This was a wonderful book. I’m so glad I read it!!! The scenery and places visited were described so beautifully it makes me want to travel and see it for myself first hand, although I don’t think I’ll be backpacking like Ash and Ellie do in this book.

A saw several reviews state that they did not like how Ash and Ellie only knew each other for three days but somehow fell in love and couldn’t let that go. But I think that’s where the magic is in this story. Both Ellie and Ash have lives where they can never be truly vulnerable, but something about each other makes their walls come down and they can be their unguarded selves, share their innermost feelings. After both of them lost their best friends it makes sense that they desire that closeness with someone again that understands who they are at their core.

I love that they find their way back to each other time and again. This book was an emotional journey, heart broke alongside them, it was full of joy and excitement in the happy moments and I just loved getting lost in this story.

I hadn’t read anything by Paige Toon before so I didn’t know what to expect. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I’ll definitely be reading more of her books.

This story of two people meeting on a trip in another country and promising to meet up again in a few days. When he doesn’t show up she is heartbroken. When they, by fate, meet up again six years later will they still feel the same. This story sucked me in from the beginning and I loved it.

This was such a cute quick read. Ellie and Ash have an instant connection that shows the true meaning behind if it’s meant to be it will be. I loved their adventures and the ending was very cute.

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for this ARC.

The storyline hooked me from the start, and I truly enjoyed the story. The characters each had things in their past, and present, that they were dealing with, and neither dealt with their problems very well. The middle did drag a bit for me, and the Becca situation left a bad feeling with me. I wanted Ellie to express more how she was not happy about being put second to Becca time and again.
But, overall a great second chance book about love, loss, friendship and rediscovery.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

2.75 ⭐⭐✨ rounded up. It was a cute story but I was impatient with the journey getting there.

The 21-year-old MCs meet while backpacking through Europe and fall for each other in three days. They plan to meet again, but one doesn’t show up, and they don’t reconnect for six years. I struggled to believe their brief connection would lead to years of pining. However, I do appreciate when characters grow emotionally before being with their "true love." When they finally reunite, there is still so much maturing and drama that has to happen before they can be together, which is frustrating.

🌶️🌶️🌶️ Open Door: At least one intimate scene with the reader present, euphemistic language for act and body parts.

Read if you like:
•Second Chance
•Vacation flings

I did the happy dance when I received an ARC for Paige Toon's What if I Never Get Over You as I had loved her Seven Summers. This book really touched me - so much love, loss, misunderstanding, friendship - in the story of Ellie and Ash. Ellie, someone who is dominated by her class-conscious parents who are pressuring her to join the family furniture business, meets Ash, a free spirit, in Lisbon, and the two fall madly in love, connecting deeply, over the three days they have together. They vow to meet in Madrid later but Ash never shows up and Ellie realizes that the two had never exchanged last names so they have no way to find each other. Fast forward to six years later, Ellie has left the family business and entered her dream career as a gardener. She is hired to work at Berkeley Hall, a family-owned estate in Wales, where she runs into Ash, realizing that he is actually Ashton Berkeley, son of Vicount Berkeley. The two reconnect but will they be able to stay together? Will they be able to overcome the class differences between them? This story has very likeable characters and at points, I found myself reading way longer than I should have because I couldn't wait another day to find out what would happen between the two of them. And this story gave me happy ending that I love so much. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

MISS PAIGE ALWAYS MAKES ME CRY AND TAKES A PIECE OF MY HEART AND SOUL WITH EACH BOOK I READ!!!! i bawled tears of joy then hurt then sadness then joy then sadness omg. I love Ellie and her determination to be all she needs to be for herself but also remaining true to who she is- allowing herself that weakness in falling for Ash. I love Ash for the beautiful soul he is in following his heart and making Ellie see that she should follow her heart as he does. every single one of their years together just had me IN IT!!! one of the best books of the year for me

3 stars! ⭐️

I am a new fan of Paige Toon’s writing after her beautiful book she released last year, Seven Summers! So naturally I had to request this one.

The beginning of this book hooked me and I was excited to see where the story went. Overall, I felt myself get disconnected with the story after the time jump sadly but loved the way that Paige wrote the grief and the deeper themes within this book. However, I would still definitely recommend this one to a friend and I will 100% be reading Paige’s future releases!

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam, NetGalley & Paige Toon for the advanced copy of this book!

Solid 3.5 stars. Its a romance, the typical ups and downs. I learned a few things, and found out a few other parts of the world. Did I love every minute? No. I get frustrated with the whole idea of this ever happening. I'll stop at that, don't want any spoilers.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and author for the chance to read this advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.

I loved that this story brought back so many memories of my own whirlwind falling-in-love story. I know that many people feel that such a short time of knowing each other makes it impossible to have a successful, lasting relationship, but I know that's not true as my husband and I have been happily married for 42 years! Ash and Ellie feel an immediate connection when they meet interrailing in Europe. The story also gave me “An Affair to Remember” (the old Cary Grant movie) vibes. They agree to meet a week later, but one is late and the other never shows. Both hearts are broken as they have no way of connecting up again, not even knowing their last names. After six years, their lives intertwine again, but their struggles are far from over; what an emotional rollercoaster! Although their difficult upbringings caused a lot of drama and contention between them, their two broken souls were able to find comfort, solace and healing with each other. An epic love story with a bit of spice and swearing. I'm very old fashioned, and I know most people wouldn't even notice the swearing, but for someone who isn't used to that kind of language, it was jarring and unnecessary. However, I still enjoyed the love story itself. Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books I received a complimentary ARC copy with no obligation to post a positive review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

A big Thank You to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

What If I Never Get Over You is a sweeping tale of love, fate, and the passage of time. When Ellie and Ash cross paths while interrailing as young college students, their connection is instant and undeniable. What begins as a whirlwind vacation romance soon turns into something deeper, and after just a few fleeting days together, they make a promise—to reunite in a week, in a new city, to continue their journey together.

But when that day arrives, Ash never shows. Heartbroken and lost, Ellie returns home, burying her pain in the confines of her family’s business—a life she never truly wanted. Years pass, and with newfound courage, she breaks free to pursue her true passion: gardening. Her path leads her to Berkeley Hall, a breathtaking estate where she secures a dream job—only to discover it is the ancestral home of the man who once shattered her heart.

Confronted with the ghosts of her past, Ellie is forced to navigate long-buried emotions as Ash reenters her life. Their attraction reignites, but their love is far from a fairytale. Between the judgment of Ash’s aristocratic family, the weight of their own insecurities, and the undeniable differences in their worlds, they must decide whether their bond is strong enough to withstand the test of time.

Spanning years of longing, heartbreak, and second chances, What If I Never Get Over You is a poignant exploration of love’s resilience—proving that some connections are simply meant to be, no matter the obstacles.

3⭐️

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Blurb: Ash and Ellie meet each other on their own respective European trip to heal from the losses left by their families, and found comfort in each other. 6 years later, they meet again and only time will tell if they’ll get it right this time.

The beginning of this book grabbed my attention immediately as any book in Europe reminds me of my time studying abroad! I loved how Ellie was embarking on that journey for her late friend, and also related to how texting their old numbers can bring you comfort. I also liked Ash as an MMC, but I didn’t like how he couldn’t just cut it off with Beca after the time jump.

I also don’t think insta-love is for me because their chemistry didn’t feel natural. The time jump to me wasn’t seamless and the book was dragging to me after their European trip. Overall, the book was not bad and I enjoyed it nonetheless!

I’m newer to Paige Toon’s writing, I read Seven Summers last summer of 2024 and it’s definitely one of my favorite reads from last year. So when I saw that this book was coming out, I jumped at the chance to read it.

Three amazing days interloping, where Ellie and Ash got to know the other and quickly fell for each other, only to go their separate ways without getting each other’s last names. Fast forward 6 years, and they fall into each other’s lives again, but now everything is so much more complicated. GIVE ME THIS DRAMA, YES PLEASE. This was such a beautiful love story of the one that got away, but will this really work. I fell in love with Ellie and Ash, especially Ash 3.0. I fell in love with everything about this book and I can’t wait to see it on the shelves and reread the physical copy.

“I know that I’ll forgive him. I know that I can’t walk away from this, even if I wanted to. I’m in it to crash and burn.”

Thank you, Penguin Group Putnam, NetGalley, and Paige Toon for this wonderful ARC!

This is my third book by this author and the other two were 3 stars for me. To be fair, this isn't my usual genre, so I am glad I gave her another try. I also think timing has to do with some stories. This starts off in Portugal and I just did the trip that they are on in the story so I could picture all the places that was described in the book. I think that helps a lot. Ash and Elle were both likable characters with shitty families, so you definitely get invested in these two young people trying to stand on their own two feel. You also can feel the chemistry when they first meet and for the rest of the story.

Thier story kept my interest and found myself trying to make time to get back to the story. I don't want to give too much away but there was also a little Downton Abby thrown in the mix.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was pretty back and forth between really enjoying this and being meh about it, so I have to rate it a 3.25. I LOVE the premise of this book!! It has some tropes that I really enjoy - found family, second chance romance, forbidden love.. but some parts of it just fell a little flat and caused me to enjoy it less.

I usually don't mind time jumping, but in this book it was not well explained and I was left constantly confused. I think I would have liked it much better if it just went to part 2 and said "6 years later" or something, and then gave some backstory as to what had happened. OR, done smaller time jumps but just been clearer.

I am not a fan of insta love, or miscommunication -- so it was hard for me to connect to this story. They were so far gone for each other after such a short time, and then both fell into catatonic places for the next few years, which just unfortunately felt unrealistic and a big cringe to me. Then, when they found each other again, and decided to see what would happen, Ash NEVER listened to or prioritized Ellie. He did whatever he wanted and thought it would be fine, and then had the audacity to guilt trip her for leaving him when he needed her most... even though she literally had to leave as his father was forcing her out! UGH, men. I 100% understood the third act breakup and actually felt it was necessary so that they could maybe finally get their shit together.

Overall I love the idea of this book!! And there were parts I did quite enjoy, but too much of it fell flat or annoyed me, which is why it is not rated higher.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC!!

What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon is the kind of book that lingers in your heart long after you’ve turned the final page. Ash and Ellie’s story is steeped in longing, heartache, and that deep, aching love that feels impossible to move on from. Their connection is raw and real, and as they navigate the pain of the past and the uncertainty of the future, you can’t help but feel every ounce of their emotions right alongside them. Toon’s writing makes their love feel so tangible, like you could reach out and touch the memories they share. It’s bittersweet, messy, and incredibly moving—exactly what a great love story should be.

Beyond the romance, the novel’s vivid settings bring the story to life in a way that makes everything feel even more immersive. Whether it’s the beautiful Italian countryside or the familiar comforts of home, each location adds depth to Ash and Ellie’s journey. And while the heartache is undeniable, so is the emotional growth both characters go through. Watching them find their way, not just back to each other but also to a place of healing and self-discovery, is what makes this story so powerful. This book isn’t just about love—it’s about resilience, timing, and finding peace with the past. And for me, it’s definitely one that will stay with me for a long time.

What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon is the kind of book that lingers in your heart long after you’ve turned the final page. Ash and Ellie’s story is steeped in longing, heartache, and that deep, aching love that feels impossible to move on from. Their connection is raw and real, and as they navigate the pain of the past and the uncertainty of the future, you can’t help but feel every ounce of their emotions right alongside them. Toon’s writing makes their love feel so tangible, like you could reach out and touch the memories they share. It’s bittersweet, messy, and incredibly moving—exactly what a great love story should be.

Beyond the romance, the novel’s vivid settings bring the story to life in a way that makes everything feel even more immersive. Whether it’s the beautiful Italian countryside or the familiar comforts of home, each location adds depth to Ash and Ellie’s journey. And while the heartache is undeniable, so is the emotional growth both characters go through. Watching them find their way, not just back to each other but also to a place of healing and self-discovery, is what makes this story so powerful. This book isn’t just about love—it’s about resilience, timing, and finding peace with the past. And for me, it’s definitely one that will stay with me for a long time.

Likes: setting , friendships among those who worked T the garden ( wish there was more of that), chemistry between Ash and Ellie

Dislikes: Ellie was selfish at times and hard to root for, with ash but also with her friendships, the plot was dramatic at times

I received this book early and I was so excited because Paige is an auto buy author for me!
This was amazing and needs to be turned into a movie ASAP!

This was a delightful coming-of-age story. I however, as a middle aged woman, am not the ideal audience ;) It did have me dreaming of traveling to Europe and swooning over young love! Cute story and loved the ending!