What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon

What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2.5 days

Pages - 416

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Netgalley and bought a copy

Blurb from Goodreads

One Day meets a contemporary Bridgerton in this high-drama, escapist wonder of a love story, Paige Toon’s best yet.

Three days to fall in love. Six years to try to forget.

Ellie didn’t expect to fall in love while interrailing through Europe. But she also didn’t expect to meet a man like Ash. Three blistering days in Lisbon is all it takes to form an unforgettable connection—a bond deep enough for them to scrap their itineraries and plan to meet again in Spain. But Ellie arrives late, and Ash is nowhere to be found.

Six years later, Ellie has landed her dream job working as a gardener for a viscount and viscountess on their sprawling five-hundred-year-old estate in Wales. She finds peace amongst the towering topiary hedges and colorful gardens, but her idyll is shattered when Ash crashes back into her life. And when it becomes clear why he didn’t show in Madrid, her heart breaks anew—for what the truth means for her, and for his fate.

But they have never been able to resist each another, and when the sparks of their attraction fly, Ellie’s life will catch flame. She will have to make a choice.


My Review

Ellie is interrailing (I think of it as backpacking but not sure if there is an actual difference), trying to deal with stuff and personal growth. When she meets Ash she has no intention of dating, she is dealing with a whole host of stuff but then Ash, beautiful Ash and her just click. For three days in Lisbon love blossoms and they make plans to meet and travel together. Typical something happens and they don't meet, she is late and he isn't there when she arrives. Six years of struggling with the loss of what could have been, her family expectations and everything her and Ash had she does something for herself and gets her dream job. Just as everything is going perfectly Ash crashes back into her life, everything is turned upside down, there is a lot of hurt, questions and barriers you could not begin to imagine but what they felt all those years ago still burns, in them both. What do you do when you are pulled together like moths to a flame but everything is stacked against you?

Aw guys, so I have read a Paige Toon ages ago (I checked Goodreads, 2012!) so when we got the chance to read this one, clickity click! I am a sucker for a romance and who hasn't had either a holiday romance or the old one who got away. Coupled with that you have so many family issues, on both the main characters, Ash and Ellie, parental expectations, keeping up with the Joneses . With this one we have a wee bit of classism, societal divides for example the gardeners at Ellies new job, they all work at this beautiful prestigious 500 year old estate but there is a tone between other hired staff and the gardeners.

When Elli and Ash finally find each other again, especially after six long years there is so much to unwrap! I loved the will they won't they, the barriers flung between them, the shady attitude especially exhibited by Ash's dad and one of the help at the house. People can be absolute bangers, snobbery and how folk treat each other, even Ellie's parent's, despite not being in the book much their impact they have on Ellie is huge and far reaching.

A tale of love, near misses, societal barriers, travel, family, relationships, friendships and following your heart and dreams. At one point I had goosebumps, a few moments of NOOOOOO what are you doing! As I said I have only read one of Toon's books before this and will be getting more, 4.5/5 from us.

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