Anywhere You Go is a tale of two women who have nothing in common except the need to get out of town. Eleanor, a career-driven woman, has recently had a massive disruption to her job as a publicist in New York. Tatum, a small-town girl working at a diner, needs to escape an unexpected bout of family drama. They connect and switch homes for a week, leading to romance and life changes for both of them.
This one was suggested to me as a queer version of Nancy Meyer’s The Holiday, and it certainly has that vibe, but it has its own distinctive approach to storytelling that makes it more than just a copy of that movie. The thing that stood out to me was the characterization. Bridget Morrissey has spun a tale I think I really needed right now where the queer aspects of the major players are all well represented but in a way that feels natural. The character of Carson stood out to me. I had reservations with how they were initially presented but they grew into my favorite character—a delicious non-binary mix of trauma and hope. I also had a little trepidation when they and Eleanor hooked up within like three minutes of meeting, but as I read on, I realized that Eleanor and Tatum are on reverse journeys. Eleanor travels from passion to emotional intimacy, while Tatum has to dare to move from the friend zone to a passionate love affair.
Both romances are told in parallel, with the viewpoint shifting between Eleanor and Tatum. While I was more enthralled with Eleanor’s journey, both were great stories. If I had any complaints, it might be with how Tatum’s family is resolved, but that is a small matter, and
I thoroughly enjoyed this. The book is available for pre-order
https://www.amazon.com/Anywhere-You-Go-Bridget-Morrissey/dp/0593817125
Editors note I was given a review copy of this book by Penguin Random house.
All opinions are my own.
Paper Phoenix ink 