I am writing this two years after reading this book and a smile crept to my face when I saw the title. I am sucker for lost love stories and seeing characters finally get the happy ending they deserve!

Three of my favourite authors come together in one fabulous book. Second chances are rare but these three tales are uplifting in the extreme. A huge bravo to all three

3.5 stars overall

I've probably said it before, but I'll say it again, novellas are tricky chimkens. Delivering them well is perhaps some of the ultimate trickiness. Wrapping up effectively an entire story in an inch of the time and space, requires some complex mojo, but in the case of all three novellas here, I'd like to say it's a job quite well done.

Jenny Frame's "My Forever Girl" works really well, with ex-wives Brayden and Faith hopping on board a cruise together and finding that perhaps they could have a second chance. Brayden took her family's fortune to the bin and Faith played her own hand in pushing Brayden away. Their meddling friends may just be right in bringing them all back together.

Brayden's character is honest and long suffering from her own devices and the evils of gambling. She's genuinely likeable, but doesn't even come close to liking herself. It takes Faith's forgiveness to bring her back.

I give "My Forever Girl" four stars.

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Carsen Taite's "Double Jeopardy" delivers a familiar story of the runaway bride, but it's complicated. Katie ran away once, but she's soon to give marriage a second chance ... or will she.

Emma saw Katie run away from her once before, so when they connect again just before Katie is about to tie the knot, there's a lot of baggage to work through.

Neither character was a super favourite of mine, and the story was pretty much a straight line in terms of predictions. Less entertaining, but still ok.

3 stars

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Anyone for whiskey? On the Rocks by Ali Vali, gives whiskey distiller Preston 'Max' Maxwell a second chance with long lost love Hayley Wyatt, apart from they're both gun shy and there are bandaids which need to be ripped off.

With some careful guidance (or blatant badgering), Max and Hayley get a second change.

Ok enough. 3 stars.

This anthology was okay, not great but readable and the stories were well-written and long enough to be interesting. I expected more from these three authors, and so I was a little disappointed.

My Forever Girl: 3 stars
Oddly, the MCs don’t get much physical description and secondary characters are described in detail even when they’re not important to the plot.
I liked the butch-femme dynamic but overall the story felt flat and without passion.

Double Jeopardy: 2.5 stars
The plot felt forced and the “twist” came out of nowhere. I didn’t really like either of the MCs.

On the Rocks: DNF
This story had the most potential, but got tedious quickly. The quirk of connecting the different POVs was interesting at first but it felt more and more forced as the story unfolded and pulled me out of the story. If I started with this one, I probably would have finished it, but by this time I was tired of lukewarm reads.

If you like second chance romances, this is a good book but there are definitely better out there.

Still Not Over You is a compilation of three novellas, each written individually by Jenny Frame, Carsen Taite and Ali Vali. I love romantic books that allow for a second chance at love and this book contains stories by three great romance writers.

Jenny Frame is the author of My Forever Girl. The story is based on two women who divorced as a result of family tragedy. They meet again on a cruise four years later and wonder if love is possible a second time.

Carsen Taite is the author of Double Jeopardy. In this story we have Katie, a runaway bride at two of her weddings. Prior to her third wedding, she reunites with Emma, Katie’s soulmate. Will she run again into the arms of Emma?

The last story is On the Rocks by Ali Vali. Preston is a whiskey distiller. Her college sweetheart, Hayley, who disappears right after graduation, reappears to work on an advertising program. Preston does not know why Hayley disappeared, but wants to be sure that Hayley is a permanent fixture in her life.

Readers will not go wrong by reading Still Not Over You. Although I am not a big fan of novellas, I did not want to pass on reading this book. I love the writings of all three authors. Their stories are solid and flow well. The characters are believable and are well developed.

I highly recommend Still Not Over You and rate this book with 5 out of 5 stars.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

These 3 novellas all had one thing in common that were executed in their own beautiful, unique ways. Past love and what one would do to get that love back and into the present.

Jenny Frame has steadily become one of my most favorite f/f writers and this book again shows how she uses her experiences and understandings of the world (and her native homeland) to weave a story that relays the struggles one must overcome within themselves to be happy again. I felt the deep pain Brayden struggled to overcome and move on with her life. Punishing one's self for so long and never asking for help is something that I hope no one I love ever has to go through. Like Faith was there for Brayden, I also hope to be able to provide support for someone who suffers like her and be able to show them that love will heal all wounds if given the chance.

Carsen Taite's Double Jeopardy was an interesting story. I had never read a story by this author before. I found the flashbacks and intrigue behind the whole love story and separation between Katie and Emma. The sacrifices one makes for love or lack of love was also well executed and I found myself yelling a lot for the characters as they made choices that would either help or hinder them. This story had a different kind of hurt than Frame's and seemed a little cliche but I loved it nonetheless. Sometimes cliche is just what one needs, and I needed it. I actually would have loved to see what happened after the ending as the future seemed uncertain for the chars.

Ali Vali is an author I have read once before and this story was very different from the normal romance book I read by them before. I want to say that it had all the potential that the other novellas had in the collection but there's always something about stories with a person owning a bar or whose family sells alcohol that is always hit or miss for me. This story was a miss for me. I did try to get into the character interactions, but it was difficult and half the time I lost track of whose point of view I was reading. I will say that this story admittedly seemed to have more 'realness' to it than the other two novellas. If someone is looking for a more grounded story, this might be for them. Myself, I found the other two to be unbelievable to an extent but I loved them all the more for it.

Overall, this is a nice collection with a bit of everything for one who loves to read about gaining back the love of your life after a period of hurt and separation and goes to show that one will never forget their first love.

I really like this trio of novellas. The idea that love never dies or we have a second chance at lost love is heartwarming. All of these are written by excellent authors and it shows regardless of word count. In all three the stories are deep, the characters well developed and the love strong. Sometimes you can't find any of that in a full length book, so kudos to the authors for a great job. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed these novellas. If you are believe that true love never dies, this is the collection for you. From old loves being thrown together on a cruise ship in hopes that a spark is still there. To a woman trying to reconnect with her ex a week before her wedding. Lastly, a whiskey distiller sees her college girlfriends years after her suddenly disappeared out of her life.
Feel good novellas that will make you believe that true love never dies.
Would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Each of the stories was cute and short. Carsen Taite is a personal favorite and her story couldn't be any better if it tried.

Second chance romance can be filled with confrontation, angst, honesty, pain, and possibly forgiveness. To some extent, all of the above was observed in one if not all three of the stories. Each story was unique in its own way. The three well-written and popular authors provided interesting and entertaining scripts that held my attention. I most liked and enjoyed the first one by Jenny Frame. Tragedy and lack of communication can indeed tear a family apart. The stories by Carsen Taite and Ali Vali were not as captivating though well-written with likable characters struggling with should I or should I not. Novelettes can feel a little incomplete and I think that is what holds me back from really enjoying all three.

My Forever Girl intrigued me as a plot for a story. Bray and Faith got divorced 4 years previously when their marriage blew up in multiple spectacular ways. But, then their best friends conspire to get them on the same cruise. It wasn't surprising what happened next, but, it also wasn't straight forward either.

I will say that I haven't always loved other Jenny Frame stories, but, I liked this one a lot. The relationship was very well done, in that, the blame and such was pretty perfectly balanced. There wasn't a 'bad guy' and a 'good guy' in the disintegration of the relationship.

In Double Jeopardy Katie is getting marriage to Anne, and boy oh boy is it complicated. Oh, and then Emma, the woman that Katie almost married, appears, and suddenly it's somehow even more complicated?

The plot was great, as were the characters in this short story/novellaette. Oh, and there were even characters from Taite's other series too, which was cool.

On the Rocks was fun. Preston is a whisky distiller in New Orleans. She and her family's distillery are looking for a new PR firm. Haley works for one of the firms looking to be hired by Preston's family. She and Preston have a past together too. Quite a fraught one and it's quite a bumpy ride to their happily ever after in this story too.

I liked the plot and the characters were awesome. Except for Josie. I get why I was supposed to like her, but, I just never could make myself like her at all.

I also felt like very near to the end it got a little jumbled story wise, or, location wise, or both? Still, it was a fun read, even if all of the liquor stuff went right over my head since I don't drink.

I really liked all the stories. They were all definitely short stories, but, none of them felt that way. They didn't have hanging plot lines, or feel like skeletons of stories, they were fully fleshed out and super fun to read.

I was given this ARC by Netgalley on behalf of Bold Strokes Books.

I enjoyed the second chances theme and the fact that the novellas were very different from one another. As much as I like all three authors though, this collection of novellas was more a miss than a hit for me. I found the butch-femme dynamic in the first story way too close to 1950s gender roles - Bray constantly referring to Faith, an adult woman, as her 'girl' and talking about being responsible for providing for her and protecting her, and the damsel in distress vibe Faith was giving out were very disturbing. I found the characters really old fashioned and struggled to finish the story. The second novella was slightly more intriguing, but despite being a huge Carsen Taite fan, the idea that someone would enter into an unwanted marriage as a business arrangement in this day and age was so far-fetched that the story just didn't grab me. The best one out of the three was the last story. The characters were likeable, the dialogue and storyline worked, and the chemistry was there. Being able to tell a well-developed story with multi-faceted characters at novella length is a rare feat, and I'm afraid this collection of novellas isn't one of my favourite ones.

Story 1: My Forever Girl
Not my favourite, but still a sweet story. I didn't love that there was so much, "I love you but you can't possibly still love me." I understand that they must be feeling insecure, but for a previously married couple, this seems to be a major area in which they can't read each other. I also wasn't a fan of the constant retelling of the backstory. There were enough pieces to put their history together not far into the book, but they kept revisiting it, dragging out every last detail. I didn't see that as necessary. My final criticism (I promise!) is the switching of perspectives. It doesn't bother me when we see into each character's minds, but it does when there isn't a clear transition. Sometimes there was a chapter break but sometimes there wasn't, and for a few sentences I was left trying to work out who was narrating.
I didn't dislike the story or anything, but these details took me out of it from time to time. Three stars.
Story 2: Double Jeopardy
This one made me feel warm and tingly. The backstory was perfect in its slow unveiling, and I enjoyed the moment when we fully understand why Katie left Emma at the altar. The blame is balanced out, and Katie's predicament is understandable and has no easy solution. The ending is perfect, with the rekindling of their relationship, just the barest glimpse into a new future. Five stars.
Story 3: On the Rocks
Ali Vali is the only one of the three that I've read before, so I had an idea of what I was getting into here. This was merely okay, not her best work, but I'm probably subconsciously comparing a novella to a full length novel. For me, the characters didn't click very well. It seemed like sex was one of their biggest connections way back in their relationship. I also really hated Josie. I understand the supportive friend angle, but seriously? Going out of her way to be rude to Preston/Max when Hayley was the one to run away? It was embarrassing on her part that Hayley had to constantly apologize for her behaviour. An overall average story, not much to dislike but unmemorable. Three stars.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book features three short stories about reunited lovers. The first story ‘My Forever Girl’ by Jenny Frame was easily my favourite. The MCs are Bray and Faith, who have been divorced for four years after some traumatic circumstances lead to the breakdown of their marriage. They are both tricked into going on a cruise with mutual friends, and are able to reconnect while away. I liked how they discussed their issues, and even thought Bray had a lot to make up for, I liked that Faith acknowledged her part in what went on. I was glad to see these two manage a HEA after all. 4 stars

The second story ‘Double Jeopardy’ by Carmen Taite was the weakest in my opinion. The MCs here are Katie, who is marrying a woman she doesn’t love to save her company, and Emma, the woman Katie left at the alter 8 years before. The premise of this was interesting but too much time was spent on the past issues and the legal tangles so the MCs didn’t really reconnect on anything more than a superficial level, which made the ending fall flat. It was also hampered by only being told from Katie’s POV. 3 stars

The third story, ‘On the Rocks’ by Ali Vali features Preston (Max) who works in the family whiskey business and Hayley who is trying to pitch an advertising campaign for Preston’s company, they were together in college, without ever divulging that they come from rich/famous families, and so both don’t know the truth about the other. Hayley also just walked away without explanation back then, and the explanation is weak when it is given. I found the constant switching between ‘Preston’ and ‘Max’ annoying but did like that the story was fleshed out through the use of some flashbacks. They two MCs also spend time together and hash out some issues, so this was stronger than the second story. 3.25 stars

Fans of any of these authors will likely enjoy their respective stories. Overall I’d give this 3.5, but I’m rounding down.

Three lovely sweet and satisfying stories. One expects a lack of depth when reading a set of shor romances, however these authors bring you everything needed.

Ayyyy!
Love Jenny Frame!
Love Ali Vali!
I'm all for butch/femme plots❤️

I wasn't a fan of Carsen’s story, which was mostly because it was from one MC’s pov. Not so crazy about that, so DnF.
However, Love Carsen Taite!
Big love to Netgalley for this ARC

I really enjoyed this trilogy. It is not my usual genre but I was really taken by all three stories. It got off to a great start with Jenny Frame's My Forever Girl which was a really lovely story and had me captured from the very beginning. The other two stories didn't disappoint. I would highly recommend this book.

These 3 short stories are all wonderful on their own.

‘My Forever Girl’ by Jenny Frame is very sad and angsty. Dealing with a heartbreaking loss that broke Brayden and Faith apart. But they never stopped loving each other.

In ‘ Double Jeopardy’ by Carsen Taite, Emma is dumped by Katie before their wedding. Katie leaves her without a word of explanation. Emma leaves for the Air Force. Later becomes a lawyer and meets with Katie again when Katie is applying for a wedding license.

In ‘On the Rocks’ by Ali Val, Halley enjoyed college life in New Orleans and fell in love with fellow student/bartender Max. But right before graduating she leaves without a word. Now she works in the family advertising business in New York. She is sent to New Orleans by her father to try win the bid for an advertising contract with one the most respectable distillers in NO. Only to find out that Max is the heir and future owner.

All of the stories are about a second chance and make a great read.

In "On the Rocks" the writer seems fascinated with blue eyes. Even tho I felt some of the character's features didn't match that of someone who has blue eyes. Genetically impossible. After years of lesfic and a broader market, I hope writers can get more creative (and many do, thankfully) than the usual Xena/Gabrielle looks for their characters The dark-haired/blue-eyed butch is getting tiring.

Still not over you was filled with 3 amazing stories by authors Jenny Frame, Carsen Taite, and Ali Vali. I’ve read Ali Vali before, but the other authors are new to me. After reading their stories they are defiantly going onto my must read list. Each of these stories was full of angst. I found myself crying in each of them. The character development was top notch. I’m not always a fan of Novellas, unless they are from a series that I know and the characters are well known to me. I think in the typical novella the characters are not filled out enough for me to really get into the story, but that was not the case with these stories. I found myself rooting for each of these couples to find a way back to their love. I wasn’t disappointed.

This is the second time this week I’ve posted a review featuring a book with three authors. Love it.
‘My Forever Girl’ Jenny Frame: Brayden Murphy has loved Faith Murphy since the first meeting. Faith was kind of shy and didn’t have a lot of self confidence, mainly because of cheating and never hearing anything good about herself. After marriage they started their own business and their life was going well. Brayden who identified as a butch lesbian felt taking care of Faith was her job. A job she loved. After a few years they decided to have a child but there were complications and when Faith lost the baby their happy life seemed to disappear. Brayden found herself on a downward spiral, losing not only the business but their home all because of her gambling addiction. When they divorced they were still in love but just couldn’t seem to move on. It’s when best friend Kris has a birthday coming up and she wants to share her happy day with her friends. Two weeks on a cruise ship should be enough time to see if Brayden and Faith have a chance at making it again. Ms Frame knows how to tell a story with a nicely paced read with a few more explicit scenes that you would normally see in one of her books. Personally I liked it, as I’m sure you will too. Very nice read.
‘ Double Jeopardy’ Carsen Taite: Emma Reed was on her way to join the Air Force when she last saw Katie James. They were in love or so Emma thought but right before the wedding was to start Katie decided to call the wedding off, leaving Emma at the altar. Emma went on with her life but always held out hope that one day she just might hear Katie tell her why she didn’t want to marry her. After leaving the Air Force Emma goes on to become a lawyer and takes a job in the same city as Katie. She never thought that the place where she’d see her again was at the courthouse with her new fiance, where she was getting another wedding license. She didn’t know that Katie was not getting married for love but to save the family business. This book is perfect for a sunny day, a tree and a blanket. Very nice read.
‘On the Rocks’ Ali Vali: Hayley Wyatt certainly loved her college GF Max Cinclair, who when they’d met worked as a bartender. Hayley grew up in a family owned advertising business in New York. She never had any doubts that was where she belonged, working with her parents and her twin brother Percy. She was good at her job and when Cinclair’s posted they were interested in going with a new firm, she was the one chosen to give the presentation. Little did she know that the head distiller Preston Cinclair was her GF Max. Preston never used her first name because it would just lead to her family’s business of making one of the best whiskeys you could buy. Now Preston is blindsided when one of the firms hoping to get the advertising gig was being led by the woman she had loved in college. The one who left her without a word. Here one day, gone the next. But has their feelings for each other really faded that much? Ms Vali wrote a very nice story, featuring two women who should have never parted.
ARC via NetGalley/Bold Stroke Books