Charming and quirky! I loved the idea behind this book- two exes stuck in a tiny car for a road trip- what could go wrong??! This had all of the feels I felt with O'Leary's past novels but with even more complexity in the characters! I will definitely be recommending this to patrons at the library and including it in 2021 reading lists.

I started The Road Trip already a fan of Beth O'Leary and I'm calling it that this is officially my favorite book I've read by her! I could not put it down.

Addie and Dylan broke up almost two years ago and now, due to so many unfortunate coincidences, are now forced into the confined space of a car for an 8-hour drive. They're forced to come to terms with their relationship and their break-up that "devastated" them both. While this awkward car ride progresses, we get flashbacks to their previous meeting and relationship.

While the flashbacks is a pretty common format for building up to conflicts I really did love seeing the comparisons between them first meeting and falling head over heels (a little too insta-love/lust for me BUT as the dynamic of this book followed a relationship and breakup it didn't grate for long) and them re-connected with all the love/hurt/anger and baggage. Especially, with the little hints from Addie, Dylan, and Dylan's BFF Marcus as to WHY they broke up in the first place to add to the mystery of what happened. The further I got into their past the less I felt inclined to "root" for the second chance romance as their relationship had some definite flaws. However, I think Beth handled that well by also slipping in their character development between the two time periods that led nicely into this theme of "the love is (and has been) always there but sometimes the person is not" that gives them and us, the readers, more hope. Everything that came up as "red flags" or just not great for either Addie or Dylan in the past was nicely addressed in the future.

The writing, pacing, and handling of this book I think worked perfectly and would definitely recommend it to almost anyone I know.

When love goes wrong how can you get it back on track. Not sure whether being stuck in a car on a road trip will do the trick, but find out in Beth O'Leary's new book

I’ve never read anything by Beth O’Leary before, and after hearing so many good things about The Flatshare, I knew I wanted to read some of her work soon! This is definitely a romantic comedy, with a “second chance at love” element, but as the story goes on, more serious themes are introduced.

I loved the concept of this story, and I liked going back and forth between now (the road trip to the wedding) and then (Dylan and Addie’s relationship). However, I was definitely more invested in the “now” storyline than “then”. I also had a hard time really liking and rooting for any of the characters, which made it difficult for me to get really invested in the storyline. As the story went on and more secrets are revealed (including a twist which I did NOT see coming!) I flew through the ending.

Overall, I loved the premise, the twist, and the ending, but I had a bit of a hard time getting into the characters and the story as a whole. Still recommend if you are a romance fan!

What a trip! Five people stuck in a tiny car together on a road trip to a wedding in Scotland. Two of the people used to be in love and thus chaos ensues. This story felt different from Beth O’Leary’s other books, but it’s still worth a read. The story is dramatic, the characters are well written and intense, and the plot was very unpredictable. To be warned, there are depictions of substance abuse and harassment. I had really strong feelings about numerous characters, and really rooted for the love interests. Overall I would recommend this title and am glad to be a Beth O’Leary fan.

The Road Trip tells the story of Dylan and Addie meeting, breaking up, and reconnecting. They meet again by chance when Dylan rear-ends Addie on the way to their mutual friend’s wedding. Chapters alternate between Dylan and Addie’s perspectives. The book also alternates between the past and present, giving readers brief glances at the various stages of Addie and Dylan’s relationship until the reason for their breakup is climactically revealed.

The Road Trip starts off slow, with a lot of furtive glances and whiny car mates in the present and sex and crazy friends in the past. While there are funny moments, this is not a light romance. The book is full of toxic relationships that start off bad and get worse. Seeing how Addie and Dylan’s relationship began really didn’t have me rooting for them to get back together. Marcus, Dylan’s former best friend along for the road trip, is also like a boogie man throughout the book. I primarily kept reading to see how Marcus would destroy his life and those around him.

The story picks up about 60% into the book. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. Minor characters like Addie’s sister, Deb, and the road trip tag along, Rodney, added some quirky charm missing from Dylan or Addie. I would recommend this to someone who likes psychological thrillers more than pure romance. As a fan of Beth O’Leary, The Road Trip didn’t hit the heart-warming notes that The Flat Share and The Switch did.

Trigger Warning: In addition to toxic relationships, this book deals with other heavy topics like drug/alcohol abuse, depression, sexual assault, homophobia, and stalking.

Road Trip is my first book by Beth O'Leary and I grabbed it because it sounded cute.

But wow, this book is so much more than just a road trip and two exes discovering they are still in love with one other. This is a story told in the dual timeline. One is the present when they are on the road trip, and the other is in the past that starts with their first meeting leading up to the breakup. There are constant suspense and intrigue about the reason for their breakup.

I really enjoyed it and can't wait for more from this author!

The Road Trip
By Beth O'Leary

I had been a huge fan of Beth O'Leary's writing from her debut, The Flatshare to this heartwarming story that I loved, The Switch, I found both stories just completely enthralling, heartwarming, and immersive. The Road Trip has been one of my most anticipated reads, and it sure did not disappoint.

In The Road Trip we have Addie and Dylan who met and fell in love in a French Villa where Addie was working as an on-site caretaker for the summer for her friend Cherry, and Dylan was one of the guests of the villa. But their relationship ended two years ago and neither had kept in touch or had seen each other, until the fortuitous accidental meeting. Dylan literally in an accident rear ends the mini Addie was driving. Fortunately, the damage to her car was minimal while Dylan's car had to be towed. They found that they were all off to Scotland for Cherry's wedding and to get there on time, they had to all carpool and make the road trip together to Scotland. In the car were Addie and her sister Deb, Dylan and his friend Marcus, and Rodney whom they met in Facebook who was also invited to the wedding.

The motley crew of characters sure made this read a delight and crazy funny. But what I enjoyed the most were the flashbacks to the time in France when Addie and Dylon first met as the THEN chapters, and the wonderful way O'Leary weaved this second chance romance where they both were able to work out their relationship as the NOW chapters.

In O'Leary's beautiful style with charming characters and dialogue, I found this book both heartwarming, funny and just overall a lovely read.

I just discovered Beth O'Leary and have quickly devoured all of her books. This one was my favorite yet! I loved the characters and the story. Everything was just perfection. I can't wait to see what she comes out with next!

3.5 stars.

Can forced proximity help a former couple recapture the magic or will it just make things worse? This is the question addressed in Beth O'Leary's new book, The Road Trip.

Dylan and Addie were in love. It was an intense relationship, but Dylan’s indecisiveness about his future and his constantly choosing his longtime best friend Marcus, who had wanted nothing more than to break them up from the start, dooms them. But when a betrayal occurs, it shatters everything.

Two years later, they know they’ll see each other at their mutual friend Cherry’s wedding. They've not spoken since the day their relationship ended. But the last thing they’re prepared for is when Dylan accidentally rear-ends the car Addie and her sister are driving to the wedding.

While the logical choice would be to let Dylan and Marcus fend for themselves, they’ll never make it to the wedding on time. So instead Addie and Deb invite them to drive with them to Scotland. In a Mini. Along with another random wedding guest, Rodney. What could go wrong?

Of course, hijinks ensue. And amidst crises and traffic and arguments about the trip playlist, Dylan and Addie realize their feelings for each other haven’t changed no matter how they try to fight them. But are feelings enough to overcome the hurt and guilt and betrayal? Have they changed that much?

The story alternates between present and past, tracing the trajectory of their relationship and what brought them to this point.

I’ve loved Beth O’Leary’s previous books, The Flat Share and The Switch, so much, so I had high hopes for The Road Trip as well. I loved Dylan and Addie and their story, but much like the trip itself, the book took a long while to get going. And honestly, Marcus was one of the most ridiculously insufferable characters and he took up far too much space in the story. But in the end, I still got teary. Lol.

NetGalley and Berkely provided me with a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

The Road Trip publishes 6/1.

Another great story from Beth O'Leary. This forced road trip, second chance romance was full of banter and hijinks while also addressing some very heavy topics related to why the couple broke up initially. The dual timelines worked better than I was expecting, and I loved the friends and family we encountered along the way.

This was so cute! It was my first Beth O'Leary book (both the Flatshare and the Switch are on my TBR!). I have heard such amazing things, so I knew I was in for a treat.

It's a fun and cute lighthearted story with lots of laughable moments. The chapters alternate between the two main characters, Addie and Dylan's, points of view, as well as back in forth in time. This did get a bit confusing at times, but as soon as I reminded myself whose point of view I was reading and what time period we were in it all made sense!

The back and forth in time periods allows the reader to understand how Addie and Dylan's relationship began, and the foundation it was built on. The characters are all well developed with complex backstories that made them feel human, relatable and likeable.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a read that will make you laugh and pull on your heart strings!

Thank you to Net Galley and Quercus Publishing for this much appreciated ARC! The Road Trips release date is April 29th, 2021 be sure to check it out!

A rom-com with five people crammed into a mini racing to get to wedding. Yes, please. When sisters Addie and Deb embark on a road trip together they definitely don’t anticipate being rear-ended by Addie’s ex and his not-so-lovable best friend. Instead of leaving Dylan and Marcus stranded on the side of the road, Addie and Deb (and Rodney who has hitched a ride) graciously offer them a ride to the wedding they were all destined for. During their trip that seems to last forever, the past comes racing back to find them. For fans of Kerry Winfrey and Emily Henry.

DNF @35%

Beth O'Leary has written two books that I adore (The Flatshare is a go to comfort reread). When I saw that she was writing a road trip book I was hyped, but this one did not work for me and after not wanting to pick it up for two weeks I decided to DNF.

To start, I DON'T LIKE SECOND CHANCE ROMANCES. I can sometimes be okay with the trope, but this one has dual POV and every other chapter goes back to their relationship and I honestly did not care about those parts. If this was just present day with a few flashbacks I think I could have enjoyed this one.

I will say O'Leary's writing is still cozy and I did like the characters. Plus, so many topical Taylor Swift references while they are driving which were SO GOOD.

I wish I liked this one and maybe one day I'll come back to it, but for now, it just was not working for me.

I loved this book. The story was easy follow and swaps between two characters tell their view of their relationship from the past and in the present. I love the characters chemistry and funny banner back and forth. This was was a fun read that I highly recommend.

I love a good British Rom-Com, and Beth O'Leary is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors for this genre. The Road Trip was a surprisingly deep dive into love, family, depression, and relationships---not just between lovers, but friends and family as well. As usual, O'Leary's trademark humor and wit is there to lighten the more serious moments. A hopeful, sweet story of love and friendship.

I found myself not really liking this book. I might be the out women out here, but I found it boring. The premise of the books a miss for me. The main characters were not very likable. Spending hours together in a car rehashing where there relationship went wrong..... ugh.

I love second chance romance books, I really do. This one I wished I loved more.

I ended up deciding to DNF this book at 40%. I did not enjoy the development of either story, the original story of how Dylan and Addie met, and the present day of Dylan and Addie reconnecting as they road trip to their mutual friends wedding. To be honest, I was bummed out with O'Leary's last book, The Switch so I was hoping it was a fluke and this was going to be a 5 star book. It just felt very juvenile and shallow.

This book switched back and forth in time from the beginning of Addie and Dylan’s relationship to 20 months after it ended. I adored this book. It was really good and I liked the alternating POVs. It would descend into comedy at points which could either be funny or a little silly a few times. But it was a really heartwarming book. But sorry I think Marcus is unredeemable.

This book was sooo charming, it had all the levity and warmth of her past books but I felt the chemistry of characters so much stronger. Loved this read.