Exit Lane is the latest and greatest novella from 831 Stories, this time following Marin and Teddy over their 8-year transition from strangers to friends to lovers. Their journey starts with a road trip from Iowa to New York after their college graduation, getting to know each other on the long drive. The story follows the next 8 years of their lives as they weave in and out of each other’s orbit.

Teddy and Marin are complete opposites but end up finding so much in common too. Marin puts up a tough exterior and is determined not to let anyone in for too long. Meanwhile, Teddy has always dreamed of the perfect suburban life and falls fast for her.

This novella will pull you in fast and before you know it you’ll be flipping the last page! I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn’t get enough. It also packs an emotional punch and has plenty of romantic tension.

I would definitely recommend checking this book out for a shorter romance that can be read in a single sitting!

Thank you to Netgalley and 831 Stories for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

exit lane was very easy to read, and even with the time jumps, i felt like it was easy for me to follow the story lines, what was changing and what was staying the same over time.

i think the comparisons to people we meet on vacation and one day are fitting - i feel that exit lane fits perfectly between the two if i were to place them on a spectrum.

i would have liked a more in-depth connection with the two main characters, teddy and marin. with a book of this kind, that 5 star review is really going to come if i feel an attachment to the main characters, which wasn't always the case.

the plot of exit lane is not necessarily a new one, but there's something fun and comforting in that. overall, i would read from erika veurink again, and i'm intrigued to also check out more from 831 stories!

This one sadly wasn’t the book for me! I really enjoyed the start, especially the road trip! Unfortunately I just didn’t like the direction the conflict went in and I couldn’t get past how one of the main character’s handled it. I love this imprint and would read another book by this particular author in a heartbeat! They can’t all be written just for me!

(4.5 rounded up) I am obsessed with 831 Stories’ entire business model, which is to publish relatively short romance novels in gorgeous color-blocked covers. I’m also biased when it comes to this specific novel of theirs, written byErika Veurink, because the story starts in Iowa City, with two recent graduates of the University of Iowa, Marin & Teddy. I went to U of Iowa for undergrad and was so nostalgic reading the beginning of this! Other people might not be quite as intrigued if they’re not familiar with the setting, but after reading that beginning section, I was hooked. The story follows Teddy & Marin as they road trip from IC to NYC, and then in the years that follow, as they continuously bump into one another, sometimes by chance, sometimes on purpose. This was such a treat to read, even if it didn’t feel realistic. That’s not the job of a romance novel, imo! Will be adding this one to my 831 collection.

The first page of this book came in way too hot for my taste and it just turned me off to the whole book. There was no getting over that. I was uncomfortable. Just definitely no a book for me.

Another great book from 831!! I recommend this for anyone who loves When Harry Met Sally- our characters Teddy and Marin meet very similarly (on a road trip from Iowa to New York).. While their relationship is more friends to lovers than enemies to lovers, their chemistry is fun and I loved the ways they intersect throughout the years. Although the book is quite short (as are all 831 stories), I felt the angst and the tension between the two characters and it was devastating. I love the romance books from this imprint, they're the perfect length for a short but emotional read.

I had to DNF this halfway through unfortunately. I wanted to like this book, I like the content creator who wrote it and I thought a retelling of the classic RomCom "When Harry Met Sally" could be interesting if contemporized. However this novel took everything that made Nora Ephron's story charming and turned it into the worst kind of aesthetic personal branding as personality (wearing vintage Levi's does not a character make). I was going to write a lot more but it started to feel too mean, so I'll just say that this book was not for me.

831 Stories always releases books that can cure any reading slump, and they never miss when it comes to juicy, fun romances throughout the year. Exit Lane was so much fun.

This story follows Marin and Teddy across the span of their adult lives. The writing style is very reminiscent of Normal People, Talking at Night, and One Day...They first meet right after college, when they take a road trip to New York to explore their options. They share an almost fated connection and are incredibly attracted to each other, but Marin is determined to start fresh in the city - she doesn’t want to bring any baggage from her old life with her. So, she does her best to avoid and forget about Teddy. But fate has other plans.

Throughout the years, they keep stumbling back into each other’s lives. The yearning and longing between them is palpable and really fun to follow. You can really feel it.

My only complaint is that their initial meeting, the road trip to New York, felt too short and lacked foundation for the following years. Their intimacy was cut off so quickly that it’s a little hard to buy that they’ve both been holding onto that one kiss for ten years. I get the instant chemistry, but I wish there had been more time spent building that foundation in the beginning. A few extra pages in that first chapter would’ve made the years of longing even more believable for the reader.

Overall, I had a great time with this book. It was fast-paced, easy to follow, and the characters were believable and likable.

Thank you to NetGalley, 831 Stories, & Erika Veurink for this ARC🌟🗽🚙

I absolutely am enamoured with how 831 Stories continues to find authors and stories worth telling in such a wonderful and delicate way!

I found that this book entertaining, heart wrenching and easy to follow along even when the plot seemed to be slowing down. I am not one for time jumps in romances, but Veurink did it incredibly well that reminded me of One Day by David Nicholls!

Even though the MCs were continents and a sea apart, the tension and connection written between them was still excellent!

Thank you again 831, you have my heart!!💋💘🏹

Honestly not sure about this one. I’m don’t believe that characters have to be good to be good characters but the MFC in this one really pissed me off in the last quarter of the book. And it’s not even just that, it’s more the fact that her actions were forgiven and swept under the rug in a matter of pages, and the ending felt really poorly tied together with a bow.

I understand what the book was trying to do and the idea behind it, but the continuous time-jumps made me not entirely convinced of the two main character’s connection because even when they would spend more then a day together (like in Copenhagen) we didn’t see much of it, it was just told to us what had happened between them.

Overall it felt very rushed, it could have used at least 100 more pages for the type of story it wanted to tell. It’s a 2.5/5 for me, bumped it to a 3 for originality because I can honestly say that I’ve never read a romance that dealt with this type of relationship.

***Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Exit Lane by Erika Veurink is one of those reads that hits you quietly but deeply. It's heart-aching in the best way: full of longing, subtle (and not so subtle) missteps, and that feeling of being so close to something real but never quite able to hold onto it. Veurink's writing captures the small, quiet moments that feel massive when you're in love.

I was so excited to read my first 831 project. I love their business model and was curious to dip into a novella. This one is absolutely delightful, tracking Teddy and Marin, who are thrown together on a long-distance road trip from college to NYC. They seem to want different things at face value, but after an electric connection and absolutely perfect banter, they can't seem to quit one another as the years go on. A total delight!

When Harry Met Sally that's spicy and makes my heart ache? Sign me up! Ultimately Teddy was too good for Marin though and I couldn't forgive her!

So much was packed into this short little book! Exit Lane takes place over eight years, and follows Teddy and Marin, who collide on and off across time jumps. I can't believe this felt like a slow burn, given how quick the read is.

This book has the miscommunication trope done right, with a third act break up that HURT and made me angry, but I also understood where it came from. I really enjoy stories about messy, imperfect characters making messy, imperfect choices, so Exit Lane was right up my alley. The prose was good, I enjoyed the pacing, and ultimately, this book made me so emotional.

I'd recommend to fans of When Harry Met Sally, angst, and right person wrong time dynamics.

Favorite so far from 831 Stories! Initially I was worried that it felt too much like When Harry Met Sally - two college grads meet because they are road-tripping together to New York City, there is an undeniable romantic spark between them, there is a declaration that men and women can’t be friends, another declaration that these two in particular won’t be friends upon arriving in New York, etc. I’m happy to say Exit Lane proved me wrong! Even though it started out with a similar structure to the Nora Ephron classic it took us down a nuanced and completely unique path. Marin and Teddy are both great characters, fleshed out through an alternating pov between the two of them. I laughed, squealed, and cried real tears reading this book. Thankful to have gotten to read an advanced copy and I look forward to Exit Lane coming out on September 16th.

thank you so much to netgalley and 831 stories for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
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teddy and marin first met post-college graduation, when the two went on a road trip to new york city. after that, they don't expect to see each other again... but, over the course of eight years, their paths cross.

so freaking cute! loved this one and couldn't put it down! this book feels like a rom-com drama, this is my second read from this publisher, and i am definitely going to read the rest of the stuff they've put out. also??? their website??? they have the cutest merch omg.
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trigger warnings:
-cancer

tropes:
-right person, wrong time
-one bed
-he fell first

similar to:
-kinda reminded me of 50 first dates for some reason?
-emily henry

I have loved the last couple 831 stories I’ve read. However, this one fell short for me. I adored the fact that Marin was bisexual but I didn’t believe the romance between her and Teddy. They didn’t seem to have a connection

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t know how to rate this book because, on the one hand, I finished it in like two hours—but on the other, I really didn’t like Marin (the FMC). I found her annoying and disagreed with most of her choices.

Then we have Teddy (the MMC), whom I loved. Literally nothing bad to say about him.

I should also mention: this book does involve cheating. So if that’s a hard no for you, maybe skip this one—it’s pretty clear from early on where both the FMC and MMC’s interests lie.

That said, credit where it’s due: the story felt very realistic. It spans eight years (!!), and the emotional arcs reflect that.

So all in all, I guess it’s a 4-star read.
(FOR TEDDY.)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and 831 for letting me read this arc! I'm so honored to be given this opportunity and I had so much fun, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Oh man, this was good. I'm convinced anyone who doesn't rate this as a 4 star or higher is either lying or hates romance. I remember watching Anne Hathaway in "One Day" and being so disappointed in the movie's outcome because the premise of it had so much potential. This story is exactly what "One Day" should have been. Actually no, it's not even comparable because it's 10x better than the premise for One Day.

Teddy is such a lovable character. Some might say he's a golden retriever. But he's not really a golden retriever In the sense that he's energetic or happy all the time, but rather that he's good man. He's kind, strong, Is willing to put up a fight for what he wants, is protective, and perceptive. Teddy is an (imperfect) perfect man who, as a reader, you can't help but fall in love with.

Marin is a character that is relatable for me. She's been through some hardship and has her guards up. She's scared of falling in love and having something that lasts. Seeing her grow throughout this story was enjoyable to read. Sometimes these stories can be irritating because the heroine is too stubborn stuck in her ways, but I didn't feel like that here. I liked going on this journey with her and watching her grow.

If you like other 831 stories you should check this one out.
If you're Interested in reading 831 for the first time, you should also check this out. It's a beautifully imperfect cozy read.

This is the fifth of the 831 Stories series that I've read and I really enjoyed it!

After graduating college, Marin and Teddy have a two-day road trip as they move to New York. Once they arrive they spend the next few years thinking about each other but never actually connecting, until one random night in a bar.

I loved the scope of this novella - it spanned over many years and different parts of their lives. I really enjoyed both Marin and Teddy, and although I didn't love the decisions that they made I understood why they made them.

This felt very complete for being a novella -- I felt like I had plenty of time to get attached to the characters, and there was quite a lot of plot and tension. Overall such a good book!

I am really loving the 831 Stories series -- each one I've read has been so unique and fun, I can't wait to check out more of them and more from Erika Veurink in the future!

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