Ten Years

A positive, optimistic story transpiring from a sad tragic situation. There is always hope. An enjoyable read, written with humour and compassion. I shall be looking out for more of Pernille Hughes.

Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Troupe: Enemies to lovers

Overall: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4.5/5
Writing and Setting: 4/5

Content warning: *mentions of terminal illness, mentions of death, some swearing, mentions of ‘adult’ themes*

The gist of my review:

How do I even begin…?

This book is simply to die for. It’s stunning in its approach to life, death, love, and raw reality that I have been left with such a complex devastation now that I am finished the book.

I have read some incredible works, but this story will give you one of the greatest book hangover you will ever come by. I really cannot recommend this book enough.

Characters: 5/5

Let’s start off with Becca - props for the awesome name if I do say so myself ;). Becca is an angry, firecracker of a woman that wakes up every day and actively chooses violence. I love how upfront and demanding she is as a character as she strives to be successful in a career she’s incredibly passionate about. She has so much depth outside of the main plot on a totally individual level, and I find that aspect of her so captivating as a character. Her inner monologue is hilarious, and I absolutely adore her obsession with Haribo gummies.

Then there’s Charlie… Charlie is almost everything that Becca isn’t. He has an almost gentle nature, he’s indecisive and willing to roll over and allow others to be in charge of his life. Initially, I was put off by this, but Charlie has a very logical and straightforward approach to a lot of things and he’s willing to put a lot of hard work into everything he does. I love how charming and flirty Charlie can be, and I found the way his family history shaped his approach to his working, daily, and love life, so relatable to the reader.

Plot: 4.5/ 5

When I first started reading, I initially felt like I was thrust right into the middle of the story, however, it’s very easy to catch up with the chain of events and the subsequent plot that follows. The main plot of the book is unlike anything I’ve read before in a romance novel, and I thrived off the book’s brilliance.

Writing and Setting: 4/5

This is the first time I’ve read one of Hughes’s books, and I simply adored the writing style. Each character had their own voice which remained consistent, fiercely recognisable, and strong as the story progressed, even as the relationship between the two main characters changed.

Sometimes I find that romance writers have a habit of including grand locations and lavish houses within their works and they become unrealistic or unrelated to the story itself, and the settings throughout this story were stunning and imaginative, but they felt genuine to each character and the plot itself.

Thank you to Pernille Hughes and the team at One More Chapter for giving me the incredible opportunity to read the advanced copy of ‘Ten Years’ in exchange for my honest feedback. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I am excited to read more of Hughes in the future.

I have to be honest, this isn't usually a genre I would pick to read but I was offered the chance to review Ten Years and thought I would give something different a try. I was really surprised by how readable this book was and how much I enjoyed it. I have only read a few books in this genre that have actually stuck in my mind afterwards - the first is One Day by David Nicholls and the second is A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby - and now I can add Ten Years to that list!

The story and the writing were very raw, and it dealt with some difficult and emotional subjects. At the same time I really enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters. There was a fantastic balance of light and dark in the story which really worked for me.

Thanks to One More Chapter and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the advanced copy

I laughed, I cried, I was upset, this book had me feeling so many things. It was a quick, cozy read and I believe everyone will be talking about this book

Ally and Charlie are deeply in love but tragically she develops cancer and passes away well before her time.
Her fiancé Charlie is absolutely floored by her death and promptly packs a bag and sets off for dangerous climes.
Ally’s best friend Becca is looking forward to never seeing Charlie again after the funeral but not so much getting on with life without Ally.
Just before the year anniversary of Ally’s death, they both receive an email with a request from beyond the grave.
It appears that they now have to complete a bucket list together to fulfil as Ally’s last wishes.
Not wanting to spend too much forced time together, they decide they’ll complete one item per year to make it as painless as possible.

Through different bucket list items we see the ups and downs of Charlie and Becca’s relationship and there’s some absolutely hilarious moments.
They are both muddling their way through their grief and loss, and doing the best they can.
Charlie is portrayed as being fickle, a ‘yes man’ incapable of making his own decisions that he relies on a coin and in romantic relationships he allows women to totally take the lead, forgetting who he really is along the way.
Becca is miss independent and a little thorny! She pushes people away as a defence mechanism, so it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy when they do walk away leaving her alone.

There’s some really tender moments which show the softer and vulnerable side of both Becca and Charlie.
We learn why Becca is the way she is thanks to her upbringing.
Ten Years is a fun classic enemies to lovers rom com. You know exactly where the book is heading at all times, it’s just waiting for them to get there.
But it’s definitely an easy cosy read.

Thanks to One More Chapter, and Netgalley for the advanced reading copy of Ten Years in exchange for an honest review.

There are no words. TEN YEARS was phenomenal.
Like they say "all good things must come to an end!" Yeah I did not want this story to end!
A beautifully written book that spills emotions on every page
One of the best novels I've read!
The characters were so enjoyable and very likeable.
They were well developed and detailed that you felt like you knew them all.
The characters are strong, relatable and I loved Becca and Charlie. They left a special place in my heart.
Pernille, her descriptions, her characters are very intriguing and interesting.
A truly well written, uplifting, entertaining story that envoked a complex of emotions whilst reading.
I think this is going to be a new favorite author for me!

One More Chapter
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review closer to pub date.

Charlie's fiancee dies and she leaves bucket list for him and her best friend Becca to fulfil on the anniversary of her death. Only problem is that they can't stand each other

This was a really good read for me. I really liked the characters. Recommended by me. Thanks for the opportunity to read & review this book.

I loved this book. It really describes the raw horrible grief you feel when someone you love has died. No one really tells you about this: the emptiness, loneliness, the anger. You don’t know who you are any longer, because you’ve always been a fiancé, a best friend, a daughter, and you need to reinvent yourself.

The love-hate relationship between Becca (the best friend) and Charlie (the fiancé) is written so beautifully and is realistic and funny and shocking at times. They’re tasked to meet once a year to carry out Ally’s bucket list of experiences that she had longed to do. Oh, and they need to spread a bit of Ally’s ashes in these places too. As each year passes, we learn how Becca and Charlie deal with their loss and try to find a way to support one another in their grief. Or not. Highly Recommended.

Charlie and Becca met each other at university years ago and they have been bickering and arguing ever since.

After the death of Ally, Charlies girlfriend and Becca‘s best friend, they are drawn together to complete Ally’s bucket list. It seems as though Ally knew all along that these two needed one another.

I loved every word of this novel and I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

This is my first time reading a novel from @pernillehughes and I'll definitely be reading the others!

One of the main things I liked is that for the first few chapters you think the story line will centre primarily around a tragic loss and how the characters adapt. However, it turns into something else, lighter hearted, entertaining yet still realistic in recognising how people cope differently with grief.

As the title says, we follow the characters every year for ten years. I liked how this works as the story progresses quickly, you see how the characters evolve as they mature and reach different points in their lives. I loved Becca, the strong female lead. She is feisty, funny, sensitive and most importantly relateable.

I won't spoil any of the storyline but if you're looking for a romantic story that is based on something a little unusual, give this a read!

Thank you to @netgalley and @onemorechaptrehc for the opportunity to review.

Released in the UK on 18th August 2022.

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Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and Netgalley for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

TEN YEARS by Pernille Hughes will inevitably be compared to previously published books like ONE DAY by David Nicholls or Josie Silver’s ONE DAY IN DECEMBER. But TEN YEARS should in no way be classified as just another book where the reader gets tiny peeks into the character’s lives once a year because it was so much more than that.

The book follows Becca, an aspiring actress, and Charlie as they meet up annually to spread the ashes of Becca’s best friend and Charlie’s fiancée, Ally, after she dies of cancer despite having been enemies since college. However, unlike most novels that follow this concept, Becca and Charlie, though scheduled to come together once a year to complete Ally’s bucket list, are actually thrown together more often, giving the reader a better sense of how these characters act and think.

What I loved about the novel is that yes, you do get to see how Becca and Charlie grow and mature over the years, yet Hughes also makes the ebbs and flows of their relationship feel natural. I could feel their collective grief and empathize with Becca’s abandonment issues and Charlie’s need to take the easiest route so as not to risk discomfort or conflict. Though I would have loved to see more of Charlie and Becca together in the end, I found TEN YEARS to be completely satisfying and beautiful.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an E-Arc!! 🥰❤️

The blurb of the book really intrigued me, and it did not disappoint!! The super emotional start to this wonderful story really sets up a quick read (I read the book in one day) that’s really enjoyable. Ten Years isn’t my usual type of book but I really enjoyed Charlie and Becca’s banter!! I really connected with them both, particularly Charlie, he seems really lost but is brought back to life by Becca throughout the book. I love the use of the enemies to lovers, forced proximity and will they, won’t they tropes.

My only issue with the book is the ending!! It’s too short!! I wish there was more!! 😭😭

If you’re looking for a genuine contemporary love story, this is totally for you. Give it a read, you won’t be disappointed.

I really enjoyed this book. A shared friend and yearly tasks to remember their friend. Is love possible after a few years? Brilliant believable characters couldn't put the book down. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

“Some days I feel I’ve lived more than one lifetime, so, couldn’t we be right for each other this time around?”

________________________

Charlie and Becca loathe each other. The only reason they’ve ever tolerated each other is because of their mutual love of one person: Ally. Becca’s best friend from grade school and Charlie’s fiancée and the love of his life, Ally was the glue that tied the three of them together no matter how many barbs Charlie and Becca sent each other’s way. But then Ally succumbed to pancreatic cancer, shattering both of their lives and allowing them to finally go their separate ways. Until nearly one year after her passing when each received a scheduled email from the dearly departed herself asking them both to complete her bucket list and scatter her ashes at each of the final 5 resting places. Deciding to honor Ally in “the spirit of things”, Charlie and Becca choose to mark each anniversary of her passing with one of the bucket list items until they are all completed.

The book in whole follows them over the span of ten years alternating between Charlie and Becca’s perspectives and checking in with them each year as they complete a bucket list item, as well as on days when they run into each other over the course of that time (usually once between each anniversary). We see their ups and downs, their growth and regressions, the way they live, the way they love, the way they grieve, their mistakes, their successes, and ultimately them realizing that they are in fact perfect for each other…they just don’t know it yet.

I absolutely adored this book!! It gave me the emotions that crushed me in P.S. I Love You, the longing and the push/pull relationship that I adored in One Day, and the wit and chemistry that made 500 Days of Summer so memorable. Finishing it I immediately found myself looking for the rest of the author’s backlist and begging the movie gods to some day put this on the big screen because it was MADE for cinema.

What I loved the most about it was the perfect balance it managed to achieve even while spanning such a wide range of time and emotions. It was the perfect balance of rom-com meets heart wrenching dramedy. It made me tear up and then immediately burst into laughter before ultimately groaning in pain as Charlie and Becca passed each other like ships in the night. It balanced their journey forward with such large gaps of time in between chapters without being too tedious in its explanation of both Charlie and Becca’s prior history as well as what had transpired in their lives since we last checked in with them. It also managed to strike a satisfying pace, neither dragging or brushing over time in order to rush the conclusion of Charlie, Becca, and ultimately Ally’s journey.

I adored Charlie and Becca. Their characters were fun and their banter felt natural without their relationship feeling forced or contrite in any way. The growth they each experienced both personally and in their individual lives was realistic and wonderful with each grieving in their own way and then ultimately becoming better for it at their own paces. They each demonstrated completely different but very genuine ways that people can grieve such a devastating loss, especially over such a lengthy period of time which is not something we get to see very often in books. One of the sweetest touches I found was that the book both started and ended with Ally…though she was never alive during the book and only referred to in memory she was very much the thread that held the entire story together and I felt like I knew and understood her as much as any of the living characters in the story. To begin and end with her almost felt like a way for the readers to be able to honor her (such as Charlie and Becca) and almost gave the impression that Ally was explaining it all to us in closure before ultimately coming to rest once and for all.

The romance in this book was very good. Not really trope-y and very rom-com in style, but incredibly satisfying and sensual without taking us down to smut town. I love a good spice fest but this was a nice refresher and the steam in it was absolutely perfect for the story, setting, and characters. I’m not a fan of rom-coms just because I don’t enjoy the angst of “will they, won’t they” and then watching them finally come together to only walk back away from each other for petty, immature, or misunderstood reasons, but against the backdrop of each characters immaturity/young age and the jarring loss they each shared so suddenly it REALLY worked in this story. You didn’t want them to come together without struggle, you didn’t even want them together at all in the beginning because they were such different people. But by the end you were ripping your own heart out begging them to never let each other go and for them to have a long and happy ending not marred by any more devastation or loss.

Emotional content aside this book was also HILARIOUS!! The off the cuff jabs between Charlie and Becca were hilarious and entertaining and the misadventures they had while fulfilling Ally’s wishes were THE BEST. I won’t spoil it for you, but getting gin drunk on a tour trolley sounds like my kind of party!! Additionally I may be trading in the one bed trope for the one tent trope…just saying ;-)

All in all this book mashed together what I adored about so many other stories but gave them life and breath of its own with a satisfying ending that left me as the reader as happy as I could have possibly been. There wasn’t a thing about it that I didn’t adore and it has definitely swayed my heart back to the rom-com corner after years of avoiding it and playing hard to get. Might that have been Ally’s intention all along as well? We may never know ;-)

I would like to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, and to the author for sending me a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for my honest review. It was my pleasure!!

What a lovely book! Pernille Hughes has an engaging voice and has developed two mult-layered, psychologically deep characters with flaws and foibles who you root for from beginning to end. Becca and Charlie can’t stand each other, but they love the same person: Ally. Becca’s best friend and Charlie’s fiancée, Ally dies and our first encounter with them is at her funeral. Over the next ten years, Becca and Charlie negotiate their grief and their relationship changes from contempt to…..something else. I devoured this book in a large gulp, rushing back to it at quiet times in the day for a few more pages. I’ll definitely read anything else this author writes. Wonderful.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

Such a sweet story. While there is some sadness, everything comes out all right in the end, and it is a pleasure to read and spend time with these characters.

It's one of those books that grab you from the start, the kind you can't stop reading till the end and the kind that stays with you for a long time.

Ten Years starts with a funeral. Ally, a best friend to Becca and fiance to Charlie died. They are both devastated, but that does stop them from bickering. They both loved Ally, but hate each other with passion. Their path part after the funeral and they both deal with her death in their own way.

One year after they both get a message. It's Ally's last wish. She had a bucket list of things she couldn't do and asked them to do it for her.

Each year on the anniversary of the death, they cross one thing off the list. Some activities bring them closer, some farther apart, but either way, they don't seem to be able to stay away from each other.

It's a slow burn romance, but worth it in the end.

I was lost in the story and loved every page of it!

Oh my word. What a lovely book. Wasn’t sure I was going to like it at first but it grew on me and I couldn’t put it down in the end. The will they won’t they of Charlie and Becca with the help(?) of Ally. Oh how I was wanting them to get together. And meeting up every year showed how they’d grown and changed, or had they? A very original love story. I loved it

Thank you NETGALLEY and Harper collins for arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an enemies to Lovers trope but with “A Night in December” feel. I couldn’t get enough of it I normally dislike enemies to lovers tropes but this this was genuine hate Becca and Charlie dislike rooted so deep in there history that when they starting feeling things they don’t know how to place it. Both characters are very flawed and damaged by the pain of loss and rejection from there own life experiences.

They are tied to each other by the death of Charlie fiancé and Becca best friend Ally who after her death has then going out and living the life she wanted for herself.

This is a beautifully written enemies to lovers story. Its has echoes of David Nicholl's One Day, which was what drew me to it in the sense that the story unfolds over a period of ten years but the relationship between the characters is founded around the death of a mutual friend which makes the story very different and poignant all the way through. I came away feeling as if they were friends of mine, so brilliantly are their characters depicted, from Charlie's inability to make any decision himself to Becca's feisty refusal to allow anyone close enough to really know her. There was a real sense of them maturing and growing over the ten years. From starting the book feeling as if the only way they would end up together was via some clumsy cliches and a lot of forgiveness and doortmatish behaviour on both sides, their relationship was perfectly nuanced and believeable and had me willing them on until the very last page. I loved it.

I loved this book, it made me laugh and cry. The characters felt real and the main characters where good people with completely different traits. I love the enemies to lover trope and this is a good one.

I will be looking out for more Pernille Hughes’s in the future.

Thanks to netgalley for this arc in return for an honest review.

I loved the idea of this book and was totally sucked into it right away. My review is my own opinion. When Becca’s best friend, Ally, dies she and Ally’s fiancee Charlie are given tasks to perform yearly from her bucket list. These two are arch enemies and both are strong characters that I cheered for throughout the story. They are lost without their beloved Ally to guide them. Becca is one hot mess provides plenty of fun and laughs throughout. I loved it!! Well done abs I look forward to reading more by this author.

This was my first book by this author and I enjoyed it very much. It had a lot of sadness and despair, but also hope and love and growth.

An emotional read with a positive undercurrent. The book is intrinsically about bereavement and grief and the ways that different people deal with it whilst not losing the love for the person who has died. Quite entertaining in parts with a feisty female lead character, Becca, who is a little bit too spiky at times opposite a more relaxed male character in Charlie. The book covers the period of 10 years following the death of Ally, Charlie's fiancée and Becca's best friend. Slightly different and quite engaging as they struggle with their own moving on processes whilst maintaining an intolerance of each other when they come together to remember Ally

This is a highly original story that had me hooked from the very first page. The author brings to the page two real, complex and well-drawn characters that I championed all the way through. This is a true slow burn and I loved seeing how the characters evolved each time they met up - how they change as people and how their relationship evolves.

No spoilers but a VERY satisfying ending , including a lovely twist. An absolute must read.

Full disclosure, the first thing that attracted me to this book was the cover... on the grounds that I'm a big X-Files fan and the picture of the couple reminded me of a stylised Mulder and Scully! I'm glad it did because I probably wouldn't have been drawn to it otherwise, and I very much enjoyed it. Despite the obvious disadvantage of a lack of aliens, government conspiracies and the FBI, Ten Years turned out to be a brilliant read.

Charlie and Becca both love Ally - Charlie as a fiancée, Becca as best friend of many years - and her death, at a heartbreakingly young age, leaves them bereft. What it doesn't do is bring them closer together - they quite convincingly don't get on. However, over a period of years, they are forced by a task set by Ally to spend time together around once a year (this structure reminded me a bit of One Day, though it's a long time since I read that). Meanwhile, life goes on and work and relationships change and evolve around them. We know they're going to end up, somehow, together - but getting there makes for an excellent read.

The highlight of the book for me was the character of Becca, an aspiring but largely unsuccessful actor, who I loved. I totally believed in her character, good and bad (she definitely has flaws, pretty large ones in fac) and she was hugely entertaining to read about.

Many thanks for the opportunity to read and review!

This was a corker, I love a love/hate relationship almost as much as I love a tale that takes us on a journey over a number of years and this did not disappoint.

We follow Becca and Charlie in the years following Ally's death, we see their relationship grow from distaste to mutual respect to attraction. I thought the characters were really well written, likeable although definitely definitely flawed. We see the tenderness of friendship and we watch the relationship growing, another one that I flew through.

Recommended to fans of Mhairi McFarlane and Sarra Manning.(my faves!)

Set over 10 years between 2011 and 2021. When Ally dies her two best friends are overcome with grief and find it hard to move on without Ally. Charlie Ally’s fiancé finds it hard to make decisions and Becca deeply misses Ally. Becca totally dislikes Charlie and will be glad not to see him again after Ally’s funeral.
Almost 12 months after Ally dies Charlie and Becca receive an email from Ally requesting that they both visit Valerie, Ally’s mother on the anniversary of Ally’s death. Valerie has a task for Charlie and Becca.
I loved the way the characters interacted. Charlie and Becca hate each other but their love for Ally and Ally’s mother brings them together regularly over ten years to remember Ally.
This was a love story about friendships and grief.

Beautifully written characters that come alive drew me in.A story that touches on each emotion from grief romance joy.This is a book I will be recommending.Even after I read the last page the story stayed with me.#netgalley #ten years.

Such an enjoyable read that had me feeling almost every emotion - I will be revisiting this and reading more from Pernille Hughes most definitely

Ten Years - Pernille Hughes


Becca and Charlie can’t stand each other, never have and probably never will, which is just fine by them. Yet they both loved Ally and now that she has died, surely they can just move on with their lives and not see each other again. However, it seems that even in death, Ally has other plans for them.

‘Ten Years’ is about grief, friendship and the true meaning of love, and was an absolute joy to read from start to finish. In fact I did not want it to end.

Becca and Charlie’s evolution is very convincing with the dialogue moving deftly between them both. This book is laugh out loud funny in places and desperately poignant in others but thankfully not in the least bit soppy. (When they make this story into a film, the actors are going to have a ball playing the main characters).

The storyline was not as predictable as I originally thought it would be and kept me guessing as to quite how things would work out between them. I also cared deeply about both characters.

Finally, I defy anyone reading this book not to rush out and buy a packet of Haribos immediately.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review ‘Ten Years’.

This was a great book.
lovely and romantic. A sad reason why they had to get together especially when they do not like each other.
A bucket list has been made and they need to do it for there friend but in doing so it means spending more time together. Surely that means love can blossom right?.......

There is a quote by Oscar Wilde about living versus existing and I think this pertains to both Charlie and Becca after Ally's death. Yes, they both grieved but Charlie chose to move on versus Becca who utilized the woe is me attitude to feel that the world was against her and she had to exist in a place of lack of fulfilling her dreams. The bucket list was created with the intent of going along with what was taken away, but Ally always knew what would be the outcome. As in being truthful with each other and bolstered by friends and Valerie, Charlie and Becca became the successful, loving and happy people they were meant to be as together they made each other better. Time was truly on their side.

I couldn’t put this book down and got thoroughly carried away with Becca and Charlie’s story. I felt that despite the ending being fairly obvious from early on, the way Hughes set the characters up in the early chapters made me want to see how they could possibly end up together. I liked the idea of the annual challenges that forced them together. I’ll look up Pernille’s previous books now.

This book is a love story in so many different ways. Romantic, platonic, familial, introspective.

I loved watching Becca and Charlie grow into themselves and through their grief, as well as watch their relationship change from one of distrust and disdain to one of genuine friendship and respect for each other.

Becca and Charlie have always had two things in common: their general dislike of each other, and their love for Ally. Becca’s lifelong best friend and Charlie’s fiancé, Ally has bound the two reluctantly together for years. But then Ally dies. And the two plan to go their separate ways forever - to handle their grief themselves without ever having to see each other again.

But a year after Ally’s death, they both receive an email from her, asking for one last favor. Ally wants the bucket list she never got to complete finished - and she wants them to do it together.

Unable to stand to be around each other for long enough to complete them all at once, Becca and Charlie plan to finish one list item a year until they’re complete. But the forced time together also forces them to communicate - about their grief and the ways they’ve handled it. About Ally. And about the roots of their scathing relationship. And over the course of the decade, they find their paths colliding again and again - and find that it’s become something they’ve both looked forward to.

A great opener which really grabs you. The death of their person in common sets Becca and Charlie on a long journey of annual meeting ups to fulfill the bucket list she could never do. Some really daft things in there but ultimately we really get the emotion, the hurt and the stages of grief of Becca and Charlie. The ending is never certain and the depth of feeling explored is just lovely.

What a book! It was so well written. It will definitely make you laugh, cry and get frustrated with the characters. I kept reacting to what I was reading out loud so much that people started looking. A definite must read, a definite emotional read with a gorgeous story.

I think I needed half a box of Kleenexes reading this well-written book. Not to say that’s all there is. I laughed with & cursed under my breath @ the characters plenty, too. The funeral scene literally made my heart ache. The fight scenes made me gnash my teeth. Lots of scenes made me smile. Even though I could guess where the story was headed, there are twists & turns I didn’t expect along the way. The memories & stories of Ally as they are shared over the years made me feel like she was there in the story, even when she physically wasn’t.
This is sort of a ten year look into coming to terms with messy “real” adulthood, gaining perspective, defining relationships, & the very different ways people deal with grief. It was easy to feel like I knew these characters, good traits & bad. Such good descriptions of Becca’s anger, confused feelings, & self-loathing over her failures. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to shake her or hug her sometimes. I rooted for Charlie as he has to pick himself up & move on, again & again. I think there’s one undeniable truth throughout. The people you feel the most for can definitely bring you the most pain & the most joy.

I received an ARC of Ten Years via NetGalley & am happy to leave this voluntary review.

What an absolute page-turner!

Ten Years is the ultimate enemies to lovers read. With so much animosity between them, and so many unexpected twists and turns, I could not work out if or when Becca and Charlie would finally hit it off. These two were sizzling, in so many ways.

Pernille Hughes cleverly keeps you guessing, before pulling off THE PERFECT ending!

So many 'wow - I did not see that coming' moments! I loved every minute.

From the day they met at university, Becca and Charlie hated each other. A loved one's loss brings them together to complete her bucket list. From enemies to lovers. Whilst the plot of the book is obvious, it’s a heartwarming easy and cosy read perfect for the holidays. I devoured it in a day!
Thanks to One More Chapter, and Netgalley for the advanced reading copy of Ten Years in exchange for an honest review.

Pernille Hughes has done it again! As always with Pernille’s wonderful books, I knew I was in for a treat and this did not disappoint. The story of Charlie and Becca and the circumstances around their relationship is so emotional and well-written. The narrative did have me a bit teary eyed at times, I must admit. The plot was well developed and I absolutely rooted for the characters. Huge huge thank you for allowing me to read this ARC. Ten Years is definitely set to be a best seller! Highly recommend.

TEN YEARS
by Pernille Hughes
HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter
Pub Date: Aug 18

Three friends: Ally, her boyfriend Charlie, and Becca.

One death: Ally. And two enemies since uni, when Charlie and Becca met and began hating each other.

But make that enemies who over ten years grow closer, as they remember their beloved friend by completing her Bucket List, and as they scatter her ashes along the way.

The big question: Do they share enough besides their love of Ally to become a couple? Can enemies ever really fall in love?

Dear Romance Readers, if I know anything, I know that Ten Years will have you rooting for Charlie and Becca as much as you've cheered on any literary couple. I certainly did and am so thrilled I had a chance to read this lovely book. You will too!

Thanks to the author, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

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I’m not ashamed to say I shed a few tears whilst reading this book. The grief must both process is huge and it was quite refreshing to see from the point of view from a best friend. Everyone expects a fiancée to be sad but losing your best friend must be absolutely devastating. Especially if you don’t have family support.
It was a beautifully written story and I was utterly hooked on the bucket list and could also totally understand Becca’s feelings in particular when she discovered the logic behind the tasks.
A fabulous story that I promise will make you smile as well as cry. The sign of a good book!

This book is a 5/5 hands down flawless piece of art.

Just WOW. I'm not sure what I was expecting - but Ten Years exceeded my expectations and then some.

This was one of those rare instances where the dislike you have at times for characters isn't because of shoddy writing or poorly thought out characterisation. It's because Hughes has written such realistic three dimensional characters filled with all the human flaws we all carry and possibly relate to a little too much.

I really enjoyed the yearly check ins to their lives to see how Charlie and Becca were growing (or not, as was the case in some years). It was a little bit like the movie (I haven't read the book, please don't come for me!) One Day - only with the tragedy firmly at the front of the book, not the end (thank goodness).

All in all, this was definitely the book for me - and I am now on a mission to read all of Pernille Hughes' previous books!

In Pernille Hughes' 'Ten Years', Becca and Charlie are forced to spend time together to fulfill the final wishes of Ally - Becca's best friend and Charlie's fiance - to spread her ashes via a bucket list.

Given their mutual enmnity, the pair decide to space out the activities to one per year. Ally - forever the planner and organiser, was the glue that held them together after they all met at university.

Over the ten years we see how grief affects both of them in different ways. Charlie, the 'yes man' who left his decision making to Ally is left directionless. While spiky Becca the actress, continues to struggle in dead end jobs hoping for her big break, misses her big cheerleader in Ally. Ally was her family.

Hughes weaves together a very slow burn romance, as the enmity gives way to a tenuous detente, then friendship, before love - one which Becca continues to push away out of guilt and can't let go of her pride to see Charlie is the man for her.

'𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐬𝐨, 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝?'

Swoon.

In Becca, Charlie has a the friend who will tell him straight. While for Becca, it's Charlie who becomes her cheerleader, supporting and encouraging her towards success.

This book tugged at my emotions, Hughes deftly conveys Becca and Charlie's grief, including the anger at Ally. Just when you think its going to be a tear jerker then the humour shines through. Then there is that clever little ending thrown in as the cherry on the top!

This book exceeded my expectations, handing an 'enemies to lovers' trope in a fresh way with wit and snark, pathos and characters that jumped off the page.

This is a book I loved so much I've pre-ordered my own copy and will buy the audiobook (if one becomes available!)

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins UK for the ARC.

Enemies to lovers is one of my favourite tropes so I knew I was going to love this book. This is definitely a book that touches on some sensitive topics but it still kept things light hearted at times. To me this story was incredibly emotional and it really reflected how different people deal with their grief. Beautiful story.

This is an Enemies to Lovers romance book. To be honest, it is not my favorite trope. I like friends to romantic partners much better. I suppose that is why I did enjoy this book, because their relationship did evolve over time and they did become friends. (This is not giving anything away, since it is a romance book, readers already know that a happily ever after is in the horizon.)

This is the first book I read by this author, Pernille Hughes, and I like her writing style, the humor, her character development and excellent plot. While I was rolling my eyes at some of the discussions, saying "get over it and grow up", I do know that sometimes change only happens when it can be accepted and wanted by a person, so I do think the story is realistic.

I want to thank HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity of reading the advance reader copy. My review is my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

Honestly, I was not sure if I was going to enjoy this book at the beginning of it. For some reason I had a hard time clicking with the characters. I am glad I ended up sticking it out because I actually came to enjoy the book! Definitely a more difficult start for me to do but overall it was an enjoyable novel.

Ally Walker,age 22,”was the best”, her lifelong friend, Becca, stated in her eulogy. Ally was an adored friend,fiancée,and daughter. When she met Charlie in college,it was love at first sight. A huge problem for Ally, was the obvious dislike between Charlie and Becca. They couldn’t stand being in the same room together. They reluctantly united to help Becca through her terminal cancer. This is a story of confronting grief,and how it changes you as a person. Becca and Charlie must separately become independent of Ally’s influence on their lives. This is also a story of redemption,and becoming the adult you were meant to be. The story is a little slow to develop but unfolds nicely as the years pass for the characters. I received an Advance copy for my honest review.

I do not even know where to begin. This is a relatively short story, a tale of love and survival told through a few distinct and memorable days in the lives of the main characters, BJ and Charlie, spread over 10 years.

But this is also one of those books that come back at you, haunt you long after you finished them. Showing another angle, another similarity to life. Such raw emotions are shining through the pages written by Pernille Hughes! Love, grief, passion, hurt, empathy, caring, friendship - Hughes is a wizard of words. Every feeling she shows comes from deep down, every word she uses has a purpose. She explores the meaning of love from all angles: a mother, a friend, a fiancé. It is not a light story even if it looks a light book. But it is worth every minute spent reading. I literally could not put it down.

Becca and Charlie have known each other since university and have hated each other the entire time. Their common link was Ally. Ally was Becca's best friend and the woman that Charlie loved. Now that Ally has died, they can go their separate ways and never see each other, Except for Ally's bucket list. Ally's mother gave them the bucket list and said that Ally expected them to do the things that she longed to do but was unable to do as her life was cut short. They feel obligated to compete the list even though they do not want to be together. They decide to finish one item on her list each year on the anniversary of her death. This is a good book that I recommend,

e-arc provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"some days i feel i've lived more than one lifetime, so couldn't we be right for each other this time around?"

some of my favourite things to read, in no real order: messy women with messy lives, all-consuming grief, that narrow line between hating someone's guts and not being able to picture a life without them. you can imagine why i devoured this book in two sittings.

personally, i wouldn't classify this book as a romance, no matter what the synopsis says. the romance only happened around the 75% mark, meaning the development of it was quite rushed in my opinion. if the characters had met more than a couple times a year it would've been a bit more believable, but as it stands, it's only there because They Were Meant To Be™, never mind the 10 years of mutual hatred and the fact that most of their meetings ended in a fight.

that aside, i just adored how this book tackled grief. losing a loved one, be it a best friend, a fiance, or a child, is never easy, and the pain sticks around for far longer than feels necessary. the author portrayed it incredibly well, never shying away from the uglier side of the grieving process while showing that healing is possible.

all in all, i thoroughly enjoyed this book, despite its few flaws -a middle that dragged somewhat, bickering that got a bit too repetitive, and a romance that just didn't captivate me as it should've. honestly, i would've been happy if becca and charlie just grew closer as friends and learned to put their decade-old grudges behind them, though i can see the appeal of a good second chance story, too.

I unequivocally LOVED this book! I much prefer protagonists who aren't perfect, who have flaws and who don't always behave the way they should, and this book has that in spades. Charlie and Becca are really relatable characters; I occasionally wanted to shake one (or both) of them, but their backstories made their behaviour understandable and I never lost sympathy for either of them - I rooted for them to get their sh*t together and fall in love all the way through. And it's actually funny! I've lost count of the romcoms I've read where laughs have been few and far between. This one hit the spot for me.

The grief aspect of this story is handled beautifully. I also really liked the way they come to realise that each has changed and matured over the course of the story, and that while they might not have been right for each other when they first met, they have grown into the sort of person the other one needs by the end of it.

Highly recommended, particularly for anyone who loves a romance that isn't twee or cookie cutter, with an impossibly perfect heroine.

A true Enemies to Lovers story, here with a bit of a twist.
Becca and Charlie know one another well. But that doesn't mean they like each other.
They are only in contact because of the one person they have in common. Ally.
Becca's best friend, and Charlie's Fianceé.
Who tragically passes away, leaving them tied together via. bucket list of things she wants them to do, whilst scattering her ashes.
Over the course of ten years, we see the way their relationship changes, from that pure hate to questioning each other, revealing certain secrets, pushing each other away, while something stronger keeps pulling them together.
There are little twists along the way that give the story a little oomph, too,
This will be a good beach read!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collines, One More Chapter for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Absolutely loved this book & I was hooked the moment I started to read it.
Well written with some great characters I loved it from beginning to end.
An emotional read with a very sad start but develops beautifully with lots of laugh out loud moments.
The death of Ally hits her fiance Charlie & her best friend Becca really hard.
Unfortunately these two can't stand one another & they have history from when they were all at Uni together.
Ally has given them the task of finishing her bucket list together & scattering some of her ashes in all the places there tasks take them.
How are they going to accomplish this when they can't stand each other &they always argue.
They have to meet up once a year to complete each task so they need to find a way to get it done for Ally's sake.
Lots of bitter sweet moments & bickering along the way with plenty of attitude especially from Becca that had me laughing to myself.
Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Are you really supposed to only have one True Love in your lifetime? Ally was Charlie’s True Love but she died from Cancer unexpectedly. Ally’s best friend Becca is also devasted. Brought together by grief, Charlie and Becca agree to scattering Ally’s ashes according to her bucket list over the next five years. The problem is that they are polar opposites and despise each other. But isn’t there a saying that opposites attract? As Ally and Charlie meet up each year on the anniversary of Ally’s death, these frenemies share some tender and hilarious moments. The thing is, they a, re two people who know each other best. Charlie is someone who can’t make a decision to save his life, unless he flips a coin. Becca is so set on being independent that she is always pushing people away. Only later, as the onion peels, do we find why these characters are who they are. As the years progress and they try to move on, Becca and Charlie come to rely on each other but will the stars ever align? Charlie says ‘Some days I feel like I’ve lived more than one lifetime, so, couldn’t we be right for each other this time around?’

This was a page turner and I truly loved reading it. It’s just a cozy read, sad at the beginning but the hope it emits is contagious. Very character driven, the author did a great job at developing the characters, leading the reader along but not spilling the outcome. Some surprises and aha moments. A fast read, I really did not want it to end. I look forward to reading more from Hughes. Put this in your bag for a great beach read!

Many thanks to #netgalley #tenyears #pernillehughes for the opportunity to read and review this book.

When a romance book tackles grief, you never know what you will get. Or how many tears you will shed. Sometimes you just need a good cry. Other times you just want to step outside of your fluffy love stories box and delve into something with a bit more meat to it. TEN YEARS was that for me.

I recently reviewed a book where the main character hated the love interest for 15 years, sees him at the high school reunion and boom! they are in bed immediately. I complained that it was too quick considering how much she hated him for all those years.

In TEN YEARS, it's a long, very long, slow burn of somewhat mutual hatred for … ten years. Almost too excruciatingly slow. I know, I know. However - it was worth the wait.

Grieving over Ally - Charlie's fiancée and Becca's best friend - the two are thrown together by Ally's last wishes involving the two of them meeting yearly to spread her ashes while accomplishing her unfinished bucket list.

Having hated each other from the first moment at "uni" to seeing Becca and Charlie's ups and downs in life and with each other, we see how grief can affect people long after their loved ones are gone.

When stories span a decade or more I sometimes get frustrated and want to skip to the end (I never do), but with TEN YEARS I was ready to travel years with them in hopes that they would end up together.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter

I rate TEN YEARS five out of five stars.

This is not your typical romcom book, and starts off on a very sad note of the leading characters, Becca and Charlie’s, best friend and fiancé, Ally, passing away. Becca and Charlie are then left to pick up the pieces of their lives. This book jumps between both of their points of view and jumps in time over the years as Becca and Charlie work together to complete Ally’s bucket list. While they start out as sworn enemies, as time goes on things begin to shift between the pair and they work through the bucket list tasks. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a fresh perspective for me and unlike anything else I’ve read lately. This book does focus much more heavily on the grief process for the characters and their growth through that vs. romance however. While their is the element of romance towards the end, even that was viewed through the lens of how they reconcile that with their best friend being gone. I did really appreciate how the author showed how there are so many layers to grief and no one right way to get through what will be a lifelong process ultimately. This won’t be your typical light hearted romance, but still worth picking up and enjoying! Just bring some tissues!

Wow!!! What a book! This gave me all the feels and my heart!!!!! Oh my heart! I loved every bit about this and could not put it down!!

My first book to read by this author but definitely not my last! Such a beautifully written novel that made it hard for me to put his book down once I started it. Highly recommend!!

I stayed up till 2 AM, to finish this book! I couldn’t put it down from the second I started reading it! It’s not your typical romance story, which made me love it even more. The writer did such an amazing job describing the characters emotions, that I felt myself crying when I didn’t think I should be. I truly felt like I was in the story. Heartbreaking yet beautiful, this is definitely a must read! I am looking forward to reading more from this author!


Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for this arc!

I was provided an advance readers copy by the publisher, thank you!
I really enjoyed this book! While I've previously had trouble getting into long-term stories, Ten Years was very well done and easy to read! Getting to watch two characters grow (and even seeing a little growth from side characters) was very satisfying, especially when coupled with the stagnation that comes along with losing a loved one. The writing was great, and I found myself especially getting into the dialogue! It was difficult, but realistic, watching these characters come to terms with some truths about their lost loved one. Overall, a very good read that I would highly recommend be added to your TBR!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you so much HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for this opportunity.

I thought it was a light novel, but I've never been so wrong. It was something unusual, but definitely enjoyable.
The writing was straightforward and smooth and an easy read for someone that is reading in English for the first time.

There is no doubt that I will read more books by this author in the future.

The cover gives away how Ten Years is going to end, but the story is well worth the read. There are very predictable moments and moments where the reader has to suspend disbelief and just enjoy the story, but all in all, it's an enjoyable romantic story.

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Definitely a Chic Lit type of book. Unusual topic, but believable. Main Characters and scenarios well described. 10 years for growing up from Uni students to young working adults. Sad circumstance of a dead friend, Ali, bringing together her best friend and her fiancé.

Was the story predictable? Absolutely! Did I enjoy it any less? Absolutely not!

I went in knowing this would be the usual enemies to falling in love story. However, the characters in my opinion had such growth over the course of the story. I enjoyed seeing their growth and finding their way to each other.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



#TenYears #NetGalley #OneMoreChapter #bookstagram #booknerd #books #reading #readersofinstagram

This was a interesting book. I really enjoyed the way the time line jumped through. Where you still got both characters updates but you kind of jumped through their lives. It was really interesting to watch the character growth between each chapter.

The ended didn’t do it for me, it isn’t a trope I typically enjoy. But I did enjoy reading about both Becca and Charlie.

4/5 - just because of the trope. The writing was incredible and I really enjoyed reading this one.