I have loved Paige Toon’s books since reading my first one - Chasing Daisy - so when Paige posted on her Instagram stories if anyone would like an ARC of her next release I jumped at the chance!

This story follows the story of Ellie and Ash. They met while they were travelling in Europe and had an instant connection. After spending the next few days together, and agreeing to meet up, everything goes wrong. We fast forward 6 years to Ellie starting a new job with a fresh start.

This story has all of the classic Paige ingredients. Chemistry, longing and lots of angst between the main characters. A good friend group and great settings from Lisbon to Wales. Ellie did annoy me a little but she actually addressed her faults directly in the story which I liked. This is an emotional read and at points feels like it will never work out!

If you’ve never read anything from this author then here are some of my favourites

✨ Johnny Be Good
✨ Chasing Daisy
✨ The Longest Holiday
✨ Lucy in the Sky

Thank you to Paige for the copy of this title via Netgalley.

4.25 stars! ✨

I adore the way Paige writes her books. This book follows Ellie and Ash who meet by chance when they are both interrailing through Europe and stop off at Lisbon. However, when they agree to meet a week later in Madrid, Ash is no where to be found. Fast forward a few years and Ellie and Ash’s paths cross again but this time the circumstances are not so ideal.

At first I did think this was going to be an Insta-love story but the more I continued reading, it was much more than that. I felt I really connected with the story as I too went interrailing at 21 and also live in wales and lived closely in the past to Wisley gardens which makes an appearance in the story too. Ellie loves gardening because of her grandparents love for it and again I connected to it this way too.

I think this is going to be a perfect summer romance read. There was also a lot of character development that I enjoyed too with therapy and councillors being normalised which I believe needs to be spoken about more.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this ARC copy.

What if I never get over you rings a little too close to home for me right now. I was expecting emotion, upset, sadness and all these things were delivered in this new romance by Paige Toon.

In a whirl wind romance that lasts a few days, our main charades Ash and Ellie cross paths while travelling across Europe. Their connection is instant and in a matter of days they build romance and passion that many only dream of. When life hits and a planned meet up doesn’t happen, Ellie is left wondering why Ash never showed and what happened to the one who got away. She returns home and spends years trying to forget Ash, sleep walking through a life she doesn’t enjoy. Ellie finally says enough, leaves the family business, pursuing her dream job only to stumbling across the man she’s has sent years trying to forget. Will they get another chance of happiness or will it end in enough disaster?

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I loved reading this book.

In Portugal, Ellie and Ash meet, and during going around the city they realise that they have both lost friends and their parents are too busy with their work.

Before going their separate ways, they arrange to meet up in Madrid. But, on the day, one of them doesn’t show at the place they agreed.

After a long time, Ellie and Ash meet, when Ellie begins her new job at the home of Ash’s parents. But, she’s shocked to find out that Ash wasn’t honest with her.

They fall in love, but once again, things seem to be against them and again, they part ways.

When the colleague mentions something about a family manor gardens they meet again for the third time.

I recommend this book.

Paige Toon does it again! What a wonderful book this is was. A will they, won’t they love story that draws you in completely and does not let you go until the end. I genuinely stayed up late at night reading this one unable to put it down.

Ellie and Ash meet by chance in Lisbon whilst interrailing and hit it off straight away. They spend just three days together before they have to part ways but they both feel a connection so strong, one like neither has experienced before and agree to meet a week later in Madrid and carry on travelling together. But when Ellie arrives in Madrid, albeit a little later than agreed, Ash is nowhere to be seen. Ellie stays a few days, unable to believe that Ash isn’t coming but eventually she has to admit defeat. Heartbroken and crestfallen she returns to England and tries to forget about Ash, which is easier said than done. Six years later, as Ellie accepts a job in Wales, she cannot believe when Ash turns out to be the son of her new employer. Her carefully constructed world comes crashing down in a matter of minutes. But Ash, now in a new relationship with a girl called Beca, seems eager to talk to Ellie and explain. And Ash’s friends suddenly realise that Ellie is ‘the’ Ellie. Where has Ash been all this time and why wasn’t he in Madrid? Can Ellie and Ash start over or is there more in the way of their love than just the hurt of the last six years?!

Set in beautiful gardens and under magical night skies, this latest novel by Paige Toon will feel like a gorgeous big cwtsh (= hug in Welsh - this comment will make more sense once you’ve read the book 🥰) and one I absolutely loved and wholeheartedly recommend.

This was my first Paige Toon novel and it did not disappoint and I’ll definitely be checking out her other books! This was a story of love, friendship and loss and I felt that this book had beautiful character building and development. The clear research behind the book was handled so elegantly and woven into the novel so carefully, I felt comfortable with the characters from the off.

To begin with I was bit concerned with the insta love trope but it was handled throughout the story in such an assured and gentle way - much like the character of Ash. It felt like the writing style and the characters married up beautifully. I did find the main twist was quite predictable but I’m not sure if this was a conscious decision by the writer or not as it was used in a way that kept me interested - like with the insta love, it concerned me when I first got to it but Toon’s writing kept me engaged.

I found the character of Ellie so familiar with all her anxieties and penchant for overthinking and despite the highs and lows of the plot, she remained relatable. I really liked how she stood on her own and made her own choices to live her life her way and found her need for independence inspiring.

I read the book in two days and stayed up all night to finish it - I couldn’t put it down and even when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. Parts of the story were set in places that are familiar to me and that really helped root my interest in the story and it was great to see places I recognised reflected and visited in Toon’s writing. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it!

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. I already love Paige Toon's writing and this was no different, I am also a big fan of second chance romance and right person wrong time so this book ticked all the boxes for me.

Unfortunately I just did not connect with the couple in this book and I felt they really shouldn’t have been together. They both treated each other awfully

This is a beautiful story filled with twist and turns, who knows whether heartbreak or love is waiting around the corner. Ellie runs into Ash on her solo European vacation and over the course of three days they fall in love. Only to never meet again until Ellie starts a net gardening job six years later. Ash is the son of a viscount and once he gets a chance to explain everything it seems like fate has brought them back together. But it’s only a matter of time until their bond will be tested once again.

Toon excels at writing books packed with emotional depth. Both Ash and Ellie have lost so much over the years. People they loved, the lives they wanted and the love they fund together. Their strength to keep going and fight for the lives they want is admirable. I got so invested in their story I could hardly put the book down. TW loss of a loved one, SA and emotional abuse.

This books takes you on an emotional roller coaster but also sheds light on that changing the course of your life is possible if you want it badly enough. I can’t recommend this book enough.

Read this if you like
🩷Second chances
😭Emotional reads
🧡Right person, wrong time
✨Women’s fiction

I love the first part of this story. I felt the insta-love, being swept away while on holiday and then having to make life decisions...
Then we fast forward six years.
Wait. What?
I think I was a bit shook at going from such a love-fest to nothing.
Then it got good again, especially at that moment when... I won't spoil it, but if you know, you know.
While I really enjoyed reading the rest of the story and had to find out what happened, I didn't feel the chemistry the second time around.
And then it ends again.
For me, I wouldn't have bothered the third time.
Still, this isnt my story and I did really enjoy the writing. I just enjoyed it more at the beginning.

This one got off to a promising start; interrailing through Europe and the perfect meet cute...

After that it became a little silly. I'm all for a whirlwind romance, but when torn apart after 3 days of knowing each other I find it hard to believe any woman would completely go to pieces for 6 years!

I thought there may be hope when of course the protagonists happened upon each other later on, but I actually found this more irritating than cute. They seemed to have so little respect for one another considering they were meant to be each others "great loves".

I finished the book as it was an easy read and I kept hoping someone would find some gumption, but no luck.

I'm sure die hard Toon fans will disagree but this was definitely a far cry from her best.

My first book by Paige Toon, and it won’t be my last! I really enjoyed this book, really enjoyed the characters and the pace of the story as well. Thank you for the opportunity to read this before its release

I love Paige’s writing and this is no exception.
Really lovely story great writing. If your a fan of Paige you will love this

Ellie and Ash are both travelling alone, escaping from their pasts, hoping to move on with their lives. They meet each other in Portugal but go their separate ways after just three days. What follows are their journeys over the next few years, reconnecting but also falling apart too.

The settings were great and well described and I really got sucked into this story. I really liked how the characters were developing and I felt this was really a great read for me. I must admit when we suddenly jumped forward 6 years, within one page I felt a bit lost and confused by how deeply affected our main character was for loosing touch with someone she had only known a few days.

When the characters reconnected again I did get back engaged but as the story moved on there was just a few too many misjudgments and miscommunications which led to the story again jumping a couple of years forward.

The ending then seemed rather rushed, to come to a predictable conclusion.

I did enjoy the story but think as I continued through I didn’t care for the characters as much as I did earlier on.

Paige toon has done it again. Every time I read her books I think they can not get any better but they do. This book will break your heart, you will become frustrated and then happy all in one. I couldn't put it down - it's a must read for all romantic readers out there.

Ellie and Ash meet in Lisbon whilst inter railing and taking a break from family pressures.
The instant attraction is magnetic and so the loss of communication between them is heartbreaking.
It is difficult to review this book without spoiling the story but needless to say the main characters twist your heart, knowing that they are both right and their principles are strong.
Loyalty plays a huge part in their lives, both wishing to do the right thing by their family and not letting them down.
I think that this may be one of my favourite books by this author because of the strong principles and many topics open for discussion.

I love love loved this. It starts in Portugal where 2 people meet and find they have similar backgrounds with friends who have passed away and parents who are busy with work. They arrange to meet again in Madrid and one doesn’t show up. They meet again several years later when one starts a new job working for the others parents. They reconnect and fall in love but again something gets in the way and they lose touch. A chance comment by a colleague brings them back together a third time. Fabulous story

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for this E-Arc, in exchange for an honest review.

Paige Toon really knows how to tug at your heartstrings with this one. This was my first book by her, and I was not prepared for how much it would stir up my emotions! There were moments when I was kicking my feet in excitement and gasping out loud.

The first part of Ellie and Ash’s story completely captivated me. It only takes three days for them to connect, but the chemistry between them makes it feel like they've known each other forever. For anyone worried this might be an insta-love situation, trust me—it’s not! It’s just a beautiful, natural love story where those three days are crucial to the plot.

Then comes parts 2 and 3, which will absolutely wreck you—emotionally, of course. You feel everything—the pain, the love, the heartbreak. It’s impossible not to get swept up in their journey.

Ellie and Ash are such endearing characters, and I couldn’t help but fall in love with both of them. Even the side characters added so much to the story.

It’s such a sweet, heartfelt romance that I honestly didn’t want to let go of. I was so invested in their world. If you’re a fan of romance, this one’s definitely worth picking up!
4.5 Stars!
#NetGalley, #PutnamBooks, #PaigeToon, #WhatifINeverGetOverYou

I love Paige’s writing style and this book was no exception. I kept wanting to read on to find out more.

They meet whilst travelling alone and know instantly they were meant to be together but their lives went in different directions.

Two people who have experienced loss and lived with parents that were more concerned about living the high life. Ash and Ellie just want to be themselves but life gets in the way.

Will they ever find happiness with each other or apart?

Good emotional read.