While I wish there was a bit more between Part 3 and Part 4, I really enjoyed this book. I could so vividly picture myself with Ellie and really felt everything she was going through. I loved Ash and their intent connection. This book is a little different than what I usually read and I was not disappointed.

Some stories sweep you up in a whirlwind of emotions, and this was definitely one of them.

Ellie and Ash share an intense connection during a few unforgettable days in Lisbon. They plan to reunite, but when Ash never shows, their story seems to end before it can truly begin. Years later, Ellie has built a peaceful life in Wales, only for Ash to reappear with the truth about what kept them apart.

This book took me on an emotional rollercoaster. I loved the settings, especially how they first met while traveling across Europe, which made their connection feel even more special. Their journey is not lighthearted, and at times the weight of their past and present struggles really hits hard. The depth of their experiences made their story feel raw and real. I also appreciated the side characters and how they grappled with carving out their own paths despite family expectations.

If you love stories that are emotional, deeply felt, and set against beautiful backdrops, this one is worth picking up.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I really liked 7 Summers so I was excited for this release. It was a slow start for me but the book later picked up. The true love while backpacking for 3 days seems unlikely to me. The fact that 6 years later she is still so bitter and angry made her come off slightly unhinged. I liked how the author made them work for their happy ending though, and the plot wasn’t easily wrapped up with a bow. 3.5⭐️

Synopsis: After Ellie and Ash spend a whirlwind three days together in Portugal, they vow to meet up in Spain in one week - but Ash never shows. Six years later, when Ellie has finally started to move on, Ash unexpectedly appears back in her life.

Thoughts: Paige Toon definitely knows how to write a romance that will send you on an emotional rollercoaster! I went from swooning, to crying, to yelling at the main characters to get it together, back to swooning, back to crying… you get the idea. I thought the characters were very well-developed; even when I didn’t agree with their actions, I could understand where they were coming from. I also loved the settings, from Lisbon to garden estates in the British countryside. Overall, this is a really lovely romance!

Read this if you like:
🪻 insta-love
🪻 second chance
🪻 travel
🪻 gardens
🪻 dysfunctional families

✨ e-ARC Book Review ✨

💜 What If I Never Get Over You - Paige Toon 💜
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️

Swipe for synopsis ➡️

Paige Toon is an auto-buy author for me, so as soon as I saw she was releasing a new book I jumped on requesting it. And I was so pleased when I was approved for the e-arc!

Right off the bat I was so invested in Ellie & Ash! I really enjoyed that they met while traveling across Europe, and how even after just meeting, they made such a deep connection and familiarity with one another. However, once those 3 days of bliss and excitement ended, I already felt a bit heartbroken. One thing I love about Paige Toon’s books is that she writes such real and raw characters. There’s nothing superficial about what they go through and at times it can feel quite heavy. And in this case the heartbreak that Ellie and Ash go through is quite literally that…heartbreak. And just when I thought Ellie and Ash were getting everything they wanted (after 6 years mind you!!!) another detour gets in their way. It was about 3/4 into the book that quite honestly I was frustrated with both of them, especially Ash! But emotions aside I actually ended up really enjoying how the book ended. I just felt like I went through ALL the emotions to get there!

And one final thought, I love that a lot of Paige’s books are set in the UK…this one being in Wales. Growing up in the UK, I just always feel so at home reading books of places that I used to visit as a kid. And something about the humor and the dialogue just makes me feel so at home!

Would definitely recommend if you’re looking for more a real-life romance with ups and downs and everything in between!

A massive thank you to @paigetoonauthor and @netgalley for the e-arc!

I enjoyed the story line, it had just enough of a twist to make it slightly different than other romance books out there. The initial connection between Ellie and Ash drew me in, however, I was not sure what to expect with the rest of the book. Like other reviewers I was frustrated with them both toward the middle of the book. Ellie seemed to be a runner and Ash seemed oblivious to her needs. There did seem to be a lot of back and forth that would have been resolved with just a little bit of communication, but I guess without that there would not have been as much angst!

Even with all that, I will say I did enjoy the book, and it was very easy to read. I want to thank Paige Toon, Penguin Group, and NetGalley for the eARC!

I'm a big fan of Paige Toon, but this one was just ok for me. I loved Seven Summers, so I was really excited to get an early copy of What If I Never Get Over You.

It starts off strong with Ellie and Ash meeting in Portugal as they're both solo traveling around Europe. You're introduced to their relationship as they're getting to know each other, and while it's cute you learn that they're both hiding things. They have an instant connection and make plans to meet up in Spain, but Ash never shows up. Something like 6 years later (why is there always a big time jump), Ellie ends up working as a gardener for a large estate in Wales where surprise surprise she encounters Ash.

My biggest issue with this story is that I didn't really feel any type of connection to Ellie or Ash, so I wasn't really rooting for them in the end. I feel like you got to know Ash a little better than Ellie, but not by much. There was also a lot of OW drama, which is never my favorite. The side characters aren't memorable, and even though a lot of emphasis is placed on Ellie's friend Stella, that plotline just ends of disappearing midway through, never to be thought of again. Also the fact that ACOTAR is mentioned multiple times throughout the book, was such a huge miss for me. I don't like when popculture finds its way in to books I'm reading, as it immediately removes me from the world I'm trying to immerse myself in.

Overall it's an ok quick read, but not my favorite Paige Toon read. That easily goes to Seven Summers. So I recommend if you're a fan of Paige Toon! Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just what I needed! A whirlwind of a love story including all the necessary emotional elements, beautifully written characters and all the charm you would expect. A real page turner, invested in the story development and enjoying the journey all the way to the end!

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Penguin Publishing for this advanced reader copy.

I absolutely loved this story of the one that got away and now we see each other omg what will happen?!
I liked all the characters in this, especially their back stories of wanting to be able to do their own things without family pressure. I'm wondering how the story would have played out if both characters had not come from money.
My one ick is that there is some unprotected sex here, which results in jokes about what would happen if there was a pregnancy. However, the book was really good and I had all the feels.

I had this ARC sitting on my TBR for a while, and I’m so glad I finally picked it up. This book tells the story of Ash & Ellie, who share an intense, whirlwind three-day connection while traveling. But life (as it does) gets in the way, and they lose touch. Fast forward six years—fate isn’t quite done with them yet. ✨

Now, I’m usually not the biggest fan of instalove, but in this case, it worked. It set up the timeline perfectly, and I was fully invested in their emotional journey.

Ash & Ellie? LOVED them. 😍 They were so relatable, even with their privileged backgrounds. I felt everything—the highs, the lows, the longing. And can we talk about Ellie reading ACOTAR?! 🦇 (Instant bonus points!)

The found family element added such a lovely layer to Ellie’s story, though I do wish we got a little more of that toward the end. A few extra scenes with those characters would have been the perfect finishing touch.

✨ Overall? A beautifully heartwarming and engaging romance with fate, second chances, and ALL the feels. I can’t wait to dive into more of Paige Toon’s books!

I was new to Paige Toon's writing so I was not sure what to expect.

Ellie is traveling through Europe on her own when she has a chance encounter with Ash who is also traveling solo. They end up spending a few days together before Ellie has agreed to go meet her parents in another city. They agree that they will meet back in one week and continue their travels together. Unfortunately due to various reasons beyond their control, the meeting does not happen.

Fast forward six years when their paths cross once again and the sparks fly. But will fate be against them again?

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I will definitely read more of Paige Toon's work in the future.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As per usual, Paige Toon does not disappoint!! I absolutely loved Ash and Ellie. I feel like you can tell right away that they’re soulmates, and it is so sad bc as a reader you know that them being together in real life is near impossible. But where there is a will, there is a way and I’m so happy they got their HEA 🩷loved the character growth for both of them, and how they each had to work out their personal issues before they could really be together.

Love at first sight? Seems to be for Ellie and Ash. I was interested in reading this book when the description said bridgerton meets One Day. I didn’t really feel this book was like either of those. There were times I thought forgiveness was given too easily. The book started off great but overall thought the story was lacking.

I enjoyed Seven Summers by Paige Toon, but I found this novel to be a slog. Cliches, telling not showing—though I liked the characters of Ash and Ellie, I never FELT their love. I was told about it, but I felt nothing myself.
The main characters in this novel are from England and Wales (with a side character from Australia), but this sounds like a very American book, so I’m wondering if the editors Americanized this, thinking we Americans couldn’t translate British slang. It’s a problem, because different accents are a key point of this novel, but I never HEARD anyone speak anything other than what looked on the page to be American English (one character one time said, “rubbish,” but beyond that, no real regional speech except occasionally explained in exposition—no faith in the readers at all).

This was excruciating.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES APRIL 15, 2025.

5⭐️

My second Paige Toon novel this month, and so far it seems that she writes EXACTLY the scenarios I am interested in reading!

This book satisfied my craving for regency era romance in a a modern day setting.

The end of Part Two had me absolutely fuming, which I suppose is just the mark of good writing to elicit such a reaction.

Overall, I have once again LOVED Paige Toon’s work and look forward to reading more.

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

I was excited for this book because I really enjoyed Seven Summers by the same author. Unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me. The description sounded wonderful, and I think the overall premise of the story was great. Girl meets boy, girl plans to reconnect with boy, boy doesn't show up, girl pines for boy for years, and many years later they accidentally cross paths. The problem for me is that they knew each other for a few days and then didn't reconnect for six years, but they were both in love? Love doesn't work like that, and it was just off-putting to me how they just seemed to know each other and remember things about one another when they never really knew each other in the first place.

The setting was quaint, the story was well written, as aforementioned the premise had promise, but I just cannot overlook how implausible their connection was, especially since I never felt any chemistry or swoony feelings the entire story. We can't all love all the books, and I truly hope there is a following that will enjoy this novel.

Thank you NetGallley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advanced copy of this ebook.

This is definitely somebody's book. Not mine though.

I enjoyed the premise, but couldn't find myself attached to the characters. I'm not of an insta-love fan, and it just felt too much like that in the beginning. I just kinda wanted to get to the end and even then I barely wanted to pick the book back up.

Thank you to netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Completely and utterly in love with this book and will recommend it to everyone I can! Ellie and Ash's story is a love story for the ages and is immaculately done and I can say that I was hooked from the very beginning!

A chance encounter puts Ellie and Ash together while touring and the chemistry between them is palpable. They agree to meet back up only to not have exchanged crucial contact information, along with some unfortunate circumstances, and lose each other for years. Fast forward, Ellie gets a job and she's put back in Ash's orbit only to have him ripped back away from her. I felt I was tugged and pulled in so many directions with so many quelling emotions with this book and loved every minute of it!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

One of my most anticipated reads of this year. I've been hesitant to start it because I knew I would never want the story to end. The queen of second chance romances has done it again! Paige Toon has once again shattered my heart to pieces and then slowly put it back together. The excitement of travel and adventure in the beginning really added to the story. Both main character's self-discovery was satisfying and impactful. I absolutely love every book by her and this one was no different!

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me

I was sucked in for the “before” but in the “after” I was frustrated with the characters, their choices and what those choices led to. I know some people like the jumps in time (ie. one day) but in this case it just felt scattered.

I’ll definitely still check out Seven Summers as it’s been on my TBR for a while.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy!