Allie & Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde -- Review

Title: Allie and Bea 
Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde 
Pages: 350
Publishing: Lake Union Publishing - May 23, 2017
ISBN: 1477819711

Synopsis: 

Bea has barely been scraping by since her husband died. After falling for a telephone scam, she loses everything and is forced to abandon her trailer. With only two-thirds of a tank in her old van, she heads toward the Pacific Ocean with her cat—on a mission to reclaim what’s rightfully hers, even if it means making others pay for what she lost.

When fifteen-year-old Allie’s parents are jailed for tax fraud, she’s sent to a group home. But when her life is threatened by another resident, she knows she has to get out. She escapes only to find she has nowhere to go—until fate throws Allie in Bea’s path.

Reluctant to trust each other, much less become friends, the two warily make their way up the Pacific Coast. Yet as their hearts open to friendship and love from the strangers they meet on their journey, they find the courage to forge their own unique family—and begin to see an imperfect world with new eyes.

Review: 

What an adorable story! This was my first book by Catherine Ryan Hyde and I will definitely be picking up more of her work in the future. The story was touching, the characters were relatable, and I was so sad to see the story end. I want more Allie and Bea! I started reading late one night and ended up staying up until I finished it. I'll be honest, I thought it was going to be just another cutesy contemporary, but it was so so much more. 

Bea is a widow who recently ran out of funds. She's on her own in her van when she comes across Allie in the middle of the road, a young girl who has just been placed in the foster system after a dramatic change in her life. Two unlikely characters are forced together, and they begin to learn things from one another whether they want to or not. Both ladies have something special about them that really draws the reader in and makes them so incredibly likable. 

Allie and Bea is a funny, touching, and thought provoking novel about two unlikely friends. It is filled with laughs, a few tears, some moments that really make you stop and think, and lots of love. I truly enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more novels written by Hyde. I would highly recommend this novel to someone looking for a fun summer read! 

Rating 5/5 

*I received this novel in exchange for an honest review.