Review: The Group Trip

The Group Trip by Audrey Ingram
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

A good book, but not a fantastic one.

I'm not sure, but I think that I have never read a book with so many unlikeable characters before. We have wishy-washy Chloe and a selfish Luke, Sloane, who forces everyone to do what she wants, and Wyatt, who is hiding the biggest secret of all.

I DO understand that this is a novel about growing up and personality growth, but still. Another problem I had with this book is that it had so many characters that most of them got lost in the background. They never get fully fleshed out. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem for me, as every book needs secondary and tertiary characters. However, the problem here is that this book is about six people who are friends during college and remain so after college, right into mature adulthood - they ALL should have gotten their tales told. But they didn't. That is, of course, just my opinion, and many other readers will see it another way.

This story is told in split timelines, starting in the present and then interspersing each 'present' chapter with past years and how things came to be. It works its way to the end when we finally get to understand why and what was happening in the prologue.


This book mostly centers on Chloe and her relationship with Luke. It then throws in other people who are all holding on to secrets (the biggest one is really easy to guess), and some are even telling lies.

*This ARC was provided by the publisher Alcove Press, the author, and NetGalley.




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SYNOPSIS: "Firefly Lane meets Happy Place in this touching southern-set novel about what it means to grow up together–hopefully without growing apart.

Told through dual timelines, Ingram paints a stunning portrait of friendship for fans of Kristy Woodson Harvey.

Sloane and Alden. Chloe and sometimes Luke. Steady Marianne. Reserved Wyatt. The six friends meet in their freshman year of college and quickly become inseparable as they navigate the bumpy road into adulthood. Over the next decade, they support each other through love and heartbreak, promotions and burnouts, stupid mistakes and epic dance parties.

But when Chloe inexplicably refuses Luke’s long-awaited proposal, their breakup fractures the close-knit group. Uncertain about the future of their friendship, they all reluctantly agree to gather for a luxury getaway on Florida’s Emerald Coast. As Chloe struggles to mend what she broke, the friends discover they’ve all kept secrets from the people who are supposed to know them best. Between beach bonfires and fried seafood dinners, the friends confront who they’ve become while longing for their carefree past.

For everyone who has felt both the joy and pain of changing friendships, The Group Trip offers a poignant exploration into matters of the heart.

Expected publication August 6, 2024"