Ellen Meister’s Joyride is a charming, heartfelt novel that blends humor, hope, and healing. Joybird Martin, a relentlessly optimistic Uber driver with dreams of becoming a life coach, lights up every page with her infectious spirit. As she juggles caring for her grumpy, down-on-his-luck father and navigating a budding romance with a Wall Street exec, Joybird’s journey is as much about guiding others as it is about finding herself. Meister masterfully balances quirky wit with emotional depth, delivering a feel-good story that’s both uplifting and sincere. A breezy yet meaningful ride well worth taking.

Joybird’s optimism is a breath of fresh air from all the other books that begin with the heroine in a darker place. Her name is strange but very fitting. It’s a sweet, feel-good book I won’t forget anytime soon.

"Joyride" was not the thrill I had hoped it might be. It's filled with toxic males and poor examples of women. I can't tell you how many times I considered not finishing it, but I kept thinking perhaps the extreme characters were intended solely to show their redemption arcs. Nah... The individual who seems to have her act together the most is the one who's continually stoned.

This story concept had so much potential, but it truly fell short of the mark, in my opinion.

Thank you to Ellen Meister, Montlake and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

Author Ellen Meister aptly describes her latest book, Joyride, as “quirky, funny, poignant, Brooklyn, and . . . life coach!” Inspiration for the story struck years ago. She sought to craft a story putting “two very opposite characters together -- a cheerful and painfully earnest young woman (think Leslie Knope from Parks and Rec) and a cynical, sarcastic father (think Dr. House meets Dorothy Parker).” But the path to publication was long – Meister wrote and published two other books before she completed Joyride and rewrote the novel numerous times before she knew she had accomplished her goal.

When Meister’s protagonist, Joybird Martin, is asked whether that is her real first name, she assures the person inquiring that her late mother, a poet, named her. (Meister relates that the name “flew in on the wings of a muse!”) Joybird’s mother was prescient. The name perfectly suits the thirty-one-year-old eking out a living in Brooklyn as an Uber driver. She is also studying Spanish in order to be able to comfortably converse with more of her customers because she enjoys talking with them as she delivers them to their destinations. She recently completed a course on life coaching and is continuing to hone her skills until she is able to open her own practice.

In the meantime, when handsome and stylish Devon Cato, a Wall Street Equities Analyst gets into her pale blue Honda, Joybird invites him to tell her about his day. Her attempts to cheer Devon up after a miserable workday do not go unnoticed. It's Devon who proposes the concept of a mobile life coaching service to Joybird, calling it “Joybird's Coaching Coach” and offering to connect her with someone who can set up a website for her. Joybird prefers "Joyride." But she's skeptical. Wouldn't clients prefer to meet with her in the lovely office she has been trying to save up enough money to rent? Or at least via Zoom?

Devon also suggests that they have dinner together. But Joybird has always been "drawn to artists, poets, idealists. Ambition unsettled her." So she can't imagine herself being compatible with someone like Devon -- a stockbroker. She's attracted to Noah Pearlman, a recovering addict and barista, with whom she serves at the Brooklyn Chapter of Mightier than the Sword, an organization that helps people express being marginalized through writing. She sees Noah as a man with a big heart and passion for helping others, while Devon initially suggested life coaching might be an extremely lucrative profession. But Noah has not asked Joybird out on a date, and she has yet to work up the courage to make the first move. But true to her character, Joybird soon chastises herself for judging Devon harshly "for his values -- the literal content of his character."

Joybird does need to enhance her income, though. Her father, Sid Marcus, recently landed on her doorstep and, in order to make room for him to move in with her, she had to ask her roommate, with whom she shared rent and other expenses, to move out. After a highly successful thirty-year career as a television writer in Hollywood, Sid has been canceled, a casualty of his own repugnant behavior and the #MeToo movement. Joybird isn't privy to the details, nor does she want to be. He views himself as a victim. He's unemployed. His business manager swindled him. His third marriage is over. And even though Sid abandoned Joybird when she was just six years old (he preferred to pursue his Hollywood career, leaving Joybird with her mother, who died two years later), she took him in and has been relentless with her upbeat encouragement, insistent that he can get his life and career back on track. But Sid prefers to wallow, hanging out in Joybird's apartment, ordering food to be delivered (he was wealthy for so long he has no appreciation of the need to live within Joybird's modest budget), and pretending to be pitching and developing scripts.

Joybird and Sid, total opposites, are living out “an intergenerational ‘Odd Couple’ conflict,” according to Meister.

Sid takes an odd trip down memory lane, reminiscing about Donna DeLuca, a girl he knew in high school. Sid is convinced that he saw her in a restaurant for the first time in forty years. But he froze, unable to approach her. Joybird becomes convinced that if she can just find Donna and reunite her and Sid, there is a chance Sid can find happiness. Because despite all of the ways in which he has disappointed her, Sid remains the one person in Joybird's life she has always wanted to make happy.

Hilarity ensues as Joybird searches for Donna with the assistance and support of Devon and her upstairs neighbor, Betty Simon. Betty is a seventy-something-year-old retired journalist and free spirit who loves to blast her Joni Mitchell albums, bake brownies containing a little something extra, and gives Joybird unconditional support and acceptance. She is also bluntly honest with Sid. And easily the most delightful character in a story populated with flawed, exasperating, and yet endearingly believable characters. Betty is the friend everyone wishes they had -- quirky, unapologetically genuine, and unafraid to lovingly but firmly point out when someone is wrong.

And as the hunt for the mysterious Donna proceeds, Joybird does, in fact, begin providing life coaching services from her Honda, thanks to a wealthy customer who sets out to make Joybird her private chauffeur. Instead, after Joybird helps her, she refers her friends who need advice about life, encouraging them to take a ride with the upbeat young woman who has an inherent talent for making people feel better. And Joybird’s relationships with Devon and Noah unfold (and one of them unravels) in a manner that feels organic and utterly unforced as Joybird discovers and embraces her own power and right to make choices that feel right for her.

Meister’s proven skill at crafting believable banter is prominently on display in Joyride, as is her enviable ability to employ unique plot devices and comedic developments to tackle serious subjects. She wisely does not just relate the story from Joybird’s viewpoint. Her inclusion of Sid’s perspective elevates the story and evokes an intense emotional response from readers. Ironically, early drafts of the book were written entirely from Sid’s viewpoint, but Meister was advised he was too unpleasant and unlikable. Meister was committed to presenting Sid’s perspective, finding him gruff, but often hilarious. Asking readers to love him proved too monumental a task. Eventually, it was toning down his anger that permitted Meister to find just the right tone.

And while Sid is still angry, he is primarily a narcissistic, abrasive alcoholic who has made many, many mistakes in his life. He is aware of his failures. He was not completely honest with Joybird about his reappearance because he did not want her to know about the life-altering, frightening experience that jolted him into feeling that he could not waste any more time before attempting to set things right with his daughter. He sincerely wants to make amends by selling a script that will generate enough income to provide security for Joybird and help his daughter take a more realistic look at the world. He legitimately fears that if Joybird doesn’t “toughen up,” her seemingly unbreakable spirit will eventually be crushed. But Sid is not great at staying on task and despite his best intentions, relapses into old, destructive patterns.

As for Joybird, she may be exceedingly optimistic, but she is not altogether naïve. She, like Sid, possesses a great deal of self-awareness. She understands that her childhood fantasies were at odds with the truth about her parents’ marriage and her father’s abandonment. She carries the scars and, from time to time, events trigger the pain of being left behind. It is her insight that fuels her desire to help others by guiding them beyond disappointment and pain to happy lives. She also recognizes that her father’s often inappropriate and downright crass behavior springs from his own pain and appreciates that he wants to be a better father to her than he was in the past.

In true Meister form, Joyride is more than an enjoyable tale about an idealistic young woman intent on overcoming obstacles in order to achieve a goal. At the outset, Joybird and Sid find themselves on an unexpected path forged out of Joybird’s refusal to abandon the man who did exactly that to her, and Sid’s desire to atone for the pain he caused the daughter he truly loved but had no ability (or desire in those days) to parent. The story is a multi-layered examination of the evolution of a father-daughter relationship through understanding, acceptance, and, ultimately, forgiveness of each other and themselves. Meister has once again created a seemingly light, frothy, and sometimes madcap story that, upon closer inspection, has real depth and emotional resonance.

Joybird and Betty are easy characters to love, but Meister really shines when she deftly humanizes Sid, inspiring readers to cheer for him to finally get his priorities and life in order. As the story opens, there is precious little about Sid to like, but Meister gradually reveals that there is, of course, much more to Sid and despite his horrid behavior, he does love and wants the best for Joybird. As will readers. There is no villain in Joyride. Rather, Meister has again invented a troop of flawed human beings who have experienced hurt, sustained losses and, in spite of their faults, care deeply for each other.

Joyride is a charmingly entertaining and riveting, well . . . joyride of witty dialogue and funny situations. It’s also thought-provoking. Meiser notes that she “wanted to love these characters deeply enough to fully understand their points of view and forgive their flaws” and the story succeeds primarily because Meister’s obvious compassion for her characters and the dilemmas they navigate is infectious.

Fast-paced, fun, and full of heart 🚗✨. Joyride takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster with humour, adventure, and a touch of mystery. Ellen Meister crafts a story that’s both wildly entertaining and surprisingly heartfelt, with characters who leap off the page and stay with you. I loved the balance of high-stakes drama and tender, introspective moments. It’s the kind of book that keeps you turning pages, cheering for the characters, and reflecting on life’s wild ride. Perfect for fans of clever, feel-good fiction.

Joybird is an overly optimistic Uber driver who is trying to save money to start her own life coaching business while also helping her down-on-his luck father get back on his feet. She befriends one of her fares who suggests she start her business from her car, helping people while she drives them around. This was okay. The father was particularly unlikable and Joybird not being able to see people treating her poorly was annoying, but I guess that was all intentional so I can't really fault it. 3 stars though.

I loved this book so much! I thought it was such a sweet and heartwarming book and I loved the concept of having an Uber driver as a life coach. I thought that was a really unique concept. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I loved the mystery part of tracking down Donna and just all the people Joybird gets to try and help. It was just such a cozy heartwarming book that I read at just the right time when I needed it. I look forward to reading this author’s backlist

A fun lightheaded and beautiful slice of life book about dad-daughter duo who empowered and encouraged me to never give up and always keep a smile 😁

DNF.

I’m sorry but I just could NOT get through this. The second hand embarrassment I was getting was torture. Also FMCs name is Joybird… JOYBIRD. No no no.

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾!

I might be reading too many “dads who weren’t emotionally available books”. Here is another one. I found the premise of the book to be charming—Joybird is an upbeat Uber-driver/life coach intent on finding her dad’s lost love. Unfortunately, the execution was a little lacking—I wanted to slap some sense into Joybird, and I hate feeling like that about a main character. I only really cared about Betty. Still, if you can look past the tweeness, you might find some joy in reading this.

⭐ 2.5 (Story)
⭐ 4 (Narrator)
🌶️ .25
📚 Tropes/Themes: chick lit, love triangle, opposites attract, personal growth, Uber driver life coach
👀 Dual POV 3rd person
🎙️Single narration (Sarah Noughton)
⏰ Approx 8 hours
🧠 Triggers: mentions of mental health struggles, attempted suicide
🛍️ Available: Now

💬 I'm not totally sure why I requested this one, and honestly at first I thought I would just dnf it but I started it during a two hour drive and I needed something to listen to. It did eventually pull me in.

Genuinely not sure what to think about this book. I don't really like the fmc, I find her unbelievably naive, toxically positive, immature and I feel like this book just goes a little too far with stereotypes and tropes. But there's a part of me that wonders is if the reason it's so heavy-handed with the characterizations is because it's trying to make a statement? (If this is the case then it's well done 🤣)

On one hand you have the liberal/"woke" guy who is her love interest but he's just a jackass, and on the other hand you have the most likely politically moderate, capitalist finance bro who is actually a decent guy, and then there's her dad, who is, well I'll just be honest here, he sounds like every negative Boomer stereotype you see trotted out on social media.... but a big chunk of the story is her trying to help him find his lost love while simultaneously silently judging and denigrating him.

I don't hate it, but I don't think that Joybird is someone that I would be friends with tbh. Maybe I'm just a jerk but I think she's just too nice, and the way she kept talking herself out of being with Devon was irritating, especially when it was ✨SO OBVIOUS✨ what a terrible person Noah is.

I did like the personal growth she and her dad went through, and was pleasantly surprised that most of the POV bounced between Joybird and Sid (Syd?). But for the most part, the only characters I liked were Riley and Betty.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This was a fun, quirky book with an underlying layer of something deeper. Joybird is an uber driver/life coach...what a fresh storyline! She was fully a Miss Sunshine character always trying to find good and sharing positive with those around her despite her less than sunny background. She was almost too pure (unrealistic) in her goodness and felt much younger than her 31 years, but I still adored her and was routing for her to get a happy ending. What I didn't like about Joybird is her almost obsessive need to make her father happy (and Sid was a horrible, selfish person who didn't deserve her devotion!!). Also, the way Joybird was keeping a distance and judging Devon (book boyfriend alert! Loved him!!) in the beginning compared to how she was with Noah (grrrrr!!) Thankfully, she finally wakes up to the truth about both men and makes better choices...eventually. I really wanted Joybird to keep her joyful outlook, but at the same time grow a backbone! lol
Betty was a great side character and made dealing with Sid a little more tolerable.

Overall, an enjoyable and original read!

4 stars

Joybird's enthusiasm and naivete started as charming and quickly became cloying. I wanted her to kick her dad out and boot Noah as well. I liked the resolution, but I wanted her to wise up way earlier.

I was hooked from the beginning!!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

Thank you to Ellen Meister and Montlake for letting me read this ARC via NetGalley.

Genre: Contemporary Fiction
📍: NYC
Vibes: 🚗🗽💬💖😂🧠🌈🍩📚🎭
Rating: 3.25⭐
Tropes: father-daughter dynamics / life coaching / romantic tension - love triangle / personal growth / dual pov

Enjoyed the vibe of this book and how Joybird strives to remain positive and optimistic through everything that life throws at her and the stories that enter her Uber. She's not oblivious to the struggles that she encounters, and the second pov is her depressed father, Sid, who has (show)writer's block and is pining over a girl who got away in high school, who randomly shows back up in her life. Any mistake Joybird makes, she takes as a learning opportunity and I think more people in life need to take this perspective. There are a lot of characters and it was a little hard to keep track of them all at first.

Bestselling author Ellen Meister (favorite) returns following Divorce Towers with her tenth published novel, JOYRIDE — another exuberant and lively novel full of heart, wit, joy, charm, and positive vibes.

About...

Joybird Martin is a 31-year-old Uber driver with a pale blue Honda Accord in Brooklyn. She hasn't had an easy life; however, she remains positive and aspires to be a life coach. She is tenderhearted and compassionate, despite having experienced heartache and tragedy.

Her dad, who left when she was six, shows up at her apartment after many years. He and her mom divorced, and then her mom died. Her dad was of no help.

Sid is a former well-known TV writer with over 30 years of experience, who has left Los Angeles. He has been canceled. Unemployed. Three divorces, a crooked manager, and many bad decisions have landed him on her doorstep. He is toxic. He is also pining after a woman he lost years ago at Prep school, Donna DeLuca.

Joy meets Devon (as an Uber driver), a Wall Street handsome guy. He suggests she start her own Joybird's Coaching Coach or JoyRide, a unique concept where she can provide life coaching services to her Uber passengers. In this concept, Joy would use her time as an Uber driver to engage with her passengers, offering them life advice and coaching during their rides.

She is bubbly, positive, and loves to cheer people up and help them, getting them out of their crappy moods. But could her opinions land her in trouble, as well?

In addition, she learns that Devon may be attracted to her. Still, she is currently thinking of Noah, a former addict and barista, who is not interested in her for anything serious. This romantic triangle adds a layer of complexity to Joy's journey.

Could she do this and help people from the back seat of a ten-year-old Honda? A therapy office on wheels? Her biggest challenge is how to help her dad.

My thoughts...

JOYRIDE is a delightful journey with a cast of endearing, quirky, flawed characters, and a particularly charming protagonist, Joybird Martin, whom you'll find yourself deeply invested in and rooting for.

Meister's signature witty dialogue keeps the banter lively, showcasing a range of characters from the cynical, mischievous to the well-intentioned.

From the hilariously funny neighbor, Betty, to the cynical father, Sid, and the woman he still pines for, Donna— JOYRIDE is a comedy of errors that will keep you thoroughly entertained and amused.

It was fun following Joy on her journey from her courses, and her Joybird Uber/coaching business, trying to turn her dad around, solving problems for others, while figuring out her own life.

The open-ended nature of the story and the potential for further character development make me believe that there could be an ongoing sequel to JOYRIDE. I, for one, would love to continue following Joy's journey with a cast of new characters and their set of problems to solve.

Meister's skillful blend of complex, imperfect relationships, life struggles, family dynamics, human connections, and romance, while exploring highly charged topics in JOYRIDE, is a testament to her storytelling prowess.

The novel is a journey of self-discovery, friendship, family, and humor, filled with heart and joy. It delivers a hopeful and upbeat message, leaving readers with a profound sense of optimism and empowerment.

Recs...

JOYRIDE is for fans of the author and those who enjoy books by Viola Shipman, Katherine Center, Mary Kay Andrews, Elle Cosimano, Jennifer Weiner, Sarah Jio, Maddie Dawson, and Liz Alterman. It is particularly recommended for readers who appreciate heartwarming stories with a touch of humor, complex characters, and a focus on personal growth and relationships.

Thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for a gifted advanced review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: April 22, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars
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This was such an entertaining story!

So many fun characters - Joybird is an Uber driver with an aspiration to become a life coach. One night she picks up Devon, a Wall Street guru, that helps convince her to turn her Uber into Joyride where she gives advice while driving her clients. She meets a lot of interesting folks and drives them. There is a lot of self-discovery in the characters, and humor and a bit of romance. Overall interesting book and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Told from the points of view of Joybird and her father Sid. A few different strands including starting a new life coach business and trying to track down someone from both school.

In Joyride, Joybird Martin is an Uber driver who really wants to be a life coach. When she picks up Wall Street “type” Devon, he convinces her to offer life coaching to her fares—JoyRide. Unfortunately, that very clever business name is the thing I liked best about this book.

Joybird is relentlessly cheerful. Her father, Sid, lives with her and is relentlessly grumpy. He’s a former TV writer who has seemingly been blackballed in Hollywood for reasons that aren’t explained in the story. He’s eating her food and spending her money while being mean to every other character, and especially to her. She decides that she needs to find her father’s high school crush and get them together to turn his life around, and a good part of the story is taken up with this quest.

I liked Devon and wanted to care about Joybird but the character development just wasn’t there. Meister’s writing is solid, but I just couldn’t connect her characters.

Thanks to.NetGalley and Montlake for an eARC. Opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Joyride is a story story about Joybird, an Uber driver and life coach and her journey to "fix" her dad's life while struggling to live her own life. While there are moments of heartwarming and funny, I find myself more often getting frustrated at Joybird's antics and poor decisions. I also don't really care for her father's pov.

Unfortunately, this book just did not work for me as I can't root for the characters and their bad decisions.