This book was decent, I'm giving it 3.5 stars.
Charley is presented with a divorce by her husband & now finds herself rekindling her relationship with her childhood best friend Ethan who has been MIA from her life since the bachelorette weekend. Ethan never liked her now ex-husband and decided to not attend the wedding when he was Charley's best man of honor. I felt like Ethan was a likeable character but Charley wasn't. During their time together, they are traveling to Charleys sisters last-minute wedding. Charley is a rain cloud who is trying to get her sister alone any chance she can to convince her not to get married. Charley seemed a little selfish. The book was a "weekend" but I couldn't get through it... I almost had to DNF. I'm sure someone would love the book but the female character just wasn't for me. I feel like there could've been more character depth to Charley.
Overall, I like reading friends to lovers, it seems like a good summer read but it's very surface level.
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Thank you, NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book! I found myself laughing out loud and cringing at the situations Charley found herself in. I LOVED everything about her and Ethan. I loved the snippets we got every few chapters from the past that showed us their relationship and how it progressed. I loved their banter and how well they knew each other. I loved how obvious it was that Ethan had been in love with her for forever to everyone but Charley. I liked the complications of the relationships in this one too. They felt real. Like how scared Charley was for her sister making the wrong decision. And then when she finally realized how good she was with Pete. How chicken Charley was to FEEL in a relationship. How she wanted to protect herself because her dad had so royally screwed her over. It made me reflect as a parent at how much we REALLY AFFECT OUR CHILDREN!! Really though I loved Ethan. He gave it to Charley straight as much as he could. He loved in the way that he could without telling her that he loved her. He was so carefree and just himself. He was the complete opposite of Charley and yet something about him called to something inside of her. I loved her realization that Ethan was hot and that she might or might not want Ethan. Ultimately though I loved the patience and how connected I felt to these characters. I felt like Charley was actually on the phone with me venting when I was reading about her stuff. These two were just perfect together and when they realized that- I couldn't stop smiling.

Charley doesn't know what to do with all of this space. She inherited her house in the divorce. Yes she is divorced at such a young age. She let her best friend know he was right after it all went down. And now somehow Ethan, her best friend, is here. He is here to help her and be there for her like he always has been. He is reliableish when she needs him to be which is now. Because her sister has called to say that she has proposed to her on again off again boyfriend and they are getting married in the woods like yesterday. So of course Ethan offers to road trip them to the wedding so Charley can intervene. Charley finds herself laughing mroe than she has in a long time with Ethan. When did she stop laughing? Why is she noticing how handsome Ethan is all of a sudden? Like in a not friend handsome kind of way? Why does it now feel weird to share a bed with him? Why can't she stop thinking about kissing him? And oh yeah now they have kissed and Charley is freaking out. She can't cross this line with him. It is Ethan who she has known since forever. She can't lose him like she did a year ago. So she draws the friend line with him. But Ethan must have magical powers or a crystal ball because he tends to think not only will they kiss again, they will do more. And why you ask? Because he has wanted to do these things with her for a long time. Wait what? How is Charley supposed to process this. But then again why is she fighting this? If anyone makes her feel safe it is Ethan. Her rock. The man who has seen it all and not walked away. So she gives in. She lets herself feel. She says they can do this until the wedding with her sister. But then her thoughts creep in. Reality creeps in. And Charley finds herself asking if Ethan is worth? Are these feelings worth making a huge life change? She is thinking yes because she has never felt this big with someone.

GAH- I just LOVED this one. Legit can't recommend it enough. It's like city girl with her outdoor man and how that then unleashes her inner outdoor girl she hasn't played with in a while. I loved the side characters in this- her sister and Pete were ALMOST as much a part of this story because they all grew up together. They all met on the same day. I just really liked this storytelling and the way I felt reading it. I enjoyed the audio version as well- I tag teamed that with reading my Kindle.

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

Thank you to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for an early copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. I loved this book and read it in one sitting. I loved the storyline and all the characters and thought they had great growth. I also enjoyed reading about the music aspect of it. I would definitely recommend this book.

Charming friends to lovers romance with a great, atmospheric setting! I loved the connection between the sisters, and the exploration of family dynamics and their influence was nice.

Thank you to Penguin/Putnam for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, I wish I loved this one more. The FMC tended to irritate me, I wish that her development didn't pull through in the last 15% of the book, she deserved better than that. I did really like Ethan, I think he had such a great development, but the hidden love could've been shown more because honestly, I didn't see it until 75% in either... Anyways, I think this is a good recommendation for anyone who wants a quick paced romance and a friends to lovers! I love friends to lovers and I'd totally recommend it to anyone who loves that trope!

Thanks to the publisher and the author again for a chance to read this book!

Charley's childhood best friend, Ethan, has always been unreliable~he even missed her wedding day. But when she gets divorced, he shows up for her...in his camper van. When Charley's sister announces she is going to get married, she needs Ethan and his van to stop her sister from making the same mistakes she did.

Charley and Ethan could not be any more different. I love how the flashbacks reveal how they have come to look at love and commitment from different perspectives and thought "could never be me". The secondary cast of characters were great and I enjoyed being along for Charley and Ethan's road trip adventures. Anywhere With You is funny. A very enjoyable book. Thank you Putnam Books and NetGalley for the eARC.

Anywhere With You by Ellie Palmer has set Ellie Palmer apart as a romance author who knows how to write exactly for me. Her stories carry the perfect blend of emotional weight, yearning, tension, and comedy. This book made me cry but it made me actually laugh out loud. The characters felt so real and fleshed out and I love a romance novel set in the Midwest. Highly recommend picking this book up if you are looking for the perfect late summer read.

This author's first book- Four Weekends and Funeral was a five star read for me and one of my favorite books from last year. Also- childhood friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes. I went into this one with big expectations. And unfortunately, it was a little bit of a let down. It just didn't have the substance and depth I was hoping for. The chemistry between Charly and Ethan didn't grip me. I did really enjoy the van living and road trip adventures and there was still quirky and fun scattered throughout. If you like childhood friends to lovers and adventure, this one is still enjoyable!

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you are looking for a road trip summer romance to add to your TBR then you should definitely add this one.

This one was such friends to lovers goodness. I enjoyed the flashback chapters so that we got to see Ethan and Charley’s friendship in the early stages. My husband and I are the friends to lovers trope and those chapters just made me so nostalgic of the beginnings of friendship. I enjoyed Ellie’s writing style so much. She has such great little quirky references and anecdotes that had me laughing. I felt like everything about their relationship was so realistic, from how they became friends to why they lost touch and how it felt when they reconnected and the reasons for their conflict. Laurel and Perry were the best side characters and I was just as invested in their story as I was Ethan and Charley’s. Charley carried a lot of baggage from her childhood that severely impacted her adult self and how she handled relationships. It’s something I don’t think she acknowledged in the beginning and I liked how the ones closest to her called her out on it and helped her work through it. Overall this was a sweet nostalgic friends to lovers that’s perfect for summer!

I hate this! I thought I was going to LOVE this book! I love a good childhood friends to lovers story! The traveling in the van was a fun twist! I’m a sucker for a one bed! But unfortunately I had to DNF at 51%! 😭
The story just dragged on for me. I know we need that build up but I just didn’t have that connection with the main characters.
The premise was cute but it didn’t work with me! But I hope it’s received well!!

Anywhere With You

Cozy journey stories are one of my favorite things, so the premise of Anywhere With You hooked me immediately - childhood friends to lovers in a beautifully renovated van? Count me in. Chaotic road trip hijinks absolutely delivered on page, but the emotional core of the story unfortunately lacked something essential I look for in my romance novels.

Charley and Ethan are - were - best friends. Best friends who very much knew they would never belong together in a romantic sense. When the marriage Ethan couldn’t manage to show up to ends in divorce, a year of no-contact breaks when he rolls up in his van that optimizes his terrifyingly unstable nature. While together, Charley’s sister calls to invite her to a seemingly impromptu wedding that sends her into absolute panic. Ethan agrees to get her to the wedding, not entirely behind her plans to try and stop it.

I think my major issue with this book is that, at the end, I’m not sure I believe in their HEA. Charley is for sure a rigid character who often comes across as unlikable, but I could forgive that. Ethan is a flaky character with a big heart, which is really cute but makes him the exact wrong man for Charley. The book is meant to bridge this gap between them, but I don’t know that I was convinced that it would work.

Now, I still think that if this premise appeals to you, it could be a fun read. Some might really see this relationship working and these characters growing together, and if that’s you, that’s amazing! Not the romance for me, but also had some very fun elements throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for the advanced copy for review!

This was a cute and funny friends to lovers!

-He falls first
-childhood friends to lovers
-It has always been you
-Second chance
-Dual timeline
-Good banter

This was my first book by Ellie Palmer and she's an author that is now fully on my radar! I listened to the audiobook and absolutely loved it, the narrator did such a fantastic job bringing these characters to life.

The story follows Charley and her childhood best friend Ethan, told through dual timelines of past and present. At 29, Charley’s life is nothing like she imagined. She’s fresh off a divorce after only a year of marriage, living in a big, empty house, and pouring every ounce of energy into her job and keeping up with her demanding boss.

When her sister suddenly announces she’s getting married, Charley unexpectedly finds herself on an impromptu road trip with Ethan to stop the wedding. But somewhere between the laughs, the late night drives, and the memories, their lifelong friendship starts to shift into something deeper.

Charley’s journey is messy, raw, and real. She struggles with childhood trauma, heartbreak, and figuring out what she truly wants in life. Her instinct is to push Ethan away to protect herself, but as the story unfolds, you really get to watch her break down those walls and redefine what happiness looks like for her.

This book has several laugh out loud moments, heartfelt sibling dynamics, and a beautifully complex friends to lovers storyline. The relationship between Charley and her sister is one of my favorite parts, it adds such depth and emotion to the story.

If you love childhood best friends to lovers, road trips, emotional growth, and stories that make you both laugh and have emotion, I highly recommend giving this one a listen!

Thank you to Putnam for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Anywhere With You sounded so fun and exciting. It has the potential to have lots of adventure with the van life aspect, but to me fell kinda flat. I found Ethan and Charley’s communication style to be annoying, frankly. Charley was just annoying throughout the whole book. It was a fine read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I just love Ellie Palmer, and I will read everything she writes. I need her next book immediately!

I really loved her debut, and I really loved this one. I feel like I don’t even know what to say because I just really enjoyed it.

Her books just feel so real and so realistic, and they always drawn me in.

I cannot wait to read more!

Another absolute banger from Ellie Palmer!

I looooved this friends to lovers romance about a responsible five-year-plan-focused lawyer and her free-spirited, van-life-living childhood best friend. In attempts to thwart her sister’s reckless wedding proposal, Charley travels with Ethan in his van through the Minnesotan woods, only to face hijinks and will-they, won’t-they tension with the person who knows her best. It’s swoony and romantic, hilarious and smart, and such a beautiful story about allowing ourselves to rewrite our stories, accept changes in plans, and take the big, rewarding risks.

And don’t get me started on the yearning! The banter! The close-quarters physical tension! The atmospheric setting! The sister bond! I absolutely loved it. Ellie Palmer is a gift!

Thank you to Putnam and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. ANYWHERE WITH YOU is out now!

A friends-to-lovers contemporary romcom. Charley values stability and predictability, and her childhood best friend is a one-hit-wonder musician with a spontaneous streak who lives in a van. When Charley goes on a weekend road trip with him, their chemistry quickly becomes apparent. There are a few flashback chapters to their teen and college years, but the book primarily takes place in the present day. I enjoyed the plot and the characters, and I thought Charley's personal growth arc was well executed. I did not care for the contrived humor, which primarily felt forced and unnecessary. Overall, a strong sophomore novel from Ellie Palmer.

I LOVED this book. The setting was so fun, traveling in a van. I loved Charley and Ethan’s friendship and romance. They are so stinking cute. And the way he is so down bad for her 🥵

I really liked the reverse timeline structure. Learning about their friendship to the present and moving alone with the current day plot.

My girl was a little delulu that he loved her, but ya know we love it anyway.

This is just a personal preference, but I would love to have some spice on the page. Elli got me riled up!!

I am so glad this sophomore release holds up to FWAAF. Read this book!

This was a great romcom. It was an easy and fun read. It had me hooked from the beginning. I loved the banter between the characters. I would rate this book a four stars,

"You know I'd go anywhere with you."

This was such a quintessential friends to lovers book with some immaculate vibes!! Like I love how much this book emphasizes and focuses in on why friends to lovers works, but then at the same time plays with the trope to build tension. It's very intentional. And Charley and Ethan's friendship jumps off the page from page one and then through everything they go through.

Was also a big fan of Laurel and Charley's relationship, it felt incredibly authentic and gave us some EXCELLENT angst. The only thing that didn't fully click for me was the pacing with the flashback chapters and then some of the early dialouge, but overall such a fun read to kind of close out summer!

Thank you NetGalley & Putnam for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review <3