Let’s continue our Summer Reading Guide theme by taking a look at road trip romances. This year’s Guide includes a handful of fabulous novels (actually the number is six, to be precise) that happen to feature various kinds of road trips, but none of them are romances—so we’re talking about those today! This trope has so much swoon-worthy potential whether characters are traveling with a friend, coworker, rival, ex, stranger, alien … the list goes on! Sometimes forced proximity leads to love and I’m here for it.
A road trip romance has so much to recommend for itself. I love a story with movement, and a road trip romance bakes that into the book from the first mile. The book’s focus might be on experiencing the scenery along the way or how much the main characters are looking forward to or dreading arriving at their final destination. There could be any manner of travel delays from broken down-transportation to unforeseen weather complications.
Then there’s the way the intimacy of the car leads to deeper conversations and a better understanding of one another. Not to mention the bond that emerges after that kind of sustained time together. The conditions are right for love and I’ll never tire of reading these stories.
I hope this list will give you an excuse for a vicarious vacation. There are so many more road trip romances out there and I can’t wait to hear about your favorites in the comments.
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A fun low angst road trip romance! Megan never planned on staying in Florida after graduation but years have passed without her even leaving the state. A friend’s wedding in Quebec is about to change that. When her ex-friend Scarlett suggests they road trip there, Megan reluctantly agrees. As they grapple with what ended their friendship all those years ago and realize they’re attracted to each other now, they also face a blizzard, Only One Bed, and time to figure out what they want with their jobs and each other. (Open door.) More info →
It’s the summer of 1960 and Caleb and Peter have just graduated from college. Caleb is more than ready for a fresh start but first he has to figure out how to get from Boston to Los Angeles for his new job. He would rather do anything but accept a ride from wealthy Peter. Peter, on the other hand, is looking for any excuse to miss appearing at his father’s presidential campaign events. He wastes no time convincing grumpy Caleb to let him drive them across the country. Their grumpy-sunshine dynamic makes for a fun, engaging read as they both consider each other and their respective futures in a new light. (Open door.) More info →
Hairstylist Jess Greene has focused on two things for the past decade: raising her half-sister Tegan and protecting their privacy at all costs. She doesn’t want anyone, including Tegan, to know her mother abandoned them for con man Lynton Baltimore. A name more people know than ever courtesy of a popular podcast. When Tegan figures out the truth herself and makes an arrangement to talk with the podcast host, Jess has no choice but to join Tegan, host Salem, and producer Adam on the road to search for their mother. She doesn’t know what to make of her feelings for Adam, how to let go of college-bound Tegan, or what they’ll do if they find her mother after all. An insightful exploration of vulnerability, true crime ethics, and what we owe to our family. (Open door.) More info →
Aspiring ballerina Chloe Pierce dreams of attending a famous dance conservatory, but her protective mom forbids her from applying. When her mom is away on a trip, Chloe creates a secret plan to drive across the country to audition. What she doesn’t plan for is her annoying neighbor Eli and his dog Geezer hitching a ride. With an upbeat soundtrack and determination, Chloe and Eli grow closer as they deal with obstacles on the road. The title comes from the famous Jackson 5 song, and Kristina Forest includes a fun playlist at the end of her YA debut. (Chaste.) More info →
Globetrot with Alex and Poppy in this modern twist on When Harry Met Sally. The pair of opposites once shared a ride home from college and their witty banter ignited a decade-long friendship. Now free-spirit Poppy lives in NYC, working as a travel writer for a posh magazine. Strait-laced Alex lives in their small Ohio hometown, longing to start a family and live that picket-fence lifestyle. Connecting once a year for an epic vacation, these besties were always in sync…until they weren’t. Now they haven’t spoken in two painful years, and against all odds, Poppy is hoping one great vacation can save them. This will they/won’t they contemporary romance is every bit as playful as its tangerine cover. (Open door.) Don’t miss WSIRN Episode 332: Beach Reads for Book Lovers to hear about Henry’s writing process and her summer book recommendations. More info →
Sometimes you need to blow up your whole life to find the pieces that matter most. When type-A high school senior Quinn loses her journal—well, to say she freaks out is an understatement. Her whole life is in it, comprised of lists ranging from Movies with Intense Rewatchability to Things That I Would Never Admit Out Loud. But then she gets a message from the blackmailer who tells her she has to complete one of her own lists before she’ll get her journal back—the one called “To Do Before I Graduate.” Thinking she has nothing left to lose, Quinn decides to go for it—and soon discovers that speaking your truth feels good, and maybe blowing up her life was the best thing that ever happened to her. Much road tripping is required as Quinn decides to face and then shape her own reality for the first time in her life. More info →
Adam and Olivia can’t stand each other and are horrified when they’re tasked to bring a power plant online in Texas. Their business trip quickly goes awry with everything from their plane being rerouted, getting a flat tire, and sheltering from a heavy storm. When they’re stranded at a tiny hotel without cell service, the forced proximity has them looking at each other differently. Frothy, smart, and totally escapist contemporary romance. (Closed door.) More info →
After a bad breakup, twenty-something, once-upon-a-time child actor Millie found solace in spending time alone in her apartment, and soon became best friends with her elderly neighbor Mrs. Nash. When Mrs. Nash died, she left Millie with a story and a last wish: that Millie travel to Key West with her ashes to reunite her with the true love she hasn’t seen in decades. When a cancelled flight wrecks Millie’s plans, she hitches a ride south with a handsome grump she once met at a reading for her horrible ex’s MFA program. Cue all the romance tropes: grumpy-meets-sunshine, peculiar airbnb with Only One Bed, and more. The sapphic 1940s love story unspooled in alternating chapters lent meaning and perspective to events in the present day timeline. Mara Wilson’s cheeky narration of this road trip romance made for fun and easy listening. (Open door.) More info →
Bestselling YA author Ally Carter’s action-packed adult debut features a spy with amnesia, a gruff and handsome co-conspirator, a variety of European settings, and banter galore. The story opens when our spy protagonist wakes up in Paris and realizes she’s in big, big trouble because it seems a whole lot of people want her dead, which is confusing, because she is NOT a spy. She quickly realizes this is an unfortunate case of mistaken identity: the bad guys are confusing her for her identical twin, a spy who’s seemingly gone rogue and is certainly nowhere to be found. To stay safe, she has to disappear—and for that she needs the help of a very grumpy, very handsome secret agent. I zoomed through this fun and frothy audiobook, as narrated by Emily Ellet and Andrew Eiden. This would be a great one for fans of Alias Emma. More info →
This contemporary romance begins when Noelle’s TikTok about her recently deceased grandmother’s secret first love goes viral, and as a result she unexpectedly reunites with her old high school rival Theo. It turns out that Gram almost married Theo’s grandfather Paul decades ago but never told Noelle, despite how close the two were. Currently unemployed and floundering in her life, Noelle decides to go on the should-have-been honeymoon road trip that never happened, with Paul and Theo joining her for the big adventure. Noelle and Theo have a chance to get to know each other as adults, making for a chemistry-filled, banter-laden good time. Joyce also thoughtfully explores grief and making peace with high school aspirations and expectations. This was such fun to listen to as narrated by Kyla Garcia; I especially enjoyed the intergenerational component of this tender (and sometimes steamy) story. (Open door.) More info →
What are your favorite road trip romances? Please share in the comments.
P.S. 15 breezy romance series for when you need an escape, Take a vicarious trip with these novels set on planes, trains, and automobiles, and 18 fresh and flirty contemporary romance novels for your TBR.
