Ten Years is a story of grief, love, and figuring out who you are. Ally, best friend of Becca and love of Charlie's life has died. Becca and Charlie are devastated but maybe also a tiny bit relieved that they will never have to see each other again as Ally was the person bringing them together. Ally, however, has other ideas. Before her death, she planned a ceremony where, once a year for five years, Becca and Charlie would spread a bit of her ashes in places she longed to visit and experience but no longer could. Slowly, Becca and Charlie begin to warm up to one another and form a friendship. But could it be more than that? Probably, but there are many obstacles along the way.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this and was curious how such an antagonistic relationship between Becca and Charlie could transform into love. Neither character was especially likable but I do think they had good chemistry and possibly brought out both the worst and the best of each other. This is a cozy and ultimately sweet read with some frustrating moments along the way regarding Becca's and Charlie's behaviors and choices.. I recommend it to fans of (British) romantic dramas and enemies (to friends) to lovers romance. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC via NetGalley.

Charlie and Becca have never particularly gotten along and would have likely never chosen to spend time together if not for a bucket list. After Charlie’s fiancée and Becca’s best friend Ally dies, she leaves a bucket list for Charlie and Becca to complete together. The list helps them move on in some surprising ways.

I thought that the grief component of this book was very well written and there were times I teared up reading it. I did find both Charlie and Becca quite unlikeable for different reasons but was still rooting for them to get together in the end. I loved the character of Ally’s mother!

However, I did learn by reading this book that the dead friend’s best friend/boyfriend trope was definitely not for me. I kept feeling an acute sense of betrayal on behalf of Ally and had a hard time setting that aside to give this book a fair shot. The book was well written in my opinion, but my own issues with the trope prevented this from being a stellar read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the advanced reading copy!

Ten Years follows Becca and Charlie, both of whom have lost someone very close to both of them their journey to fulfill her last wish. Ally was Becca's lifelong best friend and Charlie's fiancé. Although Ally was so close with both Becca and Charlie, the pair did not get along in the slightest. Ally's illness did not help resolve any of the constant arguing between Charlie and Becca, in fact it only seemed to make it worse. When Ally died, leaving them both lost, the two assumed they'd never see each other again. That is, until they are asked to meet Ally's mother to honour one of Ally's last wishes.

This book took me a bit to get into, because at the beginning I was not a fan of the idea of the "dead fiancé's best friend" trope, although as the story progressed, I could begin to see how the idea may work. I really enjoyed certain aspects of this book; I believe that the plot of going on adventure's that Ally had set out for them was very interesting and exciting and made the book not too predictable. I also really enjoyed Becca's character; her sarcasm and blunt humour was very amusing to read. While I think the idea was good, I feel like the execution of this book could have been better.

I found that the in-between time between tasks was a bit too long at some points, and a bit unnecessary. It just seemed to slow things in the story down just when it was getting interesting and made it hard for me to continue. I also felt at some points the relationship between Becca and Charlie didn't really make sense, and the things that they bonded over were unrealistic.

Overall, I would say I think this book could have had a better execution but it was not a bad book. I definitely enjoyed parts of it and do not regret reading it. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

The cover is tender and the premise intriguing (it’s a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers and sort of taboo second-chance romance), but I was about to give up reading it a few times. The plot dragged out a little more than I was expecting, probably because there is a lot of exposition, which ended up being a tad frustrating.

Even though it was hard to connect with Charlie and Becca, I loved how their lives, the ups and downs, were portrayed, and how each showed a completely different way of grieving, especially over such a lengthy period.

There were also hilarious and/or touching moments throughout the story, including Becca and Charlie's misadventures while fulfilling Ally’s wishes. Charle is a ‘yes man’ who gets subdued by his other half when in relationships, and Becca is moody and unapologetic, easily pushing people away. But they end up learning from each other to be and do better.

If you don’t give up in the middle, as I was tempted to, the story is nicely rounded off, and I think it’s a cute love letter to second chances.

I received an eARC for free, through NetGalley, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

Becca and Charlie despise each other. The only thing that ties them together is Ally. Ally was Becca’s best friend and Charlie’s fiancée. Now that she has died, there’s no reason for Becca and Charlie to stay in touch, except Ally had other ideas. Her last wish is that Becca and Charlie complete 5 things from her bucket list and spread her ashes. Reluctantly, they meet every year to complete these tasks. Will this bring them closer together or will there always be animosity between them?

What a great book! I devoured it in just over a day. For fans of Josie Silver’s “One Day in December”. Really lovely.

Great read. As far as enemies to lovers goes, it was not unrealistic I don't think. It took a long time to get there though :) Easy read and kept me interested till the end.

I liked the sound of this book and I started off enjoying it but I found it to be slow as time went on, I found myself getting annoyed with Becca and Charlie, I wasn’t particularly liking any of the 2 of them and this didn’t improve much as time went on except when in Cannes I suppose. I liked the bucket list idea, maybe it’s just the wrong time for me reading this as iv lost someone recently. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this early copy.

This story follows Charlie and Becca who meet up once a year to fulfill the wishes of Ally who had passed.

I admit this isn't the type of book I would usually read and struggled to get into it. After reading the funeral, I was excited to see how the two characters would grow. I loved the author's writing style and how the author was able to build the connection between the reader with Ally too however, I struggled to get through this book. After the beginning, the pacing really made the book seem to drag on. Although I understand the book is supposed to be over the course of ten years, it wasn't executed in a way that had me drawn to the next year to see how they. have grown personally and to each other. To add onto that, I feel as if I have more of a connection to Ally than both Becca and Charlie as they weren't the most likable characters in my opinion.

You know how some books leave you absolutely, completely, and totally satisfied and pleased? Like a delicious dessert or a beautiful sunset? And how you can go back again and again and again and reread any random couple of paragraphs or chapters for a little happy fix? Ten Years is one of those books. In fact, it’s pretty much at the top of that stack of books. How can you get a line like “He looked like hot buttered toast to her Charlie-starved eyes” out of your head? And why would you want to?

Charlie = conflict-avoidance
Becca = bellow until you’re heard

Two people with nothing in common except their love for Ally – his fiancé and her best friend – who died tragically young. Becca and Charlie do have a history of their own, but they don’t have fond memories of it. What they do have in their relationship, even if they are constantly bickering or goading each other, is something authentic with no artifice. Doesn’t matter, though. They get along to the small degree they do only because they both care so much for Ally.


On her birthday they receive an email from the grave from Ally asking them to do one last thing – together – which turns out to be not just one last thing but a series of one last things. Neither one of them wants to be thrown together again, but if they couldn’t refuse Ally when she was alive, they aren’t going to say no to a request from the grave. Even one time a year seems like one time a year too many but they do it out of love and the desire to fulfill her wishes, to do the things she was unable to do. Her mom doles out the tasks and provides the ashes to be scattered.

Charlie and Becca start these tasks reluctantly, dragging their feet all the way, but while they’re doing them, griping, pouting, moaning, and sniping all the way, you get a glimpse of consideration, understanding and dare I say I see something that could be caring there? That had me putting on my detective hat, looking for clues. Have I been missing something? Is there really only hatred between them? Or is that steamy, teasing hint of attraction real? And is it just two different people thrown together out of loss and grief, or the best thing that ever happened to either of them? Is it Ally’s hand manipulating them from the grave or is fate? Is it possible to find true love more than once: “Some days I feel I’ve lived more than one lifetime, so, couldn’t we be right for each other this time around?”

Ten Years is cute, tender, laugh-out-loud funny, and heartbreaking. It’s all mixed together so masterfully by author Pernille Hughes that you feel the snark and the love and the sadness and the irony and the humor and the heat – and the hope – all at the same time. So, so satisfying. I had no idea how Charlie and Becca’s story would end. Of course I wanted a happy-ever-after but with the past affecting so much of the present could that happen? Well, the ending was perfect; I couldn’t have imagined a better one.

So get out your tissues – you’ll need them to wipe away the tears when you laugh so much your sides hurt and when you cry so much you can’t catch your breath – and settle down for a fantastically good read. The only downside is leaving Becca and Charlie.

Thanks to Harper Collins Publishers UK One More Chapter for providing an advance copy of Ten Years via NetGalley for my immense reading pleasure and honest review, and for introducing me to a new-to-author that will be on my automatic buy list from now on. I recommend Ten Years without hesitation. All opinions are my own.

A story that made me smile, moved to tears, and kept me turning pages.
Poignant, emotionally charged, and compelling. The author is a good storyteller and the plot is well developed. Loved the characters.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

“It was something about him that was theirs, a feature in a story which only contained the two of them.”

Contemporary romance, enemies to lovers, true love, bucket list, force proximity, slow burn… this book has all of them and more!!

Becca and Charlie hate each other deeply, they only have one thing in common, Ally, Becca's best friend and Charlie's girlfriend. When Ally dies, she leaves for them a bucket list to complete. The main problem is that they have to complete it together.

A bucket list, one task a year, and ten years later things are not how they started… they’ve changed together, what’s there, between them, is not hate anymore.

Thanks NetGalley and One More Chapter for this ARC I've really enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for giving me a chance to read this book. I was intrigued by the book description - Becca and Charlie have known each other for years – ever since they met at university. And for every one of those years, they've bickered, argued, offended, mocked and generally rubbed each other up the wrong way. Until now. Until Ally’s bucket list. The death of their Becca's best friend and Charlie's fiance should mean they can go their separate ways and not look back. But completing the bucket list is something neither Charlie nor Becca can walk away from.
This book takes you through the next ten years as Becca and Charlie’s lives move on and as they are forced to keep in touch.
I really didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. I'm not generally someone who would choose to read a romcom book. However, something about this book really appealed to me, in much the same way as David Nicholls' book One Day did. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and raced through it. I can see some people didn't take to the book but I think if you take it as something that isn't (I think) meant to be massively serious then I do think it is a great summer read.

I was hooked from the first page. A snarky, tension filled, enemies to lovers tale that had me rooting for the couple from the word go. Couldn’t put it down and binge read it in one night. These characters will definitely stay with me for a while.

It is something giving me "one day" by Nicholls vibes.

One day a year they are meeting. Every year with a different "mission" to complete. And every single year they appear even though they really hate each other (at least, at the very beginning). Why? Cause it was the last wish from their beloved friend.

It is so special to observe how life goes on and how their lives are changing. The same, their approach to each other as well.

This story shows the power of relations, how people are changing, and prove that we are capable to have a different attitude with time.

"Ten years" is beautiful. It's heartbreaking and wise. It is not just another love story - it is a history of something extraordinary evolving to become a LOVE.

Wonderfully written with a great plot and even better character - must-have for summer.

What a beautiful story! This is one of my all time favourites and my favourite romance story of the year. I love the bucket list ideas and how Charlie and Becca did them together for their closest person who they had lost. The feelings around bereavement were captured perfectly and made for some tender and heartbreaking reading. I laughed and I cried, the characters were just brilliant and the ending was just fantastic! Fate is a funny old thing 😀 Brilliant and 100% recommend. I look forward to reading Pernilles other stories and she has quickly become one of my favourite authors that I will look out for, thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.

It was a bit touch and go when I first started this book and I very nearly decided not to read it. In the first couple of chapters we hear from both Becca and Charlie on what they think of each other and it’s not pretty. It seemed to be animosity just for the sake of being nasty with no apparent reason for the way Becca in particular spoke about Charlie. I instantly didn’t like her and just thought if it’s going to be like this all the way through then I don’t want to read it.

Luckily though, I picked it up again, just to read a bit more. This was the first anniversary of their friend Ally’s death and they were meeting up to carry out item number one on the bucket list that Ally had bequeathed them to carry out on her behalf. It was a 3 hour walk up Snowden and Becca wasn’t happy. This was where she reminded me of, well…me! I would have moaned and complained climbing up there too. I identified with everything she complained about all the way up there. It was funny and now it had caught my interest.

Each year after that Becca and Charlie agreed to meet up to carry out the next item on the bucket list and sprinkle some of Ally’s ashes in different areas that had meant something to all of them. We hear from both Becca and Charlie over the years with Ally being a part of their lives through their memories of her.

It’s funny, sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter, but always interesting. I loved this book, you live their grief, you cringe at their mistakes and hope that it will all end well. After all, a lot can happen in 10 years and people change, or do they? You’ll have to read it and find out. All I can say is I am so glad I didn’t let the rocky start put me off reading this brilliant story.

**Review to be posted to my blog nearer to publication date**

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins, and One More Chapter for this free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. Just wow. This book was something I had such a hard time putting down. I’m typically a dark romance, smut reader, but this. It was so good. The uniqueness of the writing style, writing by year/time instead of chapter? Loved it.

Becca and Charlie are fantastic MCs who struggle to find themselves after their loss of Ally. Each having their own connection to her, but grieving so differently.
One of Ally’s last requests was to send these two on a bucket list trip to spread her ashes. Do they make it past their grief? Do they each find love again?

The only pitfall to this book is sometimes the POV gets a little confusing or back and forth. But that’s literally the smallest issue. I will definitely keep this as a read again book.

This was my first book with the dead girlfriends friend trope and I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect.

This book deals with overcoming/moving on after grief and loss. Charlie loses his fiancé, (Ally) who is also Becca’s best friend and she surprises them with a letter requesting they spread her ashes across various bucket list locations she never made it to.

The book spans ten years of Charlie and Becca fulfilling her wishes and slowly growing to hate each other less and less with each trip.

The concept of the bucket list was cute and reminded me of 13 little Blue Envelopes, or various Hallmark movies with similar wishes. The loss of Ally is felt throughout the book and she felt like a character who wasn’t. This book isn’t a rom com, it’s sad even while healing and initially I found it hard to see why/how Charlie and Becca would do anything but hate each other.

It is enemies to lovers, but also enemies to lovers where the thing tying them together is their love for a person who is gone. That made it different and I recommend for anyone who enjoyed deep/poignant love stories.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

DNF 15%
Sadly this book didn’t hold my interest.
Thank you to NetGalley the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book .

The premise for this really intrigued me. I'm not always, however, a fan of second chance romances and this wasn't an exception. I believe it's a happenstance of the wrong person reading the book.