This book is getting a lot of mixed reviews but I ended up really enjoying it! Admittedly, I preferred the “Then” story versus the “Now” and I also liked the second half much more than the first. If you like heavily character-driven novels with messy relationships and flawed individuals, I definitely recommend this one!

THEN: Addie and her sister Deb are caretakers at a friend’s mansion in France for the summer. When Dylan’s family decides to abort their annual summer plans, he goes alone. Instantly, he and Addie have an undeniable physical attraction that quickly turns into much more. But their relationship is plagued by poor communication, toxic friendships, and mistrust which eventually leads to a messy and devastating breakup.

NOW: On their way to their friend’s wedding, Addie and Deb get in a car accident with none other than Dylan and his toxic friend, Marcus. Forced to give them a lift, Addie and Dylan must decide if they can put the past behind them in order to get through the road trip without incident. But relationship drama or not, the road trip is anything but smooth sailing.

The relationship between Addie and Dylan was confusing and slow building as far as the storyline went, but also shockingly fast in that they met, had insane physical chemistry, and almost instantaneously fell in love. I didn’t always understand their connection and admittedly didn’t feel a whole lot for Dylan’s character (or really any of the male characters in the book - they all kind of sucked!) but I did really like Addie. Addie and Deb’s relationship was the glue to the story for me and I loved both character arcs and their development.

The road trip was totally over the top and a little drawn out, which is probably why I preferred the flashback stories more. However, there was a pretty fun twist I wasn’t expecting over halfway through that really added a fun layer to the story.

The storyline took a while to get interesting for me. It was a ton of character building up until that point. But, I do like character-driven novels and the buildup was worth it for me in the end. I wound up feeling super connected to the characters and the storyline and much of the last quarter of the book had me in tears.

There are some serious trigger warnings in this novel (hence my tears) including toxic relationships and alcoholism and one other I won’t mention for fear of spoilers (message me if concerned and I’ll be happy to share!).

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.

The Road Trip was my second book by Beth O'Leary, other than The Flatshare which I LOVED. Maybe I had high expectations for this book, but unfortunately it fell a tiny bit flat for me. Another 3 star book, that was definitely a 4 at times, but overall a 3. It was cute, it was an original storyline in my opinion, and the writing was very well done.

I am not a huge fan of the insta-love trope, as I find it slightly hard to believe most of the time in books unless it's very well done. That was the case here. I didn't feel any chemistry or build up between our two main characters, Addie and Dylan. I did love having both of their POV's throughout though, for a better look into both of their sides of the story. I did like the characters separately, but Addie's sister, Deb, was hands down the best character in the book. Marcus was an absolute garbage character and I truly felt like he ruined parts of the story for me, because I just couldn't get around the things he did (vague to avoid spoilers).

The road trip part of the story was so cute, quite original and an intriguing storyline. The flashbacks felt really slow and dragged on. This book could have been 50-75 pages shorter in my opinion and still had the same points. There is a plot point that I felt was very poorly executed, as it deserved more dialogue and discussion but it was fairly brushed over. Anyway - after saying all of this, I do still think this was cute and well written. If you want an original palate cleanser romance, give this one a shot.

I reviewed The Road Trip for BookPage.

In Beth O’Leary’s thoroughly addictive romance, The Road Trip, the path to hell (and happy ever after) is paved with exes and their besties. The journey begins with a literal bang. Two cars collide on their way from southern England to Scotland for the wedding of a mutual friend. The bigger car is totaled, and the two vehicles’ combined five people squeeze into a tiny Mini Cooper for a discomfiting 400-mile journey with plenty of baggage in tow. The resulting carpool includes Addie and Dylan, estranged former live-in lovers who met and fell hard at an idyllic villa in France; their respective best friends, Deb (Addie’s sister) and Marcus (Dylan’s appallingly awful best friend); plus the bride’s mysterious wild-card co-worker.

O’Leary’s humor, insight and occasionally bonkers plot twists command attention all the way through, and the ending is miraculously, gloriously redeeming. The Road Trip is a romantic rollercoaster that you won’t be able to turn away from till it’s done.

See the link below for the full review.

I love Beth O’Leary’s books and couldn’t wait to read this one. Thankfully, The Road Trip definitely lived up to my expectations! This one was funny with a dash of serious. And a whole lot of hijinks. O’Leary also did a great job of capturing the strange mix of exciting and boring that makes up a great road trip.

Addie, Dylan, Deb, and Marcus were all such great characters. Their interactions were fantastic. I liked the flashbacks between the present and the past, which showed Addie and Dylan’s relationship before the breakup. I wasn’t a huge fan of them at first, but I came around when it became clear just how much Dylan had changed (and how much work he put in to get there!).

Overall, The Road Trip would be a great beach read, particularly if you’re feeling some wanderlust this summer!

Fun contemporary romance, perfect to throw in your beach bag. A disastrous road trip to a friend’s Scottish wedding, two exes, her hilarious sibling, his pompous best friend, and a weird dude along for the ride. The story switches between ‘now’, crammed into a Mini, and ‘then’, when our lovebirds meet at a beautiful vacation home in Provence. Dylan is sweet, but a total man-child, easily bullied by his parents & BFF, and Addie is just a down-to-earth girl. It was easy to root for them. Debbie, the feisty sister, steals the show, and deserves a book of her own! Nothing super memorable, but a nice bit of brain-candy to cleanse the palate! This may be my least favorite of Beth O’Leary’s 3 books, but still a lovely British rom-com.

Addie and her sister Deb are driving from Chichester, England to Scotland to attend a wedding. Accompanying them is a stranger, Rodney who asked for a write via facebook. They are barely on their way when they are rear-ended by Addie's ex-lover and his difficult best friend Marcus. So begins a journey in a small car, of five people enduring awful traffic and in Addie and Dylan's case awful memories. The story goes back and forth in time as the reader learns the beginning and end of their various relationships. Addie is likeable and Deb is funny but I found Dylan and Marcus spoiled boys who didn't really want to grow up. Over the course of the road trip and the time passed between their break up all the characters do seem to grow and forgive each other and move forward. Still, I am glad I wasn't in the car with them, but perhaps as an older American woman, this is why I did not connect with the characters. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy for an honest review.

A young woman and her best friend are road-tripping to a good friend's wedding with a friend of a friend when they end up having to travel with her ex and his best friend (who broke them up). As you'd predict from a romantic comedy, lots of hijinks and awkwardness ensues, alternating with narration of past events and backstories from various perspectives. The concept was great and the plot was quick moving with some engaging characters, but ultimately I felt Addie deserved much better than Dylan. Many people will love this couple and their despite-all-odds relationship, but I did not.

Thank you for an arc in exchange for an honest review. Beth is one of those authors that had been a hit or miss for me. I like a lot of romance in my books and she almost gives you enough to call her books romance but it’s never quite enough to give you all the good feelings a good romance should. I thought this story was okay, it wasn’t my favorite. I think I missed some character development that could have really made the story have more depth.

When I read the blurb for this one, I was all in--I love books about road trips, and cramming exes, their besties, and one random dude in a car for hours sounded hilarious. I absolutely adored the first few chapters and all the awkwardness that was expected from the summary. After that the book kind of plateaued a bit for me, though. Second chance romance and insta-love are my two least favorite romance tropes, and this book combined both.

Dylan and Marcus’s friendship was extremely toxic, and I got very frustrated with Dylan for not standing up to him. I really enjoyed Addie and Deb’s relationship, though. Deb was by far my favorite character.

There was a clever little twist towards the end of the book that I found hilarious, and I enjoyed the wedding scenes at the end. I also really loved the villa descriptions in the flashbacks of how Dylan and Addie fell in love.

Overall, this was a fun summer romance. Those who enjoy insta-love and second chances will love it!

Every book is not for every one. I loved Beth O'Leary's The Switch and I think I went into this one imagining more of the same characteristics - good people helping good people. Unfortunately, this story is full of complete assholes. At least that's what I perceived them as. They were unkind, unhelpful, and selfishly motivated. I just couldn't relate! And I found myself annoyed and stressed out. This is 100% ONLY ME and not a testament to the greatness of this book. I know many who loved it! Check it out and decide for yourself!

Thank you Berkley for the gifted e-copy.

Wow - this book was not exactly what I was expecting. I thought it would be a cute romcom, but it had a deeper and darker side to it that I didn't see coming.

Dylan and Addie were together - then he left her, without an explanation for the reader. A couple years later, Addie and her sister are driving to a wedding, and get rear ended - by Dylan and his friend Marcus. So they end up driving to the wedding together. Awkward, right?

The book alternates between "now" and "then" and slowly you get the history of Addie and Dylan's relationship, leading up to the breakup. I was intrigued because clearly what started as a perfect little fling did not end well, and I wanted to know why. When I finally found out, I was like holy shhhhhhhh....wow.

There were some lighter moments, but this book isn't your typical romcom.

Beth O’Leary’s The Road Trip, was a fun read perfect for snuggling up on a rainy day or for reading while laying out enjoying some sun.

Lots of feelings, great characters, and fun twists that keep readers interested.

If you love second-chance romance, dual perspectives, and somewhat of a dual timeline then this book is for you. This was actually my first book from the author and it was so much fun I’ll definitely be back for more!

I found it difficult to relate to this story. I’ve never read anything by O’Leary so I had none of the disappointment that others have expressed with that regard. I just felt like I was on a road to nowhere. Still I could see parts of it as a British comedy movie with all the likely suspects a là Notting Hill and Four Weddings etc.

A Berkley ARC via NetGalley

Having read The Flatshare and The Switch by Beth O’Leary, I had an expectation going into The Road Trip. The expectation was that The Road Trip would be lighter on the romance arc, but funny and heartwarming and sweet regardless. However, The Road Trip didn’t really fit those expectations. The Road Trip is a book with a reader’s guide at the back, and a content warning list that feels like it could be a mile long. Sure, there were funny moments (the scene where Rodney thinks Deb has drowned in a river was a highlight), but overall, I was disappointed.

The Road Trip is told in “Then” and “Now” chapters and alternates between Addie and Dylan narrating. The “Then” chapters tell of the start and end of Addie and Dylan’s relationship, and the “Now” chapters are the story of the road trip to a friend’s wedding, when Addie, her sister Deb, random wedding-goer Rodney, Dylan and Dylan’s friend Marcus end up smushed in a Mini Cooper for an over 10 hour drive.

Now, I love a good road trip romance, because forced proximity is great and what better kind of forced proximity than in a car? But for this story, I didn’t feel like it was a great set-up for resolving the relationship issues of Addie and Dylan. As the reader learns, they broke up for a reason, and being shoved in the car with three other people doesn’t feel like a great place for communication or an honest discussion of what has changed since the break-up to allow for a second chance at the relationship.

Though we got both Dylan and Addie’s narration, I never felt like I understood Dylan, and I didn’t really understand why the two of them were together. They spend most of the “Then” chapters apart or fighting. In the “Now” time, one thing that Addie views as an example of how Dylan has changed since they broke up is that he allows her to buy her own lunch without making a big deal out of it - and that would be a lovely example, except Dylan has been cut off by his father and no longer has any money. So it doesn’t feel like it was an intentional effort by Dylan to change for Addie, but just kind of a side effect of his life choices. Additionally, the description of the book makes it seem like there’s just some lifestyle differences that split Dylan and Addie up, but it is (in my opinion) way worse than that - and (also in my opinion) 100% Dylan’s fault. So I don’t quite understand how 24 hours could convince Addie that Dylan should be forgiven.

And then there’s Marcus. Whew. That man is a piece of work. He clearly is depicted as having addiction and mental health issues, but he does some rather unforgivable things in the name of “supporting” Dylan. His storyline was so wild that there was a point about 75% in that I actually thought to myself “is this a thriller disguised as a romance novel?” And even in the “Now” chapters, Marcus is still a bit of an asshole and I don’t feel like there was enough demonstrated change or sincere remorse to merit Dylan giving him another chance at friendship.

Overall, I went into The Road Trip expecting a lighter read, and I got something much more intense than I anticipated. Though very readable, it definitely doesn’t feel like O’Leary’s earlier books, and I was a bit disappointed. If you go in knowing what to expect, you may have a better experience than me.

Content warnings: Alcoholism, depression, sexual assault, homophobia, emotionally abusive parent

Beth O’Leary manages to draw me in with each of her books and has done it again with her latest second chance romance, The Road Trip! Not long after starting what was to be a fun road trip with her sister to a wedding in Scotland, Addie’s car is rear ended by none other than her ex and his terrible best friend who are on their way to the same wedding. With one car totaled, they all pile into Addie’s for a ride filled with hilarity, tears, a random guy they don’t know, and an opportunity for to face what really went wrong with Addie and Dylan.
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While this book definitely deals with some heavier material and certainly has a very different feel compared to her previous stories, O’Leary does a great job of balancing the very serious content with humor and levity throughout. It didn’t have the cozy feel of The Switch, but I found the difference intriguing and look forward to what she turns out next as she most certainly continues to create characters we cheer for, grumble about, and stay up late for!

Loved this rom com so much!!! My favorite Beth O'Leary novel yet! The characters were lovable and the chemistry was perfect. I read it in a single sitting.

I think road trips are much more fun to read about (than to go on), especially one that’s such a train wreck, it’s impossible to look away. It’s not often I finish a full-length book in a day, but The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary was utterly fascinating, telling the story of two exes who find themselves on a seemingly unending road trip to their mutual friend’s wedding. The narrative of The Road Trip switches back and forth between the past and the present - then and now - chronicling the budding romance, and subsequent demise, of the relationship between Dylan Abbott and Addie Gilbert.  
 
We first meet Addie and Dylan when they somehow end up sharing the world’s most uncomfortable, tension-filled car ride. It would seem that their breakup was less than amicable, so their first face-to-face meeting stirs up old memories, lingering feelings, and undisguised longing. It’s clear they have unresolved issues between them, yet they pointedly avoid any mention of the past. But as Dylan and Addie and their fellow passengers experience one unfortunate (but often amusing) mishap after another, the past becomes more difficult to ignore and they’re finally forced to confront their feelings for each other.  

I’ve read a lot of second chance romances, but this is the first book I remember learning so much about what went wrong between a couple. First we get the exciting, fun, flirty romance that grows into something deeper, but their impending breakup is the unavoidable elephant in the room. Piecing their relationship together like a puzzle is a maddening, painstaking, and gut-wrenchingly emotional process that Addie and Dylan have to relive all over again in the book’s climax. It’s such a raw and poignant ending that might not have been exactly what I was expecting, but I think it worked out beautifully.  
 
If you’re in the mood for a heartfelt, drama-filled second chance romance, with plenty of humor and heat, The Road Trip is an addictive page-turner that I couldn’t put down once I got started. I definitely recommend adding it to your TBR list! 

*arc provided by publisher for an honest review

Dylan and Addie had one of those whirlwind romances. Meeting while Addie was housesitting during a summer vacation, they connected immediately and didn't want to let the relationship go at the end of summer. They started to make a life together until...things changed.

Now, almost two years since they broke up, Dylan and Addie find themselves forced to road trip together to the wedding of a mutual friend. Along the way they discover their feelings for each other have never changed, but that doesn't change the things that happened in the past leading to their breakup. They'll have to reconcile who they were then with who they've become on their own since the breakup if there is any chance for a future.

I started The Road Trip in high anticipation. I loved Beth O'Leary's previous book (also my introduction to the author). I appreciate the fact that The Road Trip, while someone similar in tone and of course writing style to O'Leary's previous book, it still managed to surprise me.

The thing is, it took me quite a while to actually warm up to both Dylan and Addie. I think it's a very typical thing for us as humans to choose sides. We've seen this in various fandoms with the evolution of the veritable "team". I couldn't decide whose "team" I was on for the longest time with this book. I couldn't really assign the villain card to either Dylan or Addie for whomever was responsible for the end of the relationship which is something that I feel I am prone to do. Find the "good guy", find the "bad guy".

Looking back on the story I think this was a calculated set up by Beth O'Leary as we are slowly lead into the events of "Then" getting the full picture of what happened between Dylan and Addie.

The story is told in alternating sections of "Now" and "Then". At first, I didn't care for Then. In knowing where Dylan and Addie end up in the Now, I was more interested to see how, and if, they could move forward rather then rehashing what has already passed. But as the story got going, I appreciated the Then sections as really giving us a full picture of both Dylan and Addie. Who they used to be countered against who they are now. I think it's important for this picture in order to see whether or not they can move forward from what happened.

Beth O'Leary builds and builds the tension. Hinting at the way things were, leading readers into events that irrevocably change both Addie and Dylan. The Road Trip wasn't a quick read for me. There were times when I could too clearly anticipate how things would turn out and I had to put down the book and start again later. But I think it's a better read for taking your time and truly taking in all it has to offer.

I like that Beth O'Leary understands that to root for Dylan and Addie together, we have to root for them as individuals as well. Dylan comes from a relatively affluent family. He's never really had to get serious about growing up and being responsible with money. That's not to say he's a snob, he just doesn't understand that not everyone can afford to fix their problems with money. It's an area of contention between Addie and Dylan because Addie is definitely someone who has gotten by with very little at times. It's certainly not the only thing where they're different, and not the only problem that arises, but I think it's a statement of how oftentimes people who might love each other just aren't together at the right time in their lives in order for a relationship to work.

It's not all doom and gloom. I think Beth O'Leary balances the more serious parts out pretty well with the rest of the ragtag group of quasi-friends/acquaintances also road-tripping their way to the wedding which includes Addie's sister along with Dylan's friend (who was a huge area of contention between Dylan and Addie while they were together). I loved the sisterly connection between Addie and Deb, the drop-everything to be at your side kind of relationship. Equally, the brotherly bond between Dylan and Marcus kind of runs perpendicular to that. They would do anything for each other, but sometimes that can do more harm than good.

Overall, it was a surprising read in that Beath O'Leary made some choices and some turns I wasn't expecting but ended up really giving readers a thoughtful, often heartbreaking book about love and relationships. Beth O'Leary has become an auto-buy author for me.

I adore this book! The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary is a comedic and oftentimes heartbreaking story about finding love, losing love, and all the messy bits in between. Imagine, if you will, planning a roadtrip to your best friend’s wedding and everything that could go wrong does. Now you are trapped in a car with your overprotective older sister, a random guy from Facebook, your ex who you want to hate but can’t find the energy to, and his best friend who mutually hates you. Road trip from hell, right? This is the book in a nutshell, but y’all it is so much more! Told in dual POV and alternating past and present, The Road Trip will leave you smiling long after it ends.

Addie and Dylan fell in love one summer while she was working at her friend Cherry’s vacation home as the caretaker. Dylan was there on what was supposed to be a family trip, but as all things with his family, it wound up just being him. The two immediately hit it off, and the chemistry is quite steamy, but both are still immature and learning who they are as adults. Dylan struggles with depression, and I really appreciate how delicately the author handled this. She writes it from his perspective, and it feels true to life. Addie is insecure. Dylan met her at a time in her life where she was carefree and fun.

Flash forward to the present. The two are heading to Cherry’s wedding, in separate cars, and haven’t spoken in a year and a half. When Dylan sees her in the car ahead of him, he loses focus remembering her, how much he loves her and how much he misses her. Then he happens to run his car into the back of hers. To prevent the group from being late to the wedding, they all pile into Addie’s sister’s mini-coop. Can you imagine? Five full grown adults in a mini-coop? I laughed every time it was mentioned.

The story slowly unravels alternating between Addie and Dylan’s past, watching them fall in love, and their present, crammed into a mini-coop trying not to acknowledge the elephant in the car with them. I loved Addie and Dylan. They are a sweet couple that you can easily root for. Deb, Addie’s sister, is fantastic. She’s a single mom and always has Addie’s back. Marcus, Dylan’s best friend, is an interesting character. I wanted to hate him like Addie does, but I found that he was growing on me. His character arc made me tear up a bit even if I did want to reach through the pages at times and smack him on the head. The last character in the car is Rodney. He is a bit of a mystery. He just needed a ride to the wedding and Deb and Addie thought why not. They don’t know him or how he knows their friend Cherry. So he’s a wildcard, an innocent and harmless one they think.

Overall, if you haven’t already guessed it, I absolutely loved The Road Trip. The bits of the past we got really helped to shape how I interpreted Addie and Dylan in the present. The story and pacing flowed seamlessly from one section to the next. I honestly could have read another 300 pages and been happy. There wasn’t a single character I wasn’t interested in. They were all fully developed and unique. I wanted to get to know them all! If you enjoy sweet, second chance romances with quirky antics and comedic value, I highly recommend you grab a copy.

Thanks you to @berkleyPub and @netgalley for my review copy. I can’t tell you how excited I was when I saw I was approved for this book!!! Ahh! While I can’t say that it’s a new favorite from hers, I still enjoyed it. Forever her fan!
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Told between the past and present and dual POV we get to know Addie and Dylan and the crew. The flash backs show us how Addie and Dylan met and eventually broke up. This in some way reminded me of the Christmas movies when people are trying to get home by Christmas but things keep going wrong along the way! Addie and Dylan are ex’s and are both heading to the same wedding. Well Dylan happens to crash into Addie and her sister while being on the road. So now what? Well now Dylan and his friend Marcus join Addie, her sister Deb, Rodney who randomly needs a ride to the wedding.
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Road trip with your ex? You can imagine that there are a lot of uncomfortable times in the car with all them. There were also some random/ fun moments. They were all a mess but a fun mess to read about. At times I felt like I couldn’t fully embrace Addie and Dylan as people who once cared about one another because there was so much going on. I did love how they both accepted they had things to work on when they broke up.
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The characters were incredibly flawed but they grew so much as time went on which made them much more real to me. I did not agree with things Marcus did in the past. They were extremely shady but I appreciate him being self aware and working to be better. Addie and Dylan seemed to understand that their past relationship wasn’t the healthiest and I’m glad they saw past mistakes. I think all the main characters had a lot of character development from when we see them in the flashbacks to the present which was very important. Overall, I still enjoyed it and all the shenanigans that went on during their road trip. You best believe I’ll be anxiously waiting for her next release.
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