The last book I read that Christine Pride co-authored was an instant 5 stars. Needless to say I was ecstatic to read her solo debut. I absolutely loved the nostalgic vibe of this book and the way it was divided into two halves, past and present. Often authors switch back and forth between the two, but I actually prefer the way Christine did it- in two big chunks rather than switching back and forth every chapter or so. I loved the supporting characters but I didn’t agree with many of the decisions made by the main character, including the big one at the end.

The book is a coming of age story of finding love, losing love, and finding love again. Cora is navigating life and trying to find out who she is while trying to work through the growing pains of growing up and first love. While the book is set up to be a love triangle, I felt it was less of a focus of the overall story. The book was a slow read for me and I felt the ending happened really fast; which was also abrupt given the focus on certain characters vs. others. Overall, it was more of a coming of age story and trying to find oneself. Thank you NetGalley and Atria Press for the opportunity to review this arc in exchange for an honest review.

As Wes eloquently stated, Cora was floating through life without seizing her own happiness. She didn't realize that she deserved credit for finding her own happiness and not believing it was simply fate. Because of that, she veered off the path of least resistance and found the person who she was truly herself with. Like the photograph he captured her in the light of Paris, he captured Cora as a person full of joy and life. Lincoln may have believed that it was always her but as they grew older he wanted to mold her into what he wanted her to be. The life he had always aspired to given his upbringing that she would simply fit into. It may have been serendipity that Aaron and Cora found themselves back together at Neisha's party but it took years of not seeing each other that made them realize that they were each other's person. There was a reason both held onto the letters. This book makes the reader believe in love and that everything truly happens for a reason if one is open to it and will fight for it.

For my first review of 2025, I had the opportunity to read “All the Men I’ve Loved Again by Christine Pride. Thank you NetGalley and Atria Press for the opportunity to review this arc.
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Now on to the good stuff! At first it took me a few pages to get into the book. The main character, Cora, has a lot of internal dialogue, and it stressed me out how anxious she was 😩; however, it all came together later in the book when it’s confirmed that she struggles with anxiety, and has some unresolved issues from her past.
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Once I got into the book, it’s a clear Coming of Age story with a dash of Romance. The author makes you fall in love with Cora and Lincoln only to rip the rug from under you. Enter Aaron 😩 he wasn’t my fav, but as the story unravels and you learn more about Cora, Aaron and Lincoln, it becomes clear why this choice is so hard for Cora. Although these characters are well written I would have enjoyed learning more about Aaron and Cora’s relationship. I loved the nod to sisterhood. Cora’s relationship with Neisha and Kim added comedic relief and shined a light on the best parts about friendship.
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So who does Cora choose? You’re going to have to check this one out on Pub day to find out how it all ends!
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The title gives me pause as the book is 70% devoted to one love and less than 30% to the other. Be that as it may, this novel is about a neurotic middle class black girl who falls in love and gains two lifelong friends in her first year of college. Cora. raised by her father, Wes after her mother's death, is a driven, conflicted young woman. Meeting Lincoln, a handsome young man who works multiple jobs to support his education and two other freshman women, Neisha and Kim all of whom impact the rest of her life.

The book is well written and very readable, well characterized and informative. You follow Cora's growth intellectually and emotionally and her love of her father, two lovers and two best friends. It would have been more satisfying to have devoted equal time to the two men who impacted Cora's life and, perhaps that would have made her decision more understandable. It might also have earned a solid Four Stars instead of a 3 1/2.

Thanks to Net Galley and Atria Press for the chance to read an early copy.

This is more women's fiction with a dash of romance rather than a full of romance book. It doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it, it just wasn't what I was expecting.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC of All the Men I've Loved Again by Christine Pride.
Personally, this book was not what I was expecting when the publisher is describing it as “novel about a woman who finds herself in a love triangle with two men in her early twenties, and then again, in her forties” and marketing it towards romance. This book seemed more of a “coming of age” book than a romance novel.
If this was a love triangle, it was a very obtuse triangle- with most of the book heavily focused on Cora and Lincoln’s relationship. I would have really liked to see more of the relationship between Cora and Aaron. Most of that relationship we learn about through old letters. (I had an eArc copy of this book and the letters were difficult to read on the kindle as others have mentioned.) I felt like we missed out getting to connect with the Aaron part of this book even though he’s supposed to be her soulmate.
I think the most beautiful relationship in this book was the relationship between Cora and her father and that’s what really kept me turning the pages.

Cora Belle faced a love triangle in her twenties, and low and behold, fast forward a couple decades, the love triangle is back.

Cute, coming of age and coming of love story.

I asked for a chance to read and review “All the Men I’ve Loved Again” by Christine Pride because I loved “We Are Not Like Them,” which she co-wrote with Jo Piazza.

Like many young women, Cora is ready to start her life when she begins college. There she develops friendships with Niesha and Kim, and eventually enters into a romantic relationship with Lincoln. But when she thinks she’s figured out the world, she meets Aaron.

The plot jumps twenty years forward. Cora is still single but has a second chance with both Lincoln and Aaron. Sometimes it’s not just the time in your late teens/early twenties where you get the opportunity to discover who you are.

I enjoyed getting to know Cora and learning about the people who have had the biggest impact in her life. Parts of the story felt a little disjointed but I loved the flashback to the late 90’s/early naughts. I also enjoyed the “coming of age” aspect. The novel did a good job of emphasizing there is no “right” way to become who you end up being.

Three and a half out of five stars.

Thank you to Christine Pride, the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange of a honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback

Cute coming of age story about Cora who has to chose between Aaron and Lincoln. Both loves of hers but is there a right choice?

Lower rating because I couldn't read the letters from Aaron on my kindle they were very challenging

January 2025:
Thanks NetGalley for sending me this ARC!
Pub Date: July 2025

When I got this book I was not really knowing what to expect but I love the title and I was super interested to see a story that possibly talked about all the men that you loved or went back to and loved again. Then when I started reading a little bit about the author. I was reading that this was loosely based upon her own life and a love triangle that she herself was in! In one of the articles I was reading, it talked about how she was hesitant to write about her own life because it was messy. But isn't that what life really is? I think that this book was beautifully written in a way that I could connect with the FMC. Who we are in college may or may not translate to who we are at 40. As I recently turned in her 40s woman, I know that I had to grow up a lot from college until now. Really finding myself and who I am. And I think that the main character does a really good job of showing her growth throughout the years.

I will say that I had a problem with one of her main best friends and how they interacted within the book. I just don't think that some of the stuff that she did or said was friend appropriate. But maybe that was just how I see friendship.

The relationship that the FMC had with her father was beautiful. You could just feel heartbreak and the love in every word that was written.

I read this book within a day and even stayed up to finish it. It really got me thinking about a lot of the stuff in my life that I've been through and how that made me who I am today. I really enjoyed this book. And it was such a quick read that I would suggest it as a palate cleanser to anyone.

All the Men I’ve Loved Again by Christine Pride is such a gem! The characters are amazing—so complex and easy to connect with. I found myself rooting for them through all their ups and downs, especially as they navigate relationships, self-discovery, and some really juicy moments. There’s a perfect mix of humor, heart, and a bit of drama that keeps you turning pages.

What I loved most about Pride’s writing is how she brings these characters to life. It’s conversational and down-to-earth, but still packs a punch with emotion. You really feel like you’re inside the characters' heads, experiencing everything with them. It’s the kind of book where you get totally caught up in the story but also appreciate how real and relatable it feels. If you’re looking for a book that’s got heart, humor, and depth, this one’s definitely worth a read!

All the Men I've Loved Again
By: Christine Pride
Pub date: July 8 2025
Publisher: Atria Books
2🩷🩷

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a slow read for me and took a while to get into it. I really struggled to read the letters from Aaron when using my Kindle. I was often frustrated with the main character Cora as she navigated her life through college, friendships and the relationship love triangle. It had a nostalgic feel to it because it took place in the past and so I really enjoyed that part. Half way through it jumps 20 years into the future where she finds herself in the situation again. The ending did feel rushed and it would have been nice to see how it all ended a few years into the future.

I gave it a 2 because I didn’t think it was fair to give on star to a book I didn’t finish, I couldn’t do it, at 50% in its not a triangle, it’s a story about a relationship (which doesn’t seem healthy) with letters from another man sprinkled in and so hard to read, I liked Cora and loved her dad but was not a fan of Lincoln and feel I couldn’t even get a glimpse of Aaron, sad to DNF but it wasn’t for me,

I ended up DNFing this book. I don’t want to give a rating since I didn’t finish it, but unfortunately a rating is required. It was definitely not for me. I couldn’t get past the hatred for white girls. It happened so much at the beginning that I could see that would be a recurring theme. I’m disappointed as I really thought I was going to love it based on the summary.

All the Men I've Loved Again certainly had a different spin on other books I've read. Don't get me wrong, I definitely enjoyed the trope and how the story progressed. Loved revisiting the 90s/00s (felt nostalgic!) and the current day setting, too. Great story about young love, do-overs, and everything in between.

Sold on the premise to see how a love triangle and better yet, a second chance love triangle (what?! is this a new trope!!) would unfold. But I would challenge the person responsible for drafting the back cover blurb to label this more as a college coming-of-age story with a dash of romance instead. I didn't see much of a love triangle, maybe more so in the FMC's mind, but maybe that was just me. And while a lot of the earlier text gave me nostalgic memories of coming into my own in college, there were a lot of scenes that made me cringe to get through.

Side note, I have seen a few comments that the kindle version of reading Aaron's letters was difficult to do, but thankfully I did not have that problem.

Many thanks to Atria Books, NetGalley, and Christine Pride for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you to Atria Books for the early access to this novel!

Cora Belle's story begins in her twenties at Hamlin College, where she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, forming deep friendships and navigating the highs and lows of first love with Lincoln, a Southern boy. During a time filled with unexpected challenges and a family emergency, she meets Aaron, who seems to truly understand her. This connection compels Cora to navigate her feelings for both men as she faces a pivotal decision.

Fast forward twenty years, Cora finds herself single again, reconnected with Lincoln and Aaron, and once more confronted with that difficult choice. This journey forces her to reflect on who she really is and what she truly wants.

Overall, the novel offers a nostalgic exploration of first love, fate, and the power of second chances. I recommend it to anyone seeking a heartfelt read about personal growth and the complexities of love. Cora's journey illustrates no clear "right" or "wrong" choices, effectively exploring themes of love and self-discovery.

Some quotes I LOVED
"You'll have jobs, houses, friends, but it's who you give your heart to that's going to make all the difference."

"It's a little like what I told you about playing with matches. Sometimes they're a tool to give you all the light and warmth you need, and sometimes you end up burned and with scars for life. Far as I can tell, that's how love is. Especially first love."

"If we cut everyone out of our lives for messing up, we'd all end up real lonely."

This was a slow book for me and I could not get into it. The letters were hard to read from Aaron on the Kindle. I thought reading the story line it was going to be more of a love triangle but it didn't really seem to be.

Cora goes to college meets her friends and Lincoln then meets Aaron, I might have honestly missed where Aaron even showed up. Then 20 years later she's still single and meets both of them again. Now Cora must dig deep within herself to figure out who she is and what she really wants.

The story fell flat for me.

4/5 Stars!!

First off, the description of this book is entirely misleading: "a dazzling solo debut novel about a woman who finds herself in a love triangle with two men in her early twenties, and then again, in her forties."

This was hardly a triangle, it was more of a 90% leaning towards a first love, and 10% towards who Cora Belle, our MC, could possibly love. Can she love both? Well, naturally she can, and who will she end up choosing?

We start off at Hamlin, a college in Virginia, where Cora Belle meets life long friends Niesha and Kim, and eventually falls head over heels in love with Lincoln.
What I loved about this debut solo book, was not just Pride's writing style, but it was more to me, a coming of age story, as Cora navigates college, friendships, relationships, her family, and just learning to become a responsible adult.

The first 60% of the book was the 90's-2000's college experience, and the second half takes place 20 years later, as decisions are made between Lincoln and Aaron.

While I loved the overall theme of this book - how love can be found, or lost after decades, I just can't get over the triangle description. It also ended rather quickly, especially since one of her love interests (won't reveal any spoilers), hardly has the chance to shine, since the majority of it was leaning toward only one man.

It did hold my attention because Pride is talented, but is missing some major character development.

P.S. The letters between Cora and Aaron are VERY hard to read on a Kindle. Hurts my eyes to think about it.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!