I knew as soon as I saw the description that I was gonna love this book. It’s about a boy who drowns in a boating accident and gets a second chance at life in the body of the school’s most popular bad-boy jock. Now he’s trying to return to his grieving girlfriend in the body of someone she can’t stand.

I don’t wanna give too much away other than that because I enjoyed being surprised by everything after that.

Parts of this book were so sad but I really liked how the story wrapped up.

I enjoyed reading from Hart’s pov the most and I think my favorite character was probably Ruby’s sister.

I think fans of other sad YA contemporary like You’ve Reached Sam and 13 Reasons Why may like this book.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Razorbill for providing me with an early access copy of this book.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do if your true love died unexpectedly? That's what happens to Ruby. The boy who meant everything to her, Hart, dies in a boating accident. She is struggling to live let alone move on when all of a sudden a guy who she hates all of a sudden is acting different. Jameson drinks and parties a lot. Unlike Hart, he's into football and girls. Where Hart is into music and Ruby. An unfortunate accident causes Jameson to end up in a coma and Hart to take his place. And now is when all the fun of the book begins.

I read everything, but YA will always hold a spot close to my heart. Hart, Jameson, Ruby, Lourdes, Gabi, and George are character I got hooked one from page 1. I wanted to see how this story ended. I needed closure for Ruby and Hart since their story ended so unexpectedly. And boy to get to that ending the author tugged at my heartstrings. Guys, it's a good one. No, it's a great one. It's the perfect amount of heartbreak, romance, comedy, to make the book one I won't forget.

Always Isn’t Forever by @authorjcervantes is a beautifully written of ode to death, true love, and the power of second chances!!!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I loved this book so much!!! It was a very cool concept crafted into an amazing love story. All the characters were complex and beautiful!!! I loved how the author tackled the topics of death, resurrection, angels, and the afterlife. Plus, the ending was PERFECT!!! All in all, a must-have for your book collection. Thank you @netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful novel! 🥰✨📚

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It's always been Ruby

Let me start off by saying that I don't enjoy reading romance (books) but this romantic tragedy probably changed me. She's not like other books 💅 To think that one day suddenly you lose the love of your life only for them to come back to life in a different body and they can't reveal anything to you is heartbreaking and devastating isn't it? Well, sign me up.

It was easy to read thanks to the writing, fast pace and short chapters but really the characters' personalities and twists/reveals were probably why it was an easy read. I think my complain here would be that I wasn't a fan of the ending (I won't give any spoilers but I would have liked it to be a bit bittersweet)

Anyway, absolutely great, 100% would recommend, read this if you get the chance

DNF 19%

I can’t get over the fact the MMC who is latine dies and the only option to come back to life is to go into a white persons body that is his and his girlfriends enemy. I also just don’t care about any of the characters almost 20% in.

I definitely want to start this by saying thank you for the arc and letting me read this story . This was one of my favorite reads so far this year and if you want to embark on the journey with this book you’re gonna want tissues for sure ! Absolutely loved reading this arc

First of all, I want to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

Now I want to talk about this gem. I loved this book so much and I need everyone to read it, to begin with.

The book deals with many topics and I think that it does it in a very nice way and that it teaches you a lot. You learn to love the characters and become very attached to them and their stories. You want them to do well and to be well. I really loved that about the book, the way you connect with them anyhow. It also helps that you have the point of view of both and you can see what they think at all times.

Yes, it was a very sad book that makes you cry and you´ll want to hug the characters, but it has a very nice ending that melts your heart. It's worth everything to get to that beautiful ending.

It is a very nice book and one that I wish to remember because it deserves it and I hope that when it comes out it will have the recognition it deserves <3. From now on in love with this masterpiece forever.

I was very fortunate to receive this arc from NetGalley. This book had me hooked from the beginning. I loved the different POVs. I almost cried the entire time when reading this book. It was so good and emotional.

Get the tissues ready 🤧 this was beautifully written. My heart broke for Ruby and Hart, I cried smiled cried then smiled. This is my fav read of 2023 so far.

Thankyou for giving me the chance to read this on netgallery, I can't wait for the release date so I can have it on my bookshelf. Deffo one to read over and over again

4 ⭐

"Letting go doesn't mean forgetting. It just means goodbye for now."

Tropes:
- friends to lovers
- tragic accident
- chasing soulmate

I was so excited to read this one because just by checking out the cover I could tell it was going to hurt, and it did.

This follows Ruby and Hart, they're in a relationship, but after something devastating happens to Hart, Ruby is left "alone" for a while.

What really got me was that little plot twist in which Hart was offered his second chance, I did not expect it to be Jameson's body. I gasped honestly.

Reading Hart/Jameson's POV was intriguing and saddening at the same time. You could see how Hart struggled to tell anyone the truth. How desperate Hart was to tell the big secret to Ruby... and let's not talk about the doggie who recognize him...

The last chapters were difficult to read, I couldn't bare with the thought of knowing Hart was going to lose his memory entirely and that Jameson was going to take over. Although this is one of the main reasons my rating is not a five start, I was curious to read how a romantic relationship between Ruby and Jameson could have been.

Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Young Readers Group for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Oh I loved this one! This was such an engaging story about the power of love and how it will transcend any separation. I instantly loved all the main characters and were rooting for each of them. This was emotional, powerful and one that makes you appreciate the ones you love most. Highly recommend!

Oh my this book made me cry ugly tears. I knew going in, it was going to break my heart. I just really hoped it would heal it too and lucky for me it did.

I loved this story. I love to read about young love and how sometimes it is even more real and powerful than we realize. Hart and Ruby gutted me. I loved that they truly knew each other so well. I loved that you really got to see Ruby's grief. Grief is so hard to endure and everyone goes about it differently. I can't imagine losing someone you love so young.

I loved that tarot card and spiritual aspect of this book. I grew up with a mother that frequented psychics and had reading. I love that the cards have so many meaning and the position of the card can change it's meaning. (Upside down vs right side up). I also really loved Lourdes' character. I know she wasn't exactly the most honest angel but I think she was trying and I loved how she earned her wings back. It is always heartwarming to see sacrifice pay off.

The ending of this book left me happy and fulfilled. I was worried that my heart would be broken, but was so glad it wasn't.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, Razorbill for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Well, I am a puddle on the floor.
What a beautifully written love story.


Always Isn't Forever is a hard book for me to provide a review for simply because I was so invested in the story while reading, I didn't take any notes...I just read it and thoroughly loved every minute. That's a sign of a wonderfully immersive story, in my opinion.

Ruby faces a tough journey after losing her best friend and love of her life, Hart. The story weaves through Hart's death from multiple POVs, Ruby's grieving process from the help of her family and friends (I absolutely adored her sister, Gabi!), and explores her connection with Jameson through it all.
It's not all sad tears, though. There are some very uplifting and light-hearted moments that tie in perfectly making the story all the more enjoyable.


So, if you're looking for a romantic story that will provide you with all the emotions, definitely pick this one up and have a box of tissues handy.


HUGE thank you to PenguinTeen for the e-ARC to read, enjoy, and honestly review.

Ruby and Hart/Jameson were ♡ and the storyline was really good. Lourdes is truly the best angel ever!

This was a beautiful story! This book addressed themes like grief and love in such a unique and beautiful way. Hart and Ruby are pretty much meant to be together, and then he tragically dies. He’s given a second opportunity to live but this comes with rules and challenges. I found this story extremely compelling and it really made me think about love.

J. C. Cervantes is pure magic. A heart-aching tale weaved by a delicate hand, the reader is forced to confront and be bathed by emotions demanding to be felt. This story isn’t just to read, it’s to truly experience it.

Ruby and Hart’s journey was devastatingly beautiful. That push-pull combined with the instinctual understanding that they are just Right together really elevated this story to me. I just wanted to keep reading about them.

The first part where we meet Ruby and Hart was absolute perfection. They fit together like they were always made to be by each other’s side, but already knowing the premise of this story, there was this looming danger just waiting to crash.

Tension heightened at the second part, and we meet Lourdes and how Hart and Jameson collide. At this point, the threads start to unravel a little bit. The chapters are short and punchy, which is great for the most part. However, sometimes the pacing is sacrificed and it feels like it’s all moving so fast. Gaps also form in the narrative—mainly when Lourdes goes to school and suddenly had already met Ruby. (I’m going to assume this is because I read an ARC, meaning this still isn’t completely finished).

There were moments where I felt like the story benefitted to have the reader linger and ruminate in a character’s head, going down that spiral with them. Instead the story kept getting cut and going forward at lightning speed.

I also wished we knew more about Lourdes and the angel side of this. It felt like we only scratched the surface with her and the whole universe thing. I wished there was more development on that front.

One thing stayed consistent—how utterly perfect Ruby and Hart were. And Hart’s struggle to try and reach her was agonizing to witness. I kept rooting for them to finally realize they were there for each other, that Ruby could see that Hart was there.

This book was a magical experience. This story will always be special to me, but I do think it needed some work grounding it. Overall, a truly beautiful story!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

I loved this story. It was heartbreaking, beautiful, challenging, yet hopeful. I was rooting for Hart and Ruby from the very beginning. Their love was so innocent and pure that I believed all of it! It’ll be a favorite of mine for sure

This book was so emotional and just so raw and pure, the love these characters had for each other was just so sweet. I didn't immediately click with the writing but the premise was very intriguing to me so I kept reading and I am so glad that I did!! The author did an amazing job at letting the reader into the minds of the characters and feeling their emotions, it was so heartbreakingly beautiful and a very enjoyable read!

This book was so emotional. At one point, I couldn't stop crying. The tears just wouldn't stop coming.

I loved Ruby and Hart so much. You can't help but root for them. They just had the sweetest friendship and so much love for each other. It was all just tragically beautiful.

If you are looking for a book that will give you an emotional release, this one would be perfect.

If you enjoyed You've Reached Sam then you will probably enjoy Always Isn't Forever by J.C Cervantes. The stories have a common theme of loss but play out differently. Worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital review copy.