Thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy of always isn't forever. This was such a cute and heart felt story. Definitely for those who enjoyed you've reached sam.

I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it to others it was different and fun to read

This was a heartbreaking story with a silver lining. I hope to read more by this author and see where her careers go from here.

Ruby and Hart have been together, ever since they were little. It's the summer before their senior year and they are planning their future. Unfortunately, tragedy happens and Ruby is left to face a future without Hart but just can't move on. In walks Jameson...someone Ruby can't stand yet there is something about him.

This book flowed so well for me and I found that I couldn't put it down. It leaves the reader wishing for a love like Ruby and Harts. I recommend it to anyone who loves a good clean romance with a little paranormal thrown in.

Another heartbreaking book about young love and heartbreak. I don't want to go to much into it, because I don't want to spoil it.

I will say this, I felt this heartbreak. I felt every bit of Ruby's grief in this book. It hit me like a ton of bricks to be honest. This was an emotional ride and it instilled my believe in soul mates, true love etc. Also, it brought upon the old saying "True love never really dies"

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

The story gives off vibes similar to You've Reached Sam, but with a different outcome, this was done really well.
This book surprised me by being quite emotional, and it was undoubtedly an emotional ride. With its brief chapters, quick pacing, significant mystery, and unexpected turns, the entire book is simple to read. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it!

This was a very wholesome book- I really enjoyed both Hart and Ruby, how they grew up together and the moments inbetween. Their romance was really cute and wholesome, the connection was really there, it's easy why and how much they love each other. The portrayal of grief and healing was raw and moving, and I'm glad Ruby has a strong support system such as her mom, Gabi, Serena and George. The supernatural element surprised me a bit, but I like how it adds to the story whether logic or just push to move the story forward. The writing can feel a bit young and there's just something that didn't click with me that didn't make this a 5 star read, but overall it's a solid story!

I had a hard time getting into this book and relating to the characters. I’ll definitely make sure to give this book a try in the future I can be a very moody reader

This was just a heartbreaking and heart warming love story that I loved from beginning to finished! ❤️

Hart and Ruby have been in love since forever. But tragedy strikes and Hart drowns in an accident.
But he is given a second opportunity and he comes back. Only problem? He is back in another person's body. Someone Ruby hates.
I liked this story. A lot. It's true that I thought it was too long in some parts. But it is beautiful. And it will make you wish it could be possible. All you have to do is believe.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and J.C. Cervantes for the honor of reading this book!


The book Always Isn't Forever by J.C. Cervantes had me in tears with how well written it was. The feelings and emotions that the main characters Hart and Ruby went through were raw and strong. I enjoyed reading about their love story. One of the quotes I loved from the book the most was "love doesn't need more than one heart" I love the meaning of this quote because its saying that love is so strong that only one heart is needed to truly love someone whole heartedly. I highly recommend reading this book especially if you enjoy reading about soul mates and find one another again.

The premise of Always Isn't Forever sounded so good! I really wanted to love the story between Ruby and Hart, but I got up to about 25% and sadly decided to dnf. I wasn't connecting with the characters or the storyline.

Always Isn’t Forever by J.C. Cervantes was an an absolutely beautiful emotional roller coaster that had me an emotional wreck more than once. Beautifully written. Highly recommend.

In Always Isn't Forever soul mates Hart Augusto and Ruby Amanté are planning a future together when he dies trying to save a child in a boating accident As Ruby is struggling with her grief, Hart finds himself negotiating with Lourdes, an angel who mistakenly took him before he was actually dead. She offers to bring him back to life in another body, and he requests to be near Ruby. Bad boy Jameson Romanelli, Ruby's nemesis, is near death after a motorcycle accident and Lourdes places Hart's soul in his body. Now it is up to Hart, who is forbidden from telling anyone who he really is, to win Ruby back. Ruby is confused as to why she is suddenly drawn to Jameson and why he reminds her so much of Hart. Will their love be strong enough to bridge the distance and give them a new chance at a future together?

Incredibly easy to read, excellent writing style that keeps it simple and easy to process.
Greif and trauma is written respectfully within these pages, with a wonderful protagonist.

Thanks to J. C. Cervantes, Penguin Group, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sooo.... I don't really understand. Your soul gets put in a stranger's body, but you lose all memories of your previous life while taking on the memories of the stranger? What the hell is the point of that? In the end, the dead person still no longer truly exists, and the live person lives without knowing anything's different. Exactly the same as it would be without any soul transplanting. Except with added confusion. We could devolve into a boring philosophical discussion of what exactly is a soul and how it may or may not be shaped by outside influences, but I don't care that much.

The book might as well have been a more straightforward amnesia romance. The whole race-against-time theme seems like great story conflict, but not when it doesn't make sense. When I realized that, the book kinda lost all impact to me and became a trudge. Thank god it had an HEA or it would have been a worthless, weepy story, and I'd have been pissed.

Hart was a really nice guy, almost too nice to be realistic. Ruby annoyed me. I'm not entirely sure why, but something about her just rubbed me wrong. Maybe because I'm not sure she deserved Hart. He was entirely selfless, while she was self-pitying. Yes, she was grieving, but she seemed to expect people to continue walking on eggshells around her and poo-pooing her nearly six months later. Idk, like I said, rubbed me wrong. And Lourdes? Struck me as Cervantes wanting to have her It's a Wonderful Life and eat it, too.

Overall, not to my taste.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, Razorbill for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had a hard time staying focused on this book. It took me so long to finish the book and I didn't feel invested in it. I liked the premise of the story - Hart dies and negotiates with an angel to take the body of another boy in a coma and about to die. He's left unfinished business with the love of his life, Ruby. The only thing is the body he takes on is someone that neither Hart or Ruby likes. Upon his return he isn't able to tell anyone who he really is and tries to leave clues for them to know. It is a second chance at romance book and I was rooting for Ruby and Hart to stay together. It is targeted to YA so I think that age category would enjoy it but for me it fell a little flat.

Always isn’t Forever is a fresh take on the “Heaven Can Wait,” theme, where true love is derailed because one of the partner’s dies…but it turns out is taken too soon by an overeager angel. In this case, teens Ruby and Hart have grown from childhood best friends to soulmates. They plan on spending together forever, but Hart drowns. However, Hart finds in the limbo afterlife he “wakes” up in that he wasn’t actually meant to die; Lourdes, his angel, took him early to spare him pain, but it turns out he would have survived. Frantic to get back to Ruby, Hart is told that he will get a second chance but that over time he will forget his previous life. The key to a good romance is to make the journey enjoyable, because we all know we are going to get our happily ever after. Will these two kids end up back together – yes, but at what level. Will Ruby know that she’s with Hart or will she move on to the new love? Will Hart remember his special connection of his previous life with Ruby, or will he simply be happy with the new one? I think Cervantes does a lovely job of creating this story. Ruby is truly devastated by Hart’s death and is grieving deeply. Her family, her friends all support and love her, but want her to move on. There is a nice touch with Ruby and her family being a touch psychic, having a connection to the spirit world which makes her trust in a new love both more challenging and more believable. The only quibble would be how quickly Hart’s family disappears, but to be fair it would be too big a bummer to have a devastated parent hanging around our love story. I’d recommend this to a teen who was looking for a sweet romance with a feisty heroine. I was given a free e advance copy in return for an honest review.

Definitely for fans of “you’ve reached sam”. The writing was well done and the characters were well written. Since it was so similar to you’ve reached sam, and I didn’t absolutely love that one either, they’re getting the same rating of a 3 stars. Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

I received an e-galley of Always Isn't Forever by J.C. Cervantes from Penguin Group via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The promotional piece for Always Isn't Forever compared it to You've Reached Sam and so I was intrigued as I did enjoy YRS. But somehow Always Isn't Forever didn't work for me as a reader. In this story, Hart dies and leaves Ruby heartbroken - but he negotiates a deal in which he is able to take the body of someone about to die - Jameson, someone who he and Ruby both dislike. And so he returns - but he is unable to tell anyone who he actually is. But of course, he is now changed and similar to Hart - and some people figure it out. And it all just gets a little too weird for me to be honest. I think I'll be staying away from the reaching out after death storylines for now.