Thank you for the ARC!

I was very excited to read this based on the description and I have really enjoyed other 831 stories novella before. I loved 2/3 of the story, Marin and Teddy’s connection, their hopes and dreams, their roadtrip were all great! Then something happens and let’s just say Teddy is a way better person than I am because I could never forgive that.

Nevertheless I did enjoy this, the writing is really good and the tension and yearning was impeccable! I finished the whole thing in one sitting.

This was such a lovely story. I wasn’t sure what to expect from that roadtrip but it sure was worth it. Marin and Teddys story was gripping I will say I was mad at Marin for a good portion of the story. I loved the way the author ended the book in full circle. I want to thank @NetGalley for letting me read this arc in advance.

This book was short, sweet, emotional, and absolutely devastating. And I loved it.

This friends to lovers/second chance romance follows the encounters of Teddy and Marin over the better part of a decade. It’s amazing how much depth and backstory was able to be jam packed into such a short novel, and I definitely wanted more (or at least an epilogue.) It features road trips, international travel, family trauma, loyal best friends, and some beautifully written spicy scenes.

This is my third 831 Romance, and it’s probably my favorite so far. The publisher has mastered the perfectly packaged fast-paced contemporary romance that can be enjoyed by romance lovers as well as folks who may be new to the genre. There are some surprising and sad twists in this one, so check your trigger warnings (and proceed accordingly). This one broke my heart, but it was beautifully done and absolutely worth it. I’m grateful to have been part of 831 Stories’ ARC team once again! I received a complimentary eARC of Exit Lane in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I adored this book so much! Exit Lane will resonate with the reader who savors slow-burn, fate-laced love stories that chart the messy, sometimes exasperating dance between timing and personal growth across years rather than days.

Right off the top, I loved the nod to the When Harry Met Sally plot when Marin and Teddy carpool to NYC from Iowa So much potential!

I struggled to get into it a bit and I think it was in the execution because the characters felt a bit too surface level for me, at least at the start. But once I got into it, says about 35% in, I simply wanted to find out where they would happen to run into each other next. I could relate with Marin and how her past was showing up in her current relationships and life choices, There was a part that really stood out to me about how in Denmark, Marin may not have as many friends but she had time for hobbies and quieter pace of life which she found more enjoyable than the bustle of seeing friends in NYC.

While overall, I'm not sure I believe the HEA for these two characters, I still enjoyed the short read and will definitely pick-up more 831 Stories in the future. Thanks to Netgalley and 831 Stories for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and 831 Stories for a copy of this arc, all opinions my own.

A short, quick, and fun read. It didn't feel super impactful but I had an enjoyable time reading. Will read more from 831.

Teddy and Marin meet on a road trip from Iowa to New York, and their paths cross again over the years until a snowy drive brings things full circle. Despite the repeated run-ins, I had a hard time buying into their connection. The chemistry felt muted, and their relationship lacked the emotional depth I look for in a slow-burn romance.

I wanted to love this one — I enjoy 831 Stories’ other works — but I found myself struggling to connect with the story or the characters. How do characters manage to fall in love when they’re so bland and have no chemistry?

Hits: Midwest representation; slow burn

Misses: Insufferable self-sabotaging adults; plot is all over the place; the reason for the third-act breakup?? ick

Thank you to #NetGalley and 831 Stories for an advanced reader copy of #ExitLane!

In a "When Harry Met Sally"-esque story, Teddy and Marin drive together from Iowa City to NYC after they graduate college. They continue to cross paths over the next 8 years as they navigate love, loss, and their inevitable feelings towards each other.

I really enjoyed this. It wasn't anything super groundbreaking, but I liked Teddy and Marin a lot, and they felt real and flawed.

Exit Lane follows Teddy and Marin throughout 8 years full of unexpected run-ins. These two meet on graduation day when Marin's best friend knows someone who is also driving to NYC to start their new life. Teddy and Marin are stuck in a car with no AC, no radio, and too much chemistry. They make one stop for the night, which turns into a dive bar kiss that leaves them both aching for that spark for years to come. Marin is determined to make a fresh start after a traumatic upbringing in her Iowa hometown. Teddy also happens to be from that same hometown, but they never met. Marin wants nothing to do with her past, so she sets the boundary that she and Teddy are to act like this road trip never happened.

Throughout the next 8 years, these two keep popping into each other's lives by accident. Each time they see each other, their feelings become heightened until the final straw leads them to a romantic week together. After some devastating news from Teddy, Marin decided to run away and avoid the problem altogether. My heart physically hurt when we found out what was wrong with Teddy, and then it hurt even more when Marin left. I shed a few tears for sure.

The author made this book full of vulnerability, emotion, real-life situations, and an overall sense of hope. I loved Teddy and his golden retrieverness from the start, but once Marin opened up towards the end of the book...I was in awe and excitement that she was finally able to share her feelings.

I really can't decide if I loved this book or if I hated it. For the first third, both of the main characters really annoyed me (Marin more than Teddy), and for the second third of the book, I was sympathetic towards Teddy and indifferent about Marin. It honestly just seemed like Marin didn't like Teddy at all, and like Teddy just liked some idea of Marin in his head. I did, however, like the ending, and I thought it was a good conclusion. There was certainly a lot of emotion in this, I just didn't buy the relationship or like the characters. It reminded me a lot of You, Again, by Kate Goldbeck (which is one of the comps, which I also enjoyed), but with less emotional impact. Overall, I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. Despite this, I would recommend this if you like stories about messy and emotional relationships spanning many years (and I also do think you should consider giving it a try if you enjoyed You, Again)! I would also recommend checking out other 831 Stories romances, even if you didn't enjoy this one, as I've enjoyed the others that I've read so far! :)

Thank you to Netgalley and 831 stories for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Exit Lane by Erika Veurink follows Marin and Teddy across a road trip from their college to New York City. Throughout the trip the pair seems to realize they have chemistry but eventually part in different way when they arrive to NYC however they seem to keep running into each other as the years go by.

I really love When Harry Met Sally and as soon as I realized this book had a similar plot to the movie I was SAT. However these differ wildly. Exit Lane features Marin who is not interested in falling in love because she doesn’t want to get her heart broken again. Meanwhile Teddy is a golden retriever who already has his 10 year long term plan cemented.

I really enjoyed the plot of this book and the characters and setting. I also really enjoyed the time jumps as a plot device to move the story further along. Overall a really enjoyable and fun story. My only two criticisms is that I didn’t really enjoy switching point of views mid way through the chapter and I wished there was more grovelling from the characters at the end and not instant forgiveness. The former might be a personal preference that you could overlook.

Overall a solid story and another great addition to 831 publishing

3.5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️💫

I liked but did not love, but would recommend! Was very reminiscent of ‘One Day’ but it was a short and sweet quick read!

I loved this and flew through it. The characters were so well drawn and my only hesitation is that the ending felt a little rushed but would not hesitate to recommend this one!

Teddy and Marin met on the day of their graduation when a mutual friend set them up for a roadtrip from Iowa to New York. They were both obviously attracted to each other from the first meeting but Marin choose to keep her distance from Teddy. Over eight years, we see both of them drift in and out each other's lives but neither admits how they feel for one another. But as all romance books go, they end up with each other.

My favorite love stories are those where the couple pine for each for years (like Persuasion, Love, Rosie, and The Seven Husband of Evelyn Hugo) and Exit Lane really hit the spot. This book felt like One Day by David Nichols. I haven't read it yet but I imagine it's like this book. It has the same feels and especially with the time jumps and abrupt chapter endings.

Every 831 title is my new favorite and this is no exception.
A little When Harry Met Sally with just an extra bit of something. This book was graciously provided by the publisher via NetGalley .

These stories keep disappointing me in a way I couldn't think was possible.

They keep finding reasons for not being together until the very end, when she says out loud she's too scared to love him because he's sick?!
Ten years out of the window, and then she drops the now-I'm-ready-to-love-you-forever speech — after he got better, mind you —, ready to move to freaking Iowa and buy a house with a white fence, completely ignoring the fact that we all know she will be miserable there after a year, max.

It just gave reason after reason of how it’s possible to screw up the soulmate thing, and ended up divorced once the book is over — which is a shame, because I enjoyed EV’s narration and it felt promising.

Thanks to 831 Stories and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

A second chance romance with a little twist on When Harry Met Sally.

This book takes place over 8 years and follows Teddy and Marin through chance encounters and various life phases.

I honestly didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did because of the cancer plot line, but I powered through and ended up pleasantly surprised with my four star rating.

Teddy's kindness and warmth radiated through the pages and his ability to forgive Marin was truly incredible. I'm honestly not sure I would've had the courage to forgive her, but it's like he said, he's already been through hell and back what does he have to lose?

Thank you to 831 stories and Netgalley for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

Okay, but 8 years for a HEA is INSANE!

This short rom-com follows the tenuous relationship between Marin and Teddy. Their relationship status is 80%- it's complicated, throughout the book. I am never a huge fan of an book being mostly "won't they" to ship them in the last 10-15% as a HEA.

The writing was really well done. The vibes felt like a better version of "Normal People" by Sally Rooney. Dysfunction + magnetic attraction. It was comfy and cozy like "When Harry Met Sally".

Overall, I think it was well done.

Thank you Netgalley and 831 Stories for this ARC!

For a short book, I was blown away with the amount of depth and character building the author did from page one! I connected so much with the FMC, I really related to her and this entire thing read in my mind like a movie I could see it so clearly!
I loved the pacing, the chemistry the characters had, not even just the romantic connections but the friends and supporting characters were so well written and an integral part of the story even when just mentioned in passing.

I really love when characters are flawed, and boy do these ones have their flaws. It just made me love them more. And that's coming from someone that's usually dead on the inside. (me)

I ate this book up, & finished it in one night because I couldn't put it down! I will 100% be buying this when it's out to add to my little 831 collection.
Anyway, I'm sorry, I'm gushing about how much I want everyone to read it! Please don't sleep on this one it's brilliant!

Thank you Netgalley & 831 for the ARC!

Inject 831 stories into my veins. When harry met sally but with a modern twist. There were times when I didn’t believe the chemistry between Marin and Teddy but by the end I was swooning.