This was a sweet story. Ellie and Ash both have a lot of family baggage. They’re both running away for a bit for various reasons. When they meet their chemistry is off the charts and they know intrinsically that they are each other's person. They spend three days together and plan to meet up a bit later. Ellie shows and Ash doesn’t. So begins a long and winding road of their way back to each other. I kept rooting for them, but at times did some serious head scratching. For me there was a lot of "did that just happen?", lack of adult communication skills, stubbornness and at times both of the main characters were incredibly obtuse. More him than her, but still. That said, it was still a good read that I very much enjoyed.

Paige Toon knows how to write a book while simultaneously tearing out my heart and giving me butterflies and I love it.

What If I Never Get Over You was beautifully written. The right love at the wrong time but in the end, there are so many tears of joy!

I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to get Ellie and Ash out of my mind. From the moment they met on a rooftop Inter-railing through Europe to the moment the book ends, they are a perfect match - soul mates if you will.

I loved watching their characters grow because of each other even when they weren’t together. It reminds me that even if someone isn’t meant to be in your life forever, you can make a lasting impact. Something that will carry through and remind them of you every now and then.

I will never not recommend Paige’s books!

While traveling alone in Europe, Ellie meets another solo traveler, Ash, and falls head over heels. The feeling is mutual, but with different plans already scheduled for the following week, they agree to go complete their plans and then meet up again in Spain..... but Ash never shows. Six years later, Ellie finds herself accepting a job as a gardener on a Viscount's property only to learn that the Viscount has a son. and it's Ash. Things have changed in the intervening years, and Ash and Ellie have to figure out what their futures look like..... together or otherwise.

This book was ADORABLE!!!

Part One, where Ash & Ellie are kids in Europe does such a good job of capturing the feeling of traveling and falling in love that young. The settings were great, the nervous feeling was cute, it was just a really adorable story. The characters felt real and when Ash doesn't show up you feel the gut-wrenching disappointment.

Part Two, at the Viscount's property, is more serious, a bit dramatic and full of miscommunications and hard feelings, some more believable than others, but the cast of secondary characters who work on the property with Ellie really flesh out the story and make it seem like a fun place for a young person to be working. The setting and the additional characters made really made this story come alive.

Part Three, which is post-Viscount property job, was definitely the most Hallmark-y. The end in particular definitely got a little love-sick but it was still very cute and wrapped things up nicely.

This was my first Paige Toon book, the cover and the second chance romance got me and I'm so glad it did! This definitely won't be my last from this author!

What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Publishing on April 15, 2025

Once you find true love, can you ever stop loving that person? Ellie and Ash meet during a trip abroad and very quickly fall in love. The story continues as they fall in and out of each other's lives, each time changing the dynamics of their love story.

Ellie longs to be someone different and choose a job she loves over her parents' expectations of her life and career.

Ash yearns to be someone different than what his wealthy parents and society deems him to be.

Both have lost a best friend and see life through a different lens. This gripping love story will keep you up at night because you want to know what happens next!

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam, for this advanced reader's copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#netgalley #WhatIfINeverGerOverYou #Romance WomensFiction

@netgalley @paigetoonauthor @penguinbooks

Three days to fall in love. Six years to try to forget. What If I Never Get Over You written by Paige Toon was highly disappointing for me. I am in complete shock right now, I have loved every single book I've read by Paige Toon, but this is the first book by this author that I didn't like. I was so excited to get my hands on this book when I saw Paige had a new book coming out, but unfortunately I was disappointed after reading it. I had one too many issues with this novel, I don't mind insta love, but it has to be written really well and I think it missed the mark on that front, the communication between the two main characters were very lack luster, and then it also felt more YA than adult, which I didn't expect because it was labeled as adult romance, so I find that very misleading to other readers. I feel like if you are going to write a romance novel, then there has to be communication, but the two main characters didn't communicate the way two adults should. I know Paige can redeem herself, so I'm not going to hold this mishap against her, but so far this has been my least favorite by this author. Once again, the stunning cover stole my attention, but that's okay, I'll never learn my lesson. This book WASN'T horrible by any means, but it just DIDN'T work for ME.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND PENGUIN GROUP PUTNAM FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!

TRIGGER WARNING'S
Pedophilia
Death

MUSICAL PLAYLIST
Lisbon- Wolf Alice
Smalltown Boy- Bronski Beat
Total Eclipse Of The Heart- Bonnie Tyler
When You Were Mine- Cyndi Lauper
Twice- Catfish and the Bottlemen
Constellations (piano version)- Jade LeMac
Let Me Hurt- Emily Rowed
Happy Place- SAINT PHNX
Creep- Radiohead
Bitter Sweet Symphony- The Verve
Common People- Pulp
You're Somebody Else- Flora Cash
I Remember Everything- Zach Bryan ft. Kacey Musgraves
Lipstick On The Glass- Wolf Alice
Deep End- Holly Humberstone
Astronomy- Conan Gray
Breakdown- Norman Vladimir
Something In The Orange- Zach Bryan
Starlings- Shed Seven
After Rain- Dermot Kennedy

"I like you", I whisper against his skin, "I really, really like you". "You have no fucking idea how much I like you", he replies.

"Follow your own path. Life is too short not to do what you love".

"You look as though you have been waiting for me".

Eleanor "Ellie" Knapley is a twenty-one year old book girlie from North London. Ellie has a fear of claustrophobia and she's also a people pleaser and an over thinker. I know many people will relate to Ellie, but once you read this book she'll get on your nerves and you'll know why. Ellie went to university to study furniture design, but soon later decides to go with her passion for gardening. Ellie's best friend Stella died five months ago, she danced so hard that her heart just stopped. Before Stella died, she and Ellie made a list in the back of A Court of Thorns and Roses of things they were going to do and places to visit in Portugal, Ellie and Stella were supposed to go together, but after Stella's passing, Ellie still goes to honor her best friend. Ashton "Ash" Berkeley is a twenty-one year old from North Wales. Ash likes to read manga, he went to university for astronomy and physics. Ash likes to flip flop between two different accents- Welsh and British, seems pretty interesting. Ashton lost his best friend Taran two years ago from Leukemia. Ash felt invisible growing up until he met his best friend Taran, when everybody started paying attention to him. I know many people will relate to Ashton as well, but as you read this book, he'll make you want to pull your hair out.

Ellie and Ash are interrailing in Lisbon, Portugal for three days. When they first meet, Ash's eyes are peach iced tea colored, which is the drink Ellie is drinking when they first run into each other. In those three days, Ellie and Ash get romantic with each other, they learn about each other's pasts, they connect over their complicated relationships with their parents, and they are both grieving the loss of their best friends. After spending three days together in Portugal, Ellie and Ash plan to meet one week later in Madrid. Well, Ash never showed up because his brother Hugo broke his spine jumping off a bridge to go swimming in the lake and later died, Ash also lost the book that Ellie gave him, which was also Stella's book. Of course, they never communicated with each other when Ash never showed up. Fast forward six years later, Ash and Ellie are reunited at Berkeley Hall where Ellie is a gardener and Ash's parents are Ellie's bosses. Ash now has a girlfriend and a soon to be fiancee. When Ellie and Ash reunite, and Ellie learns why Ash never showed up, Ellie immediately forgives Ash, which I don't really agree with, how could you forgive someone for standing you up after promising to meet with you, let alone in those six years there was absolutely no communication? I felt bad for Ash and Ellie after they lost their best friends, but the lack of communication is a big no no.

Thank you NetGalley, Paige Toon, and Putnam Books for the advanced copy! This was my first book from Paige Toon, and I cannot "get over" this book. I will be reading more Paige Toon in the near future. I devoured this book in two days and continue to think about it regularly. My heart was on a rollercoaster of the ups and downs.

Ellie's journey begins while interrailing through Europe, where she meets Ash. Their connection is immediate and beautiful, leading them to rearrange their plans to meet again in Spain. However, Ash does not show and leaves Ellie heartbroken.

Six years later, Ellie has found solace and purpose as a gardener, her dream after finally standing up against her parents. This is where Ash unexpectedly reappears, opening old wounds. As Ellie learns the truth of why Ash never showed six years ago, she has to decide what she wants. The feelings in this book are BIG. I felt the hurt and turmoil as well as the love. The connection between Ellie and Ash is so beautiful and strong.

I wish Becca had a different role in the text. The connection between Ash and Becca is the only reason I gave a 4 instead of a 5. It felt like Ash prioritized Becca's feelings over Ellie's in the text.

"It's so rare for me to choose to follow my heart, to do what I want to do rather than what's expected of me."
"Life is too short not to do what you love."
"He was broken when he lost you. While everyone else was grieving for Hugo, Ash was grieving for you."

I can't quite tell if What If I Never Get Over You was billed as YA or NA, but I think it teeters in between the two.

In What If I Never Get Over You, Paige Toon has written the bittersweet story of Ellie and Ash, who meet while holidaying in Europe and fall for one another. They plan to meet later in the summer but Ash never shows, leaving Ellie heartbroken. Years later, their paths cross again and Ellie must decide if she wants to let Ash back in.

Reminiscent of Before Sunrise, if a bit more saccharine. If second-chance romances are your thing, you should definitely pick this one up.

Despite reading the description of this book, I wasn't sure what to expect going in. I ended up really enjoying this book, even though at times I wanted to yell at both characters for getting in their own way! And honestly I wasn't even sure at some points how it would end! I think Ash and Ellie had some very real challenges in their relationship, and I enjoyed reading how they addressed them.

This was my first Paige Toon book and I will be reading more! Easy read, likable characters. I was hooked from part 1.

I was so excited to see this title on Netgalley. Paige Toon is a favorite author of mine and this one did not disappoint. I want to thank PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons, Paige Toon and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#BookReview
📖 What If I Never Get Over You (#69)
4⭐️/ I really liked it!
Swipe for @goodreads synopsis

🎆 Calling all fans of pining and tension: this one’s for your! Thank you @putnambooks for my early look at this. It’s out Tuesday!

🎆 Did I love this book? I’m not sure. Could I put it down? No. I needed to know what was going to happen with Ash & Ellie! The two of them meet while traveling through Europe. After three magical days together, their plans to meet back up go awry.

🎆 This book is chock full of will they-won’t they energy which kept me turning the pages. While some of the twists and turns along the way were pretty predictable I still very much enjoyed the ride.

🎆 If you’ve liked Paige Toon books in the past you’ll likely very much like this one too. I recommend it to readers who love second-chance romance or for those you love instant deep love with a lot of obstacles to get back to each other.

🎆 It’s also got deeper storylines about…
- parental pressure
- pursuit of happiness
- true meaning of success

🎆 Again, this one is out Tuesday. Check it out!

This is the first book I’ve read by Paige Toon, but it won’t be the last. A great story of two people in a really difficult situation. I loved this depiction of true love winning in the end, despite a really horrible set of circumstances.

After reading and enjoying Seven Summers, I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, it just didn’t really work for me.

I think the biggest problem for me was that it read too YA too often, and the characters felt a little immature. The beginning was kinda “insta-love”, which is not my favorite. I needed more time for Ellie and Ash’s connection to build for it to be believable that she’d be thinking of him years later. I also had some major issues with Ash’s behavior toward Ellie and her just letting it slide/ignoring his red flags.

That said, there were parts I did like. It was interesting how the dynamics between Ellie and Ash and their families were written, and seeing how those expectations were managed. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the locations while they were traveling at the beginning and around the estate; I felt immersed in the setting and could picture things easily.

This book definitely felt like an emotional rollercoaster, but not always in a good way. Even though this is labeled as adult fiction, I just don’t think I was the right demographic for this book.

Overall, I enjoyed this book! At times, the miscommunication, or lack of communication, between the characters was pretty frustrating. But I enjoyed how they overcame obstacles and came back together. I also felt that it was a little strange to mention SA right at the end of the book. Thank you for allowing me to read this book prior to publication.

Omg. PAIGE! This book had my stomach in knots! It captivated me right from the start and I was desperate to follow Ellie and Ash’s journey over the years.

The writing was lovely and easy to follow, really engaging. I am such a sucker for second-chance romance. They always have such deep yearning and this idea of “what if”, that lingers in the back of the characters’ minds over time. This had all of that. What a rollercoaster this story was!

Did the characters have a lot of personal traumas and emotional immaturity that needed to be addressed? 100%. But I think that also comes with growing up and experiencing life at it’s worst. They both held onto so much anger, resentment, loss, and sadness over the years, so I think that also plays a huge role. We get to see the characters develop from their teen years to adulthood, and with that, become more of themselves.

⚠️ Please check trigger warnings before reading this! There are a lot of topics brought up in this book that are sensitive.

If you loved Every Summer After or One Day, this book could be your next great love story!

This novel comes out on April 15th! Thanks to NetGalley, Paige Toon, and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm such a sucker for wrong time/place, second chance romances and this latest by Paige Toon pulled at my heartstrings in the WORST/BEST way!!! Ella and Ash meet while travelling around Europe via the rail and spend a magical, life-altering three days together before getting separated by circumstances and not meeting again until years later.

But even then, their drastically different backgrounds (Ella is a 'commoner' and Ash is heir to a huge Welsh estate) keeps them from being together without complications. If you enjoy an emotional, angst driven romance full of grief and second chances, this is perfect for you. It is definitely one of my favorite Paige Toon books!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC. Highly recommended for fans of stories about gardening, land preservation and forbidden/opposites attract romances.

1⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advanced copy of What If I Never Get Over You.

Ellie is traveling through Europe when she meets Ash. They only spend three days together but that was enough for them to know how they feel. They plan to meet up again but Ash never shows and Ellie is heartbroken. Six years later they come face to face again those sparks are still there.

This book was much more of a young adult read. The characters and plot were very immature. I did not like any of the characters. This was not for me.

Oh man, this book was not for me. Which is a bummer because I have loved all of the other Paige Toon Books that I've read. The beginning parts I really loved. As someone who has done some worldly traveling, had somewhat rocking relationships with parents, and fell hard and fast for someone from a different world, I really thought this was about to be a new fav. But holy smokes did that go up in flames quickly. I'm all for an immediate mc learning and navigating young adulthood and learning. But I found Ellie to be so infuriating the entire book, but especially toward the end. I enjoy when a romance story has some bumps and issues along the way but WHAT WAS THIS?! I really can't get into it more without giving spoilers. But the people at the garden = sucked. The "friend but also girlfriend" = sucked. The parents = sucked. The communication = SUCKED. And all of this added up to me strongly disliking this novel overall. Which pains me, cause at its base this is a book I really enjoyed the overall premise of.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for early access.

This author always does it to me. I love all her books, and I had a feeling this book would not disappoint. I was ready to cry TEARS because that’s what her books do to me.

I will say this, this book had a lot going on. And some of the characters were a bit juvenile to me even though they were adult-ish 6 years later. Ash and Ellie met while they were both being young and interrailing, and they have this cute connection, which the old lady in me feels is not safe at all, but that’s why this is fiction RIGHT!!!!!! Lol. Anyway, its literally the cutest thing.

6 years later Ellie ends up giving up everything, and following her own passion and then IRONICALLY, she ends up bumping into Ash, and a whole ton of things come out. His family comes from prestige, and sooner rather than later people around them find out that she’s the one who got away, the one he wouldn’t stop talking about. Then everything moves super quickly in the story. Loved the romance and the second chance but I felt the characters were very juvenile, I don’t know if it’s the culture?? But overall I loved the ending, it was so darn cute.

A bit more YA than expected but I will definitely check out more of Paige Toon’s work as I’ve heard great things! I would consider this book to be just average for the romance genre