I am not sure if Allie and Bea is considered a young adult book, but it definitely is! Everything had a nice sanitized feel to it, even the grittier events. In the book we meet a 70-ish year old woman who is homeless after falling for a telephone scam and a 15 year old girl who has run away from her group home. The very unlikely couple spend time together coming to grips with their unique circumstances and learning about each other. Fun times and surprising friendships form during their adventures and a life-long relationship is born. This was a very enjoyable and somewhat uplifting book to read, just be sure to wear your rose-tinted glasses when you do!

Catherine Ryan Hyde is a new author to me and now that I have read ALLIE AND BEA I am eager to read more.
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Bea's life is falling apart at the seams - in her 70s she has lost her husband, her home, and what little money she has left. Packing up her van and her cat, Phyllis, she decides to take a road trip in the hopes that she can reclaim what is rightfully hers. But she never expected to encounter Allie...
Allie's life has also been turned upside down when her wealthy parents end up in jail, and she is thrown into a group home with dire consequences. Terrified for her life, Allie escapes. Desperate, her and Bea's paths cross and both of their lives will change.

ALLIE AND BEA by Catherine Ryan Hyde is an emotional story that will make you really think and appreciate the important things in life like true friendship, kindness, and hope. The characters are realistic with plenty of good and bad points, and the unusual pairing of Allie and Bea really works as the story evolves.
The harsh realities of life for many people is well depicted throughout and while some of these situations are upsetting and unsettling, it is offset throughout by the genuine kindness and humanity of strangers along the way.
ALLIE AND BEA by Catherine Ryan Hyde is an emotional and powerful story that will capture your heart as well as your imagination and I highly recommend it.

I loved this book from the start. It has that “feel good” factor that we all know and love.An older lady is penniless and decides the only way she can live is in her van. She has been scammed out of some savings so now it is her turn to try her luck. A young girl watches as both of her parents are arrested and she is escorted to a place where the rougher side of life are detained and learns a few lessons along the way. They meet up along the way and much to their surprise each learn things from the other about life. This is brilliantly written and sweeps you along with the flow. Characters that you can see easily in your mind’s eye and be on the journey with them. Nothing too uneasy, nothing nasty just a few life lessons that make for an interesting partnership. An uplifting read that restores your faith in human nature and the kindness of strangers. One of my best reads this year. I really didn’t want it to end.
I voluntarily chose to read this ARC and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

Allie and Bea is a charming novel of determination in the face of unexpected circumstances as two completely different people find adventure. Catherine Ryan Hyde makes readers believe in the goodness of human nature.

Bea and Allie's stories are told in alternating chunks throughout the novel. When Bea finds herself living in her van followed by Allie's world crumbling around her, I had no idea how their two stories would merge. Their stories finally converge and the overall picture becomes grander. At this point, readers are taken on a wild adventure along with our leading ladies!

Bea and Allie make the unlikeliest of partners as they take on the Californian coast. Each new town provides a lesson in opening up, growing up, and even finding the courage to explore. I highly recommend Allie and Bea to readers who want a humorous, feel-good story!
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*

I love Catherine Ryan Hide's books, even though they are getting a little formulary. The characters and their relationships were well developed. She makes you feel like you know them. Looking forward to her next one.

When elderly widow Bea is scammed of her life savings over the telephone she is embarrassed, overwhelmed and totally devastated. Her monthly bills have already been posted off as usual, but of course the cheques bounce, leaving her with no choice but to flee her trailer in her dead husband’s bakery van, leaving behind some of her most treasured possessions. She will have to survive for almost four weeks until her monthly cheque is paid into her bank account. She ponders her escape from debt for three long days, planning to live in the back of her old van. She makes curtains and kits the back of the van out to ensure her relative comfort and privacy when she hits the road, taking with her only essentials and her aged cat Phyllis.
Meanwhile fifteen-year-old Allie’s parents have been keeping secrets from her and when they are both arrested for tax fraud one day, she is taken by her social worker to a place of safety until she can be allocated a foster home. However before that happens Allie is forced to run away from the care home when her roommate threatens her with extreme violence. She faces off the danger alone. She hits the road running and terrified by her precarious situation, quickly flagging down an old van; Bea’s van. This is how Bea and Allie first meet and what follows is their great adventure together, both on the run from their past lives.
They leave the area heading north up the Pacific coastline. Their relationship is shaky to begin with to say the least, but throughout their journey they grow closer and come to understand each other, both teaching each other valuable lessons for the future and learning to see the world together through new eyes. They compromise, support each other and take care of each other, always alert to the danger of being apprehended by the police who are bound to be on the lookout for the two absconders. Slowly friendship turns to trust and dependence and even love.
'Allie & Bea' is a story about friendship, trust and the kindness of strangers, superbly told by the highly acclaimed author Catherine Ryan Hyde, who has a huge talent for penning family stories that either portray social or emotional issues and usually have a moral behind them. Her characters are skilfully created and deftly developed so that the reader empathises with them and really care what happens to them. Her characters come from all walks of life and are very believable and easy to relate to. There is no gratuitous violence, no odious bloodthirsty crime: this is about life itself, in all its quirks and richness, gently told with overwhelming warmth. I am a huge fan of hers and always feel delighted to be reading yet another absorbing novel full of compassion and the feel good factor. I would like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my copy of this novel, sent to me in return for an honest review. This is a really good read, and I recommend it to those who like a flowing and rich story with a lovely, satisfying ending.

I enjoyed reading Allie and Bea. Catherine Ryan Hyde moved the story along with many coincidences. But, she delivered strong messages. Through the relationship between a senior citizen and a teenager she dealt with topics including sex trafficking, foster care, family, and senior scams. In spite of dealing with so many alarming and serious subjects, the book reads quickly and leaves a lasting impression,

I love Catherine Ryan Hydes books, I find morals behind most of her stories or they leave me with something to think about once I've read the last page.

Bea is an older woman, she's kind of lead a sheltered life in some respects. Her husband dies and she's found herself very short of money. Her husband didn't plan for the future.

The little bit of money she had in the bank is no longer there. She's been caught up in a telephone scam.

Bea has no option but to take some precious belongings to a friends house, keep some for her needs and give up her home. Traveling as a homeless person in a van.

There begins an unusual relationship with Allie.
Bea is forced to stop for this 15 year old who is hitch hiking.

Allie herself has a story.

I just loved this story a great deal.
What kept going through my mind was " you can't teach an old dog new tricks" .....oh yes you can!

I would highly recommend this book if you love this authors previous books, you are going to be heartwarned by this one.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing via Net Galley for my copy.

Bea is a senior living on a very fixed income. She has always followed the rules. She has always paid her bills. One mistake and Bea finds herself penniless and homeless. Allie is a carefree teenager who has been presented with all the advantages of an upper middle class lifestyle. Imagine her horror when, through no fault of her own, she is thrown into child protective services and forced to exist in an environment which is dangerous and surreal.

When their paths cross each is in for the adventure of her life. As they travel together they teach each other about life and what it means to become involved and care for each other. I loved this book. I loved the characters and the way their respective and joint stories were told and interwoven.

Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC.

Two people who are basically polar opposites end up in a car together with no plan and no agenda. Bea has lost everything from a scam and decides to get in her van and drive away. Allie has lost everything because of her parents and their issues, she "runs" into Bea and together they will repair each other and carve a new path.

I am not spoiling things by revealing this is a road trip book, it is the synopsis, but I guess I didn't read the synopsis before reading the book, I was pleasantly surprised. I loved how these two characters ended up together and how they challenged each other. It was different from the rest of the books I have read recently. Be warned that once you start this one, it is hard to set down as each page has a new piece of their adventure.

I am a genuine fan of Catherine Ryan Hyde and although I have read quite a few of her books, I haven't read them all. Have you read any? Which book should I pick up next?

I enjoyed this book, I liked Allie and Bea and thought their situations were realistic,life is not always a bed of roses .Although their situations were a bit extreme they were believable as were their characters, and I cared about what happened to them,I guess the road trip or older/younger generation thing has been done several times before but this was a different take and I liked the fact it wasn't sugar coated and neither were the characters, it made them more real.I also liked the humour and even the fact that one of the characters was a vegan it made them seem real to me.Not giving anything away but my advice is buckle up and enjoy the ride! Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Allie and Bea is a great book. Everything that I love in a story. Good strong women and relationship's between different generations. Bea, 70, is left destitute and homeless when she is the victim of a telephone scam. Allie is 15 and trying to run away when their paths cross. Absolutely brilliant story telling.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

I have enjoyed every book I have read by Catherine Ryan Hyde! I find that even if they don’t catch me in the first chapter - I am all in by a few chapters later. Allie and Bea caught me and reminded me that there are good people in the world. There are people who care and people who want to help others, special people. I often feel that way after I finish one of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books. It is the gift she seems to share with us, even though each of her stories are different.

Bea was just getting by, until she was taken in by a telephone scam. Suddenly broke and without a place to live, she gets in her van with Phyllis the cat and drives to the beach. She has this idea of making people pay for what happened to her, but in reality, she was trying to survive the only way she could figure out how. Allie’s parents cheated the IRS out of serious money. They were arrested leaving Allie alone in the world without a safe place to stay. Allie felt she had to leave the group home and then things managed to get even worse. Allie and Bea needed each other even if they didn’t understand it or recognize it. Together, they take a road trip that opens everyone’s eyes.

I didn’t like Bea at first with her attitude and then she was scammed and I hated watching her figure out how to survive. The story was read all in one night as it was so good, I did not want to stop reading until I knew they both were going to be safe!

Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde was a fabulous read! ENJOY

I would like to thank NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Catherine Ryan Hyde for the ARC of "Allie and Bea" by Catherine Ryan Hyde for my honest review.
The Genres of this novel are General Fiction(Adult) and Women's Fiction.
I love the way that Catherine Ryan Hyde describes the scenic Pacific coastline, beaches and quaint resting places.
The characters are described as complex and complicated. The two main characters are portrayed as "victims" of rules set in place that are not working for their benefit. As a result, they are running away from their circumstances.
The two character have some similarities, but many more differences. Bea is an over seventy year old widow who has been victimized in a scam and has lost all her money. She leaves with her 18 year old cat in an old van, with a sour outlook on life. Allie is a young 15 year old teenager, who is taken by social services, when her affluent parents are put in jail for tax fraud. Allie meets with difficulties, and runs away. Allie is frank, honest, naive, and feels lost.
The unlikely duo meet and form an mixed friendship to survive. They go on adventures and both learn many things on their travels together.
I love the way the author writes about family, friends, trust, betrayal, loyalty, love and hope. This is such a charming and endearing read, and I recommend this highly.

It doesn’t happen very often for me to see a book and immediately think “this is exactly what I need right now” and be absolutely certain that I’m going to love it, but this is what happened when I saw Allie and Bea. I recently read a lot of heavy and depressing books with questionable characters and I needed something lighthearted that would make me feel good and yet not be too mushy. This is exactly what Allie and Bea delivered, a beautiful journey with two unlikely friends that embark on an adventure that will change them forever.

The book starts with Bae, a 70-something widow that lives on Social Security. After falling for a telephone scam she ends up losing all her savings and no longer being able to afford to live in her trailer. She is forced to abandon everything, hop in her van and try and make a living on the road, homeless. Meanwhile, Allie, a 15 year-old girl is taken by the Child Protecting Services and taken to live in a group home after her parents are jailed for tax fraud.

Both characters have it pretty rough after being taken away from the places and people they were familiar with and forced to make do in a completely different environment. I know I said that this book is lighthearted but I have to warn you: the first part, until Allie and Bea meet, is tough, depressing and shocking. The circumstances that these characters have to endure are even harder to read because of how real they feel. It’s hard not to start imaging that there are so many people that go throw the same thing, if not worse.
It’s what Allie and Bea decide to do with their situation that makes this book so satisfying and a joy to read. Both characters end up growing so much in the course of this book.

Catherine Ryan Hyde wrote a beautiful tale of how friendship can arise in unlikely places, a story that delights and that doesn't shy away from focusing on real social problems. A thoughtful and mesmerizing novel.

great read and easy to follow story line. look forward to reading more from this author.

I have only recently discovered Catherine Ryan Hyde. However, since that discovery, I have read about four of her books. I have not been disappointed by any of them. This book reaches right up there with the others.

I loved these characters. Bea so grouchy and pissed at the world, her deceased husband and how she has ended up at her age with really nothing. And then there's Allie, so young and innocent, honest and trustworthy. Allie literally runs into Bea while she is driving her van and just jumps into the van. Bea is frantically trying to push her out thinking she's about to be carjacked while Allie is telling her that a man is after her and that Bea needs to drive away and do it fast. This is the beginning of the Allie and Bea story.

This was such a great story, I absolutely loved it. Their bickering and fighting over what little money they have together as they decide to travel up the coast of California to the Puget Sound. You will definitely need tissues for this! And I guarantee you will love these characters at the end of the book. I know I did and was not even close to being ready to leave them when I read the last page. I want an Allie and Bea series! HA!!

Huge thanks to Lake Union Publishing for approving my request to read this book and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Allie and Bea is a beautifully written story. Bea is a homeless senior and Allie a runaway. The two join forces and travel the California coastline. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

"I didn’t know anything about the world until I got thrown out into it all of a sudden."

I am a big fan of author Catherine Ryan Hyde, have read several of her books, and she's one of my turn-to authors that I can count on to write feel-good books.

Her stories are character driven, revealing real people with real problems but always shining a ray of sunshine in a sometimes dark world.

I went into ALLIE AND BEA not knowing much about it and am so glad that I did. I kept finding surprises throughout the whole book and loved it that way.

So I'm not going to write a synopsis here. There's already one out there on Amazon and Goodreads. Try not to read them. Instead know that this is a story of 15 year-old Allie and 70+ year-old Bea. It's the story of how they meet and how each learns important lessons from the other. So get the book and start reading. I don't think you'll be disappointed at all.

I received this book from Lake Union Publishing through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.

The first few chapters of this book were so emotionally charged and depressing I actually had to put the book down. But once Allie and Bea met, the only time I stopped turning the pages was when I had to stop to grab a tissue.

This is one of the most heart-warming books I have read in quite some time. The characters were so real and so loveable. This author is one that I will follow in the future, grabbing everything I can find of hers to read.

Bea is an elderly lady who lost her husband a few years earlier. She lived alone in a trailer, depending on Social Security as her only source of income, and a small savings account that became smaller and smaller each month. When she is scammed by a supposed IRS agent who empties her bank account just prior to her rent check and other bills clearing her bank, Bea is left feeling desperate. Her only option was to live in her van, using what little money she had for food and gas.

Allie is a teenage girl whose parents are suddenly both arrested on tax fraud charges and Allie is taken to a group home to wait for foster care. With her life turned upside down, things go from bad to worse for Allie and she ends up running from a kidnapper with plans to do her more harm than she could possibly imagine.

Allie takes refuge in Bea's van and at first Bea is not happy about that. Through their encounter, however, the two unlikely friends build a bond that is so heartwarming and real that it will bring tears to your eyes. If two people on this planet ever needed each other more, it was Allie and Bea.

Lessons learned, life lived, and an unbreakable bond... that's what this book gives you. I absolutely loved it and would highly recommend it to anyone!