Fun at Parties

A Novel

By: Jamie Harrow

Narrated by: Karissa Vacker

In this swoony estranged-friends-to-lovers romance, a celebrity spin instructor and her longtime crush take a spontaneous cross-country road trip that turns into an unexpected but epic party hop, and end up en route to love.

When online cycling instructor Quinn Ray has a mid-class meltdown after a bad breakup—dramatically off-brand for someone whose vibe is sunshine and rainbows—her boss orders her to take a few weeks off work. And that’s fine. In fact, a quiet road trip through America’s most tranquil scenery is exactly what she needs.

But then Nate Reed, who’s barely spoken to Quinn since their friendship imploded two years ago, asks to hitch a ride so he can reunite with their chaotically lovable pal Logan to discuss something important. Unfortunately, Logan seems to be dodging them on purpose. Meanwhile, the internet rallies so strongly behind Quinn post-breakup that her boss orders her to seize the opportunity to rebrand herself as everyone’s favorite emblem of fun, empowered singledom.

So Quinn and Nate put aside the awkwardness between them and follow Logan 450 miles to a Las Vegas nightclub. And then chase him to a rooftop rager . . . baby shower? . . . in Denver. A rain-soaked country-western music festival in Kansas. A rowdy Nashville bachelorette party. As Quinn's peaceful road trip becomes a tour of America's biggest party spots with the guy she didn't know she still wanted, she realizes Nate might just be the silver lining she never thought to look for.

Enjoyable book!

This was a great book to listen to in the car during commutes. The narrator did a wonderful job - the voices were dynamic, engaging, and not over the top. I'm super picky about audiobooks but this one delivered, despite there only being one narrator.

Overall, this is a solid 3.5 read. I was hooked on the premise of this book and while it was predictable, I enjoyed the experience and living alongside Quinn and Nate as they embarked on a cross-country road trip. A friends to lovers/second-chance romance are always tropes I gravitate toward and this book did the trope justice. However, the book felt slightly longer than necessary - some of the road trip details and stages of finding their friend could have been condensed or consolidated. These side quests felt like they took away from Quinn and Nate being able to communicate effectively and revisit the past in order to move forward. Quinn's struggles and frustrations, while relatable, veered on borderline excessive, which added to the length of the book (which again, could have been cut down for the same effect). All in all, a fun read as long as you go into the book with these expectations.