I am sadly DNFing this one. I had really high hopes for it but ended up skimming to get a gist of the way it wrapped up.

I really wanted to enjoy this as I've been following Elle's writing journey for quite some time, but sadly this one did not hit for me. It started off strong in that British rom-com way but quickly devolved for me. I found Dylan truly unlikeable, and while Jack was also tough, any time he attempted to extend an olive branch, Dylan cut him to the quick. I recognized her trauma, but because of that it also made her pushing Instagram and refusing to respect his wishes re: sharing his private life in her articles an atrocity, in my opinion.

One of my biggest complaints was that the writing did an incredible amount of telling me things instead of showing. At one point it was explained that Dylan was "ready to fall asleep on her feet" and then had 2 more sentences explaining what that meant. (Looking back, I think this was where I started to get turned off as a reader. I felt condescended to in that moment and I think from there I was unable to enjoy the book further.)

I will not post my review publicly because I do believe plenty of people will enjoy this book, it just wasn't for me!

Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I just couldn’t get into this. The story dragged quite a bit and just didn’t pull me in. I also felt very little connection to the characters and found them overly angry and just an overall struggle to like.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Penguin Group-PUTNAM. All opinions are my own.

Format - E ARC (Netgalley)

Rating- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Spice- 🌶

Series- N/A

Troupes- second chance romance, opposites attract, only one room, traveling with a stranger, He fell first

CW- Doxing, online harassment, abortion shaming

This Debut Novel from Ellie Everhart surprised the hell out of me! In all of the best possible ways!

Ellie has taken a very interesting concept of, what if you were forced to take a once in lifetime trip around the world with a random contact from your phone and somehow turned into the story about what Are you willing to do to get what you think you want out of life? For our MFC Dylan it’s a coveted magazine column after almost a year of online abuse for a very personal article written for said magazine who then sidelined her for the negative attention. Needless to say I had some very strong feeling about the crap that went down with Dylan’s job…

But as she globe trouts from one amazing city to the next, with a human who is the anthesis of her opposite, Dylan discovers so much more about herself and what actually matters to her in life.
Jack from the beginning was giving me Joshua Vibes from the Hating Games so I was instantly smitten. The banter with these two was sizzling and the Spice was surprising spice for a debut novel! Ellie I’m impressed!

Ellie does a wonderful job of telling a story that takes on so many of the complexities of our modern online, very connected society while telling a good old fashion love story. I love her Voice! Her writing style is refined and easy to read as she describes these iconic cities in enough detail to make you feel like your walking next to Dylan and Jack without boring you to tears. Plot and Pacing are on point and wrapped up in a very satisfying ending that leaves you wanting more.

I am certainly looking forward to more from this Fabulous new Author!

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to Ellie Everhart, Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam.

If you've got a travel bug, then this book is definitely one that you should add to your TBR! This book is perfect for the traveler at heart. The descriptions of the locations and the food were all so good it made me want to take a trip to Tokyo and Morocco ASAP.

WANDERLUST by Elle Everhart
3 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 women's fiction, romance
🔥 open door, explicit scenes

The premise of this book is what originally drew me in: you win a trip around the world but the catch is you have to go with whomever the radio station chooses out of your phone's contact list. However, you can't tell me that your first thought would not IMMEDIATELY be to clean out old contacts so you didn't end up going with a one-night stand...exactly what happens here.

Things I Liked:
✨ The banter between Josh and Dylan was really cute.
✨ The one night stand to forced proximity vibes.
✨ I really loved Josh's personal journey. I liked that he really loosened up and found his own joy through the novel.
✨ I wanted more of Dylan and her brother, Sean. You could see in their speech and humor that they really saw each other and supported one another.

Things I Didn't Care For:
✨ Dylan was actually really rude to Josh for most of the novel. She made a lot of assumptions about him based on his background and because hiss communication style was different from hers.
✨ The spice was a lot. A 2.5 chapter hook-up scene? Mmmm, no.
✨ This book was written for a British audience or someone familiar with British culture. There were a lot of jokes and references that I did not get and weren't explained and that took me out of the story I think.

This one wasn't my favorite, but you might love it!

I don’t think it’s overreacting to say that this book needs a trigger warning regarding abortion. That said, while this was a romance with some steam, it, in many ways, became more about a woman having (and sometimes taking) control over all of the aspects of her life. I appreciated that Dylan wrangled with herself, her female boss, and her male love interest. The balance of power was heavily shifted into her hands & I welcome that kind of strength in a character.

Magazine writer Dylan enters a radio contest on a whim and wins a trip around the world
. The only catch is the station gets to randomly pick someone from her phone contacts to travel with her. It turns out to be a guy she met in a bar one night that she considers posh. I liked watching them get to know one another And watch their attraction grow.

Wanderlust by Elle Everhart is the debut of this author and I hope it will not be her last. We start off with meeting Dylan who is a writer, who has won a radio contest for a trip around the world. The catch is that she has to travel with someone from her phone contacts. The lucky winner is Jack the Posho who is a random guy Dylan met at a bar the evening before her life went to crap.

The book follows along on their trip with a lot of tension and then acceptance. Dylan and Jack do grow as characters throughout the book realizing that there is a lot more out there than what they are doing with their lives.

I really liked this book for a debut. It was a cute, quick read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ellie Everhart, and Penguin Group Putnam for the e-ARC. This review is my own opinion.

This book just wasn't for me. The romance and chemistry was lacking, the trip felt rushed, and a lot of it felt very political. DNF

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my complimentary e-arc of this book. All opinions here are my own.

Wanderlust takes readers on an introspective journey, delving into important themes while offering a promising premise. Although not without its merits, the book falls short of delivering a compelling romance, which ultimately dampened the overall reading experience.

One commendable aspect of the story was its exploration of significant topics. The author tackles issues such as personal growth, self-discovery, and the search for meaning in a refreshingly candid manner. Dylan’s quest to find herself and break free from societal constraints is relatable and thought-provoking. The book encourages its readers to reflect on their own lives and question the paths they have chosen.

The premise of Wanderlust is undeniably captivating. The idea of embarking on a transformative journey, both physically and emotionally holds great promise. Elle Everhart set the stage for an exciting adventure!

However, where this story falls short for me, was the development of its romantic element. Despite the potential for a captivating and chemistry-filled love story, this book fails to ignite the necessary sparks between the characters. The connection between Dylan & Jack felt forced. As a result, the romantic plot felt underdeveloped and failed to keep me emotionally invested.

While this may have not been my favorite read, it’s still a good book. I understand this is Elle’s debut and I’d be interested in seeing what she does in the future because I loved the premise and hard-hitting topics she wrote about.

Overall, a genuinely pleasant contemporary romance centered around social media and travel. These are not passions or interests of mine. The focus on instagram and one's online presence made it difficult to connect to the characters and plot at times. I did appreciate the topic of abortion being featured in a romance novel. as that is a particular topic of interest for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Ever close a book and just sigh because the book was just that good? That was after you could just not put the book down?

Well, I definitely experienced that with this book!

Wanderlust by Elle Everhart is about Dylan who wins a trip around the world on a radio contest. However, she must go with a person randomly chosen from her phone contacts. Jack, a man she has met only once, is chosen from the list. He is her complete opposite and it is a bumpy start!

These two! And this trip! Loved it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5/5 stars

I went into this book looking for a lighthearted and funny romance across the globe but unfortunately this one fell flat for me. I found the FMC Dylan pretty unlikeable for most of the book. She was pretty harsh to Jack early on in book making lots of assumptions without getting to know him well. I also found her to be pretty careless online (shocking considering what has happened to her in the past). Jack and Dylan didn’t have much chemistry which also made connecting with the story more difficult. This book also features storylines surrounding online harassment and toxic relationships with parents so go into the book knowing that it isn’t all fun romcom energy. I would recommend this book for fans of social media culture and travel.

*I received the ARC for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book! I was really intrigued by the title and concept, and it ended up being a cute one!

I like the forced-proximity trope, and Wanderlust takes it on head-first! The main character, Dylan, wins a trip, and Jack, a missed fling from the past, is her travel companion. Their connection really grew gradually throughout the story, and something the book does really well is show how they support each other. Both are going through some upheavals career-wise, and they really are there for each other. Their connection also showcased some good representation.

I was a little disappointed the scenery wasn't better in the story, especially given they were traveling the world together. I expected grand adventures, falling in love in Paris, etc...Maybe that was an unfair expectation, but given the title and the concept (plus reading other reviews of this book), I don't think I was alone in that expectation.

I was really torn between three and four stars for this one, but the ending left me wanting more (and not in a good way), and I just felt like the book was missing something compared to other romances I've read that were four star books...so ultimately, I landed on three stars. I would definitely read more by this author, though! This was a solid romance, and I enjoyed it...it might have just benefited from a better editing/strategy because the author clearly has talent!

Rating: 3⭐️

I loooooved the concept for this book, but it didn't really live up to my expectations once I dove in. There are several topics throughout that probably could've used a bit more nuance (or at least a trigger warning for the reader!), and at times it felt like our MMC was almost cold towards Dylan, but unnecessarily so. I'll definitely pick up Elle's next book, but this one was a miss for me.

The concept for this book seemed like fun! A girl enters a radio contest and wins a trip around the world. The only catch is that her travel partner will be randomly selected from her phone’s contact list! I don’t know about you, but that’s a total danger zone for me - I don’t think I’ve ever cleaned out my contacts.
I wanted to enjoy the traveling and the romance, but it wasn’t there for me. The connection between the characters felt impersonal, this may be because the story was told in Third Person. Even though this one seemed like it could be funny and cute, the tone fit more with a literary fiction novel. This book did not fit as the “light-hearted summer read” I was looking for. Which was surprising, considering it was compared to “People We Meet on Vacation” and “The Unhoneymooners.”

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange with an honest review.

This book was cute, but the fact that it came from a radio call-in contest kind of pulled me out a little bit. I did like the chemistry between Dylan & Jack. I just wish that we could have gotten a few chapters with Jacks POV as well.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Wanderlust was so fun! I loved the the tension between Dylan and Jack, especially once their attempts at getting along turned into sparks flying. It was great getting to go along with them on their journey as they revealed more about themselves to the other and found themselves growing closer.

I will say this felt a little bit rushed like perhaps it would have paced better if they visited less places and for more time but overall I had a great time with this one! I can't wait to see what Elle Everhart has in store in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for an ARC of Wanderlust!

Filled with travel & adventures, this book was a delight. I loved the quirky process of putting the MCs together for a ride of a lifetime.

While this book had so many interesting scenes & places that felt light & airy to read about, it did cover many hard-hitting topics such as abortion and the impacts of social media in a very delicate manner.

Dylan & Jack's friendship was solid, but I didn't feel a spark of romance between them. The romance was off for me & I couldn't relate to their love story. But I loved how they supported each other.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dylan Coughlan wins a radio show contest giving her an around the world trip for two. The catch is the second person is chosen randomly from the contacts on her phone. As an online magazine writer she has a lot of contacts and the one selected in listed as Jack the Posho. Jack Hunton amazingly agrees to the adventure. When they meet she realizes he was a guy she talked to one night at a club and never called.

This cute set up brings the fly by your pants Dylan on a crash course with stoic Jack. Of course he is an attorney and likes plans for everything. The two get to know each other during their travels while they share rooms (not a bed). The magazine editor keeps asking for steamier content to gather more clicks but Dylan is truthful but will let assumptions happen. Surprisingly more isn’t made of their locations they visit although they do activities everywhere. The story takes on a much more serious topics regarding social media and abortion. Dylan is bisexual (nice representation) and while not an issue for Jack is impacts her relationship with her parents.

I liked this debut novel and loved the idea behind it. There is humor and Dylan has fun friends she stays in contacts while traveling. The attraction grows steadily and feels natural. This isn’t a short trip. And I was good with the potential HEA. The novel is British and I think Americans prefer a stronger HEA. Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam, G.P. Putnam’s Son and NetGalley for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review. (3.5 Stars)

I just couldn’t connect with this story. The character wasn’t relatable and seemed too young/immature for some reason. And the chemistry just didn’t click for me. I needed up skimming. I won’t post to Goodreads so as to not bring down the author’s rating, because maybe it was just me :)