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!

I just want to say that I was *blessed* to receive a copy of this novel. I have gotten a couple of other novels by Paige Toon & they are my favorite to be approved for.

Unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me. I think it was too much of a time jump between the initial meeting & then the second act breakup. Both MC's seemed very scattered and immature it was hard for me to like them. You could tell where the story was going as well, which I didn't love. Overall, an easy read. Just not the tear jerker I expect, which is my own fault for the expectations.

title: What If I Never Get Over You

author: Paige Toon

publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

publication date: April 15, 2025

pages: 416

peppers: 3 (on this scale)

warnings: child molestation (in past), horrible parents, childhood death by accident and by drug overdose

summary: Ellie is about to give up on her Euro-rail trip when she meets Ash, who steals her heart in the three days they spend together. She has to go meet her parents, but they have a plan to meet in Madrid in a week. When he doesn't show up, she is left broken-hearted and has to follow the path (working at the family's furniture store) that her parents have set for her. Eventually, based partly on something Ash said to her, she navigates her own way to becoming a gardener, which is her dream job. Not surprisingly, since this is a romance, the job leads her back to Ash.

tropes:

instant-love
second (and third) chance romance
childhood friends' deaths
controlling families
surprise royalty

what I liked:

their attempts at being together
all the minor characters
how each follows dreams

what I didn’t like: sometimes, they were quick to assume

overall rating: 5 (of 5 stars)

I loved this story. Two people meet, start to fall in love, plan to meet, a tragedy stops that and then they lose track of each other. What a surprise when Ellie sees Ash when she starts a new job and he is important! She thought he was a normal guy not the heir of the viscount at Berkeley Hall. They talk, talk some more, get caught making out by his father and then she gets fired. She leaves because she thinks he is getting back with his old girlfriend. 2 years later, she finds out none of that is true. This story had romance, drama, huge misunderstandings, 2nd and 3rd chances.
This book was so good, it was difficult to put down. I highly recommend

I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

Paige Toon does it again! This was a beautiful story of love and heartbreak and how they sometimes circle back around and come full circle. The whole story moved me and I found myself moved with every chapter. Paige is a go-to author for stories featuring love but with serious themes that make you feel and make you think. I love everything she writes.

I enjoyed this book a lot. Did I get mad at the two main characters? YES. Lots of times!!

They just couldn't seem to get out of their own way to be together. Obviously, they found their way back to each other in the end, no thanks to Ash hiding out, but still. So much wasted time.

I would recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and the author for this ARC! This was my first book by this author, I was drawn by the book blurb, the title, and the cover. This was such an intense, jaw-dropping, captivating book which I read in one day. The themes and the writing were on point and I really enjoyed getting to know the characters. Overall, it was such a great book to sit down with and I will for sure continue reading books by this author!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

What If I Never Get Over You
Author: Paige Toon
Source: NetGalley
Publication Date: April 15, 2025
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Do you move favorite authors higher on your TBR list, even with plenty of time to finish the book? Paige Toon is one of those authors for me. I enjoy her light, cozy romance reads, and this book was comfortable reading. Two gap year students meet in Lisbon while interrailing through Europe and fall deeply in love quickly—three days, to be exact. The word quickly would probably be the best description for this story because this story moves fast. In the bargain, it sacrifices the chemistry between Ellie and Ash, the two lovers. This book, which will be released in April, will please fans of Ms. Toon.

#whatifinevergetoveryou @NetGalley #TBR @WhatIfINeverGetOverYou @putnambooks #romance #comingofage #classdivision #royalty @Wales #contemporaryromance #fiction #secondchance
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.
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Ellie and Ash were quickly like two dear friends you root for like crazy. This was my first novel from Paige Toon and I can't wait to dive into her backlist.

Paige Toon is quickly becoming a new favorite author of mine. I truly enjoyed reading about Ash and Ellie. In the first part, I immediately was captivated by their insta love (and I don't particularly enjoy insta love usually!)

I found each character really likable, but at times their actions didn't really match with their words. For example, Ash always says that Ellie is the only one for him and he will always choose her but then he chooses Becas feelings over hers. I also found some of Ellie's decisions to be rash. Another thing I didn't fully understand was how Stella seemed so important in the first part of the book but rarely came up in the second half.

Overall, I loved this story. I loved the ending and how it eventually played out. I can't wait to read more from this author.

This was a well written romance with well developed characters. I found the romance a bit unrealistic

Ellie from London and Ash from Wales, both twenty-year-olds, meet while traveling in Europe and spend three days together. They fall in love and arrange to meet at a certain day in Madrid. When Ash doesn't show up in Madrid, Ellie spends the next several years trying to forget him. As they had not even exchanged their last names or family details, Ellie can't reach him, and he hasn't used her number to call her.

A certified gardener six years later, Ellie works as one of the staff on the vast estate of a Welsh family mansion tending the formal and informal gardens and orchards. I loved the descriptions of the gardens, the gardening itself, the varieties of flowers and bushes on the vast grounds. Needless to say, she meets Ash again while she is there. This romance has a few tropes including lovers-enemies and mistaken identities.

The ending is less romantic, in my opinion, and the lifestyle of the two people doesn't fit with their personalities, though this is a "happy ending."

✅ Ellie & Ash, meet in Lisbon, Portugal while interrailing as 21 year olds. After 3 days together, they have to go to different places but make a plan to meet in Madrid in a week, but ash never shows
✅ It’s now 6 years later, Ellie has thought of Ash often, and runs into him at her new job
✅ second chance romance
🌶️: yes-ish

This was a really cute yet emotional read. I really enjoyed the writing. It read a little insta love to me, which isn't my favorite, yet I found myself rooting for the couple. This was my first Paige Toon book, I think if you're a fan of Nicholas Sparks books, you would enjoy this. Definitely an emotional rollercoaster and check the triggers!

When two lonely young people traveling through Europe meet on a rooftop bar in Lisbon, there is no way the reader could anticipate the depth of the feelings they will have for each other over the years and even though this is fiction, I must believe that good people like this exist (especially Ash).

I read many reviews for this book which assured me that they would have a HEA, but I was too curious and impatient to find out how they could have lost touch for six years. It seemed implausible or at least unrealistic. I stupidly cheated and read ahead to see how and why it happened, but I wish I had just trusted Paige Toon to accomplish this. Some writers draw out the suspense for too long, but this was my first Paige Toon book, and I didn’t know she was that good. The whole story flowed at a perfect pace, nothing was drawn out and the reason behind the six years was indeed plausible.

I had never even heard of Paige Toon before this book, but now I understand why so many readers love her work. Her prose flows and draws the reader in making us care very much for her characters. They were very likable.

Ellie and Ash found something in each other that helped them overcome the difficulties they each had with their families. Despite their different upbringing, they both suffered from parents who used their children to accomplish their own goals and dreams. This caused the difficulties they had in their relationship, but because Ellie and Ash were innately good people, they overcame the roadblocks, and I cried tears of joy for their happiness.

This REALLY is a good book. I couldn’t put it down and I highly recommend it to everyone.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

# WhatifINeverGetOverYou #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group PUTNAM, and Paige Toon for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was pulled into the story from the very beginning. It was such an emotional roller coaster for me, but I enjoyed it ALL. It was a beautiful second chance romance.

This was my first Paige Toon book and I can’t wait to read more.

This book is expected to be published April 15, 2025. Make sure to get it added to your TBR.

What if I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon
4.5 stars
Spice: 🔥🔥/5

Wow. Paige Toon took us on a journey, emotionally and physically. The two main characters start off interrailing, which as someone who lives in the United States, I had to look up myself. Paige Toon has a magical way of descriptive prose that puts the reader right where they are. I could imagine it as well as she described it.

The connection these two had was smart, witty, cute, and I couldn’t wait for it to happen. I felt it on the pages. My heart broke a little when she stepped on that train. I say that as someone who is not a fan of insta-love stories. Paige did just a great job with creating their chemistry that I didn’t care they had only known each other for three days.

I LOVED how they were brought back together. The angst and drama behind it. I was just a little letdown on how easy she let them get together though lol but I like the angst too much. I was hoping for a bit more sexual tension before the evitable happens. There is no surprise that we get the third act break-up, and you feel as sad as the characters do. I did find Ellie a bit flake ish. I wanted to her to stop hemming around with Ash and going back and forth. It drove me a little crazy. But I still loved them together.

These characters grew individually and together. No matter where they went, they loved each other. It was such a fantastic story.

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