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Cassandra

Harley Wingrove was my first crush. High school quarterback, the dreamiest eyes I'd ever seen, and such a kind, gentle heart. But he was never interested in anything other than football, so I moved on.

Austin Anderson was my first love, the man I created a life with over the last fourteen years, and we were happy. At least, I thought we were. Until he left a note, ending it all.

Harley

Cassandra Herring has always been the girl for me. I'd known it from the first moment I saw her step out of her father's truck on the first day of pre-k. Life got in the way of us ever becoming anything. And by life, I mean my love for the game, and my ex-best friend, Austin Anderson. When Cassandra showed up in our hometown looking for a job, and no diamond ring in sight, I knew the universe was finally on my side, giving me a second chance at winning over the only girl I'd ever loved.

Crossing paths for the first time in fourteen years, Harley can't be just friends with Cassandra, no matter how hard he tries, but she fears it's too soon to move on to someone new.
When face to face with the inevitable, she'd forced to unravel and confront cold hard truths, no matter how difficult they might be.
Will all be forgiven once everything is said and done?

372 pages, Paperback

Published February 9, 2024

65 people are currently reading
508 people want to read

About the author

Jade Young

3 books40 followers

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5 stars
131 (42%)
4 stars
103 (33%)
3 stars
54 (17%)
2 stars
14 (4%)
1 star
5 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
Profile Image for Annabelle Taylah.
10 reviews1 follower
January 19, 2024
10/10 would recommend, absolutely amazing story. Small town, rekindling an almost lost connection, crazy unexpected revelations and the drama is just *chefs kiss*. Not to mention the amazing support characters! I can’t express how sucked in I got! I haven’t been able to put this book down! One of my 10 favourite books to date.
Profile Image for kay.
597 reviews11 followers
March 21, 2024
Harley and Cass are a messy, second chance love story. Moments were missed, people came between them, but they ended up where they needed to be. I liked that they built slowly when they reconnected. Cass took a bit (not a lot) of time before jumping into a whole new relationship. They were honest and patient going forward, which means I didn't have to suffer through reading a pointless breakup.

I think the author showed her hand too early. There were too many leads and I felt like I was just waiting for all of the characters to figure out what felt obvious. I think the story relied a bit too heavily on the drama over character development at times. It was enjoyable and I'd read the next one. 3.5★
Profile Image for Jeanette.
228 reviews
April 26, 2024
ARC REVIEW- NOT FOR ME
Stars- ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice- 🌶️🌶️🌶️

A HUUGE thanks to Jade Young for the ARC, I received an advanced copy of the book and am leaving an honest review.
_________________

I found Jade Young in my early days of Bookstagram and saw she was prepping to publish her debut novel. I signed up to be an ARC reader and I feel SOOO privileged to have been able to read this. Girl, YOU are going places.

I freaking LOVED this book!!! The book follows Cassandra, right after being left by her fiancé after FOURTEEN YEARS together via freaking post it note; and Harley, the ex NFL player from back home who always viewed Cassandra as the one who got away.

I LOVED the whole dynamic between Cassandra and Harley. That man was head over freaking heels for her from day one. Seeing Cassandra heal and move on from her previous relationship was beautifully written. After attempting to be “just friends” with Harley, it felt very natural and not at all rushed when they finally acted on their feelings.

Harley Wingrove is probably the ULTIMATE book boyfriend, he may in fact be my new BOOK HUSBAND. He fell for her back in high school and never really got over her. When she returns home after her relationship with his ex best friend implodes, yeah he gets on that. He’s sweet, he’s kind, he loves Cassie with everything he has and makes her feel treasured. He’s a 10, no doubt about it.

It’s the mark of an awesome book and an awesome author when you finish a book and immediately want to read it again. The way I was pulled immediately into the story and was thoroughly invested in the characters, you wouldn’t think this is a debut novel, but someone with several books under her belt. I CANNOT WAIT for more from her!
Profile Image for Kendra Workman.
49 reviews4 followers
January 18, 2024
I knew not very far into this book that it would be a 5 star read for me. I loved Cassandra's resilience and how much she loved the people in her life. I loved that Harley isn't much of a fighter but will do anything to protect Cassandra. These characters felt so real and vibrant, I couldn't put this book down. Jade Young knocked her debut novel out of the park. I can't wait to see what's next!
Profile Image for Chrissa.
191 reviews2 followers
July 22, 2024
Book Title: Not for Me
Author: Jade Young
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Not for me? More like YES FOR ME! Omg this book was something else. Not even a lie, I was in love with this book by the 20% mark. Honestly, I had no idea what I was going into as I went in blind, just with a recommendation saying I needed to read it, and they weren’t wrong! This book had me feeling all the feels, one minute I had butterflies and the next I was angry and crying.

I loved Cassandra’s journey and watching how resilient she is. Her healing journey was just wonderful to watch unfold, but of course it was with the help of Jenna, Bea, her sisters and last but not least Harley.
Harley, I have no idea where to start. I loved this man from the moment I met him. Cass is his high school crush who he never really got over. He is such a sweet gentleman who would do anything for Cass, and boy does it show. His friendship with Bea is honestly so cute, I love knowing that he had a friend through his rough patches.

Honestly Jade did so well writing these characters, I well and truly am obsessed. If you haven’t read it, please do ME a favour and read it, I promise you wont regret it. I cannot wait to read book 2, and lucky for me its not too far away!
Profile Image for Karla Rodriguez.
137 reviews
June 8, 2024
I didn’t expect to love this as much as I did, I’m obsessed
3 reviews2 followers
February 2, 2024

"You don't know how much love you have to give until you meet the person you're meant to give all of your love to".

ARC Review
Not for Me by Jade Young
Release Date: February 9th!

This book was too sweet for words! The story follows Cassandra and Harley's journey to reconnect after life takes them in different directions after high school. Their story gave me all the feels and Cassandra gets hit with heartbreak and rediscovers who she is and how to start over back in her hometown. Harley is the icing on the cake to be there for her and support her all the way. This book has a little bit for everyone; heartbreak, reconnection, spice, mic drop moment (exiting the wedding), and a few moments you did see coming. Jade! What a great first book. Thank you for allowing me to get first dibs at how sweet second chances can be.
34 reviews
January 15, 2024
I signed up to be an ARC of this book and was chosen.

This book follows Cassandra as she moves through the emotional rollercoaster that is the end of a long relationship and the start of a new.

This book gives me the hallmark movie vibes. The friendships, the family connections and the home town drama.

I did not give this 5 stars as I struggled to connect on an emotional level with the characters. I think the author did a great job with the descriptions of people, places and things but felt I couldn't really connect with how they were feeling. This is more of a personal feeling and your opinion could be vastly different.

Overall a cute story and glad I got to read it.
Profile Image for Nikita Hope.
14 reviews
January 23, 2024
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️.5

I absolutely loved this book! The plot was great and the characters were amazing and made me feel so much emotion towards them.

The story follows Cassandra who is dealing with a very hard breakup. She moves back to her hometown where she runs into some old friends including Harley who was her first crush 🥰

It is dual POV but Harley's doesn't come in until chapter 9.
Harley is top tier book boyfriend and he deserves the world. His character is written so well and he had me giggling and kicking my feet 😍🤭 he's a true gentleman who cares and respects Cass's wants and needs and remembers all the tiny details about her that her ex didn't bother paying attention to

Cassandra's growth throughout the book is so amazing to see as she recovers from her heartbreak with the help of her friends, sisters and of course Harley. ❤️

There are some twists and turns that I did not see coming and I was gripped the whole time needing to know what happens next.😱

The author did an amazing job at putting in little details throughout the book that reoccur and came together which I found very nice.

As for the spice 🌶️ I think it was very well balanced. I'm all for some smut but I hate when it's the main thing in a book and there's no plot, luckily this book didn't disappoint in that category. I thought it was very well incorporated and written.

Overall an amazing read that I would and already have recommended.

I look forward to reading the rest of this series and anything else Jade writes 🥰
Profile Image for Aly Brooks.
43 reviews6 followers
January 22, 2024
I loved this book! If I didn’t have my nails appointment (ugh), I would have read this in one day!
The characters is this are skilfully written, and I was pulled into the story so quickly! I knew it would be a 5 star read in the first 10 chapters.
Cassandra, as the FMC, is amazing, and boy, does she go through a lot! The story begins just after she is left by her fiancé and partner of 14 years!! The drama only starts there! I absolutely loved her character development. Her story of healing from such hurt and finding herself again is just so beautiful to read. It’s felt perfectly paced and valuable to the story.
Harley is a friiicken gem! And a hunky gem at that! I was obsessed with him. I loved the second chance aspect of this. It was done so well!! The romance is well paced and doesn’t feel rushed or skipped over.
The spice!! The spice is spicing!! I loved the spicy scenes, there was no cringe or trigger/uncomfortable words! It was just fun and spicy!!
The friendships in this story are also so well founded and felt real and dynamic.
I highly recommend this book, and I can’t wait for alllll the books Jade will ever write!
5 stars!
Profile Image for Cassie Czisz.
26 reviews
January 17, 2024
I was the absolute privilege of being chosen to be an ARC reader for this amazing debut novel by Jade Young. This is not a genre that I've read before, so when I saw Jade on tiktok and started following her, I knew I just had to read this one. I'm am so glad that this was my introduction to small town romance. I bloody LOVED this story and can not wait for the rest of the series!

Cassandra and Harley's had me in a choke hold from the beginning. Growing up in a small town myself, the story was so easy to relate to with a lot of the plot, like the small town rumour mill and secrets that people keep in a small community.

I highly recommend reading this book and can not wait to see what the future holds for this first-time author indie author if this is her first novel.
Profile Image for jade.
43 reviews1 follower
January 9, 2024
I was a beta reader for this book, and will be forever thankful that I was. As an avid fantasy and thriller reader, reading this book has opened up my eyes to the world of romance leaving me wanting more! I am so very glad this will be a returning series as I did not get enough of these wonderful characters.

This book made me laugh, cry, and feel as if I were in the very moments I was reading on the page. (And those spicy scenes left me with rosy cheeks!)

As a first time author, Jade has written a beautifully thought out story with twists and turns you’d never expect. I could not recommend Not For Me enough.
Profile Image for Cierra D..
122 reviews12 followers
January 16, 2024
I was lucky enough to ARC read this and I want to say that for a debut novel, this book is soooo close to being perfect. For fans of Ana, Catharina, this gives you your proverbial Labrador retriever male MC. What I appreciated about this book was that the spice was complimentary to the plot and did not feel like it existed for the sake of just having it. The development of the characters was admirable and leaves you feeling emotionally invested. There were a few moments where I wanted an "a-ha" moment and I felt like it was *almost* there! So I cannot wait for her next works.

I give this a solid 4.5 stars. This is definitely worth the read, especially since her next works are within the same storyline.
Profile Image for Molly Rose.
1 review
January 14, 2024
I couldn’t be more honoured to be a beta reader for Jades debut book ‘Not for me’
This book is every book girlies (and lads) favourite romance read. It has all the favourite tropes and everybody’s next favourite book boyfriend who just oozes green flags. Jade had you hooked on the beautiful slow burn romance between the characters and their epic love story that they made. Every chapter left you wanting more making it an easy and enjoyable read.
Can’t express how much I loved reading ‘Not for me’ by Jade Young
Profile Image for Taylor Rabette.
27 reviews2 followers
January 16, 2024
Jade Young's debut novel Not For Me is everything you could ever want in a romance. It blows my mind that this is only her first book! I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the Herring Girls Series.

From heartbreak and betrayal to everlasting love and spice, this book has it all. The plot is well written and character driven with the 🔥 spice as a bonus.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves small town romance, friends to lovers, and an extra dose of spice.

I was selected to be an ARC reader in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Kristen Gamez.
180 reviews
January 18, 2024
This was such a fun read. I very much enjoyed Harley and Cassandra’s relationship. We’ve all had a crush on someone in high school. And for most of us it was a silent crush. So to see these two get their happily ever after 14 years later was so fun to read about. I loved that the characters were older as well. It was a nice change. Harley is a book boyfriend forever! I even teared up at the end which I hardly ever do.

Jade Young is a debut author who hooked me from the start. I will be continuing with this series and can’t wait to read Jenna’s book.

I received an ARC for my review and I highly recommend this book when it comes out on February 9th 2024
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Emily I.
181 reviews3 followers
January 13, 2024
I was given the immense pleasure of being selected to read this book as a beta reader and I couldn’t have asked for a better book to read.

This is a combination of cute, sexy and funny. I absolutely loved it. Cassandra and Harley are the best couple ever and I loved their entire relationship from the start of the book right up until the end.

I couldn’t put this down - I was enthralled.

Thank you to Jade Young for the ARC of this! I can’t wait for Book 2!
Profile Image for Natalii Parker.
6 reviews
January 15, 2024
“Not for me” gave me all of the feels!
I loved reading about Cass rediscovering herself post-breakup and absolutely fell in love with the chapters from Harley’s POV.

I found myself thinking about these characters and their lives during my day-to-day life and still do now that I’ve finished reading the book.

There is a perfect balance of cute moments, spicy scenes and heartbreak, and would be a great book for someone getting into the world of romance novels.
Profile Image for M.K Vindictiv.
Author 3 books24 followers
January 19, 2024
I have absolutely adored reading this book. I was so excited after finding this author on instagram and once reading the trope list, immediately knew this book was for me.

Cassandra and Harley's story is beautiful, consuming, and addictive. There were times that I was so frustrated and screaming at characters.

All in all, an absolute delight to read. Small town, second chance romance that hits all of the marks.
Profile Image for Aimee.
289 reviews
January 13, 2024
I could not put this book down and ended up smashing through it in one night!
Harley and Cass are just so sweet together and I’m so glad they got their second chance. This book had just enough spice for a lighthearted read and got me hooked on hating Austin.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
2 reviews2 followers
January 15, 2024
I loved the storyline, the characters, the relationships.
The depth of Herring and Wingroves love.
I don’t know who l disliked more - Austin, Max or Angela.
Bad Decisions that affected everyone involved.
So looking forward to the second book with Jenna.
Read it girls - you’ll swoon over Harley 💕💕
Well done Jade Young - you rocked.
Thanks for the ARC❤️
Profile Image for Jodie.
2 reviews6 followers
January 15, 2024
I was lucky enjoying to receive a ARC of this fabulous book.

This was everything I wanted in a small town romance. It had enough romance, laughter and you were able to connect to the characters and feel like you knew them.

Absolutely loved escaping into the world and I can’t wait to read the second book.
Profile Image for Yerawizardsaraaa.
44 reviews
January 16, 2024
Absolutely love this story! I couldn't put my phone down.. and I HATE reading on my phone!

Second chance love, small town, perfect amount of spice, writing that just keeps you sucked in wanting more!

Highly highly recommend!!!!!!!
Profile Image for Angel  Webster.
200 reviews15 followers
January 23, 2024
This book was the absolute cutest! Man the feelings it invoked was something else. I was so angry with one of the male characters and fell in love with another! This romcom is a book that's a must read! It has heartbreak, love, drama, and marriage!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jess jesssicareads ✨ .
180 reviews25 followers
June 29, 2024
This is such a beautiful second chance romance that just kept on giving.
I loved every second of this book, I just wanted to keep reading it at work today. Such a wonderful cute story!

I need more from Jade! She writes so beautiful!
Profile Image for iqra 🫧❤️‍🔥.
228 reviews3 followers
April 28, 2024
Had all my favourite tropes 😍
Such a cute HEA and an important lesson of self love with pretty much the best characters ever!!
Love
Love
Love
Profile Image for book_lover_jess.
276 reviews19 followers
February 8, 2024
Jade left me speechless on many different occasions.

Also MMC is a golden retriever that is all.

The plot twist at the end of chapter 32 had me wanting to either scream or cry into my pillow.

Non dark romances aren’t meant to hurt as much as dark romances but they do!

My husband also didn’t like auslighter either. He was coping many complaints & rants from me about this book.

Stars: 4.8/5
Smut: 4.5/5
Profile Image for Charlotte.
59 reviews3 followers
February 25, 2024
Firstly, I am honoured to have received an ARC of Not For Me. Thank you.

✔️ Small town romance
✔️ Gotta get the girl
✔️ Amazing supporting characters
✔️ Twists and turns throughout

🌶🌶🌶 Spice Level

I absolutely adored the story of Harley & Cassandra. Teenagers secretely in love with each other and their story of making their way back to each other.

There were so many times during reading this I was either shouting at the characters, punching the air or just crying. Everything about this story just reminded me of one of them films you put on the TV, grab a blanket and have one of them cheesy smiles on your face throughout.

I cannot wait for the next in the series and I so hope we get to keep tabs on C&H as I am 100% invested in them 😭
20 reviews1 follower
January 24, 2024
4,5⭐️

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book, and I am so happy I got to read it early!

It was so easy to read, the flow and pace of the book was so effortless and beautifuly done. I loved how all of the characters was given so much depth, and I absolutely adored most of them and hated the rest 😅

I already look forward to the next book, and I'm quite confident Jade Young is going on my auto buy author list 🥰
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