I love Beths previous books so I was thrilled to be given the chance to read this one. and it did not disappoint. The story follows two ex's who are forced to take a road trip together, as usual it was filled with poignant and hilarious moments and I stormed through it. Highly recommend.

I think this is one of those books I will have to read again in the future because my current review is biased by comparing it to The Flatshare and The Switch.
I loved the characters in the previous two books but I couldn't connect to the characters in the Road Trip.
I appreciated that they were flawed but I also felt them a bit forced.
I liked the two timelines but I felt that there was less humour and I missed it.
Beth O'Leary's books always mixed very serious themes like abuse or grief with humour and the mix worked wonderfully.
This time it didn't always worked for me.
This is a good novel but I had very high expectations and I feel as I got a good novel but not at the same level of the previous ones and this is the reason why i think that I will re-read it in the future so I won't compare it to the Flatshare/The Switch.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Such a fun read! Definitely one which will leave you happier than before you read it.

Addie and Deb are heading to a friend's wedding in Scotland; they have the playlist sorted, the snacks all packed and are going to have fun! Until, that is, another car rear-ends them which turns out to be driven by Addie's ex, Dylan - the one man she really didn't want to bump into again. As luck would have it, they are heading to the same wedding and while the sisters' car is undamaged the other vehicle gets towed away leaving Dylan and Marcus with no transport and the girls with no option but to squeeze them all into their car. Only 400 miles to go . . .

Having previously read two novels by Beth O'Leary, I knew to expect a humorous read and this one fits the bill perfectly. There is such a lot going on and it's only a matter of time before the elephant in the room (car?) - Addie & Dylan's past - comes to the fore. That's not all, of course; this author weaves together so many threads that there is never a dull moment. How I would love to have Deb's car - it survives everything! With a wonderful cast of well-developed characters and a fun storyline, there are plenty of ups and downs along the way. Very entertaining and uplifting, this is one I definitely recommend. 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

I’ll begin by saying that this wasn’t quite the heart fluttering will/they romance I was expecting, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t good. Sometimes it’s a nice change to not have that much over the top romance thrown at you. This book goes a little deeper than just your standard romance.

It alternates between the points of view of Addie and Dylan, from the ‘Now’ when they are on the road trip together and the ‘Then’ which explores how they first met and what happened to cause them to part ways.

The ‘Now’ parts were very funny. They are all stuck in this tiny car together which makes for some very awkward moments and they all experience some rather hilarious moments.

However I definitely preferred the ‘Then’ chapters. It was fascinating to see how they met and fell in love – the beautiful setting of France helped too! Whilst the ongoing romance is just lovely, I love how the author also covered some important topics such as drug use and sexual assault. I feel it gave the book more depth and really showed how all these characters went on a ‘journey’ essentially….not just in the car.

Marcus is Dylan’s best friend and is one of the characters who is heavily involved in the reason why Dylan and Addie break up. I will admit I did not like him at all. He was frustrating, annoying and at times I wanted to scream at Dylan to just tell Marcus to get lost. But as mentioned above, this is the other part to the book and brings home the message that each character is struggling with something yet their close friends choose not to dessert them.

Overall this is another lovely story from Beth O’leary, it’s funny, thought-provoking and a heartwarming romance.

Beth O'Leary is one of my favourite authors so I was delighted when I was approved for an ARC of 'The Road Trip'.

'The Road Trip' tells the story of exes Addie and Dylan, who are forced into a road trip together on their way to a mutual friend's wedding after not having seen or spoken to each other for two years. The pair have to deal with the awkwardness of seeing each other, in addition to having their tension played out in front of their travel companions: Debbie, Addie's sister, Marcus, Dylan's best friend and Rodney, a fellow wedding guest.

The book is quite slow-paced, and the story is told from the perspectives of Addie and Dylan, in both the present day and back when they first met and started a relationship.

'The Road Trip' is a lot more serious than her previous two novels, with more flawed characters. Although humour is sprinkled throughout the book, which I enjoyed, I have to admit that I didn't find this book as charming or enjoyable as 'The Flat Share' or 'The Switch', perhaps due to the fact that I didn't particularly like or care about any of the characters.

Overall, I enjoyed 'The Road Trip'; it had an interesting premise with some fun moments. It wasn't my favourite of Beth O'Leary's, but that's just personal preference.

A tale of two people and what happens when they meet unexpectedly after a brutal breakup two years later. You get the current often hilarious journey interspersed with the gorgeous french scenery and house from when they originally met and fell in love, small glimpses keep you on their journey finding out what went wrong and what will happen.........
Another great read from an inventive author , thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

Oh. My. Heart. The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary has just zoomed to the top of my “favourite books of 2021” list. I just absolutely adored it.

This book is everything. It’s smart, witty, funny, romantic, and just brilliantly observed. I loved Dylan and Addie’s story, from their sexy summer romance to their present-day awkwardness and how the dual timelines really complement each other.

But it isn’t just about them. The central supporting characters are all fabulous too. Larger than life, interesting, and with their own vital roles to play in Dylan and Addie’s lives. Each of them, along with their contributions to the plot, is just so well thought out, their actions being totally believable in the broader context of their own stories.

This joyful, uplifting, heartwarming book was exactly the book I needed to read over the weekend so THANK YOU Quercus for allowing me to read an early digital copy – I didn’t want it to end!

Sometimes the weight of expectation is too great and delivers disappointment rather than the delight anticipated. I am not generally a chick lit fan but Beth O’Leary blew me away with The Switch and Flat Share and I was very excited about The Road Trip. Although I enjoyed the read, it didn’t have the same wow as those two. I loved the premise - a group of young people forced to undertake a long journey together to attend a wedding. The ‘friends’ have a lot of history and Dylan and Addie are ex lovers. Ooh the tension ..except it didn’t really feel like that, I didn’t feel the same spark. For me a the previous books had the attraction of some fizzling chemistry, a will they won’t they tension. In The Road Trip there are quite a few sex scenes early on as the story casts back to the days of their relationship and I didn’t feel the same fizz anticipating them getting back together. I enjoyed the road trip itself- there was lots of visual comedy there which I could see transfer to tv or film well. I was also rather intrigued by Grace as a character. Seemingly superficial, her character develops throughout the story as her love for Marcus is revealed. The Road Trip is a light, funny and enjoyable romance, just for me lacking the five star wow of O’Leary’s previous books. With grateful thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for a digital copy of this book.

Beth O Leary is a brilliant writer, she brings characters to life so well you are then so empathetic and supportive of their story arc. Funny, enjoyable and loveable

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

I think at this point I will just love whatever Beth O'Leary writes. She just knows how to create characters that I will immediately become attached to! Addie and Dylan were no different and I absolutely loved the story and the way it was told. It was a quick and easy read for me and I definitely struggled to put it down at times.

I recently introduced some friends to Beth O'Leary's books and I can't wait for them to read this too. I'm already excited to see what Beth writes next!

After loving Beth O'Leary's previous two books I really really wanted to love this one too. But I just really didn't. From the beginning I could tell it was a different vibe and tone to the other two books, which I was fully ready to embrace, but I truly didn't compare it to those two and ended up leaving me disappointed

We follow Addie and Dylan, exes with a complicated past. When they end up in the same Mini, squashed in with three other people, on their way to the same wedding, tensions and a buried history begin to raise their heads

I didn't care about Addie, Dylan or their relationship at all, and it didn't help that they were both unlikable and super flat characters. Dylan got on my nerves as the poor little rich boy who didn't want to work for a living but instead wanted to live in a London flat bought for him by his parents and write poetry and this is after backpacking around Europe for months to avoid real life. And I'm supposed to feel bad for him?

Addie wasn't much better imo. She wasn't at all fleshed out and I never felt like we truly got to know her, she was just a hollow female character. I also felt no chemistry between them and was never rooting for them, which is kinda essential for me in a romance

Overall I finished this book feeling disappointed. It may be unfair to compare it to The Flatshare, but that's one of my favourite romances of all time and it's difficult not to compare. I honestly wouldn't recommend this one, (re)read The Flatshare instead

TW: attempted rape, alcohol abuse, emotionally abusive parent

This was the perfect fun contemporary romance read that I needed right now! I loved the main characters and thought the story was really relatable - I mean who hasn’t been stuck somewhere with an ex? - and I devoured it in two sittings. This was my first Beth O’Leary book and I loved it so I can’t wait to read more of her backlist! 🚗

Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I’d hoped. I really loved The Flat Share so I jumped at the chance to read Beth O’Learys new book, hoping for the same feel good romcom feel.

I didn’t feel as drawn in with this book and at times I found it hard to continue as it felt as if it was dragging somewhat. That being said, there were some redeeming features.

I enjoyed the ‘Then’ flashback chapters which explained how Addie and Dylan met and what happened to pull them apart. It was sad to see that a couple that clearly loved each other were pulled apart and I did find myself wanting to finish the book just to find out what catastrophe had happened to pull them apart.

I can’t say this book was all bad as I did enjoy parts of it, it just seemed to take a long time to get there with not a lot happening on the way.

I love this author's books but I couldn't get involved with any of these characters. A quirk too far for me with Dee and Grace. And then a houseful of names to remember when we went back to then. It just felt bitty and I would have preferred to stay more with the now.

Dylan and Addie split up two years ago and haven’t spoken to each other since until circumstance forces them to share a mini with 3 other people for a drive from West Sussex to Scotland for a wedding. Forced to spend so much time in such close proximity will they be able to work out what went wrong?

I really enjoy O’Leary’s writing style, it keeps you hooked into the story and as such I blasted through this pretty quickly. I found the split timeline particularly effective and really enjoyed getting to see Addie and Dylan’s relationship from the start alongside the road trip.

Her character work is also excellent. I loved the dynamics between the characters and it was interesting to see the different ways they reacted to being stuck together. I particularly like Addie and Dylan, although the lack of communication between them throughout most of their relationship was a little frustrating.

There was a twist part way through that did add something a little different to the story but I’m not entirely sure it was necessary. I don’t really think the plot would have massively struggled without it but it was kind of a fun addition so I’m not mad about it.

“The Road Trip” was a fun tale with a more serious side too. As with O’Leary’s other books she touches on important issues with consent, depression and addiction all being handled in a sensitive way. The character of Marcus, I felt, was very well written and actually reminded me of some people I know.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and it was nice to not have to concentrate very hard as I have had a lot going on lately so sometimes I welcome a bit of easy reading.

If you’re an O’Leary fan you’ll definitely love this one although I would recommend it to anyone who likes well written romantic fiction.

I really enjoyed both of Beth O'Leary's books so far, especially the debut novel., The Flatshare which was one of my top books of the year. This novel was ok, but I'm sorry to say not as good as the previous books. I found the story a bit annoying and unrealistic, which was a shame as I was really looking forward to reading the advance copy.

Imagine being stuck in a mini for six hours. With four other people. One of whom is your ex boyfriend.

That's what happens to Addie on the titular Road Trip, which should have been an enjoyable trip to a wedding, but turns out to be something very different before they've even got started.

Like other great romantic novels, the narrative switches between the main characters and the present and the past. What unfolds is more than your standard chick lit fare though. There's undertones of more serious tropics which give the story a great edge. There's humour too, which adds to the appeal.

This was a great read and I'll definitely be looking for more!

This story starts off with an improbable scenario, when Sisters Deb and Addie literally bump into Dylan, Addie's ex, and his friend Marcus. They then share the drive to Scotland, along with an acquaintance, Rodney. They are all going to a mutual friends, Cherry's wedding.
There is an atmosphere in the car, as they do not get along, and they are all squashed too in a Mini. There are several incidents along the way that make the Road Trip even longer.
The story is narrated by Addie and Dylan, it moves between the past and the present and we eventually find out why their relationship broke down. It was easy to follow.
I liked Addie, Deb and their Parents. I did not like Marcus at all, even when we found out about his problems. He was still not nice, and I don't think that his problems should mean that he could get away with being so nasty and badly behaved.
I didn't really like Dylan very much. He often talked about ' Holiday Addie' and how much fun she was. In my opinion 'Holiday Dylan' was a better person than who he became when he was back with his friends and family.
There was a lot of fun and comedy moments. There were also some very dark subjects,like Sexual Abuse, Depression, Alcohol Abuse and controlling behaviour. Overall I think that they were dealt with well.
I think that a lot of events happened in just a day. Not all of them were realistic, but obviously this is a romantic comedy novel, and they are not always realistic. I could imagine this being made into a film though. I did enjoy reading this book, and I am looking forward to reading Beth O'Leary's next book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

I enjoyed this book from the start. I loved the relationship between Addie and her sister Deb, who was leaving her baby for the first time (I remember the breast pumping joys of doing that myself!) There is clearly no love lost between the sisters, and Addie’s ex Dylan and his BFF Marcus (who is a total dick!) but they agree to take them with them to a mutual friend’s wedding in Scotland – along with an additional guest, Rodney, who needed a lift. The dynamics of 5 of them in a mini was ‘interesting’ and I can’t begin to imagine how they got all of the luggage in!

The book alternates between ‘now’ which is the road trip from the South Coast of England to Scotland – and ‘then’ which is initially the summer that Addie and Dylan meet, and through their relationship – although most of the characters appear in both time periods.

I loved the descriptions of ‘holiday Addie’ who first meets Dylan – she was so free and loving life. Even back then Marcus was a knob and didn’t want to share his best friend with her – and this only gets worse as Addie and Dylan’s relationship gets more serious. The setting of the villa in Provence where they first met was beautifully described – please let us be able to go on holiday soon?!

The extra wedding guest, Rodney, comes across as a bit of a drip – but there is a twist with him which provides much interest. I also liked Mike the trucker – although maybe he wasn’t a real person at all?!? #weddingsprite

Whilst primarily this is a funny, entertaining, rom com esque book – it does deal with some big issues too – alcoholism / attempted rape / stalking / single parenthood / controlling parents / homophobia – but they’re all wrapped up into the storyline really well.

It was a great read – and I really enjoyed it – Beth O’Leary has definitely done it again. And it’s out on 29 April 2021, so not long to wait.

A big thank you to Net Galley and Quercus Books for my ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and Beth O’Leary for this advanced review copy. I absolutely adore all of Beth’s previous novels and this one did not disappoint. I couldn’t recommend this highly enough and have to say it was my favourite out of the three books I have read so far. It was fun, witty and had enough drama between the friends to keep me hooked the whole way through.