Always isn’t forever is a story about these really cute, made-for-each-other childhood sweethearts called Ruby and Hart. Ruby loves troubles and Hart loves to list all the ways things can go wrong. Ruby wants to explore every hidden corner of the world with Hart on their boat- Ladybug and Hart wants to keep writing love songs for his Ruby. They are opposites but as legend goes, opposites tend to attract. Everything is perfect in their love story. Except for one thing. What happens to true love when death arrives on the door?
Hart was determined to get money from working extra on his boss’ party to buy a boat for Ruby on which they plan to travel the world. Ruby didn’t want him to go, and so he shouldn’t have because when the storm hit the boat, Hart didn’t get a chance to tell Ruby goodbye.
Or did he….?
Maybe not quite in the way he expected. Hart’s soul is sent in the body of Jameson Romanelli, the high school bad boy and football champion, and as if being in the body of Jameson Romanelli, who Ruby hates with a passion, wasn’t punishment enough, Hart is also not allowed to tell anyone in the living world that it is HIM in Jameson Romanelli’s body. Not even Ruby. So, he better figure out how he tells Ruby a final goodbye, and fast, because with each night he goes to sleep, he’s forgetting who he is…who Hart is. Time is ticking.
The moment I read this blurb, I wanted to read this book, and then I finally got to it, and boy, was it a ride? Let’s find out.
Obviously, as you can read, the book deals with some heavy topics such as death, grieving, and obviously depression, so please be careful before you pick this book up. If you do not feel comfortable reading about these topics, please don’t.
Although, one thing that I really loved about this book was how the author kept the story humorous throughout the story. One would expect that a book like this which covers sensitive topics like death would also have dark humour but actually, no. I loved how despite such an emotional and heavy topic as its theme, the story had such a light humour till the end. I was literally crying one second and laughing another. Overall, the story had a very feel-good vibe to it which was the last thing I had expected from a book like this. But it was good, just not something you get to see a lot.
I also loved the characters a lot. And their humour, especially. My favourite was Lourdes but I liked her more for her personality more than her humour.
Another thing that I really wanted to discuss while I was reading this book was that this book contains mentions of supernatural cosmic powers, angels, fates, auras, tarot readings and spiritual stuff like that, because I don’t know about you all but I absolutely love spiritual and astrological stuff like this. I know that a lot of people don’t believe in these things but I JUST LOVE IT. If you are someone like me, please comment down below. I would love to know that I’m not the only one who loves reading and writing and learning more about supernatural, cosmic, angelic powers that are way beyond our imagination (giggles).
Okay, anyway, back to the topic.
I do have some complaints too. Now, don’t get me wrong. I was totally loving this book till the end and I was THIS close to giving it 5 out of 5 stars butttttttttt…….the end didn’t do it for me.
Let me explain. Usually, I love a book where the characters have a desire, a quest that they want to/have to complete in order to get what they want to achieve but as they progress through the story, something changes, the character themselves change and they learn a couple of lessons that they had no idea about before this journey. I mean, to me, that’s the whole point of the story- how the characters changed by the end of the story, or else, there was no point in writing the story.
Now with this book, I was given to understand that this couple- Ruby and Hart were inseparable in the beginning and that they believed that they couldn’t live without each other but things changed, their fates changed, and by the end, I kinda had expected them to learn something from their journey…
And you know what, they did. They were learning the so-called “lesson” and me? I was loving the book. It was at this point when I told myself that I’m gonna stay way past my bed time to finish this book because this is gooood.
BUT THEN
The characters ended at the same place they had started. The. Same. Place.
Like, what just happened? And like I said the story was overall very feel-good viby but this was WAY TOO GOOD to be true, fairytaly-unrealistic-happy ending like. If this was the five-year-old me, she would have definitely loved this story through and through. And, yes. I did like story, in general. But the end. The writer in me didn’t really like the end. It was way too unrealistic in my opinion, even though, let’s be honest, coming back to life in another person’s body isn’t very realistic either…
But the point isn’t even about this being unrealistic. It was the fact that the characters ended up just the way they started. Nothing really changed other than their circumstances. The characters didn’t learn anything. So, like what was the story even about? What was the point of anything at all?
Maybe this is just something that some would call a personal/subjective opinion of mine, so I won’t stop you from reading it. Because honestly, I loved the book, just not the end and I definitely would love to come back to this book to reread it sometime. Because let’s be honest, I was living for the light humour and the good-vibes! And it definitely helped me get out of my routine rut that I was stuck in for a while.
Overall, I would give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars because of the end. The rest was top class amazing! This book just got published in June, so please go, BUY IT NOW.
I would like to thank the author, the publishers and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest opinion. Thank you so much for reading!

Thanks for the advanced copy of this book! I've always loved a great romance story and this did not disappoint. It's definitely a love story for the ages, that love can conquer all, even if that means losing the person you love and having to find them all over again in a different circumstance. I was captivated with this story from the very beginning and couldn't put it down, can't wait to see what other novels this author has in store after reading this one!

Ruby and Hart were meant to be together but when Hart tragically dies in a boat accident, he is given a second chance.

Through inhabiting the body of a dying classmate.

Without being to able to tell that it is Hart in the body of the bad boy ...

Will he be able to get Ruby back?

Some souls where made to be together.

Emotional, romantic, and heartfelt it really tugs at your emotions.

With quick pacing, unexpected turns this is quite easy to read.

I really expected the book to be good. But my godness. It was even better!
I was invested in the storyline from the first page til the last and absolutely fell in love with Ruby and Hart!
J. C. Cervantes really surprised me with the fluid and emotional writing style and i can only say good things about the story building.
I didn’t expect the plot twists and became really fond of all the characters.
So just love love love to the author for making me cry, laugh and feel all those emotions!
Definitely a highlight and i cant wait to read more of her books!

After reading the summary, I just knew this story was going to make me cry, and it did, several times, too.

Though the tears didn't come until closer to the end, my heart broke repeatedly for Ruby and Hart.

Cervantes is an amazing storyteller and captured the characters' grief and love for one another in such a beautifully tragic way.

This was my first book by the author, and she's immediately become a must-read!

This book was honestly just so beautiful. And as someone who is still grieving the loss of a loved one, the author painted Ruby's grief over losing Hart so well.
There were so many times I've cried because I just knew how it felt and knew the pain that Ruby was going through, although mine was a completely different kind of love. The love these two characters had and how they never gave up on each other even in Hart's second chance at life in a new body was very heartwarming and gave me so much hope for the story line. I would definitely recommend reading this dial POV story and definitely recommend having tissues ready for when you do!
-IF

I absolutely loved this, it made me cry in the best ways, and shed a great life on grief and love. Thank you very much to the publishers for an advanced reading copy

🔹 My take: 4.5/5

TWs - Death, Grief, Loss of a loved one

🔸’Always isn’t forever’ is story of Hart madly in love with Ruby. They have been together since they were kids and knew early on in life that they are meant for each other. They are building the foundation for their future when due to a drowning accident, Hart loses his life. Ruby & Hart’s family & friends are struck with grief. Enters Jameson who studied with them but was disliked by all due to his snobbish behaviour. Jameson has had a car accident and is critical. He finally survives and is a changed guy now. All are dumbstruck with this change. Ruby feels that Hart has come back in form of Jameson. She wants answers to her infinite queries but there are cosmic rules & the truth cannot be revealed….

💖 Wows - pleasantly surprised. I loved it so much in the latter half. The emotions felt so real and were described throughout the book so well. I loved the cover. And the protagonists, Hart as well as Ruby were very natural. Gabi’s role as Ruby’s sister and George as Hart’s best friend were also portrayed well. The way family & friends supported Ruby and never rushed her to move on was so empathetic. Every aspect of Ruby’s and Hart’s life were covered - family, friends, their socials, school, dreams, childhood. And even though the plot might be termed as common, the story telling was not at all common.

💔 Ows - the start was interesting and the latter 50% was nice too. I struggled the in between 25-50% maybe bcoz it was too much grief to handle at one point. But no complaints whatsoever.

💫 After looking at the TWs, if you are in the headspace to get into this one, surely dive into it. It’s a very sweet YA Romance of friends to lovers with loads of pain, yearning and hope thrown in. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thanks to @netgalley and @Penguinteen for sharing DRC in exchange for honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is author’s J.C. Cervantes’ second YA book and it is just as good as her first. In this story, the forever love between Ruby and Hart is cut short- or is it? Hart died saving a young boy from drowning and is given the opportunity to live again in the body of Jameson, the local “bad boy” who Ruby despises. Ruby seems distant at first but Hart/Jameson is determined to hold on to their love despite his memories fading. This was a sweet love story that realistically portrayed the power of first love and the grief of tragically losing that love. I also appreciate that the couple decided to wait until college to become intimate, which never happened, because that allows for wider readership since mature content is not included in this book. This book also speaks to the power of music as Hart was composing a song for Ruby that began with “It was always Ruby.” And for us readers, it always will be. A recommended purchase for school and public libraries serving teen readers.

First of all, this cover is GOREGUS! It captures the book perfectly.

The book is perfect for fans of "Bridge to Therbitia" and "You´ve reached Sam", and Juliet and the Phantoms!. For everyone that needs to know its ok to feel sad but also go forward with your own life. A story about letting go, accepting what has happened and allowing yourself time to heal.

This was such a fun take at some very dark and heavy emotional themes. Very unique take on the traditional bad boy, and I loved every single piece of it!

I really liked the book, the characters are well developed and have interesting character arcs, the plot was very interesting and captivating and I couldn't put the book down. I enjoyed the multiple points of view and the way the themes, some more complicated and hard to talk about than others were handled and developed throughout the novel. Definitely a must read!

“And in the end, I’d rather let love break me open than never know its depths.”

FOREVER SOBBING!!!!!
Captivating love story with the author doing a beautiful job captivating you with the characters being so easily drawn towards!!

This book was thought-provoking and, while sad, showed the strength of love. The main characters were easy to love, and it definitely kept me turning the pages.

“And in the end, I’d rather let love break me open than never know its depths.”

➤Plot

This story follows two main characters: Hart Augusto and Ruby Armenta. Two people who loved each other for as far back as they could remember and will never stop loving each other. Their future was always with each other. However, that changes when one day Hart dies and everything changes. Their future they planned now gone in a blink of an eye. No closure to be had. That is... Until Hart is given a chance to come back. Not in his own body, but in the body of the man Ruby hates the most: Jameson.

This is a heart-wrenching plot that tugged on my heart multiple times throughout it. I was uncomfortable at first with the thought of Hart being inside Jameson's body and slowly losing his memories, slowly losing who Hart is. Honestly, it scared me a little and reminded me of Unwind as a supernatural horror that I am so glad does not exist in out real world. However, watching these characters and growing attached - I wanted them to get together again. For love to persist through all obstacles and hardships. If you liked You've Reached Sam, you will love this. Expect tears, bring tissues, and enjoy the ride.


➤Characters

Normally I always have at least one character that gets on my nerves or don't care much for. In this? I enjoyed them all. They were all unique and entertaining in their own ways. I can foresee some people having problems with Ruby but she is grieving and doesn't want to let go of the man that thought would be her forever. You can't blame her for that. We all grieve differently and her journey through this book is worth it.

The only character that I wish we saw more of is Jameson. We see a small part of him in the beginning before everything happens but we don't truly get a good idea of the long history he has between the two main characters and the hate that resides in them. We are suppose to just accept that they did. I wish I could of seen Ruby actually into conflict with Jameson. I do like what they did with Jameson's characters. Never truly seeing him as a full person (because Hart was never close to him) but getting a good glimpse of what made Jameson who he was.

➤Enjoyment

I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this book! I didn't think I would like it as much as I did. What really made me intrigued was the memories of Hart slowly disappearing and you have to watch as things getting harder and harder to remember. So great. I was so pulled in and hurt through all those scenes.

I highly recommend anyone looking for a story to tear your heart apart.

After Hart tragically dies, his soul is taken by an angel and put into the body of Jameson. Hart desperately wants to tell Ruby what has happened but cannot. As his memories are being taken away, Hart becomes determined to communicate with Ruby before he loses her all over again.
Always isn't Forever is a young adult novel by J.C. Cervantes that asks the question "can true love conquer death?". Throughout the story, readers will experience both Hart's and Ruby's points of views. It describes Hart's inner conflict and desire to reconnect with Ruby and Ruby's reluctance to move on. Both characters face multiple challenges but learn to overcome them. The characters in this book were very likeable and had good relationships with one another. The storyline of this book is separated into three parts and is nicely timed with no unnecessary sub-plots that waste time. The ending of this book was very good. When reading this, I found myself becoming sad at times, which is a green flag for me because I like sad books. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Do our spirits 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓰𝓮𝓽?
Does love have the power to be 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓵𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰?

Emotional, romantic, and heartfelt. Cue the ugly cry. I went through countless tissues reading Always Isn’t Forever. My heart ached for Jameson and Hart. This is one that stays with you.

I ended up purchasing the audiobook to accompany my ARC read, and I loved it! The narrators were fantastic and brought the story to life. I highly recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Razorbill, and PENGUIN GROUP for the gifted ARC.

Always Isn’t Forever is one of those books you sort of fall in to and don’t come up for air until finished.

While the beginning chapters aren’t super-fast, it feels like the story is moving quickly because the chapters are short. In fact, this writing style really pushes the story forward, even when you’re not quite as engaged as other times.

But it’s pretty easy to stay engaged. J. C. Cervantes’ narrative is compelling. Her protagonists are likeable. And the idea that someone might be able to come back from the dead is one that will resonate.

Always Isn’t Forever is not just a love story, though. Cervantes explores grief on a number of levels — the ones who are left behind. The loss of your own life and memories. The impact on a larger community. Combined with the romance elements, it really works.

Always Isn’t Forever is a strong YA romance that reads almost cinematically. It’s a good option for those who really want to hone in on relationships.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, Razorbill & NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book

Over all this book was ok. It really targets the YA audience. I would recommend this book to people who enjoyed You’ve Reached Sam. I liked the concept and the inclusion of magical realism, and the plot was easy to consume, it was nice to read but I wasn’t very invested and it felt more like a snack read.

It’s been a little while since I’ve read a young adult novel and this was the perfect book to break back into the genre. I rarely cry when I read a book, but this one broke me.

Ruby & Hart have been in love since they were seven years old. About to start their senior year of high school, they’re committed and looking forward to their future together. Their plans are abruptly shattered when Hart drowns while saving a young child. When he reaches the other side, an angel named Lourdes informs Hart he has the opportunity to get a second chance at life under two conditions: he’ll resume life in the body of Jameson, a classmate that Ruby hates; and there will be no way for him to tell Ruby who he is. Accepting the deal, Hart finds himself in Jameson’s body with a third condition to his new existence - he has approximately three weeks before he loses all the memories of his previous life.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Ruby & Hart are so in love, which makes Hart’s death absolutely excruciating. As he begins to lose his memories the angst ramps up as you root for Hart to somehow reach Ruby before his time is up. My sentimental heart almost broke towards the end…this book has all the feels ❤️

Paranormal romance isn't my usual genre, but the cover on this book grabbed me. And boy, am I glad I took the chance on Always Isn't Forever...the story really drew me in, and I've been thinking about it for the past day or two. I only wish there had been more to the story before (and after, really) -- more character development before Hart's death would have been great, and maybe more than just a quick epilogue at the end? I would have enjoyed seeing Whitney and Victoria's reactions to the "new" Jameson...