This is my first book by Adriana Locke and I loved her writing style. The inner monologues in each POV is funny, real and raw… had me laughing and getting teary. The tension, the banter, the grief and pain they both carry, the healing they find if beautiful. The children are so relatable and the way grief is portrayed for the kids but also for the adults was approachable and real. It pulled me in…so good!

🌶️🌶️🌶️

apologies for the delayed posting of review links. I thought I already had.

Such a fun romance. Definitely a summer read!! I’d def read this again it wasn’t a top ten book but a good book nonetheless

***ARC Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley***

I wanted to like this title, and I did in parts. I did like Gabrielle and Jay as a couple.

My issue was that there was too much going on outside of them as a couple that I felt I couldn't keep it straight and it made me feel like all of the subplots were mostly unresolved.

The ending of the book felt rushed and unfinished and I honestly didn't believe the progression of the characters from the end of the book to the 2 months later epilogue.

I'm unable to recommend this title.

Sweet!

Between Now and Forever is a single mom, grumpy/sunshine, small town standalone romance.

Gabrielle (Gabby) returns to Alden, after years away. Now a single mom of two teen boys and recently "widowed" of her ex-husband, she just wants to get her life in order where she feels most supported.
Curiosity brought her to a wobbling deck, seeing something interesting, ending up falling in the bushes below....not such an appealing introduction to her hunk of a neighboor...wrapped in a towel, flashing bits and flesh!
Jay Stetson is a carpenter living in town for three years, reserved, liking his life exactly how it is and seemingly immune to women's charm, but not to his neighboor's.
A beacon of female attention, Jay was reluctant, carrying a grief of his own, he kept things simple and temporary, but couldn't ignore Gabby's spark and for the very first time since in Alden, he was considering the fall.

Light, funny and sweet, although a story of grief, it's mostly about knowing that in a difficult time of sadness, hurt and vulnerability, understanding and support are key as well as the notion that there is so much to live for, friendship, connection and love.
This is tale of two people wanting so much and coming to a point in their lives where expecting something might as well be a dream. But, if you want a dream to come true? You work for it, hard! And, so she did....

I would've wished for a more angsty, not so safe approach to the plot and even though the friction was there, it felt rather simple and, I might say, pacific. I wanted a bit more of emotional resistance, feel it in my bones, to vicariously experience the conflicts, the resolutions and the conquer of happiness.
Nevertheless, it's a great holiday read, with witty shenanigans, mag theories and fruitful advice, after all there is always someone who knows best!

DNF this book for now! Hoping to go back to it in the future because the characters were entertaining and very likeable. I do think I will enjoy this book when the time is right because I do like the authors writing, but its not for me at the moment! Thank you for the eARC!

4.25/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
2.5/5 🌶️🌶️

I rather enjoyed this single mom romance! Gabrielle was funny and resourceful. I liked how honest she was and how she wore her heart on her sleeve. Also enjoyed how handy she was! A capable woman is always a win in my book. Jay really shocked me because I usually love a grumpy MMC right away but it took me a little longer to like him. But once we started to peel back layers and going into the basement 🤭 I was sold!

I wished this one was a little longer as I felt like a lot of their relationship was told instead of shown to us once they finally decided to be together.

Overall, I recommend this one to lovers of small town romance, single mom romance or strong female lead! Thank you to the publisher and author for a copy of this story for review.

I loved this book and I couldn't put it down once I started reading it. I was hooked from the very first page and fell in love with these two right away. The chemistry and attraction between these is amazing. This book keeps you on your toes as you are reading because you don't know what is going to happen next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for an ARC of this book.

This was a quick and easy read. We follow Gabrielle, a single mom to two boys who has just moved back to the town where she grew up to try to move past the death of her ex-husband and father to her sons. Her grumpy carpenter neighbour, Jay, witnesses and helps her after she falls off her porch in just a towel. They find that they can’t stay away from each other and their story goes from there.

Personally, I thought the kids played a bigger role in this book than I would have liked. Her oldest son is a “jerk-face” for most of the book, and she kind of seems like a pushover. Her younger son is cute, but pushy. I think both boys were written sort of unrealistically.

Overall, this was a cute read with good chemistry between our hero and heroine.

Gabby's going through a tough time in her life: her ex just died unexpectedly, her two boys are suffering through their grief, and she just wants to start over. She moves back to her small hometown, planning to work on her fixer-upper new home. While gawking at her new neighbor, she falls through the railing and into the lilac bush in only her towel, forcing said neighbor to help her out. What should have been a great meet cute however turns sour with his grumpy vibes that don't invite friendship and especially not flirting. She gets the hint to stay away, but the same can't be said for her 7 year old son Carter.
Jay knows better than to get involved with the single mom next door after being broken by his past. Although he can't forget the way she looked in that towel, it's best to stay away. But her son Carter keeps coming over asking questions, Gabby keeps putting herself in danger with her home renovations, and her older son Dylan keeps giving him suspicious looks as if he can read Jay's dirty thoughts. He's already in way over his head.
This was a sweet small town romance with a grumpy mmc and a slightly overwhelmed but still sunny single mom fmc. The friend group in this book is amazing and hilarious. There were so many laugh out loud moments in this book, but also some almost sickeningly sweet moments with the kids and Jay. I like how being together helped them work out some of their issues with the past. Overall I really liked this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Single mom Gabrielle just moved into a new house that needs a lot of work done. When she spots her hot next door neighbor, she wanted to see him better. So she went to her balcony but leaned over too far and flipped over. Meeting her neighbor was not in the way she thought would happen, stuck in a rose bush with a towel.

Jay is a grumpy guy who has burned in his last relationship. He has no desire to date, especially another single mom. Pushing Gabrielle and her youngest son away as best as he could, didn’t work. They kept showing up and then he kept showing up.

Tropes:
Single Mom
Next door neighbors
Grumpy/Sunshine

So sweet and swoony! Gabrielle was a single mom to two boys. It wasn't easy, especially with her oldest, Dylan. Dylan was having a hard time coping with the loss of his father and would sometimes lash out in anger. Jay was Gabrielle's hot, grumpy neighbor. Jay tried not to notice Gabrielle but it was difficult since she practically fell at his feet the first time they met. Jay had told himself not to get involved with single mothers. He had dated a single mom in the past and it didn't end well. With Gabrielle living next door, and her youngest son Carter being very social, he was involved whether he wanted to be or not. I loved how devoted Gabrielle was to Dylan and Carter. She told herself she didn't need a man, even to fix things in the house. The more time Gabrielle and Jay spent together, the more their chemistry ignites. Will Gabrielle be able to convince Jay to give them a chance, or is Jay too burned from his past relationship to fight for Gabrielle and her boys? Another heartwarming story from Adriana Locke, and I can't wait for her next book!

Gabrielle's starting over in a sense. She and her preteen and teen boys are without their father now and trying to make do. Then she falls into the bushes next to her house and is rescued by her gorgeous but broody neighbor, and nothing is the same again. She shouldn't give into their chemistry because she just knows in her gut that Jay's the epitome of emotionally unavailable, but her heart doesn't seem to care. Her eldest son cares, though, and is an obstacle Gabrielle isn't sure they can overcome, especially if Jay's already putting on the brakes.

Ever since his ex tore his heart into a million pieces when she took away the little girl he had raised as his own, Jay's heart has been closed for business. Then a beautiful ray of sunshine and her sons barrel into his life and start to make him think he could be there for them. But their father hasn't been gone long, and he knows he's not replacement material, so he should pump the brakes now before he gets too deep with all of them. But, if he can have a little faith, and a little heart to heart with Gabrielle's eldest, Jay just may see the light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel.

This is a sweet, mostly low angst small town romance. There's a lot to unpack in a fairly short timeline, and the ending is a bit rushed, but I still enjoyed Gabrielle and Jay and her kids, especially Carter. Grief takes its toll on everyone involved, and it had done a number on everyone in this story, thankfully Jay and Gabrielle got through it to the other side in sweet fashion.

Between Now and Forever is a treasure trove of emotion. With sassy characters, spicy dialogue and depth of feeling, Locke takes the heart outside of it's comfort zone. A soulful dance with heartache that leaves a lasting impression.

Oh my Hilarious God... Adriana Locke i think Gabrielle might be my favorite character of yours. She was feisty, funny, thoughtful and full of sass. It's no wonder that Jay couldn't stay away even when he knew he should.

I loved the dynamic she had with her boys. She was doing it all for them, but when she and Jay started seeing each other, she was convinced that she could finally breath. But when his past shows his ugly head and clouds his judgment, i loved that she didn't back down and knew her worth.

Despite my tough exterior, I'm a romantic at heart when it comes to reading and I absolutely loved the way this story concluded with all the participants. Between now and forever is going to my TOP3 by Adriana Locke for sure!

*Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads*

A second chance romance for the win!

This one is just like all other Adriana Locke books. PERFECT!!

I absolutely loved this one and loved watching both of these characters get their second chance at love.

Between Now and Forever is a beautiful, bittersweet novel about finding love as a single parent. FMC Gabby is struggling to raise her two boys, Dylan and Carter, as they deal with the grief of their father’s death. The last thing in her plans is to fall for the guy next door and yet she literally falls off the porch in their hilarious meet cute! Locke vividly brought to life the reality of a single parent dating, the guilt, joy, confusion and fear all wrapped up in it. The relationship between Gabby and her girlfriends was also really powerful in the way they supported, challenged, nagged and ultimately cheered for each other. This is no ordinary small town romance and it will stay in my heart for a long time even though the last page has been turned.

It's so nice to read about characters with real personalities, real grown up problems, real needs and wants.
To read about people who feel forgotten but want to be remembered and seen in the most normal of ways.
Gabby and Jay are those people. Gabby wants to feel again but she's not positive she's ready. Jay feels more than he wants and he's trying desperately to lock his feelings down.
These two might seem like opposites but they are pretty perfectly matched.
Throw in Gabby's boys and now you've got a good dash of comedy, some teenage angst, spread around a friend group that likes to stir things up, a small town and some great family members and this book couldn't have made me happier. I really enjoyed every bit especially how relatable so much of it felt.
I have voluntarily left this review.

This was a sweet, spicy and comedic story! It was a quick read full of laughter and emotion. I enjoyed Gabrielle and Jay, hot mess and grump.

Phenomenal! Absolutely amazing Adriana Locke book. Her books always feel like a warm hug. I loved it!

The Queen of small town romance does not disappoint! Between Now and Forever is heartfelt, with just the right amount of angst and humour. Loved this story!