I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

It's the perfect idea for a romantic week together: traveling across America by train.

But then Hugo's girlfriend dumps him. Her parting gift: the tickets for their long-planned last-hurrah-before-uni trip. Only, it's been booked under her name. Nontransferable, no exceptions.

Mae is still reeling from being rejected from USC's film school. When she stumbles across Hugo's ad for a replacement Margaret Campbell (her full name!), she's certain it's exactly the adventure she needs to shake off her disappointment and jump-start her next film.

A cross-country train trip with a complete stranger might not seem like the best idea. But to Mae and Hugo, both eager to escape their regular lives, it makes perfect sense. What starts as a convenient arrangement soon turns into something more. But when life outside the train catches up to them, can they find a way to keep their feelings for each other from getting derailed?

Short and Sweet

Hugo and his girlfriend Margaret are planning to go on a train trip across the United States, but then Margaret breaks up with Hugo and though she encourages him to go on the trip without her, everything is in her name and the tickets are nontransferable. Now Hugo needs to find a replacement Margaret Campbell to go on this trip. Mae which is short for Margaret is an aspiring film maker and after her latest film didn’t impress and seeing that Hugo has a spare ticket decides to join him in hopes that a train trip is just what she needs to expand her horizons.

Characters

Hugo: Hugo is actually kind of famous in his town of Surrey for being a sextuplet. Hugo and his siblings are super close and I thought it was sweet I liked how close their family was. But thats kind of the problem for Hugo, him and his siblings are looked at as a unit and not as individual people which is why Hugo needs to go on this trip he just wants to figure out what life would be like on his own. Hugo is so sweet and kind, but he also has a reputation to forget things and get lost but nonetheless he’s still cute and his dialogue made me smile.

Mae: Mae is an aspiring film maker and her latest film didn’t impress those at USC so she got rejected from the film school but she’s not giving up so easily. When Mae sees Hugo’s online ad for another Margaret Campbell she takes it because who knows maybe her next greatest film will take place on the train. Mae is very dedicated to craft and I liked seeing how she formed an idea for her new film and how it eventually turned into something more personal for her. Mae and her Dads and her Nana also have a sweet relationship.

Romance

Hugo and Mae: Well they were complete strangers going on a trip across the United States and they hit it off well. They had chemistry, a week traveling together and getting to know each other it was bound to happen and I loved it. They really got to know each other and more about each others lives at home and their dreams and what they really wanted in life. It was just magical how everything took place, they wanted for each other to succeed and to be able to live out their dreams and encouraged each other and they just met!

My Thoughts

~ I thought the characters were great and I loved seeing who Hugo and Mae would meet during their travels. They interviewed some interesting people on the different trains, they all had great stories to tell.

~ I love books that include travel I like seeing where the characters will go and what they’ll find during their travels.

~ This is Hugo’s first time away from his siblings and of course he misses them but this is something he needs, he wants to be his own person and explore. I like how support his family is and how they let him do what he needs so that in the end he’ll be happy.

~ Mae learns how to make her work more personal on this trip, it was the one thing she was missing in the film she sent to USC. I liked seeing her come up with the idea for the new film on the train and how everything takes shape.

~ Hugo and Mae bring out the best in each other, he encouraged her to dig deeper when it comes to her work and she helped him believe he should try to be his own person because he deserves it.

Overall

I thought this book was, cute, funny, and everything I needed in a romance. The characters were great and I loved learning more about them. The book is short and easy to read, I really liked the writing style and I plan on reading more of Smith’s books. Definitely check this book out!