The Road Trip: A laugh out loud romantic comedy set in the French sunshine

Susanne O'Leary

Jun 2018 · Bookouture

About this ebook

‘I totally and utterly flipping well loved reading this book!... I had to remember not to laugh too much because it would hurt… I was addicted... I binge read it over a couple of days.' Ginger Book Geek, 5 stars

Maddy and Leanne are in need of a miracle. 

Maddy can’t bear to wash another pair of her husband’s Y-fronts and if he continues to drone on about golf she might just scream.

Leanne can’t stand living with her overbearing mother for a second longer and she’s one disapproving eye roll away from a nervous breakdown.

But their luck changes when they win the lottery.

Setting off from Dublin, Maddy and Leanne lease a red convertible, winding through Europe and heading for the sun-drenched French Riviera.

But the pair have their own reasons for their adventure. Maddy has never forgotten her summer romance of twenty years ago with a gorgeous Frenchman and Leanne plans to track down the father who abandoned her as a child.

Amongst glorious sunsets and buckets of bubbly, Leanne and Maddy are searching for answers after years of wondering ‘what if?’  But there might just be some surprises in store along the way…

A hilarious and heartwarming story about friendship, living life to the full and making the most of every moment. Fans of Fiona Gibson, Carole Matthews and Lucy Diamond will adore this uplifting, fun-filled read. 

Readers are totally loving The Road Trip:

‘Delightful... I would love to see this made into a movie! I enjoyed every page… It was just the escape I needed. I loved it... Ummm did I say I enjoyed the book? Oh, Ok… Thank you, Susanne, for my little armchair escape!’ Escape with a Book!, 5 stars

‘Such a wonderful, fun read that I devoured over the course of 24 hours... Brilliant… The setting was just stunning… The perfect read for your holiday… A wonderful escape.’ Katie’s Book Cave, 5 stars

‘I loved it… Just couldn’t put it down. Warm, fun and a great light-hearted summer read... I adored both of the main characters… I can highly recommend this book as a fabulous summer read.’ Goodreads Reviewer

‘A perfect form of escape from your daily routine… Lots of entertainment… I was constantly smiling… Fun, warm and uplifting – a perfect summer story!’ Rae’s Reads

‘So much fun…I loved every minute…So entertaining…The surprises and twists along the way were brilliant… Highly recommend.’ Goodreads Reviewer

‘Charming and uplifting… I absolutely loved this novel… so funny and moving. It's a great read that'll leave you wanting an adventure.’ Goodreads Reviewer

‘Fun… Great for a quick, relaxing weekend read. Has you laughing, crying and hiding behind your face nearly all at the same time.’ Chellsandbooks

‘Totally fun… Just what I needed… Made me chuckle.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘So lovely… Already looking forward to reading the next adventure that the girls embark upon.’ Goodreads Reviewer

‘A breath of fresh air… Jam-packed with surprises, hilarious one-liners, multiple bonkers characters, and of course a dog who attempted to steal the show… Made me giggle.’ The Writing Garnet

Ratings and reviews

Maddy and Leanne are secondary school teachers in Ireland who have just won the lotto in a group ticket buy. Both are planning just what to do with the money: the options are great. Maddy’s husband Tom spends all his free time, and all his focus on golfing- not including Maddy at all. With their two children grown and away from home, Maddy is at loose ends, and is finding her life sans children is not the travel and reconnect with the adult side of their marriage that she hoped for. Leanne is at the other side of her life, just having received a full time offer to teach science at the school, she is single, lives with her very controlling and manipulative mother, and tends to ‘act out’ with outrageous hair, piercings and dress. But, the two are friends and decide that a road trip through England and France in a sporty red Merc convertible is just the ticket- 5 star all the way, with a blog to document their adventures as they each have a personal stake in their travels through France. From shopping for ‘new looks’ on their way out of Ireland to serving at a drinks party at a manor house and finding a stowaway in the form of a little poodle owned by a royal, to the lord of the manor threatening blackmail and police action if they don’t take him along –the story is full of moments that highlight the differences between Maddy and Leanne, as each starts to open up and discover ‘the good life’ as they travel. While all is not light and fluffy: Leanne is ostensibly on a search for her father who left her and her mother without a trace some twenty years earlier, as Maddy looks to find her first love, met when she was ending her time at the Sorbonne – the two have stories and loose ends, as well as current issues to work out. Leaving with their time in Provence, there are questions and changes to adapt to: the end of Maddy’s marriage, her attraction to Leanne’s father, Leanne’s budding romance and her relationship with her long-lost father now that she knows another side of the story of her parents’ relationship…. This is pure escape reading – the characters are clever and slow to develop, but have a wonderful way of encouraging you to take a seat and travel along. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.