Thank you for netgalley and the publisher for granting my ARC. I loved the first book and I loved the family and setting and everything that it set up. However, I just couldn't get into this one. The characters fell flat and I just wasn't into it. DNF'ed at 25%

This was a first for me from this author and it won’t be the best! I really enjoyed the characters and their dynamic! I’m so glad Hannah and Levi get a second chance:) It was a fun, unique read for me! I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Just like Season of Love, I fell HARD for these two beautiful people. Levi Blue, Hannah and I are kindred spirits and their romance felt absolutely perfect for them. I highly recommend this fantastic queer MF romance to everyone!

"For Never & Always" delivers a heartwarming second-chance romance filled with emotional depth and engaging characters. While the story follows a familiar trajectory, Greer infuses it with fresh energy and genuine chemistry between the leads.

I'm going to start by saying that I didn't know this was a sequel and did not read the first book.
My experience reading this book was an emotional roller coaster. I went in expecting cute, second-chance, small town romance vibes, totally ready for good feels, and instead I spent most of my time feeling angry and almost dropped it at 30%. At 40% I was complaining to my best friend about it, told him I was going to DNF, but he said he was invested in the characters and living vicariously through me and he dared me to finish it because he knows I won't back down from a dare.
I didn't start liking the characters together (though I did like Hannah very much individually and Blue grew on me later) until maybe 60%, and I didn't feel emotionally invested in their relationship's success until 80%. Prior to all of that, I felt Hannah and Blue were too misaligned, too toxic together, too consumed by each other for it to work. Actually, I felt a hell of a lot like Noelle (who was genuinely the only reason I kept going before I was dared to finish. Seriously, Noelle is a gem). But by the end, I began to really see evidence of their individual growth and how they could make it work if they really made the effort. Still, I spent most of my time angry.
HOWEVER. My personal feelings about the MCs and their more-or-less toxic relationship has very little to do with my actual rating because Helena Greer's writing is stellar. Her characters are vivid, her descriptions are beautifully detailed, and the language is swoony in a way that feels like a modern classic romance. I would definitely revisit her books for her writing. I might even go back and pick up the first book since I loved Noelle so much in this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

A lack of action bogs this book down, unfortunately, but the queer and Jewish representation are refreshing.

Not for me. I don't love miscommunication, but especially when it leads to a break up and then one character comes back hoping to pick up where they left off. I'm not sure if that ever works in real life but it always gives me the ick!

I would like to thank NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and the author for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

“She didn’t need to give up rational, logical thinking and listen to her intuition. She needed to make lists, then make plans from her lists, then systematically make those plans become reality through sheer organization and willpower.”

Read if you like:
❤️‍🩹 Second Chance Romance
💜🤍🖤 Demisexual representation
✡️ Jewish representation
🚪 Closed door/fade to black

For Never & Always takes us back to Carrigan’s Farm, the setting of Season of Love. Hannah has made “Carrigan’s All Year” a huge success, turning the Christmas tree farm into a year-round destination. Levi “Blue”, the son of the groundskeeper and cook at Carrigan’s, and Hannah’s first love, left to make something of himself. Now a celebrity chef, he returns to Carrigan’s to heal his relationship with his family and friends, but Hannah just wants him to give up his part ownership of Carrigan’s and leave for good.

I’m really happy we got a book for Hannah. I see a lot of myself in her, especially her constant need to plan and have everything “just so”. I don’t usually love second chance romances but I really enjoyed this mature version of childhood sweethearts. Pretty early on they both acknowledge the damage that’s been done in their relationship and that they don’t know how to reconcile their very different life plans, but they they’re willing to try. This was sweet, emotional, and healing, a different kind of rom-com. I missed having some more plot outside of the romance but still really enjoyed it.

This was such a fun follow up to Greer's debut. I have been waiting a LONG TIME to see what happens next in the story and this did not disappoint.

Helena Greer has a knack for writing books that capture the highs and lows of romance and with such nuanced characters.

Childhood friends to lovers to strangers to friends to lovers again? COUNT ME IN! I adore second chance romances, I find them so comforting. I found the timeline of this book easy to follow and interesting, it kept me entertained throughout the whole book. As someone who is demi-sexual, I cried seeing well done demi representation, I was so happy seeing it in this book. The amount of characters that were needed to be followed and kept tack of was a tad confusing, but we got there in the end. Overall I gave this book a 3 star. Thank you for the opportunity!

This book just made me tired. Everyone was so angsty and full of issues that it just made the reading experience feel painful. The two main characters should not have been together. They weren’t good together and had some deep rooted issues that were never resolved.

Ended up not finishing all of the book because they shouldn’t have been together.

Hannah and Levi/Blue’s romance took such a long, winding path spanning so many years. I loved seeing all of the flashbacks of them growing up and falling for each other.

I hated Cass so much for messing with Levi’s head and making him feel less than.
While I accept that things needed to happen the way they did for them to grow individually, my heart burst when everything finally came together as it should. These two deserve the world.

I am so anxiously awaiting Hers for the Weekend. I can’t wait to see what happens next at Carrigan’s!

Thank you so much to Forever and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Childhood friends to enemies to lovers? Sign me up. Supposedly enemies because she does not want to be around him but jokes on her because those feelings she had year ago are still there. Their lives are so intertwined there is no way to every completely be rid of one another. He has to work hard to get her back! And through the story they learn how much they have grown and are no longer kids.
It was a tiny bit hard for me to get into this book but I did enjoy it by the end. Sexuality realizations and conversations were done so beautifully. The angst between the MC was palpable and I just wanted them together already! The found family was beautiful, but I did expect some sort of smut but I understand that is not what this book is. That being said I still recommend it!
Thank you NetGalley, Forever Publishing, and Helena Greer for allowing me to read this ARC and give my honest feedback. :)

Sadly I couldn't get into this one. Apparently it's a sequel? That's my own fault as I should have done my research before going in. BUT from what I read there's so much representation (mental health, queer and jewish rep!) plus it's a second chance romance too!

Thank you so much for the team at forever for the ARC!

Initial thought: I like the setting. Honestly, from the beginning this is set up in an interesting way--returning to the report they now co-own and have big memories of as children. The flashbacks are interesting but also make the pace of the book feel kind of odd to me.

There is a nice network of family and friends surrounding our main romance....but that leads to SO much going on (side characters etc...) Honestly, I struggle to keep it all straight. Also, there is lots of talks about feelings and working out emotions. It's simultaneously strong character development and a little too much feelings talk for me. I'm still not sure of he is a redeemed a**hole or not, but he has some redeeming qualities.

I LOVED reading about demi and plus size characters. It was really fun and well done to read about some underrepresented groups done so well! I also enjoy childhood friends - enemies - lovers as a rule, and this was no exception!

Overall, I like this book but pacing and amount of information kind of threw me off.

3.5 ⭐️

I have some mixed feelings about this romance. I didn’t like that the couple could not communicate well but I think their situation forced them to do it which took some of the annoyance away. I liked how Levi was determined to remind her how good they were together. The “dates” and bet they made I thought was cute. There was a lot of different representation, and I loved that aspect. The supporting characters, their friendships, and the change in the business I enjoyed more than the romance itself. There was good character development and healing, especially in Levi’s POV. Overall I did enjoy it and was left with heartwarming feel but the romance itself fell a little flat.

Thank you Forever and Netgalley for the gifted copy

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Forever Books for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

This was not it for me. I could not get invested in the couple enough. I found the premise to be pretty unbelievable. You may love it.

"Forever & Always" by Helena Greer is a captivating and emotionally resonant romance novel that explores the enduring power of love and the complexities of relationships. Greer's prose is both lyrical and heartfelt, drawing readers into the lives of her characters and immersing them in their struggles and triumphs. The story follows two individuals on a journey of self-discovery and second chances, as they navigate the challenges of past wounds and present desires. Greer skillfully weaves together themes of forgiveness, redemption, and the importance of communication, creating a compelling narrative that tugs at the heartstrings. With its poignant storyline and well-developed characters, "Forever & Always" is a must-read for fans of contemporary romance looking for a deeply satisfying and emotionally fulfilling read.