Eighty Days to Elsewhere

"The Amazing Race" meets "Around the World in 80 Days" as a woman desperate to save her family bookstore falls for her competition.

A bookstore, world travel and important social issues come together in a fun, lighthearted adventure story that will have readers visiting various world destinations (in their minds, at least). This was an entertaining and surprisingly informative story about one woman's journey to self-discovery as she puts herself outside her comfort zone to save her family's business.

The story has a definite "Amazing Race" vibe as readers go along on the adventure with Romy (and Dom) as they travel to different countries, giving readers glimpses of off-the-grid attractions (hidden Parisian tunnels, funiculars in the Alps, the world's longest outdoor escalator in Hong Kong ..) often using less than popular modes of transportation in order to win the job of a lifetime.

This adventure read also includes a hearty helping of social commentary which I wasn't expecting but greatly appreciated - including Indigenous reconciliation issues in Canada, refugee and immigration, Hong Kong's 'helper' culture, racism and privilege. We also witness Romy's journey towards self-discovery, and I enjoyed the occasional humorous tidbits.

But there were a few things that I felt were a little weak. This whopping 480-page beast is long for a lighter read and it took awhile for things to get going. I also thought some of the later scenes could have been cut down to help the flow. Readers will also have to suspend disbelief because if something could go wrong or throw Romy into a unique situation it happened and things tended to fall neatly into place (including the ending). There is romance but it relies heavily on the 'enemies to lovers' trope - an expected aspect but a weaker (and unnecessary) part of the book for me.

Overall, this is a fun adventure read and with the issues it touches on, it allows readers a look into the beauty of various cultures that are not our own and will appease the wanderlust beast that dwells within many of us …. or at least hold it off until we're able to safely travel post-pandemic.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Berkley Publishing for sending me a print copy of this title.

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: KC Dyer

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Type and Source: Trade Paperback (480 pages) from Publisher

Series: #1 in the Exlibris Adventure series

Publisher: Berkley

First Published: August 11, 2020

Opening Lines: Almost there. I type the last few letters of the caption, 

hit the "upload" button, and flick the app closed.

Book Description from GoodReads: "The Amazing Race" meets Around the World in 80 Days as a woman desperate to save her family bookstore falls for her competition.

Born and raised in New York City, Ramona Keene dreams of attending photography school and traveling to Paris, but her reality never quite catches up with her imagination. Instead, she works at her uncles' quaint bookstore, where the tea is plentiful and all the adventures are between the covers of second-hand books. But when the new landlord arrives with his Evil Nephew in tow, Romy's quiet life comes crashing down. He plans to triple the rent, something her uncles can't afford.

In order to earn the money to help save the bookstore, Romy applies for a job at ExLibris Expeditions, a company that re-creates literary journeys. Romy snags the oddest internship ever: retrace Phileas Fogg's journey from Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days and plan a suitable, contemporary adventure for a client. The task is close to impossible; sticking to the original route means no commercial aircraft permitted, and she's got a lot less than eighty days to work with. Shaking off her fear of leaving home, Romy takes on the challenge, only to discover she's got competition. Worse, Dominic Madison turns out to be the - unfortunately hot - nephew of her family's worst enemy.

Can Romy win the race and circle the globe in time to save the bookstore? And what happens when she starts to fall for the very person who may just be the death of her dreams?