I love everything that Paige Toon writes! The writing style speaks to me in so many ways and I’m easily consumed by it. I will always shed tears in any Paige Toon novel because of the bonds you form with the characters. The characters are so relatable, realistic, and encapsulating. You would be missing out if you don’t read this beautiful novel!

This was my first book of Paige Toon and felt like I needed to read another of hers before giving opinion. So I read another book of hers and have decided, PT’s writing is not my favorite. To each their own!

While this book had loads of potential, the story seemed like it had a lot of gaps. The first few chapters (or it may have been the prelude) were really well written. After that the story jumped around a lot and seemed to be chasing the next emotion. Maybe I wish there had been more building of the setting, or even the characters. Just kind of fell flat with me.

Maybe people love overly angsty love stories with breadth. I prefer depth of one story.

✨BOOK REVIEW✨

What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon

I hope there’s never a world without a new Paige Toon novel to escape into every year! They are the perfect reads to slow down with and savor. Also if you love to travel, Paige Toon is happy to add a few new destinations to your list. Her books are so atmospheric and rich in setting that you’ll find you miss the characters AND the places once you’re done 🩵

This one is labeled as Bridgerton meets One Day and while I haven’t read either of those, I know enough to say the comparison is accurate! Ellie meets Ash while inter-railing through Europe (just be nice). After spending a few days together in Lisbon it’s hard to deny their deep connection and plan to meet a week later in Madrid. But when Ellie shows up and Ash is now where to be found, she’s left with a million questions and a broken heart. Six years later when she’s landed her dream job in estate gardening, she’s finally finding her footing and thrilled with how far she’s come. Then Ash unexpectedly comes crashing back into her life and Ellie craves some answers. Things get even more complicated from there and I was so wrapped up in this story, I couldn’t put it down until I knew how it ended! 🥰😍

Read if you like:
💐 gardening
✈️ traveling and exploring
🏡 complicated family dynamics
💔 grief as a major theme
💌 second chance romance
📝 descriptive writing & fleshed-out characters

This one is out April 10th!! Thank you to Putnam and netgalley for allowing me to be an early reader.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

If a man is not going to make you a priority he’s not the one and let me tell you, Ash is not it.
I loved Ellie and her overall journey but damn I wanted to slap her sometimes for the things she let this man get away with.

Thank you to Penguin, Netgalley & Paige Toon for the advanced copy of this book - our April 15, 2025!

I’m a huge fan of Paige Toon, and I was so excited to read this book. This was a little different from others I’ve read of hers - the description that it would be slightly Bridgerton-esque excited me.

Ellie and Ash - they formed an instant connection that I was swooning over while they met on solo journeys traveling Europe. Unfortunately, they end up being separated by years and vastly different lifestyles. Both Ellie and Ash were going through some things, and while their characters were flawed at times, I felt for both of them and the things they were dealing with.

I am a sucker for a classic rom com, and this was perfect for that! Nothing jaw dropping or unexpected, but just a feel good story. Paige Toon is excellent at writing stories about places I’ve never been before, but giving so many details that it feels as if I’m right there with the characters. Read this one if you love a little holiday romance that blossoms into much more. 💕

⭐️⭐️⭐️ My review: While the first quarter of the book was all the first meeting of Ash and Ellie and it set the stage, it was a little slow for me. And while I love a good love story, the falling madly in love in three days thing makes me raise an eyebrow. Holding onto that three days for six years is also a little over the top. The family differences and expectations for Ellie and Ash are difficult for them both but Ellie’s overthinking and catastrophizing got a bit annoying. I really liked Ash and his desire to live his live with the love he craved was touching. While I don’t know much about posh life across the pond, the class differences divides seemed kind of archaic and over the top. Is it really like that in England? The third act break up was dramatic and depressing no matter how far away we saw it coming, and I did feel for both characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Publishing for an advance digital copy in exchange for my review.

I was thrilled to dive into this after receiving an ARC for Seven Summers, and I had such high hopes! While the story had its moments of excitement that kept me turning pages in anticipation, I felt certain elements could have been more cohesive. Some of the twists didn’t quite resonate, and I found myself wishing for deeper character development. But I truly appreciate the opportunity from Netgalley and Penguin Group to explore another ARC! Seven Summers set such a high standard that it’s understandable if this one didn’t quite match that magic. I’m looking forward to discovering more incredible reads from Paige Toon in the future!

••• BOOK REVIEW •••
📖 What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Do I recommend: Yes 🥹
***Available April 15***

THREE DAYS TO FALL IN LOVE, SIX YEARS TO TRY TO FORGET, ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? 😭😭😭

Ellie and Ash cross paths by chance while interrailing through Europe. Over the course of three days they have forged such a strong connection that they agree to ditch their previous plans and meet in Madrid in a week. Ellie arrives late and Ash isn’t there…so what now?

Fast forward six years and Ellie has finally decided to live life on her own terms and accepted her dream job. But then (of course!!) she runs into Ash again and everything is thrown up in the air…so what NOW?

This was so cute and sweet and I got real The Notebook (ahem the movie not the book) vibes at the end. I loved the characters, and despite the miscommunication trope being the worst thing that can ever happen to me as a reader (I simply cannot hang), I enjoyed the story as well - 3.5 stars, and definitely worth adding to your TBR for its April release!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Paige Toon delivers another emotional read with this story. I loved the development of the characters though Ellie did make me want to scream at times. She seemed a bit unready for a committed relationship and way too unwilling to make any changes for Ash. It was her way or no way. As the book unfolds she seems to mature a bit but she’s a needy character.
Overall the story pulls at your heartstrings and the book is one I will recommend.

This book made me want to hop on the next jet to Portugal. I consider myself a huge fan of “Before Sunrise” with Ethan Hawke, this has very similar vibes. What a lovely escape to get caught up in the romantic experience of Ash and Ellie. This is my first Paige Toon novel, but it won’t be my last. I’ll submit my detailed review closer to publication day.

Thank you to Penguin, Random House, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this gem and offer my opinions.

3.5 stars

Paige does a great job at writing characters who are lively, complex, and so interesting. Ellie and Ash meet while inter railing and then when one of them failed to show- up at their scheduled meet-up they end up going six years without seeing each other and SO much happens during that time. When they crash into each others lives again they are basically new people- at least to each other they are, and yet their connection is the same.
This book was filled with so much conflict it made my stomach hurt. The “interfering best friend” trope killed me, it created for some great conflict, but I don’t think the MMC addressed it well enough in the end. I had an issue with how selfish Ash was before his and Ellie’s lives as they knew them basically imploded and the fact that he did not listen to Ellie as she told him over and over what her priorities were and what was important to her, like he made a point of telling her that he did not want to hide her but then completely steamrolled her and didn’t even put her first in the process. I guess I had a problem with how much his character contradicted- then again humans are complicated so this could just be an example of that. I do want to say that I was proud of Ellie’s growth in standing up to her parents and Ash and doing what was best for herself and getting herself to a place where she was whole and healthy.

While backpacking through Europe Ellie meets Ash and quickly falls head over heels for him. They make plans to meet in Spain a week a later and she’s devastated when he doesn’t show. Years later Ellie has just started her dream job when Ash suddenly comes back into her life.

I loved Seven Summers so I was really excited to start this. However, I was disappointed by this one. It just wasn’t for me. I struggle with insta-love and the chemistry wasn’t there for me so I just can’t really believe Ellie would be so hung up on a guy she barely knew. I also wasn’t a huge fan of Ellie overall, as I felt she was really unreasonable throughout the book.

Overall I rated this 2.5 stars and will not be posting my review to GoodReads.

Paige Toon books have my heart and one of my favorite tropes is when potential lovers meet again years later. I’m not sure if any book will ever top Seven Summers for me (one of my all time favorites), but this is definitely towards the top! Thank you for the chance to read it early! I can’t wait to own a physical copy! 🥰

This was a sweet love story! It was my second book by Paige Toon. Definitely recommend! I really loved the main character. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and rate this one early!

This is a beautiful story filled with twist and turns, who knows whether heartbreak or love is waiting around the corner. Ellie runs into Ash on her solo European vacation and over the course of three days they fall in love. Only to never meet again until Ellie starts a net gardening job six years later. Ash is the son of a viscount and once he gets a chance to explain everything it seems like fate has brought them back together. But it’s only a matter of time until their bond will be tested once again.

Toon excels at writing books packed with emotional depth. Both Ash and Ellie have lost so much over the years. People they loved, the lives they wanted and the love they fund together. Their strength to keep going and fight for the lives they want is admirable. I got so invested in their story I could hardly put the book down. TW loss of a loved one, SA and emotional abuse.

This books takes you on an emotional roller coaster but also sheds light on that changing the course of your life is possible if you want it badly enough. I can’t recommend this book enough.

Read this if you like
🩷Second chances
😭Emotional reads
🧡Right person, wrong time
✨Women’s fiction

I really enjoyed this book. I struggled getting into it in the beginning, but when it finally grabbed my attention, I could not put it down.

When Ellie meets Ash while traveling solo through Europe, her life is completely changed. And changed again when he doesn’t show up in Barcelona where they played to meet. 6 years later she’s finally in a career that she’s always dreamed about, and then she runs into Ash and everything she thought she knew, changes.

If you love the one that got away vibe, and lovers from different backgrounds, this is a great one.
I really enjoyed how Paige wrote these characters. I’m not always a big fan of the miscommunication trope, but I did enjoy this one.

Wow back and forth between Ash and Ellie.
At the beginning I was so heartbroken about their split up even though they only spent 3 days together. How could he not show up to meet her? Did he show but thought she wasnt going to show up? Every obstacle that could get in ellies way did in fact get right in her way. They 6 years later they find each other again. Will it work out or is Ash stringing her along. They split again because of even more obstacles,until a few years later.
I felt like this story was ALMOST happily ever after until the end.
I enjoyed this story it kept me wanting to read until the end.

Ellie meets Ash while backpacking through Europe. They are both young, missing their best friends, and have complicated relationships with their parents. They form an immediate connection and plan to meet up in Madrid a week later. But when Ash doesn’t show, Ellie is heartbroken. Six years later, with a new career as a landscaper at the grounds of a Viscount in Wales, Ash comes back into her life. When he explains why he never made it to Madrid, Ellie can’t be mad at him. But, their reunion isn’t easy or guaranteed when she discovers what a future with him would look like.

Thoughts

Overall I enjoyed this read. Its hit on some heavy topics but didn’t dwell on them to not bring down the mood too much. A lot of obstacles Ash and Ellie have to overcome and can get frustrating, but I also couldn’t put it down.

This book….this book….this book was simply amazing. I was so emotionally invested in the push and pull of the main characters. Viscerally despised two of the minor characters. The author painted such a vivid picture, I lived in this story and in their life the whole time I was reading this. I was lost in this book and I can’t remember the last time I said that about a book. It was overdue! Can’t wait to read more by this author!!

Paige Toon once again delivers an engaging and heartfelt story in What If I Never Get Over You. I absolutely adored the storyline of Ellie and Ash falling in love while travelling through Europe. At its core, the book is not just a love story, but a poignant exploration of self-discovery, the pursuit of personal dreams, and the courage to defy family expectations.

P.S. If you love travel, flower gardening and stargazing, you’re defintely going to want to read this book!

Pub date: April 10th, 2025

Thank you to @penguinrandomhouse for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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