The books that drew comparison to Wanderlust had me in a chokehold, but unfortunately I didn’t enjoy the promise of what this story could hold based on unrealistic expectations. This might’ve been a me, not you situation — but needless to say the characters and plot development just left me ultimately indifferent.

Truth be told, I REALLY struggled with this book. I also question the comparison of People We Meet on Vacation and The Unhoneymooners. Taking into account they are two strangers traveling together that have some hostility between them, that is the extent of the similarities. For this reason, readers may be set up with unrealistic expectations when diving in, setting the foundation for a less than thrilling reading experience - especially with the heavy, trigger topics throughout the book. As the debut novel of Elle Everhart, I wanted to like this book, especially after reading the summary, but it was only a three star experience for me.

All Dylan’s dreamed of was her own column in the illustrious Buxom Magazine. The article she thought would give her the life she wanted almost ruined it. Now, two years since the ill-fated article was released, she finds herself writing quizzes and daydreaming about what could have been. Stuck in the monotony that is her workday, Dylan’s decides to take a chance when a local radio station offers a dream vacation to the tenth caller. The catch, the winner’s travel companion has to be a randomly selected contact in the person’s phone. Shocked beyond belief when her call in answered and she is announced the winner, Dylan can’t help but believe her life is turning around, that is until her randomly selected travel companion is none other than Jack the Posho - a random hookup at a bar that she had completely forgotten about. Going from bad to worse, her boss calls her up with the idea that her reunion with her one night stand (not a one night stand - just made out at a bar!) would make for a great series. Even better, if her content is a hit and garnishes traffic, Dylan will get her own permanent column in print and on the web. Not a problem - she can do this. Yes, Jack was less than excited to be selected and the past couple of messages have shown zero lingering interest but what her boss (and their readers) don’t know won’t hurt them. What’s the worst that can happen? It’s not like her and Jack are going to magically fall in love.

This book will definitely tease the travel bug in you. Elle takes the time and energy to truly draw in the beauty of each location through Dylan’s eyes. The sights, the sounds, the people, the energy - you can feel it flowing through the pages. If you have been to these places, her recollection will trigger moments of nostalgia. If you have not, the envy will blossom with every page turn. The number of places does become overwhelming after awhile but she tries to balance out the deep details of one location with a brief overview of another.

The characters; however, were a different story. Dylan was a tough pill to swallow. I agree with her best friend Gwen, she really did need to pick her battles instead of making each argument the "hill she was willing to die on". For a woman approaching her thirties, she has a very childlike temperament. It may have been aimed more towards Jack but I hated that she made him feel like he couldn’t do anything right. I also thought it was hypocritical that when he treated her with any type of disdain, she took it as an mortal wound to her psyche but he was supposed to willingly accept her constant put downs. As the book progressed, her character becomes more tolerable but not enough to reverse the opinions that may have already formed. I believe this is a case where a dual POV would have helped shape the opinions of the characters a lot more instead of having single POV in third person. Dylan also harbored a lot of anger that takes away or places a dark shadow on any humor in the book.

Speaking of which, I will definitely say this book is not for everyone. There are a lot of heavy, triggering issues that should probably have been mentioned either at the beginning of the book or somewhere in the summary. The topics of doxxing, cyberbulling, sexuality, abortion, and harassment that were discussed were illustrated well and brought a lot of information to light. The problem was the resolve, especially with Dylan's issues with her parents and the amount of repetitive focus that took away from the overall storyline. The book moved away from being about two people jetsetting around the world and became more about Dylan's fall out of an abortion article, her uncertainty of true acceptance when she came out, and the overall rift in her family. While that would have been fine as a backdrop and the reason she bonded with Jack (as he had his own issues with his parents), it became too front and center, moving this away from a Contemporary Romance/Romantic Comedy and more toward Women's Fiction.

Tried as I might, the book just couldn’t hold my attention. Whether it was the odd end of chapter drop-offs, the unlikeable female protagonist, or just the lackluster overall story - my focus kept wavering. I also think this was the first time I didn’t want an HEA because I honestly didn't believe the chemistry between these two characters. While I believe Wanderlust was a commendable first attempt at a novel, it just wasn't for me.

Dylan wins a radio contest (even though her crazy boss had my same reaction - radio contests still exist?) to travel around the world for six weeks with a phone contact of the radio station's choosing. Dylan and Jack, who she met at a club a few months earlier but never called, leave London for first Sydney then Tokyo, Bangkok, Mumbai, Marrakech, Cape Town, Reykjavik, New York, and Mexico City. Hearing about their pursuits in these cities, as they figured out their friendship and relationship dynamic, was really fun. Both characters have some deep thoughts about their careers during their travels, as can be expected, and it was interesting to see how the travel changed their lives and relationships with their families.
As someone who loves to travel, this read was right up my alley and I fittingly started it on my train back from a short five-day NYC/NJ trip - yay summer vacation! I take for granted how easy it is for me to get to NYC, in particular, and I loved viewing the city through the character’s eyes. Besides NYC, of the cities visited in the book, I’ve only been to Mexico City (and through the airport in Tokyo!) so I didn’t have as much to compare with their travels, but I still enjoyed reading about them. If you don’t like to travel, you might not connect with the story. Many thanks to Putnam for the ARC via @netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Wanderlust will be available everywhere this Tuesday, 7/4!

The concept and summary won me over for this book. I loved People We Meet on Vacation and Unhoneymooners so I was super excited to read this one. However, the hype didn’t really live up to it. I struggled with liking the female main character, Dylan, and when there was supposed to be cute banter I thought she just sounded like a jerk and unlikable. I DNF this one at 26%. This book just started to delve into topics that make me uncomfortable, like abortion.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the perfect time to read a book with this name. I'm a homebody, but even I wanted to travel the world after reading this story.

This is a British rom com and gave me all the Sophie Kinsella and Sophie Cousins vibes.

Dylan wins a radio competition for a trip around the world the only catch is -- she has to randomly pick a contact from her phone. And she picks someone she ghosted...Jack the Posho lol

There was a bit of awkwardness and tension, Jack is obviously hurt she never reached out to him and Dylan somehow is supposed to make this a "second chance romance" for the magazine she works for. But the ice gets broken and they start to become friends and possibly more?

There are some heavy topics in this one so you definitely should check out the trigger warnings for this one before you read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for this advance copy of Wanderlust, the debut of Elle Everhart. This one is out in a few days, Tuesday July 4th!

I was immediately attracted to the premise of this one - we have Dylan, a radio contest winner who works as a journalist and wins a trip around the world, pending they're allowed to pick a contact randomly out of her phone. I can honestly say I still have contacts in my phone from 2006, so there's no way in hell I'd ever let anyone do that (like....I have one of my nursing professors from 2011 in there, I don't ever delete contacts, but maybe now I should.) - sure enough, enter Jack, an *almost one-night stand from Dylan's past.

This one was a bit of a slow burn in the romance, with a kiss not happening until about halfway through, so if you're looking for a bit more spice, you won't get it until the last fourth of the book. I thought this one was just okay, because mainly of how Jack is introduced. Now I'm not from the UK, but he's described as "posh" multiple times - is that synonymous with reserved, aloof, straight edged etc.? He's written as being very cautious and reserved, but you're telling me this is the same guy that agreed to go on a trip around the world with a stranger and quit his job? I can see what the author was trying to do, saying that Dylan can "bring out a side of him" that he never knew (and visa versa), but it just seemed totally out of character and a bit strange. Overall, this one was a fine read with a great premise, just not the execution I was hoping for.

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Pub date: 7/4/23!

Elle Everhart doesn't disappoint. THIS ONE WAS SOO GOOD!! I was hooked every step of the way! The travel bug in me really loved it! I read this as a part of an ARC and it was really good!

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Wanderlust
Author: Elle Everhart
Source: NetGalley
Pub Date: July 4, 2023

Wanderlust has an interesting premise where the lead protagonist, Dylan Coughlan (I am not a fan of generic names, so you must remember Dylan is a girl), works for a somewhat raunchy magazine named Buxom and writes quizzes for this publication. But she wants to move on to having a regular column with them. She enters a radio contest to travel the world (9 stops), but here’s the catch, the radio station takes her phone and picks any person from her contact list to travel with her. This also gives Dylan a chance to write about her travel experience to earn her column in the magazine. Of course, they pick a one-night stand dude, Jack, who happens to have some time off to go with her. They are total opposites, and the story's start is slow and uninteresting. Toward the end, things heat up, but I’m not sure I cared by that time. The story is told from Dylan’s perspective, and I wasn’t 100% behind this character, and I would have enjoyed hearing more from Jack’s point of view. They go to exciting places, but you don’t hear much about the vacation spots. I’ve never been to Dubai. That area would be rich with some deets for a girl who is a feminist. It was not a bad book, but it could have used some tweaks to make it good. A worthy beach read, and I’m sure many folks will like this one. I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts. #travel #radiocontest #oppositesattract #writer #slowburn #romancelight #romcom #Wanderlust #ElleEverhart @NetGalley #fiction #lgbt #gpputnamssons #debutauthor
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I received a complimentary copy of this ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons, NetGalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel. Pub. Date: July 4, 2023.
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#book #books #bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #booksbooksbooks #readersofinstagram #reader #booklove #bookreader #reader

I was really excited to read this, it seemed like a second-chance-ish, forced proximity romance plus the idea of a worldwide trip added to in just seemed perfect. Wanderlust is well written and a good debut from Elle, it often fell flat.

With such big emotional moments in many of the chapters, I was hoping for more heart? There wasn't much reflection or much about travel after the first stop (until the last).

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read Wanderlust in exchange for my honest review.

The idea behind this story was so cute…. A girl wins a trip around the world with a random person from her cell phone contacts. The story was a bit slow to me and didn’t quite grab me, but it did make me smile throughout.

Wanderlust was pleasantly surprising. It’s a UK romcom about a girl (Dylan) that wins a radio call trip around the world. Her travel partner has to be a random person selected from her phone. It ends up being a random guy she met at a club. They travel from London to Australia, Tokyo, Bangkok, Cape Town, Iceland, New York, and Mexico. The trip starts out rocky as they are both keeping secrets from one another. Dylan is writing a column for her work about the trip, but is supposed to put a romantic spin on it. Jack isn’t sure if leaving his job and disappointing his family for the trip is a good idea. As they travel they quickly begin to feel a bond. Will this unlikely acquaintanceship turn romance?

This was incredibly delightful and such a trip! I immediately requested it from the library, so that I could read it again.

Bored with her job as a magazine writer, Dylan enters a radio contest on a whim. She's shocked when she wins a six-week trip with Jack, a virtual stranger. She hopes that writing about their adventure for the magazine will lead to her own column. But how will she manage to endure tight quarters with a sullen man who's her complete opposite?

This book is more women's fiction than romance, with the focus on Dylan's job more than on her relationship with Jack. We don't get Jack's point of view at all in this book, so he can be difficult to understand for much of the book. I found him fascinating, so I was sorry we didn't get more of a window into his character.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This was adorable. I love a travel romance, and I love even more when the book addresses how things might change outside of vacation. While I was here for the romance, the travel descriptions were an amazing bonus. They were so lush and evocative, and gave me the same warm and fuzzies I get from actually being on vacation.

Additionally, I appreciated that abortion was part of Dylan's story. Abortion stories deserve more places in romance literature. On top of that, Wanderlust did consent wonderfully.

I do think that the waiting for the shoe to drop while one character withholds information from the other character trope is a liiiiiiiitle tired. It always makes me a little anxious, but maybe other people like the tension.

If you liked Unhoneymooners and People We Meet on Vacation, this one's for you.

3.5 ⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

I was honestly just kind of bored and gave up. The summary sounded so cute but once I started reading it felt like a chore. I didn't enjoy the story and I really didn't enjoy the characters.

I wanted Dylan to be this super fun go with the flow kind of girl but instead I got someone who, it seems, is mad at the world. She just wanted to be famous for an article she wrote once upon a time. And Jack just seemed to be there.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What I liked the most is the premise for the plot: a trip around the world with someone from your life’s periphery.
Dylan grated on my nerves for most of the book. She betrayed Jack’s trust wholesale even after he asked her not to include him online for reasons he explains AFTER she misleads him and does it anyway.
I would have left her at the nearest airport but the book isn’t about me.
The ending is positive but I wouldn’t bet on them remaining a couple because I think Dylan is very self centered.

I am a sucker for travel and for a missed connection story, so this was right up my alley!! The story takes place over a 6 week vacation and I loved mentally traveling to all the different countries and tagging along on their adventures. A truly great summer/beach read and definitely something to pick up if you're feeling some wanderlust yourself!!

Wanderlust takes us on an a journey around the world with Dylan, a writer who won a radio contest for a long holiday with just one catch - she must take someone picked randomly out of her phone contacts. They just so happen to pick Jack, a guy she hit it off with while out one night months ago.

I enjoyed the setting of this book, the constant travel and all the places they visited along the way. It was written in a familiar quirky, British way that I find charming and the premise had potential. Unfortunately, I had trouble connecting with the narrator and main character, Dylan. She made a lot of assumptions about Jack and acted pretty horribly for the first half or so of the book. We also didn't get to see a lot of dialogue between the two, but only got Dylan's perspective or description of their interactions. This did get better as the book went on and I would have loved to get more of Jack's POV.

3.5 stars
Wanderlust is a promising debut by Elle Everhart for lovers of travel and travel romance. I found myself fully into the first third of the book and loved the premise. Dylan magically wins a once in a lifetime trip around the world, but the catch is that the radio station gets to pick her travel companion out of her contacts in her phone. They randomly choose Jack who Dylan met out one night at a club and never followed up with or called. As these two awkwardly reunite, I was so ready for the banter, forced proximity, and lack of space from one another. A but if a slowburn, the tension begins mounting as Dylan and Jack must share a room and sleep inches away from one another. To be honest, I thought they would get together quite a bit sooner, but Dylan does something that she knows is a bit of a dealbreaker to Jack and her guilt prevents her from acting to quickly on her feelings. As swiftly as this book began, I felt it deflate a little once it hits the main character conflict. Things go from hot to cold so quickly (which is believable), but once the conflict is remedied, it’s as if nothing ever happened to cause distrust between them. I think this kept me from feeling like the romance between Dylan and Jack was as authentic as they would have me believe. The way Dylan “fixes” her problem (I can’t describe because SPOILERS) is a bit genius and I appreciated how she handled it with Jack, but again he seems to quickly forgive her.
Perhaps the issue is with the pacing of travel time. When things cool off in Reykjavik, it seems like no time before Jack and Dylan are ready to jump into bed with one another. I think there was a bit of a missed opportunity to play up the travel more, but found that there were several other conflicts the characters had to deal with involving their parents instead. Wanderlust should come with a content warning for anyone that feels triggered by talk of abortion and doxxing—neither bothered me, but these are some issues that take up a fair amount of the story and could prove problematic for some. I’m not sure how necessary they were to the storytelling except to cause strife between the MCs and their parents. It brings a bit of a downer to a book that could have been a little more fun. On the flip side, the bedroom scene (there’s only one) between the MCs is well written and I would love to see more writing like this from the author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to like this one, but unfortunately it wasn’t for me. I personally found the FMC, Dylan, very unlikable. The fact that she has trauma doesn’t excuse the fact that she is kind of a jerk to the MMC. At the start she doesn’t care about his feelings, belittles his fear of heights, and ignores the anxiety that comes with being late because it’s not a big deal to HER. She takes very little responsibility for her actions and decisions until after she hurts someone. Just could not get behind the romance!

In summary:

Dylan's boss: write this article with the angle of reuniting with a one night fling it'll drive readership up
Dylan: okay
Dylan when it blows up in her face: I was manipulated by my boss

Thankful to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the chance to review in exchange for an honest review.