Set on the island of Malta during WWII this is a story of love, strength, sacrifice set over a dual timeline of present day (2025) and wartime (1945). In the present day we find Maia travelling to Malta to visit her father to not only to repair the relationship but to also find herself. We then skip back to the war where we find Maia during wartime and this is where she meets Danny, a Canadian Spitfire pilot. But how has she found herself in the past and why has she gone there?

This is a very interesting story and quite different from other stories of this era that I have read. I do like the timeslip aspect and the story, the secrets and the characters all make it so real and so intriguing. A great read and one I really enjoyed as it is a bit different yet in some ways it is still a romantic historical fiction. A great blend and a great read.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I’ve read several of Rowan Coleman’s book and they never fail to surprise and delight me. She creates stories unlike any other author I read. Her books are so much more than just timeslip/historical fiction. They radiate heart and are so beautifully written each one is a joy. This one is no exception. Highly recommended.

I love Rowan Coleman's writing and couldn't wait to read this one...I was so excited when I got approved for an early copy - thank you @netgalley. My husband and I went to Malta when I was pregnant with my daughter and absolutely loved it and I really love historical fiction.

I adored this book. Rowan creates amazing characters that I always fall in love with and this novel was no different...Maia is our brave bold wonderful lead character but she's surrounded by stars. I adored Sal, Christina and Stella in particular.
This book moves between 2025 and the siege on Malta in 1942 - another period of history I knew nothing about. It is so cleverly plotted, so beautifully written and so clearly well researched.

This is a moving and beautifully crafted timeslip novel about family, hope, and a love that transcends time. Set primarily in wartime Malta in 1942 and in the near-future of 2025, this is the story of Maia Borg—a woman on a deeply personal journey that blends history, heartache, and healing.

In the present day, Maia travels to Malta to visit her estranged father, David, a reclusive artist. Their reunion is strained, and after an argument during a drive, Maia loses control of the car. She wakes up in hospital—but in 1942, in the middle of the Siege of Malta. As she tries to understand what has happened, she connects with a relative and meets Danny, a Canadian Spitfire pilot. Slowly, Maia comes to see that her unexpected journey to the past holds meaning beyond the romance—it may be a chance to truly find herself.

Never Tear Us Apart is a compelling blend of historical fiction, romance, and emotional discovery. It’s a story about finding peace, reconnecting with the past, and learning that love, in all its forms, can endure. A truly special read.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this eCopy to review

From the moment I opened Never Tear Us Apart, I knew I was in for something special. Rowan Coleman delivers a powerful and evocative time-slip novel that blends romance, war-torn drama, and a haunting sense of destiny. It's richly atmospheric, emotionally taut, and utterly immersive.

The story follows Maia, a modern-day war correspondent sent to Malta on assignment, but the trip is far more personal than professional. She’s grappling with the sudden death of her estranged father, and with questions that have long lingered in the silence between them. As she begins unravelling fragments of his past, a sudden twist of fate plunges Maia into 1942, in the heart of wartime Valletta. Malta is under siege, its people battered by bombs and fear, yet there’s a defiant beauty in the world she wakes up to.

Coleman’s depiction of WWII Malta is nothing short of cinematic. You can feel the heat off the limestone walls, the tension in underground shelters, and the pulse of a city refusing to surrender. The time-slip element is handled with precision, never overdone, always serving the heart of the story.

As Maia navigates this strange, dangerous world, she’s drawn to Jack, a man with secrets and scars that mirror her own. Their connection is electric, but fate isn’t easily bargained with. The novel deftly explores the fragility of time and the question at its core: who, exactly, has Maia been sent to save and is it possible she’s the one who needs saving most?

What elevates Never Tear Us Apart is Coleman’s signature emotional depth. Her characters feel lived-in, raw, and heartbreakingly real. The themes love, identity, and generational grief are woven into every decision Maia makes. The pacing is tight, the stakes are high, and the emotional payoff is profound.

If you’re drawn to historical fiction with rich detail, romantic tension, and a touch of the supernatural, this is the book to read. Coleman doesn’t just write about Malta, she brings it to life. A standout novel that will leave you wondering what you’d risk for one more chance at love and what history might reveal if we only dared to ask.

What a fantastic five-star read. This one blew me away, I am so glad that I didn’t read the blurb on this one, I just picked it up as I knew Rowan Coleman always pulls a compelling story out of the bag. If I had I wouldn’t have read this one, as I am not a fan of historical stories, but I would have missed simply one of the best stories that I have ever read. This one had me dreaming of visiting Malta, I know several people who have visited and loved it, but it never appealed to me, now however I dream of visiting and digging into the history of the island. Maia broke me, she was just simply the most amazing woman, and she shone amongst the other characters that blew me away, and there were simply so many I couldn’t name them all. I love how all of the details flow and spin off into areas that you cant help but follow, I even found myself looking into war planes and the different types and the details about them, that was how compelling this story was, it envelops you into the words, taking you back in time and helping you feel the wind rushing past, smell the burning and hear the band playing.

I have read several books by Rowan Coleman, so I was excited to receive a copy of her new book. Never tear us apart.
Maia is a journalist and has agreed to go to Malta with her father after not being in each other’s lives for several years Her father David was born and raised there. They don’t really get on with each other, but she hopes that the trip will change that.
But unfortunately, things go wrong when they are both involved in a car accident, and she wakes up she finds herself in Malta in WW2 in 1942. What is the reason of her being there. S she supposed to save someone. Only time will tell.
Rowan Coleman is a great storyteller, and she knows how to write a story that will tug at your heart. This is another beautifully written story, of a mixture on historical, time travel and romance. I loved the setting, and it had some great likable characters, I loved it. 5 stars from me

I've read a few Rowan Coleman books and really enjoyed them. They all had an interesting twist, and this is no exception.
Maia has travelled to Malta with her estranged father, as he wanted to show her the place her grew up. Things dont go well, and after a car accident, he ends up in hospital, and Maia meets up with her cousin, who shows her around an ancient temple. This is where things get weird as Maia is transported to 1942 and a Malta under seige during WW2. No spoilers because this is all in the book description.
This is a mystery and a love story with the major twist of time travel. I really loved it. Brilliant characters, who are interesting and mostly, extremely likeable. I'm not completely sure what happened in the end, but I think you just have to use your imagination .
The only thing I wanted to know was what was the outcome with Maia's father? She does something in the past to change the future and this isn't mentioned again, even though it was the main storyline. I suppose I'll just have to use my imagination again.

Maia a journalist travels to Malta to connect with her father after many years
While she is there she find herself traveling into the past during the Second World War.
This duel timeline jumps from 2025 to 1942 without warning and I found it confusing at times. There were some likeable characters and I found the story of Malta very interesting.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Soughton for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rowan Coleman knows how to write. she knows how to write beautiful books. i dont think there is one word on a page she has written that i find doesn't fit in some sort of poetical story. she has such a way with words so the story doesn't just read well, it feels well too.
i can say hand on heart there are authors id want to own all their books and have little specific shelves for them all. to keep these books in your life, so they can grow up with you. one day id love to look around and see shelves full of these authors and books that have meant so much to me. Rowan Coleman is one such author. her books have been brilliant yes, but they've also helped me many a time too.
im not usually sure about time travel genre types. im a sceptic you see, so i question everything. but this book managed to lose all my cynicism from the first page. with this book we start in the present day with Maia who is struggling with her sense of self. with her sense of anything right now. she yearns for somewhere to belong. she yearns for something right now to make her feel better about things. and so she goes to the one person she knows she must face, her father.
we are also visiting Malta in the war periods. its known to have been easily attacked during that time and you really get the sense of that in Rowans writing.
i also for some reason found it totally understandable what was happening to Maia for her to be going through these things in both time frames.and boy did i feel for her. i wanted to scoop her up and make sure she was ok. and i found what she was going through in each era just as compelling to read about.
ive read about the war years on Malta before and ive found it such an interesting read, if a little heartbreaking at times. and this book once again offers up that time in history with great understanding. and it indeed hurt the heart a little to see what happened to the place and people back then.
this books was another beautiful read that got right to my heart and made me want to keep reading all the way through, non stop if i could.

This was a lovely time travel story which starts in the present day with Maia struggling with the relationship she has with her father but primarily set in 1942 when Malta was being steadily attacked during World War Two. This was an interesting account of a very turbulent time with some fantastic characters and tight knit relationships in amongst the action. I enjoyed how this flitted between the two time frames and how Maia remained physically the same. The character of Sal did a great job of explaining some of what was happening to Maia and I loved the ancient history of Malta and how this brought it to life. It had a well thought out ending with a mix of sadness and joy.

Such a beautiful WWI romance. I highly enjoyed reading Maiais story and it was reminiscent of so many stories of my ancestors during that time period. I highly enjoyed reading it and am looking forward to more books in the future from the author. Hodder & Stroghten have the most beautiful war time novels.