4 🌟

I loved the beginning and the end... the middle frustrated me a bit. 😬

Okay, I'm not a huge fan of insta love but loved the concept of meeting on vacation and agreeing to meet up again at a different date/time. But the middle/third act break up felt a little long to me. However, I loved the ending!

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

this might be a case of it's not the book, it's me.

because honestly this was wayyyy too YA and just generally immature for my tastes, and i did not expect that at all. the concept was fun, i think. a sort of second chance romance with a little twist. but the execution didn't work for me. i didn't like the characters, i didn't care about the romance, and i didn't even really like the writing. so yeah, this was... unfortunate.

thank you to penguin group & netgalley for the arc! all opinions are my own <3

I came across Paige Toon when I grabbed a title from Book of the Month's add on list and she became an automatic read author for me. However, I was a little disappointed with this title as it fell short of my expectations. I know she was a YA author previously, but I think this one still had too many undertones of YA for my preferences (coming-of age and self-discovery), so I think this might appeal to a younger audience.

Overall, it had good a good premise and beautiful prose but I would have preferred more character development in the beginning of the book. After finishing, I understand why it was written this way, but with the quick dive into Ellie and Ash's inter-railing adventures, I didn't get the true connection or relate to their immediate connection after only 3 days. I also struggled with Ellie's personality which seemed immature with the back and forth emotions of their relationship and lack of self-confidence throughout the entire book. It was still a cute romance with a great setting, but not one I would enjoy reading again.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

*Book publication date: April 15, 2025*
*Reviewed March 21, 2025*

This might be the best book I have read all year. Ash and Ellie immediately won my heart and took me on a wild ride of emotions. I fell in love with them. I wanted to scream at them. I cried with them. I longed for this unlikely but somehow made for one another pair to figure it all out.

You don’t want to miss this one, friends. It’s so good.

There were many parts to this book where you truly felt the growth of the main characters. I think it read more YA, but not overly so and I got major Allie & Noah vibes towards the end (i.e. Ash brooding with a beard while chopping wood for the cabin he just built by himself).
Overall I really enjoyed it as I quickly read through all 400+ pages in 2 days.

An absolutely extraordinary book! Embarking on this story reminded me why I love reading so much.
This book is filled with charming characters and has a unique story. Thank you for allowing me to read it in advance.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the connection that Ellie and Ash have. There were a few times I wanted to scream at them and shake some sense into them, but I still loved the book!

Lovely, sweet romance novel, 3.5 stars

When Ellie and Ash meet, they are both single, taking some time to get over the loss of their best friend by interrailing around Europe. They spend a precious few days together, plan to meet up again and fate intervenes. Of course, Ellie doesn't know it was fate; she feels rejected.

This pattern keeps repeating for Ellie and Ash over the years. They both continue living their lives, growing careers (in Ellie's case) and interacting with friends and family. The reader is taken along on this journey, the not knowing if/when they will see each other again, and if they do, what will happen keeps the book moving swiftly along. I did feel invested in what happens to their relationship, and the book was a quick read. Enjoyed.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Oh boy, I really wanted to love this. This was actually one of my most anticipated reads of 2025. I loved Seven Summers and was going to put Paige Toon on my auto buy author lists. However, this book was not it.
What I enjoyed was the authors ability to write love in its most authentic way, the reader feels it through the pages. I also love the authors ability to write flawed relatable characters.
What I didn't like and what made me almost dnf this book was the authors terrible, simplistic writing of the story. Quotes like "I like him so so so much" made me second guess which author I was reading. There are many immature quotes throughout the book that were almost upsetting. Also, following the main characters every move day in and day out felt like the authour had no idea how to fill the pages and just decided to draw out the story by telling the reader every little move the character made. This definitely had potential, but in the end it didn't hit the mark, at least not for me.
I want to thank Netgalley and the Publisher for the e-arc in exchange for my honest reveiw.

Wow! I’m feeling emotionally attached to Ellie and Ash at this point. I’m not ready to let them go… The character development in this novel is superb. Each of the main characters has depth and merit. It’s a romance novel through and through but it touches on deep content and real issues, Ellie’s character in particular. I was unsure how I felt about the setup of this story, it very quickly jumps over large chunks of the characters lives, but having finished it now I understand the purpose and it worked out well from the perspective of the reader. This was my first read by Paige Toon but I’ve already purchased another of her novels to try next! Highly recommend getting your hands on a copy of this one, What If I Never Get Over You.

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.