Wanderlost

by Jen Malone

Aubree Sadler can’t think of a better place to be than in perfectly boring Ohio, and she’s ready for a relaxing summer. But when her older sister, Elizabeth, gets into real trouble, Aubree is talked into taking over Elizabeth’s summer job, leading a group of senior citizens on a bus tour through Europe.

Aubree doesn’t even make it to the first stop before their plan unravels, leaving her with an unexpected guest: the tour company owner’s son, Sam. Considering she’s pretending to be Elizabeth, she absolutely shouldn’t fall for him, but she can’t seem to help it.

But her relationship with Sam is threatening to ruin her relationship with her sister, and she feels like she’s letting both of them down. Aubree knows this trip may show her who she really is—she just hopes she likes where she ends up.

• ISBN10: 006238015X
• ISBN13: 9780062380159
• Publish Date: 31 May 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Imprint: HarperCollins
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 352
• Language: English
• URL: http://harpercollins.com.au/9780062380159

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

It wasn't easy being the little sister, and Aubree had been living in her sister's shadow her entire life. When Aubree was forced to take her sister's place leading a European tour, she saw it has her opportunity to prove to her sister, and the rest of the family, that she was a mature and capable person. She not only demonstrated this to her family, but she confirmed it with herself.

I had such a wonderful time on this trip with Aubree! It's not a crime to be a little scared to step outside your comfort zone, but poor Aubree was shoved with both hands. At first, she relied heavily on the kindness of strangers, but with each baby step she took, her confidence grew, and she began to take ownership of this trip. It was such a delight to see her grow over the course of this book, and I sort of was proud of everything she accomplished.

And, how lucky was Aubree to have Sam. That boy was such a sweet little cinnamon roll. For a while, I only had heart-eyes for him. He was perfect! He was thoughtful and fun and caring and his interactions with Aubree made me giddy. But, you know what? I think I loved him even more, when I found out he had a few flaws. But, yeah, he definitely earned a place on the list of fictional suitors for my daughter.

Being in Europe was fantastic. This was one lucky tour group, because they did and saw so many amazing things. All the sights were fabulous, but even more fabulous was Aubree's tour group. You know I love old people, and this was a fun and feisty group of seniors. They shared so much of their wisdom with Aubree, and they definitely contributed to her growth process.

Wanderlost was a wonderful and adorable book, which allowed me to share so much laughter, warmth, and joy with this group of travelers.

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[jeannamichel]

So much wanderlust! Review to come.

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
4.5*

This is the cutest freaking book of ever. I don't "do" fluffy often, and when I do, I am critical. So for this one to pass my ridiculously high standards has to say something! I loved this book. Let's talk about why (and the one reason I deducted a bit) shall we?

I loved it because....

• Aubree develops so, so much by stepping outside her comfort zone. She's kind of spent her whole life in big sister Elizabeth's shadow- even though she's pretty great in her own right. She doesn't think she'd ever be interested in traveling, of seeing other cultures. And she sure never wanted to spend a summer with a 65+ tour group traipsing around Europe. (Though can I just say, I really do?) The thing is, she doesn't just jump in confidently like some brash heroine. No, she fumbles and muddles her way through, trying to get by, and even taking help when she needs it and others are willing to give it (which frankly, I don't think there's enough of in novels- where's the message that it's smart to ask for help!? Well, it's in this book for sure, and I love it)! Watching Aubree find herself- or at least know that she wants to find herself- is magic.


• The tour group is everything. Jen Malone didn't just write some generic old people. She wrote awesome characters who all have complete personalities. They aren't all just likeable old grandmas either- some of them have bigger flaws than others- but in the end, I cared about every single one of them so, so much. They totally made the story. And I loved that Aubree had respect for them- and they for her. She formed relationships with these people that were quite beautiful. It was really classy all around, and again, something we absolutely don't see enough of in novels of any genre. And the great thing is, we even see how, at an old age, you can still continue to grow and develop, and change your life. Quite inspiring stuff.


• The romance is so freaking swoon-worthy! Okay, when a relationship starts as phone flirtation from across the globe, you know it's going to be a fun one. Because it wasn't some kind of insta-love at first sight nonsense- they liked each others' personalities before anything else. And then yes, there is an attraction in person, because of course there is. But it isn't all perfect either- and there are tense and serious moment too. I just adored Sam, he was so charismatic, and charming, and knew how to just let go and have fun, no matter the circumstance.


• EUROPE. Need I say more? This is a dream vacation, basically, and the only time I got mad at Aubree was when she didn't love Monaco ;) But in seriousness, I loved that she started falling in love with these places, and I could really picture her there, leading the group!

So, that one thing that I didn't love? The premise is kind of ridiculous, frankly. The whole "sister getting arrested, minor taking over a tour group in Europe" thing was just not believable to me in any way. There are just so many security checkpoints and reasons that this could never have happened, but if you can kind of put that aside, which I was able to, I think the rest of the book is absolutely enjoyable enough to negate this flaw.

Bottom Line: Clearly, I recommend. I enjoyed this book, and love the themes that it contained- all while still being completely adorable.

**Copy provided by publisher for review.