Thank you to 831 Stories and NetGalley for the arc!

This book is inspired by When Harry Met Sally, which is a movie I absolutely love. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. I found myself bored and uninterested in this relationship. In a romance you want your audience to be rooting for the main couple, to feel excited when they finally get together. However, while I was reading this I found myself questioning why they even wanted to be together. I did not think they made a good couple, nor do I think there was strong individual growth. I also found Marin's reasoning for leaving Teddy in the third act to be pretty irredeemable, so I just couldn't get behind them getting back together in the end. I usually enjoy 831 Stories novellas, but this one was a miss for me.

I am a day late, but Exit Lane by Erika Veurink is out in the world and I LOVED IT!

It's the story of Teddy and Marin who unexpectedly end up on a roadtrip together after graduation from Iowa to New York City. They share a mutual friend, but had never met before they got into the car. The last thing either expected was how they drawn they were to each other.

We follow Teddy and Marin's lives over eight years - their chance encounters always forcing them to wonder what could be.

This book zigged where I thought it would zagg, someting that is rare for me in romance but that I thoroughly enjoy. I couldn't put it down!

Congrats on your debut, Erika!! Always grateful to 831 stories and netgalley for gifting me this ARC and the joy that this story filled me with!

Make sure to add Exit Lane to your TBR!

EXIT LANE starts as an homage to WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, but it quickly swerves into new territory—two people who are entranced with each other but who won’t give each other a chance for their own reasons.

There were things I loved about this novel. The characters were endearing to me, especially Teddy. I love a golden retriever love interest—what can I say? The setting was vivid, and the emotion was palpably evoked. However, there were also places were EXIT LANE fell short for me. First of all, some of the sexual content didn’t work for me. It felt somewhat pervasive and gratuitous at times in a way that distracted me from the narrative itself. Granted, that’s totally a personal preference thing.

The other thing I struggled with was more integral to the story. The reason for the big conflict between the characters felt unforgivable. I get that 831 Stories is big on writing flawed heroines, and I appreciate that. But I don’t think this particular flaw/betrayal was one that could be overcome. Ultimately, I just don’t think it quite worked, and I think the characters could have been further developed if a different choice had been followed. It probably would have required a longer book, which is outside the constraints of this publisher.

I was excited to keep reading this and find out what happened—I love slow burns and second chance romances. But this did fall short for me in the end.

Thank you to 831 Stories and Netgalley for this e-arc!

Wow my first 831 novella and it blew me away!!!!!

Marin and Teddy have a fateful carpool ride from Iowa to NYC where one is running away from and the other plans to return to the Midwest. Spanning almost a decade, these two meet time and again, but love and grief hold competing grips on both of them.

Exit Lane packs a lot of punch into just over 200 pages. I’ve never read a romance novella that held me captive so much. I love a story that spans time and of course a grief plot line has its hold on me every time. This story was messy and raw and so beautifully tender. I cried so much and felt so hard for both of these characters. My only gripe is that the writing at the beginning felt a bit clunky, but a story that moves me so emotionally is worth all five stars.

A truly MESSY ride, but if you’re looking for yearning, character growth, and down bad characters pick up Exit Lane.

I absolutely LOVED this book. I’m now a mega stan of 831!!

Chew me up and spit me back out! This book was absolutely breathtaking and emotional. Erika Veurink writes so poetically and genuinely that I felt every word in my chest. The story was one told before but also brand new. It reminded me of "When Harry Met Sally" and "Normal People" but was still uniquely its own thing. I adored it, and I think it's going to be my number one pick for 2025! (I think this is my first 5 star of the year)

I’ve read the other 831 books and this one didn’t exactly click for me. The writing quality was great like all the others but the story itself didn’t live up to it for me. Maybe I’m just a pessimist but I had a hard time believing such limited interactions would make it so easy for two people to fall for each other. I felt it was hard to get a picture of Marin or Teddy that wasn’t described by each other. Marin being the singular force of issues in the book was not my favorite, her reasoning for pushing Teddy away never felt fleshed out. The third act wrapped up much too simply and quickly. The characters both were supposed to grow from their last breakup but it seemed like it was all swept up under the rug. Maybe just not the tropes for me but I will definitely read Erika Veurink again.

Thank you to 831 Stories and Netgalley for the ARC! Happy Pub Day!

This little delight did NOT feel like a novella. We really get Marin and Teddy's full story in a way that makes sense and doesn't feel rushed. It's very satisfying to read a novella and NOT wish it had been longer because everything you could want was already there. I especially loved the road trip premise (adds the "Road Trip Romance" merch to cart) and the music that's mentioned throughout the story.

Both characters are flawed but extremely loveable (thank goodness) and this would have been a five star read for me if the ending had been a little different but I know the outcome is justified! All in all, I think this is a must read this fall!

Thank you to 831 Stories for an ARC of Exit Lane.
This is definitely my favorite 831 stories novella that I've read so far. Teddy and Marin's love story was really beautiful, two unlikely people being perfect for each other. Their story begins with a road trip to New York where their lives are heading in very different directions. They both expect to have an awkward ride with a stranger but the trip leaves them both with the feeling of a missed opportunity. Over the course of the next five years they run into each other randomly and are forced to acknowledge the last effects that their two day road trip left with them. This is a romance full of longing, especially for something that both main characters have convinced themselves is all wrong. I'm a sucker for forced proximity, and this story is chalk full of it. Teddy is down bad for Marin in all the ways that matter. The romance was executed so perfectly until the third act. That was where the story lost me personally. By then I was a little bit exhausted by this back and forth between them. Overall, I thought this was a very good novella but maybe the ending wasn't for me.

As a big fan of Erika's approachable yet cool style and writing, I was so excited to get my hands on her debut novel thanks to NetGalley.

A sweet romance at its heart, Exit Lane brilliantly combines the nostalgia of a road trip romance like When Harry Met Sally or Two for the Road and the messiness of an unexpected connection. What I connected to most was Marin's journey with grief and her move toward vulnerability. As someone who lost people very young, I was surprised to feel so seen in this novel! It's my new favorite 831 Stories book.

Highly recommend if you're a fan of yearning, have dealt with grief and are figuring out how to cope, and are in the mood for a cozy road trip read. Cathartic sobs will likely be induced and deep joy will be felt.

This might be my favorite 831 Stories novella, which I feel like is a thing I'm always saying. I loved Teddy and Marin together and apart and I'll miss them. The best stories make you know how much you'll miss the characters at the end. All. of the comparisons to When Harry Met Sally are not only fair but actually well- earned. It's so easy to watch these two go from college kids on a road trip to adulthood, to adults juggling life, love, work. Even the required dust-up between the two felt right in line with how they would behave, and made everything after even better.

Thanks to 831 Stories for the ARC!

I've really been enjoying the novellas from 831 Stories, and this one was no exception! Ever since her dad died when she was in high school, Marin has always kept herself at arm's length from her hometown in Iowa and from people in general. Teddy, meanwhile, loves Iowa and wants to build a life there one day. Marin and Teddy both go to college in Iowa, and they end up driving together to New York after graduation. They share an eventful couple days together, but Marin is determined to leave all things Iowa behind. Over the next several years, Marin and Teddy orbit each other on and off, until it becomes impossible to ignore their attraction.

In the beginning of the book, the connection between Teddy and Marin felt a bit forced, and I wasn't totally on board with the trope of them continuously running into each other but not giving into the pull between them. But the writing and characterizations quickly won me over. In concise yet lyrical prose, Veurink teases out the compatibilities between Teddy and Marin and fleshes out their insecurities and stressors. At times I felt like the narrative was giving Teddy too much of a pass and being too hard on Marin, but it does even out, and they both have to grow a lot before they can come together. This book is very romantic, and it flies by.

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

I normally am all over anything published by 831 Stories however this one just fell a bit flat for me. I honestly did not even finish this novella, I made it to the 70% mark and just had to put it down. Unfortunately for this ebook, I read it in tandem with the audiobook. Something about the dialogue was a bit superficial in certain parts and also I really disliked the male narrator for the audiobook. He had a really (for lack of better word) nerdy voice and I just really couldn't picture him as the love interest. If I would have just read it as the ebook, I would not have had at issue.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and AE Titles / S&S Audio | 831 Stories for this advanced copy!

This was a cute short second chance romance. I really liked how fast you get into the characters with 831 romances. Recommended if you want a nice fast palette cleanser for a romance! Sometimes I wish they were longer!

I read this in one sitting. I truly couldn’t put it down. Exit Lane has all the best elements of When Harry Met Sally, Normal People, You, Again and is easily going to be among my favorites. It’s full of longing, hope, grief, and love. And just two messy people trying to figure it out.

I went into this one blind but I love 831 Stories so I was excited! From the first few pages I’m getting that it’s setting up a current day retelling of when Harry met Sally (a movie I love). Imagine Stefan from SNL when I say this: This book had everything, grumpy/sunshine, PROVE IT, long distance phone calls. I absolutely Ate. It. Up. Thank you to 831 Stories and NetGalley for the copy to read and review!

This gave me Normal People vibes and I really enjoyed it. I liked following the characters through multiple years and phases of life. However, there were points I found the characters unlikeable and the romance unconvincing. This could have used a little more of an ending. This was a good short read, and made me think.. but not something that will probably end up sticking with me.

I have been loving 831 romance books! They are short but always have really interesting well developed characters that are easy to root for! This was a sweet story and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

First thing first: Midwest is best. I don't even like Iowa (hi, from MN!) and I could not stop cackling and laughing at all of the wonderful Iowa references. Regional six degrees of separation! Midwest moving on! Butter sculptures!

Anyways. This is so close to my favorite 831 book to date. The author's attention to detail puts the reader in the Buick, in Amsterdam, and in New York right next to the characters. The writing is beautiful and the heartbreak in both characters is clear; Teddy's desire to hang on to any scrap of normalcy from the path and Marin's refusal to acknowledge the path and it's inevitable conflict .

I need a full-length of this book immediately. The premise, the execution, everything except THE THING was perfect. The third-act breakup was awful, but I do think it made sense for Marin. That being said, it did not get enough room to be satisfactorily resolved. Overall, I really loved this book, but the abruptness of the third-act breakup/resolution just prevented it from being 5 stars for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 for an advance copy of this book. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to 831 Stories for an advanced copy of this novella in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not for me. The chemistry between the two main characters didn’t make sense to me — it was very insta-love while also slow burn and it left me feeling like there was no actual connection. It is not believable that there is this yearning and pining when the only conversations they have are what is on the page and then they go years between talking. These two main characters are unlikable for various reasons but the final conflict made me want to throw my e-reader across the room. That was absolutely unforgivable and there is no world in which a happy healthy relationship can persist after THAT.

I’m obsessed with 831 stories and this was one of my favorites yet! Loved it, but needed another two chapters or so to close out more fully (the curse of a novella, but I think the epilogue online could get us there I just wish it had been built into the book!) The ending felt a little too similar to them getting together so I don’t fully believe they will last but I do like them! Great writing, I’d certainly read more from this world and author.