Publisher: 2nd December 2020 by Harlequin Australia
Pages: 352 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: contemporary, women’s fiction
My Rating: 3 cups
Synopsis:
This vivid story of campervans, stowaways and mischief at any age is essentially about families: the ones you have and the ones you make.
When Ruby and Angela embark on a Grey Nomads road trip, the last thing they expect is a tiny stowaway; one who will turn them from unsuspecting tourists into wanted kidnappers and land them in a world of trouble. As their leisurely retirement plans unravel, Angela's relationship with her brother Bernard goes from bad to worse.
Bernard has his own problems to contend with. Adrift in life, his career as a news presenter has been reduced to opening fetes and reading Voss as an audio book (a seemingly impossible task). His troubles are compounded when his wife starts dating a younger man and a drink-driving incident turns him into a celebrity offender.
As Angela and Ruby set about repairing burnt bridges and helping their unexpected guest, and Bernard attempts to patch together his broken life, they discover that even after a lifetime of experience, you're never too old to know better.
My Thoughts
‘He held his phone at arm’s length for Lucas to see. ‘She sent me a photo as well. It’s her and a friend, on a road trip apparently.’ ‘Very Thelma and Louise! Mia, having crept up behind to view the screen, startled them both. ‘Let’s hope they don’t run off a cliff.’
The Grand Tour is a quirky Australian tale of a rather eclectic group of people who, through the circumstances they find themselves in, try to make the best of some rather unusual situations.
Ruby and Angela, two retirees, decide to go on a road trip together whilst their units are being renovated. Herein lies my first disappointment - it’s not really that much about the road trips as they don’t really venture that far. This is much more a character driven tale with a weird and wonderful assortment of people you can come across in life. It’s also a story of the journey the main leads find themselves on (figuratively speaking) as they search for meaning through either age, lost spouse, lost career, lost family ties or all of the above.
‘A road trip.’ Ruby bobbed to let Angela hook an arm around her shoulders. ‘For someone who can’t stand somebody, you spend a lot of time worrying what he thinks. Precisely. Now do a big smile and make it look like we’re having the time of our lives.’
So whilst I was hoping for a good road trip story, the focus is more on working through the ups and downs of relationships and how meeting new people can ultimately show you how you can adapt to the many changes life can throw at you. The story perspectives jump around somewhat, some characters are hard to like and it's a tale that just trundles along with no real strong, key factor. I would also have loved a more engaging ending with closure, particularly for Ruby and her family.
If you are after a lighthearted and easy read, full of quirky and eccentric people and places then give The Grand Tour a go.
‘She’d equated motor homes with freedom: safe, comfortable, manageable freedom. She’d fore- seen spontaneity and adventure, something to stop her from stagnating. The idea now seemed oppressive. Escape was never on the cards; you can’t break free from yourself.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
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