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Call You Mine
“Sylvia. Please. Call me.”
BEFORE
Sylvia Calasis and Kieran Rose were inseparable. They passed notes during class, went on adventures all for the sake of “the list,” and when they went off to college, they called every weekend to hash out the details the other might’ve missed. No matter what happened, they promised each other one thing– they’d face it together.
NOW
After one night four years ago changed everything, Sylvia raced towards her new, stylish life in the city as an up-and-coming writer. This was, after all, how childhood friendships were supposed to go.
You leave home. You lose touch.
Only now, unceremoniously fired from her job and walking in on her boyfriend cheating on her in one fell swoop, Sylvia runs home into the arms of the small town she promised she’d never return to, taking cover under the guise of the holidays.
But she isn’t running back to Kieran.
Not after how they left things. Even if he’s looking at her as if she never left, and she may be wishing she hadn’t.
After a night of heartbreak, small-town childhood sweethearts reconnect for a second chance to finally have their holiday happily ever after. Call You Mine is the perfect romance for readers of Emily Henry and Christina Lauren.
BEFORE
Sylvia Calasis and Kieran Rose were inseparable. They passed notes during class, went on adventures all for the sake of “the list,” and when they went off to college, they called every weekend to hash out the details the other might’ve missed. No matter what happened, they promised each other one thing– they’d face it together.
NOW
After one night four years ago changed everything, Sylvia raced towards her new, stylish life in the city as an up-and-coming writer. This was, after all, how childhood friendships were supposed to go.
You leave home. You lose touch.
Only now, unceremoniously fired from her job and walking in on her boyfriend cheating on her in one fell swoop, Sylvia runs home into the arms of the small town she promised she’d never return to, taking cover under the guise of the holidays.
But she isn’t running back to Kieran.
Not after how they left things. Even if he’s looking at her as if she never left, and she may be wishing she hadn’t.
After a night of heartbreak, small-town childhood sweethearts reconnect for a second chance to finally have their holiday happily ever after. Call You Mine is the perfect romance for readers of Emily Henry and Christina Lauren.
424 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 12, 2023
35 people are currently reading
596 people want to read
About the author
Kendra Mase
10 books213 followersKendra Mase is the author of emotional, romantic, sometimes magical love stories including Call You Mine and Bewitched by You.
For upcoming book announcements and news, you can follow her on social media at kendramase or on her website www.kendramase.com
For upcoming book announcements and news, you can follow her on social media at kendramase or on her website www.kendramase.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
August 25, 2023
Call You Mine is a charming and emotional second chance, small-town, friends-to-lovers, holiday romance with dual timelines. The story follows Sylvia and Kieran, childhood best friends who are absolutely inseparable. After meeting and sticking by each other since they were seven years old, the two develop feelings early on in their friendship; but aren't willing to risk their relationship by confessing. When Sylvia goes off to college and Kieran stays in their hometown, their friendship shifts. Both Kieran and Sylvia manage by making frequent calls to each other and visiting when they can, but things don't stay the same. After a blow-up, the two go separate ways and Sylvia and Kieran don't reunite for another four years until Sylvia returns to their hometown for the holidays after losing her job.
I had such a good time reading Call You Mine, it was a very cute and engaging story! The book starts out when they are only seven years old and each chapter switches between then and now, with the two getting older as the book goes on. I absolutely loved the alternating chapters, and getting to see Kieran and Sylvia growing. They had such a beautiful connection that was ever-evolving as the story progressed. I also loved how the story built up to the ending and the two coming together, the development was slow but so worth it in the end. I do have to say that I knocked down a whole star because of the big reveal towards the end of the book. I was so frustrated and confused when we found out why they stopped being friends; if they had just communicated with each other everything would have worked out. Overall, Call You Mine is a very sweet and cozy holiday read that showcases such a beautiful connection between two childhood best friends; it was lovely to see how they grew for each other and themselves.
~Many thanks to NetGalley and Kendra Mase for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review!
I had such a good time reading Call You Mine, it was a very cute and engaging story! The book starts out when they are only seven years old and each chapter switches between then and now, with the two getting older as the book goes on. I absolutely loved the alternating chapters, and getting to see Kieran and Sylvia growing. They had such a beautiful connection that was ever-evolving as the story progressed. I also loved how the story built up to the ending and the two coming together, the development was slow but so worth it in the end. I do have to say that I knocked down a whole star because of the big reveal towards the end of the book. I was so frustrated and confused when we found out why they stopped being friends; if they had just communicated with each other everything would have worked out. Overall, Call You Mine is a very sweet and cozy holiday read that showcases such a beautiful connection between two childhood best friends; it was lovely to see how they grew for each other and themselves.
~Many thanks to NetGalley and Kendra Mase for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review!
August 21, 2023
Childhood friends to lovers and second chance romance? Count me in. Kendra Rose's, Call You Mine, is a now and then timeline following Sylvia and Kieran through their childhood and up to their young adult life. When they notice they're feelings for each other they embark on a relationship, but unfortunately dreams and fears cause conflict and get in the way of a lasting relationship.
Kieran and Sylvia were just darlings in this book, they are literally soulmates. They really just needed to communicate with each other more, to figure out how to adapt their goals to work together. Kieran's commitment to his and Sylvia's friendship was so cute.
I really enjoyed the "now" timeline, seeing them reamend their relationship- working through what happened. It was calming to see them relearn eachother as adults, to see if pursuing a relationship with one another is more important than another dreams. The "past" timeline wasn't as fun for me, it seemed pretty repetitive. But towards the end we see what really happened that split them completely apart, and lets just say its quite the plot twist.
Overall this small town romance and the holiday vibes made for a cozy read. This was very easy to get through. Thank you to NetGalley and Kendra Rose for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: 12 September 2023
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Kieran and Sylvia were just darlings in this book, they are literally soulmates. They really just needed to communicate with each other more, to figure out how to adapt their goals to work together. Kieran's commitment to his and Sylvia's friendship was so cute.
I really enjoyed the "now" timeline, seeing them reamend their relationship- working through what happened. It was calming to see them relearn eachother as adults, to see if pursuing a relationship with one another is more important than another dreams. The "past" timeline wasn't as fun for me, it seemed pretty repetitive. But towards the end we see what really happened that split them completely apart, and lets just say its quite the plot twist.
Overall this small town romance and the holiday vibes made for a cozy read. This was very easy to get through. Thank you to NetGalley and Kendra Rose for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: 12 September 2023
--- 🌟🌟🌟🌟
September 11, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Friends to lovers
- Dual timeline
- Second chance
This is the first Kendra Mase book I've read, and I really enjoyed it.
The book is contacted on two timelines, and I really liked how it was done. You can see how much Kieran and Sylvia love each other, but life ends up separating them for a while.
This book made me feel like a roller coaster of feelings. But I have to say that I didn't really like why they stopped talking. If they had communicated better, everything would have been solved.
I enjoyed the book overall and highly recommend it.
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you, NetGalley and Kenda Mase, for the ARC .
- Friends to lovers
- Dual timeline
- Second chance
This is the first Kendra Mase book I've read, and I really enjoyed it.
The book is contacted on two timelines, and I really liked how it was done. You can see how much Kieran and Sylvia love each other, but life ends up separating them for a while.
This book made me feel like a roller coaster of feelings. But I have to say that I didn't really like why they stopped talking. If they had communicated better, everything would have been solved.
I enjoyed the book overall and highly recommend it.
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you, NetGalley and Kenda Mase, for the ARC .
August 29, 2023
I'm such a sucker for a dual timeline, best friends to lovers story. Seeing all of the couple's adventures together from before they were ever an item is always so fascinating to me - especially when it's so obvious that they are completely in love with one another before they even realize it themselves. Of course, life gets in the way and prevents Sylvia and Kieran from being together, drifting apart, then slowly coming back together - and their relationship grows to a climax in both timelines. THIS is the stuff I love most in a best friends to lovers story. This book delivers all of this goodness. It's sweet, it's cozy, but it's also angsty. You just want the couple to set aside whatever they're dealing with and realize they're soulmates, but we have to get the full story for why it didn't work the first time they give it a try.
Kieran is so protective of his peace, keeping all emotions locked down to prevent himself from hurting again, and Sylvia's life is falling apart as she grapples with drastic changes in her life and coming terms with the fact that her and Kieran's relationship may never be the same again. It's a rollercoaster of emotions as we get happy memories in one chapter, and awkward re-introductions in the next. But I loved the way this all came together. We see a lot of character development from Sylvia as she adjusts to her life back in her hometown, and realizes the support system that's always been there for her.
I really liked Kendra's writing style, I'm definitely interested in reading more of her works. Thank you so much to Kendra Mase and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Kieran is so protective of his peace, keeping all emotions locked down to prevent himself from hurting again, and Sylvia's life is falling apart as she grapples with drastic changes in her life and coming terms with the fact that her and Kieran's relationship may never be the same again. It's a rollercoaster of emotions as we get happy memories in one chapter, and awkward re-introductions in the next. But I loved the way this all came together. We see a lot of character development from Sylvia as she adjusts to her life back in her hometown, and realizes the support system that's always been there for her.
I really liked Kendra's writing style, I'm definitely interested in reading more of her works. Thank you so much to Kendra Mase and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
September 26, 2023
Childhood friends to lovers and second chance are some of my favourite tropes, depending how they’re done. I felt Call You Mine did these tropes so well. The past/present pov did a great job of dishing out adorable scenes and details to keep me engaged! It was an addictive read I didn’t want to put down. I was so driven to finish the book and understand why these 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 weren’t together.
Kieran was such a sweetheart and his commitment to his friendship with Sylvia throughout the story was so heartwarming. I did find Sylvia to be annoying early on in the book, but as she matured in the NOW portions I grew to like her character more.
The small town and holiday vibes here were SO cozy and perfect. I could see myself reading this again during the holiday season!
If you love small town, friends to lovers, soulmates, second chance, or you’re looking for a new holiday read please pick up this book!
Thank you to Kendra Mase and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Kieran was such a sweetheart and his commitment to his friendship with Sylvia throughout the story was so heartwarming. I did find Sylvia to be annoying early on in the book, but as she matured in the NOW portions I grew to like her character more.
The small town and holiday vibes here were SO cozy and perfect. I could see myself reading this again during the holiday season!
If you love small town, friends to lovers, soulmates, second chance, or you’re looking for a new holiday read please pick up this book!
Thank you to Kendra Mase and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
September 14, 2023
Thank you NetGalley, Victory Editing, and Kendra Mase for this arc!!
Thais was a really great fast read! We have second chances, friends to lovers, small town romance! Really liked the characters and the dual time periods.
Recommend!
Thais was a really great fast read! We have second chances, friends to lovers, small town romance! Really liked the characters and the dual time periods.
Recommend!
August 20, 2023
Call You Mine is such a great nostalgic tale of love, heartbreak, and friendship. It is filled with angst and pining with a sprinkle of holiday cheer.
Seven year old Sylvia moved to Marshall Falls, Vermont and completely, thoroughly claimed Kieran as her best friend. This dual timeline story will show you glimpses into their past - how they became friends, how they fell in love, and how they grew apart, as well as show you the present, and how they are working together to mend their relationship.
After not speaking to each other for the past four years, Sylvia comes back to Marshall Falls for the holidays, only to realize that her parents are on a cruise and she’ll be spending the holidays alone in a cold, undecorated house. After a not so pleasant reunion with Kieran, she gets drunk and puts together a list of holiday activities she could do to get Kieran to spend time with her again. After all, Kieran could never ignore a well put list.
A healthy dose of forced proximity will get these two soulmates to open up to each other again and mend their relationship. I have to say in the beginning I was not a huge fan of Sylvia and thought that the falling out was primarily her fault, but by the end I could see that both of them were flawed and they just needed to communicate.
Favorite things:
🧦 Matching tattoos
🧦 Friends to lovers
🧦 Soulmates
🧦 Holiday setting
🧦 Small town
🧦 Forced proximity
Thank you, Kendra Mase and NetGalley, for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Seven year old Sylvia moved to Marshall Falls, Vermont and completely, thoroughly claimed Kieran as her best friend. This dual timeline story will show you glimpses into their past - how they became friends, how they fell in love, and how they grew apart, as well as show you the present, and how they are working together to mend their relationship.
After not speaking to each other for the past four years, Sylvia comes back to Marshall Falls for the holidays, only to realize that her parents are on a cruise and she’ll be spending the holidays alone in a cold, undecorated house. After a not so pleasant reunion with Kieran, she gets drunk and puts together a list of holiday activities she could do to get Kieran to spend time with her again. After all, Kieran could never ignore a well put list.
A healthy dose of forced proximity will get these two soulmates to open up to each other again and mend their relationship. I have to say in the beginning I was not a huge fan of Sylvia and thought that the falling out was primarily her fault, but by the end I could see that both of them were flawed and they just needed to communicate.
Favorite things:
🧦 Matching tattoos
🧦 Friends to lovers
🧦 Soulmates
🧦 Holiday setting
🧦 Small town
🧦 Forced proximity
Thank you, Kendra Mase and NetGalley, for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 10, 2023
ARC REVIEW (thanks NETGALLEY!)
2 idiot best friends who are so in love with eachother but don’t realize. Has this been done 100x? Yes it has but book was adorable and well written. Characters and emotions felt authentic and not overly dramatic. Chapters alternated between past and present to give you Sylvia and Kieran’s back story. I kind of wanted Kieran to stay mad at her a little longer but there’s a slight plot twist at the end that has you more on Sylvia’s side. Enjoyed this cutesy Christmas romance!
2 idiot best friends who are so in love with eachother but don’t realize. Has this been done 100x? Yes it has but book was adorable and well written. Characters and emotions felt authentic and not overly dramatic. Chapters alternated between past and present to give you Sylvia and Kieran’s back story. I kind of wanted Kieran to stay mad at her a little longer but there’s a slight plot twist at the end that has you more on Sylvia’s side. Enjoyed this cutesy Christmas romance!
August 18, 2023
Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC!
The basic premise of this story is a second-chance-romance tied in with the friends-to-lovers trope.
Sylvia and Kieran are childhood best friends who have been in each others corner since the day that they first met. Sylvia is mostly an introvert whereas Kieran grows into more of a social butterfly. As young adults, they finally give into their romantic feelings for each other and embark on a relationship. Unfortunately, their own fears and dreams get in the way of it actually lasting.
When we first meet them in the book, they are two hurt people who have no idea how to deal with the pain that the other caused. Each of them has been through difficult situations as individuals, but what’s impacted them the most is their separation over the years.
The entirety of their story in the present them figuring out how to trust each other once again. They have to learn each other as adults and decide if their dream of pursuing a relationship is more important than their other dreams.
The story in the present is very well done. Sylvia does her best to earn Kieran’s trust once again and show him how much she cares about him. And he does his best to make her understand that she is worthy of love. Their romance is imperfect, but sweet and well-written.
Now, there were a few things about this story that I didn’t enjoy. The flashbacks to their childhood were quite unnecessary. Just alluding to them or narrating them would’ve been sufficient instead of having readers go through page after page of childhood adventures that really had nothing to do with the storyline. The details only mattered in their teenage years when their friendship started to veer romantic. In addition, the “Kieran” typos were plentiful and distracted me a few times.
In conclusion, this is an enjoyable read, and a great example of friends-to-lovers second-chance romance.
4⭐️
NOTE: ARC received in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The basic premise of this story is a second-chance-romance tied in with the friends-to-lovers trope.
Sylvia and Kieran are childhood best friends who have been in each others corner since the day that they first met. Sylvia is mostly an introvert whereas Kieran grows into more of a social butterfly. As young adults, they finally give into their romantic feelings for each other and embark on a relationship. Unfortunately, their own fears and dreams get in the way of it actually lasting.
When we first meet them in the book, they are two hurt people who have no idea how to deal with the pain that the other caused. Each of them has been through difficult situations as individuals, but what’s impacted them the most is their separation over the years.
The entirety of their story in the present them figuring out how to trust each other once again. They have to learn each other as adults and decide if their dream of pursuing a relationship is more important than their other dreams.
The story in the present is very well done. Sylvia does her best to earn Kieran’s trust once again and show him how much she cares about him. And he does his best to make her understand that she is worthy of love. Their romance is imperfect, but sweet and well-written.
Now, there were a few things about this story that I didn’t enjoy. The flashbacks to their childhood were quite unnecessary. Just alluding to them or narrating them would’ve been sufficient instead of having readers go through page after page of childhood adventures that really had nothing to do with the storyline. The details only mattered in their teenage years when their friendship started to veer romantic. In addition, the “Kieran” typos were plentiful and distracted me a few times.
In conclusion, this is an enjoyable read, and a great example of friends-to-lovers second-chance romance.
4⭐️
NOTE: ARC received in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
September 4, 2023
Call You Mine was such a sweet romance! I had read Kendra Mase before and knew I would love this book! The alternating chapters were great and I loved the writing.The narrative effortlessly weaves between the "Before" and "Now" timelines, beautifully capturing the essence of their close bond and the bittersweet emotions of lost connections. Second chance romances are my favorite and I loved watching these two characters find their way back to each other.
The small-town setting adds a cozy charm to the story, and the holiday backdrop enhances the festive atmosphere. Amidst the Christmas cheer, Sylvia and Kieren's rekindling of their friendship and romance is beautifully portrayed, reminding readers of the power of forgiveness and the magic of love.
I plan on getting a physical copy of this amazing book! I love this book so much!!
Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.
The small-town setting adds a cozy charm to the story, and the holiday backdrop enhances the festive atmosphere. Amidst the Christmas cheer, Sylvia and Kieren's rekindling of their friendship and romance is beautifully portrayed, reminding readers of the power of forgiveness and the magic of love.
I plan on getting a physical copy of this amazing book! I love this book so much!!
Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.
February 5, 2024
This was a FANTASTIC read! I immediately fell in love with the characters and their story! My only regret was that I couldn’t read it fast enough.
August 13, 2023
Well I didn’t expect to devour this as fast as I did, but once I started reading I physically couldn’t stop. This trope lived up to the high expectations surrounding it, since it is one of my favorites to read. This author perfectly captured the angst that comes with loving someone for so long but never being able to fully act on it, the tension of never having the perfect timing, and the frustration that comes with misinterpreting words and actions.
What I thought this author did well was have this story be told through a first person narrative through Sylvia, but also have Kieran's perspective shine as brightly though this wasn’t a dual POV. I felt Kieran's emotions through this story as much as Sylvia’s even though his inner monologue was never written. The tension of the story being told through a alternating timeline of past and present was a fun way to see what happened in the past and how in affected their present
This is the kind of book that when you finish it, you are not over it. You just want more and you wish you had the ability to erase it from your memory and experience the joy of reading it again for the first time. I thoroughly enjoyed this and highly recommend that everyone check out this book. Thank you NetGalley and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What I thought this author did well was have this story be told through a first person narrative through Sylvia, but also have Kieran's perspective shine as brightly though this wasn’t a dual POV. I felt Kieran's emotions through this story as much as Sylvia’s even though his inner monologue was never written. The tension of the story being told through a alternating timeline of past and present was a fun way to see what happened in the past and how in affected their present
This is the kind of book that when you finish it, you are not over it. You just want more and you wish you had the ability to erase it from your memory and experience the joy of reading it again for the first time. I thoroughly enjoyed this and highly recommend that everyone check out this book. Thank you NetGalley and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 25, 2023
“I miss you all the time. I miss you whenever you’re not right next to me.
Missing you some days is all i can think about”
Rating: 4.5⭐️
Soo i was in a reading slump and I didn’t feel like picking up any physical book i have, so I decided to request an arc on netgalley to see if it would help and it definitely did!
Call you mine is the first book by Kendra Mase i’ve read but it certainly won’t be the last, i’ve absolutely loved this story and the two main characters: Sylvia and Kieran.
During the book, the chapters alternate between present and past to let us understand the bond between our main characters better, so we see Kier and Sylvia when they first met at the age of seven, thirteen, sixteen and so on.
I must say that i prefer enemies to lovers usually but childhood friends to lovers books are just the cutest and this was no exception, Kieran and Sylvia are 100% soulmates and they complete each other perfectly.
I usually also hate the miscommunication trope, but it was kinda justified here since they were both so young and indecisive about their life choices, they needed to grow up and finally stick together🥰🥰
I had the best time reading this book, even if i would have LOVED to have Kieran’s pov too!!
I could relate both to him and Sylvie so it would have been real nice to get an insight of his struggles/thoughts as well❤️
Thank you to netgalley and the author for giving me a chance to read this book!
All opinions are my own.
Missing you some days is all i can think about”
Rating: 4.5⭐️
Soo i was in a reading slump and I didn’t feel like picking up any physical book i have, so I decided to request an arc on netgalley to see if it would help and it definitely did!
Call you mine is the first book by Kendra Mase i’ve read but it certainly won’t be the last, i’ve absolutely loved this story and the two main characters: Sylvia and Kieran.
During the book, the chapters alternate between present and past to let us understand the bond between our main characters better, so we see Kier and Sylvia when they first met at the age of seven, thirteen, sixteen and so on.
I must say that i prefer enemies to lovers usually but childhood friends to lovers books are just the cutest and this was no exception, Kieran and Sylvia are 100% soulmates and they complete each other perfectly.
I usually also hate the miscommunication trope, but it was kinda justified here since they were both so young and indecisive about their life choices, they needed to grow up and finally stick together🥰🥰
I had the best time reading this book, even if i would have LOVED to have Kieran’s pov too!!
I could relate both to him and Sylvie so it would have been real nice to get an insight of his struggles/thoughts as well❤️
Thank you to netgalley and the author for giving me a chance to read this book!
All opinions are my own.
December 6, 2023
Book Review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
While this cover does not scream Christmas/ Holiday read, it one of the best on the market in 2023!!!
Kieran and Sylvia became childhood best friends thanks in large part to their mothers. Growing up in a small town proved to be rather difficult for the once transient, Sylvia. However, she managed to survive with two things- her best friend, Kieran, and the knowledge that she would one day leave. But when she discovers Kieran is content staying local, it turns their friendship upside down. Will the two be able to keep their friendship going despite being separated, or will a shocking love revelation end it for good?
I have been actively trying to support more Indie authors this year. Therefore, it is only fitting that I kick off my 25 Days of Christmas with a new to me Indie author, Kendra Mase. I absolutely adored this book and believe it would make a great last minute gift this holiday season.
Call You Mine is written in a unique format. Mase alternates telling the story from both past and present timelines. She brilliantly starts from the present and works her way back while simultaneously working from the past to the present. It was a fun way of giving readers a 360 degree look at Sylvia and Kieran’s relationship.
In addition to the fun format, Mase is an expert at the will they, won’t they. She had me on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out how she was going to wrap up Kieran and Sylvia’s story. With the perfect formula of suspense and tension culminating on Christmas Day, I couldn’t put it down.
This would make the perfect gift for fans of:
-friends to lovers/ childhood best friends
-small town
-second chance romance
-reverse grumpy/ sunshine
*Be advised you will crave raspberry shortbread cookies. It is recommended readers have them on hand prior to reading.
Special thanks to Netgalley and Kendra Mase for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
September 8, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC.
"Call You Mine" is a really sweet book that warmed my heart.
This was mainly due to the protagonist, Sylvia, the narrator of this story, because I kind of identify with her.
Sylvia is a girl who thinks big, who wants to pursue her dreams and not get stuck in the small town where she grew up. She is convinced that she will be able to achieve all her goals, but she keeps failing. She’s a girl who underestimates herself and she is convinced that her presence is practically irrelevant to others.
Every speech Sylvia made made me cry.
I loved her journey and the fact that, despite everything, she stubbornly continued to follow her path, her only purpose to realize her dream, sooner or later.
Kieran is a sweet boy, always ready to support Sylvia and make her understand how worthy she is. In my opinion his character was somewhat overshadowed by Sylvia’s personality, but I still managed to appreciate him a lot.
Needless to say, I loved the relationship between Sylvia and Kieran.
The story follows two timelines, past and present, and obviously my favorite chapters were those set in the past thanks to which we saw the friendship between Kieran and Sylvia grow and become something more.
I admit that I found the second part of the book a little repetitive, and the cause of the quarrel between the two protagonists is a little weak, but still I really liked the story.
It's a book set in the Christmas season, so it's a perfect reading for the winter, even if it has a very melancholic vibes, but if you like the friends to lovers trope you can not absolutely miss it.
RECENSIONE IN ITALIANO:
"Call You Mine" è un romance contemporaneo, autoconclusivo di Kendra Mase.
Sylvia e Kieran sono sempre stati inseparabili, fin dal giorno in cui si sono conosciuti a soli sette anni. Hanno passato insieme una vita intera, ma poi qualcosa tra di loro si è rotto, e hanno smesso di parlarsi ormai da quattro anni.
Un giorno Sylvia, che si è trasferita a New York City per seguire i suoi sogni, viene licenziata e quando torna a casa scopre che il suo ragazzo la tradisce. Decide quindi di tornare a Marshall Falls, il paesino dove è cresciuta, per le vacanze Natalizie.
Una volta arrivata nella casa dei suoi genitori scopre però che loro sono andati in crociera e che dovrà passare le feste da sola, quindi si trascina nel locale più frequentato di Marshall Falls e si prende una sbornia. Qui rivede il suo vecchio amico Kieran, che, nonostante sia ancora terribilmente arrabbiato con lei, vedendola in quelle condizioni la riaccompagna a casa. É così che Kieran scopre che il riscaldamento di Sylvia è rotto e decide di ospitare la sua vecchia amica nel suo piccolo appartamento, solo per un giorno.
Un giorno che si trasforma in tutto il periodo natalizio.
"Call You Mine" è un libro davvero dolce, che mi ha colpita molto a livello emotivo.
Il merito è stato principalmente della protagonista, Sylvia, la voce narrante di questa storia, in cui mi sono davvero rivista parecchio.
Sylvia è una ragazza che pensa in grande, che vuole inseguire i suoi sogni e non restare bloccata nel paesino in cui è cresciuta. É convinta che riuscirà a raggiungere tutti i suoi obiettivi, e invece riceve una batosta dietro l'altra. É una ragazza che si svaluta tantissimo, ed è convinta che la sua presenza sia praticamente irrilevante per gli altri.
Ogni discorso fatto da Sylvia, ogni riflessione sulla sua vita, mi ha fatta piangere, perché mi ha fatta sentire fin troppoo compresa.
Ho amato il suo percorso, il fatto che nonostante tutto abbia continuato testarda a seguire la sua strada, con l'unico scopo prima o poi di realizzare i suoi sogni.
Kieran è un ragazzo dolcissimo, sempre pronto a supportare Sylvia e a farle capire quanto in realtà lei valga. Il suo personaggio a mio parere è stato un po' oscurato dalla personalità di Sylvia, ma sono comunque riuscita ad apprezzarlo tantissimo.
Inutile dirvi che ho amato il rapporto tra i due. La storia si sviluppa su due piani temporali, passato e presente, e ovviamete i miei capitoli preferiti sono stati quelli ambientati nel passato grazie ai quali abbiamo visto l'amicizia tra Kieran e Sylvia crescere e diventare qualcosa di più.
Ammetto che ho trovato la seconda parte del libro un po' ripetitiva, e il motivo del litigio tra i due protagonisti un po' debole, ma comunque la storia mi è piaciuta tantissimo.
Si tratta di un libro ambientato nel periodo di Natale, quindi perfetto da leggere in inverno, anche se ha delle vibes parecchio malinconiche, ma se vi piacciono i friends to lovers non potete assolutamente farvelo scappare.
"Call You Mine" is a really sweet book that warmed my heart.
This was mainly due to the protagonist, Sylvia, the narrator of this story, because I kind of identify with her.
Sylvia is a girl who thinks big, who wants to pursue her dreams and not get stuck in the small town where she grew up. She is convinced that she will be able to achieve all her goals, but she keeps failing. She’s a girl who underestimates herself and she is convinced that her presence is practically irrelevant to others.
Every speech Sylvia made made me cry.
I loved her journey and the fact that, despite everything, she stubbornly continued to follow her path, her only purpose to realize her dream, sooner or later.
Kieran is a sweet boy, always ready to support Sylvia and make her understand how worthy she is. In my opinion his character was somewhat overshadowed by Sylvia’s personality, but I still managed to appreciate him a lot.
Needless to say, I loved the relationship between Sylvia and Kieran.
The story follows two timelines, past and present, and obviously my favorite chapters were those set in the past thanks to which we saw the friendship between Kieran and Sylvia grow and become something more.
I admit that I found the second part of the book a little repetitive, and the cause of the quarrel between the two protagonists is a little weak, but still I really liked the story.
It's a book set in the Christmas season, so it's a perfect reading for the winter, even if it has a very melancholic vibes, but if you like the friends to lovers trope you can not absolutely miss it.
RECENSIONE IN ITALIANO:
"Call You Mine" è un romance contemporaneo, autoconclusivo di Kendra Mase.
Sylvia e Kieran sono sempre stati inseparabili, fin dal giorno in cui si sono conosciuti a soli sette anni. Hanno passato insieme una vita intera, ma poi qualcosa tra di loro si è rotto, e hanno smesso di parlarsi ormai da quattro anni.
Un giorno Sylvia, che si è trasferita a New York City per seguire i suoi sogni, viene licenziata e quando torna a casa scopre che il suo ragazzo la tradisce. Decide quindi di tornare a Marshall Falls, il paesino dove è cresciuta, per le vacanze Natalizie.
Una volta arrivata nella casa dei suoi genitori scopre però che loro sono andati in crociera e che dovrà passare le feste da sola, quindi si trascina nel locale più frequentato di Marshall Falls e si prende una sbornia. Qui rivede il suo vecchio amico Kieran, che, nonostante sia ancora terribilmente arrabbiato con lei, vedendola in quelle condizioni la riaccompagna a casa. É così che Kieran scopre che il riscaldamento di Sylvia è rotto e decide di ospitare la sua vecchia amica nel suo piccolo appartamento, solo per un giorno.
Un giorno che si trasforma in tutto il periodo natalizio.
"Call You Mine" è un libro davvero dolce, che mi ha colpita molto a livello emotivo.
Il merito è stato principalmente della protagonista, Sylvia, la voce narrante di questa storia, in cui mi sono davvero rivista parecchio.
Sylvia è una ragazza che pensa in grande, che vuole inseguire i suoi sogni e non restare bloccata nel paesino in cui è cresciuta. É convinta che riuscirà a raggiungere tutti i suoi obiettivi, e invece riceve una batosta dietro l'altra. É una ragazza che si svaluta tantissimo, ed è convinta che la sua presenza sia praticamente irrilevante per gli altri.
Ogni discorso fatto da Sylvia, ogni riflessione sulla sua vita, mi ha fatta piangere, perché mi ha fatta sentire fin troppoo compresa.
Ho amato il suo percorso, il fatto che nonostante tutto abbia continuato testarda a seguire la sua strada, con l'unico scopo prima o poi di realizzare i suoi sogni.
Kieran è un ragazzo dolcissimo, sempre pronto a supportare Sylvia e a farle capire quanto in realtà lei valga. Il suo personaggio a mio parere è stato un po' oscurato dalla personalità di Sylvia, ma sono comunque riuscita ad apprezzarlo tantissimo.
Inutile dirvi che ho amato il rapporto tra i due. La storia si sviluppa su due piani temporali, passato e presente, e ovviamete i miei capitoli preferiti sono stati quelli ambientati nel passato grazie ai quali abbiamo visto l'amicizia tra Kieran e Sylvia crescere e diventare qualcosa di più.
Ammetto che ho trovato la seconda parte del libro un po' ripetitiva, e il motivo del litigio tra i due protagonisti un po' debole, ma comunque la storia mi è piaciuta tantissimo.
Si tratta di un libro ambientato nel periodo di Natale, quindi perfetto da leggere in inverno, anche se ha delle vibes parecchio malinconiche, ma se vi piacciono i friends to lovers non potete assolutamente farvelo scappare.
August 13, 2023
"Call You Mine" is a contemporary romance written by Kendra Mase.
The story follows childhood best friends Sylvia Calasis and Kieran Rose, who were inseparable throughout their childhood and adolescence. They passed notes during class, went on adventures all for the sake of the "list," slipped out at night to sleep together, and when they went off to college, they called every weekend to hash out details the other might have missed. No matter what happened, they promised each other one thing: they would face it together. Until one fateful night four years ago changed everything. Sylvia fled toward her new stylish life in New York to pursue her career as an up-and-coming writer. Leaving home. Losing contacts. Only now, after being brutally fired from her job and finding her boyfriend cheating on her, all in the same day, Sylvia instinctively flees home to the small town of Marshall Falls, in Vermont, to which she had promised she would never return, hiding under the guise of the Christmas holidays. Almost immediately she runs into Kieran, in a turbulent and harsh confrontation that leaves her more hurt and confused than ever. Alone, with her parents gone on a cruise vacation without warning her, she begins to regret her choice. However, an evening spent with a few too many drinks, combined with a malfunctioning heater, leads Sylvia to stay at Kieran's house. Eager and desperate to return to the friendship they once had, Sylvia hastily makes a Christmas list, with the secret aim of winning Kieran back or at least making him hate her less. Initially reluctant, Kieran agrees to help her and soon their newfound closeness rekindles old memories and, perhaps, a second chance.
Help, I loved this book! I found it a sweet, lovely and emotional read, full of feelings and so much tenderness!
I found the writing to be light, sparkling, and very evocative. I was struck by the intensity of the words, by the vivid descriptions, by the efficacy of the dialogue. I found it a highly expressive prose, full of passions and emotions, so much so that I admit I cried repeatedly at the beauty of certain scenes, at the power of certain speeches. I felt cuddled while reading, held in a warm embrace, wrapped in a pleasant cocoon. In addition, the fast pace, combined with the short chapters, made it an extremely relaxing story.
The plot impressed me from the premises and unfolds beautifully. The alternation between past and present, in my opinion, is a fantastic and winning choice! I loved the opportunity to follow the evolution of the relationship between Sylvia and Kieran, from the beginnings to the moment of the breakup and then beyond. This system allows the salient events of their bond to be shown, with a well-managed interweaving of past and present. It also, in my opinion, infuses a melancholy tinge to the pages, which I felt very much. The narration proceeds placidly and carefully, analyzing every detail, leaving nothing to chance. It satisfied me from beginning to end, with no moments of haste or boredom.
I loved Sylvia, protagonist and only pov in first person! Sylvia is a twenty-eight-year-old woman, resident of New York City, currently in a professional and personal crisis. Fired from a famous magazine, where more than writing she now served only sandwiches and coffee, she returns home only to run into betrayal by her boyfriend. Disappointed with her lifelong dream of living in a big city and writing for a famous magazine, she impulsively decides to return to her hometown of Marshall Falls, to which she promised she would never return. Sylvia is a determined, courageous, combative, and highly impulsive person who jumps into situations before even thinking things through. She always has been, since childhood, with sometimes unpleasant results. Cheerful and exuberant, a lover of raspberry jam cookies and oddly patterned socks, she has always been a bundle of energy. Passionate about writing from an early age, she grew up with a desire to become a famous writer. As the daughter of parents who often moved because of her father, she partly inherited the need to move. She always felt a bit cramped in Marshall Falls, unable to fit in and especially unable to be accepted. A feeling of inadequacy that she dragged along as she grew up and that prevented her from forming friendships or stable relationships. With the exception of Kieran, her best friend, her everything. Until he wasn't anymore. I connected very much with Sylvia, found her well described and with wonderful development. On more than one occasion I was moved by her and felt the need to hug her.
And then there's Kieran! Gosh, I get emotional just thinking about him! Kieran is a love. I don't think there is any other way I can describe him! He won me over from his first appearance and my affection for him has only increased throughout the story. Kieran is a 28-year-old man born and raised in the small town of Marshall Falls, Vermont, and....no, okay, I'll stop there or I'm afraid of making unintentional spoilers. In any case, he is an extremely caring, loyal character who gives his all for those he cares about. Smart and organized, fixated on lists, he has always been somewhat introverted and shy. Aspects that have softened over the years, but have never quite left him. Help, in my opinion Kieran is the picture of sweetness! He is not perfect, he has made his mistakes, but he acknowledges and admits them. Over the course of the book, more than once I found myself thinking "how I would love to have a friend like Kieran," because he is something incredible. And yes, I shed tears of joy and sadness for him!
Romance was wonderful for me! Sweet, tender, full of joy and heartache, it sent me into a swoon! I confess that I am a great lover of enemies to lovers, in the sense that I breathe and live for enemies to lovers, BUT I madly adored Sylvia and Kieran! I didn't think so, since it's a childhood best friends to lovers to strangers to lovers, so a bit opposite of my preferences, however, I was totally captivated! The choice of the two timelines, past and present, allowed me to observe the development of their friendship first and love later in depth and detail. Sylvia and Kieran get to know each other, to grow together, to talk and confront each other. Between the scenes related to their friendship and those connected to their love, there are some of those situations that really warmed my heart and yes, made me cry. Seriously, with this book I was moved by both happy and sad moments. I found everything perfect!
All in all, I found it a very sweet and cute read, full of feelings, that I recommend to romance lovers!
Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.
The story follows childhood best friends Sylvia Calasis and Kieran Rose, who were inseparable throughout their childhood and adolescence. They passed notes during class, went on adventures all for the sake of the "list," slipped out at night to sleep together, and when they went off to college, they called every weekend to hash out details the other might have missed. No matter what happened, they promised each other one thing: they would face it together. Until one fateful night four years ago changed everything. Sylvia fled toward her new stylish life in New York to pursue her career as an up-and-coming writer. Leaving home. Losing contacts. Only now, after being brutally fired from her job and finding her boyfriend cheating on her, all in the same day, Sylvia instinctively flees home to the small town of Marshall Falls, in Vermont, to which she had promised she would never return, hiding under the guise of the Christmas holidays. Almost immediately she runs into Kieran, in a turbulent and harsh confrontation that leaves her more hurt and confused than ever. Alone, with her parents gone on a cruise vacation without warning her, she begins to regret her choice. However, an evening spent with a few too many drinks, combined with a malfunctioning heater, leads Sylvia to stay at Kieran's house. Eager and desperate to return to the friendship they once had, Sylvia hastily makes a Christmas list, with the secret aim of winning Kieran back or at least making him hate her less. Initially reluctant, Kieran agrees to help her and soon their newfound closeness rekindles old memories and, perhaps, a second chance.
Help, I loved this book! I found it a sweet, lovely and emotional read, full of feelings and so much tenderness!
I found the writing to be light, sparkling, and very evocative. I was struck by the intensity of the words, by the vivid descriptions, by the efficacy of the dialogue. I found it a highly expressive prose, full of passions and emotions, so much so that I admit I cried repeatedly at the beauty of certain scenes, at the power of certain speeches. I felt cuddled while reading, held in a warm embrace, wrapped in a pleasant cocoon. In addition, the fast pace, combined with the short chapters, made it an extremely relaxing story.
The plot impressed me from the premises and unfolds beautifully. The alternation between past and present, in my opinion, is a fantastic and winning choice! I loved the opportunity to follow the evolution of the relationship between Sylvia and Kieran, from the beginnings to the moment of the breakup and then beyond. This system allows the salient events of their bond to be shown, with a well-managed interweaving of past and present. It also, in my opinion, infuses a melancholy tinge to the pages, which I felt very much. The narration proceeds placidly and carefully, analyzing every detail, leaving nothing to chance. It satisfied me from beginning to end, with no moments of haste or boredom.
I loved Sylvia, protagonist and only pov in first person! Sylvia is a twenty-eight-year-old woman, resident of New York City, currently in a professional and personal crisis. Fired from a famous magazine, where more than writing she now served only sandwiches and coffee, she returns home only to run into betrayal by her boyfriend. Disappointed with her lifelong dream of living in a big city and writing for a famous magazine, she impulsively decides to return to her hometown of Marshall Falls, to which she promised she would never return. Sylvia is a determined, courageous, combative, and highly impulsive person who jumps into situations before even thinking things through. She always has been, since childhood, with sometimes unpleasant results. Cheerful and exuberant, a lover of raspberry jam cookies and oddly patterned socks, she has always been a bundle of energy. Passionate about writing from an early age, she grew up with a desire to become a famous writer. As the daughter of parents who often moved because of her father, she partly inherited the need to move. She always felt a bit cramped in Marshall Falls, unable to fit in and especially unable to be accepted. A feeling of inadequacy that she dragged along as she grew up and that prevented her from forming friendships or stable relationships. With the exception of Kieran, her best friend, her everything. Until he wasn't anymore. I connected very much with Sylvia, found her well described and with wonderful development. On more than one occasion I was moved by her and felt the need to hug her.
And then there's Kieran! Gosh, I get emotional just thinking about him! Kieran is a love. I don't think there is any other way I can describe him! He won me over from his first appearance and my affection for him has only increased throughout the story. Kieran is a 28-year-old man born and raised in the small town of Marshall Falls, Vermont, and....no, okay, I'll stop there or I'm afraid of making unintentional spoilers. In any case, he is an extremely caring, loyal character who gives his all for those he cares about. Smart and organized, fixated on lists, he has always been somewhat introverted and shy. Aspects that have softened over the years, but have never quite left him. Help, in my opinion Kieran is the picture of sweetness! He is not perfect, he has made his mistakes, but he acknowledges and admits them. Over the course of the book, more than once I found myself thinking "how I would love to have a friend like Kieran," because he is something incredible. And yes, I shed tears of joy and sadness for him!
Romance was wonderful for me! Sweet, tender, full of joy and heartache, it sent me into a swoon! I confess that I am a great lover of enemies to lovers, in the sense that I breathe and live for enemies to lovers, BUT I madly adored Sylvia and Kieran! I didn't think so, since it's a childhood best friends to lovers to strangers to lovers, so a bit opposite of my preferences, however, I was totally captivated! The choice of the two timelines, past and present, allowed me to observe the development of their friendship first and love later in depth and detail. Sylvia and Kieran get to know each other, to grow together, to talk and confront each other. Between the scenes related to their friendship and those connected to their love, there are some of those situations that really warmed my heart and yes, made me cry. Seriously, with this book I was moved by both happy and sad moments. I found everything perfect!
All in all, I found it a very sweet and cute read, full of feelings, that I recommend to romance lovers!
Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.
August 28, 2023
I love everything Kendra writes 🥹 this was absolutely wonderful in every single way. It has all of the things I LOVE in a book. The childhood friends to strangers to lovers, the second chance that’s kind of actually the first chance because they never really got a first chance since it was more of an almost, the PINING, the fact that they were BEST FRIENDS and didn’t want to risk that but also they both loved each other so much. I love Sylvia and Kieran so much. This is going to make for a perfect cozy holiday read!!
I love how dedicated Sylvia and Kieran were to each other. They were best friends first and foremost and nothing was going to get in the way of that. And their friendship was SO GOOD. Every part of it was so perfect, it was exactly what the other needed. I loved how much they loved each other. Sure, their communication wasn’t perfect. They were young and things were confusing, and taking risks are hard especially when they were living in different places. But they did love each other SO MUCH.
The dual timeline was perfect. I loved how it built to the conflict the way it did, it was written so well! I felt how much they were both hurting in the present, and how easy things were in the past. And now their feelings and lives for more and more complicated as they grew up. The past was absolutely crucial to their story and I loved every second of it, even the painful bits. And even though it was only in Sylvia’s POV, and we didn’t necessarily see Kieran’s thoughts, Kendra wrote him so well. All of his feelings came through so well via Sylvia’s POV. It was beautifully done!
Thank you so so much to Kendra Mase, Netgally, and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-Op for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I love how dedicated Sylvia and Kieran were to each other. They were best friends first and foremost and nothing was going to get in the way of that. And their friendship was SO GOOD. Every part of it was so perfect, it was exactly what the other needed. I loved how much they loved each other. Sure, their communication wasn’t perfect. They were young and things were confusing, and taking risks are hard especially when they were living in different places. But they did love each other SO MUCH.
The dual timeline was perfect. I loved how it built to the conflict the way it did, it was written so well! I felt how much they were both hurting in the present, and how easy things were in the past. And now their feelings and lives for more and more complicated as they grew up. The past was absolutely crucial to their story and I loved every second of it, even the painful bits. And even though it was only in Sylvia’s POV, and we didn’t necessarily see Kieran’s thoughts, Kendra wrote him so well. All of his feelings came through so well via Sylvia’s POV. It was beautifully done!
Thank you so so much to Kendra Mase, Netgally, and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-Op for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 29, 2023
Disclaimer; I received this book as an ARC from the publisher. Views in the review are my own.
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I’ve always been yours, and you’re mine”
Where do I start. I wish there was the ability to give 6 stars. I picked up call you mine after being drawn in by the summary and it did NOT disappoint. I read the whole thing in one sitting. I was immediately hooked on Kieran and Sylvia’s story, their journey was a rollercoaster of emotions, misunderstandings and ultimately a beautiful friendship and soul shattering love ♥️
There were times I wanted to knock their heads together for being so blind.
I laughed at Sylvia’s self deprecation and face palmed at Kieran’s utter stupidity. Ultimately both of our MCs made mistakes, they both grew and gave us faith that everything really does happen for a reason. Even if that thing is a cheating boyfriend or the inability to find a Christmas tree that still has its needles. 🎄
Kendra creates a group of characters in a world you can really get behind. Even the ‘side’ characters had developed personalities that had you asking for more. I don’t often reread romances, I feel like once you know the drama stories lose their shine. I don’t think this will be the case with call you mine. I think this will be something I can come back to again and again. I wanted to write a more detailed review of this but in all honesty I think you should just experience it for yourself.
If you’re looking for a cosy romance with a sprinkling of spice then this heartwarming tale of loves lost and rediscovered is most definitely for you.
“You’ll be mine forever?”
Immediately, I nodded. “And after”
♥️♥️♥️
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I’ve always been yours, and you’re mine”
Where do I start. I wish there was the ability to give 6 stars. I picked up call you mine after being drawn in by the summary and it did NOT disappoint. I read the whole thing in one sitting. I was immediately hooked on Kieran and Sylvia’s story, their journey was a rollercoaster of emotions, misunderstandings and ultimately a beautiful friendship and soul shattering love ♥️
There were times I wanted to knock their heads together for being so blind.
I laughed at Sylvia’s self deprecation and face palmed at Kieran’s utter stupidity. Ultimately both of our MCs made mistakes, they both grew and gave us faith that everything really does happen for a reason. Even if that thing is a cheating boyfriend or the inability to find a Christmas tree that still has its needles. 🎄
Kendra creates a group of characters in a world you can really get behind. Even the ‘side’ characters had developed personalities that had you asking for more. I don’t often reread romances, I feel like once you know the drama stories lose their shine. I don’t think this will be the case with call you mine. I think this will be something I can come back to again and again. I wanted to write a more detailed review of this but in all honesty I think you should just experience it for yourself.
If you’re looking for a cosy romance with a sprinkling of spice then this heartwarming tale of loves lost and rediscovered is most definitely for you.
“You’ll be mine forever?”
Immediately, I nodded. “And after”
♥️♥️♥️
September 1, 2023
Thank you to Kendra, Netgalley and Victory Editing for my ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!
Sylvia and Kieran have been best friends since they were 7, immediately forming a close bond that spans all the situations of growing up. After an argument, they haven’t spoken in 4 years, and Sylvia has avoided their hometown. After her life spectacularly falls apart in a matter of minutes, she heads home for the holidays and faces her past.
I honestly wasn’t expecting this to be so emotional, but it got me right in the feels! It was beautifully told and kept me hooked through everything. I love dual timeline books and watching everything match up after its been building. The side characters also added to the timeline, it was interesting to watch all their relationships intertwine though the years.
The slow burn was BURNING but so worth it! The miscommunication had me screaming at my kindle, it just stresses me out being a third-party witness to the chaos lol. The amount of my fave tropes definitely outweighed the stress though, I’m a sucker for friends-to-lovers and forced proximity.
This was a cozy little read that I can see myself picking back up around the holidays. It’s my first from Kendra, but it won’t be my last! Grab it on Sept. 12 when it comes out ⭐️
Read if you enjoy:
❄️ Holiday romance
❄️ Second chance
❄️ Childhood friends-to-lovers
❄️ Slow burn
❄️ Small town
❄️ Coming of age
❄️ Forced proximity
Sylvia and Kieran have been best friends since they were 7, immediately forming a close bond that spans all the situations of growing up. After an argument, they haven’t spoken in 4 years, and Sylvia has avoided their hometown. After her life spectacularly falls apart in a matter of minutes, she heads home for the holidays and faces her past.
I honestly wasn’t expecting this to be so emotional, but it got me right in the feels! It was beautifully told and kept me hooked through everything. I love dual timeline books and watching everything match up after its been building. The side characters also added to the timeline, it was interesting to watch all their relationships intertwine though the years.
The slow burn was BURNING but so worth it! The miscommunication had me screaming at my kindle, it just stresses me out being a third-party witness to the chaos lol. The amount of my fave tropes definitely outweighed the stress though, I’m a sucker for friends-to-lovers and forced proximity.
This was a cozy little read that I can see myself picking back up around the holidays. It’s my first from Kendra, but it won’t be my last! Grab it on Sept. 12 when it comes out ⭐️
Read if you enjoy:
❄️ Holiday romance
❄️ Second chance
❄️ Childhood friends-to-lovers
❄️ Slow burn
❄️ Small town
❄️ Coming of age
❄️ Forced proximity
September 12, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Tropes:
- Childhood best friends
- Dual timeline
- Friends to lovers
- Second chance
- Small town romance
- Soulmates
“𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚”
Call You Mine is a wholesome love story between two childhood best friends set during the festive period, and it ticked all my boxes. We all know I adore a friends to lovers (especially when he’s literally obsessed with her) and a dual timeline, so I was not at all surprised that I loved this novel by Kendra Mase 🥹🫶🏻
Sylvia and Kieran are such loveable characters that I felt like I was actually friends with them, they are literally the definition of soulmates - and honestly they reminded me of characters in a Emily Henry book (and anybody who knows me knows that is incredibly high praise😭). Even though it wasn’t dual POV I feel like Kieran’s voice still shone through, which is very rare from first person narrative and it made the whole book more enjoyable.
I’m not always a fan of the miscommunication trope but I feel like Mase executed it perfectly and with minimum damage which I loved !!
Overall, I had such a fun time reading Call You Mine, it’s such a cute and cosy holiday read which has fully got me in the mood for the colder months! This book will make you want to erase your memory so you can read it for the first time all over again pretty much as soon as you’ve finished it 💘
Tropes:
- Childhood best friends
- Dual timeline
- Friends to lovers
- Second chance
- Small town romance
- Soulmates
“𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚”
Call You Mine is a wholesome love story between two childhood best friends set during the festive period, and it ticked all my boxes. We all know I adore a friends to lovers (especially when he’s literally obsessed with her) and a dual timeline, so I was not at all surprised that I loved this novel by Kendra Mase 🥹🫶🏻
Sylvia and Kieran are such loveable characters that I felt like I was actually friends with them, they are literally the definition of soulmates - and honestly they reminded me of characters in a Emily Henry book (and anybody who knows me knows that is incredibly high praise😭). Even though it wasn’t dual POV I feel like Kieran’s voice still shone through, which is very rare from first person narrative and it made the whole book more enjoyable.
I’m not always a fan of the miscommunication trope but I feel like Mase executed it perfectly and with minimum damage which I loved !!
Overall, I had such a fun time reading Call You Mine, it’s such a cute and cosy holiday read which has fully got me in the mood for the colder months! This book will make you want to erase your memory so you can read it for the first time all over again pretty much as soon as you’ve finished it 💘
August 6, 2023
I’ve read 3 of Kendra’s books now and I have to say this one is my absolute favorite!
Sylvia and Kieren were inseparable. They went on fun adventures all for the sake of their “list” and when they went off to collage, they called every weekend to update each other. After one night four years ago, everything changed for them and not in a good way. Now, Sylvia is back in the small town she promised herself she’d never return to after her life is turned upside down. Can the two childhood sweethearts find their happily ever after?
Gahh this book was so freakin cute! I loved the alternating chapters of the before and now. We got to see how their relationship grew throughout the years and it was so freakin sweet! I adored their friendship and romance so much. I’m a huge sucker for a childhood friends to lovers story and this one did not disappoint one bit!
If you love a sweet and heartfelt second chance childhood friends to lovers romance then I highly recommend picking this one up on September 12th!
Thank you so much to Kendra Mase and NetGalley for the e-arc!
Sylvia and Kieren were inseparable. They went on fun adventures all for the sake of their “list” and when they went off to collage, they called every weekend to update each other. After one night four years ago, everything changed for them and not in a good way. Now, Sylvia is back in the small town she promised herself she’d never return to after her life is turned upside down. Can the two childhood sweethearts find their happily ever after?
Gahh this book was so freakin cute! I loved the alternating chapters of the before and now. We got to see how their relationship grew throughout the years and it was so freakin sweet! I adored their friendship and romance so much. I’m a huge sucker for a childhood friends to lovers story and this one did not disappoint one bit!
If you love a sweet and heartfelt second chance childhood friends to lovers romance then I highly recommend picking this one up on September 12th!
Thank you so much to Kendra Mase and NetGalley for the e-arc!
August 7, 2023
This book was absolutely amazing! I was obsessed from the start. I could not put the book down, seriously y’all need to read this book! The author is amazing! I lover her style of writing, plus how she had each chapter switch between the past and present. Hearing about Sylvia and Kieran when they were younger til now was such a treat. The back story made the whole book tie together so well. I won’t include any spoilers for this book but between the romance, humor and sadness. I cried both happy tears and sad tears through this book. I had the pleasure of reading this as an ARC, from my favorite author and I can’t wait to buy the paperback book when it comes out to add to my collection
August 22, 2023
5 stars.
🍪The vibes:
- Dual timeline
- Friends to lovers
- Restless city girl x small town boy
- Found family
🍪 My thoughts:
Oh my goodness. I loved this one so much.
First of all -the dedication!!!! “For those who found their soulmate not in a whirlwind romance, but in a friend.” I knew I was in for a winner right at page 1.
Ok let’s get into the book. I was so invested that I couldn’t put it down. The whole time I felt like my heart was being yanked around in the best and most heart wrenching way possible. I wanted answers- so I devoured this read. The friendship and chemistry and romance is just top tier. So endearing and heartwarming.
The format of this one (then and now) was so well done. I loved Kieran and Sylvia so much. I loved their journey individually and together. I can’t get into much because I don’t want to spoil anything- but I really loved some of the major themes in the story.
A really nice surprise is that the current timeline of the book takes place during Christmas. Anytime there’s any Christmas setting in a book- I instantly glow a bit more.
All in all- I could rave about this one endlessly. This one felt similar in tone to Love and Other Words. If you liked that one- I think you’ll really enjoy Call You Mine.
Releases September 12.
Thank you so much to Kendra Mase via Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me with this advance reader copy to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
🍪The vibes:
- Dual timeline
- Friends to lovers
- Restless city girl x small town boy
- Found family
🍪 My thoughts:
Oh my goodness. I loved this one so much.
First of all -the dedication!!!! “For those who found their soulmate not in a whirlwind romance, but in a friend.” I knew I was in for a winner right at page 1.
Ok let’s get into the book. I was so invested that I couldn’t put it down. The whole time I felt like my heart was being yanked around in the best and most heart wrenching way possible. I wanted answers- so I devoured this read. The friendship and chemistry and romance is just top tier. So endearing and heartwarming.
The format of this one (then and now) was so well done. I loved Kieran and Sylvia so much. I loved their journey individually and together. I can’t get into much because I don’t want to spoil anything- but I really loved some of the major themes in the story.
A really nice surprise is that the current timeline of the book takes place during Christmas. Anytime there’s any Christmas setting in a book- I instantly glow a bit more.
All in all- I could rave about this one endlessly. This one felt similar in tone to Love and Other Words. If you liked that one- I think you’ll really enjoy Call You Mine.
Releases September 12.
Thank you so much to Kendra Mase via Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me with this advance reader copy to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
November 24, 2023
a cute heartwarming, small-town, childhood best friend, second chance romance.
it warmed me all the way to my toes with the seasonal warmth and the open love.
i adored the writing style with the alternate before and now chapters even if i did find myself hating it at times when i wanted one side of the story to carry on
Sylvia and Kieran were a dream to read about and my heart feels a little full with that ending
it warmed me all the way to my toes with the seasonal warmth and the open love.
i adored the writing style with the alternate before and now chapters even if i did find myself hating it at times when i wanted one side of the story to carry on
Sylvia and Kieran were a dream to read about and my heart feels a little full with that ending
December 3, 2023
I liked the concept of this book, but I didn’t ultimately get that emotionally invested. I think a lot of it was too much delayed gratification/mysterious where things didn’t need to be that mysterious. Even the smallest details seemed to be written backwards so I had to read over several sections multiple times to make sure I knew what was going on.
August 16, 2024
What a lovely love story. I received this book in my Reveal Book box. This is a very sweet story that follows two people from elementary school to late 20s. I love how the chapters are labeled Before and Now and show how Sylvia and Kieran met, fell in love, hurt one another, then find their way back together.
September 13, 2023
Best friends to lovers trope with a twist. This was a well written sweet holiday romance. Kieran was my favorite. SylviA was a tad annoying and negative. But she thought she was the best writer ever. Though she redeemed herself in the end. It spans Before when they were kids to Now as adults. Those raspberry cookies sound Divine.
August 20, 2023
ARC reviews
Book summary:
Before
Sylvia Calasis and Kieren Rose were inseparable from the day they met. All through their schooling they did everything together. But once they graduated Sylvia chased her dreams of moving to the city to become and up and coming writer. Which caused Sylvia and Kieren to lose touch.
Now
Sylvia had to be let go from her job and walked in on her boyfriend cheating on her. With no where to go Sylvia returned to her small town heartbroken and lost.
What will happen to Kieren and Sylvia? Will they rekindle their friendship or will Kieren look at Sylvia wishing she never came back.
Title: Call You Mine
Author: Kendra Mase
Genre: Romance
Trope: childhood sweethearts, small town, second chance
Format: kindle
Length: 420 pages
Release date:
My thoughts:
I loved that the writer has done a before and now prov, I gives you so much character development and makes you cling on to find out what happened. I loved the sweet romance in it where you can tell the characters are more than just friends but they haven't figured it out yet.
Sylvia is definitely someone I could see being friends with as she likes adventure and will encourage you to try new things.
Kieren is kind and shy but he's always there if you need someone.
I would highly recommend if you are looking for a childhood sweetheart romance with adventure.
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice: 🌶
Thank you netgalley for giving me this opportunity to review this book.
Book summary:
Before
Sylvia Calasis and Kieren Rose were inseparable from the day they met. All through their schooling they did everything together. But once they graduated Sylvia chased her dreams of moving to the city to become and up and coming writer. Which caused Sylvia and Kieren to lose touch.
Now
Sylvia had to be let go from her job and walked in on her boyfriend cheating on her. With no where to go Sylvia returned to her small town heartbroken and lost.
What will happen to Kieren and Sylvia? Will they rekindle their friendship or will Kieren look at Sylvia wishing she never came back.
Title: Call You Mine
Author: Kendra Mase
Genre: Romance
Trope: childhood sweethearts, small town, second chance
Format: kindle
Length: 420 pages
Release date:
My thoughts:
I loved that the writer has done a before and now prov, I gives you so much character development and makes you cling on to find out what happened. I loved the sweet romance in it where you can tell the characters are more than just friends but they haven't figured it out yet.
Sylvia is definitely someone I could see being friends with as she likes adventure and will encourage you to try new things.
Kieren is kind and shy but he's always there if you need someone.
I would highly recommend if you are looking for a childhood sweetheart romance with adventure.
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice: 🌶
Thank you netgalley for giving me this opportunity to review this book.
September 4, 2023
When I saw that this was a second chance romance with all the small town and holiday vibes, I was super intrigued and ready to get super cozy while reading. It started off okay enough for me, meeting sweet Kieran, but Sylvia started annoying from her first chapter in the past, and never truly improved for me. She seemed selfish and kinda lazy, wanting to be a famous writer and escaping the small town where she was living, but not actually putting in effort in school to go to the colleges she wanted to attend - and then got mad when Kieran pointed this out to her. There were several moments like this throughout the book where she’d claim she was one thing but all her actions proved the opposite. Her only redeeming quality was that by the end, she was aware of her own actions that played into the fight she has with Kieran, but it was too little too latw for me by that point. There were still plenty of cozy holiday vibes, but it didn’t really make up for the unlikeable main character.
ARC provided by Netgalley and Victory Editing. Opinions are my own!
ARC provided by Netgalley and Victory Editing. Opinions are my own!
September 13, 2023
Call You Mine wasn't planned to be a childhood friends love story. The only goal was to produce a holiday romance. Short and sweet. It would be the perfect gift, following the extremely done plot of a girl coming home from the city only to fall in love.
Then, I met Sylvia, and almost more importantly, I met Kieran.
He was not going to be a character I could gloss over. No. He was dedicated. He forced me to realize that this story and his relationship with Sylvia would never be the story it could be without the before. Kieran never wanted to be the center of attention, but there was one thing for sure. He wanted his love story. Over a year later than planned, he got it.
Call You Mine has proved itself to be one of my favorite stories I’ve written yet, and I'm so excited for you all to read and enjoy!
Happy reading and happy holidays from Marshall Falls.
Then, I met Sylvia, and almost more importantly, I met Kieran.
He was not going to be a character I could gloss over. No. He was dedicated. He forced me to realize that this story and his relationship with Sylvia would never be the story it could be without the before. Kieran never wanted to be the center of attention, but there was one thing for sure. He wanted his love story. Over a year later than planned, he got it.
Call You Mine has proved itself to be one of my favorite stories I’ve written yet, and I'm so excited for you all to read and enjoy!
Happy reading and happy holidays from Marshall Falls.
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