The Road Trip is a romance novel by Beth O’Leary, published in 2021.
The story follows Addie and Dylan, two ex-lovers who are forced to share a car ride together on a road trip.
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Book Blurb
Addie and her sister are on an epic road trip to a friend’s wedding in rural Scotland. But, not long after setting off, a car slams into theirs. The driver is none other than Addie’s ex, who she hasn’t seen since their traumatic break-up two years earlier.
Dylan and his best mate are heading to the wedding too, so Addie has no choice but to offer them a ride. And with four hundred miles to go, they can’t avoid confronting the very messy history of their relationship . . .
Will they make it to the wedding? And, more importantly, is this really the end of the road for Addie and Dylan?
The Road Trip Review: My Opinion
While I did enjoy The Road Trip, I unfortunately didn’t love it as much as some of Beth O’Leary’s other novels.
I’ve really loved Beth O’Leary’s other novels, particularly The Switch and The Flatshare. While I can’t say I didn’t enjoy The Road Trip, I just didn’t love it as much as some of Beth O’Leary’s other novels.
The novel is told in dual perspectives, alternating between Addie and Dylan, and also jumping between the past and present. While this setup works for building tension around their relationship and eventual breakup, it did feel a bit slow in places. The flashbacks, while giving insight into their past, sometimes interrupted the flow of the story for me.
Addie and Dylan, the main characters, were likeable enough, but I struggled to fully connect with them. Their relationship drama felt a bit repetitive at times, and while their backstory was interesting, it didn’t always feel like it needed to be stretched out over the entire book. I did, however, love Deb as a character!
The themes of forgiveness and reconciliation are central to the plot, which added some emotional depth. Beth O’Leary also touches on mental health and trauma, which gave the story more weight, though the execution wasn’t always as strong as I hoped.
Overall, it’s a fun premise with some awkward, funny moments, but the pacing and repetitive relationship drama held it back.