Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for this arc in exchange for my honest review!
AHHHHHH I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!!!! I love anything that Clare Gilmore writes and this was absolutely no exception!! Was not expecting this to be so moving and deep, but Gilmore really knows how to balance between the deep emotional themes in her books and the funny flirty moments throughout her stories! Can’t believe I have to wait 6 months to get my hands on the physical copy, but going to preorder now cause I already know this is a story I want to come back to!

Clare Gilmore… has become one of my absolute favorite authors. Her book boyfriends are literally top tier and Liam Bishop will be on your list after you read Never Over.
Paige Lancaster is an aspiring Country Music songwriter. She finally gets the call from a music record executive that wants to hear her songs. After listening to Paige’s songs, the exec hints that there is something missing and she is holding back. She realizes he is right, and she hasn’t written anything meaningful since her break-up with Liam Bishop.
She boldly reaches out to Liam for a crazy request – date her again, then break it so she can tap into her real emotions. Liam reluctantly agrees.
Over three months, they travel together for Liam’s job and the two are thrown back into the thick of it. They revisit their past and slowly make new memories together.
This story is written so beautifully in the dual timeline. You are taken through Paige and Liam’s relationship from the beginning to the present, and you can feel their chemistry bleeding through the pages. Paige and Liam must confront the truth behind their renewed connection—and ask themselves what matters more: creating great art, or risking everything for a second chance at love.
I absolutely loved this story and Paige & Liam will stay with me for a long time. Thank you Clare for writing another beautiful book.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC!!

My third time reading Clare Gilmore, and she continues to keep me interested in her books. This book had two things going against it for me. 1. I prefer my main characters to be in their 30s at this point, so I wasn't sure I'd enjoy reading about two 25-year-olds. 2. It's clear that these two are obsessed with each other from the start and it's hard to keep that compelling for an entire book. But Clare kept me invested the entire way through. Liam and Paige have great chemistry, and I liked how straightforward Liam is about most things. While I wasn't in love with the reasoning behind their original breakup, I did enjoy both timeline stories. The epilogue made me weep, and I loved how it tells a story beyond the two characters.

I look forward to continuing to read whatever Clare writes next!

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ Is it possible to really like and hate a book at the same time? I’m tired of reading the same tropes and 3/4-of-the-way-through conflicts over and over. This book felt refreshing - it was a mix of second chance, one bed, dual timeline. At first I thought I wouldn’t get past the whole “asking him to date her so she could write songs” part, but it just made sense. Like the characters love just made sense. I couldn’t give it a higher rating because the cheesy lines about baseball and the ocean were too much for me to handle. Recommend Clare Gilmore’s other two books - they’re just as good. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I was blown away! This is so fresh and unique. I loved learning the backstory and family trauma while also seeing the growth to the present Liam and Paige. These characters had amazing on-page chemistry that you cannot help but root for them. They could have easily been each other's "one that got away".

Okay... that’s honestly strange. You want to write meaningful lyrics, so you go to your ex-boyfriend and ask him to break your heart just so you have something to write about? That’s bizarre. I’m also not the biggest fan of the dual timeline trope—I tend to forget whether we’re in the present or the past (goldfish memory, I know), but I think it actually worked well here. My rating probably isn’t that accurate anyway, since I’ve been super busy this week and felt myself slipping into a bit of a reading slump. I’d definitely be willing to give it another try when the audiobook drops

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕮𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖊𝖉 𝕯𝖔𝖔𝖗 𝕸𝖔𝖉𝖎𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

SKIP CHAPTER: 17, 27, 29

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

I loved "the perfect fit" so i requested this 🩷 huge thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the eARC 💕

Never Over completely swept me off my feet. It was the kind of love story that felt raw, tender, and deeply real, with just the right balance of angst, chemistry, and heart. Paige and Liam’s connection leapt off the page from the very beginning, and watching them navigate their messy, unresolved history was as addictive as it was moving.
I loved how the author wove the theme of creativity and heartbreak into Paige’s songwriting journey—it gave so much emotional depth to the plot. The premise of asking your ex to date and break your heart again? Wild. But it worked so well here, because every scene between Paige and Liam was infused with a delicious tension and a sense that something bigger was always bubbling just beneath the surface.
Their slow-burn reconnection across hotel rooms and long travel days felt cinematic in the best way. I appreciated how the book allowed space for vulnerability and hard conversations while also delivering those swoony, can't-stop-reading romantic moments. By the end, I was rooting for Paige and Liam not just as a couple, but as two people learning how to be brave enough to love again—fully and honestly.
This book lingered with me long after I finished. It was heartfelt, hopeful, and hands-down one of my favorite second-chance romances in recent memory.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

It’s not often that I read a book from the songwriter’s perspective, so when I read the synopsis of this book, I was so excited for it, and it really didn’t disappoint. Never Over is told from Paige’s perspective the whole time, but nearly half the book were flashbacks to her original relationship with Liam, flipping between this and their second chance in the present.

Even though a lot of the book is about the past, don’t let that deter you, as this part was done really well, and I quite liked it, despite not usually liking flashbacks. However, I think some of them could’ve been timed a bit better with what was happening in the present.

The tour element of this book was really well done—it was great to see this side of things, as Liam goes through the ins and outs of his job on tour. Additionally, seeing Paige bond with the bands was so sweet, and all of those side characters added a lot to the book. Speaking of side characters, I loved seeing her relationship with her sisters, even if it was sometimes rocky.

And of course, the romance. At times, I was worried I’d have to call a red flag on some codependent behavior, but I really liked how the author worked through these issues, showing growth in the characters in the present, and how they really push each other to do what is best in their lives. Liam and Paige were a great couple, and they were just so cute.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

i'm usually not a fan of singer/entertainment industry focused books, but having read clare gilmore's previous stories, i wanted to give this a shot. centered on paige, a songwriter and liam, her ex-boyfriend, i think this book was fun. with a dual timeline, i think the author did a fine job at keeping the distinction clear between the two time periods and liam and paige's relationship was built up well. there was an immediate attraction that the two had and their relationship, with all its troubles, was well-explained. i didn't feel like the conflict was too dramatic, but it was kind of easy to predict why they had broken up initially. gilmore's other books featured the cities that they were mostly set in (nyc and austin) very heavily, to the point that the cities felt like they were another character in the book, something i really enjoyed. this book featured less of that, because the main characters were traveling a lot. overall, an entertaining read, that pulls at your heartstrings, and could easily be made into a movie.

Read if you like:
“Right person, wrong time”
2nd chance romance
Dual timeline
Music
Sisterhood
Familial trauma healing
Single POV
Forced proximity
Fish tanks

No one writes quite like Clare can. 3/3 books. She’s highly underrated. Her books have each been a punch to the gut (in the best way).

Equal parts emotionally poignant and romantic. With well developed characters, I felt like I knew each of them on a deep level. ALL WHILE BEING SINGLE POV. literary genius.

The healthy communication exhibited in this book, that alone is deserving of a five star rating.

The epilogue had me sobbing. Perfection.

Clare secured her spot as top 5 romance author with some of the other genre greats. I cannot recommend her books enough.

This is Clare Gilmore's best work yet, and I am saying that as someone who loves her first two. Paige and Liam are so real and easy to understand. But being able to relate to and understand them does not mean it lacks any complexity. One of my favorite things about this book was how well the friendships outside the romance were written. Often times books can glaze over the friendships simply as a catalyst for the main story line. While this book was certainly about Paige and Liam, it was so much more. Even Harry, who is more of a minor character, I feel like I got him, and he was nuanced. They propelled the story without it feeling cheap. I love how much love and respect Liam had for Paige and that he truly was the right guy at the wrong time. May times the second chance romances don't do enough to warrant the breakup in the first place, or it ended so badly the reader can't believe that their "love" won in the end. Paige and Liam were dealing with huge life events and figuring themselves out. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to know that Paige couldn't just follow Liam and Liam couldn't base his whole world on one think to feel tied to his dad. Incredible writing. I LOVE THIS BOOK! It's been a week since I finished it and I keep thinking about it, which, in my ADD brain, is not normal.

I loved this! second chance meeting one bed meets kinda fake dating plus an almost fated mates vibe. i really really loved the discussions over having one thing that defines them in youth but later they learn it doesn't define them and they're much more. It is beautifully laced throughout the book and intricately discussed. those discussions between Liam and Paige felt like it healed something in me from a prior relationship. I LOVED LOVE LOVED the epilogue and Liam's conversation about how unknown people can still have effects on you through their art or music and how it can help silently advocate for betterment. this is a beautiful story. and a touching romance.

I loved this story. Liam and Paige are perfect together, and it was amazing seeing their growth over the years. I was a little worried during the third act “break up,” but so happy it ended up being one and they were both able to see each other from the other’s point of view.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've become a fan of Clare Gilmore, and this book confirms it was a good decision. I finished the book on April 25th, and I'm still thinking about it. Easily one of the best reads I've had this year. Gilmore made second-chance cool again. This was such a moving piece of work, and her writing is just top tier. She makes her characters have a special connection and writes them with depth. Paige and Liam both have complicated family histories and deal with life-altering events. Gilmore dives into the intense reality of family dynamics and also writes a love story, not just between characters, but a love letter to the arts.

Read if you like:
- Second chance
- Dual timeline
- Friends to lovers

Paige and Liam’s story was so beautiful and so many parts resonated with me. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of this in October. The epilogue was my absolute favorite part and I was tearing up 🥹

Once again Clare Gilmore reeled me in with a cute cover and then absolutely flattened me with a story full of depth and emotion and hard-hitting truths. I liked Love Interest. I loved Perfect Fit. But I ADORED(!!!) Never Over. Clare is truly getting better and better.

What stood out most this time was the sheer emotional intensity between Paige and Liam. Their chemistry was electric, but what made it hit so hard was how emotionally fluent Liam was. I mean, this man is WILDLY in love and absolutely not afraid to say it, and Clare writes it all with so much care. Every tiny detail… the sound of his voice, his body language, down to the exact words he says, it all felt intimate and specific and devastating and so completely romantic.

I love second-change romances because it’s so fascinating to me how couples can work through their issues. Paige and Liam give a masterclass in reconciliation. Their fights were some of the most mature and loving I’ve read—so full of honesty and deep care, even when they were breaking each other’s hearts.

I think the dual timeline format was the perfect choice for this book. It unfolds in such a satisfying way, unraveling all the layers of their history bit by bit. I was fully invested as their present-day relationship kept bumping up against all that unresolved past. And on top of that, Clare writes about bigger life truths about identity, ambition, family, and the pressure to know you are and what you want. It’s just... rich and beautifully done.

And that epilogue. It’s honestly one of the most gorgeous, thoughtful, uniquely written endings I’ve read in a long time. Perfection.

This book absolutely solidifies Clare Gilmore as an auto-read for me (but honestly, she already kinda was after Perfect Fit). All the stars.

This book snuck up on me like a “you up?” text from an old flame—except this time, it delivered all the emotional payoff and none of the regret. Never Over is a second-chance romance that gets it right: messy, heartfelt, and so real you can practically feel the history buzzing between the characters like static.

Clare Gilmore writes with warmth, wit, and that delicious ache of unresolved tension. I was flipping pages like I was watching my favorite will-they-won’t-they unfold in real time. The banter? Sharp. The chemistry? Off the charts. The emotional payoff? Chef’s kiss.

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if you crossed paths with the one that got away—and this time, maybe the timing’s right—this book will hit you in all the right places. Never over? Yeah, turns out, neither am I. ❤️

This was such a great story. I really enjoyed the dual timeline used to tell the history of their relationship.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC.

I loved this book! Probably my favorite Clare Gilmore book, hands down. The banter and flashbacks to their previous relationship was done so well. I enjoyed reading the flashback and present day chapter. I definitely recommend!

Overall, I enjoyed Never Over, but I did have to sit with it a little while before writing this review. I rated this a 3.75 stars, rounding up to 4.

The book is told in dual timelines, navigating through their first and second chances at romance. We know that something went wrong, but we're not fully shown the fallout until towards the end of the book, with only hints of it throughout the story. It was interesting to see how both main characters have evolved since their breakup and I loved seeing the character growth at the end. I did find that their original falling out was overblown, but makes sense given their personalities and ages at the time.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.