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.

Parts of this really worked for me and other parts just felt kind of forced. I loved the two different timelines - two best friends on a road trip today and how their relationship began when they were kids. I thought that their history was really sweet and cute. I enjoyed their back and forth conversations and I thought that the dual timeline was clearly written and transitioned smoothly. I unfortunately did not love the main female character - I think I would have prefered the main male character's perspective. Charley is 28 years old when her husband asks for a divorce - so she finds herself on a road trip with her best friend Ethan, who she has not spoken to since her wedding, to try to stop her sister from eloping. Charley and Ethan met as children and the book follows them through the years. We watch their relationship change and Charley find herself again. The romance is only part of the story, as we also get to see Charley refind herself and we learn all about their childhood. I laughed, I cried, I found myself incredibly frustrated. I did not love Charley's personality, but I did enjoy their relationship overall. I thought this was cute and it was a quick read, I just wish I liked the main female character more.
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

What an absolute gem of a book!!!

You know how sometimes you start a book and you just know right away it’s gonna be a winner? That’s how I felt about Anywhere With You. This book is my new gold standard for friends to lovers romance. Something about these characters and their chemistry just clicked for me right away. I was so deeply emotionally invested in this story from the very first page! This is one of those books that reminds me why I love romance novels in the first place. There’s just nothing like the feeling of starting a new romance and instantly knowing it’s going to have me giggling and kicking my feet the whole time! Reading this book made me straight up giddy - I simply couldn’t wipe the smile off my face!

This book solidified my adoration of Ellie Palmer. Her books are so smart and witty and heartfelt, the kind of books that will charm your socks off and fill you with joy. I’m just obsessed with her writing style! Anywhere With You is a true romcom - full of equal parts humor and heart. It’s laugh out loud funny and it’ll also make your heart skip a beat. And it’s not just the romance that made this book such a winner! The sister storyline in this book was equally compelling and the author captured the joy and chaos of sisterhood so well. And the main character’s personal growth journey was so powerful to witness!

There’s nothing better than reading a romance so good you never want it to end, and that’s how I felt about this book. It was like I wished it could go on forever but I also couldn’t turn the pages fast enough because I just wanted to see these two get their happy ending! If you’re looking for a book that celebrates a love that makes you feel normal and weird in all the best ways, this is it. I highly recommend this one!

PS I am absolutely BEGGING someone to buy the film rights for this because it would be so good on the big screen!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Anywhere With You is a cute friends-to-lovers rom-com that kept me engaged till the end. It was funny, and I loved the banter between Ethan and Charley. The use of flashbacks worked well to fill out their story and engross you in the drama (of which there was plenty).

As much as I liked Charley and Ethan, I was almost more interested in Petey and Laurel’s story. Maybe we can get more on them in the next book by Ellie Palmer. *Wink wink*

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had such a blast reading Anywhere With You! I really enjoyed Four Weddings and a Funeral so I had high hopes for Ellie Palmer’s newest romance (and those expectations were definitely met). Anywhere With You follows estranged childhood best friends Charley and Ethan as they set out on a road trip to make it to Charley’s sister’s last minute wedding. This book was genuinely such a good time. I loved Charley and Ethan both as characters and I loved how their dynamic was explored in flashbacks and in present day. I think there was such a great balance of humor (I found myself giggling a few times) and romance (I’m a sucker for friends to lovers). Overall Anywhere With You is such a great summery read that I highly recommend! Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read it!

This was such a fun summery romance read! maybe it’s the adventurous piece of me that has always wanted to live in a sprinter van and travel around but i loved all the fun, the mishaps and the problems they encountered along the way. I am a sucker for a “second chance” friends to lovers story but the flashbacks made me worried for Charley because how could anyone miss all those signs of love?! the only negative was that this story was just a bit too real for me personally, i love reading to get away from real life and this book had a LOT of real life references included; phoebe bridgers, fourth wing, etc etc.. not a bad detail at all if that’s my only negative!

A cozy childhood friends-to-lovers romcom where estranged best friends Charley and Ethan reconnect and embark on a roadtrip through the Minnesota wilderness to attend her sister’s elopement, packing along all the humorous shenanigans and emotional turmoil. I empathized with anxiety ridden Charley, fresh off her divorce, thinking that love in general is no good. I admired Ethan and his unwavering support. I appreciated the flashback chapters that gave insight into their past friendship all through to their present reconciliation and made the slow-burn lead up to their romantic connection well worth it. Ethan and Charley were so genuine, relatable and real…I just want to wrap them up in a big hug. 4.25 stars

⭐ 4
🌶️ 0
🥵 Spicy chapters: 17, suggestive/fade to black
📚 Tropes/Themes: Friends to lovers, it's always been you, road trip, flashbacks, divorced fmc, epistolary, Force proximity, one bed, snarky banter, slow burn, musician X lawyer
👀 Dual POV 3rd person
💔 Triggers: toxic/uninvolved parenting

💬 Overall, this was a really cute book. I love how it was dripping in sarcasm and snarky banter, and I was impressed with and enjoyed all the '90s/00's cultural references.

The push and pull between Ethan and Charley as their relationship slowly built/came to light was really well done. I also liked the discussion questions at the end. Along with that, I'll be honest, sometimes the oblivious best friend trope irritates me but this was not one of those times.

However 😂 Her sister is just WAY too chaotic for me to handle. I think most people would've found her to be endearing but I think if I knew her in real life I'd probably not spend much time with her 😅 Suffice to say if this was part of a series I wouldn't read her book.

And then when they got to the campsite...IDK I had a hard time with everything that was happening. I'm sure it was meant to be comic relief and yes, it was funny but for me it was kind of the hysterical WTAF is going on wide-eye funny.

It also took me a while to get into the book. The first 30% or so felt like it was dragging.

Despite that, I did enjoy the ending. It was so adorable and sweet with how everything fell into place 🩷

Friends-to-lovers isn’t typically my favorite trope, but this was super sweet. And had some chaotically silly moments that I enjoyed! Also Charley needed emotional support liquids, which I heartily concur with.

More of a 3.5; but rounding up since it’s an ARC.

This was such a fun book! I loved Four Weekends & a Funeral, so I had high hopes for Ellie Palmer's next book, and this lived up to the hype! It follows two best friends, Charley & Ethan as they take a road trip in his van turned home. I loved them both, Ethan was such a fun character and his yearning was top tier! I loved how it dove into deeper topics and how Charley's childhood really shaped her view on love.
This was the perfect summer read and has cemented
Ellie Palmer into an auto buy author for me.