No Going Back Now

by Georgina Coal

What’s a roller coaster called when the carts are packed full of complicated emotions instead of screaming people? Life? Brilliant.

When Olivia Marks runs from London with only a spare pair of underwear and a passport, all she’s looking for is a town far, far away and the time to figure out what the hell to do next. Something she’s most certainly not looking for is a six foot two, door-frame wide 'ladies' man' with a potty mouth and an incomprehensibly gorgeous face.

Enter, Lucas Weston - ready and waiting to complicate her already complicated life with his teasing smile and enormous hands. Spending half his time as a glorified security guard for his Dad’s criminal business and the other half on the lookout for a one-night fling, Lucas is less than ready to find himself enamored with a sharp witted, English woman who’d rather kick herself in the head than get mixed up with a philandering bad boy.

But when the two meet and the sparks are undeniable, how long will it take for one of them to give? And when Lucas’s career choices and Olivia’s ex rear their ugly heads, will their new and confusing feelings be enough to keep them together?

Witty banter, delicious sexual chemistry, arguments, and spice collide in this fun small-town romance.

'English and Oak Tree are perfectly paired, and this will be a book I return to often, if not for the beauty of the story then at least to re-read the moment when Olivia calls Lucas “dense” again!' @t.s.reedauthor

'Poignant, emotional, witty, heart-wrenching, it was absolutely everything I could've wanted. A small-town rivals to lovers, No Going Back Now might just be one of my favourite reads of the year.' @_bookswithzo

'If you love British banter and witty monologues then this is the next book to add to your TBR piles' @leonnieloves

'I couldn't put this down and I didn't want this story to end. Olivia and Lucas have the perfect banter and the tension had me giggling.' @shirinsbookcafe

'I had a blast and can't wait for book two' @cora.dalley.author

'I absolutely loved Olivia the FMC in this book, she was fun, feisty and knew what was best for her and sometimes that looks like a 6ft2 arrogant American with a large shtick.' @leonnieloves

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance

341 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 28, 2024

About the author

Georgina Coal is an independent author living by the seaside in Essex, UK. She lives with her fiancé and their baby girl and spends a lot of her time cooing over them both equally.

She is currently writing The Tolema Series - a collection of interconnected contemporary romance novels based in a fictional small town in North America.

Her favourite romance tropes are Enemies to Lovers, Grumpy meets Sunshine, Forced Proximity and Fake Relationship.

Reviews

[zoe natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poignant, emotional, witty, heart-wrenching, it was absolutely everything I could've wanted. A small-town rivals to lovers, No Going Back Now might just be one of my favourite reads of the year.

The story follows Olivia as she leaves England and finds herself in small-town Tolema in search of, well, she doesn't really know. Of course, one of the first people she met was Lucas Bloody Weston, a complicated ladies man - Olivia didn't need any more complicated. The two embarked on a journey of despising each other, into friends-with-benefits, back to hating each other, and eventually realising, 'Oh my gosh, I like them!'

Whilst a classic small-town love story, No Going Back Now was full of themes of heartbreak, finding yourself, and realising what truly makes you happy. I bloody loved it. Each of the characters was lovely - even the less likeable ones had a good side, really. I can't wait for the series to unfold and to watch Georgina grow as a writer. I implore anyone who sees this review to add this novel to your TBR.

❗️And, as always, support yer indies❗️

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute! I love English and Oak Tree. IYKYK. Olivia and Lucas are so witty and feisty. 🌶🌶🌶.5 Spice level. Such a good read. Everytime I sat down do so with this one I didn’t wanna stop. Unfortunately, those times I was on my lunch break at work so I HAD to stop...stupid work. SMH

This was a fun small town romance with a little Family Business drama thrown in. I'm definitely gonna check out the next one in the series. Cheers to Georgina Coal. 🍻

[Shirin ♡ ⊹ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️
No Going Back Now by Georgina Coal follows Olivia Marks and Lucas Weston who couldn't be more different from each other.
Olivia Marks is from London but after an argument with her boyfriend Niall she flees London and takes the next plane out of the country. With a tote bag and not much else she lands in the States and finds herself in the small town Tolema. She decides to stay there to find herself and get distance from her life in London.
Lucas Weston is the typical bad boy of Toledo and has lived there for most of his life. He isn't the commitment kind of guy and because of his father business he finds himself in dubious situations. But when Olivia appears in his city and they always seem to run into each other he can't keep his distance.
Olivia and Lucas love story is the perfect enemies to lovers small town romance. I couldn't put this down and I didn't want this story to end. Olivia and Lucas have the perfect banter and the tension had me giggling. But this isn't a typical small town romance. Both main characters have their own issues and aren't looking for something serious but they can't stay away from each other. As I found out more about Olivias relationship with her exboyfriend and about Lucas life and his business with his father I was amazed how the story unraveled. This isn't a soft and fluffy small town romance. It is a love story where two people with their own flaws and imperfect characters meet and the rest is history.

[Tiff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet enemies to lovers story. I’ve recently fell in love with small town romances, and this one is perfection in my personal opinion. The main characters both have a troubled past and it takes them a while to finally open up to each other, but they’re willing to give each other a chance, even though they’re fighting their inner demons at the same time.

Their chemistry and banter and tension is off the charts, and I love it! They are drawn to each other, whether they like it or not. She is running from her terrible life back in London and he just found a reason to run away from his terrible lifestyle. They both need and want each other.

Olivia from London is trying to get away from her toxic now ex-boyfriend. The only way she could get away was to just wear the clothes on her back and fly to America. Of course she runs into this tall, dark God of a man who’s known as a playboy in town. She makes such amazing friends along the way that look out for her that she’s never had before and he found a reason to fight for a better life.

I don’t wanna give anything else away because this is an amazing book and you just have to read it. I cannot wait for the next book to come out!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
#georginacole #nogoingbacknow

[T.S. Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨What’s a roller coaster called when the carts are packed full of complicated emotions instead of screaming people? Life?
Brilliant.✨

Georgina Coal’s debut novel is witty, charming, complicated and captivating. Small town romance always holds a certain charm, and the town of Tolema isn’t an exception to that rule. With an ensemble of characters who each bring a touch of magic and entertainment and a vividly picture of who’s who and what’s where - this small town in the middle of nowhere feels like the sort of place you could get lost in… just as Olivia did.

Coal’s delicate phrasing and description, paired with the perfectly flirty snippy sarcasm of Olivia and Lucas, draws you into this roller coaster of vulnerability and excitement and makes it so disappointing when it’s time to step off.

English and Oak Tree are perfectly paired, and this will be a book I return to often, if not for the beauty of the story then at least to re-read the moment when Olivia calls Lucas “dense” again!

[Jasmine Durham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very cute enemies to lovers story. Olivia was in a bad situation and decided the best course of action was to pick up and move to the other side of the ocean. She didn’t expect to run into the playboy of the small town and she DEFINITELY did not expect to end up falling in love with him. The banter between Olivia and Lucas is *chef’s kiss*. The story flowed wonderfully and introduced key elements that made the story flow effortlessly. I wish there was a little bit more background information about Olivia so we’d have a bit more understanding about her. There aren’t details missing per se I just feel we know more about Lucas than we do her.

Thank you so much Georgina for the copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.💜

[Spicy_bookcorner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olivia leaves England’s due to her asshat of a boyfriend and ends up in Tolema, US, where she meets Lucas West, who is part of his father’s criminal enterprise.

I honestly just loved this book. I am obsessed!! Obsessed with Olivia and Lucas. Lucas doesn’t stop swearing and I’m all here for that. He’s everything you want in a book boyfriend; he’s gorgeous, possessive, dangerous, funny and got a massive 🍆

I liked the plot-it was engaging and lots to keep me wanting more. I thought the side characters were fab and I hope there’s more to come with Jeremy because I’m also in love with him.

Add this to your TBR because it’s honestly just fab.

🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

[Book Addict · Rating 5 out of 5]

Georgina Coal’s debut novel, No Going Back Now, is a spicy, small-town romance that blends witty banter with emotional depth. Set in the town of Tolema, the story follows Olivia Marks, a sharp-tongued Londoner fleeing a toxic relationship, and Lucas Weston, a large rugged local entangled in his father’s criminal enterprise. Their dynamic—equal parts tension and chemistry—drives the narrative with an enemies-to-lovers arc that’s both familiar and fresh. The back story and background characters being vividly drawn and optimistically followed up in the subsequent novels.

[Ashley Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Going Back Now by Georgina Coal is everything I love in a small-town romance but with a twist. Olivia flees her life in London after a fight with her boyfriend and ends up in the States, in the quiet town of Tolema. Lucas is the town’s bad boy with a complicated past and no interest in settling down.
Their chemistry? Explosive.
The tension? Off the charts.
This isn’t your usual sweet small-town romance. Both characters are deeply flawed, carrying emotional baggage that slowly unravels as the story progresses. What surprised me most was how raw and real it felt. It’s messy. It’s emotional. It’s addictive.

Georgina Coal created two imperfect characters who find something beautiful in each other, and it works so well.

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't think you can market this as an enemies to lovers when he is obsessed with her from the first meeting, and she only 'dislikes' him for about 2 days.

I enjoyed their banter at the beginning, but it turned into instalove so quickly, that I feel like it skipped so much of what could have been great development between them.

[Harriet Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read! Very witty, intriguing and suspenseful. Excited for part two

[Shannon Alderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic story

Saw this on tiktok and had to buy immediately! I adore both Lucas & Olivia, such a lovely read and a feel good book.

[M. Radd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Love a Spunky FMC!

This is a great read. Love and longing and some light stalking. There's even a Billy Joel quote, which is one of my love languages.

I really enjoyed the pacing, and the spice was nice, if a wee bit lean. The ex storyline went out with a bit of a whimper in my opinion but overall very solid, funny, enjoyable read.

[A P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant debut

Olivia escapes to the other side of the world from toxic relationship to be unexpectedly drawn into the life of a small American town… Well written, pacy, witty, steamy page turner with believable and likeable characters. Finished reading in one day and now am waiting for the next book in the series…