Anywhere With You by Ellie Palmer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨(4.5/5 stars)

I LOVE GETTING GOOD ARCS!! God this woman writes such good romance. She is a force to be reckoned with. Pls write more books (one release a week would be good thx 💘)

I read Four weekends and a funeral after seeing none other than @vivafalastinleen recommend it and her recommendations never miss!! I was so excited when I saw that this author had another book coming out, and I immediately requested it on netGalley.

I saw a lot of of myself in the main character, Charley, as someone who craves stability and reliability in my life, and in those around me. So I was curious to see how this book would unfold given the characteristics of our two main characters.

Read this book if you like good Romance, a healthy amount of angst, and a good friends to lovers trope

I am not typically one for flashback scenes but it worked so well for this story. Getting to know these two as adults and then retroactively as kids, teens, and young adults was just the right balance. I really enjoyed this!

Oh! This is a good one. Palmer can really write a romantic story. I loved it from the first chapter. I was entertained by the characters and their road trip. I enjoy a book that involves a wedding and a boy/girl friendship to something more. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a super cute contemporary romance with loveable characters, a fun premise, and a cool outdoor setting. For anyone who enjoys contemporary romance and friends to lovers, I recommend.

I really enjoyed Ellie Palmer's first book, Four Weekends and a Funeral, and I thought it made a nice love story of a difficult situation. In her sophomore novel, Charley finds herself divorced after only 13 months. It just wasn't a great match, Rich is a boring guy who seems....fine. Charley is more embarrassed to be a divorcee at 29 than she is in grieving the loss of Rich. Truth is, they shouldn't have gotten married to begin with but it seems like they did so because it was time and that is who they were with at the tine. A talented lawyer, Charley is whip smart although insecure and easily manipulated into overworking.

Charley is close to her sister Laurel, two years older and in love with Petey. Laurel and Petey are going to get married, Petey's brother Ethan is Charley's age and was once her best friend. They drifted apart after Charley's ill begotten marriage, but he is a van influencer and has a very different wardrobe and entire life. With Laurel and Petey having a quick engagement, Ethan and Charley are thrown together again and find their easy banter picking up right where they left off.

With many chapters jumping back to high school and various points throughout their lives, the reader understands the spark that Ethan and Charley have and how they really bring out the best in each other. It is a little of opposites attract, mainly a forced proximity, friends-to-lovers type romance. No super smutty parts.

The dialogue between Ethan and Charley is really well done, I think we all would love to have someone that knows us and all of our faults and loves who we are. This isn't sparring type competitive banter, it is a true friendship, "we know each other like no one else does" type of dialogue. You know they love each other many pages before they figure it out. Ellie Palmer writes dialogue so well it is a wonder why she hasn't written several episodes of Gilmore Girls or the like.

I also really appreciated and got into the relationship between Charley and her sister Laurel. We didn't get to know Petey as well, but he loves his brother, respects him and is good in a crisis of wildlife proportions. Romcom fans will love this lighthearted journey of Ethan and Charley.

With a title that feels like a cheeky nod to Glen Powell’s Anyone But You, Ellie Palmer’s second novel takes readers on a charmingly chaotic road trip through the Minnesotan woods. Packed with humor, heartfelt moments, and a touch of chaos, this book is a delightful exploration of second chances and self-discovery.

Meet Charley Beekman, a delightfully sharp-tongued 29-year-old who's nursing the wounds of a divorce and what she calls her "quarter-life catastrophe." Just when she thinks she's got her life back on track, her sister drops a bombshell: she's marrying her childhood sweetheart. Charley's response? A desperate mission to stop the wedding, armed with nothing but determination and an unlikely ally – Ethan, her chronically unreliable childhood best friend.

Palmer has a gift for creating characters that feel like old friends. Charley's mix of wit and vulnerability makes her incredibly real, while Ethan's easy charm masks layers that keep you guessing. Their chemistry crackles through every scene, their banter ranging from laugh-out-loud funny to surprisingly tender.

The road trip itself brings plenty of mishaps and gorgeous scenery, but what really hooks you is watching these two navigate their own emotional baggage while trying to "save" someone else. Palmer tackles the very real pressure of having life "figured out" by thirty, wrapping serious themes in enough humor to keep things from getting heavy.

Sure, the story takes a little time to find its groove, and there are moments when you'll want to lock these two in a room until they actually talk to each other. But once it hits its stride, this book is impossible to put down.

Anywhere With You is the kind of story that reminds you why we love romance novels – it's messy, it's honest, and it leaves you with that warm, fuzzy feeling of possibility. If you're in the mood for a road trip romance with heart, humor, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting, this one's for you.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for sharing this heartfelt journey's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

4.5⭐️

Fresh off her divorce, Charley roadtrips with her childhood best friend, Ethan, to try to stop her sister from eloping with her on-again-off-again boyfriend.

When Ellie told me this was a friends-to-lovers road trip story way back in the day before I even knew a title I said, “SAY NO MORE!” It doesn’t get much better for me. 😍

I love the tension you get between characters who have known each other their whole lives. The familiarity, the inside jokes, the banter, the closeness, the memories. And it all works together perfectly in Anywhere With You. Just as with Four Weekends and a Funeral, Ellie handles some deeper topics as well - the long term effects of parental failure, the complexities of sibling relationships, the nature of friendships changing as you grow, and the difficulty of figuring out and settling into what it is you want out of life.

Ellie’s writing is witty, clever, and oh so full of pop culture references (I’d expect nothing less!). She will have you falling for Ethan, rooting for Charley to experience healing, all while laughing and probably tearing up along the way.

Read if you like books with flashbacks, when he has a nickname for her, fade to black romances, roadtrips, banter for days, only one camper van, and childhood friends to lovers.

Thank you so so much, Putnam and NetGalley, for an advanced copy of one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 in exchange for my honest thoughts!! I will be forever grateful.

Ellie Palmer is officially an auto read author ! She’s 2/2 five stars from me!

Four Weekends and a Funeral was my favorite romance book of 2024, so I was thrilled to get an ARC of her next book, Anywhere With You.

Charley is a lawyer who thrives on predictability. She even picked a boring, stable, predictable husband, who ended up leaving her making her a 29 year old divorcee. Her nomadic, van life childhood best friend Ethan comes back into her life when Charley’s sister announces she’s eloping with Ethan’s best friend. Charley and Ethan head off in Ethan’s van on a journey into the Minnesota woods to stop the wedding. There’s also a dual timeline that gives background to when the 4 of them met in high school, through college, and beyond.

This book was everything — Charley was the best FMC, so smart and funny. I had so many butterflies throughout the book. I loved it so much I read the acknowledgements from top to bottom because I didn’t want it to end. I will tell all of my friends to read this when it comes out!

I absolutely loved this. Charley was SO relatable. And friends to lovers is one of my all-time favorite tropes. This was a great romcom, perfect for the summer! I love the author’s sense of humor so much.

Wow. I am blown away by this book. It was a second-chance, best-friends-to-lovers romance, so naturally I was going to love it. But it was SO MUCH MORE than that, too! It was a hard look into the repercussions of parental failure, the hard and enduring dynamics of sibling relationships, the testing of friendship, and a deep dive into wanting the wrong thing out of life. The characters were so dynamic and engaging. I teared up at the sweet, relatable feelings this evoked in me and I also about died laughing at one point. Palmer is a fantastic writer. I cannot wait to get my hands on her first novel! This is a heavy-tension, fade-to-black romance that will come highly recommended by me!

Honestly, I struggled a little bit in the first half to really feel that connection to this, but towards the half way point it really grew on me. I loved all the characters, loved seeing the character growth. The story resonated with me in a way I didn't expect, especially as it highlights the struggle many of us face when life doesn't go according to plan. Palmer's writing was so done so well, it offers a comforting reminder that not having your life all figured out is okay-and sometimes, the best things happen when you embrace the uncertainty. Besides the few miscommunications that annoyed me this was a quick, solid romance read for me. Would recommend! Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc!

This was a fun read with more emotional depth and personal growth than the typical romance. I enjoyed watching for a handful of enjoyable tropes and felt like the story was better-paced than Palmer's first book. The FMC's relationship with her sister added another great storyline throughout the book.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! I really enjoyed it!

Anywhere With You by Ellie Palmer is a sweet romance that follows Charley Beekman, a sarcastic and slightly cynical woman who thinks she’s got life figured out after surviving a messy divorce. But her world is turned upside down when she goes on a wild road trip to stop her sister’s wedding. Teaming up with Ethan, her gorgeous childhood best friend, Charley finds herself on a hilarious and emotional journey. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and I loved the banter between them! This book is full of humor, romance, and second chances.

Thank you netgalley and to the publishers for the ARC. I enjoyed the story and plot of the book. It was engaging and the dialogue help drive the story. I enjoyed the ending of the story and would totally read another book by the author.

This book is the perfect blend of nostalgia, romance, and humor. Charley’s journey from a messy divorce to navigating her feelings for the one man she’s always had in her life (and always tried to avoid) is a rollercoaster of emotions. The road trip setting is a great backdrop for their slow-burning romance, and the chemistry between Charley and Ethan is electric. I loved how Charley’s personality clashed with Ethan’s free-spirited vibe, it created such a fun dynamic. The writing is witty and sharp, with just enough heart to make you feel all the feels.

I LOVED this book! Ellie Palmer should do a master's class on how to write friends to lovers. Multiple times throughout the book I called my friend to laugh at the ridiculousness of the story because I couldn't enjoy it by myself (looking at you 5K and fireproof box).

I love the characters! The frustrating, yet loving, sister relationship. The friendship with Ethan, how they can be apart for years and it feels like not a day has passed since you last saw them. The main character, Charlie, had plenty of issues to sort through especially with relationships that spoke to me.

The dialogue was so, so laugh out loud funny! Charlie, Ethan, Petey, and Laurel had such wonderful banter that was heartfelt and fun.

The I was thrilled to get an ARC of this book since I loved her first book, Four Weekends and a Funeral. Plus she is a Minnesota girlie like me. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC.

No Sophomore slump here. I loved her debut novel and this one may be even better.

This book features Charley, a recently divorced 28 year old woman and her free spirited best friend Ethan going on a road trip to stop her sister's wedding. Their trip reignites deeply buried feelings from both people and they have to figure out if a romantic relationship is worth trying.

Both characters were relatable in their fears and insecurities, but there was no doubt they were made for each other.

Warm, witty, and brimming with charm, this story will leave you rooting for love, imperfections and all. Definitely a new favourite.

Wilderness romance is trending right now and this is perfect. Also, it's a relatable story for those who are choosing the "Van Life" right now. The story is cute, and well written with relatable issues that most modern dating takes place.

it’s always really scary picking up an authors second novel, specially when the debut was so well received. people are bound to compare it, and i was terrified i’d be one of them

however, congratulations to ellie, for writing banger after banger, because anywhere with you was that good.

this book is relatable in a way i didn’t think possible. i think a lot of people expect you to have your life together when you reach a certain age, and when your life takes a turn for the worst, it’s always nerve wracking trying to fit that mold.

it was, frankly, refreshing watching charley finally get to do things she enjoyed and not what everyone and society thought she should be doing

i can’t wait for everyone to finally read this one, because i know you’re going to enjoy it as much as i did.

thank you to NetGalley, the publisher G.P. Putnam's Sons, and most of all, the author, Ellie Palmer, for giving me the opportunity to read this arc.