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erinbrook's review
2.0
I picked this one up because of the tagline "People We Meet on Vacation meets The Unhoneymooners." Unfortunately this one completely missed the mark.
Dylan calls a radio station and wins the trip of a lifetime, however there's a catch. The radio host will choose a random person in her phone to travel with her. The person he chooses? An old one night fling. If that isn't awkward enough, she doesn't even remember who he is.
This premise sounded adorable, but where the author went wrong was here-- Dylan chooses to use this trip as an opportunity to hopefully snag a permanent column in the magazine she writes for, but this sudden spike in popularity, reminds her readers of a viral article she wrote about her abortion a few years back.
I understand the author was trying to be relevant and bring up the very important topic of women's rights, but it was incredibly overdone...to the point where it felt like she was preaching to us. There was one conversation, in particular, that went on for SO long i was totally pulled out of the book.
I liked the travel aspects, but I feel like the atmospheric opportunities were missed. I found myself forgetting they were supposed to be traveling, so i think we needed a little more details about the locations they traveled to since this book was literally about people traveling the world. Because the synopsis compares itself to People We Meet on Vacation, (one of my favorite romance books of all time) I couldn't help but also compare the two, and Wanderlust didn't meet those expectations.
There were parts that were sweet, and i did appreciate that the spice was there, but not smutty. I also really loved Dylans relationship with her brother and thought the end was sweet. Overall I think it's a solid two star. I would consider reading another of her books because the idea of this one was fantastic. I just hope the next one is cleaned up a bit. :)
Dylan calls a radio station and wins the trip of a lifetime, however there's a catch. The radio host will choose a random person in her phone to travel with her. The person he chooses? An old one night fling. If that isn't awkward enough, she doesn't even remember who he is.
This premise sounded adorable, but where the author went wrong was here-- Dylan chooses to use this trip as an opportunity to hopefully snag a permanent column in the magazine she writes for, but this sudden spike in popularity, reminds her readers of a viral article she wrote about her abortion a few years back.
I understand the author was trying to be relevant and bring up the very important topic of women's rights, but it was incredibly overdone...to the point where it felt like she was preaching to us. There was one conversation, in particular, that went on for SO long i was totally pulled out of the book.
I liked the travel aspects, but I feel like the atmospheric opportunities were missed. I found myself forgetting they were supposed to be traveling, so i think we needed a little more details about the locations they traveled to since this book was literally about people traveling the world. Because the synopsis compares itself to People We Meet on Vacation, (one of my favorite romance books of all time) I couldn't help but also compare the two, and Wanderlust didn't meet those expectations.
There were parts that were sweet, and i did appreciate that the spice was there, but not smutty. I also really loved Dylans relationship with her brother and thought the end was sweet. Overall I think it's a solid two star. I would consider reading another of her books because the idea of this one was fantastic. I just hope the next one is cleaned up a bit. :)
cobaltbookshelf's review
2.0
This was a was pretty decent in the moment, but I think was not memorable down the road. Overall I just wasn't super impressed with from the jump. It was objectively fine, but that's about it.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
evelyn_mosby's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
They kiss once and then don't touch each other for a long time, and have sex once.
It got a little repetitive and a tad cheesy. Chemistry not strong enough but still believable sure.
It got a little repetitive and a tad cheesy. Chemistry not strong enough but still believable sure.
bg_oseman_fan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a fun concept for a book. i liked how real the internal struggles of the characters were. i also like how their relationship progressed on a less than linear path. i enjoyed the topic of bullying/dozing were addressed alongside the them of finding your own path and forging it for yourself. overall, i fun and stimulating read
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Biphobia and Abortion
lousnewchapter's review
4.0
Would you go on a free trip around the world if the person going with you was one picked at random out your contacts?
My answer to that would be hell yes. And that’s the whole concept of this book! I absolutely LOVE to travel and I also love a good romcom so this book ticked all the boxes for me. I was living vicariously through Jack and Dylan.
It was a super fun, escapist, holiday read and I couldn’t stop flicking the pages.
There was a lot of character development which I really liked, Dylan definitely grew on me throughout the book to the point part of me wanted to sit and have a wine night with her Gwen and Cat Stevens by the end haha. Everhart also handled some very sensitive topics throughout this book in a really good way (TW: online bullying, abortion).
p.s I am now desperate to visit Tokyo and Mexico City.
getthisgirlabook's review
4.0
This just had bags of character! I loved both Dylan and Jack in this and the characters complimented each other so well. Amazing!
lydiasheneman's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
katiedermody's review against another edition
I really enjoyed this book! I'd heard about the author's second book that's coming out this summer and was excited about it, then saw this one. I have loved travelling in the past but haven't been able to do it since I got sick. Now with my chronic illness and disability, I don't know what travelling will be like but I couldn't help but feel envious of their around the world trip (won as a radio contest, so largely free which would also be the dream) because I know I wouldn't be able to do everything they did. Even something as simple as walking and exploring a city would require more planning and shorter stints. All this to say, this book is exactly why I love reading: you can experience things outside of your own life circumstances and, though it isn't first hand, find joy in them. Then add in that it's a romance between two people who are trying to figure out what they really want in life (and whether they want each other--spoiler alert but not really because it's a romance: they do), and it's basically got everything I need. Another single POV book where I liked that aspect. Would I have loved to have Jack's POV along with Dylan's? Yeah, absolutely, but it worked well without it. This is one I would probably read again in the future, both for their chemistry/banter and for the armchair travel of it all. Now I'm extra looking forward to her second novel when it releases in June!
ellie_reads23's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0