Very cute book. Since I'm living in MN I really enjoyed this book. Look forward to reading more by Ellie Palmer.

I had high hopes for this book because I really like the author's writing style. But since I started reading, I've never liked Friends to Lovers, and I tried reading it because of the author, but it just wasn't for me.

3.75✨

After diving into Ellie Palmer's debut novel, *Four Weekends and a Funeral*, and enjoying it, m excitement was high. While the reading experience was enjoyable, it didn’t quite reach the heights of her first book.

Central to the story are Charley Beekman and Ethan Powell, whose rich backstories and undeniable chemistry truly shine. The friends-to-lovers trope is skillfully brought to life, capturing their long-standing, unspoken feelings for one another in a way that feels genuine. Ethan's heartfelt confession towards the end of the narrative adds a poignant layer of emotional depth, perfectly embodying his yearning nature. Readers who appreciate vulnerable characters will find their connection profoundly relatable.

However, the book isn't without its quirks. The frequent pop culture references sometimes felt a bit overdone and inconsistent with Charley’s character, It raises eyebrows about how she can possess such extensive knowledge of movies and television when she's written as a workaholic. While Charley’s struggle for control resonates, a peek into Ethan’s perspective could have offered a refreshing balance. This might have provided a much-needed break from Charley’s recurring internal monologue about her feelings of unlovability, which became very repetitive throughout the whole story.

Overall, *Anywhere With You* offers an enjoyable escapade, but it leaves you yearning for a little more depth and variety.

Road-trip romcoms are tricky to get right because they live and die by their banter—so often it devolves into irritating bickering or is just plain dull, and nobody wants to be vicariously trapped in a car with THAT. But Palmer absolutely nails the road-trip banter in this book! We’re talking Emily Henry levels of hilarity.

I also love how she crafted the characters’ personalities so that—even though you know in the back of your mind that it’s gonna work out by the very nature of the genre—you genuinely can’t tell at first how they could end up together. Or maybe I just really identified with heroine’s aversion to flakey guys…

The only thing I think it’s missing is open-door spice, and that’s not (just) cuz I’m a perv! There was so much buildup about how long they’d been just friends that, when they finally did cross the line, I wanted more insight into what tipped them over it.

3.5⭐️ rounded up because 3 stars feels too low.
Anywhere with you is a sweet friends to lovers romance that follows Charley, a woman living a high stress, unfulfilling life, and her best friend Ethan, a musician. After the unraveling of her relationship, her subsequent divorce, and her sister’s announcement of her engagement and plans to elope, Charley reconnects with her estranged best friend Ethan as they take a road trip for Charley to attempt to talk some sense into her sister and stop the wedding. The main characters have a lot of history and even more chemistry and the banter and relationship between them was well written. I appreciated the alternating timelines to better understand what was happening between the characters even more. There were many funny parts, but also many vulnerable and emotional parts as Charley learns to take a little risk, not always have everything perfectly planned, and that not everyone will hurt/leave you . Overall it was a cute story and an enjoyable read. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

I don’t read a lot of friends to lovers but I loved how this was paired with a dual timeline. We got to see Charley and Ethan’s dynamic in the present but also in the past. Their trip involved some light humorous moments where the banter was great, but some past issues also came along with it. I found Charley to be relatable and really enjoyed her growth. It was the perfect mix of rom com and deeper emotional moments.

Thank you @bookedwiththeemilys @elliepalmerwrites @putnambooks for the gifted copy.

I loved this so much! While it took me a minute for the writing to flow for me (totally a me thing 😂), I ended up actually loving Ellie’s writing and I couldn’t put this one down! I tabbed this one so much! I LOVED Ethan’s vibe from the very beginning, and just rooted for him and Charley so hard! Charley had so much growth by the end of the book and it was amazing to see. She finally allowed herself to be happy and be the person she was always meant to be. I loved Laurel and Petey, and the whole wedding weekend, including the “activities” that happened 😂😂. I even got emotional reading at times which always makes me love a story that much more. I for sure want to go back and read Ellie’s other book because this one was fantastic.

3.75 stars.

After reading Four Weekends and a Funeral last year and savoring every word, I had high hopes for Ellie Palmer's second novel. I won't say I'm disappointed because I did enjoy the time I spent reading Anywhere With You but it was a bit of a let down in comparison to how much I loved her debut.

Charley Beekman and Ethan Powell are two protagonists with a lot of history and even more chemistry. I normally don't go for friends-to-lovers as a trope but it was perfectly suited to this story and worked well in the favor of the characters and their unspoken lifelong love for each other. I will admit that I shed a tear during Ethan's speech at the end because it was just so earnest. I love a lover boy that knows how to yearn and he is exactly that.

However, on the less positive side of things, I found all of the constant pop culture references to be grating and out of place. Especially coming from Charley who seemed not to have time to do anything outside of work, not to mention be well versed in every movie and TV show from the last several decades. I wanted to like Charley more because I did relate to her desire for control but I wish the book had been split with Ethan's POV, even for a short while, just to have some time away from Charley's frustrating thoughts about how unlovable she is - which I also understand but we didn't need 300 pages of the same inner argument.

All in all, I will continue to read Ellie Palmer's new releases because her characters are original and relatable and her writing style is fun, charming, and easy to digest. Ethan Powell is the reason I will be returning to Anywhere With You in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good romance book, I love a good road trip, which means I love when romance blossoms on a road trip! This isn’t the first road trip romance I’ve read, and they never disappoint! I’m really happy I got to read this one, being from the mid-west this was such a fun book to read!

Charley is desperate to stop her sister's wedding. She teams up with her best friend since childhood, Ethan. Together they brave the wilderness of Minnesota in the summer. Their mission becomes more complicated as their forced proximity pulls out long-hidden feelings. Who gets married? Who breaks up? And who winds up happily ever after? You'll have to read to find out!

I really adored the setting of this story. It's the perfect book for readers looking for some armchair travel during the summer. I loved the humor and the pop culture references. (Still finding it hard to believe that twenty-somethings know about "Charles in Charge", though, LOL.) The entire cast of characters in this story felt real. I became especially fond of our hero Ethan.

I would have loved for this book to feel a bit more mature. We're treated to lots of jumping between timelines, though ultimately the characters felt like they were about the same age, whether they were 13 or 29 years-old. The pacing was occasionally stunted by the time hopping, though that may be in part because this story is lower angst than I anticipated. The low angst can be a real plus for many readers looking for a relaxing but entertaining read!

I'd like to thank PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book is one of the most incredibly heartfelt roadtrip stories that you could ever read! The characters are beautifully written and the backdrop of Minnesota is so well done! You will find yourself crying and laughing in all the best ways, I can’t recommend this book enough!

Ellie Palmer, I'll read anything you write.

Thank you so much to G.P. Putnam's Sons for the eARC and PRHA for the audiobook! These are my honest thoughts.

OKAY. I'm not a *huge* childhood friends-to-lovers, second chance girlie, but there's something about Ellie's characters and her writing that sucks me in and makes me want her main characters to have EVERYTHING they want. This is true of Charley and Ethan, in all of their random, fun, messy, rawness that makes them and every other character in this story feel authentically and genuinely real to the reader.

Charley and Ethan meet as kids, when Charley's dad gets a new job in a new city and her mom decides that she's going to forgive her dad and they're going to give it a real try to be a family together (again). Her sister and Ethan's best friend hit it off quickly, and then quickly become on-again, off-again, while Ethan and Charley are constant and steady (because they're scared of their feelings for one another + their "couldn't be me" attitude; convinced they could never be the right person for the other). When Charley's family inevitably moves away, Charley and Ethan become pen pals, then email pals, before finally ending up at the same college. Through flashbacks, we see Charley and Ethan, and see how they end up back in each other's lives in present day.

Ethan bailed on Charley's wedding, but it's fine now because Charley is divorced. Her safe little relationship has fallen apart, and she gets drunk the day her divorce is finalized, texting her (former?) best friend, who shows up at her house without a second thought. They reconnect, but mid-hangover, Charley's sister calls and says her and Petey are gonna elope! Like right now! And that freaks Charley out because everyone leaves her behind. She convinces Laurel to wait until she can BE THERE FOR THE WEDDING, and then her and Ethan pack up and hit the road in his sprinter van.

Everything that could go wrong, does. Charley drops her clothes on the floor of a nasty truck stop shower. Ethan swerves and gets stuck avoiding hitting some turtles. They almost get arrested. And when they finally arrive at the camp spot where Laurel and Petey are waiting, more tragedy strikes. It's a series of unfortunate events. But the chemistry, banter, and tension builds and builds. So does the tension between Charley and Laurel... until it all comes crashing down.

My favorite part of this story is Charley's growth. She's able to experience all of this stuff (and, to be honest, be a bit dense and unwilling to try to see outside of her own grief and perspective), lose everything, wallow in the house that used to be home to her former life, and come out of it better and more present. She's able to see that her work environment is toxic, and while she still wants things the way she likes them, there's room to see beyond the walls of her own creation.

Read if you love:
- Divorced, workaholic, control freak FMC
- Wanderlust, van-living, guitar playing, previously a rockstar MMC
- Childhood trauma
- The one that got away
- There's only one bed (in the van)
- Road trips
- Childhood friends-to-lovers
- The MMC is supposed to be the best man in the FMC's wedding, and he no-shows
- The one that got away/second chance
- Dual timeline
- Pen pals

The audiobook was fantastic. I love Karissa Vacker, and she's always amazing, but this performance really brought the Charley and Ethan emotions to the surface. I felt them all deep in my soul. I cried with and for them. I grieved with and for them. I felt the joy and fun, the tension, the slow burn. 5 stars.

Ellie Palmer is going on my autobuy list. I had so much fun reading and enjoyed both timelines. This was vulnerable and honest and laugh out loud funny. A great time overall!

Really a 4.5 stars, this book was so good.

Ellie Palmer was a new to me author, and with the opening lines including a penis straw, I wasn’t expecting the emotional heft and love moments I got from this book. I can’t explain how much I love Charley and Ethan as a duo. Friends to lovers done in the best way. And I don’t always love dual timeline but every moment from the past was so well crafted, I felt like I could see what was right in front of Charley all along waaaaay before she did. Not sure if I can say enough good things about this book. I loved it way more than I expected and can’t wait to read more by the author!

Sigh.

I loved this one. Ellie Palmer has such a gift for really building a believable relationship.

PROS:
-Loved the setting…my Minnesota days helped me picture this so vividly, and the outdoors element made this feel like the perfect summer read (the best time in Minnesota is for sure the two weeks of summer 😉)
-Ethan was sturdy. I know the FMC took a while to come around to that fact, but he just patiently waited for her to clue in. Love that trait.
-Messy family story that ends beautifully, but not to tidy to make it unbelievable. I loved Laurel…and Petey! With all his pet names, that was a cute element.

CON: (only one!)
-Charley was so stubborn that it almost killed the story for me…I wanted her to get it a little faster, you know? I get that it works well for the arc of the story, but she was pretty unlikeable because everyone else is so delightful and it feels like they’re all just orbiting around her while she comes crashing through.

Overall, I loved this story! Ellie Palmer is becoming a must read author for me!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adored Ellie Palmer's Four Weekends and Funeral, which had a clever premise and great characters that I was really rooting for. Needless to say, I was so excited for the opportunity to read her newest work. Anywhere With You did not disappoint.

Charley has been going through the motions of life, living in an unfulfilling marriage and an unfulfilling career. When her sister says she is going to elope with her boyfriend, a decision that Charley sees as a clear mistake, Charley sets off on a trip with her best friend to stop the wedding.

Charley and Ethan were adorable! Their chemistry was perfect and I loved the pacing of the story. A perfect friends to lovers story, one of my favorite romance novels of 2025.

This was a perfect, classic friends to lovers romance. The yearning, the pining...I ate it up!

Ethan and Charley have been best friends since childhood. Then Charley got married, and Ethan didn't show up and they went a year without speaking. Now Charley is divorced, Ethan is speaking to her again, and the two of them head off on a camping trip mission to stop her sister from eloping. Along the way, old feelings finally get faced, for better or worse.

Ethan was beyond obsessed with Charley and it was obvious from the beginning! I loved seeing how much he longed for her, and how willing he was to do anything possible to be with her. A struggling musician and van-life enthusiast, his lifestyle terrified Charley. She craves stability after a tumultuous childhood and fears that if she lets herself acknowledge her feelings for Ethan, he will leave her for his free and loose lifestyle.

I found myself getting frustrated with Charley and her insistence on living a rigid, workaholic lifestyle. She also had blinders on when it came to Ethan and I just wanted to shake her and tell her to wake up! He was so smitten with her and her refusal to see it made me mad!!

The chemistry and banter were on point in this one, there were plenty of funny moments on their trip, and the ending was satisfying. I definitely recommend it!

Freshly divorced, Charley’s life is a bit all over the place. Which is to great when you are Type-A. The only good thing about her divorce is her best friend Ethan is back in her life after a year apart. Ethan could not be more different than Charley, but, aside from her sister Laurel, there is nobody she has ever been closer to. When Laurel announces she’s proposing to their other childhood friend Petey, Charley is determined to stop her from making the same mistakes she did. What follows is one heck of a road trip, where Charley is forced to question whether her feelings for Ethan are more than just friendly in nature.

Since this book takes place over the course of just a few days, I really loved the flashbacks we got of Charley/Ethan and Laurel/Petey and how their friend group was formed. We get glimpses into the ups and downs of their relationships, which really helped me connect with the characters and added context to their dynamic. The camping/road trip element of this story was a lot of fun and I think this was a great end of summer romance.

Read if you like:
-Friends to Lovers
-Dual timeline
-Road-trip Romance
-Only one bed
-Sister relationship
-Found family

Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for a review copy.

I enjoyed the banter between Charlie and Ethan. The back and forth in the timelines got to be a little much and preferred the storyline that was in the present.

This was a really cute story! I loved that you could tell how much Ethan cared for Charley from the second we met him. I also like the whole road trip vibe of the story, however there were times that the storytelling felt a bit choppy. I felt like we skipped over too much when they were getting the van tire fixed because one minute we were at the car shop and the next we’re already at the destination. Despite this, I enjoyed this story and I think it’s perfect for summer! 3.5⭐️