The Oh No Not Again Trip

The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary

​Addie has set off early on a road trip, with her sister Deb, and intends to get to her friend's wedding on time. Except she gets rear-ended by Dylan, her ex, and Marcus, the walking turd he calls a friend. Now they need a lift - and being stuck together inside a car for hours (along with another peculiar wedding guest) is going to be awkward. It'll be a miracle if they get to the wedding on time.

I have made a horrible mistake in using up my reservation slots on Beth O'Leary's books at the local library. I'd cancel the next one if it wasn't already in transit between libraries, destined for the nearest hold shelf. I'd thought that The No-Show was a one off, but it turns out O'Leary is NOT for me. This is yet another book that reads like Reddit drama. The characters are young enough that said drama is exhausting and annoying for someone past that stage.

The thing is, O'Leary is a fantastic writer and her prose is so easy to breeze through. You don't want to put the book down, even when you're not enjoying it. Her writing is the best part of The Road Trip - and Marcus is the worst part, hands down. Those of us who have known Marcuses in real life also know they never change or redeem themselves. Sorry. It's not believable.

And now I will anxiously check my library app and wonder if it's bad form to cancel a hold mid-transit. Someone please reassure me that The Flatshare is at least palatable??

Content warning: stalking, sexual assault

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