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Ride with Me: A Contemporary YA Romance - When a No-Strings Driver Crashes Into a Charming Party Boy
In this charming, contemporary YA novel, neighborhood rideshare driver Charlie Owens embarks on a collision course with love when she crashes into the school’s cute but annoying party boy and wrecks his car and her no-strings-attached attitude toward life.
As a driver for her local ride share app, Charlie Owens loves what the open road gives her: freedom, extra cash for an epic road trip, and a path to getting out of her sleepy town of Chester Falls, Massachusetts. She’s seen her fair share of mysterious passengers and explosive break-ups in the backseat of her car, but Charlie lives a no-strings-attached lifestyle and never gets involved.
But when a routine post-party pick-up ends with Charlie crashing into Andre, her school’s notorious party boy, she’s forced to make a deal to drive him anywhere he needs to go, anytime, until his car can be repaired. Suddenly Charlie and Andre are stuck together, and they couldn’t be more different. But Andre’s charm wins over Charlie’s passengers, and she soon finds herself at risk of breaking her most sacred rule: don’t fall in love.
As a driver for her local ride share app, Charlie Owens loves what the open road gives her: freedom, extra cash for an epic road trip, and a path to getting out of her sleepy town of Chester Falls, Massachusetts. She’s seen her fair share of mysterious passengers and explosive break-ups in the backseat of her car, but Charlie lives a no-strings-attached lifestyle and never gets involved.
But when a routine post-party pick-up ends with Charlie crashing into Andre, her school’s notorious party boy, she’s forced to make a deal to drive him anywhere he needs to go, anytime, until his car can be repaired. Suddenly Charlie and Andre are stuck together, and they couldn’t be more different. But Andre’s charm wins over Charlie’s passengers, and she soon finds herself at risk of breaking her most sacred rule: don’t fall in love.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 28, 2022
47 people are currently reading
6476 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Keating
3 books516 followersLucy lives in Somerville, Massachusetts with her husband and scruffy dog.
When she's not writing, Lucy can usually be found anxiety-baking, bingeing TV shows, or having what she feels are perfectly acceptable conversations with her dog, Ernie.
You can follow Lucy on Instagram @lucy.keating, and Ernie The Dog @ernsboberns
When she's not writing, Lucy can usually be found anxiety-baking, bingeing TV shows, or having what she feels are perfectly acceptable conversations with her dog, Ernie.
You can follow Lucy on Instagram @lucy.keating, and Ernie The Dog @ernsboberns
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 283 reviews
April 15, 2022
I’m going to keep this short: I expected more from this book. From the blurb I was looking forward to a sweet YA Romance with a sprinkling of crazy passengers and a dash of drama. Instead, I got a book about art that I have no interest in, a relationship that made no sense, and an insufferable main character that had me skimming pages like a fraudster on payday.
What didn’t do it for me:
1. Charlie was pretty boring at first and then she gradually declined to insufferable. At the beginning of the book, she is constantly ditching her friends to make money to go on vacation, but she didn’t even really have a plan for that yet. I get if you have to make money for college or bills or something else. But ditching your friends just so you can save up to maybe go somewhere or do something one day? That doesn’t seem practical or like something a real person would do. And this is coming from the person who was worried about retirement at 14 years old…
As the story progresses, we see her become very judgy of not just Andre, but her friends, family, celebrity influencers, and random passengers she picks up. For someone with no real purpose in life, she sure seems very critical of others.
2. Andre having a secret girlfriend for the first half of the book was just weird. Also, who let’s you drive that far, saying they’ll drive you back home, just to break up with you after you arrive?!? Kinda a d*ck move. BUT he sure didn’t waste any time getting over that 3-year relationship, did he!
3. Charlie and Andre had zero chemistry in my opinion. They went from negative one billion to sixty really fast and it wasn’t believable or likable. I don’t think I’ve ever scowled at my Kindle so much. (So sorry baby!)
4. Too much of this book was about her rideshare and art. That’s all fine and dandy, but not why I picked up this book.
What I liked:
1. There was a Big Lebowski reference, complete with White Russians. That was cool.
2. All I kept thinking about was “Ride Wit Me” by Nelly, so suffice to say, my Pandora has some additional likes on it now and can stop being a cranky b*tch about my stations being “too niche”. I LIKE WHAT I LIKE!
Overall, the writing was fine, the plot and characters just didn't keep me hooked personally. If you like quick reads and teenaged enemies-to-lovers, this very well could be the perfect book for you!
I received a copy of this ARC from NetGalley and Clarion Books in exchange for my honest review.
What didn’t do it for me:
1. Charlie was pretty boring at first and then she gradually declined to insufferable. At the beginning of the book, she is constantly ditching her friends to make money to go on vacation, but she didn’t even really have a plan for that yet. I get if you have to make money for college or bills or something else. But ditching your friends just so you can save up to maybe go somewhere or do something one day? That doesn’t seem practical or like something a real person would do. And this is coming from the person who was worried about retirement at 14 years old…
As the story progresses, we see her become very judgy of not just Andre, but her friends, family, celebrity influencers, and random passengers she picks up. For someone with no real purpose in life, she sure seems very critical of others.
2. Andre having a secret girlfriend for the first half of the book was just weird. Also, who let’s you drive that far, saying they’ll drive you back home, just to break up with you after you arrive?!? Kinda a d*ck move. BUT he sure didn’t waste any time getting over that 3-year relationship, did he!
3. Charlie and Andre had zero chemistry in my opinion. They went from negative one billion to sixty really fast and it wasn’t believable or likable. I don’t think I’ve ever scowled at my Kindle so much. (So sorry baby!)
4. Too much of this book was about her rideshare and art. That’s all fine and dandy, but not why I picked up this book.
What I liked:
1. There was a Big Lebowski reference, complete with White Russians. That was cool.
2. All I kept thinking about was “Ride Wit Me” by Nelly, so suffice to say, my Pandora has some additional likes on it now and can stop being a cranky b*tch about my stations being “too niche”. I LIKE WHAT I LIKE!
Overall, the writing was fine, the plot and characters just didn't keep me hooked personally. If you like quick reads and teenaged enemies-to-lovers, this very well could be the perfect book for you!
I received a copy of this ARC from NetGalley and Clarion Books in exchange for my honest review.
October 3, 2023
Cute, but nothing wow! Potrivită pentru tineri (12-16 ani)
July 4, 2022
CUTE BUT STALE, ON SALE.
This started out so so good, you have no idea. And then it kind of lowered ?? And kept going down?? And now it's possibly resting down below with Hades and Cerberus with a cup of hellish tea.
Thank you, Kay Kay for standing my rants during our buddy read!
This started out so so good, you have no idea. And then it kind of lowered ?? And kept going down?? And now it's possibly resting down below with Hades and Cerberus with a cup of hellish tea.
Thank you, Kay Kay for standing my rants during our buddy read!
January 24, 2022
I adore Lucy Keating books and this did not disappoint!! The sweetest love letter to New England, new love, old buildings, and those long summer drives that feel infinite and magical <3
April 18, 2022
I loved this one so much--such a love letter to Western Mass, high school friendships, and arty, ambitious girls.
February 15, 2022
Thank you Lucy and Netgalley for providing me this e-arc!
Lucy's books always comfort me in some ways, she never disappoint. And when I tell you I enjoyed every moment of this book I kid you not.
So the story is About Charlie Owens, a high school student who dreams of leaving her small town, Chester Falls. She works as a driver for a local app that is called Backseat in order to save up some money for a road trip she's planning for. Everything's going according plan until she accidentally hit Andre Minasian's car, and in the fear of Andre reporting her to backseat (because she can not risk losing that job unless she wanna kiss that road trip goodbye) she makes a deal to drive him anywhere, anytime he needs to be until he fixes his car.
Charlie is not the talkative type, likes to keep her distance and does not like to stick her nose in people's matters. She's also hardworking and loves to keep everything in control and obsessed with planning a future out of Chester Falls.
Andre is quite the opposite, he never shuts up, he charms his way so easily into people's hearts, he never misses a party, he makes opening conversations sound so easy and he loves Chester Falls from the bottom of his heart.
You see? When Charlie and Andre cross paths they help each other see what they're missing. He teaches her that Chester Falls is more than a small sleepy town. In return she opens his eyes and makes him see that he can have more than what he's settling for.
Ride with me was such a lovely read, such a page turner and it actually helped me get over my reading slump.
Thank you Lucy for turning these words into such a lovely story!
“Certain parts of our life aren’t meant to be forever. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t shape who we are.”
Lucy's books always comfort me in some ways, she never disappoint. And when I tell you I enjoyed every moment of this book I kid you not.
“You always think you have everyone mapped out, but human beings are complex. You need to have more faith in people.”
So the story is About Charlie Owens, a high school student who dreams of leaving her small town, Chester Falls. She works as a driver for a local app that is called Backseat in order to save up some money for a road trip she's planning for. Everything's going according plan until she accidentally hit Andre Minasian's car, and in the fear of Andre reporting her to backseat (because she can not risk losing that job unless she wanna kiss that road trip goodbye) she makes a deal to drive him anywhere, anytime he needs to be until he fixes his car.
“I like you, even though you trashed my car and refused to pay me back, and even if you make me talk to fourteen-year olds every morning before I’ve finished my coffee. I like you. Do you like me?”
Charlie is not the talkative type, likes to keep her distance and does not like to stick her nose in people's matters. She's also hardworking and loves to keep everything in control and obsessed with planning a future out of Chester Falls.
Andre is quite the opposite, he never shuts up, he charms his way so easily into people's hearts, he never misses a party, he makes opening conversations sound so easy and he loves Chester Falls from the bottom of his heart.
You see? When Charlie and Andre cross paths they help each other see what they're missing. He teaches her that Chester Falls is more than a small sleepy town. In return she opens his eyes and makes him see that he can have more than what he's settling for.
Ride with me was such a lovely read, such a page turner and it actually helped me get over my reading slump.
Thank you Lucy for turning these words into such a lovely story!
January 13, 2022
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book.
This book has so many relevant things going on you have to love it. The book revolves around high school student Charlie Morgan. She is a go getter and knows what she wants in life. She is driving for Backseat (UBER) to earn money to travel the US. She wants to be an architect and wants to study different types of art. Her parents are artsy type folks, who seem to have run into a rut lately with their work and their relationship. Charlie desperately wants to move out as soon as possible. That is until she hit Andre with her car and things suddenly go awry.
I loved this book. The characters are fun and the plot is fast paced. It's also very relevant for our times. It's a PG rated book. There is romance, but no sex scenes. So a great YA Romance for your shelves.
This book has so many relevant things going on you have to love it. The book revolves around high school student Charlie Morgan. She is a go getter and knows what she wants in life. She is driving for Backseat (UBER) to earn money to travel the US. She wants to be an architect and wants to study different types of art. Her parents are artsy type folks, who seem to have run into a rut lately with their work and their relationship. Charlie desperately wants to move out as soon as possible. That is until she hit Andre with her car and things suddenly go awry.
I loved this book. The characters are fun and the plot is fast paced. It's also very relevant for our times. It's a PG rated book. There is romance, but no sex scenes. So a great YA Romance for your shelves.
July 25, 2022
July 2022:
read this and more reviews on Frayed Books:
http://frayedbooks.wordpress.com
I’m a big fan of Lucy Keating’s debut novel, Dreamology, and after her sophomore novel Literally out in 2017, she’s been quiet on the writing front. Needless to say, when I saw she had a book coming out in 2022 I was beyond excited to read her third novel!
Unfortunately Ride With Me was a bit of a let down. I thought the premise was really unique, a high school girl, Charlie, who drives for a local rideshare app to make some extra money. Things are going well until one night at a party she hits the ‘party boy’s’ car. In exchange for him not reporting the accident to the rideshare app, she agrees to give Andre rides whenever and wherever he wants until his car is fixed.
Charlie was a pretty interesting character, she wants to become an architect and her old town has some great architecture to study and learn from. This story focused a lot more on art, architecture, and redecorating than I expected it too, but as an artist myself, I enjoyed that.
Andre on the other hand gave me the creeps right from the beginning. He just gave off some wrong vibes – first off, Charlie hits his 1989 car as he’s returning from a “beer run” for the party – a 17/18 year old senior high school student. Going for a beer run. And yet Charlie saw nothing wrong about that? (Incase you aren’t American, the legal age to drink/buy alcohol in the US is 21.) Sure Andre can report Charlie for hitting his car, but can’t she report him for buying alcohol underage? The situation felt wrong to me.
She agrees to drive him and he always wants to sit in the front seat, and starts chatting with her customers/riders and getting to know them, as Andre is a popular kid at school who seems to know everybody. On the one hand, it’s nice that Andre genuinely seems to care about his classmates and see how they’re doing. On the other hand, Andre just gave me a twisting feeling in my stomach for the first few chapters he was in. I eventually got over it and saw he was an okay guy, but first impressions are everything.
While Charlie’s career goals are interesting (architecture) she ends up blowing off her friends the entire storyline for her driving job, and I don’t even know how they’re friends with her. She ignores them when they want to talk or invite her to hang out. And she acts similarly with her parents, ignoring their authority and thinking she knows better.
I get it. This is young adult. This is what a sixteen year old character does. But I didn’t like it in this story. I considered DNF-ing probably around 30-40% but I pushed on and I was let down, as I had a feeling I would be. I really, truly, genuinely wanted to like this story but I just couldn’t.
Honestly, this felt like a story the publisher wanted and one they thought would sell well.
I do still plan to read whatever Lucy Keating writes next!
Audiobook Thoughts
I thought the audio narration was okay and had an easy to listen to pleasant voice. You wouldn’t miss anything if you skipped out on the audio though, I don’t felt it added anything to the story.
Recommend?
I’m giving this 2.5 stars and rounded down to 2 on Goodreads. I was thinking of rounding up to 3, but I really didn’t enjoy this as much as I had wanted to.
If you’re looking for a unique premise of a high school girl driving for a local rideshare app who is very much into architecture and hopes to go to college to study it, I would say give this one a try! It just wasn’t the right story for me personally.
Frayed Books - blog | twitter | bookstagram | fb
___________________________
February 2021:
A NEW LUCY KEATING BOOK?! HECK YEAH SIGN ME UP!!!!!
...see y'all in 2022.
read this and more reviews on Frayed Books:
http://frayedbooks.wordpress.com
I’m a big fan of Lucy Keating’s debut novel, Dreamology, and after her sophomore novel Literally out in 2017, she’s been quiet on the writing front. Needless to say, when I saw she had a book coming out in 2022 I was beyond excited to read her third novel!
Unfortunately Ride With Me was a bit of a let down. I thought the premise was really unique, a high school girl, Charlie, who drives for a local rideshare app to make some extra money. Things are going well until one night at a party she hits the ‘party boy’s’ car. In exchange for him not reporting the accident to the rideshare app, she agrees to give Andre rides whenever and wherever he wants until his car is fixed.
Charlie was a pretty interesting character, she wants to become an architect and her old town has some great architecture to study and learn from. This story focused a lot more on art, architecture, and redecorating than I expected it too, but as an artist myself, I enjoyed that.
Andre on the other hand gave me the creeps right from the beginning. He just gave off some wrong vibes – first off, Charlie hits his 1989 car as he’s returning from a “beer run” for the party – a 17/18 year old senior high school student. Going for a beer run. And yet Charlie saw nothing wrong about that? (Incase you aren’t American, the legal age to drink/buy alcohol in the US is 21.) Sure Andre can report Charlie for hitting his car, but can’t she report him for buying alcohol underage? The situation felt wrong to me.
She agrees to drive him and he always wants to sit in the front seat, and starts chatting with her customers/riders and getting to know them, as Andre is a popular kid at school who seems to know everybody. On the one hand, it’s nice that Andre genuinely seems to care about his classmates and see how they’re doing. On the other hand, Andre just gave me a twisting feeling in my stomach for the first few chapters he was in. I eventually got over it and saw he was an okay guy, but first impressions are everything.
While Charlie’s career goals are interesting (architecture) she ends up blowing off her friends the entire storyline for her driving job, and I don’t even know how they’re friends with her. She ignores them when they want to talk or invite her to hang out. And she acts similarly with her parents, ignoring their authority and thinking she knows better.
I get it. This is young adult. This is what a sixteen year old character does. But I didn’t like it in this story. I considered DNF-ing probably around 30-40% but I pushed on and I was let down, as I had a feeling I would be. I really, truly, genuinely wanted to like this story but I just couldn’t.
Honestly, this felt like a story the publisher wanted and one they thought would sell well.
I do still plan to read whatever Lucy Keating writes next!
Audiobook Thoughts
I thought the audio narration was okay and had an easy to listen to pleasant voice. You wouldn’t miss anything if you skipped out on the audio though, I don’t felt it added anything to the story.
Recommend?
I’m giving this 2.5 stars and rounded down to 2 on Goodreads. I was thinking of rounding up to 3, but I really didn’t enjoy this as much as I had wanted to.
If you’re looking for a unique premise of a high school girl driving for a local rideshare app who is very much into architecture and hopes to go to college to study it, I would say give this one a try! It just wasn’t the right story for me personally.
Frayed Books - blog | twitter | bookstagram | fb
___________________________
February 2021:
A NEW LUCY KEATING BOOK?! HECK YEAH SIGN ME UP!!!!!
...see y'all in 2022.
December 12, 2021
A new Lucy Keating book at long last!! I really enjoyed it! I didn't feel like it had all of the quirkiness and uniqueness of her other books, and that made me a bit sad... but it was still a good read! I also really wanted to punch the main character in the face for some of her actions. I didn't LOVE her but I liked her well enough. Same with Andre - he was lovely but I felt like he could've used just a little something extra. I really liked Charlie's parents - I would've liked more of their story instead of them just being something kind of hovering around on the sidelines for the purpose of Charlie having something to be mad about. All in all... enjoyable, great romance, a good amount of humor!
October 20, 2024
easy and quick read but not much really happened at all so it was just okay
December 22, 2021
This book reminded me of Laura Taylor Namey’s book, The Library of Lost Things.
So much more than a YA romance. Loved the characters!!
So much more than a YA romance. Loved the characters!!
December 23, 2021
Received this ARC last week and thought this book was a cute quick read.
The premise of the book is actually a really cute idea that I can see young entrepreneurs getting on board with. Charlie is a driver for shared ride service, where she takes teenagers to places around town that they need to go. This is her job where she is saving up money to get out if her small hometown as soon as she graduates.
Then enter Andre, the senior whose car she hits on accident. In order for him not to turn her in, she promises to drive him wherever he needs to go. Where Charlie can’t wait to leave, Andre is afraid to go.
The book releases in June 2022. I will definitely be ordering a copy of this to add to my classroom library.
The premise of the book is actually a really cute idea that I can see young entrepreneurs getting on board with. Charlie is a driver for shared ride service, where she takes teenagers to places around town that they need to go. This is her job where she is saving up money to get out if her small hometown as soon as she graduates.
Then enter Andre, the senior whose car she hits on accident. In order for him not to turn her in, she promises to drive him wherever he needs to go. Where Charlie can’t wait to leave, Andre is afraid to go.
The book releases in June 2022. I will definitely be ordering a copy of this to add to my classroom library.
December 25, 2022
I do love Lucy and her words, so I was eager to get to this story.
I really liked Charlie and Andre. She's wound a bit tight with her eyes on the future. He's everyone's friend and living in the now. Together they have loads of button pushing and it was delightful seeing them figure things out. There's a pretty big cast of characters here and I'll admit I confused (or forgot) a few of them.
Plot wise, it was a bit slow, but I get the intention behind it. I definitely needed to see Charlie and Andre's growth, both as individuals and as a couple. I loved all of the architectural and art aspects and the epilogue really worked for me.
Overall, this was a sweet read with characters who were easy to root for. I can't wait to see what Lucy shares next.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
I really liked Charlie and Andre. She's wound a bit tight with her eyes on the future. He's everyone's friend and living in the now. Together they have loads of button pushing and it was delightful seeing them figure things out. There's a pretty big cast of characters here and I'll admit I confused (or forgot) a few of them.
Plot wise, it was a bit slow, but I get the intention behind it. I definitely needed to see Charlie and Andre's growth, both as individuals and as a couple. I loved all of the architectural and art aspects and the epilogue really worked for me.
Overall, this was a sweet read with characters who were easy to root for. I can't wait to see what Lucy shares next.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
August 21, 2022
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via Edelweiss. This in no way impacted on my view.
Charlie Owens has found the perfect job as a driver for her school's ride share app. She loves driving the quiet streets, and the extra money is perfect to help her save for college. When she crashes into Andre car, and realises she won't be able to pay for the damages, she agrees to drive him around, free of charge, as long as he doesn't report her to the app. As she spends more time with Andre, and realises he isn't just the party boy that everyone thought he was, Charlie soon realises that these are the favourite moments of her day, and when a misunderstanding leads to them not spending time together, she misses him more than she ever expected she would.
I was really looking forward to this book, and was overjoyed to be approved for the eARC. I liked the premise of the story, and the idea of a school having a ride sharing app was a novelty to me, especially considering I'm English, and this would never happen here. I liked Charlie, but she sometimes got on my nerves a little, and was too stubborn in her ways. She obsessed too much on money, and her want to get out of town, that she neglected her friends, and she acted her parents were the worst for staying in the town, and not exploring more. Andre was definitely a better character, and he was approachable and able to talk to anyone and everyone. I felt that while they were an okay couple, I didn't get any major chemistry between them, and felt like, honestly, Andre was too good for Charlie. The whole interlude with her art work was okay, but went on a little too much, and took away from the enjoyment of the book as a whole.
Charlie Owens has found the perfect job as a driver for her school's ride share app. She loves driving the quiet streets, and the extra money is perfect to help her save for college. When she crashes into Andre car, and realises she won't be able to pay for the damages, she agrees to drive him around, free of charge, as long as he doesn't report her to the app. As she spends more time with Andre, and realises he isn't just the party boy that everyone thought he was, Charlie soon realises that these are the favourite moments of her day, and when a misunderstanding leads to them not spending time together, she misses him more than she ever expected she would.
I was really looking forward to this book, and was overjoyed to be approved for the eARC. I liked the premise of the story, and the idea of a school having a ride sharing app was a novelty to me, especially considering I'm English, and this would never happen here. I liked Charlie, but she sometimes got on my nerves a little, and was too stubborn in her ways. She obsessed too much on money, and her want to get out of town, that she neglected her friends, and she acted her parents were the worst for staying in the town, and not exploring more. Andre was definitely a better character, and he was approachable and able to talk to anyone and everyone. I felt that while they were an okay couple, I didn't get any major chemistry between them, and felt like, honestly, Andre was too good for Charlie. The whole interlude with her art work was okay, but went on a little too much, and took away from the enjoyment of the book as a whole.
March 15, 2022
Come catch a ride with Charlie while she figures out life and love. Charlie has everything figured out. She's working furiously at a ride share to make money to take a road trip over the summer. When she gets an opportunity to intern with a design architect, it just fuels her even more. But when she accidentally bumps into another car leaving a party with a rider, she suddenly finds herself at the mercy of the cat's owner so he won't report her.
This was a fun story, but I had a few small issues. This takes place in NY state I think? I was a little lost on the time of the year this was. But later in the book, they say it's May and then that they've been hanging out for two months. So, they were swimming in April? In New York? Wouldn't that be cold? Maybe not, I don't know, but it just seems like it was summery for a really long time, even though it wasn't actually summer in any of the book. I also didn't think Charlie's determination was as bad as everyone else thought it was. 🤷♀️
This was a fun story, but I had a few small issues. This takes place in NY state I think? I was a little lost on the time of the year this was. But later in the book, they say it's May and then that they've been hanging out for two months. So, they were swimming in April? In New York? Wouldn't that be cold? Maybe not, I don't know, but it just seems like it was summery for a really long time, even though it wasn't actually summer in any of the book. I also didn't think Charlie's determination was as bad as everyone else thought it was. 🤷♀️
October 23, 2021
Ride With Me is the coming of age story of Charlie - a teenage girl trying to find her niche in the world. She drives for a ride share service (think lyft or uber) to make money so she can go on a cross country summer trip. And ultimately so she can escape the trappings of her small town life. Charlie is obsessed with leaving her small town behind and making something of her life. She's convinced that all those she's leaving behind (her parents, friends, neighbors) are "stuck" and are only staying because they have no other options.
When Charlie meets Andre, she begins to question if her small town isn't so much "confining" as it is "defining" who she is as a person...that the roots we plant can help us flourish, not hold us back. Andre helps Charlie see that in her desperation to move forward, she's been missing out on so many amazing things already surrounding her. In turn, Charlie helps Andre realize there is more to life than what meets the eye.
I liked that Charlie was an independent, well spoken, intelligent, and goal driven teenage girl. She wasn't depicted as "boy-crazy" or willing to do anything to fit in or be liked. She had a plan for her life and was working hard to see it come to fruition. I also appreciated that this felt like an appropriate "romance" for the YA level. The emotions and relationships were not too mature or advanced - it was a book I'd be comfortable with my middle schooler reading. The frequent depiction of underage drinking did give me pause... but I know that's sadly reality these days and it wasn't really glorified so much as it was exhibited.
Ride With Me is a romance, but it's so much more than just falling in love with a boy, it's about falling in love with yourself, your family, and your roots.
Thank you to Clarion Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
When Charlie meets Andre, she begins to question if her small town isn't so much "confining" as it is "defining" who she is as a person...that the roots we plant can help us flourish, not hold us back. Andre helps Charlie see that in her desperation to move forward, she's been missing out on so many amazing things already surrounding her. In turn, Charlie helps Andre realize there is more to life than what meets the eye.
I liked that Charlie was an independent, well spoken, intelligent, and goal driven teenage girl. She wasn't depicted as "boy-crazy" or willing to do anything to fit in or be liked. She had a plan for her life and was working hard to see it come to fruition. I also appreciated that this felt like an appropriate "romance" for the YA level. The emotions and relationships were not too mature or advanced - it was a book I'd be comfortable with my middle schooler reading. The frequent depiction of underage drinking did give me pause... but I know that's sadly reality these days and it wasn't really glorified so much as it was exhibited.
Ride With Me is a romance, but it's so much more than just falling in love with a boy, it's about falling in love with yourself, your family, and your roots.
Thank you to Clarion Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
January 18, 2022
Charlie is determined to follow her dreams and get out of the small town she grew up in as soon as she can. Her dreams revolve around becoming an architect and finding the right path that leads her there. To earn money, she works for a rideshare company where she picks up high school students and takes them where they need to go. She is a good driver and very reliable. One day, she makes the mistake of hitting fellow student Andre's car while trying to get her ride home from a party. Not able to pay for the damages, she strikes a deal with the very popular Andre that she will drive him where he needs to go until his car is fixed. This becomes a daily adventure with Andre who, in turn, helps her riders by listening and finding solutions to their problems. Charlie also has a great cast of friends who she hangs out with along the way.
Can spending so much time getting to know Andre change her mind about him. Can they help each other find the true meaning of being happy and make each other braver along the way. Charlie just may find that what matters most is in the town you grew up in. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Can spending so much time getting to know Andre change her mind about him. Can they help each other find the true meaning of being happy and make each other braver along the way. Charlie just may find that what matters most is in the town you grew up in. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
December 20, 2021
3.5 ⭐
super cute coming of age read with some pretty good character development! I just didn't really connect with Charlie and Andre as a couple.
(thanks to NetGalley and Clarion Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review).
super cute coming of age read with some pretty good character development! I just didn't really connect with Charlie and Andre as a couple.
(thanks to NetGalley and Clarion Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review).
March 1, 2023
“This happens all the time in Riverdale” is something I never want to see in a book
June 4, 2022
Rating 3.75
I was sent an e-arc and will give my honest review.
I found myself struggling to get into this book at first and found Charlie the main character to be quite annoying.
However, I'm glad I stuck with it. Watching Charlie's character development, really ressonated with me. I started to really like Charlie as she came into her own and realised how to appreciate things and understand what she wanted to do with her life.
I loved Andre! His personality was so loveable and caring. He was so relatable and I appreciated his outlook on life.
I enjoyed watching the relationship between the two blossom and loved the banter between them.
A cute little romance and coming into your own read.
I was sent an e-arc and will give my honest review.
I found myself struggling to get into this book at first and found Charlie the main character to be quite annoying.
However, I'm glad I stuck with it. Watching Charlie's character development, really ressonated with me. I started to really like Charlie as she came into her own and realised how to appreciate things and understand what she wanted to do with her life.
I loved Andre! His personality was so loveable and caring. He was so relatable and I appreciated his outlook on life.
I enjoyed watching the relationship between the two blossom and loved the banter between them.
A cute little romance and coming into your own read.
June 27, 2022
A coming of age story and a small-town romance.
This book is soooo cute! If you're in a mood for a light summer read, this book is perfect for you. The aesthetics of Chester Falls, the architecture talks, the character development, and of course, the romance is ❤😫. Charlie and Andre are giving off grumpy/sunshine vibe. I also love that this book is not only about falling in love with a person but also it is about falling in love with a place.
Thank you NetGalley and Clarion books for the arc.
This book is soooo cute! If you're in a mood for a light summer read, this book is perfect for you. The aesthetics of Chester Falls, the architecture talks, the character development, and of course, the romance is ❤😫. Charlie and Andre are giving off grumpy/sunshine vibe. I also love that this book is not only about falling in love with a person but also it is about falling in love with a place.
Thank you NetGalley and Clarion books for the arc.
April 13, 2022
Thank you NetGalley, Lucy Keating and the publisher for this ARC. Thought this book was a very easy read. It was a super feel good, super cute young adult book. This got me out of a real reading slump, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
October 5, 2022
Delightful. Chester Falls was the cute small town you hope it’ll be. And Andre and Charlie have so much ground to cover (pun intended).
I loved the take on hometowns and change. Charlie was lovable and naive and wise all at the same time.
I loved the take on hometowns and change. Charlie was lovable and naive and wise all at the same time.
June 17, 2022
This one was cute! I'll admit that I went into it expecting way more romance, but I'm honestly happy it wasn't there. Andre and Charlie didn't have the chemistry to carry an entire book, so keeping the romance minimal was a smart move.
While other reviewers have complained about it, I actually loved the rideshare and art scenes. The rideshare scenes were fun, simply because they introduced a ton of quirky characters. (Shout out to Jasper and Reggie, they were adorable) Plus, they served as the backdrop for the connection between out characters, so they were kinda necessary... As for the art scenes, you could tell the author had a passion for it. Those were described so vividly they practically jumped off the page. Even though I'm not interested in art or architecture at all, I loved reading about Charlie's interest in it.
I also really loved Charlie's parents. They barely got any page time, and I wanted so much more from them. Their relationship was dysfunctional, but it also felt real. They had so much potential
Charlie and Andre also had a lot of potential, but there's was barely used. By the end of the book, I almost preferred them as friends. As friends, they were energetic and quirky. As a couple, there seemed to be in constant arguments. I do appreciate that Keating kept them apart until about the 80% mark though, there was no instalove (thankfully!!)
Id warn anyone looking for romance off of this one, as it didn't deliver on that point. I'd recommend it to anyone else though, because it does an amazing job of tackling the pressures of living in a small town, and the push to stay or go. I really enjoyed this!
Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
While other reviewers have complained about it, I actually loved the rideshare and art scenes. The rideshare scenes were fun, simply because they introduced a ton of quirky characters. (Shout out to Jasper and Reggie, they were adorable) Plus, they served as the backdrop for the connection between out characters, so they were kinda necessary... As for the art scenes, you could tell the author had a passion for it. Those were described so vividly they practically jumped off the page. Even though I'm not interested in art or architecture at all, I loved reading about Charlie's interest in it.
I also really loved Charlie's parents. They barely got any page time, and I wanted so much more from them. Their relationship was dysfunctional, but it also felt real. They had so much potential
Charlie and Andre also had a lot of potential, but there's was barely used. By the end of the book, I almost preferred them as friends. As friends, they were energetic and quirky. As a couple, there seemed to be in constant arguments. I do appreciate that Keating kept them apart until about the 80% mark though, there was no instalove (thankfully!!)
Id warn anyone looking for romance off of this one, as it didn't deliver on that point. I'd recommend it to anyone else though, because it does an amazing job of tackling the pressures of living in a small town, and the push to stay or go. I really enjoyed this!
Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
October 31, 2023
Charlie este o adolescentă șoferiță, care dorește să adune bani pentru o călătorie memorabilă și nu numai, “jobul” este o portiță spre libertate, da-i oferă și oportunitatea de a mai schimba peisajul. Însă în timpul unei curse, face accident și îi avariază mașina petrecărețului școlii, fiind nevoită să facă un pact cu acesta: să-l ducă peste tot unde are nevoie, până mașina îi va fi reparată. Că vor, că nu vor, pactul îi aduce împreună mai mult decât și-ar dori și ajung să se cunoască din ce în ce mai bine. De la un angajament la iubire este doar un pas, însă va fi acesta făcut? 🙈
M-am apucat de “Te duc undeva?” dintr-un impuls, am vrut o lectură lejeră, pe lângă celelalte trei de 600+ pagini pe care le aveam începute, iar când am găsit-o pe audiotribe în format audio, am știut că e un semn. S-a nimerit la fix, întrucât nu am reușit să citesc fizic nimic, trebuie să fiu mami 24/24 și să las cititoarea deoparte, momentan 🙈…mai sunt și zile astfel, de când a venit Casi. A fost exact ce am avut nevoie, o lectură lejeră, care să nu mă solicite mult psihic sau să fie nevoie să fiu extrem de atentă datorită acțiunii, a mers ca unsă și m-a relaxat, eram destul de tensionată cu Casi 🙈🤣.
Charlie chiar este un exemplu de urmat, în rândul adolescenților, ceea ce am apreciat. Prea multe titluri cu adolescenți dezlănțuiți, ea chiar a fost potolită, pe partea asta, și mi-a plăcut. Știu că s-au schimbat vremurile de când eram eu adolescentă, dar totuși, e nevoie și de puțin control.
Nu pot să spun că a fost o carte cu o acțiune ieșită din comun, ceva special anume la ea, însă este o carte foarte potrivită pentru adolescenți sau pentru cei care vor să înceapă a citi mai mult.
Este un young adult romance așa cum trebuie, natural, cu o poveste plăcută, adolescenți ambițioși și o iubire care te face să te topești de drăgășenie 🥰.
Vi-o recomand cu drag, mai ales dacă sunteți în căutare de o lectură relaxantă ❤️.
M-am apucat de “Te duc undeva?” dintr-un impuls, am vrut o lectură lejeră, pe lângă celelalte trei de 600+ pagini pe care le aveam începute, iar când am găsit-o pe audiotribe în format audio, am știut că e un semn. S-a nimerit la fix, întrucât nu am reușit să citesc fizic nimic, trebuie să fiu mami 24/24 și să las cititoarea deoparte, momentan 🙈…mai sunt și zile astfel, de când a venit Casi. A fost exact ce am avut nevoie, o lectură lejeră, care să nu mă solicite mult psihic sau să fie nevoie să fiu extrem de atentă datorită acțiunii, a mers ca unsă și m-a relaxat, eram destul de tensionată cu Casi 🙈🤣.
Charlie chiar este un exemplu de urmat, în rândul adolescenților, ceea ce am apreciat. Prea multe titluri cu adolescenți dezlănțuiți, ea chiar a fost potolită, pe partea asta, și mi-a plăcut. Știu că s-au schimbat vremurile de când eram eu adolescentă, dar totuși, e nevoie și de puțin control.
Nu pot să spun că a fost o carte cu o acțiune ieșită din comun, ceva special anume la ea, însă este o carte foarte potrivită pentru adolescenți sau pentru cei care vor să înceapă a citi mai mult.
Este un young adult romance așa cum trebuie, natural, cu o poveste plăcută, adolescenți ambițioși și o iubire care te face să te topești de drăgășenie 🥰.
Vi-o recomand cu drag, mai ales dacă sunteți în căutare de o lectură relaxantă ❤️.
April 29, 2022
I thought that this was the cute, fluffy YA romance that I expected it to be. This book didn’t really add anything to the genre or get me excited about what was happening so I felt like it was your run-of-the-mill YA contemporary romance.
I thought the premise was really interesting, though, and seeing the different people Charlie met on her drives was the most fun. One thing I did wish there was more of was smaller moments between Charlie and Andre that really cemented their chemistry and overall relationship. For some reason I had a bit of trouble completely seeing them together but they were still cute.
I still read this fairly quickly and enjoyed reading it in the moment. This was a fun and quick read so if you're looking for that then look no further!
I thought the premise was really interesting, though, and seeing the different people Charlie met on her drives was the most fun. One thing I did wish there was more of was smaller moments between Charlie and Andre that really cemented their chemistry and overall relationship. For some reason I had a bit of trouble completely seeing them together but they were still cute.
I still read this fairly quickly and enjoyed reading it in the moment. This was a fun and quick read so if you're looking for that then look no further!
October 1, 2021
Read it. That's all I have to say!
Just kidding, but it is genuinely that good. I loved how real Charlie, Andre, Tessa, Sydney, and Charlie and Andre's parents were! And all of the side characters? The little ones that were primarily mentioned when Charlie was carting them back and forth to their destinations? OH MY GOODNESS. I did not expect to love each and every little side character so much. They all have their own very distinct personalities.
It was amazing to go with Charlie and crew as they go through their own struggles and make mistakes, only to learn from those mistakes and repair broken relationships along the way.
This is one of my favorite reads for this year! :)
Just kidding, but it is genuinely that good. I loved how real Charlie, Andre, Tessa, Sydney, and Charlie and Andre's parents were! And all of the side characters? The little ones that were primarily mentioned when Charlie was carting them back and forth to their destinations? OH MY GOODNESS. I did not expect to love each and every little side character so much. They all have their own very distinct personalities.
It was amazing to go with Charlie and crew as they go through their own struggles and make mistakes, only to learn from those mistakes and repair broken relationships along the way.
This is one of my favorite reads for this year! :)
February 21, 2022
This is the cutest romance YA I’ve read, probably ever. The characters make this book impossible to put down and I read it in one sitting.
The plot kept things moving and kept it really relevant to our world today. This will keep teens interested in reading. I’d highly recommend this to teens that are just getting into reading, or aren’t into reading but want to get into it.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
The plot kept things moving and kept it really relevant to our world today. This will keep teens interested in reading. I’d highly recommend this to teens that are just getting into reading, or aren’t into reading but want to get into it.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
June 23, 2025
⭐ Rating: 4.5/5 || Recenzia pe Secretele Simonei
Super drăguță, ușor de citit și cu învățăminte. 😍
Super drăguță, ușor de citit și cu învățăminte. 😍
“– Adică, fizic, sigur, pot să vin oricând vreau, în funcție de locul unde o să merg la școală și ce fel de job o să am. Dar nu va mai fi niciodată la fel. Niciodată nu o să mă mai simt acasă aici, așa cum mă simt acum.” (p.201)
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