"All That We Never Were" by Alice Kellen takes you on an emotional ride as Leah navigates loss and love. Living with her brother's best friend, Axel, the story unfolds with real emotions and forbidden feelings. Short chapters and dual perspectives keep it engaging. Some may find it a slow burn, but if you love a good friend-to-lovers trope and vivid descriptions that make you feel everything, this one's for you. Be ready for a rollercoaster of grief, determination, and a hint of laughter. Just a heads up, there's an age gap, and Leah's finishing high school. Overall, a compelling read that left me eager for the sequel.

I swithered over giving this 4 or 5 stars but at the end of the day, I couldn’t put it down so it has be a 5 star rating. Leah is 18 and struggling to recover from the sudden loss of her parents. Her brother leaves his best friend, Axel, to care for him to when he has to go away for work. Leah had always been besotted with Axel when she was younger, despite their age gap, and being around him again forces her to wake up from her grief. I was pretty gripped by this. It was the sloooooowest of slow burns and then it went OFF. It has all the inevitable drama that comes from a brother’s best friend romance but it was bit darker than usual. It’s ending was also pretty bold. I appreciated the narrative structure of this as well - it wasn’t your standard dual narrative! I liked that Leah’s chapters started to get longer and have more of a clear voice as she emerged from her fog of denial. I’m kind of looking forward to reading the sequel - I’m pleased there’s more to the story, but the premise of it doesn’t sound plausible!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I was really expecting a great romance read but this book fell short. It was a very slow burn. I liked the writing and the short chapters and will be looking forward to more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

First I must stay I love the cover.
I had such high hopes for this book. But I felt like it was very slow. I was expecting more romance but it just didn't have it. I'm sorry to say I think this one fell short.

The cover is beautiful and really drew me in. I enjoyed the romance and angst that occurred in this book. It didn't have as much romance as I was expecting. It is a great friend to lovers' trope. I felt that it was a slow burn read but with the short chapters it was fast reading. The character development was great but I don't think this is a book that a lot of romance readers would enjoy.

I don't know just another book where not a lot happened. I just wasnt invested in it. Couldn't this be considered grooming

Eeeeeh this book was okay. I was really excited for it, as the premise was initially very interesting and I assumed that I would be in for an emotional journey. It just felt quite flat for me, and unmemorable.

2 stars.

"All That We Never Were" by Alice Kellen has one good element for me, but is otherwise puzzling and icky. While the writing is good and, at times, moving, it ultimately felt a little long to me (though some readers who are more invested in the main love story will read this as a slow-burn). I don't mind age-gap romances when they involve people in theirs mid-20s and older, but I have an issue with a 19/29 year old split, especially when it contains the same set of circumstances as this book. Main character Leah's parents died in a horrific car crash. Her brother, Oliver, has gotten a job and needs to follow it to Syndey, Australia for a year. Oliver asks his best friend, Axel, to watch Leah while he's out of town for the year. Axel becomes her surrogate father/caregiver. He is pushy, demanding, and rude about her storm of feelings and her PTSD, and is dismissive of her actual medical care. He does all of this under the guise of caring about her and knowing what she really needs.....because he has known her since she was a little kid. He treats her like a little sister for most of the book until he is all of a sudden in love with her. It's giving grooming, it's giving Dane Cook and his child bride vibes! The way he treats her, I was shocked she was 19 because she acts like she's 15! She wears ponytails and rides a bike and he makes her lunches for school... it is ICKICKICKICKY. He is trying to fix her in his own way when she really needed medical and psychiatric help for her trauma. Eventually, there is a point around 65-70% into the book where he physically restrains her while forcing her to listen to a traumatizing song..!?!?!? Exsqueeze me?!?!? No no no. I don't like it. It all reads controlling to me, the absolute opposite of romantic! All of the aspects of Leah trying to find herself again, and find her way back from grief, are really accurate, well-written, and well handled. The audiobook narrators are great though, I would love to hear both of them reading a better, less sketch novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alice Kellen, and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for my review.

Though this book was originally published in 2019, it has only really hit the world of Social Media in the last couple of months with its eye-catching cover that makes us not only crush on the book but want to read it. I went into the book having a feeling that it was going to be an angsty New Adult Romance with potentially the same feel as After by Anna Todd. It wasn't as Angsty as I thought, but turned out to be more unrequited love and then requited love and then back to unrequited before finishing the end of Book #1. It was like come on Axel, man up and fight for her, don't show her that you are the quitter everyone thinks you are. The book starts with thirty-year-old Axel being asked a favour by his best friend since childhood Oliver - to look after his sister Leah while he is away for the year. Leah was with her parents when they died in a car accident and she survived but wishes she was dead. Her life lost all happiness and colour and she withdrew. Axel hates seeing her like this and pushes her out of her shell and we see glimpses of the old Leah back. Of course, this means that Leah's feelings of love for Axel come back and he fights until he gives up and they end up sleeping together. Of course, not everyone is happy with the decision and how can they be when she's only 19 and he's 30? Will Axel do the right thing and fight for her or will he "Let it Be" and in the words of Elsa - Let it Go? This book also features throughout the novels, quite a few songs of The Beatles including a childhood favourite of Yellow Submarine. The book ends on a semi-cliffhanger as Book #2 picks up three years later. If you are in the mood for some New Adult Romance, then check out "All That We Never Were" by Alice Kellen today.

This book. THIS BOOK. And the ending?? How do I wait til Jan 2024 for the continuation?!

Leah and Axel grew up together/her brother raised her after their parents died in a crash. Flash forward to Leah being of age and having always had her crush on Axel…those feelings are mutual. When they act on it, the intense urge of need radiates off the page and ultimately gave me butterflies. I get nostalgic when a book gives me butterflies as I used to get them with books when I was growing up. And to know that books can still provoke that feeling is my favorite thing.

5/5 stars. I have totally not sone this on purpose but third book in a row that details death that I have read. Leah is copping with the death of her parents in a car accident that she was also in. Her copping mechanism: staying closed off. When her elder brother, Oliver, accepts a job in Sydney she starts to stay with her brother’s best friend and family friend Axel Nguyen, who she also happens to have a crush on. Axel is determined to have Leah feel again but instead he realizes how he feels about her. I love the coastal, simple Byron Bay imagery and despite the 10 year age gap I think this relationship has potential in the next book as I agree right now is too early for it to work out. The ideas of the power of art and music and that chosen family is important are also shown and improve the novel. We all live in a yellow submarine.

All That We Never Were has so many things I like in a book: short chapters, dual perspective, real emotion, and forbidden love to name a few.

Leah and her parents are in a horrific car accident and only Leah survives. In her older brother, Oliver’s, attempt to provide for Leah, he transfers to Sydney for work and leaves Leah to finish high school while living with his best friend Axel. What Oliver doesn’t know is that Leah has been in love with Axel for years.

While I’ve thankfully never experienced grief in the magnitude that Leah faces, it is clear that Alice Kellen expertly describes the mourning process and the long battle of overcoming immense grief. Kellen writes descriptions that force you to slow down and really see the environment; the colors, textures, movements and contrast.

You’ll feel all the things reading this book. You’ll feel Leah’s grief, Axel’s determination and hope that Leah can return to the girl he once knew, Oliver’s difficult decisions in suddenly being responsible for his younger sister and you’ll even laugh at the ridiculousness of Axel’s dad.

I don’t typically mind an age gap story but the fact that Leah, although 19 and technically an adult, was still finishing high school kind of made me cringe.

Before I started reading I noticed that the book says it’s a “Let It Be Novel”. I didn’t really know what that meant but after reading it I should have taken that to mean it’s the first in a series and you won’t get closure from the ending of this book. I’m ready for book two now!

I kept picking up subtle Colleen Hoover vibes while I read this one so if you’re a CoHo fan, you should check this one out.

TW: death of parents, car accident

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book at about 20%. I am typically a fan of age-gap romances, but in this case, it felt like the MMC was taking advantage of a vulnerable 18-year-old. The MMC is a 30-year-old who is now supposed to look after his best friend's sister, a high school senior. Her parents passed away in a car crash recently, and she is in a terrible place mentally. This plot did not sit well with me, so I did have to stop reading.

Thank you Netgalley and Alice Kellen for providing me this book in return of an honest review.

The story revolves around Leah, a young woman grappling with her parents' tragic demise. Her older brother, Oliver, leaves for work, entrusting Leah to their lifelong friend, Axel, in Byron Bay. As Axel steps in to support Leah, he stumbles upon her long-standing affection for him. Over time, their feelings deepen, but when Oliver discovers their secret, he insists Axel let Leah go for her college experience. The book beautifully explores themes of resilience, love, and healing. What enhances this experience further is the outstanding audiobook narration by Bridie Lawrence and Dorje Swallow. They did a commendable job bringing the characters to life, adding depth and authenticity to the story. Their performances enhanced the characters' emotional journey, making it even more compelling. Alice Kellen's writing shines, and her handling of grief, depression, and anxiety is commendable. The emotional depth and character development make it a must-read, leaving readers eagerly awaiting the sequel.

really good book and kept me on my on my toes of what would happen. really enjoyed the characters and their journey and would read this author again.

The only family Leah has left is her older brother Oliver. Oliver gets a promotion in a different city and leaves her in the care of his Bestfriend Axel. They've all known each other since childhood. Leah has been in love with Axel all her life, but Axel has no idea....until 1 day. The book is left off on somewhat of a cliffhanger.

The book wasn't bad, I just felt like some chapters could have been cut out. I can't wait to read book 2 in January to see all that occurs in their lives.

Well I guess I'm not a fan of an 11 year age gap love story. How mature of Axel to "let" Leah go and experience college. BOY BYEEEEEEEEEEE

In this book, the heroine is the sole survivor of the car accident that killed her parents. To support the both of them, her older brother has to work in Sydney and leave her with the hero, his best friend. Living together, the relationship between the hero and the heroine changed towards the romantic side. However, the romantic relationship is revealed to the heroine's brother, and decisions were made that will affect their future in unexpected ways.

This is the first book in the LET IT BE duology. The book features romantic tropes includes brother's-best-friend, age-gap, and forbidden love. The version that I read is a translated version of the original story and has a nice book cover. It was an enjoyable read, but there was a definite need of more details in my opinion since there were situations that were not explored as much in this book. Overall, it was a nice start to the LET IT BE series.

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** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own. **

Thank you Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I thought this book was cute. The middle part of the book lagged and dragged, but the beginning and ending hooked my attention. The author has beautiful writing. She did a good job explaining grief and how that can affect each person differently. There were a lot of quotes that stuck out to me and felt inspirational. I am excited to read the second book in the duology.

I had mixed feelings about this book. I liked the style of writing. I found it easy to read and it moved relatively quickly. The characters felt realistic and complex. The book seemed a bit rushed at the end and then sets up for a second part in a future book. I'm typically okay with continuing stories. What I think I struggled with is connecting with and understanding the characters. I couldn't decide if Axel was a good man helping Leah through her grief or if he was a selfish one for the way he pushed. I wavered back and forth and generally didn't feel like the relationship was healthy. The topics were complex and deep, so it's not a light read. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.