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.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is an enjoyable romance. The main character isn’t 100 percent likable. It is a coming of age story within a love triangle. The story centers around love, friendship and personal growth as the MC discovers who she is and what she wants in her life. It is emotional and a solid read.

A debut novel about coming of age, finding love and the path in life that brings you joy and brings out who you are and want to be.

I will admit I’m not a huge fan of love triangles so when I saw this was marketed as one I was a little hesitant but overall i think this was deeper than a team Edward/team Jacob battle that drives me nuts. At its core was a woman living her life and trying her best to live true to herself while dealing with attraction to men.
Very character driven, low plot.
At times Cora felt self absorbed and a little hard to not find annoying but she has an excellent circle of friends that really make the book imo.

Thanks to netgalley and atria books for an eARC

This was a coming of age story around first love, and that despite heartbreak, never truly goes away. Cora Belle's in college and meets Lincoln, and it's love at first sight. And just like that begins their love story in the early 2000's. They were truly two people from opposite upbringings with an idealized look at their future. But reality sometimes gets in the way and leads you down a different path, and introduces another important man to Cora, in the form of Aaron. Both men couldn't be more different from one another, both in the past timeline, where the author spends most of the novel, and then in the later timeline, twenty years later, where both men re-enter Cora's life. Both men were not given equal time in the story (and Aaron's letters were difficult to read on a Kindle), which left the reader missing the importance Aaron had to Cora when he returned twenty years later. Yet, the story was more about Cora finding something out about herself as much as it was about the love story in the end.

I enjoyed following Cora's journey even though there were many times I wanted to shout at her and tell her to be confident and that she didn't need a man to define her. I also appreciated her relationship with her father and that he truly sacrificed his life in order to make sure that she had everything she needed. The love they had for each other was felt on the page. And I especially loved her friendship with Neisha and Kim and the weight the author gave to their story throughout the novel. Just like first love, the bonds created in friendship last a lifetime, and in their case, the three of them were each others' support and trust over the years.

Thank you to Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review.

I had such high hopes for this one but it fell flat. I really like this author so I look forward to another book in the future for her.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy.

I really enjoyed Pride's previous two (co-written) novels, so I was curious to see what her solo debut would be. Unfortunately, I was disappointed from the beginning. Cora, as a main character, came across as flat and almost one-dimensional. I found that I couldn't connect to her as a character, which made following her through the story not engaging. Also, and this isn't a fault of the author but rather of the marketing team, this isn't a love triangle story. The book spends more than half of its pages focused on Cora as a college student falling in love for the first time. When the other man who tries to win her heart appears it's too far into the story for it to feel like a real dilemma for Cora (and for the reader).

3.5 stars, rounded up

My most recent 2025 beach read is the solo debut by author Christine Pride, a novel called To All the Men I’ve Loved Again. Pride has written several novels with a co-author but this is her first striking out on her own and I think this dynamic shows. It has all of the elements of a great beach read: straight-forward story, conversational narrative, relationship exploration (including a love story) and a lot of drama. Not much by way of a beach read waterfront setting, but we do receive the added bonus of heartfelt self-discovery and character growth.

The main character, Cora, spent her formative years as the only child to a doting single father and the only Black girl in an upper-class private school. When it is time to strike out during college, Cora decides to reinvent herself, makes her first close friends, stops making only the most responsible choices, and uses her new self-confidence to start a serious romantic relationship with another student named Lincoln.

Over half of the novel is the explanation of the trajectory of Cora’s college romance with Lincoln. The author adds some depth and interest to this part of the novel via Cora’s budding friendships and the evolution of her connection with her father. I found these side relationships to be more interesting and compelling than the romantic one(s) at times, and believe they were a major redemptive portion of this novel.

As Cora and Lincoln’s relationship changes over time, she meets another person who captures her romantic interest. This connection is a lot less straight-forward both situationally and as part of the narrative and therefore, piqued my interest in a more substantial way. Toward the end of the book, we join Cora 20-years later as she reunites with both of these people and watch as she navigates her complex feelings of love, loss, acceptance, and change.

The love triangle premise of this book isn’t one-of-a-kind, but it was uniquely positioned with the 20-year return. While my favorite part of this book was the father and friend connections in Cora’s life, I did find a lot of satisfaction in her journey of self-discovery. This story tells us a lot about the power of identity and the impact of our self-imposed expectations.

In some ways, it felt glaringly evident that this was a first solo project. While the thematic exploration was interesting and insightful, there were pieces that were lacking. Some of the characters were low in dimension, particularly the male love interests. We were left to understand them based upon their dialogue and not much else. Additionally, the introduction of one male main character’s role in the story felt very abrupt, although we catch wind of him early in the story. Mailed correspondence was sprinkled in throughout the story, I think for the sake of interest, but these letters don’t have profound impact because we don’t know this character until later, leaving Pride’s plot device to feel confusing and backwards.

The story was interesting and in many ways an insightful look at a young woman’s discovery of herself and the world around her. Ultimately, though, some moderate flaws impacted my enjoyment. This was a good, not great, first solo novel that did not always find its footing but it certainly tried.

It should be noted: please check trigger warnings if you are sensitive to reproductive issues.

This unfortunately was a DNF for me at about the 30% mark - I just could not get into the character or the storylines. I appreciate the opportunity for the early read.

2.5 ★
This one took a bit longer to get into for me. I had to stop and start a lot. There were many moments the main character felt younger than she was at the time but it wasn’t the biggest turn off.
It just took a bit longer to get into the book. It does eventually pick up about halfway through however, especially with the description of the book I kind of expected more of a love triangle vibe but one of the guys was not in the story nearly as much as I expected.
It also felt like there was a lot of unnecessary points in the book that didn’t really move the story forward or help with development of any character.
I did like the flashbacks and seeing how Cora’s relationships with others in her life developed though. Honestly those plot lines in the book made it more redeemable and interesting for me than the love interests.

In hindsight, this maybe was not the book for me. I'm not a huge fan of the love triangle trope, and I also need a romance to feel really well done and fresh with great characters in order to really enjoy it - unfortunately, this fell flat on those fronts for me. I didn't feel like the romances had a ton of depth, and I wanted to see a bit more growth from the FMC. The story felt like it was dragging on at certain points and I just didn't look forward to picking it up each time.

That being said - Cora's dad was a huge highlight for me! I think more avid romance fans would enjoy this one, and I think that Pride's writing style overall was very enjoyable. I would definitely try another book of hers in the future!

I’ll admit, getting into this book took a little effort at first, but wow, am I glad I stuck with it. The story follows Cora, who grew up sheltered under her father’s wing. When she leaves for college and meets new friends, she’s ready for change—including stepping into the world of dating. That’s when she meets Lincoln, and the two build a deep connection throughout their college years. But then, tragedy strikes. During a moment of crisis that separates her from Lincoln, Cora crosses paths with Aaron. Their bond is undeniable, but fate has other plans, and their time together is brief.

Fast forward twenty years, and life has a funny way of coming full circle. Both Lincoln and Aaron reappear, forcing Cora to confront her past, her heart, and the question that lingers: Who does she choose? What has changed after all these years?

This book is an emotional ride, and you won’t be disappointed. And just when you think you’ve figured it all out, the ending might surprise you.

pretty fun romance with some interesting ideas, although this isn't really a choose between one. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

An enjoyable story about second chances with love, listening to one's heart, friendship, and belief in one's self. Like other readers, I felt a little frustrated by Cora's dithering between the two love interests at an older age and how hard it was to read the letters in tiny print from the second guy on my Kindle. I tried (to no avail) to enlarge them and had to really focus to read them.

Overall, I enjoyed the journey through Cora's relationships in her younger college years and then her dilemma 20 years later needing to make a choice. I thought some of the friends could have been a little better portrayed or fleshed out and perhaps readers could use more interaction and 'showing' in terms of happenings, rather than such intense focus on her inner thoughts and feelings.

I definitely don't regret reading this mostly captivating story and look forward to reading Pride's first novel, 'We Are Not Like Them,' which I have put on hold at my local library. Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books and the author for granting me the opportunity to read an early eARC. All the Men I've Loved Again is set to be published on July 8, 2025.

Thank you @atriabooks @netgalley #partner for the gifted copy of this books.

All The Men I’ve Loved Again by Christine Pride was one of those books I had high hopes for but ultimately fell a little short for me. But hey — book reading is a lot like dating… not every book is meant to be the one, right?

In this story, Cora’s on a soul-searching journey, navigating love interests, identity, and all the messy, complicated stuff that comes with growing up. Life is tough at that age! I didn’t quite click with her character the way I’d hoped, and I think that’s honestly where it missed the mark for me. The pacing was also a little slow in the beginning, though it did pick up as the story went on.

That being said — I loved the relationship between Cora and her dad. Those moments were sweet, heartfelt, and gave the story some extra warmth.

Even though this one wasn’t totally my vibe, I can absolutely see it resonating with other readers, especially if you’re into coming-of-age stories about first loves, self-discovery, and family ties. So if that sounds like your thing, give it a go!

Cora Belle’s story shifts between 1999 and the present as she navigates love and life twice. In college, she falls for Lincoln, a charming law hopeful, then connects with Aaron, a thoughtful photographer. Twenty years later, both men re-enter her life, forcing her to choose again.

I really tried to connect with Cora, but she felt self absorbed and unlikable. Her indecisiveness and lack of growth left me frustrated, and it got hard to care about her journey.

The love triangle had real potential, but the romance with Lincoln felt one sided and dominant. The story dragged in places, and without much in the way of surprise or tension, it started to wear on me.

That said, the writing itself is polished, and Christine Pride does a nice job evoking the college vibe of the late '90s. The themes of second chances and fate are thoughtful, and I can see some readers connecting with the nostalgia and emotional exploration.

This one just wasn’t for me. The slow pace, predictable plot, and a protagonist I couldn’t root for made it a tough read.

3.5 🌟

Cora's dad was the best part of this book. ❤️

I'm not sure this book was for me. It starts out with Lincoln and Cora in college, where they meet. And they behave... well, like college kids. 🫠 Which, they SHOULD but that part got a little long for me. Fast forward 20+ years and Cora reconnects with Lincoln and Aaron. Are you confused? Good, you should be because we met Aaron for like 0.5 seconds. I didn't like grown up Lincoln and I never got to know Aaron so the struggle Cora was facing in deciding between the two left me with a "leave them both" feeling. 😅

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

I wanted to love All the Men I’ve Loved Again, especially given Christine Pride’s past work, but this one fell flat for me. The premise—revisiting old flames to find clarity or closure—had potential, but the execution lacked depth and emotional payoff.

The protagonist’s journey felt more like a checklist than a meaningful exploration of past relationships. Characters were underdeveloped, and many of the encounters blurred together without offering fresh insight or real growth. The dialogue often leaned into clichés, and the pacing dragged in the middle, making it hard to stay engaged.

There are moments of sincerity and introspection, and Pride’s writing still has heart, but this novel didn’t deliver the emotional complexity or originality I was hoping for. Unfortunately, it ended up being more forgettable than impactful.

All The Men I’ve Loved Again offers an interesting premise but doesn't really give us a nuanced portrayal of love and personal growth. The pacing of this book, as well as the character development of several main player, was lacking. It's a decent read for fans of romance and second-chance stories, but it doesn't quite stand out in the genre.

Thanks NetGalley & Atria Books for the chance to review this eARC.

2.75 Stars

This book was fine. It was really slow at the beginning and took me forever to get in to. It's a coming of age story about Cora Belle. We see her as she evolves from a young woman in college to a mature woman in her 40s.

Love triangles aren't my favorite trope, especially when they involve exes (leave them in your past, they're exes for a reason). We see so much of Cora's relationship with Lincoln in college and her eventually meeting Aaron in college too (much later in the book) and then it jumps 20 years where Cora is again caught in a "who should I choose" between Lincoln and Aaron.

There were notes from Aaron in the story, but it was extremely difficult to read on Kindle (i see other reader's also experienced this)

Cora was an ok protagonist. I think this story was more about "who am I, who can i be?" over "who should I be with". There is a lot of self growth as Cora navigates her feelings as a mature woman.

The shining star of this book was Cora's relationship with her dad. He was such a positive figure in her life. He was full of wisdom and provided her plenty of support, but also let her make her own decision without persuading her one way or another. I also enjoyed reading how Cora's friendships with her girlfriends blossomed from college years to adulthood.

This is a great coming of age book. This story is marketed as a love triangle over twenty years, from the 90’s until now, but I don’t think that justifies what this book actually is. I think this book is a thoughtful depiction of growing up and learning about yourself and how to advocate for your needs within all relationships, romantic, familial, and through friendships. This story follows a girl who is balancing the expectations of others vs what she desires for herself. The love triangle feels more like a vehicle for the characters to learn their own identities. It is a thoughtful book that contemplates the ability to love regardless of socioeconomic status and reflecting on yourself own privileges. This book does a really good job at showing how different relationships can help solidify your foundational self. I really enjoyed this read.