I know, each time, that Clare is going to tear me open and then stitch me back up; I go to it willingly because it hurts so pretty.

This is no exception. Every new story Clare gives us is raw and clever and funny and earnest. Her characters are real and genuine, her storylines tender and heartfelt.

I could not fault Paige or Liam for the things that tore them apart any more than they could fault each other (by which I mean I did, and then I didn’t) - and oh how sweet it was to watch them find their way back.

We said bring back yearning and Clare was like “what do you mean ‘bring back’, it has been here the whole time”

I laughed out loud at inside jokes. I did that weird shaky inhale thing you do when you’re not quite sobbing but you know it’s coming. I did actually sob. I kicked my feet in glee. I clutched them to my heart and felt them deeply.

Beyond their (all-encompassing, sweeping, consuming) love story, there is the creation and dissolution of friendships and families. There are career changes and baby steps and blind, terrifying leaps. And through it all, there is a hand reaching out to hold on to yours and say: I love you as you are, and I will love you as you will be.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book! Upon starting, I was hooked; the two main characters had chemistry, I was unable to set it down, and I enjoyed the writing. I felt that the story concluded in a very satisfying way, all of the plot lines were resolved, the characters had proper development, and the story had a satisfying ending. However, I would argue that the pacing was a bit fast. I enjoyed how everything started regarding the set-up, situation, and personalities of the characters. Given the background of the characters, it was understandable on their progression of the relationship and the predictament. The main characters' relationships spiraled incredibly fast after. I would give this book an overall of 4.5. The writing was fantastic and easy to grasp, the ending was satisfying, and the story avoids usual romance cliches, which allows for lack of predictability.

This is exactly what you expect in the best way.
Telling the story with vingttets from the past and slowly giving us their story is perfection.
Liam has been my favorite mmc of the year so far and I cannot wait to have a physical copy in my hands and on my shelf.

Loved! Clare Gilmore can do no wrong in my eyes - this book was adorable and perfect for summer. If you love a second chance romance, music, and dialogue you'll want to highlight in almost every chapter this one is for you!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book! I have read and loved a few Clare Gilmore books and this one was my favorite of hers yet. I am a mega fan of second chance romance and this one was just perfection. The book has celebrity romance vibes since it is centered around the music industry but the characters feel more normal since the FMC, Paige, is a songwriters trying to make it big. On the heels of graduating from Belmont with a degree in songwriting, she is offered a conditional contract if she can rework the lyrics to her songs. She realizes the last time she wrote great lyrics was with Liam, the one that got away.

She tracks Liam down and asks him to date her so she has write better music. He agrees and they travel the country on tour for his job. Their relationship gains momentum and they realize that maybe their love never went away after all. The book also has some moments that are written 4 years prior and give great context to the relationship, I just loved Liam and Paige and this one gave me all the warm fuzzies. Five stars for sure!

4.5 stars
This was such an emotional and well-balanced read. The two main characters met when they were in college, and we get a dual timeline of what has happened between them and why they broke up the first time. I think it is very hard to get a second chance right, but this book did it hands down. The 2 characters had such depth, explaining more about their background and what made the relationship challenging, and how the first time they were together impacted them as people.
I wish there was a bit more talking about their relationship in the beginning, but I understand how the dual timeline brought things together at the end.
This book was an amazing second chance romance, and I would really recommend to those who love second-chance romances, but also those who are a little bit more picky about their reads in this category.

I just loved this story. Told alternately between current day and four years before, it is a beautiful story of love and trust, music and following your heart and your passions.

💞 Single POV (First person)
💞 Past/Present timeline - which works surprisingly well
💞 Man down BAD for his woman
💞 Character driven
💞 SPICY
💞 Second Chance
💞 Fake/Not Fake Dating - it makes sense if you read it

Y'all!!! This book right here is so good. Like really, really good.

I always worry a second chance, especially one where we bounce between now and then, is going to be a struggle for me. Clare Gilmore does an excellent job of keeping you right on the edge while also feeding you just enough of what you want to keep the story going.

We get the entire book from the FMC's perspective. This is highly important given the way things play out (no spoilers) between her and the MMC, as well as all of the people overlapping their lives.

Our FMC, Paige, is the youngest of five girls. Each interaction feels so authentic between her and her siblings. By the end you can feel the growth and change for each on the page.

Liam, our MMC, is also a youngest child, which they quickly bond over. His relationship with his family is different - more strained due to REASONS.

Paige and Liam had a *thing* back in the day. Life happened, which led to them breaking up. When Paige realizes the only truly beautiful song she's written was after their separation, she decides having him break her heart again is the best way to find the magic again.

This is where I'm going to drop some spoilers for those who need it. <spoiler> They get spicccyyyy both in the past and the present for this book. During the separation they are with other people. In fact we see what some might consider the OW on the page befriending the FMC. It isn't don't badly, though I was startled by it because of how adamant Liam was about Paige being it for him. The man has it BAD for her either way. Plus there's no drama there. It's honestly barely a mention, but dropping for #safetysquad folks. </spoiler>

ANYWAY, back to the program. The couple in this book is so real. They're flawed and they grow, both apart and together IMO. It took me by surprise how I could not put this book down. I flew threw it because I HAD to know how it ended.

The Epilogue.... just grab your tissues now. I mean, I wasn't bawling but WHEW, the author really wrapped things up in such a unique and beautiful manner.

Read this if you like Hannah Bonham Young's heartfelt stories + Tarah DeWitt's character development + Becka Mack's Carter-level obsession in Consider Me.

Huge thank you to NetGalley, the publisher (St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin), and Clare Gilmore for the chance to review this eARC.

I enjoy Clare Gilmore. Her latest, Never Over is out this fall and it’s one to pick up on publication day. It was a great read.

“All of this, and so much more, because on a warm, rainy day, on a sidewalk in downtown Knoxville, the college pitcher saw a girl out of the corner of his eye.”

This book was incredible. I don’t normally even like second chance romance stories, but Never Over was impossible to put down. I was hooked from the very beginning, and in tears by the epilogue.

Never Over tells the story of Liam, a former collegiate baseball pitcher and current stage hand, and Paige, a waitress and recent music school graduate who isn’t quite sure who she wants to be. Paige gets feedback on her songwriting that makes her realize she’s uninspired. She seeks out the source of the last good song she wrote, and goes to ask Liam, who she hasn’t so much as spoken to in four years, to break her heart again.

The pacing of this book was perfection. The way the story of their relationship was told made me so anxious to keep reading and find out what happened. The side characters felt well-fleshed out, and Liam and Paige’s challenges felt viscerally real. I liked how long it took them to make breakthroughs in their respective insecurities and triggers, and I loved their relationship on page. And might I add, you’re all going to fall in LOVE with Liam. He’s a top tier book boyfriend and I need someone like him in my life immediately please.

This was a very, very strong romance novel. I want to shout out the epilogue - I’ve never read an epilogue quite like it in a romance novel, and now I want all romance novels to end like that. It made me cry. I won’t say more about it to avoid spoilers, but it may have been my favorite part in what is now one of my new favorite books.

I recommend this to fans of true love, songwriters, complex character development, and happy endings.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and Clare Gilmore for the advanced readers copy provided in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Clare Gilmore is officially an auto-buy author for me! She’s in the leagues of Abby Jimenez and Emily Henry. She has a knack for writing emotional, thoughtful, and charming romances. I’m normally not one for second chance romance, but I think Clare knocked it out of the park. I love how her characters are never perfect or too “shiny” — they’re flawed and have to work through their past experiences before they can have their HEA. Paige’s imposter syndrome was very relatable, and I loved seeing her grow throughout the novel. I wish we had gotten to spend more time with Liam and Paige in the present, and it was a bit hard to keep all of the characters’ names straight in my mind between the bandmates, the crew, and the sisters. Thank you for the opportunity to read this advanced copy, and I’m super excited to see what Clare has in store next!

DAREISAY MY FAVORITE BOOK OF 2025? This was yet another beautiful story by Clare Gilmore. I was absolutely in love with Liam and Paige, and I felt so emotionally connected to them. Their story was so emotional and beautiful. Clare Gilmore has the wonderful talent of creating flawed and real characters who you can’t help but love.

Normally, I don’t love a second-chance romance, or anything having to do with the music industry/songwriting in general. I think it has the potential to get very cringey, very fast, but MAN! If anyone can make me rethink tropes I don’t love, it’s Clare Gilmore!!!! Mark your calendars for November!!!!!

Thank you St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC! You’ve made me a very happy girl💗

Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes, and Paige and Liam's story is one of my favorites. I loved the dual timeline where we got to see their from 4-5 years ago along with the present. Paige and Liam met in their early 20s, and they fell in love, but things ended for them. Paige is an aspiring songwriter, and when she tries to write meaningful songs, she decides to find inspiration with Liam. Liam inspired her to write amazing songs, but without him, she feels unable to put her feelings into songs. Her lyrics are basic and without heart behind them.

When she sees Liam at a concert, she discovers that he has become a tour manager. He agrees to date her, and she goes on tour with him. As they share hotel rooms and only one bed, their feelings for each other return, but they have rules that involve not even kissing each other. The slow burn is so worth it because sparks fly when they kiss each other again.

The past timeline works so well because we get to see the start of their relationship and how things ended. It adds so much context to the story, and I enjoyed both timelines equally. Even though the story is single POV, I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything.

The epilogue is beautiful, and it made me cry! It was so emotional.

I enjoyed this book and the growth both main characters had throughout the book. However, I didn’t ever fully connect with the FMC. I did enjoy the friend group aspect of the book. It did at times get confusing to keep track of all the characters (siblings and friend group). Overall, I would rate this 3.75 stars.

I wasn’t too sure about this one at the start, but I was completely invested by the end. That epilogue was so beautifully written!

The second chance romance develops very quickly, but the connection between Liam and Paige felt so heartwarming and real. Outside of their relationship, the story explores family dynamics and sibling relationships, which I always adore.

I discovered Claire’s first two books last fall and devoured them within a couple days so I was extremely excited to read Never Over. It took me a few chapters to get into the “can’t put this down” vibe but once I was there I was hooked. I think Claire did a perfect job with the time changes between chapters and gave the reader all the necessary details to build relationships without making it feel like certain parts dragged on. I also love that Paige didn’t change her thoughts on performing at the end. A cute read withe plenty of main and side characters to fall in love with and relate to. I just wish I could hear Paige’s songs in real life!

I enjoyed this ARC so much! I am an absolute sucker for a second chance romance. The characters and chemistry were very real and I blew through this in a day. This is the second book I have read from Claire Gilmore and I preferred this one. I also loved the back and forth between present day and the past. My only feedback was that there were so many secondary characters (specifically all of the sisters and tour members ) and I had a hard time keeping them straight.

This book is easily one of the most delightful and heartwarming stories I’ve read in a long time! From start to finish, it flows effortlessly, with a plot that unfolds at just the right pace. The development of the characters and their relationships feels completely natural and authentic, making the journey all the more engaging. Everything comes together beautifully, leaving you with a sense of joy and fulfillment. If you’re searching for a truly charming read, this story is an absolute must.

Never Over by Clare Gilmore is the perfect second chance romance and my new favourite book by the author. Paige and Liam had met 4 years earlier and their time together ended with a couple of broken hearts. Paige who is so close to earning a song writing contract is told that her lyrics are missing something, leading her to reconnect with the person who both inspired her and set her on her current career path. The dual timeline really works with this story as the reader gets to see over time how Paige and Liam initially got together and what inevitably led to their break up all while seeing them connect again in the present day. The main characters show growth and vulnerability. The book was also a beautiful reminder of how important and influential music and lyrics can be - with the epilogue alone deserving 10/10 stars.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and the author for an eARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

A cute, quick, and easy read. While the main trope is a second chance romance, there is also a large focus on the main character, Paige, finding her own voice and courage.

While I was excited to read this book, it ultimately fell flat for me since I never connected with Paige. I found her selfish (e.g., asking Liam to break her heart without thinking how it might hurt him). And while it was intentional for the story, her insecurities and lack of clear personality made it hard for me to feel invested in her and her story.

Thank you to Clare Gilmore, St Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.