Publication: 10th April 2025 – Penguin Books UK
THE GREATER THE LOVE, THE HARDER THE FALL . . .
Ellie didn’t expect to fall in love while travelling in 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 – deep enough for them to plan to meet again in Madrid. But Ellie arrives late, and Ash is nowhere to be found.
Six years later, the memory of Ash and their time together still burns deeply in Ellie’s heart. She hopes that her dream job as a gardener on a grand estate in Wales will bring the fresh start she desperately needs.
But when Ash unexpectedly crashes back into her life, Ellie is forced to question if the universe has other plans…
I knew that once I started reading a Paige Toon’s novel I wouldn’t be able to put it down until the end and that’s what happened with her latest novel, What If I Never Got Over You. The beautiful and evocative descriptions of Portugal and Wales, the multi-layered, relatable, and likable characters, and Ellie and Ash’s beautiful and emotional love story kept me up until late at night.
Ellie and Ash first met in Lisbon, both in their early twenties, both interrailing, both grieving a loss, both with overbearing parents and a future planned. Their attraction is mutual and instant and they make plans to meet a week later. But destiny, or the universe, or something else has other plans for them and it’s six years before they meet again, carrying with them the responsibilities of the present and a past that haunts them.
I loved this story so much. When we first meet Ellie she is on the terrace of a hostel reading a book (and without spoiling it, a great choice of a book) with a future already planned by her parents to whom she can’t ever say no. The book is soon forgotten as Ash sits next to her. He is charming, easy-going, and he is following his dreams. When they meet six years later, everything has changed, for both of them, and there are many obstacles that they must face and solve. I fell completely in love with these characters and their stories are a roller coaster of emotions.
I am a huge fan of Paige Toon and What If I Never Got Over You is another wonderful and heart-warming novel that kept me hooked from the first to the last page!
A huge thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this fantastic novel.
Paige Toon is the bestselling author of seventeen adult novels and three young adult titles, and her books have sold over 2 million copies worldwide.
Paige writes sweeping, emotional love stories filled with incredible settings and characters you’ll never forget. She tells nuanced stories with big, thought- provoking themes at their heart which leave you uplifted and believing in the power of love. You will laugh, cry and feel like you’ve become part of a new family. She lives in Cambridgeshire with her husband and their two children.
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