5 Stars ⭐️

3 days to fall in love, 6 years to try to forget

I devoured this book in 2 days. Stayed up past midnight on a weekday to keep on reading.

Ellie and Ash meet while inter-railing and spend 3 days falling in love. They agree to meet up in 1 week and continue their travels together. Ellie shows up and is devastated when Ash doesn’t. She spends the next 6 years trying to get over him. Then Ellie lands her dream job at a Manor in Wales. Her world is turned upside down when she runs into Ash there.

This book explored societal expectations and dysfunction families. The characters have to decide between doing what their parents expect them to do or following their hearts (in both a professional and personal way). The middle of this book had me screaming at times with the way Ellie and Ash were behaving. I loved the last part of this book, it left me feeling so happy and warm.

I definitely will be reading more books by Paige Toon. This book comes out in April 2025.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Really good book, like awesome I should say. This book made me cry, laugh, angry and all the above together.

I gave 4 stars but really it's 4.5 stars, it was really good and I am too happy that I got to read that ARC and had the opportunity to read a almost 5 stars for my second book of the year!

Hats off to Paige Toon as she is now one of the author that I will look forward to her new release.

Beside that, the story itself was so heartbreaking yet so beautiful. At first I had difficulties getting into it but at 20% of the book, I got really attach and addicted to the book and couldn't out it down. I read it in 3 days, for me it's really good lol.

Again, hats off to you Paige!

Cheers,
Cass's Bookshelf
xo

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC.

This was an okay read for me. I really wanted to love this book but something about it just wasn't grabbing me in like I wanted it to. I don't know if it was all the miscommunication going on or me feeling like they really didn't work for me. They were trying to be together when I felt like they both needed someone else. But hey, who am I to tell them who to be with lol. It had a promising start but by the end I was just ready for them to call it quits and go on about their business.

Even though this book wasn't a favorite of mine I would still read more from this author. The writing overall was still great. It was the characters that aggravated me the most.

I have been looking forward to reading this book since I saw a post about it on Instagram last year. Seven Summers was one of my favorite books of 2024. The author has a way of writing characters that grabs you and does not let go. I was immediately drawn to the main characters; their instant connection and chemistry felt real on the page.

I struggled with the time gaps between the story but ultimately I think the characters needed that time for growth. I wish we had more time with both characters together as I think that would have helped the story and connection. What if I Never Get Over You is a beautiful story of love and loss. It is a perfect beach read, and I look forward to reading more of Toon's work. Thank you Putnam Books and NetGalley for this fantastic ARC.

This book wasn’t for me, but it was readable! It had its moments, and at first I was super bored. It eventually picks up but overall it was simply ok.

I feel like this started off really good & I felt the chemistry between them.

I think where it somewhat lost its magic for me is that they only knew each other for a few days & yet she becomes so obsessed with him that she details how she becomes an unemotional blob with no life without him still thinking about him for several years. I have seen this several times with books and I will never understand it. It takes time for me to fall in love like that & days wouldn’t be enough for me. So it’s hard for me to relate to that.

I think they needed more time to build up the connection in the beginning, but that’s just my opinion.

I think if you like insta-love, you will more thoroughly enjoy this. I also felt the book did not dive deep enough on their grief and it felt very surface level. Overall, I think this will be a good book that a lot of readers will enjoy. Personally, it just wasn’t one of my favorites, but I also did not hate it.

Thank you to netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

3 1/2 Stars

Ellie and Ash meet during a chance encounter while they are both inter-railing alone across Europe. They have a strong connection and are starting to fall in love after a few intense days together. They have to separate and make a plan to meet back up in Madrid at a specific place and time. Ellie makes it there but Ash never arrives.

It turns out they never exchanged numbers (Ash is off grid but Ellie isn’t so why wouldn’t they have exchanged numbers!!!) or even last names. So Ellie can’t find Ash for 6 YEARS! Umm, what!? Seems unlikely. Through a crazy coincidence, they cross paths again but with significant challenges. Lots of drama, lots of miscommunications.

I was endeared to both of these sweet characters and their love for one another. However, it was slightly maddening to see them continue to miss each other and miscommunicate. I would have loved a bit more from the ending. Sweet love story, but some frustrating aspects.

3 1/2 stars

I enjoyed this a lot! There were times when I could not put it down and just wanted to keep reading. Some things I liked about this book:
-The grand reveal was not what I expected
-Ash was a pretty interesting character. He was always struggling with his choices.
Some things I didn't love:
-I felt Ellie was very similar to Liv from "Seven Summers" so the first 30% or so was not super exciting for me.
-The ex-girlfriend storyline often made me get fed up with Ash and I didn't want to ship them anymore.

Would recommend if you like contemporary romance books that are emotional and have almost no spice.

This one was so good! Once I started reading it, I didn't want to put it down! I was hooked! Not only did I enjoy the story, I also liked the writing style as well.

Paige Toon strikes again! This is a perfect summer read, packed with romance and friendship set against incredible backdrops.

⭐️4/5⭐️

Paige Toon does it again! Anytime I see her books it becomes an automatic read for me. I know I’ll love it. This story was so sweet. A common day Bridgerton. The two characters are very lovable from the start and when they reconnect it definitely catches you in the feels. There was a plot twist at the very end that I thought wasn’t really necessary for the storyline but overall I still loved this book so much! Definitely will recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have mixed opinions on this one. I always struggle with rating books low because it’s not that the book is bad, but rather just not for me. And the last thing I want to do is discount the amount of time, effort, and heart the author puts into their work.

For me, the story started off strong. It reeled me in, had me entertained. Ellie is a sweet, genuine individual looking to please those around her (relatable!). Ash is a very kind, observant man. The two of them together in the first part of the book was wholesome. While some readers love that insta-love/attraction, that trope is hard for me to read. I find that books with this trope get overly cliche and can be a bit too unrealistic. When I recognized the insta-love plotline, I didn’t want to be too quick to judge because sometimes it can work. After their whirlwind of 3 days together that ends negatively, which then jumps to 6 years in the future, is when the book started to lose me. It became overly predictable, and I wasn’t fond of the nobles and viscounts setting. I just find that it reads to be a bit cringey. Maybe that’s me just not understanding, nor being exposed to that lifestyle, but it’s hard to take seriously. With the strong miscommunication, and that 6 year gap between rekindling, Ellie and Ash seemed to not have emotionally matured with time. If the few explicit scenes were removed, this book read more like YA and I typically don’t read too many of those books.

✨ARC Review✨
I felt all the emotions while I read this story!! This is the second book by Paige that I’ve read, and both times she has truly been able to capture so many different feelings. I loved the time jumps in this story, which really helped show the ups and downs of Ellie and Ash’s relationship. This story was the epitome of “if it’s meant to be it’ll be” and I loved every second of it! Thanks so much to Paige, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and NetGalley for the ARC!
4⭐️

This books gave me all the feels - it was heartwarming, heartbreaking and wonderful all in one! I highly recommend this book. The writing style is very well done.

Paige Toon’s books never disappoint. This book had me hooked from the beginning and left me with a smile on my face. A must read for romance readers. Thank you NetGalley.

This book hooked me from the beginning. I had to force myself to put it down for sleep, but I finished it the next day. This was NOT an easy read. My heart broke for Ellie and Ash. Part 1 was hands down my favorite part and what hooked me. They faced so many obstacles and negative people in their path. This is the story of broken people loving each other and fighting (and not fighting) for each other. I loved the interaction between true friends in the middle of the book. Some times your chosen friends are truer family than your actual family. This one had multiple open door scenes but they can be easily skipped.

Thank you Putnam Books and NetGalley for this advanced copy.

Thank you to @netgalley, @PutnamBooks, and Paige Toon for gifting me an e-arc copy in exchange for my honest review. I was so excited to receive this one after discovering Paige Toon last year with Seven Summers!

4 stars!

Ellie & Ash met while traveling in Europe and spend three wholesome days together, agreeing to meet back up in a week, but Ash never shows. Feeling devastated, Ellie heads back to her parents and a life already laid out for her. Six years go by in a daze before Ellie and Ash cross paths unexpectedly again, and the reunion is nothing like they had both imagined. Coming from two different worlds, how can these two make it work?

This was such a rollercoaster ride!!! There was some predictability to it, but I didn’t mind, the story was super immersive and well explained for each period of time. Something I couldn’t get over was how Ellie treated her “friends”, I think they deserved more. Nevertheless, I got swept away in the story and could not put it down!

#WhatIfINeverGetOverYou #NetGalley #PutnamBooks

While this might not be my favorite Toon, I loved the predictability. Sometimes a romance book can feel too far-fetched or too cheesy - but sometimes it can hit those notes perfectly. From interrailing to the estate, Ellie and Ash are destined. Someone said Bridgerton vibes and I didn’t really pick up on that - especially with a door-ajar intimacy trail. I didn’t love that Ellie spent years of her life wasting away while wishing for Ash. But I am grateful she did so that she could realize her dream all along wasn’t to follow in her parents steps but to make a path for herself in something she truly loved.

This authors ability to make you fall in love, break your heart into a million pieces then at the last moment, rebuild your soul is just perfect.

The story of Ash and Ellie was heartbreakingly beautiful. Every time they were together, I would get this feeling in the pit of my stomach, giving me hope. Their love was young, their timing was off. Their ending was fought for. The tension and passion were deeply felt.

I will read anything Paige Toon writes. Her grocery list? I'll read it twice.

I highly recommend this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Paige Toon, for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest review. It was such a wonderful book.

I loved the Bridgerton-esque aspect of this book. The descriptions of the environment are so detailed, it makes you feel immersed in the world, which really adds to the experience. The twists and turns in the plot were surprising and unique, and all very well thought out. Parts one and two started out so strong for me! Highly recommend, and will continue to read Paige Toon’s books!

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.