Sadly, there was just too much going on with this book, every aspect of it felt forced/contrived to fit in. It also felt stilted in the scenes between the heroine and her two best friends - like we're supposed to know these people right off the bat, so too much information crammed into their dialogue which made it hard to follow. The chemistry between the heroine and hero was also lacking - I didn't see why/how they were attracted to each other, especially among all the drama in their lives. It didn't feel balanced, and this threw me off the read and made it not enjoyable, unfortunately

I have given Before You Were Mine by Ida Brady five out of five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Owen and Ally have my entire heart. This book follows a dual perspective of Ally; a co-ordinator at a junior high school and Owen who is a widowed parent trying to navigate single parenting with a soon-to-be teenager. I loved both of their characters so much. Ally was really admirable and fun, yet had so many trust issues due to her childhood upbringing and Owen was so understanding, loyal and knows how to woo a woman whilst dealing with difficult, spiteful in-laws.

Although there was insta-love between Owen and Ally it also a slow burn because of the build up for when their relationship fully takes charge. Own and Ally have such an incredible connection and they’re not going to give up easily on making it work.

Spicy sex scenes had me 🥵 Ida Brady’s writing in this book had me hooked from the first chapter but oh wow, the sex scenes were tantalising and I would’ve loved to have had more however, I think the handful of sex scenes in this book was perfect for these characters and their story.

This book is definitely one of my favourites I’ve read so far this year! I cannot wait to dive into the next book of the series and I look forward to the third book coming out later this year!

The premise is good and you could say this is a lighthearted read, it's just a tad over descriptive.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book received from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book really wasn’t for me, I’m sure others will like it more but it just doesn’t click with me

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest review

The premise sounded like something I would enjoy so was pretty excited for this ARC, however this just didn't hold my interest and I had to DNF after this long.

Ally is a teacher working hard for the kids she loves. When Owen comes in for a tour of the school, she can’t help the attraction to him. They have obstacles trying to keep them apart, from his ex in laws to her parents. They fight to stay together and to do what is right for his daughter.
Opinion
This is a super cute read. The drama is a bit high but the book as a whole kept me interested. There was constantly something going on that needed a solution.
This is the first book in a series and I can’t help but hope that Owens brother is next.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I'm not a fan of this book. The book doesn't hold my attention and I found myself skimming and skipping around. DNF






************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley.******************

This book is adorable. I really enjoyed it. I will definitely read more by this author. I loved the chemistry.

This story, at first, I thought was going to be a simple love story, but the story turned out to have more depth in it then I thought it would, and it really surprised me. I really loved Ally and Owen. Although their relationship was almost like an instant love, it was more of a slow burn too because of how long it took them to act upon their feelings and I thought it was absolutely perfect. I loved their relationship and how they fought for their relationship and even with all the stress in their lives they could have a major argument and not storm off. That they could actually talk about it and still hug and go to dinner afterwards. I loved that and you don’t see it often. I also loved how much they fought for Charlie, it made me smile more to think they cared more about that little girl then their own budding romance. Overall it was a nice read.

I wasn’t able to finish this novel. I got about 50% through and couldn’t find a connection with the characters or the story. The premise was good. The cover art grabbed my attention. But the writing style wasn’t for me. It didn’t suck me into a story and make me feel like I was there.

I started this book shortly after finishing another book that I practically skimmed over because I wasn’t into into. I was halfway through my nursing school prerequisite program when I started this and I just want something short and sweet that would let my brain get away from all the thinking.

I had no idea that this book would have the story it did but I am so happy that something about the cover of this story drew me in so much so that there were times during the week that I had to convince myself that only one more chapter and I would go to sleep.

Ally & Owen were simply perfect, and what I loved most about this story was that it didn’t have any unnecessary drama. It had a relationship between two people who didn’t put any more strain on their relationship by getting mad at each other and storming off. They fought for their relationship despite what the outside tried to throw at them and were able to build a family for a little girl who so desperately needed one.

I liked the premise of the story and it was a fairly quick read. I was however not too keen on the writing style which felt too “expositiony at times ” i.e. characters who know each other having conversations with background story info that is clearly intended to get the reader up to speed. (2.5 ⭐️)

The storyline is consistent, engaging and filled with a lot of depth. It has the perfect blend of flirty behavior, hilarious moments (Ally’s best friends Sera and Maddie are excellent and supportive secondary characters), sex, a little drama and a whole lot of love.

High school teacher Ally is about to break the first rule of teaching, don’t fall for the parent of one of your students. This is a fun, sexy, easy read that had me hooked, especially as it was set in an Australian high school.

A book with romance, not that much more. Good story but I was lacking excitement and something thrilling in the story. An easy 'love at first sight' read.

I really liked this book, the story is easy to get into and the characters are just perfect for the story.

Now that I entered to NetGalley I see that some people find it confusing or more exactly inaccurate, since I am not Australian, I didn't noticed so for me that wasn't a problem.


I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a quick, sweet, healing in some point, this is the book you must read.

IT HAS LIKABLE CHARACTERS, A NICE LOVE STORY, A GOOD TEMPO. GO READ IT.

This was so cute! I really liked it. It a fun and charming story. It has a single dad which is one of my favorite tropes.

I really loved this book! It took a bit for me to get into it but by the middle of the book I was hooked! I loved the main characters in the book. Owen is the type of guy every girl dreams of! It was a page turner. I was able to read it within a couple of days.

I really enjoyed this story. Ally and Owen are attracted to each other right from the start. But, Ally’s past, and her job as Owens daughters teacher makes her hesitant to start a relationship. But, their relationship slowly builds. This book was a fast read, but I found at times, it jumped around. Like, the characters could be doing one thing, and in the next instant, we’re doing something different. While this didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story, it was confusing at times. But I look forward that to reading the other books in this series. This book was a quick read, and definitely recommend it if you like a sweet, romantic story.

2.5 stars. I didn’t really enjoy the first half of this book much. Ally is likeable, but I just felt meh about Owen for too much of the book. Ally is obviously a good person, plus I appreciated that she was 5’11” and “curvy”, which is a nice change from the petite leads in most rom-coms/romances. I didn’t really feel the chemistry between them until very far into the book. Although there were moments early on where it seemed like Owen was a little too forward (him pushing her hair behind her early the second or so time they met). There were also multiple times where he mentioned he “always gets what he wants”- huh? That doesn’t sound like something a good guy is going to tell a woman. Even the fact that Ally told him no multiple times but he still pursued her is a little off putting.
There some odd or cheesy things said multiple times in the books including; him “branding” her (I can’t stand when this term is used in romances- I can’t help but roll my eyes every time), he asks her to take her hair down and says her hair “fascinates “ him (what!?!), and he says he decides to “woo her over” (is this an Australian thing? Here, it’s to woo someone or win someone over, not woo someone over).
I didn’t get why everyone close to the main characters seems completely obsessed over whether or not they’ve had sex. It’s just weird and creepy. They also seem to insist on being told every detail. It’s just kind of gross, to be honest.
I did really appreciate at one point in the book where Ally had done something that upset Owen that he didn’t overreact and storm out or cut her off. He actually behaved like a real life adult and went on with their relationship treating her with kindness and respect. That was refreshing.
One of the last things I didn’t love was the characterization that the dream for all good women is to have children. This is such a common idea in romances. There are plenty of good people who have no interest in having their own kids- I’d love toes that in a rom-com.
Overall, the book was just okay. I can tell there will be future books featuring Ally”s teacher friends, but I don’t think I’ll check them out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Book Throne Publishing for allowing me access to this eARC!