Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC! What a great way to start ✨Sapphic September✨! This book had my favorite trope: fake dating and was so fun! I loved the characters and the depth of the story. Olive’s ongoing battle with anxiety and her grief over her brother were highlights for me. I love a romance with realized characters and more to the plot than just the relationship. This book was so much fun, had fantastic characters and references and pretty good spice. 😉

This book really surprised me. The cute cover drew me in. The fake dating kept me invested. And the story line sold the whole thing. The story line of the messed up family(her parents are the absolute worst) I wish had more of a clean end, or resolution. But as is real life it’s never that simple. Really liked this one. I will definitely pick up more books by this author in the future!

A charming rom-com about how lives can change if we just take chances. The two main characters are bada$$ women in their careers, but have both suffered in their personal life. When they come together in a ruse, there’s no telling what feelings will develop. Will social media take over? Will everyone find out the truth? Or will they figure out there’s no one better to struggle with in their personal lives? I truly enjoyed getting to know each character - even the friends. This story reminded me take work/life balance seriously and don’t forget to live your true self.

The audiobook narrator was enjoyable to listen to. She has an easily understood tone at any speed.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and author Andie Burke for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. “Fly With Me” was published September 5, 2023!

Thank you Netgalley for the cutest book! I devoured it over the long weekend. If you need a feel good, warm hug, this is the book for you.

This book was so funny. I am such a fan of the fake dating trope. It is one of my favorites. It was done so well in this sapphic romance! I could so relate to Olive. Stella was the perfect opposite for her. They were exactly what each other needed. I was rooting for them from the start. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I listened to this driving down to Atlantic City for a work meeting and let me tell you, sobbing while driving down the Garden State Parkway is not ideal.

I freaking adored Olive and Stella, they had such great chemistry. Their love story was beautiful and hopeful, while dealing with some tougher topics. With themes of grief, medical trauma, phobias, anxiety, and depression, Fly With Me is such a layered story.

I enjoyed the narrator but I did not like this book.

This rating is for the narrator only.

This review contains spoilers.

This started out really promising but it ended up being super disappointing.

Two things I absolutely hate in books are toxic ex’s and shitty family. This book had both of those things. Olive’s family was the absolute worst.

I wish it had been dual POV because I felt the connection on Olive’s side but not so much on Stella’s and I really felt like Stella was leading Olive on.

The epilogue was so abrupt and there was no closure as to what happened with Olive’s family or the pictures of the binder that Lindsey took. I also felt like there wasn’t closure on if Lindsey Finally stopped harassing Olive or if Stella got a new job.

Overall this was super disappointing.

4 stars for the narration.

2 stars for the book itself.

This book’s “tropes” advertisement immediately pulled me in for the request and had me incredibly excited to read. Unfortunately, this is one of those I felt more time was spent on pulling people to review than the overall book which is wildly disappointing.

As much as I wanted to love this book, it just was not meant for me. A few of the standout reasons are across all books, not just this one, so definitely take that into consideration. This included: the conflict and resolution taking place in the last 10% of the book, too many events but the plot remaining stagnant, and third person point of view.

One of the big things I usually enjoy in a book, but just didn’t read right here was the push and pull in Olive and Stella’s relationship. It came across and take, take, take and then I’ll give you a side of emotional whiplash. The push and pull absolutely could have worked, but Stella’s approach to most every situation, start to finish, made it feel toxic instead of genuine and natural.

The narrator did a fabulous job conveying the emotions coming from both Olive and Stella. I never would have read Stella as upbeat as she was, and honestly, I think that added to my continued listening after realizing this book wasn’t for me. So pat on the back Chelsea Stephens.

Fly with Me was a fun sapphic romance that comes out tomorrow - September 5th.

Olive is an ER nurse and is scared to fly but on her first flight ever there is a medical emergency and she jumps up to help save the man's life. She ends up missing her connection and Stella the co-pilot on the flight offers to drive her to Orlando. While they are in Orlando the video goes viral and Stella asks Olive to be her fake girlfriend to help her get a promotion.

While the plot isn't the most believable, I still enjoyed this opposites attract fake dating romance. I felt like Olive and Stella had great chemistry, the writing was funny and there were great movie references! Both Stella and Olive had a lot going on but it didn’t detract from the book for me.

I listened to this thanks to Macmillan Audio it was just under 12 hours. The narrator was great and I l listened while driving around Switzerland.

Andie Burke's Fly with Me is an absolute delight. I can not believe this is the author's debut book! It is beautifully written, with a poignant storyline, and a smoking hot romance.

Both of the main characters are in demanding jobs with interesting family situations. Burke weaves a tale of friends to lovers, with a fun fake relationship trope thrown in for a twist. Told from Olive's point of view, I enjoyed how we got to know Stella and the other creative characters in Fly with Me.

This book grabbed my attention from the very first scene, and held it completely the entire way through. Marvelous!

The audio version was performed by Chelsea Stephens. Stephens does a nice job with all the different voices and her performance truly enhances the story.

I have had the opportunity to read Fly with Me several times.

Hearing it in audiobook format gave it a new life. Chelsea Stephens did an amazing job giving unique voices to both Stella and Olive.

When I read the text, I only heard Olive's voice in my mind. I never gave much thought to Stella's POV. This audiobook made me wish I had both of their perspectives or a few bonus chapters from Stella's side of things.

This is going to be a great comfort listen.

Hi, my name is Julie and I LOVE Fly With Me by Andie Burke!

Sapphic romance - check!
Fake dating - check!
A book making fun of book tropes - check!
Character situations to connect with - check!
Adorable banter that had me swooning with every word - check!
Gasping moments (four - count em) - check!
Audiobook narration perfection with Gilmore Girls level fast-talk - check!
Crying from loving this book so damn much - check!
Laughing harder than I have with any other book - check!
Papi - check!
Pop culture references in all the right ways and at the right times - check!
Ummm... uniform kink - check!
Use of my favourite swear word - check!
A slow burn that still leaves you very satisfied - check!
Real-life issues/concerns/conflict - check!
And one more thing: Swedish Fish - check!

I'm not sure why or how this cover gave me YA vibes - but let me tell you this is no YA book! It is absolutely, most certainly not. (Read: spicy scenes that make you sweat and grip the armrest - just like you're hitting turbulence!)

Get ready to be spammed with this book being in all my posts - because, ya, I love it!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

What a fantastic debut novel. A fake dating Sapphic romance. This story covered so many things. An extreme fear of flying. Lingering guilt from the past and working through that. Checking off a list for someone who can not do it themselves.

A viral video and saving someone's life turns into a relationship blooming. I love Olive. She's an er nurse and is always doing for others. She is so dang hard on herself. Watching her emotions at their lows and their highs was so emotional. A wonderful read and listen!

Cannot wait to see what @andiewritesandreads puts out next.

Thank you @netgalley @andiewritesandreads @macmillan.audio for sending me this ALC to give my honest review.

3.5 stars (roudned up)!

"Fly with Me" by Andie Burke is the kind of book that hooks you from the very first chapter. From moment one, I was enraptured with Olive and Stella's story, obsessed with finding out whether their fake dating scenario would pay off for them. I *love* a good fake dating scenario, and this story really handles the situation well! This book has a lot of heart, some drama, some tears, and some laughs. The connection between Stella and Olive starts out slow but ramps up as the story heads towards its conclusion. Personally, I think it veered on the side of lust more than the side of love, but it didn't turn me off or away from the story. Some of the miscommunications between Olive and Stella bothered me, but not so much that it hindered my enjoyment of the book. I loved the side characters, including Olive's best friend and Stella's dad. There are also some truly deplorable characters here, like Olive's ex-girlfriend and Olive's awful mother. All of these characters are extremely well-written and fully flushed out. They all feel lived-in as characters, and I appreciate that they feel realistic. Also, this is not just a surface-level story. It also deals with some very heavy, very deep subject matters, including sexism, misogyny, homophobia, car accidents, traumatic brain injuries, a fear of flying, panic attacks, long-term illnesses like Parkinson's, and death. The storyline involving Olive's brother broke my heart. It even made me tear up. My heart broke for Olive as she's torn between doing what's best for her brother and letting her mom have her final goodbye the way she wants it (even though she's totally in the wrong). As someone with an intense fear of flying, I related to this story on a deep, deep level! All in all, this is a cute story that is deceptively deep. It has wonderful characters and contains terrific chemistry and banter. Chelsea Stephens brings these characters to life with her excellent audiobook narration.

Thank you to NetGalley, Andie Burke, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

This is a cute romance about two women who are struggling with issues in their lives and find comfort in the other. They are really hesitant and slow to bring the romance to life, but the support they gave each other along the way was wonderful.

This is a fake relationship trope. Stella is a pilot that can't break through the good old boy network. She asks Olive, a nurse, to pose as her girlfriend after they are both put in the limelight after Olive saves a life on a flight. They both battle back and forth with the "fake" girlfriend thing. Could it possibly be real?

I listened to the audio version of this book. The narration by Chelsea Stephens was awesome. It was easy to listen to and the pacing was perfect.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

3.5 - I did like the story and found the characters to be sweet and sympathetic. But this missed the mark a bit for me. First, I live for the misunderstandings and the pining of the fake dating trope, but we only get to be inside Olive's head and so I feel like we missed one half of the romantic connection. Also both characters have serious family matters occurring and, while they are handled well and don't shy away from difficulties, it made the book very heavy to the point where it almost felt like the romance wasn't able to buoy the book back up. For me, the book was a little long and as such the fake dating trope played itself out and then went a touch beyond the point of being believable. I did enjoy the romance when it was happening, I enjoyed their friends, and I very much wanted these characters to be together. There is definitely enough good to outweigh the bad but this wasn't quite a lighthearted romance. Definitely pay attention to the content warnings at the beginning - and thank you Andie Burke for including them. Chelsea Stephens was a good narrator and did a great job with tone and pacing. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fly With Me by Andie Burke
Narrator: Chelsea Stephens
Rating: 4 stars
Steam: 2 chilis
Pub date: 9/5

I was so excited when I received an early ARC and ALC of this debut sapphic romance! I can’t believe this is Burke’s first novel! It’s a steamy, witty, and heartwarming story that tugged at my heartstrings.

Olive Murphy, an ER nurse terrified of flying, finds herself mid-flight when an emergency strikes. Olive springs into action, saving the day and meeting the incomparable Stella Soriano in the process. Stella’s a determined copilot with charisma to spare, and she sweeps Olive into her orbit, offering friendship and a fake dating proposal that Olive can’t refuse. The arrangement is mutually beneficial for both of them, but what happens if only one of them develops real feelings?

I really enjoyed this slow-burn opposites-attract love story! While Olive and Stella are getting to know each other and embarking on their fake dating scheme, they’re also dealing with some complex issues. Olive's grief for her brother and her family dynamics take center stage, alongside her burgeoning affection for Stella. Stella’s father has Parkinson's, and she is not only having a hard time accepting all the difficulties that come with that, but she’s also trying to become a Captain at her misogynistic airline. The explorations of loss and healing make these characters likable and relatable.

The villains in Olive's life add just the right amount of drama, garnering equal amounts of frustration. Burke's decision not to resolve her family conflicts neatly lends authenticity to Olive's journey.

The audiobook version, narrated by Chelsea Stephens, truly captures the essence of both protagonists. Stephens' skillful voice acting allows listeners to distinguish between Olive and Stella, enhancing the storytelling.

Overall, this beautiful debut effortlessly balances humor, heartache, and hope. Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy and Macmillan Audio for my ALC.

Read if you like:
*flying
*sapphic romance
*complicated family dynamics
*opposites attract
*Celiac/anxiety rep
*fake dating

This was the kind of story that grabs you from the very beginning and keeps you interested the whole way through. I’m used to saying that about mysteries and thrillers but this book packed a punch; it had lovable main characters, a fantastic supporting cast of friends and the usual family angst. I loved how they met and how they got together. I wasn’t a fan of the toxic environment both of the women found themselves in but those were also very believable. This was a touching, heartwarming story and I enjoyed getting to know Stella and Olive.

Trigger Warnings: cursing, anxiety, panic attacks, medications, medical content, allergic reaction, death of a sibling, homophobia, car accident, coma, end of life debate, tbi, long term care facility, alcohol, drinking/drunk, Parkinson’s, snake, depressive episodes, toxic relationship, transphobia, sex, vibrator

Representation: Gay, Lesbian, Latina, Mexican-American, Celiac, Bisexual, Transgender

Fly With Me is a one-way ticket to love or a bumpy ride ahead, we shall see. Flying-phobic ER nurse Olive Murphy is still gripping the armrest from her first-ever take-off when the pilot announces an in-flight medical emergency. Olive leaps into action and saves a life, but ends up getting stuck in the airport hours away from the marathon she's running in honor of her brother. Luckily for her, Stella Soriano, the stunning type A copilot, offers to give her a ride. After the two spend a magical day together, Stella makes a surprising request: Will Olive be her fake girlfriend?

A video of Olive saving a life has gone viral and started generating big sales for Stella's airline. Stella sees their union as the perfect opportunity to get to the boys' club executives at her company who keep overlooking her for a long-deserved promotion. Realizing this arrangement could help her too, Olive dives into memorizing Stella’s comically comprehensive three-ring-binder guide to fake dating. As the two grow closer, what’s supposed to be a ruse feels more and more real. Could this be the romantic ride of their lives, or an epic crash and burn?

This was so cute! I really enjoyed it! I love seeing messy queer adults trying to navigate life and family. The story is funny and serious, with a great balance of flirting and deep conversations. The writing is very witty and clever, and the dialogue is sincere and natural. The characters are very relatable and human. It also has an adorable romance and some nice spice!

Sapphic romance is honestly enough for me to read a book. This was so cute and swoony. I loved the couple as a couple but also both as individuals. Absolutely would recommend!