Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.
Chloe, Luke, Wyatt, Marianne, Noah, Sloane, and Alden have all been friends for over ten years. But things have been just plain awkward for the friend set since Chloe refused Luke's marriage proposal. But Chloe is encouraged to attend the friend reunion at the beach house. As events in the present show, Chloe is not the only one struggling. As the chapters alternate to the past, it is clear to see that as beautiful as the friendship was, Chloe and Luke had a very complex relationship.


When I started this novel, I felt that I was going to enjoy it but the opposite became true. Perhaps more time in the present would have been better. Maybe it would have been better if Luke and Chloe had talked earlier in the novel. I felt Marianne and Sloane's storylines were more angsty and relatable, I would have preferred them to Chloe.


Expected Publication Date 13/08/24
Goodreads Review 12/07/24
#TheGroupTrip #NetGalley.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this! Easily 4.5 /5 stars
This is a multi-timeline story about a group of friends from college, focusing on various trips they take together as the story jumps back and forth. Chloe, the female lead, breaks up with longtime seemingly perfect Luke at the very beginning, threatening the dynamic of the friendship group (Chloe, Luke, new mom Marianne, Wyatt, and married couple Sloane and Alden).
What I loved about this is the completely authentic view of friendships and the impact relationships can have. For me this hits incredibly close to my life in college and it felt like almost looking through a window to the past. I've been Chloe so I immediately connected to her fears of abandonment and worth. I loved that they were all hiding something from each other, but almost every secret was done out of genuine love for each other. I also really loved going back in time and understanding why Chloe would say no to the 'love of her life', and the introspection on how you can lose yourself in a relationship. It's not everything all at once.
I did think Wyatt's storyline was very obvious from the beginning, but I still really enjoyed it. I kinda wish Luke wasn't built to be SO kinda crummy, but it still works, and while the ending is overall cheery and maybe a bit too sunny, it is the best kind of summer read. I love happy endings and this delivered.

If you’re looking for your next 5 star beachy, summer read then The Group Trip by Audrey Ingram is it!! This book follows six friends as they navigate friendship & life in general. The characters are lovable, the story is captivating & I couldn’t put it down. This is one you don’t want to wait to read!

Thank you NetGalley & Alcove Press for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Group Trip follows a group of 6 best friends from college in a dual timeline that features the "now" and the "then" through the years. Loved the relationships between the friends and how the events unfolded.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
AMAZING! Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC. Such a great book!

The Group Trip tells the story of six friends who all met in college. They continue to keep in touch throughout the next ten years, as they go through the ups and downs of their lives. I was drawn to the crazy strong bond these characters had with each other; and how their lives intertwined. Each chapter has an alternating time line, so the reader understands how the characters interacted with each other early on, how they have changed ten years later; and all the years in between.

LOVED it! #booksbyashleynicole

Absolutely the book of the summer!!! I can’t wait to recommend this to anyone who will listen to me. This story had everything. Think Happy Place by Em Hen but better. I loved the dual timelines that allowed me as a reader to follow the friend group along on their journey to becoming adults. And a splash of mystery right from the beginning?! I ATE THIS UP.

What a lovely summer read. I loved the friendships between the characters and I really enjoyed reading about their relationships and the dynamics between them.

This book does a great job showing real friendships and how they change over the years.

It was a very solid 4/5 read.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Group Trip by Audrey Ingram was my first time reading one of her books. It won’t be the last. I loved the way she developed the characters and the way she tells a story, weaving present with the past.

This book was a perfect beach read. I found myself stealing moments throughout my day to read another chapter. It’s been a while since a book grabbed and held my attention.

Buy the book - you won’t be disappointed!

- The Group Trip
Get Lit: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5


A group of six friends who met in college and have grown up together into adulthood face the potential collapse of their close-knit circle after a breakup. The story unfolds through dual timelines, revisiting several past trips with the group while also following their current reunion after a year-long hiatus, which stirs up all sorts of drama. I loved this book and its diverse cast of characters. It grabbed me from the first chapter, and I couldn’t put it down!

https://www.instagram.com/p/C814R0-AXAt/?igsh=MXh4YzVlMXZvdHdwNw==

Reading The Group Trip felt like watching a movie. The group of friends go through a lot of realistic growing pains over the years as they transition from college kids to adults with careers. Most friend groups have trouble surviving for so long and the conflicts they had were common yet still interesting. The story started out feeling like a murder mystery (which it is not) and showed how they evolved together with flashes back to the past. Towards the end the flashbacks almost felt interruptive rather than needed. Overall this was a great story about relationships that will stick with me. Thank you Netgalley and Alcove Press for the ARC to review.

Loved this one! Great and fun read. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for my ARC.

I don't think there is anything as poignant (and heartbreaking) as watching relationships evolve from best friends in college to functioning adults. It is never easy to make that transition. Relationships oftentimes take a huge hit, and you're left there holding all your memories and wishing things could have stayed the same. Such is the case with these six friends, navigating (oftentimes poorly) life after college. Flung to separate corners of the country, trying so hard to still maintain their relationships, all of them struggle accepting and living their new realities. It's so true that you "can't go back home". The only thing that you can do is let go and cherish the new stages of life and allow each other grace. This story is a beautiful tribute to those times in these young peoples lives where they redefinie their relationships and find their new normal.

This book will truly resonate with anyone who picks it up! The character development is amazing while still being complex. It doesn’t seem like development for the sake of development. Everything was so beautifully tied together in the end / resolved it felt good for my heart.

3.5 stars!!! A fantastic beach read and well-paced, I love books about friend group drama. Some characters can be frustrating at times but that’s part of the fun of course. I enjoyed seeing Chloe’s growth too. Thank you for the advanced copy!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

With a premise that sounded right up my street, I was so excited to read this book. Unfortunately, it didn't grip me from the start and it took me a while to get past the prologue. My main issue with this book is the constant use of first names in place of a pronoun. 'Chloe did this and then Chloe did that'. It was so distracting being reminded of the main character's name on every line that I was searching for any use of a pronoun instead of reading the book.

I really wanted to like this but sadly it just wasn't for me at this time.

I enjoyed this book. I liked the dual storylines. I'm a sucker for those. Perfect story if you need a easy fun read. Characters were easy to relate too as well.

Thank you for the ARC. I flew through this book about 6 friends that met in college and all their trials and tribulations as they navigate their early years after college.It was fun that it was set in Seaside Florida -as I have vacationed there and recognized some restaurants and shops named in the book.

The Group Trip
by Audrey Ingram
Pub Date: August 13, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Firefly Lane meets Happy Place in this touching southern-set novel about what it means to grow up together–hopefully without growing apart.

Told through dual timelines, Ingram paints a stunning portrait of friendship for fans of Kristy Woodson Harvey.
Since Ingram’s debut “The River Runs South” was one of my favorite reads of 2023, I was stoked to get an advanced copy of “The Group Trip” (shout out to Alcove Press and NetGalley!). The Group Trip definitely lives up to my high expectations. The characters all had such a depth to them. The story was intricately woven and tied in the full story line. It was powerful to get a view of the friend group over time - it was much more than just a group trip, and I’ll be recommending this book.

Chloe meets Luke in college and instantly falls into his friend group- forming a gang of 6 best friends. 10 years later Luke is proposing, Chloe declines, and everyone is completely shocked. Chloe becomes a loner, and The Group Trip follows the group over 10 years- from meeting to present day, as we try to understand why Chloe said no, and if the group can recover.

thank you netgalley and alcove press for an arc of this book to review. the description of this book drew me in and the first 1/3 of it captured my attention. as the book went on, however, i found myself disliking most of the characters- especially the two main characters luke and chloe. initially this felt like a perfect combination of “happy place” and “the big chill” but it devolved into something else entirely. the last little bit of the book felt very rushed in an attempt to tie everything together with a bow and end on a light note but it left me with a feeling of “that’s it? that’s what i kept reading for?” this book may be for you if you have an easier time connecting to and relating to the characters than i did but it was unfortunately not for me.