Thank you NetGalley, Brilliance Audio, and the author for an ALC of Joyride.

I felt this story had a lot of potential and then it just…fell flat. Joybird is supposed to be an adult but acts relatively immaturely, especially when it comes to her own relationships. Her dad is just not a good person…he makes inappropriate jokes and doesn’t respect women. Joybird’s first love interest was a self-centered hipster. Her second love interest deserved better. The narrator did a great job with the story and brought the characters to life well. I just sadly don’t think this story was the one for me.

Joyride
By Ellen Meister
Narrated by Sarah Naughton

Published April 22,2025

This book had me laughing out loud though many parts. Joyride should 10000% be a real company because it would be so so successful. Joybirds way of going through life with her family, friends and clients she had relationships with. The descriptions of the world around were so beautiful. Joybird didn’t always make the right choices to get to her goals but it always seemed to work out in the end. Despite her tough life she always tried to look on the bright side of things. I would love to see a sequal to this!

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the ALC audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

This was a cute story and i love Joybird. She is sunshine personified, but unfortunately she is also a people pleaser. She doesnt want to hurt anyone, and sometimes its at her own downfall.

Noah was a walking redflag from the very beginning. I did not like that man. Poor girl just wanted to believe he was good so badly.

I honestly could have done without the dad entirely. I hated that man. He was so appalling 90% of the time. Like Betty needs to run tbh.

i loved the idea, but i felt like she didn't really use it enough. The story with her saran point of view almost made it drop a star for me. because it took away time to actually show her doing her new job of Joyride. Felt like a missed opportunity.

Thank You NetGalley and Brilliance audio for the ALC of Joyride by Ellen Meister.

First, regarding the audio production, the voice actor was great, Sarah Naughton did a great job at bringing the 2 POV characters to life, a sunshine and joy-filled daughter and her cynical and irreverent and depressed father, as well as the side characters. I would not hesitate to dive in to another Brilliance audio production or a book narrated by Sarah Naughton again.

Now to the book, I found Joyride to be a good mix between optimism and realism. The characters were real and flawed and layered. The eternal optimist FMC, Joybird, was not blindly optimistic, she had plenty of life experiences and insecurities to show her that life was not all rainbows and dreams come true, but chose to be optimistic and joyful despite it all. She desired nothing more than to help others make that choice as well and to help them to see how they could choose joy. She did not always make the right choices in pursuit of that goal, but she did her level best to make the best of every opportunity she was given and to rectify her mistakes when and how she could. I liked the layers to each of the characters and how you could see the goodness and truth to them even under the detritus that life has left on them all. There were a few unredeemable characters, but even them, I think if Ellen Meister gave them their moment, she could allow us to see beyond the surface as well (I'm looking at you Donna and Noah), just saying, if she wrote it, I'd read it, knowing Meister was able to paint some characters that might be hard to love, and had us rooting for them despite their hard outer shell. But the majority of the characters were from the start just so very human, dealing with life in the best way they know how and doing their best to stay above water in the storm we call life. And amid the slog and turmoil of life, we follow this story that is still overwhelmingly joyful without being overly naive. It is an introspective story about flawed people all trying to do right by those that they love and finding the right people to be by their sides through the struggle.

A fun, uplifting women's fiction book about a young uber driver slash life coach who is trying to help her depressed father find the one who got away while also helping others with their life goals and finding romance herself along the way. I liked that this was set in NYC, had a great mix of humor and heart and was good on audio narrated by Sarah Naughton. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Wasn’t my favorite read at all.

The book follows Joybird, who is a struggling Uber driver in Brooklyn with dreams of becoming a life coach—despite her own chaotic and unresolved life. Her father, a once-famous TV writer now canceled for outdated and misogynistic views, is crashing at her place while trying to revive his career.

Joy meets Devon, a successful Wall Street type who encourages her to start a mobile life coaching service. Although he’s interested in her, Joy prefers Noah—a recovering addict and emotionally unavailable barista who only wants something casual. Still, she launches her business, “JoyRide,” trying to help others while clearly needing help herself. Her “toxic positivity” and lack of self-awareness make her an unreliable guide, both for her clients and in her own life.

The story splits between Joy and her father’s perspectives. Joy tries to fix her dad’s life by tracking down an old hookup, believing this woman could bring him happiness. Meanwhile, he bonds with an older neighbor. Their dynamic is strained by years of abandonment, and his character remains problematic and largely unlikable.

Joy’s misguided attempts to help others frequently cause more harm than good. Her lack of boundaries, naivety, and poor romantic choices—including cheating on Devon with someone who clearly doesn’t value her—paint a picture of someone ill-equipped to offer life advice. While there are moments of insight and humor, the book left me wondering how someone could write about such terrible people?

Thank you NetGalley and Audiobook, Unabridged for the ARC!

I truly enjoyed this book, it had me laughing out loud (well quietly since I listened to it at work in an office).
The FMC Joybird (interesting name) is an uber/life coach which was definetly an interesting spin! She is someone who looks for the good in everything and through that tries to help everyone around her, sometimes at her own detriment. I enjoyed her growth throughout the story.
The story was light-hearted but still dealt with some deeper issues like depression well.
Overall, I would read more by this author.

The narration was well done, kept my interest, and I would listen to them again.

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance audio for the Arc of Joyride by Ellen Meister.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Joyride publishes April 21, 2025!

This book was truly a joyride. I found myself laughing out loud!
Joybird is our FMC and she is trying to find her way through life while also helping her dad get back on his feet. Joybird is ultimately enamored by all people. Trying to see the good and everyone and trying to solve everyone’s problems. This unfortunately means that Joybird overlooks people’s true intentions and puts her own feelings on the back burner.
I found myself loving watching Joybird grow though this story and giggling so much.
This is a very lighthearted, fun story that still incorporates deeper topics.

Firstly just wanted to mention I really enjoyed the narrator for this book.

I found this book a little hard to get into it, I was think it was the characters I wasn’t really vibing with - particularly the dad. I however loved the plot and felt it was a brilliant idea. It was unique to what I’ve read before and felt that really stood out.

I would have liked to see more development of the characters/their stories as I felt it was very surface level.

The last 90 minutes or so I felt I flew through and really enjoyed, the other parts I found I wasn’t as quick to pick them up. I liked that the conclusion of the book was wrapped up nicely, and we got not one, but two HEAs!

Would I like to read another of this authors? yes!

I listened to the Joyride audiobook and wow—what a wild, emotional, totally worth-it ride. Ellen Meister delivers a story full of heart, heat, and just enough chaos to keep you hooked. The narrator brought every twist and turn to life with sharp wit and raw emotion—I felt like I was right there, riding shotgun.

This book is about second chances, bold choices, and embracing the messy, beautiful detours of life. A little suspense, a little scandal, and a whole lot of heart. Highly recommend if you're craving something daring and deeply human.

I thought it was a good premise and the story started out strong. Joybird was interesting, her job and new ambition were interesting, and the people coming into her life brought with them intrigue; but the problem was, nothing really developed or went deep. Every character introduced was very surface level. There was what felt like a lead up to more being exposed about them, but then not as much was. There was a lot of insinuating events for characters.
Joybird's dad was a main character who felt almost boring despite being the "problem" of Joybird's life at the moment. I wish more was revealed about what he did and how he got there. Then the whole lead up to find his love only to be like nope and then just pretty much him be ok and on to the next. I thought the Noah storyline was unnecessary. Devon needed more flushing out.
I think seeing more of her mobile life coach would have been fun. The few that were really explored ended up being characters that I didn't feel the need for them to be. Would have been better to see them in and out of the car more times and just be left there.
The 3 stars is a little bit of an upgrade as it was a fun and new premise and I enjoyed what could have been, but feel the supporting cast could be a bit more edited.

Sarah Naughton was a great narrator.

Thank you Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for the arc.

Thank you to NetGalley, Brilliance Audio & Ellen Meister for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This story definitely leans more Women's Fiction than Romance and more on the (dark) comedy side of Romcom. This is a dual POV, but not the POVs of our two love interests. It's the POV of our main female character and her father. You'll still get your romance HEA.. in fact two HEAs. But skew your expectations towards Women's Fiction for the vibes.

This was such an intriguing set up to tell the story of a daughter and father as they find their way on their professional and personal journeys. By seeing both of their POVs, we learn more about how the same past has lead both of them to where they are. Joybird's clients provided excellent subplots and Sid's friendship with Betty was EVERYTHING!

If you're looking for an HEA with some quirk along the way- this book is for you!

Narration was well done! Nothing distracted me from the story and I would definitely listen to this narrator again.

Ellen Meister’s latest novel, ‘Joyride’, lives up to its title — it’s an engaging and spirited journey from beginning to end. But while the story is often lighthearted and fun, it also delves into the complexities of human nature, broken relationships, and the challenge of balancing optimism with reality.

The book’s greatest strengths lie in its sharp dialogue, unpredictable twists, and refreshingly flawed characters. Meister doesn’t rely on clichés — selfishness isn’t sugarcoated, and kindness is shown through genuine actions rather than grand gestures. As a result, the characters feel authentic, making it easy to root for them (or shake your head at their choices).

At the heart of the novel is Joybird Martin, an Uber driver whose boundless enthusiasm for life coaching leads her on an unexpected adventure. Between caring for her cantankerous, washed-up TV-writer father and navigating her complicated feelings for Wall Street executive Devon Cato, Joybird’s journey is as touching as it is entertaining. Her interactions — both with clients and loved ones — are where the novel truly shines, offering both humour and heartfelt moments.

The audiobook experience adds an extra layer of enjoyment. The narrator does an excellent job bringing each character to life, making their personalities distinct and enhancing the emotional depth of the story.

Ultimately, ‘Joyride’ is a delightful, absorbing read that provides an uplifting escape. It’s a book that reminds readers of the importance of resilience, connection, and finding joy in the unexpected.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the advanced copy.

I adore Joybird and the eternal optimism she exudes despite the challenges she experiences with her Dad and their unique roommate relationship. Her Dad is having his own difficulties facing the direction his life has taken and the result is an often times hilarious adventure in life as they try to figure it out. I love the idea of a car ride life coach and as a school bus driver I occasionally feel like that's what I get to do, just with smaller and/or younger people. The message behind the story is beautiful and I'm left with a heart full of happiness and a smile on my face.

Joyride 🚖💕

Thanks to @netgalley, I had the privilege of receiving an ARC copy of Ellen Meister’s new release, Joyride (Coming Soon: April 22, 2025), in exchange for my honest review.

This is such a fun & refreshing read, filled with love, humor & self-discovery.

Joybird is a young uber driver who takes her passion for helping others and pursues a career as a mobile life coach. While she develops her career, we’re also taken on a ride as she figures out her love life! Are you #TeamDevon or #TeamNoah (p.s. there is a correct answer).

We also see Joybird bending over backwards for her annoyingly selfish father. He’s such a miserable old hag, and makes you sympathize for Joybird having to deal with such an idiot 🙄

Overall, I enjoyed that this was an out of the ordinary read. A great read to get you out of a reading slump!

I loved this story joyride! Joybird had a rough life but made it into a joyful adult life. She let her grouchy comic writer father come live with her after his career was over. There was also a great cast of characters in their life

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Unfortunately, Joyride didn’t hit the mark for me, and I would have DNFd this if it weren’t an ARC. The FMC felt more toxic and delusional than intriguing, and not in the quirky, “weird-girl” way I was hoping for. While there is some character development and enough action to keep me somewhat entertained, the execution of the story didn’t live up to the promising concept.

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for letting me listen to this book in exchange for my honest review. 2.5

Joybird Martin has a sunny personality. She is an Uber driver who wants to be a life coach. After a man named Devon tells her to do it from her car after she helps him...she starts helping people and herself. This was a pretty cute book. I really liked Joybird and I feel like she grew as a character from the beginning of the book to the end. There is a storyline with her father that is throughout the book that ends in a way I did not see coming which was surprising. This book was well written, the narration was done well, the characters in the book had depth. I would recommend!