The Road Trip

April 19, 2021
A pair of exes travel from England to Scotland for a friend’s wedding in O’Leary’s delightful third contemporary romance (after The Switch). Sisters Addie and Deb Gilbert are heading north in a Mini that’s seen better days when they’re rear-ended by Addie’s ex, Dylan Abbott, and his obnoxious friend, Marcus, who always did his worst to sabotage their relationship. Marcus’s Mercedes is totaled, so the sisters feel obliged to squeeze the guys into the backseat with Rodney, a friend of the bride’s who needed a lift. From there, the trip becomes an extended nightmare of hilarious breakdowns, rescues, and pit stops peppered with snide comments, hurt feelings, and rivalries old and new. The present narrative is interspersed with flashbacks to Addie and Dylan’s relationship and devastating breakup. Over the course of their misadventures it becomes clear that these two still love each other—but have they matured enough to make it work? As with her surprise hit, The Flatshare, O’Leary expertly balances humor and heart while introducing a zany cast of 20-somethings. Though some readers may balk at the grammar (“ ‘Sorry,’ me and Rodney say simultaneously”), the breezy, conversational tone fits the novel’s mood. Readers won’t want this crazy road trip to end. Agent: Tanera Simons, Darley Anderson Literary.