I loved the idea of this story. Two strangers who met in a club traveling together across the world. Adventures & beautiful scenery that both characters couldn’t have dreamed or anticipated seeing. Some work drama between both characters & their jobs makes for some twists and turns you didn’t see coming. The end becomes quite spicy and it feels a little forced because the MC’s travels are ending. Overall not a bad book. The writing style was easy to read for most of it & the MC’s are easy to love.

I liked this book. Do not take my 3 star review as something bad, as for me it marks a relatively average read, but one that I still enjoyed.

Wanderlust follows Dylan, a writer for a magazine who is trying to kickstart her own column with the magazine she currently works for. In a random chance, she wins a radio contest to travel around the world, but the catch is that the station gets to choose one person at random from her contacts to go with her. They end up choosing Jack, a guy she made out with in a club a few months back and never called again. We follow the two of them as they make their travels around the world and bond together as a pair.

I'll start with the stuff I think is really well handled. I think that the discussions around really tough topics are handled very well and with an amazing amount of grace, and I like that both of the characters have very separate problems that they are dealing with. When the pair does eventually get together, they are very cute together and I love their dynamic once that happens. The places that are explored in the book are really cool and vibrant, and I really enjoy the way the author described the locations, and it does give a very real picture of just how exhausting a trip like this would be.

I do have a couple of things with this book that knock it down from being great to being just good or okay, even. The first major thing I have is that I found our main character, Dylan, to be really self-absorbed through the first part of this book. I mean it took me until about the 50% mark before I started to not roll my eyes when she would say things. She treated Jack pretty cruelly through a large portion of the book, and while I think we are supposed to think that Jack is acting distant from her and giving her reason to act the way she is, there's enough about Jack given to us that even through Dylan's perspective, I could see that she was being way too harsh on him. She also goes way beyond the boundary of what I would consider acceptable a couple of times, and while she does acknowledge that she's messed up in the book, and I think it's perfectly fine for characters to make mistakes, I just simply don't buy these two getting together in the end.

There's a lot of telling, not showing when it comes to Jack's character (like he's supposed to be very posh, etc, but really we only get like 2 descriptors of him that might support that? Otherwise it's just kind of Dylan assuming that he's a posh guy). I feel like I would have really enjoyed this book if it was either from a dual POV or if there was more of an exploration of Jack as a character that would justify Dylan's reaction, or maybe even written in such a way that Dylan wasn't quite as antagonistic of Jack right off the bat, this could easily have been a 4 or 5 star read for me.

This was everything I want in a romcom—hooky premise, opposites attract, excellent tension and humor throughout. I was rooting for them both, and getting to see their relationship develop around the world was wonderful! What a joy. Can't wait for more by Everhart!

Let this serve as a reminder to delete people from your contacts when you are no longer interested in communicating with them. A funny romp with serious attitude.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.

This story starts of promising when Dylan, wins a trip around the world. The catch is she has to go on the trip with a randomly selected phone number from her contacts. Lo and behold a past failed potential date who she can't even remember is her world trip partner Jack. This was a nice quick read but it was missing more spice for me personally.

**Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review**

This is a very cute romcom with a trip around the world. It is full of humor and romance. I wanted to be there with them so bad, it gave me travel/love envy. I adored this!
I just reviewed Wanderlust by Elle Everhart. #Wanderlust #NetGalley
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Wow, I really loved this book! I enjoyed how it was a book about the journey of self discovery coupled with the journey of falling in love. Dylan and Jack had such a fun misunderstood antagonists to lovers journey in their relationship. I really loved how the author gave the pairing such an authentic build - from the awkwardness to their softening to a little drama to being reconnected in a stronger way. Part of me wishes this was dual POV, but that's just a personal preference. I think the author did a good job giving Jack the spotlight in small and big moments. His journey of self was lovely to read. I appreciated the descriptions of all the places the characters visited. It made me feel like I was traveling with the characters. I thought the issue of abortion was approached in such a thoughtful way - from Dylan's choice and reasoning to the discussion with her parents. It was raw but done in such a respectful way.

"The whole trip has been great, but getting to do it with you . . . that’s the best bit.”

Thank you for the ARC!

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Dylan, wins a trip around the world. The catch is she has to go on the trip with a randomly selected phone number from her contacts.

Who gets chosen, but a past failed potential date who she doesn’t even remember putting his number in her phone.

While Dylan is writing an article of her travels with the grumpy lawyer, Jack, they become closer with each new continent.

A quick, sweet read.

3.5 stars ⭐️ This was a nice little rom-com. I liked the character of Dylan, and her chaotic free spirit, blended with the logical, buttoned up Jack. They seemed like a cute match together, balancing each other out. With the title, Wanderlust, and description, I was hoping for a bit more imagery of the locations they travelled to. It would have been great to get a more detailed glimpse into the wonderful and vibrant cities they explored. Overall, I’d say this was a good book. Nothing groundbreaking, but enjoyable.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review

Dylan is a writer who on a whim calls a radio contest and wins a trip around the world, but the only catch, her travel buddy is a random contact the radio selects from her phone. The contact just so happens to be Jack, an almost one night stand from a few months earlier. While Dylan is one to take chances and speaks her mind, Jack is more reserved.
This was a great almost enemies to lovers read but I wish this was written from dual povs.

First of all, even though I love to travel, there are maybe two people in my contacts with whom I could bear to spend so much time, so that contest would not suit me at all!
That said, this was such an interesting premise for a romance novel, and I thought it was executed well. I do usually prefer books with dual POVs as it helps the reader get to know both main characters equally, but I can understand some authors not wanting to write that way. I loved the slow burn between Dylan and Jack, starting with their animosity and awkwardness with each other progressing into mutual attraction and respect. Great debut!

Lately, since I haven't been able to travel, I have been really into travel romance novels. It gives me what I need to live vicariously through the characters and this was no exception. Loved it and I wanted more.

We love a romance where there is travel involved and also a slow burn romance with a stranger. But I felt there was something lacking in their chemistry, there was a lot of potential for this to have been even better, But all in all I still enjoyed reading it.

If you are looking for a summer-y rom com to enjoy by the pool then give this a try.

I was so excited to read this book from the synopsis! Traveling the world with someone you ghosted? I can't imagine - what a great concept! I really enjoyed the story and it made me want to jump on a plane and travel!

A delightful debut and a romantic trip around the world with incredible depth! Dylan’s willingness to be vulnerable and honest with her readers about her abortion was beyond brave, and such a timely and important conversation about reproductive health and personal choice.

While Dylan’s initial steamrolling of Jack with her impulsiveness and lack of respect for his privacy was frustrating, her overall growth and willingness to listen and apologize for the hurt she inflicted was quite moving. I kept wanting more from Jack at the beginning and loved how his storyline unfolded.

Everhart delivered all the fun, slow burn and adventures in this jet setting rom-com, while also cultivating thoughtful discussions about the importance of access to safe healthcare, prioritizing your mental health, giving yourself permission to start over and bet on yourself, and never apologizing for asking for what you deserve.

TRULY LOVEDDDD everything about this book!!! if you love romcom this is the one for you!! Enemies to lovers! Dylan and Jack are so opposite yet they start to click as their journey embarks.

Wanderlust is a well crafted romance/women's lit novel about Dylan and Jack, who, as near strangers, take an expenses-paid trip to a dozen (or so) locations over the course of six weeks.
They start off on the wrong foot, but the slow burn is well executed, as disdain is replaced with furtive glances and fortifying hand-holding. It's a story steeped in bonding through mutual experiences. Dylan is living in her (nearly) fulfilling career as a writer and it is contrasted with reserved Jack, who we learn is a solicitor by his parents' choice but may be an aspiring photographer if he had the space and confidence to pursue it. Sounds like a perfect match for a travel book, right?
This book is single POV, Dylan's, so Jack is a bit of a Mystery Man to Dylan and to the reader. Dylan doesn't ask many questions of him and ribs him constantly about being "posh" and this is partly by design. I just wish we knew a little more about Jack besides his fear of heights and his secret crush on her from the day they met in a club.
I really enjoyed this book - Everhart's pacing is excellent and I never felt like the writing and pining was repetitive (as happens in many contemporary slow burn books).
I would definitely pick this one up if you are a fan of British women's lit/romance and writers like Emily Henry & Libby Hubscher.

This was so so good. I have got zero shame when I say that I lived vicariously through these characters. They were so cute and adorable and I have been fully invested into their story and romance since page 1. The story was pretty entertaining and that ending gave me more than I ever could have hoped for. Overall, I really enjoyed it.

If you love romance books about traveling around the world with an almost stranger, 'Wanderlust' is the book for you! Dylan works for a magazine called 'Buxom', but she is still hoping to get her own column someday. She wrote an article that caused a lot of hate on the internet. She received death threats, angry DMs, and people coming to her house to threaten her in person. After all of that, Dylan's relationship with her parents struggles too. They weren't supportive when she told her parents that she was bi, and they didn't support her choices in the article that she wrote about months ago.

One day, Dylan hears about a radio contest, and surprisingly, she is the winner! Her prize is a trip around the world, but the catch is that the station will randomly select a contact from her phone. This person will have to be her traveling companion the trip. The radio station selects someone named Jack the Posho, and Dylan has no idea who that is. Turns out, they met one night at a club, and they shared a steamy kiss. Jack agrees to go on the trip with her.

As the embark on their journey, Dylan and Jack appear to be opposites. Tension remains between them, and they try their best to get along on the trip. As they visit more places, they start to see the sparks that they felt on that first night months ago. Dylan and Jack reveal parts of themselves to each other, and they can confide in each other. They support each other's dreams, and they start to care more about each other. I loved their journey around the world and their journey toward each other.

I would have liked to read more about the places that they visited. Some of the countries were only mentioned in passing. I wanted to live vicariously through them as they traveled around the world. The book did cover some heavy topics, and I think that everything was handled in an appropriate way.

Overall, this is an amazing debut from author, Elle Everhart. I can't wait to read what she writes next!

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for an ARC of this wonderful book.

Cute travel romance. A bit unrealistic circumstances but overall fun. Would have loved more details of the destinations and the gruelling nature of that much travel. Like you're not cute after a 14 hour flight, you just aren't.