This was a good read! I really enjoyed it as a summer read. I would recommend it to others and read more books from this author.

I would give this book a 2.75 rating. This is a story about a woman who wins a free trip around the world… with a stranger. For two whole months. It’s every wanderlusts’ dream scenario.

Elle Everhart does a great job of describing some of the cities and the energy they exude. It makes me want to pack up and head there. I liked that she touched on a few heavy and controversial topics, but overall the book fell flat to me. I can see how traveling with someone for two months can bring about a love connection, but it’s not illustrated well in the writing. There weren’t enough moments in the book where it made sense that the two main characters fall for each other- it kind of just happens. They go from bickering about anything and everything, then after one conversation, they’re suddenly attracted to each other. The author is very literal with the attraction- she tells us that they get closer, but I would prefer if she showed us instead (e.g. acts of service to provide evidence of the attraction).

I feel like the story would have been more enriched if it was told in dual POV. We’d be able to better understand why the MMC was attracted to her and why he ultimately fell for her despite their rocky start.

Overall, it was a quick read, but I would only recommend it if you’re into the insta-love type of story. For those looking for a swoony romance, this book is not for you.

This is a fun and cute romance! I'm a huge travel lover so this plot was perfect for me!
I loved Dylan and Jack! Dylan wins a trip around the world and has to take someone she randomly selects from her phone, which happens to be Jack, a guy she met out once and ghosted. It was such an adorable plot! I loved their chemistry.
There were some topics I didn't quite expect and made the book more serious than I expected at times but I still really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from this author! Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read it!

“Wanderlust” is the story of two near strangers who win a radio contest for a trip around the world. “The Unhoneymooners” meets “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” in this debut romantic comedy.

Feeling stuck in her job as a magazine writer, Dylan calls in to the local radio station on a whim for a chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime trip around the world, and, to her surprise, she is the lucky tenth caller. The catch? The radio station gets to randomly select her travel partner from her phone contacts. When her partner is chosen, it is none other than Jack, a guy she met on a night out and ghosted. Although Jack agrees to go on the trip, he doesn’t seem excited about it at all and barely speaks to Dylan in the weeks leading up to their departure. Will the two hit it off on their trip of a lifetime? But more is riding on this trip for Dylan than just her relationship with Jack. Her boss has given her the opportunity to write about the trip for the magazine. If the travel series is successful, Dylan will get a permanent column. As the column’s popularity grows, so does the bond between Dylan and Jack.

I loved the premise of this book, but sadly it missed the mark. There was a lot of telling rather than showing, which was disappointing in a book about traveling the world. I would have loved to have read more about each place they visited. The biggest challenges for me were the heavy topics discussed in this book. If you are sensitive to the topics of abortion and doxxing, I would skip this one.

On a positive note, I did enjoy seeing Dylan and Jack’s relationship blossom. If you like enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and second chance romance tropes, then you will enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group/G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was much more fun than I was expecting! From the very beginning, I loved Dylan's voice and humor, and the animosity between her and Jack was so much fun to read. I do wish we got Jack's POV and watch him pine and fall for Dylan too, but not having it didn't detract from the novel either. The conversations around "internet fame" and abortion were really well handled and felt organic to the story without getting too preachy which happens sometimes when discussing topics that illicit strong opinions. Even the third act conflict felt natural and not contrived just for the drama; yes it was miscommunication, but understandable miscommunication.
I've seen comments from other reviewers about how they wished there was more content around where they traveled, but I think there was a perfect amount. Any more and it would've detracted from the romance and actual narrative, and what we did get made sense and added to the atmosphere of the moment.
Overall, I was truly impressed by Everhart's debut and will definitely keep an eye out for her future projects.

I really enjoyed this book and can't believe it's a debut novel!

Dylan is a writer who has...been through a few things recently, more on that later. On a whim, she calls into a radio contest and wins an around the world trip but with a catch. The radio host chooses a random contact out of her phone as her companion for the trip. It happens to be "Jack the posho", a bloke she snogged at a club a few months before.

Her boss sees this trip as an opportunity for Dylan to "earn" her column by writing a "second chance romance" about the trip and Jack.

As the trip goes along, we learn more about each character, their quirks, and why Jack accepted the trip. Each have parent issues, self esteem? doubts,

The humor, mostly sarcastic, in this book was hilarious. The author wrote a slow burn in a way that made hand holding steamy!

Wanderlust is a story about a woman who wins a radio station contest to visit 9 different countries- the only catch- the radio DJ gets to randomly pick someone out of her phone to invite. The lucky person ends up being a guy she kissed in a bar once and then never saw again.
This was a very cute premise, with a terrible execution.
I was ready to be immersed in the nine different countries. I wanted imagery, culture, food- and I got the bare minimum.
In terms of the second chance romance I wanted banter, romantic dates and excursions, humor, characters to root for- I got nothing. Totally boring characters with no real romance.
I am thankful to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this early copy (comes out next month,) but for me it was totally a dud.

thank you netgalley for the arc of this title. i did not like this one. both of these characters annoyed me. jack was such a grumpy, person and dylan was annoying to no end. sure, they got a free vacation and they needed a plot of enemies to whatever they are but there was no chemistry.

I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I would probably not call this a romance, and more of a general fiction.
I liked the way the author tackled the various issues Dylan and Jack had to face with their families and occupations. While I appreciated the sights of the destinations, there wasn't much in the way of chemistry until the very end.
The issue of abortion is a big deal to many people, so I was lucky that I felt the same way that Dylan did; her body, her choice. Hopefully the readers will agree.

I’m wondering why I requested this one. A sparkling blurb perhaps? In any event, it’s a work of tremendous cliche, both in micro and macro terms. Having just finished Caroline O’Donoghue’s delightful The Rachel Incident, this one seems all the more pedestrian. No doubt there’s a market for it, but it’s no more than generic.

🦇 Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

❝ "It's hard to believe in yourself when no one else does." ❞

❓ #QOTD If you could get an all-expenses paid trip to anywhere in the world, where would you go? ❓

🦇 On a whim, Dylan Coughlan calls a radio station and receives a once-in-a-lifetime, all-expenses-paid trip around the world. The catch: the station gets to randomly select a contact on Dylan's phone as her travel companion. She's paired with "Jack the Posho," an uptight almost-one-night-stand she unintentionally ghosted. They immediately butt heads, which doesn't make Dylan's work assignment easier: to write about the trip as a second-chance romance series. If the series succeeds, she'll finally get her own column. Is it worth the backlash when her past comes back to haunt her?

💜 Elle Everhart's debut romcom isn't just a case of the warm and fuzzy feelings we often associate with the genre; it gives far more than that. What looks like a forced proximity, grumpy versus sunshine match-up is really a well-balanced, polar opposites pairing. Both Dylan and Jack are familiar with the soul-sucking existence derived from living a life that fits their parents' standards. Dylan refused to walk that line and has been forced to pay the consequences—in her social life and professionally. Jack plays the role his parents wrote for him, only for it to make him miserable. Dylan is unabashedly confident in her decisions and whom she's become because of them (rightfully so), and that bravado eventually inspires Jack to do the same. Though it takes them an excruciatingly long time to reach an understanding, their both better off for it by the end. The character growth between them is as beautiful as some of the landscapes they encounter on their travels.

🦇 The miscommunication trope plays a big part in this story, and if you've read my previous reviews, you know that's a pet peeve. Dylan makes assumptions about Jack based on his reaction to the radio call and a few texts, but never makes an effort to learn more about him in person. Jack seems to mean well but Dylan's abrasiveness sets him off, making the first act a little tiresome to read. Fair warning: there is a bit of smut 🌶️, but the moment is ruined by the mention of Edward Cullen and sparkly skin (I definitely put my Kindle down with a groan after that).

💜 A great read that goes beyond the cute and fuzzies of typical travel romcoms. Recommended to anyone who has that itch to travel deep in their bones. That's one of the best things about being an avid reader; you have a thousand little adventures at your disposal without having to worry about the airfare. Happy reading!

❝ "The more she wrote, other things started to unravel, too. She'd been scared of her parents' rejection for the vast majority of her life, a symptom of eldest daughter syndrome and being queer as hell, but she deserved more than tolerance or a lack of outright rejection. They should have loved her no matter what, been proud of her no matter what." ❞

✨ Tropes ✨
✈️ Travel Romance
🏔️ Forced Proximity
🚂 Frenemies to Lovers
⛱️ Opposites Attract
🗽 Slow Burn

🦇 Major thanks to the author @elleeverhart and publisher @putnambooks for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

On a whim Dylan calls into a radio station and ends up winning a trip around the world. The only catch is that she has to go with whom they randomly select from her contact list. When “Jack the Posho” gets selected, Dylan isn’t even sure who he is! It took a while for it all to come back to her, it was a random guy from the club. When the trip begins, its apparent that Dylan and Jack are complete opposites. Dylan works for a lifestyle magazine, except she’s stuck writing cute quizzes after news of her abortion came out a few years ago. Her editor agrees to give her a regular column if she writes about her romance with Jack and it goes well. Except there is no romance. How will Dylan pull this off and come out of the trip unscathed?

This was such a fun debut! I really enjoyed the premise and the story, but I did feel it lacking at times. I wish there would have been less of the Instagram talk, and more talk of each of the places they visited. This was also very much a slow burn romance with the spice only coming in the last 10% or so of the book. I wish that Dylan and Jacks relationship would have developed a little faster. I really enjoyed how this book touched on some social issues. Dylan also mentions being bisexual, but I felt that this part of her was underdeveloped overall. I would have enjoyed learning more about this part of her character. Overall, this was a wonderful read and a great debut. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next.

Thank you so much to Penguin Group Putnam, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, and Netgalley, @Netgalley for gifting me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Additional links will be added once posted.

I’m very bummed to report that I couldn’t finish this book. I genuinely loved the plot and the characters and was ready for a wild trip around the world until about 25% when the author decided to hit every single political view possible within a few pages. I feel like this could have been an excellent book but sometimes it’s hard to look past a whole agenda, whether it be left or right. I consider myself VERY moderate but I don’t want to read about books that swing one way or the other - especially when it has nothing to do with the storyline. I’m here for an escape when I read, not a continuation of the talking heads in the real world.

Magazine writer Dylan wins an all expenses paid 6 week trip around the world from a local radio station. The only catch is that she will have to travel with someone the radio station randomly selects from her phone contacts. “Jack the Posho” is the lucky pick, and after initially forgetting who Jack is, Dylan remembers that he is an uptight, preppy guy that she met one night at a bar and accidentally ghosted. Dylan is able to leverage her time off for the trip into a chance at a permanent column at the magazine as she writes about her travels, and her editor urges her to push the second chance romance angle. Dylan is determined to make the trip and her time with Jack work so she can write some juicy stories to secure her dream, despite how unbearable she finds Jack. But as the two spend more time together—and find themselves while traveling—Dylan comes to realize that Jack isn’t all that bad, and she’ll have to decide if achieving what she really wanted is worth the price she has to pay to get it.

Thank you so much @netgalley, @putnambooks, and @elleeverhart for the advance copy! I read this while on vacation and it was the perfect summer travel read. I really enjoyed all of the different destinations that Jack and Dylan were able to travel to, and it made me super jealous that I didn’t win that trip! The banter between Dylan and Jack was fun and hilarious. The book also had a lot of really great and healthy discussions around women’s rights, fear of failure, respecting boundaries, consent, and sexuality. A great summer read for those who love travel, self-discovery, and romance! Wanderlust hits shelves on July 4!

This is cute but I have 2 issues with this book
1) there in insufficient dialogue between the two leads. Jack is supposed to be quiet but there is so little talking it’s hard to see the chemistry develop between them
2) there is too much talk about instagram. I know it’s relevant to the plot but I wish there were less of it.

Years after ghosting her one night stand, Dylan finds herself the winner of an incredible around the world sweepstakes, with one stipulation: that she being a random phone contact with her. As luck would have it, it’s Mr. One Night Stand himself: Jack. What starts as an awkward trip between two people with a grudge soon turns into a journey that not only challenges them to try new things, but also to face their fears, doubts, and feelings as they grow into something more than they expected.

I wish I could have read more about each place the pair traveled to, and watched their journey unfold in greater and more meaningful detail. I do think that with the storyline being split between the developing romance and the worldwide trip itself, not enough attention was spent on the trip and there were missed opportunities for Dylan and Jack to grow closer in their experiences together and made the trip feel a bit rushed at times.

However, “Wanderlust” delivers a witty and heartfelt story of love, friendship, and self discovery that I really enjoyed. Seeing Jack and Dylan really find themselves and face their own insecurities is rewarding to read and their blossoming feelings for one another feels like a warm hug to the soul. “Wanderlust” is a wonderful, sweet, quick read romance!

An enjoyable debut. The premise of Dylan winning a radio contest for a trip around the world with the catch of her traveling companion chosen at random from her phone contacts is extremely fun and felt like a clever spin on a familiar idea. Dylan was a tough character to like at first, and several of the locations visited could have used additional description to create more of an atmosphere for the characters to experience. The second half of the book is significantly stronger than the first as Dylan and Jack grow closer, and I liked how the two of them helped each other with some pressing personal and professional problems. The book does a nice job of delving into some unexpectedly heavy topics without making them seem out of place. All in all, a few minor issues, but otherwise a good read.

In Wanderlust, we follow Dylan and Jack who unexpectedly get tossed together for a whirlwind trip around the world. In the process, they see the world, learn a lot about themselves and each other, and figure out how to live their best lives. It was so fun to see the pair warm up to each other and open up and help each other deal with the things that were weighing on them - it was freeing to see them come into their own and then fall for each other. I loved the way they had to figure themselves out, make sense of the past, and really dig deep. The book didn't shy away from some heavy topics and I thought Everheart handled them with grace and thoughtfulness. I loved every stop on this little adventure and I can't wait to recommend this book to everyone I know when it comes out!

Wanderlust by Elle Everhart was a wonderful escape from real life! The premise of winning a trip around the world with a random person from your past was a great set-up for this romance. It is also a commentary and cautionary tale about social media and the very real effect it can have on our adult lives. The steamy sex scenes at the end were the cherry on top of this luscious dessert of a novel! My only wish was that there were a bit more details about the different cities they visited. Also, I found the lack of page breaks between different times/places to be a bit disorienting at times.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this eArc! Could not put it down and read it in one sitting - I loved Dylan and Jack together. I loved watching the pair travel through so many places together, though I wish we got to see more of it rather than skipping over some destinations entirely. The conflicts (and resolutions) in the book felt super realistic, and I found the characters to be relatable, despite the potentially far-fetched circumstances. While I had a really fun time reading it, I can't say it was the most memorable book I've ever read. Overall, I did really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to someone looking for a cute quick read!