I love Morgan Matson and I loved this book. The only thing keeping me from giving it 5 starts is that I wish we could have seen a little more from future Darcy and Russell. While the ending was cute, it just wasn't enough from me. Other than that, the trope of this book was adorable and I will continue to read any YA novel that Morgan Matson releases.

I have been reading Morgan Matson since a young adult and now that I'm a full adult I was worried that I wouldn't be able to relate but I was wrong! I still rock with her writing so hard and I enjoyed every minute of this story! I love the characters and their journey it was such a great time!

Thank you Netgalley for the early access!

I absolutely loved the story of Darcy and Russell, their meet cute was precious.
I was definitely in the mood for a YA romance and this one hit all the boxes for me.
also I can only imagine Darcys surprise when she found out who Russell was.

I would love Morgan to make a follow up, frankly I need more and where their story goes in the future. I didn't love the ending

The Ballad of Darcy and Russell takes place as the main characters are heading home from the Silverspun Music Festival. Darcy Milligan has gone to see her dad's favorite band, Nighthawk, before she heads to Connecticut for her freshman year of college. When her bus home breaks down in Jesse, Nevada and her phone dies, she seeks the help of Russell Henrion, an aspiring musical theater writer, who will be a freshman at the University of Michigan. It's love-at-first sight and they spend a romantic few hours together, wandering around Jesse until the bus is fixed. As they bond over hopes and fears about the future, they find themselves falling head over heels. Then they break into a hotel pool for a swim and get arrested by the police. Russell breaks down and calls his celebrity dad to get them out of jail, revealing that he has been lying to Darcy about who he really is. Darcy ends up at his house waiting to catch a bus back to LA and meets all of his dad's ex-wives and children. She discovers the complicated emotions of a musician who is trying to get out from under his father's shadow and prove that he can make it on his own. Navigating the transition to college, struggling with parental expectations and the trappings of privilege, are a few of the issues covered. The snappy dialogue and sizzling chemistry between Darcy and Russell make this a journey the reader will enjoy taking with them.

This book was so great! I love everything Morgan Matson rights. She is the queen of misadventures. This book is a little more new adult than young adult compared to her previous books as there was more spice and more curse words. Overall the characters were very likeable and the storyline was so fun. This would make a great movie!

I LOVED THIS BOOK! A one-sit read for me!

In a lot of ways, the Ballad of Darcy and Russell begins as many YA novels do-Darcy heads to a music festival the weekend before she's supposed to leave for college. While Darcy is on the bus ride back home, she discovers the friend from gym class that she goes to the music festival with took her money and cell phone charger. Darcy is on the bus with no money and a dead phone when the bus breaks down, leaving Darcy stranded in the middle of nowhere-with just 24 hours before she's supposed to be on that redeye flight to college. As Darcy wanders around the bus station looking for a phone charger, she experiences a love-at-first-sight meet cute which is fantastic because, as a long time fan of romcoms, she's been waiting her whole life for an experience like this. She and Russell have a near perfect day exploring the small town they find themselves stranded in, but things go off the rails when they are caught trespassing in a hotel pool. This incident will change their lives forever as Darcy discovers a secret Russell has been keeping from her all day--potentially ruining any real chance at a romance they may have. Set against the backdrop of a Nevada desert and Southern California, this book will have you hoping for love-at-first-sight, taking the advice of a famous rockstar and craving IN-N-Out like you never have before.

I think Morgan Matson is getting into “underrated” territory now and I don’t like it! More people should be reading this book and all of her backlist. I’ve always been a huge fan of hers; she’s been an auto-buy author for ten years now. Her latest novel THE BALLAD OF DARCY AND RUSSELL was a pleasant surprise for me, even though I should know that MM will always always knock it out of the park.

The biggest thing about this book is that it’s much more than the synopsis. I don’t want to spoil anything but there was a much-needed shift in the plot around the halfway point. The pacing may have been a bit off because of it, but I was wondering where things were going at this point and MM took a super fun pivot.

I liked Darcy and Russell a lot – they had fun chemistry for the most part but Darcy was big on the “love at first sight thing.” I don’t want to say they felt immature because I don’t need to judge a YA book on maturity when I’m over 30 years old, but they certainly rushed into some things after not knowing each other too long. They were also very back and forth on how they would handle their relationship going forward, which got a little grating, but was in general understandable.

Overall, the plot of this was VERY Morgan Matson and fun – I would certainly recommend it even if you’re like me and only have a few YA authors you still read. Good easter eggs to other MM books and their settings too.

Morgan Matson never disappoints. I was so excited to recieve a review copy of one of her books and although I do not read too much YA anymore, Morgan will always be on my auto buy list. I really feel that her writing transends the boundaries of adult and YA fiction. I never feel that I am missing anything or its too young for me, rather a great story with great characters. We start out with Darcy, who has recently been ditched by her friend, when on her way to a big concert with her friend to see one of her Dad's favorite bands. Out of funds and a practically dead cell, stuck in a bus station after a the bus breaks down there are few people that might be able to lend her a charger so she can charge her phone to call her dad. (who knew so many people had androids??) Enter left, Russell who has an iphone but unfortunately for both of them, not one charger to be found. It is at that point when they have a combined mission to find said charger and good times between them ensue. I loved this book and as I said, Morgan Matson never disappoints. Highly recommend this sweet book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for providing me an advanced copy of this book to review.

This is a beautiful story for hopeless romantics like myself!! The chemistry between the two main characters was believable, relatable, and I had butterflies in my stomach!

The rest of the characters were fun, lighthearted, and written in a way I feel like I now know them, and will miss learning more about them (maybe a spin off is needed!!).

This is the perfect story for summer and beach reading!!

Cute instalove ya story.. Darcy is adorable.
I didn't really get into it, but I think that was on me. The writing was good, just not my style.

The Ballad of Darcy and Russell is a delightful rollercoaster ride that proves the magic of love can strike at the most inconvenient times—like when you're stranded at a Nevada bus station with a dead phone and no cash. Darcy, our hopelessly romantic heroine, has always believed in love at first sight, but she's never experienced it herself. Cue Russell: the cute, funny, and kind guy who shows up just when her life is falling apart.
Stranded and feeling utterly defeated, Darcy's chance encounter with Russell is the silver lining of her otherwise disastrous night. The author does a fantastic job of turning a stranded-in-the-middle-of-nowhere scenario into a charming and heartfelt adventure. As Darcy and Russell walk and talk through the night, their chemistry is palpable, making you root for them even as you chuckle at their witty banter and awkward moments.
The entire story unfolds over one night, and the author captures the essence of youthful spontaneity and the magic of serendipitous connections. The dialogue is sharp, funny, and occasionally profound, as Darcy and Russell reveal surprising truths about themselves. Their conversations range from the light-hearted to the deeply personal, and you can't help but get swept up in their whirlwind romance.
While the book is filled with humor and heart, it also poses some thought-provoking questions: Can you really know someone after just a few hours? Is it possible to fall in love in less than a day? The author handles these themes with a deft touch, balancing the sweetness of the romance with the bittersweet reality of their impending goodbye.
Sure, some might say the idea of falling in love overnight is a bit far-fetched, but hey, isn't that what makes it so enchanting? The Ballad of Darcy and Russell is a fun, fast-paced read that will leave you smiling and maybe even believing in a little bit of love at first sight magic yourself. It's a perfect pick-me-up for anyone who enjoys a good meet-cute with a dash of humor and a lot of heart.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars

The beginning was a little cringe and I felt myself rolling my eyes at the over-the-top unrealistic direction it was going. (You could see who Russell actually was right away)

But Matson managed to bring it back down to earth and grounded this little piece of escapism pretty well. She always excels at secondary characters and family/friend issues so this was no exception. The ending was a nice change of pace for this kind of story (spend one life changing day together, but will they stay together after that magical day??...very Before Sunrise, which is cited in the book).

My big gripe is that Darcy was kind of justified in her feelings towards her mom and with Russell. When it is revealed how he lied to her, her inner monologue with her friends (which is another part that I didn't love - she has full conversations with her two best friends in her head. I know a major plot point is that she doesn't have her phone, but like halfway through she does so you could have changed this to an actual conversation) is her saying that she lied to him too. But did she? She just didn't tell this person she had met two hours earlier that her mom had left her when she was a baby. Seems kind of normal to me to not open a conversation with that. Plus, she resolves her mom issues by coming to terms with her shortcomings in their relationship. I'm sorry, but her mom left her as a two year old and then moved out of the country to start a new family! I think the onus is on the mom to make that relationship better and to fix it. An eighteen year old who has essentially been abandoned for 16 years is allowed to be salty towards their mother.

Overall, a pretty typical Matson book, but still not as good as Since You've Been Gone

This book was SUPER cute, and I immediately vibes with it. I live in a small town in Nevada, that hosts the largest and longest running country music festival in the state. And I loved the Author mentioning all these small towns that I know well. Loved it!

Loved this cute little romance. A fun romance of two teen getting stranded at bus station together and exploring if this could be love at first site.

This is one of those “takes place in 24 hours” books that just works, although it did take me a while to get into it. Russell is the type of character teen me would have instantly fallen in love with. And Darcy was such a relatable character.

This was beyond good. Great if I must say. I can’t wait to rave about this to everyone. If you are looking for a good book, pick this up.

I think this book gave me butterflies more than any other book I have ever read. In the first 6 chapters, are you kidding me?? I highlighted throughout the book every time that something adorable happened that made me have to put the book down and take a second. 30 TIMES. I didn’t know how I would feel about the insta-love in this book since it all takes place mostly over 24 hours but the amount of time that we got to spend with Darcy and Russell made me feel a real connection between them. Major Taylor Swift invisible string vibes.

By far my favorite part of this book was the first section, “Because the Night,” out of all the highlights, I think 11 of them were from these first couple of chapters. After that, there was the dreaded misunderstanding and they didn’t even interact for a couple chapters. After that I feel like it fell off a bit considering in the first hundred pages I thought that this would be a 5 stars. 4 stars is still a really good rating I was just a little disappointed when the first few chapters were SO GOOD.

Overall, I still really recommend this book! It was super cute and I loved Darcy and Russell! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!!

This is already on my HS shelves. Loved this book and the journey.

Cute, funny tale about making the best of unexpected misfortunes and an unplanned road trip home.

Love Morgan’s books and this one didn’t disappoint.

THE BALLAD OF DARCY AND RUSSELL by Morgan Matson (The Unexpected Everything) is another well-crafted romantic comedy featuring two soon-to-be college freshman. Matson is adept at developing characters and describing adventures; a personal favorite is her Amy & Roger's Epic Detour. In the latest, Darcy and Russell are stuck in a bus station in Jesse, Nevada, on their way back to LA after having separately attended a music festival. Darcy is almost out of cash and neither has a cell phone charger, so they set out to solve that immediate problem but end up creating more. A near arrest for trespassing turns into a helicopter ride, shared confidences about family situations, an eventful road trip, re-evaluation of college choices, and a physical relationship. That all happens in roughly 24 hours which is a little hard to believe. At times the story seems to drag as Darcy mulls over her choices although other sections are sweet and caring. Angsty teens will find the range of emotions to be quite relatable – School Library Journal recommends this title for grades 9 and up, saying "This look at the realities of what comes after love-at-first-sight is worth a read." THE BALLAD OF DARCY AND RUSSELL received a starred review from Kirkus ("quippy dialogue, hilarious jokes, and corny but juicy chemistry").

Darcy Milligan has a fine, albeit messy, life. Raised by a single father and named for his favorite song by his (and now her) favorite band, she's about to leave her hometown of LA for a college she barely knows anything about in Connecticut. Before that, she's hit a Nevada music festival to see said favorite band perform. But when she gets stranded at a bus station with no phone charger, she meets Russell Henrion—a handsome, witty aspiring Broadway composer who knows the source of her name and happens to love the same obscure book she does. Suddenly, she's wrapped up in a whirlwind one-night romance like the ones in the movies. At first.

A few bad late-night decisions later, Darcy discovers that Russell Henrion is actually Russell Sanders—son of Wylie Sanders, lead singer of that aforementioned favorite band. Between the shock of being in her favorite celebrity's Nevada home and trying to figure out whether Russell is the love of her life or a big liar, she barely has time to cope with that other problem: the whole college thing. But as the long weekend goes on, both Darcy and Russell start coming to terms with college, family, and and whether love at first sight is a real thing.

The Ballad of Darcy and Russell employs my least favorite romance trope (miscommunication), but it's the exception that proves the rule. Rather than being a drama of errors where people willfully misunderstand each other or walk past the wrong door at the wrong time, it's an exercise in understanding each other and embracing difficult parts of ourselves and our lives. Both Darcy and Russell are figuring out who they are, both in the context of their families and themselves. Despite their very different lives, they have very similar fears. And the lack of communication that kicks the story off is the whole point: opening up, breaking down their own insecurities, and allowing themselves to communicate more freely.