I really enjoyed this friends-to-lovers romance overall, but there were a few things that made me scratch my head. The writing itself is absolutely beautiful—the author has an incredible way of capturing the heroine’s experiences and thoughts. Her inner dialogue felt so real, and I found myself truly invested in her journey. The author’s phraseology is spot-on, making the heroine's perspective so relatable and vivid.

That said, the plot was a bit frustrating at times. The heroine is supposed to know her best friend better than anyone, but her complete ignorance of his feelings—especially considering their history—drove me a little crazy. I get that people can be oblivious, but this felt a bit overdone, especially given their shared past. It’s hard to ignore the fact that he clearly had feelings for her when they were younger, and the lack of recognition for that on her part made the emotional payoff feel less satisfying.

That being said, the grand gesture at the end was everything! It really showed the heroine’s growth and was the perfect way for her to win back her best friend. Even with the plot's little bumps, the author’s talent for writing emotional, heartfelt moments shines through.

In the end, I liked the book enough to buy it, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a cute, easy read with a satisfying conclusion. Just be prepared for a bit of eye-rolling when the heroine stays a little too clueless about the hero’s feelings. Still, I’m looking forward to more from this author!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Putnam for allowing early access to this book for my honest review. Y'all are the swellest!

Charley is one of those characters that you wouldn't mind smacking a time or two then giving a big hug. The tension and chemistry between her and Ethan were great! I really enjoyed this story and will be reading more by this author for sure.

Thank you netgalley for the chance to review this! 4.5 / 5 stars.
I LOVE a good friends to lovers romance, particularly one rooted in suppressed, long held feelings, and this absolutely delivers. Charley and Ethan have always been best friends who clearly care for each other, but following a messy divorce, their simmering tension boils over on a road trip to watch her sister get married. This has a ton of cute antics along the way and dabbles in dual timeline as we see their relationship blossom over time. Their chemistryt is intense when things finally bubble over (although firmly rooted in just slightly spicy, mostly closed door) and the 'third act breakup' is really believable.

I think this flourishes from the writing style (the prose and interiority are just suberb), the relationship between Charley and Laurel (THIS is how to write sisters), and most importantly some of the inner demons Charley battles from her lifelong exposure to 'love'. While this is all heart and antics for most of the book, there is an undercurrent of anxiety, mental health, abandonment, and need that I could just RELATE to from page 1. It makes for a much stronger romance and really delivers.

Also Ethan is wonderful. Just wonderful.

This book was genuinely such a fun one and i absolutely loved our main characters. This book is incredibly relatable and just so much fun to read and watch them grow. The friends to lovers trope is so under appreciated. The sister relationship was my favorite and honestly reminded me of me and my sister. This was so good and i cant wait to read more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 stars

After Four Weekends and a Funeral being one of my top 5 2024 reads, I had high expectations for Anywhere With You. Luckily, it met and exceeded those expectations. An adorable and emotional friends to lovers romance about a type-A woman who road trips through the Minnesotan woods with her non-committal childhood best friend.

I just adore Palmer’s writing. Her humor and references speak to me. I loved all of her characters and she even made me a big fan of the friends to lovers trope (not usually my go-to trope). I was so invested in this romance and never wanted to put the book down. Another hit.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.25 ⭐️

If you’re a fan of the friends to lovers trope, you’ll probably enjoy this book. It stays very much in line with the typical conventions of that trope. Anywhere With You was a perfectly fine read in my opinion. I could see where it was headed right from the beginning, who the characters would be and it didn’t surprise me at any point.

"Anywhere With You" is a fantastic read. The chemistry between Charley and Ethan is off the charts, and the road trip setting provides a perfect backdrop for their rekindled connection. Charley is a relatable and engaging protagonist, and her journey of self-discovery is both heartwarming and inspiring. Palmer's writing is witty and engaging, and the story kept me hooked from beginning to end. Highly recommend!

wow wow WOW! I was not expecting to fall in love with this as much as I did. Funny, childhood bestfriends to lovers trope, and perfectly paced. thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars

What a delight this book is! I loved the characters, the unique setting and of course the friends to lovers romance. I especially like when books have some flashbacks and this one was written so well with depth and humor.

Charley's divorce is finally official and she takes a road trip with her best friend Ethan to try and stop her sister from eloping in Northern MN with her on-again-off again boyfriend. What could possibly go wrong?!

This book has so many scenes that made me laugh out loud and then the next chapter I was tearing up with sadness for the characters, their past and where they are today. The fade to black romance scenes, banter for days and the only one camper fan makes this book so much better. The sibling dynamic and relationship resonated with me and I enjoyed seeing how Charley and her sisters relationship grows throughout the book.

Ellie's writing is filled with pop culture references and I LOVE it! I especially love all the MN references since I (and Ellie) live here!

This was a strong romance novel and enjoyed the concept of this book, it had that element that I wanted and was hooked from the first page. The characters had a charm to them and was engaged with what was happening. Ellie Palmer has a strong writing style and thought the characters worked well together.

I loved this story! Charley is an extremely relatable MC - I identified so much with her wants and fears. Ethan was her perfect charming opposite and I loved the banter between them both. This story also includes sister dynamics and it was interesting to see how differently Laurel and Charley internalized their upbringing.

This story is about laying it all out on the table, about being unafraid to be 100% yourself, and trusting the person who owns your heart to love you for everything you are and everything you are not. There’s adventure, mature romance, conflicts with work/life balance, and more. Everything I look for in a romance novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved Ellie Palmer’s debut Four Weekends and a Funeral, so when I saw her second book was available for request, I immediately HAD to. And boy, am I glad I did it! Her writing is so captivating, I love love love her writing.

Charley felt so real and vulnerable, and also so relatable. And the banter between her and Ethan? Just chef’s kiss. At times I wanted to scream at those two idiots (and I say this with love), but I’m so happy with how Ellie built their characters and love story.

And don’t get me wrong, while I know the main focus here was Charley’s journey to healing and finding herself (and her way back to Ethan), I really loved how her relationship with her sister was written. I could almost physically feel the love between her and Laurel. Beautifully written!

Thank you so much NetGalley & Putnam for the early digital copy!

Look, this was great. Set in Minnesota, with references to Minnesota places and just enough disguised that I could basically figure it out (Lewellen is St. Ben's/St. John's, right?), though they should have gone to Tobie's instead of the KwikTrip when going to the North Shore. I also liked that the solution to a bad law firm wasn't necessarily ditching lawyering entirely. Schmaltzy in the best way. 4.5 rounded up.

I received a free ARC of this novel from NetGalley.

This was a spectacular romance! My first Ellie Palmer book and definitely not my last. I’m a sucker for a childhood friends to lovers arc, but this one felt so full and fleshed out it was set apart from others in the genre. It also included one of my favorite things: long emotional arguments and long emotional declarations. What can I say, I’m a sucker for weighty words.

Anywhere With You by Ellie Palmer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨(4.5/5 stars)

I LOVE GETTING GOOD ARCS!! God this woman writes such good romance. She is a force to be reckoned with. Pls write more books (one release a week would be good thx 💘)

I read Four weekends and a funeral after seeing none other than @vivafalastinleen recommend it and her recommendations never miss!! I was so excited when I saw that this author had another book coming out, and I immediately requested it on netGalley.

I saw a lot of of myself in the main character, Charley, as someone who craves stability and reliability in my life, and in those around me. So I was curious to see how this book would unfold given the characteristics of our two main characters.

Read this book if you like good Romance, a healthy amount of angst, and a good friends to lovers trope

I am not typically one for flashback scenes but it worked so well for this story. Getting to know these two as adults and then retroactively as kids, teens, and young adults was just the right balance. I really enjoyed this!

Oh! This is a good one. Palmer can really write a romantic story. I loved it from the first chapter. I was entertained by the characters and their road trip. I enjoy a book that involves a wedding and a boy/girl friendship to something more. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a super cute contemporary romance with loveable characters, a fun premise, and a cool outdoor setting. For anyone who enjoys contemporary romance and friends to lovers, I recommend.

I really enjoyed Ellie Palmer's first book, Four Weekends and a Funeral, and I thought it made a nice love story of a difficult situation. In her sophomore novel, Charley finds herself divorced after only 13 months. It just wasn't a great match, Rich is a boring guy who seems....fine. Charley is more embarrassed to be a divorcee at 29 than she is in grieving the loss of Rich. Truth is, they shouldn't have gotten married to begin with but it seems like they did so because it was time and that is who they were with at the tine. A talented lawyer, Charley is whip smart although insecure and easily manipulated into overworking.

Charley is close to her sister Laurel, two years older and in love with Petey. Laurel and Petey are going to get married, Petey's brother Ethan is Charley's age and was once her best friend. They drifted apart after Charley's ill begotten marriage, but he is a van influencer and has a very different wardrobe and entire life. With Laurel and Petey having a quick engagement, Ethan and Charley are thrown together again and find their easy banter picking up right where they left off.

With many chapters jumping back to high school and various points throughout their lives, the reader understands the spark that Ethan and Charley have and how they really bring out the best in each other. It is a little of opposites attract, mainly a forced proximity, friends-to-lovers type romance. No super smutty parts.

The dialogue between Ethan and Charley is really well done, I think we all would love to have someone that knows us and all of our faults and loves who we are. This isn't sparring type competitive banter, it is a true friendship, "we know each other like no one else does" type of dialogue. You know they love each other many pages before they figure it out. Ellie Palmer writes dialogue so well it is a wonder why she hasn't written several episodes of Gilmore Girls or the like.

I also really appreciated and got into the relationship between Charley and her sister Laurel. We didn't get to know Petey as well, but he loves his brother, respects him and is good in a crisis of wildlife proportions. Romcom fans will love this lighthearted journey of Ethan and Charley.

With a title that feels like a cheeky nod to Glen Powell’s Anyone But You, Ellie Palmer’s second novel takes readers on a charmingly chaotic road trip through the Minnesotan woods. Packed with humor, heartfelt moments, and a touch of chaos, this book is a delightful exploration of second chances and self-discovery.

Meet Charley Beekman, a delightfully sharp-tongued 29-year-old who's nursing the wounds of a divorce and what she calls her "quarter-life catastrophe." Just when she thinks she's got her life back on track, her sister drops a bombshell: she's marrying her childhood sweetheart. Charley's response? A desperate mission to stop the wedding, armed with nothing but determination and an unlikely ally – Ethan, her chronically unreliable childhood best friend.

Palmer has a gift for creating characters that feel like old friends. Charley's mix of wit and vulnerability makes her incredibly real, while Ethan's easy charm masks layers that keep you guessing. Their chemistry crackles through every scene, their banter ranging from laugh-out-loud funny to surprisingly tender.

The road trip itself brings plenty of mishaps and gorgeous scenery, but what really hooks you is watching these two navigate their own emotional baggage while trying to "save" someone else. Palmer tackles the very real pressure of having life "figured out" by thirty, wrapping serious themes in enough humor to keep things from getting heavy.

Sure, the story takes a little time to find its groove, and there are moments when you'll want to lock these two in a room until they actually talk to each other. But once it hits its stride, this book is impossible to put down.

Anywhere With You is the kind of story that reminds you why we love romance novels – it's messy, it's honest, and it leaves you with that warm, fuzzy feeling of possibility. If you're in the mood for a road trip romance with heart, humor, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting, this one's for you.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for sharing this heartfelt journey's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.