It took me a moment to really settle into this one, but once I did, I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. Told in two timelines, it follows Cora, a woman nearing forty who finds herself reunited with the two men who stole her heart in her early twenties!

A very different story, but this actually reminded me a bit of the Netflix show 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, with Cora as a young Black woman navigating college and finding an epic love. And like 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, the story doesn’t follow a continuous day-to-day timeline. Chapters often skipped ahead by months! I loved that sense of unexpectedness, the early 2000s nostalgia, and how the past and present came together. One love story unfolds in real time while getting letters from another, and the way the two ultimately converge was just so juicy!

It’s a messy, emotionally layered story with lots of highs and lows for Cora and those around her. There’s some potentially triggering moments, so do keep that in mind. It’s not a romance that made me absolutely swoon, I must admit, but I was 100% invested in these characters and the outcome!

2.5 stars I'm so sorry

Brief overview:

Back in college in 1999, Cora finally forms a trio of friends and feels like she's fitting in. Suddenly, she meets Lincoln and everything changes. Then she meets Aaron, and it changes yet again. Flash forward to 2021 and she finds herself stuck between the same two men yet again.

My thoughts:

It is a beautifully written story with some excellent quotes, such as "instead of keeping you safe, your fears can keep you small." Unfortunately, though, something about it just did not work. It took me a week to read this 320 page novel (should typically take me two days) because I simply could not get into it. I didn't find the characters to be relatable or lovable or even really that interesting. The love triangle didn't feel real to me, as we never actually got to know Aaron until like the last two chapters.

If you're into lovely writing that doesn't move particularly fast, I think this would be a good fit!

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the chance to read this early.

I was intrigued by this title but struggled to connect with the timeline jumping in the story. Thank you for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This one started off strong for me—I really enjoyed the nostalgic vibe and early 2000s setting in the first half. There was something charming about stepping back into that era through Cora’s perspective, and I was initially drawn into the setup of her reconnecting with past loves. The idea of exploring “what ifs” in a love triangle sounded original enough to pull me in, even though that trope isn’t usually my go to.

Unfortunately, the second half didn’t quite deliver on the promise of the premise. The story is marketed as a love triangle, but we spend so much time building the connection between Cora and Lincoln that the abrupt pivot to Aaron felt jarring and underdeveloped. It threw off the balance of the story, and for me, the emotional investment never quite recovered. Love triangles can be tricky, and while I appreciated the attempt to do something different here, it didn’t fully land.

Cora herself was also a tough character to connect with at times. She came off as pretty self centered, which made it harder to root for her or get fully immersed in her journey. That said, there were bright spots—Cora’s relationship with her dad was genuinely sweet and heartfelt, and her friendships with her girlfriends added some much needed warmth and depth. Those moments felt grounded and real.

Overall, this was a middle of the road read for me. I appreciated the unique concept and some of the emotional beats, but the story lost momentum halfway through and never quite found its footing again. If you’re drawn to nostalgic second chance stories with a side of emotional drama, it might be worth checking out, but go in knowing it’s a bit uneven.

⭐⭐⭐

All the Men I’ve Loved Again
Author: Christine Pride
Source: NetGalley
Publication Date: July 8, 2025

Can you love two people at the same time? I do believe that you can. However, not for decades, and that is my problem with this book. Cora is the lead female character who has a long-standing relationship with the rather controlling and ambitious Lincoln while still holding a crush on the more laid-back Aaron. This storyline goes back and forth for almost twenty years. Yikes.

We learn a LOT about Lincoln, but Aaron doesn’t get as much time in the storyline. With the larger role, I can tell Lincoln might be too much for most girls to handle. If a man ordered my meal without asking my permission in a restaurant, you can be assured I would lose my sh*t.

There are other issues, but this book had such great promise and was not irksome. I am sure it will win fans and be a good summer read.

#AlltheMenIveLovedAgain #ChristinePride @atriabooks #fiction #conflicted #secondchance #love #future #indecision #contemporaryFiction #romance @netgalley

I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.

I enjoyed it, but I think the pacing was a bit all over the place. We didn't get a lot of time of Cora by herself. We also got too much of Lincoln lore and not enough of Aaron's. I liked the plot, but there were a lot of choices the characters made that made me dislike them.

I really liked the premise and the pitch but the writing itself was not for me. We didn't really get a sense of attraction to the first guy in the origin story, so I wasn't entirely confident the author could create a second romantic interest. Since the dueling romantic interests are the point, this worry bounced me pretty early on.

A rather long and sometimes tedious novel recounting the loves of Cora Belle. When she goes to college, she is determined to break out of her sheltered life and truly experience life. She meets and falls in love with Lincoln. He is a young man from a very poor background and determined to make a life in politics. He is in her life continually, even after they break up. Cora also meets Aaron and also falls in love with him. The story traces her meetings and interactions with both men as she finally (twenty years later) decides which one she truly belongs with.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

While I enjoyed parts of this book, this love story ultimately fell flat for me. With so much focus on Cora and Lincoln's relationship throughout the entire book - the fact that there were two love interests involved in this story really didn't make sense. And Cora's decision at the end? This ultimately made even less sense. It did not feel like the author was intentionally holding anything back from us to make us think, it simply felt like Cora and Aaron's love story was underdeveloped.

Can your heart love one man and you love another man too? This is Cora's journey and this is what she is going through. This takes her through 20 years of her life. It is an interesting story.
I received an ARC from Atria Books though NetGalley.

Felt the whole first half of this book to be really slow - the title made me think we'd be focused on the second chance aspect but we didn't and that was disappointing. Loved the friendship aspect however.

3.75 rounded up to 4 stars.

Overall an enjoyable and entertaining book. The characters were vibrant and were very realistic. The relationships and dialogue were also really good.

The premise/plot were very interesting thought provoking. However, there were parts that felt like they went on a little longer than necessary and I was wanting to skip ahead. However, the ending was great and I enjoyed the choices the MC made and that there was a clear ending.

Advanced reader copy provided by Atria but all opinions are my own.

Best known for her collaborations with Jo Piazza and her contributions to contemporary fiction, Christine Pride takes a confident solo leap into the romance genre with All the Men I Loved Again, and the result is a compelling, emotionally resonant story that hits all the right notes.

Told with a brisk, engaging pace that makes it a true page-turner, the novel follows Cora, the relatable and sharply drawn protagonist, as she navigates a complex love triangle that spans decades. The story opens in the early 2000s during Cora’s college years, where she finds herself torn between two men, each representing different visions of her future. Fast forward twenty years, and Cora is once again at a crossroads, revisiting these long-buried feelings and the men who once shaped her life.

Pride masterfully explores the themes of timing, choice, and personal growth. The dual timeline structure works beautifully, giving readers a layered look into how love can evolve or stay frozen in time. The narrative is infused with a nostalgic warmth, full of references to 90s and early 2000s culture that will strike a chord with anyone who came of age during that era.

Relatable, reflective, and full of heart, All the Men I Loved Again captures the complexities of romance and the what-ifs we all carry. Christine Pride has not only proven her versatility as a writer but has also delivered a romance that is both smart and satisfying.

*I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

i don’t think this book was for me. i struggled a lot with the writing style and i felt that there was a lot of telling instead of showing.

Ultimately, a fun, hyper-readable rom-com spanning decades and two major relationships in Cora Belle’s life.

What I liked: The letters with Aaron, Cora’s relationship with her father, the angst, her friendship with Kim and Nisha, and how realistic it was.

What I didn’t like: Lincoln. To me, it was obvious in the first 30% she shouldn’t be with him, and he got soooo much “screen” time. Barf.

Cora Belle’s story moves between her college years in 1999 and the present as she falls in love twice. First with Lincoln, a charming law student, and then with Aaron, a thoughtful photographer. Twenty years later, both men return to her life, and she has to choose again.

The setup had a lot of potential. I usually enjoy stories about second chances and complicated relationships, but this one just didn’t work for me. I had a hard time connecting with Cora. She often came across as self-absorbed, and her indecisiveness made it tough to stay invested in her journey. I kept hoping for more growth or reflection from her, but it never really came.

The structure also threw me off. Letters from 2002 were mixed in with chapters set in 2000 and 2001. The chapters followed Lincoln, while the letters were from Aaron, who hadn’t even been introduced yet. It felt confusing rather than intriguing. Even later in the story, Aaron stayed more in the background, and the connection with Lincoln felt one-sided and overly dominant.

I appreciated the emotional weight behind some of the themes, especially the idea that the “men” in the title also referred to Cora’s father. That was a thoughtful detail and added a nice layer to the story.

In the end, the slow pacing and predictability made it hard for me to stay engaged. I can see how others might enjoy the emotional depth or the reflective tone, but it just wasn’t a good fit for me.

All the Men I’ve Loved Again was my first book by Christine Pride, and while I was intrigued by the nostalgic 1999 setting and Cora Belle’s journey into adulthood, I ended up DNFing around 30%. I really enjoyed Cora’s friendships and the spark with Lincoln but the story leaned heavily into introspection over interaction, and I found myself wishing for more dialogue and connection between characters. The reflective, inner-thought style just didn’t hold my interest enough to keep going. I do plan to give it another shot as an audiobook once it’s released!

Emotional and reflective, this novel explores love, regret, and second chances through a tender lens. The writing was strong, though some transitions between timelines felt abrupt. Still, it offered moving insights and a hopeful arc.

Unfortunately, this book just did not work for me.

I found that the way the plot was laid out was very odd, with letters from 2002 interspersed between chapters from 2000-2001, but those chapters were for Lincoln and the letters were for Aaron, who we hadn’t even met yet. It created a jarring experience rather than a mysterious one, for me at least. There was a similar feeling of “mostly Lincoln almost no Aaron” in the second half as well, it just presented differently since by then the letters were finished. There are other things, but that was really the main issue for me that kept me from feeling like I could really get into the book.

One this I did like is that the "men" in the title also includes Cora’s father. I thought that was a really sweet touch instead of making it solely about the two men she’d fallen in and out and back into love with. It gave closure to her childhood experiences and to their changing relationship as Cora grew more independent of Wes (aka, as she became an adult).

Good romance read. It will definitely have you in the feels and reminiscing about your past. I will say that I feel like Cora chose to be single and is a little bit much.