I loved The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary and wanted to love The Road Trip so bad. I was really excited to read it but unfortunately, I finished it feeling disappointed and was disappointed for most of the reading journey. I recently bought The Switch by Beth O'Leary and I am still excited to read it. So, I am treating this as a one off miss.

The Road Trip follows Addie and her sister as they embark on what is described as an epic road trip to a friend's wedding in the north of Scotland. But, not long after setting off, a car slams into the back of theirs. The driver is none other than Addie's ex, Dylan, who she's avoided since their traumatic break-up two years earlier. Dylan and his best mate Marcus are heading to the wedding too and ended up having to take the road trip with Addie because he Mini miraculous survived the crash and Marcus’ Mercedes was totaled.

The book jumps from the present day road trip to the past highlighting when Addie and Dylan met.

What I liked:
- Addie and Dylan met in an idyllic French town and I enjoyed the descriptions and could picture this amazing location
- I liked some aspects of Addie and Dylan's relationship in the sections covering the past
- As a huge Country music fan, I related to the country music references throughout and Addie's love of Country music

What I Didn't Like:
- The characters. I don’t know if I have ever read a book that had so many characters this dislikeable. Marcus was more of a main character and I really disliked him, and he got way too much spotlight for a character so unlikeable. I didn't connect with the secondary characters and Addie and Dylan were not enough to make up for that. The secondary characters that could have been likeable were not developed to the point where I could hang on to them.

The plot wasn't enough to make up for the characters for me unfortunately.

This is a 2.5 stars for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an ARC. This book is available on June 1, 2021 if you are not as character driven as I am.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy.

I enjoyed the author’s previous books and was looking forward to this. Unfortunately it was a bit of a rough read. I didn’t feel like I was enjoying the story until about 60% in. There were a lot of characters and backstory and it felt like it was all over the place.

Beep beep, it’s time for a road trip!! 🚘

This was my first Beth O’Leary book and I was so excited to read this one after hearing nothing but amazing things about The Flatshare and The Switch!

A second chance romance is typically one of my favourite tropes but I felt this one lacked the charm and sexual tension and ultimately I just never got the connection I was hoping for to either of the main characters.

However, I did still enjoy the book and was completely engaged throughout it! I really liked the supporting cast and found them to be extremely fun and humorous! I’m also a big fan of duel timelines and I relished in the chapters that dove into Addie and Dylan’s past relationship.

In conclusion, I still found this to be an enjoyable and super cute read that I recommend you checking out!

3.5 stars rounded to 4

3.5 stars

The Road Trip was an entertaining novel, but I wasn't quite prepared for how emotional and heavy it would be. From the blurb, I thought it was going to be a second chance romantic comedy, but it dove into some very serious issues and I don't think the romance aspect ever really fully developed.

I thought the Then and Now timelines worked well to piece together Dylan and Addie's history, but the overall pace of the novel was a bit slow. Things really started to speed up in the last third, however, making the ending feel very rushed. As much as I enjoyed the writing, I needed more chemistry and connection to believe Addie and Dylan's instalove and to root for their HEA. I understand that that zero to sixty progression and the subsequent lack of communication was part of their character arcs, but I just didn't feel their love. The friendships were very complex in this novel and I'm still not sure how to feel about Marcus and his redemption. The terrible cycle of dependency and toxicity gave the book a much darker and serious tone that overshadowed any humor that Deb or Rodney brought to the book. Deb is the only character who I truly loved and cared for. Beth O'Leary's amazing writing kept me reading, but sadly, I didn't love this one as much as I had hoped.

CW: depression, alcoholism, sexual assault, stalking, emotional abuse, drug use

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

For me, this book recaptured some of the elements that made O'Leary's Flatshare so great. There was romance and humor but also poignancy and depth so it never became overly saccharine or shallow. I thought O'Leary created a great cast of mostly realistic characters and the alternating timelines kept me reading to find out both what happened between Addie and Dylan in the past and what will happen when they reach their destination.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Review of The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a charming read. Beth O’Leary does it again with a sweet romance with amazing characters. My two favorite characters in this one were Rodney (the funny ride a long on the trip) and Deb (Addie’s sister).

Addie and her sister Deb along with a man named Rodney set off on a road trip to Scotland for their friend Cherry’s wedding. They have snacks, good music, and are having a great time when they are suddenly rear- ended in a gas station parking lot. The offender is none other than Addie’s ex boyfriend, Dylan, who broke her heart. He and his best friend, Marcus, are also traveling to Cherry’s wedding, and so they offer them a ride.

The book alternates between when their romance first began in France and to the present time when it’s clear they have unresolved feelings. I really enjoyed the alternating timelines.

I really enjoyed this book and Beth O’Leary is an auto buy author for me. Thank you so much to @netgalley, @penguinrandomhouse.

I think this is my favorite O’Leary book! This is my third of hers and I really have enjoyed the other two, but this one was different. It was filled with anxiety and wonder. I kept wanting to know what happened to Addie and Dylan. It was like The Hangover where things just kept going wrong, one thing after the other. All while there is this tension in the air the whole time. When I started, I didn’t want to stop. I really loved Addie’s character and all the female characters, actually. I loved the character development of most of the characters in the book and their journey. I really enjoyed this read and I hope you do, too.


Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley publishing for my eARC In exchange for my honest review.

CW/TW: homophobic parent, alcoholism, alcohol/drug use, pregnancy, sexual assault

The Road Trip is Beth O’Leary’s third novel and explores the relationship between Dylan and Addie through two timelines, then and now. Dylan and Addie cross paths for the first time in two years after they get into a car accident on the way to a mutual friend’s wedding. Because of the car accident, Dylan and Addie, along with a motley crew consisting of Addie’s sister, Dylan’s best friend, and a random acquaintance of the bride, are forced to drive together to the wedding. This was my first O’Leary book I have read and, believe me, it did not disappoint. From what I gathered from the press surrounding this book, this is supposed to be O’Leary’s first foray into true romance after writing two contemporary fiction novels where romance takes the back seat (no pun intended). I have a feeling that many romance purists won’t consider this to be romance, but, as a romance reader, I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down. Addie and Dylan’s relationship arc felt very true to life and was heartbreaking when I found out the reason behind their split. The other characters in the novel, predominantly those that are in the car on the titular road trip, are also well-developed in a way that you don’t often see in the romance genre. As per genre conventions for romance, this book does explore the sexual relationship between the two main characters, however, these scenes aren’t necessarily closed-door or fully explicit. Because of this, I feel as though this might be a good starting off point for someone who is new to the romance genre. I loved this book and it makes me excited to make my way through O’Leary’s backlist. I have no doubt that this novel will be a huge hit and will definitely be nominated for the Goodreads award in the romance category. Rating: 5/5

*Note: I was given an E-ARC from Berkley Pub and NetGalley to review

I really enjoyed The Flatshare and The Switch, but I feel a bit like someone pulled a bait and switch on me with The Road Trip. The overall feel of this book was more that of a New Adult Romance. It was very angsty and ... teenager-y.

The concept of the story felt original and I was excited for the way things were going in the beginning. The flashbacks to "before" were of a clingy and often cringey relationship between Addie and Dylan. Neither character really spoke that much to me, but I liked them better than I liked any of the other characters.

Although Dylan's friend Marcus was an ass, I feel like his character was done a disservice. The author did explain his behavior (in a way), but I don't think he really had a chance to redeem himself. It was like the author wanted us to like him or excuse his behavior, but didn't really give us the opportunity or freedom to actually forgive him.

Addie's sister, Deb was such a wild card for me. It felt like her whole purpose was just to act in whatever random way would propel the story in the direction it was meant to go. None of it seemed connected or even logical.

Rodney was another weird character. I understand that he was maybe there as comic relief or... IDK just to have something else to focus on besides the tension from the other characters, but it just felt unnecessary.

Overall I was EXTREMELY excited about the idea of a second chance romance on a road trip, but what really happened fell short. The author is obviously very talented and I look forward to more from her but based on this book I will probably approach it with caution.

I have to start off this review by saying I completely adored The Flatshare and The Switch. They are some of my favorite books of all time. So, I really, really wanted to love this book.

However, I struggled to connect to the characters and storyline. I will be honest and say I did not completely finish this one. I still strongly encourage others to give this book a try!! I will definitely read other Beth O'Leary books in the future. She is one of my favorite authors.

The Flatshare by this author was one of my favorite romances ever, but his one was cute too. I enjoy road trip books and Iike when the heroine and the guy have to work for their relationship. Cute, bantery and lovable characters with a great travel aspect to it.

A fun romp as we got to tag along on this road trip. O'Leary enlisted a fun and varied group of characters to pile into that Mini on the way to the wedding. A few surprising twists added humor and unexpected drama that added to this book's endearing story.

Slow start - multiple time lines. Took me a bit to get invested in the characters but once I was, I was hooked. Lots of misunderstanding and miscommunication.

A trip to a wedding ends up being an epic road trip after an accident with other wedding guests. Addie is looking forward to the wedding but dreading seeing her ex, Dylan, there. But Dylan and his mate Marcus are in the car that hit Addie and they end up traveling with Addie and her sister. The road trip doesn't go exactly as planned. Will they ever make it to the wedding? Can Addie and Dylan work through the past in order to celebrate the wedding?

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this book to review!

Once I read the blurb for this book I was very intrigued. A road trip with exes? YES PLEASE. However, this book is deeper than you realize.

The book focuses around two characters—Dylan and Addie—and a trio they are making to go to a close friends wedding. After breaking up nearly two years ago, Dylan and Addie are unexpectedly having to travel together with three other people. It’s hard, because the characters still care for one another, but the breakup, and honestly their entire relationship, was messy.

This book did have a sensitive subject for me. I won’t say what—except that you should read the entire book to get the entire story. I almost stopped reading it, but I’m glad I got the whole story and heard bother sides from the characters.

Almost the entire book was during the road trip. It was a bit tedious, but you get flashbacks from the past often and get to discover how Dylan and Addie met and the growth of their relationship and all up until the moment they break up.

It was a bit hard for me to follow certain parts of the book, because it has a lot of British slang that I’m not familiar with. I do also wish there was a little bit more steam involved, but you will quickly realize that this book isn’t about that. It’s about forgiveness and finding yourself.

Overall, it was an enjoyable book!

Unfortunately this was a DNF at 35% for me. I went back and forth about wanting to finish this one, but there's a few reasons I did not:
1. The characters are all awful. I felt no concern for any one of them nor did I care.
2. Marcus is a tool. The fact that Dylan still hangs out with him makes me think Dylan is also a tool.
3. The then and now timelines was not great. I did not feel any chemistry between the two characters. I am told they love each other, but do they?

After almost just going on and telling myself to plow through, I checked some lower reviews and I must say I am surprised with all the horrible actions in this book that it is so liked. I LOVED O'Leary's last two books and I will count the days until her next book. But after looking at some spoilers, I am happy I did not press on. Many trigger warnings in my opinion that seem to be taken lightly by the characters in the book. If you do not want full spoilers but want TWs please reach out to me!

Thank you Berkley Romance for the free ebook.

A dual POV story told in dual timelines (when Dylan and Addie first met vs now). Two exes are forced into a road trip to Scotland where just about everything goes wrong!

The Road Trip was one of my most highly anticipated 2021 reads. I love O’Leary and second chance romance is a favorite trope. Here’s what worked and didn’t work for me...

What worked: There were some major laugh out loud moments. The Provence setting in the “then” timeline was dreamy. I liked the way a serious topic was handled and the formatting of that section of the book helped the reader feel the intensity of that situation.

What didn’t work: One of the things I love about this author's previous books is how sweet they are; I always love the characters and just find the stories warm and cozy. This book lacked that in my opinion and I never fully clicked with the characters. The dual POV and dual timeline also became a bit tedious at times.

It very well may have been a matter of expectations that I didn’t really connect with this book. It just wasn’t the cozy read I assumed it would be. It’s definitely “edgier” than The Flatshare and The Switch.

I have really enjoyed Beth O’Leary’s other books and was excited to read this one, but I just never really connected to or liked the characters. I did really like the last 25% or so, but this one just wasn’t for me. That being said, I do love Beth’s writing and love how she can surprise me by taking the story in an unexpected direction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Beth O' Leary is still one of the best in the romance book business - the characters in her books always feel like real, defined people instead of tropes or cliques - none of them are perfect. The way this book got to the ending felt both messy but correct for the two characters, and the side characters are also incredibly intriguing. I wouldn't go into these books looking for anything really steamy but if you want a real, heartfelt look at romance and how people are hurt and recover from it, take a look at this book.

Trigger warnings: attempted rape, gaslighting

Dylan and Addie are exes on their way to a mutual friend's wedding. On the way, Dylan rear-ends the car Addie is in and they are forced to go on an eight-hour road trip in the same Mini.

Dylan and Addie's story is told in alternating narration between the two, with the timeline switching between "now" (the journey to the wedding) and "then" (their prior relationship).

Both Dylan and Addie had issues to work through during and after their relationship, but are they a perfect match for each other now?

Recommended for all romance fans and readers of British contemporary fiction.