Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

It all begins with a stupid question:

Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

Kirsten Hubbard lends her artistry into this ultimate backpacker novel, weaving her drawings into the text. Her career as a travel writer and her experiences as a real-life vagabond backpacking Central America are deeply seeded in this inspiring story.

Summary taken from Goodreads

Wanderlove was a beautifully written story. The scenery was so vivid and amazing, I was ready to go out and buy a backpack and take off to a part of the world I'd never seen before. I was so envious of Bria the entire novel, which just goes to show how much I loved it!

Not only was the setting so real it was like you were there, but the story was very cute as well. Bria meets a couple of veteran backpackers who take her under their wind and help her escape what was bound to be a miserable vacation with the so called Global Vagabonds. She almost talked herself out of going, but the urge to see Central American the right way won out. Plus it didn't hurt that Rowen was a complete hottie! I would have done exactly the same!

Rowan was mysterious and totally sexy. He had a dark past but was trying so hard to overcome it and live a better life. That made him utterly irresistible to me. And he reads!! *swoon*

Rowan's sister, Starling, was an interesting character. She was really upbeat and fun to read about. And super protective of Rowan, like any good sister should be. I wish she would have been around more, but it made the scenes she was in even better. I'd love to have the kind of freedom she had, a job she loved and the means to travel. What else could a girl ask for?

Something else I loved were the drawings! There weren't many of them but they were very pretty and added a unique touch to this book. I thought it was an awesome idea!

My only complaint was Bria's relationship with her ex. It was clear from the start it was a terrible relationship but Bria couldn't see it. I'm not saying that it doesn't happen all the time. I know it does. It just got a little repetitive and made Bria seem weak. Still, the good farrrr out weighed the bad.

So. Who wants to go backpacking with me? Like. Right now?