Allie and Bea was such a refreshing read! I loved getting to know both characters and the relationship between the two of them was so heartwarming to see develop over the course of the story.

Bea, a widow whom lives off her social security check in a trailer, has been recently scammed into losing every penny to her name. Unsure of what to do next and embarrassed to be in such a predicament, Bea flees town. With no plan in place and living in her van, she takes the $20 borrowed from a friend and figures she’ll just see where the road takes her.

Allie, a teenager who’s parents were just arrested for tax fraud, finds herself in an all girls’ home. With a roommate who is threatening to kill her and a life that has been completely turned upside down, Allie escapes the group home in the middle of the night. Finding herself in a dangerous and horrific situation once she has escaped the home, she decides her chances of survival are better if she hitchhikes.

Little do either character realize that when Bea pulls over on the side of the road to a frantic and terrified Allie, their lives will both change. On a journey up the coast of California, we join two lost and damaged souls. Strangers who become family, Allie and Bea is the type of feel-good book we all need right now.

I loved the writing and how easy this book was to read. I savored my time with both Allie and Bea and rooted for their friendship the entire way. Although we currently can’t take a roadtrip right now, I recommend jumping in with Allie and Bea and see the ‘come to life’ realizations that the coast of California brings them!