I was really excited about reading Ellie Palmer’s newest book Anywhere With You. I had really enjoyed her first book, Four Weekends and a Funeral, and the cover of her new book intrigued me. It seemed like it was going to be a fun, carefree read that I would real enjoy.

The first paragraph of the book caught my attention immediately when it ended with “the penis straw.” I was anxious to find out where it was going! The unique names of the chapters were also something that made me curious.

While the first paragraph grabbed my attention, I have to say that the first part of the book was actually very slow going for me. I liked the back and forth between past and present that but much of the first half of the book was very slow moving for me. Going back to the past did give good insight into how the relationship between Charley and Ethan had developed over the years starting as a middle school friendship between neighbors. I felt that some of the chapters just didn’t grab my attention like I’d hoped. They seemed to be wordy and not getting to the point. Also, Charley was a character that seemed whiney and wanting to control everything. I did like the humor thrown in but I felt some parts were too wordy but then other parts felt like not enough was said.

About halfway through the book, I started to get more hooked and really wanted to find out how it was all going to come together. I even will admit to staying up way too late to finish the last fourth of the book because I had to find out how it all ended.

Overall, the book ended up being a 3.5 start for me that I rounded up to a 4. The first half was definitely just a 3 but the ending pulled it up to the 3.5.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam | G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Childhood best friend to lovers, a roadtrip that is a series of unfortunate events, and an FMC who is fairly insufferable. Overall I enjoyed this, but at times the writing seemed a little clunky (I often found myself asking ‘huh?’). And our FMC is a mess who thinks she knows what everyone else should be doing with their lives.

I wasn't prepared for the intensity of emotions ANYWHERE WITH YOU dragged out of me. On the surface I expected and got the perfect summer read - a forced proximity chaotic road trip with your childhood best friend that you tell yourself you can never have a relationship with. Then it Trojan Horsed a very visceral exploration of self worth and the trauma of an unstable childhood.

So of course I ate it all up while crying into my three emotional support beverages.

It's the now/then storytelling that had be turning pages like I was uncovering clues to an unsolved mystery. Now Charley's anxieties are the immediate product of Then Charley's childhood growing up in very unstable conditions. You understand her hesitations and emotional obstinacy because we experience her parents volatile relationship along with her. It affects her to the point where she believes loving Ethan is synonymous with losing him.

So of course they embark on is a comedy of errors disaster after disaster road trip.

And what an epic stress test it is. There is a mix of classic roadside mishaps alongside some very jaw-dropping second-hand embarrassing catastrophes that had me gasping. But in the quiet moments, Charley and Ethan have the time and space to confront all the reasons why they've never been fully honest with each other. There's no cellphone service, no gig to rush off to, no door to slam shut and hide when its just them and a camper van.

So of course they trudge through a lifetime of holding back (Ethan) and attempt to squash the instinct to protect themselves (Charley) and hash it all out in the middle of the woods.

Charley experiences Ethan's love first-hand as means to counter all the ways her brain has lied to her that they're not meant to be. We have to be patient and allow the scales in her mind to tip. Being your authentic self. Facing the unknow. Taking a risk. It's the biggest leap Charley has ever attempted.

And thats the beautiful journey of ANYWHERE WITH YOU.

Thank you Netgalley & Penguin Random House / Putnam Books for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved Four Weekends and a Funeral so much. But I think this second book just hit all of the "not for Addie" things. The road trip, the vomit, the truck stop showers, the camping toilets...it was all just too much for me. I was stressed out and uncomfortable through all 40% that I read. I will absolutely be back for more from Ellie, but this one just hit too many things that are stressful for me.

Ellie Palmer's "Anywhere With You" is an absolute delight, a romance that perfectly blends laugh out loud humor with a deeply resonant exploration of what it means to find love when your logical brain says it's impossible. Seriously, this book is so funny, I was riding shotgun in a golf cart with my husband and had to actively bite my tongue to stop myself from bursting out laughing during his backswing.

What truly sets this book apart for me is its masterful handling of the "they can never be together" trope, not because of a lack of love or chemistry, but because their fundamental differences seem insurmountable. Here we have Charley, whose childhood trauma has instilled a deep need for stability, predictability, and a profound fear of abandonment. Then there's Ethan, our chaotic, unreliable, adventure seeking MMC who literally lives in a van (could never be me). They are, quite literally, polar opposites.

The tension between Charley and Ethan? Oh, it was utterly delicious. From the very first pages, I was hooked on their banter and that slow burn pull that makes you forget why they shouldn’t work and root for them with your entire heart.

And if you're a sucker for childhood friends to lovers, secret pining, and those little moments that feel impossibly intimate? You’re in for a treat. Palmer nails that cozy, lived in vibe between them. Those shared memories and private jokes that make it feel like you’re watching something real unfold.

"Anywhere With You" is a must read for anyone who loves a witty, heartfelt romance with characters you can't help but fall for. It's a testament to the idea that sometimes, the most unexpected paths lead to the most perfect destinations.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4⭐️

Charlotte (AKA - Charley or Chuck) Beekman is a young attorney nursing the heartbreak from her recent divorce and wading through a lifetime of abandonment issues. Ethan Powell is Charlotte’s childhood best friend, musician, and lives his life in a van. On paper, the two couldn’t be more opposite or want opposite things - Charley with her dreams of having roots and routine, Ethan with his spontaneity and life on wheels. While opposites attract and soul bearing, life long, true friendship is usually the best foundation for relationships, will it be enough for Charley and Ethan to see if they can be more?

For me, this book took me a while to get in to, but the ending saved it for me so I rounded it up. I’m not sure if it was how busy I’ve been while reading this book or if it just wasn’t the perfect fit for me, but I loved the author’s first book and look forward to reading her future books!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam | G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.25/5⭐️
🚪*fade to black
3/3🦋

•My Thoughts•
I really enjoyed this one! The banter was great and I giggled and grinned a lot. There were even a few scenes that made me cackle! I really enjoyed our main character’s friendship, how they knew each other so well, their inside jokes and how their relationship grew and changed. This story had so many fun moments but also had a deep thread of emotion with her being recently divorced, dealing with a jaded view of relationships and complex sibling dynamics. Charley and her sister’s chaotic and sneakily damaging childhood was heart breaking and it was interesting to see how they both responded. I struggled a bit with Charley’s character but I really loved her arc and the conversations and revelations she had to get there (even if I wished for *more* growth and time spent with a healthier version of her) . I *adored* Ethan - this man knows how to pine and love so hard. I think overall this book hit some hard-to-sit-in emotional notes for me (like Ready or Not by Cara Bastone or Ellie’s debut, Four Weekends and a Funeral) but was balanced by some beautiful and hilarious moments that I loved. I had a good time and recommend this one!

Thank you to Ellie Palmer and Booked with the Emilys for the early copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

28-year-old workaholic lawyer charley beekman is blindsided when her husband of only a year asks for a divorce. isolated and heartbroken, she gets a call from her sister, laurel, informing her that she is eloping with her childhood sweetheart. desperate to stop the wedding, charley resorts to desperate measures - teaming up with her former best friend, the rogueish, unreliable, musician ethan. together, they embark on a road trip full of misadventures and local minnesota flair. and while they may get lost on the way to the wedding, they manage to find something even more important along the way.

as a minnesota girlie through and through, I adored this book. it was full of vivid descriptions and strongly developed characters, and I could picture all the places in my mind. grand marais is one of my favorite places in the entire world, and so I loved the setting and road trip vibes.

charley and ethan learn from each other and are eventually able to get past their walls, and the development of their relationship felt natural and fun to read. however, I do think this book could have benefited from a dual pov - I would have loved to read ethan's perspective. personally, I also would have liked to see more banter between the two, but it was still a good romance.

overall, this book is perfect for summer, and is a fast, light, and fun read that will leave readers feeling like an evening on the lake. I will definitely be adding this one to my shelves.

thank you to netgalley and putnam for the opportunity to read and review an arc of this book.

Another winner from Ellie Palmer!! I loved this messy friends to lovers road trip romance that was AMAZING on audio narrated by Karissa Vacker.

Ethan has always been Charley's constant but never the guy she thought could be the husband she wanted. He was too carefree and liked to live the nomad singer lifestyle whereas she wanted security and a house. But when her marriage implodes and her sister decides to propose to Ethan's brother, Charley enlists Ethan to help crash the wedding and 'save' her sister from what she thinks is a bad decision.

Full of flashbacks to their past, lots of road trip antics, emotional sister moments and tons of intimate conversations about life and what happiness looks like. I enjoyed this one a LOT and would recommend for fans of books like People we meet on vacation or Friends to lovers by Sally Blakely. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Another winner from Ellie Palmer!! I loved this messy friends to lovers road trip romance that was AMAZING on audio narrated by Karissa Vacker.

Ethan has always been Charley's constant but never the guy she thought could be the husband she wanted. He was too carefree and liked to live the nomad singer lifestyle whereas she wanted security and a house. But when her marriage implodes and her sister decides to propose to Ethan's brother, Charley enlists Ethan to help crash the wedding and 'save' her sister from what she thinks is a bad decision.

Full of flashbacks to their past, lots of road trip antics, emotional sister moments and tons of intimate conversations about life and what happiness looks like. I enjoyed this one a LOT and would recommend for fans of books like People we meet on vacation or Friends to lovers by Sally Blakely. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars - There is a lot of good in the premise of this book and in many of the individual pieces of the story. It is funny, thoughtful, and a wholesome story with a lovely found family and sweet romance. It was fairly light and a quick read that I picked up at a time when that was exactly what I was looking for, so I enjoyed the reading experience even if this didn't end up being my favorite romance book ever. There was something lacking for me in the execution - the MMC was far too nonchalant about everything and we are told he's been pining for years but I never really FELT that from him or from the story. I honestly love a subtle swoony romance but this was so subtle it was almost nonexistent. I didn't feel overly satisfied with the ending, but overall it was a sweet story that can best be enjoyed over a long weekend or on a road trip. Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

This is the second Ellie Palmer book I've picked up, and I don't know if it's just a case of bad timing x2 or if I'm just not vibing with this author because I've DNFed both books despite loving the concept and wanting to find a new obsessive read. I love a good friends to lovers romcom, but I just never could get invested in the story. Charley was so over the top. It was like she was the stereotypical rom com heroine in the beginning of a movie where everyone could see that she needed a new outlook on life...except her. I just wasn't in the mood clearly LOL. I'm so sad this new EP is another miss for me.

📚 Anywhere With You
✍ Ellie Palmer
📖 Romcom
⭐4/5
🌶️
📆 Out 8/5/2025!
➡ Fresh off of her divorce and on a mission to prevent her sister from making the same mistakes, Charley and her childhood best friend Ethan take a memorable road trip off the grid and realize that the adventure of a lifetime might truly be the guy next door.
◾
🙏 Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Son's, NetGalley and the author for an advanced digital copy of Anywhere With You. All opinions are my own.
◾
🎯 What I loved: This was a true RomCom and there was a lot of oscillating between heartwarming moments and slapstick comedy. I actually laughed out loud multiple times while reading this! I adored Ethan as a MMC and found the balance between Charley and Ethan's personalities great. Charley's sister, Laurel and Petey would have been a hilarious couple to feature too and I was almost as invested in their love story as I was in Charley and Ethan's. This was fun and sweet with simmering closed-door tension and has absolutely made Ellie Palmer and auto-buy author for me.

🙅‍♀️ What I didn't: This book was well-written and charming but I will never find the idea of getting down and dirty in a camping van after getting carsick and going for a seminude hike sexy. Like ever. Give me all the fresh and clean love forever. I will happily read anything that Ellie Palmer writes- I guess I'm just more of an indoor enthusiast than I thought.
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Read if you love:
*friends to lovers
*he's pined for her FOREVER
*road trip romance
*love post divorce
*camping & outdoor adventures
◾
See also: Road Trip to Forever, Out of the Woods, One Last Summer

Anywhere With You is a sweet, dual-timeline romance centered on childhood friends who slowly (and predictably) fall in love. It’s light, a little chaotic, and definitely leans into the friends-to-lovers trope.... which I’ve come to realize just isn’t my favorite.

That said, it was still an enjoyable read. The story had heart, and the writing had a breezy, easy-to-fly-through quality. While I didn’t quite feel the romantic tension I was hoping for, the book delivered on being a cute, slightly messy love story with a lot of charm.

If you're a fan of the friends-to-lovers arc (especially one rooted in YEARS of friendship), this one is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I loved this book!

Type-A recently divorced lawyer Charley teams up with her type-b van-living best friend Ethan to try to stop her sister's elopement.

The opposites-attract dynamic in this book worked so well! I loved seeing Ethan and all the side characters through the Charley's eyes; her dry humor and somewhat cynical outlook on everything and everyone made this book so funny and entertaining!

The premise of this book lends itself to a delicious forced proximity dynamic. I love a disaster road trip, and this one has all the classic staples of this trope, plus enough unique and surprising elements to feel like a brand new take on this trope.

Read this book if you like:
- disaster road trips
- opposites attract
- quirky side characters
- Northern Minnesota
- van life (or the idea of van life)

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House/ G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the free ebook in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 stars

Given the cover, I was expecting this to be a lighter-hearted novel with a lot of humor and hijinks. While it does have that, Anywhere With You is surprisingly angsty. Author Ellie Palmer does a good job outlining the overarching conflict, which seems pretty insurmountable at first glance. Charley’s reactions were valid, but difficult to read at times, but I love me a flawed female protagonist. I laughed and I cried whilst reading this novel.

Ethan is an absolute gem, and I enjoyed reading the ways in which he waits for Charley. I think if it weren’t for his character, I would have rated this book a bit lower. But fans of Palmer’s work will undoubtedly enjoy this book.

This one hooked me right off the bat, but tbh, Charley was so unlikeable that it kind of hurt my experience of the book. Ethan deserved better, imo. Charley’s “my way or the highway,” “I always have to be right” attitude really started grating on my nerves especially when she said hurtful things to Ethan for no reason. Only going to her sister’s wedding to try and stop it was bad enough, but Ethan was such a sweetheart he didn’t deserve how Charley treated him. Ethan saved this one for me.

*Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review and to PRH Audio for the gifted ALC*

This book, god Ted Wetter could never.

We love a divorceé going through a post-marriage crisis and definitely NOT projecting her insecurities onto her eloping sister, oop. I laughed, I gasped, I squealed, I swooned. Really just the whole gamut of reading reactions. As always, Karissa Vacker knocked it out of the RV park. This is one of those books that makes you scream "He loves you!" without a FMC with huge self-doubting insecurities. The flashbacks, the chapter titles, just gosh darn penis straw perfection.

I'm not a camper/outdoorsy person, but if anything would get me to rent an Airstream and go to Minnesota in the summer, it would be Anywhere With You.

4.5 stars.

I loved "Anywhere With You" by Ellie Palmer. WHO AM I!? This has been a fabulous year for the friends-to-lovers trope, which I am historically not a fan of. Palmer does the trope justice with Charley and Ethan's story. They are both total messes, but they are perfect, your honor. They are perfect as individuals, and they are excellent as a potential couple. This book is one of the funniest I have read in a long time, certainly the funniest book of the year. I laughed CONSTANTLY throughout this story. I love Ellie Palmer's writing style; it's definitely right up my alley. While there is some fantastic banter and humor in this story, there is also a bit of a road trip adventure going on, as well as a story of a divorced woman trying to find her happiness, sisterly bonding and connection, and the sorting out of decades worth of familial trauma. I'd say it's equal parts emotional and humorous. I adored watching Charley slowly realize that her life is not the one she wants to live. She loves her job as a lawyer, but she is unhappy where she works because she has an incompetent boss who does nothing and makes her do everything. Her need to put down roots somewhere permanent led her to marry someone she didn't really love, who didn't really love her in return the way she needed to be. Her being comfortable and complacent trumped everything, so desperate to not end up like her parents. After Ethan, Charley's childhood best friend, ditched her the day of her wedding, even though he was supposed to be her best man, they stopped talking for over a year. Now that Charley and her ex are freshly divorced, Ethan has resurfaced to accompany her to her sister Laurel's wedding to her own long-term on-again-off-again situationship Petey, who rounded out their childhood foursome friend group. Needless to say, Charley does not want Laurel and Petey to get married, especially after her own failed attempt at marriage. What ensues is a bit zany, and at times, a bit harsh and traumatic, but I was all in on this emotional, wonderful, fantastic story. I loved seeing the layers get peeled back on Charley and Ethan's friendship slowly over time as more and more details get revealed. AHHHH I LOVED IT!!! Please check this book out ASAP!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ellie Palmer, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Equal parts hilarious, heartfelt, and quietly profound, this road trip romance is a warm hug in book form. Charley Beekman is the kind of hot mess you can’t help but root for—sharp-tongued, self-aware, and trying so hard to pretend she doesn’t still believe in love. Her banter-filled journey with Ethan, her infuriatingly charming best friend, crackles with long-buried tension and swoony, slow-burn chemistry that makes every stolen glance feel electric.

Set against the cozy, woodsy backdrop of Minnesota (yes, even the camper van feels romantic), this story is a nostalgic ode to second chances—at love, at life, and at letting people in. If you love the “grumpy ex-optimist falls for golden retriever bestie” vibe, emotional depth tucked between laugh-out-loud moments, and romance that sneaks up on you just when you need it most, this book will absolutely steal your heart.