This was a really sweet and quick read for me. While it wasn't short, it kept me interested start to finish & I flew through it. I love finding titles with MCs that aren't super young or just starting their adult lives and this one was a hit! Thank you for the ARC!

Adriana always does an amazing job depicting real life issues that tug at your heart strings. Gabrielle is a single mom of 2 boys. She was divorced from her husband, but it ended amicably. Then he dies in a car crash and she moves the boys back to her home town. Jay lives across the street and wants nothing to do with a relationship because of him losing the little girl he helped raise with his ex.

The chemistry between these two were undeniable. The interactions between him and the kids seemed very fitting. The younger one who likes hanging around him and the older one (teenager) hates him because he thinks he's going to replace his dad.

This story came full circle when Gabrielles son come to Jay to ask him to talk to her because he didn't want his mom to cry any more. That nearly broke my heart. This story definitely made me feel everything

This is my first time reading a book by Adriana and I absolutely loved it so much. I really liked her writing and the way that she wrote this beautiful book. I felt truly immersed within the story. Jay & Gabrielle were so perfect for each other. I really enjoyed their banter
and him having a soft spot for her and her kids. I laughed and I cried, but in the end it was such a beautiful experience reading their story.

There is something to stories where the MCs are in a different stage of life.

Gabrielle's just moved back home. After living years in Boston, she's back with her two sons, Dylan and Carter. Carter is a happy go lucky kid who's found the bright spot of moving. Dylan... not so much. Both boys (and Gabrielle) are grieving the death of her ex.

The place Gabrielle has moved into is... a fixer upper. And no one can fix better than Gabrielle. Pretty much wrong. A mishap brings her new neighbor into her orbit. Jay. Jay, who's definitely not looking for love. He's been burned really badly before by another single mom, and his heart is closed .

Attraction is there, though, on both sides. Gabrielle is pretty heartbroken about what happened and is really dedicated to putting her kids first. Even if that means saying no to a new relationship. And Jay... He goes back and forth a little, but he's suffered some loss too. It's hard to put yourself out there when you've lost pretty badly.

I enjoyed Gabrielles' handiwork. She wanted to be Ms FixerUpper, but.... at first you don't succeed, keep trying!

This was a great representation of the step parent dynamic. The tragedy and the blessing that can happen when you love a child that's not biologically yours.

I enjoyed the side characters in this one. Gabrielle is pretty close to her cousin and also gains some new confidantes. I love some beginning friendships. I hope we get to read more about this group.

Adriana Locke is the queen of emotional and steamy reads and I am rarely disappointed by her books.
Gabrielle moves to a new home after the traumatic death of her ex-husband and best friend. Her two young boys are reeling from the loss of their dad and moving to a new town. Gabrielle is fierce, protective and loyal putting her kids needs before anything else.
Jay lies next door, the brooding and mysterious neighbour obviously has his own stuff going on but it’s impossible to ignore the beauty falling over the rail in only a towel next door or her adorable kid who won’t stop talking to him.
It is obvious this pair have some tough history of their own but together their banter and chemistry is amazing. It wasn’t my favourite from Locke but I definitely wasn’t disappointed. She is definitely a comfort author at this point. If you’re looking for a grumpy neighbour, single mother romance this is perfect.
Thanks so much for the eARC!

I loved the audio of this one. Great narration. They were new to me narrators. The emotions were pretty high in this one for all the parties involved. Gabrielle and Jay have a wonderful meet cute. This author is very good at the meet cutes. The hero and heroine have some tough choices to make. They have to think about the kids and protect their hearts. Seeing Gabby and Jay getting their happy ending was quite a roller coaster, but definitely worth it. Everyone needs family in whatever form that is. This is a standalone with a lot of interesting side stories too.

Adriana knows how to write a story!!! I loved this standalone about second chances. Gabby has come home with her 2 boys to start again, this family has been through lots of changes and are still healing. I loved Jay so much and my heart felt for all he had been through but i love that he couldn't stay away from Gabby however much he tried. There is something about i neighbours to lovers story which i just love. This story just melted my heart and i couldn't put it down and i didn't want it to end. The supporting characters of this story just make it even better.

Good romance, but spoiled by his previous relationship

Okay, I've put off writing this review long enough. I enjoyed the relationship between Gabrielle and Jay, and if that's all we had I'd have loved this book. Jay is reluctant to get involved with a single mom - again - but since he falls in love with Gabrielle, it all works out in the end. Great character development, beautiful love story. If only that was all it was.

No, we're given Jay's backstory - why he's reluctant to date a single mother - and that's where we discover he's truly a selfish jerk. He was with the other gal, living together, the only dad in the young daughter's life, for several years. But when she pushed for marriage - you know, permanence with the man who her daughter is growing up thinking of as her father - he balks and says he can never marry her. So she does what any mother would do and breaks up with him and moves away, cutting his contact with the daughter. And all he can do is boo-hoo about how much he misses the little girl. No responsibility for the fact that it was his choice entirely to be a transient part of her life. Did he really think he could stay involved with the daughter without being in a relationship with the mother? Just pure selfishness. Never a thought for that little girl he supposedly loved so much.

So now he knows what love is really like and can be there for Gabrielle and her kids, and she even validates his fear of becoming attached to children he might not be able to keep. But of course she'd never do that, because they have True Love and of course, he eventually does give her the permanence of a marriage proposal.

Just between you and me, neither now nor forever will change the fact that he's a world-class a..h... and I think any woman deserves better. But Gabrielle seems happy, so there's that. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️

Moving back to town after the death of her ex husband, Gabrielle finds herself in a towel falling off her back porch. All while trying to check out her new sexy neighbor 🤭 Of course Jay can't resist! The grumpy, broken neighbor wants nothing more than to help the single mom next door.

This was such a sweet love story that had me rooting for these characters from the first chapter! Gabrielle putting her life back together, raising children, && finding lifelong friendships was so inspiring 🥰 Jay was just the icing on top!

I loved this grumpy/sunshine storyline that has all the feels. The chemistry between Jay and Gabrielle is smoking hot and their push and pull will keep you turning the page. Definitely worth the read.

This story was absolutely fantastic and I could not put it down. I loved the characters, I love the storyline. Everything about this story was to die for.

I love a good neighbors to lovers romance but throw in a single mom and a man who is smitten with her and it gets even better.

I love Gabrielle and her boys, she’s such a strong mama and I love that in a story. Jay will not budge and he is not falling for his neighbor with his past.

I always love Adriana Locke stories and this one she truly hit out of the ball park.

This was a pretty good read. The writing flowed well, as it always does from this author, and I liked Gabby and Jay together for the most part. Jay was a good guy, but he did have his issues and let them get the best of him and the situation. Gabby also had her issues, and the issues of her kids to deal with. Dylan, her oldest was, as Carter put it, is a "jerk face". He was completely disrespectful, and I wanted so bad for Gabby to put her foot down with him. I felt like she let him walk all over her, and it didn't help the situation at all. Carter was a cute side character, and I liked that he was always up to something. The ending was made to be Jay's fault, but I really feel like Gabby had a hand in it as well. In my opinion, she should have apologized for the way she came across with "they're my kids, not your problem". Especially knowing Jay's background. They do work through it, and I was happy to see Dylan work through some of his issues as well. The ending was sweet, and I was happy to see these characters get their HEA.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.

If Adriana writes it, I’m going to read it. And this one was her best work yet! I didn’t think she could get any better but here she goes proving me wrong! Well done! Don’t miss this one!

Gabrielle moved back to her small hometown after her ex-husband passed away. She and her two sons need a fresh start after all the grief. What she's not expecting is to move in next door to a man who she actually wants to date.

Jay also moved to this town for a fresh start after a bad breakup, but the last thing he wants to do is date a single mom. He fights a lot of anxiety and fear in the face of his feelings for Gabrielle, and ultimately has to decide if his past is worth holding back.

I've read most of Adriana Locke's books and have enjoyed most of them. This one felt a little different from her others. The MMC was fairly angsty and anxious (an interesting combo). And once Gabrielle and Jay got together, a lot of the plot was driven by the blended family drama, not so much couple drama. This is a great book if you're looking for a quick read with small town charm and fun side characters. So curious to see if Gabrielle's friends will have books in the series!

I wasn't really a fan of this one. It was kind of a angst heavy book that didn't really work out for me. I also wasn't a fan of our FMC and the third act breakup just completely ruined it. This was my first book from this author and while I didn't have much expectations, it did disappoint.

I would definitely suggest readers to avoid this one.

It was enjoyable but a little over the top and a little slower than other Adriana books but still had that classic Adriana banter that I love!

Gah I loved the banter in this story. The chemistry between these characters was fun! Plus single mom romance? Sign Me Up! Great read as always from this author!

⭐️4
🌶️1.5

This book will make you laugh out loud and fall in love.

The first scene in this book had me in tears I was laughing so hard because of the visuals while reading.

Gabrielle is one of the strongest people. She lost her children’s father and has 2 rowdy boys. Jay is her neighbor after she moves into a new house. They meet in the most ridiculous way possible but it was entertaining. I loved how Jay was such a grump and didn’t try to impress her at first. He was not even attempting to flirt but he can’t help be drawn to her.

This book was full of humor and heart. Jay will make you feel for him with his story and want to hug him.

Adriana Locke is the queen at writing small-town, blue-collar, single parents (especially of boys). Between and Now and Forever will make your heart ache in the best ways. Gabrielle and Jay are trying to navigate unexpected feelings when she moves in next-door to him. I cackled at the series of mishaps that led to their first meeting. She does an amazing job at writing kids that are believable, and what it actually takes to navigate being a parent. This book is full of tension and heart, and so so sweet. If you've enjoyed any of her other books, you'll definitely like this one too.

As someone who lives near said town in this book, and has single friends, I would like to ask where we can find some Jays near us. 😅 But seriously. I had a smile on my face from the very first sentence in this book. It's so sweet, little quirks, heart warming and just all around gives you all the feels good moments. Somehow this was my first ever Adriana Locke book, but it is absolutely not the last! 10/10 recommend this one! Absolutely loved it!