the road trip book review

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THE ROAD TRIP

by Beth O'Leary ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2021

A second-chance romance shows the many potential pitfalls of road tripping.

Years after a tumultuous breakup, a young woman finds herself crammed into the same tiny car as her ex for a dayslong drive to a mutual friend’s wedding.

Addie and her sister, Deb, are excited to be road tripping from their home in England to rural Scotland for their friend Cherry’s wedding. They’ve planned the trip so perfectly that they don’t even mind transporting a work friend of Cherry’s, an overly apologetic fellow named Rodney. Unfortunately, only a few hours after they set out, they get rear-ended. It turns out the driver is none other than Dylan Abbott, the man Addie has spent two years trying to forget. Worse yet, the car Dylan was driving now needs a tow, leaving him and his best friend, Marcus, without transportation to the very same wedding. Before she can stop herself, Addie invites the men to ride along with her, Deb, and Rodney. Everyone piles into the Mini Cooper, and with each mile they drive, Addie and Dylan find themselves assaulted by memories and unresolved feelings. Meanwhile, the group dynamic, as a whole, is also less than perfect. As the journey progresses, the bickering between the passengers only escalates, creating a slew of awkward moments and surprising revelations. Told alternately from Addie's and Dylan’s perspectives, the novel shifts between “Then,” when they were falling in love, and “Now,” when they are grappling with their unresolved feelings. As a picture of the past begins to crystalize, the author deftly portrays the passion the couple once felt for each other. Unfortunately, other than the sexual chemistry, they seem to be missing a true emotional connection, rendering their potential reunion somewhat less exciting. After the initial flashback scenes, which are quite engaging, Dylan gradually reveals himself to be so self-involved and undirected that his shortcomings weaken the intrigue of his pining over Addie. More fun is watching the other passengers in the car battle against each other as they navigate the uncomfortable ride, squishing into tight spaces and arguing over every possible topic. Despite its unevenness, the story is full of fun: quirky behavior, witty Briticisms, and gleeful slapstick humor.

Pub Date: June 1, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-5933-3502-4

Page Count: 400

Publisher: Berkley

Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021

FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | GENERAL FICTION

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by Beth O'Leary

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New York Times Bestseller

by Kristin Hannah ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024

A dramatic, vividly detailed reconstruction of a little-known aspect of the Vietnam War.

A young woman’s experience as a nurse in Vietnam casts a deep shadow over her life.

When we learn that the farewell party in the opening scene is for Frances “Frankie” McGrath’s older brother—“a golden boy, a wild child who could make the hardest heart soften”—who is leaving to serve in Vietnam in 1966, we feel pretty certain that poor Finley McGrath is marked for death. Still, it’s a surprise when the fateful doorbell rings less than 20 pages later. His death inspires his sister to enlist as an Army nurse, and this turn of events is just the beginning of a roller coaster of a plot that’s impressive and engrossing if at times a bit formulaic. Hannah renders the experiences of the young women who served in Vietnam in all-encompassing detail. The first half of the book, set in gore-drenched hospital wards, mildewed dorm rooms, and boozy officers’ clubs, is an exciting read, tracking the transformation of virginal, uptight Frankie into a crack surgical nurse and woman of the world. Her tensely platonic romance with a married surgeon ends when his broken, unbreathing body is airlifted out by helicopter; she throws her pent-up passion into a wild affair with a soldier who happens to be her dead brother’s best friend. In the second part of the book, after the war, Frankie seems to experience every possible bad break. A drawback of the story is that none of the secondary characters in her life are fully three-dimensional: Her dismissive, chauvinistic father and tight-lipped, pill-popping mother, her fellow nurses, and her various love interests are more plot devices than people. You’ll wish you could have gone to Vegas and placed a bet on the ending—while it’s against all the odds, you’ll see it coming from a mile away.

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781250178633

Page Count: 480

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023

FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | GENERAL FICTION | HISTORICAL FICTION

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by Kristin Hannah

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The Vietnam War Revisited, Through Fiction

PERSPECTIVES

Film Adaptation of ‘The Women’ in the Works

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LONG ISLAND

by Colm Tóibín ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 7, 2024

A moving portrait of rueful middle age and the failure to connect.

An acclaimed novelist revisits the central characters of his best-known work.

At the end of Brooklyn (2009), Eilis Lacey departed Ireland for the second and final time—headed back to New York and the Italian American husband she had secretly married after first traveling there for work. In her hometown of Enniscorthy, she left behind Jim Farrell, a young man she’d fallen in love with during her visit, and the inevitable gossip about her conduct. Tóibín’s 11th novel introduces readers to Eilis 20 years later, in 1976, still married to Tony Fiorello and living in the titular suburbia with their two teenage children. But Eilis’ seemingly placid existence is disturbed when a stranger confronts her, accusing Tony of having an affair with his wife—now pregnant—and threatening to leave the baby on their doorstep. “She’d known men like this in Ireland,” Tóibín writes. “Should one of them discover that their wife had been unfaithful and was pregnant as a result, they would not have the baby in the house.” This shock sends Eilis back to Enniscorthy for a visit—or perhaps a longer stay. (Eilis’ motives are as inscrutable as ever, even to herself.) She finds the never-married Jim managing his late father’s pub; unbeknownst to Eilis (and the town), he’s become involved with her widowed friend Nancy, who struggles to maintain the family chip shop. Eilis herself appears different to her old friends: “Something had happened to her in America,” Nancy concludes. Although the novel begins with a soap-operatic confrontation—and ends with a dramatic denouement, as Eilis’ fate is determined in a plot twist worthy of Edith Wharton—the author is a master of quiet, restrained prose, calmly observing the mores and mindsets of provincial Ireland, not much changed from the 1950s.

Pub Date: May 7, 2024

ISBN: 9781476785110

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Scribner

Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024

LITERARY FICTION | HISTORICAL FICTION | FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | GENERAL FICTION

More by Colm Tóibín

by Colm Tóibín

ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF JAMES JOYCE’S <i>ULYSSES</i>

edited by Colm Tóibín

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REVIEW: The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary

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.

CW/TW – depression, addiction, stalking, attempted sexual assault

Dear Ms. O’Leary,

After hearing all about the first two books, I was excited to finally try one of your novels. Several of our other reviewers had great things to say about them and this blurb looked enticing. Though I thought I was going to get nothing but rom-com, the story is actually an examination of why insta-love is an iffy way to start a relationship, toxic friendships all crossed with a road trip from hell, more than a bit of introspection and laced with comedic touches.

Via the dual timeline, the love and loss suffered by very posh Dylan and not-posh Addie is told. The two meet one lovely summer in Provence while Addie (and sometimes her sister, Deb) is looking after her uni roommate’s parents’ estate. Dylan appears, the two begin to spend time together and a week later, love is in the air. But when Dylan’s best friend (the slightly unhinged) Marcus arrives along with several of their other very posh buddies, Addie begins to worry that she’s not really in his social class. How can romantic, poetry writing, Oxford educated Dylan (who actually understands “The Fairy Queen”) truly love someone like average, school teacher-to-be Addie who was mainly trying on a persona over the summer?

Time passed, love flourished but dark storm clouds threatened their epic romance. Somehow it all came crashing down so badly that they haven’t spoken in almost two years. Then fate thrust them back together – along with a motley crew of people who sorta know what happened – on bank holiday packed roads as they journeyed to a wedding. Will the whole truth finally emerge, will they make it on time to the wedding, and is there a chance that somehow things can be made right again?

There is so much more to this story than romance or love. There are class differences, self discovery, deep reflection, toxic parent/child relationships, wonderful parent/child relationships, an absolute no-fucks given sibling, homophobia, homophila, breast pumps, google mapping, traffic jams, idyllic French countryside frolicking, gap year wandering, a crammed motel room, revelations, a stalker, a castle, and country music.

Romance and laughter might get the book started but it’s soon obvious that whatever happened was dark, painful, and has scarred Addie and Dylan. The lead up is so easy and unobtrusive that this is a rare time that I was not rolling my eyes as yet another heavy hint gets dropped per chapter and I realize from early on what happened. No, this is subtle and shows how even the greatest and deepest love sometimes has to weather storms and people who think they know best and that not all people who are deeply in love can communicate worth a damn. We must see what brought Addie and Dylan together in order to understand how and why the breakup was as painful as it was. The revelation, when it arrives, is gut punching in many ways. The insights about this that arrive later are ones that needed time, therapy, and effort to be reached.

Along the way to the wedding in Scotland, Dylan begins composing a poem with the line “Unchanged but changed” which perfectly describes both he and Addie. This is something I was delighted to see taken out of the box, shaken to get the wrinkles out, then discussed. Dylan and Addie immediately realize that the feelings are still there – both the good and the bad. They remember little things they shared and often find themselves glancing at the other when something amuses or annoys them. They’re still sympatico. And yet … some things are different. Some things have changed and before any future plans are made, these are talked about. Therapy is talked about and it isn’t just Dylan and Addie who have gotten it. Still, thinking back, there were so many times when Dylan irritated me – the way he was led by everyone he knew and how so many times he wouldn’t stick up for Addie. She is the one who makes the most accommodations and compromises to keep their relationship going, IMO.

And yet, I was giggling and laughing at the bizarre assortment of people crammed in that mini and the snarky ways, at times, they interact. Kevin the Truck Driver was a great addition to the crew and the wedding is one for the ages. At times however, the actions of some of the characters made me want to shake them. Pill popping, massive drinking, out of control partying and other antics of the posh 1% are things I don’t like and don’t want to try and understand. Get over your privileged selves. By the current section, Dylan has apparently discovered self control and economizing when his rich parents cut off his access to the cash.

This is not a light and fluffy book as some characters are dark and or troubled. They are well written characters but not all ones whom people will like or cheer for. There are toxic relationships some of which I didn’t want to see continued but then, life is full of this. At one point, Dylan does finally offer a bit of insight into why he continues to hang out with one person and given how his father has always treated him, it makes sense. Other relationships are delightful such as Addie and her take-no-prisoners sister Deb and there’s one I didn’t expect involving another female friend of Dylan’s. The alternate POVs chapters assure that we, if not the other MC, know what is going on but at times Dylan and Addie’s voices read as “same same” to me making me have to double check who was relating the chapter.

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Books , Reviews · April 19, 2021

Book Review: The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary

A huge thank-you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this e-arc of The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary.

hands grip a mug of coffee and e-reader with The Road Trip book cover on it. beneath lies an open book and next to it are a basket of books and a lit candle

Beth O’Leary is one of my auto-read authors, but did her newest novel, The Road Trip , live up to my expectations?

If you were to ask what my favorite contemporary romance book is, I wouldn’t hesitate even one moment before replying with The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary. I read it in 2019 and immediately fell in love with the unique plot and the way the author seamlessly combined an adorable love story with more challenging and realistic topics. In the summer of 2020, I listened to The Switch by the same author. Once again, I was astounded by how a book could be so light and sweet while also including such serious undertones. It will come as no surprise to you that I was thrilled to receive an ARC (advanced reader copy) of The Road Trip and my expectations were very high.

I personally believe that all of the novels by Beth O’Leary are perfect for spring and summer reading. There’s something really refreshing about them that reminds me of these seasons. Needless to say, you might be adding The Road Trip to your beach or poolside reads this year. Find out if it belongs on your book stack by reading my review.

Review of “people we meet on vacation” by emily henry // review of “the lucky escape” by laura jane williams // my favorite contemporary romances.

an e-reader is in the foreground with The Road Trip book cover on the screen. next to it is a lit candle and behind it is a basket of books and a hand pouring black coffee into a mug

My honest review of The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary.

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. ( Goodreads Synopsis )

If one could harness secrets for energy, we wouldn’t need petrol – we’d have enough grudges in this car to take us all the way to Scotland. The Road Trip

I’m sitting down to write this review five days after finishing the book and I’m still unsure how to rate it. This is partially to do with the fact that it was so much better than I ever could have imagined it would be, and simultaneously, I feel as though it was just such an unexpected story. I went into this with the expectation that it would be a second chance romance with a splash of surprise reality (something O’Leary has mastered effortlessly with both The Flatshare and The Switch ). I’m hopeful that by the time I’ve finished writing this review, I’ll know how many stars it has garnered in my heart and mind.

[CW: familial and emotional abuse, sexual assault and attempted rape, codependency]

I don’t often include my content/trigger warnings so early on in my review, but I find that they’re needed in order to explain where I stand on the story. When Addie picked up Dylan and Marcus on the side of the road, she also picked up some really heavy baggage (about what, I was unsure until over halfway through the story).

The story presents two POVs – Addie and Dylan’s – as well as two timelines – the past and the present. The past tossed me into a whirlwind, instant romance. It’s steamy, fun, and swoon-worthy. It doesn’t take long to love the two as a couple and immediately wonder what could’ve possibly gone wrong to ruin them as is obviously the case in the present timeline. As time goes on, red flags pop up, and before you know it, understanding begins to creep in.

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: I really appreciate romance books that include reality. I think it’s important for the characters to be relatable and for the challenges that they face to seem like something you or I might experience in life. I didn’t quite expect the book to get as weighty as it did, however. There were moments that truly shocked me and I think?? that I appreciate their inclusion? I guess that it made the relationships between each and every character all the more profound, despite how hard the scenes were to read.

The secondary characters were surprisingly interesting. In the beginning, I wondered at their purpose, but as the chapters went on, I realized why all five of these individuals were in the car together in the present timeline. Without each and every one of them, the tale wouldn’t have been complete. In fact, they added to the humor. Yes, there was humor, despite the heavy undertones, and it was great humor at that. I found myself laughing nearly as many times as I found myself sitting in sober silence. There was a really excellent balance.

Be aware that this is not your average “chick lit” or “fluff” book. It’s meaningful and substantial, with topics that truly thought-provoking. And now that I have actually written all of this down and really thought it through, I can confidently give it five stars .

purchase the book

The road trip – amazon | book depository | bookshop | target.

from above you see a kindle with The Road Trip book cover on it. it lies on an open book with a pair of glasses. next to it is a lit candle, a mug of black coffee, and a basket of books

Will you be reading The Road Trip ? Have you read any of the other titles by Beth O’Leary?

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Glad to hear that this surpassed your expectations! I loved The Flatshare but I didn’t enjoy The Switch as much. But Road Trip sounds great, and the fact that it is more than just a romance intrigues me. I might pick it up.

Beth’s latest book sounds a lot different to her first two, I still want to read it though! x

Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk

I honestly can’t wait to read this, I was truly swept from my feet with ‘The Flatshare’ and loved the story O’Leary created! I too appreciate when a romance it’s not just swooning, but reality is intertwined too, really can’t wait to read it! thank you for your review x

This sounds awesome, especially for spring and summer. I love that it has a little more substance in it as I prefer more thought-provoking books (while also being entertaining, of course ha!).

Lizzie http://www.lizzieinlace.com

I love a book with a little deeper meaning behind it. I will for sure add this to my list!

I am so excited for this book! I loved The Flatshare so much and it’s great to hear that this one is fantastic as well! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

It is on my list now! I actually was looking for some well-written contemporary romance to add to my spring/summer readings. I love that you said topics in the book are thought-provoking: that is exactly what one seeks in a good read.

I haven’t read a single book by this author yet, though I did add The Flatshare to my TBR list a while back, I simply haven’t gotten around to it. Really enjoyed reading your review of The Road Trip. Sometimes it’s the ones where you struggle to rate and review that are the best books. I am quite intrigued by this one and I will have to add it to my TBR so I can hopefully read it soon.

I’ve heard so many good things about Flatshare, but haven’t gotten around to it yet. After reading you’ve read everything by this author I think I need to hop on it and read that one and The Road Trip.

I’m not usually a fan of road trip books but this is Beth O’leary and your review is equally compelling. Thanks for sharing! xoxo Lovely http://www.mynameislovely.com

I also find that I enjoy books (especially romance) more when they are realistic! I think the “forced to be together” trope is one of my favourites and have added it to my “to read” list on Goodreads!

You have me completely hooked! I need to read this book ASAP, seems right up my alley. Amazing review!

i was intrigued when i saw this on your story this morning and after reading this i will def add it to my list!

xx rebecca // http://www.rebeccapiersol.me

I have not read anything by this author but would love to check out this book. It seems that she’s a good author based on your opinion. 🙂

Xx, Nailil thirtyminusone.com

This definitely sounds like a thought-provoking book! I might have to add it to my summer reading list to give it a try. Xx.

I LOVED The Flatshare and cannot wait to read The Road Trip when it comes out!!

I hadn’t heard of Beth O’Leary, but she certainly sounds like i need to add her books to my list! They all sound cool!

I wasn’t a fan of The Flat Share at all—it just didn’t click with me. I just have the hardest time reading contemporary romances, but I’m so glad to see you enjoyed this one. I think I have a few friends who would love this as a gift!

I haven’t heard of this author, though my interest is now piqued. Thank you for the recommendation! xo Jaimie http://www.jaimietucker.com

Fabulous review!! I adored the Flatshare but still need to get around to The Switch. This sounds like it needs to go right to the top of my list, especially given that it beat your high expectations. Thanks for the recommendation!

Sounds like an excellent book! I love when a book can balance humor, romance and difficult subject matter well. It’s much more relatable because life is messy too.

Ok, I think I’m going to DM you on IG and ask for your best recommendations for a few genres I love because I honestly feel like you’ve read every book I would want to ever read haha!

I didn’t enjoy The Flat Share at all … not sure about her writing style. Thank you for the review though.

❥ tanvii.com

The begging of two Ex’s going on a road trip really caught my attention. This would be a nice relaxing summer read if I may say do! I would definitely add to my summer reading list

This sounds like such a good book. I am going to add it to my reading list!

Tracy https://www.findyourdazzle.com

Book Review: Go the Distance by Jen Calonita

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Book Review | The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary

Title: The Road Trip Author: Beth O’Leary Genre: Romance Published On: June 1, 2021 Publisher: Berkley Source: digital Pages: 398

Synopsis: 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.

My thoughts

(Spoiler free)

It’s no secret that I love road trips. I love going on them, reading about them, and even just thinking about them. And I especially enjoy romances set on a road trip. So the first time I saw the title, I knew I had to read The Road Trip . After the success of The Flatshare , the hype for The Road Trip was big. And even when I started seeing some mixed reviews, I wasn’t dissuaded. And while I did really enjoy The Road Trip —finding it unputdownable at times—I can understand the mixed reviews. It’s not perfect, but it could have been, which is what is so frustrating.

“He’s not looking at me like he’s never seen me before—he’s looking at me like he’s never seen anyone else.” Beth O’Leary, The Road Trip

I’m not a big fan of comparing books to successful novels, but I can’t help comparing this one to Beach Read by Emily Henry. Some readers felt the cover and/or description of Beach Read was misleading. They wanted a light and funny rom-com instead of the more darker themed romance it ended up being. But I didn’t mind. It was my favorite book of 2020. And I feel like this is another romance with a cute book cover and blurb that may not convey what’s on the page. But if you enjoyed Beach Read , you’ll probably find something to like in The Road Trip .

Several of the characters in The Road Trip are not likable. They’re wealthy, entitled, and not very nice. I don’t usually mind that in a book as long as they change or get what’s coming to them. Because it does reflect the real world. There are many people like that and seeing those characters will hopefully keep us from being like them. Maybe. And while that is the case in this book—they do change or get what’s coming to them (for the most part)—I wasn’t satisfied with how one of the main antagonist’s story wrapped up in the end. Their transformation felt a little too rushed and HEA (Happily Ever After) for how serious the book got at one point.

The novel alternates between ‘Then’ and ‘Now’, and at times it almost felt like I was reading two different books. I was okay with that in the beginning because the ‘Now,’ which is the road trip, is two years later and much has changed for our main characters. It would make sense that the timeframes are vastly different. And I was enjoying both so I didn’t worry too much about it. But in the end, I realized it could have been more cohesive.

I did laugh out loud several times. Having five people crammed into a Mini on a road trip has to lead to hilarious situations! And the romance is intense . How they meet and fall in love is swoon-y and electric. I was committed one hundred percent to seeing how these two ended up. It’s mostly the side characters that keep this one from being a five-star read for me.

I’m writing this review several days after I finished The Road Trip and it’s still giving me the feels. I would say that’s a good endorsement. For the most part, I liked it, and I think I would read it again.

About the Author

Beth studied English at university before going into children’s publishing. She lives as close to the countryside as she can get while still being within reach of London, and wrote her first novel, The Flatshare, on her train journey to and from work. You’ll usually find her curled up with a book, a cup of tea, and several woolly jumpers (whatever the weather).

A Song For A Book

When much of a book is set in a car on a road trip, you’re pretty much guaranteed to have mentions of songs and artists, which is probably another reason I like the road trip trope so much. 😉 It was easy to make a playlist for this one, which I’ve included below. I was surprised by how much country music is included for a British novel, but it definitely helped to make this book memorable. I’ve chosen to highlight “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz , which kind of has a country-feel to it. When I look into your eyes It’s like watching the night sky Or a beautiful sunrise Well there’s so much they hold And just like them old stars I see that you’ve come so far To be right where you are How old is your soul? Well, I won’t give up on us Even if the skies get rough I’m giving you all my love I’m still looking up

Have you read The Road Trip ? Did you add it to your tbr? Let know in the comments!

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Review: The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary

Posted July 14, 2021 by Rowena in Reviews | 4 Comments

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.

The Road Trip was one of the first books that I read by Beth O’Leary and while I did enjoy it, there were things about it that I didn’t really care for. The biggest thing was the back and forth between the past and the present. I almost DNF’d this book because I hated the jumping between the past and the present. If I wasn’t so invested in what happened to break Dylan and Addie up, I probably wouldn’t have finished this one. Also, the lightness of the illustrated cover made me think this was going to be a lighter romance than it actually was, and normally, it’s not a big deal to me but for some reason, it just didn’t completely work for me in this one. It might have been a mood thing because while I didn’t LOVE the book, it was still a pretty solid story.

This is a second chance love story between Dylan and Addie. They met while Dylan was vacationing in the house that Addie was working at over the summer. Dylan comes from money and Addie works for every penny she has but they found love in that French villa and things were going swimmingly…until it wasn’t and they break up. It’s been two years since they’ve broken up and they haven’t spoken to each other since. When their mutual friend, Cherry, gets married they know that they’ll probably see each other at the wedding but they didn’t expect circumstances to make it to where they had to squeeze into the smallest car on the planet and road trip it to the wedding together.

Like I mentioned earlier, this story is told between the past and the present, and in the beginning, it gave me whiplash. I was so anxious to find out what happened in the past to make their present so weird and awkward that it made me a little grumpy when the story didn’t move fast enough to suit me. I preferred the past until the shit hit the fan and the road trip to the wedding was full of Dylan longing for Addie that I rolled my eyes a lot. I also wanted to punch Markus in the junk at every turn too. Past and present, though present Markus less so. Sure, I wanted to knee him in the balls in the present a time or two but he’s a different Markus from the past and I eventually came to not hate him.

This was a heavier book than I anticipated but I am glad that I finished it. I was satisfied with the way that the book came together in the end. I did end up enjoying Dylan and Addie’s characters and seeing them come together again after years and years of pain made for a satisfying end so I would recommend that you read this book if you’re in the mood for a love story that is heavy on the angst, but solid all around.

3.5 out of 5

4 responses to “ Review: The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary ”

Thanks for sharing your review, Rowena. I’m curious to read this and see if my thoughts align with yours.

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Read, review & discuss, the road trip by beth o’leary: book review.

The Road Trip

By Beth O’Leary

ISBN # 9781529409055

Author’s Website: www.betholearyauthor.com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Omar

SPOILERS!!!

Addie and her sister are about to embark on an epic road trip to a friend’s wedding in the north of Scotland. The playlist is all planned and the snacks are packed.

But, not long after setting off, a car slams into the back of theirs. The driver is none other than Addie’s ex, Dylan, who she’s avoided since their traumatic break-up two years earlier.

Dylan and his best mate are heading to the wedding too, and they’ve totalled their car, so Addie has no choice but to offer them a ride. The car is soon jam-packed full of luggage and secrets, and with three hundred miles ahead of them, Dylan and Addie can’t avoid confronting the very messy history of their relationship…

Will they make it to the wedding on time? And, more importantly… is this really the end of the road for Addie and Dylan?

The Road Trip was an interesting and wild ride. Like most stories, it all starts with Bang!!!, but in this case, with a small car crash accident which makes all the characters fit into a crammed SUV and drive for 300 miles to the destination wedding of their friend. While on the road, sisters Addie and Deb must share their car with Rodney, a guest that needs a ride, Marcus, a somewhat friend of theirs, and Dylan, Addie’s ex-boyfriend.

The last time that Addie and Dylan saw each other, she begged him not to leave her and the last time he heard from her, Addie told him not to contact her anymore. The wedding of their mutual friend, Cherry, was going to be the first time they saw each other in over 2 years, but now they are crammed in a car making their way to Scotland.

As the miles seem to never end with too many stops on the way, secrets come up float, feelings get hurt, they meet a nice driver that helps them, and one of them has a secret plan.

Two years is a long time to change and mature, but is it enough to give them a second chance?

The Road Trip had an interesting narrative which goes back and forth in time to tell the story of how Addie and Dylan met, their relationship up until they broke up, and a drive filled with country music and snack breaks. It was a nice story that showed us the point of view of Addie and Dylan throughout their relationship, the issues that each one had, and was too scared to tell the other, and how it was all bottled up until the breaking point. While they are the main characters their family and friends (Marcus) played a big role in their relationship and how they tried to make it work.

Addie and Dylan were good characters to follow along in their journey, but The Road Trip had many other side characters who were interesting, and I wish we could have learned more about them. Among my favorites were Grace, Luke and Javier, and while we got a lot of Deb, I wish we had had scenes with her baby or Addie with the baby.

In the beginning, the story had a slow pace, but it starts to pick up and get more interesting. The girls come back from their summer in France and reality hits Addie, doubt setting in. Getting to the point of where the reason that made them break up was a good hook to keep the reader interested and keep reading it to find out. I liked that we got to see Addie working at school and Dylan trying to find what he was passionate about.

The culmination of their relationship was shocking, I didn’t expect that outcome of why they broke up. I assumed it had to be something with Dylan’s family, and maybe unrequited love from Marcus to Dylan, but after a while, we learned that they were not ready to be in that relationship and both of them needed to mature and find each other first.

More shocking was learning who Rodney was. I was just as surprised as everyone else in the car, I thought he was somebody’s cousin going to the wedding. He had funny scenes and odd phrases here and there.

The Road Trip had a nice ending, not everyone lives happily ever after, but something solid for Addie and Dylan to start again. People were forgiven, other relationships ended, some were given second chances, and Addie and Dylan kissed for the first time again.If you are a fan of Beth O’Leary works, then I recommend you the Road Trip . Many things can happen while driving 300 miles to Scotland, some of them are accidents, stolen vehicles, and even forgiveness. Oh, and crashing a wedding.

Book review: The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary

Beth O’Leary’s 2019 novel, The Flatshare , was one of my favourite books that year. I also enjoyed 2020’s The Switch .

The Road Trip didn’t seem to arrive with the fanfare of its predecessors but is still an enjoyable read. It unfolds in in two timelines. The present (which involves the very long and fraught road trip) and a period of a year or two in the recent past.

Book review: The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary

Addie and her sister are about to embark on an epic road trip to a friend's wedding in the north of Scotland. The playlist is all planned and the snacks are packed. But, not long after setting off, a car slams into the back of theirs. The driver is none other than Addie's ex, Dylan, who she's avoided since their traumatic break-up two years earlier. Dylan and his best mate are heading to the wedding too, and they've totalled their car, so Addie has no choice but to offer them a ride. The car is soon jam-packed full of luggage and secrets, and with three hundred miles ahead of them, Dylan and Addie can't avoid confronting the very messy history of their relationship...

In the recent past Addie meets Dylan and they fall in lust. And probably love. Both come as part of a package however… Addie with her brazen but likeable sister Deb and Dylan with his long-term BFF Marcus.

Marcus is a tortured soul. Narcissistic, a smidge manipulative and well… accustomed to being the centre of the universe.

I very much enjoyed the story of Addie and Dylan’s meeting – she’s caretaking at a house in France that his (wealthy) family has booked, but he turns up alone. The pair hit it off immediately, but he’s not alone for long because of the aforementioned package-deal thing.

Initially I expected the backstory (the past) to be brief, but in reality it becomes the focus. We’re kinda told ‘what’ happens but get a front row seat to the ‘why’.

As the book opens in the present we learn Addie and Dylan broke up in spectacular fashion a couple of years before, though both have unresolved feelings. Dylan apparently broke Addie’s heart by leaving, but there’s obviously more to the story and… though there are (occasionally annoying) hijinks in the present, it’s all about the past – and the fallout of their breakup.

This is a light and entertaining read but there are some more complex issues at play. Whether people can change for example. Whether they can learn from their mistakes. Whether they’re prepared to make the tough decisions to move on or become better people. And then there are some (healthy and less-healthy) family dynamics added into the mix.

Both Addie and Dylan (past and present) are our narrators and again O’Leary creates endearing and engaging characters. The support cast here (Deb and Marcus) are key players as well and each well-written in their own way.

I probably didn’t enjoy this quite as much as The Flatshare but O’Leary again offers a raw insight into human behaviour – the good and the bad.

The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary was published by Quercus Books and is currently available.

I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.

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Hi, I’m Deborah… a seachanger living on Australia’s Fraser Coast, in Queensland. I write about books and life in general.

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How did that book end? Book spoilers to jog your memory.

Beth O’Leary | The Road Trip

The Book:

The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary Published June 1st 2021 by Berkley Date read: May 31, 2021

The Characters:

Addie and her sister Deb Dylan and his best friend Marcus

Buy it on Bookshop.org | Amazon

The Plot (from Goodreads ):

Addie and her sister are about to embark on an epic road trip to a friend’s wedding in the north of Scotland. The playlist is all planned and the snacks are packed.

But, not long after setting off, a car slams into the back of theirs. The driver is none other than Addie’s ex, Dylan, who she’s avoided since their traumatic break-up two years earlier.

Will they make it to the wedding on time? And, more importantly… is this really the end of the road for Addie and Dylan?

Rodney was a wedding crasher. Marcus was obviously in love with Addie (although I wavered on whether he was in love with Addie or Dylan until he admitted it).

The Ending:

The review: .

When I read the blurb for this one, I was all in–I love books about road trips, and cramming exes, their besties, and one random dude in a car for hours sounded hilarious. I absolutely adored the first few chapters and all the awkwardness that was expected from the summary. After that the book kind of plateaued a bit for me, though. Second chance romance and insta-love are my two least favorite romance tropes, and this book combined both.

Dylan and Marcus’s friendship was extremely toxic, and I got very frustrated with Dylan for not standing up to him. I really enjoyed Addie and Deb’s relationship, though. Deb was by far my favorite character.

There was a clever little twist towards the end of the book that I found hilarious, and I enjoyed the wedding scenes at the end. I also really loved the villa descriptions in the flashbacks of how Dylan and Addie fell in love.

Overall, this was a fun summer romance. Those who enjoy insta-love and second chances will love it!

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Book Reviews: The Road Trip, One Last Stop, & Playing the Palace

It’s hard to believe that summer is already almost upon us, but here we are nearly finished with the month of May already. One of the many wonderful things to look forward to about summer are the fantastic romance books that will be soon be hitting the shelves. Today I’m sharing my thoughts on three more books that I read recently and really enjoyed.

Book Reviews: The Road Trip, One Last Stop, & Playing the Palace

Author: Beth O’Leary

Publication Date: June 1, 2021

Publisher: Berkley

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Beth O’Leary’s new novel The Road Trip hilariously combines a second chance romance with what might actually be the worst road trip ever. The story follows Addie and Dylan, who broke up two years ago and haven’t spoken to each other since but find themselves traveling to attend the same wedding. Addie is traveling with her sister, Deb, and some random, socially awkward guy named Rodney who needed a ride to the wedding. As if that isn’t awkward enough for an 8 hour car ride, almost as soon as they start out on their trip, their car is rammed from behind in traffic by none other than Dylan and his best friend, Maurice. It’s an accident of course, but Dylan and Maurice’s car is totaled. Addie and Deb reluctantly agree to give Dylan and Maurice a ride and all five adults pile into Deb’s mini Cooper and off they go!

This was a fun and quick read for me. The road trip itself was a highly entertaining comedy of errors where truly everything that could possibly go wrong did, and I loved the way the author structures the story into Now and Then timelines. The Now timeline is where all of the hilarity takes place, while the Then chapters gradually reveals the backstory between Addie and Dylan, how they met and fell in love and of course what happened to drive them apart as well as the role Maurice plays in their breakup.

The road trip is messy, and Addie and Dylan’s history is equally messy, but I couldn’t help but root for them to somehow find their way back to each other through all of the awkwardness. I won’t say that I was quite as attached to Addie and Dylan as I was to the characters in O’Leary’s last two books, The Flatshare and The Switch , but I still liked them both and thought they belonged together. I also really enjoyed the secondary cast of characters, especially Addie’s sister, Deb. Maurice was the character I loved to hate, although he grew on me over time, while Rodney might have been the biggest surprise of them all. No spoilers but keep your eye on that guy!

If you enjoy road trip stories and second chance romances, you’re going to want to add Beth O’Leary’s The Road Trip to your list of must-reads. 4 STARS.

Author: Casey McQuiston

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston is one of my favorite reads of 2021 so far. The protagonist of the story is 23-year old August, who has moved to New York City because she has become cynical about everything to do with her life and feels like New York is the perfect place for her to embrace her cynicism and go through life alone. August’s new roommates, however, have other ideas. They help her find a job, show her everything that is wonderful about New York, and basically adopt her into their little found family and it’s the cutest thing ever. Think “Friends” but with a much more diverse cast, including a drag queen who lives across the hall and a lovable extended family at the 24-hour pancake diner where August ends up working.

August is also taking college courses and encounters a young woman named Jane on the subway one morning when she spills coffee all over herself and Jane comes to her rescue. August is attracted to Jane right away and it seems like Jane feels the same way. They meet on the train every morning and evening and grow closer with each encounter. August even starts thinking that maybe she doesn’t want to be alone after all and decides to ask Jane out. Every time August asks Jane to go out, Jane tells her she can’t come. August is confused by the mixed signals Jane is sending until she finally figures out that something very strange is going on. Jane has somehow been displaced in time from the 1970s and is trapped on the subway line. She can’t go out with August because she’s literally stuck on the train. August loves Jane and is determined to figure out how to set her free, even if it means sending her back to her own timeline and never seeing her again and she calls on her roommates to help.

I don’t want to give anything away about how this all plays out, but wow, I just fell so hard for this entire lovable, quirky cast of characters and I also loved how unique the overall premise of the story is. Sometimes magical realism doesn’t work for me, but I thought McQuiston used it perfectly here. It was like Quantum Leap with a side of romance set in the subway. One Last Stop is such a refreshing and original read and I just loved every page of it. 4.5 STARS

Author: Paul Rudnick

Publication Date: May 25, 2021

Publisher: Berkley Books

I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much while reading a book, but Paul Rudnick’s new romantic comedy Playing the Palace delivers nonstop laughs and kept me entertained from cover to cover. The story follows Carter Ogden, who is an event planner and an adorable hot mess whose number one skill is self-sabotage. When Carter meets Edgar, the openly gay Prince of England, their attraction is immediate and the two men decide to get to know each other better. They try to keep it lowkey with little pancake dates at the local IHOP, but it doesn’t take long for the media to figure things out and to go looking for trouble. The more nervous Carter gets about the fact that he is dating a Prince, the more his self-sabotage skills kick into high gear, resulting in one embarrassing incident after another, much to his dismay as well as that of the Royal Family.

I was invested in Carter and Edgar’s relationship from that first meeting and really wanted Carter to get his act together, although his blunders did make for hilarious reading. I also loved his encounters with Edgar’s Nana (a.k.a. the Queen of England). She gives Carter a hard time but he gives it right back to her and they are actually quite hilarious together. Add in Carter’s loud and lovable Jewish family, in particular his sister Abby who is just the absolute best, and his Aunt Miriam, who practically becomes bffs with the Queen, and the story really is just one big barrel of fun.

If you’re in the mood for a romantic comedy that is truly laugh out loud funny, Playing the Palace is the book for you. 4 STARS

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Book reviews, book chat – basically anything books , the road trip by beth o’leary – book review.

Title : The Road Trip

Author : The Road Trip

Genre : Fiction

Publisher : Quercus

Publication Date : 17th February 2022 (paperback)

Rating : 3.5/5

Addie and her sister are about to embark on an epic road trip to a friend’s wedding in rural Scotland. The playlist is all planned and the snacks are packed.

But, not long after setting off, a car slams into the back of theirs. The driver is none other than Addie’s ex, Dylan, who she’s avoided since their traumatic break-up two years earlier.

Dylan and his best mate are heading to the wedding too, and they’ve totalled their car, so Addie has no choice but to offer them a ride. The car is soon jam-packed full of luggage and secrets, and with four-hundred miles ahead of them, Dylan and Addie can’t avoid confronting the very messy history of their relationship…

Will they make it to the wedding on time? And, more importantly, is this really the end of the road for Addie and Dylan?

I’m a huge fan of Beth O’Leary’s books – I absolutely loved The Flatshare and The Switch so I was excited to read this one. I have to be honest and say I didn’t adore The Road Trip as much as I’d hoped but my expectations were pretty sky high – which could be part of the reason. The story follows Addie and Dylan, exes who end up sharing a car with three others on the way to a wedding they are both attending. They have a messy history and we follow them both on the awkward road trip and we also jump back in time to witness the inception of their relationship.

First off, I have to say that Beth O’Leary proves once again she is an exceptionally good writer. She manages to write with a warmth and wit which makes her books so easy to fall into and be swept along by. The Road Trip is no exception and I did also find the story mostly compelling. The reason this book doesn’t rate as highly for me personally as O’Leary’s previous books is that the characters simply left me a bit cold. I couldn’t really find a reason to care all that much about Addie, who I found a little irritating and Dylan, who I failed to see the attraction in. Because of this, I couldn’t connect to the story with any real sense of emotion and couldn’t bring myself to truly invest in the outcome. I don’t want to put anyone off too much because I know others have loved The Road Trip and it certainly won’t stop me reading everything Beth O’Leary writes but, for me, this one just didn’t quite hit the extremely high heights of her previous books.

I kindly received an e-copy of the book via Netgalley. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

Book Review: The Road Trip

Author: Beth O’Leary

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.

While The Flatshare is still on my radar, I became interested in Beth O’Leary after enjoying The Switch . Although I went into The Road Trip partially blind, I was told to expect a heavier side to the novel as it is not light-hearted throughout the entire story. After finishing this novel, I am glad that I received the “warning” as I would have expected a lighter story and would have come away disappointed. By adjusting my expectations, I at least enjoyed it as the five characters travel together in a small car across the UK for a wedding. Two of these passengers also happen to be exes after a heartbreaking break-up. There is a lot of humor throughout, but it is best to not expect it to keep that way from start to finish as the story is filled with exploration of toxicity, drama, and emotional traumas.

The story is divided into timelines with “Now” and “Then” sections. The story starts in the “Now” and then wavers back and forth between the two timelines. Addie, her sister, Deb, and their rideshare passenger, Rodney, are all heading from Chinchester to Scotland when they get in a car accident with another car. The other car happens to contain Addie’s ex-boyfriend, Dylan, and his best friend, Marcus. As they are all heading to the same place for a wedding and want to get there on time, they decide to travel together. I loved this concept as it takes the forced proximity concept to the extreme, as five adults have to ride together in a small car. Anyone who has gone on a road trip with others will immediately relate, as it is not always smooth sailing with pit stops, different needs, and unexpected obstacles. On top of typical road trip antics, there is the added tension between Addie and Dylan, who broke up a little less than two years ago. They did not part on the best of terms, so the awkwardness between them is apparent. While there is tension, the “Now” storyline has a lot of humor with the five of them traveling together.

In the “Then” sections, the reader gets flashbacks to Dylan and Addie forming their relationship from their first meeting in France while Dylan is a guest at a villa where Addie is the caretaker to their heartbreaking separation. The entire story is told from both Dylan and Addie’s perspectives, so the reader gets to see both sides of the tale. Marcus is heavily involved in the story as he has been friends with Dylan for a while and Deb is involved in the tale. All of the characters were intriguing and are very complex as they each have their own issues that they are working through in the story. While I liked Addie and Deb provided some nice support, Dylan and Marcus were both characters that were difficult to like. Their relationship has many issues that are not healthy for a friendship and each of them have a lot of emotional/mental health that they need to figure out. The romantic relationship between Addie and Dylan is a whirlwind romance while they are in a vacation environment together and problems slowly reveal themselves as they return to the “real world” in the UK.

As the story progresses, the characters are forced to interact more and more in the “Now” timeline where the reader gets to learn about the people that they have become. In the “Then” timelines, pieces of their past relationship are revealed moving along their romantic journey. As this is essentially a second-chance romance, I appreciated the concept of the two timelines to not fully reveal what broke the couple up and instead reveal it over time. Given their circumstances, I could see why they moved quickly at the start of their relationship and then had to slowly deal with their issues after they are living their day-to-day lives. For me, once they reached this point, it was difficult to see how their relationship even lasted as long as it did. It is clear that they love each other, but it seemed their long list of issues was more trouble than it was worth as there could be better partners out there for each.

Overall, the actual reason for the break-up was a surprise to me, but the smaller issues were predictable. There is a lot of character growth in this story, but I am not quite sure that there is enough to justify rooting for the two characters to try a relationship again. For me, I think there is still a lot to work through before they would be in a place to not make the same mistakes again and end up right back in the same spot. I did enjoy the sister relationship between Deb and Addie and eventually Marcus and Dylan grew on me. Deb and Addie were the more interesting pair, but I appreciated the growth in the relationship between Dylan and Marcus. Both characters, however, still are works in progress, but I appreciated their growth. For the romance, it just was not for me, as I did not find myself rooting for them at any point in the novel. I am in the minority for this, so this part of the story might be better suited for another reader. While this story was not fully for me, I continued to enjoy the author’s style and will definitely try more from her in the future!

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The Road Trip Paperback – 1 Jun. 2021

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.

Print length 400 pages
Language English
Publisher Berkley Books
Publication date 1 Jun. 2021
Dimensions 13.97 x 2.64 x 20.96 cm
ISBN-10 0593335023
ISBN-13 978-0593335024
See all details

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Product description

"O'Leary is a brilliant social observer and a fearless, diabolical plotter... It's an intense romance with a wildly wicked sense of humor..."--BookPage

About the Author

"The road of friendship never did run smooth, is what I'm saying," Marcus tells me, fidgeting with his seat belt."

This is my first experience of a heartfelt apology from Marcus, and so far it has involved six clichŽs, two butchered literary references and no eye contact. The word sorry did feature, but it was preceded by I'm not very good at saying, which somewhat undermined its sincerity.

I shift up a gear. "Isn't it the course of true love that never runs smooth? A Midsummer Night's Dream, I believe."

We're by the twenty-four-hour Tesco. It's half past four in the morning, the air thick with duvet-darkness, but the bland yellow light from the shop illuminates the three people in the car in front as if they've just moved into a spotlight. We're close behind them, both following the slow, rattling path of a lorry ahead.

For a flash of a second I see the driver's face in the rearview mirror. She reminds me of Addie-if you think about someone enough, you start to see them everywhere.

Marcus huffs. "I'm talking about my feelings, Dylan. This is agony. Please get your head out of your arse so that you can actually listen."

I smile at that. "All right. I'm listening."

I drive on, past the bakery. The eyes of the driver in front are lit again in the mirror, her eyebrows slightly raised behind squarish glasses.

"I'm just saying, we hit some bumps, I get that, and I didn't handle things well, and that's-that's really unfortunate that that happened."

Astonishing, really, the linguistic knots in which he will tie himself to avoid a simple I'm sorry. I stay silent. Marcus coughs and fidgets some more, and I almost take pity and tell him it's all right, he doesn't have to say it if he's not ready, but as we idle past the bookie's another flash of light hits the car in front and Marcus is forgotten. The driver has wound the window down, and she's stretched an arm out, gripping the roof of the car. Her wrist is looped with bracelets, glimmering silver-red in the car lights' glare. The gesture is so achingly familiar-the arm, slender and pale, the assertion of it, and those bracelets, the round, childish beads stacked up her wrist. I'd know them anywhere. My heart jolts like I've missed a step because it is her, it's Addie, her eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror.

And then Marcus screams.

Earlier, Marcus gave a similarly horrified scream when we passed a Greggs advertising vegan sausage rolls, so I don't react as fast as I perhaps otherwise would. As the car in front stops sharply, and I fail to hit the brakes on the seventy-thousand-quid Mercedes that belongs to Marcus's father, I have just enough time to regret this.

My head whips up so fast my glasses go flying backward off my ears and over the headrest. Someone screams. Oww, fuck-a pain shoots up my neck, and all I'm thinking is God, what did I do? Did I hit something?

"Shit the bed," Deb says beside me. "Are you all right?"

I fumble for my glasses. They're not there, obviously.

"What the hell just happened?" I manage.

My shaking hands go to the steering wheel, then the handbrake, then the rearview mirror. Getting my bearings.

I see him in the mirror. A little blurred without my glasses. A little unreal. It's him, though, no question. He's so familiar that for a moment I feel like I'm looking at my own reflection. Suddenly my heart's beating like it's shoving for space.

Deb's getting out of the car. Ahead, the bin lorry moves off and its headlights catch the tail of the fox they braked for. It's moving onto the pavement at a saunter. Slowly, the scene pieces itself together: lorry stops for fox, I stop for lorry and behind me Dylan doesn't stop at all. Then-bang.

I look back at Dylan in the mirror; he's still looking at me. Everything seems to slow or quieten or fade, like someone's dialed the world down.

I haven't seen Dylan for twenty months. He should have changed somehow. Everything else has. But even from here, even in half darkness, I know the exact line of his nose, his long eyelashes, his snakeskin yellow-green eyes. I know those eyes will be as wide and shocked as they were when he left me.

"Well," my sister says. "The Mini's done us proud."

The Mini. The car. Everything comes rushing back in and I unclick my seat belt. It takes three goes. My hands are shaking. When I next glance at the rearview mirror my eyes focus on the foreground instead of the background and there's Rodney, crouched forward on our backseat with his hands over his head and his nose touching his knees.

Shit. I forgot all about Rodney.

"Are you all right?" I ask him, just as Deb says, "Addie? Are you OK?" She pokes her head back in the car, then grimaces. "Your neck hurting too?"

"Yeah," I say, because as soon as she asks I realize it does, loads.

"Gosh," Rodney says, tentatively shifting out of the brace position. "What happened?"

Rodney posted on the "Cherry & Krish Are Getting Hitched" Facebook group yesterday evening asking for a lift to the wedding from the Chichester area. Nobody else replied, so Deb and I took pity. All I know about Rodney is that he has a Weetabix On The Go for breakfast, he's always hunching and his T-shirt says, I keep pressing Esc but I'm still here, but I think I've pretty much got the gist.

"Some arsehole in a Mercedes went into the back of us," Deb tells him, straightening up to look at the car behind again.

"Deb . . ." I say.

"I think that's Dylan. In that car."

She scrunches up her nose, ducking down to see me again. "Dylan Abbott?"

I swallow. "Yeah."

I risk a glance over my shoulder. My neck protests. It's then that I notice the man stepping out of the Mercedes passenger seat. Slim-built and ghostly pale in the dark street, his curly hair just catching the light of the shopfronts behind him. There goes my heart again, beating way too fast.

"He's with Marcus," I say.

"Marcus?" Deb says, eyes going wide.

"Yeah. Oh, God." This is awful. What am I meant to do now? Something about insurance? "Is the car OK?" I ask.

I climb out just as Dylan gets out of the Mercedes. He's dressed in a white tee and chino shorts with battered boat shoes on his feet. There's a carabiner on his belt loop, disappearing into his pocket. It was my idea, that, to stop him always losing his keys.

He steps forward into the path of the Mercedes' headlights. He looks so handsome it aches in my chest. Seeing him is even harder than I expected it to be. I want to do everything at once: run to him, run away, curl up, cry. And beneath all that I have this totally ridiculous feeling that someone's messed up, like something didn't get filed when it should have up there in the universe, because I was supposed to see Dylan this weekend, for the first time in almost two years, but it should have been at the wedding.

"Addie?" he says.

"Dylan," I manage.

"Did a Mini really just total my dad's Mercedes?" says Marcus.

My hand goes self-consciously to my fringe. No makeup, scruffy overalls, no mousse in my hair. I've spent bloody months planning the outfit I was supposed to be wearing when I saw Dylan again, and this was not it. But he doesn't scan me up and down, doesn't even seem to clock my new hair color-he meets my gaze and holds it. I feel like the whole world just stumbled and had to catch its breath.

"Fuck me," says Marcus. "A Mini! The indignity of it!"

"What the hell?" Deb says. "What were you doing? You just drove into the back of us!"

Dylan looks around in bewilderment. I pull myself together.

"Is anyone hurt?" I ask, rubbing my aching neck. "Rodney?"

"Who?" says Marcus.

"I'm OK!" calls Rodney, who's still in the backseat of the car.

Deb helps him climb out. I should have done that. My brain feels kind of scrambled.

"Shit," says Dylan, finally registering the crumpled bumper of the Mercedes. "Sorry, Marcus."

"Oh, mate, honestly, don't worry about it," Marcus says. "Do you know how many times I've totaled one of my dad's cars? He won't even notice."

I step forward and check out the back of Deb's battered Mini. It's actually not looking too bad-that bang was so loud I would've assumed something serious had fallen off. Like a wheel.

Before I've registered what she's doing, Deb's in the driving seat, starting the engine again.

"She's all good!" she says. "What a car. Best money I ever spent." She drives forward a little, up onto the curb, and hits the hazard lights.

Dylan's back in the Mercedes, rifling through the glove box. He and Marcus talk about roadside accident assist, Marcus forwards him an e-mail off his phone and I think to myself . . . that's it, Dylan's hair's shorter. That's what it is. I know I should be thinking about this whole car crash thing but all I'm doing is playing a game of spot-the-difference, looking at Dylan and going, What's missing? What's new?

His eyes flick to mine again. I go hot. There's something about Dylan's eyes-they kind of catch you up, like cobweb. I force myself to look away.

"So . . . you're on your way to Cherry's wedding, I'm guessing?" I say to Marcus. My voice shakes. I can't look at him. I'm suddenly thankful for the dented rear bumper to examine on the Mini.

"Well, we were," Marcus drawls, eyeing the Mercedes. Maybe he can't bring himself to look at me either. "But there's no way we're driving this baby four hundred miles now. It needs to get to a garage. Yours should too."

Deb makes a dismissive noise, already out of the car again and rubbing a scratch with the sleeve of her ratty old hoody. "Ah, she's fine," she says, opening and closing the boot experimentally. "Dented, that's all."

"Marcus, it's going ballistic," Dylan calls.

I can see the Mercedes' screen flashing warning lights even from here. The hazards are too bright. I turn my face away. Isn't it typical that when Marcus's car breaks, Dylan's the one sorting it?

"The tow will be here in thirty minutes to take it to the garage," Dylan says.

"Thirty minutes?" Deb says, disbelieving.

"All part of the service," Marcus tells her, pointing to the car. "Mercedes, darling."

"It's Deb. Not darling. We've met several times before."

"Sure. I remember," Marcus says lightly. Not very convincing.

I can feel Dylan's eyes pulling at me as we all try to get the insurance stuff sorted. I'm fumbling around with my phone, Deb's digging in the glove box for paperwork and all the while I'm so aware of Dylan, like he's taking up ten times more space than everyone else.

"And how are we getting to the wedding?" Marcus asks once we're done.

"We'll just get public transport," Dylan says.

"Public transport?" Marcus says, as though someone's just suggested he get to Cherry's wedding by toboggan. Still a bit of a wanker, then, Marcus. No surprises there.

Rodney clears his throat. He's leaning against the side of the Mini, eyes fixed on his phone. I feel bad-I keep forgetting him. Right now my brain doesn't have room for Rodney.

"If you set off now," he says, "then according to Google you would arrive . . . at thirteen minutes past two."

Marcus checks his watch.

"All right," says Dylan. "That's fine."

"On Tuesday," Rodney finishes.

"What?" chorus Dylan and Marcus.

Rodney pulls an apologetic face. "It's half past four in the morning on a Sunday on a bank holiday weekend and you're trying to get from Chichester to rural Scotland."

Marcus throws his hands in the air. "This country is a shambles."

Deb and I look at each other. No, no no no-

"Let's go," I say, moving for the Mini. "Will you drive?"

"Addie . . ." Deb begins as I climb into the passenger seat.

"Where do you think you're going?" calls Marcus.

I slam the car door.

"Hey!" Marcus says as Deb gets into the driver's seat. "You have to take us to the wedding!"

"No," I say to Deb. "Ignore him. Rodney! Get in!"

Rodney obliges. Which is kind. I really don't know the man well enough to yell at him.

"What the fuck? Addie. Come on. If you don't drive us, we won't get there in time," Marcus says.

He's by my window now. He knocks on the glass with the back of his knuckles. I don't roll it down.

"Addie, come on! Christ, surely you owe Dylan a favor."

Dylan says something to Marcus. I don't catch it.

"God, he's an arse," Deb says with a frown.

I close my eyes.

"Do you think you can do it?" Deb asks me. "Give them a lift?"

"No. Not-not both of them."

"Then ignore him. Let's just go."

Marcus taps on the window again. I clench my teeth, neck still aching, and keep my eyes straight ahead.

"Our road trip was meant to be fun," I say.

This is Deb's first weekend away from her baby boy, Riley. It's all we've talked about for months. She's planned every stop-off, every snack.

"It would still be fun," Deb says.

"We don't have room," I try.

"I can squeeze up!" Rodney says.

I'm really going off Rodney.

"It's such a long journey, Deb," I say, pressing my fists to my eyes. "Hours and hours stuck in the same car with Dylan. I've spent almost two years tiptoeing around Chichester trying not to bump into this man for even a second, let alone eight hours."

"I'm not saying do it," Deb points out. "I'm saying let's go."

Dylan has moved the Mercedes to somewhere safer to wait for the tow. I turn in my seat just as he's getting out of the car again, all lean, scruffy, almost-six-feet of him.

I know as soon as our eyes meet that I'm not going to leave him here.

He knows it too. I'm sorry, he mouths at me.

If I had a pound for every time Dylan Abbott's told me he's sorry, I'd be rich enough to buy that Mercedes.

Sometimes a poem arrives almost whole, as if someone's dropped it at my feet like a dog playing fetch. As I climb into the back of Deb's car and catch the achingly familiar edge of Addie's perfume, two and a half lines come to me in a split second. Unchanged and changed / Eyes trained on mine / And I'm-

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley Books (1 Jun. 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593335023
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593335024
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.97 x 2.64 x 20.96 cm
27,166 in Romantic Comedy (Books)
62,102 in Women Writers & Fiction
109,899 in Contemporary Romance (Books)

About the author

Beth o'leary.

Beth is a Sunday Times bestselling author whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages. Her debut, The Flatshare, sold over a million copies and is now a major TV series. Her subsequent novels, The Switch, The Road Trip, The No-Show and The Wake-Up Call, were all instant bestsellers. Beth writes her books in the Hampshire countryside with a very badly behaved Golden Retriever for company. If she's not at her desk, you'll usually find her curled up somewhere with a book, a cup of tea and several woolly jumpers (whatever the weather).

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'Gasoline Rainbow' Review: The Ross Brothers Craft a Euphoric Road Trip Movie

'Gasoline Rainbow' hits on the mundanity of youth in a way that feels more honest than most high school hangout films.

The Big Picture

Turner Ross and Bill Ross IV create films that blur the lines between documentary and narrative for powerful storytelling.
Gasoline Rainbow follows high school students on a memorable journey that captures raw, sincere moments amidst mundanity.
The film explores themes of friendship, self-discovery, and adolescence through an authentic, realistic lens.

Writer-directors Turner Ross and Bill Ross IV have almost made their own unique blend of storytelling, creating films that constantly make the audience question whether they’re watching a documentary or a smartly crafted narrative film. For example, with their last film, the remarkably brilliant and vastly underseen Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets from 2020, we are thrown into a Las Vegas dive bar in the last 24 hours of their operation on New Year’s Eve. Yet even though the actors aren’t recognizable, and the dialogue seems improvised, Bloody Nose was filmed 1,700 miles from Nevada. Regardless of what is true and what is false, the emotions and the power of their stories are what make their films feel so real.

This is certainly true with their latest film, Gasoline Rainbow , which follows five teenagers on the 513-mile trek from their small town of Wiley, Oregon to see the Pacific Coast for the first time. Even though they’re simply traveling from one side of their state to the other, the Ross brothers make it feel like we’re along for a tremendous journey that these five will remember for the rest of their lives—one last memory made before these high school students have to unwillingly enter the real world. Like their previous work, Gasoline Rainbow blurs the line between documentary and narrative filmmaking to create a road trip movie unlike you’ve ever seen before.

Gasoline Rainbow

Follows 5 teenagers from small-town Oregon who, with high school in the rearview, decide to embark on one last adventure: to make it to a place they've never been -the Pacific coast, 500 miles away. Their plan, in full: "F**k it."

What Is 'Gasoline Rainbow' About?

These five high school seniors (played by Nathaly Garcia , Makai Garza , Tony Aburto , Nichole Dukes , and Micah Bunch ) hop into Nichole’s dingy van that barely starts one night and head towards the coast. They openly accept they don’t have a plan, and probably not enough money to get them to their goal, but that doesn’t deter them. They all know that once they return to their hometown, they’ll have to get real jobs and figure out their lives, so going on a questionable journey to finally see the ocean absolutely seems like the best choice at the moment. They’re not necessarily running away from their responsibilities, but rather, they’re having one last blow-out of childhood fun before they’re faced with the world.

Most of the conversations these five have are awkward conversations about nothing, meandering, and full of moments that feel like they’re almost worried about existing in silence —all commonly found in your standard teenager conversations. “Deadass” is thrown out liberally, almost like punctuation at the end of sentences, and most of these discussions often lead back to talking about how high they are, or ripping on each other. Yet within the mundanity, we get glimpses of who these kids are and what their lives are like. Even though each one of these kids gets a moment of narration to explain themselves in a more straightforward fashion, the truly impactful moments come out naturally, where we realize just how much this group cares for each other and is secure with one another. There’s plenty of times where the talking goes nowhere, but we also know that these five could trust each other with any details of their life and feelings and feel completely safe.

It's About the Journey, Not the Destination With 'Gasoline Rainbow'

It’s the small moments throughout Gasoline Rainbow that not only leave their mark on us , but feel like these kids making memories that will last them forever. For example, as one party they find on the way dies down, two of the friends simply say “I love you” to each other as they go to sleep. This brazen sincerity cuts through all the bullshit these five are spouting at each other. In another scene, Micah talks to a couple about his home life, leading him to tears, and while we only learn bits and pieces about the homes these five come from, it seems clear that they all feel more comforted by the presence of each other than with their own flesh and blood. When they get back and have to reckon with the reality, they know that those waiting for them back home won’t understand quite what they’re feeling in the way these five do.

In another beautiful moment, the group finds a party, and one of the kids goes off with a girl. The way the Ross brothers film this moment makes it feel like an epic event, full of the wistfulness of youth, as though a girl grabbing the hand of a boy and leading him off to be alone is a momentous occasion worthy of celebration. By encamping us into this group dynamic, we start to go back to those teenage years, a reminder of the silly optimism that led that period of life, when the world was full of opportunities—even though they know those will be cut short on the way back. They’ll have to get a job they hate or join the military, but if they keep moving forward, they won’t have to worry about going back just yet.

The Ross Brothers Throw Just Enough Road Blocks Into This Journey

However, had this been a true story, it’s easy to imagine this could also be a fairly straightforward film : get in the van, drive for a few days, accomplish goal. But the script, also by the Ross brothers, throws plenty of fascinating speed bumps onto this quest. It doesn’t take long before problems arise with the van, and this seemingly simple trip becomes far more complicated. This is when Gasoline Rainbow starts to pick up, as they make new friends, learn more about the world around them, and find themselves on paths they would’ve never found by car. While it’s not overt by any stretch, each person they meet shows them different things to appreciate or learn about who they are, whether it’s how they shouldn’t take their homes for granted, or learning that going out and exploring the world is both exhilarating and a terrifying experience. We discover more about ourselves through the people we meet in our own personal journeys, and Gasoline Rainbow shows that gracefully.

Entertainment about high school students often focuses so much on moments that don’t feel real or honest, whether it’s through over-the-top absurdity or the countdown to graduation and prom that countless pieces of entertainment have centered around. But Gasoline Rainbow tackles a much more realistic side of what being a teenager is like. As one kid says early on, “When there’s nothing to do, you just venture.” Most remembered high school stories aren’t about momentous events, but instead, the quieter moments spent with a select few, a party filled with drinking and bullshitting until the sun comes up, or making new acquaintances like you in a diner or a parking lot. Turner Ross and Bill Ross IV capture the beauty in the everyday monotony that comes with youth, presented in a way that can’t help but feel like we’re experiencing a true journey for five kids just wanting to get out.

Gasoline Rainbow captures a delightful teenage road trip through a style that blends documentary and narrative filmmaking.

Turner Ross and Bill Ross IV's approach to this story makes it feel like we're truly on a trip with friends.
There's plenty of twists and turns that make this journey fascinating from beginning to end.
The mundanity of many of the conversations could be a bit too much for some viewers.

Gasoline Rainbow is now playing in theaters. Click below for showtimes near you.

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Adultery Gets Weird in Miranda July’s New Novel

An anxious artist’s road trip stops short for a torrid affair at a tired motel. In “All Fours,” the desire for change is familiar. How to satisfy it isn’t.

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By Alexandra Jacobs

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ALL FOURS, by Miranda July

Erica Jong’s Isadora Wing feared flying , but womanned up to attend the first psychoanalytic conference in Vienna since the Holocaust. Fifty years later , the unnamed heroine of Miranda July’s new novel, “All Fours” — let’s call her Amanda Huggenkiss — can barely begin a cross-country road trip.

Huggenkiss — aah, never mind — the anonymous narrator is five years from 50 herself: a “semi-famous” artist with a desk that’s a little wobbly and a career to match. “I worked in so many mediums that I was able to debut many times,” she recounts. “I just kept emerging, like a bud opening over and over again.”

She’s married to a music producer, Harris, who divides people up not into hedgehogs and foxes but Drivers and Parkers. The former, like himself, are functional and content. The latter, like his wife, are bored by ordinary life but, craving applause, thrive in tight spots and emergencies.

One was the birth of their baby, Sam (a nonbinary “ theyby ”), after the kind of fetal-maternal hemorrhage that often results in stillbirth. Mrs. Harris is ecstatic about her child, now a second grader — taking weekly candlelit baths with them, she weeps with love — but she feels her parenting efforts, which include massaging kale for a five-part bento box lunch, go underrecognized or criticized. And her sex life, which is dependent on fantasy, a.k.a. “mind-rooted,” has suffered. Sometimes when she delays initiating, she can hear her body-rooted husband’s penis “whistling impatiently like a teakettle.”

After a whiskey company unexpectedly licenses one of her saucy sentences for $20,000, she decides to splurge for her birthday on a room at the Carlyle, the fancy-pants hotel on New York’s Upper East Side. But, starting from Los Angeles, she only makes it as far as a motel in the nearby suburb of Monrovia. And that’s when things get weird in that Miranda July way that some critics find the ne plus ultra of twee (Harris twee?) and I happen to enjoy very much, with a few caveats.

Angst about the change of life — what Jong would call “ Fear of Fifty ” — seems a family curse. At 55, the narrator’s paternal grandmother had fatally flung herself out the window, first considerately placing herself in a garbage bag; an Aunt Ruthie followed; and her own mother is cognitively impaired and hard of hearing (while her father perpetually occupies a “deathfield” of depression and panic). But she is most immediately concerned with losing her looks and libido: of falling off, what she sees on a graph of shifting hormones over a life span, the “estrogen cliff.”

She blows her windfall to redo Room 321 in lavish and idiosyncratic style, carpeted in New Zealand wool and scented with tonka beans, then begins a torrid and all-consuming romance with the decorator’s husband, a hip-hop hobbyist named Davey who works at Hertz and resembles Gilbert Blythe from the “Anne of Green Gables” series. (Blythe and a Grand Parterre Sarouk carpet are the kinds of allusions July drops for her cultivated audience without explanation.)

A few words about the sex in “All Fours,” which is titled for what the narrator’s best friend, a sculptor, calls “the most stable position. Like a table.” (Well, not a wobbly one.) It is gaspingly graphic, sometimes verging on gross (urine, tampons and a suspected polyp — “hopefully benign”— all come into play), and supplemented with masturbation galore. Compelled to read these definitely not twee-rated passages, I briefly considered filing a complaint with human resources. Then I remembered the protracted and messy sex scenes released with such fanfare into the culture by Philip Roth, Harold Brodkey, et al., and decided I was being discriminatory and prudish.

Jong popularized the idea of “zipless” intercourse (more snappily than that); July’s term is “bottomless.” Her perimenopausal protagonist’s desire is insatiable, unfathomable, roving across genders and generations: a kind of supernova of lust preceding what she anticipates will be the black hole of senescence.

Even more than this adulterous appetite, her casual ageism, in a milieu where preferred pronouns are sacred, can shock. “Nobody except the doctor knew — or could even conceive of — what was going on between her legs,” she thinks of a woman in her 70s glimpsed in the gynecologist’s office, imagining “gray labia, long and loose.” ( Paging Arnold Kegel !) And, buying a 1920s bedspread from a “free spirit” at an antique mall: “Sometimes my hatred of older women almost knocked me over, it came so abruptly.”

Hatred is fear-based, of course — and you come to understand that the main character’s real journey will not be on Route 66, but the path to self-acceptance. In order to ride shotgun comfortably, though, you have to accept her preoccupation with the reflection in the rearview mirror; her indifference to any current affairs but her own.

When this unnamed She spray-paints “CALL ME” on a chair for the now-estranged Davey, it’s like John Cusack’s boombox serenade in “Say Anything.” When she posts a wild dance on Instagram after firming her own body at the gym, frantically seeking his Like, it’s like the boombox turned up to arena volume.

Are the mental-health professionals back from Europe yet? One pops up late on Harris’s arm, as the marriage reconfigures, but otherwise they’re strangely absent from “All Fours,” whose woman on the verge of chronological maturity has the intense focus of an artist, sure — but also a yearning adolescent.

ALL FOURS | By Miranda July | Riverhead | 336 pp. | $29

Alexandra Jacobs is a Times book critic and occasional features writer. She joined The Times in 2010. More about Alexandra Jacobs

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Movies | Review: ‘Gasoline Rainbow’ is a memorable…

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Movies | review: ‘gasoline rainbow’ is a memorable teenage road trip along an improvised oregon trail.

Five teenagers embark on a 500-mile road trip crossing the lines between documentary and fiction in "Gasoline Rainbow." (MUBI)

This forlorn image signals the start of one end of “Gasoline Rainbow,” the latest genre blur from the brothers Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross opening this weekend at the Music Box Theatre. A beat-up Econoline-type van interrupts the silence. In it are five Wiley high school graduates, nervously thrilled with the getaway they’re about to make. The kids haven’t stolen anything, other than the van “borrowed” from one of the friends’ folks. But time and the meager options afforded by Wiley have stolen plenty from these five. As we share their zigzag, life-altering itinerary, a 513-mile backroad odyssey gathers an emotional momentum we’re grateful to experience.

The Ross brothers continue their exploration of docu-fiction here (more on that shortly). The five friends make their introductions by way of their school IDs popped onto the screen. Their names: Tony Aburto, Micah Bunch, Nichole Dukes, Nathaly Garcia and Makai Garza. “Gasoline Rainbow” chronicles their fortunes on the road, the chance encounters that take them to a bonfire gathering here, a truck stop there. Their destination: the Pacific Ocean, and a raging “End of the World” party somewhere on the coast they’ve heard about.

I’d rather not detail the encounters, other than to note the overnight crash pads and bull sessions offered by various relatives and newfound acquaintances. We come to know these three young, good-hearted men and two good-hearted young women as they drink, smoke, dance, skateboard and discover what it feels like to open up about their worry about what’s next. For all that, “Gasoline Rainbow” lets the story of their lives and this particular road-trip story go where it goes. I found the movie very moving, and often funny (discussion topics range from “The Lord of the Rings” to Enya), and not far in some respects from the roads taken by Chloe Zhao’s “The Rider” and “Nomadland,” portraits of rootless or questing American spirits in a time without a compass.

And this is where we talk about what the movie is, and isn’t, and acknowledge that the Ross brothers make no bones about it.

“Gasoline Rainbow” is not a documentary. It’s fiction. The five central figures use the real names of the first-time actors playing versions of themselves, and a lot of what they talk about comes from their real lives and doubts and yearnings. But the narrative is an extended form of outlined and improvised imagination. The Ross brothers roughed out the idea in early 2020, an eyeblink before the pandemic; a little over a year later, in between pandemic lockdowns, they started filming with their cast members. Plenty of visual cues and tip-offs arrive early in “Gasoline Rainbow,” indicating the fictional/nonfictional blur afoot; an arresting shot, filmed (I think) from the front of the van, shooting inside, delights the eye while consciously or subconsciously telling you it’s not a documentary.

Neither was the Ross’s previous film “Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets,” a ripe 2020 ensemble portrait of the regular customers of a Las Vegas dive bar on the evening of the 2016 Trump victory. Actors and non-actors alike created those parts, just as the five expressive and unerring amateurs fill out parallel versions of themselves in “Gasoline Rainbow.”

Also, regarding the town of Wiley: There isn’t a Wiley, not really. It’s fictional. So it really is a nowhere kind of town, literally.

The movie suggests something more interesting, I think, than 100% truth or 100% fiction. We’re all from somewhere; we all wonder if we’re doing it right, whatever “it” is. We all dream of freedom somehow tethered to our families, our friends, our sense of belonging. The Ross brothers belong to a long, coast-to-coast family of docu-fiction landmarks, from New York-set “On the Bowery” (1956) to Los Angeles-set “The Exiles” (1961).

See it, and see what you make of this new and quite wonderful example of this in-between cinematic tradition — and of Tony, Micah, Nichole, Nathaly and Makai, both real and imagined.

“Gasoline Rainbow” — 3.5 stars (out of 4)

No MPA rating (language)

Running time: 1:48

How to watch: Premieres May 17 at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave. Streaming on MUBI.com May 31.

Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.

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A view over countryside leading down to a bay, with hills visible on a distant coastline.

The Coast Road by Alan Murrin review – love and the limitations placed on women

The author’s accomplished debut boasts beautifully nuanced characterisation in its compassionate study of small-town life

A lan Murrin’s assured debut is about the claustrophobia and cruelties of small town life. Set in County Donegal in 1994, when divorce was still illegal in Ireland, The Coast Road focuses on three women trapped by marriage.

Colette Crowley, a bohemian poet, left her husband, Shaun, and three sons after an affair with a married man in Dublin. At the start of the novel, she returns home, the relationship over, but Shaun refuses to let her visit their youngest child, who is still at school. She rents the Mullen family’s rundown cottage on the desolate coast road and tries to make ends meet by running creative writing workshops. Downtrodden Dolores Mullen is pregnant with her fourth child, while her philandering husband, Donal, watches their new neighbour with a predator’s eyes.

Colette strikes up a friendship with Izzy Keaveney, who has her own problems with her controlling politician husband, James. Colette enlists Izzy’s help to see her child. But when Shaun finds out, his vindictive response affects them all.

Murrin’s novel is immaculately crafted, his characterisation beautifully nuanced. It’s a world the Irish-born author clearly knows well and he gets under the skin of his three female characters, their disappointments and vulnerability. The men are bullies, while fear of scandal keeps the women in check. Father Brian, Izzy’s confidant and one of the few likable male characters, is treated with suspicion by James. As Izzy observes: “You can’t even be friends with a priest but they think you’re sleeping with him.”

Gossip damages reputations and intimacy, but Murrin’s scrutiny of the community’s prejudice is shot through with humour. After the town butcher, Michael Breslin, makes his way to Colette’s house one drunken evening, the incident is pored over, with Colette cast as the scarlet woman. Izzy admonishes one local for her naivety: “You believe … Colette let that obese eejit climb up on top of her?”

Murrin writes perceptively about love, desire and the limitations placed on women. While the denouement is melodramatic, this is a compelling, compassionate page-turner.

The Observer

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The road trip audible audiobook – unabridged.

Listening Length 10 hours and 15 minutes
Author Beth O'Leary
Narrator Josh Dylan, see all
Audible release date June 1, 2021
Language English
Publisher Penguin Audio
ASIN B08SMP4PH1
Version Unabridged
Program Type Audiobook
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COMMENTS

The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary
Thank you to Quercus Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published in the U.S by Berkley on 6/1/21. Review also posted at ... So, when I learnt about the newlyreleased book by the same author, I was really excited to read this book. The premise of "The Road Trip" also felt so good to me. But now, I ...
THE ROAD TRIP
Despite its unevenness, the story is full of fun: quirky behavior, witty Briticisms, and gleeful slapstick humor. A second-chance romance shows the many potential pitfalls of road tripping. 1. Pub Date: June 1, 2021. ISBN: 978--5933-3502-4. Page Count: 400.
REVIEW: The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary
Jayne B Reviews / Book Reviews addiction / Alternate POV / Contemporary / dual-timeline / England / First-Person / France / friendship / mental health / road trip / second chance at love / sisters 13 Comments. 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.
Book Review: The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary
It will come as no surprise to you that I was thrilled to receive an ARC (advanced reader copy) of The Road Trip and my expectations were very high. I personally believe that all of the novels by Beth O'Leary are perfect for spring and summer reading. There's something really refreshing about them that reminds me of these seasons.
Book Review
Title: The Road Trip. Author: Beth O'Leary. Genre: Romance. Published On: June 1, 2021. Publisher: Berkley. Source: digital. Pages: 398. Synopsis: 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.
The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary: Book Review
The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary: Book Review. The Road Trip is the most recent release from best-selling author Beth O'Leary. Released in April 2021 by Quercus, The Road Trip is about a trip full of roadblocks and mishaps. Addie, Deb, Dylan, Marcus, and Rodney are stuck together in a Mini on their way to a wedding in Scotland.
Review: The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary
The Road Trip was one of the first books that I read by Beth O'Leary and while I did enjoy it, there were things about it that I didn't really care for. The biggest thing was the back and forth between the past and the present. I almost DNF'd this book because I hated the jumping between the past and the present.
The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary: Book Review
The Road Trip had a nice ending, not everyone lives happily ever after, but something solid for Addie and Dylan to start again. People were forgiven, other relationships ended, some were given second chances, and Addie and Dylan kissed for the first time again.If you are a fan of Beth O'Leary works, then I recommend you the Road Trip. Many ...
Book Review: 'The Road Trip' by Beth O'Leary
There were a few moments in her latest, 'The Road Trip,' that actually made me laugh out loud, and her talent for dialogue remains ace. ... But anyway let's dive into this book review, huh? Beth O'Leary is an auto-buy author for me at this point, after The Flatshare and The Switch, both of which I loooooved.
Book Review: The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary @BerkleyPub
The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary Amazon / B&N / Apple / GP / BB Two exes reach a new level of awkwardness 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 … Continue reading "Book Review: The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary @BerkleyPub"
Book review: The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary
Beth O'Leary's 2019 novel, The Flatshare, was one of my favourite books that year.I also enjoyed 2020's The Switch.. The Road Trip didn't seem to arrive with the fanfare of its predecessors but is still an enjoyable read. It unfolds in in two timelines. The present (which involves the very long and fraught road trip) and a period of a year or two in the recent past.
The Road Trip: O'Leary, Beth: 9780593335024: Amazon.com: Books
The Road Trip. Paperback - June 1, 2021. by Beth O'Leary (Author) 3.9 12,367 ratings. Award nominee. See all formats and editions. 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.
Beth O'Leary
The Review: When I read the blurb for this one, I was all in-I love books about road trips, and cramming exes, their besties, and one random dude in a car for hours sounded hilarious. I absolutely adored the first few chapters and all the awkwardness that was expected from the summary. After that the book kind of plateaued a bit for me, though.
Amazon.com: Customer reviews: The Road Trip
This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review*** I adore this book! The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary is a comedic and oftentimes heartbreaking story about finding love, losing love, and all the messy bits in between. Imagine, if you will, planning a road trip to your best friend's wedding and everything that could go ...
Book Marks reviews of The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary
Beth O'Leary's The Road Trip follows the classic rom-com trope of throwing together two people who have a past relationship, a horrible breakup and tons of sexual tension and then watching them suffer. It's quite delightful ... the narrative bounces between those months in France and the present, a structure that might be more complicated than this frothy story deserves.
Book Reviews: The Road Trip, One Last Stop, & Playing the Palace
The Road Trip Goodreads. Author: Beth O'Leary. Publication Date: June 1, 2021. Publisher: Berkley. FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own. Beth O'Leary's new novel The Road Trip hilariously combines a second chance romance with what might actually be the worst road trip ever ...
The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary
Publication Date: 17th February 2022 (paperback) Rating: 3.5/5. Addie and her sister are about to embark on an epic road trip to a friend's wedding in rural Scotland. The playlist is all planned and the snacks are packed. But, not long after setting off, a car slams into the back of theirs. The driver is none other than Addie's ex, Dylan ...
The Road Trip
"The Road Trip is a humorous yet deeply moving journey toward confronting the past, forgiveness, and reconciliation, with a poignant detour to a summer of young love in Provence. I loved the vivid cast and the depth and intimacy in O'Leary's writing."—Helen Hoang, USA Today bestselling author
Amazon.com: The Road Trip eBook : O'Leary, Beth: Kindle Store
"THIS BOOK IS PERFECT."—Rosie Walsh, bestselling author of Ghosted "As with her surprise hit, The Flatshare, O'Leary expertly balances humor and heart while introducing a zany cast of 20-somethings…Readers won't want this crazy road trip to end."— Publishers Weekly " The Road Trip is a humorous yet deeply moving journey toward confronting the past, forgiveness, and ...
The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary
A coincidence reunites Addie with her ex on a road trip to a friend's wedding in this funny and moving third novel from the bestselling author of The Flatshare and The Switch. Addie and her sister are about to embark on an epic road trip to a friend's wedding in rural Scotland. The playlist is all planned and the snacks are packed.
Book Review: The Road Trip
While The Flatshare is still on my radar, I became interested in Beth O'Leary after enjoying The Switch.Although I went into The Road Trip partially blind, I was told to expect a heavier side to the novel as it is not light-hearted throughout the entire story. After finishing this novel, I am glad that I received the "warning" as I would have expected a lighter story and would have come ...
The Road Trip : O'Leary, Beth: Amazon.co.uk: Books
The Road Trip. Paperback - 1 Jun. 2021. by Beth O'Leary (Author) 12,462. Editors' pick Hand-selected reads. See all formats and editions. 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.
'Gasoline Rainbow' Review
Writer-directors Turner Ross and Bill Ross IV have almost made their own unique blend of storytelling, creating films that constantly make the audience question whether they're watching a ...
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An anxious artist's road trip stops short for a torrid affair at a tired motel. In "All Fours," the desire for change is familiar. How to satisfy it isn't. By Alexandra Jacobs When you ...
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80 MPH For the Win? Yes, over a 1,000-mile trip, maintaining a constant 80 mph saves 50 minutes of driving time versus driving 75 mph, but 45 minutes of that are consumed by the three additional ...
Review: 'Gasoline Rainbow' is a memorable teenage road trip
Also, regarding the town of Wiley: There isn't a Wiley, not really. It's fictional. So it really is a nowhere kind of town, literally.. The movie suggests something more interesting, I think ...
The Coast Road by Alan Murrin review
A lan Murrin's assured debut is about the claustrophobia and cruelties of small town life. Set in County Donegal in 1994, when divorce was still illegal in Ireland, The Coast Road focuses on ...
A Reading Roadtrip Across the U.S.A.
A 2021 GCA nominee, The Lincoln Highway is a road-trip story circa 1954, in which four young men make their way from Nebraska to New York City. Author Amor Towles ( A Gentleman in Moscow ) works his usual narrative magic by juggling multiple points of view across several fascinating characters, 10 days of adventure, and a weirdly slippery 1948 ...
The Road Trip
This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review*** I adore this book! The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary is a comedic and oftentimes heartbreaking story about finding love, losing love, and all the messy bits in between. Imagine, if you will, planning a road trip to your best friend's wedding and everything that could go ...
2024 Polestar 2 Single Motor Yearlong Review: Long-Range Road Trip Champ?
The Route. California is set up reasonably well for those intending to road-trip in an electric car, even if all drivers aren't yet able to make use of Tesla's Supercharger network.As someone who ...

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