This was not the book I was expecting to listen to. It was more. No one in this book has had an easy life. They’ve all experienced so much tragedy. Gem and Will bonded as children and later became each other's everything. Seemingly out of nowhere and almost overnight, Will becomes someone else completely in the worst ways possible. This forces Gem to save herself emotionally and say goodbye to Will as did their mutual friends. Some stayed and dealt with the mess he left in his wake and others scattered far away. When an accident causes a brain injury, Will starts to question everything. His journey of discovery and resolution is a lot heavier and more emotional than I thought it would be. Definitely not a light romance, but a well narrated thoughtful story.

This was my first attempt at listening to an audio book. I loved listening to Eve Ainsworth’s story of love, break-up and hope.
Bolinda Books chose well in the narrators, Rose Riley and Will Kirk who read the book very well and expressively.
The story is told on two timelines, the ‘before’ and ‘now’ and from Gem’s as well as Will’s perspective.

Gem and Will met when they were children on a council estate. Gem and her mother were homed there after surviving a house fire in which her dad died. They became firm friends and later a couple who seemed perfect for each other. Then, suddenly, Will, the love of Gem’s life, changed, virtually overnight and they broke up, which was extremely tough for Gem.
Three years later when Gem has moved on, Will has a car accident. When he wakes up from his coma he has lost the memory of the last 3 years and thinks he and Gem are still the perfect couple. Can Gem forgive Will, Will she ever trust him again?

It’s hard to enjoy a book that delivers so many gut punches - one right after the other. But I did. I also have a hard time classifying this as a romance. It has elements, but it’s more. The twists and turns keep you guessing and you will want to shake these characters often. Your heart will break and I’m not positive it ever gets repaired, at least not perfectly fixed, just different.

𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
3🌟
-
*Random Thought* The song 🎵 Somebody I Used To Know by Gotye played in my head while reading this book because this story was giving me those vibes. With the push and pull of Gem and Will's relationship.
This story is about Will and Gem, who were childhood sweethearts and had a very bad breakup. Will was in a car accident and lost three years of his memories. Will believes he is still in a relationship with Gem. Gem is trying to move on from her breakup with Will.
Meh! It was okay, but I'm not a fan of the "cheating" trope, so yeah.
The audiobook is great; the narrator did a good job bringing these characters to life.
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬:
•Dual POV'S
•Dual Timeline (Past and present)
•Second chance romance
𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 :
•Cheating
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 Sept.1
Thank you, Netgalley, and Bolinda Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

First time reading Eve Ainsworth and now I need a sequel! Heartbreaking love story that began when Will and Gem were just kids. The main characters were lovable and very well developed. The story also has a few side characters that you love to hate.
I enjoyed the book and will definitely read another by Ainsworth.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story was going in a pretty interesting direction, but I could NOT deal with those horrible, trashy accents. I could not finish because of that. I'm going to try with ebook, because I do want to know where the story is going.

The narrator's voice is totally soothing, creating a really chill vibe that almost put me to sleep as I listened to the story. While I liked feeling relaxed, I kinda struggled to get fully into the story. So, I thought about switching to the eBook version of the book, hoping that reading might grab my attention and pull me into the storyline better. I ended up not finishing this.

The narrators and writing style really jived with me. And I always love a good amnesia trope. But I think the plot of the story lost me a bit and that is where the stars were lost.
I think i was struggling by the end because everyone (outside of the main two characters) were lying. Nothing was the truth. But of course both the MMC and FMC believed the lies and so then they both decided the couldn't be together due to those lies. It was not my favourite.
I would try this author again in the future.

The book itself:
Such an emotional read with an sweet and happy although also kinda sad ending. At so many moments I got really mad at some characters (Nicola and Richard mostly) but I also felt so much joy for Gem, Will and their friends when good things happend. The book was interesting also thanks to the many small details that made the book feel more alive. Sometimes it felt like I was actually there with all of them.

PS. As a german I loved the mention of Schadenfreude in chapter 1

The narrators:
Rose Riley: Nice and relaxing voice, loved the way her voice changed when she spoke Gem's mother.

Will Kirk: Really emotional voice (which I loved), made me feel like it was all happening to me at the same time as he read it out aloud.

What a book!
This was so sweet, and yet so heartbreaking too!

Gemma (Gem) and Will had been sweethearts forever….
And then, things changed!
Gem really has no idea why… but, they split up. She was destroyed. He moved on…and eventually, so did she.

When Will wakes up in the hospital, and there’s a strange girl holding his hand, he’s wondering what the heck is going on?
As the docs check him out, they realize that Will has LOST three years of his life…and is back in time when he and Gem were still together.

So, when Will’s brother Jack calls her and asks her to go see him, (he’s currently out of the country) she has no choice but to say ‘ok’. After all, they’ve all been friends since childhood. And Gem’s mother was like a second mother to them too.

And that’s when the book really takes off!

Such sweet moments and memories. And then such heartbreaking scenes as well…as the memories start to come back to Will…

Lovely book that brings out so many “feels” !!
I’m really hoping that there will be a book #2. 🤞🏼🤞🏼

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #BolindaAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which is *** due to be released in a few days on 9/1/24. ***

#SomebodyThatIUsedToLove by #EveAinsworth and narrated nicely by #RoseRiley and #WillKirk.

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Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of Somebody I Used to Love
by Eve Ainsworth (Audio version)

Second Chance Romance
No spice / closed door
Somebody I Used to Love
Dual POV
Time Jump
Trigger- Cheating / loss of parent

3.5

After an awful car crash Will has forgot the last 3 years, he believes he's still with Gem, and not his fiance Nicola. Gem however has moved on with Richard but still hasn't recovered from the pain her breakup with Will caused. Will and Gem were childhood sweethearts who broke up in 2019, fast forwards its now 2022 and now Will wants to be the man he was that Gem wanted to be with. Does she go back to Will and risk getting hurt again, or Stay with Richard "safe but a bit boring" . Ending felt a bit rushed, I feel like we needed a little bit more at the end, needed an Epilogue in fast forward a little more to really tie it up, and bump the ratings

Oh my heart! This one hurt.

I went in a little blind to this, in that I requested it in NetGalley then promptly forgot what it was about. I’m glad I did, I got the full effect of the story that way.

Gem is moving on, she’s settled down with a new guy, he’s moved in, she’s forgetting the pain that Will caused when they broke up. Will has just come round after a terrible accident and has actually forgotten that they have broken up, he cannot fathom how he ended up with a completely different life from the one he shared with Gemma, and he certainly can’t figure out why everyone seems to have turned against him.

This had me in a complete chokehold, I genuinely had no idea what was coming next. I was so invested in the characters and really didn’t want the story to end. It was so very nearly a 5 star, I’d have just like a tiny bit more of an ending. I feel a bit bereft.

I’m inclined to want to add a content warning, but it’s a hugely personal one that may not actually apply to others; and it’d also be a pretty big spoiler…….

The narration was fantastic! Rose Riley has done a beautiful job.

Huge thanks to Bolinda Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ELC.

If you ever wondered if you took a different path this book offers a glance between the two paths life can take. This is the story of Will and Gem. After waking up from a car accident, Will realizes there is a 3 year gap in his memory. Gem, who has moved on and has a new boyfriend, receives a call about his situation. As Will starts his recovery process, he’s determined to prove to Gem that’s he’s the same man she fell in love with. However, Gem is torn between the man she was once in love with and her new life. Somebody I Used to Love is of course a love story and a tortured will they/won't they read. There are multiple points of view, which potentially could add depth and intrigue to the storyline, only the views seemed to be exactly the same which prevented me from connecting with any of the characters. The plot was transparent and predictable and, therefore didn't capture and hold my attention. There are romance novels that explore the road less travelled, giving the protagonists a second chance at happiness through magic or time travel or a wish granted. This isn't one of those, but ends up giving Will and Gem, our star-crossed lovers, an opportunity to fix what was broken by happenstance and accident and plain malice. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley. 3.5 rounded up

I really enjoyed this audiobook, I loved the narrators they really added to the book. I only intended to listen for half an hour or so, but I was so invested in the story that I finished it in one sitting.

It's quite an emotional read with a 'will they, won't they' theme running throughout. I enjoyed the build-up to what happened. The pacing was spot on. I was rooting for them from the start. This is definitely a 'hug in a book' read but ....

...I need to know if they did meet up?