When I read the description of this novel, I knew I’d have to read it. Catherine Ryan Hyde writes amazing books and this one sounds compelling and sweet!

Synopsis:

Bea has barely been scraping by since her husband died. After falling for a telephone scam, she loses everything and is forced to abandon her trailer. With only two-thirds of a tank in her old van, she heads toward the Pacific Ocean with her cat—on a mission to reclaim what’s rightfully hers, even if it means making others pay for what she lost.

When fifteen-year-old Allie’s parents are jailed for tax fraud, she’s sent to a group home. But when her life is threatened by another resident, she knows she has to get out. She escapes only to find she has nowhere to go—until fate throws Allie in Bea’s path.

Reluctant to trust each other, much less become friends, the two warily make their way up the Pacific Coast. Yet as their hearts open to friendship and love from the strangers they meet on their journey, they find the courage to forge their own unique family—and begin to see an imperfect world with new eyes.

Before the Rain Falls is a hauntingly disturbing tale written in two eras.
Camille Di Maio addresses the two eras, and of family connections and tensions, flawlessly.
As Della's story unfolds,, you will be thrown through every emotion possible.
In the meanwhile, there is a new romance blooming.
There are many heart wrenching details that add so many layers.
There is such an air of mystery, it's palable.
Just when you think you had all the answers, more is revealed.
The ending came a little too quickly, I wanted more.
This is quite a enjoyable novel, about family and what one will do for one's family.

Allie and Bea form an unlikely alliance when Allie's parents are arrested for tax fraud and elederly Bea becomes homeless after falling for an IRS telephone scam. Allie is placed in a foster home after her parent's arrest and is soon in over her head when one of the girls steals the only things that Allie owns and Allie files a complaint against her. Allie leaves the home when her life is threatened and finds herself in an even dire situation. Bea packs up her belongings and lives in her van with her cat to stretch what little money she has left. One night as Bea is driving down the highway Allie jumps in front of her van, climbs in and tells Bea to "Drive!"
A must read, love Hyde's books!

I really enjoyed reading Allie and Bea, it is a great story about unlikely friends. I will definitely recommend this book to friends and family. I give 5 stars.

Uplifting and inspiring, this author does not disappoint in this book. The relationships between the generations are expertly explored and written about sensitively. Characters are memorable, especially Bea, a lively but penniless senior, setting out on travels with Allie, a 15-year-old who has ended up on the street. Entertaining reading and recommended.

I have long been a fan of Catherine Ryan Hyde and loved her books but this one is my favorite. It is so touching and realistic and hits you right in the heart. It makes you realize how quickly life can change and how important it is to take a chance and trust at times. The value of friendship and kindness plays a very big role in this book also and the author did a wonderful job depicting this throughout the story.

Allie and Bea is another remarkable story that captured my heart. As is always the case with Catherine's stories, the characters are endearing and unforgettable. Allie and Bea are two people who come together when the whole world seems to be against them. They truly are as different as night and day but they both end up needing the other one in her life.

Both are going through terrible times and they just can''t seem to get a break. As they come to know each other and as they learn to change, just a little bit, they start to discover what and who is important.

Allie and Bea is the latest, wonderful story from an amazing author and I highly recommend it to anyone with a heart. Prepare yourself for an emotional ride down a bumpy road, but know that it's a ride well worth taking.

ALLIE & BEA is a lovely book about two people who find friendship just when they need it most. Both have lost their homes and feel hopeless. But together they set out on a grand adventure to travel to the furthest western point of the contiguous United States. Though decades apart in age, Allie and Bea forge an alliance that makes each of them more courageous and able to face their future, whatever it may hold. Catherine Ryan Hyde never fails to tell a tale that will touch your heart. I look forward to each and every one of her books.

I received this copy through NetGalley.
I always enjoy reading this author's books. This one was no exception. The relationship between Bea and Allie was written very well. To go from complete strangers to friends and watching out for each other was quite a journey..
Thank you Ms. Hyde for another remarkable book. Will be anxiously waiting for your next release!

I love Catherine Ryan Hyde books. Their stories that have a beginning and an end. They seem to be about real people-more than characters in a book. Allie and Bea is definitely like that. Bea is the "older" woman in this story and at first I couldn't figure out how she and Allie would meet and how their stories would mingle and mix together. But they do~ perfectly! It's hard to give a good review of this book without going into the story and I don't want to do that- if you get a chance READ IT ~. You won't be disappointed. Neither Allie nor Bea are perfect but you'll fall in love with both of them. It's a unique story just as I've come to depend on from Ms. Hyde. What a gifted writer. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

Wonderful, character driven messages
The story of Allie and Bea is so incredibly diverse and there are so many different messages and things to connect with in this book! Reading the book , it felt like each chapter presented a new problem, moral or situational, that Allie or Bea had to face. Such as - What is it like grappling with the realities of being responsible for yourself - but also not quite prepared for the task? How much of our identity shaped by what we have and what we own. What makes a family? What happens when all of your matierla possesions are stripped away? What will you do to fill that void and what will you find out about yourself as a result? Overall these messages made the book feel incredibly engaging and really increased my enjoyment.

Both Allie and Bea's predicaments are plausible and relateable in their own way which makes them all the more powerful and their own message stronger. I love that this book could appeal to such a wide range of readers, as I think YA readers and older readers would be able to find a character or situation that they would identify with in these pages.

Loved these characters

Catherine Ryan Hyde, the author of "Allie and Bea" created two incredibly strong, independent women with a barrage of real and relateable flaws.

One of my favorites was Bea's inner monologue moments. Many of these are at the beginning of the book, when Bea's thoughts tend to be kept to herself, and run a little darker. But they were absolutely killer. Bea's character has this endearing way of thinking or saying exactly what most people would be to polite to acknowledge. And the book often let me wondering why we don't say the things that run through our heads, because sometimes they need to be said!

I don't typically cry reading, but I could certainly see this being a tear jerker book for some! There were several moments that really got me- one in particular where Allie is sleeping in an unfamiliar place and missing her mother.

"She lay in the dark imagining her mother's face. Imagining herself wrapped in her mother's arms. Likely she wouldn't be, anyway, even if he mother ere there. She wasn't much the cuddly sort, Allie's mom. But it was a nice thing o imagine all the same." - Allie and Bea, Catherine Ryan Hyde

It is so easy to feel badly for these two characters and to want the best for them. "Allie and Bea" absolutely felt like it could be a movie - and I would love to see these scenes play out on screen. Much like "Pay it Forward", I also think "Allie and Bea" has an excellent message and story to share with the world.

Things I struggled With
This is a character driven read through and through- and while I prefer those types of books as a reader, even I get frustrated at times when the plot is moving a little too slowly. There were definitely times reading "Allie and Bea" when I felt this frustration - whether it was because the suspense wasn't quite heightened enough or more characters were needed, perhaps? I'm not sure, but something did feel like it was missing. My only other item I struggled with when eating was Allie's veganism. Which is super awesome, but it was so frequently mentioned that it felt like it was its own character. I would be interested as to whether the author is herself a vegan, and perhaps that is why her strong views felt so overwhelming.

A sweet tale of a road trip, friendship, and finding one’s self along the way.

Allie and Bea, written by Catherine Ryan Hyde, started out a bit frustrating for me in that I didn’t connect with Bea. The book begins with us meeting Bea as she gets swindled out of her money, and she decides to just take off and leave in her van. I really had trouble connecting to this behavior, and I didn’t understand many of her actions at the beginning of the book. So, I was a bit frustrated and wasn’t sure that this book was going to be one that I liked. And then I met Allie.

Allie is a teen girl, whose parents have just been arrested, and Allie enters “the system” and has to live in a group home called New Beginnings. Allie is naïve and trusting, and things do not go well at New Beginnings, and Allie and Bea end up crossing paths. I really liked Allie; I could feel her sadness and confusion about her parents, and her desire to hope for the best in people. So, as frustrating as Bea was at the beginning, I found myself drawn to Allie and her story, so continued on reading the book, and I’m so glad that I did! Once Allie and Bea connect, their friendship becomes the driving point of this book, as Allie helps Bea rediscover life, and Bea becomes a mother figure of sorts to Allie.

Bea and Allie travel the West Coast, as they try to get to Washington, and the scenes along the California coast remind me why I love California so much! Their adventures along the coast were a lot of fun, and by the time the book ended, I felt a connection to Bea.

There was a comfort and ease to this book, and there are a several scenes that ponder life’s bigger issues that readers may find a bit cloying, but sometimes you just need to read a feel good book, and this definitely falls into that category! In many ways this reminded me of a cleaner, lighter version of the book Wild.

Bottom Line: Sweet and lovely. I really enjoyed the friendship between Allie and Bea! Recommended for those looking for something sweet to read.

If you haven't read Catherine Ryan Hyde before, this is a great place to start; if you have, you're in for a treat. She's such a wonderful story teller and her novels have such huge heart. This is no exception. Allie and Bea both lose everything in a single moment. Despite their dreadful circumstances, they are incredibly lucky because they find each other. Everything that happens here is totally believable- from the scam, to the human trafficker, to the road trip. Thanks to net galley for the ARC. Try this one for a truly lovely story of two very different women who help one another and discover how alike they are. Two thumbs up!

Master storyteller, Catherine Ryan Hyde returns following Say Good-Bye for Now landing on my Top 50 Books of 2016 with another emotional thought-provoking saga ALLIE AND BEA – two protagonists from different generations caught up an unfair system find they may learn something from one another.

The best and worst of humanity.

Bea a senior barely making it on her small social security check. Her husband is deceased and she resides in a mobile home with her cat Phyllis. Her savings is nearly depleted trying to make ends meet.

Then a phone scammer saying he is from the IRS to collect back taxes. Quickly her money is gone. Wiped out. She has nowhere to turn and nowhere to live. Even her rent check will bounce since someone wiped out her bank account.

Feeling stupid and helpless, she has to change her direct deposit bank account and decides she has no choice but to live in her old van with her cat; and leaves her things with a friend. She barely has enough money for gas and food for another month until she receives her next social security check.

Then she is faced with the impossible and begins doing things she never thought she would do in order to survive. Bea does not have any knowledge of cell phones, nor the internet. She never had the opportunity to do much traveling nor see the world. She is rough around the edges, and over the years she has learned not to let others in or get too close. She does not trust easily, cynical, and now alone. How will she continue to survive sleeping in her van and too old for a job?

Told from two points of view, we meet Allie. Allie is a teen and wise beyond her years. She is smart and has strong principals and integrity. She is a devout vegan and very strict with her food and lifestyle.

She has just discovered her mom and dad are being arrested for tax fraud and being sent to jail. She is left with a social worker, and has to leave her home, friends, school, and all her possessions -
taken to a group home. Allie has no clue of the evil of this world.

All this is foreign to Allie. She soon learns people in this world are not so nice. Some of the girls are very dangerous at the group home and things get out of hand. She has nowhere to turn and no money. Then her only hope is a friend who helps her escape and soon finds herself in another nightmare even worse than what she left. Human trafficking.

She has one shot in order to escape a madman. Soon an unlikely old woman and a runaway teen connect. Two lives both desperate. They soon discover they may learn some hard life lessons together.

As always, Hyde takes readers on a thought-provoking adventure. It may not be an easy road; however, her characters always find a way to connect with someone on a different path to change their lives. Fate intersects. They may not know the reason for the encounter, but you can be assured they were meant to take the journey.

Even though I could relate to Bea being a senior, had to think of my recent experience with my dad, age 86 yrs old with this horrible healthcare system and a recent phone scam which fortunately he did not get sucked into.

I also related to Allie in so many ways. She is wise beyond her years. She has integrity. I am also a vegan and some of the reactions are ones I face daily. I had to laugh when I went to a shelter during our last Florida hurricane evacuation. I could eat nothing they had. It was good I packed some healthy snacks and was able to go home the following day. Being a vegan is foreign to many in our world. Lots of laughs between the two.

I admired Allie for her strong principals; however, it also demonstrated how when faced with survival, how people get desperate enough to cross moral and ethical lines. A heartwarming story of the kindness of others. She taught Bea so much about herself.

No one can take you on a better road trip adventure than Catherine Ryan Hyde— mixed with life messiness, emotion, heart, and lots of humor. I think we have all been close to living in our car at one time or another, in our lives when things have looked hopeless.

A good look at our broken system and how it fails the young and the old in different and similar ways. When this happens, we may not always have a family; however, there may be a guardian angel where we least expect through the kindness of a stranger.

The highs and loves of life! The cracks in life let the light through. After reading a CRH book you want to rush out and do something good for someone, or volunteer at a homeless shelter. Help someone less fortunate. You want to give back. Life changing moments. Inspiring.

In addition to the reading copy, also purchased the audiobook, narrated by Lauren Ezzo and Janet Metzger with an engaging performance for both voices. Loved the journey along the Pacific Coast. One of my favorite cities: Santa Barbara, CA! I was curious to see how these two souls from different walks of life would connect - fans will enjoy this one.

From an online interview with the author we get a glimpse into what’s coming next:

“After Allie and Bea will come a novel called The Wake-Up, about a former cattle rancher who becomes so sensitive to the emotions of others that his entire life is turned upside-down. And all this just as he’s trying to find his way with a seriously abused new stepson who can’t be trusted around his animals.” Read more

Ironically, have read many of CRH books ; however, realized this evening I have never watched or read, Catherine Ryan Hyde’s international sensation, Pay It Forward, the moving story of Trevor McKinney, a 12-year-old boy who accepts his social studies teacher’s challenge to come up with a plan to change the world. Rented it tonight on Amazon Kindle- highly recommend if you have not read the book or watched the movie. (have some Kleenex handy).

A special thank you to Lake Union and NetGalley for an early reading copy.

I had seen the popularity of other books such as Pay it Forward and When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde so I was curious and grateful to have a chance to read her latest, ALLIE and BEA. It's the story of a road trip and resulting growth for the title characters. Bea is in in her 70's and has been conned out of her life savings so she decides to leave debt behind and travel along the West Coast, living in her van. Allie is 15 when her parents are suddenly arrested for tax fraud and she finds herself being sent to a group home by Child Protection Services. That and subsequent adventures prove to be such dangerous situations that she ultimately runs away and connects with Bea.

Most of the book then relates the challenges – physical and emotional - they face on a journey through Northern California, Oregon and Washington State. The relationship which develops is certainly a warm and charming one. ALLIE and BEA is great, light "beach" reading for the summer.

When I was offered Allie and Bea to read for a review I didn't hesitate for a minute. Pay It Forward, the author's previous book, changed my life, and how I look at life, and to have the chance to be part of this virtual tour for Allie and Bea is an honor that I humbly accepted.
And the journey Allie and Bea take, both mentally and physically, astonished me with the realistic and sober look at life, and how easy it is to shatter the frames of the life we live, rarely with a little care or thought for tomorrow.

This is not one of those stories that you read through one night, write a review, and move on with your life. To fully grasp the life-changing potential of the story, I needed to let it sit for a little while, and ponder about it.
The blurb sets the scene for the story in an excellent way. Both Allie and Bea end up homeless, living together in a van, depending on each other to survive. Either of them is fully responsible for their own predicament, how their lives end being what it is today. But they don't have the luxury of blaming others or share the responsibility with someone else. They are on their own and often at the mercy of the strangers that they meet during their journey.

The story mesmerized my mind, it was not possible to stay as an observer looking at these two women at the opposite stages of life, trying to make it for one more day. The author dissect the human nature in a brilliant way, showing how easy it is to slip from the main flow of life, and how fast your morals, your ethics, your sense of right and wrong changes, when it comes to your own survival, when you are hungry, penniless, and in a need of place to sleep. When your basic needs have not been met the compromises can come effortlessly.

The 'truths' we often take as a necessity, because that's just how things are, are put into a question in the story and shown in a new light. The way most people look at homelessness, and people living off from their cars, change because, in reality, they are just like you and me. How fragile is our lifestyle? How secure are we with our financial situation? How many hits can my own economy take before I'm living on the streets? It doesn't necessarily take a storm to blow away the house of cards we have built, the privileges we take as self-evident rights.

Every person Allie and Bea meet end up making an impact on them, whether a good or bad. Sometimes it is an act of kindness that makes a change to their desired destination, sometimes just a word that makes them reflect on their own actions. I was left wondering how little it can take from me, in my interactions with others, to actually make a life-changing difference to someone else. Be careful what you say or do, you never know what kind of ripple effect it has on your environment and the world at large.

Both Allie and Bea change and grow as human beings and women through their time together. They share their lives, their life stories, their hopes, and their disappointments. Allie and Bea decide to look at their trip as an adventure, something positive and exciting to look forward to, instead of an escape from the realities they left behind, to that place where home used to be.
Until it comes the time to face it all again.

Allie and Bea is a beautiful story of survival, friendship, and kindred hearts. It is an honest and raw look at the human mind, the fragility of the western lifestyle and the standards we have created over the years and decades. It is an adventure of a mind and an experience that can make you take a new, fresh look at your life if your heart is open to it and to the change it can generate. It is a story that upon finishing it I immediately texted my sister and said 'you need to check this book out' because I wanted to share the transformative effect it had on me.
It is an epic story that I want to keep reading again, just to remind myself not to take anything for granted and to be kind to strangers. I want to keep the spirit of Allie and Bea's story alive in my heart, just like Pay It Forward still has an effect in my daily actions and decisions.
~ Five Spoons

3.5 STARS

Allie and Bea started slow for me. I felt like it was kind of a pity party for Bea. Poor her…having her accounts wiped clean, losing her husband, not being able to pay rent…nothing was going her way. Then she went shady and ran. I wasn’t sure of her. Then there was Allie. Her folks get arrested and she is taken to a group home where she has to run. There was no fault on Allie’s part but I feel like she was living in a dream world with how she thought her life would end up. Maybe it was due to her age but I have a 15 year old and I hope she would be less naïve that Allie and know that life can be tough and sometimes you have to put on your big girl pants and figure out how to get along with different people.

My favorite part of the book is the travelling and the scenes they saw. The coast, the lighthouse, the beaches, and the towns they visited captured my attention and had me dreaming of a fun vacation. It was fun that Allie and Bea winged their trip for the most part. They decided where to stop, where to eat, and which direction to head based on recommendations from locals, how much gas and money they had, and where they were at the time. I think travelling this way would be fun.

Hyde wrote a fun book. I didn’t have to think a lot and could just fall into the story and follow along on their journey.

Thanks to Lake Union for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

A very pleasant book. I wanted something light, and about 30 percent in I was so terrified for both of the characters I wasn't sure I was going to get it. It did lighten up significantly after that, but it's not always sunshine and roses. I really ended up liking both characters and their unlikely friendship. A great quick read, would be a perfect vacation book.

Bea has already lost her husband, but now she's lost everything. Thanks to a telephone scam that cleaned out her bank account, she's flat broke. She can't even afford the meager lifestyle she's been living. She can't pay the rent on her trailer or her utilities and has to figure out a way to survive. With only her old cat for companionship, she loads up her van and hits the road. She has about a month until her next social security check deposits, so she's gotta figure out a way to get money for food and gas... and fast.

Allie is a teenager in an awful situation. Used to living a fairly privileged lifestyle, both of her parents are arrested and she's suddenly on her own with no family to care for her. Her new abode is a group home... complete with food vegan Allie can't eat and a thieving and dangerous roommate. Fearing for her life, she bolts with a new friend... but that just leads her to a situation more dangerous than the first.

These two vagabonds find each other by chance. Bea is in her 70s and Allie is only 15, but they both have things to learn from each other... and things they'll learn together on their journey along the coast.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

I was so lucky to read Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde for an honest review. This beautifully written story was about two people from totally different backgrounds and generations coming together to survive difficult situations . The dialogue between Allie, a fifteen year old teenager, and Bea, a older widow, was priceless and relevant. Their interaction helped them see the world in someone else's shoes, and they were forever changed. .Having the story told in parts and by both perspectives really made the book. Sequel please!

I always forget how much I enjoy Catherine Ryan Hyde books until I pick them up. This might just be the best I have read by her.

After Bea’s husband died, she was able to get by, but just barely. That is, until she falls for a telephone scam that takes everything she has. She leaves her small trailer behind and sets of in her van towards the Pacific Ocean with only her cat and easy chair in the back of the van. After a short while on her journey, she runs into fifteen-year-old Allie who is on her own after her parents are put in jail for tax fraud and she was put in a group home. Things in the group home are worse than she could have imagined, but not as bad as other places she could, and almost does, end up. Fate throws the two together and they have to learn to trust each other. As they journey up the Pacific Coast, they find that even though they were thrown together under unusual circumstances, maybe things won’t be as bad as they thought.

Allie and Bea is a very heartwarming novel on several levels. If at first you think you are not going to enjoy this book, I encourage you to give it a little time. Divided up into sections, one following Bea and the other following Allie, we get to see the story from the viewpoints of both characters and what they go through in order to end up in the place that ultimately throws them together. At first it didn’t seem logical that their paths would cross, but Hyde did a beautiful job of bringing them together in a way that flowed with the story. It took each of their life experiences to be able to help the other. If Bea hadn’t gone through what she did, she never would have been there to help Allie when she desperately needed help. And if Allie hadn’t been through what she had, she wouldn’t have been able to help Bea in the way she needed also. The way Hyde wove these characters together and the relationship they had was done in a way that I didn’t once question if this was what the characters would naturally do, it just made sense. I felt for both Allie and Bea with what they went through and rejoiced in their triumphs and even had a few laughs. This book is full of life lessons and showing that family is not all about being related by blood, sometimes it is about so much more than what is in our DNA.

I have found with each new Catherine Ryan Hyde novel I read, I am continually adding her to my list of favorite authors. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a good read that will help them think about how they view those around them and even restore a little faith in humanity at times.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.