budding romance. I had to see what was going to happen next.

So will Heather be able to deal with Jack's go with the flow, Livin' La Vida Loca style? Will she stick with her life plan or throw out her expensive Smythson day planner altogether? And what about Jack? What secrets is he keeping? Will it destroy this new and somewhat fragile relationship?

I guess you'll have to read the book to find out!

This book surprised me...in many ways. Is it a bit predictable? Maybe. Did I care? No, not really. I'm not sure how I felt about the ending but this really was a good read. The descriptions of the places traveled were fantastic. The beautiful places they visited, at times it felt like I was actually there. In Paris, I could smell the food cooking in the restaurants. My stomach growled at the descriptions of what they were eating or the wine and expensive vodka they were drinking. I could feel the wind as they were speeding down the autobahn.

Overall, I thought this was an endearing novel with intriguing characters and an enjoyable plot.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an advanced copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Heather and Jack chance meeting while both on a train to Europe and feel an instant connection. Heather is on a tour of Europe with her two best gal friends who have all graduated college and want to have one last big trip together before going their separate ways with jobs. What starts out as a flirtation turns into so much more than either Jack or Heather anticipate.

These two were meant to be together though fate and circumstances beyond their control keep putting up road blocks. Heather is a bookworm who always tries to plan things, plans to soon become an Investment Banker with the help of her Dad and is often realistic about life in general.

Jack on the other hand is following a journey that his Grandpa did and wrote about after coming back from World War II and he hopes to find a direction though some of the details of the trip are purely guesswork.

I didn't like how Jack left things before Heather and him were to head back to New York and start a life together as it seemed cruel and had no real reason at the time. My heart ached for Heather who tried her best to keep busy and go through the motions while dealing with a broken heart and wondering why Jack decided to mysteriously disappear without a word. It's not until about six months later at one of her best friend's weddings that she learns what may have happened and it was quite the shock. I was crying by the end of the book and it just left me floored.

This book was one of the best I've read so far this year but also left me frustrated with how it ended. I really hope that there's a sequel to this because the moment I came to the last page, I told myself that it couldn't end like that!

If you enjoy books about taking road trips, finding love, adventure, heartache and the sometimes painful ways of growing up, you'll really enjoy this book! I can't wait to see what J.P. will write next!

What a great romance. Loved the plot and characters.

The Map That Leads to You is wildly romantic, it was simply a book a wanted to jump into. The imagery was so vivid I felt as if I was there! Gosh, I wish I was as bold and brave as Heather at her age. A book that lingers in your thoughts and in your heart long after you are through.

I am quite conflicted about this book because I had such high expectations. First, I was lured in by the beautiful cover and the fact it had some pretty good reviews already. Plus it was blurbed by Nicholas Sparks, so it has to be good right? Well… as soon as I cracked this open and got maybe about a couple of chapters in I realized that the writing style of this wasn’t going to work so well for me. It just didn’t flow, and I kept finding myself thinking it was all a bit too choppy. But at that point, I was still interested in the characters and seeing where the story went, so I pushed through.

So the quick gist of this is a story about Heather, who just graduated college and she’s going on a trip through Europe with her two best friends before going back home and starting her job in Corporate America. While on a train to Amsterdam she meets Jack. He’s spontaneous and has such witty charm. He’s traveling following in the footsteps of his grandfather, based on a journal he kept. And of course their instant love affair begins. Yes, consider this insta-love but that wasn’t even the thing that I had to struggle with the most.

The travel aspect of this was really neat. I loved the concept of Jack retracing his grandfathers journal and seeing the same things that he had written about. It gave his journey a wonderful, deep meaning and I was really into that. I liked how that became an important part of their travels instead of just a couple of young kids wanting to travel through Europe sightseeing. But after about the 25% mark, that might’ve been the only thing that I kept enjoying because everything else was making me a little stabby.

Aside from the writing style issue, which mind you didn’t get any easier for me as the book went on, I quickly developed a dislike for the characters. No, a dislike mainly for Jack. I didn’t feel one way or the other for Heather, she was ok most of the time. But Jack would get on my nerves repeatedly because his attitude was always a bit too unrealistic. The fighting and making up about the same issue would get annoying. He would put Heather down for wanting to go back home to her 9-5 because according to him she was giving up the freedom of traveling the world and seeing everything. *insert realistic person eye roll here* I knew there had to be a big something that was the reason why he acted like an idiot most of the time.

And here comes my biggest issue with this book! So there’s a big “twist” in the end. And maybe this is all me here because I was trying to rationalize Jack’s behavior for most of the book because he was annoying me so much, but… The twist is revealed at around 90% or so in the book, but sadly I saw that coming from a mile away (most of the book). By the time it’s revealed all I was left with was a big “I knew it! Told you so, and you’re still an asshole!” instead of the intended tears and heartache. I feel like taking that away leaves this book even a bit more mediocre for me. But also left me even more annoyed because I feel like this “twist” was used for shock value to get people to be moved to tears in the end and maybe forget about some of the other mishaps throughout the story. Add in to that the ending is so abrupt I honestly thought I was missing a few pages or an epilogue.

THE MAP THAT LEADS TO YOU was just a big ‘ol cliché and it just did not work for me.

The Human Experience

This book captures the richness of the human experience, magnifying the emotional intensity, and all the complexities of love. This book was an experience in and of itself. It was in many ways, a welcome intrusion I unknowingly craved.

The 'narration' at the start of the chapters was a nice addition: often insightful observations, very similar to the narration in films. I love narration in films. The writing, and all its descriptions, were spectacularly vivid. I could almost see it as though it were a film. I wish more books were written like this one!

The characters, all of them, were so well written. The story welcomed them, they were perfectly included- not just for the sake of it, as so often is the case. Friendships described and captured, the understanding that only comes from people who know each other so well and, the turmoils that only brought them closer. Feelings of sweet nostalgia, bitter yearning, of the 'might have beens.' This is a definite must be read. Jack and Heather are the new Noah and Allie, the new Augustus and Hazel.

This was a beautiful love story, genuine and rich in its story telling. I loved it, the dialogue- especially at the beginning- made me so happy. Jack was so unlike any other character you've ever read- warm and considerate but still so very human. I liked his presumptuous nature, his confidence-all of the characters possessed this confidence, which is usually so rare in romance novels. I judged Jack's thirst for experiences, before all else, as selfish. I was so very wrong.

This is a unique story, I was reminded of Nicholas Sparks' A Walk to Remember. But I feel this, in the wide scope of emotions it covered, the energy it possessed- its depth- was more mature. I like them both equally.

I received this book through NetGalley.

I choose to read The Map that Leads to You by J.P. Monninger, you will find the books on bookstores tomorrow, because there are elements I found fascinating.

There is a young man of 28 years traveling through Europe with his friend and following the places his grand-dad touched a lot of decades ago. A precious journal this one of Jack's relative and kept as a relic. Jack is from a little town in Vermont and he is a revolutionary spirit.

Apart this, the story of three American girls Heather, Constance and Amy who, after their graduation from Amherst decide to visiting Europe in the so-called grand tour touching the most important and relevant European countries and cities, intriguing.
Museums, new friends, some relaxation before of the official entrance in every sense in real life and work of these rich, wealthy girls.

They are in a train when Heather meets for the first time Jack and it's love at first sight.

A rebel, Jack is a reporter for a little reality of Vermont but now, he confesses to the girl decided to stop for some while and to following the map of this old journal, plenty of suggestions, places to visit.

Heather doesn't imagine that this fatal encounter will be her destiny. Through Europe, and in particular to Paris the two fall in love and Heather find the determination of telling to her parents that she will return home with a boyfriend.

After all Constance is now truly taken by Jack's friend.
Her parents are a bit skeptical but... OK.
Just...Jack can't be found.
Jack disappears like a phantom.

Months passed by and Heather feels a profound sadness.
Why Jack left her so abruptly?
Constance in the while tell her she will marry Raef and Raef later will tell her something crucial.

The trips of Heather in Europe are not yet finished...

The book is written very well. The narrative part is shockingly beauty, deep, profound, and I appreciated it for descriptions, intensity of places and situations.

It's a very quick reading thanks to the frequent dialogues.
I admit that this mix of narration and dialogues is fluid and the reader will finish the book in a very brief time.

Highly recommended.

I thank NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for the ebook.

I am sorry. I did not enjoy this book. I do not like to post bad reviews. I know I should. I do not want the damage the author's hard work based on my opinion. It is just an opinion.

This has been a busy week, but I had a slow and easy book to read when days got too chaotic and long. The Map That Leads to You by J.P. Monninger was released this week, and it is a great escape read. It is heavy on the romance and big on the tears. So, basically, if you like Nicholas Sparks, this is a book that you will love.

The novel follows a group of three girlfriends who go on a European adventure upon graduating from college. But, the novel primarily focuses on Heather. Heather is an organized, controlled, structured, ambitious woman on this big adventure before she enters her grown-up real-world finance job. She is taking the trip with her best friends, and I enjoyed reading about their relationship.

But, this book isn’t about their friendship. This book is about falling hard and fast for a man named Jack she meets on the train to Amsterdam. This book is a dialogue book. In other words, most of the novel is told through conversations between characters – primarily through the dialogue between Heather and Jack. It is sweet and romantic, but it is also steamy and frustrating. Jack is the opposite of Heather. He is spontaneous and struggles with the concept of being stuck in one place at one job. So, there are multiple bumps in their European love journey.

I will give on *hint* - Heather loves Hemingway. It comes up often. I love Hemingway. But, I admit I love Hemingway because he is depressing, so…

If you like books about travel, love, adventure, and some sap, then this is the book for you. It was just what I needed this week, and I bet you will agree.

Well, I don't think I have to beat around the bush in my review about what this book is about. The cover and the title illustrate perfectly that The Map That Leads to You is about that chance meeting between two people and for whatever reason the stars align and a journey begins. So, I definitely cannot cry " Damn you insta-love!" Frankly, because that is not exactly how the story unfolds.

In this case, we have Heather, a recent college graduate, backpacking across Europe with her two besties- the spirited Amy and the very grounded Constance, just enjoying the carefree last days of youth before entering the" real world." While on a train to Amsterdam, Heather meets Jack, a late twenty something journalist retracing the post WWII travels of his grandfather. Sparks of both passion and annoyance intrigue Heather enough to want to get to know the enigmatic Jack. The dialogue between the two is reminiscent of Dawson's Creek, but where I thought this would be rather nauseating, I felt myself plunging headlong into the story.

Because this isn't a mushy romance, Jack and Heather have their ups and downs in many different countries. As much as they love, the two also fight and Heather feels that Jack just doesn't "get her." Heather is conflicted in her feelings for Jack because he doesn't fit in the plan Awww... the plan! Education= Job= Marriage= Heather with the baby carriage. Instead, Jack pushes Heather's buttons and challenges her ideals and career. But Heather is no push over( Hallelujah!!) and the trip becomes about the soul searching of what she really wants. Can Heather break free of her parent's expectations and throw caution to the wind? Or is Jack supposed to be part of the "journey" and not the "destination?"

Now if I cannot sell you on the romance, let me tell you the other reason that I LOVED this book. The travel! Amsterdam, Paris,Berlin, and all the places in between? Oh my! Trust me, it will make you grab your passport and check out all the places described. But for now you can just live vicariously through the characters. Hands down, author J.P. Monninger has written one of the most beautiful descriptions of Paris.

Paris is the cupped hand of a woman accepting a match light from a man at a small round table under a chestnut tree thirty minutes before a rainstorm.

*STANDING UP AND CLAPPING* I unashamedly admit that lines like that seduce me. Consider me successfully wooed!

The third little gem of the book is the relationship between Heather and her two best buds- Amy and Constance. I liked how they were there for each other and how their sub-stories were fleshed out. Each of them was changed by their European adventures- for better or for worse. Early on, I was wondering why Monninger would choose to have three girls because Amy was cut out of the story for a bit. I saw later on that she was a bit of a cautionary tale which gives the story a bit of an edge amidst all the romance.

But before I leave my review, it would probably be useful to explain why this failed as a five. The thing is, I didn't enjoy the last 20% of the book (albeit I can see why we needed to go through unhappy Heather because she has the ultimate decision to make), but I HATED that ending. Ironically, I think I would have still hated it, if Monninger had gone the other route. It felt a bit predictable- a little more Cameron Crowe or Nicholas Sparks than I had anticipated.

So, Okay. I don't know what to say, or write, because I finished this book at about 1am and couldn't sleep afterwards. What in the world? The story of Jack and Heather ripped out my heart from my soul, or vice versa. It is too much. I don't want to do any spoilers. Please I implore people to read this. Oh. My. God. I need someone to tell me it will be okay. The irony? It is that we have real people with stories like this. This is epic. The diction, and the imagery the author used was so beautiful. The similes and metaphors flow like poetry. The alliterations read like music. This is a classic writing, and the story burrows deep in one's being. That's all I am going to write.

Poignant, compelling and endearingly romantic!

This is a coming-of-age story about friendship, responsibility, independence, and first love all wrapped up in a beautiful travel guide to some of the most breathtaking historical landmarks, monuments, and cities in Europe.

The characters are young, enthusiastic, and adventurous. The prose is clear and precise. And although the plot in the first half of the novel is a little slow, the second half is definitely much more intense, angsty, emotional, and drama-filled with an ending that will definitely have you shedding a few tears.

Overall, I think this novel will be a big success and really appeal to teens and young adults and even though I think I'm a little older than the target demographic I found it intriguing, unique and wonderfully descriptive.

Thank you to NetGalley, especially St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

In the prologue of her debut novel, The Map That Leads to You, J.P. Menninger describes perfectly the feelings of three friends, part of a fresh batch of college graduates, whose hopes and excitement at being finally on their way to independence and adulthood, sit side by side with a slight fear of newfound responsibility. A picture is taken, freezing the moment in time.
One moment in four years. It captures everything. In a matter of weeks, you will all be in Europe for what used to be called the grand tour; you will be traveling and kicking ass all across the old countries, but for now, in this instant, you are on the verge of everything. And your mother saw it, and caught it, and you cannot glance even once at that picture without knowing your three hearts are linked together and that in a crazy world each of you has two things— two pure and limitless things— that she can count on for today and every day forward.
And Europe is where this story truly starts, on a crowded and stifling train to Amsterdam. Heather, Monninger’s young traveler, dowses herself in the mood of an intellectual’s journey by reading Hemingway on her iPad. This smells of predictable platitude, the college graduate on an European trip reliving The Sun Also Rises, but Monninger knows this, and so does Heather. It’s perhaps a slight insight into her slight naiveté and how dangerously close to conformity.
But then Heather meets Jack, the impossibly handsome tall guy that takes Heather’s head and loins out for a spin the very moment their eyes lock. She objectively recognizes the futility of falling for someone she just met on a train in a foreign country, but there is something about Jack that mirrors her desire to live through experiences, but at the same time testing her notions of security and what she thinks she wants in life.
As the train moves towards Amsterdam, Jack and Heather fall into a pattern of humorous banter, that at times can become a tad irritating. Jack is the proverbial free-spirited bohemian, who left a career in journalism to follow his grandfather’s footsteps across Europe à la Karouac, his beatnik namesake, with a leather bound journal as a map. We almost expect him to blurt out a quote from On the Road, such as: “Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.” But no, Jack prefers to follow Heather and Hemingway, and it’s undeniable that Papa is there for the ride. Heather truly doesn’t know what to make of Jack at times, but recognizes in him a freedom she wants for herself but stubbornly refuses to acknowledge.

Heather’s best friends and her companions on this European journey, Amy and Constance, are as different from Heather as they are from each other. Constance is the serious but beautiful scholar, who is fascinated by religious icons and texts, who sees Europe as a learning curve. Amy is the wild one, libertine party goer who doesn’t miss a beat, club or random guy on sight. This ultimately costs her an early journey back home, leaving Constance and Heather with Jack and his Aussie friend Raef, who has begin to fall for Constance already.
The Map That Leads to You could easily be another coming-of-age syrupy novel, but Monninger ups the stakes with glimpses that there may be more to Jack’s motivations behind the journey. As the group moves from Amsterdam, to Berlin, to Prague and then eventually to Paris, aspects of Jack’s life start revealing themselves. However, Heather still can’t quite decipher his adverse reactions to her future life in New York City and her new job as an investor for Bank of America. After a fencing lesson that leads to an erotic entanglement against a wall, and arguments that threaten to undo their rapid liaison, Jack unexpectedly reveals his plan of going to New York, much to Heather’s surprise.
And it’s here where Monninger delivers an unexpected blow, because as Constance decides to bail on her planned post-college life and fly with Raef to Australia, Heather and Jack make their way to Charles de Gaulle, in love and in expectation of whatever awaits them in New York. But as Jack excuses himself for a quick trip to the men’s room, and Heather distracts herself on her iPad, he never comes back. Heather’s frantic search for Jack in Charles de Gaulle is one of the most emotional scenes in the book, and we can feel her despair and disbelief in the face of Jack’s abandonment: “I did not permit myself the luxury of searching the faces of my fellow passengers for Jack. I didn’t pass any longing looks toward the front of the plane. He was not coming; he did not come; he did not want me after all.”
Heather has no choice but to board the plane to New York alone, with only Jack’s grandfather’s journal which he has strangely left behind. Her visceral reaction is to ask the flight attendant to throw it in the trash, only to immediately regret it and request her assistance to dig it out of the trash again.
The second half of the novel is written at a slower pace. We witness every phase of Heather’s life upon her return and her desperation to somehow live her life and forget Jack. But every date is a disaster, and Heather begins to rely to heavily on both work and drinking to pass the days without thinking of “He-Who-Will-Not-Be-Named.” Constance and Amy try to help, but Constance’s own happiness and Amy’s growing maturity seem to get in Heather’s way of feeling some sort of relief in the face of being unceremoniously abandoned by the man she thought was her “one.”
As the novel moves on, and Heather realizes that the only way to get closure is to find an explanation, we get closer to knowing the reason for Jack leaving. The end makes for a shocking revelation, but Monninger proves that when love is real, hope may not be far behind.

I think almost every fresh graduate has had that fantasy of backpacking through Europe with friends, and The Map That Leads to You is a nice travel piece if you don't get to cash in on that fantasy!

Heather is traveling across Europe with her friends when she meets Jack and her whole world changes. Jack is traveling Europe too, guided by a map given to him by his grandfather. As the reader might expect, Jack and Heather fall in love as they're travel paths cross. There's some insta-love here, but I thought it fit the young adult age group. First loves can make you fall hard and fast, and Heather and Jack are cute together.

There's plenty of drama going on and Heather and Jack's relationship grows. Unfortunately, their relationship takes a major detour, and it isn't until late in the book that Heather finds out the truth with the help of the map. While I thought most of the story was a bit predictable, I did like Heather's girlfriends. I thought they added something unexpected to the story.

Overall, this was just an "okay" reading experience for me. There were parts in the dialogue where I had trouble following who was speaking and it took a while to get into the story. The ending was just too abrupt for me and needed something more.

I do think this story will appeal to the young adult reader.

An ARC was provided for review.

The feels in this book was amazing. I loved the story concept as well as the character build. It was a stunning tale that I could not put down!

*I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

5 "Ineffable" Stars!!!

I want to start off by saying that I'm going into this review with no intentions of giving anything away. Nope, not happening. This book deserves to be read. This book is much more than the words written on its pages. The book deserves to be savored. One of the things I loved the most about this book was the visualization in which the author wrote this beautiful story. It felt as if I was right there traveling through Europe with Jack and Heather. It was sensational and lively and just beautiful.

"It is the last great minute before he walks into your life, but you don’t know that, can’t know. Later, though, you will try to imagine where he was in this exact instant, when he had turned and started to travel toward you, you to him, and how the world around both of you took no notice. Your life would not be the same, but that was all waiting, all up in the air, all fate and chance and inevitability."

Jack and Heather. Heather and Jack. Doesn't matter how you say it, they are, and will always complete each other. Experiencing their love was stunning and whimsical and awe-inspiring. When you think about soul mates, and how they say there's someone out there for everyone, Jack and Heather make you believe it's real. (yes, I know they're fictional characters, but they're very real to me) Jack and Heather were epic. They were bliss. They were unforgettable.

"If I had gone shopping for a guy who fit me, and all the men from my history had been hanging on a dress rack in a well-lit shop, I would have picked Jack every single time. I could have held him up to me, taken one glance in a mirror, and known he’d fit me."

'The Map That Leads to You' swept me away. It transported and took me on a journey and I didn't want it to end. And even though I know it had to end, Jack and Heather will always be with me, forever. I can't stop thinking about them. Or this story and the writing. Oh, the writing was just superb. This book, this book was glorious and sensational. A book that I'll cherish and keep on my shelf as one of my favorites.

Read this book! I implore you, please read this book! Take a trip to Europe without leaving your house. Fill your soul with magnificent writing. And most importantly, let your heart fall in love with Jack and Heather.

Constance, Amy, and Heather have just graduated from Amherst and are off on a tour of Europe. When they return, Heather will start a job in investment banking.

The girls are all having a good time and then on a train heading to Amsterdam, Heather meets Jack. At first, she is not too impressed by him but quickly changes her mind. His friend takes a liking to Constance. Amy is more of a free spirit ready to grab excitement where she can.

In Amsterdam, they experience different things visiting parties, and fun sites. Jack shows Heather an old journal that his grandfather kept when he made his way back to the U.S. from Europe after the war. He noted many places he saw and his impression of them. Jack has been on a mission to try and retrace his grandfather’s footsteps across Europe. Before long, Jack and Heather fall in love. Their hearts are one and Jack is going home with Heather at the end of the summer. From there, they will talk marriage. Their love is deep and beautiful and one that should last forever.

I cannot give out any more here for that would ruin the story for readers. Suffice to say that this book just keeps getting better and better. I loved it and I have to say that you must read this book. But do keep some tissues nearby for you are going to need them.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I'll be honest in saying it took a bit for me to get into the story but once that happened, I couldn't read fast enough. I hesitate to say too much about the book for fear of giving anything away. I really liked the characters and particularly liked the friendship between the main female lead and her two friends. I found myself laughing one moment, then sobbing the nest. The character as well as the reader go on an emotional journey.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, my review has been voluntarily submitted.

This story is absolutely beautiful! I finished the ARC via NetGalley in one day and could not put it down, mostly because I just had to know how it would end. My emotions are still all over the place, in a good way, because of this story!

First off, I am usually not a fan of insta-love, but in this book it works perfectly!!! The crossing of lives between Heather & Jack on a train ride to Amsterdam changes their life course indefinitely along with their current travel plans. The hilarious, intelligent banter between Heather and Jack just has you falling in love with them from their first conversation.

If you have always dreamed of backpacking through Europe with your girlfriends or have experienced it then this is the book for you! "To understand the world, you needed to see the world." This is just one of my fave quotes from the book. This book would make a great gift to a recent college graduate especially someone about to begin a world journey. Thank you J.P. Monninger for this novel, I am already wanting a second read and I just finished this book last night!

This is one of those unforgettable stories that is going to stay with me for a long time. In fact, I dreamed about it after I finished reading it so it's safe to say I have a book hangover this morning. I couldn't put this book down. I loved the premise: Heather and her two best friends travel around Europe for several weeks and she meets the love of her life, Jack.

My favorite thing about this book is how vivid a picture the author painted of Europe. I could truly envision myself there; the sights, smells and sounds came across so beautifully on the page. Jack and Heather don't expect or mean to fall in love but they do. It's beautiful but difficult at times and that's what made it believable. These are well developed, complex characters and their story is incredibly romantic, honest and gut-wrenching. I felt an entire range of emotions while reading this book and it was so different from anything I've read. It's happy and sad and if you don't cry by the end of this book you're not human.