What If I Never Get Over You
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This story slowly grew on me! If you’re not sure at first—keep at it!

While backpacking in Europe, Ellie and Ash connect and spend three wonderful days together. But the two lose touch and don’t connect for six more years. As each of them wrestle with family expectations, they learn how to find what is most important in their lives.

I don’t love the instant love trope, but these two slowly grew on me, and I liked the second half of the book more than the first. Also really made me want to travel and see more of Wales!

Thanks to @netgalley for this ARC!

What if I never get over how much I love this book? I am a new fan of Paige Toon and her picturesque settings, emotional storylines and endearing characters always keep me wanting more. I fell in love with Ash and Ellie from the moment they met on a ‘crowded rooftop of a hostel” in Lisbon, Portugal. They were both interrailing through Europe alone, staying in hostels, meeting new people and for Ash, taking on odd jobs along the way to make money. They had an instant connection and I believe fate brought them together that summer day so their lives would be full of fun adventures, romantic nights under the stars, and fields full of beautiful flowers.

The memories they made in their three days together should have been enough to fill a lifetime but when they parted ways, Ash and Ellie made plans to meet in Madrid in one week. Unforeseen circumstances derailed their plans, and they spent the next six years apart, reliving every minute of their short time together. Ellie was heartbroken and wished she could wipe Ash from her mind, but it was impossible. She hated working for her parents and was tired of being the dutiful daughter, so one day she set off on her own to live her life on her terms. Ellie never expected that Ash would become part of her new life and she was shocked to find out that he was not the man she remembered, or was he?

This was a really sweet read that really gave me all the romantic Bridgerton vibes. Ellie and Ash were genuinely lovable and relatable characters and their story through the years really tugged at my heartstrings. If you love a steamy, but not too spicy romance, and a conflict resolution between a couple that feels relatable, this is for you.

A few chapters in and I knew this book was going to destroy me and then it absolutely destroyed me! I devoured this book. I really enjoyed the characters, I loved the plot, I loved how much it made me feel. It’s one of my favorite books of the year so far. Such an emotional read but I just really loved it!!

💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
Paige Toon has a way of making me completely fall in love with her characters, and Ash and Ellie are such a gift. Their growth throughout the story was beautiful, and I loved how they matured together. At first, the story and characters had a bit of a YA feel, but by the end, I was so attached that I didn’t want to let go. While there were emotional moments and difficult topics, the book was still so much fun. Their travels had me living vicariously through their adventures, and Ash’s rugged personality, combined with his love for physics and astronomy, secured his place towards the top of my book boyfriend list. After falling head over heels for 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 last year, Paige Toon has become an auto read author for me.

📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
💕Second Chance romance
❤️Insta-love
❎Right person / wrong time
💡Self discovery
✈️Travel and adventure
😢Navigating grief and love
💰Social class difference
⏱️Time jump

🎆𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾🎆
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

💕Q U O T E: “𝐹𝑜𝓁𝓁𝑜𝓌 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝑜𝓌𝓃 𝓅𝒶𝓉𝒽. 𝐿𝒾𝒻𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝑜𝑜 𝓈𝒽𝑜𝓇𝓉 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝒹𝑜 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒.”

🙏Thank you NetGalley, Putnam Books, and Paige Toon for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.💕

I think Toon can safely be added to my list of auto-buy authors now. I loved the instant connection between Ellie and Ash. It was a heartwarming love story at its core, but brings dysfunctional families, expectations. I didn't mind the insta-love as I found their chemistry to be believable. I couldn't put this down. Recommend to romance readers!

4 stars! I think this is my favorite Paige Toon book so far. I loved Ellie and Ash's story. There were some unexpected turns but the yearning, loyalty, and deep commitment to each other despite life's circumstances was such a heartbreaking and beautiful read. A second chance romance that's worth picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam/G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC!

4.5 Stars!!

I adored absolutely everything about this book. It was smartly written, entertaining, and filled with emotion. It's a beautiful story of self-discovery and second chances. This is hands down one of my favorite romances that's dealt with the "One That Got Away" trope. Paige Toon does not disappoint!

What I Never Get Over You is a must-read for 2025!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of What If I Never Get Over You. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Paige Toon has easily become an auto-read author, so getting this advanced copy was like hitting the jackpot! I loved Seven Summers and Only Love Can Hurt Like This, and this one did not disappoint.
The story spans several years and takes you on an emotional roller coaster. I was instantly drawn to the story after the very first sentence. I felt the connection between Ellie and Ash and knew that they were going to take me on an epic journey.
There were a few spaces that didn't make sense to me, but the narrative held together by the end.
"What If I Never Get Over You" is a fantastic novel .. Paige Toon captures her characters and their situations so well, and I found the plot to be both engaging and entertaining. Plus, it reads quickly and holds your attention so well that you'll be unable to put it down. I think it will be hugely popular and I will definitely be recommending this on 4/15/25.

Simply un-put-down-able. This book had me hooked from the start, and I was strapped in for the whole roller coaster ride. It had all of the depth, unpredictability, character growth, and interesting yet believable plot that I look for in a romance book.

It kind of has “What a Girl Wants” or “Prince and Me” vibes. Not to say the plots are similar, but I could see this book being a classic rom com movie from that era. It would be so fun to watch.

The book is broken into four parts (really three, with the fourth being “epilogue” style). With each one you are taken on a new adventure and ensuing heartbreak. It really had so much content, hence the roller coaster ride. You almost get multiple different books in one: different settings, side characters, jobs, etc. It spans YEARS of tension, right person wrong time tropes, and will they or won’t they make it suspense. You know a book is good when you feel the character’s pain in your gut, right alongside them.

Paige Toon just doesn’t miss! I am excited to recommend this one to friends when it releases!

I received this book as an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you Paige Toon and Putnam Books!

4.5 !

Paige Toon delivers a heartbreaking love story. This is my first Paige Toon book and she really knows how to pull on your emotions. Emotions included kicking my feet and audible gasps.

Three days, that's all it took. I really loved the first part of Ellie and Ash's story. It was only three days, but it felt like the characters new each other for a lifetime with their connection. If readers are nervous that this feels insta-love, I will say, I am not a fan of insta-love but this didn't feel like it! It just felt like a love story and the three days was so key to the story!

And then, parts 2 and 3 will break you and put you back together. You feel their pain, you feel their love

The characters were adorable and so likable. Ellie was so sweet and Ash was so lovable. This story even had very good side characters.

This was such a sweet romance, I almost wish it was longer. I didn't want to leave the characters! I highly recommend to romance readers. I can't wait to read my next Paige Toon book.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley from this ARC! I really enjoyed this one!

4.5- I think Ms. Paige Toon just became an auto-buy author for me.
Thank You to Netgalley and Penguin Randomhouse for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I really loved this story more than I anticipated. Ellie and Ash are endearing, relatable, MCs and I so rooted for their happiness all the way through. The plot was fairly predictable early on, but it made the story no less enjoyable. Fans of Star-Crossed, Forbidden, and Second-Chance love will definitely want to pick this up. Well done Ms. Paige!

Paige Toon might be the most under-the-radar romance author out there right now! I started to say underrated...but that's not quite the correct verbiage, because all of her books have very high reviews, just not as many as they should have, because they are so gooood!

This is now my third book by Toon, and each one, including this one, I have loved so much!! Toon finds a way to build fantastically layered characters, whose love story is never a simple one. This was one of those books that I could not stop thinking about when I wasn't reading it, and that I also could not wait to find out how things would all unfold. I want to give nothing away here, so I'll just say that if you love a complex, emotional romance novel, then you must read this one! I truly loved it.

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!