It's been years since Carly Vega's parents were deported. She lives with her brother, studies hard, and works at a convenience store to contribute to getting her parents back from Mexico. Arden Moss used to be the star quarterback at school. He dated popular blondes and had fun with his older sister, Amber. But now Amber's dead, and Arden blames his father, the town sheriff who wouldn't acknowledge Amber's mental illness. Arden refuses to fulfil whatever his conservative father expects. All Carly wants is to stay under the radar and do what her family expects. All Arden wants is to not do what his family expects. When their paths cross, they each realize they've been living according to others. Carly and Arden's journey toward their true hearts-and one another-is funny, romantic, and sometimes harsh.
Initial thoughts: I generally liked Joyride but I wasn't particularly wowed either. The characters were alright. Personally, I couldn't really get behind this pranking thing but to act their own. I felt the most sympathetic towards the sibling relationship between Carly and Julio. They parents had been deported, leaving the two of them behind. That made their dynamic rather complicated, which is something that was portrayed well. As for the relationship between Carly and Arden? It was supposed to be fun, I guess, but it did get annoying at times.
