Run Away With Me by J. L. Simmonds was an interesting read. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it at first. I'm not usally a fan of road trip books, but I thought I would give it shot and I’m glad I did. It was a fun read! There were some points where the story lost me, but I was easily brought back to it. I would classify this book as more of a fun read then a serious one, but I'd definitely recommend it.

This book follows Jessie after she has packed up her things on her way to the bus station and is picked up by Brooke a girl from school who also is leaving town. The girls decide that they won't ask why the other is running away and this leads to an unexpected adventure while trying to figure out learning more about themselves and each other. I really enjoyed the mystery aspect around why the two teens were running away and seeing Jessie aka Mouse find herself and her voice from the view point of an unexpected and epic road trip. As someone who was raised going on road trips from a young age that was part of the reason I wanted to read this young adult sapphic romance. I would recommend it for anyone looking for a good coming of age story about finding yourself. It wasn't a typical type of story that I pick up and I really enjoyed it and by the end wished I had just a little bit more.

This was a really fun read about two girls running away from problems they couldn't or didn't want to face. I really enjoyed the chapter titles being songs and the use of the cassette tapes. Seeing the secrets come out and the relationship flourish was exciting and cute. At times, it felt like too much was happening to these young girls, but it all made sense with the backstories and what they were running away from. The writing was well done, and I stayed immersed in the story and was excited to see where they would go next and what each stop would hold. It did feel like it ended rather abruptly, which did catch me off guard.

Run Away With Me by J.L. Simmons is a fast-paced YA road trip novel that blends queer romance, suspense, and emotional healing against the backdrop of a cross-country escape. The story follows Jessie, a girl reeling from the trauma of abuse and the shock of discovering her stepfather’s murdered body, and Brooke, her beautiful and mysterious classmate who offers her a sudden way out. With danger in pursuit and secrets between them, the girls hit the road in a vintage red Mustang, navigating shady motels, sketchy detours, and the fragile line between friendship and something more. Simmons weaves music, longing, and the intensity of first love into a story that’s both dramatic and heartfelt.

While the novel delivers on atmosphere and emotional stakes, it occasionally stumbles in realism. Some plot elements—particularly those involving trafficking and law enforcement—feel rushed or glossed over, and Brooke’s motivations lack the same depth as Jessie’s. Some may also find the pacing uneven and the romance underdeveloped at first, though it grows into something more believable by the end. Still, the book has its strengths: the tension of being on the run, a compelling sense of longing, and a tender sapphic connection at its core. This will be an engaging read for those who enjoy dramatic coming-of-age tales with road trip vibes and emotional undercurrents.

Run Away With Me had all the ingredients for a fast paced, high stakes queer thriller: two girls on the run, a dead body, secrets, and a vintage red Mustang. But for me, it just didn’t fully come together.

From the start, it jumps into the action with barely any setup, especially when it comes to the relationship between Jessie and Brooke. If they’re supposed to have this simmering connection, I didn’t feel it. I needed more buildup, more chemistry—something to make me root for them. Instead, I felt like I was told they had some history without ever really seeing it.

Jessie’s storyline felt more grounded. She’s clearly in danger, and her reasons for running are serious. Brooke, on the other hand, often came off naïve and unaware of how serious things were. It felt unbalanced for most of the book, like one of them was in a thriller and the other thought they were on a spontaneous girls’ trip.

There are moments of suspense, mostly when they’re being followed or tracked, but it barely scratched the surface of what I was hoping for from the thriller angle. And when we finally get answers about who’s after them and why, it honestly felt a little ridiculous. Like, this is what we’ve been building to?

The pacing dragged in spots, and I found myself only mildly curious about how it would all end. And some of the major plot points could’ve been resolved with one logical decision or phone call. Jessie seemed smart enough to ask questions or follow up, but… she just didn’t.

That said, I did enjoy watching the relationship between the girls grow, even if it was slow. There were some sweet moments, and by the end I did believe they had a real bond. I just wish I had believed it sooner.

Final thoughts: This one leaned a little too YA for me, and while it had potential, it never fully delivered on the thriller or romance fronts. If you’re into road trip vibes with a dash of drama and a slow-burn sapphic connection, it might still work for you

The road trip theme, following two queer girls discovering themselves and first love while traveling across the country, is genuinely compelling. The story thoughtfully explores identity and how having someone believe in you can reshape how you see yourself. Jessie’s character growth is especially well done and adds heart to the narrative. I would recommend this book to queer and questioning youth.

That said, it has significant issues that held me back from fully enjoying it. The plot often feels inconsistent and the timeline confusing. For example, the drive from Seattle to Salt Lake City takes four days with no clear reason, which felt unrealistic for two runaways supposedly moving at a decent pace. The estimated cross-country travel time also seemed off, and the characters rarely take sensible precautions for runaways, like changing license plates or avoiding obvious routes.

Other details made it difficult to stay immersed. The portrayal of drug traffickers stalking two well-known teens doesn’t ring true—they wouldn’t realistically chase obvious runaways across state lines. There were also baffling moments like the girls pickpocketing in a hotel loaded with security cameras, and a strange focus on laundry without clear reason or follow-up on whether they ever picked up their laundry.

One particularly uncomfortable scene involves a kidnapping and a sudden kiss immediately afterward, which felt jarring given the context. Additionally, it took weeks for a minor suspected of murder to appear on national news, which seems implausible.

Ultimately, the book feels like it’s trying to appeal to both younger and older teens, resulting in a tone that swings awkwardly between childish and mature. This inconsistency makes the story feel off-kilter and prevents it from fully landing.

If you’re able to overlook some plot holes and inaccuracies, there’s a heartfelt story about self-discovery here that may resonate. But if you’re familiar with U.S. geography or expect tighter storytelling, the flaws might be hard to ignore.

Thank you Netgalley and J.L. Simmonds for sending me this free e-ARC. My review is my honest opinion.

This was such an intense and emotionally charged read. I was hooked from the start two girls on the run, a classic Mustang, and a growing connection between them that feels both fragile and electric. The tension stays high throughout, but what really grounded the story for me was the emotional journey Jessie and Brooke go on not just as fugitives, but as two teenagers trying to figure out who they are and who they can trust.
I appreciated how the story balanced danger with tenderness. There’s real trauma woven into the plot, but there’s also hope, love, and a deep sense of longing for something better. The relationship between Jessie and Brooke is messy, sweet, and full of quiet moments that hit hard. This is a road trip story with real stakes and real heart.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc!

Two girls run away for different reasons. They travel through many states to find themselves. Will they find themselves and more?

I can’t say that I truly love this book, but I find myself wishing it had come into my life during my teenage years. As a young adult romance, it certainly has the potential to have flipped my 15-year-old self upside down. The characters and the unfolding plot are executed fairly well, and while the romance is engaging, the dialogue feels a bit too saturated with the clichés of teenage love, which is to be expected given the genre. I just can’t help but think how much I would have appreciated this story when I was younger.

What I particularly enjoyed was the realistic portrayal of life’s darker realities, the creeps, the rundown motels, the acts of desperation like stealing, and the few kind souls who tried to help the girls. These elements reflect the true challenges that someone might face if they chose to run away in today’s world. Overall, the story is short and moves quickly, but it lacks the kind of depth that would make it truly transformative.

Run Away With Me is a YA road trip novel centered around Jessie (nicknamed Mouse), who decides to flee town after uncovering something upsetting when she gets home from school. Just as she’s about to make her escape, Brooke — her longtime crush — shows up in a classic Mustang and offers to run away with her. Their destination? Disneyland. But as expected, nothing goes quite to plan. Along the way, the girls encounter shady situations, questionable motels, and the comfort of a well-loved cassette tape soundtrack. While there’s a touch of romance, the story leans more heavily into coming-of-age themes, trauma, and character growth — sometimes in jarring ways. I found the premise really intriguing, but I’m not entirely convinced the YA category fits. Some parts felt too juvenile, while others dealt with intense, sometimes far-fetched scenarios that felt more suited to older characters. I think it might have worked better if Jessie and Brooke were in their early twenties rather than teens. Neither girl has done anything that fully justifies the drastic choice to run away — Brooke’s motivations seem rooted more in a desire to escape the pressure of her privileged life, while Jessie’s reasons are a bit more complex (and best left unspoiled). Overall, this was a fun idea with good bones, but I think it needed a bit more development to really land. I’d still recommend it if you’re in the mood for something quick and a bit dramatic. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC ahead of its release on June 5th!

8/10- I’m not usually a huge fan of YA, but something about this book stood out to me. The cover, the title, the premise. I was immediately interested, and as soon as I started reading it, I couldn’t stop.

This was a book with intriguing characters, a fast-paced story that kept me on the edge of my seat, and of course, sapphic yearning.

Jessie, the main character, is a relatable, mousy (lol) teenager who went through a traumatic event that caused her to run away. She’s picked up by Brooke, who is coincidentally on her way out of town in her convertible mustang. She is also the girl Jessie has a crush on.

They journey across the country together listening to old cassettes, discovering themselves and each other, and outrunning the law. They encounter everything from singing competitions to kidnappers. Not to mention the adorable slow-burn romance that develops.

The only complaint that I had was about the ending. I won’t go into details, but I will say that I wished there was more to it, if even just a few chapters. It felt a bit rushed to me, and I wanted to see a bit more detail about how everything worked out.

All in all, I absolutely loved this book, especially for a YA novel. It was sweet, it was beautifully written, and it was heartfelt.

I’d like to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group as well as the author for this edition of the eARC!

A gritty, fast-paced road trip thriller with a tender heart, this novel combines suspense, romance, and emotional depth in equal measure. Jessie and Brooke are compelling leads—both damaged, both running, and both desperate to find something resembling safety or freedom. Their slow-burn connection adds warmth and vulnerability to an otherwise tense, danger-filled journey. While a few plot points stretch believability, the story’s emotional honesty and strong character work keep it grounded. A gripping, queer coming-of-age escape story with just the right mix of adrenaline and heart.

Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for the chance to read this early.

I've had mixed feelings about this book from the start. The relationship between Jessie and Brooke seemed to grow organically and I really liked that but a 17 year old girl finds her mom's boyfriend murdered and instantly thinks she will be suspected. It didn't make much sense to me but later she calls it a fight or flight reaction so I guess that would make sense. Some details seemed a little far fetched but a: I have no experience in the topic and b: it is a fiction book.

All in all, it was a decent book. Brooke has fantastic taste in music and cars. Jessie grows into herself and gains confidence she wouldn't have had before the trip. I wouldn't mind trying another book by this author but I doubt I'll ever reread this one.

Possible spoilers. At about 80% through, I had to remind myself this is a romance like a mantra! I was so worried there wouldn't be a happy ending (there is). Something that could just be me being picky, every customer service person the encountered through the entire book asked "Can I help?" instead of "Can I help you?" or "How can I help?" It was just really weird to me because I have never heard someone ask that question in this context.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc!

I don't know what was in this book, but it was absolutely addicting. It was so hard to put it down after a few chapters. I loved the fast pace story telling and the characters. I loved that the story felt too good to be true, a little fantastical, but was also 100% something that could and probably has happened in real life.

The pacing throughout the entire story felt more or less perfect. My interest was piqued for beginning to end and I honestly want to just start all over and read it again.

I think this book will THRIVE at the local libraries. Please understand that the audience base for this book is high school. The writing style wasn't my favorite but I could apperciate an ode to my youth. Some parts were a little slow but overall the book did a great job. Would recommend to check out!

For the most part, I enjoyed this. Some of it was a little hard to believe, like Jessie so easily finding and rescuing Brooke from Chris. I was intrigued to find out their reasons for running away and enjoyed going along for the ride, though. The ending was a little disappointing.

dnf @ 75%


I am not the target audience for this book, but even then, it didn't quite live up to my hopes. Something I love about road trip stories is that it gives the author a chance to do a bunch of character work that lets us really, really get to know our characters -- not just as they are themselves, but as their relationship to their fellow travelers changes. And this book had SUCH a fun concept, so I was excited to get to see that concept unfold within that structure. But alas, it didn't really work for me; the characters just didn't hit for me, and their relationship didn't feel earned. Then around 65-70% of the way through, something TOTALLY out of left field happens that fully threw me for a loop -- a tonally incohesive plot point that is just kinda dropped for the next few chapters. It was so odd.

Overall though, I think that if I were 15-17 and looking for something diverting, this is something I could pick up and enjoy.

Great queer representation which drew me in. Would’ve loved to have this book when i was younger. Very YA in the way it’s written. Earnest characters. Must suspend belief for much of the plot.

i’m really glad that we’re getting more sapphic books out in the world — i definitely wish we had more when i was younger! it’s so important to have that representation, especially for people around that age who are on their own journeys with their identity.

in my opinion, the pacing was off. the beginning was abrupt, which i understand is probably the point to start off in a fast-paced way, but it felt less like a stylistic choice and more like it needs a bit of work to give the reader some context. there were a lot of “lull” periods with their driving/traveling, with some more intense moments thrown in that (again) felt kind of abrupt to me from their introduction to their resolution. i did like jessie and brooke, though, and i thought they had a sweet relationship. i think this will appeal to younger audiences!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for access to this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a fun, unique YA thriller with a lot of queer elements. Yes, maybe you have to allow for some suspension of reality to get into parts of the story, some parts a bit far-fetched, but isn’t that what creativity and fiction are for? Jessie (“Mouse”) reminded me a LOT of myself as a queer high schooler, crushing on the pretty girls and never knowing if any feelings were mutual or if we were “just friends”. The abuse elements are definitely not subtle, so check your TWs. The writing is decent, but definitely has a YA vibe which ultimately makes it a pretty quick/easy read. I loved the nods to all of this classic music of Springsteen and Fleetwood Mac and 90s music like Alanis Morissette and Tracy Chapman (so queer) and it’s even more fun and nostalgic that the two girls listened to cassettes, what a throwback! So nostalgic and fun, and again, so relatable. This is novel is not super groundbreaking but it is a very fast-paced, exciting thriller. More queer books!!

Roadtripping sapphic love story? sign me up. I really enjoyed this book, I found it an engaging and quick read. I loved the two characters and their dynamic with eachother as the story progressed. This being said, I am not sure about the realisticness of the book.

I found certain points to be not quite believable? This is likely due to the book being YA. Serious topics like kidnapping and trafficking were kind of glossed over in a way that felt unrealistic and even uncomfortable. Also the girls seemingly had infinite money? I mean a few thousand dollars doesnt really get you far on such a long trip.

Overall though, I did love the motif of music being prevalent throughout the book. This was a quick and fun read that I recommend if youre looking for a roadtripping experience from the comfort of your home! Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review!