Call You Mine

Call You Mine was such a sweet romance! The alternating chapters were great and I loved the writing. Second chance romances are my favorite and I loved watching these two characters find their way back to each other.

Childhood friends to lovers and second chance are some of my favourite tropes, depending how they’re done. I felt Call You Mine did these tropes so well. The past/present pov did a great job of dishing out adorable scenes and details to keep me engaged! It was an addictive read I didn’t want to put down. I was so driven to finish the book and understand why these 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 weren’t together.

Kieran was such a sweetheart and his commitment to his friendship with Sylvia throughout the story was so heartwarming. I did find Sylvia to be annoying early on in the book, but as she matured in the NOW portions I grew to like her character more.

The small town and holiday vibes here were SO cozy and perfect. I could see myself reading this again during the holiday season!

If you love small town, friends to lovers, soulmates, second chance, or you’re looking for a new holiday read please pick up this book!

Thank you to Kendra Mase and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Extremely addictive and completely unputdownable. Once I was sucked in, there was no chance of getting out until I read the last page.

I absolutely loved this arc It was the perfect example of small town romance with the add of childhood besties

Well I didn’t expect to devour this as fast as I did, but once I started reading I physically couldn’t stop. This trope lived up to the high expectations surrounding it, since it is one of my favorites to read. This author perfectly captured the angst that comes with loving someone for so long but never being able to fully act on it, the tension of never having the perfect timing, and the frustration that comes with misinterpreting words and actions.

What I thought this author did well was have this story be told through a first person narrative through Sylvia, but also have Kieran's perspective shine as brightly though this wasn’t a dual POV. I felt Kieran's emotions through this story as much as Sylvia’s even though his inner monologue was never written. The tension of the story being told through a alternating timeline of past and present was a fun way to see what happened in the past and how in affected their present

This is the kind of book that when you finish it, you are not over it. You just want more and you wish you had the ability to erase it from your memory and experience the joy of reading it again for the first time. I thoroughly enjoyed this and highly recommend that everyone check out this book. Thank you NetGalley and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Call You Mine" is a contemporary romance written by Kendra Mase.

The story follows childhood best friends Sylvia Calasis and Kieran Rose, who were inseparable throughout their childhood and adolescence. They passed notes during class, went on adventures all for the sake of the "list," slipped out at night to sleep together, and when they went off to college, they called every weekend to hash out details the other might have missed. No matter what happened, they promised each other one thing: they would face it together. Until one fateful night four years ago changed everything. Sylvia fled toward her new stylish life in New York to pursue her career as an up-and-coming writer. Leaving home. Losing contacts. Only now, after being brutally fired from her job and finding her boyfriend cheating on her, all in the same day, Sylvia instinctively flees home to the small town of Marshall Falls, in Vermont, to which she had promised she would never return, hiding under the guise of the Christmas holidays. Almost immediately she runs into Kieran, in a turbulent and harsh confrontation that leaves her more hurt and confused than ever. Alone, with her parents gone on a cruise vacation without warning her, she begins to regret her choice. However, an evening spent with a few too many drinks, combined with a malfunctioning heater, leads Sylvia to stay at Kieran's house. Eager and desperate to return to the friendship they once had, Sylvia hastily makes a Christmas list, with the secret aim of winning Kieran back or at least making him hate her less. Initially reluctant, Kieran agrees to help her and soon their newfound closeness rekindles old memories and, perhaps, a second chance.

Help, I loved this book! I found it a sweet, lovely and emotional read, full of feelings and so much tenderness!

I found the writing to be light, sparkling, and very evocative. I was struck by the intensity of the words, by the vivid descriptions, by the efficacy of the dialogue. I found it a highly expressive prose, full of passions and emotions, so much so that I admit I cried repeatedly at the beauty of certain scenes, at the power of certain speeches. I felt cuddled while reading, held in a warm embrace, wrapped in a pleasant cocoon. In addition, the fast pace, combined with the short chapters, made it an extremely relaxing story.

The plot impressed me from the premises and unfolds beautifully. The alternation between past and present, in my opinion, is a fantastic and winning choice! I loved the opportunity to follow the evolution of the relationship between Sylvia and Kieran, from the beginnings to the moment of the breakup and then beyond. This system allows the salient events of their bond to be shown, with a well-managed interweaving of past and present. It also, in my opinion, infuses a melancholy tinge to the pages, which I felt very much. The narration proceeds placidly and carefully, analyzing every detail, leaving nothing to chance. It satisfied me from beginning to end, with no moments of haste or boredom.

I loved Sylvia, protagonist and only pov in first person! Sylvia is a twenty-eight-year-old woman, resident of New York City, currently in a professional and personal crisis. Fired from a famous magazine, where more than writing she now served only sandwiches and coffee, she returns home only to run into betrayal by her boyfriend. Disappointed with her lifelong dream of living in a big city and writing for a famous magazine, she impulsively decides to return to her hometown of Marshall Falls, to which she promised she would never return. Sylvia is a determined, courageous, combative, and highly impulsive person who jumps into situations before even thinking things through. She always has been, since childhood, with sometimes unpleasant results. Cheerful and exuberant, a lover of raspberry jam cookies and oddly patterned socks, she has always been a bundle of energy. Passionate about writing from an early age, she grew up with a desire to become a famous writer. As the daughter of parents who often moved because of her father, she partly inherited the need to move. She always felt a bit cramped in Marshall Falls, unable to fit in and especially unable to be accepted. A feeling of inadequacy that she dragged along as she grew up and that prevented her from forming friendships or stable relationships. With the exception of Kieran, her best friend, her everything. Until he wasn't anymore. I connected very much with Sylvia, found her well described and with wonderful development. On more than one occasion I was moved by her and felt the need to hug her.

And then there's Kieran! Gosh, I get emotional just thinking about him! Kieran is a love. I don't think there is any other way I can describe him! He won me over from his first appearance and my affection for him has only increased throughout the story. Kieran is a 28-year-old man born and raised in the small town of Marshall Falls, Vermont, and....no, okay, I'll stop there or I'm afraid of making unintentional spoilers. In any case, he is an extremely caring, loyal character who gives his all for those he cares about. Smart and organized, fixated on lists, he has always been somewhat introverted and shy. Aspects that have softened over the years, but have never quite left him. Help, in my opinion Kieran is the picture of sweetness! He is not perfect, he has made his mistakes, but he acknowledges and admits them. Over the course of the book, more than once I found myself thinking "how I would love to have a friend like Kieran," because he is something incredible. And yes, I shed tears of joy and sadness for him!

Romance was wonderful for me! Sweet, tender, full of joy and heartache, it sent me into a swoon! I confess that I am a great lover of enemies to lovers, in the sense that I breathe and live for enemies to lovers, BUT I madly adored Sylvia and Kieran! I didn't think so, since it's a childhood best friends to lovers to strangers to lovers, so a bit opposite of my preferences, however, I was totally captivated! The choice of the two timelines, past and present, allowed me to observe the development of their friendship first and love later in depth and detail. Sylvia and Kieran get to know each other, to grow together, to talk and confront each other. Between the scenes related to their friendship and those connected to their love, there are some of those situations that really warmed my heart and yes, made me cry. Seriously, with this book I was moved by both happy and sad moments. I found everything perfect!

All in all, I found it a very sweet and cute read, full of feelings, that I recommend to romance lovers!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.