This was hauntingly beautiful story about grief, second chances, new beginnings and so much more.

Hart, Ruby, Jameson, Lourdes and all their friends and family are dealing with circumstances completely out of their element. While dealing with the grief of death and accidents they will journey on new beginnings, letting go, falling in love, broken hearts and so much more.

If you are need of a book that will make you feel all the feelings this is the book for you!

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review.

Woah! Wow! Oh my god! This book you guys, unbelievable. I absolutely FLEW through this! I did not expect to love it as much as I did but wow did it blow me away!

Before I get into the characters (we all know how much I love my characters) I want to talk about how COOL this concept is. A guy dies and then gets a second chance to be with the love of his life BUT his soul is transferred into the one guy his love doesn't like, talk about heartbreaking! Hart has to show Ruby that he's still here even though he can't tell her it's really him AND he's slowly losing his memories, way to pull on my heartstrings. J.C. Cervantes did not disappoint. With a plot like that it's hard to imagine anyone pulling it off but my god did J.C. Cervantes not only pull it off but gave me another 5-star read. I want to go reread it even if I'll cry again.

Now let's talk about the characters. Despite this book dealing with grief and the trauma of losing someone it was also really funny at times! Lourdes just going into a British accent had me cackling literally for no reason. (I like British accents, okay?) Hart was very determined, and I loved him, he never wanted to give up on Ruby. Ruby was also a really good character and we got to watch her battle her grief and learn that even when someone's gone, we can learn to be happy and not forget them at the same time. Also, Gabi? Literally love her, the whole tarot cards plot point was awesome, and I loved it. Gabi was the amazing, annoying little sister and I fell in love with. (I also love Victoria but literally only for the ending lmao, if you've read it you know what I'm talking about).

I loved everything about this book from its concept to it's amazing and out of the park execution. From the characters to Josie (the amazing dog) and everything in between. If you like You've Reached Sam, you'll most likely love this too! Prepare your tears and get this book! If you need a good cry, get this book! If you love contemporary with hint of magic, get this book!

"The ocean rushes by so fast
Moonlight splinters through the mast.
Our hands stretch tall toward the stars.
Oh, yes. Yes, the future is ours."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Always Isn't Forever" is a heart breaking story about teenage love is so powerful and true that it overcomes the tragedies of death.

This book is ideal for lovers of YA romance and low fantasy. Cervantes's storytelling prowess shines through, painting a vivid world and bringing forth well-rounded main and side characters that readers can't help but root for. She does an incredible job with the split POVs of MCs Hart and Ruby as well as the "angel of death" Lourdes, their different perspectives really enrich the overall storyline. The plot keeps a steady pace, keeping readers engaged throughout the book.

ARC provided by NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group in exchange for a fair review.

Much thanks to NetGalley and Penguin/Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
The amount of tears readers will shed while experiencing this book will no doubt equal a tsunami of epic proportions. By all means grab this, but not without a family-size package of tissues handy.
Two primal emotions rule here - the unconditional, intense love of a couple who've been soulmates since childhood and the overpowering, wounding grief befalling them due to the cruelest of fates.
Teens Ruby and Hart were practically born to be together, until Hart loses his life through a selfless act of bravery. But while his physical body has succumbed, an intervening angel offers a chance for his spirit and soul to live inside someone else who's positioned on the border of life and death.
Seizing the opportunity to come back to Ruby, Hart inhabits the body of Jameson, the high school's star athlete/and all-around obnoxious jerk. about to come out of a motorcycle accident coma.
Here's where the book's particular heaven-and-earth mythology becomes quite complicated and involved, presenting Hart, in his new incarnation, with a daunting challenge to win back the grief stricken Ruby. His, sensitive artistic soul now exists side by side within Jameson, along with Jameson's own abilities and memories. But Hart's memories, including those of Ruby are only taking up temporary residence.....they're fading fast and the clock's ticking
Even worse.....how can Ruby comprehend why on earth Jameson, once a smug, self centered delinquent, has transformed into such a caring, kind soul? And what kind of unbelievable news, something he's incapable of saying out loud, is he desperately trying to communicate to her?
Once J.C. Cervantes hooked me with this incredible combination of suspense and gut-wrenching emotion, I literally could not stop reading until the end.....and yes, it's just about impossible to navigate through this story with dry eyes. It's everything you'd expect from a romance that keeps you on the edge of your seat, hoping and praying for the ripped-asunder soulmates to somehow find each other again. a truly passionate 5 star read for sure. An absolute TBR must-have.

Absolutely heartbreaking, magical and full of with love and hope!

I think if you loved You've Reached Sam, you want a bit of a similar vibe/feeling as it was, but you also want to have that 'magical fantasy-esque' twist to the tragic love-story, you are gonna love Always Isn't Forever - which is a story about love, that was meant to last forever but ended too soon, too suddenly. Which is quite the relatable thing: be that a significant other, a loved one, a friend... relationships breaking and ending before they were meant to is always a heartbreaking, grieving progress we have to get over.

The story of Hart and Ruby (and on the side Lourdes, Jameson) was touching, reflective and adorbale. The whole novel has a mature voice despite of being a YA novel: it teaches about all forms of love, the grief that comes with it, the missed or perfectly timed possibilities.

I do feel like I went through all the stages of shock/grief/acceptance/moving on with Ruby, struggled with Hart to remember and rooted for him to be able to hold on to his memories. BEAUTIUL.

read it for:
- childhood friends to lovers
- insta love (one sided)
- found family
- magical touches
- miracles
- a little bbit of heartreak

This book cover remind me of you’ve reached sam (which is a sad book, but somehow i don’t really enjoy it that much) and i’m hoping that this book will perform better than that. But i was wrong, sadly:(

Maybe it’s because i’m in such a reading slump that i couldn’t entirely connect with the characters and story. This book is sadly doesn’t really meet my expectations, although lots of interesting point and concept storyline in here that i think my friend will like. So i will still recommend this book to my friend that like to read any kind of sad book. It’s still a win, right?

Thank you to NetGalley, Razorbill, and Penguin Teen for allowing me to read this e-ARC.

I wasn’t able to read past 20%. I did not find myself enjoying the story enough to want to continue. The dialogue was cringey and seemed repetitive at times. Hart was not favorite. There were many small moments in which he irked me. This is why I wasn’t able to care about his relationship with Ruby. I also think that not much thought or care went into the way he was able to come back from the afterlife. The premise of it seemed shallow.

2.25 ⭐️’s This took me awhile to finish and that’s because I just couldn’t get into it. I kept pushing myself to finish it hoping it’d get better but I just didn’t feel any connection to the characters or the storyline. There were maybe one or two parts where I felt a little sad for the characters but not enough to make me tear up or feel that emotion for long. I really wanted to enjoy this!! I’d still try to give this author a chance with other books they’ve written because I could end up liking those!

I teared up at 50%, cried at 60%, cried at 70%, and bawled through the rest. That right there earns every last star.

I went in with the You’ve Reached Sam cover and forgot it was a romance. I’m personally not sure how I feel about the ending, and I think it could have sent a more beautiful message. Regardless, it certainly packed a punch.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.

Always Isn't Forever by J. C. Cervantes sounded like an interesting young adult novel for me to check out. Thank you, netgalley and publisher for the early copy.

Young love lost too soon. Can't imagine losing the love of your life so soon before even beginning life together. Beautiful story that was well written to show the point of loss and grieving a loved one.

Thank you for sharing such a beautiful story.

Fav quotes:

“The human heart was specifically designed to maybe not forget, but certainly to heal”

“When one thing ends, something else begins”

“Letting go doesn’t mean forgetting. It just means goodbye for now”

yeeee, i loved this. I need to admit that I started reading it mostly because of the cover (perfection) but as I became to know Ruby’s and Hart’s love story I couldn’t stop reading it and I just wanted them to be happy.

A little synopsis, we will follow this two characters that have been lovers since they meet and Hart dies, yes I know 💔 then Hart as the opportunity to became to life in another body and he accepts it.

This book is a rollercoaster of emotions and I loved every second of it.

It releases on June 06th and I 100% recommend it.

The quick cut: A teen couple are split apart after one of them drowns in an accident. They're given a second chance, if they can make it together again.

A real review:
Thank you to Razorbill for providing the arc for an honest review.

Everyone wants to be loved and appreciated, but rarely do people experience the support of a true soulmate. It's a type of connection that can't be defined, yet inspires others when they see it. For soulmates Hart and Ruby, they'll need to overcome all odds to stay together.

Hart and Ruby have been best friends and soulmates as long as anyone can remember. They're a pair never apart until a tragic boating accident causes Hart to drown and Ruby devastated. Unexpectedly, an angel's actions give Hart a second chance at life - but in the body of a classmate who is in a coma. Can Hart and Ruby come together again? Or forever be apart?

This is a really cute story that runs the gamut from hopeful to sad over and over again. It's an interesting story and the characters are loveable, but I did find their emotions and character development a bit lacking in complexity and depth. This book would've been a knockout if that was better executed.

Hart goes through a real uphill battle with how he dies, ends up in limbo, and quickly has to choose whether to continue living in the body of classmate Jameson. Jameson's life is very different from Hart's and in the process discovers his seemingly easy life isn't as easy as it appears. He navigates difficult family relationships and differing needs while he attempts to win over Ruby. Oh yeah, and then there's the whole "losing his Hart" memories part. It's a lot to manage.

Ruby felt very simplistic in her emotions. I get they were soulmates, but not enough time was given in the beginning to establish that connected a relationship between them. She also seemingly did things that made in that position I never would've done. Maybe that's the point though - she followed her heart and not her head.

A cute story lacking in depth.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

I thought that this was a cute book and a cute concept. It felt a little bit short to me and therefore maybe like it could have been a little more developed. It progressed a bit fast and I think it was over before I wanted it to be.

I liked the growth and change of the characters. They had to navigate some tough things and I think the author does the character arcs rather well.

While reading it I wasn’t quite sure what the ending of the book would look like, and I liked that, I liked that it wasn’t super obvious to me.

This book is definitely for fans of you’ve reached Sam. And I think it’s a good YA book that expands beyond just romance.

📚 𝘼𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙄𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧
✍️ J. C. Cervantes
💬 English

3,5/5 rounded up to 4

I'll start with how much this book reminds me of an old Indonesian movie I once watched. If you search "Love is Cinta" up, you will know why.

It tells the story of Ruby and Hart, two lovebirds that have to be separated by death. Ruby has suffered tremendously since Hart passed away. On the other hand, Hart, who had died, was given the opportunity to live once again on the condition that he had to put off his old identity, and live as Jameson.

The conflict is very clear from the beginning: everything about letting go. Through two POVs, Cervantes tries to convey regret, emptiness, confusion, and rejection from Ruby's side, and hope, sacrifice and love from Hart's side.

This book romanticized life-and-death with a bit of fantasy thing with angels and supernatural ability (tarot reading, aura reading, etc)

The Q: is this book angst-worthy?
No precisely. There were 5 months gap after Hart's death (take it as the most angsty event) so the river-cry was no more. But some people might be need this as TW [death and grief]

Cervantes writing is simple, can be poetic-ly pretty in some parts, but overall the plot is well-known. No surprise turn of event (not as much at least).

As a reader of Cervantes' works (Storm Runner), this book doesn't have much difference in banter and vocabulary dynamics. Judging by the writing technique alone, this book is MG-worthy.

It's quite difficult to follow this book from Ruby's POV because we will feel a lot of the negative emotions that Ruby feels, over and over. I personally avoided the monologue a lot, and focused on the dialog with her younger sister.

This book is not as bad as my expectation (lol sorry everyone i need to because i kinda hate angsty cover). Again, don't judge a book by your assumption of the cover only. 🤣

Thank you Netgalley and PenguinTeen for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

#nyunreads

📚 𝘼𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙄𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧
✍️ J. C. Cervantes
💬 English

3,5/5 rounded up to 4

I'll start with how much this book reminds me of an old Indonesian movie I once watched. If you search "Love is Cinta" up, you will know why.

It tells the story of Ruby and Hart, two lovebirds that have to be separated by death. Ruby has suffered tremendously since Hart passed away. On the other hand, Hart, who had died, was given the opportunity to live once again on the condition that he had to put off his old identity, and live as Jameson.

The conflict is very clear from the beginning: everything about letting go. Through two POVs, Cervantes tries to convey regret, emptiness, confusion, and rejection from Ruby's side, and hope, sacrifice and love from Hart's side.

This book romanticized life-and-death with a bit of fantasy thing with angels and supernatural ability (tarot reading, aura reading, etc)

The Q: is this book angst-worthy?
No precisely. There were 5 months gap after Hart's death (take it as the most angsty event) so the river-cry was no more. But some people might be need this as TW [death and grief]

Cervantes writing is simple, can be poetic-ly pretty in some parts, but overall the plot is well-known. No surprise turn of event (not as much at least).

As a reader of Cervantes' works (Storm Runner), this book doesn't have much difference in banter and vocabulary dynamics. Judging by the writing technique alone, this book is MG-worthy.

It's quite difficult to follow this book from Ruby's POV because we will feel a lot of the negative emotions that Ruby feels, over and over. I personally avoided the monologue a lot, and focused on the dialog with her younger sister.

This book is not as bad as my expectation (lol sorry everyone i need to because i kinda hate angsty cover). Again, don't judge a book by your assumption of the cover only. 🤣

Thank you Netgalley and PenguinTeen for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

#nyunreads

Thanks to Netgalley & Penguin Random House for the E-ARC! I actually really enjoyed this one! The storyline was really well written and it made me tear up a time or two. I loved the characters and the way they yearned for each other! Will definitely read more from this author!

Sadly this didn’t work for me. I was invested for the first couple chapters and then it very quickly went downhill. The whole afterlife but then coming back in someone else’s body didn’t work in this book. I would’ve preferred more time with Hart before he died so I could really connect with him & Ruby together. Hart coming back in Jameson’s body was weird and the dynamic felt off to me. Also took away the whole point of grieving with him coming back as somebody else.

"Always Isn't Forever" is a deeply moving and heartrending novel. J.C. Cervantes blends young love, loss, second chances, and the complexities of identity into an intricate narrative. Cervantes’ writing creates a brilliant balance between the lighthearted joy of first love and the shattering agony of unexpected loss.

The relationship between Hart and Ruby, childhood friends turned lovers, serves as the heart of “Always Isn’t Forever”. Their bond is evident, and readers will find themselves deeply invested in their dynamic. Ruby's character is especially well-executed. Her grief at Hart's sudden passing feels real, raw, and sometimes unbearable. It is in these moments of raw vulnerability where Cervantes shines, crafting a poignant depiction of human resilience and the power of love.

Hart's situation is a complex one, reincarnated in the body of the local bad boy, Jameson. This twist provides an intriguing twist to the story that, while challenging at times, adds a unique flavor to the plot. As Hart, now Jameson, grapples with his fading memories and his desperate need to reconnect with Ruby, readers will experience a multitude of emotions.

One area of potential improvement is the development of Jameson's character. While the premise of Hart's soul being transplanted into Jameson's body is undoubtedly intriguing, the execution sometimes feels lacking. Jameson's backstory could have been explored more thoroughly, granting readers a deeper understanding of his character and a more solid basis for the changes brought by Hart's soul.

"Always Isn't Forever" beautifully portrays the bitter-sweet duality of love and loss, challenging our conventional perceptions of identity and forever. Although there is the potential for the supernatural element to make things feel slightly convoluted, Cervantes manages to make it seamless and a natural part of events. Overall, “Always isn’t Forever” is a story that will leave readers deeply moved.

Gosh this is such a cute book with so much heartbreaking hope! I love Hart’s character and how he just goes along with every unbelievable experience that comes his way just for the chance to see Ruby again. His and Ruby’s love story is truly remarkable and a wonderful story to read. I am glad I got an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Razorbill. This book comes out June 6th, so make sure you add it to your June TBR! 🐞