I did not care for this book very much. Part of it was that it was very predictable. But the main part was that I thought it was just such a betrayal of Mina that it makes absolutely no sense that she would trust either party again. Even if you can forgive the first month, the Hawaii-thing was totally inexcusable. And still, the author is trying to turn the entire thing into some grand romance. I'm not buying it. At all.

Also, a few quibbles.
Vintage refers to the year wine was produced, so the following statement makes no sense: "I sample the wine. It’s divine—a Malbec, my second-favorite vintage after Cabernet."

And women don't have Adam's apples. "I almost tell him he can stay at the cabin. Almost. But the invitation gets stuck just south of my Adam’s apple."

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a nonfiction romance novel. It is not smutty but still romantic enough to give you some feelings if you are wanting romance. Just when you think you know what is going to happen things change that keep you wanting to read. The overall plot of the story is good and keeps you hooked and wanting to keep reading. The story also has many different emotions.

This book took me a minute to get into but once I did I became invested! This book does alternate with past moments so if you’re someone who doesn’t like flashbacks then you won’t enjoy this. I think this book did an amazing job of focusing on grief and falling for someone Mina probably shouldn’t. This was angsty and had twists and turns while also fulfilling the trope of forbidden romance. I think people who enjoy an angsty romantic book will really enjoy this!

After just graduating college Mina wants to do something she always wanted to do go the Greece. She always wanted to travel, but her families history and the death of her best friend Margo kept her away from traveling abroad. But she meets Michael one month before she is set to leave for Greece and they begin this whirlwind romance, that was only supposed to last a month and then she was to leave for Greece. Things change and she stays with Michael, but something has changed with how Michael acts after he gets in a huge fight with his brother Grayson. Michael is more reserved, no longer spontaneous, not wanting to go on vacation, but Mina is so in love with him that she pushing what she wants and what she thought he wanted away. She blames Grayson for this change in her husband, and hates and resents him, even though she doesn’t even know him. 14 years later, Michael dies in a car accident and her world is turned upside down. Secrets about Michael start to appear and then she finally meets Michaels brother Grayson and he begins to tell her a story that changes her life and what she thought her life was forever.

I loved the style of writing of this book, how the author went from Before and After, and put the pieces of the story together in away that left little “Easter eggs” if you were paying attention. I was still somewhat surprised how the last quarter of the book was laid out, as I didn’t fully put some of the “Easter eggs” together. Overall this book was really great. A fast read, one that I didn’t want to put down.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for- Canary Street Press for this eARC for my honest review. This book was swooning romance and thrilling all at once. Also, it was a very unique concept that I’ve never seen written about before, that made me think. If you read the book you know what I mean.

When we had forever is an emotional read about Mina, who recently lost her husband in a car crash. She discovers something that makes her realize the last 14 years may not have been what she thought. Then her husbands brother comes into the picture, and she starts having weird feelings towards him. Feelings that she shouldn't be feeling because she hates Grayson Drake.
OMG, besties, this book was everything!!! I thought I had the big secret figured out, but boy, was I wrong. It literally had me wanting to go scream into my pillow with all the emotions this book had me feeling. I'm not okay. I loved how the story went back and forth with how she ended up with her husband as well as how she managed after his death. The book has a bit of everything. Forbidden love, twists, and lots of ups and downs/ angst. Enjoy the roller coaster you're about to go on with this amazing read!

I don’t typically read romance books, and to be honest, I thought this was more of a thriller/mystery type story when I requested it. I thought it was a little slow to start and a little wordy as well. Once I got into it, I did enjoy the story, though it was definitely predictable. It held my interest for the most part and if you like love stories, I think you’ll enjoy When We Had Forever.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Thank you so much or this ARC.

When We Had Forever is a story of longing, love, loss and betrayal.
I had such a fun time with this read, The story truly sucks you in as you know something is amiss. Michael is acting weird ever since a run in with his identical twin brother. He lost his sense of wonder and lust for life. After Michael passes in a car accident, secrets begin to rise to the surface and Mina's life is turned on its axis.
Nothing she thought she knew was real.
Mina goes through a transformation of growth throughout this book and truly is able to find herself again.
Really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the release so I can add the physical copy to my shelf.

(could be an issue with the formatting, but there were quite a lot of text errors in the ebook. Especially with the letters F and L, Flattering appeared as f lattering, flustered was f lustered. and every word that began with "FL" was like this. Author name and page number would pop up randomly in the middle of the page while reading. Just wanted to let you know)

This book is such an amazing emotional roller-coaster ride! I thought I had the storyline figured out until some truths were revealed. 😲
I was hooked from the very first chapter and couldn't stop reading. Mina is trying to learn how to survive ad a widow. She reconnects with a with a man from her past and learns how to be strong again.

ARC Review: When We Had Forever by Shaylin Ghandi.

When We Had Forever took me on a journey I am not going to forget for some time, because when Mina meets Michael the summer before she was supposed to move to Greece and they fall in love, the vibrant and unhindered young love is enough to warm your heart. He awakens something in her that she didn’t know existed in her soul. But one day everything changes, fourteen years of marriage goes by, and Mina is left to rediscover herself after Michael dies in a car accident.

As she picks up the pieces…enter Grayson Drake, the sinfully hot brother of her late husband, which she had only heard about, but never met…And frankly, after knowing this you know this book is going to be worth the read.

This book unravels the reality of losing yourself when you love someone and grappling with promises made and broken that so many people can and will relate to. The chapters bounce between the past and the present, and what Mina goes through as she discovers how time with Michael shaped her, and how to deal with his death and the secrets that unfold. As the plot thickens in this book it becomes almost impossible to put down– this is a “just one more chapter”, but still reading hours later kind of read. I will also note that I would definitely agree that this book is for readers that love Colleen Hoover, the vibes are there.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing through NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and provide my opinion on this book.

And to all the readers out there you can preorder now for release on December 10, 2024.

Thank you for the opportunity to read "When We Had Forever"
losing your husband is one thing, but then finding out his estranged twin brother wants to have contact with is another.
The deceit involved with them and the things that will unravel all she knows.

A woman falls in love with an identical twin who has a sketchy past. It gets messy. Very messy. Very, very messy.

✅ Dual timelines: Mina & Michael as they were in their relationship, and Mina now after Michael’s death as she uncovers things she didn’t know about their marriage
✅ Mina is a writer and a widow, Greyson is a NatGeo photographer and Michael’s brother
🌶️: yes

Dramatic and angsty, this is SO good, I couldn’t stop turning the pages.

I really enjoyed this story but the writing style took a bit of time to get used to. It was a bit too descriptive for my taste.

When we had forever is definitely a tear jerker. This emotional roller coaster had me using a large box of tissues.

I love that the time line jumps back and forth between before and after the death of the fmc’s husband. Getting to understand how and why she fell in love with her husband really helped me understand her grief.

I also love the way the whole story unfolded. Finding out little by little about the characters and their lives kept me hooked! The breadcrumbs the author left were so subtle I totally missed some of them until everything came out at the end and my mind was blown 🤯🤯🤯

I get why we needed the background or "before" chapters but I think I could have done without them. I really wish I liked this one more than I actually did.

Con leer la sinopsis se puede saber como irá la historia y te dice cual será el problema central. Al leer los primeros 2-3 capítulos se confirma lo anterior y si bien todo es predecible, estuvo entretenido.

Me gustó y a la vez no, por el momentole pongo tres estrellas en lo que digiero el libro.

Cuando Mina y Michael se conocieron fue como si el destino los uniera, eran almas gemelas, pero Mina se iría al extranjero por lo que sólo tuvieron 1 mes de ensueño. Todo parecía ir bien hasta que apareció Grayson el gemelo de Michael y destruyo la paz mental de su hermano. Mina decidió quedarse para apoyar al amor de su vida, sin embargo, desde la visita inesperada del gemelo su relación no fue la misma y a lo largo de los años ella intenta recuperar al Michael embarrado de pastel que tenía tanto amor por la vida y por ella. Su relación llego a un punto en el que ella pensó en el divorcio, pero la muerte de él se le adelanto. Ahora seis meses después de su muerte, Mina sigue sufriendo, se recluida en su casa, pero su mejor amiga la obliga a viajar o hacer algo para recuperar su vida, además recibe una llamada de quien menos esperaba: Greyson.



Spoilers ⚠️ ⚠️
Mi enojo es que no puedo creer que él nunca le dijera la verdad, ¿por qué no se acercó a ella? ¿Por qué no lucho? ¿Por qué aceptó lo de Oahu? Eso fue horrible, parecía que estaba jugando con ella y no me importa que fuera por lo que paso con Lily, si de verdad la amaba tuvo que decirle en ese preciso instante la verdad. Al final se llegan a contestar todas mis preguntas.
Se me hizo injusto para ella que jugarán con sus sentimientos, desperdició 14 años de su vida por una estúpida venganza.
¿Cómo es posible que fuera tan ciega por no decir, tonta?



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Mina’s husband dies in a car crash- she thinks back 9n her marriage, the good times and bad times. When she first met him and fell in love he was so different than the man she married who was moody and full of secrets. When finally she dares enter his office she begins to uncover numerous secrets that will lead to a beautiful new beginning. You will want to grab this book!

After Mina's husband is killed in an tragic accident, she begins to face the truth that their marriage was over long before his death. When his complete opposite, bad boy brother shows up, Mina is forced to confront her growing feelings for him. Mina must figure out how to reconcile her past and the future she thinks she wants. A beautiful story of heartbreak and moving on in the most unexpected way.

This is a fantastic book that will have you kicking your feet, then clutching your heart.

Shaylin Gandhi does painfully well with depicting grief and how emotionally raw and grey it can leave you, as well as the beauty in nostalgia and the warmth of hope. We go back and forth in Mina’s timeline, where chapters detailing her past are seamlessly used to make sense of the present and vice versa. We witness Mina struggling with grief and love and the comfort of pain she knows, and get to watch her grow from that.

The steamy scenes are wonderfully sensual and sexy without being graphic and laid bare. There is truly no lack of passion, desire, or need - I promise you.

Everything in it is art. There are twists and turns and parts that keep you reading because you’re so hooked. I stayed up until 4am last night with this book. Absolutely a must-read, and it will certainly be one of my comfort reads ❤️

*thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin and Shaylin for the opportunity to read this book - this review is voluntary and all opinions here are true and my own*

Mina lost Michael, her husband, in a car crash. After 6 months she is still grieving, and wonders if their marriage was in trouble. Michael would withdraw to his study and work leaving conversations unsaid. Mina did not know Michael had an identical twin until Grayson called to see how she was doing. Once they meet, Mina finds out a lot about her husband and can’t believe the lies. The more she knows about Grayson, the more Michael’s lies upset her. This is a great book about finding yourself and following your dreams. I loved her friend’s support and how she kept her focused. It is easy to adapt to someone else’s life and forget your own. Great love story with twists along the way.