I am so sad that I didn't love this book. I adored O'Leary's other books, but this one didn't land right for me. I think I have learned this year that I just don't love a road trip. In life or in fiction. Thank you for letting me try!

I should have DNF'd this - I only pressed on because it was an ARC but it wasn't worth it. All the characters (with the exception of Deb) are toxic people that I just didn't care about. I found the double whammy of the POV shift and the back and forth timeline structure to be confusing, especially because Dylan and Addie's voices aren't that different. Some heavy topics are dealt with in some not-great ways, and the ending was a rush to wrap things up. Beth O'Leary's writing on a technical level is decent but overall this book was a swing and a miss for me.

I enjoyed The Road Trip, but contrary to the hook line and comedic set up – starting with ride sharing with a stranger, a fender bender with an ex, clown car-ing it in a Mini, and all the subsequent road trip misfortunes – this is NOT a light, fluffy comedy. The Road Trip is a contemporary romance exploring relationship dynamics, mental health and toxic culture in a modern day setting, with a good few laughs thrown in to offset the heavier subject matter.

Four years ago Addie and her sister Deb spent the summer working as caretakers at their friend Cherry’s French villa. There Addie meets Dylan, also a friend of Cherry’s and guest at the villa. Despite coming from very different walks of life, Addie and Dylan’s summer fling in France leads to a relationship. And then to a not-so-amicable breakup. They haven’t spoken in the nearly two years since.

Flash forward to the present, Addie and Dylan are travelling to Cherry’s wedding in Scotland (separately), but after a slight traffic incident they end up car-pooling in Deb’s mini – along with Deb, Dylan’s obnoxious childhood friend Marcus, and Rodney the peculiar ride share stranger (another wedding guest). Stuffed into the cramped quarters for 400+ miles, Dylan and Addie are forced to confront their pasts, the choices that tore their relationship and friendships apart, and how they will move on.

What really stood out for me in this book was Dylan’s POV and his other relationships outside of Addie, including with his family, his friend group and Marcus. So many times I read about the flawed female lead going through this grand journey of self, while all the male has to do is improve his communication skills to complete his arc. This is not the case for Dylan. Addie has her own demons to face, but Dylan is the one with the bigger mountains to climb, and I really enjoyed exploring that. Some of Dylan’s largest mountains are topics that aren’t commonly discussed, like mental health in men and male friendships outside of the sports bar.

I liked the way Dylan and Addie’s relationship was explored in dual timelines, with the romance front and centre in the past timeline interwoven with the soul searching and life contemplating happening in the present. Both timelines included dual perspectives. Dual perspectives AND dual timelines is hard to pull off while keeping the story flowing, but it I felt it was well done in this book. I also enjoyed Deb’s no-bullshit character – her comments often sparked well-timed comedic interludes that nicely broke up the tension while simultaneously telling her story and showing her #sistergoals relationship with Addie.

Conclusion, would definitely recommend as a solid Contemporary Romance read!

I heard so many mixed reviews about this one, but...I loved it!

The Road Trip follows former lovers Addie and Dylan in dual timelines where in the present we are witnessing them dealing with seeing each other after their unfortunate breakup while on a unplanned road trip and in the past we see their relationship form and ultimately fall apart.

I think what I loved most about this one was the characters were not perfect. Like at all. This book/story was messy and I loved that. I love romance, but there's so much fluff and unrealistic situations which is great but when I come across a raw, real and messy story I fall hard for it. I didn't love Addie and Dylan much. They weren't terrible but also had many issues with both themselves and their relationship that drove me nuts. But it was their story that drew me in, where they obviously played a huge role it.

There are a handful of side characters that play a part and all I'm going to say is Marcus sucks so much ass. Boy, bye.

I loved the Flatshare and think this book was similar in it's approach, a not so typical romance, dealing with heavy themes and it worked!

Beth O'Leary really showed her range with The Road Trip. I have enjoyed all three of her novels and while I think they all appeal to the same general audience, the tone of each is very different. This was a lot deeper than The Switch, which was pure fun and light and very different from The Flat Share. I alternated between chuckling at the outlandish situations the characters got into and pining for Addie and Dylan to work out their issues and communicate without the "assistance" of Dylan's "pal" Marcus. (The quotations equate to sarcasm.) I absolutely adored the supporting characters in this novel but the stars were definitely Addie and Dylan, two very complex characters. This book had dual timelines and dual POVs and I enjoyed them all relatively equally! I'm very excited to see what O'Leary brings us next as I suspect it will, once again, surprise me.

After loving both “The Switch” and “The Flatshare”, I was super excited to pick up the latest book from Beth O’Leary. Unfortunately, “The Road Trip” fell flat for me.

While the writing itself lived up to O’Leary’s usual high standard, it was the characters themselves that made the book almost unbearable to read. While this sounds like a harsh exaggeration, within the first few pages I already immediately disliked the two main characters, Addie and Dylan - which did not bode well for the rest of the book. My first instinct proved correct, and the character development only seemed to dissipate the further into the book I read and the more we learn of their failed history. The novel follows the second-chance romance between the two characters – switching between “Then” and “Now”, in a similar style to Emily Henry’s “People We Meet on Vacation” or Sally Rooney’s “Normal People”. However, unlike these other two stories, I could not relate to or find interest in the characters in “The Road Trip”.

If you enjoy reading about toxic people in toxic relationships, this could be the book for you? It was not the book for me. That being said, I still look forward to O’Leary’s future books!

The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary, despite having some quirky characters and funny dialogue, fell short for me in many ways. 2.5 stars.

This awkward road trip of 5 people trying to get to a wedding is funny and hopeful in some instances, and dark and dreary in others. I definitely went into the story expecting more levity and hope, and felt like I was slogging through years of repressed trauma, miscommunication, and toxic relationships.

I loved the forced proximity of 5 people in a tiny car, two of whom had previously been in love and never quite moved on. There were many eccentric characters (Rodney, Kevin, Deb, Grace) who kept the banter interesting and cheeky. The summer flashbacks of insta-love were fun initially, until it felt like I was reading a lot of privileged rich-kid angst and self-destructive behavior with failed communication.

While there were some sweet romantic scenes and dialogue between characters, I wasn't fully content with the resolution of some of their story arcs. I wouldn't recommend this dual-timeline, second chance romance over O'Leary's previous books.

Thanks to Berkley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

silver slip of a starlit girl

*holds hands together in doe eyed childhood bliss* YOOOO HOOOOO I HAVE A NEW OBSESSION

WHY WHY wHy WHYYYY is this all I can think about this past week??? Like Addie? Dylan? Yeah they literally are running through my mind rent freeeeee and I can’t say Im not elated about it.

I truly think Beth O’ Leary has a talent. The way she flawlessly weaves and puts together each sentence and chapter is a talent. The way she effortlessly pulls so much emotion for readers is a talent.

The Road Trip is the first book that I’ve read by Beth and I now need every single one of her books stat because I am floored with how amazing it was.

First off, just the concept of this novel. Being stuck in a car with your ex when things didn’t end on the best of terms while also getting then and now DUAL timelines was interesting to say the least. To see the dynamics of the relationship as it first developed (and then failed) and now in the present just made it all the more moving and impactful.

She writes things like this “This summer’s when you wake up, isn’t it, and you’re only just getting started. You’re just beginning to play around, and he’s nearly ready to give up and settle down and say, This is who I am, I’m done.” which makes this a coming of age story but a realistic one that delves into topics such as toxic relationships/friendships and the way they can negatively impact someone’s life. I find this incredibly interesting and majorly important and was so glad to see portrayed here. The fact that it’s a relationship that can’t exactly be cut off all the way too (specifically talking about Dylan and Marcus’ friendship here) makes it all the more prominent. Seeing Dylan make the decision to get help for himself and Marcus, seeing Addie struggle with the aftermath of her and Dylan’s relationship and then proceed to come to terms with it all to have to go through it again at a time where they’re both older and wiser is so very necessary.

I feel like in relationships, it’s important to get individual help and grow individually before you can fully give yourself to the other person and that was accurately shown in Addie and Dylan’s relationship and I really enjoyed seeing it. It’s a second chance romance/ a coming of age self discovery/ and the true definition of right person wrong time type of novel but one that’s done really really well.

I loved it. I loved seeing Addie and Dylan, and all the other characters that I just love dearly, both in the past and present. I loved their development, their journeys together and individually. The writing. The story. Just everything.

If you are a fan of romance, contemporary fiction, stories with character development, mental health development, stories that are real, or even romcom movies then this is a stable book and one you definitely need to read.

Also small suggestion: do listen to Taylor Swift on repeat while reading this (especially champagne problems) makes the experience of reading Addie and Dylan’s story all the more consuming.

The story of a funny, accidental, awkward road trip with 5 people in a tiny car, two of whom had broken up almost two years earlier but had never really moved on. I enjoyed this read and think this is would be a great beach read for some one looking for a romantic comedy with a second chance romance.

This book felt like it dragged on. Rodney’s character was hilarious and just for him the book gets an extra star but I would have liked more explanation of his obsession with cherry. The switching between then and now got to be a little much at times. It’s hard to say why this book just didn’t do it for me like her others did.

Beth O'Leary's books are full of characters that are distinct and you grow to care for. The Road Trip follows two timelines; now, Addie and Dylan are road tripping together to a friend's wedding despite an emotional breakup and then, the course of Addie and Dylan's relationship. Beth O'Leary does a great job of progressing both stories and managing not to give away the climax of one story while telling the other.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3990485485

After hearing so many great things about Beth O'Leary, I was hyped to receive an ARC of The Road Trip. And Dear Reader, she did not disappoint!

Four years ago, Dylan and Addie met at Cherry, a friend’s, French villa - Addie was the summer caretaker and Dylan showed up for a family vacation that didn’t happen quite as planned. Two years ago, it all ended and they haven’t spoken since.

On her way to Cherry’s wedding, Dylan literally runs into Addie in a fender bender. This means all five passengers are now crammed into a Mini and trying to make it to the wedding on time,

The story unfolds with flashbacks so we learn more about Dylan and Addie as we watch them cope with the awkward and often humorous logistics of the road trip. Second chance, forced proximity love at its finest. So much heartwarming goodness in this book! Is it madcap? Hell, yes! Is it zany? Maybe implausible? Sure. Did I love it with laughter and even the occasional tear as Dylan and Addie sorted out their feelings and lives? Oh most definitely yes!

There are some serious issues about mental health, family relationships, and workplace sexual harassment but the author skillfully wove those into the story balancing them with the more madcap moments.

Beth O’Leary does what she does best - we got engaging, quirky characters, lots of sparkling and witty banter, some very humorous situations, a bit of high drama, and some incredibly heartwarming and moving moments. I’m excited to read more other books!

Unfortunately this was a DNF at 40%. Something just didn’t jive for me. The characters weren’t developed, the relationships were forced and weird, and I just didn’t even care about their second chance trope.

My first read by Beth O'Leary and it did not disappoint!

The second chance romance trope is my favorite and this story gave my heart all the feels. I was sucked in and didn't want to put this book down. This was the romance I have been wanting for a while now. I loved all the dynamics: how we get both Addie's and Dylan's point-of-view and past and present stories. It kept everything intriguing and created a definite page-turner of a book.

From the cover and genre, I wasn't expecting so much angst, but I was so there for it! My heart fluttered, then shattered, then repaired itself, and now I'm off to read the rest of O'Leary's books!

3.5
I really loved Beth O'Leary's first two books so was excited to read The Road Trip. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this one quite as much. There are some complicated character relationships and issues here, but some of the characters are stereotypical or cliche (Dylan's father and his purely cold persona; Rodney who is a boring individual turned to an uninvited/dangerous wedding guest) and some of the actions taken by the characters (Marcus following/spying on Addie, Etienne going from friendly and encouraging to evil) were hard to accept at face value. While I know that plot lines and characters are created for humor and the flow of the story; some of these were distracting and didn't work for me. However as in O'Leary's previous works, there are sweet romantic scenes and convincing passages of dialogue between characters. I also appreciated O'Leary's effort to cover complicated issues that can occur between a friend and a significant other (or anytime there are multiple/diverse personalities). Overall The Road Trip is entertaining and kept me turning the pages, but fell short of The Flatshare and The Switch.

After recently reading The Switch by Beth O’Leary, I was so excited to have the chance to read The Road Trip. I was expecting a light romantic comedy with charming characters and instead it seemed like a long haul. A wedding road trip turned into a sad she said, he said, failed relationship story. Characters that seemed likeable enough at first glance revealed a dark side as the story progressed. Even an additional character that seemingly was a funny addition ended up having an undesirable backstory.
With the time changes between Then and Now coupled with the narrator switch, sometimes it was difficult to discern when the story was taking place and who was narrating it. Although it had a happy ending it took far too long to get there for me.

A road trip to a wedding brings exes back into proximity and a chance to rekindle things. Addie is traveling to a wedding in Scotland and the trip has barely begun before her car is hit by another - being driven by her ex Dylan who is going to the same wedding. They haven't seen each other since their bad breakup two years ago, and needless to say this isn't a great way to meet again. Dylan and his best friend are now rideless and Addie feels like she has no choice but to invite them along. With a long trip ahead of them and crowded spaces, Addie and Dylan have no choice but to confront each other - and their past. But at the end of the road, will there be a second chance awaiting them. Or will they even make it there?

A cute story of exes and the fresh start of a road trip, this makes great summer reading that will make readers want to jump in the car.

I really thought, for most of this book, that I was going to like it. But then some things were revealed at the end that I did NOT like, and also, upon reflection, many things throughout it I didn’t like either.

Here are a few things that worked: The prose was very evocative, and especially in the past timeline, atmospheric. Most of the characters were really distinct, and the tension between Addie and Dylan in the present timeline was potent.

I had problems with everything else. Let’s get into it.
-It seemed like we were working towards a kind of redemption arc for one of the characters in the present timeline, but when you find out what this character did??? Excuse me??? NO.
-Addie’s characterization, especially in the past timeline, was so weird. I didn’t have any sense of her personality. And the way she’s described, like, “darkly sexual” (?) by another character….UGH I HATE IT.
-Dylan and Addie have total and complete insta-love in the past timeline. It makes very little sense.
-Mild spoilers but I don’t care….Stalking is seen as, like, a not awesome but also not serious thing in this book? There are a couple instances of stalking, with different characters, and can I just go on the record and say stalking is CREEPY and I AM NOT A FAN.
-I am also, personally, tired of the Male MC’s Rich Dad Is A Homophobic Asshole and Also General Asshole trope.

In the beginning, I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this book, but then I found myself unable to put it down.

Dylan and Addie were deeply in love. Something happens that makes them have to break up even though they still love each other. Four years later, they accidentally meet and end up on a road trip to a mutual friend's wedding. They discover how much the other has changed during the journey, except their feelings haven't.

The story of Dylan and Addie is woven through the road trip. This worked well because they might love each other, but their relationship was not working. It reminded me of watching a car crash video. You know that there will be a crash so you can see the problems. Dylan and Addie had many issues that stemmed from them having issues with themselves. It was interesting to be annoyed at how Dylan acted in the past and then see him change in the future.

The road trip itself was pretty zany and full of surprises.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

This was such a fun and sweet story. Don’t get me wrong, it had trials, tribulations and heartbreak, but I loved it!

O’Leary has such a wonderful way of creating characters that are so fun and you can’t help but love them. This was no exception. I loved all of them, including awkward Rodney! All the mishaps along the way of this road trip were hysterical and worked so well for the situations and characters.

I’ve loved her books before, and this one only solidified why I do! I’ll continue counting down the days until her new releases.