4 stars! such an interesting book that had me excited about their story!

i was nervous about reading this just because i’ve found myself so-so about uk-based romances but this one was a beautiful balance of romance and their general lives and how they got there.

i am so into books that take place over a long timeline and missed connections and this didn’t disappoint. the grief and realizations they endured were captured in such a clear way although i think this would’ve been 10000 times more interesting if it were told in a first person perspective. i respected becca and charlie’s feelings and lives so much and wanted even more from them. first person would’ve made it a perfect book for me.

becca was such a sharp character you were rooting for and wanted to shake while charlie was so laidback who you also wanted to shake. i loved them both and they were real in a way that i was annoyed with them but in a way i understood. i love feeling annoyed with characters like they’re my friends making incorrect decisions because to me, it’s proof how the author was able to write them authentically. i wanted becca to understand her grief was holding her back but i could see myself right there giving myself or a friend grace around it, you know? they were just written in a way i loved.

tw: grief, death of a side character

thank you netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in return for an honest review.

Ten Years, a novel by Pernille Hughes, available August 15, 2023!

Two characters, stricken with grief over the loss of their fiancée/friend Ally check off items on her bucket list in this novel enemies-to-lovers novel by Pernille Hughes. Told over the course of many years, Charlie and Becca seem utterly incompatible until brought together by forces from the grave, which show them that they are better working through their grief and supporting one another as friends and maybe more than that…

This is a slow burn, but you will root for them the entire book. The banter was great between the two characters, and their individual character arcs were well-developed. I liked how their lives and careers crossed paths, even if they made it a plan to see each other for Ally’s sake.

I would definitely pick up other books by this UK-based author. What a refreshing take on a second-chance romance with a cover to die for!

Thank you so much to Harper 360/One More Chapter and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced (e-)reader copy and a chance to rate and review this book!

4 ⭐️ 0.5 🌶

TEN YEARS – Pernille Hughes
One More Chapter
ISBN: 978-0008478421
August 15, 2023
Contemporary Fiction

London, England

Becca and Charlie have known each other since they attended university. Becca’s best friend, Ally, fell in love with Charlie. But despite the connection, Becca and Charlie didn’t really get along. However, they were there while Ally battled cancer until she finally died in 2011. TEN YEARS covers the day of Ally’s funeral and through each year up to 2020. Unbeknownst to them, Ally left behind a mission for Charlie and Becca to do together.

A year after Ally’s death, Becca receives an email from…Ally. Thinking Charlie was pranking her, she looks up his phone number and angrily contacts him. Turns out he got the same email. They decided that Ally had scheduled emails for the future and in them were requests that only the two people she cared for could fulfill. Becca and Charlie hate each other, so how can they stand to be around each other now? But for Ally’s sake, they will tolerate the other. They contact Ally’s mother Valerie, who gives them a little bottle with some of Ally’s ashes. The email had instructed that they would go to this particular place and spread the ashes from the little bottle. Amazingly enough, despite their dislike of each other, Becca and Charlie perform the task. The next year, another email and another task. They’ve finally figured out that Ally is doing it as a way to keep her memory alive, but it is also forcing Becca and Charlie to interact.

Every year that Becca and Charlie get together to once again spread part of Ally’s ashes, they end up learning more about what the other has been up to. Becca is an aspiring actress who isn’t having much luck in finding a steady job—or finding a good man to date. Charlie took a year off after graduating from university. He is a journalism major and finally lands a job. He also eventually starts dating a woman at work, and they marry. At his wedding reception, Becca is enraged because she thinks Charlie is disrespecting Ally’s memory even though it’s been several years since she died. As they bicker, it soon becomes apparent that he hasn’t told his bride the whole story about Ally. Within a couple of years, Charlie is once again alone. And each year Charlie and Becca continue to get together to spread more of Ally’s ashes.

Each year in TEN YEARS represents changes happening to Charlie and Becca. It turns out they are good listeners for each other, yet they don’t recognize how their relationship has changed. I won’t give away all the spoilers, but readers will soon realize what Ally is doing. She is bringing Charlie and Becca together. Did two people who thought they hated the other really turn out to be…perfect for each other? As you can guess, it takes time and the ups and downs of their lives before that question is answered. A compelling and intriguing tale, you won’t want to miss TEN YEARS.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

When Becca’s best friend dies, the one person she doesn’t want to spend time with is the friend’s fiancé, Charlie. The felling is mutual. So when, a year after her death, she sends Becca and Charlie on a bucket list to spread her ashes, neither is too excited but agree to meet every year on the anniversary of her death.

This book was amazing!
First, I loved the format. Each year has one or two sections where you either follow Becca and Charlie in their lives or together completing the tasks. This gave room for me to be excited or anxious to see how their lives had changed. And man did I get anxious! You can tell pretty early in how suited they actually are for each other which makes them moving on with their lives so hard to read. But that’s some of my favorite kind of readers anxiety.
I also really liked Becca and Charlie. They are flawed and can’t see it. But they can see it in each other which makes for some high drama. The tasks that they need ti perform always put them at odds. Becca was also hilarious.

All in all, this was a really good romance. It’s a slow burn but worth it!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted copy.

Thank you Harper 360 and NetGalley for an advance read in exchange for this review.

Becca and Charlie have been enemies since college, but, to their dismay, have had to remain a constant in each other’s lives. When Ally, Becca's best friend and Charlie's fiance, passes away, they finally hope they're done with one another for good. Not so much... Ally has given them a bucket list to complete together, and so the two connect annually in honor of their favorite person. Ten Years tells of Becca and Charlie's lives through the next decade as they navigate grief, joy, adulthood, careers, and relationships.

I did really enjoy Ten Year's honesty about some of the very real struggles and unmet expectations that occur during the transition to adulthood. Hughes also did a great job displaying some of the many stages and ways to grieve. Although I typically love enemies-to-lovers and slow-burns, Ten Years was unfortunately not for me. I wasn't a big fan of either character, and although they shared great connection, it didn't translate over to good chemistry. I know it was set over 10 years, but it definitely felt dragged out in many areas. Ultimately though, it was a sweet story that was very honest and emotional. I would rate it 2.5/5 stars,

This enemies to lovers romance was so emotional... ALL the emotions. I felt joy, sadness, and aggravation while I was reading it.

Ally and Charlie are engaged when Ally, sadly, gets sick and passes away. After Ally is gone, she has left Charlie and Becca, her best friend, a letter with her bucket list. She wants them to complete it together, but Charlie and Becca do NOT get along. Ally was the only thing they had in common, and now she is gone.

Becca and Charlie are portrayed as real individuals who continue to grieve their best friend, but most importantly, the growth they both have seems very real, especially Becca.

I was sitting at a 3 star in the middle of this book, but the second half really picked up. Then, the ending really sealed the deal for me. Thank you NetGally and Harper 360 for the ARC!

Loved this book! Charlie and Becca’s growth and character development over the decade was a beautiful way to depict grief in different stages. I would highly recommend. 4.5 stars rounded to 5.

A satisfyingly emotional journey. I was skeptical upon the opening chapter of the book, which brought together Becca and Charlie at the funeral of Ally, her best friend and his fiancée, and set these two who deeply loathe each other off on a mission to complete one task a year from her bucket list together. As expected, there is initially a lot of friction and unpleasantness between them, yet both experience notable character growth as the years progress, and so much is revealed about their past and changing feelings toward each other as they continue to cross paths. There is a revelation late in the book that reframes the preceding events in a completely new way and I could understand both Becca's and Charlie's differing thoughts about it, coming down more on Becca's side given the information within the final chapter. But ultimately, this development only serves to add some third act angst and doesn't take anything away from the rewarding and tender romance that blossoms here.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for letting me receive an ARC of this book!

I was following the book's release date since last year because I thought it would be a second chance romance or a friends to lovers romance. When I read that first page though, I knew I was going to cry the whole way to the finish.

The story follows Charlie and Becca and how they lost someone who was important for both of them: Ally. Charlie's fiancée and Becca's best friend. Throughout the story, we get to see how Charlie and Becca handle the loss of Ally and how they overcome their sadness. It's an enemies to lovers, slowburn romance and contemporary fiction kind of book, and if you're into any of those, you'll probably like this book.

When I read the premise of this book, I had to have it immediately! I love a good enemies to lovers story and bucket lists are definitely my favorite. This story was so much deeper than the typical love story though! There is a relatable exploration of grief, especially from the male perspective, that was beautifully done. I also love strong character development and Becca’s growth was so fun to be a part of. This is definitely for you if you love banter, a solid glow up story, and characters that end up feeling like friends! This is my first Pernille Hughs book and I look forward to reading more of her backlist!

Thank you @netgalley and @harpercollins360 for the early copy!

3.85 stars!

This one comes out 8/15!

DNF at 10%. I did not like the writing style. Thank you for the chance to read and review this book.

This book was definitely unique, I just feel like it fell a little bit flat in my opinion. It had so much potential! I’d still buy it.

Loved this story! If you're a fan of PS I love you, this take will warm your heart. An excellent read.

Charlie and Becca are perfect for each other. They just don’t know it. When Charlie’s fiancé and Becca’s best friend Allie passes away, these two mortal enemies are devastated. When they are given tasks to scatter Allie’s ashes and complete her bucket list together, it takes them on adventures that bring out the best and worst of them. I loved watching how these characters grew and developed and came to their realizations of both their own lives and their feelings.

Novels that revolve around grief and pushing through it are always difficult for me. That being said, this book does a beautiful job of taking the reader on that journey in a way that is not overwhelming.

Becca and Charlie do not like each other, but they had one thing in common - Ally. When she dies prematurely, the two are left bereft until one year later when they each receive an email from the beyond. Schedule send leads the two on an adventure that continues for five years as they continue to fulfill Ally's bucket list and start to get to know each other without their buffer.

As the years go on and differences arise, Becca and Charlie learn more about each other, Ally, and their paths going forward. They embrace changes in life, career, and love in the hopes of finding some lasting happiness.

This was a well written novel that felt authentic in its storytelling. Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC!

So while I read this book quick - I still can't decide if I really liked it. I love the idea and the premise behind the book but I think the execution fell short for me. Over the span of 10 years, the MC get together to complete tasks. Both MC were a bit whiny and childish. Also, the chapters tended to be on the long side and I hate long chapters.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

Gosh…hard to put words into this review. I definitely have a book hangover. TEN YEARS ripped my heart out in the best way. Asking deep questions and offering lots of angst, it was the perfect read.

"Ten Years" by Pernille Hughes is an enchanting and delightful romantic comedy that will leave you with a warm heart and a smile on your face. Hughes' writing is witty, engaging, and filled with relatable characters that come to life on the pages. The story follows the lives of childhood sweethearts, Ruby and Jacob, as they reunite after a decade apart. The chemistry between the two is palpable, and their journey is filled with laughter, surprises, and a fair share of bumps along the way. Hughes expertly blends humor and heartfelt moments, creating a perfect balance that keeps you hooked from start to finish. If you're in the mood for a charming and uplifting tale of love and second chances, "Ten Years" is a must-read that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper360 for this digital ARC in exchange for a honest review. Ten Years by Pernille Hughes is an enemies to lovers type story. This tends to be one of my favorite tropes if done correctly. This was a well told story showing how two people deal with their grief of losing a loved one and how it brings them together. I also love dual POVs in a book so I can truly see how each person is feeling.

Here's the thing about romances like this.. it feels *ick* because the guy is clearly a mess and doesn't feel 'hero' worthy. I don't think it's romantic to mess around with people's feelings because you're not sure what you want in life.. on top of the dead fiance thing?

THE GOOD:
- I really appreciate how well male grieving is portrayed. I don't think I've ever read something from that perspective, and think the world needs more.
- I loved Becca's character. Her life is hard, and she absolutely deserves her wins!! Anyone who comes from a tough home life can tell you that it's heartwarming to get to read someone having their well-deserved glow up.

THE BAD:
Ten Years is #triggering for so many reasons. Do we think that men's grieving gives them a right to lie and basically get married and ruin someone else's first marriage because they can't sort themselves out? The Victorian-Era feminist in me was screaming the whole time I read this. It's ok to be indecisive as a man, and we don't expect men to all be of the same stale/tough emotional state anymore.. but to drag another woman into it to make your life feel somewhat less empty? I just could not with that part of the plot.