3.5 STARS!
I LOVE the childhood to something more romance troupe... the marriage pact made as young kids... there is just something so special about meeting your person at a young age and knowing that they are meant to be someone more in your life in the future.
Sebastian and Rachel grew up as neighbors and best friends. Sebastian was the lovable nerd who was bullied while Rachel was the smart mouth strong one who protected and stood up for her best friend. She was his hero and he loved her in every sense of the word.
Fast forward years later and they haven't seen each other in some time until the Christmas that she comes home and he's there... in her space... and absolutely gorgeous and the complete 360 of who he was when he was younger. But she has changed too... no longer fiercely strong and independent but almost a shell of herself, with insecurities, and not having successfully checked off her life list of things she had wanted to accomplish by this stage in her life, she was just so different from who I thought she would grow up to be.
Sebastian was just IT for me... I love the nerd turned confident turned successfully rich... cocky in a way but oh so completely sexy. I was sad for Rachel... sad that she seemed to lose her sense of self along the way because of her mother's illness and her career taking a backseat but also because of her career and where she wanted to be in life.
I LOVE the whole fake fiancé storyline but while I felt like Sebastian was ALL IN, I was sad that Rachel just did not seem to be at all... I understand her wanting to go into the fake marriage for appearances sake for her reasons but it just felt selfish when you could literally feel that Sebastian was so true and goodhearted. Maybe that was the point... but it hurt my heart nonetheless because I wanted to FEEL their connection and chemistry and I was just missing that aspect. And I have read a bunch of Reiss's books and I KNOW she can right some pretty darn good chemistry.
I enjoyed the ending and how Sebastian always comes through with the romance and of course the peek into their future which was bliss...
I just wished I loved this book more because I was so excited for it... It was definitely a good read but not Reiss's best. I look forward to reading more from her.

Sweet, Funny, Light, Heartfelt, Endearing.......those are words came to mind when I finished Only Ever You. It put me in a happy place because it was such a feel good read. A second chance romance starting with best friends from high school who lived across a street from one another who signed a quirky contract to get married if neither were married by the age of 30. Fast forward to age 30 and you can guess, no one is married.

Sebastian, the former dweeb, who use to have Rachel sticking up for him has turned into a sexy, well built, confident man who is now very successful. Rachel, the former sassy, confident beautiful girl has turned into still beautiful but an insecure and doubtful woman who has become a screenwriter. And when these two reconnect with one another, their friendship blossoms once again. But because they are friends and made a contact, should they get married? Well their parents think so and so the wedding plans begin. But Rachel and Sebastian decide that they will play along because Rachel’s mom needs some happiness Rachel thinks. So pretending it is until pretending turns into something else.

I will say that this story was sweet. It has low angst level, humor, and tender moments. Grown up Rachel was bothersome at times but haven’t we all had those times. Sebastian was an inspiring hero. Nerds do grow up and surprise us. Both sets of families were perfectly endearing to the story and were really the driving force in getting Sebastian and Rachel to discover their feelings for one another.

Not every book you reads needs to be deep and angsty. A feel good book is one that makes you smile and feel it. And while I’m an epilogue junkie, this epilogue perfectly surpassed all my expectations. It elevated my feelings for this book to 5 stars.

A great summer read to put you in your happy place!!

CD Reiss tends to make you forget that she can go lighter. With all of the tortured darkness of her latest books (I’m looking at you, Pretty Scars), her ability to make you feel warm and swoony.

As one character observes, this book has just about all the tropes: friends-to-lovers, second chance, fake fiancé, parent with illness, dweeb-to-hottie. It’s pretty impressive that Reiss juggles all of these in a cohesive way, something she succeeds at because despite all of the angles going on, she maintains her focus on Sebastian and Rachel.

You will love Sebastian. Determined to earn his true love, he does not give up. Yes, there are times when you want to push him to pursue a little harder, to be a little less sweet. But, gosh, is lovable. So much so that there are more times when you want to grab Rachel by the shoulders and shout at her to stop being so defeatist.

The dynamic between Sebastian and Rachel will pull you into their story, and the supporting cast is both hilarious and heartbreaking. These are people you want to know in real life.

Let me know what you think of this one. It utterly captivated me.

ONLY EVER YOU by CD Reiss is the story of Sebastian and Rachel.
Rachel's family moved across from Sebastian who was a nerd but Rachel always tried to protect him. So they became friends even making a pack that when they get older they would marry if they original plans didn't go as planned. Now in the present day Sebastian is doing good but Rachel is having personal issues and he comes forward with the marriage pack.
Loved their story!!

What a great read! This is different from anything I’ve read by this author and honestly it’s my new favorite book of hers. Sebastian stole my heart from the beginning, we all have known a Sebastian growing up and for him to finally get his HEA, I love that!

Rachel is a tough cookie who kinda loses some of her spunk along the way until an old friend helps her find herself again. This is a great sweet story that captured my heart and is holding on tight. I loved it!

A sweet, lovely romance that only comes around once in a lifetime, no matter how many others you try to find it with. He has loved her since they were kids and she was his protector, and finally the time has come for the pact they made when they were teenagers to be met. She thinks it's all a ruse, a deception to make some one happy, but the sweet nerdy boy she use to know has turned into a man, tall and muscular and definitely successful, but there is something more there. Will she embrace him and what he is offering or will she let her happily ever after pass her by? When you live your life by a plan somethings are going to pass you by, if you let them.

4 "happily ever after" stars....

Well, I must say that was a little bit of a surprise. Only Ever You was a sweet friends to lovers book. Sebastian and Rachel had been friends since they were young. When they were sixteen, they made a pact and drew up a marriage contract that would go into effect if they were still unmarried at age 30.

As the book begins, Sebastian and Rachel are both now thirty years old and their parents want for them to follow through with their marriage contract. The storyline progresses with how they decides to proceed with their future. They are so perfectly matched but don't necessarily realize it. Sebastian has loved Rachel for as long as he can remember. Rachel is afraid to love again because she's been hurt so much. She knows she's definitely attracted to Sebastian but they both overthink things and get in their own way in trying to make a relationship work.

I really did enjoy Only Ever You. CD Reiss did give the reader a few surprises in this read. I won't elaborate on those because I don't want to spoil anything. Along with the couple finding love, they "found" themselves in this book. At the beginning of this story, neither of them was really doing what they had dreamed of as a career. Sebastian was making a lot of money but it wasn't fulfilling him and Rachel wasn't making money at her job nor was she happy. By finding one another again, it reminded them each of what their true dreams were. Overall, it was a light-hearted, feel good read where the couple had some great chemistry and a lot of love. I have to say the epilogue put the biggest smile on my face. I love an HEA and this book delivered in spades.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a long time fan of author C.D. Reiss, I jumped at the chance to read her latest novel, Only Ever You. The premise of the book grabbed me! How cute is a childhood marriage pact!?! I started reading thinking that Only Ever You was a romantic comedy, but found it was more serious than it was funny.

Rachel was a driven teenager with big plans, and she was confident she would not need a back-up plan for her professional or personal aspirations. However, one left turn lead to another--as it usually does, and while the message is clear to the reader, it takes a lot of existential angst on Rachel’s part for her to see that she can’t force the path that she is meant to take. The more she does, the less true-to-herself she becomes.

Re-enter Sebastian, the nerdy neighbor who Rachel befriended and championed throughout their childhood. Sebastian is now gorgeous and successful. This character is charming, sincere and down-to-earth. In adulthood, their roles have essentially reversed.

It was easy to be charmed by Sebastian, and it was hard for me to like Rachel. Rachel came off more self-indulgent and whiney than empathetic. I wanted to like her more than I found that I could. That said, I did enjoy the chemistry and banter between the two main characters. Additionally, their parent’s create some humorous situations that I loved.

Only Ever You has a great premise and plot points, I just didn’t care for the focus on the details of Rachel’s profession and personal career. I had hoped for a fun, breezy read with a swoony romance. Only Ever You is more women’s literature than romantic comedy, but it definitely provides a swoon-worth romance between two friends who find that they are truly in love.

Be still my teenage heart! This story makes me wish I had a guy best friend while growing up. Two best friends that grew up next door to each other, are brought back together by a contract they made when they were young. What starts out as a joke, is taken to a whole other level when word gets around.
I loved this story and had a hard time putting it down so I could sleep at night. The characters are loveable and ones you wish would leap out of the book and be your friend in real life. Drama, romance and laughter - Only Ever You will capture your heart!

Rachel and Sebastian are proof that good things come to those who wait. Love was never on the agenda for these BFFs. He was the nerd she told all her secrets to. She was his protector. The dream girl that seemed to be far beyond his reach. Then life got in the way and dreams fell by the wayside, until fate step in. A long ago promise and a rekindled friendship has two broken hearts rethinking their previous point of view. Only Ever You is real life. Not always pretty, far from a fantasy, but precious all the same. Reiss creates a new kind of fairytale. It's called reality.

This book is quite different from other books written by this author in that it is tame with very little angst and I don't mean that in a bad way. I enjoyed it but it took me some time to get into the plot -- at times it appeared to be a bit disjointed, but then once I got into it, it was enjoyable even though it wasn't one of my favorites. This is a nice, easy read with very little drama or steam from an author who usually provides tons of both! I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC for NetGalley.

An uncertain situation of health issues makes two sweethearts childhood friends to get together again and have an opportunity at a marriage of convenience. During this time, they get to know the new adults they become in their 30th years old and feelings and emotions and heartbreaking moments are shared all around.
It was a sweet story, I must admit I was surprised to read this one after reading another more darker story by the author but it left me with a great feeling of accomplishment.

This was my first from CD Reiss. I quite enjoyed it.
Only Ever You, was an easy read low angst, sweet story about friendship and love. I loved the characters, CD Reiss didn't add unnecessary drama that wasn't beneficial to the storyline. Sebastian and Rachel were childhood friends, she always had his back when he was picked on or stood up for him.
They made a pact that if they weren't married by 30 they would marry each other. Fast forward 30 years would Rachel have the same feelings as Sebastian.
This was a perfect beach or by the pool read or anyday at that matter.
Can't wait to try out some more of her work.
"Received an ARC thought Net Gallery Voluntary reviewed"

Although this is a pretty mild story in comparison to other works I've read by C.D. Reiss - I really enjoyed it.

Only Ever You was a sweet, heartwarming story of friendship and love. I enjoyed the characters, plot and low-angst level of this story. I really like that there wasn't a lot of unnecessary drama added in that wasn't beneficial for the storyline - everything flowed well and kept me engaged from the first scene in the Principals office to the last page of the book.

If you're looking for a light and sweet read - I recommend this one.

So I started OEY during our family move. This was the perfect book to delve into while making sure everything is packed perfectly and your former home is perfectly presentable for the new owners. It was perfect because it was low angst, oh so sweet and it has Sebastian!! But on the other hand I wish I would have had the time to sit down and binge read it.

I loved Rachel and Sebastian. Childhood friends, she stood up for him and had his back when he was picked on and then they wrote a pact that if they weren't married by 30 they would marry each other. Cue the wedding march!! Their whole story was just so freaking amazing!! Fast forward to age 30, he still has the pact and there are circumstances that force Rachel to ask him to go through with a fake wedding. But what if what's fake for her isn't so fake for him? Can he show her that maybe it can be turned around and maybe the childhood friendship can be so much more.

Loved it!!! This is a great summer read, perfect for the beach or pool days. Who am I kidding, perfect for any day of the year!!!

**received an ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed**

It is rare that I give a writer three stars and I hate doing it especially when it is a rating based on my impression of the story when others might love it. I am a big fan of C D Reiss and I have read many of her books and loved them. Having said that Only Ever You just did not do it for me, in fact I had to start it a couple of times and struggle to keep going.

The story is a great idea, about the contract made between two childhood friends to marry each other if they both remain unmarried by age 30. Sebastian is the schoolboy nerd who gets bullied by other boys, Rachel is the confident, outgoing girl who always protects him. By the time they reach 30 Sebastian has gone on to be rich and successful and absolutely gorgeous, while Rachel has lost her confidence and feels like a failure at her job as other people who started off lower on the ladder are now ahead of her, she is struggling financially, is worried about her Mother's health, and has recently broken up with her boyfriend.

Sebastian and Rachel meet back home the Christmas closest to their 30th birthdays and at the urging of their parents decide to fulfill the marriage contract to make them happy. Rachel is doing this because she believes that her Mother's cancer has come back and she would be happy seeing Rachel settled before she dies. Sebastian is doing it because he has always loved Rachel and wants to make her happy.

For me the story becomes disjointed and hard to follow as I wonder why these two characters allow their parents to walk all over them such as arranging their wedding right under their noses allowing them little input. How can Rachel not realize that Sebastian actually loves her especially when he buys her a huge zillion dollar rock from Harry Winston. Going a bit far don't ya think for a fake wedding? Also really unbelievable was Sebastian's secret, gorgeous and age 30 and still.... I think not.

If you light something that is a light read not to be taken too seriously then this story could be for you. For me I prefer Ms Reiss's more dramatic and involved stories with more substance.

The first chapter of the book really captures the readers attention and keeps it throughout the story. The premise was cute, and the characters we relatable. Rachel and Sébastien are a sweet couple, there weren't any,major dramatics, their families were fun and the fiends were there to help. Overall; a really enjoyable story.

There seems to be a running theme with my reading style at the moment and I’m very into the ‘will they, won’t they’ type of romance at the minute. Only Ever You definitely falls into that category, and I really enjoyed the moments and references that were made throughout the book. I will say that whilst I really enjoyed the book and reading it, there were moments where it all became so predictable and I knew exactly what was going to happen. BUT and this is a big but, I connected with all of the characters and I enjoyed reading about their stories and connections with one another.

Only Ever You follows Rachel and Sebastian as they deal with a fake engagement and a marriage contract that was never supposed to mean anything. These two make my heart swell, they start off as best friends with Rachel swooping in and saving “Sebbie” from the local bullies. I just loved the dynamic that these two both had and also the way that they looked out for one another. I was a little annoyed with the way Sebastian kept comparing Rachel to her fearless younger self, it’s easy to be fearless when you’re younger and the world hasn’t crapped all over you. Also, he is quite wealthy so it doesn’t really compare. I just loved the lengths that they went to in order to keep their families and themselves happy.

The best bits of Only Ever You was definitely when they buy the ring and Rachel’s reaction. I loved the interaction, the way the two characters bounced off one another, it was definitely the start of seeing two best friends blossoming into something else. I loved the ending, I thought that the story ended well and there was a decent amount of closure. I always think with these kinds of books that it’s always the same in the sense that you always want to know how they end up. I think this book covers all my bases on that point. One of my favourite parts.

There weren’t specifically worst bits in this book but overall I think everything moved really quickly and I was left feeling a little like I had whiplash at some points. I wanted more of a slow burn romance but this seemed to snowball at some points and run away with itself. Something that didn’t diminish my enjoyment but definitely disconnected me from the story a little bit.

I definitely would recommend Only Ever You. It is definitely a warm fuzzy read, so don’t expect the next Charles Dickens, but I loved reading it, I didn’t want to put it down and I was satisfied with the ending. If only the romance had been slower paced it would have been rated higher.

Chat with me about books
What are some of your favourite “will they? Won’t they” type of romances? Let me know in the comments

What is this phenomenon known as Reiss?...she changes genres and tropes like a chameleon and THIS book....just made me go-Awwwwwww..... teary-eyed smiles and all!! I guess the joke is on me😀
Unexpectedly heartfelt and soul stirring,this book is epitome of serendipitous love❤️
In a nutshell-
"it’s about a guy who comes back home after getting successful and dealing with the girl he left who never went anywhere—"

Rachel Rendell and Sebastian Barton had a childhood pact, they'd get married if they both were single and didn't have a partner on the horizon by 30.
She's been his warrior Super girl and he's NEVER forgotten that
I swear this book should be optioned for a movie...I think Bollywood has its inspirational mentor vibe pretty strong😜
I've read hundreds of books about alpha males who take charge of the Romance and sex and girl's a hesitant, nervous, lip biting virgin....
CD UPENDS ALL THAT!

It was so refreshing to see the guy having insecurities and be the first to admit it...
I could kiss Seb JUST FOR THAT. Nothing more adorable than a guy who's vulnerable to heartbreak.
And the lines...Omg the words CD pens, she wrote on my heart 🥰
"The fact that I love you now doesn’t change the fact that I’m not worth it. I’m nowhere. You’re loyal and smart. Successful and confident. You’re complete in a way I’m not. I miss you already. When you’re around, I have someone to look at and say, “This is who I want to be like.” And to see you look at me with affection and love? It makes me feel complete too."
Swooooooooooooooonthump😍

I've laughed at their mom's, I've cried at their almost love, I've been in awe of the truth and honesty in their passions
I'm floored and in trance...loved, loved, loved the sweet love story
4 stars for Heroes in Grandpa Cradigans with wooden toggles

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book.
The main characters of this fun romance have known each other for years. They have integrity, love their family and are well suited for each other.
At times, the story was slightly confusing with a lot of the characters at Rachel's work, and the text messaging between Rachel and Seb, but maybe that was just me finding it difficult to follow.
Overall, it was a quirky romance, with a few unexpected twists and turns.
Nice to see the happy ending.