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When We Had Forever
The powerful debut from author Shaylin Gandhi is a fast-paced, wickedly addictive, swoony roller-coaster ride for fans of Colleen Hoover, Lucy Score and Mia Sheridan. Freshly widowed, Mina Drake discovers that she didn’t know her beloved husband as well as she thought when secrets slowly unravel in an intense story about heartbreak, loss and, ultimately, finding your soulmate.
384 pages, Paperback
First published December 10, 2024
597 people are currently reading
16583 people want to read
About the author
Shaylin Gandhi
9 books375 followersShaylin Gandhi first fell in love with love stories when she started stealing grown-up books off her mother’s bookshelf at the age of ten. By twelve, she’d perfected the art of reading under the covers by flashlight, and in high school, she attempted her first novel. She now writes from the mountains of Golden, Colorado, where she lives with her husband and identical twin daughters. When not finagling words onto paper, Shaylin can be found hiking, scheming up ways to earn another passport stamp, or ingesting enough coffee to power a small city.
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November 22, 2024To read a bonus epilogue for When We Had Forever (from Grayson's POV!), visit my website (shaylingandhi dot com) and click on "Bonus Content." Thanks for reading 💖
January 11, 2025
6/5 ⭐️
the emotional roller coaster I just went through. omg. worth it.
the emotional roller coaster I just went through. omg. worth it.
May 21, 2025
4 Stars! ✨ Oh my gosh, When We Had Forever by Shaylin Gandhi totally took me by surprise! Big shoutout to Harlequin Audio & Netgalley for the audiobook ARC, and a HUGE thank you to Carly Robins for absolutely SLAYING the narration—her voice brought so much raw emotion, especially when it came to Mina’s grief. Every time a twist came, I was gasping like, “Wait, WHAT?!”
✨ Tropes ✨
✧ Second Chance Romance 💕
✧ Grief + Healing 🌧️
✧ Forbidden Love 💓
✧ Slow Burn 😍
✧ Family Secrets 🤫
✧ Love Triangle (well... kinda?) 😅
✧ Dark, Brooding Love Interest 💖
✧ Emotional Rollercoaster 🎢
✧ Healing After Loss 💔
This book is a TOTAL emotional rollercoaster! 🎢 Mina’s journey from being a widow to uncovering crazy secrets about her late husband, Michael, had me HOOKED. And then Grayson walks in—the estranged, tattooed, tortured brother, and whoa, the chemistry between him and Mina was OFF. THE. CHARTS. 🔥 Their love story is full of tension, heartache, and a whirlwind of emotions that kept me glued to the audiobook. The suspense? Real. 😳
The alternating timeline? Perfection. It let me feel every ounce of Mina’s pain while also cheering her on as she worked through her grief. And Grayson? UGH, I love a brooding mess—and he was everything I needed. But I do wish we’d had a bit more time to enjoy the juicy twists and shocking moments—they were seriously mind-blowing! 📖
Content Warnings:
- Grief
- Death of a loved one (off-page)
- Physical violence (off-page)
- Manipulation
All in all, this book is one intense, emotional, and gripping story. If you're into stories that tug at your heartstrings with plenty of twists, then When We Had Forever is definitely for you. 💖 Carly Robins did an amazing job with the narration, so if you haven’t checked it out yet, what are you waiting for? Go grab it NOW! 😍
✨ Tropes ✨
✧ Second Chance Romance 💕
✧ Grief + Healing 🌧️
✧ Forbidden Love 💓
✧ Slow Burn 😍
✧ Family Secrets 🤫
✧ Love Triangle (well... kinda?) 😅
✧ Dark, Brooding Love Interest 💖
✧ Emotional Rollercoaster 🎢
✧ Healing After Loss 💔
This book is a TOTAL emotional rollercoaster! 🎢 Mina’s journey from being a widow to uncovering crazy secrets about her late husband, Michael, had me HOOKED. And then Grayson walks in—the estranged, tattooed, tortured brother, and whoa, the chemistry between him and Mina was OFF. THE. CHARTS. 🔥 Their love story is full of tension, heartache, and a whirlwind of emotions that kept me glued to the audiobook. The suspense? Real. 😳
The alternating timeline? Perfection. It let me feel every ounce of Mina’s pain while also cheering her on as she worked through her grief. And Grayson? UGH, I love a brooding mess—and he was everything I needed. But I do wish we’d had a bit more time to enjoy the juicy twists and shocking moments—they were seriously mind-blowing! 📖
Content Warnings:
- Grief
- Death of a loved one (off-page)
- Physical violence (off-page)
- Manipulation
All in all, this book is one intense, emotional, and gripping story. If you're into stories that tug at your heartstrings with plenty of twists, then When We Had Forever is definitely for you. 💖 Carly Robins did an amazing job with the narration, so if you haven’t checked it out yet, what are you waiting for? Go grab it NOW! 😍
February 9, 2025
Following the death of her husband, Mina Drake is forced to come to terms with just how little she knew about her husband as more and more of his secrets begin to come to light.
OUTLIER ALERT - This breaks my heart to say, but I think this book just didn’t work for me the way I hoped it would. There is an insta love aspect that I didn’t enjoy, and while there is a fun twist that kind of pulled me back in, ultimately, I felt completely disconnected from both the characters and the story. However, so many of my friends have loved this one so definitely check it out if you love the included tropes.
🎧 I did an immersive read of this book and I think that may be where I went wrong. While this is a deeply emotional story, the narrators did not convey that emotion. Instead, they narrated as if this was a rom-com. That led to a huge disconnect between the physical book and what was being conveyed in my ear. I would highly suggest choosing the physical or ebook over the audiobook in this case.
Read if you like:
▪️emotional romance
▪️enemies to lovers
▪️forbidden love
▪️dual timeline
▪️coming of age
▪️twists
▪️morally grey characters
Thank you Shaylin Gandhi and Harper Audio for the gifted copies.
OUTLIER ALERT - This breaks my heart to say, but I think this book just didn’t work for me the way I hoped it would. There is an insta love aspect that I didn’t enjoy, and while there is a fun twist that kind of pulled me back in, ultimately, I felt completely disconnected from both the characters and the story. However, so many of my friends have loved this one so definitely check it out if you love the included tropes.
🎧 I did an immersive read of this book and I think that may be where I went wrong. While this is a deeply emotional story, the narrators did not convey that emotion. Instead, they narrated as if this was a rom-com. That led to a huge disconnect between the physical book and what was being conveyed in my ear. I would highly suggest choosing the physical or ebook over the audiobook in this case.
Read if you like:
▪️emotional romance
▪️enemies to lovers
▪️forbidden love
▪️dual timeline
▪️coming of age
▪️twists
▪️morally grey characters
Thank you Shaylin Gandhi and Harper Audio for the gifted copies.
December 20, 2024
(4.5 stars, rounded up)
When We Had Forever kept me absolutely hooked. I plowed through it in two days, mostly via the audiobook version, so I kept finding excuses to put my earbuds in so I could keep listening! This is a romance, for sure, but it has a lot of twists, so I might call it romantic suspense, but that doesn’t seem quite right either. Maybe a new subgenre? Romantic mystery?
It’s difficult to be very specific about the plot without spoilers. I can say that the book opens with Mina reflecting on what she was doing when her marriage ended (her husband Michael died in a car crash). The book then bounces back and forth in time, with chapters labeled Before or After.
Mina is still reeling from Michael’s sudden death, some months afterwards. She starts going through things in his office and comes across something startling. She retreats to a family cabin in the woods (this is somewhere in Washington State), because she realized that being in nature calmed her after a friend died, when she was younger. And then her husband’s estranged brother contacts her out of the blue.
Over the course of the book, we learn that Mina always wanted to travel but her overprotective parents kept her in place, due to a family tragedy, and later Michael didn’t want to travel either. She wanted to be a travel writer but wound up writing scientific medical articles instead. I really felt for her!
This story is such an emotional one. I’ve been recommending it to everyone!
The audiobook was wonderfully narrated by Carly Robins, who I’m going to add to my list of favorite narrators.
Thank you to Canary Street Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book and to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to a review copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.
When We Had Forever kept me absolutely hooked. I plowed through it in two days, mostly via the audiobook version, so I kept finding excuses to put my earbuds in so I could keep listening! This is a romance, for sure, but it has a lot of twists, so I might call it romantic suspense, but that doesn’t seem quite right either. Maybe a new subgenre? Romantic mystery?
It’s difficult to be very specific about the plot without spoilers. I can say that the book opens with Mina reflecting on what she was doing when her marriage ended (her husband Michael died in a car crash). The book then bounces back and forth in time, with chapters labeled Before or After.
Mina is still reeling from Michael’s sudden death, some months afterwards. She starts going through things in his office and comes across something startling. She retreats to a family cabin in the woods (this is somewhere in Washington State), because she realized that being in nature calmed her after a friend died, when she was younger. And then her husband’s estranged brother contacts her out of the blue.
Over the course of the book, we learn that Mina always wanted to travel but her overprotective parents kept her in place, due to a family tragedy, and later Michael didn’t want to travel either. She wanted to be a travel writer but wound up writing scientific medical articles instead. I really felt for her!
This story is such an emotional one. I’ve been recommending it to everyone!
The audiobook was wonderfully narrated by Carly Robins, who I’m going to add to my list of favorite narrators.
Thank you to Canary Street Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book and to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to a review copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.
March 29, 2025
This is not at all what I expected going in. Wow that was an emotional roller coaster! I knew it was about love, loss and second chances but boy was it so much more. Right from the start, I could feel there was so much more to the story than just what was being narrated and that undercurrent of intrigue was written so well. It is part contemporary romance, part emotional drama and part mystery-ish. This unique style was blended and executed perfectly. I highly recommend going in completely blind, it is fully worth the journey.
4 stars🌟
4 stars🌟
August 11, 2025
There’s no words that i can express my love for this book
It was rollercoaster emotions for me
I love the characters so much, I got so attached to the characters، I’ve been through all the emotions with the characters, the twist never see it coming
I love this book so much, i well add this book to the tope reading books
It was rollercoaster emotions for me
I love the characters so much, I got so attached to the characters، I’ve been through all the emotions with the characters, the twist never see it coming
I love this book so much, i well add this book to the tope reading books
January 25, 2025
This story is told in first person by Mina in a “before” and “after” style narrative referring to the death of her husband Michael in a car accident. Mina is grieving her husband, while trying to break into the kind of travel writing she’s always dreamed about when she makes a discovery in her husband’s office that takes her by surprise. Michael’s estranged brother, Grayson, who is opposite to her husband in every way, has been trying to contact her in recent months, but she has ignored his calls due to issues that Michael had with him in the past. She decides to contact Grayson on her terms to resolve things once and for all, but the situation is not at all what she is expecting.
I primarily listened to the audiobook for this read. The story is narrated by Carly Robins. This was my first time listening to this narrator. I thought she captured Mina’s character perfectly, portraying her frustration with certain elements in her marriage and the subsequent effects those issues had on her dreams of travel and pursuit of career.
As the story alternates between current and events from the past, including their meet cute, long soulful discussions about their hopes and dreams and subsequently the realities of everyday life and other complications in a marriage, I started to get whiplash. Michael was at times ambiguous, other times cold and manipulative. I found myself shaking my head at Mina and wishing she would just leave him and pursue the dreams that I felt she had left behind for a relationship that just wasn’t turning out to be the great love that it purported to be. Michael would make promises then promptly drop them like they were nothing. I was frustrated with the past storyline after they married, and to be honest a little creeped out by the brother when she finally meets with him in the current storyline.
However, my frustrations, quickly turned to suspicion, then curiosity and the story took off in a direction that I found riveting. Unfortunately, the momentum just didn’t carry all the way to the end for me. Just as the story all fell into place, it continued on losing a bit of steam for me. I guess I have mixed feelings on this one. At times, I really enjoyed it and at times it frustrated. I’m not sure how to classify this one exactly, it didn’t feel suspenseful to me though it had some elements of suspense, and it’s not exactly a traditional romance either. Recommended to romance readers looking for something different. 3.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley, The Hive, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press, and Harlequin Audio for a copy provided for an honest review.
I primarily listened to the audiobook for this read. The story is narrated by Carly Robins. This was my first time listening to this narrator. I thought she captured Mina’s character perfectly, portraying her frustration with certain elements in her marriage and the subsequent effects those issues had on her dreams of travel and pursuit of career.
As the story alternates between current and events from the past, including their meet cute, long soulful discussions about their hopes and dreams and subsequently the realities of everyday life and other complications in a marriage, I started to get whiplash. Michael was at times ambiguous, other times cold and manipulative. I found myself shaking my head at Mina and wishing she would just leave him and pursue the dreams that I felt she had left behind for a relationship that just wasn’t turning out to be the great love that it purported to be. Michael would make promises then promptly drop them like they were nothing. I was frustrated with the past storyline after they married, and to be honest a little creeped out by the brother when she finally meets with him in the current storyline.
However, my frustrations, quickly turned to suspicion, then curiosity and the story took off in a direction that I found riveting. Unfortunately, the momentum just didn’t carry all the way to the end for me. Just as the story all fell into place, it continued on losing a bit of steam for me. I guess I have mixed feelings on this one. At times, I really enjoyed it and at times it frustrated. I’m not sure how to classify this one exactly, it didn’t feel suspenseful to me though it had some elements of suspense, and it’s not exactly a traditional romance either. Recommended to romance readers looking for something different. 3.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley, The Hive, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press, and Harlequin Audio for a copy provided for an honest review.
December 14, 2024
Rating — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format — 📖
Read if you like —
🕰️Dual timelines
❤️🩹Grief & healing
🥀Angsty, romantic suspense
🌲Woodsy, cabin atmosphere
🪞Self discovery
✍🏻Poetic writing
🏃🏼♀️Fast-paced reads
Favorite quotes —
“I don’t know much… but I do know you shouldn’t tame yourself for other people sake.”
“The whole scene hit me right here in the heart, and it felt like life was reminding me that no matter how fucked up things get, there’s always something beautiful somewhere, balancing it out.”
“It’s a breaking down of mental walls, a reclamation of your own sovereignty.”
“You can never start over. But that doesn’t mean you can’t start new.”
My thoughts —
I tried to take my time, sipping at this delicious book like a fine wine in the evenings. But man was that difficult because this was a bingeable masterpiece. I will read anything by Shaylin Gandhi and this book solidified my decision. Also…I suddenly find myself wanting to find solace in the woods, stargaze and run when trouble finds me.
When We Had Forever had it ALL. This book was so refreshingly original. I found the big twists and turns pretty predictable for the most part, but I read a LOT of mystery/thrillers so that was to be expected. That does not, however, take away anything from my enjoyment of the book! We have an edible MMC, an FMC rediscovering herself after countless regrets and losses, and of course a messy, angsty and beautiful romance with breadcrumbs throughout that make it completely unputdownable. The way the story unfolded was so well done! Also, everyone needs a best friend like Kate in their lives.
I found myself audibly giggling, getting “clench-my-pearls” shocked, and utter devastation all in one sitting — just overall all the feelings reading this book. This was an absolute treat. I ate it up!!
💌Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.
Format — 📖
Read if you like —
🕰️Dual timelines
❤️🩹Grief & healing
🥀Angsty, romantic suspense
🌲Woodsy, cabin atmosphere
🪞Self discovery
✍🏻Poetic writing
🏃🏼♀️Fast-paced reads
Favorite quotes —
“I don’t know much… but I do know you shouldn’t tame yourself for other people sake.”
“The whole scene hit me right here in the heart, and it felt like life was reminding me that no matter how fucked up things get, there’s always something beautiful somewhere, balancing it out.”
“It’s a breaking down of mental walls, a reclamation of your own sovereignty.”
“You can never start over. But that doesn’t mean you can’t start new.”
My thoughts —
I tried to take my time, sipping at this delicious book like a fine wine in the evenings. But man was that difficult because this was a bingeable masterpiece. I will read anything by Shaylin Gandhi and this book solidified my decision. Also…I suddenly find myself wanting to find solace in the woods, stargaze and run when trouble finds me.
When We Had Forever had it ALL. This book was so refreshingly original. I found the big twists and turns pretty predictable for the most part, but I read a LOT of mystery/thrillers so that was to be expected. That does not, however, take away anything from my enjoyment of the book! We have an edible MMC, an FMC rediscovering herself after countless regrets and losses, and of course a messy, angsty and beautiful romance with breadcrumbs throughout that make it completely unputdownable. The way the story unfolded was so well done! Also, everyone needs a best friend like Kate in their lives.
I found myself audibly giggling, getting “clench-my-pearls” shocked, and utter devastation all in one sitting — just overall all the feelings reading this book. This was an absolute treat. I ate it up!!
💌Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.
January 8, 2025
2025 is NOT it with books for me so far 🫠🫠
After all of the reviews, I was ready for something soooo good and now I want all the hours back I wasted 😑
I know I’m in the minority, but this book 🫠
Let me say I have been with my husband over 16 years and if he had a twin brother I would definitely be able TO TELL THEM APART. Like really???? You’ve been married to this man for 14 years and seeing him and his brother the whole time and you didn’t know 😑😑😑😑 come on now…I can’t 🤦🏼♀️😂😂
After all of the reviews, I was ready for something soooo good and now I want all the hours back I wasted 😑
I know I’m in the minority, but this book 🫠
Let me say I have been with my husband over 16 years and if he had a twin brother I would definitely be able TO TELL THEM APART. Like really???? You’ve been married to this man for 14 years and seeing him and his brother the whole time and you didn’t know 😑😑😑😑 come on now…I can’t 🤦🏼♀️😂😂
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2025
Tai tokie emocijų kalneliai, wow. 👌🏻
Iš pradžių gali pasirodyti, kad istorijoje bus daug iki kaulų žinomų klišių, tačiau nepasiduokit tokioms mintims. Pamatysit, tarp šios knygos puslapių slepiasi visko tiek daug…
Istorija sutelkta į konkretų įvykį, o skyriai „prieš“ ir „po“ bando kuo aiškiau nupiešti visą paveikslą. Tačiau skaitant šie laiko tarpai juda tarsi du traukiniai, kurių galutinis tikslas veda link susidūrimo. Pripažįstu, kad žodis „susidūrimas“ toli gražu nepaaiškina, kas galiausiai
nutinka. 😱
Tai visiškai kitoks romanas, su neįprastu siužetu, širdžiai mielais veikėjais ir netikėtais istorijos posūkiais.
Nekantrauju sulaukti, kai leidykla išvers daugiau šios autorės knygų. 👏🏻
Iš pradžių gali pasirodyti, kad istorijoje bus daug iki kaulų žinomų klišių, tačiau nepasiduokit tokioms mintims. Pamatysit, tarp šios knygos puslapių slepiasi visko tiek daug…
Istorija sutelkta į konkretų įvykį, o skyriai „prieš“ ir „po“ bando kuo aiškiau nupiešti visą paveikslą. Tačiau skaitant šie laiko tarpai juda tarsi du traukiniai, kurių galutinis tikslas veda link susidūrimo. Pripažįstu, kad žodis „susidūrimas“ toli gražu nepaaiškina, kas galiausiai
nutinka. 😱
Tai visiškai kitoks romanas, su neįprastu siužetu, širdžiai mielais veikėjais ir netikėtais istorijos posūkiais.
Nekantrauju sulaukti, kai leidykla išvers daugiau šios autorės knygų. 👏🏻
December 1, 2025
Praėjo šeši mėnesiai nuo Minos vyro žūties ir natūalu, kad moters mintys vis dar sukasi apie patirtą netektį. Tačiau ne ką mažiau skaudina suvokimas, kad jų santuoka buvo subyrėjusi dar gerokai prieš avariją. Nusprendusi, kad reikia stotis ant kojų ir mokytis gyventi toliau, Mina sulaukia netikėto laiško iš velionio vyro brolio Greisono. Siūlydamas padėti jai susitaikyti su netektimi, jis viską apverčia aukštyn kojomis - pasirodo, kad dalykai, kurias ji tikėjo visą gyvenimą,
slėpė daug daugiau, nei ji būtų drįsusi įsivaizduoti.
Knyga pasakojama dviem laiko linijomis - viena iš jų vyksta dabar, kita pasakoja apie Minos gyvenimą nuo pat pirmos jos ir mirusio vyro pažinties dienos. Būtent pasakojimas apie praeitį, man labiausiai ir patiko. Gal todėl, kad Greisonas kėlė kažkokią atmetimo reakciją? O gal dėl to, kad dabarties Mina ilgai skendėjo gedule ir nežinojime, kaip elgtis?
Ši istorija nebuvo vien saldi romantika - veikiau jautrus žvilgsnis į kaltę, gedėjimą ir tą sunkų, bet būtiną procesą, kai turi išmokti paleisti ne tik žmogų, bet ir paties susikurtą jo versiją. Aišku, autorė sugebėjo įpinti ir netikėtą siužeto posūkį. Ar patikėjau? Nežinau iki šiol. Puslapiuose viskas atrodė gerai. Bet ar tai įmanoma realiame gyvenime? Vargu.
Knygos siužetas tikrai gana originalus, nors ir kalba apie daug kartų girdėtas temas. Bet nors ji skaitėsi lengvai, kažko, kas tikrai užkabintų ir ilgai liktų atmintyje, man pritrūko. Gal laikas, pasirinktas skaitymui, buvo ne tas. Tačiau, esu tikra, kad jausmingų romanų gerbėjams, knyga tikrai patiks.
slėpė daug daugiau, nei ji būtų drįsusi įsivaizduoti.
Knyga pasakojama dviem laiko linijomis - viena iš jų vyksta dabar, kita pasakoja apie Minos gyvenimą nuo pat pirmos jos ir mirusio vyro pažinties dienos. Būtent pasakojimas apie praeitį, man labiausiai ir patiko. Gal todėl, kad Greisonas kėlė kažkokią atmetimo reakciją? O gal dėl to, kad dabarties Mina ilgai skendėjo gedule ir nežinojime, kaip elgtis?
Ši istorija nebuvo vien saldi romantika - veikiau jautrus žvilgsnis į kaltę, gedėjimą ir tą sunkų, bet būtiną procesą, kai turi išmokti paleisti ne tik žmogų, bet ir paties susikurtą jo versiją. Aišku, autorė sugebėjo įpinti ir netikėtą siužeto posūkį. Ar patikėjau? Nežinau iki šiol. Puslapiuose viskas atrodė gerai. Bet ar tai įmanoma realiame gyvenime? Vargu.
Knygos siužetas tikrai gana originalus, nors ir kalba apie daug kartų girdėtas temas. Bet nors ji skaitėsi lengvai, kažko, kas tikrai užkabintų ir ilgai liktų atmintyje, man pritrūko. Gal laikas, pasirinktas skaitymui, buvo ne tas. Tačiau, esu tikra, kad jausmingų romanų gerbėjams, knyga tikrai patiks.
December 26, 2024
Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for an advanced copy of the audio book in exchange for honest review!
The first chapter of this book had me thinking I was going to shed a lot of tears. Boy, was i wrong! I love it when a romance can throw a curve ball and contain a twist from out of nowhere! Don't worry, though-it still checks all the boxes for a regular romance if that's what you're into. Just be prepared for a bit of a surprise before the book ends.
The first chapter of this book had me thinking I was going to shed a lot of tears. Boy, was i wrong! I love it when a romance can throw a curve ball and contain a twist from out of nowhere! Don't worry, though-it still checks all the boxes for a regular romance if that's what you're into. Just be prepared for a bit of a surprise before the book ends.
January 2, 2025
This girl doesn’t need any more romance. She needs some therapy
April 20, 2025
Dnf ! In my opinion they didn’t love each other ! I don’t care if they have an identical twin if you love someone you recognize them ! Even I recognized that it wasn’t the mmc it was so obvious how couldn’t she ? And you’re telling me she spent 15 years with the dude even though everything she thought she liked about him was suddenly non existent ? Then why did she stay ?
Don’t even let me start about the mmc what a pitiful man who allowed his twin brother to steal his woman and keep her by deceiving her for 15 years ! He was fine to let her be with someone for 15 years without once seeking her out in person !
If I was the fmc I would’ve have needed to get hospitalized in an asylum at the end of the book because of how they played with her. Her whole life was a lie. At that point I wouldn’t have even wanted the mmc his face would give me ptsd
Don’t even let me start about the mmc what a pitiful man who allowed his twin brother to steal his woman and keep her by deceiving her for 15 years ! He was fine to let her be with someone for 15 years without once seeking her out in person !
If I was the fmc I would’ve have needed to get hospitalized in an asylum at the end of the book because of how they played with her. Her whole life was a lie. At that point I wouldn’t have even wanted the mmc his face would give me ptsd
January 10, 2025
I really couldn’t get past this woman staying in a
13 year unhappy marriage based on one good month that they had together. The main character was basically wandering around with her head in the sand ignoring very obvious clues.
13 year unhappy marriage based on one good month that they had together. The main character was basically wandering around with her head in the sand ignoring very obvious clues.
December 15, 2024
3.5 rounded up
This was my first book by Shaylin Gandhi and I really enjoyed it. Full of twists and told through flashbacks to the past, we get to see how Nina meets Michael and their whirlwind romance until he dies suddenly leaving her a widow. In the present Nina is dealing with her grief until out of the blue she gets a call from her brother-in-law. Great on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Colleen Hoover or Laura Dave. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
This was my first book by Shaylin Gandhi and I really enjoyed it. Full of twists and told through flashbacks to the past, we get to see how Nina meets Michael and their whirlwind romance until he dies suddenly leaving her a widow. In the present Nina is dealing with her grief until out of the blue she gets a call from her brother-in-law. Great on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Colleen Hoover or Laura Dave. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
July 26, 2024
When We Had Forever is a uniquely written romance with an exploration of love, loss, and rediscovery. It is a balance between heartache and hope. The story begins with Mina who is dealing with the grief of losing her husband, Michael. As she navigates her new reality as a widow, the novel alternates between her present turmoil and her past relationship with her husband. It shows how they fell in love and how things changed over the years in their marriage. She starts to reflect on the past with a new mindset and that changes how she wants to spend her future. And then her estranged brother-in-law comes into her life and that is when things get intense and she starts questioning the past. Plus he’s a notorious bad boy, handsome, tattooed, tall and Mina hates him. I don’t want to give anything away, there were lots of twists I didn’t see coming... I couldn’t put this down, it’s thrilling, mysterious, and romantic. If you enjoy Colleen Hoover and Lucy Score you will devour this story.
Insta love
Dual timelines
Second chance
Miscommunication
Longing angst pining
Death loss grief
Forgiveness
Betrayal
“I could feel how us standing there was a gift for us alone, forever until the end of time, never to be experienced by anyone else. In that moment, I knew life wasn’t about tomorrow or yesterday, because those aren’t real anyway. It’s just about what we do with our right here, right now.”
Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin, and Shaylin Gandhi for sending this eARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Insta love
Dual timelines
Second chance
Miscommunication
Longing angst pining
Death loss grief
Forgiveness
Betrayal
“I could feel how us standing there was a gift for us alone, forever until the end of time, never to be experienced by anyone else. In that moment, I knew life wasn’t about tomorrow or yesterday, because those aren’t real anyway. It’s just about what we do with our right here, right now.”
Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin, and Shaylin Gandhi for sending this eARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
December 21, 2024
This book feels impossible to review. It was packed with twists and turns!
In a brief summary, the first chapter opens with Mina reflecting on the death of her husband. Alternating between events before and after his death, the story unravels an incredibly angsty, undeniably messy, and dramatically charged reveal about the truth of her marriage and the man she thought she loved so deeply.
The romance was really intense, bursting with emotions that felt fervent and frantic. It's almost overwhelming at times, but in the best way, making it nearly impossible to put down. I do think a certain suspension of disbelief is required, but I absolutely loved the twisted way everything came together! What a gripping emotional rollercoaster. I will definitely be reading more from this author.
(heat level: multiple open-door scenes, mild details)
In a brief summary, the first chapter opens with Mina reflecting on the death of her husband. Alternating between events before and after his death, the story unravels an incredibly angsty, undeniably messy, and dramatically charged reveal about the truth of her marriage and the man she thought she loved so deeply.
The romance was really intense, bursting with emotions that felt fervent and frantic. It's almost overwhelming at times, but in the best way, making it nearly impossible to put down. I do think a certain suspension of disbelief is required, but I absolutely loved the twisted way everything came together! What a gripping emotional rollercoaster. I will definitely be reading more from this author.
(heat level: multiple open-door scenes, mild details)
December 13, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
Thanks to Canary Street Press and the author for the gifted copy of this book!
What a wild ride! I don’t read a lot of romantic suspense but books like these that I can’t put down make me think I should read more 😂 WHEN WE HAD FOREVER is emotional, twisty, and addictive — a forbidden love story that will leave you reeling. I don’t want to say too much because think it’s fun to go into this one blind, but I loved how the story unfolded using the before / after timelines. That made for a great, fast reading pace and a book where I just wanted to know what happened and needed to keep reading. If you’re ready to swoon and gasp while being emotional and on the edge of yours seat, pick this one up!
Thanks to Canary Street Press and the author for the gifted copy of this book!
What a wild ride! I don’t read a lot of romantic suspense but books like these that I can’t put down make me think I should read more 😂 WHEN WE HAD FOREVER is emotional, twisty, and addictive — a forbidden love story that will leave you reeling. I don’t want to say too much because think it’s fun to go into this one blind, but I loved how the story unfolded using the before / after timelines. That made for a great, fast reading pace and a book where I just wanted to know what happened and needed to keep reading. If you’re ready to swoon and gasp while being emotional and on the edge of yours seat, pick this one up!
October 1, 2025
4.5 stars - I read this practically in one sitting - I couldn’t stop! It’s a really unique romance with characters who have incredible chemistry and a good twist to keep you really invested. Overall I loved it!
July 30, 2025
I saw it coming from the beginning… AND IT STILL PISSED ME OFF. 15 YEARSSSSS ??!!
January 19, 2025
Just starting to dabble in contemporary romance, it’s not my usual genre but I was very impressed with this book. The dual timelines were a great concept and it has a twist that I probably should have seen coming but didn’t. It was beautifully written and some aspects resonated deeply with me. This is for any woman who yearns for something more than just a life of keeping the peace.
January 2, 2025
I have mixed feelings after listening to this book. On one hand it was emotional and thought provoking and on the other it was slow and unbelievable at times.
I really felt for Mina and what she had gone through with loosing her friend and her brother. She also had the trauma of her husband dying as well. The secrets that started to come out after her husband were heartbreaking, but hard for me to believe. I don’t want to go too much into it as it will spoil the story. The book is fairly predictable.
Overall, this wasn’t a bad book. It just wasn’t what I was expecting. I’m also not sure I would compare this book to Colleen Hoover’s books. Hoover’s books always make me cry and this one didn’t invoke those feelings for me.
I really felt for Mina and what she had gone through with loosing her friend and her brother. She also had the trauma of her husband dying as well. The secrets that started to come out after her husband were heartbreaking, but hard for me to believe. I don’t want to go too much into it as it will spoil the story. The book is fairly predictable.
Overall, this wasn’t a bad book. It just wasn’t what I was expecting. I’m also not sure I would compare this book to Colleen Hoover’s books. Hoover’s books always make me cry and this one didn’t invoke those feelings for me.
December 26, 2024
Absolutely captivating romance! When We Had Forever is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the secrets we keep.
"When We Had Forever" by Shaylin Gandhi is an absolute page-turner! This dual-timeline mystery romance had me completely captivated from the very first page. The story is well-written, and the prose is beautiful. I found myself highlighting many phrases. The story follows Mina, who is grappling with grief after losing her husband in a car accident. As she delves deeper into their past, a hidden truth emerges, shattering her perception of their marriage.
The mystery unfolds at a perfect pace, keeping you guessing until the jaw-dropping reveal. The emotional core of the story lies in the poignant exploration of love, loss, and the complexities of human connection. Mina's journey of self-discovery as she navigates grief and confronts the truth about her past is both heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful.
The romance between Mina and Grayson has depth with an undeniable chemistry. Their connection is raw and passionate, adding another layer of intrigue to the already compelling narrative. Shaylin masterfully weaves together elements of suspense, romance, and emotional depth, creating a truly unforgettable reading experience. Carly Robins's performance is excellent, adding depth and nuance to the characters.
Thank you, NetGalley, Harlequin Trade & Harlequin Audio for this ALC!
"When We Had Forever" by Shaylin Gandhi is an absolute page-turner! This dual-timeline mystery romance had me completely captivated from the very first page. The story is well-written, and the prose is beautiful. I found myself highlighting many phrases. The story follows Mina, who is grappling with grief after losing her husband in a car accident. As she delves deeper into their past, a hidden truth emerges, shattering her perception of their marriage.
The mystery unfolds at a perfect pace, keeping you guessing until the jaw-dropping reveal. The emotional core of the story lies in the poignant exploration of love, loss, and the complexities of human connection. Mina's journey of self-discovery as she navigates grief and confronts the truth about her past is both heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful.
The romance between Mina and Grayson has depth with an undeniable chemistry. Their connection is raw and passionate, adding another layer of intrigue to the already compelling narrative. Shaylin masterfully weaves together elements of suspense, romance, and emotional depth, creating a truly unforgettable reading experience. Carly Robins's performance is excellent, adding depth and nuance to the characters.
Thank you, NetGalley, Harlequin Trade & Harlequin Audio for this ALC!
June 12, 2025
2.5 stars. This book had a unique plot, I’ll give it that. I guessed exactly what the plot would be fairly early on, and I’m not sure if that was the authors intention or if we were only supposed to figure things out as they were happening, but I thought it was better that I knew early on. Otherwise the whole thing with Greysen in the after part would have been even more bizarre and harder to swallow than it was. Not what had happened, but the way he acted toward her after only being with her for like a day.
So the before part of the story is about Mia and Michaels romance. Which I absolutely hated. It was so over the top in your face and the author was trying way too hard with it. Everything about the crafting of their romance was so obvious. Michael came onto Mia so strongly that he came across as one of those guys that tries so hard to get in all the girls pants. He was saying lines like ‘you’re so diffferent from every other girl’ or ‘you’re the kind of girl that could break my heart’. Right after meeting Mia. Ohhhhh brother!!!! If a guy said that stuff to me the day we met and wanting me to move in with him and giving me the line that the rule was no sex for a month I would have flagged him as a player and a phony immediately. Everything he said felt like a carefully crafted line. It reminded me of that friends episode where they made fun of phoebe because she fell for the line the guy she went on a date with told her about not wanting to rush things and used reverse psychology on her to get her to sleep with him. That’s how this felt. I get that Michael actually was sincere, but it did not feel like that to me. The author doesn’t need to try that hard. Subtlety goes a long way. And actions are so much more effective than the author just having the characters tell us exactly what they feel. Rather than have the characters give us all these cliche lines. As the two were getting to know each other over just a few hours, everything that Michael did and said was exactly right and just perfect. And everything that Mia said was exactly right and perfect. And we know this because anytime one of them said anything the other would gush about how perfect it was and how they were meant to be or whatever. This is all in like a day. I was rolling my eyes the whole time. And then they spend a month together and they’re in love. Lame.
Now I do like a good passionate romance, but it needs to feel real and authentic. This did not. At all. Their dialogue and actions felt so author contrived. But after they live together for a month and fall in love, Michael gets into a fight with his brother that changes him. According to Mia he seems like a completely different person after that. But all I could think during this part of the story was that maybe, just maybe this is actually the real him, and the him you thought you knew for the last 30 days was the facade!! Like, hello??!! That’s why you date for awhile. Because everyone puts their best foot forward at the beginning of a relationship. So you’d think Mia would maybe break it off with him after realizing he wasn’t who she thought he was at first. But she doesn’t. She kept thinking he’d eventually go back to how he was that first month and it just makes her seem kind of dumb. You never just go off of the very beginning of a relationship. You need time to really know someone.
Later there is actually an explanation that is different from what I initially was thinking about their relationship, but I just didn’t like this romance at all. It felt rushed but then dragged on. I didn’t really care to read about them because I didn’t really like the way they got together. But I figured maybe that was the point. The real romance was gonna be with the brother once she meets him. And maybe we weren’t supposed to really like this romance. So fine, but it still was a chore to then read through all the before. I skimmed a ton. I realize some of it was necessary for the plot, but I wish it would have been way more condensed and that more focus could have been spent on the relationship with Greysen after Michael died. So because we were reading two different love stories, the romance parts felt rushed and stretched too thin. It was really clunky. No finesse whatsoever. Which also made me dislike the romance between Mia and Greysen.
However, when the lightbulb went off as to what was actually going on I was so let down with the romance again. It was a big disappointment and I almost didn’t want to keep reading. Since the initial romance with Michael was disappointing to me, I was disappointed all over again. But I decided to keep going since I could skim through a lot and get through it quicker to at least see how everything played out.
So because I had already figured everything out before Greysen comes into Mia’s life, it helped this romance be a little easier to digest. So Greysen contacts Mia after Michaels death. The two meet up, and he proceeds to come onto her like there’s no tomorrow. After only being with her for a couple hours. And she just goes along with it!!!! I’m sorry but if my dead husbands brother who I had never spoken to asked to meet me, and immediately proceeded to come onto me the way Greysen came onto Mia, I would be completely creeped out. This is why I felt this romance was done so clunky. The author needed time to develop this plot/romance. It needed to be done with way more care and way more time. I would have much preferred the before part be cut in half, and the after part be the main focus. Where Greysen builds his own separate relationship with Mia after Michaels death that starts slow and carefully and is built on its own accord, before Mia learns about everything. It would have just felt more special and less creepy. And yeah, knowing the situation helps to understand Greysen’s motives, and the rush, but if you didn’t, like Mia doesn’t at that point, then everything about this romance feels creepy. You just don’t come onto your dead brothers wife immediately.
The whole plot is bizarre though. And far fetched. I don’t mind suspending reality a bit or going all in a story even if it isn’t all that believable, but the story itself has to be done really well. While this wasn’t bad, it wasn’t carefully crafted. It needed a lot of smoothing out to get me to swallow the pill so to speak. I liked the passion and the all consuming love, I just wanted it to be built better. I don’t want everything spelled out for us with only words and just because the author felt rushed. I wanted the romance to be cultivated beyond a couple of days. Or even the one month.
The last few chapters of the book stalled out with having to listen to Mia go on and on about what she should do and how to handle her feelings and everything that happened to her. Which, yeah understandable, but it dragged out and was boring.
So the before part of the story is about Mia and Michaels romance. Which I absolutely hated. It was so over the top in your face and the author was trying way too hard with it. Everything about the crafting of their romance was so obvious. Michael came onto Mia so strongly that he came across as one of those guys that tries so hard to get in all the girls pants. He was saying lines like ‘you’re so diffferent from every other girl’ or ‘you’re the kind of girl that could break my heart’. Right after meeting Mia. Ohhhhh brother!!!! If a guy said that stuff to me the day we met and wanting me to move in with him and giving me the line that the rule was no sex for a month I would have flagged him as a player and a phony immediately. Everything he said felt like a carefully crafted line. It reminded me of that friends episode where they made fun of phoebe because she fell for the line the guy she went on a date with told her about not wanting to rush things and used reverse psychology on her to get her to sleep with him. That’s how this felt. I get that Michael actually was sincere, but it did not feel like that to me. The author doesn’t need to try that hard. Subtlety goes a long way. And actions are so much more effective than the author just having the characters tell us exactly what they feel. Rather than have the characters give us all these cliche lines. As the two were getting to know each other over just a few hours, everything that Michael did and said was exactly right and just perfect. And everything that Mia said was exactly right and perfect. And we know this because anytime one of them said anything the other would gush about how perfect it was and how they were meant to be or whatever. This is all in like a day. I was rolling my eyes the whole time. And then they spend a month together and they’re in love. Lame.
Now I do like a good passionate romance, but it needs to feel real and authentic. This did not. At all. Their dialogue and actions felt so author contrived. But after they live together for a month and fall in love, Michael gets into a fight with his brother that changes him. According to Mia he seems like a completely different person after that. But all I could think during this part of the story was that maybe, just maybe this is actually the real him, and the him you thought you knew for the last 30 days was the facade!! Like, hello??!! That’s why you date for awhile. Because everyone puts their best foot forward at the beginning of a relationship. So you’d think Mia would maybe break it off with him after realizing he wasn’t who she thought he was at first. But she doesn’t. She kept thinking he’d eventually go back to how he was that first month and it just makes her seem kind of dumb. You never just go off of the very beginning of a relationship. You need time to really know someone.
Later there is actually an explanation that is different from what I initially was thinking about their relationship, but I just didn’t like this romance at all. It felt rushed but then dragged on. I didn’t really care to read about them because I didn’t really like the way they got together. But I figured maybe that was the point. The real romance was gonna be with the brother once she meets him. And maybe we weren’t supposed to really like this romance. So fine, but it still was a chore to then read through all the before. I skimmed a ton. I realize some of it was necessary for the plot, but I wish it would have been way more condensed and that more focus could have been spent on the relationship with Greysen after Michael died. So because we were reading two different love stories, the romance parts felt rushed and stretched too thin. It was really clunky. No finesse whatsoever. Which also made me dislike the romance between Mia and Greysen.
However, when the lightbulb went off as to what was actually going on I was so let down with the romance again. It was a big disappointment and I almost didn’t want to keep reading. Since the initial romance with Michael was disappointing to me, I was disappointed all over again. But I decided to keep going since I could skim through a lot and get through it quicker to at least see how everything played out.
So because I had already figured everything out before Greysen comes into Mia’s life, it helped this romance be a little easier to digest. So Greysen contacts Mia after Michaels death. The two meet up, and he proceeds to come onto her like there’s no tomorrow. After only being with her for a couple hours. And she just goes along with it!!!! I’m sorry but if my dead husbands brother who I had never spoken to asked to meet me, and immediately proceeded to come onto me the way Greysen came onto Mia, I would be completely creeped out. This is why I felt this romance was done so clunky. The author needed time to develop this plot/romance. It needed to be done with way more care and way more time. I would have much preferred the before part be cut in half, and the after part be the main focus. Where Greysen builds his own separate relationship with Mia after Michaels death that starts slow and carefully and is built on its own accord, before Mia learns about everything. It would have just felt more special and less creepy. And yeah, knowing the situation helps to understand Greysen’s motives, and the rush, but if you didn’t, like Mia doesn’t at that point, then everything about this romance feels creepy. You just don’t come onto your dead brothers wife immediately.
The whole plot is bizarre though. And far fetched. I don’t mind suspending reality a bit or going all in a story even if it isn’t all that believable, but the story itself has to be done really well. While this wasn’t bad, it wasn’t carefully crafted. It needed a lot of smoothing out to get me to swallow the pill so to speak. I liked the passion and the all consuming love, I just wanted it to be built better. I don’t want everything spelled out for us with only words and just because the author felt rushed. I wanted the romance to be cultivated beyond a couple of days. Or even the one month.
The last few chapters of the book stalled out with having to listen to Mia go on and on about what she should do and how to handle her feelings and everything that happened to her. Which, yeah understandable, but it dragged out and was boring.
February 14, 2025
3.75 ⭐️
Shaylin Ghandi wove a heartfelt narrative filled with raw emotion, compelling characters, and profound reflections on love and loss. There were many themes embedded in this contemporary romance-heartbreak, betrayal, and second chances.
When We Had Forever was about a newly widowed Mina Drake who discovered shocking secrets about her late husband. She plunged her into her journey of grief and self-discovery.
One of the best parts of this book was how realistic all of the characters were. Each and every one of them was flawed in their own way. They each have their own struggles, their own secrets, their own desires, and their own unique voices. I delighted in following Mina, the grief and the betrayal she experienced, and how she rediscovered herself.
For being a debut novel, I was captivated by Ghandi’s refreshingly original take on love and loss and how she carried a sense of familiarity throughout this story that made it difficult to put down. All in all, Ghandi beautifully portrayed a heartfelt contemporary debut romance tale. (audio)
Shaylin Ghandi wove a heartfelt narrative filled with raw emotion, compelling characters, and profound reflections on love and loss. There were many themes embedded in this contemporary romance-heartbreak, betrayal, and second chances.
When We Had Forever was about a newly widowed Mina Drake who discovered shocking secrets about her late husband. She plunged her into her journey of grief and self-discovery.
One of the best parts of this book was how realistic all of the characters were. Each and every one of them was flawed in their own way. They each have their own struggles, their own secrets, their own desires, and their own unique voices. I delighted in following Mina, the grief and the betrayal she experienced, and how she rediscovered herself.
For being a debut novel, I was captivated by Ghandi’s refreshingly original take on love and loss and how she carried a sense of familiarity throughout this story that made it difficult to put down. All in all, Ghandi beautifully portrayed a heartfelt contemporary debut romance tale. (audio)
February 14, 2025
~3.75 stars, rounded up~
Six months after her husband's death in a car crash, Mina Drake is still consumed by grief and guilt, grappling with the realization that her marriage might have already been falling apart before the accident. While sorting through her late husband's office, she uncovers clues that shed light on the unraveling of their relationship. Grayson, Michael's estranged brother and a rebellious photographer, reappears in her life, stirring unexpected emotions in Mina. As their connection deepens, secrets about her marriage come to light, forcing Mina to reevaluate everything she knew about love, trust, and the boundaries of passion.
***
WOW, this book went there - I anticipated the twist, but it was still so nuanced... I felt my jaw drop as it was unfolding. It's pretty f'ed up, if I'm being honest, but I was here for it. Little far fetched, but I could suspend my disbelief for this one. It's definitely an emotional roller coaster, as some other reviewers have stated.
Six months after her husband's death in a car crash, Mina Drake is still consumed by grief and guilt, grappling with the realization that her marriage might have already been falling apart before the accident. While sorting through her late husband's office, she uncovers clues that shed light on the unraveling of their relationship. Grayson, Michael's estranged brother and a rebellious photographer, reappears in her life, stirring unexpected emotions in Mina. As their connection deepens, secrets about her marriage come to light, forcing Mina to reevaluate everything she knew about love, trust, and the boundaries of passion.
***
WOW, this book went there - I anticipated the twist, but it was still so nuanced... I felt my jaw drop as it was unfolding. It's pretty f'ed up, if I'm being honest, but I was here for it. Little far fetched, but I could suspend my disbelief for this one. It's definitely an emotional roller coaster, as some other reviewers have stated.
December 31, 2024
This story was amazing 🥺
OKAY, huge thank you to Shaylin Gandhi for the finished copy, and Harlequin Audio for the ALC! These are my honest thoughts.
THIS STORY... there are so many ways I could describe the way this story made me feel. It's unique in SO MANY WAYS. The audio, read by Carly Robins, was SUPER EMOTIONAL and made me feel all the more connected to the story.
Mina, Michael, and Grayson.... three characters who are so unique and with such a colorful story, it provides some drama and tension, twists and turns...
Mina is grieving the tragic loss of her husband, Michael. She's barely eating. She's lost for what to do next, because Michael was thirsty for the finer things in life. While Michael and Mina's marriage was far from perfect, they had recently reconnected on a trip to Hawaii, and that left Mina hopeful that the Michael she fell in love with is still there, somewhere. In her grief, she is forced to confront her husband's estranged twin, most noticeably in the grocery store checkout line where his face his plastered on magazines. When they finally meet to reconcile Michael's death, pieces start to fall apart for Mina, and pieces start to come together. And all of the new information she's found out? Those might just break her.
This book was DRAMA in the best way. It had a timeline that was non-linear. We found out tidbits all the way until the twists revealed themselves, and then there were still things interwoven into the story. It was beautiful and magical and heartbreaking and hopeful. It's one of those stories that feels like SUCH A REAL LIFE STORY, with depth and complexities that are so human in nature that they're believable.
Pick up this story in ebook, paperback, or audiobook! You won't be sorry any way you read it... just READ IT!
OKAY, huge thank you to Shaylin Gandhi for the finished copy, and Harlequin Audio for the ALC! These are my honest thoughts.
THIS STORY... there are so many ways I could describe the way this story made me feel. It's unique in SO MANY WAYS. The audio, read by Carly Robins, was SUPER EMOTIONAL and made me feel all the more connected to the story.
Mina, Michael, and Grayson.... three characters who are so unique and with such a colorful story, it provides some drama and tension, twists and turns...
Mina is grieving the tragic loss of her husband, Michael. She's barely eating. She's lost for what to do next, because Michael was thirsty for the finer things in life. While Michael and Mina's marriage was far from perfect, they had recently reconnected on a trip to Hawaii, and that left Mina hopeful that the Michael she fell in love with is still there, somewhere. In her grief, she is forced to confront her husband's estranged twin, most noticeably in the grocery store checkout line where his face his plastered on magazines. When they finally meet to reconcile Michael's death, pieces start to fall apart for Mina, and pieces start to come together. And all of the new information she's found out? Those might just break her.
This book was DRAMA in the best way. It had a timeline that was non-linear. We found out tidbits all the way until the twists revealed themselves, and then there were still things interwoven into the story. It was beautiful and magical and heartbreaking and hopeful. It's one of those stories that feels like SUCH A REAL LIFE STORY, with depth and complexities that are so human in nature that they're believable.
Pick up this story in ebook, paperback, or audiobook! You won't be sorry any way you read it... just READ IT!
November 30, 2025
My Rating: 5/5
If you are looking for a romance that isn’t your typical romance, read this book immediately. Go in completely blind.
Shaylin’s writing is soooo well done and this book had my complete and utter attention. I seriously could not read it fast enough — I felt like I was solving a puzzle and found myself thinking about the story and characters even when I was not reading.
Prepare to feel every emotion possible from sadness to rage to happiness and everything in between.
Incredible!
If you are looking for a romance that isn’t your typical romance, read this book immediately. Go in completely blind.
Shaylin’s writing is soooo well done and this book had my complete and utter attention. I seriously could not read it fast enough — I felt like I was solving a puzzle and found myself thinking about the story and characters even when I was not reading.
Prepare to feel every emotion possible from sadness to rage to happiness and everything in between.
Incredible!
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