I hate slow burn romance. But oh boy, I did not expect this book to have such an effect on me.

The story is about 2 strangers meeting one fateful night at a subway in Paris, who have become long-distance friends, connected only thru exchange of emails. There are a lot of swoon-worthy moments, but my favorite would definitely have to be the first time they met. It was just magical.✨

"𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒆?"
"𝑼𝒔? 𝑾𝒆'𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒐𝒏."

Alice Kellen has made a fantastic job, letting the readers experience the growing connection between the two characters. Though there are slow areas in the book, I felt it was needed to add depth to the multiple layers of the story. Let's not forget how raw and authentic the relationship is between Ginger and Rhys.

Lastly, I resonate with Rhys -- how he felt like something's missing, and has always been on a mission to find out what it is.

"𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒅𝒐 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒔𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕, 𝑮𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓? 𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒅𝒐 𝒘𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒑𝒖𝒓𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆, 𝒂 𝒈𝒐𝒂𝒍, 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆?"

"𝑰𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕? 𝑫𝒐 𝒘𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚? 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚, 𝑰 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕. 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚, 𝑰 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈.. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒕. 𝑰 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆."

This one honestly wasn’t my cup of tea. I actually ended up not finishing it because I couldn’t connect with either of the characters.

I really liked the premise of this book, and it was super unique/different from other “second chance romances.” I thought that the writing was wonderful, and I had absolutely no issues getting into the story HOWEVER I felt that the book was just too long, and I had a hard time sticking with it. I did end up finishing and I enjoyed the book overall, but there were some points I considered DNFing because I felt it was dragging.

After breaking up with her longtime boyfriend, Ginger takes off for London and stumbles upon what seems like fate when she meets a man name Rhys. What starts as a night spent exploring the city together turns into a life-changing event for both of them.

Only After We Met is a deeply moving and beautifully crafted romance that explores love’s transformative power and the journey of self-discovery. With well-developed characters, it’s easy to relate to the personal challenges they face. I greatly enjoyed how they were able to find solace in each other despite their vulnerabilities. Filled with touching moments, this romance is a true reflection of love amidst the challenges of life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Only After We Met by Alice Kellen is a touching and beautifully written romance that explores the transformative power of love and self-discovery. Kellen's prose is poetic and evocative, drawing readers into the emotional depth of the story and the lives of its characters. The novel follows the journey of the protagonists as they navigate their personal struggles and find solace in each other. The characters are richly developed, with their vulnerabilities and strengths portrayed in a way that makes them relatable and endearing. The story is filled with heartfelt moments, tender romance, and profound insights into the human condition.

I had a hard time getting into this novel. I didn't like the characters and was unable to finish. This just wasn't for me. I liked the concept behind the story, but wasn't interested as it got going.

An interesting story about 2 people who met spontaneously and their journey of personal and relation growth over time. I really liked reading about the evolution of the characters as they grew up. At times the book felt a little slow. But overall I would recommend it.

I had an amazing time reading this book!! It had so much hope, heart ache and growth in it. The writing style was unique and different from other books I’ve read which was a nice surprise. I loved how it was mostly their communication via emails over the years. It really allowed for you to get a sense of the characters. Wonderful book.

Ginger flees London after breaking up with her longtime boyfriend. As chance has it, she meets Rhys in Paris. They spend one night together exploring the city and their lives are never the same.
Only After We Met tells Ginger and Rhys story, spanning over the years. Told through a series of emails back and forth and then chapters dedicated to each character, you fall for these two and cheer them on throughout the book. Friends first and lovers later, its a story of when will they finally get it right. I LOVED this book so much more than I ever thought I would. It is my first book by Alice Kellen and it will not be my last. I loved her characters, settings, and story line. My only complaint, if you can call it that, is the name Rhys. There is only one Rhys (iykyk). His name bugged me through the whole book. I would definitely recommend Only After We Met by Alice Kellen and I will definitely be checking out others works by her. Special thanks to NetGalley, Alice Kellen, and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 5 stars for me. #NetGalley

BOOK: ONLY AFTER WE MET
AUTHOR: ALICE KELLEN
PUB DATE: 21 JANUARY 2025
👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼
REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼
Wow, this book was a rollercoaster! I've never read such an intense friends to lovers romance book. This book went on for 4 years, when Ginger was a student to when she became a full blown adult and with Rhys, a 28 years old vagabond whose solution to every problem is running away who was a random dj to a composer and he released a lot of songs. This book was mostly through emails the MCs sent. They rarely met each other because Rhys never stayed in one place, he was always traveling.
👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼
It was really really nice to read this book, from when Ginger and Rhys were just friends to become something much more. They were the literal best of friends. And it was also nice to see them grow right in the pages as time goes by.
👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼
Ginger was a model FMC, and I didn't really like Rhys. I liked him enough in the beginning, but as I read more, I started to dislike. He just kept running away from his problems, drinking a copious amount of alcohol and taking drugs. He redeemed himself in the end, but it went on long enough.
👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼
I liked this book. It's very different and deep. But, it was very long, 407 pages! But, I didn't get bored or anything. It was worth it. I also liked the happily ever after ending, although I would have wanted a longer epilogue considering what Ginger and Rhys went through. All in all, I'd definitely recommend it.
👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼

While not for me this is a captivating read for anyone who's ever yearned for a chance to break free from the ordinary and follow their heart, and will resonate deeply with fans of romantic stories about self-discovery, love, and the transformative power of taking risks to find one's true path.

When Ginger Davies arrives in Paris, she is on the boring and predictable track to take over the family business in London. She has broken up with her boyfriend and takes a chance on a cheap flight. There she meets Rhys Baker, a DJ from America. He loves his lifestyle, never staying anywhere too long. He is restless and unsatisfied, always seeking more adventure. They are unaware that their meeting will impact their lives forever. Living worlds apart, their daily contact becomes the brightest spot in both their lives. Without Rhys, Ginger will never break free to pursue her dreams. Without Ginger, Rhys spirals into risky behavior until an irresistibly passionate summer in Spain changes everything, and they both have to choose their own path forward.
While the story is well developed, the characters were quite flat, and I didn’t feel any spark between them. Ginger was quite indecisive, while Rhys wanted more. I would have liked this couple to be together more rather than have the majority of their involvement through emails.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ginger is on the boring and predictable track to take over the family business in London, but she craves so much more from life. Rhys is a DJ from America, incapable of staying still anywhere, loving his vagabond lifestyle but restless and unsatisfied, always seeking more adventure. When the two meet by chance in Paris their bond is instantaneous. Living worlds apart, their daily contact becomes the brightest spot in both their lives. Without Rhys, Ginger will never break free to pursue her dreams. Without Ginger, Rhys spirals into risky behavior, until an irresistibly passionate summer in Spain changes everything and they both have to choose their own path forward. Even if it means the desperate heartbreak of leaving each other behind.

Ugh this book was coming for my heart. I became addicted to watching these two fall in love even though it never seemed to be the right time for them and I think that’s what got my heart the most. There is one line where Ginger says she uses books almost like a drug because she welcomes the distraction and I felt this to my core. I will say I wanted a bit more from the ending or a whole second book just to see how everything plays out. This book gave so much love and heartbreak all at the same time and I definitely enjoyed reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC copy of Only After We Met!

Wow, this was quite a rollercoaster of a ride. I'm not even sure how I'm feeling -- raw, happy, broken, spiteful, satisfied? I flew through 48% of the book in one sitting. I was hooked. The insane connection and longing between Ginger and Rhys was breathtaking. Just for this, I'm an Alice Kellen fan going forward. Her writing was incredible. But as the book went on, I just got more and more frustrated with Rhys. Like dude, stop thinking only of instant gratification and running from your problems and be an adult! There were so many times I wanted to throw the book. I kept wondering when this heartache would end so poor Ginger could have her happy ending. I kept imagining myself in Ginger's shoes and I 100% would have dipped out right around when Alexa popped into the picture. Ginger contained much more patience than the average individual, whether Rhys was her soulmate or not.

By the end, I was kind of over these 2. It felt like so much time was wasted while they kinda-sorta-might be fully in love and be officially together exclusively once and for all. I'm so happy about the sweet ending, but honestly I'll always wish that we got closure on whether Rhys settled his butt down somewhere with Ginger and they actually could be a couple like nOrMaL pEoPlE. This was a wild ride and not for the faint of heart. I have to give this 4 stars; it evoked too many emotions and took you on such a crazy, well-thought-out journey that it simply doesn't deserve less.

This story allowed me to fall into a world that included magic, angst, grit, joy, sadness, and most of all love.

Ginger and Rhys accidentally meet in Paris one night, forming an unbreakable bond. As the story unfolds, both characters begin a journey of self-discovery as they begin to discover more about each other. They fall in love but choose to maintain a division not willing to give themselves completely to one another. What also makes this story unique is the utilization of emails by the main characters to communicate with one another.

It is a delight to witness the joining Ginger and Rhys and leaves me wanting to immerse myself in more of their story.

This story has become one of my favorites and will stay with me for a while.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me to read and review this book.

“Us…On the moon…”

A spur of the moment roundtrip flight might turn out to be just what ever-predictable Ginger Davies needs. Her comfortable and familiar world quickly becomes entangled in the spontaneous, adventure seeking life of her newfound friend, Rhys, and her world suddenly feels so strangely different. This is a romantic story of how one moment can change lifetimes.

While some of the content wasn’t personally my cup of tea, this was truly a slowly engulfing romantic read that I did enjoy and ultimately got a five star rating from me! I was at both times frustrated with the author for dragging things out while enjoying every minute of it. It also left me dreaming of grabbing a ticket myself and taking off for a day… maybe someday!

The format of the writing (email chains at times) may be frustrating to some, but I really felt absorbed into the author’s writing and awareness of the human heart, ones dreams, and aspirations and how much our lives can become entangled in what we think is expected of us. An excellent read!

Content warnings: Sex, Drugs, Language

Food for your soul. That's how I will describe Only After We Met by Alice Kellen. It's a beautifully crafted and masterfully narrated love story that spreads across time and space. Rhys and Ginger met by accident in Paris and it changed their lives forever. Two perfect strangers went through the whole spectrum of love while miles away. The writing is just incredible. It gave me such an overwhelming sense of fulfillment as a reader. Heartache. Heartbreak. Swoon. Angst. It had all.

Rhys and Ginger almost opposites. He is a travelling DJ who has run away from his family and doesn't believe in settling down. Ginger is the rule follower who doesn't want to disappoint anyone. The plot is mostly created through their emails. One night in Paris started their friendship that evolved, grew, failed and manifested into something epic over the years. A lot of times, this book made me feel that I don't care about the destination. I was immersed just in the journey. They tried their best to keep the complicated parts away but they couldn't. Rhys had a difficult time opening up to anyone until..Ginger. she knew him. Even when he pretended and hide his pain..she always saw him. Rhys isn't easy to love. He can be really toxic and messy and intense. But he also pushed Ginger beyond her comfort zone. He made her realise that she can chase her dreams too. Isn't it just powerful to have someone in your corner always..even if the person is miles away? Both characters changed a lot through the book. Sometimes for better. Sometimes for worse.They are both in 20s at the beginning so they had a lot of self exploring to do. But they always did it together. I did cry when the angst hut but the ending was so beautiful. A love story that will stay in my heart forever.

I reviewed a copy voluntarily through Netgalley

This is the first book I’ve read by Alice Kellen. I loved Rhys and Ginger’s characters. They fit so well together. This was a sweet story about friendship and growth. Overall I loved the book and would recommend it!

I love this author! The books always grab me right from the beginning, so good! I couldn't put this book down! Thank you for the ARC!

4.5 stars for this angsty, gripping, emotional book. Two strangers meet in Paris as the "good girl," Ginger, cannot get a ticket in Paris for the Metro. Along comes "bad boy" Rhys, to help her out. The spend one magical evening together. What follows is years of communication to and from each other in the forms of emails - which I loved reading, forming a strong bond where they can tell each other anything. Will they meet up again? If they do, can it be as magical as the first time? Ginger's life is planned out for her by her dad and she is supposed to follow in his footsteps at his business. Rhys is a nomad and just goes where he wants following dj'ing jobs with no set plan in sight.

Told in alternating POV's and through emails this book deals with a lot of emotional baggage - from both sides. I loved how they both grew up and grew through some of this baggage. And they both had baggage for sure - some more obvious than others but still both had to figure out what made them love themselves.

I absolutely loved the quotations from The Little Prince and I really do feel like the story was helped by these inclusions.

After finishing this book I noted that this was previously published under a different title "Us on the Moon" and I think I actually like that title better than Only After We Met.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alice Kellen and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.