Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up reading about so many incredible places that I knew by the age of eight that I wanted to be a flight attendant one day. It was the only job I could think of that would allow me to explore every part of the world. And it has. I’ve been flying for seventeen years, and my wanderlust is still holding strong. If I’m not going on an adventure, I’m writing or reading about one. And, thanks to great authors who have created even greater characters, I never travel alone. 


I wrote

Book cover of The Layover

What is my book about?

After ten years as a flight attendant, Ava Greene is poised to hang up her wings and finally put down…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Just Haven't Met You Yet

Lacie Waldon Why did I love this book?

This book is about an optimistic journalist who writes about meet-cutes. She goes to the Channel Islands to do an article about how her parents fell in love there, but soon she becomes involved in a romance of her own. The story is sweet, fun, and filled with loads of witty banter and hilarious missteps. It was the setting that got me, though. I could feel the sunshine and smell the salty sea air. It reminded me of a time when I was younger and wanted to get away. I ended up on Anastasia Island, renting a converted shed in a stranger’s backyard and serving oysters at a restaurant on the beach. That shed did not keep out the lizards, but that summer ended up being one of the greatest of my life.

By Sophie Cousens,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Just Haven't Met You Yet as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the New York Times bestselling author of This Time Next Year comes a heartwarming and hilarious tale that asks: What if you picked up the wrong suitcase and fell head over heels for its mystery owner?
 

Hopeless romantic and lifestyle reporter Laura’s business trip to the Channel Islands isn’t off to a great start. After an embarrassing encounter with the most attractive man she’s ever seen in real life, she arrives at her hotel and realizes she’s grabbed the wrong suitcase from the airport. Her only consolation is its irresistible contents, each of which intrigues her more and more.…


Book cover of One Plus One

Lacie Waldon Why did I love this book?

This book has been around longer, but I just discovered it this year. It is JoJo Moyes at her best, being an absolutely brilliant writer and creating incredible characters you can’t help but root for. More importantly: road trip! Who doesn’t love a good road trip? Okay, maybe some people don’t love being strapped into a seat for hours (I’m looking at you, man who claims to be my soulmate). That’s what books like this are for, though. While I’m gas-guzzling my way aimlessly through Maine “in search of fall foliage,” you can burn rubber from the comfort of your own backyard. And fall in love along the way! 

By Jojo Moyes,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked One Plus One as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One single mom. One chaotic family. One quirky stranger. One irresistible love story from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Giver of Stars

Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied, and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can't afford to pay for. That's Jess's life in a nutshell-until an unexpected knight in shining armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess's knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has…


Book cover of The Road Trip

Lacie Waldon Why did I love this book?

Speaking of road trips… guess what this book is about. A car ride. It’s not as simple as that, though. It’s a car full of people with history, and the story chronicles both the past and the present in a way that makes you care about each and every one of them. It also takes you from the south of France to the north of Scotland, which is a dream vacation that I thoroughly enjoyed taking through the pages. I can’t recommend this book enough! 

By Beth O'Leary,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Road Trip as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The instant Sunday Times Bestseller from the author of The Flatshare

'Read this! Absolutely loved it!' Christina Lauren

'This book is perfect' Rosie Walsh

'Beth is quite rightly earning her title as "Queen of Uplit"' Prima

Addie and her sister are on an epic road trip to a friend's wedding in rural Scotland. But, not long after setting off, a car slams into theirs. The driver is none other than Addie's ex, who she hasn't seen since their traumatic break-up two years earlier.

Dylan and his best mate are heading to the wedding too, so Addie has no choice but…


Book cover of Shipped

Lacie Waldon Why did I love this book?

Not only does this book take you to the Galapagos, but it’s also very educational about the ecosystem there. That makes it sound dry and textbook-y, which is not the case at all. The story is actually my favorite kind of romance, where competition turns romantic. It just so happens that you pick up some knowledge between swoons. How great is that? 

By Angie Hockman,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Shipped as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Named a Best Romance Book of 2021 by Entertainment Weekly * Goodreads * PopSugar * Marie Claire * Real Simple * Insider * Vulture * CNN * Bookreporter * BookBub * and more!​

The Unhoneymooners meets The Hating Game in this witty, clever, and swoonworthy novel following a workaholic marketing manager who is forced to go on a cruise with her arch-nemesis when they’re up for the same promotion.

Between taking night classes for her MBA and her demanding day job at a cruise line, marketing manager Henley Evans barely has time for herself, let alone family, friends, or dating.…


Book cover of The Beach

Lacie Waldon Why did I love this book?

This is the only book on the list that’s not actually a romance. There is romance in it, though, so I think it counts. Regardless, I love this book and will always recommend it. I just happened to read it before I did my first big backpacking trip alone, and it totally influenced the way I approached those three months. In the book, the main character is obsessed with not just being a tourist but really experiencing the world in an adventurous way. It’s been years since I read it, and I still think about it all the time. If I was stranded on a deserted island and could only have one book with me, it would be this one. 

By Alex Garland,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked The Beach as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

On Richard's first night in Bangkok, a fellow traveller slits his wrists, leaving Richard a map to "the Beach", where white sands circle a lagoon hidden from the sea, coral gardens and freshwater falls are surrounded by jungle. Richard was looking for adventure, and now he has found it.


Explore my book 😀

Book cover of The Layover

What is my book about?

After ten years as a flight attendant, Ava Greene is poised to hang up her wings and finally put down roots. Unfortunately, she's working her last trip with Jack Stone – the absurdly gorgeous, ridiculously cocky man she's held a secret grudge against for years.

When their plane encounters mechanical problems, what should have been a quick stop in Belize suddenly becomes a weekend layover. Getting stuck on a flight with her nemesis was bad enough. Being stranded with him at a luxury resort in paradise? It will take all the rum punch in the country to drown out his larger-than-life presence. Yet the more time Ava spends with him under the hot Caribbean sun, the more she begins to second-guess everything she thought she knew.

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The Open Road

By M.M. Holaday,

Book cover of The Open Road

M.M. Holaday Author Of The Open Road

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up a fan of an evening news segment called “On the Road with Charles Kuralt.” Kuralt spotlighted upbeat, affirmative, sometimes nostalgic stories of people and places he discovered as he traveled across the American landscape. The charming stories he told were only part of the appeal; the freedom and adventure of being on the open road ignited a spark that continues to smolder. Some of my fondest memories from childhood are our annual family road trips, and I still jump at the chance to drive across the country.

M.M.'s book list on following the open road to discover America

What is my book about?

Head West in 1865 with two life-long friends looking for adventure and who want to see the wilderness before it disappears. One is a wanderer; the other seeks a home he lost. The people they meet on their journey reflect the diverse events of this time period–settlers, adventure seekers, scientific expeditions, and Indigenous peoples–all of whom shape their lives in significant ways.

This is a story of friendship that casts a different look on a time period which often focuses only on wagon trains or gunslingers.

The Open Road

By M.M. Holaday,

What is this book about?

After four years of adventure in the frontier, Win Avery returns to his hometown on the edge of the prairie and tracks down his childhood friend, Jeb Dawson. Jeb has just lost his parents, and, in his efforts to console him, Win convinces his friend to travel west with him―to see the frontier before it is settled, while it is still unspoiled wilderness.

They embark on a free-spirited adventure, but their journey sidetracks when they befriend Meg Jameson, an accomplished horsewoman, lost on the Nebraska prairie. Traveling together through the Rocky Mountain foothills, they run into Gray Wolf, an Arapaho…


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