Relationship Fiction, Well-Developed Characters, Reunited Exes

The Road Trip introduced the reunited exes trope to me and I struggled unraveling the truth of what tore Dylan and Addie apart. But, the slow burn was worth it to discover truly developed, flawed characters and an acceptance that Beth O'Leary isn't constricted to writing just one kind of character, actually a celebration that she so deftly creates characters in this story that are unique and honest about struggles with mental health. The dual narrative + flashbacks to 4 years previously adds suspense and depth to this road trip gone bad story as well.

Wow, wow, wow! The Road Trip was an incredible read. It's an insane mix of road trip comedy/tragedy/drama/romance mixed with flashbacks to a traumatic event that somehow works entirely to create a completely wonderful book. It's a simple road trip to a friend's wedding with a sister that turns into an everything-bad-that-can-happen-will-happen with an ex-boyfriend, his best friend that you hate, and Rodney.

Addie, Dylan, and even Marcus are such complex characters that unfold throughout the story, and it really sucked me in from start to finish.

I don't know if I've ever read a book that's remotely similar to The Road Trip, but somehow it made me think of "Normal People" by Sally Rooney, but then again not at all. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good unravelling of a plot and history of two characters formerly in love.

If it wasn't for the fact that this is a popular author (whose first two books I enjoyed very much!), I wouldn't get this for a public library collection. The story was so extra - one family/group of people being uber rich, the romance actually felt like a pretty unhealthy relationship to me, the almost sexual assault at the end, the weird twist with the best friend didn't feel like it fit at all. I wanted to like it, but this just didn't sit right with me.

I've been a fan of Beth O'Leary since reading The Switch. Needless to say, I was excited to read The Road Trip.

CW: sexual abuse, threat of rape, stalking

The Road Trip opens with a bang, er a crash. Dylan and his friend Marcus have left for their friend’s wedding in Scotland. Dylan catches sight of the woman in the mini in front of them, and is convinced it is his ex-girlfriend Addie. Whom he hasn’t spoken to in two years after a bad break-up. This distraction leads to him driving into the back of the car.

Only for Dylan to find out he was right and that it was Addie, and her sister Deb. Along with a mysterious passenger Rodney, who were also on their way to the wedding. Having wrecked the car he was driving, Dylan, along with his friend Marcus, decide to travel together in Deb's car. What could go wrong?

This trip was filled with resentment, grudges, unfinished business, history, and lost love. It alternates between the past and the present, giving us glimpses of what happened when Dylan and Addie dated for the first time.

I thought the intrigue and mystery were great in this book. I wanted to finish so I could find out who Rodney was, why Marcus didn't seem to like Addie, and what happened to end Dylan and Addie's relationship. I couldn't put this book down while uncovering what happened and how they could possibly heal.

If you're looking for a second chance book with twists and turns, you should check out the Road Trip. It was funny, heart-felt, and it made me cry.

Addie and her sister are traveling in their Mini to Scotland for a friend’s wedding. Along for the ride are her ex boy friend, Dylan, his best friend Marcus, and Rodney, a random guy who needs a ride to the wedding. . How cramped is that car? This awkward journey takes lots of twists, turns and delays. Along the way, Addie and Dylan sort out their break up and the choices they made. Humorous in parts,; introspective in others.

Wowza. This was an extremely high-degree-of-difficulty book. It's a rom-com that is also angsty and dramatic, with extremely traumatic and emotional reveals. It's told in alternating Then/Now chapters with alternating she said/he said sections. At the beginning--and even throughout--it's unclear that the main characters are actually going to be worthy of one another, and whether side characters are going to be redeemable at all. A lot of it is a bit implausible and yet.....it all comes together and just WORKS.

Addie and Dylan fell in love quickly, and their relationship moved too fast for them to ever really get to know each other. They broke up even more quickly, in a traumatic, ruinous fashion. A quirk of fate has brought Dylan, Addie, Addie's free-wheeling sister Deb, Dylan's outrageous best friend Marcus, and obsequious stranger Rodney, into Deb's tiny car for an awkward, sweltering 400+-mile drive across England to Scotland for a friend's wedding. If it can go wrong on this ill-fated trip, it will.

Addie and Dylan have never really gotten over one another, and Marcus bears a large responsibility for their troubles. Fortunately for Addie, she has Deb who, despite her devil-may-care attitude toward life ALWAYS has her sister's back.

A satisfying roller-coaster of a read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion which is "READ THIS."

This is part road trip part exploration of how these two people's relationship imploded.

Picture this: you’re on a road trip with your sister to a friend's wedding. Life has a wicked sense of humor, and you end up having to drive your ex-boyfriend and his best friend, who you haven’t seen in nearly two years. Let’s just say it wasn’t an easy split, and now your both stuck in a car. Fun.

Alternating between past and present, we get to unravel how Addies and Dylan’s relationship started and ultimately came to a demise.

I sat down to read this book, thinking I would get through a few chapters. Well, in a turn of events, I became trapped in this story and didn’t dare leave my spot until I finished reading.

This was definitely an addicting story with lots of heart and humor. That being said, the author didn't shy away from broaching more serious topics. If you like Beth O’Leary’s books, you’ll surely love this one. If you haven’t read any, this would be a perfect one to start with!!

TW: depression, sexual assault, alcoholism/drug use

Thank you to Berkley for my ARC

Just finished reading THE ROAD TRIP by Beth O'Leary. I received this ARC from Berkleypub via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Official publication date is June 1st, 2021.

As a huge fan of THE FLATSHARE, I couldn't wait to read this one.

Addie and her half sister Deb are road tripping to their friend Cherry's wedding in the north of Scotland. It's supposed to be a fun girls trip. But when a car slams into the back of theirs 5 minutes into the trip, their plans go out the window.

Dylan, Addie's ex who she hasn't spoken to in two years turns out to be the driver of the other vehicle. It seems he and his best friend Marcus are also heading to the wedding, and their car is now totalled. So Addie is forced to offer them a ride, even though she despises Marcus with a passion.

The car is soon overwhelmingly full and Dylan and Addie can't avoid confronting their history during this excruciatingly long drive, will they make it to the wedding on time and in one piece? Will they be able to forgive each other and move forward?

Told from Addie & Dylan's point of view, alternating between the then and now, will keep you hooked to the last page. The chemistry is on 🔥 between these two, and the band of misfits friends we get introduced to along the way made the story. Definitely a must read about love, friendships and second chances.

Beth O'Leary, you are amazing. I loved The Flatshare and The Switch. Both were 5 star reads for me. I thought that there was no way she could pull a hat trick and have number 3 be just as good. Well...The Road Trip delivered and is, in my opinion, even better than the first two! It is now my favorite of hers. Beth just knows how to write a witty, hilarious, heartfelt book that makes you cry and laugh. Sometimes on the same page.

*Quick synopsis*
Addie, her sister, Beth, and some random dude that needed a ride on Facebook, are headed to Scotland on a road trip to their good friend Cherry's wedding. Almost immediately, they get into an accident with Marcus and Dylan, Addie's ex-boyfriend, who were also on their way to the wedding. The boys' car is totaled, so they all pack into Beth's car and begin a crazy journey to the nuptials. Addie and Dylan's chemistry is still evident after two years and they are forced to deal with the messy breakup and all that led up to it, along with their lingering feelings. The group is faced with some crazy (hilarious) scenarios along the way and risk being late to the wedding. Will they make it on time? Will Addie and Dylan fall back in love? Who is this weird stranger in their car?

The story is told from both Addie and Dylan's perspectives and goes back and forth between "then" (when they met) and "now" (the road trip). Much like The Switch, the supporting characters stole the show here. They were all so quirky and flawed, but SO insanely lovable. I honestly can't even pick a favorite because they were all amazing. And Dylan and Addie's love for one another was so adorable and also steamy! Which is something that I thought was missing in her first two books. 🔥 She has quickly become one of my favorite authors and I can't wait for you all to read this one!! Preorder, request on Netgalley, recommend to your local library. It comes out June 1st! ❤

I really enjoyed reading The Road Trip. Addie is a great character. I would have loved more of Deb too. Coming from America - it felt far fetched that it to them SO long to drive to Cherry's wedding, LOL. Addie's sexual assault by her employer - that was maddening and as a reader I wanted better justice for her.

Curious - is the Dylan character somewhat inspired by Dylan in the series Heartsick? Thanks for the opportunity to read this one in advance. I know my contemporary romance fan patrons will love it.

Picture this, you are on a road trip with your sister, your ex (Dylan), your ex's friend who you hate, and an acquaintance that is a friend of a friend. Well, this is exactly what happens to Addie in Beth O'Leary's The Road Trip. The relationships between the characters alone provide you with constant entertainment along with some interesting scenarios that happen along the way.

I love how Beth O'Leary uses flashbacks to explain Dylan and Addie's relationship from how they first met to their horrific break up. She masterfully hops back and forth to give her reader's context in a creative way. If you are someone who enjoys characters with some complex, heavy pasts that come together and face their issues head on, then you will enjoy this book.

The Road Trip is the author’s third book, and her second rom-com. Maybe not surprising, but The Road Trip had a bit more grit compared to her earlier work. More depths. And also more emotions and carried a bigger punch.

The novel is split into two different timelines. And although I’m not usually a big fan of this kind of method, I loved how the author combined the two timelines. The back and forth allowed for a slow revelation that was actually quite powerful.

The present confronted the two exes, forced them into a small space for hours on time. And over the duration of the road trip small titbits of the past were revealed, and the dynamic between the different characters became apparent. The past told how they met in France and fell in love, which was one of my favourite parts, it also gave me the biggest case of wanderlust.

The road trip had some wonderful laugh out loud moments. It’s just such an iconic situation, to squeeze five people into a very small car and send them on a road trip. Hilarity ensues.

BUT there were also moments when my heart ached for them. Both, the past and the present had moments I adored, and also moments that broke my heart.

The characters, as expected in a Beth O’Leary book, were funny and genuine. People I would have loved calling my friends. Even Marcus grew on me, although he has still much work to do. I adored Addie and Dylan, which isn’t really surprising. But Addie’s sister was probably my most favourite character of all.

Overall, this book was another successful novel by Beth O’Leary. And I already can’t wait to read her next one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. This book started strong for me. I liked the disastrous road trip set up and the way the timeline switched back and forth between the road trip and the back story of Addie and Dylan’s relationship. With that being said, the Marcus character was just too much for me. I know the whole point of the book is redemption, but this character did way too much damage and was way too toxic for it to be even remotely believable that Dylan would have entertained renewing their friendship. Not everything or everyone is redeemable and for the author to write it otherwise felt off to me.

💫 Book Review 💫
The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary

Close your eyes and try and remember back to the last road trip you had... can be a childhood memory or one you took with your girlfriends, where did you go?
***
Author Beth O’Leary pens another fun, quick, charming read about a couple that find themselves on a road trip to a friend’s wedding. Too bad they actually haven’t spoken in 2 years. And the break-up was based on miscommunication so there’s a chip of hurt still resting on both Addie & Dylan’s shoulders.

If you’ve read ‘The Switch’ or ‘The Flatshare’, you’ll enjoy this little adventure into second chance romance. The one thing I didn’t like while reading it was the friend (you’ll see when you read it), but he drove me nuts with his jealousy. The good thing is that it all ties up nicely by the end of the ride 😉

The Road Trip comes out April 29, 2021. Thank you to Quercus for the gifted copy 💛 in return for an honest review.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for this eARC!

What a book to read in the middle of unprecedented winter weather in Texas AND a pandemic. Summer in Provence in the "then" sections, and summer in England/Scotland and the titular road trip in the "now" sections. So many people together in close quarters and so many descriptions of warm days.

I just enjoyed Addie and Dylan's story so much, there were many road trip shenanigans and GREAT side characters. If you liked Beth O'Leary's past books, I think you will like this one. Would read a Deb book (or actually there are a lot of side characters in this one who could have their own book.

Ah, Beth O'Leary has done it again. What a great book! I started and finished it today - good thing it was a holiday and I had nowhere to go. When is her next book being released?

Strong characters that evoke deep emotions. Creative story telling. Loved the relationship between Addie and her sister. Desperately wanting Addie and Dylan to find a way to work things out. Rodney was a plot twist! lol So glad there was a HEA.

Thanks for another wonderful contemporary romance!

Just finished reading THE ROAD TRIP by Beth O'Leary. I received this ARC from Berkleypub via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Official publication date is June 1st, 2021.

As a huge fan of THE FLATSHARE, I couldn't wait to read this one.

Addie and her half sister Deb are road tripping to their friend Cherry's wedding in the north of Scotland. It's supposed to be a fun girls trip. But when a car slams into the back of theirs 5 minutes into the trip, their plans go out the window.

Dylan, Addie's ex who she hasn't spoken to in two years turns out to be the driver of the other vehicle. It seems he and his best friend Marcus are also heading to the wedding, and their car is now totalled. So Addie is forced to offer them a ride, even though she despises Marcus with a passion.

The car is soon overwhelmingly full and Dylan and Addie can't avoid confronting their history during this excruciatingly long drive, will they make it to the wedding on time and in one piece? Will they be able to forgive each other and move forward?

Told from Addie & Dylan's point of view, alternating between the then and now, will keep you hooked to the last page. The chemistry is on 🔥 between these two, and the band of misfits friends we get introduced to along the way made the story. Definitely a must read about love, friendships and second chances.
(⭐⭐⭐⭐💫/5)

4.5 stars

Aptly titled, _The Road Trip_ centers on both a literal road trip and a metaphorical journey through the past and into the present of a couple's relationship, dissolution, and whatever readers find in the here and now.

When the novel begins, the main characters, Addie and Dylan - who alternate perspectives in "Then" and "Now" sections, move from separate journeys to a mutual friend's wedding to a joint journey in a Mini...with Addie's sister, a rando, and Dylan's trash best friend, who is truly and obviously awful from his arrival on the scene. In the "Now" sections, all kinds of hijinks ensue, and these obstacles add humor and opportunities for reflection. The "Then" sections provide a glimpse into the couple's origin story and ultimately what causes their breakup and leads them to where they are now.

O'Leary has a knack for writing engaging love stories that are not overly sappy/absurd/or victimy for the women characters, and I love the guaranteed infusions of humor. While the central characters have a lot of work to do, O'Leary leads readers to believe that with their characters - and hey, why not? For readers, too! - anything is possible.

Wow! A trip to a wedding trapped in a car with your over protective sister, a random guy you found on Facebook, your ex who broke your heart into pieces and his bestie who did everything in his power to force two of you break up!
Good luck Addie!
Did you like the idea of ex lovers- new enemies’ longest road trip with one of the most disturbing chaperones! Oh, this is just the beginning! Things will get messier! I can guarantee that!

This will be longest trip of yours filled with grudge, resentment, unfinished businesses, unresolved issues, bottled up anger, frustration!

Addie and Dylan hasn’t seen each other for two long years after their tragic breakup and when Dylan drives to Scotland where the we’d takes places, he realizes her car is in front of him: oh boy, he can see her waving hand! Of course he gets panicked to see her after long time, accidentally crushing his car into hers( correction his grumpy bestie Marcus’ Mercedes he’s driving and the car Addie is driving belongs to her sister)
Miraculously Addie’s sister Deb’s car survives with a few scratches as boys’ car is totaled! It seems like Addie has every right to leave them in the middle of the road and drive off! We don’t know the whole story about their break up but as we get snippets of Dylan’s shy and guilty looks and Addie’s efforts not to have eye contact with him and the little information we get : he left her as she was crying out her eyes, we can sense he might have done something so bad!

Unfortunately Addie is bigger person and she doesn’t leave them at the road! They’re jammed in her sister’s portable car. And the bestie Marcus acts like Addie is the one to blame!
What’s his deal with her anyways?

And Rodney, the random guy they met who is also invited to the wedding acts suspicious! Deb seems so furious at both Dylan and Marcus, Addie is still heartbroken and Dylan acts like he wants to earn his forgiveness as Marcus gives killing daggers to Addie!

They already survived from a dangerous car crash but this is not the only problem they have to deal at their long trip which seems like will never end!

We’re going back and forth between Addie and Dylan’s first meeting where she works as caretaker at their villa. As we learn more about relationship dynamics, Marcus’ efforts to sabotage their relationship, Addie and Dylan’s own problems, insecurities about themselves, brassy Deb’s interventions, we finally found out what happened between them!

Well, I already talked too much! I can honestly say I’m not a big fan of Flatshare! Switch was light, soft and more likable book but in my opinion this one is truly the best, more genuine, realistic book the author wrote. Both characters are broken, flawed, dealing with their insecurities, their own traumas. You criticize and get angry at them but you can also easily empathize with them by understanding the real reasons beyond their wrongdoings and misunderstandings.

The conclusion of the story was angsty, emotional, powerful! It started as like soft, laugh out loud, entertaining comedy but it turned into something intense, tear jerker, heartfelt read which earned my five blazing, second chances, romantic stars!

This was truly impressive and I’m so happy I devoured it at Valentine’s Day!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing For sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

I really enjoyed all the different personalities of the characters. Even though at times I wanted to yell at one or two for acting the way they did. The cover doesn’t give away how deep the book gets. I loved the back and forth between now and years prior. The comic relief was great timing and brought a lighter note to the book. Thanks for the ARC Netgalley.