What a lovely life affirming story .It is funny ,sometimes sad but oh so uplifting !.Maxine and Alex are car sharing as they both want to go to Brussels but for very different reasons ! Alex is young ,depressed an old soul and Maxine is 90 going on 50 very wise and full of energy and life .The pair of them form a very unlikely friendship and change each others lives for ever .There are escapades and fun along the way this is such a lovely sweet book .Many thanks to the Piublisher ,the Author and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review .

“The Car Share” by new to me author Zoe Brisby was a wonderful, delightful and entertaining read. On a recommendation from a friend, I was glad to be extended an opportunity to read this story.

Alex and Max both want to drive to Brussels for their underlying causes. When Alex, a 25-year-old student riddled with depression arrives in front of retirement home, little did he expect that his passenger would be 70-, 80- , oh well 90-something Max and thus the journey begins. On the carpool to Brussels to complete their self-serving missions, they become therapists for one another’s problems and wind up opening and putting all on the table…he going to find a friend and she is ending everything before Alzheimer makes her whole world at a loss. Unaware of Max’s intent, Alex finds himself on a whirlwind adventure when they are wanted by the police. He is presumed to be a druggie kidnapper who has deep depression problems out to end everything and taking with him a well to do member of society. Although this story was translated from French, it did not lose its intent or savor although I did find it quite a bit longer to read than I usually do with other books. Oh, how I loved Max and the handbag that had everything but the kitchen sink and the way she puts her own spin on quotes or phrases.

You got to love this book as it will make you laugh and make you cry. It is a story that brings two people to life and each learning to enjoy life for what its worth. So funny but heartfelt. This was a page turner for me and unfortunately, had to put down to sleep. Highly recommend the read.

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review of this book.

4.25 super cute stars

This book has some fun characters (and a beautiful cover!) that will be sure to bring some sunshine to your life. You never quite know how things will go when you share a car for a road trip with a stranger. In this case, Alex is headed to Brussels and wants to save a bit on the expense, so he agrees to bring Max(ine) along for the ride, picking her up outside her retirement home.

You need to know that Alex is a young man struggling with depression, anxiety, and heartbreak and Max is a 90-year-old woman suffering from Alzheimer’s. Together they are quite the pair! They get into a load of trouble along the way, and I loved how Max seemed to have an amazing collection of things they would need in her handbag! This one made me laugh with how ridiculous a few situations turned out.

The two develop an offbeat friendship and turn out to be really good for each other. Max has some trouble with expressions, she says “it’s running like dock work” for example and takes pains to explain to Alex that this is so much more correct than “running like clockwork” as dockworkers need to work as a team. The two have a great banter throughout the book.

This one was a quick enjoyable read that left me uplifted at the end!

Alex and Max both want to drive to Brussels, so they use an online carshare App to meet up, neither is what the other expects, there's much confusion from the beginning.
So starts an extraordinary couple of days on the road, during which they have adventures aplenty, whilst discovering who they really are.
Quirky, hilarious and very French!
Translated well although some of the humour is more French than English.
An enjoyable read, and a good laugh.
Thank you for the early read NetGalley and Hodder.

Fanciful and Farcical....in all the best ways!!

Alex is an “old soul” trapped in the body of a depressed 25 year old.

When asked for three interests on the carshare.com website, he thinks of Herbal tea, camels and American soul music. But, he can’t say that! So, he goes with Museums, traveling and literature-hoping to attract a young lady to accompany him on his trek to Brussels.

Max is age “none of your business” and enjoys mechanics, whisky and the Tour de France.

In reality, Maxine is a spry nonagenarian, who claps like a little girl when she gets excited, and who loves to make an entrance! She thinks that she has Alzheimer’s and needs to get to Brussels. Alex sounds dull, but since SHE seems to be the only one offering a Carshare to Brussels, Max accepts the offer and pays the fee.

She soon realizes that Alex isn’t a young lady, nor the “drug addict” she feared he might be, when she buckled into her seatbelt, but rather a shy lad lacking in confidence who needed to be coaxed out of his bell. (Or is it, out of his shell?) Maxine is always getting the words in common phrases confused!

You never know what might come out of her mouth, or her enormous handbag!

If you enjoyed last year’s “Anxious People” by Fredrik Backman, about a bank robbery gone wrong, you will definitely want to hitch a ride on this road trip, gone awry!!

It is just as humorous and uplifting! 🎈

Also, if you read the AUTHOR’s NOTE, at the end of the book-you will discover one more surprise! 🚗

This book was translated from the French by Kelly Ramke Lardin and will be available on March 25, 2021!

Thank You to Hodder and Stoughton, for my gifted copy, provided through NetGalley!
It was my pleasure to provide a candid review!

It is a heartwarming story about two very different people having a great adventure together. With carshare you never know who you end up with as a travellling companion. Both Alex and Max had expected someone different from the person who turned up so they nearly missed each other. But soon the awkward situation begins to change and in the end they get really fond of each other.
They both are very likeable people and they have hilarious adventures on the road. Older people are often invisible in a our society. However, although Maxine is an old lady, she proves that the elderly can be just as interesting as the young and they can teach a couple of tricks to the younger generation.
I wasexcited to read in the author's note that there is an extra chapter that shows the characters five years later. I wrote to the e-mail address given and got Chapter 64 from the author -thanks again, Zoe Brisby. I loved it just like the whole story.
I can recommend this book to everyone who likes reading about the oldaer generation and quirky characters.

When Alex pulls up to meet ''Max,'' he expects everythng but a ninety year old lady who has her heart set on getting to Brussels by carpool. Max (Maxine) could not be more ill at ease when settling into the seat next to the young man with bloodshot eyes. God help her if he turns out to be a drug addiict. Max is suffering from Alzheimers and wants to take matters into her own hands while she still can. Alex battles severe deresssion. A wonderful fiendship starts to form between the unlikely pair.

Aalex and Maxine are sharing a car ride from France to Brussels. He is twenty five and she is ninety. You'd think they wouldn't get on, but it soon becomes apparent that they actually ave a lot in common. We join them on thir hunorous journey. Max always manages to get her quotes mixed up. This is one of those books that make you feel good even though it deals with health issues. Alex and Max are great characters. Loved this book.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #HodderStoughton and the author #ZoeBrisby for my ARC of #TheCarShare in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley Zoe Brisby and Hodder & Staughton for the ARC copy of this book. This is my personal review.
Alex and Maxine are to people unlikely to ever meet in life until they share a ride to Brussels.
Alex is 25 and Maxine is in her 90’s. Nothing in common to share while on this trip and yet they have a ride that will forever change their lives.
This book has everything a person could want to read in a book. It is heartwarming, heart tugging, hilarious, and one that will stay with me forever. It sees a true friendship between Alex and Maxine grow that is wonderful.

There is nothing more an adventure/mission needs than a Prada shop, an armed robbery, kareoke, Mongolian head wear and dodgem cars!! I adored Maxine and her expressions. This may be a work of fiction but Maxine gave me inspiration for my own life. I simply adored this book!!!! Thanks you to the publisher, Netgalley and of course Zoe for taking me on this car share road trip!!!

Alex advertises for a car share from Paris to Brussels and Maxine is to be his companion. He’s young, very depressed, she’s 90 something but young in her head. He’s going to Brussels to find a friend from a while ago and she’s going to end things before Alzheimer’s renders all lost. So fasten your seatbelts folks as this is like no other journey, possibly ever!

I absolutely love this book - what a mad caper as the pair cause utter mayhem which leads to a huge amount of laughter. I don’t think I have ever laughed as much during the course of a book as I have with this one, it’s joyful genius. The intrepid pair are polar opposites. Maxine is adorable, she’s incredibly creative, her wit is razor sharp and she sure thinks very calmly on her feet. She’s like no other 90, 80, 70, 60 year old .... whatever age she feels in her head, I mean she knows who David Guetta is!!!! Alex starts out so depressed, he looks shocking, in fact Maxine thinks he looks like a ‘druggie’. Their dialogue is witty, clever, and hilarious. Alex feels old in Paris whereas Maxine feels young, he sees the world in black and white while she sees it in Ultra HD despite the sadness and tragedy in her life. She’s wise and knowledgeable although she could be making stuff up, it’s entirely possible!! I love her malapropisms and somehow her expressions fit better such as Fascist- Sisters (Fashionistas. See? Way better). The car becomes a kind of confessional for both of them as she brings him back to life and he learns joy and zest for life through their mad escapades. How big is Maxine’s handbag? It must be humongous with all the amazing objects she produces for it. Especially useful is the rotating beacon which they put to excellent use in a traffic jam.

Overall, just read it! It’s fantastic and life affirming, it’s funny, a little bit sad and emotional in places but some tears are happy tears especially at the end. Maxine is a gift not just to Alex but also to us though he gives her the greatest gift of all. I love it - can you tell??!!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I had requested this book because the blurb seemed very promising and a few days later the publisher reached out to me to ask if I would read and review it. I was meant to read it, obviously!
The characters are definitely an odd couple: Maxime a 90something year old lady with Alzheimer who flees from a retirement home to go to Brussels in order to kill herself, and Alex a 25 year old student suffering from depression.
They carpool together and during the journey they get to know each other and decide to save each other's life.
The story is funny and heartwarming, a very nice, quick, light read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alex and Maxine are both suffering from loneliness and depression and now they sharing the ride to Brussels from France. Here's the thing- he's 25 and she's in her 90s. Talk about a odd couple! They do, however, as it turns out, have more in common with one another than you, or they, might think. Maxine is coping with Alzheimer's and while Brisby doesn't make light of it, she does go for the lighter side. The same is true for Alex. This is one of those reads where there are small surprises. It's obviously character driven but the fact that the chapters are short makes it feel lighter somehow. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

Alex and Maxine meet by agreeing to car share to Brussels, both are expecting someone completely different. This starts a book about a funny, touching story of two people at totally different times in their lives Alex struggling with depression and his place in the world and Maxine convinced she has Altizimers, wanting to end it all on her terms. Well written the book pulls you along on the strange journey of two strangers trying to save each other.

Reviewed on Facebook too

Great characters, great read, if you want to smile and laugh then this is the book for you. Well written and a real pleasure to read. 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

Super cute read. It reminded me a bit of Anxious People by Frederik Bachman, one of my favorite books. I love that the author invited readers to reach out to her for an extra chapter. I must add that the translator did a great job. The only reason I didn’t give this 5 stars is because I didn’t like how the narrator changed so frequently, often in the middle of a paragraph.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving m the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. I loved this book it made me laugh out loud, the characters were great and it was also thought provoking.

Absolutly brilliant. A must read. Two great characters. I loved Maxine . She was one amazing woman and it does make you think about assisted dying. Alex was lovely. The yurt part was lovely and the pizza delivery. I won't spoil the ending but I think it was perfect

I enjoyed reading this fun book about two opposites who share a journey together through a ride share app. If you are looking for a light, fun read, then I would recommend this story!

With thanks to #Hodderandstoughton for an early copy in return for an honest opinion.
Firstly I would just like to say what an amazing read, its a book filled with positivity laughs a minute heartache and Compassion ❤ I truly loved the tale of Alex and Max age has no barrier,do what makes your heart sing life is for living.
Two lost souls 1 car 🚗 and an outstandingly escapade await you.

Where to begin with how much I enjoyed this book? I'd give it 5+++stars if I could.
Alex and Maxine are two strangers who meet up for a ride share to go to Brussels from somewhere in France. Alex is a depressed young man who wants to find an old crush. Maxine is a senior citizen in her 90's who wants to get to a clinic for a special treatment.

I was hooked from the first paragraph. It was hysterical. How can you not love a spunky old lady?
And while Alex wasn't the happiest person, he was witty & patient with her.

Sample quote:
"He hadn’t even been able to keep his Furby alive . . . His goldfish had died of boredom. When he was a child, his turtles had exhibited kamikaze tendencies, jumping from the small palm tree in their tank on top of the chest of drawers because life with him had seemed so unbearable. His hamsters were long gone. They escaped, and he never saw them again. If he hadn’t been able to save his own pets, how was he going to save this old lady?"

This is a translated book but there was nothing lost in the translation. And as with most translations, the English version can be a bit longer or wordier. This was not the case with this book. The chapters are short and moves at a quick pace. And just how big was Maxine's bag? It was epic Mary Poppins! I want to be on a trip w/someone carrying that bag.

One of the best long-running joke is that Maxine is charming with her zest for living life as she doesn't feel her age nor act appropriately. (ie. as a younger senior citizen instead of someone in her 90's) And the way she messes up colloquialisms.

An example quote of that:
"So I'm sensing that something has got your boat. Tell me what it is; we need to clear the bear."

"People in glass houses shouldn't throw bones."

Some of my other favorite sample quotes:
"What's going on? Why are you panicking? Where are the drugs?"
By now Alex had retained his wits a little. "What drugs?"
"We don't have time to play games. Just tell me! We need to hide them. If necessary, we can each swallow some, but I must warn you that I didn't have any prunes today, so you might not recover your merchandise right away."

"No, gay gay! Homosexual, I made a fool of myself. I lectured him about respect for others. I think I even ended with 'Long live free France."
"That does sound like you crossed the wine."

"He asked me point blank, 'Are you married?' 'No,' I replied. 'Good, then I won't have to fight a duel. I'm terrible at fencing, and it's difficult to find a musket these days. We'll be married within the year!".....Six months later, they were married.

Overall, it was sweet story with laugh out loud clever writing. Charming characters and an engaging story.

FYI: At the end of the ebook ARC, there is info to click on a link to receive an epilogue chapter. When I contacted the author, she mentioned that it will not be included in the print version of the book but it will still be available and there will be info in how to retrieve it. I encourage everyone who enjoyed the book to check out the author's website, Facebook page or if provided; the email in order to get that bonus chapter. It was well worth it!!!!