Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
Tropes:
* Childhood friends to lovers
* Recent divorcee
* Road trip
* Type A & Type B personalities
* He’s yearned for a longggg time

Thank you to Net Galley, Ellie Palmer, and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for this eARC! This was a great second book by Ellie and I was grateful for the chance to read it!

I enjoyed how this book was organized. I especially liked the flashback scenes from when they were younger. They give a real understanding of how good of friends they were, their backgrounds and Charley’s troubled childhood, as well as her relationship with him as adults before and after she gets married.

They also help us readers understand why she’s so averse to let anything happen romantically between her and Ethan because his nomad life is too much like the one she had as a child with her father. She doesn’t want to just be stuck following a man around. She wants stability and control of her life. I also felt like she saw her live life reflected in her sister’s too, which makes sense why she really spirals and wants to have Ethan there with her on her mission.

My only small complaint is that we don’t get to see a full spicy scene in the van, so this is a clean book. I understand each author has their preferences, but I wanted to revel in their first time and didn’t get that opportunity. But I did feel their emotional connection through the narration of this book was strong enough to let that go for the sake of her storytelling.

His confession about her wedding made my heart leap while reading how he really felt about her marrying someone other than himself. But I also felt upset because he had years to admit those feelings to her. I will admit this is a trope I don’t like as much because that means years of wasted, unrequited love between two friends who are so right for each other. It surprised me he didn’t try sooner, before she was in a serious relationship. But again, this does add to the tension and buildup between them, because it’s a long time of yearning that bubbles up to the surface when they’re finally together in person again.

I was glad it was a short third act “breakup”. I think it was done well because I understood her fears-she dealt with so much as a child and her father coming and go-that she could not ever accept that in her own adult life. But he compromises and validates those fears by assuring her that his love won’t ever go away. That HE won’t go away. It’s all she needed to let go of the things holding her back, and moving forward to the good things with him. I absolutely loved that ending for them and felt it was just what they needed from each other. 🥰

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I have been looking forward to reading Palmer’s next book ever since reading her debut, Four Weekends and a Funeral. And it was definitely with the wait. I really like her writing style and that her characters are dynamic, not static. This was especially apparent since we got glimpses of who they had been throughout their histories. There were also themes regarding the impact of parental relationships on children, positive and negative. Charley and Ethan have been best friends for fifteen years. When Charley learns that her sister is eloping she enlists her estranged best friend’s help in getting there so she can try and talk her sister out of it. As we go along on their misadventures we learn what it was that put a rift between them and the evolution of their relationship through flashbacks. There is something so vulnerable about opening yourself up to a romantic relationship with a dear friend. The risk of those feelings not being returned by someone who knows the rawest parts of you can be paralyzing. This is what Charley and Ethan are each experiencing as they test the waters. Charley is also dealing with trust issues due to her own divorce and the tumultuous marriage of her parents. This was such a sweet story of reconciliation. Palmer is on her way to becoming an autobuy author for me.

Such a heartwarming, funny, and sweet friends to lovers romance. I had very high expectations based on how much I loved Ellie Palmer’s debut and she did not disappoint.

Perfectly placed flashbacks that gave us just enough to build up the history between Ethan and Charley. Sweet and lovable side characters and a plot to get them together again.

Such a lovely epilogue too! One I’ll be thinking about for a long time!

From the author of Three Weekends and a Funeral, this book releases in August but I had to get my hands on a copy. Thank you to @netgalley for the arc to read and review!

On the heels of a divorce, Charley is a type A heroine who is hell bent on having stability and routine and a plan to counteract her nomadic childhood. When her sister decides to elope with her on and off again boyfriend, she decides she must rush to her side and talk some sense into her. Her childhood best friend, hottie RV traveling, musician and free spirit Ethan and Charley set off to the campground and we’ve got childhood friends who maybe have been withholding some feelings, forced proximity, truck stop showers, canoe incidents and some quirky side characters. So much fun and glad I picked it up.

This was a super cute story! I loved the vibes because being a MN native it was fun to see a few places I have been mentioned. We meet Charlotte and Ethan both are polar opposite but have been in love with each other since they were kids. This was a cute story of second chances and love that follows you your entire life. There was a lot of growth for all the characters throughout the story. If you enjoy second chances, character growth, childhood best friends then this is definitely for you!

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Publishers for this advanced copy for my honest review

* will share on instagram closer to pub date* ANYWHERE WITH YOU by Ellie Palmer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy! As a friend’s to lovers girl, I was so excited to dive into this one. The amount of times I laughed out loud AND yelled at the friends to give in and become lovers, was a lot. There were a lot of messy relationships in this book, but I loved the resolution and watching them work through it. Was this overly meaningful or life changing? No. Did I enjoy and binge it? Yes! If you need a fun, easy, romance that will give you all the emotions, highly recommend!

Charley is a freshly divorced attorney who is sad and lonely. When her free spirited sister calls and tells her she is eloping, Charley and her best friend hit the road to try and intervene. Together in the camper van, sparks that had been hidden away begin to fly.

Pub. Date: August 5, 2025.

Perfect if you like:
•Childhood friends to lovers.
•Only one bed.
•He falls first.
•Road trip.
•Hilarious banter!
•Finding yourself again.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️ (fade to black ch. 17)
Mood: 🌮🍩

🚪: 🌶️ (fade to black ch. 17)
⚠️: explicit language.

This was cute and I enjoyed it. It wasn't anything too amazing but it was a nice, easy read. Thank you for the ARC.

Your long term and long distance BFF suddenly appears at your door after you get divorced, and your sister is getting married to her on again/off again childhood boyfriend? What year is it!?? Charley goes on a roadtrip to get over her marriage, stop her sister from making the biggest mistake of her life, and figure out what she’s going to do about her life.

The characters! The banter! The romance! Ellie Palmer really can do it all. After devouring her debut novel, I had high hopes for this one and it did not disappoint. I absolutely loved the characters and found all of them highly relatable. I literally finished this book in a day! Highly recommend to those who enjoy second chance romance, close quarters/roadtrip romance novels, or simply want to see well made and complex characters try to figure it out like we all are!

Thank you to the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I devoured this book in one sitting. It’s heartwarming, funny, and full of that delicious slow-burn tension. Chuck is a Type-A, newly divorced lawyer who ends up on a chaotic road trip through the Minnesota woods to stop her older sister’s impulsive wedding. Her travel buddy? Ethan—her gorgeous, unreliable childhood best friend who’s always been off-limits... until now.

The banter was perfect, the tension perfecter, and honestly, when the guy falls first and hard? I’m a goner. Loved every second

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc

I was not loving this book at first. The FMC/MMC relationship felt super platonic in the beginning and I was bored. My biggest issue with this book was the sarcasm. It was like sarcasm-vomiting the whole time. Every thought the characters ever had or everything they ever said it was with sarcasm and it drove me nuts. I got sick of it so fast.

I wanted to give this three stars but I just couldn’t. Ethan is top tier and the only thing I loved about this book. Ugh. I even love him. Hahaha I’m glad the FMC came to her senses but yeah. Idk how I feel about this book. Lots of things and nothing at all.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Not as cute as the other book I’ve read from Palmer.

The time switches every other chapter was a nice touch, it gave us more firsthand insights as to Charley and Ethan’s history/friendship, which was nice. It gave them more depth as characters.

That said, I thought Ethan was kind of dull? I can’t really pinpoint why but he felt bland and would have been replaced by anyone. The biggest character to him is that he and Charley have this deep, deep friendship where they know each other better than anyone, and that he’s obviously in love with Charley. Maybe I missed something, but there just didn’t feel too much about him other than “he likes adventure and Charley.” I also wish he had said something to show from the beginning he wasn’t that “one-night stand/short term relationship” kind of guy- Charley made a lot of assumptions, sure, but she did so based on history she had a front-row seat to and he didn’t really correct her. It would have helped their relationship flow a bit better, I feel.

Cute and lighthearted. I still think Four Weekends and a Funeral was better. Maybe it’s the tropes, though the friendship to lovers (while not normally something I enjoy) was done well.

thank you NetGalley and Ellie Palmer for the arc!

4 ⭐️’s: Anywhere With You by Ellie Palmer is a witty, heartfelt friends-to-lovers romcom that had me laughing out loud and flipping pages like crazy. I’m not usually one for the friends-to-lovers trope, but this one completely won me over with its sharp banter, layered characters, and emotionally honest storytelling.

The story follows Charley, a newly divorced, type-A attorney who’s still trying to make sense of what comes next, especially when her younger sister decides to impulsively elope. Determined to stop the wedding, Charley ends up road-tripping through Minnesota with Ethan (her childhood best friend turned estranged best friend, turned… maybe something more.) Told through a dual timeline that flashes between their past and present, the novel slowly unpacks their decades-long connection, the tension that’s been simmering under the surface, and what it means to grow together, and sometimes apart.

Charley is a character I really empathized with. Her anxiety and fear of change felt deeply real, and I appreciated how the book gave space to her emotional growth. Her relationship with her sister Laurel was another highlight, complicated, supportive, and so authentic in the way sibling dynamics evolve. And the banter? Top-tier. Charley and Ethan’s rapport crackled with that kind of intimacy that only comes from years of truly knowing each other. Their ongoing “couldn’t be me” bit had me smiling every time.

I do wish we got a peek into Ethan’s point of view, especially given how much of the tension comes from unspoken feelings, but I understand why the story stuck to a single perspective given the dual timeline structure.

This book is definitely worth picking up when it releases August 5, 2025b! Ellie Palmer is quickly becoming a go-to for romcoms with depth, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you so much to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!💕

What pulled me into Anywhere With You was the setup—childhood best friends going on a road trip in a van - I was way too curious to see how Ellie Palmer would handle this kind of story. And she totally delivered.

Charley is freshly divorced, tightly wound, and determined to stop her little sister’s surprise elopement. Ethan is her longtime bestie, a musician living the van life with major “go with the flow” energy. They’ve known each other forever, but it’s clear that something deeper has been simmering under the surface. Cue forced proximity, simmering tension, and a whole lot of “oh no, there’s only one bed.”

I won’t lie—Charley tested my patience a bit. But then I realized… she’s me. The perfectionism? The control issues? The self-sabotage dressed up as ambition? Yep. Been there. Felt seen. And Ethan? Whew. Total cinnamon roll energy with just the right amount of swoon. Watching these two figure their stuff out together was frustrating, sweet, and really satisfying.

One of my favorite parts was the dual timeline. The little flashbacks gave just enough insight into their friendship and past moments without slowing things down. It made their slow-burn connection feel real and earned, and I loved seeing how much history they had together.

Anywhere With You reminds me why I love this genre so much. It’s honest, a little messy, full of heart, and leaves you with that warm, fuzzy feeling that maybe the person you’ve been looking for has been right beside you all along. If you’re in the mood for a road trip romance with humor, heart, healing, and just the right amount of chaos—this one’s for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for the opportunity to read and review the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Twenty nine year old Charley has just gotten divorced after only thirteen months. She’s embarrassed but it is determined to move past it and get her life on track. Only to find out her sister is about to elope with her childhood sweetheart. That cannot happen. So Charley teams up with her childhood best friend, the very unreliable Ethan, on a road trip to stop the wedding. I loved the dual timelines, the banter, and the chemistry between these two characters. I wish we could have gotten POV between both of them though. I feel like I would have loved it even more.

Charley (recently divorced) is cynical about marriage, so she freaks out when her sister impulsively decides to elope. Charley and her childhood best friend (Ethan) road trip through Northern Minnesota to crash the wedding and are forced to face their unresolved tension.

As a MN transplant, the setting and jokes/cultural references about the midwest were fun. I loved the witty and sarcastic banter between the MCs, and the use of humor throughout. They’re so comfortable and familiar with each other and you really feel that in their interactions.

The story’s primary focus is Charley’s self-discovery journey. She’s slowly realizing how her family dynamics impact her skewed views on relationships, her career, and her self-worth. And, ahhh.. Ethan! The sweet way he can read and predict Charley’s every thought. I wanted a dual POV, but we don’t get Ethan’s perspective. The way it’s told, it’s hard to believe that his feelings never wavered despite everything that happened before the recent reconnection. But you know what? We love pining and love an MMC who is confident in his feelings for the FMC.

Overall, this is a fun summer read (and it’d be especially fun to read while on a road trip or camping). I smiled and laughed and felt things. I’ll definitely be paying attention to this author’s other/future works!

Thanks to the publisher (Putnam Books - Penguin Group) & NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5⭐

LIKED:
- First of all, I want to preface this review by saying that I am coming out of this book slightly biased. Longtime friends who have been separated/haven’t talked in a while/etc., is probably my favorite trope ever. I know it’s not everyone’s bag, but it is mine. I love stories of lead characters with a plethora of history. II think this book had a lot of moments of that, showing that history, that I really enjoyed, so I think I’m being a bit lenient on this book because of this. I do. I could definitely see how these two characters knew each other very well.
- I think the dual timelines were…fine? I like dual timelines generally, I think I just needs more intentionality behind some of the jumps back in time.
- There are a lot of road trip books that are big, sprawling trips, and it was nice that this one was not such a long distance. It felt fresh.
- As odd as it sounds, Charley’s childhood and relationship to her parents and their relationship was the most interesting aspect of the book to me outside of the romance. How their dysfunctional relationship affected her throughout her whole life was pretty unique and did help inform a lot of her more irrational choices and anxieties.
- Great to have Celiac’s rep and have it feel so natural and genuine, not like a caricature.
- I liked the inclusion of the van. That sounds kind of silly, but van life is a thing that many people enjoy and it is an important aspect to Ethan’s lifestyle, so it was fun to see it utilized in the story.
- It’s a nice title. I like that it kind of ties the book together. I wish it encompassed more of their whole story, but it’s sweet.

LAMENTED:
- There are a lot of writing choices in descriptions and actions that are just…odd. Like there is a genuine emotional moment between the two leads and the author decided that it was a good time to say that Ethan’s forehead creased “like a taco”. It was distracting and pretty cringey. Also the streaking scene was just…not my brand of humor.
- I do not see these characters saying together. I think they love the idea of each other more than actually being together. And they both….kind of suck. Charley is super judgy and Ethan is kind of nothing, and they both act so immature. They’re supposed to be nearly 30, it just got really frustrating, especially with how oblivious Charley is to Ethan’s feelings.
- I did not like, uh, any of the characters. Laurel is incredibly selfish and rude (and immature) and Petey is just a cartoon (and I do not understand why those two characters even liked each other to warrant their history). I appreciated the parallels between sisters, but I didn’t want to really see anyone flourish, if that makes sense.
- Okay, maybe I’m just supposed to suspend disbelief…but what is so bad about Rich. He’s made out to be this guy that just sucks so bad and is so wrong for Charley and yada yada yada, but he’s just…a regular guy? I wish that aspect of their relationship had been leaned into. It is okay for two regular people to not be right for each other, but they make it seems like he is the worst person to ever have graced their presence. It didn’t make me think more highly of Ethan or that he was a better choice for Charley just by having Rich exist.
- Now, I am not one that needs romances to be open-door, and I’m not saying that this one should have been, but the first time these characters sleep together is just kind of brushed off. They have all this history that has been building towards this moment, and then it’s just like “okie dokie onto the next thing”. Also it’s the first time Charley has been with anyone since her divorce. I just needed that moment to be more impactful emotionally (not necessarily explicitly).
- This cover has that kind of uncanny, almost faceless, lineless illustration style that I just do not care for. I think the composition and them being in a van is nice, but Ethan’s face looks goony and the border on the title is kind of wonky.

LONGED FOR:
- A sense that these characters were actually more right for each other (and didn’t make me feel like they were going to immediately break up).
- Characters that weren't all so immature.
- Less cringey writing (sorry)

Will I read the next one? : Probably…not. I listened to her first book and genuinely absorbed so little of it. I don’t think this author’s writing style is for me.

I was excited for this book as a fun summer romance read. The plot seemed like it had all the right things: Charley getting out of her divorce despite always having her life planned out, her childhood best friend Ethan returns from his travels after a falling out and we go from there. Childhood best friends to lovers isn't my favorite, but I enjoy it when done well!

The writing and descriptions of emotions felt very poetic, there were many instances where I was loving certain paragraphs because they were phrased so beautifully and really captured what the characters were thinking. What fell a bit flat for me was the manifestation of the romance. I felt like these were two interesting characters but it was hard for me to imagine them together. The banter that exists felt like it was between friends (which they were friends) but didn't feel like it would go any further. I never felt a connection that would push them into being more than friends, making this relationship feel a bit forced.

I also felt like Charley recalling all the times Ethan had shown he liked her in a romantic way was a bit cringey to me. Who is that clueless and why are we having this conversation many years after the fact?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing and ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Charley is a lawyer who likes her life to be predictable and follow a routine. So when her husband unexpectedly leaves her, and her notoriously commit-averse sister decides to get married—Charley, who no longer believes in love or that marriages last, is determined to stop the wedding. Ethan, her best friend and a nomadic guitarist, gets tasked with driving them to the wedding/elopement. This begins a chaotic journey up the state of Minnesota.

Charley is still dealing with the aftermath of her failed marriage. Her need for stability leaves her stuck, living in an empty house with minimal furniture and little sense of purpose. The trip with Ethan finally forces Charley to reflect on her life and what went wrong. I love how, through everything, Ethan shows her just how much he loves and cares for her. He is so willing to fight for her and for their relationship.

We also get to experience their friendship throughout the years, with flashbacks that helped me understand their relationship a bit better. I loved the slow journey and personal growth Charley undergoes throughout the book. She is still so stubborn, but begins to realize that what you always thought you wanted might not actually be what you need.

I also loved how realistic her relationship with her sister felt. It’s was so chaotic, yet honest and still full of sisterly love.

I really enjoyed this one, it had all the sweet and funny moments of friendship, plus a great message to just take the leap. It gives all the summer vibes I could ask for, I highly recommend it!

🫢 Language: Moderate, frequent
🔥 Heat level: Fade-to-black scene and some innuendos.

I adored Four Weekends and a Funeral, so I was very excited to get this book. Ellie Palmer’s sophomore book did not disappoint! This book gutted me. It had ALL THE FEELS. My heart went out to Charlie! This poor woman’s world view was based on some tough false beliefs that she had throughout her life. They inhibited her from falling in love. I absolutely loved this friends to lovers, road trip romance. There was so much humor and heart in this book. The writing was top notch. The conflict and Charlie’s character growth were amazing. The flash backs to the past really added to the story.
I only wished two things while reading this book. One, that we could get Ethan’s perspective. I would have loved that. Two, the sexual tension build up in this slow burn romance was perfect. I only wished two the author would have given us a bit more detail than telling us about it.
I devoured this book from start to finish! I received this book from Penguin Group and Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of Anywhere With You!

Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer was one of my favorite reads of 2024, and Anywhere With You confirmed that she’s an auto-buy author from here on out. This story follows childhood friends-turned-lovers Charley and Ethan as they set off on a summer van road trip with one mission: talk to (read: stop) her sister Laurel from marrying their other childhood friend, Petey. The book is packed with fun banter, sweet throwbacks to their shared past that make you believe in their love story, and just the right amount of Minnesota summer magic.

It’s the kind of summer read that feels like a road trip with your favorite people especially if you’re into friends to lovers, forced proximity, and a bit of emotional nostalgia. I gave it 4/5 stars and will definitely be picking up whatever Ellie Palmer writes next!