I am so disappointed. I read the beginning and honestly felt bad for Rich. His wife couldn’t say she loved him. Thats harsh and it made me feel bad for the guy. I decided to DNF this book when I read “Because God is an asshole”. Seriously imagine that’s any other religion and you’re mocking it. Disgusting.

It was all in the title...

"Anywhere With You"

It sounded like a romantic country song and I was swooning, swaying side to side as I read the description. Yup, I was all about Ellie Palmer!

This book is jam packed and filled to the brim with romance, nostalgia and a touch of chaotic charm.

The setup offers a classic "opposites attract" scenario, ripe with potential for humor and heartwarming moments. Charley, the organized and pragmatic one, is juxtaposed against Ethan, the free-spirited and unreliable musician. The forced proximity of a camper van road trip through the scenic Minnesotan woods provides the perfect backdrop for their long-suppressed feelings to surface.

This is a story of second chances...

Charley and Ethan

Ugh how I love the both of you!

You will constantly question what will it take for these two to see it!

Here's why I loved it..

The childhood best friend dynamic is one of my favorite tropes, I love the flash backs or memories in the view of the MC . The slow burn romance, fueled by years of unspoken feelings warms my soul.

The perfect blend of romance, introspect and humor, Anywhere With You is sure to be a hit but don't believe me, check it out for yourself!

Here's a bit of a teaser :

Charley Beekman is thriving. Is she financially strapped, languishing in her legal career, and very likely the youngest divorcee at the Ruth's Chris Steakhouse on a Friday night? Yes. But, now that she's accepted the flaws inherent in all romantic relationships, she finally has life all figured out! She's definitely due for an upswing.

So when her free-spirited sister announces her plan to elope with her messy on-again-off-again childhood sweetheart, Charley knows she has to stop the wedding, even if it means road-tripping into the northern woods of Minnesota in a camper van with her childhood best friend, Ethan, who’s as gorgeous as he is chronically unreliable.

But when their cozy journey ignites a spark she's tried to ignore for years, Charley tries to write off her feelings as fleeting. Because after failing at marriage so spectacularly with the most responsible man she's ever known, Charley definitely shouldn't risk it all for her non-committal, nomadic, musician best friend . . . right?

This one was a fun, heartfelt road trip romance with great banter, strong friendships, and a touch of chaos. Charley and Ethan’s dynamic is both hilarious and tender, making their journey as engaging as their slow-burn romance. While the dual timeline and single POV weren’t my favorite, the emotional depth and humor kept me hooked. A perfect pick if you love messy, feel-good love stories 🩵

After reading Ellie Palmer’s Four Weekends and a Funeral I was so excited to get my hands on her next book!

I was initially worried this wouldn’t be for me as I don’t always vibe with childhood friends to lovers or road trip-y stories. Boy was a I wrong!

The friendship(s) in this are so real and genuine and only strengthen the love story. This is truly about friends falling in love and they never don’t feel like best friends, even as they work in those romantic feelings.

No romance that I’ve read recently has made me feel more envious of the relationship in the book. AND! They’re the same height which is fun.

Parts of the beginning were slow for me but once it got there it really got there!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the eARC!

charley is left by her husband and navigating the turmoil of a divorce. she decides to go on a road trip to spice up her life. very light hearted and easy to digest. great book :)

2.75 🌟

I have a lot of thoughts about this book, this was my first time reading Ellie Palmer despite “Four Weekends and A Funeral” being on my tbr and I enjoyed it for the most part! I’m usually not big on closed door romances so that was my first real issue but then I immediately found that I did not really like the FMC at all (which is really difficult to do, I love giving my FMCs 600 chances but she really squandered them all?) and it only got worse as the story progressed (though, I really liked that youre given some plausible deniability as to why she feels Laurel might not be thinking this through) but that brings me to my biggest issue…which was that she kinda had no real reason for being as anti-Petey as she was in her own inner monologue?? Like genuinely once it was revealed that he was Asian-American, I was like well now this is coming off slightly racist cuz why is Petey a “manchild” but Ethan, by her own descriptions is even more floundering, but to her he’s so cool and oh so unattainable like girl be fr…Laurel should’ve gotten to fight her but Petey being so agreeable and chill about her hostility re: their marriage felt a little beneficial to the narrative cuz he definitely would’ve been valid to express some discomfort considering they still all grew up together!

I will say, extra star for Ethan who actually kept me reading throughout (Though I did think he deserved better and I almost prayed he would find it but…hes trapped in his book idk) but I loved his love for Charley even though I hated the Chuck nickname

I wish that Charley had a bit more of a reckoning at the end of the book but I will be honest that I lost interest by the time the Epilogue rolled around because she really didn’t learn much but it felt like since a year passed, all was supposed to be forgiven ? I did skim and liked their little life together afterwards but I fear that Charley’s arc was a bit too abrupt to have the intended impact. Regardless, it was a quick read!

thank you so much to netgalley and penguin group putnam for this arc to review!

3.5 ⭐️ This was so cute!! I loved this story so much!! The characters were all equally amazing and so well written, and I adore a friends to lovers trope! Petey really brought the comedic relief and Ethan is just a gem! I would definitely recommend reading this story.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this eARC.

After reading two books of Ellie Palmer’s now, I think I can officially declare her one of my all-time favorite romance authors now. 😆 This was SOOOOO GOOD.

Short Synopsis:
Charley Beekman’s marriage is over. She’s a divorcee at the ripe old age of 29. But now her sister wants to elope on a whim, and Charley can’t find it in her to support her. So she goes on a road trip with her best friend, Ethan, to make sure it’s what her sister actually wants. Oh and Ethan is a gorgeous musician with tattoos….good luck Charley. 😏

My Thoughts:
This is my new favorite friends to lovers book. It was so beautifully done. Ethan. Oh Ethan. I want to protect that man at all costs. I found myself wanting to shake Charley and scream at her to not let this man get away! He is so far gone for Charley. But Charley’s hesitations are so real and relatable. It made for the best sizzling tension.

Ellie can write one-liners masterfully that will have you chucking throughout the whole book. Their traveling adventure were so comical.

All around a perfect romcom that I highly recommend!

What You’ll Find:
Friends to lovers
Childhood best friends
He’s a musician who lives in a van
She’s a Type A lawyer
Only one bed
He falls first
Camping
Perfect summer vibes
Flashback chapters

I received this ARC copy courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review… so here it goes. Ellie, you are 2 for 2 with me and I can’t wait to read anything else you put into the universe! I couldn’t put this book down (much to my entire family’s frustration) and basically read in one sitting. The story and characters were both quirky and captivating. And of course I enjoyed the harsh truths (without too much PTSD) about being a baby lawyer at a big firm (and LOVED when Chuck told off Bob - I actually had a partner specifically ask me where I was staying on vacation and confirmed it’s WiFi capabilities… just wish I had had her guts to set better boundaries). There were too many LOL moments in the book to note but I actually screenshot a few because I didn’t want to forget them (the “My Kaleesi” tattoo and Winnie the Poo references were just two). If I could give this book more than five stars, I would. Let’s get this talent on the NYT List, please!

I typically would have devoured a story like this. From the friends-to-more trope to the road trip backdrop, on the outside this should have been a five star read for me, but everything outside the middle chapters were a mess for me. It took a moment for me to get into this book. The flow of the book was a smidge choppy at the beginning and didn’t really pick up for me until I was 30% into the story. The ending was a bit too unrealistic and felt more like a Hollywood happily ever after than a realistic one while the start of the book did not hook me in like I was hoping for.

There were some scenes where I enjoyed reading their story developed. The moments of almost truth built amazing tension between Charley and Ethan and is the perfect example why a friends to more trope is one of my favorites to read. I enjoyed seeing how Charley and Ethan’s relationship grew over the years but the whimsical nature of Ethan paired with Charley’s need for stability felt like a mismatch coupling from the start. I wanted to believe in Charley and Ethan’s story, but there were too many moments that didn’t feel right.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons for the opportunity to read this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After loving Ellie Palmer’s first novel so much, I was very excited to finally be able to read her second one and I am so glad that it did not disappoint! Her stories are very deep and emotional, and for this one, the book revolves around Charley, a 28 year old workaholic lawyer who is going through a divorce and starts reconnecting with her childhood best friend.

There are many things I enjoyed in this book. The references to bands and nostalgic things from the 00’s, the friendships with her best friends and sister, the emotional toll you get as an adult after having to move around for so long and craving that stability. The story was very well written, the characters were all interesting - even the secondary ones - and the journey they’re on, despite being predictable, was very good. I loved the character development from their immature versions and the breakthrough Charley has, embracing the changes needed as an adult and having to apologize to those who were necessary.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Ellie Palmer for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely adored this book! This is childhood friends to lovers done right. So much angst and tension and pining and the flashbacks were absolutely perfect. Ellie Palmer has solidified her spot on my auto buy author list!

This was definitely cute! This was my first book by this author and I can definitely understand why she is so loved. The writing flowed beautifully and each character was so wonderfully crafted.

While this felt more like a woman’s fiction than a romance I expected a bit more from the two of them. Charley has a lot of self discovery in this book and I enjoy the emphasis on discovering who you are. I do think that overshadowed the romance quite a bit and this book would have benefitted from a dual POV just to understand more of the tension and backstory between these two.

Ethan was such a good character, layered with charm and became someone you instantly started rooting for and how he always loved and supported Charley. Charley is messy, honest and raw creating such a readable character you can’t help but to root for.

The roadtrip aspect of this made it all the more fun while we got to follow along on their journey.

This is a road trip adventure into the Northwoods of Minnesota. It’s been over a year since Charley’s husband left her, saying he wanted more passion in his life. When she gets notice her divorce has gone through, she’s feeling a little sorry for herself. The next morning she finds Ethan at her door. He was her best friend but she hasn’t seen him since she got married. He's come to see her after receiving drunk texts from her the night before.

When they were in college, they were on the cusp of becoming a couple when Ethan’s indie rock band got the chance to go on tour. Ethan asked Charley to come with him but she couldn’t imagine living on the road. She stayed behind to focus on passing her bar exam. Now, Ethan’s back and has a week off before he needs to be at a music festival.

Charley is surprised when her sister, Laurel, calls to tell her that she is eloping with Petey, her on again/off again boyfriend. Ethan and Charley jump in his camper van and head to the Northwoods for Laurel and Petey’s wedding - it’s a five-hour drive and one hour of canoeing! Their road trip turns into quite the adventure and I couldn’t wait to find out how it would all work out! There’s a dual timeline that went back fifteen years to when Charley and Ethan first met when her family moved to town and continued up to Charley’s bachelorette party before she married Rich where something big happened. I struggled a little when the story jumped back and forth in time but the road trip and canoe adventure was really fun along with the teasing banter between Charley, Ethan and their friends. Charley and Ethan have simmering tension between them. This is a slow burn (and a closed-door romance.) Thanks to the author, Penguin and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Dnf. The writing is good, but she lost me when she said “because god is an asshole” and then proceeded to spill on herself. Like that’s anyone else’s fault? There are too many good books out there to waste time on offensive crap like this.

I really enjoyed this one. This is a new to me author and I’ll definitely keep an eye out for her stuff. It was funny and touching and the story flowed really well. Definitely recommend!

Wow! Ellie Palmer did a wonderful job with this! I will admit that it did take me a while to really feel invested, the first few chapter didn’t quite draw me in. But once I was in it, I was IN IT. I couldn’t put it down.

So much banter and silly situations that just really kept me smiling even after tense emotional scenes.

Very fun & quick read!

Anywhere With You is for lovers of road trip & childhood friends to lovers romances. This certainly delivered on hilarious and disastrous shenanigans. that a road trip romcom can and the romance was very sweet. I also quite enjoyed the dual timeline. It helped me understand the connection between Ethan and Charley, especially since they had been friends for so long. We got to see how their relationship developed over time and how their inspire each other to be the best versions of themselves. It was nice to be able to get that insight in a friends to lovers romance. Their romance is very sweet and swoony. I enjoyed Ethan and Charley as a couple and watching their romance blossom over time.

A feel-good read that will make you want to go on a road trip.

A cozy friends to lovers rom com set in beautiful northern MN that transported me on a van trip with Charley and Ethan 🚐 Ellie Palmer has such a talent for creating meaningful conversation and connection that immediately draw the reader in to become emotionally invested in the characters while also incorporating humor and LOL moments that keep this romance light and fun. There were multiple times throughout the novel that Ellie Palmer had me tearing up with emotions or laughing so hard I couldn't keep reading 🤣😭❤️ It was a journey and I was here 👏 for 👏 it!!

While the store is told from single POV it does include flash back chapters of Charley and Ethan's friendship over the years which really added depth to their character and their relationship. I also loved watching their relationship evolve and deepen throughout the novel in a way that felt natural and relatable.

If you are looking for a romcom novel that will transport you on a road trip this summer you need to add "Anywhere With You" to your summer TBR list 🥳

Thank you Putnam for the ARC!

Took me a minute to get into but the second half of the book hooked me. Loved the best friends to lovers story and it was a fun read throughout. First book by this author and I will definitely check out her first release.