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zbrarian's review
5.0
What a sweet YA romance. A love letter to architecture, hometowns and New England. Being a New Yorker, the author got the geography right! It’s a story about discovering that home is right in front of you, that even if you want to run from it, it will always be there for you. First love isn’t too bad either. Read this in one sitting. Nice romcom escape for the summer!
joyousreads132's review
2.0
Nowadays, I rarely venture to YA contemporary romance. I feel like I’ve aged out of this genre. But when I saw this book was available on Libby, I borrowed it with a little trepidation. I wasn’t expecting much so it came as a little surprise that it wasn’t my cup of tea.
Ride with Me features a character who is determined to leave the small-town life. She’s focused, driven, and a bit judgemental to those who finds life in their small-town sublime. Her family life lacks stability in a way that her parents couldn’t figure out if they should stay married or not. They are still living in the same house but are in denial. She works as a rideshare driver and saving up for when high school is over, and she will be released from prison that is her life.
So, when fate intervenes and puts her directly in the path of a boy who has the exact opposite disposition about moving forward and looking at the big wide world, she was determined to prove him wrong. Especially when her celebrity home renovation idol rolls into town and offer her a chance to be an intern on her design firm.
Charlie, our protagonist has two personalities: caring for her passengers, and sour to her home life and her small-town life. Extremes, to be honest. Because while I can admire her for going out of her way to gain 5-star reviews on the ride share app, she also goes out of her way to hate her living situation and her town. She’s fiercely independent which is admirable, but a little help never hurt anybody. To be honest, it didn’t take long until her personality devolved into something I can’t admire.
The relationship conflict between her and Andre was annoying at best. It’s the lack of communication trope that irks me with some romance novels. I wish people would talk more and not assign motives or jump to conclusions. Once an author includes this on their playbook, I’m done.
Ride with Me features a character who is determined to leave the small-town life. She’s focused, driven, and a bit judgemental to those who finds life in their small-town sublime. Her family life lacks stability in a way that her parents couldn’t figure out if they should stay married or not. They are still living in the same house but are in denial. She works as a rideshare driver and saving up for when high school is over, and she will be released from prison that is her life.
So, when fate intervenes and puts her directly in the path of a boy who has the exact opposite disposition about moving forward and looking at the big wide world, she was determined to prove him wrong. Especially when her celebrity home renovation idol rolls into town and offer her a chance to be an intern on her design firm.
Charlie, our protagonist has two personalities: caring for her passengers, and sour to her home life and her small-town life. Extremes, to be honest. Because while I can admire her for going out of her way to gain 5-star reviews on the ride share app, she also goes out of her way to hate her living situation and her town. She’s fiercely independent which is admirable, but a little help never hurt anybody. To be honest, it didn’t take long until her personality devolved into something I can’t admire.
The relationship conflict between her and Andre was annoying at best. It’s the lack of communication trope that irks me with some romance novels. I wish people would talk more and not assign motives or jump to conclusions. Once an author includes this on their playbook, I’m done.
jennsbookstack's review
3.0
I adored “Ride With Me” by Lucy Keating so much that I couldn’t put it down and read it in a day!
Charlie Owens is on the precipice of the great unknown: her future self and life after high school. She feels restless and is itching to get out of her small town life and away from her awkward & often frustrating parents. She has a plan and doesn’t want to deviate from “the plan.” Andre crashes into her life (well, maybe vice versa) & starts to upend her thinking and planning.
I loved that this YA novel has an innocence to it yet also speaks truthfully to the teenage experience. As a 41 year old mother, I still could appreciate and relate to this story about finding your own path and stepping into who YOU want to be. I’d recommend this to anyone but especially the teen readers in my life!
Thanks to #NetGalley for this advanced copy. All opinions are of course, my own.
Charlie Owens is on the precipice of the great unknown: her future self and life after high school. She feels restless and is itching to get out of her small town life and away from her awkward & often frustrating parents. She has a plan and doesn’t want to deviate from “the plan.” Andre crashes into her life (well, maybe vice versa) & starts to upend her thinking and planning.
I loved that this YA novel has an innocence to it yet also speaks truthfully to the teenage experience. As a 41 year old mother, I still could appreciate and relate to this story about finding your own path and stepping into who YOU want to be. I’d recommend this to anyone but especially the teen readers in my life!
Thanks to #NetGalley for this advanced copy. All opinions are of course, my own.
lisamparkin's review
4.0
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.
hailey2510's review
3.0
It was fine. I wasn’t that attached to the characters or the relationship. But they definitely didn’t last past the epilogue, they’re terrible with communication and such.
solaclara's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
paintbrush's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
carolina98's review
5.0
this book was so good i was just expecting a cute little ya rom com but i got so much more and i absolutely loved every second of it
sam_10's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25