The Accidental Plus One: Travel Tales from a Trailing Spouse

by Alison Ripley Cubitt

A burnt-out media executive. A chance to leave it all behind. Can she take that leap into the unknown, or is she doomed to fail?Alison was stuck going nowhere. Her shiny career had well and truly lost its lustre, despite the money her TV bosses were offering. Nothing would make up for the sacrifices she’d made these past fifteen years.

When she spotted an opportunity for her other half Down Under, could she leave behind a well-paid job and all that was familiar to up sticks?

When the restoration on the couple's dream home became unaffordable, they were off once again, crisscrossing the planet in a whirlwind journey of love, life, and passports.

The Accidental Plus Travel Tales from a Trailing Spouse is a heart-warming and humorous true story, that proves sometimes love leads us on the most unexpected journeys. If you like stories about brave but foolhardy risk-takers, quirky characters, and amusing tales from departure lounges and arrival halls, you'll love this fun, globetrotting adventure.

Genres: Travel

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 9, 2024

About the author

Alison Ripley Cubitt started her writing career at age nine by winning first prize in a writing competition with a pony book.

Some years later, she left New Zealand with the ability to make a white sauce without a recipe, carry three plates at once, and ride a horse (though not at the same time).

Dreaming of becoming a copywriter, she landed a job as the receptionist in an advertising agency in Sydney that made the TV series Mad Men’s work culture look tame.

But the lure of London proved too hard to resist, and she left Australia. Landing in London at the right time, she got her break in television production and lasted 15 years, working on Channel 4’s anarchic The Big Breakfast and at Walt Disney and the BBC.

For the past four years, she has divided her time between Melbourne, Australia and Jane Austen country, England.

An accomplished author of nonfiction, including two travel guides and three memoirs, her literary achievements encompass fiction, from screenplays to short stories and thrillers. The Accidental Plus One: Travel Tales from a Trailing Spouse is her ninth published book.
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Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

My second outing into the world of the author,this time as she regales with her stories as she accompanies her hubby as he moves around the world for his career….but all done as an adventure between themselves and something they both enjoy doing,got to say I love the game of ‘it’s your turn to choose the house’ whenever they fancy a change,and they regularly do ( fancy a change )
We visit to live and for holidays New Zealand,Australia,London,Austria,Denmark,Sweden,Germany with mentions of previous visits to other places and loved the info on The Cook Islands adverts
The author tells all in a funny but informative way and even if things don’t always go as planned can always see the positive side of events
Really interesting non boring facts and insights into the housing market both for renters and buyers in the places they move to and also which spiders to avoid!!
Almost told in diary form it is an enjoyable look into a fascinating life and for the 2nd time this author kept my interest all the way through her life’s stories

[S. Bavey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

The Accidental Plus One is a collection of travel tales, written from the point of view of a ‘trailing spouse’ i.e. someone who picks up their life and moves whenever their spouse’s job demands it. Alison’s husband, a University Professor, is offered career moves all over the world, each one more prestigious than the next, and Alison accompanies him on each of these moves, finding homes, making friends, and buying and selling furniture and cars, each time making the wrench without complaint. She makes the most of whatever is on offer to her, from sightseeing to local experiences and cuisines, sharing each of these experiences with her readers. She takes a variety of work in order to keep the couple afloat whenever they are waiting to hear about her husband's next position and a number of these tales derive from her work helping find housing for other relocating couples. Leaving a career behind to follow a spouse is never easy, and I can relate, as I did so twenty years ago. My own experience is quite different from Alison’s, with us staying put in the same place and having children, but I found her experiences to be really interesting, particularly when she mentions places I have visited or lived in. I liked her often sarcastic internal comments, which left the reader in no doubt what she really thought about certain situations and people she met and gave the reader a sense of camaraderie with the author.

[Tammy Horvath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to her significant other’s job opportunities, Alison has been fortunate enough to witness the wonders of the world. I loved traveling with them to exciting places like the lush greenery of New Zealand, the sandy beaches of Australia, the picturesque towns of Sweden, the snow-covered peaks of Austria, and the bustling cities of America. With every chapter, a fresh wave of adventures washes over the story. The characters in the story are vibrant, and you won’t be able to resist falling in love with Alison, her husband, and their playful Labrador, Zebedee. In addition to their own house-hunting endeavors, Alison, known for her people-pleasing nature, took on a day job in Melbourne, assisting others in their search for the perfect place to live. Despite her busy schedule, she made it a priority to curate a one-of-a-kind experience for a client—ensuring they had the chance to witness their first kangaroo sighting. She constantly amazed me. If you are passionate about travel, the visually stunning settings described in “The Accidental Plus One: Travel Tales From a Trailing Spouse” will leave you enchanted.

[Paula Learmouth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving across the world isn't an easy job as Alison finds out. Sorting out the dog came first, she couldn't leave it behind, followed by New Zealand Residency, selling the flat and a lot more. All this while sorting out her own wedding, a small simple one, with the help from her family and friends, everything sort of went ok, apart from almost no champagne. I love how Alison is prepared to move with her University Professor husband, not just once but many. Alison shares with us just what its like to pack up a house, finding a new house, as well as furniture, cars friends and a job for herself at times. Not everything goes to plan which we find out. The way the author has wrote the storyline, it was easy to picture just what was happening, Interesting, unique and funny all rolled into one book.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Alison's Misadventures In The Screen Trade, so I knew I would enjoy this book. The screen trade is no longer cutting it for Alison, but her husband (a university professor and Bryan Brown lookalike) gets the chance of a job on the other side of the globe. I love Alison's sense of adventure, packing up and joining her husband in many new placements, from New Zealand to Boston, Mass and many places in between. But she doesn't just sit back and do nothing. I enjoyed her tales of working as a relocator, and the italicized comments giving us the inner workings of her mind made me smile knowingly. If you've read Misadventures you'll love this continuation of Alison's story. If you haven't (why not??) you'll still enjoy this book as it works as a stand alone. Thoroughly enjoyed it, definitely recommended.

[Kelly Hollingworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book having lived and worked in Australia and New Zealand myself in the past. I had forgotten about the Kauri and Pohutukawa trees, Abel Tasman, Flinders Street Station and Kakadu so the book evoked many happy memories for me. Alison, BB Lookalike and Zebedee certainly have many different accommodations from the UK, to New Zealand, Australia and the USA, buying and renting along the way, always in dog friendly locations. They are experts at moving and at being successful in job interviews. This book would suit travel readers, adventurers and anyone thinking of living and working abroad. It is funny, contemporary and it has fuelled my future travel plans!

[Linda Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting and entertaining book. It certainly is a fun globe-trotting adventure. It’s fascinating and informative. A really great way to see the world and live in other countries, as ‘Not BB Brown’ (hubby) works in education. Alison finds out all about renting abroad and relocates herself and hubby multiple times. She even gets herself a job too, helping others find their relocation home. And Zebedee came too. Alison is so capable and organized as she juggles all the paperwork and red tape. There’s so many experiences along the way, and other countries visited. This is a great read. Highly recommend; very enjoyable.

[Alanna Fowler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was witty and interesting and full of nitty gritty facts that I like. I did find myself zoning out a bit but I thought her story of starting over after failure was really well written. I was drawn in with the cover, I think it is really unique and I hope others enjoy it as well.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read and review this book.

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 3 out of 5]

An engaging read about a couple who bounced around the globe and their experiences.
I always like to read about people’s experiences moving from place to place especially to different countries.
It’s an entertaining read and a way to explore but avoiding all the hassles and pitfalls.
Thanks to the publisher and Rachel’s Random Resources for the advance copy.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy this writer’s books. Readable and thoroughly entertaining.

[Catherine Cummins · Rating 5 out of 5]

GLOBE TROTTING ADVENTURES

I began the book because I loved the title, but found the travelings of the Bryan Not Bryans well written and witty.

[Sally Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful mix of humorous anecdote and fascinating morsels of information - from hook turns in Melbourne to how the Lipizzaner horses survived after the Second World War.

[Judy Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read Alison’s other books, I knew I was in for a treat and this uplifting read had me both holding my breath in anticipation and chuckling through all the mishaps. I loved the title, though I didn’t understand it, and was charmed that before the end of the book it was fully explained. Alison’s can-do attitude and sense of humor were refreshing and inspiring. I highly recommend this and all her other books.

[Liralen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cubitt had lived in the UK for decades when she spotted a job ad that would change the trajectory of her life: not a job ad for her, but for her husband. He got the job, and when they moved to New Zealand, they set of a series of moves from house to house and country to country.

I love travel memoir and moving-abroad memoir and, yes, trailing-spouse memoir, so I was eager to pick this one up. The Accidental Plus One kept me engaged for a while, but eventually I realized that there wasn't a ton of through-line or tension beyond "moving to the next place and finding a house to buy there." (I also love house memoirs, as it happens, but usually I want quite a lot of detail about said houses to qualify books about houses as house memoirs!) This ends up being quite anecdotal; lots of specific details about various experiences, but few of those stories go anywhere or come up again later in the book. (Also, Cubitt took on a job as a relocation specialist, helping to find other people places to live and so on—which is great—but she lost all relatability for me when she described a family as having a "limited budget" (51)...and then it turned out that while they were hoping to keep it to $725,000 or so (52), they could stretch beyond that. I know real estate prices are wild, and were even twenty-odd years ago, but three quarters of a million dollars as a "limited" budget just breaks my poor little brain.)

Still fun, but I think you'll get out of this if you go in expecting anecdotes than if you're looking for more character development and rooted sense of place.

[Mim_Who _Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Day in the Life: But on paper

I was drawn to The Accidental Plus One due to its relatable premise, having navigated the challenges of moving across the ocean myself. The writing is clear and easy to follow, making for a pleasant read. However, I had hoped for a more immersive exploration of the emotional, mental, and physical transformations that come with leaving everything behind and embracing a new culture. I thought it’d provide insight into how a person evolves and adapts to new environments and cultures, including the complexities of forming new relationships while leaving old ones behind.

Yet, the book only scratches the surface of these experiences, feeling more like a day-by-day journal than a nuanced narrative. Having said that, it was still pleasant to read. If you're interested in learning more about the author's life and experiences as a “plus one” spouse, you may enjoy this lighthearted story.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Elena Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Accidental Plus One: Travel Tales from a Trailing Spouse by Alison Ripley Cubitt is a candid and humorous exploration of what happens when ambition, partnership, and geography collide.

At its core, this is a reinvention story. The opening premise a successful but burnt-out media executive questioning whether the money and prestige are worth the personal cost immediately establishes emotional stakes. The decision to follow her partner “Down Under” shifts the narrative from corporate grind to global recalibration, and that tension between identity and adaptation runs throughout the memoir.

Cubitt captures the trailing spouse experience with refreshing honesty. Rather than romanticizing relocation, she leans into the awkwardness of departure lounges, the uncertainty of new beginnings, and the quiet recalibration of self-worth when professional status is stripped away. The financial strain of restoring their dream home adds another layer of realism, grounding the globe-trotting adventure in practical consequence.

What makes the book particularly engaging is its tonal balance. The humor often self-aware and wry keeps the memoir buoyant, while the deeper reflections on partnership and personal ambition give it weight. Readers who enjoy stories of bold risk-takers, cultural immersion, and the messy middle between stability and adventure will find much to connect with here.

Positioned within the travel memoir genre, The Accidental Plus One also speaks strongly to expatriates, trailing partners, and professionals contemplating a radical life pivot. It’s both escapist and relatable a combination that gives it enduring appeal.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Travel Memoir with a Difference.
From one side of the globe to the other, the author’s husband is in demand in his university-based career and the reader is party to travelling with this indomitable couple being witness to a totally different angle of travel - that of finding somewhere suitable to live, particularly if you have a dog in tow. The energy and organisational skills required are phenomenal to navigate such moves - qualities the author has in abundance and which facilitate what for most people would be extremely stressful relocations.

In addition to the tasks faced with moving home, the couple ensures they take time out in their new places of residence to enjoy the local area (or sometimes it’s the author on her own exploring the new surroundings while her husband is busy at work) which lends the memoir additional travel interest. Pertinent and honest observations by the author about the places and people - whether good are bad - add to the narrative, drawing the reader in.

The author has a unique gift for writing about intricate details whilst holding the reader’s attention, whether it be the mode of travel, or what colour the kitchen is - the reader is given as near a photographic image of the situation and scenery as can be possible - its like looking at a screen, watching the book.

This is a skillfully crafted memoir peppered with flashbacks to earlier periods in the author's life which adds intrigue and interest, making it a unique travel memoir.

[Marcia Crabtree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of Alison Ripley Cubitt’s short, jaunty, breezy memoir “The Accidental Plus One: Travel Tales of a Trailing Spouse” shortly after its publication from BookSirens. My opinions of the book are voluntary.

The book is a chatty, amusing notation in chronological and geographical order, of the various professorial jobs Ms. Cubitt’s husband undertook from approximately 2000 to 2019 from The United Kingdom, to Europe, to Australia and New Zealand, to Sweden and the United States. While it says next to nothing about his jobs, it speaks volumes about what Ms. Cubitt did with her time over the ensuing years and about the myriad homes that they rented, bought, and sold, and the wonderful places they visited and the people they met.

The book is a nice, airy travel sort of diary, which might be useful to anyone interested to learn about little known places off the typical, beaten tourist paths, but there is no index or easy guide to the places described. Ms. Cubitt mentions other books she has written, individually and with her husband, throughout the book, and notes a list of them at the back of the book. What’s interesting is that she mentions these books because she speaks about incidents relevant to the current memoir that wind up becoming a part the novels she and her husband are jointly writing or relevant to something she wrote about previously. These seem a very clever advertisement for her other books!

[Naturalbri (Bri Wignall) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was nothing like I thought it was going to be and I enjoyed it way more than I anticipated. I had thought this was a fctionalntake on a travelling spouse, but had no idea it was a brilliant very detailed tape about the journey a couple take, as they choose to take risks and find their own adventure in life.
I really enjoyed the brilliant level of detail and excitement we got to enjoy, throughout this story. We are not just told oh and then they flew to a place and that was it. We get told about the details of the flight, about the challenges of taking their beloved doggo with them and how that changes house choices, about renovating houses, buying houses in different countries and the pasts of some of those places. It is extremely interesting and finds a way to have you completely hooked on everything she is telling you. Honestly, I found the whole thing quite addicting, especially with crazy wee side quests like travelling to mines and crocodile hotels. It is a very unique book and one I recommend reading.

[Jeanette Jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was going to write that I wonder what it is like to uproot and move to another country, then I realised I have already done that. (I do not know why I do not feel like it does not count).
Though not as many times and certainly not as far as New Zealand, just as bad, if you ask my mum on the matter.

We follow Alison, BB lookalike, and ZeBeDee (best aliases ever) around the globe. And I get it. There is something about that fresh start, isn’t there?

Not everything is going according to the plan. So we get funny stories about houses, jobs and the different countries they have lived in.😊
I really like how Alison describes what happens along the way.

This book is perfect if you have ever wondered what it could be like to move abroad,

BTW: What the author writes about prices of a glass mediocre wine in Norway...That is actually not an exaggeration, and you would have to save for an extra month or two for the pints as well.🤣🤣

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the idea of picking up and moving somewhere completely new, having all sorts of wonderful adventures along the way. This is the perfect guide to understand the complexities of navigating an overseas move, figuring out how to get housing and cars, and the more fun stuff of making friends and checking out your neighborhood. Cubitt tells fascinating stories about her experiences with humor, wit, and intelligence. I wish there had been more to the stories, a little more about how this all affected them but I am glad I got to tag along for the ride.

I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.

[Sharon Hayhurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

A global adventure with a difference; moving from place to place in her partner’s footsteps, but making her own mark where-ever they landed. It’s not everyone who can pack up and follow their partner around the globe with ease, you have to be a people person, able to make new friends and start again in each situation, Alison is this person and her personality shone through in this memoir. Thoroughly enjoyed her sharp wit, represented through her inner thoughts, this aspect really brought the story to life for me. A thoroughly good read and 5 stars from me.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

traveling the world

What a wonderful life for the plus one—I have lived all over but not as a plus one, as a worker. To get to go and live in so many places and have enough money to enjoy them—what a dream. So find yourself a spouse who loves their job and can do it in many different places and doesn’t mind the plus one getting to enjoy life.

[JEAN OSMOND · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book about a wife who travels with her husband and his jobs. Finding somewhere to live. sometimes easy sometimes harder. An interesting read but didn't make me want to keep reading it.

[Stephen Malins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books where you skim the first few pages and know it's going to be engaging, so binge overnight and past breakfast. I loved the premise - clever professor Bryan Brown look alike ("Cocktail" anyone?) gets glam slots around the world, so his partner gets to accompany him - and why not? I found the New Zealand and Down Under sequences fascinating, and was captivated by their semi-permanent return to the UK. Alison has a nice pacy style, but light touch.

Make sure you pick up "Misadventures in the Screen Trade" too!