Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary

68 reviews

lenaricharz's review against another edition

adventurous reflective fast-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Homophobia

alexiconic's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful slow-paced

• 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

a testament to why you don’t move in with your partner after less than a year of dating if you are 21.

i missed what attracted dylan and addie to each other beyond physical attraction and memories of a good summer - and it does not help that their flaws get a bit more screentime than their qualities. but accepting that they are in love and want to be together, i appreciate the exploration of a "right person, wrong time" relationship. dylan and addie were both very young and insecure in their past timeline, and i like how beth o'leary elaborated on that and the influence of their personal struggles on the couple's dynamic. 

i personally like that this was not an easy-breezy rom-com and was rougher around the edges, it was just light enough for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

instalovewithbooks's review against another edition

I honestly stopped caring 3 hours into the audiobook. 

Dylan is a "nice guy", his best friend Marcus is a twat, and Addy is a bit more likable but honestly I got sick of her too. 

This is probably my least fave of Beth's works which also includes The Switch. 

Ah, well, up and over. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Sexual content

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

Minor: Vomit

abimyers_reads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

3 ⭐ 
2 🌶️

The Road Trip follows a group of people travelling to a wedding together after their cars crash. In one car is Addie and Deb who are sisters and Rodney a random person needing a lift and the other car happens to be Dylan Addie's ex and his best friend Marcus.

Duel perspective following Addie's and Dylan's relationship at the beginning and being forced together in a car.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Stalking

Minor: Car accident

estar210's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Sexual assault

ineedsomemoretea's review against another edition

emotional funny 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

avisreadsandreads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Vomit, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Car accident and Pregnancy

downsophialane's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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

3.75

Beth O'Leary has delivered a dual timeline second chance roadtrip romance that doesn't shy away from complex, difficult and at times unlikeable characters. While I was invested in Addie and Dylan, their relationship was just so stifled by Marcus' presence, almost from the beginning. I think we needed some real halcyon days completely apart from his friends. Though part of their arc together is recognising that their friendship is was toxic, the Dylan/Marcus plot could have benefitted from a little more evidence Marcus being, like, worth the trouble?

I would recommend Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren or Happy Place by Emily Henry over this for anyone looking for a second chance dual timeline, but I didn't have a bad time reading it so I wouldn't not recommend it. I will definitely be seeking out Beth O'Leary's other work. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Stalking

Minor: Suicide attempt

aseel_reads's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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

Just another sweet story by this author. I was a bit worried that I wouldn't vibe with their relationship during the first flashback, but it quickly became very engrossing and I wanted to understand their history immediately. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

meredith_williams_'s review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This book was so melodramatic. I went in expecting a romcom, and while there were moments of comedic relief, the overall story was a bit pretentious and felt like I was reading a less glamorous version of an episode of gossip girl. The main characters fall in love one summer abroad but their relationship struggles due to class divide and family expectations. A few years later, they reconnect on the way to a friend’s wedding when the MMC breaks down and has to road-trip to Scotland with the FMC. I liked the alternating timelines between past and present as it kept the reader engaged with the main characters’s love story, but when the reason for their original break up was revealed, I was over it. I did not think what the MMC did was easily forgivable despite his mental health struggle and honestly felt that the main couple should just stay broken up. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Classism