What do you think?
Rate this book
Joyride
In this poignantly quirky ride through Brooklyn, an idealistic young woman shares her earnest joy with her Uber clients, her cranky father, and the Wall Street hotshot who started it all.
Joybird Martin—an Uber driver with cheerfulness to spare—desperately wants to be a life coach.
She’s so sunny about her chances that even her snarky father—a has-been TV writer with a failed third marriage—can’t dim her light. So when he shows up broke on her doorstep, Joybird takes him in with no questions asked, trying to find a balance between her bright optimism and his sarcastic pessimism.
It works, and she continues sharing her earnest wisdom with her Uber riders. After she helps handsome Wall Street exec Devon Cato, he convinces her to become a life coach from the front seat of her Honda.
As Joybird’s dreams take the wheel, she finds direction for her clients…and herself. She’s not sure what to do about her attraction to Devon, but she soon learns exactly what she can do for her father. And a journey into his past might just pave the way for her own bright future.
Joybird Martin—an Uber driver with cheerfulness to spare—desperately wants to be a life coach.
She’s so sunny about her chances that even her snarky father—a has-been TV writer with a failed third marriage—can’t dim her light. So when he shows up broke on her doorstep, Joybird takes him in with no questions asked, trying to find a balance between her bright optimism and his sarcastic pessimism.
It works, and she continues sharing her earnest wisdom with her Uber riders. After she helps handsome Wall Street exec Devon Cato, he convinces her to become a life coach from the front seat of her Honda.
As Joybird’s dreams take the wheel, she finds direction for her clients…and herself. She’s not sure what to do about her attraction to Devon, but she soon learns exactly what she can do for her father. And a journey into his past might just pave the way for her own bright future.
317 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 22, 2025
323 people are currently reading
4822 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Meister
17 books542 followersThank you for visiting my Goodreads page. I'm proud to announce that my newest novel, JOYRIDE, was selected by Zibby Owens as one of the most anticipated books of 2025. DIVORCE TOWERS, which was featured in People Magazine, won an award for Best Escapist Novel, and was selected for Zibby's Ultimate Summer Reading List as well as Newsday's Summer Reads. My other books include TAKE MY HUSBAND which received a starred review from Booklist, THE ROOFTOP PARTY, which was called "wickedly entertaining" by BookReporter and was selected by Long Island Woman Magazine as Summer Pick of the year, as well as LOVE SOLD SEPARATELY, DOROTHY PARKER DRANK HERE, FAREWELL, DOROTHY PARKER, THE OTHER LIFE, THE SMART ONE, and SECRET CONFESSIONS OF THE APPLEWOOD PTA. In addition to being a novelist, I'm an editor, screenwriter, book coach, creative writing instructor, and ghostwriter. For more information visit ellenmeister.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
December 2, 2024
Joyride by Ellen Meister was such a delightful and upbeat read. Humor, love, and self-discovery are main themes in this novel that follows our main character, Joybird. Joybird is a 31 year old Uber driver turned life coach attempting to navigate the complexities of relationships with friends and family while facing an imperfect family dynamic. This book perfectly crafts an intricate and unique storyline that was impossible for me to put down.
Having a protagonist like Joybird is a breath of fresh air. She is such an earnest person and believes in the inherent goodness of people. She is a person who optimistically assumes the glass is half-full, who makes the room light up after she walks in. A person that, if you happen to cross paths with, your life will be all the better for it. Reading Joybird's POV really made me sit back and rethink my own outlook on life.
Let's talk about Sid, Joybird's dad. He sucks. That is all.
Okay, just kidding. He does suck, but I also have more to say about him. Sid is a narcissistic, alcoholic, gaslighting loser mooching off of his daughter while also emotionally manipulating her. That being said, his point of view was interesting. I found that he is a very thoughtful and reflective person. He continuously behaved like an asshole, but he was at least reflective of his behavior which I found almost sort of endearing. I appreciate that there is a character in this book who is not perfect. I think so many books can fall short when the characters don't seem real. The author writing him authentically just shows how great this book is.
Of the more minor characters, Betty is my favorite. Betty is a queen. She sticks up for Joybird and doesn't let her father bully her. I need a Betty in my life. Devon, another character I really loved, seemed like such a genuine person. I was worried we wouldn't get much of him in this book just because of Joybird's hesitance to form any sort of friendship with him, but thankfully that wasn't the case.
I did see the big reveal at the end coming, but that didn't make it any less great! This book truly has made me reflect on how I perceive life. It has encouraged me to be more optimistic. I would love to see a sequel because I already miss Joybird and friends!
Having a protagonist like Joybird is a breath of fresh air. She is such an earnest person and believes in the inherent goodness of people. She is a person who optimistically assumes the glass is half-full, who makes the room light up after she walks in. A person that, if you happen to cross paths with, your life will be all the better for it. Reading Joybird's POV really made me sit back and rethink my own outlook on life.
Let's talk about Sid, Joybird's dad. He sucks. That is all.
Okay, just kidding. He does suck, but I also have more to say about him. Sid is a narcissistic, alcoholic, gaslighting loser mooching off of his daughter while also emotionally manipulating her. That being said, his point of view was interesting. I found that he is a very thoughtful and reflective person. He continuously behaved like an asshole, but he was at least reflective of his behavior which I found almost sort of endearing. I appreciate that there is a character in this book who is not perfect. I think so many books can fall short when the characters don't seem real. The author writing him authentically just shows how great this book is.
Of the more minor characters, Betty is my favorite. Betty is a queen. She sticks up for Joybird and doesn't let her father bully her. I need a Betty in my life. Devon, another character I really loved, seemed like such a genuine person. I was worried we wouldn't get much of him in this book just because of Joybird's hesitance to form any sort of friendship with him, but thankfully that wasn't the case.
I did see the big reveal at the end coming, but that didn't make it any less great! This book truly has made me reflect on how I perceive life. It has encouraged me to be more optimistic. I would love to see a sequel because I already miss Joybird and friends!
December 20, 2024
First of all, why is JoyRide not a real company?!
I really enjoyed Joybird’s charisma and navigation with her family, friend and client relationships. Seeing her struggle with knowing her dad made terrible choices and still wanting to ignore them because it’s her dad is such a real problem life problem we encounter with loved ones. Seeing her growth from constant positivity and excuse-making for those around her to being an assertive woman was refreshing to see in a female main character.
I would love a short story on Corrine and Riley in the future too!!
I really enjoyed Joybird’s charisma and navigation with her family, friend and client relationships. Seeing her struggle with knowing her dad made terrible choices and still wanting to ignore them because it’s her dad is such a real problem life problem we encounter with loved ones. Seeing her growth from constant positivity and excuse-making for those around her to being an assertive woman was refreshing to see in a female main character.
I would love a short story on Corrine and Riley in the future too!!
April 13, 2025
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.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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.
March 16, 2025
Joyride by Ellen Meister has an interesting premise—Joybird Martin works as a cab driver, but after a customer’s suggestion, she starts offering life coaching sessions while driving people to their destinations. At the same time, she tries to help her unemployed father find his high school crush and navigates her own love life.
Unfortunately, the execution falls flat. The characters feel bland, and the whole story lacks depth. Joybird’s romantic decisions didn’t make much sense to me—I’d say Devon deserves better, but honestly, I have no idea what he sees in her, so that’s on him. The entire Donna storyline is absurd, and the way Riley’s is handled feels too lighthearted.
I personally wouldn’t let Joybird life-coach me, thank you very much.
Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. All opinions are my own.
Unfortunately, the execution falls flat. The characters feel bland, and the whole story lacks depth. Joybird’s romantic decisions didn’t make much sense to me—I’d say Devon deserves better, but honestly, I have no idea what he sees in her, so that’s on him. The entire Donna storyline is absurd, and the way Riley’s is handled feels too lighthearted.
I personally wouldn’t let Joybird life-coach me, thank you very much.
Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. All opinions are my own.
April 28, 2025
Started out with a sweet storyline….then faded quickly.
December 8, 2024
This book won me over! Joybird is such a special heroine: earnest and optimistic with genuine compassion for others. Even though I was frustrated by her blindness and people-pleasing at times when she made unhealthy decisions, it was gratifying to watch her grow. Perhaps Devon could have been more developed as a character, but I still really enjoyed him and his friendship with Joybird. The friendships and familial relationships in the story are the real heart of the book, even though I enjoyed some of the romance aspects (I'm not a fan of love triangles, but this book handled one with sensitivity). Watching Joybird find joy in helping others was so heart-warming. I give this book 4.5 stars rounded up to 5!
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the free eARC. I post this review with my honest opinions.
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the free eARC. I post this review with my honest opinions.
May 8, 2025
Joyride by Ellen Meister. Thanks to the author for the gifted copy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Joy’s Uber passengers always say how cheerful she is and how great her advice is. She opens a mobile life coaching business, meets and helps many along the way. She’s just not sure what to do about the men in her personal life.
I am so used to dry and dark female characters in the thrillers I read. Joy’s character was a breath of fresh air. She was so optimistic and positive. I enjoyed hearing the secondary character’s stories and how Joy helped them. It was always fun knowing new characters could be coming. I also liked how despite Joy’s positive attitude, she still had her own growth points to work on.
“There really had been something between them, and for a short but beautiful time, their little family had been perfect.”
Joyride is available now.
Joy’s Uber passengers always say how cheerful she is and how great her advice is. She opens a mobile life coaching business, meets and helps many along the way. She’s just not sure what to do about the men in her personal life.
I am so used to dry and dark female characters in the thrillers I read. Joy’s character was a breath of fresh air. She was so optimistic and positive. I enjoyed hearing the secondary character’s stories and how Joy helped them. It was always fun knowing new characters could be coming. I also liked how despite Joy’s positive attitude, she still had her own growth points to work on.
“There really had been something between them, and for a short but beautiful time, their little family had been perfect.”
Joyride is available now.
December 16, 2024
I found this book to be only “okay.”
While the idea of Joybird maintaining an attitude that is the embodiment of her name is nice, so much of what she does is forced and emotionally unhealthy. Far too frequently, she is described as burying or forcing away any sort of negative feeling (disappointment, anger, etc.). No clear resolution is given for this, except for an internal acknowledgement that she realizes it’s something she needs to work on, and love is the medicine she needs. It’s also painfully obvious she has daddy and abandonment issues.
I would’ve liked a little more digging into Devon. All we are told about him is portions of conversations between him and Joybird, and her subsequent amateur assessments of his character.
Sid, her father and the dual POV, is a terrible and infuriating character. We’re also never told exactly what happened to ruin his Hollywood career so badly that he ran all the way across the country to make a vague stabbing at trying to collect and regroup himself.
Overall, I wouldn’t mind a longer story that fleshes out a lot of my above concerns, but I don’t know that it matters. It’s not a book I have any desire to go back and reread.
•𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.•
While the idea of Joybird maintaining an attitude that is the embodiment of her name is nice, so much of what she does is forced and emotionally unhealthy. Far too frequently, she is described as burying or forcing away any sort of negative feeling (disappointment, anger, etc.). No clear resolution is given for this, except for an internal acknowledgement that she realizes it’s something she needs to work on, and love is the medicine she needs. It’s also painfully obvious she has daddy and abandonment issues.
I would’ve liked a little more digging into Devon. All we are told about him is portions of conversations between him and Joybird, and her subsequent amateur assessments of his character.
Sid, her father and the dual POV, is a terrible and infuriating character. We’re also never told exactly what happened to ruin his Hollywood career so badly that he ran all the way across the country to make a vague stabbing at trying to collect and regroup himself.
Overall, I wouldn’t mind a longer story that fleshes out a lot of my above concerns, but I don’t know that it matters. It’s not a book I have any desire to go back and reread.
•𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.•
Read
May 21, 2025DNF.
I’m sorry but I just could NOT get through this. The second hand embarrassment I was getting was torture. Also FMCs name is Joybird… JOYBIRD. No no no.
𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾!
I’m sorry but I just could NOT get through this. The second hand embarrassment I was getting was torture. Also FMCs name is Joybird… JOYBIRD. No no no.
𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾!
April 17, 2025
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!
April 13, 2025
Joybird Martin’s personality is as cheerful as her name suggests. Uber driving in New York City’s five boroughs gives her a lot of time to listen to her customers. Now that she has completed her training as a Life Coach, it’s time to put it all together. When Devon Cato slides into Joybird’s bright blue Honda, her life, and her life choices will be changed forever. Add in her quirky father, Sid Marcus and a great upstairs neighbor, Betty Simon, and you have a perfect mix of characters. What else would you expect in Brooklyn ?
Ellen Meister has done it again ! This rollicking good time novel will fill you with joy !!!
Ellen Meister has done it again ! This rollicking good time novel will fill you with joy !!!
November 19, 2025
The premise of Joyride stood out to me, so I decided to check it out. I am so glad I did because it was a delightful story and I had a hard time letting go when I had to get back to real life.
Joybird is such an interesting character and I enjoyed being on her ride through life. I liked a lot of the supporting characters, especially Devon and Betty. Sid even grew on me after a while and I found myself caring for him as much as Joybird did.
Most of the story took me by surprise and it was easy to stay engaged, wondering what would happen next. Joybird got in her own way a lot and I sometimes had to cringe over the mess she was making of things. I also felt a lot of sympathy toward her, as some people weren't very nice to her or treated her like a doormat. I appreciated when she was able to stand up for herself or when she tried to get people to see the errors of their ways.
Overall, it was a refreshing and entertaining read. Perfect for fans of Maddie Dawson and Shari Shattuck, this novel will definitely make you smile and even laugh out loud.
(Trigger warnings below.)
Movie casting suggestions:
Joybird: Julia Goldani Telles
Joybird is such an interesting character and I enjoyed being on her ride through life. I liked a lot of the supporting characters, especially Devon and Betty. Sid even grew on me after a while and I found myself caring for him as much as Joybird did.
Most of the story took me by surprise and it was easy to stay engaged, wondering what would happen next. Joybird got in her own way a lot and I sometimes had to cringe over the mess she was making of things. I also felt a lot of sympathy toward her, as some people weren't very nice to her or treated her like a doormat. I appreciated when she was able to stand up for herself or when she tried to get people to see the errors of their ways.
Overall, it was a refreshing and entertaining read. Perfect for fans of Maddie Dawson and Shari Shattuck, this novel will definitely make you smile and even laugh out loud.
(Trigger warnings below.)
Movie casting suggestions:
Joybird: Julia Goldani Telles
Sid: Scott Patterson
Devon: Daryl McCormack
Noah: Carter Jenkins
Betty: Mary Steenburgen
Riley: Raegan Revord
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
TW: Death of mother (off page), loss of career (father), suicide attempt (by a supporting character), father got drunk and/or high a lot
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
TW: Death of mother (off page), loss of career (father), suicide attempt (by a supporting character), father got drunk and/or high a lot
April 22, 2025
I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I wanted to like this book, but it was a struggle read for me, even more than Meister's last book.
Joybird Martin is an Uber driver and aspiring life coach. Her dad, a former well-known tv writer, is crashing at her Brooklyn apartment. He's trying to re-invigorate his career after leaving L.A. Unfortunately, his class humor and old school way of thinking got him canceled. (Read: misogyny and a little MeToo)
Joy meets Devon, who is a "Wall Street" guy. He suggests she take her life coaching on the road. Devon is attracted to her and asks her out, but he's not her type. Instead, she prefers Noah, a former houseless addict and barista, who is just not that into Joybird, other than casual booty calls. Meanwhile, Joy takes Devon's idea and starts her JoyRide business. Two things are clear to me: she's not in the position to be *anybody's* life coach, and she's got a toxic positivity that's bordering on unlikeable. Also, her dad had abandoned her twice, both when her parents divorced, her mom died, and he later moved back west. Her dad is a schmuck. Sorry not sorry.
Joy takes it upon herself to find a woman that her dad saw in passing that he once hooked up with at a high school party. She thinks finding this woman, Donna, is the key to her dad's happiness. Meanwhile, he befriends his daughter's older neighbor, Betty. It was really predictable.
I didn't understand or care for a lot of Joybird's choices. While she helped a few of her clients, she's not a licensed therapist. I liked Devon, but I felt like he actually deserved someone who wasn't so judgmental and faux virtuous.
2/5☆ available 4/22/25. Trigger warning for parent death, abandonment, teenage suicide attempt, and discussion of addiction.
Joybird Martin is an Uber driver and aspiring life coach. Her dad, a former well-known tv writer, is crashing at her Brooklyn apartment. He's trying to re-invigorate his career after leaving L.A. Unfortunately, his class humor and old school way of thinking got him canceled. (Read: misogyny and a little MeToo)
Joy meets Devon, who is a "Wall Street" guy. He suggests she take her life coaching on the road. Devon is attracted to her and asks her out, but he's not her type. Instead, she prefers Noah, a former houseless addict and barista, who is just not that into Joybird, other than casual booty calls. Meanwhile, Joy takes Devon's idea and starts her JoyRide business. Two things are clear to me: she's not in the position to be *anybody's* life coach, and she's got a toxic positivity that's bordering on unlikeable. Also, her dad had abandoned her twice, both when her parents divorced, her mom died, and he later moved back west. Her dad is a schmuck. Sorry not sorry.
Joy takes it upon herself to find a woman that her dad saw in passing that he once hooked up with at a high school party. She thinks finding this woman, Donna, is the key to her dad's happiness. Meanwhile, he befriends his daughter's older neighbor, Betty. It was really predictable.
I didn't understand or care for a lot of Joybird's choices. While she helped a few of her clients, she's not a licensed therapist. I liked Devon, but I felt like he actually deserved someone who wasn't so judgmental and faux virtuous.
2/5☆ available 4/22/25. Trigger warning for parent death, abandonment, teenage suicide attempt, and discussion of addiction.
April 28, 2025
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!
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!
March 2, 2025
This is a book about a grown woman living in New York City, who has had a very trauma filled life, she acts like she’s 18, is utterly naïve and delusional. So, of course, she decides to be a life coach mobile and from her car. Because who gives the best advice? Somebody whose life is in shambles!
She lives with her father, the other point of view in this book, who is a serial borderline sexual assaulter who used to work in Hollywood and likes to make jokes about Harvey Weinstein.
Honestly, these characters are both pretty awful. The book is well written. But I have no idea why somebody would write a book about to completely horrible people..
Joy bird doesn’t even realize how much she messes up peoples lives all in the delusion of helping them and fulfilling her want to be a life coach. The only real and good things she did was save a woman from being catfished. The rest is a mess.
She grew up in New York, is a big liberal (at odds with her dad and trying to make him more woke) and hangs out with all the artsy folk. Yet somehow gets scammed into having sex with a guy who very clearly cares nothing for her at all, and yet again deludes herself that they’re in a relationship. While cheating on the guy that she’s actually in a relationship with??? Definitely the person you want giving you life advice.
She lives with her father, the other point of view in this book, who is a serial borderline sexual assaulter who used to work in Hollywood and likes to make jokes about Harvey Weinstein.
Honestly, these characters are both pretty awful. The book is well written. But I have no idea why somebody would write a book about to completely horrible people..
Joy bird doesn’t even realize how much she messes up peoples lives all in the delusion of helping them and fulfilling her want to be a life coach. The only real and good things she did was save a woman from being catfished. The rest is a mess.
She grew up in New York, is a big liberal (at odds with her dad and trying to make him more woke) and hangs out with all the artsy folk. Yet somehow gets scammed into having sex with a guy who very clearly cares nothing for her at all, and yet again deludes herself that they’re in a relationship. While cheating on the guy that she’s actually in a relationship with??? Definitely the person you want giving you life advice.
May 23, 2025
⭐ 2.5 (Story)
⭐ 4 (Narrator)
🌶️ .25
📚 Tropes/Themes: chick lit, love triangle, opposites attract, personal growth, Uber driver life coach
👀 Dual POV 3rd person
🎙️Single narration (Sarah Noughton)
⏰ Approx 8 hours
🧠 Triggers: mentions of mental health struggles, attempted suicide
🛍️ Available: Now
💬 I'm not totally sure why I requested this one, and honestly at first I thought I would just dnf it but I started it during a two hour drive and I needed something to listen to. It did eventually pull me in.
Genuinely not sure what to think about this book. I don't really like the fmc, I find her unbelievably naive, toxically positive, immature and I feel like this book just goes a little too far with stereotypes and tropes. But there's a part of me that wonders is if the reason it's so heavy-handed with the characterizations is because it's trying to make a statement? (If this is the case then it's well done 🤣)
On one hand you have the liberal/"woke" guy who is her love interest but he's just a jackass, and on the other hand you have the most likely politically moderate, capitalist finance bro who is actually a decent guy, and then there's her dad, who is, well I'll just be honest here, he sounds like every negative Boomer stereotype you see trotted out on social media.... but a big chunk of the story is her trying to help him find his lost love while simultaneously silently judging and denigrating him.
I don't hate it, but I don't think that Joybird is someone that I would be friends with tbh. Maybe I'm just a jerk but I think she's just too nice, and the way she kept talking herself out of being with Devon was irritating, especially when it was ✨SO OBVIOUS✨ what a terrible person Noah is.
I did like the personal growth she and her dad went through, and was pleasantly surprised that most of the POV bounced between Joybird and Sid (Syd?). But for the most part, the only characters I liked were Riley and Betty.
⭐ 4 (Narrator)
🌶️ .25
📚 Tropes/Themes: chick lit, love triangle, opposites attract, personal growth, Uber driver life coach
👀 Dual POV 3rd person
🎙️Single narration (Sarah Noughton)
⏰ Approx 8 hours
🧠 Triggers: mentions of mental health struggles, attempted suicide
🛍️ Available: Now
💬 I'm not totally sure why I requested this one, and honestly at first I thought I would just dnf it but I started it during a two hour drive and I needed something to listen to. It did eventually pull me in.
Genuinely not sure what to think about this book. I don't really like the fmc, I find her unbelievably naive, toxically positive, immature and I feel like this book just goes a little too far with stereotypes and tropes. But there's a part of me that wonders is if the reason it's so heavy-handed with the characterizations is because it's trying to make a statement? (If this is the case then it's well done 🤣)
On one hand you have the liberal/"woke" guy who is her love interest but he's just a jackass, and on the other hand you have the most likely politically moderate, capitalist finance bro who is actually a decent guy, and then there's her dad, who is, well I'll just be honest here, he sounds like every negative Boomer stereotype you see trotted out on social media.... but a big chunk of the story is her trying to help him find his lost love while simultaneously silently judging and denigrating him.
I don't hate it, but I don't think that Joybird is someone that I would be friends with tbh. Maybe I'm just a jerk but I think she's just too nice, and the way she kept talking herself out of being with Devon was irritating, especially when it was ✨SO OBVIOUS✨ what a terrible person Noah is.
I did like the personal growth she and her dad went through, and was pleasantly surprised that most of the POV bounced between Joybird and Sid (Syd?). But for the most part, the only characters I liked were Riley and Betty.
March 26, 2025
I really enjoyed this book! I found it interesting, well-written, and unique. I ADORED some of the imagery in it - Such beautiful descriptions of the world around you. I felt like I was in New York at times! I do think the characters, specifically Devon and Sid, could have had more explanation and depth. I wanted to know more about Devon so I could love him even more than I do now! I wanted to know what specifically happened with Sid’s career! I loved Joybird, and I loved that, right when I started to think she was too perfect, she started making some stupid choices that made me think, “ONE OF US! ONE OF US!” It was nice having a protagonist who is sweet and kind and easy to root for that still makes mistakes like real people do. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I’m so glad I read it. I ate it all up in one day because it kept my attention so well! I’ll be waiting for the movie adaptation someday!~
June 20, 2025
This was a cute premise for a book and I enjoyed most of the characters. But I think for me it might have been a case of right book, wrong time. I’m rounding up from my rating of 3.5 stars because overall it was really a sweet story. Just not the right timing for me.
August 14, 2025
I kept hoping this book would get better and it just didn’t :/
July 15, 2025
Would have enjoyed more if the father was not as obnoxious and less deserving a character
May 3, 2025
I was really excited for this book because the premise sounded so cute, and it was...until it wasn't. This book follows aspiring life coach, Joybird Martin, who after a chance encounter during one of her Uber pickups, decides to kick off her life coaching business from her vehicle. Joybird's business, aptly named Joyride, was my favorite part of this story. When Joybird was in life coach mode, she was fun to read about and the interactions she had with her clients were both sweet and funny.
The problem with Joybird's story was when you had to actually watch Joybird navigate her own life. In addition to starting her own business, Joybird was actively trying to heal her relationship with her once absentee father, who, admittedly, was VERY rough around the edges. She decides if she can find his long lost love from high school, she might be able to pull him out of his depression and make him proud of her all at once. Immediately this plan seemed immature and like a recipe for disaster, and then when you had to painfully watch how she executed said plan, you wanted to hide from second hand embarrassment. I did find the interactions between her dad and the neighbor to be very charming, however and I really loved that part of the story as well.
In addition to the misguided attempt to cheer her dad up and win his approval, Joybird had a completely sanctimonious attitude throughout the entire book. The people in the book who were actively showing up and demonstrating with their actions that they had their hearts in the right place were not only overlooked by Joybird, but looked down upon as too rich, too corporate, or too interested in things that did not rank on her scale of "quality and worthwhile." Meanwhile, the people who were clearly self promoting and self serving, she held up on a pedestal as the gold standard. This was very frustrating and there were times I wanted to smack Joybird up side the head for being the judgmental and small minded person she was accusing others of being. All of this could have been salvaged if she had actually seen the light and learned this lesson, but it only very briefly glazed over and never really addressed.
All in all, the concept of the book was great and had potential for a ton of fun, but it just fell a bit short. There were certainly some good moments and likable characters, Joybird just wasn't one of them. I think if you go in knowing this information, you can probably really enjoy the book because it definitely has the right bones. I just kept waiting on Joybird to "do better" and was left a little disappointed.
The problem with Joybird's story was when you had to actually watch Joybird navigate her own life. In addition to starting her own business, Joybird was actively trying to heal her relationship with her once absentee father, who, admittedly, was VERY rough around the edges. She decides if she can find his long lost love from high school, she might be able to pull him out of his depression and make him proud of her all at once. Immediately this plan seemed immature and like a recipe for disaster, and then when you had to painfully watch how she executed said plan, you wanted to hide from second hand embarrassment. I did find the interactions between her dad and the neighbor to be very charming, however and I really loved that part of the story as well.
In addition to the misguided attempt to cheer her dad up and win his approval, Joybird had a completely sanctimonious attitude throughout the entire book. The people in the book who were actively showing up and demonstrating with their actions that they had their hearts in the right place were not only overlooked by Joybird, but looked down upon as too rich, too corporate, or too interested in things that did not rank on her scale of "quality and worthwhile." Meanwhile, the people who were clearly self promoting and self serving, she held up on a pedestal as the gold standard. This was very frustrating and there were times I wanted to smack Joybird up side the head for being the judgmental and small minded person she was accusing others of being. All of this could have been salvaged if she had actually seen the light and learned this lesson, but it only very briefly glazed over and never really addressed.
All in all, the concept of the book was great and had potential for a ton of fun, but it just fell a bit short. There were certainly some good moments and likable characters, Joybird just wasn't one of them. I think if you go in knowing this information, you can probably really enjoy the book because it definitely has the right bones. I just kept waiting on Joybird to "do better" and was left a little disappointed.
May 20, 2025
this book had all the elements to make a great novel, but unfortunately fell flat.
some spoilers ahead, but mainly just observations. **
i wish this novel had the emotional intelligence aspect, because then it would have hit exactly how i hoped it would. instead, the traumas of the characters (and problems that joybird can see in her life-coaching service) are touched on, but lacked the depth and hard conversation required for actual character development/growth. i do understand that because she is a life coach and not a therapist, that she is not the responsible party for psychiatric help, but in this novel it felt like the "advice" she was giving to her clients was very surface level.
the mental health of the main characters were also slightly alluded to, but not addressed, and it really bugged me. we could have seen a real connection between joybird and her dad, invested in their traumatic relationship and working through it, but instead we just see the conflict externally resolved. and also, the whole "reason her dad left/got pushed out of the industry" issue just gets brushed under the rug because she... doesn't want to address the behavior to reward it?? hey girl, thats not how issues get fixed! silent treatment isn't an actual treatment, especially with the alluded issue.
joybird as a character was a good mix of slightly unbelievable and yet believable enough that you want in a fictional mc. we just lacked depth of background, didn't go much into how her family dynamic and relationships affected her outlook, and how her obviously traumatic history changed her mental health. we got slight insight, but for someone who was very obviously thoughtful about other people's sanity and how factors might effect them, she lacked the self-awareness that someone in the mental health industry would have to possess.
i don't know. i feel like this was probably a pretty harsh critique for a cute romance/fiction novel, but there's a difference between leading an audience to an inferred conclusion, versus alluding to something that sounds like it will be addressed, and then leaving it be.
some spoilers ahead, but mainly just observations. **
i wish this novel had the emotional intelligence aspect, because then it would have hit exactly how i hoped it would. instead, the traumas of the characters (and problems that joybird can see in her life-coaching service) are touched on, but lacked the depth and hard conversation required for actual character development/growth. i do understand that because she is a life coach and not a therapist, that she is not the responsible party for psychiatric help, but in this novel it felt like the "advice" she was giving to her clients was very surface level.
the mental health of the main characters were also slightly alluded to, but not addressed, and it really bugged me. we could have seen a real connection between joybird and her dad, invested in their traumatic relationship and working through it, but instead we just see the conflict externally resolved. and also, the whole "reason her dad left/got pushed out of the industry" issue just gets brushed under the rug because she... doesn't want to address the behavior to reward it?? hey girl, thats not how issues get fixed! silent treatment isn't an actual treatment, especially with the alluded issue.
joybird as a character was a good mix of slightly unbelievable and yet believable enough that you want in a fictional mc. we just lacked depth of background, didn't go much into how her family dynamic and relationships affected her outlook, and how her obviously traumatic history changed her mental health. we got slight insight, but for someone who was very obviously thoughtful about other people's sanity and how factors might effect them, she lacked the self-awareness that someone in the mental health industry would have to possess.
i don't know. i feel like this was probably a pretty harsh critique for a cute romance/fiction novel, but there's a difference between leading an audience to an inferred conclusion, versus alluding to something that sounds like it will be addressed, and then leaving it be.
April 19, 2025
In Joyride, Joybird Martin is an Uber driver who really wants to be a life coach. When she picks up Wall Street “type” Devon, he convinces her to offer life coaching to her fares—JoyRide. Unfortunately, that very clever business name is the thing I liked best about this book.
Joybird is relentlessly cheerful. Her father, Sid, lives with her and is relentlessly grumpy. He’s a former TV writer who has seemingly been blackballed in Hollywood for reasons that aren’t explained in the story. He’s eating her food and spending her money while being mean to every other character, and especially to her. She decides that she needs to find her father’s high school crush and get them together to turn his life around, and a good part of the story is taken up with this quest.
I liked Devon and wanted to care about Joybird but the character development just wasn’t there. Meister’s writing is solid, but I just couldn’t connect her characters.
Thanks to.NetGalley and Montlake for an eARC. Opinions are my own.
Joybird is relentlessly cheerful. Her father, Sid, lives with her and is relentlessly grumpy. He’s a former TV writer who has seemingly been blackballed in Hollywood for reasons that aren’t explained in the story. He’s eating her food and spending her money while being mean to every other character, and especially to her. She decides that she needs to find her father’s high school crush and get them together to turn his life around, and a good part of the story is taken up with this quest.
I liked Devon and wanted to care about Joybird but the character development just wasn’t there. Meister’s writing is solid, but I just couldn’t connect her characters.
Thanks to.NetGalley and Montlake for an eARC. Opinions are my own.
August 2, 2025
Author Ellen Meister aptly describes her latest book, Joyride, as “quirky, funny, poignant, Brooklyn, and . . . life coach!” Inspiration for the story struck years ago. She sought to craft a story putting “two very opposite characters together -- a cheerful and painfully earnest young woman (think Leslie Knope from Parks and Rec) and a cynical, sarcastic father (think Dr. House meets Dorothy Parker).” But the path to publication was long – Meister wrote and published two other books before she completed Joyride and rewrote the novel numerous times before she knew she had accomplished her goal.
When Meister’s protagonist, Joybird Martin, is asked whether that is her real first name, she assures the person inquiring that her late mother, a poet, named her. (Meister relates that the name “flew in on the wings of a muse!”) Joybird’s mother was prescient. The name perfectly suits the thirty-one-year-old eking out a living in Brooklyn as an Uber driver. She is also studying Spanish in order to be able to comfortably converse with more of her customers because she enjoys talking with them as she delivers them to their destinations. She recently completed a course on life coaching and is continuing to hone her skills until she is able to open her own practice.
In the meantime, when handsome and stylish Devon Cato, a Wall Street Equities Analyst gets into her pale blue Honda, Joybird invites him to tell her about his day. Her attempts to cheer Devon up after a miserable workday do not go unnoticed. It's Devon who proposes the concept of a mobile life coaching service to Joybird, calling it “Joybird's Coaching Coach” and offering to connect her with someone who can set up a website for her. Joybird prefers "Joyride." But she's skeptical. Wouldn't clients prefer to meet with her in the lovely office she has been trying to save up enough money to rent? Or at least via Zoom?
Devon also suggests that they have dinner together. But Joybird has always been "drawn to artists, poets, idealists. Ambition unsettled her." So she can't imagine herself being compatible with someone like Devon -- a stockbroker. She's attracted to Noah Pearlman, a recovering addict and barista, with whom she serves at the Brooklyn Chapter of Mightier than the Sword, an organization that helps people express being marginalized through writing. She sees Noah as a man with a big heart and passion for helping others, while Devon initially suggested life coaching might be an extremely lucrative profession. But Noah has not asked Joybird out on a date, and she has yet to work up the courage to make the first move. But true to her character, Joybird soon chastises herself for judging Devon harshly "for his values -- the literal content of his character."
Joybird does need to enhance her income, though. Her father, Sid Marcus, recently landed on her doorstep and, in order to make room for him to move in with her, she had to ask her roommate, with whom she shared rent and other expenses, to move out. After a highly successful thirty-year career as a television writer in Hollywood, Sid has been canceled, a casualty of his own repugnant behavior and the #MeToo movement. Joybird isn't privy to the details, nor does she want to be. He views himself as a victim. He's unemployed. His business manager swindled him. His third marriage is over. And even though Sid abandoned Joybird when she was just six years old (he preferred to pursue his Hollywood career, leaving Joybird with her mother, who died two years later), she took him in and has been relentless with her upbeat encouragement, insistent that he can get his life and career back on track. But Sid prefers to wallow, hanging out in Joybird's apartment, ordering food to be delivered (he was wealthy for so long he has no appreciation of the need to live within Joybird's modest budget), and pretending to be pitching and developing scripts.
Joybird and Sid, total opposites, are living out “an intergenerational ‘Odd Couple’ conflict,” according to Meister.
Sid takes an odd trip down memory lane, reminiscing about Donna DeLuca, a girl he knew in high school. Sid is convinced that he saw her in a restaurant for the first time in forty years. But he froze, unable to approach her. Joybird becomes convinced that if she can just find Donna and reunite her and Sid, there is a chance Sid can find happiness. Because despite all of the ways in which he has disappointed her, Sid remains the one person in Joybird's life she has always wanted to make happy.
Hilarity ensues as Joybird searches for Donna with the assistance and support of Devon and her upstairs neighbor, Betty Simon. Betty is a seventy-something-year-old retired journalist and free spirit who loves to blast her Joni Mitchell albums, bake brownies containing a little something extra, and gives Joybird unconditional support and acceptance. She is also bluntly honest with Sid. And easily the most delightful character in a story populated with flawed, exasperating, and yet endearingly believable characters. Betty is the friend everyone wishes they had -- quirky, unapologetically genuine, and unafraid to lovingly but firmly point out when someone is wrong.
And as the hunt for the mysterious Donna proceeds, Joybird does, in fact, begin providing life coaching services from her Honda, thanks to a wealthy customer who sets out to make Joybird her private chauffeur. Instead, after Joybird helps her, she refers her friends who need advice about life, encouraging them to take a ride with the upbeat young woman who has an inherent talent for making people feel better. And Joybird’s relationships with Devon and Noah unfold (and one of them unravels) in a manner that feels organic and utterly unforced as Joybird discovers and embraces her own power and right to make choices that feel right for her.
Meister’s proven skill at crafting believable banter is prominently on display in Joyride, as is her enviable ability to employ unique plot devices and comedic developments to tackle serious subjects. She wisely does not just relate the story from Joybird’s viewpoint. Her inclusion of Sid’s perspective elevates the story and evokes an intense emotional response from readers. Ironically, early drafts of the book were written entirely from Sid’s viewpoint, but Meister was advised he was too unpleasant and unlikable. Meister was committed to presenting Sid’s perspective, finding him gruff, but often hilarious. Asking readers to love him proved too monumental a task. Eventually, it was toning down his anger that permitted Meister to find just the right tone.
And while Sid is still angry, he is primarily a narcissistic, abrasive alcoholic who has made many, many mistakes in his life. He is aware of his failures. He was not completely honest with Joybird about his reappearance because he did not want her to know about the life-altering, frightening experience that jolted him into feeling that he could not waste any more time before attempting to set things right with his daughter. He sincerely wants to make amends by selling a script that will generate enough income to provide security for Joybird and help his daughter take a more realistic look at the world. He legitimately fears that if Joybird doesn’t “toughen up,” her seemingly unbreakable spirit will eventually be crushed. But Sid is not great at staying on task and despite his best intentions, relapses into old, destructive patterns.
As for Joybird, she may be exceedingly optimistic, but she is not altogether naïve. She, like Sid, possesses a great deal of self-awareness. She understands that her childhood fantasies were at odds with the truth about her parents’ marriage and her father’s abandonment. She carries the scars and, from time to time, events trigger the pain of being left behind. It is her insight that fuels her desire to help others by guiding them beyond disappointment and pain to happy lives. She also recognizes that her father’s often inappropriate and downright crass behavior springs from his own pain and appreciates that he wants to be a better father to her than he was in the past.
In true Meister form, Joyride is more than an enjoyable tale about an idealistic young woman intent on overcoming obstacles in order to achieve a goal. At the outset, Joybird and Sid find themselves on an unexpected path forged out of Joybird’s refusal to abandon the man who did exactly that to her, and Sid’s desire to atone for the pain he caused the daughter he truly loved but had no ability (or desire in those days) to parent. The story is a multi-layered examination of the evolution of a father-daughter relationship through understanding, acceptance, and, ultimately, forgiveness of each other and themselves. Meister has once again created a seemingly light, frothy, and sometimes madcap story that, upon closer inspection, has real depth and emotional resonance.
Joybird and Betty are easy characters to love, but Meister really shines when she deftly humanizes Sid, inspiring readers to cheer for him to finally get his priorities and life in order. As the story opens, there is precious little about Sid to like, but Meister gradually reveals that there is, of course, much more to Sid and despite his horrid behavior, he does love and wants the best for Joybird. As will readers. There is no villain in Joyride. Rather, Meister has again invented a troop of flawed human beings who have experienced hurt, sustained losses and, in spite of their faults, care deeply for each other.
Joyride is a charmingly entertaining and riveting, well . . . joyride of witty dialogue and funny situations. It’s also thought-provoking. Meiser notes that she “wanted to love these characters deeply enough to fully understand their points of view and forgive their flaws” and the story succeeds primarily because Meister’s obvious compassion for her characters and the dilemmas they navigate is infectious.
Thanks to NetGalley for an electronic Advance Reader's Copy of the book and to the author for three paperback Advance Reader's Copies for my book club.
When Meister’s protagonist, Joybird Martin, is asked whether that is her real first name, she assures the person inquiring that her late mother, a poet, named her. (Meister relates that the name “flew in on the wings of a muse!”) Joybird’s mother was prescient. The name perfectly suits the thirty-one-year-old eking out a living in Brooklyn as an Uber driver. She is also studying Spanish in order to be able to comfortably converse with more of her customers because she enjoys talking with them as she delivers them to their destinations. She recently completed a course on life coaching and is continuing to hone her skills until she is able to open her own practice.
In the meantime, when handsome and stylish Devon Cato, a Wall Street Equities Analyst gets into her pale blue Honda, Joybird invites him to tell her about his day. Her attempts to cheer Devon up after a miserable workday do not go unnoticed. It's Devon who proposes the concept of a mobile life coaching service to Joybird, calling it “Joybird's Coaching Coach” and offering to connect her with someone who can set up a website for her. Joybird prefers "Joyride." But she's skeptical. Wouldn't clients prefer to meet with her in the lovely office she has been trying to save up enough money to rent? Or at least via Zoom?
Devon also suggests that they have dinner together. But Joybird has always been "drawn to artists, poets, idealists. Ambition unsettled her." So she can't imagine herself being compatible with someone like Devon -- a stockbroker. She's attracted to Noah Pearlman, a recovering addict and barista, with whom she serves at the Brooklyn Chapter of Mightier than the Sword, an organization that helps people express being marginalized through writing. She sees Noah as a man with a big heart and passion for helping others, while Devon initially suggested life coaching might be an extremely lucrative profession. But Noah has not asked Joybird out on a date, and she has yet to work up the courage to make the first move. But true to her character, Joybird soon chastises herself for judging Devon harshly "for his values -- the literal content of his character."
Joybird does need to enhance her income, though. Her father, Sid Marcus, recently landed on her doorstep and, in order to make room for him to move in with her, she had to ask her roommate, with whom she shared rent and other expenses, to move out. After a highly successful thirty-year career as a television writer in Hollywood, Sid has been canceled, a casualty of his own repugnant behavior and the #MeToo movement. Joybird isn't privy to the details, nor does she want to be. He views himself as a victim. He's unemployed. His business manager swindled him. His third marriage is over. And even though Sid abandoned Joybird when she was just six years old (he preferred to pursue his Hollywood career, leaving Joybird with her mother, who died two years later), she took him in and has been relentless with her upbeat encouragement, insistent that he can get his life and career back on track. But Sid prefers to wallow, hanging out in Joybird's apartment, ordering food to be delivered (he was wealthy for so long he has no appreciation of the need to live within Joybird's modest budget), and pretending to be pitching and developing scripts.
Joybird and Sid, total opposites, are living out “an intergenerational ‘Odd Couple’ conflict,” according to Meister.
Sid takes an odd trip down memory lane, reminiscing about Donna DeLuca, a girl he knew in high school. Sid is convinced that he saw her in a restaurant for the first time in forty years. But he froze, unable to approach her. Joybird becomes convinced that if she can just find Donna and reunite her and Sid, there is a chance Sid can find happiness. Because despite all of the ways in which he has disappointed her, Sid remains the one person in Joybird's life she has always wanted to make happy.
Hilarity ensues as Joybird searches for Donna with the assistance and support of Devon and her upstairs neighbor, Betty Simon. Betty is a seventy-something-year-old retired journalist and free spirit who loves to blast her Joni Mitchell albums, bake brownies containing a little something extra, and gives Joybird unconditional support and acceptance. She is also bluntly honest with Sid. And easily the most delightful character in a story populated with flawed, exasperating, and yet endearingly believable characters. Betty is the friend everyone wishes they had -- quirky, unapologetically genuine, and unafraid to lovingly but firmly point out when someone is wrong.
And as the hunt for the mysterious Donna proceeds, Joybird does, in fact, begin providing life coaching services from her Honda, thanks to a wealthy customer who sets out to make Joybird her private chauffeur. Instead, after Joybird helps her, she refers her friends who need advice about life, encouraging them to take a ride with the upbeat young woman who has an inherent talent for making people feel better. And Joybird’s relationships with Devon and Noah unfold (and one of them unravels) in a manner that feels organic and utterly unforced as Joybird discovers and embraces her own power and right to make choices that feel right for her.
Meister’s proven skill at crafting believable banter is prominently on display in Joyride, as is her enviable ability to employ unique plot devices and comedic developments to tackle serious subjects. She wisely does not just relate the story from Joybird’s viewpoint. Her inclusion of Sid’s perspective elevates the story and evokes an intense emotional response from readers. Ironically, early drafts of the book were written entirely from Sid’s viewpoint, but Meister was advised he was too unpleasant and unlikable. Meister was committed to presenting Sid’s perspective, finding him gruff, but often hilarious. Asking readers to love him proved too monumental a task. Eventually, it was toning down his anger that permitted Meister to find just the right tone.
And while Sid is still angry, he is primarily a narcissistic, abrasive alcoholic who has made many, many mistakes in his life. He is aware of his failures. He was not completely honest with Joybird about his reappearance because he did not want her to know about the life-altering, frightening experience that jolted him into feeling that he could not waste any more time before attempting to set things right with his daughter. He sincerely wants to make amends by selling a script that will generate enough income to provide security for Joybird and help his daughter take a more realistic look at the world. He legitimately fears that if Joybird doesn’t “toughen up,” her seemingly unbreakable spirit will eventually be crushed. But Sid is not great at staying on task and despite his best intentions, relapses into old, destructive patterns.
As for Joybird, she may be exceedingly optimistic, but she is not altogether naïve. She, like Sid, possesses a great deal of self-awareness. She understands that her childhood fantasies were at odds with the truth about her parents’ marriage and her father’s abandonment. She carries the scars and, from time to time, events trigger the pain of being left behind. It is her insight that fuels her desire to help others by guiding them beyond disappointment and pain to happy lives. She also recognizes that her father’s often inappropriate and downright crass behavior springs from his own pain and appreciates that he wants to be a better father to her than he was in the past.
In true Meister form, Joyride is more than an enjoyable tale about an idealistic young woman intent on overcoming obstacles in order to achieve a goal. At the outset, Joybird and Sid find themselves on an unexpected path forged out of Joybird’s refusal to abandon the man who did exactly that to her, and Sid’s desire to atone for the pain he caused the daughter he truly loved but had no ability (or desire in those days) to parent. The story is a multi-layered examination of the evolution of a father-daughter relationship through understanding, acceptance, and, ultimately, forgiveness of each other and themselves. Meister has once again created a seemingly light, frothy, and sometimes madcap story that, upon closer inspection, has real depth and emotional resonance.
Joybird and Betty are easy characters to love, but Meister really shines when she deftly humanizes Sid, inspiring readers to cheer for him to finally get his priorities and life in order. As the story opens, there is precious little about Sid to like, but Meister gradually reveals that there is, of course, much more to Sid and despite his horrid behavior, he does love and wants the best for Joybird. As will readers. There is no villain in Joyride. Rather, Meister has again invented a troop of flawed human beings who have experienced hurt, sustained losses and, in spite of their faults, care deeply for each other.
Joyride is a charmingly entertaining and riveting, well . . . joyride of witty dialogue and funny situations. It’s also thought-provoking. Meiser notes that she “wanted to love these characters deeply enough to fully understand their points of view and forgive their flaws” and the story succeeds primarily because Meister’s obvious compassion for her characters and the dilemmas they navigate is infectious.
Thanks to NetGalley for an electronic Advance Reader's Copy of the book and to the author for three paperback Advance Reader's Copies for my book club.
April 21, 2025
Bestselling author Ellen Meister (favorite) returns following Divorce Towers with her tenth published novel, JOYRIDE — another exuberant and lively novel full of heart, wit, joy, charm, and positive vibes.
About...
Joybird Martin is a 31-year-old Uber driver with a pale blue Honda Accord in Brooklyn. She hasn't had an easy life; however, she remains positive and aspires to be a life coach. She is tenderhearted and compassionate, despite having experienced heartache and tragedy.
Her dad, who left when she was six, shows up at her apartment after many years. He and her mom divorced, and then her mom died. Her dad was of no help.
Sid is a former well-known TV writer with over 30 years of experience, who has left Los Angeles. He has been canceled. Unemployed. Three divorces, a crooked manager, and many bad decisions have landed him on her doorstep. He is toxic. He is also pining after a woman he lost years ago at Prep school, Donna DeLuca.
Joy meets Devon (as an Uber driver), a Wall Street handsome guy. He suggests she start her own Joybird's Coaching Coach or JoyRide, a unique concept where she can provide life coaching services to her Uber passengers. In this concept, Joy would use her time as an Uber driver to engage with her passengers, offering them life advice and coaching during their rides.
She is bubbly, positive, and loves to cheer people up and help them, getting them out of their crappy moods. But could her opinions land her in trouble, as well?
In addition, she learns that Devon may be attracted to her. Still, she is currently thinking of Noah, a former addict and barista, who is not interested in her for anything serious. This romantic triangle adds a layer of complexity to Joy's journey.
Could she do this and help people from the back seat of a ten-year-old Honda? A therapy office on wheels? Her biggest challenge is how to help her dad.
My thoughts...
JOYRIDE is a delightful journey with a cast of endearing, flawed characters, and a particularly charming protagonist, Joybird Martin, whom you'll find yourself deeply invested in and rooting for.
Meister's signature witty dialogue keeps the banter lively, showcasing a range of characters from the cynical, mischievous to the well-intentioned.
From the hilariously funny neighbor, Betty, to the cynical father, Sid, and the woman he still pines for, Donna— JOYRIDE is a comedy of errors that will keep you thoroughly entertained and amused.
It was fun following Joy on her journey from her courses, and her Joybird Uber/coaching business, trying to turn her dad around, solving problems for others, while figuring out her own life.
The open-ended nature of the story and the potential for further character development make me believe that there could be an ongoing sequel to JOYRIDE. I, for one, would love to continue following Joy's journey with a cast of new characters and their set of problems to solve.
Meister's skillful blend of complex, imperfect relationships, life struggles, family dynamics, human connections, and romance, while exploring highly charged topics in JOYRIDE, is a testament to her storytelling prowess.
The novel is a journey of self-discovery, friendship, family, and humor, filled with heart and joy. It delivers a hopeful and upbeat message, leaving readers with a profound sense of optimism and empowerment.
Recs...
JOYRIDE is for fans of the author and those who enjoy books by Viola Shipman, Katherine Center, Mary Kay Andrews, Elle Cosimano, Jennifer Weiner, Sarah Jio, Maddie Dawson, and Liz Alterman. It is particularly recommended for readers who appreciate heartwarming stories with a touch of humor, complex characters, and a focus on personal growth and relationships.
Thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for a gifted advanced review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: April 22, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars
April 2025 Must-Read Books
April Newsletter
About...
Joybird Martin is a 31-year-old Uber driver with a pale blue Honda Accord in Brooklyn. She hasn't had an easy life; however, she remains positive and aspires to be a life coach. She is tenderhearted and compassionate, despite having experienced heartache and tragedy.
Her dad, who left when she was six, shows up at her apartment after many years. He and her mom divorced, and then her mom died. Her dad was of no help.
Sid is a former well-known TV writer with over 30 years of experience, who has left Los Angeles. He has been canceled. Unemployed. Three divorces, a crooked manager, and many bad decisions have landed him on her doorstep. He is toxic. He is also pining after a woman he lost years ago at Prep school, Donna DeLuca.
Joy meets Devon (as an Uber driver), a Wall Street handsome guy. He suggests she start her own Joybird's Coaching Coach or JoyRide, a unique concept where she can provide life coaching services to her Uber passengers. In this concept, Joy would use her time as an Uber driver to engage with her passengers, offering them life advice and coaching during their rides.
She is bubbly, positive, and loves to cheer people up and help them, getting them out of their crappy moods. But could her opinions land her in trouble, as well?
In addition, she learns that Devon may be attracted to her. Still, she is currently thinking of Noah, a former addict and barista, who is not interested in her for anything serious. This romantic triangle adds a layer of complexity to Joy's journey.
Could she do this and help people from the back seat of a ten-year-old Honda? A therapy office on wheels? Her biggest challenge is how to help her dad.
My thoughts...
JOYRIDE is a delightful journey with a cast of endearing, flawed characters, and a particularly charming protagonist, Joybird Martin, whom you'll find yourself deeply invested in and rooting for.
Meister's signature witty dialogue keeps the banter lively, showcasing a range of characters from the cynical, mischievous to the well-intentioned.
From the hilariously funny neighbor, Betty, to the cynical father, Sid, and the woman he still pines for, Donna— JOYRIDE is a comedy of errors that will keep you thoroughly entertained and amused.
It was fun following Joy on her journey from her courses, and her Joybird Uber/coaching business, trying to turn her dad around, solving problems for others, while figuring out her own life.
The open-ended nature of the story and the potential for further character development make me believe that there could be an ongoing sequel to JOYRIDE. I, for one, would love to continue following Joy's journey with a cast of new characters and their set of problems to solve.
Meister's skillful blend of complex, imperfect relationships, life struggles, family dynamics, human connections, and romance, while exploring highly charged topics in JOYRIDE, is a testament to her storytelling prowess.
The novel is a journey of self-discovery, friendship, family, and humor, filled with heart and joy. It delivers a hopeful and upbeat message, leaving readers with a profound sense of optimism and empowerment.
Recs...
JOYRIDE is for fans of the author and those who enjoy books by Viola Shipman, Katherine Center, Mary Kay Andrews, Elle Cosimano, Jennifer Weiner, Sarah Jio, Maddie Dawson, and Liz Alterman. It is particularly recommended for readers who appreciate heartwarming stories with a touch of humor, complex characters, and a focus on personal growth and relationships.
Thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for a gifted advanced review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: April 22, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars
April 2025 Must-Read Books
April Newsletter
April 24, 2025
Full disclosure: I was an early Beta reader of this book and was delighted to learn it was being published.
In a world that is increasingly combative, it was an absolute joy to read JOY RIDE by Ellen Meister. The story is about a young woman who is certain her reason for being is to spread hope but not because her life is all raindrops and roses. To the contrary, Joybird Martin is a single thirty-one-year old life coach who can barely pay her bills as an Uber driver in New York City. But just when she thinks life couldn't be any more stressful, her pot-smoking, cranky pants father asks if they can be roomies until his once successful career as a comedy writer makes a comeback. To Joybird, nothing could be less funny. Why should she support the man that abandoned her growing up, and yet her heart aches to repair their dead-end relationship.
Nothing makes sense until the day Joybird picks up a sullen Wall Street exec and offers advice to overcome his work challenges. After listening to her astute insights, he suggests that she run a life coaching business from her cab. What? That is is the one thing in her life that does sound laughable until other riders gush that her refreshing advice was exactly what they needed to hear.
Faster than you can say start your engines, Joybird ditches Uber to run her own taxi service called Joy Ride and it's time to buckle up. The first stop is helping get her dad out of his funk by finding his long-lost love that he was too shy to ask on a date. But her first paying clients are a wealthy upper east side mother and her snarky teenage daughter whose contentious relationship makes Joybird feel like she is careening through a dark tunnel at high speeds And from there the twists and turns are unpredictable as a GPS that takes in a direction we never saw coming.
What I enjoyed most about JOY RIDE was following Joybird's poignant attempts to repair her life's most damaged relationship while wondering if she is falling in love with the Wall Street guy even if he is most definitely not her type. Or is he? When compared to the altruistic poet she has waited years to date, she questions if she even knows her type anymore.
Readers will root for Joybird as she searches for the road to self-discovery at the same time that she is becoming a source of comfort to clients who literally need a lift. More than anything, JOY RIDE is a crash course in navigating bumpy roads, with a much-needed reminder that it is never the destination that matters, it is always the journey.
In a world that is increasingly combative, it was an absolute joy to read JOY RIDE by Ellen Meister. The story is about a young woman who is certain her reason for being is to spread hope but not because her life is all raindrops and roses. To the contrary, Joybird Martin is a single thirty-one-year old life coach who can barely pay her bills as an Uber driver in New York City. But just when she thinks life couldn't be any more stressful, her pot-smoking, cranky pants father asks if they can be roomies until his once successful career as a comedy writer makes a comeback. To Joybird, nothing could be less funny. Why should she support the man that abandoned her growing up, and yet her heart aches to repair their dead-end relationship.
Nothing makes sense until the day Joybird picks up a sullen Wall Street exec and offers advice to overcome his work challenges. After listening to her astute insights, he suggests that she run a life coaching business from her cab. What? That is is the one thing in her life that does sound laughable until other riders gush that her refreshing advice was exactly what they needed to hear.
Faster than you can say start your engines, Joybird ditches Uber to run her own taxi service called Joy Ride and it's time to buckle up. The first stop is helping get her dad out of his funk by finding his long-lost love that he was too shy to ask on a date. But her first paying clients are a wealthy upper east side mother and her snarky teenage daughter whose contentious relationship makes Joybird feel like she is careening through a dark tunnel at high speeds And from there the twists and turns are unpredictable as a GPS that takes in a direction we never saw coming.
What I enjoyed most about JOY RIDE was following Joybird's poignant attempts to repair her life's most damaged relationship while wondering if she is falling in love with the Wall Street guy even if he is most definitely not her type. Or is he? When compared to the altruistic poet she has waited years to date, she questions if she even knows her type anymore.
Readers will root for Joybird as she searches for the road to self-discovery at the same time that she is becoming a source of comfort to clients who literally need a lift. More than anything, JOY RIDE is a crash course in navigating bumpy roads, with a much-needed reminder that it is never the destination that matters, it is always the journey.
April 20, 2025
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.
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.
December 18, 2024
Joyride was a surprise delight! I was so anxious to keep reading this book to see what happened!
Our heroine is Joybird. She's had a rough life and has made it her mission to see the bright side of things - the joy! She's working as an Uber driver when she picks up Devon. She instantly brightens his day, and he suggests she should drive her car and give life advice! Joybird's desire is to be a life coach, so this seems like the perfect set up.
Joybird lives with her dad, John Martin, aka Sid. Sid, for lack of a better word, is a loser. He was once an A list Hollywood writer, but has lost everything and moved in with his daugther. He's brash, unfeeling, and is not the type of father Joybird wants.
The eclectic cast of characters we meet through Joybird's Joy Rides add so much to the story. In addition to these characters, there's Betty, the neighbor who befriends Sid. We have Noah, the non-committal crush of Joybird, and we can't forget Devon - he desperately wants to date Joybird and she's hesitant.
I loved the transformation of Joybird through the novel. She was somewhat meek at the beginning, wanting to keep people happy and keep the peace. But as the story progressed, she found her voice and became an advocate for herself! This was a heartwarming story, and one I'm so glad I read!
Thank you to Net Galley and Montlake for the eARC of this book!
Our heroine is Joybird. She's had a rough life and has made it her mission to see the bright side of things - the joy! She's working as an Uber driver when she picks up Devon. She instantly brightens his day, and he suggests she should drive her car and give life advice! Joybird's desire is to be a life coach, so this seems like the perfect set up.
Joybird lives with her dad, John Martin, aka Sid. Sid, for lack of a better word, is a loser. He was once an A list Hollywood writer, but has lost everything and moved in with his daugther. He's brash, unfeeling, and is not the type of father Joybird wants.
The eclectic cast of characters we meet through Joybird's Joy Rides add so much to the story. In addition to these characters, there's Betty, the neighbor who befriends Sid. We have Noah, the non-committal crush of Joybird, and we can't forget Devon - he desperately wants to date Joybird and she's hesitant.
I loved the transformation of Joybird through the novel. She was somewhat meek at the beginning, wanting to keep people happy and keep the peace. But as the story progressed, she found her voice and became an advocate for herself! This was a heartwarming story, and one I'm so glad I read!
Thank you to Net Galley and Montlake for the eARC of this book!
April 11, 2025
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.
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.
March 30, 2025
Joyride by Ellen Meister couldn't be titled more aptly. It is a joy of a ride! Uber driver Joybird Martin has just completed her life coaching training and she desperately wants to start her business. When she picks up handsome Devon as a fare, her upbeat personality opens him up and he comes up with the idea of her becoming a traveling life coach - while also sparking interest in her personally.
Joybird has no reason to be so optimistic and delightful. As a little girl, her father left and moved across the country to become a comedy writer and then her mother died at an early age. Now, down on his luck, her father Sid has landed on her doorstep needing her help while he attempts to pitch one more winner of a script.
What makes Joybird such a compelling character is her absolute determination to help others. She wakes up every day and decides to have a positive attitude and her genuine compassion is a breath of fresh air. Meanwhile, her father struggles with alcohol issues, regret over a long-lost love, and a now seemingly closed-to-him industry that's passed him by.
The laughs flow, the wit is irreverent and sharp, and romance crackles off the page in Joyride. This is a fast, fun, heartfelt novel filled with surprisingly intriguing characters. Loved it!
Joybird has no reason to be so optimistic and delightful. As a little girl, her father left and moved across the country to become a comedy writer and then her mother died at an early age. Now, down on his luck, her father Sid has landed on her doorstep needing her help while he attempts to pitch one more winner of a script.
What makes Joybird such a compelling character is her absolute determination to help others. She wakes up every day and decides to have a positive attitude and her genuine compassion is a breath of fresh air. Meanwhile, her father struggles with alcohol issues, regret over a long-lost love, and a now seemingly closed-to-him industry that's passed him by.
The laughs flow, the wit is irreverent and sharp, and romance crackles off the page in Joyride. This is a fast, fun, heartfelt novel filled with surprisingly intriguing characters. Loved it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews