Gosh, I really love Ellie Palmer’s writing, and her sophomore romance novel “Anywhere With You” is now a five star fave for me! Her writing is full of heart and self-effacing Midwesterners finding love when they least expect it.

Anywhere With You is a friends-to-lovers road trip romance between Charley Beekman, a Type A lawyer whose primary goal in life is unimpeachable stability, and her childhood best friend, Ethan Palmer, a semi-successful musician who makes his living traveling around the country in a van performing on the college circuit. On the day Charley’s divorce from her very brief marriage is finalized, Ethan reappears in her life, ready to reclaim his role as her best friend. He arrives just in time for the two to rush up north to intervene in Charley’s sister’s spontaneous wedding to the fourth member of their childhood friend group, Petey Ericksson-Thao. Charley’s attempts to dissuade her sister Laurel from making the same mistake she did—marriage—go wildly off course, but the mishaps force them all to confront the wounds and love beneath it all.

The romance between Charley and Ethan is lovely—they’re both fantastic, rich characters, and the author does a great job of building the basis for their love and the stakes for them to choose to be together despite it all. My favorite part of the book, though, is the beautifully complicated and deeply loving sister relationship between Charley and Laurel. Each sister bears wounds from a childhood where their parents’ love felt conditional, and their journey to understanding each other brings so much heart and depth to this book.

Ellie Palmer has created a wonderful romance that any fans of the genre will love! 5 stars :)

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5⭐
G🌶️

This book for every reader who loved The Truth About Forever as a kid and now as an adult claims Book Lovers as their fave Emily Henry book. And the plot hit me pretty hard as someone who lost their male best friend when he got engaged almost a decade ago and knows how that hurt feels.

The sheer earnestness of this story had me cheering through some of the ridiculous hijinks. And Ellie is just so darn funny that I couldn't stop highlighting clever lines. This book is the perfect transition into fall and already has me wanting to plan a Minnesota hiking & kayaking trip for next summer. Read this one before it becomes witchy reading season!

Thanks to @bookedwiththeemilys , @netgalley and @putnambooks for a #gifted copy of Anywhere With You.

I love a good friends to lovers. I loved Charley and Ethan, they were perfect for each other. I really enjoyed all the side characters too.

Charley and Ethan take a road trip after Laurel (Charley’s sister) and Petey decide to elope. During the trip there were multiple mishaps. And the shenanigans don’t stop even after Charley and Ethan reach the remote campsite where Laurel and Petey are getting married. I laughed the entire time.

Read Anywhere With You if you like:
❤️Friends to lovers
❤️Childhood best friends
❤️He’s a musician
❤️She’s Type A
❤️Only one bed
❤️He falls first
❤️Camping
❤️Perfect summer vibes
❤️Flashback chapters
❤️Road trip
❤️Van life

Charley and Ethan have been best friends since they were kids. When Charley got married she and Ethan had a falling out, now that she is divorced they have re-connected. Charley convinces Ethan to help her stop her sister from making the same mistake she made, getting married. Along the way they discover past feelings, memories and an undeniable chemistry. This is romantic, laugh out loud funny and very entertaining!!

4 ⭐️

Present-day Charley is a high strung intellectual property lawyer who is recently divorced and trying to stop her sister from getting engaged. Lucky timing for her, her best friend Ethan is in her driveway with his van and they go chasing after the sister together. While Charley and Ethan have never been anything more than platonic best friends, there’s definitely an undercurrent of something in the background. It’s just that Ethan is the kind of guy that is way too much for flight risks for Charley’s tastes, especially when we flashback to her nomadic childhood and her absentee father. We get all sorts of hilarious road trip adventures here with a dash of sexual tension. Solid read, but I’m not entirely sold on them making it for the long haul with their opposite personalities.

Anywhere With You is a sweet, contemporary romance with charming characters and a heartfelt premise. Ellie Palmer crafts relatable leads and engaging interactions that make the story easy to enjoy. The romance develops naturally, and the small-town or travel elements provide a cozy, inviting backdrop for the story.

That said, the plot can feel predictable at times, and some emotional beats don’t land as strongly as they could. Secondary characters could have been more developed, and while the story is entertaining, it doesn’t fully stand out among contemporary romance titles.

Overall, Anywhere With You is a pleasant, light read—perfect for fans of feel-good romance, though it doesn’t leave a lasting impression.

Anywhere With You is a sweet, contemporary romance with charming characters and a heartfelt premise. Ellie Palmer crafts relatable leads and engaging interactions that make the story easy to enjoy. The romance develops naturally, and the small-town or travel elements provide a cozy, inviting backdrop for the story.

That said, the plot can feel predictable at times, and some emotional beats don’t land as strongly as they could. Secondary characters could have been more developed, and while the story is entertaining, it doesn’t fully stand out among contemporary romance titles.

Overall, Anywhere With You is a pleasant, light read—perfect for fans of feel-good romance, though it doesn’t leave a lasting impression.

Did not finish this one. Unfortunately, I really did not like the female main character. I got about 25% in before I was over it and stopped reading.

I was so excited to see that Ellie Palmer was coming out with another book, and I'm glad to say Anywhere With You was such a fun, heartfelt read. I'm a sucker for friends to lovers, and especially second chance romance, which this had a combination of. I loved following Charley as she reconnected with her longtime best friend Ethan—their history and banter made the story really engaging, and the mix of humor, nostalgia, and romantic tension was perfect.

I especially enjoyed the way Palmer captured the dynamics of friendship turning into something more, as well as Charley’s relationship with her sister Laurel. I did find the premise of her trying to prevent the wedding to be annoying, but it was good to see Charley grow throughout the book. Being from Minnesota, it was really fun to see Minnesota as the setting, as I don't see it too often. Overall, this was a sweet, funny romance that felt both lighthearted and emotionally grounded.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

4/5

I think this is a beautiful example of a friends-to-lovers trope. I was in love with Ethan and I kept internally yelling, "Charley!! We need to work past our insecurities and accept those around us!! Let that man love you!"

As a Minnesota girl, I adored the setting and references to things. You could really feel the author's love for her state and her craft through the pages. I loved Ellie Palmer's debut novel, and this one was even better. I am so picky about romance, and I adored this.

This book is packed with love, romance, chaos, sisterly love.
When divocee Charley hears that her sister is eloping with her on again off again bf Charley realizes that she must stop her from making a mistake. But when she takes the road trip through Minnesota things start to heat up between her and her childhood friend Ethan. Will they or won't they kind of book.

I picked this book up because Abby Jimenez recommended it, if she loved it I was sure that I would too. Anywhere With You by Ellie Palmer is a heartfelt road trip novel about girlhood, sisterhood, and the messiness of becoming an adult With flawed yet lovable characters, sharp wit and humor, and a little bit of spice, This story is deeply relatable. This book reminded me it’s okay to not have everything together yet—and that love and family are 2 of the most important things in life. Even at my age, there are still so many days that I do not want to be an adult. Life used to be so easy, but we did not appreciate what we had, since all we wanted was to be an adult and independent. Which is totally over rated.

Messy sisters, a rusty camper van, and a best friend who’s been in love with you forever — yep, this one had me hooked. Charley can be stubborn to the point of screaming into a pillow, but Ethan’s mix of charm and chaos kept me turning pages. The road-trip setting gave just the right mix of laugh-out-loud moments and secondhand embarrassment, and the friends-to-lovers tension was chef’s kiss.

It drags a little in spots, but the banter and emotional payoff made it worth it. Perfect if you like your romances with slow-burn sparks, a little Midwest grit, and characters who have to stumble before they finally fall.

If you're searching for a book full of unrealized pining, this one might be for you. Charley is a workaholic who had a tumultuous childhood and focuses really hard on creating stability in her life. She's grasped onto a vision of her life including a significant other that is the opposite of her always-travelling father. So when one year in Llewellen, MN as a middle schooler introduces her and her sister to Ethan and Petey, she has no idea that her and her sister have really met their soul mates.
If you like unexpressed yearning and a female lead who is so clueless about how in love she is this could be the book for you. Just be prepared - it takes a LOT for her to figure things out.
Thanks so much for the ARC!

I enjoyed this story so much more than I thought I would, as I'm not usually a friends-to-lovers trope girl. However, the tension and characters in this were so good. Charlotte and Ethan were adorable, and I loved Charlotte's relationship with her sister Laurel. Things change so much faster than you think they do, and the flashbacks were well-placed and served the story so well.

This is a friends-to-lovers romance with a nice road trip setting. The plot follows Charley and her best friend, Ethan, who shows up in his camper van after her divorce. She enlists his help to stop her sister from making the same mistake.s. While I liked the flashbacks and the road trip adventures, the story felt a bit slow at times and I struggled to connect with the main characters. 2.5 🌟

“What makes you so sure you’re not special, Chuck?”

Charley and Ethan are childhood best friends. When Charlotte marries Rich, Ethan starts to drift away and Charley can’t help but deeply miss her best friend. When life throws her a couple curve balls all at once, Charley calls on her best friend to help put things back together. Or actually, to hilariously break things up.

This book made me laugh out loud. A lot. It was a beautiful mix of the quirky characters, the hysterics, and of course the banter.

Tropes: best friends to lovers, forced proximity, second chance, one bed, found family

Thanks to Putnam for the gifted copy!

I fell in love with Ellie’s debut, and knew that I would be back for more. She did not with her sophomore novel, and I loved her unique take on a romance. An FMC who is divorced, van life vibes, indie music, and even a sister storyline make this a romance that will stand out amongst others. I love that Ellie’s characters always feel real - they aren’t just perfect, but instead have flaws and have to work through very relatable life events. Then, I love how she balances the characters out so that in a romantic relationship, they perfectly complement each other. Ellie is definitely on my automatic reads list!

Romance
Friends to Lovers
Forced Proximity

Great banter, lovely characters, descriptive writing -- all make for a heartwarming read . First time reading this author. Can't wait for her next book. All the feels with this one.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

A sweet friends-to-lovers romance full of heart, humor, and Minnesota charm. I loved the road-trip setting and the emotional depth as Charley rebuilt her life and rediscovered love with Ethan. The banter and family dynamics were warm and fun, though at times the back-and-forth timelines and lack of communication dragged a bit. Overall, a heartfelt, cozy read perfect for fans of slow-burn romance. Any romance set in MN is a sell at the bookstore I work at!