What Makes This Book Special 💔❤️

1.Raw and Realistic Emotions – The book captures the depth of heartbreak and longing with such authenticity that it feels deeply personal. Ellie’s pain is palpable, and her journey is one many can relate to.

2.Paige Toon’s Signature Storytelling – The writing is immersive, with beautifully crafted prose that makes the reader feel every moment of love, regret, and hope.

3.Complex Characters – Ellie is a strong, relatable protagonist who evolves throughout the story, while Ash is the kind of guy that feels impossible to get over. Their chemistry is undeniable.

4.Themes of Growth and Second Chances – This book isn’t just about romance; it’s about healing, self-discovery, and how love can change but never truly fade.

This novel resonates deeply with readers who have ever struggled with moving on. The way it portrays heartbreak is incredibly genuine, making it more than just another love story—it’s an experience. The characters feel like real people, and the emotional depth is unforgettable. Paige Toon has a talent for making readers cry, smile, and reflect, all in one sitting. I’d love to discuss how this book impacted me and how it might have been inspired by real-life emotions and experiences.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

I preordered What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon during Barnes & Noble's 25% off sale, and while I considered canceling my order after finishing it, I ultimately decided to keep it. The premise had so much promise — the initial connection between Ash and Ellie was strong, and I could see how that "what if" could linger for years. I still have "what if" moments that haunt me to this day, so that part I understood. However, it was difficult for me to fully believe that their brief past could sustain such a deep, enduring love six years later without more development. They were both still fully in love with each other. I didn't get it.

The initial reason for their disconnect - Ash's not showing up at the promised rendezvous point - made complete sense to me. it was an entirely valid reason for not keeping his promise, and I appreciated that he made so many genuine attempts to get a message to her to explain why he wasn't there. I also sympathized with Ellie because she clearly struggled to let go and give up on him. Years later, when they reunited, I understood her hesitation to share their history with her coworkers — that made sense. What didn't resonate with me was the inevitable conflict that pulled them apart. Ash's behavior with his ex-girlfriend/best friend felt disrespectful and bordered on outright inappropriateness, but Ellie's reaction lacked effective communication. The reasoning behind their breakup felt unclear, and instead of empathizing with Ellie, I found myself feeling more sorry for Ash, who seemed unfairly abandoned.

The book had such potential, but ultimately, it missed the mark for me. It left me wishing for deeper character exploration and more thoughtful resolution. The moments weren't romantic enough, the conversations lacked wit, and the plot needed to be fleshed out more.

I wanted to love this book so bad but from the start the story line was so predictable. The main character also kind of irks me. She is very much a pick me girl and struggles to open up but for no other reason that wealth. It is definitely an easy beach read but nothing to ride home about.

3.5 Stars

This was my first book by Paige Toon and I liked it. I will definitely check out more from her in the future!

What If I Never Get Over You follows Ellie and Ash who meet while interrailing around Europe on their own solo adventures and then over the next eight or so years.

The book is broken into parts as the story progresses— I loved Part 1 and felt like there was potential for a five star read for me but the parts that followed were hit or miss. It has angst & palpable chemistry which I loved but the miscommunication was high and sometimes Ellie really drove me crazy. This was also a rare instance where the insta-love actually worked for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC of What If I Never Get Over You in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and author page tune for allowing me to read this Work for an honest review
If one is rich, does that automatically mean that one is happy? Ellie and Ash meet while touring in Europe by rail. A chance meeting that leaves a lifelong mark. For three days, they have the experience of a lifetime. Not knowing much about each other’s backgrounds, a pact is made that will change their futures.
We follow Ellie back to her home and her job at her family’s furniture company . She is ultimately not happy there and make a drastic change to simplify her life by becoming a gardener.
This is the story of how Ellie the gardener finally makes good on their pact.
Enjoyable read, it had all the feels.. I rate this book a 4⭐️

First of all, I love love love Paige Toon. Only Love Can Hurt Like This and Seven Summers are two of my all time favorite romance books.

I loved the beginning of this book and the kickstart to Ellie and Ash’s story. However, once we jumped forward I did not love the plot. It moved a little slow for my taste and heavily hinged on one simple miscommunication.

I will remain an avid Paige Toon lover and can’t wait to read her next book!

Was not expecting this. I couldn't put it down and stayed up late (and woke up early) to finish it in less than a day. Yes, it was insta-love and yes, sometimes Ellie annoyed me because she was not giving the same that Ash was, and yes, I wish we had a bit of Ash's POV. But now, despite those things, I enjoyed it to much. Such a fun story of young adults meeting while traveling in Europe, then reconnecting after 6 years, and feeling the same way they felt during their first 3 days together. I really enjoyed this one and can't wait to go back and read more from the author.

One sentence synopsis: Ellie and Ash reconnect years after a brief but intense romance, forcing them to confront their unresolved past.

This wrecked me, in the best way possible. It was fast paced and the characters had so much chemistry from the get go. It was the best meet cute!

In the full GoodReads synopsis it states “Ash crashes back into her life”. I felt frazzled and on edge waiting for how it was going to happen. It made me a bit anxious, but I didn’t feel as though that took away from the story. It was a wonderful read and I’m such a fan of Paige Toon!

This book made me feel allllllllllll the feels.

I never knew what was going to happen next which was really refreshing in a romance novel. The writing was incredibly beautiful and I cried multiple times.
Hands down one of the most passionate, angsty and gut wrenching love stories I’ve ever read.



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

Ok color me surprised that I loved this book this much. Because usually insta-love in a super short time frame where that person pines over the other excessively makes me think of overwrought Adele songs😬 BUT not this book! Toon did a great job of showing the insta-love but also still giving the character opportunity for growth and change. Was it a tiny bit predictable? Yes. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing in my eyes; there’s something to be said for a well written and cozy read that goes as expected. I also found the setting beautiful and as avid gardener the description and plant names were very well done and accurate.

This had potential to be a really strong story. I loved the concept and so many moments throughout the book. Unfortunately, while still a good book it didn’t hit as hard as I’d hoped. It felt disconnected and moved too quickly at times. I felt like we missed vital moments that would have built up the story a lot more. So much of it was lovely and engrossing. I did enjoy my time with the book, I just feel like it could have been a bit stronger. 3.5 rounded up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

3.5⭐️

I liked this book for the most part. I read it in less than 24 hours. Some parts made me emotional and some parts made me angry. This is definitely insta-love, which I have to be in the mood for. As long as it’s done right, I can get into it easier. It started off really good and you could tell they had a really strong connection between the two of them. But later on, it kinda just dragged downhill. So it wasn’t really for me. But I didn’t hate it. I know people will love this book, so definitely give it a try!

A bit of a slow start for me as I put it down for awhile but once I pick it up again I finished in a few days! Definitely loved this love story and the real life tramas they have to overcome. Spanning over years of their lives Ellie and Ash were separated but brought back together in the best ways. Loved the ending of this one and how strong Ash’s love always was for Ellie. Some of my favorite characters!

Ellie fell in love with Ash while traveling through Europe. She just lost her best friend Stella, and now she's doing all the things Stella dreamed of doing. She meets Ash unexpectedly in Lisbon and they spend 3 amazing days together and then make a plan to meet up in Madrid. But Ash never shows. 6 years later, she's discovered a new path for herself but has never forgot about Ash. And when he suddenly appears back in her life, it takes her breath away. She never got over him, she can't make the same mistake twice. But their connection from 6 years ago, draws her in. The chemistry between them is inevitable.

This book really pulled me in because I loved Ellie and Ash. They are different in many ways, but alike in many ways too. Paige Toon is able to create characters that have so much depth. They have hope and longing and want and need. A beautiful connection in a beautiful story.

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC.
Paige just became an author that I must read everything by. This book was so captivating and sucked me in. I finished this book in 24 hours! I love a second chance romance. I do wish there was more in part 3 and/or 4, but that’s just because I didn’t want their story to end. I loved the imagery created by the author. Highly recommend this book.

Becoming such a fan of Paige Toon. This is the second ARC I’ve read of hers and can’t recommend them enough. She has a way of writing a “traditional” romance but adding relatable issues that make me sympathize with the main characters. What If I Never Get Over You follows Ellie throughout adulthood after she meets Ash interlopping through Europe. This one made me wish I had a green thumb in real life 🤣

Wow! This book took me on an emotional roller coaster, and I loved every second of it. This book is everything I could want in a contemporary romance! I found it to be deeply moving, beautifully written, and filled with characters who feel so incredibly real. Both main characters felt well developed and dimensional and the miscommunications in the story felt purposeful and genuine.

The story follows Ash and Ellie, two people who met in Lisbon at a hostel while inter-railing through Europe. They quickly fell for each other over the course of only 3 days! Their journey is one of longing, heartbreak, and the undeniable pull of true love. Paige Toon has a way of making you *feel* everything right alongside the characters. I was completely invested in Ellie and Ash's story, rooting for them through every twist and turn and there were several of them!

This book isn’t just about romance; it’s about timing, choices, and the way love can linger even when life moves forward. It made me laugh, cry, and left me with that bittersweet ache that only the best books can. This book also explored societal expectations and dysfunctional families. If you love stories that hit you right in the heart and stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page, this one is a must-read.

Also, Ash 3.0 is my new favorite book boyfriend.

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam, Paige Toon and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

The description couldn’t have been more true, What If I Never Get Over You truly does feel like a perfect mix of Bridgerton, One Day, and little bit of the Notebook tied together.

This is my first Paige Toon read but definitely not my last. Hopeful, cozy, and, at times, heartbreaking, I couldn’t put this down. Ash and Ellie were thoughtfully crafted, relatable, and lovably flawed. I’m not usually an insta-love fan, but I thought their chemistry was infectious in all of the phases of their relationships. There was also potential for a found family aspect with workplace connections, and I wish that Toons had explored that more. She writes beautifully and covered tough topics like grief and loss so well. If anything, I wish that the story was longer. I loved this story, and I wasn’t ready for it to end. Immediately purchasing more from Paige Toon.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this beautiful ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well, I feel a bit misled by the tags on this one.

I know that Paige Toon started in the YA market, so I had never read her work until she ventured into the Adult market, and I read “Only Love Can Hurt Like This”-which was a 5 star ⭐️ read!

I expected this to be another Adult romance since it WASN’T labeled as YA, but this most definitely had a YA feel from start to finish. While there isn’t anything wrong with YA, I am no longer in that demographic, and I wouldn’t have requested this book had it been labeled as such.

And, unfortunately, that wasn’t the only issue that I had…

Ellie was interrailing through Europe, and feeling quite lonely until she met Ash. Three days in Lisbon is all it took for them to fall love and agree to change their itineraries and meet in Spain the following week.

But, Ash doesn’t show.

Fast forward six years- Ellie has landed her dream job working as a gardener on a five-hundred-year-old estate in Wales, which included accommodations in staff cottages. She is warmly welcomed by the other staff members who INSTANTLY treat her like one of the family. These characters were all interchangeable to me-not developed enough to stand out, and they seemed “too good to be true”.

And, in the main house are Lords, Ladies, Viscounts and ASH?

She didn’t expect to ever see him again, let alone find him here!

I have read other books, and seen movies where two people traveling meet and agree to reconnect at a later date, because of their strong connection-only to have one person not show because of extenuating circumstances. So, to stand out, this story would have to make me care about these two characters and be rooting for them to find one another again.

It didn’t.

Secrets, lies, and lack of communication don’t make a strong foundation for a lasting relationship.

Nor, did it make for compelling reading, unfortunately, for this reader. Perhaps it will be more satisfying to those in a younger demographic?

Available April 15, 2025.

Thank You to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts.

After reading Someone I Used to Know last year, I quickly became a fan of Paige Toon’s writing, so I couldn’t resist requesting her latest book from NetGalley!

The beginning immediately grabbed my attention, and I was eager to see where the story would take me. Unfortunately, after the time jump, I started to feel a bit disconnected from the plot. That said, Paige did an amazing job capturing the complexities of grief and weaving in deeper themes, which I really appreciated. While the book was enjoyable overall, it didn’t fully capture me as I’d hoped. I struggled to stay engaged, and the writing/execution didn’t quite match the promise of the story.
Even so, I’d still recommend giving it a try—it might work for others! And I’m definitely excited to read more of Paige’s future releases.