I adore opposites attract. Ethan is everything Charley needs to loosen up. He gets her out of her head and to be brave and try new things. Ethan softens her. And it seems like Charley helps give Ethan motivation and direction. They complimented each other perfectly.
Charley and Laurel had a complicated childhood and relationship with heir parents that affected them both in different ways. Charley wanted stability and Laurel was afraid of commitment. Their relationship dynamic was complicated because of this, but you could feel the love between them. Petey and Ethan being the boys they met together during one of their moves and each of them staying friends (and more) was lovely.
Ellie Palmer is a witty writer. The book has plenty of laugh out loud moments, while also tackling serious topics and hitting you right in the heartstrings. I appreciated the flashbacks to help better understand Charley and Ethan (and even Laurel and Petey) and their longtime relationship.

Charley Beekman spent her whole life chasing stability after a childhood marked by constant upheaval. A recent divorce and an all-consuming legal career left her convinced that staying still is the only way to feel secure. But when her sister Laurel suddenly elopes with on-again-off-again boyfriend Petey, Charley sets off on a road trip with Ethan Powell, her childhood best friend, to try to prevent her sister from making a big mistake.

This story has everything I love in a friends to lovers romance: past and present timelines, a road trip with plenty of banter, and yearning that made my heart ache. I loved how the dual timelines showed Charley and Ethan’s friendship solidifying over the years while the present day journey forced Charley to confront what’s always been between them. The personal growth and self reflection Charley experienced vaguely felt formulaic and I found myself wishing for more of a slow burn, but make no mistake, this book is heartfelt and tender, with messy yet strong sibling dynamics and a top tier friends to lovers romance.

Thank you Putnam for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Childhood friends to lovers? Quite possibly a new favorite trope of mine. I could not put Ellie Palmer's sophomore novel down once I started reading. I just had to know whether Ethan and Charley would ever become more than friends. Although, were they ever really just friends?

Charley Beekman has the perfect life on paper--high paying job as an attorney, a husband that could be more exciting, but does the trick (not all the tricks, though)--and then, it all comes crashing down when her husband, Rich, asks for a divorce. Fresh off her divorce, Charley's life falls apart a little more when her sister announces she's getting married to Pete, her long-time off and on again boyfriend, Pete. Her judgment clouded by her own relationship trauma, Charley roadtrips to the wedding with Ethan, her childhood best friend who she hasn't really spoken to since the night of her bachelorette party. Turns out all you need is a little forced proximity in order to deal with feelings long suppressed.

I absolutely loved Ethan and Charley's relationship as friends. It made the move into something more all more natural. I loved how Ethan brought out the more carefree and relaxed side of Charley and I loved how Charley made Ethan feel special (because he really is one of the best book boyfriends I've found in a long time). I also loved the flashbacks as they helped develop Charley and Ethan as well as our side characters. And oh wow, Ethan is a master yearner. He is, and also has been, down bad for Charley.

Anywhere With You is the perfect book for you if you love (childhood) friends to lovers, forced proximity, and found family! It's rare that a sophomore novel is as good as a debut, but this was easily just as good if not better. Run and pick up a copy!

Thank you Putnam for the e-ARC!

This book was the perfect mix of adventure and love, with a fun premise and the delight of friends to lovers. It is well written and as a Minnesotan I especially appreciated the nods to Minnesota. The author has a great voice. My only critique would be that for my taste there was a bit too much of the miscommunication trope and it drove me a little bonkers at times, but I did love the love between these characters.

Absolute perfection! Sexual tension, forced proximity, only one bed in the travel van, and so many unspoken feelings that become swoony declared statements of love. Plus love songs and curated music lists. Charley and Ethan were unputdownable

I didn't think I could love a book more than I loved Four Weekends and a Funeral, but it happened! Anywhere with You was such a lovely read. I was rooting for the characters the whole time. I will absolutely be getting a DQ blizzard tattoo with "We Belong Together".

This was a funny and sweet friends to lovers story that I enjoyed for what it was. We have sisterhood, we have growth. It’s a good summer read.

Charley is finding herself after a divorce and what she doesn’t realize is who is meant for her was there all along. I loved the friendship between Charley and Ethan so I wish we could have seen more of it. We get some flashbacks to how they met and their later years but I wanted to be in the story, not just hearing it. Their banter was so funny though and the truck stop scene had me laughing out loud. While they do insinuate things, this is a closed door romance.

I think my favorite part of this book is the growth between Laurel and Charley. That’s where we really see the character development. I do believe the ending was rushed and I wish we could have seen Charley work on herself like Laurel did since there was a lot to unpack. A LOT.

Overall, a fun read. Thank you NetGalley, G.P. Putnam’s Sons and Ellie Palmer for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Gosh I love Ellie Palmer! I have been in a massive reading slump this summer, but book had me hooked right away!

When Charley Beekman is left by a man she thought was her perfect match (in the sense that he was boring and stable), she’s swearing off love. When her sister announces she’s engaged to her on-again off-again boyfriend and they’re getting married as soon as possible, Charley knows she has to stop her before she makes a mistake. Thankfully, Charley’s best friend, Ethan is in for the adventure and offers up his camper van for the trip.

As the two make their way to the northern woods of Minnesota, Charley begins to feel the spark with Ethan that she’s ignored for years. After all, the two could <i>never</b> be compatible, he’s made that perfectly clear their whole friendship. Charley wants a steady man who will never leave. Whereas Ethan is constantly on the move, never able to stay in one place for long.

As someone with Celiac Disease, I loved to read a book with a character who has celiac as well, even if it was only mentioned a few times! Ethan mentions upon their first meeting that he has celiac and cannot have gluten or anything that touches gluten, and I immediately felt seen. <3

Read if you like:
• friendship to lovers
• found family
• adventures
• Minnesota!

Breaking News: Ellie Palmer puts literal crack into her books

This was SO good. I had soso much fun with this and I fear I’m absolutely obsessed with them. The second chance of it all was done so well and so realistically and I absolutely loved it. The way it all tied together and everything actually made sense when presented together - 10/10, no notes.

The sister relationship in this was also done so well also. The dynamics between Laurel and Charlie, especially with their parents the way that they were, felt so real.

Thank you to Putnam and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC! Fresh off a divorce, Charley gets the news that not only has her sister reconciled with her childhood sweetheart but they’re eloping and soon. Cut to the other persona from their childhood foursome, Ethan, Charley’s best friend and unrequited crush who comes to Charley’s aid when she decides she cannot let this wedding happen. A sweet romance set in my state - what’s not to like.

I enjoyed this RomCom, it was a fun read and exactly what I needed! Charley's character came across as humorous and relatable and I liked the humor and witty banger with her childhood friend, Ethan. I also loved Four Weekends and a Funeral by this author so she has become a must read author for me!

Ellie Palmer is a fabulous and incredibly talented writer with a unique voice that sets her apart from other contemporary romance authors because she has so much fun writing characters that are "cringe" and embrace it. She's completely unapologetic about writing an openly unserious and boisterous romp for a bunch of messy people who know they're messy and do not care.

In this, Anywhere With You has a completely different vibe than Four Weekends and a Funeral (one of my favorite reads in 2024). It's a quintessential "summer read" about two childhood best friends who've been end game since day one, but have spent the last decade of their lives letting their individual hang ups and assumptions about relationships rob them of their joy.

It's got all the ingredients that make a fun road trip romance, and it's never precious about it. There are many laugh out loud moments, a satisfying slow burn prefaced by sweet yearning, and a cast of fun characters that help move the plot forward.

The novel did feel rushed, in terms of plot and character development, too many loose ends, and what felt like frenetic pacing for no good reason. I almost felt anxious at times, because the writing was so fast and chaotic. Like I was in the middle of a Chucky Cheese at noon. Maybe the deadline was just too tight to give the author time to really let the heart of the story sink in and grow the characters.

I personally had a really hard time with the frequency of pop culture references. I didn't even get some of them and had to look stuff up. I also had a big problem with the whole premise that Ethan and Charley had not spoken for a year because Ethan ghosted her on her wedding day even though Charley was his best friend and he was her best man. I'm sorry, but that's horrible.

I don't even care that Ethan was all up in his unrequited feelings. She's your best friend and you're her best man, and you stand her up and never reach out to her to explain yourself when it's clear you'd hurt her feelings because she didn't try to make contact with you again after that day? I was actually really mad that Ethan didn't do any groveling whatsoever, but just picked up where they left off as if nothing had happened, as soon as he found out Charley's marriage ended. Dude needed to Grovel™️ like no one has ever Groveled™️ and he didn't! What was that about?

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin/G.P. Putnam's Sons for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication. I was not compensated in any way for this review, and all opinions are my own.

The bones were good, I loved the premise and found the romance to be very sweet. I do think the author leaned a little too heavily in to metaphors and by the end of the book I wanted to throw my kindle every time I read "like." I also found the lack of communication and third act drama to be frustrating. It was just okay overall!

I really liked this one! Charley and Ethan are both wonderful and I love them together. Typically I would get a little lost in the hijinks of a story like this (these are not always my favorite) but it really worked here. I loved the flashbacks as I thought they brought a lot to the story and the relationship. Very well written, elevated rom com.

Anywhere with You by Ellie Palmer was such a joy to read. I laughed out loud more times than I can count. Palmer’s comedy is spot-on without ever feeling forced. The humor made the book so easy to fall into.

Charley felt incredibly real. I found myself rooting for her not just in her romance with Ethan, but even more so in her personal growth, especially in how her relationship with her sister evolved throughout the story. That dynamic was one of the strongest parts of the book for me. Palmer beautifully captures the complexity of sisterhood. There were so many quotes that resonated deeply if you’ve ever had a close (or complicated) relationship with a sister.

If you’re looking for a romantic read that’s equal parts funny and heartfelt, with characters you’ll think about long after the final page, this is the one. Anywhere with You gets a solid 5/5 from me.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for an ARC of this book

All I can say is I will read anything Ellie Palmer writes!

I can always count on her to not only give a beautiful love story but have real heart and triumph behind it. Ellie always have characters that are realistic and people can connect to because they are so multilayered.

This is….fine. I didn’t like the female character and honestly, I felt like the characters had more history than actual romantic chemistry, but a lot of other people rated this higher. Check out their more positive reviews! This just wanted something that excited me.

I received an ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Charley hasn't heard from Ethan since the day of her wedding when he texted her he could no attend her wedding, despite the fact that he was her best man. Now divorced, Charley reconnects with Ethan as they take a road trip in his tiny van to stop her sister from getting married.

I absolutely loved the tension between Charley and Ethan. This book was such a perfect friends to lovers slow burn!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the advanced reader copy of this book!

This isn't your typical lighthearted romance—Anywhere With You leans heavily into emotional depth, personal healing, and slow-burning transformation. While it does have a romantic thread, it's very much a subplot to the real heart of the story: Charley's journey through the aftermath of her messy divorce and the quiet, courageous work of rebuilding herself.

Charley is a beautifully written, raw, and real character. Her pain is not glossed over, and her path forward is anything but linear. This is a story about what it means to be broken, guarded, and slowly—almost reluctantly—open yourself up to connection again.

The friends-to-lovers arc between Charley and her best friend Ethan is tender, deeply earned, and perfectly paced for the emotional territory this book explores. It’s not rushed or overly romanticized, which makes it all the more satisfying when the shift finally happens. That said, the beginning does feel a bit slow. It takes time for the emotional layers to unfold, so readers looking for an instant spark may need a little patience.

This was a friends to lovers DELIGHT!

Ooh was this such a fun and swoony rom-com that is the PERFECT read for these last days of summer! Gosh was this book so much fun and so swoony!

And it’s set in northern Minnesota … on the shore of Lake Superior – one of my most favorite places in the whole world. Be still my Minnesota-girl heart! I even included a Lake Superior quote in this edit because it so perfectly captured how I feel when I’m on it’s beautiful shore.

And ooh the chemistry between Charlie and Ethan. I loved their banter and friendship … and the slow burn exploration of more. Their dynamic made it hard to put this book down!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and cannot WAIT to read whatever Ellie writes next!

Read if you’re in the mood for:
-Friends to lovers
-Witty banter and laugh out loud antics
-Slow burn
-Forced proximity
-Road trip adventure

Content: divorce, parent abandonment
Spice: Fade to black (with some lead up details)