I know I haven't written a review in a while but I needed to write one for Wanderlove. This is one of those book. The type of book that just makes you smile and when you finished it. I really don't know how to describe the book but I do know how to describe my feelings while reading this book and hopefully that will make you consider reading it. I was grinning like a maniac and turned on the Christmas lights that always hang on the wall. It made me want to travel even more than I wanted to before; it made me feel like it was possible. It's the type of book that made me so cheerful I ran outside in the rain with my sister and country danced barefoot in the grass while singing Celtic songs. It was the perfect book for me and was exactly what I have been looking for in a travel book.

Bria is different from most characters you find in this sort of novel, she's not whiny or the typical rich bitch, she's easy to relate to and is believable and likable. She's completely normal, it makes you believe that if she could survive traveling then you can too. Starling and Rowan act as guides for Bria on this trip and the relationship between Bria and Rowan is a solid friendship and enjoyable to read. Rowan almost always had a book in his hand which made me like him even more and there were plenty of book references. I loved reading about what it's like to backpack around Central America, both the good things (Hostels have book exchanges?!) and the bad. I love reading about the different places they traveled to, since I don't have the opportunity to travel I enjoy armchair travel. I really, truly loved this book. So go read it. ( )

I loved the whole idea of a young woman discovering her unique gifts and
strengths.
Bria Sandoval has embarked on an after-graduation trip to get away from her
ex-boyfriend and her constantly arguing parents. She originally signed up to
be a Global Vagabond but decides to break from the group and follow some
backpackers closer to her age.
Bria, whose artistic talents have become dormant since breaking up with her
artist boyfriend, ends up in some wonderful places and sees things she
never would have had she stayed with her tour group.
I found Hubbard’s descriptions of the locations and her illustrations to be
wonderful. ( )

A great alternative if you’re feeling a bit burnt out by beach house and lake house novels yet still crave summer vibes in your reading.

Setting plays a fantastic role in this one, from marketplaces to beaches and vistas, stops for food and accommodations, the author very much takes you there.

Really the only part of this I didn’t enjoy as much as the rest was Lobsterfest. I guess attending some big blowout party didn’t really fit with my idea of who Bria and Rowan were by that point in the story, and their behavior that night/early morning, it’s the only time when something in this novel felt kind of forced. I liked the aftermath of it, the direction it sent Bria in, how it tests her, I guess I just felt like maybe there could have been another way to get her to that test that seemed a little truer to their characters.

Aside from the feeling of vicarious travel, what I most loved here was that the romance wasn’t at the forefront. I liked them together, the chemistry is evident from the beginning, I enjoyed their shared scenes but I appreciated that Bria does most of her growing apart from Rowan, in particular where her character and this book truly hooked me was in Bria’s journey to reclaim her art, that was almost entirely explored on her own, in private, and as someone interested in creative pursuits and processes and who very much identified with Bria’s fragility surrounding her art, those moments had me invested and eager to turn the pages, to see if she’d get that important side of herself back on track. I really do like it when the girl has bigger things at stake than just getting the boy. ( )

Let's ditch problems by travelling abroad! Backpacking.
*pause*That sounds kind of good. Inspirational?

So. GOOD. Almost a marathon read. Couldn't put it down!

It's a journey to find yourself, discover your strength, push your limits. Reaching for the horizon, stretching your wings, learning to fly.

Wonderfully written, carefully drawn out. I loved the illustrations! A nice touch that adds to experience.

It also rekindled my desire to sketch and draw. Can't believe I've found excuses to give it up! (Although I'm not that good to begin with, to be fair)

HEA = 3 - unexpectedly balanced

FINAL VERDICT: HARDCORE, READ, KEEP, SPREAD THE WORD! ( )

I spent 2 years as a traveler between college and law school, and so much of this brought me back to that wonderful and magical, and terrible time, the time at which I started to really become me. The writing could have been better, and the other backpackers a little more human, but it was lovely nonetheless. ( )