4⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for an advanced copy of If Tomorrow Never Comes.

Elliott is preparing for a major procedure and she just wants to enjoy herself and forget for a night. She goes to a bar and she meets a man named Jamie. He got stood up and they end up taking a cooking class together and honestly share the perfect evening. The kids they share is earth shattering and life changing. But she leaves him without anyway to contact her. Flash forward a year and Elliott is doing well and she is meeting her donor Carly and they hit it off immediately. Carly invites her out to meet her friends and she sees Jamie for the first time since that night but he is now Carly’s boyfriend. Elliott and Jamie have not forgotten about that night but try to move on but that is easier said than done.

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the plot and the characters. I liked that the romance aspect was not cheesy it was a mature romance! Also loved that this book took place in my hometown of Omaha!

This was a sweet and easy read with my favorite kind of meet-cute/first date: the kind where the couple goes where the night takes them and have perfect conversations and chemistry. Those unforgettable, magical kind of first dates. I love these kinds of meet-cutes in my books, movies, and tv, and it was written perfectly in this book.

I really liked both main characters and appreciate that it was written as a dual-pov so that I could read and understand things from both of their perspectives. This book had a ton of great characters. There were some very minor characters that were pretty flawed, but otherwise everyone was a decent human being. While that's nice and heartwarming, it does admittedly make the storyline feel a little less authentic. In real life, people are very flawed and we all have difficult "characters" in our lives. But that is really just me being nitpicky, and it's not even something I noticed while I was reading. I only thought about it as I was writing this review.

But trust me, this book was still filled with plenty of angst and there of course were parts with tension, anguish, pain, and struggles. I thought those parts were written and handled well. There was a dog named Hank that had so many appearances in the book that he felt like his own character. Even though I'm more of a cat person, I LOVED Hank.

Also, I really liked the conversations and banter between Elliott and Jamie. Sometimes too much banter in books can have me rolling my eyes, but I really loved how their conversations were written. They felt authentic, fun, flirtatious and realistic.

Side note: I've never seen/read a female character named Elliott (nor do I know any female Elliotts in real life), and for whatever reason, I constantly, constantly forgot that Elliott was the female character as I was reading. I don't know why it was so incredibly hard to wrap my head around that, but I literally had to remind myself of it every single chapter. It didn't help that the MMC's name is Jamie, which is also a gender-neutral name.

One of the only things I found kind of odd was also the Starbucks promotion/mentions. The FMC works at a Starbucks, but I'm still surprised at how much it was mentioned, or why the Starbucks name was used at all. But the character made sure to mention (multiple times, which is really what felt odd to me) that she could work at Starbucks part time and still get health insurance. I do understand why that was important to the story to mention how she had health insurance, given her history with leukemia, but it wasn't something that needed to be mentioned more than once. Again, just a nitpicky thing that didn't affect my overall enjoyment of the book, but still felt worth mentioning.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and found it to be a quick and easy read. My rating falls at 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 (since half stars aren't an option).

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so intriguing.

I liked Elliott and Jamie's meet cute, and how she decided to live it up before her treatment.

And then the tangled web between Carly? Such a gut punch!

I really enjoyed the evolution of this story, and seeing how it all played out. This book is romantic, but also incredibly thoughtful. It was a good read, and I think others would like it too.

I never thought I would love a book with the love triangle trope, but, here I am, proven wrong!

This was a sweet and heartfelt romance, with some heavy topics, such as cancer (Leukemia) and family drama. I thought everything was handled with care and I found the medical side of the story really interesting.

I LOVED Jamie and Elliott's first meeting, I thought it was so cute! I was definitely rooting for them. My heart broke when Elliott found out Jamie was dating Carly, her stem cell donor, and the woman who saved her life.

While love triangle is definitely not my favorite trope, I thought the characters handled it in a mature way, despite the uncomfortable situation.

When you read this, you'll swoon, you'll laugh and you'll cry. I definitely recommend this book!

Elliott and Jamie meet the night before she is to have a life saving stem cell procedure. They have an instant connection, but she leaves him with a fake name and nothing else. She knows that her immediate future is questionable.

Jamie never forgets “May” but eventually moves on.

A year later, after a successful procedure, they accidentally meet again. Jamie is dating Elliott’s donor. Complicated much? I think so!

This is only three stars for me because I thought it would be more emotional than it actually was. It was an okay read, but a little long with an obvious ending.

Thank you to Booksparks, Montlake Romance, NetGalley and the author for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If Tomorrow Never Comes by Allison Ashley is a deeply emotional and thought-provoking romance that blends themes of love, resilience, and second chances. The story follows Elliott Holland, a leukemia survivor preparing for a fresh start after undergoing a stem cell transplant. On the eve of her treatment, she shares an intense but fleeting connection with Jamie Sullivan, an easygoing arborist. A year later, fate intervenes when Elliott discovers Jamie is dating Carly—the very woman whose stem cells saved her life.

As Elliott struggles with guilt and unresolved feelings, Jamie faces his own fears of repeating his father’s mistakes. Their slow-burning romance is built on meaningful conversations, quiet moments of connection, and mutual emotional support. Ashley, a clinical oncology pharmacist, portrays Elliott’s medical journey with authenticity, adding depth to her character. The novel is a heartfelt exploration of love, healing, and the courage to embrace happiness despite life’s uncertainties.

The hardest reviews for me to write are the ones where the book is just … ok. This book is neither spectacular nor awful. It’s just ok.

Blurbed as a second chance romance, it’s the story of Elliott and Jamie who meet and share an instant connection. The budding romance is over before it starts when Elliott disappears to begin treatment for a stem cell transplant without exchanging contact information. Fast forward a year and our duo meet again, but this time Jamie is dating Elliott’s stem cell donor. Messy, right?

This is a tale of bad timing. I didn’t connect with any of the characters. I didn’t dislike them, they were just not that interesting to me. There were some sweet moments and the love triangle was handled with sensitivity.

I read this immediately after another book that gave me all the feels which may have been the issue. My expectation bar was set extraordinarily high and this didn’t stand a chance of measuring up. I’m intrigued enough to want to read more by this author as I think she is talented.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

This story is the book version of the heart-eye emoji. It is a super sweet (cotton candy sweet), closed door romance with some simple twists, turns and drama sprinkled in. I simultaneously loved and wanted to choke the characters, but I do think everything shook out the way I expected it to/it needed to. Honorable mention to Hank: buddy when that door was closed on you, please know the reader felt your pain!

What an emotional read. I knew it would be because her books always are, but I was especially invested in these characters for some reason.

This book had vibes like the movie, Serendipity, which was a favorite of mine when it came out. I loved that they had one magical night together and then eventually reunited.

Cancer is very prevalent in this book so if that is a trigger for you please be very careful. It isn't a trigger for me but I'm still weepy after finishing and teared up while I read.

I loved how Ashley talked about the importance of live donors in this book I loved that a transplant saved Elliott's life. But what I really loved was the support system around her. Her parents, her best friend, and now Jamie. He is the most amazing man. I love how he was there for her in big and small ways. I also loved the role his dog played in the book.

I love relationships like theirs where it doesn't have to be anything special or fancy. I loved that they were content to hang out or go somewhere. I love how they supported each other's dreams and passions. This was a beautiful story of true love.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

4.25 stars

I typically hate love triangles but this one was good, felt more like the love triangles in the movie Serendipity than a really fraught one. Where you knew who was fated and the other relationship was a bit bland. And nobody was outright horrible to each other either. There was definitely angst and longing but not ever too drawn out or overdone. Overall it was pretty good!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

This story was a DELIGHT! On the eve of Elliott's stem cell transplant, she takes herself out to dinner and meets Jamie, who has been stood up by his date. They share an immediate connection (dare I say, insta-love), and end up spending the night talking and laughing. Jamie wakes up the next day, but Elliott is already gone, and he has no way to contact her.

Fast forward to one year later, and Elliott is cancer-free and has recently relocated to Omaha, which is where she met Jamie. As fate would have it, she pretty immediately (and literally) runs into Jamie again, but PLOT TWIST, he's dating her stem cell donor, Carly!

This story has so many things I love: soulmate connection, right person/wrong time, second chance, angst, and pining. I wasn't sure how Allison was going to manage the semi-love triangle, but I appreciate how low-drama it was. We love mature characters!

My favorite character is obviously Hank. SUCH A GOOD BOY. I loved that Elliott and Jamie practically had shared custody. I also really enjoyed the is cheesecake a pie or a tart conversation. It had me forming my own opinion (it's obviously a pie, haha).

This was a sweet, gentle, and low conflict book, and I loved every minute. Allison handles difficult topics with such care and attention!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was my kind of romance - a solid 4.5 stars rounded down. The adults were mature and were dealing with real-life problems and I adored the characters. You couldn't help but be invested in them and their lives. If you like the relationships Abby Jimenez writes, then you will eat this one up!! I'm excited to check out more work by Allison Ashley.

If Tomorrow Never Comes, a novel by Allison Ashley, available April 1, 2025!

Who doesn’t love the “we met and fell in love in one amazing day” trope? Well, everyone except for Elliot and Jamie, who spend their entire story thinking about, pining after, and recreating this fantastic day spent in Omaha that literally changed their lives. Elliot needs a stem cell transplant and decides that she should live a little the night before her whole life could change. Jamie hears her talking about cheesecake being pie and is immediately drawn to her (not to mention jilted by his online date). They hit it off eating some sexually charged soufflé and spending one of the best nights of their lives together.

Even though Elliot leaves Jamie in a less-than-ideal position, they are forever changed. A year later, Elliot runs into the man, who happens to be the boyfriend of no one other than her stem cell transplant donor, Carly (ah!). Jamie doesn’t want to be like his two-timing, commitment-phobic father and wrestles with whether he truly wants to be in a relationship with Carly. Elliot tries to move on and live like today could be her last by working as a graphic designer and Starbucks barista for the health insurance (can’t blame her!).

We play will they/won’t they, and the pining and chemistry is Off. The. Charts. Like only Allison Ashley can do. I really enjoyed this book, even though I was screaming for everyone to be adults and just get over bro/girl code. Thank you, Blythe (Jamie’s sister) for being the voice of reason! Oh, did I mention there is also a cuter-than-hell doggo, Hank? Yes.

For the record, I love Allison Ashley's books and will continue to buy and read them immediately!

Thank you so much to Montlake and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced (e-)reader copy and a chance to rate and review this book!

4 ⭐️ 0.5 🌶 (closed door/fade-to-black but lots of pining!)

I *loved* this book. Oh my goodness, all the feels for a couple who we knew from the very beginning were always meant to be.

When Elliott and Jamie have an unforgettable night together, she disappears leaving him to wonder what happened and what if. As she spent months recovering from a life saving procedure, the constant memories of him kept her hoping. When Elliott moves to Jamie's town for a fresh start a year later she connects with Carly, the woman who helped save her life and who immediately pulls her into the fold with her friends only to find out that Carly's boyfriend is actually.....Jamie.

The two decide to be friends for Carly's sake. But what happens when the one who got away returns and they're all you've never been able to stop thinking about?

I loved the second chance, friends to lovers, I loved the intentionality to not cross any lines (I'll reiterate, there was no cheating in this one) and honor that maybe they weren't ready for a relationship (until, you know, they were). I loved Jamie's insistence that if he couldnt be there for her, Elliott could borrow his lab Hank any time (who doesn't love a dog part of the plot). And of course, the ultimate meet cute question - Is cheesecake a pie? Cake? Tart?



Thank you Netgalley and Montlake for the ARC in exchange for my review!

4.5 stars, rounded down.

Elliott is in Omaha for a stem cell transplant. The night before her surgery, her best friend encourages her to get out and live a little. In so doing, she meets Jamie. He’s been stood up on a date and they immediately hit it off. He takes her to the baking lesson he’s booked for the night and they spend hours laughing and talking. They share one incredible kiss and then she’s gone leaving no trace of herself. A year later, surviving her transplant, she moves from Lincoln to Omaha, not for Jamie, of course (but secretly hoping she might find him), but for her budding graphic design career. Elliott wants to thank her stem cell donor and who is Carly’s boyfriend? None other than Jamie himself.

It’s complicated, obviously, but there is no cheating. I repeat, no cheating. Let’s get that out of the way. I’m a fan of Allison Ashley’s humor and I have enjoyed the medical twist to her works I’ve read. This was no exception. I also appreciate that she can build some serious steam between characters without opening the door on their intimacy. I think we need more authors like this! I liked the character’s interactions in this one and really enjoyed Elliott’s parents and her friend, Yuka. I loved Jamie’s sister’s involvement in the story, but I would have liked a little more closure and backstory for him in general.

Overall, this was an easy win in the romance genre for me–funny and lighthearted, dipping its toes into more serious topics.

Super emotional as expected but a lot of fun mixed in! I don’t like the secrets of course but it all worked out and I just love their relationship!

This novel follows Elliot, a woman who meets Jamie at a bar one night and gives him a fake name, never expecting to see him again. She’s in down for a cancer treatment and doesn’t want to get too involved with anyone for several reasons.

A year later though, their paths cross again, but things are more complicated than you’d think.

If I’m being honest, I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. I was wary and knew it was “sick lit” going into it, but it wasn’t too sad. I enjoyed it overall and would recommend it!

This was a quick, sweet read that I finished in just a few sessions! I'd recommend if you're looking for a romance that's more emotional than rom-com with a nice amount of slowburn. I loved both of our main characters, but Jamie in particular was such a great MMC who was so sweet and patient.

I was a little iffy going in, since the two characters only spend one night together before reuniting a year later, so it would have gotten a little too insta-lovey, but I liked how they ended up developing a strong emotional bond before jumping to bed together. Also, Jamie has a girlfriend when they reunite, who just so happens to be our FMC, Ellott's, stem cell donor, so yeeah, complications. The author did a good job handling it all though and making you root for the two main characters. I will definitely be checking out more of Alllison Ashley's work after this.

Also, Hank was the goodest boy! A dog is always gonna get me in a book, and obviously this was no exception.

If Tomorrow Never Comes
4.25 ⭐️

I love Allison Ashley’s books and was so excited when I got this one on @netgalley !

Elliot and Jamie have one perfect date together right before she is scheduled for a stem cell transplant to fight off her leukemia. A year later they finally cross paths again, but Jamie’s current girlfriend was Elliot’s donor.

This one had obviously a lot of complicated emotions throughout both with the cancer and love triangle. But the two handled things so gracefully. Loved the dual perspectives too!

If you appreciate a romancewith great communication, this is it!

This is a book with adults who can talk with each other and convey how they feel and work out their problems! I have so much love for that (bc so many romance books seem to have these secrets they can never talk about, which the whole book depends on. This does kind of have one issue, but I liked how it was dealt with.

Elliott has leukemia and one night accidentally meets a guy who checks all the boxes, but unfortunately she has a stem cell transplant the next day, and doesn’t know if she will live. I really don’t want to say much else and spoil some of the plot, so I think it’s best to go in blind.

My bookclub mostly loved this book and we all read it quicker than 7 days - we couldn’t stop reading every night.

It’s such a fun read and also so personal to the author. She is an oncologist pharmacist and has a personal experience with characters like these.

I loved that the book takes place in Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska, bc I just went there for thanksgiving. I thought Lincoln was so charming and the area in Omaha (I happened to stay in) and it was cute, also. If you haven’t been, it’s worth looking up and seeing the downtown by the river and the Old Market district.

“You can’t have an honest, worthwhile conversation with someone else if you haven’t been truthful with yourself.”
Ch 11

“Sometimes the truth hurts, but is that a reason to hold it back?” Ch 15 (Based on Amazon first reads edition not arc)