The Girl's Guide to Summer by Sarah Mlynowksi

Sydney Aarons is leaving her Manhattan townhouse for a summer backpacking around Europe with her best friend, Leela. They're visiting London, France, Italy, Switzerland and everywhere in between - it's going to be the trip of a lifetime.

BUT... The trip gets off to a bad start when Leela's ex-boyfriend shows up on their flight out of JFK. When they touch down in London, Leela Instagrams their every move in the hope Matt will come and find them... Which he does, along with the most gorgeous guy Sydney has ever seen.

Will Sydney's summer fling last the distance? And what will happen when they all head home?

Sydney is used to looking after her mother, who suffers from anxiety and agoraphobia, but she is assured that her trip to Europe with her best friend will go ahead as planned. It doesn't stop Syd worrying about her mum though, or her younger sister who should be looking after her.

Then of course there's the added drama of finding out that Leela's ex Matt is on their plane and planning the same trip (as it was supposed to be Leela and Matt's holiday before they broke up). So Leela is both angry and desperate to rub his face in her being over him, even though she isn't, and drags Syd through a lot of emotional turmoil. And then there's Matt's friend Jackson, apparently renowned man-whore, who is often left with Syd when Matt and Leela go off and fight/have make-up sex. Whichever. 

I can always count on Sarah for a very funny and memorable story, usually involving lots of kissing and leaning on friends. The girls (and sometimes the boys) take us across Europe, all the good and major cities, hitting the tourist traps and enjoying local fun - Amsterdam needs no explanation! It was lovely seeing all the different places, how the atmosphere and the character's enjoyment depended on where they were and who they were with. 

It was also a great mix of  road trip fun and mental health awareness, as Syd worries over her family, has a panic attack climbing the stairs in the Eiffel Tower, and has a huge row with Leela over the guys. All in all, a fantastic story - classic road trip fun, with hot boys, good friends and life lessons learned.

Published 15th July 2017 by Orchard Books. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.