I was a little thrown off by the beginning, the start to the story is quite jarring and it still almost feels like it’s missing context? Even though it was uncomfortable, I liked the uniqueness of it, and I think it added to the pacing.

Loved the build up, and the vibes were just fantastic. Cozy but still thrilling, romantic and a little mysterious. Lesbians !! Love.

Before I get into my review of “Run Away With Me”, I’d like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the early eARC.

I’m going to be honest; I am being very generous by giving this book two stars. The plot was wishy-washy, the timeline of the book was weird, and everything about this book was just *meh*.

One thing that particularly bothered me about this book was the fact that the whole time I read it, I felt like the author didn’t know what age they were trying to appeal to.

Like they were trying to appeal to the potential thirteen-year-olds reading, but also the seventeen-year-olds? So the whole book felt off-kilter.

It had its very kiddish chapters and then its more adult chapters.

Since it was clear the author was trying to write with everyone in mind the book just fell flat.

Other problems I had with the book (spoilers ahead.):
- the somehow almost infinite money the girls had? They pickpocket once and then they had enough money for weeks of food and hotels?
- The kidnapping?????! Immediately after one of the main characters flees from a kidnapper (drugged out of her mind) she kisses the other main character in a Walmart parking lot??? The whole scene made me feel very uncomfortable because of what just went down.
- It took weeks until the girl who is a potential suspect for a murder was on national news. This just doesn’t make sense to me because if a minor was wanted for murder *and* was missing, they would’ve been on the news as soon as possible.

I’m honestly struggling to think of one thing I liked about this book, and that’s very sad.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read this uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review.

Let's start with the good. I love the theme of a road trip and two queer girls discovering themselves and first love while traveling across the country. There's a lot of good identity questioning and ideas of how having someone believe in your can change how you present yourself and who you believe you are. Jessie's growth throughout the book is wonderful to witness.

I definitely recommend this book for queer and questioning youth, as well as for people who enjoy road trips and exploring the US.

Some things made this book a little difficult to read, and it's mostly in the inconsistent and incorrect details. I read an uncorrected proof, so these things might be changed come publication.

It takes them four days to go from Seattle to Salt Lake City. I've done that drive a number of times as I'm from the Pacific North West. (And by the way, the countryside is not something you want to smell, farmland usually smells like manure). Driving the normal way takes two days at a leisurely pace, or one if you're really pushing it. It takes the characters four days to make the trip for no apparent reason when they're supposedly driving at a decent pace. They also estimate that it will take at least ten days to drive across country, which I suppose is maybe alright if you're a tourist stopping at every place, but for two teen runaways is not really realistic. They also don't take reasonable precautions for runaways, like changing their license plate or taking routes that aren't obvious.

Even handwaving US travel, there's a lot of things that don't add up. Drug traffickers don't want rich white run away teens. They're already in the police system. People are aware of them. Drug traffickers want people who can fly under the radar, and they certainly won't stalk two teens a nice car across state lines. They get secondhand phones and use them without arranging for any sort of phone service. They connect to 3G, when that system has been defunct in the US for years and most teens aren't even aware it exists. They pickpocket (poorly) in a high end hotel, which would have security cameras everywhere and surely would have wound up with them getting caught. They put in their laundry, note the time when it will need changing to the dryer, then never go back for it while narrating the next two hours of events. They actually mention laundry several times without seeming to do anything about it and I don't know why they need to do laundry so frequently.

If the small details won't bother you, you'll probably have a good time with this book. If you know more about the US, it might itch at the back of your brain while reading, especially if you have trouble suspending disbelief.

Overall, it's an enjoyable road trip and an ideal summer read.

Thanks to NetGalley for this gifted eArc in exchange for my honest opinion.


I'm going to start off by saying that I enjoyed this eARC. It isn't their finished product but it was pretty good until we get to a part in the story where one girl is hauled back home and then the ending just falls flat. I hope that they can edit and revamp this so that the finished book is consistent through out.

It is a very good read and the cover art that I have is amazing! It's better than the cover art of the girls in a car.

I wasn't aware that this was a LGBTQ book but it was good.

I will look forward to seeing if these revamps could be made but even if it isn't .... the book wasn't bad.

I enjoyed this book! Jessie and Brooke embark on an unexpected road trip across America. How long can they stay on the run for before they get caught by the cops? This book definitely had me on the edge of my seat. It was a really good thriller romance. There was a lot going on and it was a hell of a ride!

Thank you so much NetGalley, J.L. Simmonds
and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the eARC!

Rating: ✨✨✨
Publication Date: October 14 2025

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillian Children’s Publishing Group for the ARC of Run Away with Me.

I absolutely adore this book! I loved their chemistry and the natural build from friends to a great romance.

I will be adding this book to my shelf when it comes out and I'm so happy to have been able to read this early!

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillian Children’s Publishing Group for the ARC of Run Away with Me.

It’s been a while since I read a book that grabbed me from the start and kept me engaged throughout, and J. L. Simmonds has written a debut novel that does just that. I found myself not wanting to put it down, but I had to when the desire to sleep overtook me. But I woke up the next morning immediately thinking about Jessie and Brooke. I wanted to know how their road trip played out. I wanted to know if they’d be able to be together once they were back in Seattle. I wanted to know if everything was as bad as Jessie thought it would be – although I doubted that was the case. I just wanted to know all the things.

The writing is captivating. It takes a certain type of writer to pull off first person narration, and J. L. Simmonds is that type of writer. And although the story is told in Jessie’s perspective, I was good with that because I still got healthy doses of Brooke’s perspective through their conversations. Speaking of which, the dialogue was on-point and felt real for the teenage MCs, which isn’t always the case in YA novels.

The runaway road trip itself was a useful setting for the two MCs to get to know each other. Their growing friendship was sweet, and I felt as though they were showing parts of themselves to each other that they didn't normally share with anyone else. The budding romantic relationship was endearing, and they make a really cute couple. Brooke and Jessie just gave me all the feels to be honest.

The reveal of why they were both running made sense for each of their circumstances.

I just really loved this book. And I, honestly, can’t wait to buy it when it comes out because I need this book on my favorite authors shelf.

This is a lovely queer book combined with thrill and suspense. I enjoyed following Jessie's journey as she grows into the strong and confident person she is. This is a great message for young queer girls that says be proud of who you are.