Another great story by Adriana Locke!

Tropes:
• Grumpy/sunshine
• Neighbors to lovers
• Small town romance
• Single mom

Between Now and Forever gives us Jay and Gabrielle.
Gabrielle is learning a new life without her sons’ father and trying to help navigate her sons through this trauma with what life will look like without their father.
Jay isn’t looking for anything from anyone but here comes the new neighbor and her sons.

They are all searching for something, the boys, a new normal and Gabrielle and Jay, they are searching for each other, they just don’t realize it just yet!

I was elated to get this book with characters that are ‘older’ (late 30s & early 40s) because it’s a nice break from love stories only set with early/mid 20s characters! However there are bits and pieces of this story that if I had not known their ages I would’ve assumed they are a little more juvenile.

There’s a ton of swoonworthy moments in this book and really cute (but sometimes corny) quotes between the two but mostly from the MMC. It does also hit a good pool of tropes:
- hot next door neighbor
- Grumpy MMC
- Small down romance
- Single mom

Now… there were just a few things I didn’t love which was the amount of miscommunication.. I don’t mind it to build tension/slow down the burn but this just felt a little messy. I also felt like the pace of this book was off. It wasn’t technically an insta-love (I think?) but going from strangers to co parenting was FAST which just felt a little unnatural.

Regardless, the chemistry was good in some parts. There are some good side characters in here. It’s a decent quick read if you’re just looking for a surface level romance.

Thank you to Valentine PR & Montlake for allowing me to read this early!

This book was so so good! I’m a sucker for a good single mom romance and this one was a good one! I loved the banter between Gabby and Jay and how much of a grump he was trying to be to try to stay away from Gabby ( which of course didn’t work!). Carter was so adorable especially him “teaching” Jay how to play baseball lol. I felt all of the emotions Dylan was feeling and was so proud of his growth! I need more of Della for sure and would love a book about her! This book will have you feeling all the emotions! Highly recommend if you like a grumpy/ sunshine, single mom, small town, slow burn to finally exploding together romance!

3 stars | arc review

minor spoilers below

this book was the definition of short and sweet and had some lovely feel good moments. with that being said, while this was a sweet book to read i still had some issues with the book which i will get into

this story follows gabrielle, a single mum with two young boys and she’s moved them back to her hometown after their father (her ex) dies and she has to try and manage her life with two boys who are struggling. she’s a great mum throughout the book and you can see sense that so there was no issue with that for me.

jay is the neighbour they’ve moved next door to. he’s been living in town for 4 years and because of past traumas he’s avoiding making any true connections with people or women until gabrielle and her sons move in

so my issues with the book are quite minor but i think without them i could’ve given the book 4 stars. i thought the book needed to be fleshed out a bit more especially with how quickly the story developed from when the characters decided to take their relationship to the next stage until the end. if the story was fleshed out more then it would mean the boys would have more story line and ability to see their feelings towards jay develop. it kinda went from 0 to 100 sooo quick and i would’ve liked to have seen more of their feelings being dealt with towards the end of the book. there were also a few things about jay’s character i didn’t enjoy but it was more to do with things his character said here and there

overall, i liked the book and its a good one to read in between serious books. a decent palette cleanser

thank you adriana, netgalley and valentine pr for the arc 🫶🏻

Adriana managed to write the most relatable love story I have read this year. The trials and triumphs that happen for Gabby and her little family is one that is extremely relatable, heart wrenching and beautiful all in one big masterpiece of a book. This is a book that I would highly recommend to anyone but especially moms.

Between Now and Forever by Adriana Locke is a stand-alone neighbors-to-lovers, single mother romance. Gabby and Jay are both older (38/40). Gabby was a little immature, but I also really appreciated her sense of humor and her "go with the flow" attitude, knowing everything she had been through, and Jay was absolutely swoon-worthy! They were so perfect together. They're both trying to deal with their own very different relationship traumas, but they decide the other is worth all the effort in the world. I really enjoyed this one, and would definitely recommend it!

Single mom of two boys, Gabrielle, moved in next door to Jay, the grumpy neighbor who has sworn off relationships. Especially to single mothers.

As they navigate their past traumas and learn to heal emotionally you are feeling their pain too. It is so well written that is had me crying, cheering, and sick to my stomach as they navigated through the ups and downs of their relationship.

The realness of the story and the depth of the characters emotions really draws you into the story. And you find yourself rooting so hard for everyone involved. Especially the children and their new life together.

I received this as an ARC for free. I am voluntarily leaving this review.

Gabrielle is a divorced mother of two boys - she had a very amicable split with her ex before he died. She's moved back to her hometown to give herself and Dylan and Carter a fresh start.

She first sees her neighbor - Jay - when she falls off her back porch (while wearing nothing but a towel). He's uber grumpy, and makes no secret of the fact that he wants nothing to do with her or her boys... or does he?

Jay has some pretty deep baggage from the most important relationship he'd ever been in. After that didn't work out, the last thing he wants is to get involved again, with anyone. Even if she has a sparkle to her that he's finding hard to resist. But her youngest, Carter, is an amazing character in the book - I loved the way he called Jay out (in a kind way) on his loneliness and unhappiness.

So - they give in to their attraction, and now the only thing standing in their way is a belligerent 14 year old who doesn't quite know how to deal with everything he's feeling.

They all have to find a way to balance life and love and all the good and sometimes bad that comes with it.

Thank you to the author and to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This book is exactly why I love Adriana Locke. It’s small town romance with big feelings. Loved reading about Gabby and Jay as they change from friends to lovers. They have the right chemistry from the beginning. Gabby’s boys are grieving the loss of thier father and are navigating having a new man in their mom’s life. It’s heartwarming to see how they slowly develop a bond with Jay.
This book is perfect for a romance reader.

SO good!! Single mom with 2 boys and a grumpy neighbor who is trying to stay away!. I loved the banter and the heartfelt moments. Gabby is dealing with a teenager who is having a hard time adjusting not only to living in a new place but not having his dad and his mom moving on. The sweet moments with the younger boy and the Jay the grumpy neighbor will melt your heart. Jay and Gabby are swoon-worthy! Adriana created a cast of characters that you will fall in love with.

Gabrielle and Jay

A cute, adorable, sweet next door neighbor, single mom romance. Loved their story. Gaby moves back to her small town with her two boys on the same block as her cousin. Jay is the next door neighbor who us known as the grumpy nomad. An accident in which Jay helps Gaby who fell into bushes in nothing but a towel. There is a instant chemistry but Jay has a past that has him trying to stay away but her trying to do DIY projects around her house has him constantly helping her. Throw in an angry teenager and a little boy who is so adorable makes the story a bit emotional and funny. Love the side characters and hope to get more from these characters.

I received a copy from Net Galley and read through Kindle Documents.

Between Now and Forever is a romance story between neighbors with an insta love/lust vibe. Gabrielle is a single mother of two who moves back to her hometown after suffering a loss. Jay is her hot, single grumpy neighbor, who sees her fall off her porch and decides he needs to help her. They both have a lot they need to work on from their past, but they try to forge a friends with benefits type relationship, but it is not without its struggles. One of Gabrielle's children loves Jay from the start and the other despises him more than anything.

There were parts of the story I really liked, namely Carter and most of the interactions between Jay and Gabrielle. I also really liked Gabrielle as a mother. She loved her kids fiercely and was trying to do the best by them given her situation.

I did struggle with all the characters and sub plots as I did not really feel like they contributed to the story as a whole. I also thought there was a a good amount of relationship building and story happening in the beginning, but then when it got going, I feel like the relationship between the two main characters kind of stalled. I would have liked to see more of their relationship and connection and I definitely would have liked to see more growth with Jay and Dylan's relationship. The ending seemed rushed, somewhat unrealistic and fast, and I felt like something was missing. There was a lot of promise to this story in the beginning but then it fell kind of flat.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

4.5 stars

This book was real. It made me laugh and cry. Jay and Gabrielle are great characters. They both have past hurts that make them wary. I loved all the characters. Carter was hilarious. I loved the way Gabrielle put her kids first. It made her relationship with Jay more real. Overall this was a really good story.

Thank you NetGalley, Montlake and Adriana Locke for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gabrielle and Jay are neighbors who meet in the most unexpected way. There is an immediate connection but both have a lot of previous trauma that causes hesitation and miscommunication.

Overall I enjoyed the book. I liked the main characters but think there could have been a little bit more development in parts of the book.

Things I liked:
I felt the pull between them and loved the build there.
A wonderful single mom and two realistic kids
Entertaining side characters
Open, vulnerable communication (once they got past the miscommunication)

Things that were a miss:
7yr old without any issues after losing his dad
Side character storylines that felt unnecessary or underdeveloped
No talk of therapy or professional help (especially for kids)
Relationships shown in extremes and insanely fast paced - either completely miserable or amazing within a day. Most live in the middle so showing some of that would have been nice

Tropes:
Grumpy/sunshine
Neighbors to lovers
Small town romance
Single mom

Oh wow…I’m not often someone who cries while reading a book but gosh…Jay and Dylan got me good at the end there! Cue the water works! Gabby and Jay were wonderful! I loved this one! The side characters of Della, Cricket, and especially Carter! Great read if you like a heavier themed book and the single mom trope!

I enjoyed Between Now and Forever. It was a lighthearted, cute, sweet and fun small town romance. I adored the main characters, Gabrielle and Jay even though their first meeting left me with a serious case of second hand embarrassment. I loved how their relationship developed. There was lots of crackling tension and chemistry between them as well as a lot of push and pull too with a sprinkling of angst thrown in. I loved watching them navigate their hang ups and the external things that came against their relationship. This was an awesome, easy read that I just flew through. If you're looking for something lighthearted I definitely recommend this.

There are many layers to this story which I enjoyed, especially the way Gabrielle and Jay initially meet. Humor and intense emotion blended into a well-balanced plot with great characters. Although, the miscommunication between them was a bit much, to the point of wanting to knock some sense into these two. I absolutely loved the kids, each having their own unique personality that added intriguing as well as difficult moments needing to be addressed. Overall, the vibe of this book and the chemistry that could not be resisted drove the story forward which had a satisfying conclusion for this couple.

When I'm looking for a book filled with heart and sappy love moments, I turn to an Adriana Locke book every time. Every. Time. Why? Because she delivers like no other! Between Now and Forever is no exception. I was hooked from the second Gabrielle's towel fell off when she was (not so) subtly checking out Jay from across their yards! I love the grumpy/sunshine vibes, I loved what a sap Jay was for Gabby and I loved the girl squad- girl squads are my favorite!!

I also really appreciated how Locke didn't carry too much out throughout the book. The intrigue moments were definitely there and kept readers on the line, but they resolved pretty quickly so I didn't feel annoyed or disconnected to the story. The plot lines were easy to follow and made the book as a whole fun and easy to read. The characters were great and easy to connect with. I liked how Gabby was navigating life without her kids' father but wasn't a widow. I thought the way that dynamic was written was fresh and intriguing and was a favorite aspect of the book.

Overall, Locke's books are easy go-to's for me. I like that they aren't overly long or drawn out, and even if the tropes aren't your favorite there is something in the book that is easy to love and connect with. I enjoyed Jay's backstory and how it played out for him in his relationships with Gabby and her sons. And I really want to be invited into that girl group. What a freaking squad!

The small town Queen does it again!

No one writes small town romance better than Adriana, every story she writes has her special sort of magic that takes us on a journey that only she can.

Gabby moves back to the small town she grew up in with her two boys and a hope for a fresh start. What she wasn’t expecting was a neighbor that makes her heart beat again.

This story has all we could ask for plus a little bit more. It’s simply Adriana at her best. I am a fan and will always read her stories, and you should too!

I always love Adriana’s books. She’s the queen of small town family romance. Gabrielle is a widow who just moved back to a small town and is starting over with her boys. Her boys are her world. One is just living and loving life, and just straight adorable. But her eldest, that’s a different story. As much as he loves his mom, he still misses his dad. Jay, the hunky neighbor tries to stay away, not wanting to get hurt again. But he just can’t stay away. Jay’s heart is under the spell of Gabrielle and her boys. It is a sweet and wholesome book with a dash of spice.