From the very first paragraph, I absolutely loved this book. I related to Olive and her anxiety, her gay panic over Stella (!!!!), her struggles with her family and everything else. Olive and Stella's chemistry was insane and it was so easy to fall in love with them and their love. Olive's inner monologue was pointed, heartbreaking at times, and funnier than I expected.

4.5 rounded to five

I really loved Stella, Olive, and Derek especially. Heather was very well done. the pacing was brisk, and there was some great humor as Olive tried to put the skids on her instant attraction to Stella, who is gun-shy about relationships. So well done!

But I ended up skimming a lot. It's definitely a case of "It's me, not you," as I've had way too many people die in my life lately, or end up with serious stuff in hospitals, so all the medical grief and especially the entire thread about Jake was incredibly depressing, especially in a romance, which I read to get away from that stuff. But the book was so well written, and the relationship so wonderful, I kept at it.

What a great queer love story. I loved this read. There was a lot going on but I felt the author did a good job of pulling it all together and really giving us a good insight into the two main characters Olive and Stella. We get a lot of back story into what each has or is dealing with in their lives . I did not want to put the book down. Stella’s character had a lot of depth to her and what she is afraid of, in this case falling in love, losing her dad and getting recognition in a male dominated field of work. Olive character is a hot mess as she deals with her very close brothers accident, her family, an ex girlfriend who striped away her ability to believe in herself. When the two collide in a brief moment on an airplane where Olive , an ER nurse, comes to the rescue of a passenger and a fake relationship deal is made to help one anouther what could go wrong? Can they find themselves and allow someone else to see all of them?

I voluntarily received a free copy from NetGalley and all opinions are my own

I would recommend this book to family, friends and my book clubs

I'm going to start this review by saying that 1) I met my wife at the ATL airport, 2) my wife also went to Embry-Riddle (like Stella), and 3) I hate flying just like Olive.

When I say that this book had me hooked, I mean it. I devoured Andie Burke's debut novel in a record amount of time. I literally could not put the book down. I grabbed this book because I enjoyed the premise of the plot and thought it would sweet and interesting, but I stayed for the super witty writing and the slow burn romance between the two protagonists!

If you're looking for a fun, sapphic novel to read-- this is it. I cannot wait to see what else Andie Burke comes out with. A+ for writing and character development, AAA+++ for the spicy scenes as well. I also LOVED Gus and wish he had been real, primarily because he seems like the world's best dog.

Cannot recommend this book enough to all my friends. Go read it! Don't waste another moment thinking about it. Just grab it and devour it already!

This was an interesting opposites-attract Sapphic romance. I liked the idea that one character is a nurse who is afraid to fly and the other is a pilot. I also love a good fake dating trope and this one was well done. This was a sweet romance with great banter and some depth to the story. It was a smidge too long for me but overall the depth to the romance made it a fun read.

This romance book has it all. Family drama, a meet disaster, insta-lust, a Disney first kiss, fake dating, insane chemistry, characters worthy of hate, and swoony declarations.
Olive is a grumpy nurse with an irrational fear of flying; Stella is an airline pilot with a sunshine disposition. These women meet after Olive saves the life of a passenger on one of Stella’s flights. After a magical weekend in Disney together (and one smoking first kiss), they part ways. However, social media explodes after someone recorded Olive’s brave mid-flight rescue and Stella’s airline and Olive’s hospital want to milk the exposure for profitable gains. To assist Stella in her quest to make captain, Olive agrees to a fact dating scheme to maximize both of their stories and exposure. What neither women expected was to fall head over heels in love. Incredibly likable main characters, fun secondary characters, and easy to hate villains made this romance a quick page-turner. And let’s not forget the spice; so much hot nuanced spice. I loved every second of this book! Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and MacMillian audio for his e-ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Burke’s debut novel is a sapphic, fake-dating rom-com that’s light on the romance and even lighter on the comedy. Both main characters have big things going on in their life - one is an ER nurse in a legal battle with her family regarding her brother’s medical care and the other is a pilot vying for captain while taking care of her sick dad. Despite both characters having intense backstories with so much potential, both characters fall flat and few one dimensional. Stella just wants to be captain and Olive just wants to be in love with Stella. Their relationship did not feel organic but I enjoyed how it started. I am on board with suspending reality for a book, but this one asked too much of me. Disney fame, legal battle and no resolution with family, sick dad with next to know discussions, and a forced fake dating where I felt gaslight at the end because why was Olive apologizing and doing the big declaration??

Olive Murphy is terrified of flying and it took everything in her to get on the plane. Her only goal is to survive this flight and run the marathon she was supposed to run with her brother. Imagine her surprise when there is a medical emergency on the plane and as a nurse she is thrust into the spotlight after saving a life. Now she is stranded hours from the marathon and going to fail her brother's wish. She gains the interest of the co-pilot on the plane, Stella Soriano. All Stella wants it to get her captain wings and make her father proud. When the media sees Olive and Stella together they think they are dating. Both Stella and Olive see some benefit to that narrative, agreeing to fake dating. Only real feelings start to get mixed in with the fake dating and Olive is unsure of where she stands.

This does such a good job of looking at mental health and normalizing the struggles that come with depression and anxiety. Olive has a terrible ex, and some tough experiences with her family that causes her to worry about being "too much" effort and work. The author does a great job of tackling these beliefs and you can see the change in Olive as she starts to feel her worth.

Though we know Olive has a crush on Stella, I enjoyed watching Olive and Stella's relationship develop organically. They had great chemistry and I loved their banter. I did find that sometimes the story became "stuck" in the same place for a bit to long, but I still found it an enjoyable read.

This was a well written debut novel full of heart. I loved Andie Burke's voice and cannot wait to see what else she writes! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

Read if you like: fake dating, friends to lovers, emotional romance

Queer, YA, fake dating, mental health/disability rep? YES PLEASE. This was everything I was hoping for and more. I loved the exploration of grief and how it can manifest in your relationships. The two MC's were interesting and I loved getting to know them and reading their love story.

Fly with Me, the debut release by Andie Burke, balances humor, steam, and serious topics with precision. I really enjoyed Olive’s inner monologue but I wish we had Stella’s POV as well - there were times I wanted to crawl inside her brain and figure out what she was thinking. Fake dating to get ahead in the workplace can be messy and high stakes, but I felt like this was handled pretty realistically. I also really struggled reading about Olive’s family and how they treated her in the aftermath of her brother’s injury, but only because it was written so well that one could imagine being in the no-win situation of determining end-of-life care for a loved one. Overall, I thought this was a solid debut novel and I look forward to seeing what Andie Burke writes next.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the advanced copy.

*4.5 Stars*

Olive Murphy does not want to be on this plane. She is frozen with fear until they ask for a medical professional and as a nurse, she jumps in. But, then, the plane does not land in Atlanta and that does not work for her. So, she's crying in the airport when copilot extraordinaire (and rude as hell) Stella Soriano finds her and offers to drive her to her destination? What the hell?
Olive feels very attracted to her but things are such a mess with her family and Stella has issues of her own so what if they faked being girlfriend instead?

To be honest, I didn't think I'd enjoy this as much as I did. I really got sucked in from the first chapter and could not stop reading. The banter was amazing, the plot kept me in my toes. And I was so invested in Olive's family's story. And in her work life and her friends and of course, the romance. I just wanted to know everything as fast as possible. I also really enjoyed the audiobook, the narrator was very good and helped captivate me. I really loved Stella's character. She was flawed and that made her so interesting to me, I also loved her dad and how they interacted. Olive was also layered and interesting. I really enjoyed the highs and lows of their relationship. I just had a great time with this and I will keep Andie Burke on my radar!

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This took me a few chapters to really care about the characters, but I ultimately enjoyed it.

In the exposition/beginning of the plot I would have enjoyed a bit more problem solving/overcoming for them to get to know one another. Every thing worked out in their favor and I think I would have enjoyed both the plot and the characters sooner if there had been a bit more effort involved in their ability to see one another after their initial meeting.

Beyond this, I thought the characters were really interesting and had quite a bit of depth without feeling as though there was excessive trauma dumping. Stella was a unique character overall, I enjoyed her excessive Type A tendencies and her habit of nervous babbling was quite endearing and not something you normally witness in a Type A character. Olive was overcoming quite a bit but I never felt as though she was portrayed as a character who couldn't help herself. There was admirable balance in the way the characters were written and developed throughout the book.

One last, minor comment, I noticed quite a few typos that I hope will be addressed prior to the finalized draft.

A smartly written contemporary love story. A chance meeting of two women with a lot of baggage evolves into a relationship. Such a simple story with complicated characters and it was a fabulous, quick, fun read. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

A sweet well plotted rom com about....fake dating! Olive's flight phobia has made it really difficult to travel but she's done it- and then someone on her flight to a marathon has a medical crisis and she's in her zone as a terrific nurse, Stella is the co-pilot, a co-pilot who is ready to move up to the captain's chair. Olive agrees to her plan to fake date but fans of the trope know this is going to turn to more, What makes this different (and funny) is the careful notebook of fake dating. It's also a thoughtful look at anxiety, moving up in your career and the often unacknowledged trauma of health care workers. And it's a love story. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

I absolutely love books like Fly with Me. A chance meeting and fake dating make Fly with Me a light hearted story, however there is so much depth within Olive & Stella’s journey. A must read!

This book was way more emotional than I expected. I liked that Olive and Stella had instant chemistry and they built upon it really well. I think it could have been five stars for me if it was dual pov. There are just some moments when I really wanted to know what Stella was thinking. I also wanted the epilogue to be longer. Maybe the author will do a bonus chapter in the future.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this novel.

I am a little conflicted with my rating for this one. I really liked the premise, however, it took me about 60% into the novel before I started really enjoying the story. I liked both Stella and Olive as characters and as a couple. Olive's family was infuriating. I really liked everything this novel was trying to say, I just felt like the beginning was a little bit slow. Usually in romance novels the 3rd act conflict is where the story loses me a bit, but I actually didn't mind this one so much. Overall, I would recommend this one. It's very cute and fun.

Thank you so much to St Martin's Press/SMP Romance for an advance copy of this book!

This was one I had heard early buzz and rumblings through the bookstagram world and knew I needed it in my hands. And I believe I had heard that Andie was a bookstagrammer before she became an author. Which as a bookstagrammer that is so awesome to see it become full circle. This was such a solid debut!

"People always joe that their first part of their paychecks goes to the mortgage, but I always joke mine goes to Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts."

Don't let this cover fool you, this book has some definite serious undertones and topics that are scattered from the start to the end. I was not expecting that grief and mourning someone who is alive would be a theme in the book. The book kicks off with Olive having a panic attack while on a flight to Disney to run in a marathon that she was supposed to do with her brother who is in a vegetated state. While on this fight, a fellow passenger is having a medical episode and she is a nurse and steps in to assist. After the incident, she meets the pilot of her flight - Stella. And let the fun begins!

I thought the connection between Olive & Stella felt very real and was not rushed. I love that they got to spend time together even prior to Stella propositioning Olive into fake dating her in order for her to get ahead in her role. I thought they really complimented one another. I am not a fan of the trope of how one of the party for whatever reason doesn't think they are worthy of the other person's love or claims they wouldn't make a good partner. Because with fake dating you know what is never the case and that there is always a HEA. I really enjoyed the epilogue and it just made me so happy that Olive got to accomplish a goal of hers and got to do it with Stella.

"And I know you're scared of hurting me, but I'm here to tell you that you are worth that risk."

I don't want to go too much into detail with Olive and her brother Jake but I thought that whole storyline was so sad and just tugged at my heart strings. I just felt so bad for her and she wanted to do right by her brother but her family not recognizing or caring what he wanted. It was very sad and you know that families go through this all the time.

There are multiple villains/unlikeable characters and so many times I wanted to scream because I hated them so much.
I was so frustrated for Olive. She was already going through so much which grieving her brother and his state that she got no breathing room between her mother and her ex. The ex definitely came on a little strong and the last incident just seemed like a bit TOO much. It was refreshing to see that Olive and her family's relationship was not cleaned up by the end of the book. In most books whenever there are familial issues, it's usually tied together with a bow by the end of the book. It felt more realistic leaving not be tied up. I also would not blame Olive if she decided to set boundaries and separate herself from her family.

As I mentioned in the beginning this was such a solid debut & I'm excited to see what else Andie is working on!

Swoon: 6/10
Karaoke: YES

Fly with Me really struck me. The author, Andie Burke, used her experience as a nurse during COVID as inspiration, and it really felt so accurate. As a healthcare provider, so much of it was so close to home and what I see too often.

Olive is trying to work on her brother’s “bucket list,” as he’s no longer able to while in a vegetative state. One of the things on the list is flying to Disney World and running the marathon, but a medical emergency mid-flight causes the flight to be rerouted. One of the pilots, Stella, discovers her after their landing and ends up driving her to Orlando.

Long story short, the media gets involved and Olive and Stella decide to “fake date,” but c’mon folks, they basically real date the whole time. Their relationship is adorable, full of cute and witty banter and sexual chemistry/tension. Their relationship progresses at a natural pace and it felt very realistic and sweet.

But what really stayed with me was Olive’s relationship with her brother and family. I work in an intensive care unit, and my team often has to have difficult conversations about goals of care, and family isn’t always on the same page. It can be so heartbreaking to watch a patient decline, with no hopes of improvement. So I really felt for Olive. I know how it feels to be a healthcare provider and know the science behind what’s happening and feel hopeless. The author’s writing truly brought me to tears; it was so real.

I couldn’t put Fly with Me down and I’m super interested in reading more from Andie Burke.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the review copy!

I was very excited to receive Fly with Me as an eARC from netgalley and st. Martin's press in exchange for a review.

I was invested in this debut novel by Andie Burke from the get go. Sometimes I find that romances can lack depth or characterization and can be all fluff, but this certainly had its share of real life, grief, fears, and drama, which I appreciate. I also appreciated all of the extra details about nursing that helped further flesh out Olive.

As the romance hit certain expected romance story points I found myself just as hungry for it as Olive and Stella. With an early taste of chemistry I was rooting for the couple the whole time.

This was a solid debut and I'm excited to read future Andie Burke novels as well.

All in all, I enjoyed this sapphic romance novel with some steam, fake dating, Swedish Fish, and 00's-ish rom-com references aplenty (literally all of my favorites, lolol)

I enjoyed reading this book, and I'd also enjoy revisiting it as an audiobook so I can sit back and listen to someone perform it)