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danireads1225's review
5.0
What an amazing, beautifully written book. I love how the author describes everything and made me feel as if I were there with the characters. The friendship between Heather, Constance and Amy was spot on for a trio of best friends. Raef and Jack.... typical guys, lol. There was a love story element, but it was so much more than that. It was about finding yourself, and finding what you want out of your life.
illbefinealone's review
4.0
Copy received through NetGalley.
There’s something about this review, it just doesn’t want to get written ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Getting into this book was close to impossible, but once I did, I enjoyed every minute of it.
The start is slow, but the writing is well-done, and while the characters don’t carry any special characteristics, they still jump off the page. The organization of the text left me with question marks throughout the reading process, but something about the story kept me reading. I loved the abundance of drama, it’s why I love romance novels so much.
This is the perfect read for any fan of romance novels. That Nicholas Spark’s quote on the cover says it all.
Pre-review note: (May 7th 2017)
I finally focused long enough to finish it. RTC.
There’s something about this review, it just doesn’t want to get written ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Getting into this book was close to impossible, but once I did, I enjoyed every minute of it.
The start is slow, but the writing is well-done, and while the characters don’t carry any special characteristics, they still jump off the page. The organization of the text left me with question marks throughout the reading process, but something about the story kept me reading. I loved the abundance of drama, it’s why I love romance novels so much.
This is the perfect read for any fan of romance novels. That Nicholas Spark’s quote on the cover says it all.
Pre-review note: (May 7th 2017)
I finally focused long enough to finish it. RTC.
brianapalmer's review
5.0
The only European travel book I've ever read, and I didn't know if I liked that for a setting but this book has proven that it can be enjoyable! I loved the characters and their wit so so so much! I wanted the love interest for myself, he was so amazing! My heart was pounding big time during this book! I couldn't believe what I was reading at a certain point, but I kept telling myself there had to be more behind it all! The love with which the main character acts is powerful! The whole vibe of the book reminds me of that feeling between a couple if, say, the husband comes back from war or something. Just that raw, authentic, overwhelming love and I was so glad with where the author left things because I would have rathered kept things up to the imagination instead of him completely shattering my heart.
abi280's review
4.0
I really liked the travelling aspect of this book! Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam and many more places!
cherylanntownsend's review
5.0
I have come to the conclusion that good dialogue can either make or break a book. In the case of "The Map That Leads To You" the dialogue was monumental to making this love story the success that it is. A happenstance meeting on a train ride in Europe starts a whirlwind travel adventure of two fated lovers. I will admit the initial encounter almost had me close the book. Their snarky battle of words told me the inevitable ending, but because their flirtatious bickering was so believable and the underlying attraction written so obvious (as opposed to the clichéd let's drag out this supposed dislike as long as we can) it kept me completely engaged. No false leads, no playing with the reader. Heather and her to long time best girlfriends are traveling Europe after graduation and before embarking on their lifetime careers. Jack is mostly solo, following his deceased grandfather's journal, written after the war and before coming back to his farm in Vermont. It's a very romantic, budding romance with a lot of sightseeing and off-the-wall adventure. Jack is a practicing bohemian and Heather is a month away from corporate in New York. The sidebar relations of each of their friends are like perfect condiments on your favorite sandwich. The textbook breakaways are written well enough to be forgiven and when that happy medium is attained it makes the impending twist a real befuddlement. To go any further would give away the ending and deprive you of a rich experience and feeling of completion. I loved the scenery in this book and the out of the ordinary way that they got to see Europe. When this book hits the market in June I recommend snapping it up.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
sumomcgrath's review
4.0
I received a copy of The Map That Leads to You by J.P. Monninger from the publisher (St. Martin’s Press) in exchange for an honest review.
This is a contemporary story following a recent college graduate on a backpacking trip through Europe before she settles down into corporate New York. Heather is traveling with two friends on a well-planned tour of the continent. Unsurprisingly, things do not go according to plan. One friend loses her wallet and passport and heads back to the U.S. The second friend meets the Australian love of her life and heads off with him. Heather meets her own love, Jack.
The story follows Heather and Jack through Europe and into their lives after the trip. Without spoilers, obstacles get in the way of their relationship, which they must find a way to work through.
I struggled a bit to get into this story. My trouble was with the main character, Heather. She is fresh out of college and set to start a demanding (and well-paying) job in New York in a few months. She is living a very privileged life, and seems completely unaware of how lucky and blessed she is. This is not an issue, in itself, as there are a lot of people who do live privileged lives and don’t realize it is a gift. It did make it difficult for me to connect with Heather, however, as it was not my life experience. Heather was also given moments in Europe to recognize her privilege and grow. I was a bit disappointed that she did not.
The other reason I struggled to fall into the story was the introduction of Jack as a character. Jack meets Heather on a train from Paris to Amsterdam. They obviously find each other attractive. Their initial conversation, however, consists of what is intended to be banter. Something about this sequence felt off to me. The tone of the conversation was a little too harsh for flirty banter. The characters crossed the line into insulting each other. The conversation went so far that Heather even thought that she wanted to punch Jack, and had to restrain herself. It made it difficult for me to envision these two as a couple. I didn’t buy that their attraction was enough to overcome what seemed to be blatant hatred of what they each represent.
As the novel progressed, Heather and Jack moved through some of their initial comments to (and about) each other into a more believable relationship. The major obstacle their relationship faces is supposed to be a surprise to the reader. I saw it coming way too early, however, and it made me a bit disappointed in the choices the characters made from that point forward. It was especially difficult to buy that Heather, who is presented as an intelligent, capable woman, couldn’t find her way to and through the issue.
Overall, this was a story of true love, heartbreak, and friendship. There were a lot of great moments, but I struggled a bit with the overall arc of the story and main character.
This is a contemporary story following a recent college graduate on a backpacking trip through Europe before she settles down into corporate New York. Heather is traveling with two friends on a well-planned tour of the continent. Unsurprisingly, things do not go according to plan. One friend loses her wallet and passport and heads back to the U.S. The second friend meets the Australian love of her life and heads off with him. Heather meets her own love, Jack.
The story follows Heather and Jack through Europe and into their lives after the trip. Without spoilers, obstacles get in the way of their relationship, which they must find a way to work through.
I struggled a bit to get into this story. My trouble was with the main character, Heather. She is fresh out of college and set to start a demanding (and well-paying) job in New York in a few months. She is living a very privileged life, and seems completely unaware of how lucky and blessed she is. This is not an issue, in itself, as there are a lot of people who do live privileged lives and don’t realize it is a gift. It did make it difficult for me to connect with Heather, however, as it was not my life experience. Heather was also given moments in Europe to recognize her privilege and grow. I was a bit disappointed that she did not.
The other reason I struggled to fall into the story was the introduction of Jack as a character. Jack meets Heather on a train from Paris to Amsterdam. They obviously find each other attractive. Their initial conversation, however, consists of what is intended to be banter. Something about this sequence felt off to me. The tone of the conversation was a little too harsh for flirty banter. The characters crossed the line into insulting each other. The conversation went so far that Heather even thought that she wanted to punch Jack, and had to restrain herself. It made it difficult for me to envision these two as a couple. I didn’t buy that their attraction was enough to overcome what seemed to be blatant hatred of what they each represent.
As the novel progressed, Heather and Jack moved through some of their initial comments to (and about) each other into a more believable relationship. The major obstacle their relationship faces is supposed to be a surprise to the reader. I saw it coming way too early, however, and it made me a bit disappointed in the choices the characters made from that point forward. It was especially difficult to buy that Heather, who is presented as an intelligent, capable woman, couldn’t find her way to and through the issue.
Overall, this was a story of true love, heartbreak, and friendship. There were a lot of great moments, but I struggled a bit with the overall arc of the story and main character.
alexalovesbooks's review
3.0
I'm a little torn on my feelings about this one! There's a lot of good stuff - the way the author writes about travel and details the places the characters visit, the portrayal of friendship post-college, the writing itself. But the key portion of this story - the romance - is honestly where it fell flat for me.
kd_reads's review
4.0
As far as a coming of age, new adult (college grad) story it doesn’t get much better than this. The descriptions of the places made it feel like you were traveling right alongside of Jack and Heather. The friendships made were so real and meaningful.
toris_reads's review
3.0
More than anything, this book was really just okay .
I finished it on vacation last week and nothing about this book really stuck out in my mind. I remember being frustrated by some of the overused tropes throughout the novel, and even more annoyed when I realized Monninger was using them to bring nothing new to the table.
It was also way longer than it had to be. Reading just under 400 pages usually isn't anything new to me, but this book seemed to drag on and on without conclusion. Even the ending was entirely dissatisfying and I found myself wishing I hadn't wasted my time finishing this one.
While Monninger's writing was atmospheric and catching, The Map That Leads to You could've just as easily been written by Nicholas Sparks or John Green, as it reads pretty much the same way.
I finished it on vacation last week and nothing about this book really stuck out in my mind. I remember being frustrated by some of the overused tropes throughout the novel, and even more annoyed when I realized Monninger was using them to bring nothing new to the table.
It was also way longer than it had to be. Reading just under 400 pages usually isn't anything new to me, but this book seemed to drag on and on without conclusion. Even the ending was entirely dissatisfying and I found myself wishing I hadn't wasted my time finishing this one.
While Monninger's writing was atmospheric and catching, The Map That Leads to You could've just as easily been written by Nicholas Sparks or John Green, as it reads pretty much the same way.