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alisonreadsitall's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Abortion, and Biphobia
vel629vet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
A rough start, but this book really grew on me. I didn’t love the premise, but I love travel stories, and enemies to lovers. I felt that a lot of the voicing and especially dialogues between the characters was inconsistent. Jack seemed overly antagonistic from the start but never acted that way again. There was a heavy plot point on a past abortion and doxxing, and it was handled okay. I just never really felt the stakes were quite high enough.
I did love the short chapters and I wish there had been more details on travel adventures, rather than skipping over entire weeks in certain cities. A lot of the story is told to you rather than letting us bear witness. The romance is super slow burn but I didn’t mind it, other than it just felt like
Overall an enjoyable, lighthearted summer romance with a smidgeon of spice.
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Homophobia
thesweetreads's review against another edition
4.0
Minor: Bullying, Abortion, Religious bigotry, and Biphobia
sdupont's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
*I received the ARC for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Bullying
Moderate: Abortion and Biphobia
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
jillwedemeier's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Abortion
battyaboutbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
❝ "It's hard to believe in yourself when no one else does." ❞
❓ #QOTD If you could get an all-expenses paid trip to anywhere in the world, where would you go? ❓
🦇 On a whim, Dylan Coughlan calls a radio station and receives a once-in-a-lifetime, all-expenses-paid trip around the world. The catch: the station gets to randomly select a contact on Dylan's phone as her travel companion. She's paired with "Jack the Posho," an uptight almost-one-night-stand she unintentionally ghosted. They immediately butt heads, which doesn't make Dylan's work assignment easier: to write about the trip as a second-chance romance series. If the series succeeds, she'll finally get her own column. Is it worth the backlash when her past comes back to haunt her?
💜 Elle Everhart's debut romcom isn't just a case of the warm and fuzzy feelings we often associate with the genre; it gives far more than that. What looks like a forced proximity, grumpy versus sunshine match-up is really a well-balanced, polar opposites pairing. Both Dylan and Jack are familiar with the soul-sucking existence derived from living a life that fits their parents' standards. Dylan refused to walk that line and has been forced to pay the consequences—in her social life and professionally. Jack plays the role his parents wrote for him, only for it to make him miserable. Dylan is unabashedly confident in her decisions and whom she's become because of them (rightfully so), and that bravado eventually inspires Jack to do the same. Though it takes them an excruciatingly long time to reach an understanding, their both better off for it by the end. The character growth between them is as beautiful as some of the landscapes they encounter on their travels.
🦇 The miscommunication trope plays a big part in this story, and if you've read my previous reviews, you know that's a pet peeve. Dylan makes assumptions about Jack based on his reaction to the radio call and a few texts, but never makes an effort to learn more about him in person. Jack seems to mean well but Dylan's abrasiveness sets him off, making the first act a little tiresome to read. Fair warning: there is a bit of smut 🌶️, but the moment is ruined by the mention of Edward Cullen and sparkly skin (I definitely put my Kindle down with a groan after that).
💜 A great read that goes beyond the cute and fuzzies of typical travel romcoms. Recommended to anyone who has that itch to travel deep in their bones. That's one of the best things about being an avid reader; you have a thousand little adventures at your disposal without having to worry about the airfare. Happy reading!
❝ "The more she wrote, other things started to unravel, too. She'd been scared of her parents' rejection for the vast majority of her life, a symptom of eldest daughter syndrome and being queer as hell, but she deserved more than tolerance or a lack of outright rejection. They should have loved her no matter what, been proud of her no matter what." ❞
✨ Tropes ✨
✈️ Travel Romance
🏔️ Forced Proximity
🚂 Frenemies to Lovers
⛱️ Opposites Attract
🗽 Slow Burn
🦇 Major thanks to the author @elleeverhart and publisher @putnambooks for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Moderate: Abortion, Panic attacks/disorders, and Biphobia
ksbielenberg's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Biphobia
Minor: Abortion
rachelshubin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
However, I found the story to be a little unbelievable, very so-so and not super super memorable. The only aspects that I felt like I enjoyed and agreed with the 2023 topics of importance were Dylan’s article on her abortion, and her pride about being bisexual.
Otherwise, the rest of the book was fine but no great shakes. I liked how many travel destinations that they went to, but felt like the lack of great descriptions about the destinations was a bit of a let down.
I hated Chantel (Dylan’s boss) with every core of my being. Yes I know sucky bosses exist but really felt like she was a bit overkill. Maybe a bit Miranda Priestly vibes really.
Thank you to NetGalley and G. P. Putnam’s Sons for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Moderate: Abortion
someenchantederin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
First off thank you to NetGalley, the author, and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a delightful slow burn. I thought the characters had great chemistry that continued to grow as the story went on. I appreciated many of the more left leaning angles in the book. Dylan could have easily fallen into a more stereotypical FMC if not for her railing against her conservative parents and standing up for her rights and choices. I flew through this ebook because I couldn’t wait for the moment when she and Jack finally took the plunge!
Minor: Abortion
jjohnston_05's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is important for bi individuals who get shamed/told "its ok because you can still be in a relationship that LOOKS straight". Because its who Dylan is! She is a wonderful person and she doesn't fit in this box that her parents feel like she should be in. This book is important for people who are speaking their truth and telling stories about abortion that they got because they have that CHOICE. Dylan's life was really screwed up when she told her story. And when she tells Jack, thats the first glimpse that the reader, and Dylan, get that says "he's a good guy". Jack is so different on the inside then his box that HE was forced into.
I just can't love this book enough. And the fact that the cliche third act breakup doesn't happen, because it happens in the middle and then they COMMUNICATE and Dylan gets to apologize? It's amazing to me.
*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and my reviews are completely my own*
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Abortion, Biphobia, and Toxic relationship