Safe to say Ellie Palmer can write a damn good book! I loved her debut book and I was so happy I was able to read Anywhere With You early.

Nothing I love more than a friends to lover book and more so when they’re childhood friends 😭 the yearning Ethan displays for Charley is out of this world. There were times were I just wanted Charley to get out of her own head and do things not because she thinks it’s a natural progression of life but because she truly wants to do those things for herself.

Charley is so relatable when it comes to doing things because you feel like those are the steps one needs to take to feel accomplished and all that. Go to college, graduate, get a job that provides stability, marriage and a home, etc. But life isn’t linear and we have to step out of our comfort zones to truly experience life and the book reflects that.

Ethan was so caring and kind throughout that you really do root for him. Nothing better than falling in love with your best friend who knows you like no one else.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

As someone who reads a lot of contemporary romance, Anywhere With You was a delightful surprise—fun, entertaining, and full of charm. Ellie Palmer strikes a great balance between heartfelt moments and playful banter, and the chemistry between the characters really worked for me. It had that effortless, feel-good energy I’m always hoping to find in a romance. A joyful read that left me smiling.

I loved this book from beginning to end, its journey was a mix of everything a little bit, between embarrassment, silliness and accidents waiting to happen.

Ethan is a sweetheart of a man, I loved his patience, his care for Charley, everything. And as the first book I read by Ellie, I enjoyed it from beginning to end, thanks to Net Galley, by the way, because it was because of you that I met Ellie!

Charley's parents on and off again romance coupled with her own divorce has her unwilling to believe in a happily ever after. Her sister's sudden whim to get married is mind boggling and Charley can't risk her sister's future pain. She sets out with the reluctant help of her best friend, Ethan, to stop the wedding. Oh and her own rocky relationship with Ethan is just something she needs to ignore on their cozy road trip in his camper van.
This book is overwhelmingly full of metaphors and I found is incredibly distracting how many times Ellie compared everything with a "like" or "as if". As this was one of my highly anticipated reads for 2025, I'm sad that it didn't work for me as I adored her debut. The bones of the book (synopsis, likable characters, setting, etc) are there and I could easily see it being a stronger rating had the similes been severely edited. It's a memorable book otherwise, and I did enjoy Charley and Ethan's friends-to-lovers trek.
Thank you to Putnam and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the advanced unedited digital copy.

This was a heartfelt, engaging read with emotionally grounded characters and a romance that builds through time, distance, and change. The story shifts between timelines, giving us a deeper look at both Charley and Ethan's upbringing and family dynamics. That context adds real weight to their choices and the quiet flaws that make them feel like people you’ve known.

The writing is solid, the dialogue sharp, and there’s a great balance between tension and tenderness. The van life and wilderness scenes give it a slightly adventurous backdrop without overpowering the character-driven focus. Ethan is an easy character to root for, and Charley’s growth feels earned.

If you like stories with emotional layers and just enough grit to balance the sweetness, you'll likely love this one.

Tropes & Features:
💞 Best friends to lovers
🔁 Second chances
🖤 Fade to black romance
👯‍♀️ Supportive sisters
💬 Great banter
👣 Relatable characters
🌲 Wilderness & van life
⏳ Past/present timeline
📖 Single POV

I absolutely love Ellie Palmer! She writes with so much warmth and wit. Her books bring you in like a trance, and before you know it, you've read 300 pages and ignored 4 calls from your boss. Oopsie.

Anywhere With You is nostalgic and wistful. We have a gorgeous setting, second chances (my favorite trope) forced proximity (my second favorite trope), and a lovingly frazzled "but I'm doing so great, I swear" main character. This book reminded me of two of my recent favorites:

1. PS I Hate You by Lauren Connolly
2. The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce

There's real chemistry that's so hard to nail. Reading this book feels luxurious - not in a "omg these characters are loaded hit me up chuck bass" kind of way, but in a "I can't believe I get a sneak peek into the hearts of these people" kind of way.

Can't recommend it enough. So excited to purchase a copy when it hits the stands!

Love a friends to lover story, especially a he falls first, and this one was jam packed with emotion. I always enjoy a past/present dual timeline, as it always reveals so much about the character/relationships. Ethan and Charley are best of friends, and Charley has to learn the hard way that what she’s wanted has been there all along. The banter was great and the romance even better. Definitely recommend!

[Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the advance copy]

I did not expect to enjoy the story so much! Ellie challenged my judgment of where the story will take us and I want to give her full credit for the beautiful work.

The ending was predictable to a degree but the spin Ellie took with it was so clever, made sense for the characters, their personalities, and their dreams.

Everything was flowing together in a way that scratched my brain just right.

I read Ellie’s previous novel “Four Weekends and a Funeral” and I’m so incredibly excited to see her growth as a writer. I cannot wait to see what she’ll write next!

(P.S. I think I’m becoming more and more of a “friends to lovers” trope fan. Is this an Ellie Palmer effect?)

I don’t know how to explain how funny this book is… both loudly and quietly, with big punchlines and subtle, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it quips. Ellie Palmer might be the most underrated hilarious romance author out there, and I’m a little bit scared of how her brain works (in the best way). Every line feels so sharp and so deeply human.

Charley’s inner monologue is a delightful mess. Her head is constantly full of spirals, self-sabotage, and painfully relatable thoughts dressed up as jokes. I laughed a lot, but also found myself just pausing to take it all in at times… in that way you do when something hits a little too close. The humor isn’t just here for the sake of it. It softens hard truths and highlights all the absurdities of being alive and trying to love people, across time and distance. It all just works and it’s all so beautiful.

And my god, Charley and Ethan’s relationship is pure magic. They bicker like best friends who know there’s literally nothing they could say that would actually push the other away. It was addicting. And underneath all the banter is this quiet, patient tenderness that comes with a lifetime of knowing someone. I found Ethan so fascinating. He was completely transparent with Charley which was so refreshing. But at the same time he never forces anything between them—he just makes space.

This book is also a love letter to sisterhood and friendship. Charley’s dynamic with Laurel felt so relatable. The push-pull of petty jabs and crushing fights and complete loyalty. Anyone with a sister will feel this dynamic DEEP in your soul. And the Charley/Ethan/Laurel/Petey friend quad?? A bunch of unhinged sappily obsessed weirdos. I want to hang out with all of them. Not at Wet Ted’s, though.

This book is chaotic and heartfelt and so damn funny. I finished it and immediately wanted to go back to page one. Ellie Palmer is officially an auto-buy for me.

This was fun and the main character felt quirky in a way that was just right. It didn’t feel super deep, it was just a light romantic comedy. I did think the sister was kind of shitty and unhinged.

Thanks to Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC.

Release date: August 5th

I liked the cover, and the plot sounded interesting, but it fell flat. I didn’t enjoy the writing style, and I found the female lead, Charley, to be very selfish. The only memorable part of this book was Ethan, who deserves better than Charley. I can see why her husband left her.

Couldn’t get into this one😕 Tried twice, but gave up both times. Have read others by the author that I enjoyed. Maybe just me.

YES YES YESSSSS this is what best friends to lovers should feel like. The angst. The YEARNING. The acceptance of the inevitable and every moment that follows until they finally give in. I. Love. This. Book.

Ellie Palmer became an instant favorite after her debut novel, Four Weekends and a Funeral, completely won me over with its heartwarming combination of romcom and serious love story. Her second novel, Anywhere with You, has cemented her as one of my very favorite authors and I will be yelling about her for a long time.
Anywhere with You gives us the substance-driven romcom we expect, with the angst and yearning we expect from a friends to lovers slow(ish) burn and I completely ate it UP. The tension between Charley and Ethan is so delicious that I absolutely could not stop reading their story, waiting and waiting until the moment they finally give in. This is the friends to lovers story that convinces the naysayers that this is actually the superior trope. The stories from their younger years are woven into the current timeline perfectly, and I absolutely believed by the climax that these two were meant to be together from the get-go and I found myself absolutely giddy when they both accepted this too.
Can we also talk about how Ellie Palmer was BORN to write a perfect declaration of love/grand gesture scene? Good grief! Every romcom movie writer needs to take a page from her book because she has got this thing down, pat.
I fell just as in love with Charley and Ethan as they did with each other during their story, and I am so, so excited for the rest of the world to love them too!

I thought this was a quick, cute read. This is the second book I have read from this author. The chemistry and banter was great. I would definitely recommend it but it felt like I have read multiple books with a similar premise.

Very sweet friends to lovers story, Slightly slow paced for me but that’s nothing that would keep me from recommending it. Second winner in a row for Ellie Palmer!

I love the friends to lovers trope. I always think that sets a good foundation for a solid relationship in a book. I don’t love slow burns, but I get that it’s necessary for the progression between Charley and Ethan. I love the touch of the sisterly bond. Overall, a cute , easy read.

3.5 ✨ rounded up! It took me forever and a day to finish this book. While life was indeed busy, I also wasn’t making much time to to read because I didn’t get really into the book until it was almost over.

The FMC and her sister frustrated me a good bit and I think that’s also where I had a hard time. Overall, I thought the story was cute (especially toward the end) and I liked the van life sprinkled throughout. The best thing about it was the MMC! He was a sweetie and redeemed a lot of things about the book to me. The other thing I did like was the history between the main characters and the context of things that happened in their past that brought them to where they are today! I really just couldn’t quite get into it I think it was a bit too punchy for me!

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam vid NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Thanks NetGalley for this advanced copy.
Loved the book. It did get kind of annoying that Charley didn’t believe anything Ethan was saying & was thinking “oh this is what he does with all the girls.” I did not find this believable, someone can’t be that dumb that he clearly has feelings for you & has for a long time. Other than that I thought it was great.
I read her first book which I also really enjoyed. She has a great sense of humor, funny chapter titles, & keeps me wanting to read! Keep the books coming!

Everything a friends to lovers romcom should be. Charley was relatable in her quest to have all her ducks in a row. Her relationship with her sister was prime sister trauma bond kind of lore.

Anywhere with You was a fun, best friends to lovers romance. Charley has planned her life to be perfectly predictable until it simply….isn’t. And to top it all off, her chaotic sister needs her unsolicited help. Add in a camper van and a wanderlust best friend and Charley learns more about herself than she expected.

I enjoyed Charley and Ethan’s story and how it unfolded through flashbacks. Their chemistry and witty banter was great.

I also enjoyed other relationships portrayed. Charley and her sister were lovable and realistic and you could see how they relied and cared for each other.

My only criticism was minor. I found the writing almost too descriptive at first. It was sometimes hard to comprehend what the author was saying because the writing was very long-winded. Eventually I got used to the style and enjoyed it as clever wittiness.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.