Loved this book! It was a refreshing small town romance with adult main characters.

Carter was an added bonus!

Eeeeeekkk. So i loved this standalone! The characters were so loveable. I loved Jay and his times with Carter and his child like curiosity but also how he was with Dylan and all his teenager emotions. I also loved Gabrielle and her love for her boys and Jay and his past. This book was really good! Not gonna lie. I could go for a Lark and Della book. Totally enjoyed this book!

This is a great read and I was hooked from the start. Gabrielle is a single mom back in her small hometown with her boys, starting over. Jay is that hot neighbor just wanting to keep to himself. I really enjoyed their connection, the interactions between Jay and the boys, and the pull he has to her. The story gives us lightness along with some deeper topics, dealing with grief, and more. There's sweet, spice, laughs, and heart squeezing moments. I felt connected to the characters, the flow worked, and add in some fun friends for a must read book!

This book was sooo swoon worthy and i love a good neighbors trope and add in single parent?! Yes pls. Like the meet cute alone was hilarious.. accidentally flashing the hot neighbor while trying to catch a peek lol I really enjoyed this book?

I adored this book and couldn't put it down. This is the first book I've read by this author, and I can't wait to read more by her.

I loved the writing and storytelling. I found the characters relatable, especially Gabrielle. I don't know if it's because I'm close to her age, have kids around the same age, or share her clumsy tendencies, but I felt a strong connection to her. I admired the resilience and strength she exhibited throughout the story.

Jay has his walls up around everyone he meets, but he feels something different with Gabrielle. Despite both of them being hesitant about starting a relationship for various reasons, their instant connection was captivating. I loved watching their story unfold.

The character development was amazing, and I appreciated how they supported each other and grew as a family unit. I'm very excited to read more books by this author!

4.5 stars with such a sweet 5 ⭐️ ending!

These two have scars from past relationships that need to heal before they can truly be together. Jay is the grumpy, hot neighbor next door who "saves" Gabrielle from a delicate situation involving a towel, a broken railing and a bush. He is intrigued by her, but is not willing to get involved.

...except that he can't help himself. Nor does her youngest son let him stay alone. Jay's and Carter's interactions were my favorite parts of this book. "You were my first other pick." LOL

Dylan...not so much. That is one angsty teenage boy!

But Jay has been burned by a single mom before and Gabrielle is still reeling from the death of her ex - you know - the one who gave up on "us".

This one is bound to bring some tears and your heart will hurt for these two as they just can't quite make things work...or will they?

"We need to stop this. Because I won't fight for a man that won't bother to fight for me." Go girl!!

This was a heartfelt and heartwarming story.

I voluntarily requested and read an uncorrected advance reader copy via the publisher through Net Galley..

Between Now and Forever features relatable characters that draw the reader in with the deep feelings and angst that Adriana Locke is known for. Honestly, her signature style resonates with me and I always become invested in the outcome for her characters. Gabrielle is a single Mom to 2 boys who are still grieving the loss of their Dad in a car accident. She moves in next door to Jay who is afraid to get involved with her due to his history. This is a stand alone novel set in a small town where everyone knows everyone else’s business. Gabrielle’s cousin Cricket introduces her to her group of friends and those ladies should be role models for the advice they give. I shed tears of grief and joy as Dylan and Carter interacted with their Mom and Jay as their relationships evolved.

Gabrielle and Jays story is relatable and wonderful a great quick read that I couldn’t put down. Gabby is a mom and Jay is a surly hero. Adrianna Locke does not disappoint and I cannot wait for the any of her coming books as they always give you a good HEA.

This was such a great emotional, single mom romance. I loved these characters so much. They both must navigate a relationship while dealing with the aftermath of past despair. This story is so well written that I felt like part of the story. I felt the pain these characters went through. I wanted them to all be one big happy family. This was a very realistic view of a single mother and her struggle to find happiness. I highly recommend this book!! I loved it.

Between Now and Forever is a very humorous story written by Adriana Locke.

Gabbie and Jay have their own issues which they have to work through before they can fully be together. Jay has some trust issues with something that happened in his past and is afraid of history repeating itself if he gets involved with Gabbie. I really felt for him with what he goes through. He is just trying to protect himself and his heart from anymore pain.

Gabbie is a single parent and goes through a lot with her children. Her oldest son definitely needed to be taken down a peg or two. He bothered me at times but he is a teenager so I guess it makes sense.

This was a great read and I really enjoyed watching all of the relationships develop throughout the book.

I had the joy of discovering Adriana this year — and have read several of her books at this point and always come away feeling like I’ve read a well-crafted story, no matter the subject or tropes — and Between Now and Forever, the really sweet and emotional story of Gabrielle and Jay, was no exception.

🫶🏼small town romance
🫶🏼 neighbors to lovers
🫶🏼 a bit of grumpy/sunshine
🫶🏼 single mom of two boys (7 and 14)
🫶🏼 well-developed secondary characters
🫶🏼 complete stand-alone

This one was a bit of a slow-burn — and honestly, really realistic in that regard. She’s a single mom whose priority is protecting her boys and making a new life for them in her hometown after their dad (her ex and best friend) passes in an accident. He’s a man with emotional scars from a past relationship who’s trying to protect himself in the only way he knows how — but cutting himself off from the possibility of love.

But then, they meet. 🥹 The story is filled angst but lots of witty banter and playfulness, as we learn about these two and their growing attraction. There’s vulnerability and self-preservation. There’s also palpable attraction from moment one. There’s joy in their burgeoning friendship. And when they finally give in to their desires — well, there’s some heat, good Lord.

I really loved how the boys were written — with Carter (7) being the one open to Jay and excited to get to know him while Dylan (14) was moody, mean and difficult — all stemming from fear and sadness after losing his dad. Felt so based in truth and was at times hilarious (Carter) and heartbreaking (Dylan).

In all, this is another wildly consumable story from Adriana and I look forward to more in this world from her! 🫶🏼

Thanks to she, NetGalley and her publisher Montlake for the chance to read this in advance!

Gabrielle and Jay, this beautiful couple stole my heart and quite a few of my tears.
Moving back to the town she grew up in, Gabby and her two boys are starting over and next door is her sexy grumpy/Sunshine neighbor, Jay.
After a mishap brings the two together to meet the match is lit and the fire is fixing to burn.

My heart fell for Jay and Gabby and the trials they've had to overcome and watching them fall in love is amazing and beautiful!!!!

You have to read!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶

Oh my Hilarious God... Adriana Locke i think Gabrielle might be my favorite character of yours. She was feisty, funny, thoughtful and full of sass. It's no wonder that Jay couldn't stay away even when he knew he should.

I loved the dynamic she had with her boys. She was doing it all for them, but when she and Jay started seeing each other, she was convinced that she could finally breath. But when his past shows his ugly head and clouds his judgment, i loved that she didn't back down and knew her worth.

Despite my tough exterior, I'm a romantic at heatt when it comes to reading and I absolutely loved the way this story concluded with all the participants. Between now and forever is going to my TOP3 by Adriana Locke for sure!

Sweet, funny and hot. This is a great single mom/grumpy hero romance Gabriella has come back to her hometown with her two sons and moved next door to Jay. Their meeting is definitely different and the two start as friends. There is chemistry with them from the beginning. O enjoyed this read and the story is well done.

Adriana Locke's latest release is "Between Now and Forever." The Queen of the Small Town Setting has done it again! The book had everything I love to read: funny, sexy, and swoon-worthy scenes between a single mom and a gorgeous grumpy neighbor!

Gabrielle falls hard, literally, and makes an unforgettable first impression on her sexy neighbor Jay! From the start, the funny and sweet meet-cute had me hooked!

Gabrielle is a single mother of two boys who has returned to her hometown. She is divorced, but her ex-husband, who was still her best friend, unexpectedly passes. Jay is a grumpy neighbor who keeps to himself, and despite his determination to stay away, he can't help but be attracted to Gabrielle and bonds with her youngest son, Carter.

I enjoyed the slow buildup with Jay and Gabrielle. Their journey was not without its challenges, but there was no denying their attraction! Gabrielle learned that it was okay to ask Jay for help and rely on him. I also loved seeing how his relationship with her two sons evolved, particularly with Dylan.

Adriana did a great job exploring challenges parents have to deal with especially when one parent has passed. The story was wonderfully written, and it is not only beautiful, but also passionate and heartfelt.

Rachel Vivette and Oliver Clarke gave a wonderful narration. They did an excellent job delivering the performances in the audiobook. Together, they brought these characters to life. Their performances drew me into the story and made me feel for the characters. Rachel and Oliver's heartfelt performances made this an excellent audiobook.

Thank you to Adriana Locke, Brilliance Publishing (Brilliance Audio), and Valentine PR for the advanced reader and listener copies. All opinions are my own.

What to Expect:
🔥 Slow Burn
🏘️ Small Town
😠/😎Grumpy~Sunshine
💞 Neighbors to Lovers
🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Single Mother
💘 Second Chance at Love
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Found Family

“The way his gaze penetrated me makes me shiver. Too bad that was all that got penetrated.”

Had a great time reading this book, give me all the single parent romance!! I’ve always enjoyed Adriana’s humor and this one definitely didn’t disappoint.
Being a single mom myself, I was able to relate to Gabrielle in so many levels.

Gabrielle is back in her hometown Alden, Ohio with her 2 sons. Their new house needs some fixing and she has a list a mile long. One of the things on her list is the porch railing that she accidentally broke while she fell with nothing but a flimsy towel on for her sexy new neighbor to see. What a meet cute!

Jay is content with his life until his new neighbors moved in. His grumpy self might act like he’s not interested with Gabby but he was smitten right from the start. He doesn’t understand his desire to help her out with her long list of to-do’s. And how he secretly enjoys interacting with her sons especially Carter who is really the sweetest.
Now he has to figure out if he’s ready to move on from his painful past and start something with the woman of his dreams.

A small town romance between a single mom and her grumpy neighbor packed with swoon, spice and all the feels!

This was a fabulous read by Adriana Locke - the characters are relatable with all of the emotions tied to love after loss. There’s always a great mix of reality and romance in her stories, and the chemistry in this one was excellent. Irresistible!
Can’t wait to read the next one!

Gabrielle is a single parent just trying to keep her kids happy. That's hard when one's a teenager though and they are in a new town. Her neighbor while attractive is also moody which doesn't help things. All of their interactions are with Gabrielle embarrassing herself of course which does tend to lighten the mood. As neighbors begin to help each other, softer sides are seen and moody neighbor isn't as moody anymore. A cute small town love read.

Between now and forever is ticking those boxes for me, Ms Locke has delivered a great story that kept me wanting more from these neighbours but also wanting to smack them up the side of the head!

Gabrielle and her boys have been through the ringer, they have felt the worst pain possible. Moving to a small town is their fresh start. Jay has his own demons, falling for a single mum is not on his bingo card and in his mind never will be.

When things heat up, they take a step back only to step up when the time is right.

I personally really enjoyed this story, Locke is a one click for me don't hesitate.

Overall 4/5

I loved it! So sweet and good. I could really identify with Dylan and his fears and loss. Jay and Gabrielle are such a great couple and I loved how they worked through their problems. It's a great book and I didn't want to put it down!