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.

OMG…grab the tissues for this all of the feels romance between Jay and Gabrielle. With trust issues leading the way, Gabrielle feels alive when she’s around Jay but Jay leads with fear of having his heart broke with her kids being involved. When things blow up as they most often do can Jay and Gabrielle get their heads out of said fears to find the love they both want? Don’t miss this heartbreaking and heartwarming emotional journey! Loved it!!!

Locke always gives us a sweet read. Between Now and Forever is a grumpy/sunshine-ish romance between two people that are starting to make decisions for themselves and not others. Single mom neighbor to a grumpy carpenter that keeps to himself. He tries hard to ignore them but they don’t make it easy. So many laugh out loud moments…Carter is hilarious! I enjoyed this whole story.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

Another binge worthy book by Adriana. She has yet to let me down.

I was giggling from the very start of this book. Seriously at 5% I snorted. I had a smile on my face the majority of this book. But I also had tears in my eyes at one point. This one gave me all the feels and I loved every second of it.

But let’s get to the best part… Jay. Jay is everything. A top book boyfriend. Hot. Swoony. He did it for me on every level. What I found sexy was how he interacted with Gabrielle’s kids. His relationship with Carter was adorable and his patience with Dylan was admirable. I loved how those relationships developed.

Just an all around fantastic read for me. 10/10.

*Review will be shared to Instagram and Amazon on release day

Ummmm yes pleassseeee?? Just finished this and it left me with such joy in my heart. Jay is just a great guy. Gabrielle is a woman who knows her worth and Carter is solid gold entertainment. I laughed so hard and swooned even harder. It’s really a beautiful story. Also I love that the third act breakup wasn’t just a silly miscommunication; these characters had real life issues that were refreshing to see addressed in such a healthy way.

<b>My heart wasn't ready for the swoon and heartache overload in Between Now and Forever by Adriana Locke. Gabrielle and Jay will steal your heart. For now and forever! The chemistry is sizzling hot but their circumstances and their emotional baggage made it a slow burn..and I am here for it because when the spice hits, it's heaven! Gabrielle amazed me with her sweetness, sass and courage. And we all love a book boyfriend who is alpha but comes with a side of vulnerability. If you are looking for one book to read before the year ends, choose Between Now and Forever by Adriana Locke.</b>

✔️ small town romance
✔️ neighbors to lovers
✔️ grumpy sunshine
✔️ single mother ( divorced and then her husband died)
✔️ Great secondary characters
✔️ blue collar worker hero
✔️ she names babies for a job!
✔️ contemporary romance

<b>Adriana Locke gave us a great mix of all kinds of feels. Gabrielle moved back to her home town with her boys( Dylan and Carter) for a fresh start after her ex passed away. They were still best friends. She has been grieving and the boys are having a hard time with adjusting with their new reality. She is the best mother. She did everything She could to make it easy for the boys but she is still a mess. I love how big her heart is. She is witty and funny and charming and adorable but when she moved next door to Jay, she didnt have all the light in her soul.

Jay had a life altering experience with his previous serious relationship who was a single mother with a cute girl and who devastated him by cutting him off after their break up. He stays inside his own cage. Working, having occasional meeting with his friend, meaningless hook up..that's it. He definitely had no business feeling this urge to help the single mother next door. But their attraction was irresistible.

Gabrielle wants the love and adoration because she has been missing it so long. She just wanted someone to share her life with. Jay with his protectiveness and bossy attitude and surprising charm made her feel like she is living her life again. But Jay's demons were not so easy to beat. Her boys are the most important factor here and Jay ran when things became hard..but realised his mistake real soon. Their banter and sassy conversations were everything. Before they gave in to their passion, they became unlikely friends first. Gabrielle healed Jay and broke down her walls. And she found the man she deserved.</b>

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

Between Now and Forever by Adriana Locke is a great read. It kept me hooked. Gabrielle has 2 boys and they just moved back to where she was from after the boys dad died and she needed a fresh start for her and them. Jay is not into dating anyone after having his heart ripped out. Well in comes Gabrielle and her 2 boys. Will they be able to bring Jay back to living? Go one click because you will definitely want to read this book.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this arc.

Gabrielle’s ex husband has recently passed away and she decide to move her kids to a small town. She meets her grumpy neighbor, Jay, and he isn’t very kind. Jay has been burned before by another single mom and he can’t stop comparing Gabrielle to Melody.

However, when faced with the chance that Gabrielle would be with anyone else, Jay faces his fears. Gabrielle’s two sons are grieving their father. Her oldest has been the biggest challenge. He doesn’t want any of them to move on.

Once Jay and Gabrielle overcome the obstacles, they’re able to have their HEA. I really enjoyed Jay’s character and felt so bad about him losing little Izzy. The romance was a slow burn. Single parent romances aren’t my favorite, but it was a pretty good read!

A to and fro “relationship” between the Gabby and Jay a single mother of two and her next door neighbor, burned by previous relationships. Lots of fun and flirty banter, some spice in this “will they won’t they” scenario.
There were lots of well written characters including her sons. I also liked the relationships between Gabby and her old and new friends. All easy to identify with and understand.
An easy read.
3.5 stars

"Between Now and Forever" by Adriana Locke offers a delightful and heartwarming neighbors-to-lovers story packed with humor and endearing moments. The opening scene, where Gabrielle accidentally tumbles off her porch in to the lilac bushes while wrapped in a towel, sets a playful tone for their quirky and charming relationship.

Gabrielle, a determined single mother of two, is both fierce and lovable, while her neighbor Jay, with his grumpy exterior and hidden kindness, presents an intriguing mix of toughness and vulnerability. Their journey through the highs and lows of their blossoming romance is thoroughly enjoyable.

Jay's battle with his past introduces some emotional layers, but the narrative generally maintains a light and carefree atmosphere. While the romance is engaging and fun, I found it needing more depth to elevate the story beyond its solid feel-good premise. The last 1/3 seemed rushed and I would have liked to see more relationship development between Jay and the boys. Adriana writes the highs and lows of parenting teenage boys perfectly. You can tell she had first hand experience.

In summary, this book is an adorable and a straightforward read for anyone who enjoys a lighthearted romance sprinkled with humor with a HEA.

I would give this book 3.75 ⭐️

Thank you to Adriana Locke, Valentine PR, and Netgalley for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Single mom and neighbor next door.

Grumpy older boy and sweet, naive younger boy who are dealing with the aftermath of their dads sudden loss and a big life change move.

I honestly loved everything about this except that it ended so fast for me. Their banter was great. I believed both of their hesitation but the wrap up was way too fast for me.

This is a very light story and right in Adriana's wheelhouse. It had a very sunshine/grump feeling with Gabrielle being the sunshine neighbor and Jay being the grumpy carpenter who lives next door.

Even though Gabrielle and her boys have been through the devastating loss of her ex-husband, the boy's father, she still maintained a positive and hopeful outlook on life. Surely soon, the clouds are going to lift over her little family and they'll start to see some light at the end of the tunnel. Her oldest son Dylan is struggling a lot with the loss of his father, and she doesn't know exactly how to help him.

Jay came across as the grumpy, standoffish neighbor who did lots of nice things for Gabby and her kids, even though he made it very clear he wanted to be left alone. At first he annoyed me, until we learn what his backstory is and why he acts the way he does.

The evolution of Gabby and Jay's relationship felt very quick, but just right at the same time. It happened organically, and I truly commended Jay for how he handled Gabby's two boys. Carter was a joyous ray of sunshine and Dylan was very much the opposite, a dark cloud seeming to follow him everywhere. It was so obvious what his issues were, and Jay tried to help him, but he had to figure things out on his own in order to move forward with his life.

I loved the cast of side characters we met, and the ladies get together they held. Lark was a good friend to Jay, and I especially love the small town vibe throughout the story.

This was a great palate cleanser to read in between the dark and heavy stories I've been reading. Adriana does small town like no one else! Every book of hers I read, I think, I want to move there!

I very much enjoyed this visit to the town of Alden, Ohio and getting to know Gabby and her boys, and I really swooned over how Jay worshipped her and her sons. Highly recommend everyone read this book!

Adriana Locke never fails to make me laugh, smile, swoon and cry. Between Now and Forever did all of that and more. Gabrielle and Jay meet in a very unconventional way which really had me laughing out loud because just picturing it was hilarious. Moving on from that first meeting, they deal with many different roadblocks on both sides which are painful but truly realistic. Throw in a cute, absolutely precocious boy, a troubled boy and friends who will hide the bodies if needed and you get a rounded story about love and acceptance.

I loved Between Now and Forever! The plot, characters and story flowed so well and kept you turning the pages. It took me mere hours to read because i was enjoying it so much. I really liked both Gabrielle and Jay, they had such good chemistry from the moment they met. I loved all of the secondary characters especially the boys. The raw emotion and backstories were written very well and kept you super intrigued as to how it would go next for this couple and their family. Great book!

4.5

Adriana Locke never disappoints. It’s always impossible to put them down!

This story followed single mom Gabrielle and her teenage and younger son after they moved back to her home town and next door to the grumpy, walled off - Jay Stetson. This story navigated loss and the pain that came with those losses, and then finding love again.

Their meet cute and the relationship Gabrielle’s seven year old song had with Jay had me cackling, but the whole of the story was pretty emotional. I was either grinning while reading or feeling their pain in the excellent way Adriana tells a story.

This was once again a great read from this author and I appreciate the early review copy!

Between Now and Forever is a story of two people who have experienced loss, only to have that ultimately change their lives. Jay and Gabrielle's story is heartwarming and full of love.

💛Single mom
💛Neighbors to lovers
💛Grumpy x sunshine
💛Sweet story

After an unfortunate meet cute, Jay and Gabrielle keep getting pushed together and their bond starts to form. Both of them have had some serious things go on in their lives that they are trying to navigate. Gabrielle is trying to find a new normal for her boys after losing their father, and her ex-husband/best friend, a year ago.

This book is low angst and so sweet. Jay and Gabrielle were able to break down each others walls and find love together.

I loved Gabrielle's younger son so much - he had me cracking up! And I totally understood her older sons actions and feelings.

This was just the sweetest story- I really loved it. I found myself laughing so many times. Carter was adorable and my favorite character.

The writing was so smooth that I flew through it. It was just so easy to read in the best way. I will definitely read another Adriana Locke book soon.

This was another wonderful read by Adriana Locke! Jay & Gabrielle were so good together. Gabrielle and her two boys moved in next door to him. She met him when she literally fell over a porch railing in nothing but a towel. Talk about a funny meet-cute! Jay tries to stay away but something about her just pulls him in. I loved seeing her break down his walls and him give into the attraction. This book was just so easy to get lost in & the perfect length for a good story. I do wish we got to see Jay's relationship with her boys develop a little bit more but that didn't affect my rating.

I listened to the audiobook of this and it was narrated by Rachel Vivette & Oliver Clarke. These two are both new narrators for me and I was captivated. Their voices drew me right in to this story and I didn't want to come out. I definitely recommend it.

💛Neighbors to lovers
💛Single Mom
💛Grumpy/Sunshine

Thank you so much to Adriana Locke, Netgalley, & Brilliance Audio for this advanced reader copy & audiobook. This is my honest review.

Gabrielle has just moved back to the town where she grew up to raise her boys. They have recently lost their dad and they're having some difficulty adapting, especially her teenage boy. She was divorced from her husband but they remained best friends, so the loss has been deeply felt by them all. 
She moves into a "fixer upper, but she (to the deep concern of her cousin) has no talent whatsoever to fix things up. And that's how her hilarious meet cute with the grumpy neighbor next door happens - with her toppling into the bushes in nothing but a teeny towel and coming face to face with a snake... and Jay.
Jay is a dream in flannel, but he's as closed off as they come. He has every reason to avoid the single mom and her kids, but apparently staying away isn't going to happen. He can't keep his eyes off the mama bear and the youngest cub is determined to be friends with the new neighbor. As the days go by, walls (real and metaphorical) come tumbling down and we keep rooting for them to become a family. 

I love how Adriana writes "real people" and I always love the families in her books. This one is no exception. It's heartbreaking to learn why Jay is so closed off and why he avoids getting attached to anyone. 
This one is a standalone and, if you haven't read Adriana yet, it's a great introduction to her stories!
Thanks, Adriana and NetGalley for the e-book and the audiobook!
Content notes: mentions of death of a parent, "parental alienation"

Gabrielle and Jay have the best meet cute. I love that she softens him and that they both have histories that are hard and painful but aren’t able to deny their connection that draws them together. I did not want to out this book down and I also wished it didn’t end, I wanted to know what is next or read more day to day scenarios. I loved it so much!