The Road Trip

I have enjoyed Beth O'Leary's books The Flat Share and The Switch over the past couple of years. These earlier books tend to weave heavier topics into lighter premises and her latest book, The Road Trip, is no different. Actually, I'd say it was quite an emotional read with lighter elements/humour on the fringes this time as a group of people pack into a Mini and travel together to a wedding. This is a fun read with some depth and is a story about second chances at love, set within a 'locked room' (er .. locked car?) situation.

This is an emotional journey for a few of the travelers because O'Leary packs a lot of vulnerability into her characters who are a unique bunch - many with their own demons to contend with. The characters are a vibrant mix with distinct personalities - some of whom rubbed me the wrong way (Dylan's lack of spine, Marcus' over the top personality ...) but I loved Deb and was eager to see how these people would handle a road trip from hell packed like sardines in a small car.

I enjoyed how O'Leary expertly and slowly reveals the baggage between Addie and Dylan, using two timelines, but the pacing was a bit like driving with a new-to-standard driver - a little abrupt and not always smooth, but you still get there in one piece. The ending was powerful but also quite abrupt and I would have loved a bit more time to unpack it all. 

I liked that O'Leary has found her own niche in the popular Contemporary Fiction genre. The Road Trip is an emotional read about toxic relationships that didn't have as much I humour as I was anticipating, but it had lots of heart and I appreciate that O'Leary isn't afraid to tackle heavier topics. I eagerly look forward to reading her next book The No-Show which pubs in 2022. 

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Author: Beth O'Leary

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Type and Source: Trade Paperback, personal copy

Pages: 400

Publisher: Berkley

First Published: June 1, 2021

Opening Lines: "The road of friendship never did run smooth, 

is what I'm saying," Marcus tells me, fidgeting with his seat belt.

Book Description from GoodReads: Two exes reach a new level of awkward when forced to take a road trip together in this endearing and humorous novel by the author of the international bestseller The Flatshare.

What if the end of the road is just the beginning?

Four years ago, Dylan and Addie fell in love under the Provence sun. Wealthy Oxford student Dylan was staying at his friend Cherry's enormous French villa; wild child Addie was spending her summer as the on-site caretaker. Two years ago, their relationship officially ended. They haven't spoken since.

Today, Dylan's and Addie's lives collide again. It's the day before Cherry's wedding, and Addie and Dylan crash cars at the start of the journey there. The car Dylan was driving is wrecked, and the wedding is in rural Scotland--he'll never get there on time by public transport.

So, along with Dylan's best friend, Addie's sister, and a random guy on Facebook who needed a ride, they squeeze into a space-challenged Mini and set off across Britain. Cramped into the same space, Dylan and Addie are forced to confront the choices they made that tore them apart--and ask themselves whether that final decision was the right one after all.