absolutely loved this book! I was instantly sucked into the story and invested in both Scarlet and Ryan’s characters. They were just so real and relatable. The chemistry between the MCs was amazing and I love how, even after 5 years, they are still so comfortable with each other. Their relationship was just so sweet! I really appreciated all the care Allie put into telling Scarlett’s story. I also loved the way Ryan cared for Scarlett and learned the best way to support her on her healing journey. The mental health rep in this was so well done. If you love second chance, dual POV and timeline, a golden retriever MMC and mental health rep, highly recommend checking this one out! It is a quick read, but one definitely stay with me!

What happens when you have everything you could have ever dreamed of, a creative, lucrative and fulfilling career and a deeply loving relationship - but the pressures of it are slowly and quietly breaking you? For Scarlett Frye, that means walking away from it all and essentially disappearing for five years, and this is the story of her comeback.
There’s so much depth and emotion in this book. At the centre of it all is a gorgeously depicted second-chance romance, but it also deals with mental health management, balance in life, and the very real effects of burnout. It’s also a homage to the highs and lows of writing: Scarlett and Ryan connect and then re-connect through his editing of her words, and their past love story is carefully revealed as they slowly knit their lives together again in the present. They feel very real and flawed, as do the supporting characters, and all of that drew me in and got me thoroughly invested in their development and path to eventual happiness.

Oh, how I loved this book.

Allie Samberts is a ridiculously talented author. That much is clear. Ryan and Scarlett kept loving each other despite obstacles that kept them apart for 5 years.

I do wish the plot was a little bit faster in the beginning but truthfully, I think she captured the tone of how it feels to live with depression. Sometimes it feels like the days go by without things happening despite how difficult it is to keep going.

I cannot wait to read the rest of her backlist.

This is my new favorite novel by Allie Samberts!

This book was wonderful! I loved Scarlett and Ryan's story.
They might have been apart for five years, but they never stopped loving each other.

Second chance is a hard trope to get right. You really have to be able to accept why they split up and believe that it is going to turn out differently this time. And I think Allie did that amazingly well in this book.

This is definitely a heavier and more emotional story than her other books. So it might be a good idea to read the trigger warnings if you're concerned.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Allie Samberts for the opportunity to read to this book early in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: May 14th, 2025

Allie Samberts writes with such a distinctive, clear and genuine voice that I would happily read their shopping list. This was absolutely gorgeous- whilst it played with a lot of classic Tropes (second chance love, writer/editor, family dynamics), this at its heart was clearly a book about two people who adored each other and the circumstances by which they made that work. I loved Trisha and her agenting prowess (and would happily read about her forever), I loved seeing our blond nemesis get absolutely taken down and I cannot rave enough about the tenderness that was the relationship between our main characters. This book will stay with me!

This story hooked me from the very first chapter. Scarlett Frye’s journey from literary prodigy to recluse—and back again—was moving, raw, and utterly compelling. The author does a brilliant job capturing the emotional weight of burnout, creative paralysis, and the complicated nature of returning to both writing and love after deep personal loss.

Scarlett and Ryan’s chemistry leaps off the page. Their shared history is rich with tension and longing, and their reunion—centered around an anonymous manuscript—is a clever, satisfying twist. I especially loved how the novel grapples with artistic pressure and emotional vulnerability in ways that feel deeply real.

However, the middle section of the book did lose a bit of steam for me. There were a few repetitive inner monologues and moments where the pacing dragged as the characters circled the same emotional ground. I found myself wanting the plot to push forward more decisively at times, especially with such high emotional stakes established early on.

Still, the emotional payoff in the final act more than made up for any slower moments. The ending felt earned, hopeful, and true to the characters’ growth. Fans of layered romance with literary flair—especially readers who enjoy Colleen Hoover or Taylor Jenkins Reid—will find much to love here.

Thank you to Allie Samberts & NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy!

Thank you to Netgalley & Allie Samberts for the ARC.

This is a second chance romance about a bestselling author who experiences professional burnout/mental breakdown and disappears from the public for 5 years. Upon her return to publishing she reconnects with her ex boyfriend and editor.

I loved the vulnerability, personal growth, and accurate portrayal of depression from the FMC. It was evident that the MMC was fully devoted and you could feel the intense bond and love between the two characters.

If you're a fan of a complicated and layered FMC and a cinnamon roll MMC that would do anything for her, you'll love this book.

Whew, this book was a deeply emotional read. I’m usually not a huge fan of books that have a lot of emotional inner dialogue, I’m more interested in fun banter. But this book was all rom, no com, and I couldn’t put it down.

The story follows a couple who broke up five years prior to the start of the book, when the FMC had a bit of an existential crisis and essentially abandoned her life. Now she’s back, and the couple’s getting a second chance, while trying to keep history from repeating itself. The story is told in present day, with some flashbacks thrown in to add depth to the story. It’s a pretty heavy read, but it’s so well written. It’ll definitely make you feel things. 😅

Thank you to NetGalley and Allie Samberts for the ARC of this book!

3.5 stars

This is one of those books where I can see why people might like it but it just didn’t work for me.
Scarlett disappears from Ryan’s life with literally no explanation, no closure, no anything and yet when they reconnect 5 years later it’s like nothing happened. There’s no hard feelings, they act like there’s no need to talk about it, and they just pick up like nothing happened. They just jump back into this happy perfect relationship and surprise surprise, keep running into the same issues as before. There was no emotional depth. The characters just go about their lives and nothing really goes wrong and it was honestly so boring. I wanted more SOMETHING. I wanted emotional conversations and dealing with the past and I got nothing.
The second half of this book could be described as a serious lack of communication. Ryan and Scarlett are not open with each other and when they run into the problems they had the first time around they just fall back on their old strategies (which were basically just running away). Ryan just refused to understand Scarlett’s hesitation with publishing her book and Scarlett didn’t really explain well enough why she was hesitant. Usually my recommendation is that the characters need to go to therapy but Scarlett was already in therapy so I guess she needed better therapy? Idk.
I felt like a lot of things were left unresolved at the end and I just don’t them having a lasting relationship.

Thank you to NetGalley and Allie Samberts for the ARC!

Okay folks, get ready to swoon over Allie Sambert's new novel Not A Strong Enough Word. This book about second chances completely won me over.

Scarlett once had it all: the dreamy boyfriend, the massive book deal and critical acclaim that promised to launch her career as a literary writer into the stratosphere. But it was too much, and she had to walk away.

Five years later, she's written another book, and she thinks she might be ready to dip a toe back into publishing, but she's determined not to get swept away by the pomp and circumstance this time. No. matter. what.

Her agent negotiates a deal with an imprint of her old publishing house, one more focused on the wellness of their authors, and her new editor turns out to be the ex-boyfriend she walked away from without saying goodbye.

Working with Ryan again reminds her of how things once were. Not the worst of it, but the most of it. The good things that had been overshadowed by the doom. He never forgot her, and, still in love with her way with words (if not the writer of them), he's committed to getting her new book out into the world, even if he never gets answers to the questions that have been haunting him since she disappeared on him.

Oh, these characters. Their connection. So much swoon, so much heart-tugging romance vibes. Absolutely mastered in this book.

I went ahead and gave this one five big fat stars, but if I'm being honest, I think the flashbacks didn't do a lot to help this book. I can see why they were added when the characters have so much history, but I almost think it could have just been explained well enough in the narrative from the two perspectives.

If you're looking for a book that'll have you in all the feels, you can't go wrong with this one!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was so much more than a typical second chance romance story, this was strength, vulnerability, raw connection, self reflection and real love between the FMC and MMC that despite the miscommunication between them you still feel for both of them. Scarlet and Ryan are truly one of the most beautiful couples to be written. Have you ever finished a book thinking "Will I ever find my person?" despite their flaws they were made for each other in the most perfect way possible. I won't forget Scarlet and Ryan's story any time soon🥹
This was my first reading experience with this author and it was an absolute delight to read such a profound book, although I just realised I have other books of hers on my TBR this one has definitely made me look forward to reading them and everything she puts out even more 💜
Full in depth review on my goodreads

I am an Allie Samberts stan.

Her books are nuanced, fun reads. Her heroines are flawed but heartfelt.

"Scarlett Frye was once a literary genius. With two bestselling novels, a million-dollar book deal, and a love story of her own, she had it all—until the pressure broke her. Five years ago, she canceled her book tour, shredded her contract, and disappeared. She left everything behind, including Ryan Whitlock, the editor who believed in her… and the man she loved.

Now, after years of healing, she’s ready to write again."

We meet Scarlett as she emerges from a devastating time in her life. We see how she reached her lowest point and what she did to rebuild herself.
This book represents a more serious departure from some of Sambert's other works, yet the romance remains.

The characters are finding their way back to themselves and each other after the incident the reader is still learning about.

Some of the plot twists were easily predicted, some scenes are simple tropes-- but overall the book is a good read about people learning what they can handle and how they can push themselves to the next steps of their journeys.

Thank you to Allie Samberts and Netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastic book! I really enjoyed getting to know Scarlett and Ryan and seeing how they would find their way back to each other.

For lack of a better expression, Scarlett has had a rough time. And it’s not surprising seeing how everyone in her life failed her when she needed them the most. I really felt for her when we find out the real reason for her quitting 5 years ago. She was going thru so much already and then it was as if all anyone saw when they looked at her was dollar signs. It’s really disheartening and I’m sure it happens all the time in the publishing world. I really loved how she stood up for herself in the end. I cheered at that last meeting scene.

Ryan also went thru a lot during the course of this book. And I really liked how he finally got it in the end. How he finally realized how he was no better than everyone else and made a choice to choose just her. I never worried if these characters would end up together but I am so glad they went thru the necessary emotional homework in the end.

This was a great emotional book with quick chapters and a very satisfying conclusion.

I loved this book. I love characters that feel real. Like I’d be friends with them if they existed outside of the pages of a book. Time and time again, Allie Samberts delivers characters like this. Because of this book, I can’t really say I don’t like the second chance trope anymore (and I’ve definitely been a hater in the past). I guess I think it just needs to be executed the way Allie does it! In this story, two bookish characters, Ryan (an editor) and Scarlett (an author) fell in love as they worked on her book together. But because life is life, and some pains are unavoidable, they end up going their separate ways. This book isn’t just about how they found their way back to each other. It’s arguably even more about the way Scarlett found her way back to her own heart. This book promotes going to therapy, setting boundaries, mental wellness, and being in tune with your own emotions. Scarlett went through hell, and never once did Ryan judge her or make her feel bad for walking away from not just him, but her entire life and career. I love the depth given to these two characters. They feel real and tangible because they are flawed humans with deeply emotional wounds. Allie Samberts draws you in by alluding to heartbreaking moments, as well as little victories along the way, that you can’t help but to keep reading to know what causes the hurt that made their triumphs after the fact so significant. Knowing that Ryan and Scarlett have a past, knowing that something really big happened to cause such a break, but not fully knowing what it was, snared me and kept me locked in as I read page after page. The way Scarlett and Ryan were able to weave themselves back into each other’s lives so seamlessly, without it seeming forced to the reader, is such a beautiful thing to read. Because of their past, and the way it’s written to show they know each other because they’ve spent so much time together, their present just makes sense. Like the continuation of a knitted project that was abandoned with the hooks still in it, and then picked back up years later and easily worked on because you don’t just forget how to knit. Muscle memory. And reading this book was just that easy, too. It was a beautiful, emotional journey. One I’m so glad I got to take. I really think I’m a better person for having read this book. I loved it because it’s not just a romance. It’s introspective and very full of love, which really, truly isn’t a strong enough word to describe just how much I loved reading it.

What a wonderful book! Filled with a lot of heart and swoon.

Samberts really outdid herself with this book. The writing is beautifully done. Readers are going to want to soak up the book like a sponge and go nuts with their highlighters. While the writing is pretty, it is still easy to read.

The romance is so swoon worthy. Ryan is down bad for Scarlett the entire book and I love to see it. He's such a swoony hero that readers are going to fall hard for. Scarlett is a very relatable heroine. She's going through a lot and I think the issues are handled well. There's also some levity added into the mix which keeps this book from feeling too heavy.

A truly magnificent romance.

Scarlett was the most anticipated author until she ended her career 5 years ago with JMP Press. She was overworked and had a meltdown where she just couldn’t do the long book tours and writing on such a pressured timeline. She gave up her career, 7 figure book deal, and left her boyfriend, Ryan. The stress wasn’t worth it anymore and she just got up and left.

Fast forward 5 years later and Scarlett has written an amazing book. She passes it to her agent, Trina and Trina knows exactly what to do in this situation. She tells Scarlett to go by a different name for the time being because she is going to present this to Anastasios Press, which is a subdivision of JMP. When Ryan, an editor of JMP, comes across this book, he can’t help but love it. He feels like it is the writing of Scarlett, who he used to date and work with at JMP.

How will Scarlett feel about working with Ryan again? What happened between the two? Will they ever be able to forgive each other? What happens with Scarlett and hew newly written book?

I absolutely love that the author gives a clear and kind warning in the beginning of her books. There’s some tough topics that are talked about in this book and there’s also some spice, which the author warns about. I loved all the characters and their relationships with one another. I love that Scarlett has found her love of writing again and she is getting the help that she needs and deserves. I also love how patient and kind Ryan is, especially towards Scarlett. My favorite part is the little mystery that happens in the book. It had me so curious to who did it and why!

Not a Strong Enough Word by Allie Samberts

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

This is the most emotional and profound Allie Samberts book to date. It is obvious that she poured her heart and soul into this book.

Ryan is Allie’s typical cinnamon roll man that we encounter in her books. Scarlett is an incredibly complex character with a multitude of layers. Scarlett is a writer suffering from bouts of depression and burnout associated with a bestselling book which resulted in the failure of her relationship with Ryan.

This book details Scarlett and Ryan’s character growth resulting in them finding one another again. Read this book if you like:

📚Second chance romance
🌮cinnamon roll MMC
📚mental health rep
🌮workplace romance
📚 bookish related work
🌮MMC with small and grand gestures
📚dual POV

TW: Pregnancy loss on page

Thank you so much to Allie Samberts for the electronic advanced readers copy! Thank you for letting me ARC read for you yet again!!

Not a Strong Enough Word releases May 14!

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc!!

i love books about books. that's a fact. also once again i didn't really read the synopsis for this (i skimmed it and thought it was gonna be like Book Lovers) and was not expecting it to be this emotional. i love sappy things. give me all the grand gestures but also all the little moments in life. this one had both of them!!

okay i admit it was a bit difficult reading this. those who know me know that i write, or at least i used to. i don't publish things and most of it's on ao3 and now i feel like i will never publish anything because not even a bestselling author like Scarlette Frye can handle that industry. i'm not even good at it, but i was more than a bit miffed at her turning down a million dollar book deal. ironic? yes probably. i understood Mandy in that moment. because imagine seeing someone else have the perfect life and everything you wanted and walk away from it. painful.

at the same time, i love how grey this is because once we learn more about Scarlett's backstory i realised this is so much more than a second chance romance with Ryan. yes i loved the whole romance bit and how Ryan understands her and wants to help her, but i think it's more about loving yourself first and foremost. setting boundaries, knowing what you want and don't want, and of course grief.

this is very much litfic (or at least i think it is) and i am definitely gonna be reading more of it as well as Allie Samberts' backlist titles.

Not a Strong Enough Word by Allie Samberts

Read if you like:
-author stories
-second chance
-he takes care of her
-dual POV
-a man with glasses

Allie writes two beautifully emotional characters destined to find each other again. Scarlett disappears one day after rejecting a publishing deal, leaving her whole life behind, including Ryan. Five years later, a manuscript finds its way to Ryan’s desk that mesmerizes him and little does he know he is about to read Scarlett’s new book.

This book describes depression episodes in a very realistic way and demonstrates beautiful examples of people taking care of someone so their mental health isn’t comprised. I will urge you to check the trigger warnings in the authors note for this one.

The FMC is strong and knows her boundaries, the MMC is a natural caretaker and would follow her anywhere. The are snarky, sweet and humorous. What’s not the love about them 🥰

I sped through this book in a day with a some good laughs, a couple of moments of tearing up and lot of me making this face 🥰
Allie never disappoints!

Preorder your copy now!

Thank you to Allie, Netgalley and VictoryEditing for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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#netgalley #arc #tbr #preorderbooks #bookish #secondchanceromance #workplaceromance #romancebook #bookreviewer #bookreview


Review on Instagram will be published April 21

This book gave me all the feels. It was fast paced, quirky characters with a good handle on pacing.

As a frequent reader of Allie’s - read the Author Notes! It gives you pages to skip if you’d prefer no spice and walks you through possible trigger warnings. As someone who has experienced professional burnout and loss of a father, I thought Allie handled both well.

I spent the book cheering for Scarlett and I loved her personal growth! Scarlett’s relationship with her therapist was well done.

So thankful to be able to read this ARC!