What do you think?
Rate this book
Run Away With Me
Two teenage runaways. One vintage Mustang. A life-changing road trip. So strap in, because this is going to be one hell of a ride.
Jessie 'Mouse' Swift needs to get the hell out of Seattle. A few days ago she admitted to wanting her abusive stepfather dead, only to come home and find his murdered body. So when a girl from school offers Jessie a ride in her vintage red Mustang, they embark on an unexpected road trip across America.
Brooke Summer is everything Jessie isn’ popular, confident, wealthy and heart-stoppingly beautiful, and Jessie has been in love with her from afar for years. But Brooke is hiding her own secrets . . .
With the cops and other sinister figures on their tail, how long can Jessie and Brooke stay on the run before they’re caught? And as their friendship blossoms into something more, can they find a future worth running to together?
A coming-of-age thriller-romance, perfect for fans of Holly Jackson, Casey McQuiston and Tess Sharpe, with a nod to Drive-Away Dolls.
Jessie 'Mouse' Swift needs to get the hell out of Seattle. A few days ago she admitted to wanting her abusive stepfather dead, only to come home and find his murdered body. So when a girl from school offers Jessie a ride in her vintage red Mustang, they embark on an unexpected road trip across America.
Brooke Summer is everything Jessie isn’ popular, confident, wealthy and heart-stoppingly beautiful, and Jessie has been in love with her from afar for years. But Brooke is hiding her own secrets . . .
With the cops and other sinister figures on their tail, how long can Jessie and Brooke stay on the run before they’re caught? And as their friendship blossoms into something more, can they find a future worth running to together?
A coming-of-age thriller-romance, perfect for fans of Holly Jackson, Casey McQuiston and Tess Sharpe, with a nod to Drive-Away Dolls.
384 pages, Paperback
Published June 5, 2025
25 people are currently reading
732 people want to read
About the author
J.L. Simmonds
3 books10 followersJ. L. Simmonds grew up by the seaside but now lives in Bristol. She studied English Literature and worked in marketing and communications for ten years before returning to Bath Spa for her MA in Writing for Young People. She writes joyful LGBTQ+ YA, bad poetry and text messages with too many emojis. Run Away with Me is her debut novel.
source: Amazon
source: Amazon
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
December 10, 2024
Holy fucking Jezus Christ.
I was really, really hoping this was going to be great, but I hadn't ever expected this.
I'm a sucker for roadtrip books, and I love music, so the chapter headings - all album titles - were a fantastic addition. Those two elements were the main reason why I wanted to read Run Away with Me.
The story starts off in Seattle, a city which features rather often in books and which I always like reading about. The rest of the book is one giant roadtrip through the US, from start to finish. The goal - Disneyland - is a bit weird, but fine, you have to end up somewhere, right?
Very often in these kinds of plots, which the entire US is cruised, I do have the impression that the setting isn't very positive. Seedy, ugly motels, creepy guys and dirty showers in gas stations, you name it, as long as it's negative, it's in there. Simmonds paints a much more nuanced picture of it, alternating between seedy motels and creepy people (Chris being number one - more on him later) on the one hand, but on the other hand, and much more importantly, adding people along Jessie and Brooke's way that are friendly and helpful, and motels and gas stations that are clean and nice. Just to be clear here: I've never been to America, so I don't know what those places and the people you meet there are like, but in general the setting just seemed much more realistic to me than in other books like this one.
The two main characters are Jessie and Brooke. Jessie has fallen in love with Brooke before the book starts, Brooke falls in love with her during the book, and I fell in love with the two of them immediately as well. They are such great people. Jessie clearly has more character development than Brooke, but the latter changes enough as well. Jessie has some wonderful scenes that stand out, most notably when she lets Brooke cut off her hair and . She changes a lot in two weeks, but it always feels natural.
You might think that Brooke is one of those air-headed, bratty popular girls - but you'd be wrong. She has an enormous depth as well, and her background is very original as well - how many girls in books actually repair a vintage car? And just like Jessie, she's funny, smart and brave. Her trial with Chris also changes her, of course, which made her even better. And she made me laugh with all her food and Mustang - and how she - that really made her so human.
The two of them form such a nice couple. The conversations they have, the way they talk and behave towards each other feels very natural and grows as organically as you can imagine. They're very sweet together. I was shipping them from the very start.
There are loads of other characters that pass by, but only Chris and his accomplice are important enough to feature for a longer period in the book. Both of them are absolute creeps, obviously, with everything that's going on, and I was glad that there was no kind of hidden agenda, that . That would have been very odd, but I wouldn't be surprised if an author does something like it. But now it just feels more logical: just a case of wrong time, wrong place.
Meredith, Brooke's niece, was also nice, but just like most other people, she's not in the picture enough to become actually important.
Simmonds has written about a roadtrip during which a lot happens. There are some very exciting, thrilling and even scary scenes that had my heart racing in my chest, and then five pages later she balances it with a slow, quiet, sweet scene with Jessie and Brooke just being themselves and being together - scenes that had my heart racing in my chest just the same. It doesn't happen very often anymore that a book grabs me so much as Run Away with Me did.
Fine, the title could have been a bit better. It sounds a bit bland - but that's the only bland thing about it, let me assure you!
As the story develops, we learn more about Brooke and Jessie's backgrounds, and honestly, I would have liked some scenes from Brooke's POV, so we could have seen Jessie through her eyes and could have 'felt' her feelings even more that we already did now.
And I have to be honest: I totally got the plot wrong. Right from the very start, I thought that . But apparently, that wasn't true at all. Which, among others, means that Brooke only actually falls for Jessie during the trip, and also that the author really had me fooled. Not sure if that's what she was planning, but it definitely happened.
There is just one problem with this book: the ending. It falls flat. As soon as , it just gets... boring, especially compared with the rest of the story. Brooke is out of the picture, Jessie doesn't do a lot, there is nothing really happening... And for a book that has a such a great plot line right up to the final 25 or 30 pages, that is an incredible shame. I mean, come on, hardly even get a chance to talk to each other! I was expecting some great, big, romantic finale full of fireworks worthy of their roadtrip romance - like them riding off into the sunset in Brooke's Mustang towards the American equivalent of Gretna Green or something. But nope, none of that, unfortunately... I can only hope that, just maybe, the final version of the book (I read an ARC) changes and becomes what the rest of the book was.
Epic.
Now where the fucking hell did I leave those car keys? Who's coming with me as an ode to this book?
9/10
I was really, really hoping this was going to be great, but I hadn't ever expected this.
I'm a sucker for roadtrip books, and I love music, so the chapter headings - all album titles - were a fantastic addition. Those two elements were the main reason why I wanted to read Run Away with Me.
The story starts off in Seattle, a city which features rather often in books and which I always like reading about. The rest of the book is one giant roadtrip through the US, from start to finish. The goal - Disneyland - is a bit weird, but fine, you have to end up somewhere, right?
Very often in these kinds of plots, which the entire US is cruised, I do have the impression that the setting isn't very positive. Seedy, ugly motels, creepy guys and dirty showers in gas stations, you name it, as long as it's negative, it's in there. Simmonds paints a much more nuanced picture of it, alternating between seedy motels and creepy people (Chris being number one - more on him later) on the one hand, but on the other hand, and much more importantly, adding people along Jessie and Brooke's way that are friendly and helpful, and motels and gas stations that are clean and nice. Just to be clear here: I've never been to America, so I don't know what those places and the people you meet there are like, but in general the setting just seemed much more realistic to me than in other books like this one.
The two main characters are Jessie and Brooke. Jessie has fallen in love with Brooke before the book starts, Brooke falls in love with her during the book, and I fell in love with the two of them immediately as well. They are such great people. Jessie clearly has more character development than Brooke, but the latter changes enough as well. Jessie has some wonderful scenes that stand out, most notably when she lets Brooke cut off her hair and . She changes a lot in two weeks, but it always feels natural.
You might think that Brooke is one of those air-headed, bratty popular girls - but you'd be wrong. She has an enormous depth as well, and her background is very original as well - how many girls in books actually repair a vintage car? And just like Jessie, she's funny, smart and brave. Her trial with Chris also changes her, of course, which made her even better. And she made me laugh with all her food and Mustang - and how she - that really made her so human.
The two of them form such a nice couple. The conversations they have, the way they talk and behave towards each other feels very natural and grows as organically as you can imagine. They're very sweet together. I was shipping them from the very start.
There are loads of other characters that pass by, but only Chris and his accomplice are important enough to feature for a longer period in the book. Both of them are absolute creeps, obviously, with everything that's going on, and I was glad that there was no kind of hidden agenda, that . That would have been very odd, but I wouldn't be surprised if an author does something like it. But now it just feels more logical: just a case of wrong time, wrong place.
Meredith, Brooke's niece, was also nice, but just like most other people, she's not in the picture enough to become actually important.
Simmonds has written about a roadtrip during which a lot happens. There are some very exciting, thrilling and even scary scenes that had my heart racing in my chest, and then five pages later she balances it with a slow, quiet, sweet scene with Jessie and Brooke just being themselves and being together - scenes that had my heart racing in my chest just the same. It doesn't happen very often anymore that a book grabs me so much as Run Away with Me did.
Fine, the title could have been a bit better. It sounds a bit bland - but that's the only bland thing about it, let me assure you!
As the story develops, we learn more about Brooke and Jessie's backgrounds, and honestly, I would have liked some scenes from Brooke's POV, so we could have seen Jessie through her eyes and could have 'felt' her feelings even more that we already did now.
And I have to be honest: I totally got the plot wrong. Right from the very start, I thought that . But apparently, that wasn't true at all. Which, among others, means that Brooke only actually falls for Jessie during the trip, and also that the author really had me fooled. Not sure if that's what she was planning, but it definitely happened.
There is just one problem with this book: the ending. It falls flat. As soon as , it just gets... boring, especially compared with the rest of the story. Brooke is out of the picture, Jessie doesn't do a lot, there is nothing really happening... And for a book that has a such a great plot line right up to the final 25 or 30 pages, that is an incredible shame. I mean, come on, hardly even get a chance to talk to each other! I was expecting some great, big, romantic finale full of fireworks worthy of their roadtrip romance - like them riding off into the sunset in Brooke's Mustang towards the American equivalent of Gretna Green or something. But nope, none of that, unfortunately... I can only hope that, just maybe, the final version of the book (I read an ARC) changes and becomes what the rest of the book was.
Epic.
Now where the fucking hell did I leave those car keys? Who's coming with me as an ode to this book?
9/10
April 30, 2025
Before I get into my review of “Run Away With Me”, I’d like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the early eARC.
I’m going to be honest; I am being very generous by giving this book two stars. The plot was wishy-washy, the timeline of the book was weird, and everything about this book was just *meh*.
One thing that particularly bothered me about this book was the fact that the whole time I read it, I felt like the author didn’t know what age they were trying to appeal to.
Like they were trying to appeal to the potential thirteen-year-olds reading, but also the seventeen-year-olds? So the whole book felt off-kilter.
It had its very kiddish chapters and then its more adult chapters.
Since it was clear the author was trying to write with everyone in mind the book just fell flat.
Other problems I had with the book (spoilers ahead.):
- the somehow almost infinite money the girls had? They pickpocket once and then they had enough money for weeks of food and hotels?
- The kidnapping?????! Immediately after one of the main characters flees from a kidnapper (drugged out of her mind) she kisses the other main character in a Walmart parking lot??? The whole scene made me feel very uncomfortable because of what just went down.
- It took weeks until the girl who is a potential suspect for a murder was on national news. This just doesn’t make sense to me because if a minor was wanted for murder *and* was missing, they would’ve been on the news as soon as possible.
I’m honestly struggling to think of one thing I liked about this book, and that’s very sad.
I’m going to be honest; I am being very generous by giving this book two stars. The plot was wishy-washy, the timeline of the book was weird, and everything about this book was just *meh*.
One thing that particularly bothered me about this book was the fact that the whole time I read it, I felt like the author didn’t know what age they were trying to appeal to.
Like they were trying to appeal to the potential thirteen-year-olds reading, but also the seventeen-year-olds? So the whole book felt off-kilter.
It had its very kiddish chapters and then its more adult chapters.
Since it was clear the author was trying to write with everyone in mind the book just fell flat.
Other problems I had with the book (spoilers ahead.):
- the somehow almost infinite money the girls had? They pickpocket once and then they had enough money for weeks of food and hotels?
- The kidnapping?????! Immediately after one of the main characters flees from a kidnapper (drugged out of her mind) she kisses the other main character in a Walmart parking lot??? The whole scene made me feel very uncomfortable because of what just went down.
- It took weeks until the girl who is a potential suspect for a murder was on national news. This just doesn’t make sense to me because if a minor was wanted for murder *and* was missing, they would’ve been on the news as soon as possible.
I’m honestly struggling to think of one thing I liked about this book, and that’s very sad.
October 6, 2025
This was... okay. It got right into the action, which I enjoyed from an entertainment perspective, but because of that we missed out on some of the important context explaining why this road trip was so high-stakes. Overall I was entertained by this but it didn't affect me in any deep, emotional way despite some of the more serious subject matter. I'd recommend it to anyone who specifically enjoys young adult road-trip stories and can suspend their disbelief a little.
June 22, 2025
This book is SO good why is no one talking about it ???
The way I devoured 300 pages in one sitting like I just couldn’t put the book down!!!
Honestly this whole book gave me kind of supernatural ( the tv show ) vibes since this books included a lot of things that were also included in spn such as :
• roads trips through the whole country
• bad parenting
• PIE LOL
• ugly & cheap motels
•cassette tapes
• Brooke being obsessed with HER CAR
So yeah if you asked me as a die hard spn fan this reminded me very much of the tv show and that’s probably also why I enjoyed the book.
It was entertaining, steady paced and had absolutely loveable & sweet characters whose romance i enjoyed even more!!
I also liked the ending and I think it’s a good ending for such a book that deals with domestic abuse.
Overall great read and it needs more attention !!
The way I devoured 300 pages in one sitting like I just couldn’t put the book down!!!
Honestly this whole book gave me kind of supernatural ( the tv show ) vibes since this books included a lot of things that were also included in spn such as :
• roads trips through the whole country
• bad parenting
• PIE LOL
• ugly & cheap motels
•cassette tapes
• Brooke being obsessed with HER CAR
So yeah if you asked me as a die hard spn fan this reminded me very much of the tv show and that’s probably also why I enjoyed the book.
It was entertaining, steady paced and had absolutely loveable & sweet characters whose romance i enjoyed even more!!
I also liked the ending and I think it’s a good ending for such a book that deals with domestic abuse.
Overall great read and it needs more attention !!
October 7, 2025
I needed this book in my life. It has a story that is captivating and needs to be told to everyone. Thank you #netgalley for the ebook.
June 23, 2025
Run Away With Me had all the ingredients for a fast paced, high stakes queer thriller: two girls on the run, a dead body, secrets, and a vintage red Mustang. But for me, it just didn’t fully come together.
From the start, it jumps into the action with barely any setup, especially when it comes to the relationship between Jessie and Brooke. If they’re supposed to have this simmering connection, I didn’t feel it. I needed more buildup, more chemistry—something to make me root for them. Instead, I felt like I was told they had some history without ever really seeing it.
Jessie’s storyline felt more grounded. She’s clearly in danger, and her reasons for running are serious. Brooke, on the other hand, often came off naïve and unaware of how serious things were. It felt unbalanced for most of the book, like one of them was in a thriller and the other thought they were on a spontaneous girls’ trip.
There are moments of suspense, mostly when they’re being followed or tracked, but it barely scratched the surface of what I was hoping for from the thriller angle. And when we finally get answers about who’s after them and why, it honestly felt a little ridiculous. Like, this is what we’ve been building to?
The pacing dragged in spots, and I found myself only mildly curious about how it would all end. And some of the major plot points could’ve been resolved with one logical decision or phone call. Jessie seemed smart enough to ask questions or follow up, but… she just didn’t.
That said, I did enjoy watching the relationship between the girls grow, even if it was slow. There were some sweet moments, and by the end I did believe they had a real bond. I just wish I had believed it sooner.
Final thoughts: This one leaned a little too YA for me, and while it had potential, it never fully delivered on the thriller or romance fronts. If you’re into road trip vibes with a dash of drama and a slow-burn sapphic connection, it might still work for you
From the start, it jumps into the action with barely any setup, especially when it comes to the relationship between Jessie and Brooke. If they’re supposed to have this simmering connection, I didn’t feel it. I needed more buildup, more chemistry—something to make me root for them. Instead, I felt like I was told they had some history without ever really seeing it.
Jessie’s storyline felt more grounded. She’s clearly in danger, and her reasons for running are serious. Brooke, on the other hand, often came off naïve and unaware of how serious things were. It felt unbalanced for most of the book, like one of them was in a thriller and the other thought they were on a spontaneous girls’ trip.
There are moments of suspense, mostly when they’re being followed or tracked, but it barely scratched the surface of what I was hoping for from the thriller angle. And when we finally get answers about who’s after them and why, it honestly felt a little ridiculous. Like, this is what we’ve been building to?
The pacing dragged in spots, and I found myself only mildly curious about how it would all end. And some of the major plot points could’ve been resolved with one logical decision or phone call. Jessie seemed smart enough to ask questions or follow up, but… she just didn’t.
That said, I did enjoy watching the relationship between the girls grow, even if it was slow. There were some sweet moments, and by the end I did believe they had a real bond. I just wish I had believed it sooner.
Final thoughts: This one leaned a little too YA for me, and while it had potential, it never fully delivered on the thriller or romance fronts. If you’re into road trip vibes with a dash of drama and a slow-burn sapphic connection, it might still work for you
September 14, 2025
Run Away With Me felt like a whirlwind from the time I picked it up to the time I put it down (in the best way). This story instantly hooked me into the mystery of what each character is running from. For Jessie, we know pretty early on that she is running from the police, scared she could be a suspect in her step-father's murder. But Brooke is also running, and we aren't quite sure why, from the outside looking in it appears she has the perfect life and is the perfect daughter.
Brooke and Jessie slowly begin to open up to each other as they race from one town to the next. They figure out each has secrets and now its up to them to work together to be there for each other. I loved seeing each character grow into themselves and discover things about each other. I loved the mystery in this, the wild adventures, and the aching emotions that drive these two to make impulsive, reckless decisions.
I ultimatley loved the end of this most. I think this inparticular is where the novel shinned, even with all the antics and hijinks, the end was poigant and felt true and an area of growth for our characters. If you love mysteries, road trips, thriller vibes, I would recommend this one. Thank you to the publisher for providing an advanced readers copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Brooke and Jessie slowly begin to open up to each other as they race from one town to the next. They figure out each has secrets and now its up to them to work together to be there for each other. I loved seeing each character grow into themselves and discover things about each other. I loved the mystery in this, the wild adventures, and the aching emotions that drive these two to make impulsive, reckless decisions.
I ultimatley loved the end of this most. I think this inparticular is where the novel shinned, even with all the antics and hijinks, the end was poigant and felt true and an area of growth for our characters. If you love mysteries, road trips, thriller vibes, I would recommend this one. Thank you to the publisher for providing an advanced readers copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 16, 2025
i've finished the book yesterday but i didn't want to write a review at that time so here we go!! i enjoyed this book so much and it reminds me so much of supernatural (the tv show) in terms of the vibes (roadtrip through the US, being criminal, cassete tapes, unhealthy obsession with a car, cheap& ugly motels, etc.) i rewatched spn yesterday, then there was a scene with sam and dean driving in the impala (i should be worried when there isn't one) and i've quite literally yelled: "that's brooke and jessie!". maybe i'm just a little bit too obsessed.
the romance was so gooood !!! i love both of these girls together. it's insane how much they both go throughout the whole roadtrip and before that especially what jessie has to deal with. i'm really glad the book ended the way it did and handling the topic of domestic abuse so well.
(@lara is a dear friend of mine and i said almost the exact same stuff about this book as they did. she recommended this book to me and really wanted me to read this)
the romance was so gooood !!! i love both of these girls together. it's insane how much they both go throughout the whole roadtrip and before that especially what jessie has to deal with. i'm really glad the book ended the way it did and handling the topic of domestic abuse so well.
(@lara is a dear friend of mine and i said almost the exact same stuff about this book as they did. she recommended this book to me and really wanted me to read this)
October 14, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and JL Simmons, for allowing me to read this book as an advanced readers copy. This really was not in the genre of reading that I normally do. And I have to say that it was well written. The character development between the two girls what they’ve come from and what they’re about to go through was very detailed. I felt the characters pain. I felt the characters connection to one another. I could actually put myself in their shoes and envision and picture everything that was taking place as though it is my life. There was a slight twist in the book at the end, which was quite interesting. All along I truly did think that mouse was responsible for the unloving of her mother‘s boyfriend. Basically, in this book, you had two female characters coming from two different walks of life. And in those walks alive, one came from abuse and neglect, and the other came from love and control. Both wanted to escape what was taking place found each other randomly and decided to do cross country trip. Along the way there were some trials and tribulations. They ran into some danger. They definitely had paranoia throughout the trip, worried that people were following them. In the end, they kind of got themselves caught, and they might have made it to Disney if they did not make some of the choices they did. I didn’t quite understand the separation of the two. The ending I guess I could’ve gotten more from. The book did touch base with discovery of sexuality between the girls as well.
June 3, 2025
Run away with me is a YA, road trip / run away tale. We have mouse (Jessie) who has packed her bags and is on the run after discovering something rather unpleasant returning from school. Whist on her way to get out of town Brook (her crush) rolls up in a classic mustang and offers to run away with her.
The aim is to get to Disneyland however things as per usual do not go to plan, dodgy dealings, motel living and a classic cassette tape of choice playing at the same time. There is some shady characters that’s leads to traumatic character building for both girls. There is also a smidge of young budding love.
This was enjoyable but I’m not really sure a YA setting is quite correct, some parts seems childish and other areas traumatic with elements of being rather far fetched. I wanted to love this but at points I didn’t really understand the purpose, I think if the characters maybe had been early to mid 20s maybe that would have worked better.
Neither of the characters have actually done anything to really put themselves in the positions of needing to run away, Brooke is more around wanting control of her privileged life and well Jessie, that’s a whole other story that I am not going to spoil.
Great idea, enjoyable tale but I feel it needed more fleshing out. I would recommend if you want an easy read. I was given the opportunity to read this arc prior to realise on the 5th June via NetGalley.
The aim is to get to Disneyland however things as per usual do not go to plan, dodgy dealings, motel living and a classic cassette tape of choice playing at the same time. There is some shady characters that’s leads to traumatic character building for both girls. There is also a smidge of young budding love.
This was enjoyable but I’m not really sure a YA setting is quite correct, some parts seems childish and other areas traumatic with elements of being rather far fetched. I wanted to love this but at points I didn’t really understand the purpose, I think if the characters maybe had been early to mid 20s maybe that would have worked better.
Neither of the characters have actually done anything to really put themselves in the positions of needing to run away, Brooke is more around wanting control of her privileged life and well Jessie, that’s a whole other story that I am not going to spoil.
Great idea, enjoyable tale but I feel it needed more fleshing out. I would recommend if you want an easy read. I was given the opportunity to read this arc prior to realise on the 5th June via NetGalley.
October 1, 2025
3.5-4 stars!
Thank you so much to J.L Simmonds, Henry Holt/Macmillan Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC!!
This book feels like what it's like to taste freedom of being away from home and not being controlled, but also had some serious elements that are hard to talk about but also hard to read about.
I loved Brooke and Jessie's bond, both as friends and as romantic interests! I thought it was super sweet, while also feeling close to what it's like to be a teen girl
Both girls went through different experiences that made them feel real, both good and bad
And it's tough to talk about bad situations that can happen to anyone, and it feels so real that it makes you scared for the characters
I think sometimes reading from Jessie's perspective could be a little aggravating, but I liked her growth and development so her perspective got better after a certain point
The road trip aspect felt so fun and freeing, and I loved that
Overall this book was super fun to read and I love lesbians!!
Thank you so much to J.L Simmonds, Henry Holt/Macmillan Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC!!
This book feels like what it's like to taste freedom of being away from home and not being controlled, but also had some serious elements that are hard to talk about but also hard to read about.
I loved Brooke and Jessie's bond, both as friends and as romantic interests! I thought it was super sweet, while also feeling close to what it's like to be a teen girl
Both girls went through different experiences that made them feel real, both good and bad
And it's tough to talk about bad situations that can happen to anyone, and it feels so real that it makes you scared for the characters
I think sometimes reading from Jessie's perspective could be a little aggravating, but I liked her growth and development so her perspective got better after a certain point
The road trip aspect felt so fun and freeing, and I loved that
Overall this book was super fun to read and I love lesbians!!
December 31, 2025
Content warnings: child abuse, domestic abuse, kidnapping, human trafficking, death, physical abuse, stalking, murder, death of a parent (in the past), mentions of rape
This feels very much like a 2020s YA version of Thelma & Louise with slightly less revenge and slightly more two girls just trying to escape from really shitty situations. The dynamic between the two of them is lovely, and the way the crime aspects of the story play out was well handled. Add in the fact that I'm always an absolute sucker for a roadtrip book and this was a good time.
This feels very much like a 2020s YA version of Thelma & Louise with slightly less revenge and slightly more two girls just trying to escape from really shitty situations. The dynamic between the two of them is lovely, and the way the crime aspects of the story play out was well handled. Add in the fact that I'm always an absolute sucker for a roadtrip book and this was a good time.
June 4, 2025
8/10- I’m not usually a huge fan of YA, but something about this book stood out to me. The cover, the title, the premise. I was immediately interested, and as soon as I started reading it, I couldn’t stop.
This was a book with intriguing characters, a fast-paced story that kept me on the edge of my seat, and of course, sapphic yearning.
Jessie, the main character, is a relatable, mousy (lol) teenager who went through a traumatic event that caused her to run away. She’s picked up by Brooke, who is coincidentally on her way out of town in her convertible mustang. She is also the girl Jessie has a crush on.
They journey across the country together listening to old cassettes, discovering themselves and each other, and outrunning the law. They encounter everything from singing competitions to kidnappers. Not to mention the adorable slow-burn romance that develops.
The only complaint that I had was about the ending. I won’t go into details, but I will say that I wished there was more to it, if even just a few chapters. It felt a bit rushed to me, and I wanted to see a bit more detail about how everything worked out.
All in all, I absolutely loved this book, especially for a YA novel. It was sweet, it was beautifully written, and it was heartfelt.
I’d like to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group as well as the author for this edition of the eARC!
This was a book with intriguing characters, a fast-paced story that kept me on the edge of my seat, and of course, sapphic yearning.
Jessie, the main character, is a relatable, mousy (lol) teenager who went through a traumatic event that caused her to run away. She’s picked up by Brooke, who is coincidentally on her way out of town in her convertible mustang. She is also the girl Jessie has a crush on.
They journey across the country together listening to old cassettes, discovering themselves and each other, and outrunning the law. They encounter everything from singing competitions to kidnappers. Not to mention the adorable slow-burn romance that develops.
The only complaint that I had was about the ending. I won’t go into details, but I will say that I wished there was more to it, if even just a few chapters. It felt a bit rushed to me, and I wanted to see a bit more detail about how everything worked out.
All in all, I absolutely loved this book, especially for a YA novel. It was sweet, it was beautifully written, and it was heartfelt.
I’d like to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group as well as the author for this edition of the eARC!
June 17, 2025
niet helemaal wat ik had verwacht maar wel echt goed!! wlw roadtrip met extra trauma en anxiety <3
March 20, 2025
A little unrealistic but pretty good for a YA!
June 16, 2025
The road trip theme, following two queer girls discovering themselves and first love while traveling across the country, is genuinely compelling. The story thoughtfully explores identity and how having someone believe in you can reshape how you see yourself. Jessie’s character growth is especially well done and adds heart to the narrative. I would recommend this book to queer and questioning youth.
That said, it has significant issues that held me back from fully enjoying it. The plot often feels inconsistent and the timeline confusing. For example, the drive from Seattle to Salt Lake City takes four days with no clear reason, which felt unrealistic for two runaways supposedly moving at a decent pace. The estimated cross-country travel time also seemed off, and the characters rarely take sensible precautions for runaways, like changing license plates or avoiding obvious routes.
Other details made it difficult to stay immersed. The portrayal of drug traffickers stalking two well-known teens doesn’t ring true—they wouldn’t realistically chase obvious runaways across state lines. There were also baffling moments like the girls pickpocketing in a hotel loaded with security cameras, and a strange focus on laundry without clear reason or follow-up on whether they ever picked up their laundry.
One particularly uncomfortable scene involves a kidnapping and a sudden kiss immediately afterward, which felt jarring given the context. Additionally, it took weeks for a minor suspected of murder to appear on national news, which seems implausible.
Ultimately, the book feels like it’s trying to appeal to both younger and older teens, resulting in a tone that swings awkwardly between childish and mature. This inconsistency makes the story feel off-kilter and prevents it from fully landing.
If you’re able to overlook some plot holes and inaccuracies, there’s a heartfelt story about self-discovery here that may resonate. But if you’re familiar with U.S. geography or expect tighter storytelling, the flaws might be hard to ignore.
Thank you Netgalley and J.L. Simmonds for sending me this free e-ARC. My review is my honest opinion.
That said, it has significant issues that held me back from fully enjoying it. The plot often feels inconsistent and the timeline confusing. For example, the drive from Seattle to Salt Lake City takes four days with no clear reason, which felt unrealistic for two runaways supposedly moving at a decent pace. The estimated cross-country travel time also seemed off, and the characters rarely take sensible precautions for runaways, like changing license plates or avoiding obvious routes.
Other details made it difficult to stay immersed. The portrayal of drug traffickers stalking two well-known teens doesn’t ring true—they wouldn’t realistically chase obvious runaways across state lines. There were also baffling moments like the girls pickpocketing in a hotel loaded with security cameras, and a strange focus on laundry without clear reason or follow-up on whether they ever picked up their laundry.
One particularly uncomfortable scene involves a kidnapping and a sudden kiss immediately afterward, which felt jarring given the context. Additionally, it took weeks for a minor suspected of murder to appear on national news, which seems implausible.
Ultimately, the book feels like it’s trying to appeal to both younger and older teens, resulting in a tone that swings awkwardly between childish and mature. This inconsistency makes the story feel off-kilter and prevents it from fully landing.
If you’re able to overlook some plot holes and inaccuracies, there’s a heartfelt story about self-discovery here that may resonate. But if you’re familiar with U.S. geography or expect tighter storytelling, the flaws might be hard to ignore.
Thank you Netgalley and J.L. Simmonds for sending me this free e-ARC. My review is my honest opinion.
August 18, 2025
A big thank you to Nina Douglas for sending me Run Away With Me by J. L. Simmonds for review.
I really enjoyed this one. Think Thelma and Louise but YA.
Jessie is on the run, she came home one day to find her mother’s abusive boyfriend dead and she is the No.1 suspect. So she knows she needs to run. Enter Brooke who offers Jessie a ride out of town in her cool Mustang. As the girls bond the net starts to close in on Jessie. How long before this road trip comes to an end and Jessie and Brooke are caught.
This was such a good read. It really did give Thelma and Louise vibes but the PG version.
I loved Jessie’s growth throughout and the journey she is literally going through. Brooke is so cool and calm and beautiful, it’s no wonder Jessie has a massive crush on her.
The different stops and side missions were fun to read. There were a few times where it felt a little far fetched but the overall way you were drawn in to Jessie and Brooke’s adventure it didn’t matter overall.
The music choices for the chapter names is pretty cool and it’s all so retro with the cassette tapes and the motels. It’s what my idea of a Route 66 vacation would be (for someone not from the US).
Overall a really great read that I highly recommend.
I really enjoyed this one. Think Thelma and Louise but YA.
Jessie is on the run, she came home one day to find her mother’s abusive boyfriend dead and she is the No.1 suspect. So she knows she needs to run. Enter Brooke who offers Jessie a ride out of town in her cool Mustang. As the girls bond the net starts to close in on Jessie. How long before this road trip comes to an end and Jessie and Brooke are caught.
This was such a good read. It really did give Thelma and Louise vibes but the PG version.
I loved Jessie’s growth throughout and the journey she is literally going through. Brooke is so cool and calm and beautiful, it’s no wonder Jessie has a massive crush on her.
The different stops and side missions were fun to read. There were a few times where it felt a little far fetched but the overall way you were drawn in to Jessie and Brooke’s adventure it didn’t matter overall.
The music choices for the chapter names is pretty cool and it’s all so retro with the cassette tapes and the motels. It’s what my idea of a Route 66 vacation would be (for someone not from the US).
Overall a really great read that I highly recommend.
August 8, 2025
This was a little too far towards the younger end of the YA scale for me to enjoy it as much as I wanted to. The premise sounded good but in reality I just found the whole thing a little juvenile and also a little unbelievable. Everything was very coincidental right from the start.
I have no idea why Jessie’s first thought upon finding the Creep dead was that the police would obviously arrest her for his murder. Just because she happened to tell one person she wanted the abusive bastard dead that must automatically make her guilty? And why would you then decide to run away when it immediately makes you look even more guilty? Straight away I worried I’d struggle to like someone who was too clueless to think rationally.
At least with Brooke I could understand why she chose to escape; time was quickly running out for her until the future her parents planned was completely set in stone so she got out while she could. Although just because I understood her, didn’t make her any more likeable. She was the beautiful, confident, popular girl that Jessie inevitably had a crush on but I couldn’t see the appeal when her very nature seemed to railroad over Jessie’s. Then again, I’d already established that Jessie wasn’t so smart so…
As much as I share Brooke’s appreciation for the thing of beauty that I’m sure her mustang was, I can’t believe neither of them thought about how bad a getaway car it was. Then again, it didn’t seem like they’d thought about a lot of things. With Jessie it’s sort of fair enough that she’s not prepared since she fled in a hurry but I expected slightly more from Brooke who surely must have at least had some plan before she started driving? But apparently not.
Considering neither of them wanted to be dragged home they weren’t too clever about covering their trails. Then again I’ve already established their naivety when it comes to the ways of the world so that’s not exactly shocking. Credit cards? Traceable. Why would you? ATMs? Cameras. Again, why? If you’re going to run away you need to be stashing some cash away in advance. Phones? I mean, seriously? That, of course, they decide to get rid of. Even though it would have been smarter to hold onto in case of emergency. All they needed to do was get a different sim, turn off the locations and stay off their socials. I couldn’t understand why they would choose to throw the whole thing away. It made no sense.
And it made no sense that Jessie didn’t realise any of these things when she obviously knew how some of the systems worked. You’d think someone who was so worried about getting caught would worry more about how traceable they were being. It annoyed me, but I pushed it aside and carried on.
I figured there would be more run ins with the police during this, but instead the only person seemingly capable of following them was this predatory couple who they’d met at one of the many motels. It was great that Jessie was so good at spotting red flags and protecting them but I definitely got where Brooke was coming from when she was annoyed she was being told about everything after the fact. Maybe if she had been more informed and aware she wouldn’t have gotten kidnapped.
Enter Jessie with the miraculous rescue, the resulting adrenaline high providing the spark that finally lead to them getting together. Because of course she’s lucky enough that the girl she likes starts liking her back and realises she’s queer in the process. It was too predictable, and not in the good way that you want it to be.
I was wondering how it was gonna end as the pages dwindled. As they neared the end it didn’t seem like there were enough pages for them to aimlessly reach their goal of Disney World. I might have liked it better if they did. Enter predictability again as the police finally caught up with them and shipped them back home. Where, surprise surprise; Jessie? Not a suspect for murder would you believe? Making her whole journey pointless, much like this book really.
So, I liked Brooke’s mustang (as ridiculous a getaway car as it was), I liked her appreciation for said car and the music she played in it. I liked that she was generous and thoughtful at times, like when she went back and bought the dress for Jessie, and I liked that she helped bring Jessie out of her shell. I liked that she knew what she wanted and she was brave enough to go for it.
I liked that Jessie discovered herself and became more confident. I liked that she’d learnt from what she’d been through and used that to protect herself, especially at the end where she opted to break the cycle and not go back to her mother and whatever type of guy the next boyfriend might turn out to be. I liked that she got to have a safe space in the end, and that she got to keep the girl she loved too.
Apart from that it was very…meh. Not unreadable, but definitely not something I’ll ever read again.
I have no idea why Jessie’s first thought upon finding the Creep dead was that the police would obviously arrest her for his murder. Just because she happened to tell one person she wanted the abusive bastard dead that must automatically make her guilty? And why would you then decide to run away when it immediately makes you look even more guilty? Straight away I worried I’d struggle to like someone who was too clueless to think rationally.
At least with Brooke I could understand why she chose to escape; time was quickly running out for her until the future her parents planned was completely set in stone so she got out while she could. Although just because I understood her, didn’t make her any more likeable. She was the beautiful, confident, popular girl that Jessie inevitably had a crush on but I couldn’t see the appeal when her very nature seemed to railroad over Jessie’s. Then again, I’d already established that Jessie wasn’t so smart so…
As much as I share Brooke’s appreciation for the thing of beauty that I’m sure her mustang was, I can’t believe neither of them thought about how bad a getaway car it was. Then again, it didn’t seem like they’d thought about a lot of things. With Jessie it’s sort of fair enough that she’s not prepared since she fled in a hurry but I expected slightly more from Brooke who surely must have at least had some plan before she started driving? But apparently not.
Considering neither of them wanted to be dragged home they weren’t too clever about covering their trails. Then again I’ve already established their naivety when it comes to the ways of the world so that’s not exactly shocking. Credit cards? Traceable. Why would you? ATMs? Cameras. Again, why? If you’re going to run away you need to be stashing some cash away in advance. Phones? I mean, seriously? That, of course, they decide to get rid of. Even though it would have been smarter to hold onto in case of emergency. All they needed to do was get a different sim, turn off the locations and stay off their socials. I couldn’t understand why they would choose to throw the whole thing away. It made no sense.
And it made no sense that Jessie didn’t realise any of these things when she obviously knew how some of the systems worked. You’d think someone who was so worried about getting caught would worry more about how traceable they were being. It annoyed me, but I pushed it aside and carried on.
I figured there would be more run ins with the police during this, but instead the only person seemingly capable of following them was this predatory couple who they’d met at one of the many motels. It was great that Jessie was so good at spotting red flags and protecting them but I definitely got where Brooke was coming from when she was annoyed she was being told about everything after the fact. Maybe if she had been more informed and aware she wouldn’t have gotten kidnapped.
Enter Jessie with the miraculous rescue, the resulting adrenaline high providing the spark that finally lead to them getting together. Because of course she’s lucky enough that the girl she likes starts liking her back and realises she’s queer in the process. It was too predictable, and not in the good way that you want it to be.
I was wondering how it was gonna end as the pages dwindled. As they neared the end it didn’t seem like there were enough pages for them to aimlessly reach their goal of Disney World. I might have liked it better if they did. Enter predictability again as the police finally caught up with them and shipped them back home. Where, surprise surprise; Jessie? Not a suspect for murder would you believe? Making her whole journey pointless, much like this book really.
So, I liked Brooke’s mustang (as ridiculous a getaway car as it was), I liked her appreciation for said car and the music she played in it. I liked that she was generous and thoughtful at times, like when she went back and bought the dress for Jessie, and I liked that she helped bring Jessie out of her shell. I liked that she knew what she wanted and she was brave enough to go for it.
I liked that Jessie discovered herself and became more confident. I liked that she’d learnt from what she’d been through and used that to protect herself, especially at the end where she opted to break the cycle and not go back to her mother and whatever type of guy the next boyfriend might turn out to be. I liked that she got to have a safe space in the end, and that she got to keep the girl she loved too.
Apart from that it was very…meh. Not unreadable, but definitely not something I’ll ever read again.
April 28, 2025
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read this uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review.
Let's start with the good. I love the theme of a road trip and two queer girls discovering themselves and first love while traveling across the country. There's a lot of good identity questioning and ideas of how having someone believe in your can change how you present yourself and who you believe you are. Jessie's growth throughout the book is wonderful to witness.
I definitely recommend this book for queer and questioning youth, as well as for people who enjoy road trips and exploring the US.
Some things made this book a little difficult to read, and it's mostly in the inconsistent and incorrect details. I read an uncorrected proof, so these things might be changed come publication.
It takes them four days to go from Seattle to Salt Lake City. I've done that drive a number of times as I'm from the Pacific North West. (And by the way, the countryside is not something you want to smell, farmland usually smells like manure). Driving the normal way takes two days at a leisurely pace, or one if you're really pushing it. It takes the characters four days to make the trip for no apparent reason when they're supposedly driving at a decent pace. They also estimate that it will take at least ten days to drive across country, which I suppose is maybe alright if you're a tourist stopping at every place, but for two teen runaways is not really realistic. They also don't take reasonable precautions for runaways, like changing their license plate or taking routes that aren't obvious.
Even handwaving US travel, there's a lot of things that don't add up. Drug traffickers don't want rich white run away teens. They're already in the police system. People are aware of them. Drug traffickers want people who can fly under the radar, and they certainly won't stalk two teens a nice car across state lines. They get secondhand phones and use them without arranging for any sort of phone service. They connect to 3G, when that system has been defunct in the US for years and most teens aren't even aware it exists. They pickpocket (poorly) in a high end hotel, which would have security cameras everywhere and surely would have wound up with them getting caught. They put in their laundry, note the time when it will need changing to the dryer, then never go back for it while narrating the next two hours of events. They actually mention laundry several times without seeming to do anything about it and I don't know why they need to do laundry so frequently.
If the small details won't bother you, you'll probably have a good time with this book. If you know more about the US, it might itch at the back of your brain while reading, especially if you have trouble suspending disbelief.
Overall, it's an enjoyable road trip and an ideal summer read.
Let's start with the good. I love the theme of a road trip and two queer girls discovering themselves and first love while traveling across the country. There's a lot of good identity questioning and ideas of how having someone believe in your can change how you present yourself and who you believe you are. Jessie's growth throughout the book is wonderful to witness.
I definitely recommend this book for queer and questioning youth, as well as for people who enjoy road trips and exploring the US.
Some things made this book a little difficult to read, and it's mostly in the inconsistent and incorrect details. I read an uncorrected proof, so these things might be changed come publication.
It takes them four days to go from Seattle to Salt Lake City. I've done that drive a number of times as I'm from the Pacific North West. (And by the way, the countryside is not something you want to smell, farmland usually smells like manure). Driving the normal way takes two days at a leisurely pace, or one if you're really pushing it. It takes the characters four days to make the trip for no apparent reason when they're supposedly driving at a decent pace. They also estimate that it will take at least ten days to drive across country, which I suppose is maybe alright if you're a tourist stopping at every place, but for two teen runaways is not really realistic. They also don't take reasonable precautions for runaways, like changing their license plate or taking routes that aren't obvious.
Even handwaving US travel, there's a lot of things that don't add up. Drug traffickers don't want rich white run away teens. They're already in the police system. People are aware of them. Drug traffickers want people who can fly under the radar, and they certainly won't stalk two teens a nice car across state lines. They get secondhand phones and use them without arranging for any sort of phone service. They connect to 3G, when that system has been defunct in the US for years and most teens aren't even aware it exists. They pickpocket (poorly) in a high end hotel, which would have security cameras everywhere and surely would have wound up with them getting caught. They put in their laundry, note the time when it will need changing to the dryer, then never go back for it while narrating the next two hours of events. They actually mention laundry several times without seeming to do anything about it and I don't know why they need to do laundry so frequently.
If the small details won't bother you, you'll probably have a good time with this book. If you know more about the US, it might itch at the back of your brain while reading, especially if you have trouble suspending disbelief.
Overall, it's an enjoyable road trip and an ideal summer read.
October 8, 2025
2 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC.
The Plot: Jessie 'Mouse' Swift needs to get out of Seattle and fast. A few days ago she admitted to wanting her abusive stepfather dead, only to come home and find his murdered body. So when a girl from school offers Jessie a ride in her vintage red Mustang, they embark on an unexpected road trip across America.
Brooke Summer is everything Jessie isn’ popular, confident, wealthy and heart-stoppingly beautiful, and Jessie has been in love with her from afar for years. But Brooke is hiding her own secrets . . .
I'm keeping all the typos in the Goodreads blurb because it's appropriate for how little I liked this book that the official summary couldn't even be bothered.
I'll start with what I liked. I really liked Jessie, once she started opening up. The scene of them at the Open Mic was magical and I loved that they found music together. There were a few other odds and ends, I liked that the plot allowed them people to trust throughout.
Ok. Buckle in. There's going to be spoilers.
What really made me frustrated with this book was how many times Jessie had the opportunity to share with Brooke what was going on, who was following them, the black van, etc. She only told Brooke when she truly HAD to and had no other choice. If you're running away together and have forged that partnership, you share those pieces of information as soon as possible. A strange man following you? A mysterious black van showing up in every city they're in? Let's wait and see what happens first. Oh, Brooke is kidnapped? Oops.
The plot had so many holes, I'm surprised the VINTAGE MUSTANG that Brooke REBUILT HERSELF (did you know she built it herself? A vintage mustang? A classic muscle car that blends in so well with all the other cars in small towns?) would fall right through. Not a single ID was asked for at any point. Nobody apparently thought it was strange that two very clearly underage girls were trying to get hotel rooms, they weren't going to the types of seedy motels that wouldn't care.
It also just got really frustrating that everything seemed to always work out for them. No money? Steal wallets without even being suspected. Running from the law? Somehow evade capture for a week. A tracker placed on your car? Browbeat a mechanic to lift up the car so you can check, see the tracker and remove it, but the mechanic is a bad liar so lol the bad guys still catch up to you. Bad guy takes one of our heroines? Stab him in the hand which will fully incapacitate him and render him unable to use his LEGS and OTHER HAND to run to catch you.
Maybe I expected too much from this, but I'm a Young Adult materials selector for a library. I know YA books can be better. I know wlw YA books can be better. I'm seeing in Simmonds first book, and it reads like it.
The Plot: Jessie 'Mouse' Swift needs to get out of Seattle and fast. A few days ago she admitted to wanting her abusive stepfather dead, only to come home and find his murdered body. So when a girl from school offers Jessie a ride in her vintage red Mustang, they embark on an unexpected road trip across America.
Brooke Summer is everything Jessie isn’ popular, confident, wealthy and heart-stoppingly beautiful, and Jessie has been in love with her from afar for years. But Brooke is hiding her own secrets . . .
I'm keeping all the typos in the Goodreads blurb because it's appropriate for how little I liked this book that the official summary couldn't even be bothered.
I'll start with what I liked. I really liked Jessie, once she started opening up. The scene of them at the Open Mic was magical and I loved that they found music together. There were a few other odds and ends, I liked that the plot allowed them people to trust throughout.
Ok. Buckle in. There's going to be spoilers.
What really made me frustrated with this book was how many times Jessie had the opportunity to share with Brooke what was going on, who was following them, the black van, etc. She only told Brooke when she truly HAD to and had no other choice. If you're running away together and have forged that partnership, you share those pieces of information as soon as possible. A strange man following you? A mysterious black van showing up in every city they're in? Let's wait and see what happens first. Oh, Brooke is kidnapped? Oops.
The plot had so many holes, I'm surprised the VINTAGE MUSTANG that Brooke REBUILT HERSELF (did you know she built it herself? A vintage mustang? A classic muscle car that blends in so well with all the other cars in small towns?) would fall right through. Not a single ID was asked for at any point. Nobody apparently thought it was strange that two very clearly underage girls were trying to get hotel rooms, they weren't going to the types of seedy motels that wouldn't care.
It also just got really frustrating that everything seemed to always work out for them. No money? Steal wallets without even being suspected. Running from the law? Somehow evade capture for a week. A tracker placed on your car? Browbeat a mechanic to lift up the car so you can check, see the tracker and remove it, but the mechanic is a bad liar so lol the bad guys still catch up to you. Bad guy takes one of our heroines? Stab him in the hand which will fully incapacitate him and render him unable to use his LEGS and OTHER HAND to run to catch you.
Maybe I expected too much from this, but I'm a Young Adult materials selector for a library. I know YA books can be better. I know wlw YA books can be better. I'm seeing in Simmonds first book, and it reads like it.
June 17, 2025
*3.5 stars*
Right away, we’re into the action. Jessie, aka Mouse, wants—no, needs—to get on a bus and get out of Seattle. Call it running away or a trauma response to her turbulent and abusive homelife (which just took a very drastic turn) whatever it is: she’s leaving. Before she can make it to the bus stop, though, none other than Jessie’s longtime crush, the popular and beautiful Brooke, pulls up in her vintage car and offers Jessie an out. The two of them, both leaving for their own reasons they’ve chosen, for now, to keep a secret, set out to travel all the way to Disneyland on a road trip. With the small amount of cash and cards, resources and knowledge they have in front of them, they decide to throw caution to the wind, if only they could stop looking over their shoulders.
But the road trip isn’t like the movies, although they do have a cassette tape playlist to keep the mood lively. From dodgy motels, almost-robberies, creepy guys and paranoia, they begin to lean on one another for support. It’s not all bad, though. Sometimes it’s nice and peaceful, and in those times, slowly but surely Jessie’s crush is reciprocated in Brooke, first love dancing in the air. Only, danger approaches and their plans go sideways. They get caught in things they shouldn’t, cornered and thrust into dangerous territory that triggers trauma responses in Jessie especially. What was supposed to be blissfully (or feigning blissful ignorance at what they left at home) driving off into the sunset suddenly awakens with a blanching floodlight and in the light of the day, it becomes obvious what’s to come. But when you don’t know where you belong or who you are, where do you go?
Overall, Run Away With Me was emotionally evocative through a lens of self-discovery, coming-of-age growth, childhood trauma and topped with flickers of romance that makes for a book that radiates heartfelt sentiments. I was hooked until about halfway through when I started to find myself becoming frustrated with some of the plot elements and believability behind the actions of characters, but mainly uncertainty about what age the story was aiming to appeal to. But when I finished it I was still left with the feeling that I’d read such a great book that had so much to love. This is a delicate, simultaneously intense Queer story of first love, deep wounds, dangerous secrets and the pain of growing up. I’m excited to read more from J. L. Simmonds!
Right away, we’re into the action. Jessie, aka Mouse, wants—no, needs—to get on a bus and get out of Seattle. Call it running away or a trauma response to her turbulent and abusive homelife (which just took a very drastic turn) whatever it is: she’s leaving. Before she can make it to the bus stop, though, none other than Jessie’s longtime crush, the popular and beautiful Brooke, pulls up in her vintage car and offers Jessie an out. The two of them, both leaving for their own reasons they’ve chosen, for now, to keep a secret, set out to travel all the way to Disneyland on a road trip. With the small amount of cash and cards, resources and knowledge they have in front of them, they decide to throw caution to the wind, if only they could stop looking over their shoulders.
But the road trip isn’t like the movies, although they do have a cassette tape playlist to keep the mood lively. From dodgy motels, almost-robberies, creepy guys and paranoia, they begin to lean on one another for support. It’s not all bad, though. Sometimes it’s nice and peaceful, and in those times, slowly but surely Jessie’s crush is reciprocated in Brooke, first love dancing in the air. Only, danger approaches and their plans go sideways. They get caught in things they shouldn’t, cornered and thrust into dangerous territory that triggers trauma responses in Jessie especially. What was supposed to be blissfully (or feigning blissful ignorance at what they left at home) driving off into the sunset suddenly awakens with a blanching floodlight and in the light of the day, it becomes obvious what’s to come. But when you don’t know where you belong or who you are, where do you go?
Overall, Run Away With Me was emotionally evocative through a lens of self-discovery, coming-of-age growth, childhood trauma and topped with flickers of romance that makes for a book that radiates heartfelt sentiments. I was hooked until about halfway through when I started to find myself becoming frustrated with some of the plot elements and believability behind the actions of characters, but mainly uncertainty about what age the story was aiming to appeal to. But when I finished it I was still left with the feeling that I’d read such a great book that had so much to love. This is a delicate, simultaneously intense Queer story of first love, deep wounds, dangerous secrets and the pain of growing up. I’m excited to read more from J. L. Simmonds!
November 5, 2025
4.75 stars
I adored this, such a fun easy read, I couldn’t put it down. I’ve been in the worst reading slump and I wanted something fun to get back into reading, this was perfect!!!
Run away with me is a beautiful YA contemporary book centering around 17 year olds Jessie Swift and Brooke summers as they travel across the whole of the USA, running away from home (and the police). Jessie is anxious, quiet and lives in constant fear of her mum’s boyfriend, who physically abuses her. One day at church, she confesses to her youth pastor that she wishes he was dead, the next day when she comes home from school, she finds his dead body in her hallway, bloody, dismembered and very clearly murdered. Jessie has little faith in law enforcement and is convinced that she will be arrested for his murder, believing there is no other option she packs her things and heads for the bus stop, with no plan other than to get out of Seattle. On her way there Brooke Summers, her long time crush, pulls up next to her and offers her a ride. Brooke is everything Jessie is not, confident, brave, outspoken and popular, but she’s also running away from home and the girls make a deal to travel all the way from Seattle to Orlando in Brooke’s car, together.
I loved Jessie and Brooke so much, they had such great character development over the course of the novel, it was amazing to watch Jessie transform into a more confident version of herself. Their relationship developed so well, and I was rooting for them to kiss for like the whole book. The pacing was so good, It sounds boring to read about a road trip across the USA, but it was split up into such great moments, of conflict, of joy and love. Simmonds has the amazing skill of crafting characters that are so human, making the reader really care about what happens to them. Jessie and Brooke are flawed, they’re teenage girls and Simmonds writes them so well. I’ve read many YA books where the characters feel like caricatures of teenagers, or like adults pretending to be 16 and this was not it. They felt so real, like I was reading about friends.
The ending was bittersweet, but hopeful, it was perfect. It’s one of those books that feels nostalgic to read even when you’ve never been to America (like me)
I highly recommend reading this if you’re looking for a YA sapphic romance, with deep characters and a fast paced, intriguing plot.
I adored this, such a fun easy read, I couldn’t put it down. I’ve been in the worst reading slump and I wanted something fun to get back into reading, this was perfect!!!
Run away with me is a beautiful YA contemporary book centering around 17 year olds Jessie Swift and Brooke summers as they travel across the whole of the USA, running away from home (and the police). Jessie is anxious, quiet and lives in constant fear of her mum’s boyfriend, who physically abuses her. One day at church, she confesses to her youth pastor that she wishes he was dead, the next day when she comes home from school, she finds his dead body in her hallway, bloody, dismembered and very clearly murdered. Jessie has little faith in law enforcement and is convinced that she will be arrested for his murder, believing there is no other option she packs her things and heads for the bus stop, with no plan other than to get out of Seattle. On her way there Brooke Summers, her long time crush, pulls up next to her and offers her a ride. Brooke is everything Jessie is not, confident, brave, outspoken and popular, but she’s also running away from home and the girls make a deal to travel all the way from Seattle to Orlando in Brooke’s car, together.
I loved Jessie and Brooke so much, they had such great character development over the course of the novel, it was amazing to watch Jessie transform into a more confident version of herself. Their relationship developed so well, and I was rooting for them to kiss for like the whole book. The pacing was so good, It sounds boring to read about a road trip across the USA, but it was split up into such great moments, of conflict, of joy and love. Simmonds has the amazing skill of crafting characters that are so human, making the reader really care about what happens to them. Jessie and Brooke are flawed, they’re teenage girls and Simmonds writes them so well. I’ve read many YA books where the characters feel like caricatures of teenagers, or like adults pretending to be 16 and this was not it. They felt so real, like I was reading about friends.
The ending was bittersweet, but hopeful, it was perfect. It’s one of those books that feels nostalgic to read even when you’ve never been to America (like me)
I highly recommend reading this if you’re looking for a YA sapphic romance, with deep characters and a fast paced, intriguing plot.
January 6, 2026
Actual rating 3.5/5.0 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Run Away With Me by J. L. Simmonds is a YA slow-burn wlw romance adventure story that follows two teenage runaways, Brooke and Jessie, as they--completely coincidentally--road trip across the continental USA together. Both have baggage, literal and figurative, and their journey will bring them closer to understanding both themselves and each other.
I actually ended up reading this novel twice. In terms of pure entertainment value, this book is a solid choice. Each chapter title is a music album, so there's a built-in road trip playlist, and the "gals being pals" scenes (remember, slow burn) are some of the most fun scenes in the book. (There's some pretty good pie, too.) Also, we stan a female self-made mechanic!
That said, this is Simmonds's debut novel, and it shows in some aspects. The characters' personalities and reactions feel a little inconsistent in places, which might have been avoided if there had been a bit more setup at the beginning of the book, further setting up their "before," which would then better contrast their character growth and develop the "after" (and/or aging them up to young college kids). While this is a YA novel and teens can be impulsive, I did question some the (lack of) planning/rationing of resources along the way. I did also find myself wondering what decade this book was meant to be set in, as it felt like some sort of myriad timelessness between 1990s/2000s and present day. Still, I did have fun with this book overall, and would certainly read more of Simmonds's work and see her growth as a writer.
Readers who enjoy this book may also like: Thelma & Louise (1991), Bonnie & Clyde (1967), Revolutionary Girl Utena (1999), Adolescence (2025), Heartstopper by Alice Oseman, The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley, music and novels by Hayley Kiyoko, and other LGBTQIA+/wlw stories.
Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Run Away With Me by J. L. Simmonds is a YA slow-burn wlw romance adventure story that follows two teenage runaways, Brooke and Jessie, as they--completely coincidentally--road trip across the continental USA together. Both have baggage, literal and figurative, and their journey will bring them closer to understanding both themselves and each other.
I actually ended up reading this novel twice. In terms of pure entertainment value, this book is a solid choice. Each chapter title is a music album, so there's a built-in road trip playlist, and the "gals being pals" scenes (remember, slow burn) are some of the most fun scenes in the book. (There's some pretty good pie, too.) Also, we stan a female self-made mechanic!
That said, this is Simmonds's debut novel, and it shows in some aspects. The characters' personalities and reactions feel a little inconsistent in places, which might have been avoided if there had been a bit more setup at the beginning of the book, further setting up their "before," which would then better contrast their character growth and develop the "after" (and/or aging them up to young college kids). While this is a YA novel and teens can be impulsive, I did question some the (lack of) planning/rationing of resources along the way. I did also find myself wondering what decade this book was meant to be set in, as it felt like some sort of myriad timelessness between 1990s/2000s and present day. Still, I did have fun with this book overall, and would certainly read more of Simmonds's work and see her growth as a writer.
Readers who enjoy this book may also like: Thelma & Louise (1991), Bonnie & Clyde (1967), Revolutionary Girl Utena (1999), Adolescence (2025), Heartstopper by Alice Oseman, The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley, music and novels by Hayley Kiyoko, and other LGBTQIA+/wlw stories.
July 27, 2025
2 ⭐️
this reading experience was probably one of the most stressful i've had in...maybe ever? for some reason, everything felt very real. whenever something happened to the characters (which, let's be real, was every other page) i felt like it was happening to me. they were being chased by the cops, i felt like i was being chased by the cops. even though i understand wanting to have something fast paced, this just felt messy. there was no break in the tension. everything was 200% the entire time, and i'm honestly so glad it's over because it was exhausting.
next: i don't understand what happened. the entire time, you feel like there's some great big reveal that will perfectly explain everything, but there was never a big reveal, there was never a secret, everything given to you in chapter 1 is exactly what is given to you on the last page. there's no explanation. why was brooke running away? i have not a clue.
finally: i could not tell what the stance on religion was supposed to be. sometimes the characters acted like they hated their christian high school and , and then they were talking about how they'd been raised in the church and were quoting bible verses? i can understand that maybe part of the reason jessie feels this way is because of her mom's affiliation, but i would've rather heard her opinion than what she'd been taught growing up.
overall, this book felt like a fever dream (read: not realistic at all). i feel like i will probably forget 90% of the plot in the next few hours, and i am looking forward to that.
--
bottom line: i don't really understand what just happened?
this reading experience was probably one of the most stressful i've had in...maybe ever? for some reason, everything felt very real. whenever something happened to the characters (which, let's be real, was every other page) i felt like it was happening to me. they were being chased by the cops, i felt like i was being chased by the cops. even though i understand wanting to have something fast paced, this just felt messy. there was no break in the tension. everything was 200% the entire time, and i'm honestly so glad it's over because it was exhausting.
next: i don't understand what happened. the entire time, you feel like there's some great big reveal that will perfectly explain everything, but there was never a big reveal, there was never a secret, everything given to you in chapter 1 is exactly what is given to you on the last page. there's no explanation. why was brooke running away? i have not a clue.
finally: i could not tell what the stance on religion was supposed to be. sometimes the characters acted like they hated their christian high school and , and then they were talking about how they'd been raised in the church and were quoting bible verses? i can understand that maybe part of the reason jessie feels this way is because of her mom's affiliation, but i would've rather heard her opinion than what she'd been taught growing up.
overall, this book felt like a fever dream (read: not realistic at all). i feel like i will probably forget 90% of the plot in the next few hours, and i am looking forward to that.
--
bottom line: i don't really understand what just happened?
April 19, 2025
Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillian Children’s Publishing Group for the ARC of Run Away with Me.
It’s been a while since I read a book that grabbed me from the start and kept me engaged throughout, and J. L. Simmonds has written a debut novel that does just that. I found myself not wanting to put it down, but I had to when the desire to sleep overtook me. But I woke up the next morning immediately thinking about Jessie and Brooke. I wanted to know how their road trip played out. I wanted to know if they’d be able to be together once they were back in Seattle. I wanted to know if everything was as bad as Jessie thought it would be – although I doubted that was the case. I just wanted to know all the things.
The writing is captivating. It takes a certain type of writer to pull off first person narration, and J. L. Simmonds is that type of writer. And although the story is told in Jessie’s perspective, I was good with that because I still got healthy doses of Brooke’s perspective through their conversations. Speaking of which, the dialogue was on-point and felt real for the teenage MCs, which isn’t always the case in YA novels.
The runaway road trip itself was a useful setting for the two MCs to get to know each other. Their growing friendship was sweet, and I felt as though they were showing parts of themselves to each other that they didn't normally share with anyone else. The budding romantic relationship was endearing, and they make a really cute couple. Brooke and Jessie just gave me all the feels to be honest.
The reveal of why they were both running made sense for each of their circumstances.
I just really loved this book. And I, honestly, can’t wait to buy it when it comes out because I need this book on my favorite authors shelf.
It’s been a while since I read a book that grabbed me from the start and kept me engaged throughout, and J. L. Simmonds has written a debut novel that does just that. I found myself not wanting to put it down, but I had to when the desire to sleep overtook me. But I woke up the next morning immediately thinking about Jessie and Brooke. I wanted to know how their road trip played out. I wanted to know if they’d be able to be together once they were back in Seattle. I wanted to know if everything was as bad as Jessie thought it would be – although I doubted that was the case. I just wanted to know all the things.
The writing is captivating. It takes a certain type of writer to pull off first person narration, and J. L. Simmonds is that type of writer. And although the story is told in Jessie’s perspective, I was good with that because I still got healthy doses of Brooke’s perspective through their conversations. Speaking of which, the dialogue was on-point and felt real for the teenage MCs, which isn’t always the case in YA novels.
The runaway road trip itself was a useful setting for the two MCs to get to know each other. Their growing friendship was sweet, and I felt as though they were showing parts of themselves to each other that they didn't normally share with anyone else. The budding romantic relationship was endearing, and they make a really cute couple. Brooke and Jessie just gave me all the feels to be honest.
The reveal of why they were both running made sense for each of their circumstances.
I just really loved this book. And I, honestly, can’t wait to buy it when it comes out because I need this book on my favorite authors shelf.
June 30, 2025
In Run Away With Me, we follow Jessie and Brooke. Both girls are running away from something. We know that Jessie left home after she found her dead stepdad, who abused her, and she becomes scared that they'll suspect her. The reason Brooke is on the run is kept a secret at the beginning but her story also unravels along the way.
A lot happens on the girls' little roadtrip to Disney World, which kept the story entertaining. I was a big fan of the romance that blossomed between Jessie en Brooke. What I also love in books is when music plays an important role and that was for sure the case in Run Away With Me. The girls listen to a lot of cassette tapes, which I thought was really fun. It was also fun to see that each chapter is a song title.
While the book was a very smooth read and had good parts, the overall story didn't completely captivate me. The fact that these girls could drive around and rent hotels, get food, etc. with barely any money? It all seemed a little unreal, you know?
I mentioned that a lot happened, but sometimes everything felt a little all over the place. With everything coming together in the end, I kind of felt a little unfulfilled and hoped for more? Besides our two main characters, there is really only one constant character in the story, which is Chris and I don't know man but I wasn't a fan. The whole storyline with him felt so out of place and forced? I hoped for more out of it and didn't get it so that was a little disappointing.
All in all this was a fun read but it wasn't completely my kind of book, which is fine! I had a good time still.
Thank you to House of YA / Penguin Random House for gifting me a copy to celebrate the influencer program opening up to Europe!
A lot happens on the girls' little roadtrip to Disney World, which kept the story entertaining. I was a big fan of the romance that blossomed between Jessie en Brooke. What I also love in books is when music plays an important role and that was for sure the case in Run Away With Me. The girls listen to a lot of cassette tapes, which I thought was really fun. It was also fun to see that each chapter is a song title.
While the book was a very smooth read and had good parts, the overall story didn't completely captivate me. The fact that these girls could drive around and rent hotels, get food, etc. with barely any money? It all seemed a little unreal, you know?
I mentioned that a lot happened, but sometimes everything felt a little all over the place. With everything coming together in the end, I kind of felt a little unfulfilled and hoped for more? Besides our two main characters, there is really only one constant character in the story, which is Chris and I don't know man but I wasn't a fan. The whole storyline with him felt so out of place and forced? I hoped for more out of it and didn't get it so that was a little disappointing.
All in all this was a fun read but it wasn't completely my kind of book, which is fine! I had a good time still.
Thank you to House of YA / Penguin Random House for gifting me a copy to celebrate the influencer program opening up to Europe!
July 9, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!
I love books that feature characters running away because it's such an interesting way to start an adventure! This book was different in that it added the elements of a police chase too, which definitely created tension.
The beginning was interesting as it starts off with the moment they run away, the dead stepfather happening off screen. I did wish I could've started with that part as it would have been a better way to build tension rather then just being dropped in the middle. I also have a soft-spot for the insufferably edgy teenagers with the too-quotable one-liners (see Augustus Waters from the Fault in Our Stars) except in this case, it's cassette tapes. Fitting with this theme, every chapter starts with a song.
I did find it unrealistic at how many nefarious people seemed to be present. It seemed like there was one villain after another. I also expected the police to have a bigger presence then what they did. I thought it was unrealistic that the police wouldn't track their license plates and with the vintage car, it seems like they would've been caught easily.
I liked all the little side adventures that happened throughout the book. The pacing did drag at some parts but overall, it did seem like one adventure after another. I also liked seeing the relationship between the two main characters although I wish that we had gotten more signs of it because it did seem kind of one-sided. Overall, this was a quick and cutesy YA read with a slow-burn romance!
I love books that feature characters running away because it's such an interesting way to start an adventure! This book was different in that it added the elements of a police chase too, which definitely created tension.
The beginning was interesting as it starts off with the moment they run away, the dead stepfather happening off screen. I did wish I could've started with that part as it would have been a better way to build tension rather then just being dropped in the middle. I also have a soft-spot for the insufferably edgy teenagers with the too-quotable one-liners (see Augustus Waters from the Fault in Our Stars) except in this case, it's cassette tapes. Fitting with this theme, every chapter starts with a song.
I did find it unrealistic at how many nefarious people seemed to be present. It seemed like there was one villain after another. I also expected the police to have a bigger presence then what they did. I thought it was unrealistic that the police wouldn't track their license plates and with the vintage car, it seems like they would've been caught easily.
I liked all the little side adventures that happened throughout the book. The pacing did drag at some parts but overall, it did seem like one adventure after another. I also liked seeing the relationship between the two main characters although I wish that we had gotten more signs of it because it did seem kind of one-sided. Overall, this was a quick and cutesy YA read with a slow-burn romance!
October 10, 2025
Run Away With Me by J.L. Simmonds is the kind of book that pulls you in with its premise alone: two girls on the run, danger chasing them down, and a cross-country road trip that promises chaos, connection, and secrets. It definitely delivers on entertainment, even if it doesn’t dig too deep.
Jessie and Brooke were both easy to like. Their personalities balanced each other well, and I enjoyed watching them figure things out together. That said, I never fully connected to them on an emotional level. Their chemistry worked on the surface, but I didn’t always feel the tension or intensity that the situation seemed to call for.
The pacing was a mix of fast and slow. Some parts had great momentum, while others dragged a bit. The writing itself is smooth and easy to read, which made it simple to stay engaged.
This is a good book for when you just want to go along for the ride and enjoy the story. It’s entertaining and accessible, and it works best if you don’t overthink the details. A few things didn’t quite add up or felt convenient, but if you’re reading for the experience rather than the logic, it’s a fun journey to take.
Overall, Run Away With Me is a solid, easy read that delivers on plot and atmosphere more than emotional depth. It’s the kind of story you pick up when you want something engaging but not too heavy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content warnings: abuse, kidnapping.
Jessie and Brooke were both easy to like. Their personalities balanced each other well, and I enjoyed watching them figure things out together. That said, I never fully connected to them on an emotional level. Their chemistry worked on the surface, but I didn’t always feel the tension or intensity that the situation seemed to call for.
The pacing was a mix of fast and slow. Some parts had great momentum, while others dragged a bit. The writing itself is smooth and easy to read, which made it simple to stay engaged.
This is a good book for when you just want to go along for the ride and enjoy the story. It’s entertaining and accessible, and it works best if you don’t overthink the details. A few things didn’t quite add up or felt convenient, but if you’re reading for the experience rather than the logic, it’s a fun journey to take.
Overall, Run Away With Me is a solid, easy read that delivers on plot and atmosphere more than emotional depth. It’s the kind of story you pick up when you want something engaging but not too heavy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content warnings: abuse, kidnapping.
June 6, 2025
Run Away With Me is a YA road trip novel centered around Jessie (nicknamed Mouse), who decides to flee town after uncovering something upsetting when she gets home from school. Just as she’s about to make her escape, Brooke — her longtime crush — shows up in a classic Mustang and offers to run away with her. Their destination? Disneyland. But as expected, nothing goes quite to plan. Along the way, the girls encounter shady situations, questionable motels, and the comfort of a well-loved cassette tape soundtrack. While there’s a touch of romance, the story leans more heavily into coming-of-age themes, trauma, and character growth — sometimes in jarring ways. I found the premise really intriguing, but I’m not entirely convinced the YA category fits. Some parts felt too juvenile, while others dealt with intense, sometimes far-fetched scenarios that felt more suited to older characters. I think it might have worked better if Jessie and Brooke were in their early twenties rather than teens. Neither girl has done anything that fully justifies the drastic choice to run away — Brooke’s motivations seem rooted more in a desire to escape the pressure of her privileged life, while Jessie’s reasons are a bit more complex (and best left unspoiled). Overall, this was a fun idea with good bones, but I think it needed a bit more development to really land. I’d still recommend it if you’re in the mood for something quick and a bit dramatic. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC ahead of its release on June 5th!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews