I was not able to download this book to read before it was archived. I sent it to my kindle but it never got delivered so I was unable to read the book. I was excited about this story.

It was an okay book. I love the found family aspect in the friendship. I didn’t like Luke at all and I didn’t think he deserved to have a HEA. I loved Wyatt and how much he loved Chloe. I thought it was so cute that he had feelings for her and noticed her from the beginning and how he mentioned he would go out of his way to see her in college. It was so cute!

This is was my first Audrey Ingram book and it will not be my last! I wish I was Chloe as her group of college friends is something to cherish. Their friendship spans time and they are fiercely look out for each other. This is a great beach read and I would recommend to lovers of Kristy Woodson Harvey.

Thank you Net Galley, Audrey Ingram and Alcove Press for the opportunity to preview this novel and the opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC of The Group Trip by Audrey Ingram.

College can be some of the best years of your life and as Chloe is packing up to return home and give up her dreams of being an artist because she hasn’t found her place, she meet Luke. Meeting him changes her trajectory because with him comes Sloane, Marianne, Wyatt, and Alden and they become inseparable. From dance parties at Waffle House, to weddings, babies, and adulthood they are together every moment. That includes the moment Luke proposes to Chloe and she says no.

That is the moment that breaks the whole group because even though Chloe has been waiting for this moment,or at least so she thinks she has, she walks away from that relationship, and ultimately her friends. The group took yearly trips every year except the year Luke and Chloe called it quits, but now Sloane is determined to get them back together and forge on with their inseparable bond.

This novel takes you through twists and turns of friendship, love, loss, success, and sacrifice. Through broken bonds and rebuilding. Through betrayal, upset, and ultimately forgiveness. After Sloane forces the group back together, what may be their last spring fling comes to light and some losses are greater than others. This book is a great read and was captivating from the very first page. At times the reader can see where things are going, but it’s worth holding out because the end is something unexpected. A great pool side or beach read to wrap up your summer.

Pub Date: August 13, 2024
🌟🌟🌟🌟

A coming of age story told in a parallel timeline.

"Sloane and Alden. Chloe and sometimes Luke. Steady Marianne. Reserved Wyatt. The six friends meet in their freshman year of college and quickly become inseparable as they navigate the bumpy road into adulthood." The characters are likeable and relatable. These are all people that have appeared in our friend groups at one stage or another. While I found Chloe annoyingly dependent and overly self-pitying at times, I could still relate to how she became like this. I think they each develop well and convincingly throughout the story.

"But when Chloe inexplicably refuses Luke’s long-awaited proposal, their breakup fractures the close-knit group. Uncertain about the future of their friendship, they all reluctantly agree to gather for a luxury getaway on Florida’s Emerald Coast. As Chloe struggles to mend what she broke, the friends discover they’ve all kept secrets from the people who are supposed to know them best." And when an accident occurs while they are on holiday and one of them might be lost forever, we learn that the things we thought were broken may be for the better.

A story of love lost and then found again.

This book made me long for the carefree days at university and the many friends that have long grown apart. I wonder what it would be like to get together again and see how our lives have all changed. Would we still get along? It also made me glad for the friends I am still close to.

One of the best books I've read so far in 2024.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

3.5 rounded to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Audrey Ingram for the ARC e-reader copy of this book!

This is a heartfelt story following a group of college friends turned family and how they navigate friendship, relationships, and the transition into adulthood. This story is told in third person and the timeline jumps from present day back into the years leading up to now. They discover they’ve all been keeping secrets in an effort to protect their friendships, when in reality those secrets are only pushing them further apart. Can they navigate the changes in their lives and come back together to keep their friendship unit together? This story fits in the contemporary women’s fiction genre.

The first chapter immediately drew me in and I needed to know more about what was happening. It was dramatic and intense, and I knew it could become an emotional story. I did feel like it was missing a little spark for me somewhere along the way, but I did overall enjoy it. I would definitely say there are some trigger warnings that people should be aware of, because I wasn’t necessarily prepared for a few of the sensitive topics that were addressed. Without spoiling anything be aware of the following topics: loss of parent, infertility, loss of property, and infidelity. Overall, I enjoyed this story and found myself wishing for such an intimate group of friends.

The essence of the novel - how childhood friends grow and evolve - was compelling, to say the least. Many of us can relate to these life changes, and I found myself rooting for the friends to find a way through their rough patches. Some aspects of the story were predictable and the flashbacks were more frequent than I would’ve liked at times, but this was a fun, nostalgia-filled summer read.

Think Happy Place by Emily Henry, with deeply woven story lines. After reading Friends In Napa, I was happy to roll into another friends from college character line up. The entire story weaves between past and present. They experience loss and gains together and truly have become a “framily”. They experience realistic events that at times bring them closer but others times nearly break them. Organically they shift apart but the true question throughout the story is can they repair the damage they have done?
It was an enjoyable read that kept me coming back for more. I didn’t become particularly attached to any one character as I identified at different times with all of the female characters. It was a tale as old as time, finding your self in your adult life as well as understanding how to fit in with your long time friends.

A story following a group of friends over the span of a decade through the good, the bad and the ugly was a storyline I knew would draw me in. And while it was well written, it didn't hit me to the point where I think it's the kind of story I will remember for a long time after.

A feel-good story about life, love, friendship, and the power of all three.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, I laughed (a lot) and cried (a smidge - you’ll see why) but mostly I was just happy reading about Chloe and her friends and how they’ve navigated through a decade-long friendship.


Thank you NetGalley, for the e-copy of this book.

I absolutely loved to follow these college friends on their journey over the years. Life isn’t always perfect but friendships like these pull you through. It was an easy read and I really enjoyed it!

I really enjoyed this book about friendships that started in College and watching it grow through adult hood. All the trials and tribulations that we go through as we adult and may or may not share with our friends. We all experience lows, her break and wonderful highs and should hide any of it because our friends are there to support us no matter what. This book reminded me to always be real with my friends so we can cheer for each other and be an ear or a hug when things are sad or tough.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy.

Chloe met Luke her freshman year of college and became his girlfriend and part of his friend group. The six friends—Chloe, Luke, Sloan, Alden, Wyatt, and Marianne make it through their college years, and then Luke decides to propose to Chloe. She turns him down, and ALL the relationships are impacted. In a last ditch effort to bring everyone back together, Sloan invites to a get-together at her beach house in Florida. No one knows what happened between Chloe and Luke, but the friends soon realize they’ve all been keeping secrets.

This group of friends is admittedly a bit codependent. They are enmeshed in each other's lives, and the breakup seems overly dramatic. Maybe I just never had a group of friends quite like this, but I don't remember being gutted when people broke up or moved on. I like my friends, and they were like family when I was college age, but these people seem really dysfunctional. I appreciate how loyal and protective they were of one another (sometimes at the expense of their own happiness), but all in all, it was just too much for me.

If you like a melodramatic piece of fiction, or if you REALLY love and depend on your friend group, then this might be the book for you. I appreciate the opportunity to read the ARC. "The Group Trip" wasn't a bad read, it just wasn't one of my favorites

The first line of the description for Audrey Ingram’s “The Group Trip” is what captured my attention and had me requesting an early copy. Having read both “Firefly Lane” and “Happy Place” I wasn’t sure how the two necessarily went together for this book since, at their heart, they’re completely different books. One of my friends made me realize the commonality between the comparison was the friendship aspect.

This book is about six friends who met in college and have remained friends for the last 10 years. The reader is introduced to Chloe, Luke, Sloane, Alden, Marianne, and Wyatt. All six friends have agreed to have their annual getaway at Alden and Sloane’s house down in Florida. When the book starts, it’s a year after Chloe said no to Luke’s long-awaited proposal. The chapters are fairly short and the book alternates between present day and previous summers, which lead back up to the present day. Chloe is the narrator throughout the book.

I adored this book. I loved the author’s writing style and how she wrote the banter between Chloe and her friends. Towards the end of the book I realized I wanted to see what happened, but I also didn’t want the book to end.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

I loved the beginning of this novel. It started with a bang (sorry the pun) but at the core story is how this group of friends evolved. Relationships are messy. Some are messier than others.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher & NetGalley for the opportunity to read, review and give an honest opinion of an ARC.

Love isn’t enough. You have to figure out the love you need in return. A quote from the book that really hit home.
A great summer read of 6 friends from university who navigate life together as much as they possibly can for 10 years. Through death, marriages, births, celebrations and disappointments. I had to read it when I read it was firefly lane meets Gilmore girls. It definitely gives off firefly lane vibes more than Gilmore girls. You don’t really get in too deep with most of the characters but you definitely understand their personalities and why the group has such a strong bond. It’s a connection most of us wish we had. I know I do.
I wouldn’t really classify this as a romance novel. It does have a romantic undertone in this book. Definitely a heartfelt read tho.
I would recommend this to someone who wants something that really reels you in to friendships, love and life.

When I saw that people had referenced this to Firefly Lane , I knew I had to read it. I really enjoyed the characters in this one. I cant recommend this book enough. Loved it.

The Group Trip was such a good read! While it did take me a couple of chapters to get fully invested, once I got past those I was completely hooked and read the rest over pretty much one 24-hour period.

I loved watching the different dynamics play out between the group of friends! The ending was a bit predictable, but I genuinely did not mind that at all. Chloe was such a relatable character, and her longing to keep her friendships was totally understandable.

One character’s storyline got maybe wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly in the end (I would not have forgiven them nearly so quickly), but maybe that’s a me problem. Haha! I just don’t think they redeemed themselves enough? Again, maybe I just hold a grudge a little more than the characters in this book.

I wholeheartedly recommend this if you like books about friends with long histories and some complicated dynamics!

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Group Trip is a story that will slowly reel you in. Audrey Ingram masterfully navigated between the present and the past to paint a picture of found family in all its imperfections.

#TheGroupTrip
#AudreyIngram
#FoundFamily
#NetGalley

Actual Rating is 3.75. The verbiage just felt off a few times.

Loved loved loved this book!!! This was a fun, well written story of 6 friends who met in college and continue to stay in touch after as they navigate through life and their friendships. Would highly recommend this book! Great summer read.

Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for this ARC! I look forward to reading more books by this author and publishing team.