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.

GodDAMN Paige Toon writes books that just evoke the ANGST in such a visceral way. I read this entire thing in one sitting and I can't get over how much I always seem to do this with Toon's books. The characters are real and the emotions are real and so relatable, and I think we all kinda wish we could find our own Ash, you know?

I have read a couple of Paige's books, and have loved her style of writing. This one was excellent as well! I love the way that she delivers an emotional gut-punch, I like that in my romance novels. She does not shy away from making her readers feel *all* of the emotions. I liked Ellie and Ash as characters, and their journey through 6 years of pining was a great read.

4⭐️

**Thank you Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalleyfor the eARC**

Ellie meets the love of her life, Ash, while interrailing through Europe. The two fall hard and fast for the three days they are together before unfortunate events separate them. For years. Neither believe they will find each other due to not share small details such as last names. Lo and behold, once Ellie follows her heart and starts her dream gardening job, she finds it’s for the family of none other than her love, Ash. Trouble ensues because of class differences. Will love overcome?

I enjoyed the story of Ellie and Ash. Very much a love at first sight kind of romance. There are moments it feels a little too good to be true. I did have some trouble with how often the character of Ellie kept emphasizing that they would never work and it would end terribly, though I understand the purpose for the narrative. I like the voice of the narration, the setting is beautifully written, and such fun characters are present throughout.

What If I Never Get Over You is the 2nd book I’ve read by Paige Toon and if possible, I enjoyed it even more than the first book I read that got me hooked on this author. I really enjoy her writing style – the story flows easily but it’s her descriptive narrative that puts me right in the middle of her stories. This is another heartbreaking, emotional read - at least it was for me. I really liked Ellie and Ash’s characters. I loved how they met and I thought separating the story into three different parts really worked for their journey. I have mentioned in other reviews that I enjoy secondary story lines within the main plot and Ms. Toon does a great job of doing this. I was just as invested in the secondary characters as I was in Ellie and Ash. This was a thoroughly enjoyable contemporary romance with a bit of a twist in the way it was delivered. I’m looking forward to what Ms. Toon has planned for the future. I’m grateful to have been given the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book through NetGalley.

oh my GOSH these arcs are saving my life.

this was SO GOOD!! i can’t even explain it but something about this book was just so all consuming.
i felt the moment when it shifted and i knew this would be a great one.

eleanor meets ash in portugal when they are both solo interrailing & they spend a few days together and click instantly. they make memories & make plans - something neither of them were expecting. when ash doesn’t show up at their designated meeting spot, eleanor loses hope of what ever their potential future if and tries to move on, for 6 years.

they meet again, as ellie is the gardener of ash’s royal esteemed family (something he forgot to mention). they find each other again and of course, there’s the third act breakup!

watching these two fall in and out of love and have their first, second and THIRD chance romance absolutely reeled me in and kept me on my toes.

i really loved this. i loved their relationship & how they bonded over their grief. i loved how the world keep ripping them apart then throwing them back together.

so so good. thank you netgalley & putnam books for this earc

I love nothing more than a second chance romance and I’m a huge Paige Toon fan— she is a must read author for me. The beginning completely hooked me— I loved Ellie and Ash’s time in Lisbon. I also really enjoyed the ending. However, I felt like the pacing was off in the middle 40%. I felt like there wasn’t enough tension, or character development and both MC’s made a lot of ridiculous decisions, and I wasn’t excited to pick it up. This wasn’t my favorite of hers, but she’s still a must-read author for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Loved this one! Not usually a fan on insta-love but I feel as if Paige Toon did it well in a way that it wasn't cringe.

The "right place wrong time" trope isn't my favorite as it frustates me (Ellie, get it together, girl!) but parts three and four SO made up for it!

I do wish Stella was talked about more later in the book as her death was such a heavy theme in part one (Taran was very well-done).

Overall, would definitely recommend!!

I LOVE Paige Toon's books.but this was a dud for me. I DNF'd it at like 30%. I didn't like the characters and it just fell flat.

Last year I read my first Paige Toon book and really loved the way she brought together time, angst, loss, and second chances. I still have to read more of her books. But when I was offered her newest/about to be released What If I Never Get Over You I knew I would take it. This story was going to have large shoes to fill, but I had a feeling Toon would win me over.

Ellie and Ash meet in Portugal while inter-railing. They have a whirlwind 3 days together where they get to know one another as fellow travelers and experience Portugal like their friends would have wanted. Both of these characters had experienced loss in the past, so it seemed like it might've been fate that brought them together so they could have someone to share everything with. On their last day in Portugal, they realize there is something special between them, but they both have things to take care of so they plan to meet in Madrid a week later. But if you know Toon (or not), she couldn't make it that easy.

OMG! I loved these two and their brief time they had together. No matter how long it was, you could feel the emotions between them and see how similar they looked at life. It reminded me of my days traveling around Europe and making connections with people that you may or may not see again. But Ellie and Ash were on a whole other level. That's why it was hard to experience what came next.
Emotionally, the middle of the book was difficult for me. I liked the parts where these characters went after what they wanted and what they saw for a future, but I also hated the time apart, the characters' backgrounds and their attachment to family and those that they loved. I know this isn't making a lot of sense, but I'm trying to keep this spoiler free because all these little things ultimately add up to their actions they feel they have to take.

'Heartbreak is on the horizon and I'm catapulting toward it.'

WIth all that said, I loved the beginning and I loved the ending. It was the middle part that kind of has me going back and forth. But that's the angst that was brought to the forefront and I give Toon credit for that. I just felt there was a little something missing or maybe it was that the time they did spend together bugged me. Not sure. I really wish I had more information about the time they spent apart AND that Ellie was more forward about her family issues with Ash and with us as the audience. I wanted to shake these two and get them to realize what was going on. But if I did, I wouldn't have gotten the ending that was so perfect for them.

Overall, this was a good story, but didn't beat Seven Summers for me. Paige Toon created some amazing characters that I fell in love with and allowed me to feel the locations these characters inhabited. She definitely pulls at your heartstrings and makes the characters WORK for their HEA, but it still felt like a little magic was missing. I still enjoyed it and can't wait to see what is on the horizon.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons and Netgalley for a gifted advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I put off reading this book as long as possible because I knew that if I read another Paige Toon book, I’d be in a reading slump. Well, I loved this book from the very first chapter; the authors writing sucks me in every time. I felt so anxious reading the last 30% (iykyk) and had to stop reading for a little bit. This book is beautiful, heartbreaking, and real. And, I learned a little about planets in the process ◡̈