Addie is n her way to her best friends wedding when her ex-boyfriend (also on the way to said wedding) crashes into the back of her car. When the realise Dylan's car isn't driveable she, begrudgingly, agrees to give him and his friend a lift to the wedding. The chapters alternate between Addie and Dylan's view points as well as flashing back to the past, to where and how they met.⁠
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This was absolutely everything I wanted it to be and more. I loved it. I really loved the dynamic of all the characters in the car, I think O'Leary got the balance between sarcasm, emotion and tension just right. It was amazing to be able to immerse myself back in the days when we could all get in one car together and go off to a wedding! ⁠
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I thought all the characters bought something to the table, I especially enjoyed Marcus cheeky whit and even laughed at Rodney the underdog. For those of you who don't want too much uplit it is time for you to breath a sign of relief, it is not all sunshine's and rainbows, this book also touched on some tougher topics which I felt were handled sensitively and brought real emotion to the page ( I would maybe check goodreads/storygraph for trigger warnings on this one).⁠
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I could ramble on more but really you should just pre-order and enjoy the magic for yourself. This, for me, was better than the switch (and you know I love a pensioner in the pages) and so close to knocking Flatshare of my top O'Leary spot but, for me, nothing beats those Tiffy and Leon post it notes!!! ⁠

Still in quiet shock that I somehow managed to get an ARC of this book! Beth O’Leary captured my heart with The Flatshare, and although I haven’t read The Switch yet, I couldn’t wait to start reading The Road Trip.

The story alternates between Addie and Dylan’s perspectives, both in the present and two years prior. Going into the story, we know that they previously dated and broke up - and that they have a road trip to a wedding to fix things. I’m a sucker for second-chance romances, especially when the main characters are so lovable, so this was right up my street! You’re introduced to a whole host of characters, and the great thing is that O’Leary interweaves their stories into the main plot. In some books, it feels like any friends or family members of the protagonists are barely there, or just there to progress the plot, which feels unrealistic. In this novel, the secondary characters have lives of their own, and that made it so much more engaging. As I read on, I become invested in the story and it’s outcome, and I will admit that I cried a bit at the end!

Overall, The Road Trip is another fantastic book by O’Leary, and I recommend that all fans pre-order it now.

This is one of the most anticipated books of the year and it was worth the wait!

Addie is traveling to a friend's wedding with her sister, Deb and Rodney, a guest who wanted a ride. They had planned the trip with timely breaks and lots of snacks. What they didn't planned for was for Addie's ex, Dylan and his friend Marcus to hit them with their car and having to all share a ride in the mini.

It's been a long while since they had seen each other and the forced proximity awakes feelings and memories from the past.

The narrative is divided to the past and present, showing us how they first met and how they got together up until an eventful day in December when everything changed.

The story is so captivating, I couldn't stop reading, I was both invested in the past and present narrative seeing as the one gave answers while the other was filled with tension and humor.

All the characters were very well written, it is a road trip to remember. Addie is a very strong person and Dylan is unbelievable sweet. I have to also mention Rodney because he is just something else, a category by himself.

This is a story about redemption, second change, everlasting love and being a better person by learning from the past mistakes and not repeating them.


* I received an ARC from Quercus Books through Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.

This is a fun, romantic story featuring disaster upon disaster as the group make their way to a wedding. Throw in a random stalker and multiple calls on a breast pump, and the humour passes amusing and goes to hilarious. Complex relationships and an odd sense of melancholy make this book something to pay attention to. If you liked The Flat Share, this book goes to a new level and proves Beth O’Leary is more than a light rom-com author.

Having loved both The Flatshare and The Switch I was very excited for this and it did not disappoint!
I loved switching between both Addie and Dylan's perspectives, as well as the past and present and seeing all the story unfold.
The book dealt with serious issues, such as mental illness and forgiveness, but combined these with funny, light-hearted moments that made it great to read!
Seeing the dynamic between all of the characters and how it changed at different points of the book was also really interesting and I enjoyed seeing how they interacted during different situations.
Overall, I loved reading this and couldn't put it down!

Beth O'Leary does it again! What a fantastic story of love, heartbreaking and family. Road Trip is a a delight of a story that follows Addie and Dylan on a disastrous and unexpected road trip to a friend's wedding after breaking up nearly 22 months ago. Told between the present day and flashbacks throughout their relationship, you will fall in love with Addie and Dylan instantly and be rooting for them from page one. I will be telling everyone I know to read this novel when it is released!

I really enjoyed this book - as I have her other novels. I read it over two days and struggled to put it down!

A road trip with a major difference - Addie and Dylan are forced to face their secrets and find a way forward.

Emotional, heartfelt - just a lovely read.

Thanks to Quercus for letting me read The Road Trip in advance! I was very interested to read The Road Trip - the premise is so good! Dylan and Addie broke up a year and a half before, but they're on their way to a wedding in rural Scotland - when Dylan's car breaks down and they're forced to share a car together. It's written over two timelines and I was really enjoying the first half, with a sexy Provence summer romance and all the promise of their broken relationship to be untangled, but the second half let it down for me. There was just too much going on in the past section that, for me, all the plotlines felt a bit crammed (especially considering all the action takes place over a year or so) and I felt considerably less gripped. 3.5 stars.

After reading and loving Beth’s previous books I was delighted to get my hands on her latest one - thank you NetGalley!
The story opens with two sisters, Addie and Deb, travelling to a wedding (with a stranger on board thanks to the Facebook wedding group) when they are involved in a minor car accident.. Turns out that the other car’s occupants are also en route to Scotland for the same wedding...and just happen to be Addie’s ex and his best friend.
Looks like this Road Trip just got interesting....

I loved this book. It made me laugh out loud and shed a couple of tears. I loved Addie’s character and her relationship with her sister. Would highly recommend.

I loved The Flatshare but didn't love The Switch so I was really pleased to love this one.

I really enjoyed this and found Addie and Dylan's story compelling and there was enough comedy to even out the darker parts of the story. I found Marcus' behaviour super problematic, but I'm pretty sure we were meant to. A really good read overall.

I LOVED all of this authors previous books but DNF at 20%, wasn’t anything terrible about the book but just wasn’t for me, really look forward to this authors next book and am sure many readers will love this one,just not me this time

Another joyous and fun romp with Beth O’Leary in this latest release. It was fun to watch the relationships between characters evolve both in the now and the past, and to see both what went wrong and how the intervening time has turned them both into better, stronger individuals capable of building a life together.

I absolutely loved ‘The Flat share’ but wasn’t mad about ‘The Switch’. This was more like ‘The Switch’ for me. O’Leary can write good characters but I just didn’t love the plot of this book. I’ve no doubt that this will be a big hit in my library. But it wasn’t for me.

In the early hours of the morning, Dylan and his friend Marcus have set off early to attend their friend’s wedding in Scotland. When Dylan becomes distracted by the sight of the woman in the mini in front of them, convinced it is his ex-girlfriend Addie who he hasn’t spoken to in two years after a bad break-up, he ends up driving into the back of the car.

Turns out he was right, it is Addie and her sister Deb and passenger Rodney, who were also on the way to the wedding. With the car Dylan was driving no longer driveable, the five of them decide to travel together in Addie’s car. What could possibly go wrong?

Having loved Beth O’Leary’s first novel, ‘The Flatshare‘ and naming it as one of the best reads of 2020, I couldn’t wait to jump right into this book.

The book is told from two POVs Addie’s and Dylan’s and also in ‘Then’ and ‘Now’. In the beginning, all we know is that Addie and Dylan used to date and that their break-up was pretty bad, bad enough to make them avoid each other. However, they have both been invited to a friend’s wedding in Scotland but didn’t expect to be spending so many hours in each other’s presence.

I loved that all five occupants had different personalities and how much tension the group had between them. From obnoxious Marcus who was extremely rich and had no filter, plus constantly hungry. Outgoing Deb who was a new mother and worried about leaving her son for the weekend and Rodney who Addie offered a lift to the wedding when he had no other way of getting there who is mysterious and doesn’t like talking about himself.

There are a lot of adventures and mishaps on the way as well as arguments. The plot was great fun and I enjoyed the wackiness of some of what happened and the revelations that came out. Plus the tension of will they even make it to the wedding on time with so many things occurring. I preferred the ‘Now’ moments to the ‘Then’ sections but I understand that the past was needed to explain how it all ended up so bad between Addie and Dylan.

The book was pure joy and I completely became hooked on the worst road trip ever, one I would have loved and hated to be a part of. It was comical and heart-warming at the same time.

Beth O’Leary has done it again and made another book that I really enjoyed!

The Road Trip follows Addie and her sister as they embark on a road trip to a friend’s wedding but then a car slams into the back of their’s and it’s none other than Addie’s ex - Dylan. Dylan and his best friend are also heading to the wedding, so when their car is unable to carry on and Addie offer’s them a ride, it’s ride that is sure to be bumpy.

I really enjoyed the concept of this book with the road trip and the things that happen along the way, it makes for a funny and enjoyable read. I also love how Beth O’Leary included sensitive but important topics like sexual assault and mental health like depression. Always great to see such topics included in books for people to learn from them.

The only thing that I wish was different was that I felt one of the characters didn’t face enough consequences for their actions along the book. But, apart from that I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend.

'A coincidence reunites Addie with her ex on a road trip to a friend’s wedding in this funny and moving third novel from the bestselling author of The Flatshare and The Switch'
Beth O'Leary is my not so guilty pleasure, she has a great sense of humour, she writes of a life we all wish we lived, a little more care free and free spirited.
Perfect escapism for January lockdown blues…or shall I say 2021 lockdown rules

Another totally charming novel from Beth O'Leary. Smart, compelling, involving. Sweet, funny and very human. The concept was strong and the structure worked really well.. A delight.

Get your tissues ready for this heart-warming, sincere read. Addie and her sister Deb are heading to a friend’s wedding in Scotland. It’s going to take hours but they have each other… plus an extra travelling companion. When a car crashes into them, it’s not long before they also have two additional guests – who happen to be Addie’s ex-boyfriend Dylan and his BFF. It’s been two years since Addie and Dylan broke up and the idea of a long journey in a cramped car isn’t working for either of them. Addie, pragmatic, will focus on getting through, but Dylan, a poet, is more whimsical about the whole thing. Using flashbacks from the night they met to the night they broke up, we learn there’s a lot more to their relationship than meets the eye. Kudos to Beth once again for layering darker storylines with the lightness that many of the secondary characters bring.

I loved The Flatshare so I was keen to read this next book from Beth O'Leary. I was not disappointed. It's not a sappy romance, which I appreciate, and it's just quirky enough to keep me smiling. Thanks for the ARC!

There's an old literary joke that always makes me laugh - 'What's long and hard and makes you cry? Paradise Lost.' Beth O'Leary's new second-chance romance borrows more from Spenser's Faerie Queene than Milton, but at times I found it a bit hard-going for a commercial romance. Not that this was even a surprise - I liked that O'Leary's first book, The Flat Share, dealt with the aftermath of an abusive relationship through the flowering of a new one, exploring themes of gaslighting, love-bombing, and coercive control.

The Road Trip is the story of Addie and Dylan, and Dylan's friend Marcus. After an enforced absence, the three of them - plus Addie's straight-talking sister Deb and a tagalong called Rodney - end up trapped in a Mini on the way to a friend's wedding in Scotland. Marcus's feelings for Addie are complicated and cause him to warn Dylan that she's more 'raw and messy' than his Manic Pixie Dream Girl image of her allows. This is likely to be a projection by Marcus, as there isn't much evidence of this messiness and raw sexuality - Addie is a multifaceted young woman with a functional family and a life outside the relationship, things Dylan lacks, but not the temptress Marcus thinks she is. Will they be able to find paradise again? A sweet story about the work that needs to be done for all relationships to thrive, and the importance of not giving up.