I've had mixed feelings about this book from the start. The relationship between Jessie and Brooke seemed to grow organically and I really liked that but a 17 year old girl finds her mom's boyfriend murdered and instantly thinks she will be suspected. It didn't make much sense to me but later she calls it a fight or flight reaction so I guess that would make sense. Some details seemed a little far fetched but a: I have no experience in the topic and b: it is a fiction book.

All in all, it was a decent book. Brooke has fantastic taste in music and cars. Jessie grows into herself and gains confidence she wouldn't have had before the trip. I wouldn't mind trying another book by this author but I doubt I'll ever reread this one.

Possible spoilers. At about 80% through, I had to remind myself this is a romance like a mantra! I was so worried there wouldn't be a happy ending (there is). Something that could just be me being picky, every customer service person the encountered through the entire book asked "Can I help?" instead of "Can I help you?" or "How can I help?" It was just really weird to me because I have never heard someone ask that question in this context.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc!

I don't know what was in this book, but it was absolutely addicting. It was so hard to put it down after a few chapters. I loved the fast pace story telling and the characters. I loved that the story felt too good to be true, a little fantastical, but was also 100% something that could and probably has happened in real life.

The pacing throughout the entire story felt more or less perfect. My interest was piqued for beginning to end and I honestly want to just start all over and read it again.

I think this book will THRIVE at the local libraries. Please understand that the audience base for this book is high school. The writing style wasn't my favorite but I could apperciate an ode to my youth. Some parts were a little slow but overall the book did a great job. Would recommend to check out!

For the most part, I enjoyed this. Some of it was a little hard to believe, like Jessie so easily finding and rescuing Brooke from Chris. I was intrigued to find out their reasons for running away and enjoyed going along for the ride, though. The ending was a little disappointing.

dnf @ 75%


I am not the target audience for this book, but even then, it didn't quite live up to my hopes. Something I love about road trip stories is that it gives the author a chance to do a bunch of character work that lets us really, really get to know our characters -- not just as they are themselves, but as their relationship to their fellow travelers changes. And this book had SUCH a fun concept, so I was excited to get to see that concept unfold within that structure. But alas, it didn't really work for me; the characters just didn't hit for me, and their relationship didn't feel earned. Then around 65-70% of the way through, something TOTALLY out of left field happens that fully threw me for a loop -- a tonally incohesive plot point that is just kinda dropped for the next few chapters. It was so odd.

Overall though, I think that if I were 15-17 and looking for something diverting, this is something I could pick up and enjoy.

Great queer representation which drew me in. Would’ve loved to have this book when i was younger. Very YA in the way it’s written. Earnest characters. Must suspend belief for much of the plot.

i’m really glad that we’re getting more sapphic books out in the world — i definitely wish we had more when i was younger! it’s so important to have that representation, especially for people around that age who are on their own journeys with their identity.

in my opinion, the pacing was off. the beginning was abrupt, which i understand is probably the point to start off in a fast-paced way, but it felt less like a stylistic choice and more like it needs a bit of work to give the reader some context. there were a lot of “lull” periods with their driving/traveling, with some more intense moments thrown in that (again) felt kind of abrupt to me from their introduction to their resolution. i did like jessie and brooke, though, and i thought they had a sweet relationship. i think this will appeal to younger audiences!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for access to this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a fun, unique YA thriller with a lot of queer elements. Yes, maybe you have to allow for some suspension of reality to get into parts of the story, some parts a bit far-fetched, but isn’t that what creativity and fiction are for? Jessie (“Mouse”) reminded me a LOT of myself as a queer high schooler, crushing on the pretty girls and never knowing if any feelings were mutual or if we were “just friends”. The abuse elements are definitely not subtle, so check your TWs. The writing is decent, but definitely has a YA vibe which ultimately makes it a pretty quick/easy read. I loved the nods to all of this classic music of Springsteen and Fleetwood Mac and 90s music like Alanis Morissette and Tracy Chapman (so queer) and it’s even more fun and nostalgic that the two girls listened to cassettes, what a throwback! So nostalgic and fun, and again, so relatable. This is novel is not super groundbreaking but it is a very fast-paced, exciting thriller. More queer books!!

Roadtripping sapphic love story? sign me up. I really enjoyed this book, I found it an engaging and quick read. I loved the two characters and their dynamic with eachother as the story progressed. This being said, I am not sure about the realisticness of the book.

I found certain points to be not quite believable? This is likely due to the book being YA. Serious topics like kidnapping and trafficking were kind of glossed over in a way that felt unrealistic and even uncomfortable. Also the girls seemingly had infinite money? I mean a few thousand dollars doesnt really get you far on such a long trip.

Overall though, I did love the motif of music being prevalent throughout the book. This was a quick and fun read that I recommend if youre looking for a roadtripping experience from the comfort of your home! Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book and could not put it down. Jessie is running away and when Brooke sees her, Jessie asks her to take her to the bus station. Brooke knows she’s running away, and says she is too and they decide to take off together in Brooke’s vintage Mustang. What Jessie doesn’t tell Brooke is that she found her mom’s boyfriend dead and was scared. Jessie also has had a crush on Brooke but has never told her. When the girls start traveling they find that a man and woman are following them. Are they undercover cops? Child Protective Services? They evade them for a while. Brooke visits her cousin who gives them money and cell phones. The girls go to a mall and Brooke disappears. Jessie is worried, goes back to the motel, and realizes the same man and woman had been there too. Jessie is able to track Brooke down, and they get away. Brooke tells Jessie why she’s running away and later when they’re listening to the tv, it says police are looking for Jessie, and they mention the mom’s dead boyfriend. Jessie tells Brooke she didn’t do it. Later as they’re traveling, police find them and take them into custody. The girls are separated. Will Jessie ever see Brooke again? Who killed the boyfriend?
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

In this thrilling slow-burn, readers meet characters Brooke and Jessie as they're running away from Washington after Jessie finds her mom's boyfriend dead.

While we get a really good sense of thrill and tension (both from the girls trying to run away from the public eye and their growing attraction for each other) we also get this really cute slow burn read that's combined in the plot.

Personally, I loved this read! It was one of those books you keep thinking about once you finish it!

Big thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this!

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.