Review of All the Men I’ve Loved Again by Christine Pride

Christine Pride’s solo debut spins a heartfelt, multidecade romance that beautifully balances nostalgia, identity, and personal growth. Featuring dual timelines anchored in 1999 and 2021, the novel follows Cora Belle—beginning as a sheltered freshman navigating first love and culminating as a successful woman confronting past choices.

Pride delivers a moving “second chance” tale rich in emotional nuance and thoughtful character work. While the pacing stalls occasionally and Cora’s indecision may frustrate some readers, the dual timeline structure and cultural textures add layers that elevate beyond a typical romance.

All the Men I’ve Loved Again is a heartfelt, reflective story that blends coming-of-age and second-chance romance in a way that feels deeply personal. While it’s marketed as a love triangle, it’s much more about Cora Belle’s journey to understand herself—through first love, heartbreak, friendship, and the weight of choices made too young.

I really loved Cora as a main character. She felt relatable and flawed in a way that made you want to root for her, even when she was torn between two very different men. The college flashbacks were especially vivid—full of emotion, uncertainty, and that wild intensity of first love. And watching her confront those same feelings decades later? So satisfying.

This is a warm, introspective read that asks thoughtful questions about love, timing, and whether we really get a second shot at the people who once changed everything. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

This story follows a girl, Cora, in college who ends up falling in love with two different men. The first part of the book details her college experience, friendships, family relationships, and falling in love for the first time. Because I'm so far out from college now I had a bit of hard time connecting with the characters and story. I definitely enjoyed part 2 a bit more because then Cora is all grown up. There were times I just wanted to shake her for putting up with some of the stuff Lincoln says to her though!

Overall it was a good story. I think it captures the college experience very well and explores how difficult decisions can be when it comes to your heart.

All the Men I’ve Loved Again is the story of Cora, a young black woman who lost her mother at an early age and is going off to college, living away from her father for the first time. She experiences close friendship for the first time, as well as her first love, Lincoln. Throughout the first 2/3rds of the book letters from Aaron are interspersed. We later learn Aaron is a photographer, with whom Cora has a short-lived but intense relationship. Who will she ultimately return to?

I found this story really engaging! The majority of the story focuses on her time at college, falling in love with Lincoln and experiencing a complicated first love. The characters feel very real and familiar, and Cora’s dad, Wes, is a key character in the joyous parts of this story. We learn a little bit about Aaron through Part 1, but I wish that we had been given a larger window into Cora & Aaron’s love story as we did Core & Lincoln’s. Cora feels incredibly relatable as a millennial woman (though she might be at the tail-end of Gen X?) - the present-day part of her story and where she is in life just really reflects the ups and downs of everything happening in America over the last 20 years.

This isn’t your average romance novel - there are a few spicy scenes, but at it’s heart this is a story of a woman finding herself.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Christine Pride for this ARC!

I had a hard time completing this book because I never felt connected or invested in Cora the FMC. She felt too self absorbed for my taste, and I never was fully hooked in the Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy.

I received a digital ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.

I wanted to like this novel much more than I did. I loved the relationship between Cora and her father, and the relationship that Cora had with her two best friends. However, the back and forth between her feelings for Lincoln and Aaron became too much. I understand being afraid of commitment - I think Cora just felt like she had to make everyone happy. I did relate to Cora in some ways, but everything just seemed to drawn out.

Also, I know I was reading an ARC, so the formatting can be off. However, the beginning of Cora and Aaron’s relationship develops through letters that were almost impossible to read.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books and Christine Pride for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled to get into this book and feel connected to the characters. At several points I wasn’t a fan of any of them except Wes (FMCs dad).

I did appreciate the close female friendships shown throughout the story and how friendship goes through ups and downs. It was impressive to see how these 3 stayed together through it all.

Cora is a shy, sheltered freshman who finds herself very infatuated with her first boyfriend. A few years in there is trouble and while her boyfriend, Lincoln, is trying to win her back she meets Aaron and has an unexpected connection with him. He soon goes to Paris but they stay in contact sending letters.

Fast forward 20 years and Cora finds herself back in contact with both Lincoln and Aaron.

The structure and pacing felt a little clunky to me. It would between college days, present, and letters from Aaron. Several of the letters were before we even met Aaron.

Overall, I didn’t love the characters. Cora I understood the most but didn’t love how she was sort of playing games. I did appreciate her decision at the end and how she wasn’t going to have a default.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC.

I was so excited to receive this advanced copy because I simply adored "We Are Not Like Them". Of course this concept was vastly different, but I was still excited to give it a go. The execution on this just did not work for me. I never felt fully connected and just was ready for the story to end.

Unfortunately, I struggled with this book and DNF'd it pretty early on. This was not for me but I am sure others will resonate with Cora.

While intriguing, the story did not grab me, despite trying a few times. The part that I did read (first 20%) moved too slow, had little to no energy and most of it was Cora's internal thoughts or descriptions.

I was drawn in by the premise and appreciated the emotional depth, especially the relationships Cora had with her father and friends. However, the love triangle felt unbalanced, with one relationship getting far more attention than the other. The pacing lagged in parts, and while the writing was thoughtful, the story didn’t fully deliver on its romantic setup. A heartfelt read overall, but not a standout for me.

I liked the premise of this book but not the execution. The timelines didn't work for me and we focused on things and times that I wasn't expecting but not in a good way.

3.5 stars downgraded to 3 stars.

I was immediately sold on the premise of this novel: a woman finds herself caught between the same two love interests who once vied for her heart twenty years ago. This story- Pride's solo debut- follows Cora from college freshman to career woman torn between two very different men from her past.

While the book was well-written and I enjoyed the story, the slow pacing and balance threw me off. The story is primarily told through Cora's college years and the majority of the book is spent focusing on one of her love interests, Lincoln. Very little time is dedicated to her other love interest Aaron (think years vs days). It's hard to imagine that these two relationships have the same weight to Cora years later. The present story, where Cora reunites with both Lincoln and Aaron, is only the last 25% of the story, and again the second love interest comes in at the very end so it lacks the push-and-pull and tension of a love triangle. It's more accurate to say that what Cora is actually picking between is an old love that is comfortable and safe and an opportunity never explored.

For me, I much preferred the relationships Cora had with her strong and supportive female college-to-adulthood friends. Cora's sweet relationship with her father Wes is the standout of this novel and I wanted her to recognize the amazing qualities in her father and pick a partner that reflected the loving man who single-handedly raised her.

This was just an okay read for me with the unique and compelling premise never fully actualized. This is more of a character driven novel than it is a second chance romance, but I think it will appeal to readers who like coming of age novels or books about first loves.

I normally don't like "multiple timeline" books, however, this one was entertaining. Cora was a bit much to take at times, however, I can understand how she found her self in the same situation again. New to me author, I enjoyed the book.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the arc!

All The Men I've Loved Again is a story of growth, the beautiful & confusing hauntings of a first and second loves, regrets, and the fear of following your heart. It follows Cora as she dives into her past in hopes to figure out which man to choose. It details her first love, her second love, and all of the struggles she faced in between that helped her grow and learn.

This is a story I think a lot of readers will be able to relate to in some way! It's enjoyable, genuine, and vulnerable. It was an interesting take on a love triangle and I really appreciated the way that Christine Pride handled it!

Cora's an inviting character, and although she frustrated me at certain points, I understood her & was rooting for her to find her way, to make the right choice! I really enjoyed the dual timeline aspect & the fact that it didn't alternate between past & present. It made it a lot easier to follow Cora's journey, the love stories we are presented with, and her overall growth as a person.

While this wasn't 100% the book for me, I would totally recommend giving it a chance if you're in the mood for women's fiction with a heavy dose of romance!

I couldn’t get into this book despite repeated attempts. I’m the wrong reader for it. I worked at a university during the first time period of this tale, so I thought it would be fun to see it from a different perspective. But the writing and the topic just didn’t jell for me. I found the protagonist and the writing style too immature for my interests, rather than humorous or romantic. I was unable to finish the book.

I knocked one star off because this is not a romance book, and I think marketing it as such (and that cover) does this book a huge disservice. I can see that same perspective in some of the other reviews - what genre you put a book in defines the expectation going in, and I think some missed out on a truly staggering, emotional beatdown of a book because they were looking for romance and got women's fic/lit fic instead. This book is gorgeous, painful, layered, and has a voice that I think a lot of readers can relate to and learn from.

Cora starts college wanting to become another version of herself, to transform into someone bigger and brighter. She gets lucky because she makes two amazing friends, Kim and Neisha, who are truly with her for life, and help her become the person she thinks she wants to be. Having been raised by an utterly amazing single dad, there's a gap in her social education that she gets from her friends. Truly, the way their relationship grows and changes over 20 years is the highlight of this book. Friendship means never having to say thank you, or I'm sorry - and all these women take that to heart.

Cora meets her first love in college, Lincoln, who comes from nothing and wants everything. They are a great first relationship until they're not, and in the same window of time that Cora gets her heartbroken by Lincoln, other things in her life go painfully wrong before she is truly mature enough to handle them. Lincoln is both amazing and also absolutely sucks, and the things they go through, or that Cora goes through alongside him, are big. They are truly complicated, and even life-altering. Cora is so much more mature and put together than she thinks she is, and I appreciate that she learns to put herself first (with the help of her friends.)

Reeling from what happened with Lincoln and other life things, she takes a job digitizing a photo archive for Aaron, who ends up being younger and Blacker than she was expecting, and the two share an instant connection. While it's clear this relationship is important and is the third leg of the triangle, I wish we SAW more of the two of them on-page prior to their big encounter and the present interactions. They clearly bonded over a few months of working together and we only hear about it when they talk about memories or in letters. Aaron gives Cora a sense of rightness, peace, and a lack of pressure that she's never experienced before. And then it's gone.

In the present, Cora has reconnected with Lincoln but is still holding back, and by pure fate Aaron also re-enters her life. She's pulled in too many different directions and has to reflect on the past (which is why we see most of it) and use it to help guide her future. Present Cora also has a therapist, which I think helps with all of it, a lot.

There is an HEA to the romance subplot, but I want to reiterate, don't read this for the romance. Read it for the big amazing story of the things that defined Cora, and for her finally embracing all of these things and realizing she's a mfing adult, and can follow her own peace and joy. I was so damn proud of her by the end of the book. Lots of crying at multiple points.

I ended up DNFing this one. I found the story to be very slow and couldn’t connect to the story or characters

Rating: 3 stars

All the Men I’ve Loved Again is a thoughtful, character-driven novel that blends romance with self-discovery, identity, and the enduring pull of the past. The story follows Cora Belle, who, after two decades of heartbreak and growth, finds herself reconnecting with two great loves from her college years—Lincoln, her ambitious first love, and Aaron, the one who got away in Paris.

While the novel is marketed as a love triangle, it often feels more like a coming-of-age story, shifting between Cora’s college years at Hamlin and her present-day dilemmas. The first half shines with a nostalgic early-2000s setting and the relatable thrill of first love and close friendship. Cora’s bond with her best friends and her father, Wes, are particular highlights—offering warmth, humor, and emotional grounding.

However, the pacing stumbles in the second half. The shift from Lincoln to Aaron feels abrupt, and the love triangle loses balance, making it harder to stay emotionally invested. Cora’s indecision and privilege can be frustrating at times, and while she’s complex and believable, she’s not always easy to root for.

Still, Christine Pride’s writing is fluid and engaging, and her solo debut thoughtfully touches on themes of race, abortion, and the choices that shape us. While not perfect, it’s a reflective exploration of what it means to grow up, look back, and try again.

A solid read for fans of second-chance stories and emotionally layered women’s fiction—just be prepared for a few bumps along the way.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

📜Quick Summary: Cora is looking forward to a new start at Hamlin College. She’s going to be brave, independent, and find herself. Cora does find two new best gal pals, and along the way, Lincoln. Lincoln is a handsome dark skinned man, and someone who stole her heart right away. But then Aaron enters the picture and their love letters demonstrate the type of love she wants too…but can she love two men at the same time? Fast forward, and she’s nearing 40, and somehow finds herself in the same predicament… loving the same two men, all over again. How will she choose? Who will she choose?

❣️Initial Feels: The nostalgia of college life, the references to BoyzIIMen and many other songs got me in the feels.

📖Read if you want: coming of age story, self discovery, love triangle, 90’s-2000’s college experience

🙋🏼‍♀️Moving Character: Wes, Cora’s father, has to be the MVP of this novel. I loved his quirky ways, his sarcasm, and dad jokes. His advice was a highlight of this novel.

💡Final Sentiments: Most people can relate to the nostalgia of this era whether it’s from your own experience or maybe a cousin or sibling, and I loved that. I liked the first part of the book but then it kind of fell flat for me. It felt more focused on Lincoln, so maybe some pacing editing would have helped the book be more spaced out and evenly discussed. All in all, it was an interesting take on a novel, even though I thought initially there would be more than two men involved. I did like her writing style so I would definitely pick up a novel by Pride again!

🌟Overall Rating: 3.5 stars (If you love a love triangle and a strong character growth novel, I really think you’ll enjoy this one and rate it higher)

🔉Special thanks to Christine Pride, Atria Books, and NetGalley for this arc of All the Men I’ve Loved Again.

📘Grab yourself a copy on July 8, 2025!

First thank you to atria books and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars

Synopsis: Cora and her dad have been a team her whole life. She goes to college and meets Lincoln. They fall in love throughout college. A tragedy hits and she meets Aaron a smooth artist who sweeps her off her feet. Timing doesn’t work out and Cora spends 20 years living life. A chance encounter brings both men back into her life.

What I liked: the first half of this book was great. I loved how she showed Cora and Lincoln fall in love. You really understand their relationship. Cora and her dad were great. I would have liked to have more of the Aaron relationship. It felt a bit unbalanced. Overall it was enjoyable