3.5/5 Easy Vacation Read with a Sweet Budding Romance

I received this ARC through NetGalley and was really excited since the idea of travel and romance pulling my interest. It was a very short and easy read and had wonderful European vibes. The book also handled loss of a loved one well, I don't think it over powered the book, but added growth to the FMC, Lisa. I felt empathy for her going through this trip alone so when the MMC, Rocky, continued to show up and save the day I looked forward to their interactions. He brought out a more fun side to her organized, scheduled plans. Maybe because I am very compulsive I connected to Rocky more than Lisa and wanted some of his POV's as well, but the reveal toward the end made the single POV worth it.

The main reason I did not rate this book higher is due to the fact I tend to love books with a lot of detailed descriptions of setting, feelings, actions over a straight-forward telling of what is going on. Probably the fantasy book lover in me. It was not that the book was written badly, I just prefer a different style. I think the details like that allow me to get even more connected, feel even more enveloped by the story, and connected to the characters so it is something I personally need.

Otherwise this book was a wonderful story with a lot of character growth and a heart warming romance.

Tropes: Vacation Romance, Opposites Attract, Damsel/Dude in Distress, Secret Identity, Insta Love
Spice: .5/5 - Very clean book, minor thoughts of fantasies, but closed door scenes.
Trigger Warnings: Parental Death, Grief, Panic/Anxiety Attacks

The Itinerary was a cute read and shares glimpses of real life grief. However, I felt there could've been more than what was there. An emotional journey, this is a nice feel-good read.

The Itinerary
By: Penny Pentley
Review Score: 4 Stars

Boogie’s Bulletpoints
•You can really feel the emotion as Lisa goes on this trip without her Mom.

•I loved the Itinerary she follows!

•Ok, her and Rocky? Absolutely loved.

•This book is a bit predictable, as I guessed the surprise pretty early on, but it didn’t take away from the story itself.

——————————————————————————————

The Itinerary was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and Books Go Social. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy this wonderful book!

Release Date: 5/21/24

The Itinerary is such a fun book. Yes, there is definite sadness (I didn’t say it was a “light” book). But I also just really enjoyed the journey.

I loved the places that Lisa visited. It was fun to see ii through her eyes, and to learn about the people she meets along the way.

It was also fun to see her and Rocky. I loved their relationship from the start!

The other thing I loved about this book is the realization that, nothing is perfect. You can follow an itinerary exactly, and something may happen that you didn’t expect. As an avid traveler, and a Type A personality, it was personally hard for me to learn such a thing. However, the realization made travel all the better.

I really enjoyed this book!

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When Lisa’s dad passes away, she and her mother plan a European vacation to help them deal with their grief. When her mother passes away unexpectedly, she decides to continue the trip and uses her mother’s basic plan and a well-loved copy of Bob Adams’ Adventures to help plan her itinerary. As Lisa travels through each city, she meets a man who seems to pop up every time she needs rescuing. Soon she is unsure whether he is a stalker or a budding romance.
An interesting premise for a story. At times, the situation that Lisa is in with the death of her parents did tend to overwhelm the story, but the romance did give some glimmer of sunshine. I would have like to have had more time spent on the development of this romance, to even the balance.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved this sweet romance. After the passing of Lisa's father, her mother plans a big European vacation for the two of them, but unfortunately her mother passes away before the trip. However, Lisa promised her mom she'd still go on the trip. While navigating new countries and the grief of the loss of her parents, Lisa finds bright spots in the landscapes and the unexpected companionship of a charming stranger of the male persuasion, with whom she has nice, instant chemistry. Thus ensues the vacation fling, but then what? This book was so cute, but then also sad in parts where Lisa's grief was very accurately depicted. But those sad parts were broken up by some really funny parts, and the lovely chemistry between Lisa and her fling. Additionally, Pentley gives you a nice, verbal tour of Europe that I was completely engaged in throughout! I was also impressed with how great this romance was without the need to inject graphic spice; I loved the closed door way in which the intimacy was written. Definitely would recommend!

This was a nice, shorter read. The storyline keeps moving. The author does a nice job with visual storytelling; it was easy to picture scenes that Lisa is observing during her travels.

I don’t know that I’d exactly call it a trigger warning, but if you’ve lost a parent, especially recently, this book will definitely make you cry as you experience Lisa’s fresh journey in grief.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴𝘎𝘰𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭/𝘍𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

“The Itinerary” by Penny Pentley is a poignant and captivating read that took me on an unexpected emotional journey. The story follows Lisa, who, after the loss of her parents, embarks on a European adventure they had planned together. With only her mother’s itinerary and a copy of Bob Adams’ Adventures as her guide, Lisa’s trip becomes a heartfelt exploration of grief, healing, and self-discovery.

Pentley’s narrative is beautifully crafted, with each city’s description so vivid and enchanting that I felt transported across Europe myself. The serendipitous encounters with a mysterious stranger add a layer of intrigue and romance that kept me turning the pages eagerly.

What resonated with me the most was the authenticity of Lisa’s experiences—the setbacks and surprises of travel, the bittersweet moments of reflection, and the joy of new friendships. It’s a story that reminds us that sometimes the best way to honor the past is to embrace the present.

In essence, “The Itinerary” is more than just a travelogue or a romance; it’s a journey of the soul. It’s a book that I found both comforting in its familiarity and inspiring in its message to live fully. For anyone who has experienced loss or is seeking a story that combines wanderlust with a deep emotional core, I highly recommend this touching novel

I chose to read this book because the cover looked cute, and the blurb (a grieving woman goes on a tour of Europe) sounded fun.
The book is on the shorter side at about 150 pages which I did not know when I downloaded it to read the copy from NetGalley.

Lisa (Elisabeth) is grieving the loss of both of her parents, When her dad died, her mom and Lisa had planned a trip to Europe (Italy, Germany, and France to name a few countries) but sadly Lisa's mom died before the trip could happen. Lisa, armed with her mom's travel guidebook and notes heads off on the trip on her own.

Along the way, a man comes to Lisa's rescue, and then she encounters him again and again as she travels. Romance ensues. But who is this guy and why does he keep showing up everywhere?

I enjoyed the travel aspects of the story, and would have liked more details on all the things Lisa was seeing and eating. The story didn't really dwell on anything, Lisa arrived at a location, found her accommodations, ate food, and then moved on to the next stop on the itinerary.

I found the romance in the story to be a little too easy/insta-lovey for my taste but the answer to the question about why Lisa keeps running into her romantic interest was satisfying. I didn't quite connect with the characters as much as I normally like for a romance. Because the story was so short there really wasn't room for a lot of backstory or details to connect me with the characters.

Now I want to go to Italy and France. I am glad I read this novel,

This was a fun and quick read that takes you across Europe for some quick destinations. We meet Elisabeth (aka Lisa) on a flight to Europe where she is taking a trip that was meant to be spent with her mother. Sadly both her parents have passed away and Lisa is forced to complete the leg of the trip on her own due to the whole thing being non refundable. The only thing Lisa has to remember her mom is her well worn, annotated Bob Adams travel itinerary book.
Along the journey of exploring the sights and cuisine of Europe, Lisa deals with the loss of her mother and the fact that she is here on the trip alone instead of enjoying it in the company of her mother. I did like how the author delved into Lisa’s emotions and how she dealt with the grief of her mother. I also enjoy the romance that sparked along the way with Rocky. The big reveal at the end was entertaining and the fact that Lisa questioned the instalove connection was refreshing and realistic. I do wish the ending wasn’t rushed.
Thank you NetGalley and the author, Penny Pentley for the ARC Copy of The Itinerary. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this!
As someone whose lost my mom I would 100% do what Lisa did and go on a solo trip my mom dreamed if.

Lisa and Rocky are adorable. My only complaint was I wanted MORE!

Thanks for the ARC!

this book is such a cute read!!!!
despite having quite an american air to the way some of the destinations visited are talked about, i still found it enjoyable <3 i liked the writing, i think the backstory for Lisa could've been handled a tad bit better but for a short read, it was fine
i had a little hard time believing both the tumble into Lisa liking Rocky + the continued belief that he could be stalking her (the latter simply because of the framing) but for what it was, it was sweet as hell, and i enjoyed it a lot
<spoiler> i found the third act conflict (if you can call it that i suppose) to be a little unbelievable (in the sense that i couldn't understand why Lisa took it so personally) but all in all it was good! </spoiler>

4.25 ⭐

[NetGalley Read #2]

Really liked this.

• Positives:
Main characters (Lisa and Rocky) are well-written. They have great chemistry and are relatable and funny.

Europe as the setting is a great choice. All the descriptions of museums, paintings, architecture and food are quite nice. Also the whole mystery element is resolved quite well.

Lisa's relationship with her mother is written very well and the ending is sweet.

• Negatives:
Can't think of many.

It's a sweet little story with good dialogue, great characters and a beautiful setting. Worth a read. 👍

A cute little book that gives you fleeting glimpses of some amazing places in Europe. Whilst I appreciated the way that grief was written about, I do wish there was a bit more about each of the cities that Lisa visited; a chance to shine a light on these stunning places. A quick read that is perfect for someone thinking about where they might want to travel to in Europe.

The pace of this story mirrored the fast and fun travel itinerary followed by our lead characters so well. I savored the highs and lows of traveling unaccompanied after the loss of loved ones, and the excitement and nervous energy of finding new friends and love while abroad. I would happily read this again and will definitely recommend to others.

This book was an adorable romance across Europe. The main character is taking a trip after her parents die. She meets a guy and they end up experiencing the cities together.

The romance is very wholesome and pg-13 through the whole book. I really enjoyed reading about the things she did throughout every city she went to. I wish I would have kept this book for my Europe honeymoon coming up. This would be a fun read when you are traveling.

After Lisa’s father passed away, she and her mother plan a trip to Europe using her Bob Adam’s Adventure Guide to create the perfect itinerary. Before Lisa can set out on this adventure, her mother unexpectedly passes away. Lisa is left going on this trip solo with the intention to honor her mother’s itinerary.

During her travels, Lisa experiences fun filled sights, people, and steps out of her comfort zone. The story provides you with an opportunity to vicariously sight see (or stir up nostalgia) as she goes to typical tourist locations in each city. Lisa’s grief over the significant losses is woven into the storyline when she meets another traveler. There were times during the story, I wished there was more development with the characters to create a deeper connection to the trip, her grief, and her potential love interest…or stalker?

Overall, this is a sweet, entertaining, meet cute that will want you to plan your next vacation.

This book is the perfect beach read! If you love the "Love and Olives" serious, this is the new adult equivalent for you!

I love to travel, and I even love to live vicariously through my friends’ trips between my own trips. This cute book appealed to me for that reason right off the bat. Lisa is on her own in Europe, and it was fun to read her descriptions of the different places she was, the food she ate, and the people she saw. I looked forward to each new location she visited and to reading the details of each place. Add to that the romantic twist, and this book was a delightful read. I do wish it was a bit longer simply because I was enjoying it so much. At times, it did run the risk of being a bit depressing given what Lisa was dealing with, and I do wish that was not quite so prevalent. I understand why it was, but I would rather have had more development in the relationship at hand and a bit less maudlin behavior.. All in all, this was a fun story which I enjoyed reading; it was light and fun. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Following Lisa's travels was like flipping through my own photo album, reminiscing about all the places I've been!
And can we talk about Lisa's love story? So sweet! I was cheering her on the whole way through. But seriously, how does she manage to nap so much? 😴😂
Overall, if you're in need of some wanderlust and a dash of romance, "The Itinerary" is your ticket to adventure! 🎟️✈️

Conflict between Lisa & Rocky was so stupid & childish it ruined everything. Before that, I really enjoyed the book & why Lisa went to Europe.