Ellie Palmer has officially solidified herself as an auto-buy author for me. Anywhere With You opens with a hilarious punch and then slowly unfolds into a romance that balances laugh out loud moments with deeply emotional undercurrents.

Charley’s Type A, tightly wound personality felt so relatable, especially in contrast to Ethan’s more easygoing, quietly devoted energy. Their opposites-attract dynamic worked beautifully, and full of banter, chemistry, and emotional nuance. The road trip scenes had that perfectly believable sizzling tension. The wedding scenes felt like a fever dream in the best way, filled with a unique and memorable cast of characters and so much fun chaos. The humor kept me giggling throughout.

The story’s dual timeline revealed their shared history and how Ethan has been quietly obsessed with Charley even when she couldn’t see it. Her fear that things wouldn’t work felt incredibly real and grounded and made perfect sense given Charley's childhood.

The celiac rep was well integrated and appreciated, and Charley’s relationship with her sister stood out as one of the most emotionally resonant parts of the novel. Their trauma, tension, and fights felt honest and lived-in.

The epilogue spans years, giving the relationship a realistic and satisfying sense of longevity. A warm, funny, and heartfelt read that I’ll be thinking about for a while!

Thanks to @bookedwiththeemilys, @elliepalmerwrites, and @putnambooks for the #gifted copies of this book.

Summary: A Type A woman road trips in a camper van with her noncommittal, musician best friend to try and stop her sister's elopement. As they continue on their journey, Charley cannot deny the sparks flying between the two of them. But after one failed marriage under her belt already, Charley really can't risk falling in love with her best friend, can she?

My Thoughts: I became enamored with Ellie's writing with her debut book last year, so I could not wait to get my hands on this book. Long story short, Ellie is now a must-read author for me because I love the characters she creates and the humor she has in her stories. I fell in love with Charley and Ethan, making this one of my favorite books this summer.

I generally get extremely frustrated with friends-to-lovers stories, but this book was exceptionally well done. Did I still want to shake Charley for her to see her true feelings for Ethan, of course. But I love how Ellie wrote their friendship turned to more. The flashbacks were perfectly timed to help me see what happened in their past to shape the present state of their friendship. Charley and Ethan's banter was top-notch, along with the hilarious side characters throughout this book, making me laugh my way through (especially while waiting in the jury assembly room).

I love how this book explores the idea that having the courage to take risks and leap into love can be a beautiful choice. The sisterly bond between Charley and Laurel evolved over the years, making the end of the book so special and a full-circle moment.

Read if you love:
💖Friends to lovers
💕Childhood best friends
🎸📋He's a musician/She's Type A
🛏️Only one bed
🥰He falls first
😎Perfect summer vibes
🗓️Flashback chapters
🚐🗺️Road trip van life

Thanks to Netgalley, and the publisher, for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was very cute. It has so many funny parts, heartfelt parts, and then everything in between.

If you're looking for a good rom-com, this should do it for you.

4.5 stars

oh my god the YEARNING!!!! It was HEAVY and I was here for it. Sometimes friends to lovers gets to me with the whole "he was only my friend to get in my pants" feel but I didn't get that from these two. They met quite young and I think they both were always "I love them (platonically) and I want to love them (romantically)" but knew they had different views of the future. Sometimes you want a certain life so bad but it might not even be whats actually right which I think they both learned in their time as long distance friends so that they could build a life they both could love together. He had to go out and try the fame and performing thing, she had to try the house in the suburbs and a stressful job thing, and it only made what they create later that much better because there was no "what if" left. I kinda connect with that too because we moved a lot when I was a kid so being able to be in one place for a while is really nice while my husband is opposite, his parents are still in the house they had when he was born. So we have lived in some other states but now we are back home in a house we own and this is perfect for now.

Ok enough about me, I just loved the cast of characters we met in the story and I also liked the flashbacks of their friendship where you could still feel the yearning even much younger. I think that spoke to the strength of their friendship despite the unrequited feelings. I do wish we had a flashback of the morning of the wedding more than just alluding to the text and no-show situation. I also would have loved to get a POV from the MMC because I know that man was DOWN BAD. Alas, we could still see that even when the FMC was almost TOO oblivious (but honestly fair, he is a hot rock star). We could also see that in the way he would communicate his feelings without being outright blatant to protect the friendship. Their 3rd act breakup fight though was so honest and heartbreaking. But it made sense to the plot!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

This is a good read! It was an adorable friends to lovers romance! Charley and Ethan have been through a lifetime of sadness and laughter. Charley has lots of insecurities and is very protective of her sister. Overall it was a good story but I just had a hard time connecting at times.

I grabbed this book because I was a huge fan of Ellie Palmer‘s previous book Four Weekends and a Funeral. It was one of my surprise hits of 2024. So I added Ellie Palmer to my must read author list and I’m glad I did so! I really enjoyed her latest book Anywhere With You. This is the story of two people who are meant to be, but their lives and insecurities have driven them away from each other. But at the end of the day, they are soulmates who need to make their way back to each other by overcoming Their insecurities and taking a leap on each other. I definitely recommend this book and will continue to keep Ellie Palmer on my to be read author list!

Thank you to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Putnam, Ellie Palmer, and BookedwiththeEmilys for the advanced copy of this book.

I LOVED this book!!! Taking you on a chaotic road trip through Minnesota, this book was romantic comedy at its finest. It was so funny, witty, poignant, and I saw so much of myself in Charley's character. The characters are messy and flawed -my favorite kind of character to read about. What a heartfelt exploration of second chances and figuring out who you are in this life.

Not only was this a childhood best friends to lovers story, it was also a story about sisterly love and what it means to be family. It explores how family dynamics can leave us a bit broken and afraid to live the life we deserve. From the start Palmer's writing draws you in from the start with characters that feel so real sprinkled with cutting humor. Palmer nails the nostalgia in her flashback scenes. There is an email exchange between the main characters, and the tone was just so perfectly captured. It reminded me of when my friends and I would email back and forth back in the days when you were charged 10 cents per text message sent. Not to be neglected are the Chapter titles. They were almost like a separate character, and I had such a good time with them. This is the probably the first time I've ever included chapter titles in my book review, but they set up the scene perfectly.

If you are a fan of Abby Jimenez because you love her laugh-out-loud writing combined with romance, then you need to pick up this book. I had the best time reading this book, and I hope you pick it up soon.

Charley fears risk and so she has has tried to create a very safe world, boring legal career (I won't take offense to this), boring husband (now ex-husband) and boring house. When she decided to marry said boring husband she lost her childhood best friend Ethan (who is the opposite of boring). Once she is single again (after less than a year of marriage) Ethan returns to her driveway in the van he lives in and the two take a road trip to witness the marriage of their best friend and Charley's sister (well Ethan is there to witness, Charley wants to try and stop it). While traveling Charley begins to realize that she has been ignoring the spark between her and Ethan, something she has tried to for years out of fear - but it's getting harder and harder.

I grabbed this because I really enjoyed the last book I read by Ellie Palmer, Four Weekends and a Funeral - and this did not disappoint - I loved it. I didn't want to do anything but read and listen to this one (to the detriment of my to do list). The characters and the storyline were exactly what I needed when I read it (I had been saving it because I had a feeling it would be a great read). The characters had fun banter and the backstory was also interesting enough to keep my interest. This is a perfect summer read by the pool and it will be on my recommendation list if anyone asks me for a fun light pool/beach book. I enjoyed the audio and I was always happy when I had a chore to do so I could put my airpods in, but I really liked just sitting down and concentrating on the story. I cannot wait for Palmer's next book.

4.25 stars

Thank you to GP Putnam and Sons and NetGalley for the ARC to review

I’ll be honest, friends to lovers is usually one of my least favorite tropes, mostly because it often falls flat for me. But I trusted Ellie Palmer after loving her last book, and she absolutely delivered.

Charley and Ethan’s journey from friendship to something more was charming, swoon-worthy, and full of heart. It felt realistic and genuine. I couldn’t put the book down. Big thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy! I loved it and would 100% recommend

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Rating: 2 Stars
Spice Rating: 1
Publish Date: August 5th 2025
Will I purchase a physical copy? Sadly No.

I was really excited for a fun Northern Minnesota road trip and friends to lovers with forced proximity

This was sadly a miss for me, being from Minnesota I was excited for fun Minnesota references and we didn’t start of strong with Loves Travel (only 3 in the entire state I checked) and Ruth Chris steak house (I didn’t even know they were in Minnesota) but that’s not the only reason for a lower rating.

Let’s get into the “2nd chance” “friends to lovers” I felt a little bored during my read I wanted more connections and the back and forth timeline felt confusing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC.

Friends to lovers, slow burn, one bed, close proximity, flashback scenes all of it worked so well for me.

📚ARC REVIEW 📚

Anywhere With You ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Newly divorced Charley has figured out the key to happiness is to protect yourself from love and surprises. So when her free-spirited sister announces she getting married to her on and off again childhood sweetheart, Charley knows she has to talk some sense into her. Planning to stop the wedding so her sister doesn’t make the same mistake she did. Conveniently, Charley's best friend, Ethan, who's as gorgeous as he is chronically unreliable, has an extra seat in his camper van.
As Charley and Ethan embark on their roadtrip, not only does she find herself in some odd situations but also starts to feel the spark that she used to have for her best friend. But after a failed marriage, the last thing she needs is to ruin her friendship. That is unless Ethan feels the same way. Sometimes the best destinations are the ones you never planned.


I enjoyed this slow burn, friends to lovers romcom. I liked the flashbacks during the story, as it helped to build the characters friendship/romance. Charley was so real and I’m so glad she overcame her fear of love/abandonment with the help of Ethan. He showed her he has always been there for her. The side characters were great too and made for some laugh out loud moments with the situations they got themselves in. Overall, it was a great read for the summer!

This book will publish on August 5, 2025. Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for my advanced reader copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

What you’ll find:
🩷 Friends to lovers
🩷 Childhood best friends
🩷 One bed
🩷 Road trip
🩷 Van life
🩷 Flashback chapters

I adored Palmer’s debut last year, and I’ve been eagerly waiting for her next release. I’m so happy to say I love this one just as much.

The story follows Charley, a recent divorcée, who learns that her sister is eloping with her on-again, off-again sweetheart. Having just been through a failed marriage, Charley knows this isn’t the right move—and so begins a
road trip to try and stop it. Accompanying her, is her childhood best-friend Ethan.

What follows is a chaotic adventure filled with all the classic road trip mishaps, one-bed moments, and a slow-burn romance that’s equal parts sweet and satisfying.

I especially loved the flashback chapters. When done right, they add so much emotional depth, and Palmer nailed it. Watching Charley and Ethan’s relationship unfold—from childhood neighbors to travel companions with years of shared history—was such a treat. Chuck and the crew felt fully real, their dynamics warm and believable.

I adore Ellie Palmer’s humor and storytelling! This woman knows how to write a romcom with the perfect blend of lighthearted banter and intense yearning. I absolutely swoon for her fade-to-black scenes and the simmering heat between her characters.

Anywhere With You is a stellar sophomore novel that brims with nostalgia, heartwarming coziness, and laugh out loud moments. I deeply felt for Charley as she rebuilds her self-worth, and her completely opposite childhood-best-friend, Ethan, is the perfect foil to her character.

I highly recommend to romance readers looking for a swoony friends to lovers romance set against the outdoors of Minnesota.

Thank you to NetGalley & PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for this arc!

I loved Charley's humor in this book. Her internal dialogue is PHENOMENAL! The unrequited love & the angst that comes with it was fantastic. There were moments though where it felt like some of the actions or dialogue between characters was confusing or lacking a little. I wish some moments in the story were really dug into that seemed to be skated past. But the reason I felt that way was because of how much I loved the parts that were fully described. Overall, I loved the story, especially Charley's voice in the book, and definitely recommend for anyone wanting a light, closed-door, childhood besties to lovers romance!

Ellie Palmer's sharp wit truly shines in Anywhere With You. Brimming with humor and heart, Palmer’s second novel is an absolute delight from start to finish. I felt such joy reading this story!

Charley and Ethan were best friends who drifted apart after Charley’s marriage. But following her divorce, Ethan doesn’t hesitate to show up for the woman he’s always loved - the one who got away. This friends-to-lovers tale made my heart ache in the best possible way. Though the story is told from Charley’s first-person perspective, you just know Ethan has been pining for her, and it’s delicious. The romance builds slowly yet brightly, and had me swooning from the start.

I also adored the side characters and was deeply invested in Charley’s journey, especially her relationship with her sister, Laurel. Fans of witty banter, "he falls first," "it's always been you," and road trip romances will fall for this summery read. I can’t wait to see what Ellie Palmer writes next!

Anywhere With You by Ellie Palmer was so fun. I loved the chemistry between the characters. I am always a lover of the single bed trope and I thought this one was so sweet! I would have loved to read some chapters from the MMC's point of view every once in a while.

Charley Beekman is newly divorced and surviving-not-thriving. So when her sister tells her she is going to elope with her on-again-off-again boyfriend, she knows she has to do something. She takes a roadtrip with her childhood best friend, Ethan, to stop the wedding. A camper van with her nomadic best friend should be no problem, right?

My thoughts: A summer romcom filled with adventure and travel, friends to lovers, and the best witty one liners? I am sold, I had such a fun time reading this book! Ethan is charming, Charley is so real, and the chemistry was everything.

🤍 Friends to lovers
🤍 Only one bed
🤍 Van life
🤍 Road trip mishaps
🤍 The best summer vibes

Friends to Lovers is one of my absolute favorite tropes, and seeing Charley and Ethan finally fall for each other was so much fun! Charley and Ethan became friends when they were teenagers, and even when she moved away, they wrote letters to each other and were best friends. Now, Charley is 28, and she is divorced. Ethan stops by for a visit, and she goes with him to her sister's wedding.

Ethan has always loved Charley, but he never told her. When he watched her get married to someone else, it broke him, and he didn't see her for years. Now that she is divorced, they are back to being best friends, but could there be something more?

They travel together in his camper van, and they share only one bed too! There is so much banter and forced proximity. The road trip aspect added so much to the story too.

He's a musician, and he writes songs about her for years, but she doesn't know it! He also makes play lists for her, and he has always cared deeply about her. It's time for Charley to explore her true feelings for Ethan.

The side characters added so much to the story, and there were points where I laughed out loud too. This is an amazing friends to lovers, road trip romcom.

I enjoyed the author's dialogue and banter but I didn't find myself fully invested in the story. It took me over a week to finish(atypical for me) but I wanted to finish it because I really did find the author funny.
I am hoping to re-read it and will update my review with additional feedback.