“Despite the odds. Despite every roadblock. Or maybe because of them. Everything went wrong so we could be right. Together.” Road trip romances seem to be the year’s theme, and you know what? We’re here for it—every single one, but especially the ones that grasp us in a chokehold right from the beginning and refuse to let go even after we’ve closed the book. Planes, Trains, and All the Feels by Livy Hart is something else entirely—something indescribable—brave and vulnerable and just right in every way.
Forced proximity can do much for two people destined to be together, but it’s only in the hands of a thoughtful writer that it can be believable. The intention behind every word choice and the relationship’s progression matters strategically to ensure that it doesn’t just feel like an all-encompassing fictional world but one that is raw and realistic simultaneously. And with every word, Hart draws out their dynamic to a place that feels so easy to be in that through every page you turn, you dread the fact that the book will eventually end. Despite the title, there really is no way to adequately prepare for all the feels. None whatsoever. It’s a whirlwind of austere, chaotic, dazzling, and steamy moments that each hit hard and fast. And most importantly, it’s a whirlwind that’ll stay with the readers.
Cassidy and Luke start their voyage with all odds stacked against them, powering through the worst kind of chaos at an airport, but they find themselves in a place so profoundly comforting that it’s evocative for the reader, too. As two people used to bending backward and forward for other people, finding someone who will take care of them leads to the best kind of story. It turns into something deeper, more familiar and reassuring, bringing the hope necessary to authenticate why finding someone who’ll treasure you through everything is essential.
Their connection is so seamlessly pleasant, and Luke is such a tremendous gentleman (even when he’s an understandable chaos goblin) that there’s also an unspoken safety in the novel that Hart weaves beautifully into all the spaces between the words. Planes, Trains, and All the Feels by Livy Hart is a lyrical gem—so much of the magic unravels in Hart’s ability to move the story along through beats that strike you straight into the heart while still maintaining an air of realism. No line feels forced or out of place, and the flow is so incredibly poetic that I’m in awe. How we progress to the drama and the third act breakup is carefully crafted to reveal character growth while reinstating why this love suits both parties perfectly.
In more ways than one, Planes, Trains, and All the Feels is for the people whose words and light have been snuffed out more times than not. It’s for the people who are afraid that if they don’t give everything, they’ll tear at the seams and disappoint everyone around them. And it’s for the people who are seldom ever told that they’re enough—it’s okay; they can breathe for a beat and live. It’s okay to dance and take risks instead of calculated choices brought on by measuring and considering everyone else’s needs. It’s about understanding that it’s okay to let go and allow the detour to take you wherever it’s meant to.
And it’s so effectively gorgeous in every way. I’m not sure what Hart sprinkled into this, but it’s a stunning array of light that encompasses why being seen for who we are matters so much. “The desire to exist and have it be enough to warrant love and affection. No qualifications necessary.” What a line. What an emotion. What tremendous transparency. There’s so much in this short period of time we spend with the characters that you have to force yourself to stop screaming about it. But it’s not just good or great even, no, it’s genuinely special—it’s a journey that leaves you with emotions stuck in your heart that you’ll think about for days on end.
Planes, Trains, and All the Feels by Livy Hart is now available wherever books are sold.