Planes, Trains, and All the Feels by Livy Hart is coming 23 May,
and it’s an absolute gem of a read!
Funny, smart, emotional and gorgeously romantic this book made me laugh and swoon, with a wonderfully entertaining road trip, fantastic characters, fabulous chemistry, epic sexual tension, and a passionate, slow burning, opposites-attract romance, this book is a fave for 2023!
Amazon
Blurb
Fans of Christina Lauren and Tessa Bailey will adore this witty and unforgettable rom-com about skyways, highways, and all the perfectly wrong ways to fall in love.
As the black sheep of the family, choreographer Cassidy Bliss vowed she’d do anything to get home in time to help with her sister’s wedding and avoid family disappointment… again . She just never expected “anything” would involve sharing the last rental car with the jerk who cut her off in line at the airport this morning. But horrible times apparently call for here-goes-nothing measures.
Driving across the country with Luke “life can be solved with a spreadsheet” Carlisle must be a penance for some crime she committed. Because the second he opens his mouth, it’s all she can do to not maim him with her carry-on. But somewhere between his surprisingly thoughtful snack sharing and his uncanny ability to see straight to the core of her, her feelings go unchecked.
Suddenly, their crackling chemistry is just one more thing they have to navigate―and it couldn’t come at a worse time. But after a lifetime of letting the expectations and needs of others drive her life, Cassidy must decide if she’s ready to take the wheel once and for all.
Review
5 stars!
Funny, smart, emotional and gorgeously romantic this is an absolute gem of a read! Fun and heartfelt, it made me laugh and swoon, with a wonderfully entertaining road trip, fantastic characters, fabulous chemistry, epic sexual tension, and a passionate, slow burning, opposites-attract romance, this book is a fave for 2023!
It’s been a while since I’ve finished a book and felt so happy and so excited, that I’ve immediately had to come and purge my feelings out into a review, but this book has me feeling all the feels. I can’t believe this is the author’s second book! I’ll definitely be adding Livy Hart to my auto-buy list.
Cassidy is a fun-loving, free spirit who is full of life. She is a choreographer, and is about to travel across the country to California for her sister’s wedding. She’s the maid of honor, and is determined to prove to her constantly disapproving mother that she’s capable and responsible, and not the screw-up that she thinks she is.
Luke is everything Cassidy is not. He is quiet, ordered and precise, an actuary for an insurance company, he’s also travelling to California to see his family – though he’s visiting his sister, and their troubled and unwell mother.
Neither of them want to be making the trip, and their trip gets off to a bad start at arrival at the airport, and by the time they get on the plane, they’re at each other’s throats. Things get worse when an emergency landing has them stuck in a remote airport, and then sharing the last remaining rental car to drive to California. We then follow them through a series of unexpected disasters and bizarre situations (“wet sea ghosts”, LMAO!), and it’s a hilariously entertaining read. Their day-long drive ends up taking WAY longer than expected, with lots of surprises along the way.
And while it’s all unfolding, Cassidy and Luke are bickering, teasing, bantering, and getting to know each other. It’s funny and feisty, and these two complete opposites have some stellar conversations! Luke is so uptight, and Cassidy is a completely filterless social butterfly, and they are so much fun together! But they’re also both dealing with some pretty intense family issues, and their raw and realistic personalities make them so relatable. I just adored them both.
And, of course, the more time they spend together, getting to know each other, attraction blossoms. Not only blossoms, but sizzles. Seriously, the chemistry between them absolutely crackles with sexual tension, and more than just lust, it’s real emotion. They are falling for each other, and though they try to ignore it, there’s no way they can stop it.
“I never expected this.” Vulnerability flashes in his eyes … “I can’t believe you’re real.”
This is a gorgeous romance! Though the story takes place over a few days, it has the feel of a slow burn. The emotion is real, their feelings are strong, and the build-up is absolutely perfect as it gets harder and harder to keep away from each other. And by the time they realise that they can’t, they’re both well in over their heads with the feels, and they fall and fall hard. It’s glorious!
“As a general rule” – his mouth hovers near mine, and we share a breath – “I avoid feeling much of anything. But you make it so goddamn easy.”
Quiet and uptight Luke is actually quite the filthy sex god, and oh holy wow, the sexy time is absolutely sizzling! Passionate and intense, it’s a reflection of all that they’re feeling for each other, and God, those scenes are hot!
“I feel so much I don’t know what to do with it.”
I love the dynamic between these two. More than just falling in mad love, they are changing each other. Cassidy is the breath of fresh air that Luke needs, and he is the steady, loyal influence that she needs. They may be opposites, but they complement each other perfectly, and I adored watching them, and their relationship, change over their time together.
I want to let this woman in. Until I met her, I thought feelings were easily controlled. A choice.
Now I’m riddled with the damn things and they’re winning. Leave it to Cassidy to tornado my beliefs, just like she tornado-ed my trip. In the best way.
They both have some pretty significant family issues to deal with, as well as figuring out whether their road trip romance can actually survive the realities of their real lives, and it’s a beautiful, heartfelt journey that I could not put down.
I want everything.
We’ve only had mere days. I want forever.
I love this book so much. I love the characters, I love their adventure, and I loved watching them fall in love (and they just happen to each have a fabulous best friend screaming out for their own story!). It’s such a fun read, but with a lot of heart, and a beautiful romance, and it’s definitely going down as a fave for 2023!
5 huge stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Check out more books like this on our Romcom Recommendation page