Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

Paige is trying to become a songwriter as her full-time job. She gets the opportunity of a lifetime, but the producer wants her songs to have more depth. She tracks down her old boyfriend Liam, who broke her heart years ago, in hopes that he’ll break her heart again so she can be inspired to improve her songwriting.

This was such a cute rom-com. It’s a second chance, which is one of my favorite tropes and it’s written in dual-timeline. This was so well-written and the characters were well developed. Liam is the best book boyfriend. Sometimes the book is a bit too sweet and it felt unnatural. Overall, I loved this book and I’d recommend it to fans of romance.

I love second chance romances. This one was a good one. I loved the characters and family elements. There was a lot of history to work through, so the dual timeline was perfect. At first I thought the idea was a little cheesy, to date someone and break up so that songs can be written. But this story is sooooo much more than that one idea.

Thanks to SMP for the Arc.

Yeah so this is one of my favorite books I’ve ever read. I read this in 24 hours and this was such an unexpected 5 star banger of a book I am shook to my core.

Never Over follows Paige as she’s on the precipice of a songwriting deal, except the record label tells her her lyrics lack depth. In an effort to seal the deal, Paige must dig deep again and she finds herself back with her ex, Liam.

This is a dual timeline story and I loved seeing Paige and Liam’s love blossom as young adults, the peak of their relationship, and ultimately what lead to its downfall. Paige and Liam both love so deeply and are so intense in their feelings for each other. They were so vulnerable and emotional with each other and Liam was so obsessed with Paige and just so DOWN BAD I loved it. They just genuinely wanted so much for each other from day one. I also really related to Paige’s relationship with her friend Maisy. Especially the realization that even after years, sometimes decades of friendship, maybe that person was never really meant to be your friend forever.

This was such a beautiful love story about finding your own path, second chances, and the power of words. I sobbed at the epilogue and I fear I’m about to enter the biggest reading slump. I cannot recommend Never Over enough! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this story early. I am forever grateful.

💜 Second chances
💜 Dual timeline
💜 Invisible string
💜 Opposites attract
💜 Friends, to best friends, to lovers

I really liked this book! I liked the past parts more than the present. I did think the fight was a bit of a let down. It just seemed like an overreaction of a fight, which I guess is realistic for 20 year olds. All in all, a good days read!

Never Over by Clare Gilmore is such a fun, emotional second-chance romance. It’s about Paige, a songwriter trying to get over her ex by… dating him again so he can break her heart for "inspiration." Wild, right? But of course, old feelings come rushing back.

It’s got great chemistry, a little angst, and a music industry backdrop that makes it feel fresh. Super readable—one of those books you fly through in a night.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 (3.75 stars)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an eARC copy of this book.

To be honest, I think it took a little long to ramp up, and at times I liked the banter of some of the side characters of this book more than I liked the FMC and MMC. At some points the FMC and MMC seemed like they were great at communicating and trusting one another, but at other points they just...stopped? I think they could both benefit from therapy.

I have mixed feelings about the book. I liked the storylines of the two main characters Paige and Liam separately but I didn’t necessarily enjoy reading about their relationship with one another. It seemed a bit childish and unreal to me.
But I do enjoy reading how the two characters grew into themselves over the years and were reconnecting with family and their own personal likes.

6 STARS. Maybe more honestly.

Clare Gilmore!! Have I been living under a rock, not having read any of your books?! Most likely. My mistake because WOW, Clare is a wizard (witch?) with words. The writing was impeccable. What kind of modern-day fated mates even was this?! Read chapter 3 and was invested with my LIFE.

I’m typically not a fan of a dual timeline, but I ATE THIS UP. The snippets of Paige and Liam from the past were addicting. I loved Paige from the get go. Kind and so full of self-doubt. She’s forever content being the tagalong and overshadowed, but boy, did Liam make her her shine. Sweet Liam, that is the first person to truly SEE Paige. He’s a walking green flag 💚 What is it about an MMC that knows the FMC like he can read her mind. Makes my knees weak He’s giving major EmHen MMC vibes — kind, patient, and intuitive 🥰

Never Over was a relatively easy read. I will say though, I wish that Liam got more time because I feel like I liked his character more than the FMC. She was a little more whiny than I like, but I mean she has gone through a lot.

“All I do these days is consider you” and all I do is think of Liam and Paige.

For anyone who lost a first love, a best friend, was ever confused about their direction in life… this book is for you. I love a second chance romance but Liam and Paige are my benchmark. Their story felt so believable. It felt relatable in how they acted for the ages they were both in current time and flashbacks. Despite their difficult past, their love came back together in such a tender, natural and beautiful way and never felt forced.

That epilogue… I have no words. Clare Gilmore, that single chapter was absolute perfection to wrap up their story. I may not have the words, but you do (and so does Paige).

Rating: 5/5
Spice: 2/5

This is a second-chance romance between Paige, a budding songwriter, and Liam, a concert manager. After four years of no contact, she decides to reach out to him to date her and then rebreak her heart to help her find her songwriting groove again after a music industry professional says she is holding back. The story follows a dual timeline: one in the past, where we learn how Paige and Liam met, what happened with their relationship, and in the present, as Paige joins Liam on a concert tour to find lyric inspiration and maybe reignite the spark that was between them.

This was incredibly well written, with many great quotes and memorable sentences throughout this book. Clare Gilmore clearly has a way with words - it was just so beautiful and read so smoothly. The epilogue was *chef's kiss*.

As someone quiet and more reserved like Paige, I could relate to the character and her reluctance to make her voice and presence known to the world. I loved seeing her growth from four years ago to the present day, where she created a friend group of like-minded individuals who shared the same passions as her and found the strength and confidence to stand on her own two feet.

I also loved Paige and Liam's dynamic relationship. The way they bantered in the past and present was like an old married couple. The way she taught him guitar, and he taught her baseball. I liked how they grew together and pushed each other to become the best versions of themselves.

I went in expecting a nice, fluffy, easy read, and I got that, but SO much more. I would highly recommend this book.

This is absolutely my favorite book by Clare Gilmore yet! I was so quickly and easily immersed into Paige and Liam's world. Hope, heartbreak, and love were all encompassing in this story.

The way Liam is obsessed with Paige is so beautiful and squeal inducing. I loved that he was an athlete with many layers to him as well. I mean, a book lover, music aficionado, baseball pitcher, and Paige's biggest supporter?! Count me in!

Paige and her songs were so vulnerable and real. She felt very easy to relate to even if most of my life experience matches up with hers in the slightest. Her fear of not being enough was highly relatable for me though.

Second chance, friends to lovers, college romance, and he falls first were all done so well in this book.

The way these two loved each other was full of passion and raw vulnerability. I feel cracked wide open just from reading it.

I'm going take several business days to emotionally recover now, thank you.

Tysm to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this lovely ARC!

I discovered Clare Gilmore last year with Perfect Fit (which I adored!) and I’m so privileged to be able to read an ARC of her new novel, Never Over. The vibes are second chance, road trip, friends to lovers, **date me so I can write songs again**, one bed with a mirror over it (need I say more????). I adored our MCs, especially softboi Liam.

Rating: 4.5 rounded up

Clare Gilmore has done it again. This was one I had a hard time putting down. Paige and Liam stole my heart from the beginning. From that rainy night in the bookstore, their chemistry was just *right*. Fast forward to Paige and Liam traveling the country as they follow a music tour and get a second chance at a one of a kind romance. This was also an immersive/backstage experience in seeing the ins and out of the music industry and very different than anything else I’ve read. This is the perfect summer read! I only took one star off because I was a little annoyed with the reason behind Paige and Liam’s initial breakup and then Paige’s reluctance to reconnect fully.

“All I do these days is consider you”

Whew Clare knows how to write em. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was cute! A bit spicier than I remember her others but it was easily skipable if you don’t heat

Paige is on the way to her dreams to becoming a songwriter but when she hears her songs don’t hold enough feelings to get a deal, she’s determined to return to the muse that helped her create her most memorable songs, the songs that she isn’t ready to show anyone, but the ones that hold the most vulnerable, raw feelings. She has to return to her first love. Her first heart break.

With honest intentions and conversations Paige is thrust back into the world of Liam as he agrees to date her and “re break” her heart. Forced to travel with Liam for his work, share hotel rooms and revisit the past, this second chance romance is one you want to get your hands on.

Also, I need Paige’s lyrics to be songs that I can listen to asap Clare!!!

- Second Chance
- Dual Timelines
- First Love
- Baseball player
- Songwriter / Roadie
- Concert Tour Manager
- He Falls First

I loved this romance a lot more than I was expecting to! I find this author’s writing style to be very refreshing and I look forward to seeing what comes of her next work.

If you love music and second-chance love stories, this is the book for you! I adored the songwriting aspect of the music storyline and how the MFC makes a decision to try and improve her songwriting skills - it was creative and fun! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book completely stole my heart. It was one of the best second chance romances I’ve ever read—it’s definitely going on my favorites list. Clare Gilmore’s writing is so emotionally rich and immersive; I felt completely swept up in the story from beginning to end. The characters felt incredibly real—especially Paige, who I found deeply relatable. I was so attached to both her and the love story. I can’t say enough good things about this book. If you love romance with depth, heart, and unforgettable characters, don’t miss this one when it comes out!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!!!!

The second chance was second-chancing—it almost made me text my ex of 8 years…

Never Over is everything I love about second chance romances: dual timeline, heavy personal drama, two people who’ve loved each other across years of silence, and a book boyfriend who checks every one of my boxes (the way this man talks...).

Paige is this close to making a living doing what she loves—writing songs—but her lyrics? Let’s say they need work. So what does she do? Finds the ex-kinda-boyfriend who broke her heart four years ago and asks him to help her break it again. Just so she could write a few good songs, obviously.
What follows is three months of being on tour, sharing hotel beds, chasing that old chemistry.

This was my first Clare Gilmore book and definitely not my last. The writing reeled me in from page one.

The central conflict? A bit whatever. But the connection between the MCs? Made it all more than worth it. I loved every second.

At this point, all I wanna do is read second chance, and maybe even write my own. I’m too far gone…

A huge Thank You to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the DRC!

This was so much fun! I had a great time with this take on the trope and literally cannot wait to read more from the author!