When I first saw this book at Barnes and Noble, the cover intrigued me. I love reading books about travel. After reading the synopsis, I was a little skeptical. I was not sure how I would feel about this book. I decided to take a risk and spend the $25 on it. It was definitely worth it. If you’ve ever read “The Bookish Life of Nina Hill,” then “Eighty Days to Elsewhere” by KC Dyer is for you. 

What I enjoyed most about this book was the travel aspect of it. The main character, Ramona “Romy” Keene, was sent abroad to follow in Phileas Fogg’s footsteps from “Around the World in Eighty Days” by Jules Verne. Romy was allowed to use any type of transportation, except commercial flight.   

You get to watch Romy, who has never traveled in her life, learn and adapt to the world around her. At the beginning of her travels, Romy was ignorant of the religions and lifestyles of the cultures that she visited. I was glad to see her grow and learn from her mistakes and to see her become a new person. 

Ramona Keene took this adventure to save her uncle’s books shop which was on the line to be taken over by an evil businessman. The end of this adventure, if completed successfully, was a bonus of $10,000. While Romy does have a good reason to take this opportunity, so does her competition, Dominic Madison. Only one person can be the winner. 

While this book is mostly about travel and adventure, there is a little bit of romance too. I enjoy books with a side of romance, especially the enemies-to-lover trope that this book has. Not only are Dominic and Ramona competing to save their own families, but they are also trying to not fall for each other. You’ll have to read the book to find out who wins and who loses.