Cora is in college in the late 90s when she meets Lincoln - a tall dark and handsome man she can't stop thinking about. Lincoln is charming and everything Cora pictured for herself. When a series of events and revelations causes Cora to rethink her relationship with Lincoln, she meets Aaron and things get exponentially more complicated. Now it's 20 years later, after both men have exited her life, and they both come barreling back in at the same time. Cora is forced to finally decide what she wants for herself and her future.

This book is not your typical romance. While there are elements of romance, there are also a lot of heavy parts to the story that overpower the romance. This book also relies on the miscommunication/keeping secrets trope, which I strongly dislike. I wish they would all just talk to each other like adults. My favorite part of the book was Cora's relationship with her best friends. I loved seeing their friendships thrive over decades. I very much relate to that with my college girlfriends. I'm not sure this book is for me, but I can see others who would love this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of All the Men I've Loved Again.

I couldn't stop thinking while I was reading this that this would make an incredible movie. In fact, the dream cast would have had Gwyneth Paltrow back in the '90s. I couldn't put this down and read it all in one day while at the beach. The perfect for a book club!

A nostalgic and compelling read that I wasn’t expecting!

A little bit of a trigger warning as there is a situation of abortion.

This book brings us to 1999 and the very early 2000s. Cora is starting college and you see her fall in love for the first time. We see experience all kinds of heartbreak but especially we see her approach everything as a human being. There were times where she made me make a face because I didn’t agree with the way she went about things but at the end of the day who I am to judge in a situation I’ve never been in?

We eventually see Cora in 2021 and she still has a lot to figure out. While we see her reunite with old flames, we finally see her approach situations a tiny bit for maturely but barely. 😅 The romance aspect of this was intriguing to read about and I’m happy with the choice she made in the end. There were some small intimacy scenes but nothing too graphic. I give it a 1 🌶️ out of 5.

Most of all I really like the writing. It was very beautifully written, even with the situations made me angry. 🤣 Thank you NetGalley, Atria and Christina Pride for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This story follows Cora through the decades--beginning in the late 90s, taking us through the early 2000s, and then to her present-day predicament 20 years later. I loved the cast in Cora's life, especially Wes, and really appreciated their father-daughter relationship. I found myself relating to Cora's growing pains through life's uncertainties, self-doubt, and self-discovery. I was less invested in the "love triangle" (not my favorite trope in romance, to be honest) because it did feel heavily one-sided for a majority of the story, and I was more interested in the growth of our MC and those around her. Since I chose this book based on the premise of it being a contemporary romance, yet didn't feel particularly strong about either romantic partners, this is my reason for rating it 3 stars rather than 4. I would actually rate it 3.5 if I could because I did enjoy Pride's writing and would read more of her work in the future.

*Another ARC read that I'm a few weeks behind on posting about, benefitting me with access to the audiobook, but also drowning me in shame for my delayed post. Nonetheless, I thank Atria Books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read an eARC and share my honest opinion. As an immersive reader, I really enjoyed it paired with the audiobook.

A cute coming of age story. It was slow to begin with, but grew traction. Cora the MC was quite self-absorbed so that kind of got on my nerves but it was interesting to watch her grow into her own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC for exchange for my honest review.

Cora meets Lincoln at college and dates him for three years. They had their ups and downs, but eventually separate. Kind of. Cora always has a thing for Lincoln, but then she meets the intriguing Aaron. They have a whirlwind weekend and Paris. 20 years later, both men are back in her life. This girl won’t be alone? With Lincoln? Aaron?

Most of this book is about Cora‘s relationship with Lincoln. I didn’t really feel a connection with either a man, but you get so little time with Aaron. The ending was unfulfilling for me.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley For a copy of this book.

Oh Cora Belle. How i adored the 90’s references, camaraderie between college roommates and their families and the back and forth stories. The first half of the book felt longer than necessary while i really enjoyed the last 1/4 of the story. I always enjoy different types of writing in a story but the font in the letters was so tiny and unable to be enlarged which was frustrating.

I received an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think the highlights of this book for me was how relatable and nostalgic the first year of college was for the main character. In addition, I really liked the writing style/sentence structure/wording choices. I kept finding myself impressed, which I don’t think I often note when I am reading. I did find the overall structure of the book to be odd. The synopsis sets you up for a love triangle, but the bulk of book only follows one side of the triangle with just letters in between reminding you there is another person in TBR mix. I do think this is good in terms of a coming of age story, but I don’t think I would go into it wanting an amazing romance.

𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌!

QOTD: 2 books you enjoyed by the same author?

𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙚𝙣 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝘼𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣
by Christine Pride
320 pages
@atriabooks
Coming July 8, 2025

This was an excellent coming of age novel following Cora from her first day of college forward into her 40s and beyond. This is the kind of serious novel that is an authentic portrait of the second chances we all may encounter throughout our lives in relationships, careers or lifestyles. The structure of the novel involved flash back as a literary technique (chapters are dated) and an epistolary framework where letters are used to tell the story of how Cora met her second love. This kept me on my toes as a reader.

Cora’s first love was Lincoln Ames and she saw him her first day on campus. Cora was an only child to her single dad Wes, a warm and loving college professor and Lincoln was the oldest brother struggling by financially while providing for his little brothers and alcoholic single mother. Both came from different walks of life, but successfully worked toward college degrees when they met and fell for each other. The chapters alternate between this first love and letters from Aaron, a man that Cora met during one of the darkest times of her life.

In this character-driven novel, Cora evolved from a fearful, anxious, indecisive college student into a more self assured, confident 40-something. Cora’s habits are borderline neurodivergent and she suffered from depression- I was unsure how to classify her, but empathized with how she was described. Cora’s life is also defined by specific tragedies that spur trauma and depression, and her evolution as a person was supported by a therapist. See Storygraph for TWs.

I enjoyed this debut because of the care of the author in creating authentic characters with deep feelings and complicated histories whose decisions evolve as they age and mature.

If you enjoy character driven novels and believe in second chance romance, then you should read it. Synopsis ⬇️

Though this is categorized as Christine Pride’s solo debut novel, she also cowrote the fantastic 𝙒𝙚 𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙢 with Jo Piazza.

#books #arcreview

Cora Belle enters college in 1999, ready for a new start. She plans to throw off her shy, sheltered persona and live life to the fullest. What she doesn’t expect is to get a glimpse of Lincoln on her first day! When they finally meet, months later, their chemistry is instant. As their college years pass and their relationship grows deeper they begin to look to the future. But when two huge things strike in such close proximity, Cora finds strength from Aaron. How will she decide between the two men? Twenty years later, we catch back up with Cora, who has made a life for herself in her singleness. But when a chance encounter with both Lincoln and Aaron once again put her in a position to choose between the two, she’s given a second chance to make the right decision. As soon as she can figure out what that right decision is.
For a book that clearly (from the back cover and prologue) is about a woman deciding between two men, not once but twice, it seemed odd to me that we didn’t even meet guy #2 until 58% through the book (except being “introduced” to him through a few letters he writes from a future timeline, interspersed seemingly randomly throughout the first part of the story). And, I didn’t think we got a proper meeting, it was just he was suddenly there and a part of her life. For that reason alone, it made the book hard to feel realistic to me. Do I think she made the ultimate right decision? Yes. The ending was good. But how we got there was confusing and drawn out to me.
This one is already published, so if you’re a fan of romances with tough choices and second chances pick up a copy at your favorite book buying location!
Thank you to @netgalley for providing me a free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #AllTheMenIveLovedAgain

Christine Pride’s solo debut is a thoughtful and emotionally rich story about love, identity, and figuring out who you want to be in the second half of your life. I loved watching Cora navigate her past and present, especially as she reconnected with the two men who shaped her most—Lincoln and Aaron. The story doesn’t try to offer a simple answer, which made it feel that much more real and compelling.

One of the things I appreciated most was how the book centers on a woman in her 40s who is child-free by choice. That representation felt rare and honest. The college flashbacks were some of my favorite parts, especially seeing Cora’s first big love and the friendships that helped shape her. Aaron’s letters gave a sweet and nostalgic touch, and I liked how they offered insight into his perspective. That said, I did wish we got some of Lincoln’s point of view too. It would have helped balance the triangle and made his character feel a bit more grounded.

Cora could be frustrating at times, mostly in her indecision, but I respected her desire not to settle. And her dad, Wes, completely stole the show for me. He brought warmth, humor, and a quiet strength that made him one of the most memorable characters in the book.

I was lucky enough to interview Christine Pride about this novel, and learning that parts of the story were loosely inspired by her real life, and that the person Cora chooses in the end is who Christine chose in her own life, made it feel even more special!

This book had many characters that all went through their own character development without feeling overwhelming and confusing. I loved seeing them all grow individually but also together.

It’s a heartfelt story about choosing yourself and figuring out what a fulfilling life looks like on your own terms.

This book unfortunately was just not for me. I did not love the two love interests aspect, and found it hard to get into the book. Overall though I liked the writing style so I am still giving it a three stars. I think this is a great book with a lot of potential, its just not for me!

First, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. This one is a pretty predictable storyline. It’s a romance, but a romance triangle. I really struggled to like any of them. I wanted to yell - hey go find someone you really like! But, I digress. This one plodded along for me … like really plodded. Hoping this resurrects itself and is better when I read it again. Sometimes the timing is everything!

I just didn’t like this book. 2.5⭐️
Cora might be one of the most selfish characters I’ve ever read, and I felt sorry for the men she’s loved.
I wish I enjoyed the story more, but I just struggled to relate to it, and as I said before, Cora is insufferable.
Thank you Atria books and netgalley for the arc!

Do you remember the hit songs of 1999 and early 2000s. Can you hear a few of them in your head? If you were alive and loving music back then All The Men I've Loved Again pull you back into the nostalgia.
I could "hear" the music being pumped off the pages.

Cora Belle is a shy and sheltered young woman who is starting college. She's going to have to break out of her shell and find her people and place in life. She's a daddy's girl who has had advantages in life that others haven't which is going to mean that she's going to have a few eye opening moments.

Cora finds herself in a sticky situation in which her heart and that of two men are at risk. It's been twenty years since she found herself in the Lincoln/Aaron love triangle and it's about to resurface.

This book starts of strong and had me vibing. Cora's voice and perspective is strong. Her friendships are real and her relationship with her dad is beyond sweet. The story holds until the second half and then I slowly disintegrates. Something was missing or maybe there was too much. Expect some potential triggering subjects. This book is a bit like reading someone's diary in that it has some good juicy stuff and some mundane things. Expect steam and a bit of character development confusion.

This one landed squarely in the middle for me. I liked the premise, and there were some emotional moments that hit, but the pacing dropped off halfway through and never really recovered. If you’re into second-chance stories with a nostalgic feel and a little emotional messiness, it might still be worth a look.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

This on was ok. I liked how it went to the past and you got to read about Cora and Lincoln. I thought the letters from Aaron felt weirdly placed. She was torn between the two, but Aaron played such a small role. Overall this was entertaining

I was really lucky to recieve this as a physical arc and it was one of my first physical arcs and I feel so greatful for that.

I love Christine Pride's writing and everything about this book I was just more into the platonic relationships throughout rather than the romantic ones. I am definately going to be reading more by C Pride!

Christine Pride does an amazing job of situated you in time with her references and ability to paint such a clear picture with her words. I loved the friendship storyline more than the romantic ones and it was nice to see how that evolved over time.

I really enjoyed All the Men I've Loved Again - it's a romance, but not a typical one, and it's written very well. Cora goes off to college and meets Lincoln, who quickly becomes her perfect boyfriend, and she thinks he's her soulmate until some cracks begin to show. She also meets Aaron, who affects her in different ways. The story is written in non-chronological order, in a way that I found really well done and left me wanting to find out what happened. I also loved Cora's relationships with her 2 best friends and her father. I'll recommend this one!