This was really not quite what I was expecting. Unfortunately, I struggled to get through this one. The writing quality is very simple and jumpy. The timeline leaps around in places and there are a lot of details that are not necessary. In the beginning, we get a whirlwind instalove situation that is set in parts of Europe. The descriptions are very simple, pretty much names of places, so it's very difficult to imagine where they are without knowing the area well. Then, after three days, they are separated. Years later, they meet again under very different circumstances and some secret identities are revealed, along with a relationship that further complicates things. When that relationship ends, it becomes a big focal point of conversations, which feels very strange. From that point on, the story gets rather messy. I don't want to give any spoilers, but sadly, for me, I skimmed about 70% of this.

This was a really slow start for me. I really thought it wasn't going to be a good read for me. BUT....

I'm so glad I kept reading. I settled in and I felt like I knew all these characters! I loved the setting in England and I loved Ellie & Ash! Overall, this was a really good read!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for providing this ARC for my honest review.

#NetGalley #PaigeToon #PenguinGroup

I really wanted to like this with reviews for this authors other adult work, but sadly this felt very young and underdeveloped. The plot is one we have seen with two people meeting on a chance encounter with plans to meet and life prevents it from happening. Which who doesn’t love the same overarching theme even if we’ve seen it before, but there was just a lot that missed the mark to stand out. The characters didn’t feel fully developed, the storyline wasn’t anything that distinguishes it from others and felt very young for an adult novel.

DNF at 20%. I don’t think there was anything specifically BAD about this book, it just wasn’t for me. The first 5-10% intrigued me and the author’s writing was well done. However, the pacing was slow and with the way things were being laid out I could just tell the plot wasn’t going to get better for me. I gave it one star only because I chose not to finish. But I will not be posting this review publicly.

I really liked this book. I stayed up so late reading this book. I just didn't want to put it down. Fade to black spice, so ya appropriate. This is a love story told over several years. It's love found and lost. For fans of the movie, serendipity 💛

Every single time I read one of her books, she always manages to pulls me right in. I love, love… LOVE the fact that she incorporates music in her novels. I always make a little playlist with all the songs mentioned. I was fascinated that this took place in Europe - all the locations mentioned, combined with her excellent word choice & use of detail perfectly painted the picture of the story’s setting. Paige demonstrates such a clear & stellar display of imagery - it’s as if I’m physically there beside all the characters.

I will say, I wasn’t as connected to the characters as I was in her past novels, Seven Summers and Only Love Can Hurt Like This. The MMC wasn’t my favorite of hers - despite that I really enjoyed this novel and gave it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC! Oh my gosh did Ellie and Ash get me in my feels. Their whirlwind romance in Lisbon and promise to reconnect a week later hooked me in. When their meet up doesn’t go as planned, I felt for both of them. Trust me you need to read this as soon as possible - just be ready to swoon.

What If I Never Get Over You is an emotional rollercoaster that lingers long after the final page. Paige Toon masterfully captures the decade-spanning journey of Ellie and Ash, weaving a love story that’s as unpredictable as it is deeply moving. Their relationship unfolds over years of growth, missed chances, and hard-earned reconciliations, giving the story a raw and realistic feel. It's not just about love—it's about timing, personal evolution, and the bittersweet what-ifs. Reading it feels like witnessing a lifetime of highs and lows in a single, unforgettable narrative.

What If I Never Get Over You is an emotional, heart-wrenching read that will stay with you long after you've finished it. The characters are real and relatable, and the chemistry between them is undeniable. Paige Toole has a way of writing that tugs at your heartstrings, making this book impossible to put down. A perfect book for the season.

WHAT IF I NEVER GET OVER THIS BOOK?!?

Paige is simply the queen of an emotional romance. Ellie and Ash have the most amazing three days together, having met while backpacking Europe. They plan to meet back up in Madrid after another few stops, but Ellie shows up late. And Ash is no where to be found. She spends days in Madrid, wondering how Ash could have just left her, without even contacting her.

Six years later, Ellie is still thinking about Ash and why he would have abandoned her. She starts a new job - a dream job - of being a gardener of a fancy estate in Whales….. only to find out that Ash is the son of the estate owners, and the heir to the estate. And Ash hasn’t forgotten Ellie, either.

✨ “Would you say that this is the real you?” Ash asks, lifting his chin at me. “This is the me I wish I was all the time.”

✨ “And I remember his small, steady smile, the way he looked at me like he adored me. I. Remember. Everything.”

✨ “It was only three days,” I say in a small voice as he turns to stare starkly out the window. “Are we looking back at that time through rose-tinted glasses? Was any of it real?” He meets my eyes, and then says, with absolute conviction: “It was real.”

✨ “You’re Ellie,” she whispers, because of course, she’s worked here for a long, long time. How much does she know? “You’re the one that got away.”

What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon
Rating: 3 stars
Pub date: 4/15

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Putnam Books for my advanced copy!

What If I Never Get Over You kicks off with a swoony, whirlwind romance as Ellie and Ash spend three magical days exploring Lisbon together. Ellie has lost her best friend and is suffocating under the weight of her parents’ expectations. She can’t believe her luck when she meets Ash, a kind, and charismatic hottie that soon becomes her travel partner. They need to separate for a week but agree to meet up in Madrid, and when Ash doesn’t show, Ellie spends the next six years pining for him and shutting down her life over their brief fling.

I’m not sure what happened with this one. If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be: frustrating. I loved the first few chapters where Ellie and Ash first met! The chemistry was there and their brief romance was so swoony. But then it’s like I was reading a different book entirely. When they reunite at Ash’s family’s estate, I was hoping for some redemption or some groveling at least, but Ash kept putting everyone’s needs ahead of Ellie’s. Her constant devotion to him, despite getting so little in return, was hard to watch.

This felt almost like a YA romance with it’s immature characters and constant miscommunication. But despite the messy romance, the author’s writing is beautiful. The descriptions of the gardens and the murmuration scene at the end were especially lovely. Overall, a strong start but a bit disappointing by the end. I’m sure a lot of romance readers will love this one, so if that’s you, then make sure to check it out on pub day!

After reading Paige Toon's Five Years From Now, she is an "auto-buy" for me when she releases new books. I really enjoyed this book. Paige Toon writes a great love story & this one gave me all the feels. The two main characters (Ash & Ellie) meet while interrailing across Europe. Spending a few sweet days together, they fall for each other....but something happens when they are set to meet up next. They don't see each other again until six years later, when they run into each other unexpectedly. The sparks begin to fly again, although cautiously. Each has family baggage and new developments since seeing each other last. I loved both of the main characters and was rooting for them throughout the entirety of the book. You'll have to read it to see what transpires! I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of What If I Never Get Over You, huge thanks to NetGalley!

What If I Never Get Over You opens strong with a spontaneous meeting between Ellie and Ash while interrailing through Europe. The attraction is strong and fast, and when plans to meet up in a different city fall through, Ellie is faced with trying to get over a man it seems like she will never cross paths with again. Six years later though, Ellie and Ash come crashing into each other’s lives again and they are faced with the reality of whether their relationship can actually withstand the test of time.

This novel had me hooked from the very first page, I genuinely could not put this book down. I was lost in the story, in its characters, and completely swept up in the drama of whether or not these two characters would finally be able to be happy with one another.

The best way I can describe the opening of the book is magical. There was something for everyone in the beginning of the book: romance, travel, banter, and it really rooted me in the story and brought me back to what it felt like to be twenty one and in love. It was the perfect way to open a story and get readers invested right from the get-go.

As for the book as a whole, I enjoyed the realness of the characters. I liked that their meeting felt realistic and how little they knew another each other on the surface after their meeting, but also how deeply they got to know each other. They may not have ever exchanged last names, but they knew and understood who the other was down to their very core.

I also enjoyed how Ash positioned himself as being someone who might not have much money and was pinching pennies, but in reality, he was *spoiler* a freaking viscount! It also didn’t feel unrealistic or too coincidental that Ellie would end up working at his family’s estate, given that when they met, Ash told her to consider working on an estate, almost as though he had a plan all along.

My only qualm with the novel is that I feel almost like the book was four completely separate entities: interrailing, meeting at Ash’s estate, bouncing back from what happened on the estate, and trying to win Ash back. I think Toon did a fantastic job separating these parts with time jumps, but I also felt almost like these characters were completely different people in each part. For me, it’s a matter of maturing with time vs. becoming fully fledged new characters, and I lean more toward the latter for what happened with these characters.

What I was craving after these characters reunited was more banter and spontaneity and fun like we saw during their travels, and we did get some of this, but I felt like I was wanting more than what we were getting. The conflict after the initial six-year time jump was necessary for the story, but at the same time, I wished these characters had a little more time of just being happy with one another. Their issues felt like they were resolved quite easily due to the time jumps, but once one was solved, it felt like another came just as quickly. I loved these characters and the spark between them, so I wish they could’ve experienced more happiness on the page in addition to the happiness we learn they get at the book’s resolution.

Overall, I did really enjoy this novel and if Paige’s other books have the same spirit and vibe as part 1 of this one, sign me up!

Thanks NetGalley and Putnam for the proof in exchange for an honest review!

What If I Never Get Over You is described as One Day meets contemporary Bridgerton so naturally I was intrigued!

Ellie meets Ash while interrailing through Europe. After spending 3 days together, they’ve formed a curious yet unforgettable connection. They decide to meet up again one week later in Spain to continue traveling together — but when Ellie arrives at their designated meeting spot, Ash doesn’t show.

Ellie spends the next 6 years on autopilot and wondering if she imagined their connection. She decides to leave her soul sucking job for her dream career as a gardener at a sprawling estate in Wales. And just when she feels like she’s on the right track, incomes Ash, making her question everything as she’s desperate for answers.

I loved the concept of this novel but I struggled with the execution. I am not a fan of insta-love, but I do believe sometimes there are connections that transcend logic. I didn’t quite feel that between Ellie and Ash, but I was willing to overlook it.

As I continued on, however, I felt like the story was rushed, especially around some pivotal plot points and it left me wanting more. I also struggled to connect with Ellie as I wanted her to stand up for herself more.

That said, this book did have me hooked and eager to find out how their story ended! Ultimately, I don’t think it’s one that will stick with me, but I do recommend it if you are looking for a second chance romance.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5, contemporary romance)
Release date: April 15, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first novel by Paige Toon and it won’t be my last. I’ve heard so many good things about Seven Summers and seeing as I love a second chance story, I will be diving into it soon!

First of all, this is a super quick read, and we love that. I will say, I wanted a little more from this one. While I did enjoy it, I just felt like it was missing something... or maybe the storyline of their reconnection was so unbelievable to me that it clouded the rest of my reading experience? That could be the issue. I wasn't really rooting for these characters to end up together, and they both ended up annoying me at various points (which is probably intentional). All in all, I did enjoy it, but I was just expecting a little more.

This book went quick for me and felt like a bingeable romance. I loved Ellie’s character and the way she pushes back on the plans her parents made for her. Through grief and stress, Ellie learns how to take her life into her own hands.

Ellie and Ash seem destined to be together and also destined to be apart.

I actually liked Ellie’s character so much that I was immediately skeptical of Ash. I could see why Ellie liked him, but I had a hard time rooting for their happy ending together. I kept waiting for Ash to surprise me and put Ellie first in the way she deserved.

Even though this wasn’t a favorite romance of mine, I loved the way the story developed. I thought the ending did a nice job in giving both characters a way to find happiness for themselves but also for each other.

I've loved Paige Toon's previous books, so I was so excited for this book! "What If I Never Get Over You" did not disappoint! I couldn't get enough of Ellie and Ash and their love story of the one that got away!

“ Three days to fall in love. Six years to try to forget.”

With this line, I better be screaming to myself at 3 AM rooting for these two but alas, I was not. This book didn’t live up to my expectations of what it would be. It certainly was a cute story but I wanted more- yearning, angst, the butterflies six years of trying to forget brings back. It didn’t serve that for me.

Paige Toon is a master of her craft and knows how to break my heart and put it back together again with each book she writes. I am a sucker for a romance fling & when Ellie and Ash meet while interrailing in Europe that is exactly what happens. Three days together is all they get but it’s plenty of time to fall in love. When Ellie is late to meet up with Ash who perfers to live like a nomad she is devastated when she can’t find him and has no way of getting in touch with him. After 6 years Ellie is still trying to get over Ash and pave her own way when fate intervenes.

This book was fantastic and I ate up every page. I love when lovers are able to reconnect. Read this book if you enjoy these things:

-found family
-family drama
-a little spice
-travel
-romance

I can’t wait to see what Paige Toon comes out with next!

What If I Never Get Over You 💫

“Ash is right: the enormity of space makes everything else feel small.. But here on Earth, four and a half billion years after our sun was formed, five billion years before it will start to die, one girl sits on a hill in Wales, falling in love with a boy. And nothing can stop it from happening.”

It only takes three days abroad together for strangers, Ash & Ellie, to form a strong bond. They decide to ditch their original travel itineraries to stay together, but they get separated. Six years later, fate brings them back together.

I enjoyed this One Day meets Bridgerton love story! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- Paige is the queen of second chance romances!! I could literally feel the longing, the pining, and the heartbreak coming off the pages. She has such a gift!!

As much as I dislike third act breakups, this one felt almost essential. The character development was needed for the main characters to work together. After everything these two went through, they deserved to finally be happy!!

Thanks to Paige Toon & @netgalley for this eARC! I’m totally in love with this book. The pub date is April 15th and y’all need to get your hands on this one 💛