Ellen Meister’s Joyride is a heartfelt and captivating story that blends humor, romance, and a touch of self-discovery. With its quirky characters and witty dialogue, this novel offers a delightful escape while exploring deeper themes of love, second chances, and the unpredictability of life.

The protagonist’s journey is both relatable and inspiring, as she navigates unexpected detours in her personal and professional life. Meister has a gift for creating characters that feel vibrant and real, each with their own quirks and charms. The romantic elements are sweet and well-paced, adding just the right amount of tension and satisfaction to the story.

The narrative flows effortlessly, with Meister’s sharp writing keeping readers engaged from start to finish. The combination of laugh-out-loud moments and poignant reflections strikes a perfect balance, making this book both entertaining and emotionally resonant.

While the plot leans into some familiar tropes, the fresh voice and originality of the characters make it feel unique. Joyride is a delightful and uplifting read for fans of romantic comedies and stories about finding joy in unexpected places.

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

Absolutely brilliant book!
I am a big fan of this author and love the writing style!
I cant wait to read more!

I was not too fond of the dual POV. I would have liked it more if the story had focused solely on Joybird: her career journey, her struggles with childhood trauma, dealing with her father's return, and her love life.

Sid is depressed, and apparently, the only thing that can lift his spirits is reconnecting with a woman he kissed once over 50 years ago. Seriously? I ended up skimming through his chapters. I wasn't interested in his chapters and it only distracted from the parts that mattered.

Joyride by Ellen Meister was an enjoyable read that had me chuckling in places. This was a solid read.

I had a hard time finishing this one, but I did finish even though I had to skim through several different sections. I couldn’t really get emotionally invested in Joy bird’s father who was the other main character because he was just so off color and off-putting. I also found her coaching sessions in the car to be rather tedious and time-consuming. I did love the premise, however, and felt that it would make a good sitcom idea instead of a novel.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Joyride was a surprise delight! I was so anxious to keep reading this book to see what happened!

Our heroine is Joybird. She's had a rough life and has made it her mission to see the bright side of things - the joy! She's working as an Uber driver when she picks up Devon. She instantly brightens his day, and he suggests she should drive her car and give life advice! Joybird's desire is to be a life coach, so this seems like the perfect set up.

Joybird lives with her dad, John Martin, aka Sid. Sid, for lack of a better word, is a loser. He was once an A list Hollywood writer, but has lost everything and moved in with his daugther. He's brash, unfeeling, and is not the type of father Joybird wants.

The eclectic cast of characters we meet through Joybird's Joy Rides add so much to the story. In addition to these characters, there's Betty, the neighbor who befriends Sid. We have Noah, the non-committal crush of Joybird, and we can't forget Devon - he desperately wants to date Joybird and she's hesitant.

I loved the transformation of Joybird through the novel. She was somewhat meek at the beginning, wanting to keep people happy and keep the peace. But as the story progressed, she found her voice and became an advocate for herself! This was a heartwarming story, and one I'm so glad I read!

Thank you to Net Galley and Montlake for the eARC of this book!

Joybird is one of those very special characters who you'll wish was real. While this is an overall lighthearted read, Joybird will inspire you in all sorts of ways with her feel-good positivity and compassion. I wish there was more to the story though. I felt this easily could've been longer, more fleshed out, especially with Devon. With that said, the book was good but really needs to have more into it in order to be a really good/great book.

Read This Book and Have a Joyful Day
In a world that has become increasingly combative, it was an absolute joy to read JOY RIDE, a new novel by the prolific and always entertaining Ellen Meister. The story is about a young woman who is certain that her reason for being is to spread hope but not because her life is all raindrop and roses. To the contrary, Joybird Martin is a single thirty-one-year-old life coach who can barely pay her bills as an Uber driver in New York City. But just when she thinks life couldn’t be any more stressful, her pot-smoking, cranky pants father asks if they can be roomies until his once successful career as a comedy writer makes a comeback. To Joybird nothing could be less funny. How could she support the man who abandoned her growing up, and yet her heart aches to repair their dead-end relationship. If only he would stop running up her credit card bills and commenting on her stalled love life.
Nothing makes sense until the day Joybird picks up a sullen Wall Street executive and offers him advice to overcome his work challenges. After listening to her astute insights, he suggests that she run a life coaching business from her cab. What? That is the one thing in her life that does feel laughable until other riders gush that her refreshing advice was exactly what they needed to hear.
Faster than you can say start your engines, Joybird ditches Uber to run her own taxi service called Joy Ride and it’s time to buckle up. The first stop for Joy Ride is to help get her dad out of his funk by finding his long- lost love that he was too shy to ask on a date. But her first paying clients are a wealthy/spoiled/upper east side mother and her snarky teenage daughter whose contentious relationship makes Joybird feel like she is careening through a dark tunnel at high speeds. And from there the twists and turns are as unpredictable as a GPS that takes us in a direction we never saw coming.
What I enjoyed most about JOY RIDE was following Joybird’s poignant attempts to repair her life’s most damaged relationships while wondering if she is falling in love with the Wall Street guy even if he is most definitely not her type. Or is he? When compared to the altruistic poet she has waited years to date, she questions if she even knows her type anymore.
Readers will root for Joybird as she searches for the road to self-discovery at the same time that she is becoming a source of comfort to clients who literally need a lift. More than anything, JOY RIDE is a crash course in navigating bumpy roads, with a much-needed reminder that it is never the destination that matters, it is always the journey.

This was an entertaining book to read! I think it was lighthearted and fun, had some more serious topics mixed in but the overall feel of the book was more of a lighthearted one. I liked the writing style of the author, and the characters!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Light, refreshing and fun read. I absolutely loved reading this and plan on reading it again in the future. I have a list of people who will love this when it is published that I will definitely be telling them to read it. I loved Joybird and her belief that all people have good in them. I also enjoyed the aspect of her Uber driving experiences relating to today's world. DEFINITELY recommend!

This was such a fun story! Everyone needs to add this to your TBR lists! It was so cute. I adored the characters and the storyline.

Joyride by Ellen Meister totally surprised me in the best way! It follows Joybird Martin, an Uber driver with an endless supply of optimism, who dreams of becoming a life coach. Despite her grumpy father—who’s a washed-up TV writer with a failed marriage—she keeps pushing forward, helping her Uber riders with her sunny advice. I loved how even with all the obstacles in her way, she stays so hopeful and determined.

When she helps a Wall Street exec named Devon, he convinces her to start coaching people for real, and suddenly, her dream feels a lot more possible. As she helps others find their way, she’s also figuring out her own stuff, including how to deal with her growing feelings for Devon and learning some unexpected things about her dad’s past. This book is sweet, funny, and so full of heart—it had me smiling the whole time. If you’re looking for a light, feel-good story about chasing your dreams and finding your own path, Joyride is definitely worth the read!

First of all, why is JoyRide not a real company?!

I really enjoyed Joybird’s charisma and navigation with her family, friend and client relationships. Seeing her struggle with knowing her dad made terrible choices and still wanting to ignore them because it’s her dad is such a real problem life problem we encounter with loved ones. Seeing her growth from constant positivity and excuse-making for those around her to being an assertive woman was refreshing to see in a female main character.

I would love a short story on Corrine and Riley in the future too!!

This book won me over! Joybird is such a special heroine: earnest and optimistic with genuine compassion for others. Even though I was frustrated by her blindness and people-pleasing at times when she made unhealthy decisions, it was gratifying to watch her grow. Perhaps Devon could have been more developed as a character, but I still really enjoyed him and his friendship with Joybird. The friendships and familial relationships in the story are the real heart of the book, even though I enjoyed some of the romance aspects (I'm not a fan of love triangles, but this book handled one with sensitivity). Watching Joybird find joy in helping others was so heart-warming. I give this book 4.5 stars rounded up to 5!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the free eARC. I post this review with my honest opinions. This review is cross-posted on Goodreads and will be posted on Amazon upon the book's publication.

Although this story was fairly predictable, I did enjoy the banter between the father and daughter and the new yorkie story. The book was laugh out loud funny at times and could easily see this tightened up as some sort of hallmark movie with the right actors et. Thanks

One word- WOW! This book had me in a full on chokehold and I couldn't put it down. This novel explores the difficulty of relationships, mental health and family issues. Also- what an amazing idea for an uber and life coach rolled into one?!?! I need this in my life. Alongside this, there are some amazing characters (Betty has to be one of my favourite characters- I LOVED her!). Overall, this novel made me feel so wholesome and happy and I cannot wait to grab a physical copy on publication date. Ellen Meister, you are INCREDIBLE.

This book is a delightful, heartwarming ride that left me feeling both uplifted and thoughtful. Joybird Martin is an absolute joy; her optimism is contagious, and watching her chase her dream of becoming a life coach is as inspiring as it is entertaining. The dynamic with her father adds a perfect layer of complexity to the story; their banter and evolving relationship bring both humor and depth. The romance with Devon adds just the right amount of sweet tension without overshadowing the heart of the story, Joybird’s personal growth. I loved reading it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake Publishing for the advanced reader copy.

There was nothing particularly "wrong" with Joyride, but as a reader I want a bit more realistic grittiness in my reads and while Joybird, as a main character has some challenges (a job that barely pays enough to live in New York, an out of work dad freeloading off of her), the tone of the book felt a bit too Pollyana-ish for me.

I found this book to be only “okay.”

While the idea of Joybird maintaining an attitude that is the embodiment of her name, so much of what she does is forced and emotionally unhealthy. Far too frequently, she is described as burying or forcing away any sort of negative feeling (disappointment, anger, etc.). No clear resolution is given for this, except for an internal acknowledgement that she realizes it’s something she needs to work on, and love is the medicine she needs. It’s also painfully obvious she has daddy and abandonment issues.

I would’ve liked a little more digging into Devon. All we are told about him is portions of conversations between him and Joybird, and her subsequent amateur assessments of his character.

Sid, her father and the dual POV, is a terrible and infuriating character. We’re also never told exactly what happened to ruin his Hollywood career so badly that he ran all the way across the country to make a vague stabbing at trying to collect and regroup himself.

Overall, I wouldn’t mind a longer story that fleshes out a lot of my above concerns, but I don’t know that it matters. It’s not a book I have any desire to go back and reread.

•𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.•

Joyride by Ellen Meister was such a delightful and upbeat read. Humor, love, and self-discovery are main themes in this novel that follows our main character, Joybird. Joybird is a 31 year old Uber driver turned life coach attempting to navigate the complexities of relationships with friends and family while facing an imperfect family dynamic. This book perfectly crafts an intricate and unique storyline that was impossible for me to put down.

Having a protagonist like Joybird is a breath of fresh air. She is such an earnest person and believes in the inherent goodness of people. She is a person who optimistically assumes the glass is half-full, who makes the room light up after she walks in. A person that, if you happen to cross paths with, your life will be all the better for it. Reading Joybird's POV really made me sit back and rethink my own outlook on life.

Let's talk about Sid, Joybird's dad. He sucks. That is all.

Okay, just kidding. He does suck, but I also have more to say about him. Sid is a narcissistic, alcoholic, gaslighting loser mooching off of his daughter while also emotionally manipulating her. That being said, his point of view was interesting. I found that he is a very thoughtful and reflective person. He continuously behaved like an asshole, but he was at least reflective of his behavior which I found almost sort of endearing. I appreciate that there is a character in this book who is not perfect. I think so many books can fall short when the characters don't seem real. The author writing him authentically just shows how great this book is.

Of the more minor characters, Betty is my favorite. Betty is a queen. She sticks up for Joybird and doesn't let her father bully her. I need a Betty in my life. Devon, another character I really loved, seemed like such a genuine person. I was worried we wouldn't get much of him in this book just because of Joybird's hesitance to form any sort of friendship with him, but thankfully that wasn't the case.

I did see the big reveal at the end coming, but that didn't make it any less great! This book truly has made me reflect on how I perceive life. It has encouraged me to be more optimistic. I would love to see a sequel because I already miss Joybird and friends!