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Barcelona Days
In this captivating novel, an erupting Icelandic volcano grounds all flights in and out of Europe, forcing four vacationing Americans to reckon with the problems they'd hoped to leave behind in Barcelona.
Whitney and Will are a perfect couple by all appearances, their relationship rock-solid, and their engagement soon to be announced. Before their impending nuptials, however, Whitney suggests a lighthearted experiment: why not give each other three romantic "free passes" before getting married? Three opportunities to imagine other lives before returning with new appreciation for each other. On what's meant to be the last night of a romantic Barcelona vacation, they agree to regale one another with details of these harmless trysts. They grin and bear it, and fall asleep feeling mostly satisfied, and relieved to be firmly together again.
But then a volcano erupts overnight, spewing a cloud of ash across Europe and grounding all flights indefinitely. Trapped in Barcelona, their paths intertwine with a star basketball player, his future dashed by a crippling injury, and a foreign exchange student with a double life, about to return home and face reality.
Whitney and Will flirt, provoke, dance, and drink. Over the next three days, they will use and be used by their new friends, once again testing the boundaries of their relationship -- but this time, can it survive?
Whitney and Will are a perfect couple by all appearances, their relationship rock-solid, and their engagement soon to be announced. Before their impending nuptials, however, Whitney suggests a lighthearted experiment: why not give each other three romantic "free passes" before getting married? Three opportunities to imagine other lives before returning with new appreciation for each other. On what's meant to be the last night of a romantic Barcelona vacation, they agree to regale one another with details of these harmless trysts. They grin and bear it, and fall asleep feeling mostly satisfied, and relieved to be firmly together again.
But then a volcano erupts overnight, spewing a cloud of ash across Europe and grounding all flights indefinitely. Trapped in Barcelona, their paths intertwine with a star basketball player, his future dashed by a crippling injury, and a foreign exchange student with a double life, about to return home and face reality.
Whitney and Will flirt, provoke, dance, and drink. Over the next three days, they will use and be used by their new friends, once again testing the boundaries of their relationship -- but this time, can it survive?
384 pages, Hardcover
First published June 23, 2020
23 people are currently reading
757 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 21, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.
Barcelona Daystells the tale of an engaged American couple, Will and Whitney who are grounded in Barcelona due to the invading chaos of an erupting volcano in Iceland that has stopped European flights. As the days pass, Will and Whitney's relationship is put to the test and all that has been unspoken between them now comes rushing to the surface. Matters become even more complicated when they encounter another American couple at a party. Will they make it to the altar?
Frankly, my dear, I didn't like this book. I get the metaphor of a couple's relationship being mirrored with the stages of a volcanic eruption. I really do! Daniel Riley is brilliant at creating a tense atmosphere around his characters. I didn't mind that they were all unlikeable but by the end I hated them passionately. Honestly, I just wish I had never met them! My goodness they were so shallow and immature and UGH! Actually this book reminded me of the 2004 film Closer with Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Jude Law, and Natalie Portman. Just because this book gave me the exact same feelings! I just want to scrub my brain and forget this encounter every happened.
But remember that reviews are very personal and although it wasn't my cup of tea, it may very well be yours.
Goodreads review published 21/05/20
Expected Publication Date 23/06/20
Barcelona Daystells the tale of an engaged American couple, Will and Whitney who are grounded in Barcelona due to the invading chaos of an erupting volcano in Iceland that has stopped European flights. As the days pass, Will and Whitney's relationship is put to the test and all that has been unspoken between them now comes rushing to the surface. Matters become even more complicated when they encounter another American couple at a party. Will they make it to the altar?
Frankly, my dear, I didn't like this book. I get the metaphor of a couple's relationship being mirrored with the stages of a volcanic eruption. I really do! Daniel Riley is brilliant at creating a tense atmosphere around his characters. I didn't mind that they were all unlikeable but by the end I hated them passionately. Honestly, I just wish I had never met them! My goodness they were so shallow and immature and UGH! Actually this book reminded me of the 2004 film Closer with Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Jude Law, and Natalie Portman. Just because this book gave me the exact same feelings! I just want to scrub my brain and forget this encounter every happened.
But remember that reviews are very personal and although it wasn't my cup of tea, it may very well be yours.
Goodreads review published 21/05/20
Expected Publication Date 23/06/20
May 23, 2020
Vapid. Pretentious. Insecure. Unlikable. Will and Whitney are every millennial couple that makes you roll your eyes when you overhear them talking. But as with any relationship, is it what it seems on the surface?
The premise and the first few chapters draw you in. This 'sort of' engaged young couple is stuck in Barcelona after the volcano in Iceland erupts, they've just spent a month a part exploring their romantic options before they commit fully to one another. The story starts with them recounting the (very) explicit details over dinner in beautiful Barcelona. They are just two young who proved to themselves that they belong together. Or did they?
A chance meeting of two interesting contemporaries at a party has them questioning everything. The middle of the book follows them as they unravel completely as a couple and individuals. Here's where there is lots of vapid, pretentious dialogue between two drunk, bitter millennials. I struggled here but there were glimmers of some driving force beneath the surface so I soldiered on. In the end there was a revelation that explained the uncertain, over-sensitive, over-thought interactions between the two.
I liked the story but the characters were mostly annoying and there was entirely too many words. I didn't need to know every thought in their heads. I would have enjoyed the story much more with a strong editor trimming back about 100 pages. Two and a half stars from me.
Thanks to Little, Brown and Company and Netgalley for review copy in exchange for my honest review.
The premise and the first few chapters draw you in. This 'sort of' engaged young couple is stuck in Barcelona after the volcano in Iceland erupts, they've just spent a month a part exploring their romantic options before they commit fully to one another. The story starts with them recounting the (very) explicit details over dinner in beautiful Barcelona. They are just two young who proved to themselves that they belong together. Or did they?
A chance meeting of two interesting contemporaries at a party has them questioning everything. The middle of the book follows them as they unravel completely as a couple and individuals. Here's where there is lots of vapid, pretentious dialogue between two drunk, bitter millennials. I struggled here but there were glimmers of some driving force beneath the surface so I soldiered on. In the end there was a revelation that explained the uncertain, over-sensitive, over-thought interactions between the two.
I liked the story but the characters were mostly annoying and there was entirely too many words. I didn't need to know every thought in their heads. I would have enjoyed the story much more with a strong editor trimming back about 100 pages. Two and a half stars from me.
Thanks to Little, Brown and Company and Netgalley for review copy in exchange for my honest review.
June 26, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown for the ARC.
This book definitely wasn’t for me. I thought by the description it would be a fun romp through Barcelona. Instead, the book included constant fighting and insecurity, plus some descriptions of sex that I honestly felt bored reading. While I was reading, I was thinking of giving the book a rating of 2 stars. The present day scenes were uninteresting, but it wasn’t a total wash because I found the flashbacks interesting, even if the characters were a little self-important. However, I decided to give this book 1 star because of the ending.
This book definitely wasn’t for me. I thought by the description it would be a fun romp through Barcelona. Instead, the book included constant fighting and insecurity, plus some descriptions of sex that I honestly felt bored reading. While I was reading, I was thinking of giving the book a rating of 2 stars. The present day scenes were uninteresting, but it wasn’t a total wash because I found the flashbacks interesting, even if the characters were a little self-important. However, I decided to give this book 1 star because of the ending.
July 7, 2025
DNF. Been a while since I gave up on a book.
This one was a weird, gross waste of time and I don’t know why I bothered for 100 pages. I should have trusted my gut after the two back to back similes in the first paragraph–painful ones at that.
This one was a weird, gross waste of time and I don’t know why I bothered for 100 pages. I should have trusted my gut after the two back to back similes in the first paragraph–painful ones at that.
July 6, 2021
This one was really not for me. In this novel, we follow a couple who get stuck in Barcelona due to the eruption of an Icelandic volcano. When picking up this novel, I thought it would be filled with adventure and descriptions of Barcelona and make me miss visiting this wonderful Spanish city. Unfortunately, there was very little to do with Barcelona itself and the heft of this novel was centered around the relationship of the main characters. They have been together ever since the end of college and recently got engaged and decided to give each other three hall passes to sleep with other people before they tell others about their engagement, all of which they recount during the first chapter.
Overall, this novel was filled with contradictions, jealousy, immaturity, miscommunication, and an all-around toxic relationship which I was not here for.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the gifted e-book in exchange for an honest opinion!
Overall, this novel was filled with contradictions, jealousy, immaturity, miscommunication, and an all-around toxic relationship which I was not here for.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the gifted e-book in exchange for an honest opinion!
April 15, 2021
The first half of this book was good, but at some point I just got so sick of the characters. The writing in certain parts was excellent, but I just could not overcome my apathy towards what happens to this couple. While the book is not predictable, that was the only thing that kept me through to the end. Asking myself "Why do I care what happens to these two?" the entire second half of the book while reading to see whether I was right turned out to be quite spiteful...
May 28, 2020
WARNING: THIS BOOK HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BARCELONA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The premise draws you in and the first few chapters were good. As readers, we are introduced to Will And Whitney, a you g millennial couple on vacation in Barcelona questioning if they should marry at the location. This part is a ok, but their relationship, conversations and actions are cringe-worthy after they meet two other people at a party; one is a basketball player, trying to start over after a severe injury, The other is a moody exchange student hiding their true identity. A catastrophic volcano erupts in Barcelona and strands both couples. Do Will and Whitney make it to the altar?
So the cover drew me in; who doesn't love a pretty cover? And again the premise was interesting but this book was anything but enthralling and I was struggling to complete this because I found Will and Whitney irritating and immature. Their relationship really falls apart like any book but their journey back to each other was annoying AF. I didn't need to know the TMI and every little thought in their heads.
Frankly, I was glad when this was over. I Just wanted the couple to make a decision and stick to it. Definitely not a favorite. The author could have done so much more with this and the book had potential for so much more but fell flat instead. Perhaps a different novel would be better than this one by the author, idk. Don't bother with this one.
Thanks to Netgalley, Daniel Riley and Little Brown and Company Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Little Brown and Co is definitely becoming a favorite publisher and I appreciate being auto-approved for future titles. <3
Available: 6/23/20
The premise draws you in and the first few chapters were good. As readers, we are introduced to Will And Whitney, a you g millennial couple on vacation in Barcelona questioning if they should marry at the location. This part is a ok, but their relationship, conversations and actions are cringe-worthy after they meet two other people at a party; one is a basketball player, trying to start over after a severe injury, The other is a moody exchange student hiding their true identity. A catastrophic volcano erupts in Barcelona and strands both couples. Do Will and Whitney make it to the altar?
So the cover drew me in; who doesn't love a pretty cover? And again the premise was interesting but this book was anything but enthralling and I was struggling to complete this because I found Will and Whitney irritating and immature. Their relationship really falls apart like any book but their journey back to each other was annoying AF. I didn't need to know the TMI and every little thought in their heads.
Frankly, I was glad when this was over. I Just wanted the couple to make a decision and stick to it. Definitely not a favorite. The author could have done so much more with this and the book had potential for so much more but fell flat instead. Perhaps a different novel would be better than this one by the author, idk. Don't bother with this one.
Thanks to Netgalley, Daniel Riley and Little Brown and Company Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Little Brown and Co is definitely becoming a favorite publisher and I appreciate being auto-approved for future titles. <3
Available: 6/23/20
May 24, 2020
Sometimes being stranded forces you to deal with your problems head on.
Whitney and Will, a couple in love, are vacationing in Barcelona. After a freak volcano hits, however, they get stranded there. Will being stranded make them come face to face with the issues they've been trying so hard to avoid?
Although I was initially attracted to this book's premise.. I found it to be a bit slow. While I did complete it, I wasn't enthralled or taken by the writing.
2 stars.
Whitney and Will, a couple in love, are vacationing in Barcelona. After a freak volcano hits, however, they get stranded there. Will being stranded make them come face to face with the issues they've been trying so hard to avoid?
Although I was initially attracted to this book's premise.. I found it to be a bit slow. While I did complete it, I wasn't enthralled or taken by the writing.
2 stars.
September 3, 2020
Overall, I appreciated the quality of Riley’s writing. He captured the nuances, intricacies, and complexities of couplehood and relationships beautifully. I was committed nearly from the outset of following Will and Whitney’s path. The ending was messy, complicated, and unresolved in a way that was difficult for any of us who like closure. I suspect that was also the point. While I’m glad I read it, I had some moments of real frustration.
July 10, 2020
I featured this novel in my book feature for July 2020 of Naples Lifestyle magazine. Travel Far, Through the Pages
An engaged couple shares the details of their three romantic "free passes" on the last night of their romantic Barcelona vacation. Ready to return home and begin their life together, the couple is stranded indefinitely due to an erupting Icelandic volcano grounding all flights in and out of Europe. Over the course of three days the couple will meet two new friends, also vacationing Americans with problems they'd hoped to leave behind in Barcelona, further testing the boundaries or their relationship.
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August 28, 2020
Barcelona Days By Daniel Riley
Rating 2 / 5 Stars
Publication Date - 6/23/2020
** Thank you to Netgalley, Little, Brown and Company, and of course, Daniel Riley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What I expected - A story based around a relationship (with happy and redemptive themes) set in Barcelona, Spain.
What I got - a slow burn novel based on a millennial couple (Will and Whitney) who are very unlikable and hard to read.
Barcelona has nothing much to do with this novel beyond being the setting. It is not explored much beyond the surface. The only reason this couple is here is that they are grounded due to an Icelantic Volcanic Eruption.
My biggest problem with this novel was...I was bored reading it. This couple fights all the time followed by insecurities. There was not much to make up for these scenes and the love scenes were boring as well.
I honestly just don’t think this book was for me. I truly thought I would like it, but it seems my anticipation wasn’t worth the read.
Rating 2 / 5 Stars
Publication Date - 6/23/2020
** Thank you to Netgalley, Little, Brown and Company, and of course, Daniel Riley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What I expected - A story based around a relationship (with happy and redemptive themes) set in Barcelona, Spain.
What I got - a slow burn novel based on a millennial couple (Will and Whitney) who are very unlikable and hard to read.
Barcelona has nothing much to do with this novel beyond being the setting. It is not explored much beyond the surface. The only reason this couple is here is that they are grounded due to an Icelantic Volcanic Eruption.
My biggest problem with this novel was...I was bored reading it. This couple fights all the time followed by insecurities. There was not much to make up for these scenes and the love scenes were boring as well.
I honestly just don’t think this book was for me. I truly thought I would like it, but it seems my anticipation wasn’t worth the read.
July 12, 2020
An engaged American couple is stranded in Barcelona because an erupting Icelandic volcano has grounded European flights. Of course, their relationship gets tested and it only gets worse when they meet another American couple. I get it. I understand the comparison of relationships and volcanoes, but I really didn’t like this book. I didn’t like the characters, they seemed so IMMATURE. I seldom give 2 stars, because I know that other readers have different interests than me, but I can’t think of one person who would like this book.
May 29, 2020
Barcelona Days
by Daniel Riley
Little, Brown and Company
You Like Them You Are Auto-Approved
General Fiction (Adult) | New Adult
Pub Date 23 Jun 2020 | Archive Date Not set
This was not my favorite book. I Loved the pretty cover and I really tried to read this, but I did not like the way the book was written.
Thanks to Net Galley and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC. I so enjoy being pre-approved for books.
by Daniel Riley
Little, Brown and Company
You Like Them You Are Auto-Approved
General Fiction (Adult) | New Adult
Pub Date 23 Jun 2020 | Archive Date Not set
This was not my favorite book. I Loved the pretty cover and I really tried to read this, but I did not like the way the book was written.
Thanks to Net Galley and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC. I so enjoy being pre-approved for books.
August 23, 2020
heaaaavily skimmed. it's an interesting and unique premise (couple stuck in Europe when there's a volcano erupting and forced to hash out a lot of issues prior to getting engaged/married and debriefing the 3 hall passes they gave each other) but man was it just written in a really uncompelling way, and I did NOT like most of the characters, most of the time. the thoughts jumped around too much, and the story took weirdly dark or unexpected turns and it was just unpleasant.
November 16, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. Whitney and Will are engaged but Whitney has a great idea to have a month long break to explore all the options before thy officially get married. After this month, they fly to Barcelona to bare all secrets. They thought they could tell each other all and then fly back home to start brand new. However, they get grounded by a volcano and they have to come to terms with their relationship. This book was eh. #barcelonadays #danielriley #jun2020
September 11, 2020
I couldn't finish it. I made it about 25% before I couldn't force myself to read anymore. It was slow and uneventful being the fact a volcano erupts and they go to a dinner party and mingle with a famous basketball player....After they slept with other people then traveled half way around the world to tell each other about it...
June 2, 2020
A fizzy, propulsive, modern romance, focused on the love triangle (quadrangle?) between four Americans who are trapped in Barcelona after an Icelandic volcano grounds all flights. I would recommend as a smart summer beach read for those who like Sally Rooney and Emma Straub.
June 23, 2020
I think it's really rare that a non-fiction writer's abilities translate to novels, but Riley's do. The pacing and vibe are very Emma Straub-y, but the framing and the feeling of "stuck-ness" kind of remind me of The Dinner, though sexier and more fun. I imagine this'll be made into a movie stat.
March 12, 2021
The characters agreed to have 3 final flings each, but then were jealous and snarky and rude to each other for having those flings. That was the first 25 pages..... I was very annoyed and frustrated so I quit 30 pages in.
October 19, 2020
An excellent choice if you enjoy tasteful smut, good conversations, emotional intelligence, and plot twists. There’s an occasional rambling page or two, but it’s forgivable.
December 29, 2020
You better take your shoes off because if you don’t - your socks will be blown right through them!
February 26, 2021
I thought the way the women were written had to be a joke. I guess not.
March 30, 2021
One of the worst books ever! The only character I didn’t hate was Jack. Won’t read this author again.
June 9, 2021
I liked the bits about Barcelona. Otherwise--I think maybe I'm too old to be reading about milennials whose existential angst about sex and marriage fills nearly 400 pages.
December 21, 2022
Insufferable people. But in a way I too want to go to Barcelona and come back gay
December 30, 2024
I was excited to read this book before I went to Barcelona, but it was a slow read....
November 11, 2020
Whitney and Will are stuck in Barcelona due to erupting volcanos in Iceland, which has stopped all European flights. Their relationship starts to get tested, and only gets worse when they meet another American couple. Meeting them has made them start to question everything. Will they resolve their issues that have surfaced since being stranded?
I liked the idea of the story, and the foreshadowing of the volcanic eruption being similar to Whitney and Will’s relationship. But, I will be honest, the characters drove me crazy. They were so shallow, immature and unlikable. That made it harder for me to enjoy the story. This book honestly wasn’t for me, but everyone has their own opinion!
I liked the idea of the story, and the foreshadowing of the volcanic eruption being similar to Whitney and Will’s relationship. But, I will be honest, the characters drove me crazy. They were so shallow, immature and unlikable. That made it harder for me to enjoy the story. This book honestly wasn’t for me, but everyone has their own opinion!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews