I had to hold off on posting my review because I went and read it again immediately after finishing my first read through. This is not a soft, romance. The characters have dealt with some trauma, but the way Greer has written their journey truly envelopes the reader. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for providing an eARC for an honest review.

I didn't realize that there was another book (Seasons of Love) that I should have read before starting this one. I ended up feeling confused and not really connecting to any of the characters. Overall, this book was just not for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader. All thoughts are my own.

This book is angsty af and had me all in my feelings. It’s not a new fave for me or anything but I really did enjoy it. I really appreciated the mental health rep and queer rep.

I love this book with my entire soul. Even though I identify so deeply with aspects of Blue that it makes my heart ache.

The depiction of grief in this book is incredibly nuanced and masterfully done. When you're stuck in your own head it's difficult to comprehend that others have different experiences with the same person or even the same interaction. And the acknowledgement that you can feel grief, love, anger, resentment, etc all wrapped up in one messy knot of feelings really struck a chord with me. I know I'm making this book sound depressing but I promise it's not. This aspect just hit me in the personal feels. There's angst for sure but there are also a lot of lighter moments. And of course there are shenanigans!

I loved catching up with the Carrigan's crew and want a thousand more books so I can spend time with every single character.

**Received an eARC via NetGalley**

I really really wanted to love this one, and while I did enjoy it, and would still totally recommend it to other people, I didn’t totally love it. The characters and the story were great! I think the characters were really fun and well fleshed out. Greer writes such fantastic queer and fat rep! And the overall story and plot were so much FUN, I truly enjoyed the concept and the unfolding of the story.

The only reason I didn’t absolutely love it was because I wasn’t a huge fan of the narrative voice. I’m very picky about the writing style, and for some reason I don’t connect with her writing style. However, that’s very much a me thing, and I think anybody who finds the plot intriguing would enjoy the book!

Included as a top pick in weekly November New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

I did not end up reading this book. The author and I share very different political beliefs when it comes to Israel and I didn't feel comfortable reading and reviewing.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I didn’t realize this was a sequel to another book. I had to DNF it because I couldn’t relate to the characters. My opinion may have been different if I read the first book.

Thank you netgalley.

I really loved this story even more than Season of Love. I enjoyed the twists and the back story. There seems to be something missing in order for it to be a 5 start read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to read this ARC. I didn't realize this was a sequel so my review might be different if I had read the first book in this series. Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. The characters seemed whiny and too over the top for me. The 2 main characters just didn't mesh well together, and the friendships were strange too.

I'm not even sure where to begin with my review. My thoughts were kind of all over the place while reading this one. I had a really hard time liking anyone in this book for a very large majority of it. Full disclosure, I didn't read Seasons of Love so I may be missing some things but Cass seemed like an awful, controlling, judgemental person but somehow everyone but Levi and Noelle seemed to worship her, even after learning about how she treated Levi. I completely see how everyone thought Levi was just this whiny, brooding guy...because he was, but I struggle with how nobody seemed to want to find out why he was like that for so long, including his parents?

I can't even lie. I was very tempted to DNF this but instead of just quitting I read ahead to see if I could keep going. This led to me bouncing from the ending of the book to the middle and back again. I ended up reading the book in it's entirety and was pleasantly surprised to end up liking it. There was so much fantastic rep throughout this story: Jewish, ace/demisexual/LGTBQIA+, anxiety, and fat rep. I think that was my favorite part. Someone said in another review that there was a lot of therapist-speak in this story and I have to agree, but I liked that side of it.

If you're looking for a book to read as an escape, this might not be the book you're looking for but if you enjoy a story that feels true-to-life, that has characters who will drive you crazy but then show a lot of personal growth; a story of friendship, family and grieving, then you should go ahead and pick this one up.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary/honest review

After a childhood traipsing around the world, Hannah has finally found her home as the co-owner of Carrigan’s All Year. But her mind is still on Levi—her first love and, thanks to some posthumous meddling by her late aunt, new business partner. Levi left Carrigan’s four years ago with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove, but now he’s returned to win Hannah back. Things don’t exactly go as planned though and now he only has a few months to convince Hannah that he’s changed and they are meant to be together.

From the moment I read SEASON OF LOVE, I knew I needed Hannah and Levi’s love story and I was absolutely delighted to find that we’d be getting it in this book. Levi’s presence is constantly felt at Carrigan’s despite him not physically being there and it was clear there was a lot more to their story that needed to be explored.

Don’t let the cartoon cover or the fact that this is a romance novel fool you—there is a lot of trauma explored in this story. Helena tackles tough topics with compassion and grace, validating experiences and reminding us that, despite how it feels, we are never alone in our pain. I found myself relating way too much with Levi, oftentimes highlighting things he said and sending texts to my friends wailing about how it was exactly me. There were so many lines where I felt horribly attacked and wildly validated and it made the reading experience that much better.

All the characters spring off the page with their strong personalities and their interactions are such a joy because of it. In addition to all the character work Helena did in the first book, she also utilizes flashbacks in this one to flesh out Hannah and Levi’s characters even further as well as shines some light on other characters. The relationships between characters also shine, eliciting all the warm and fuzzies.

One of my favorite things about this book is that our main characters actually act like adults and have honest conversations. They do the hard thing and take time to really listen to each other and talk things out—even go to counseling and therapy!—and it’s a beautiful example of how to develop healthy relationships.

Despite the heavier moments at times, I had such a blast reading and falling even further in love with the Carrigan's crew. It is abundantly clear that Helena has a deep love for these characters and this setting—and we get to reap the benefits of that love (hopefully for many more books to come!)

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an eARC of this in exchange for an honest review.

For Never & Always is a second chance romance between Hannah and Levi (Blue). They separated four years ago when they realized they wanted very different things out of life. Now Levi has come home and wants to win Hannah back.

I wasn’t aware going into this book that it is a sequel. It’s supposed to be a stand alone but I felt confused at first about what was going on and I think I wouldn’t have been confused if I had read the first book. There were some flashbacks throughout the book that also made the storyline hard to follow.

The characters had the same argument multiple times throughout the book and it was tiring. It really didn’t seem like they had known each other their entire lives and had been in a relationship for years prior to separating. I didn’t find myself rooting for them to get back together.

I really wanted to love this and I did like some parts of it but overall, this was not for me.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC and eARC copies. I purchased the audiobook myself.

For Never & Always
by Helena Greer

Narrated by Mara Wilson and Emil Benjamin

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️(0-5)
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️(0-5)
Steam: 🔥🔥 (0-5) Maybe more like 1.5

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 These narrators have gorgeous voices, are easy to listen to, and very well cast.
🤩 The book cover—it’s irresistible.
🤩 LGBTQIA+ representation is beautifully written.
🤩 Jewish traditions, celebrations, and culture is interesting and fun.
🤩 Carrigan’s—I love the setting of an Inn and the event planning and hosting.
🤩 3rd person dual POV—we definitely need both perspectives about their time apart.
🤩 Past and present chapters with lots of history. Childhood friends-to-lovers and second-chance romance. It builds the longing of wanting them to be together.
🤩 The bet and idea of the dates.
🤩 I’m so glad they went to couples’ therapy.
🤩 Change (that oh my gosh moment) and working things out.
🤩 I just love the friends/side characters, but you might need to read Season of Love to appreciate them.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 Second chance romance does this to me, but it felt a little too heavy, serious, and sad for how I like to feel in my books.
💫 I didn’t feel as immersed as I’d hoped, more like being told Levi and Hannah’s story.
💫 I was hoping for more fun and to laugh more.
💫 A little too closed door. I just didn’t feel their attraction and physical attraction.
💫 I’m just not sure I believe in the HEA.
💫 My mind (and heart) is still whirling about the whole Cass treating Levi poorly.

I was so happy to be back at Carringan’s Christmasland for book 2 in this delightful series!
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Picking up right where we left off we get Levi and Hannah’s story. This is a second chance romance with former best friends, current enemies. Two tropes I love. I love a second chance Romance and enemies to lovers not to mention small town vibes, this is a fun one!
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Thank you @readforeverpub and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed the author’s previous book, Season of Love, and jumped at the chance to read this follow-up book, For Never And Always. I think that readers who haven’t read Season of Love will probably be a bit lost with all the characters in For Never And Always. This time the focus is on Hannah and Levi. Unfortunately, I just didn’t see them as a great couple, until possibly the very end of the book. They were fairly self-centered and acted younger than their age (mid-30s). If you like the friends-to-lovers trope, this book may appeal, even though it’s more friends-to-enemies-to-lovers.

As a child, Hannah was dragged all over the world by her parents (documentary film makers) and all she wants now is to stay in one place (Carrigan’s) and run the place now that her great-aunt Cass has died. Levi grew up at Carrigan’s as the son of the cook and handyman/caretaker and never fit in, in their small town. He has been traveling the world, becoming a master chef in the process. How on earth will these two adults manage to reconcile such differing life choices, even though they say they love each other? That’s the story in a nutshell.

As with the first book, I loved all the Jewish representation, the LBGTQ+ representation, and the emphasis on mental health. Plus the location (Carrigan’s Christmasland, now called Carrigan’s All Year) in New York State’s Adirondack Mountains, is basically a character itself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I truly wanted to love this book but it just missed the mark for me! Starting off, I loved Hannah. I related to her character quite a bit between her fear of straying too far from home and the neurotic need for organization. I also really appreciated the unabashed love for Jewish culture and queer representation. It was beautiful and fun and really well done.
On the other hand, Levi’s character bothered me quite a bit. The fact that he seemed far more upset about Cass leaving the inn to he, Miriam, and Hannah instead of his parents gave him this weird chip on his shoulder, but I think Cass’s treatment of him could have stood as enough reason for him to dislike and feel hurt by her. It just felt like a weird, slightly immature, addition. Aside from that, he was whiny and the fact that he had the audicity to act like Hannah singlehandedly destroyed their relationship (when he made plans for their future without any regard or asking her) was infuriating! All in all, I just never felt the spark between Hannah and Levi so there was nothing that made me root for them. The amount of background characters made my head spin but I liked getting to know them!
Over all, if you enjoyed Helena’s first book, I’d recommend giving this a shot! Otherwise, I’d recommend reading the blurb and deciding whether it’s your cup of tea.
Thank you to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever, & Helena Greer for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

For Never & Always is a small town Jewish romance. It is the follow-up to Season Of Love.

This book can be read as a standalone. However the main characters from Season Of Love (Miriam and Noelle) are in this book. And Hannah and Levi were supporting characters in that book. The last lines of Season Of Love are the beginning of For Never & Always.

This book takes place at Carrigan's Christmasland. It is an inn in the Adirondacks that now does all events, including weddings.

This is Hannah and Levi's story.

What I liked about this book. There is a lot of Jewish rep. Most of the characters are Jewish. And they celebrate Jewish holidays. This book is extremely Jewish. I also loved the mental health rep. Hannah has anxiety and this is a big focus of the story. I also absolutely loved that Levi is a celebrity chef on a reality show. I really enjoyed everything to do with this part of the story. There is amazing LGBTQ+ rep. Many characters are gay. And there is also mention of demisexuality.

I did enjoy Hannah and Levi's story. However I wish that they had spent more of the book together. And I think that I would have liked more romance.

But overall this was a fun romance full of amazing Jewish, mental health and LGBTQ+ rep. I will definitely check out the next book in the series.

The answers we need after the cliffhanger of book 1 - Levi "Blue" is home!

Levi has always loved Hannah since their youth, only he was shunned away from adoring her properly by Cass, the matriarch of the farm who passed away. Hannah has lead the charge with the help of her friends and family to revamp the relevancy of the tree farm and its surroundings. They've made it a year round place of business.

After being called home, Levi is determined to win back the hand of the one women he never wanted to leave behind. Together, they must have candid and honest conversations to overcome the obstacles to their happily ever after.

The dueling POV worked to build the love story. Greer delivers a strong message in that there is no shame is seeking help. I enjoyed how well this couple was written to fit together in the modern world.

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the complimentary copy.

I read Season of Love last year, and loved it, so I was thrilled to return to Carrigan's with this book. I think I loved this book even more than book one.

Hannah and Levi are both vibrant, yet challenging characters, with a love worth rooting for. I enjoyed seeing how they tackled their issues and confronted their fears together, and with the help of their friends and family.

Fans of Season of Love will be happy to get more of Miriam and Noelle, Mr. and Mrs. Matthews, and Carrigan's.

For Never & Always includes Jewish rep, Queer rep, and Anxiety/Mental Health rep, it addresses some tough subjects, like grief and bullying, and, for me, was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Already looking forward to book 3's release next fall.

I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.