A huge thank you to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!
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Hannah and Levi have been best friends for their entire lives, together for a window, and have spent the last few years on opposite sides of the world, yet they have never truly let the other go. Back together at Carrigan’s Christmasland they are forced to really look at each other and confront the pain that they caused each other and the growth that has happened in the time they’ve been apart. I love a second chance romance where the adults have really put in the work to fix themselves and not just the relationship; therapy is not just a thing of their past, but their present, and doesn’t work in a one-size-fits-all fashion.
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Levi is demisexual and panromantic, having finally found the words and labels that feel most comfortable for him once he left his small hometown. The small asexual flag on the cover might as well be a little calling sign to me, and I loved how Greer didn’t shy away from his identity despite his romantic partner remaining the same before and after he discovered his labels. I also really enjoyed the Jewish representation throughout the novel. These are people who really value their religious culture in a way not always seen depicted in mainstream media and it really added to the story for me.

This is a unique holiday romance that is technically a stand alone, but is a companion book to Greer’s previous holiday romance. The writing is good and the story of a second chance romance between childhood best friends turned grudge holding business partners.

I’m sure for those who read and enjoyed Greer’s other story set at this Christmas themed Inn run by a large Jewish family, then you will enjoy this one as well.

I found it hard to enjoy entirely thanks to the repetitive and almost circular conflict surrounding the two main characters. They use a lot of therapy talk and I honestly didn’t enjoy either of them.

I did, however, immensely enjoyed the Jewish and Demi rep, as well as the continuation of the sapphic romance from the first story. The cast of supporting characters and the world around the Inn was an enjoyable one.

It may have fallen flat from what I was hoping for, but it did have some good moments that others will enjoy!

In this book, the heroine is content with her life as a destination inn co-owner until the hero returns back home. The hero is a famous celebrity chef that wants to make amends to the important people he left behind, but he has a lot of obstacles along the way. The heroine and the hero must learn lessons from their pasts to have their happy ending. Hopefully a customer's wedding and five dates will be the start that will help them in this journey.

This is the sequel to another Helena Greer book focused on the other pair of owners of the same destination inn that this book's couple also inherited. To truly have a whole image of the important figures in this series, it should be read in order even though each book gave enough information to enjoy each book by itself. Even with information provided in each book, I still wanted more details added to get a better understanding in certain areas of the book. I liked the focus of mental health discussion and the various representations shown in the book, but I felt a little dissatisfaction with certain aspects that could have been explored a bit more. There was a nice set of characters within the book, but some personalities were not as favorable reading about in the story. Overall, it's a nice book but it did feel like it needed something more in my opinion.


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

Hannah and Levi were childhood friends turned lovers who struggled to make things work when their dreams started to diverge more and more. What I liked about this story was how much both characters worked on themselves and came together to work on their relationship to see if they could give it another chance. I also really enjoyed the side characters who all have their own lives and problems going on in the background, which is something I always appreciate.
What I didn’t love so much was the flashback chapters. I know they were there to give more context, but I feel like they really didn’t need to be there or at least not so many. I also didn’t realize how entwined this book was with the author’s previous book Seasons of Love. I will be reading that but I feel like my thoughts about the previous owner/aunt have been tainted bc I disliked the way she treated the people around her. But idk I could be wrong; we’ll see.
The other thing I really liked about the story was the casual rep that was included: Jewish, queer, anxiety. I really appreciated the demi rep from Levi as it is much closer to my own experience than other demi rep I’ve encountered.
This is a book that definitely gets the delicate balance of fun and serious that I think a lot of the romances of today are trying to achieve.

These two are the definition of love of their lives, but also that just love isn’t enough and they have to work towards their happily ever after. I found this story and cute, and a good second chance romance. Both parties needed to work on themselves in different ways— Levi needed to think beyond himself and Hannah needed to learn to let go of Carrigan and explore the world— yes she did that when she was younger, but now for herself. This book also takes an extra twist on the second chance which I will not spoil, but I will say it harps on a trope that I know many of you love. I also want to commend all the representation in this book! I loved the Jewish, anxiety, and queer representation, as well as the normalization of therapy.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever Pub for the early copy.

After reading Season of Love, I thought I knew what to expect from Hannah Rosenstein and the mysterious Levi “Blue” Matthews and their second chance romance… but I was blown away by their lifelong history together, with Carrigan’s and on their own.

Hannah has been successfully running Kerrigan’s all year with the help of her business partners, her cousin, and best friend since they inherited… Until the fourth partner shows up and tosses all her careful planning in the air!

She wants him out of her life officially, and he wants to get her back.

Levi had to leave Carrigan‘s for the greater world to find himself and prove to everyone that he was a success. Now on the heels of a successful stent on a big Australian cooking competition show, Levi is back at the place that never felt like home, trying to get the love of his life to give him a second chance.

Greer tells the story at present time and provides flashback chapters outlining both Hannah and Levi’s experiences as they grow up, and how those experiences eventually lead to them getting together and their separation. I found this to be a perfect way for their story, and their past to unfold together for the reader.

Like any second chance romance, both the MC’s have a lot of work to do to get to a point where they can come back together, and I loved seeing both characters grow and except each other‘s realities and shortcomings and find away towards a mutual future.

I also really loved how she treated Levi growing up as unlabelled demisexual and his eventual discovery of his orientation and the clarity it brings. Greer doesn’t pull and punches when it comes to Levi’s experience growing up and not fitting in within his small town. This just adds to a triumphant return.

Overall, I loved this book and all work and emotion that went into this well earned HEA!

Thanks to Forever Romance for my gifted copy. Opinions are my own.

#ForNeverandAlways #helenagreer

I didn’t realize when I started this book that it went along with Season of Love. I probably should have read that book first, but it isn’t necessary to enjoy the story. I do plan to go back and read Season of love though.

This was an emotional and complicated second chance romance. Not the lighthearted rom com the cover lead me to believe it would be. Levi and Hannah had a lot of history between them. Levi wasn’t the most pleasant person, but he did show some growth as the story progressed.

This book had a lot going on. I even wrote a few notes down a couple times. The story navigates between the past and present, while weaving in other side characters and their lives. It’s all interesting, just requires the reader to pay close attention to details.

Overall, an engaging, emotional second chance romance.

Read if you like:
💕 Second Chance Romance
💕 Mental Health Rep
💕 Complex Characters
💕Lots of Side Characters
💕 Family Drama

Although I did not read the first book I didn't find this book to be difficult to follow, but my reactions to the various characters might have been different if I'd had that additional backstory. There were things I loved about this book, and things I really disliked. Overall, I guess I'd rate it a 3.5.

At the top of the things I loved was Hannah, her drive to make Carrigan's succeed, her creativity with the business, and her strong, deep love for all of her friends and found family (not so much her actual parents as their selfish parenting style and inability to consider her needs were the root of her insecurity and anxiety). She had some big mental health challenges, but she was self-aware enough to recognize them and was didn't shy away from the work of addressing them while still living a full and somewhat satisfying life. I also loved the way Jewish culture permeated every aspect of the characters' lives, it wasn't just a throwaway characteristic. Finally, I loved the full and well-rounded presentation of demisexuality. Levi self-identifies as demi and his struggle to understand his own nature in a world that is not at all accepting of or knowledgeable about it were very clear and well-written for those who are unfamiliar with it.

The main thing that I disliked can be summed up as Levi. By the end of the book, I developed some appreciation for him and for his character growth and the fact that he was (finally!) trying to change, but through the first half of the book, he was so self-centered, prickly, and such a drama llama, that it was hard to understand why anyone would even want to be in the same room with him, let alone be as close to him as Hannah and Miriam apparently were when they were growing up. It's like midway through the book, the author realized she'd gone too far for anyone to believe he and Hannah could ultimately be happy together so she had to make him more sympathetic and likable in the latter half of the book.

The other aspect of the book that I wasn't a fan of were the flashbacks. A few would have been okay but they interrupted the flow of the story every time and I felt that Hannah and Levi's strong connection and the difficult end to their relationship was clear from present day conversations. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Possibly my very favorite second chance romance EVER! This trope is already a fav of mine and Helena Greer has crafted a beautiful small town queer love story between two best friends who secretly married but have been separated for years.

When reality chef Levi finally comes home to Carrigan's where his wife Hannah runs the inn, he is ready to fight for their love but Hannah is not quick to forgive and forget. Full of complicated family trauma, great mental health and therapy rep (Hannah has an anxiety disorder), great queer rep (Levi is demisexual and suffered from bullying as a youth), the swooniest romantic gestures and supportive friends.

I loved the Rapunzel vibes Hannah and her long hair gave off, their 'Shenanigans,' the honest conversations about what a healthy relationship together would look like and the way Jewish culture and traditions were very much a central part of the story too.

I cannot recommend this one enough especially for fans of authors like Jean Meltzer, Alison Cochrun and Anita Kelly. It was also great on audio narrated by Mara Wilson and Emil Benjamin. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: fade to black/mild details

For Never & Always is done a disservice by its cover. It is not a sparkling light romance. It is a good story about reconnection, forgiveness, grief and establishing a place for oneself in the world and in their relationship. I did not read the previous book in the series, Seasons of Love, which I should have. I was able to follow the story but probably missed out on some things. I would recommend to anyone looking to read this book to read the prior first.

Blue and Nan are two hurt people with deep love for each other. Their fight to communicate better, to be honest and open was very well done. I think someone in a long term relationship can relate to at least parts of their story.

There is great diverse representation in many forms. The Jewishness of the characters is a major component of the story, as is queerness. They added lovely layers to the book.

While this is a closed door romance, the sexual tension, longing and desire between the couple is very palpable.

I really enjoyed For Never & Always and recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and the author for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Levi and Hannah have known each other their whole lives. Levi is a chef who's getting a little fame. Hannah runs Carrigans, which is an inn and Christmas tree farm, among other things. One of those other things is that it was pretty close to failing. And ANOTHER, other thing, Levi is now a part owner.

Their relationship is very complicated and full of surprises. Me as the reader could tell, tell, tell they belonged together but getting the two of them to see it... There were times I wanted to say snap out of it!

Levi and Hannah hold onto things from their pasts that affect their day to day lives in major ways. Its affected where they live and their relationship with each other. They're growing, though.

There's a great cast of secondary characters who challenge and build up Hannah and Levi.

Woven into this book is another aspect of their lives. Both characters are Jewish. Which was learning for me, not being Jewish.

Sweet romance.

Levi and Hannah are two individuals with a complicated past who are trying to find a way back to each other. There is so much anger and pain between them, but they will have to overcome it to be able to have a second chance. I like second-chance romances. I like small-town romances. After reading the first chapter, I thought I would also like the book. Unfortunately, it did not turn out as I hoped. There were moments here and there that I enjoyed, but for the most part, it felt like I was thrown into the middle of something and then was expected to play catch up. Because I couldn’t, I was frustrated throughout nearly the entire book. Normally, I appreciate when chapters set in the past are scattered throughout a book, but I could not enjoy Levi and Hannah’s past times while I was struggling with trying to understand their present.

For Never & Always
by Helena Greer - I read Season of Love and gave it 4*

✔️ 2nd chance romance
✔️inheritance
✔️Contemporary Romance
✔️ Jewish, LGBTQ+
✔️ secret marriage/marriage in trouble


This is the story of Hannah and Levi's troubled relationship. Hannah, Noelle, and Miriam have been running Carrigan's all year while Levi has been becoming a renowned chef with a reality TV show. It's been 4 years since he left, and Hannah sends Cole (another bff) to hunt him down. She wants him gone from their lives by giving up his share of the inn, while all he wants is to get Hannah back.

The world building was established in Season of Love, so I'd recommend reading it first. It explains their friendships and why the inn is so important to them. Hannah became co-owner with her cousin Miriam. Noelle is the farm manager and Miriam's girlfriend. Levi makes a bet with Hannah to go on 5 dates with him, and if he can't win her back, he'll sign over his inheritance.


Overall, I liked diving into Hannah and Levi's relationship and the internal struggles they have. Carrigan is important to both of them and through good friends, family, and little hijinks they find their way back together.

Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Publishes 11/28/23, Read 11/27/23.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC 💜! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions are my own.

The cover of this book is really cute and the tittle speaks to me and hits home. I really wanted to like this book.. but I didn’t. I really tried!

I found the plot of the story was everywhere. I got confused in so many chapters and I kept going back and forth. There was also A LOT of characters, i just couldn’t keep up! While reading I would literally forget half of the people because of how much was going on at the same time

This book is queer and I hope this doesn’t get interpreted wrong. I am definitely and ally but I don’t regularly like reading about that kind of stuff, it’s not my cup of tea. I pushed through though and finished the book, so this wasn’t the issue

The environment of this book was just so toxic in my opinion. I was just so tired of everyone always in pain and the mention of therapy and not being able to do things because of therapy (which really I don’t think that’s how it works) and the endless “adding salt on open wounds” scenarios..

I also want to say that I hate it when a guy is portrayed as a whiny a**holesand everyone excusing his behavior just because they’re good friends.. No. Be kind people. It literally doesn’t take up anything of your time

I, more than anyone on this planet, believe that relationships are real struggles and you have to put in the time and effort. If you don’t want to do that, just don’t get into one. It’s just that simple.. It really isn’t as hard as it was portrayed in this book..

I do want to say though that i liked the representations in this book. Whether it being about their different sexual orientations or the mental health awareness.. I think this is really important and as I’ve expressed in other reviews, I find it powerful and incredibly courageous of authors to write about topics like that

I also liked the scenes where Hannah and Levi were repeating their “dates” and how they kept asking each other “getting to know you” questions.. I found that cute!

I hope I can still read books for this author in the future and thank you for giving me the chance to read it in exchange of an honest review!

I enjoyed this SO MUCH. I read a lot of romances and whenever one surprises me, it's a good day. And this one did!

Structurally, I thought the reveal of Levi and Hannah's past relationship was done well. And the arc of growing closer made a lot of sense also: often in a second-chance romance, we're left feeling either that their breakup was unjustified, or that there's no good reason for the characters to change their minds. But here, it made so much sense! They were not in the right places (mentally) for each other back then, but now they've changed, and more importantly, ARE changing.

What I really, really loved was how the off-page character of Cass, the matriarch, was handled. It's so rare to see this in a novel: a beloved character who wasn't actually as good as everyone thought.

Just overall excellent character work, and real feelings. After Season of Love and now this, Helena Greer's going on the Autoread list.

I want to live in a Helena Greer book - so much love, representation, and acceptance from found family - my heart would explode (in the best way possible) from all of the feels.

So much love and warmth and humor in this book! I love that the author’s world is one where everyone finds acceptance - no matter their gender, sexuality, religion, or ethnicity. Even seemingly gruff and antagonistic relationships have a nugget of affection at the heart of them.

Perfect second chance, body positive, queer, Jewish representation, cozy, contemporary romance with all of the witty banter.

I love second chance romances, so naturally, I was incredibly excited to get into this one.
However, even if I loved the writing, I must say I felt confused and ovewhelmed most of the time. I think I should have read the first book in the series before starting this one. Even if the books are stand alones, I think the previous one would have helped me to understand this particular universe better, and probably get a better grip on all these characters. There was just so much chaos. So many people with their own drama.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It has a wonderful second chance, friends to lovers romance, two of my all time favourite tropes. The character development is also very well done.
Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Helena Greer knocks it out of the park again. I love the Jewish rep. The carrigans are becoming my favorite. Levi and Hannah. Ugh. Obsessed. I need more Carrigans. I love for second chance romance especially childhood love. We are In a time where Judaism rep is so important. Helena Greer integrates Judaism so well

It took me a lot longer to read this book than I’d like to admit. I enjoyed the writing, but I got a bit lost with a few of the side characters with their stories as well as the back and forth of things. I almost feel I would have liked it better if I would have read the first book of the series. That being said I am a sucker for a second chance. A lot of deep conversations were had through out the story. Levi leaves town to prove himself as he felt he really never fit in. He also happens to be Hannah’s absentee business partner. When Levi returns home, it’s nothing like he thought it would be. There’s a lot of tough conversations had, and he convinces Hannah to give him five dates to win her back. They have such strong chemistry that pulls at your heart strings. It was really nice to see them work on themselves and with one another to make things work.

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC.

I wish I could pinpoint exactly why this didn't work as well for me as I thought it might. It may be that this is the second in the series (although normally with romance you don't need to read them all!). I found it hard to connect with the characters and often found myself confused. I would definitely give this author another try, though!