Never Over is a second chance romance that is not only well written, but feels real.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I don’t always enjoy dual timeline stories, but I felt it helped illustrate the main characters growth.

I would recommend this to others.

I gotta admit this book was cute. I liked the characters and the storyline a lot. It was cute the way they found their way back to each other and the banter whenever they were together. The story felt realistic and the side characters felt believable as well. I really liked how Paige was trying to find herself and how the story unfolded. This is one you should definitely check out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

I was hesitant to read this book because of the premise but I loved Perfect Fit by the author so I decided to check it out! Never Over is a second chance romance following 25 year old Paige. She has dreams of making it big as a songwriter but an industry professional told her she needs more depth to her songs. Paige contacts Liam after four years of no contact to ask him to date her, fall in love, and then re-break her heart just so she can write songs.

As I mentioned above the premise was not my favorite of her trying to reconnect with her old relationship. I think it could have been executed much better, however, once I moved past the initial reconnection of the two I felt invested in their relationship! I enjoyed seeing the growth that they both had with the time they had spent away from each other and realizing that they were meant to be.

The author also mentioned that the mmc, Liam, was listening to Robin Hobb books so that was definitely a plus for me. 🤭

I adored this book. Liam may be my favorite romance hero of all time. This was a great dual-trope romance (second chance and fake dating) that was executed perfectly.

Not sure how Clare Gilmore isn’t at the forefront the contemporary romance genre but let me tell you something: it’s where she deserves to be. Didn’t think I’d love something the way I love PERFECT FIT but here comes NEVER OVER to take its place.

Oh my goodness. I’m not sure there are words to truly convey the depths of which I love this book.

Gilmore did something special here with a premise that, in theory, shouldn’t really work. I mean, go to him to have him re-break your heart after 4 years???? But immediately I knew it was going to work. Mostly because Liam is so dang down bad immediately at the reunion hug that there was no way he was going to let her slip away again. And then it just kept getting better and better.

There is a softness to these two that I’m not sure I’ve encountered elsewhere. They’re each other’s home and that fact is so blatant from the beginning. Every choice they made in life, knowingly or not, had the other in mind. The ways in which they support each other makes my heart ache. They love each other SO MUCH I can’t stand it.

The things Liam says to her?? The way Paige just wants him to have the things he loves?? I believe, more than anything in the entire world, that these two are meant for each other.

I can’t even get started on the most perfect epilogue I’ve ever read in my life.

Everyone, please, get Clare Gilmore on Emily Henry’s level. Pick up this book. Pick up her two others. You won’t regret it.

Thank you NetGallet and SMP for the eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to review.

This was a fun romance novel, and I enjoyed it a lot. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

I have loved everything Clare Gilmore has written and this one did not disappoint! I loved the perfectly flawed main characters, their growth, the tension and the spice! The storyline was a fun and unique second chance romance.

Clare Gilmore takes a high concept plot — honest fake dating? expiration dating with a not-so-happily ever after? — and makes it work. That alone is worth congratulating. Complications of plot aside, it is still a great Clare Gilmore jawn full of feelings, expressed and unexpressed, longing, yearning, and philosophical mediations on the purpose of creativity for the individual, art for the masses, and creative collaboration.

To no fault of this author’s, I struggle with the second chance trope and so therefore struggled to connect with this plot.

This book was absolutely marvelous! Such a sweet story: I loved the characters and their honesty. The setting was perfect and it was just so good.

I was thrilled to receive an eARC for this book because I adore Claire Gilmore. This book started out a little slow for me, I wasn't super hooked in the first couple chapters, however once it got started I couldn't put it down and was very invested in the story and the relationship between the MFC and MMC. I love a book with flashbacks/multiple timelines and this one was just perfect. Cannot wait for this to come out!

This was very cute, my only critique is that, at times, the flashbacks did not always mesh very well with present day. I would have liked there to be a bit more comparison there.

I read this book over a month ago and it has taken me so long to review because IT'S LOVELY!

I am in my second chance era and Liam and Paige are at the front of the pack. Totally swoony, and heartfelt, and sweet. I loved watching their character growth and personal journeys in their own lives and together. Plus, baseball and musicians and the youngest sister? It's like it was made for me.

One of the most beautiful epilogues l've ever had the pleasure to read. I've reread it multiple times when I've just needed to feel something.

Thank you to @youhadmeathea and @netgalley for the early access.

The first thing I enjoyed the most about this novel is the characteristics of Paige’s life, because I can really relate to her. I also grew up with older sisters and a dad who works too much. Having a neighbor best friend whom you have a toxic relationship, is also something I relate to. Honestly, the comparison was a little spooky to me, although my mother was very much present in my life, lol.

I also joined the premise of the novel as someone who loves music and relating song lyrics to my life. I also found the premise of getting her heart broken to be able to have the ability to write song lyrics very interesting. But I feel like the setting was not used to the full extent that it could have been. They are going on a month-long tour where they have to share a bed together but aren’t able to be intimate with each other, like that is so much material for excellent tension at a concert or yearning across rooms, but unfortunately, we did not get any of that. Rather, we got scene after scene in hotel rooms instead, which I found so frustrating.

Beyond the setting, I found our two main characters to be a little flat and lacking in personality. They had no real personalities other than their circumstances and their families. They were constantly having conversations about their families, which I do think are very pertinent to creating a well-rounded character, but I think it was too much in this case. But, I did enjoy the family dynamics and how each of the characters' family members was a full person rather than a caricature to simply move the plot forward, which is often the case in romance.
Where the side characters fell flat for me was with Maisy. I think that plot point was resolved way too quickly and didn’t feel fully fleshed out.

Lastly, the relationship between Paige and Liam. I felt like their conversations felt clunky and almost robotic. The foundation of their relationship I feel was built on just spilling their respective trauma to each because they feel ‘comfortable’ around each other with no explanation for why. Also, I feel like Liam felt like Paige’s father more than her partner. Throughout the novel he seemed to be making all the choices for her in her life without consulting her and then afterward she was like omg I am so thankful he thought about me. She is constantly looking to him for validation for EVERYTHING. Which don’t get me wrong you do need to feel validated by your partner but I feel like Paige needed his validation to be able to do anything which I feel like is an odd and unhealthy dynamic to have in a relationship. At one point he said he was the captain and she was his first pick which i found to be a very apt description of their dynamic.

This was my first Clare Gilmore book but for sure not my last. As soon as I finished this one, I immediately had two others from her on hold at the library. This was a good quick read that I didn't want to put down until it was finished. I really enjoyed going along for the ride with Paige and Liam and really loved that Gilmore was able to write the scenes making me feel like I was right there with them. Being a huge music lover helped me love this book even more. I would recommend to anyone..

Overall, I can say that I was able to enjoy this book. Paige and Liam had some really cute moments together.

I just had a few problems:
- There were quite a few secondary character. While it isn't a bad thing, I have a goldfish memory, so it was really hard to keep track of everyone and I found myself getting confused at times.
- I found myself a little bored at times. This had a really interesting premise with Paige asking Liam to re-break her heart. I was really curious about how that would happen, which was the primary reason behind me requesting this book, but I wish there was more of a focus on the chemistry between them and even a little bit more on individual character growth.

Other than that, I liked the dual timelines. It is something I find myself enjoying a lot in a second chance book. The way that you can see how a character has changed over time especially in the different stages of their relationship is something that is made more clear with a dual timeline.

Thank you to Clare Gilmore, St. Martin's Griffin, and Netgalley for this arc! 💕

I really enjoyed the premise of this one. This is my first story by the author and I really liked it! Paige and Liam have a sweet intro and I liked the second chance aspect. Paige is a budding songwriter, Liam is a college pitcher when they meet. Over time and circumstance they split and meet up again years later where Paige is working toward her dream of songwriting and Liam is a concert tour roadie. I loved how they came back together and there were a lot of swoony moments. I was glad I got to read this and will try other stories from this author.

Thank you to Net Galley and SMP for this e-ARC!

Clare’s books are absolutely amazing and she’s the sweetest!

2nd chance romance used to be a trope I didn’t really love but this year it’s been one of my favorites and with Clare publishing this book it’s only fitting that I read it! 💗

I love that we get two timelines in the book, one where the MCs are together in the past and then present day where they’re working together to help Paige with her writing career. Liam’s self control and restraint is next level while they’re traveling together! He’s so invested in Paige and doesn’t want to just jump back into a relationship without working through their past issues and that’s so commendable of him!

Clare’s books are not only cute and romantic but they have such depth to them that I always end the book with my heart feeling so full! 🥰

THIS BOOK!!!!!! 5 BEAUTIFUL STARS!!!!!

immediately upon finishing it, I ran to write my review because I cannot contain how much I love this book. I quite literally cried so much during the epilogue! Clare Gilmore has solidified herself as one of my favorite authors ever & I’m so in awe of her and the stories she creates.

From the start, I knew I was going to love this. Second-chance, hints of baseball romance, with complicated family dynamics? sign me up!! I’m usually not a huge fan of music artists or plots that have to do with songs in general, but this book totally exceeded my expectations & I genuinely enjoyed the music-as-an-art plot point. This book also deals with finding yourself, sibling & family dynamics, growing out of friendships, and so much more that I deeply resonated with.

Liam and Paige have my heart forever. Their love story was so so so beautiful. They are truly soulmates, and it’s clear how intertwined their souls were from the moment they met to years later when they reconnected. They would 100% find each other in every universe. I loved the way they were allowed to be vulnerable with one another and the way they always supported & uplifted each other. They were so mature & everything about them felt so real, raw, and passionate. THE YEARNING!!! I just love them so much!!!

I could go on & on, but I really loved everything about this book. Liam’s character was very relatable, as someone who defined herself as a student athlete for many years. Paige, a girl who didn’t quite know what she wanted to do with her life, was also so relatable. Both of them together made me want to cry. They deserved the love each of them gave each other. Deeply romantic & emotional, this is my favorite book of Clare’s. The epilogue was one of the best epilogues I’ve ever read. I will never, ever, get over this book!

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Griffin & Netgalley for the arc<3

perfection!!!!

this was one of the sweetest, most romantic, yearning-filled books i've read in a long time. also it felt magical but is not a magical realism romance?? that's saying something!! i loved both the past and the present storylines and felt myself swept away by liam and paige's story. i absolutely adored the way paige approached music and songwriting and how passionate she is about it. plus how she finds herself throughout the summer??? so good.

i love LIAM so much!! i want to give him a hug. the way he loves paige is inspiring. the way he cares for her and pushes her. ugh what a man!!

i could have read 100 more pages of this book and not gotten tired of it. such an incredible story that i'm so obsessed with now.

thank you so much SMP romance & Netgalley for the arc! this is my honest review.