What do you think?
Rate this book
The Ones We Remember
Colin Hartrick is back. Even after five years away from his hometown, nothing could ever make him forget his family or the girl he left behind. The ghost of his eighteen-year-old, grief-stricken self never fails to remind him of how much he lost. Despite every memory and all the lingering feelings that sparked from their intimacy experiment, the girl of his dreams now wants nothing to do with him.
Scarlett Wallace made a mistake. At the time, agreeing to a sexperiment with her charmingly direct lab partner and tutor seemed like the best way to find out what she liked in bed. Nothing could have prepared her for the whirlwind romance and subsequent fallout that would leave her with a shattered heart. Just as she feels she has moved on, the return of the only boy she ever loved makes her question whether she will ever be able to separate her heart from his.
Scarlett Wallace made a mistake. At the time, agreeing to a sexperiment with her charmingly direct lab partner and tutor seemed like the best way to find out what she liked in bed. Nothing could have prepared her for the whirlwind romance and subsequent fallout that would leave her with a shattered heart. Just as she feels she has moved on, the return of the only boy she ever loved makes her question whether she will ever be able to separate her heart from his.
460 pages, Paperback
Published November 17, 2024
19 people are currently reading
369 people want to read
About the author
Katie Golightly
6 books180 followersKatie grew up in Southern Oregon surrounded by never-ending trees, trails, and water sources. In addition to getting serotonin from the outdoors and well-organized spreadsheets, she has always been drawn to the art of storytelling. Her family knows her as someone who can successfully make people cry with a well-written birthday card. Reading captivated and sucked her in from a young age and eventually, the endless stories she fabricated in her head became too much of a hyper fixation to not write down on paper. Although her romance novels are often sexy and comedic, they also focus heavily on mental health and self-worth. Ultimately, her goal is to use the human condition to connect to the heart of readers and she makes no exception with her debut novel, The Ones We Fight For.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
November 26, 2024
I gave 4 stars but then got called out by giving a honest criticism. Ending with me get blocked on insta and being called an ass by the author.
I comment in reply on comment search for my comment to know what happened.
I comment in reply on comment search for my comment to know what happened.
November 22, 2024
3⭐️
I found the story a little hard to follow, honestly. I really wanted love it because I feel like the premise was there, but unfortunately, it didn't work it. thank you to love notes pr for the arc.
I found the story a little hard to follow, honestly. I really wanted love it because I feel like the premise was there, but unfortunately, it didn't work it. thank you to love notes pr for the arc.
November 8, 2024
Big thanks to Love Notes PR for the ARC 💙
Let me start what I did not like about this book, tho I’m aware those are more of me-issues:
-3rd POV - just whyyyy??? (I’m not a fan, can you tell? 😅)
-dual timeline - I’m not a fan in general, tho it did work here quite nice, but I warmed up to the switching somewhere halfway into the book, in the first half it was irritating to me
-length of the book - I would like it more with 50-70pages less
Despite my above “issues” with the book, I still loved it and my overall rating is pure 4 ⭐️
I loved the mental health rep!!! I’m not autistic, but I consider myself quite aware in the topic; it was the first book with autistic character that I read and I loved the representation! I think it’s very well written and overall executed in the story.
I liked the writing style, although I would preferred it to be in 1st narration rather than 3rd, but again, it’s a me-thing.
The writing style was not exactly making this book a page turner for me. I read it in 2-3days because I was kind of determined to, but under normal circumstances this is a book that would take me more of a week to go through. It’s interesting and investing, but the writing style was *not* exactly making me not being able to put it down.
I liked how the characters were build and their development. All the side characters were also well enough written that I wasn’t confused who is who (which would be so easy with the amount of people in the family-friends group!) and I liked them enough to add the remaining (and upcoming) books to my TBR.
I looooved the part of the story with Theo!
I was a bit irritated with couple of things in the story, but I guess that was kind of the point.
-I was soooo frustrated that Scarlett did not notice Colin’s autism! But then I thought why would she? It’s not like the knowledge about ASD is common, and especially not for 18yo
-I was a bit frustrated and getting bored with all the sex stuff in the 18yo timeline. But then I thought that’s probably how 18yo think, right? I’m way older so I had to remind myself what it’s like when you’re 18 😂 although I really would love to see more of Scarlett and Colin’s relationship apart from only the sex part in the first timeline
-I think the book would benefit if more specific times were somehow mentioned. It was very deep into the book that I stopped wondering if the action (both timelines) is taking place in the span of the week or a month or how long, please just tell it straight so I don’t have to be confused.
The ending seemed a bit rushed? I don’t know how to put it, I know they never stopped loving each other, but Scarlett was so determined to be over Colin, but then it seemed to me like suddenly she just stopped and went straight back to just “I love you, let’s be together”. With how long the book was, I was just missing something in the end of the plot.
I know I listed so many things I didn’t exactly like above but I truly overall loved this book and 4⭐️ are what it really deserves. I really enjoyed this read and it’s definitely a book that will make you feel all the feels!
* I reserve 5⭐️ only to the books I reread and/or plan to have physical copies of.
It was my first book by this author but I definitely plan to catch up with books 1 and 2.
Let me start what I did not like about this book, tho I’m aware those are more of me-issues:
-3rd POV - just whyyyy??? (I’m not a fan, can you tell? 😅)
-dual timeline - I’m not a fan in general, tho it did work here quite nice, but I warmed up to the switching somewhere halfway into the book, in the first half it was irritating to me
-length of the book - I would like it more with 50-70pages less
Despite my above “issues” with the book, I still loved it and my overall rating is pure 4 ⭐️
I loved the mental health rep!!! I’m not autistic, but I consider myself quite aware in the topic; it was the first book with autistic character that I read and I loved the representation! I think it’s very well written and overall executed in the story.
I liked the writing style, although I would preferred it to be in 1st narration rather than 3rd, but again, it’s a me-thing.
The writing style was not exactly making this book a page turner for me. I read it in 2-3days because I was kind of determined to, but under normal circumstances this is a book that would take me more of a week to go through. It’s interesting and investing, but the writing style was *not* exactly making me not being able to put it down.
I liked how the characters were build and their development. All the side characters were also well enough written that I wasn’t confused who is who (which would be so easy with the amount of people in the family-friends group!) and I liked them enough to add the remaining (and upcoming) books to my TBR.
I looooved the part of the story with Theo!
I was a bit irritated with couple of things in the story, but I guess that was kind of the point.
-I was soooo frustrated that Scarlett did not notice Colin’s autism! But then I thought why would she? It’s not like the knowledge about ASD is common, and especially not for 18yo
-I was a bit frustrated and getting bored with all the sex stuff in the 18yo timeline. But then I thought that’s probably how 18yo think, right? I’m way older so I had to remind myself what it’s like when you’re 18 😂 although I really would love to see more of Scarlett and Colin’s relationship apart from only the sex part in the first timeline
-I think the book would benefit if more specific times were somehow mentioned. It was very deep into the book that I stopped wondering if the action (both timelines) is taking place in the span of the week or a month or how long, please just tell it straight so I don’t have to be confused.
The ending seemed a bit rushed? I don’t know how to put it, I know they never stopped loving each other, but Scarlett was so determined to be over Colin, but then it seemed to me like suddenly she just stopped and went straight back to just “I love you, let’s be together”. With how long the book was, I was just missing something in the end of the plot.
I know I listed so many things I didn’t exactly like above but I truly overall loved this book and 4⭐️ are what it really deserves. I really enjoyed this read and it’s definitely a book that will make you feel all the feels!
* I reserve 5⭐️ only to the books I reread and/or plan to have physical copies of.
It was my first book by this author but I definitely plan to catch up with books 1 and 2.
November 18, 2024
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. I especially like the autism rep with the MMC as he’s at a place on the spectrum you don’t always see on romance. Don’t get me wrong, I will take the rep anywhere I can get it I just really appreciate the accommodations he takes, the self reflections, and the diagnosis journey he goes on. And the acknowledgment via the author at the start and how it unfolds in the book on his depression/SI and how much higher that occurrence is for autistic individuals. It’s just such a wonderful match with our FMC who has her own internal push/pull with her ADHD.
Just a few things to note- I didn’t realize the dual timeline was going to be only 4.5 years from age 18. They still are and feel young. I feel there would have been more of an impact at an older age or getting to read the voice of not such a fresh 20 something, I felt with both timelines I was understandably and accurately reading about 2 kids/young adults instead of the dual timeline having more of a difference. Also, there are a lot of side characters and events happening in tandem with other books in the series. This can absolutely be read as a standalone but I still wasn’t always interested in the side characters and also it took me like 60% to realize the MMC Colin’s sibling names are SUPER similar to each other. I was thinking the ages weren’t matching up in the different timelines but they were actually completely different people. Lots of people in this.
But I want to be clear and hopefully you can tell I still gave this 4.5 stars and enjoyed it!!! The spice was spicing and their relationship was everything. I loved how this was a fast and slow burn because of the alternating timelines. And his commitment and groveling to Scarlet was just perfect. He’s the “I remember everything” man of my dreams especially at the older timeline. There are so many validating moments and scenes that stick out to me and the current timeline storyline was amazing.
Thank you to love notes PR for the eARC!
I really enjoyed this book. I especially like the autism rep with the MMC as he’s at a place on the spectrum you don’t always see on romance. Don’t get me wrong, I will take the rep anywhere I can get it I just really appreciate the accommodations he takes, the self reflections, and the diagnosis journey he goes on. And the acknowledgment via the author at the start and how it unfolds in the book on his depression/SI and how much higher that occurrence is for autistic individuals. It’s just such a wonderful match with our FMC who has her own internal push/pull with her ADHD.
Just a few things to note- I didn’t realize the dual timeline was going to be only 4.5 years from age 18. They still are and feel young. I feel there would have been more of an impact at an older age or getting to read the voice of not such a fresh 20 something, I felt with both timelines I was understandably and accurately reading about 2 kids/young adults instead of the dual timeline having more of a difference. Also, there are a lot of side characters and events happening in tandem with other books in the series. This can absolutely be read as a standalone but I still wasn’t always interested in the side characters and also it took me like 60% to realize the MMC Colin’s sibling names are SUPER similar to each other. I was thinking the ages weren’t matching up in the different timelines but they were actually completely different people. Lots of people in this.
But I want to be clear and hopefully you can tell I still gave this 4.5 stars and enjoyed it!!! The spice was spicing and their relationship was everything. I loved how this was a fast and slow burn because of the alternating timelines. And his commitment and groveling to Scarlet was just perfect. He’s the “I remember everything” man of my dreams especially at the older timeline. There are so many validating moments and scenes that stick out to me and the current timeline storyline was amazing.
Thank you to love notes PR for the eARC!
November 7, 2024
This book is so tight to my heart I almost can’t even review it because I’m not sure how to express it. I loved it SO MUCH. SO. MUCH. All reviews are opinions but this one may be more swayed by my personal circumstances and thoughts than others lol
The MMC, Colin, in this book is autistic. I’ve read a few (not tons though) autistic rep books but for me this was the best by far. My partner is autistic and while he’s not exactly like Colin, though there are some oddly specific things that are the same, the essence is very similar. So, of course, I then loved Colin right from the prologue.
I’m not like Scarlett but when it said “his lack of a filter made her less nervous” - I’ve never seen something I’ve connected with more, it actually brought tears to my eyes. Just hit right for me, it’s something that attracted me to my autistic partner. I’ve voiced it but never seen it said anywhere else. She goes on to say “what you see is what you get” and that was comforting and built trust - exaaactly!! I f-ing love how straightforward and endearing Colin is. Scarlett’s natural empathy and curiosity works well with him too. It’s a good dynamic.
This is the second second-chance dual timeline book I’ve read this year and I’m realising that I am FERAL for how this structure rips me to shreds in the best way. Holding the feelings of falling in love with them falling in love while knowing something bad has happened and yet will be mended is so *delicious* to me, I like the complexity. I like crying a little from the start of the book because I’m already sad for them but knowing they will end up happy 😆
Lots of funny bits (one of my faves was Colin’s response to her ex just after an incident at her studio…🤣), heartbreaking parts, and warm fuzzy parts. There is spice but in a different way than you might usually find.
Really well written story. I know this is part of an interconnected series and I am definitely going back to read the others soon!
Sorry this is probably not a helpful review because it’s quite personal for me I think but..it’s just a good, romantic, lively book, go read it! 😄
5/5 ⭐️
I received an advance copy of this book and have left my honest, influence-free review
The MMC, Colin, in this book is autistic. I’ve read a few (not tons though) autistic rep books but for me this was the best by far. My partner is autistic and while he’s not exactly like Colin, though there are some oddly specific things that are the same, the essence is very similar. So, of course, I then loved Colin right from the prologue.
I’m not like Scarlett but when it said “his lack of a filter made her less nervous” - I’ve never seen something I’ve connected with more, it actually brought tears to my eyes. Just hit right for me, it’s something that attracted me to my autistic partner. I’ve voiced it but never seen it said anywhere else. She goes on to say “what you see is what you get” and that was comforting and built trust - exaaactly!! I f-ing love how straightforward and endearing Colin is. Scarlett’s natural empathy and curiosity works well with him too. It’s a good dynamic.
This is the second second-chance dual timeline book I’ve read this year and I’m realising that I am FERAL for how this structure rips me to shreds in the best way. Holding the feelings of falling in love with them falling in love while knowing something bad has happened and yet will be mended is so *delicious* to me, I like the complexity. I like crying a little from the start of the book because I’m already sad for them but knowing they will end up happy 😆
Lots of funny bits (one of my faves was Colin’s response to her ex just after an incident at her studio…🤣), heartbreaking parts, and warm fuzzy parts. There is spice but in a different way than you might usually find.
Really well written story. I know this is part of an interconnected series and I am definitely going back to read the others soon!
Sorry this is probably not a helpful review because it’s quite personal for me I think but..it’s just a good, romantic, lively book, go read it! 😄
5/5 ⭐️
I received an advance copy of this book and have left my honest, influence-free review
November 24, 2024
5⭐️
Thank you to Love Notes PR for an advanced copy! All thoughts are my own.
THIS IS HOW YOU DO DUAL TIMELINE!!!!! As someone who usually steers clear of dual timeline books because I end up liking one timeline wayyyy more than the other, this was absolutely phenomenal. I was devouring each! chapter!
In typical Katie Golightly fashion, I cried my eyes out!! She is able to portray grief in such a raw and relatable way, and every book, I can see myself and my grief journey. It’s done in such a way that I feel comforted in being seen because I know I’m not the only one with those feelings or thoughts.
I absolutely LOVED Colin and Scarlett!!! They were amazing individually as characters and together as a couple. They were real and imperfect and just so damn loveable. I knew since book 1 that I was going to devour Colin’s book, and Katie delivered!!
I can’t wait for more in the Ones series, as this is one of my favorite series of all time, and I HIGHLY recommend!!!
CW: Suicidal thoughts and discussions, off-page death of family members (drunk driving, cancer), on-page autistic meltdowns, explicit sexual content and language, mild dubious consent, mild sexual harassment.
Thank you to Love Notes PR for an advanced copy! All thoughts are my own.
THIS IS HOW YOU DO DUAL TIMELINE!!!!! As someone who usually steers clear of dual timeline books because I end up liking one timeline wayyyy more than the other, this was absolutely phenomenal. I was devouring each! chapter!
In typical Katie Golightly fashion, I cried my eyes out!! She is able to portray grief in such a raw and relatable way, and every book, I can see myself and my grief journey. It’s done in such a way that I feel comforted in being seen because I know I’m not the only one with those feelings or thoughts.
I absolutely LOVED Colin and Scarlett!!! They were amazing individually as characters and together as a couple. They were real and imperfect and just so damn loveable. I knew since book 1 that I was going to devour Colin’s book, and Katie delivered!!
I can’t wait for more in the Ones series, as this is one of my favorite series of all time, and I HIGHLY recommend!!!
CW: Suicidal thoughts and discussions, off-page death of family members (drunk driving, cancer), on-page autistic meltdowns, explicit sexual content and language, mild dubious consent, mild sexual harassment.
Read
November 19, 2024DNF-ed at 45%. Not rating.
I had an ARC of this and I don’t like DNF-ing ARCs, but I was really struggling to get through this. The digital ARC I received had no page numbers which made it so difficult to read for me. Also when I added this book on goodreads I saw it had 400-500 pages depending on the edition. I can’t do a book that long without page numbers.
This book is marketed as being about 5 years after the main characters break up. When I saw that there was flashback chapters I thought that was great, I love flashback chapters, but as I read there were so many flashback chapters that I couldn’t actually keep track of what was going on in the present of the book. If there was a part one with the past and a part two with the present it would’ve made it so much easier to read.
I had an ARC of this and I don’t like DNF-ing ARCs, but I was really struggling to get through this. The digital ARC I received had no page numbers which made it so difficult to read for me. Also when I added this book on goodreads I saw it had 400-500 pages depending on the edition. I can’t do a book that long without page numbers.
This book is marketed as being about 5 years after the main characters break up. When I saw that there was flashback chapters I thought that was great, I love flashback chapters, but as I read there were so many flashback chapters that I couldn’t actually keep track of what was going on in the present of the book. If there was a part one with the past and a part two with the present it would’ve made it so much easier to read.
do-not-read
November 29, 2024The book is on this shelf for a reason 🤷🏾♀️
December 26, 2024
I had a hard time getting into the story. Even though the author’s writing style is very fluid & makes it easy to read, this seemed like too long a story for a romance, even with the more delicate themes..
However, I really liked the protagonists! Scarlett & Colin have this attraction towards each other that felt so genuine & I could almost feel the sparks flying off the pages whilst reading, a very well-executed match! 👏🏻
However, I really liked the protagonists! Scarlett & Colin have this attraction towards each other that felt so genuine & I could almost feel the sparks flying off the pages whilst reading, a very well-executed match! 👏🏻
November 18, 2024
Wow. This was honestly amazing from the very beginning. When I signed up for the ARC I was super excited because I knew it had a MMC with autism and that is something that’s really personal for me. Reading the past/present really helped you understand the characters and what led to their downfall because of his diagnosis. I loved that the author would allude to a situation in the present and then show what happened in the past. It made you feel like you weren’t missing out on the progression of their love but rather understanding it more. I felt so connected to Colin and Scarlett. Colin for his autism diagnosis and Scarlett because of what I believe to be ADHD (I don’t think it was specifically mentioned on purpose but she definitely shows the characteristics). This was my first book by the author but definitely won’t be my last.
November 17, 2024
⭐️4.5/5
Thank you lovenotesPR for the advanced reader copy 🥹🧡
This second chance romance stole my fucking heart. In this dual POV story we get both the past and present stories of our characters Colin and Scarlett as we learn how they found each other in high school as young, naive 18 year olds, how they lost each other, and found each other again 5 years later.
This book will make you laugh, cry, and then cry even harder. And then think about it for days because that’s what it’s been doing to me.
Colin as an 18yr old just recently lost both his parents in a tragic car accident that left him and his 4 other siblings to be taken care of by their overwhelmed uncle. He doesn’t have any friends besides his family and is soon to be diagnosed with autism - so he’s never understood why he is the way he is and that’s scary and frustrating when you know you’re different but aren’t sure why.
He meets Scarlett when she becomes his chemistry lab partner. She’s no stranger to tragedy having lost her brother to cancer a few years ago. She meets Colin and finds him refreshingly honest and funny. They find they’re both inexperienced and want to run a sexual experiment to find what they like and how to do it so they’re less nervous in college. This experiment of course leads to falling in love (because duh) and ends in absolute heartbreak (but I won’t spoil what happens there don’t worry).
5 years later, Colin returns to their town for a job and has to face his family that he let down, and Scarlett who hates him for completely shattering her heart.
It’s such a beautiful story of second chances, family, traumas and tragedies, and all the things that make us who we are.
The author wrote Colin’s experience so beautifully and with so much care. My husband is autistic with so many similarities to Colin. Colin’s POV is so similar to how my husband describes his daily life, thoughts, feelings of things. I have never read a neurodivergent POV that was so well done as this.
Immediately after finishing this I wanted to start all over and read it again. Can’t recommend this book enough.
Thank you lovenotesPR for the advanced reader copy 🥹🧡
This second chance romance stole my fucking heart. In this dual POV story we get both the past and present stories of our characters Colin and Scarlett as we learn how they found each other in high school as young, naive 18 year olds, how they lost each other, and found each other again 5 years later.
This book will make you laugh, cry, and then cry even harder. And then think about it for days because that’s what it’s been doing to me.
Colin as an 18yr old just recently lost both his parents in a tragic car accident that left him and his 4 other siblings to be taken care of by their overwhelmed uncle. He doesn’t have any friends besides his family and is soon to be diagnosed with autism - so he’s never understood why he is the way he is and that’s scary and frustrating when you know you’re different but aren’t sure why.
He meets Scarlett when she becomes his chemistry lab partner. She’s no stranger to tragedy having lost her brother to cancer a few years ago. She meets Colin and finds him refreshingly honest and funny. They find they’re both inexperienced and want to run a sexual experiment to find what they like and how to do it so they’re less nervous in college. This experiment of course leads to falling in love (because duh) and ends in absolute heartbreak (but I won’t spoil what happens there don’t worry).
5 years later, Colin returns to their town for a job and has to face his family that he let down, and Scarlett who hates him for completely shattering her heart.
It’s such a beautiful story of second chances, family, traumas and tragedies, and all the things that make us who we are.
The author wrote Colin’s experience so beautifully and with so much care. My husband is autistic with so many similarities to Colin. Colin’s POV is so similar to how my husband describes his daily life, thoughts, feelings of things. I have never read a neurodivergent POV that was so well done as this.
Immediately after finishing this I wanted to start all over and read it again. Can’t recommend this book enough.
November 18, 2024
KATIE GOLIGHTLY - THE ONES WE REMEMBER
Thank you to the author & LoveNotes PR for the eARC!
What a precious and heart-tugging little love story this one turned out to be!
Scarlett and Colin were destined to be together - she was warm and bubbly and he was every straight line and rule combined together, making them just the perfect opposites match made in heaven!The storyline follows the next Hartrick sibling's love story. Colin is the gifted one in his family. He was rated highly intelligent from a young age, had issues with noise and connecting to people, but had great intentions and a big heart hidden underneath his superficial layers. Getting paired up with Scarlett in his last school year was the epitome of good things coming through. I loved how we got to know the inner workings of his mind, the detail oriented, straightforward attitude to romancing his lab partner was endearing and made me emotional.
Scarlett was for me a bit lost in the wrong direction at 18. With no concrete plan just dreams and a big load of talent she was floating up until Colin and her became friends. I loved how clearly he gave her directions, even if she didn't recognize the signs.
The second chance trope suggests that there was a breakup, and let me tell you: the groveling and gestures Colin goes through to convince Scarlett about his conviction and commitment to their relationship, knowing about his ASD gave me small butterflies.
Scarlett was an incredible, headstrong heroine, who had the emotional intelligence few people in life possess. She was put through the ringer in life, but still maintained a positive outlook. The seduction lessons were a nice little take, and something I haven't really encountered in this capacity in romance books. The awkwardness and care the characters showed made them into a fun little aspect of the book and I wasn't bothered by the erotical nature of them at all!
I feel like I can't put into words why and how this story sucked me into its depths, but I hope I was able to convince you to give it a try!
Please, also check out the trigger warnings!
Thank you to the author & LoveNotes PR for the eARC!
What a precious and heart-tugging little love story this one turned out to be!
Scarlett and Colin were destined to be together - she was warm and bubbly and he was every straight line and rule combined together, making them just the perfect opposites match made in heaven!The storyline follows the next Hartrick sibling's love story. Colin is the gifted one in his family. He was rated highly intelligent from a young age, had issues with noise and connecting to people, but had great intentions and a big heart hidden underneath his superficial layers. Getting paired up with Scarlett in his last school year was the epitome of good things coming through. I loved how we got to know the inner workings of his mind, the detail oriented, straightforward attitude to romancing his lab partner was endearing and made me emotional.
Scarlett was for me a bit lost in the wrong direction at 18. With no concrete plan just dreams and a big load of talent she was floating up until Colin and her became friends. I loved how clearly he gave her directions, even if she didn't recognize the signs.
The second chance trope suggests that there was a breakup, and let me tell you: the groveling and gestures Colin goes through to convince Scarlett about his conviction and commitment to their relationship, knowing about his ASD gave me small butterflies.
Scarlett was an incredible, headstrong heroine, who had the emotional intelligence few people in life possess. She was put through the ringer in life, but still maintained a positive outlook. The seduction lessons were a nice little take, and something I haven't really encountered in this capacity in romance books. The awkwardness and care the characters showed made them into a fun little aspect of the book and I wasn't bothered by the erotical nature of them at all!
I feel like I can't put into words why and how this story sucked me into its depths, but I hope I was able to convince you to give it a try!
Please, also check out the trigger warnings!
November 16, 2024
I have never laughed out loud and cried so many times in one (!) book as in this one. God, I love it!
The two time periods used (present day and 5 years ago) make the story more interesting than other romances I have read so far because it shows how the characters have changed and grown. Furthermore, we often get a hint about aspects of the protagonists pasts before we go directly to the aspect in question 5 years earlier and that is a delight to read.
The grief stories of the two main characters were so emotional, they made me cry several times. On the other hand, the things those two tried in bed when 18 made me laugh several times. Because they go horribly wrong. This is so realistic and I liked it much more than romances where the virgin main characters miraculously know how everything works without having any experience (so unrealistic!)
Furthermore, I loved the dynamic between the members of both of their families and friend circles and the autistic behavior of Collin is well-written.
I highly recommend this book. If I had teenage kids, I would give this to them to show them that we all stumble and nobody's perfect from the start ;-)
The two time periods used (present day and 5 years ago) make the story more interesting than other romances I have read so far because it shows how the characters have changed and grown. Furthermore, we often get a hint about aspects of the protagonists pasts before we go directly to the aspect in question 5 years earlier and that is a delight to read.
The grief stories of the two main characters were so emotional, they made me cry several times. On the other hand, the things those two tried in bed when 18 made me laugh several times. Because they go horribly wrong. This is so realistic and I liked it much more than romances where the virgin main characters miraculously know how everything works without having any experience (so unrealistic!)
Furthermore, I loved the dynamic between the members of both of their families and friend circles and the autistic behavior of Collin is well-written.
I highly recommend this book. If I had teenage kids, I would give this to them to show them that we all stumble and nobody's perfect from the start ;-)
November 17, 2024
I am speechless. This book is like no other I have read. It made me laugh, cry and swoon all through.
This book feels so endearing and raw at the same time. The way Colin’s feelings are described feel so incredibly genuine and real. And the way Scarlett is together with him is so sweet and how she thinks his way of sharing his truths all the time is suitable for her.
And how the Hartrick family stands together and is all so supportive to one another.
It is so interesting to read about the way Colin is feeling and his struggles. And the therapist I really like, I love that he sees Colin right away and wants to help him.
This feels like more than just a book. This feels like a celebration to autism and the spectrum. It is showing a wonderful side of it. It’s also a story about grief and how to uphold a memory of someone you lost.
To be different and to be understood regardless, that feels like the essence of this book.
This book feels so endearing and raw at the same time. The way Colin’s feelings are described feel so incredibly genuine and real. And the way Scarlett is together with him is so sweet and how she thinks his way of sharing his truths all the time is suitable for her.
And how the Hartrick family stands together and is all so supportive to one another.
It is so interesting to read about the way Colin is feeling and his struggles. And the therapist I really like, I love that he sees Colin right away and wants to help him.
This feels like more than just a book. This feels like a celebration to autism and the spectrum. It is showing a wonderful side of it. It’s also a story about grief and how to uphold a memory of someone you lost.
To be different and to be understood regardless, that feels like the essence of this book.
November 8, 2024
4.5 stars
This was a funny, emotional, heartwarming book about two people who were meant to be together finding their way back to each other. Colin and Scarlett fell in love while in high school and while they were both in very chaotic points in their lives. After 5 years apart they reconnect and have to work through the end of their relationship and years apart.
I absolutely loved the autism, adhd, and mental health representation in this book. I loved how Katie Golightly showed that people deserve someone who loves them exactly as they are. Colin and Scarlett always took care both of each other and with each other. I especially liked how Scarlett was so perceptive of Colin's needs, even before she knew he was autistic, and how she never took issue with the way he expressed himself.
There are definitely some heavier themes in this book but there's also a lot of really sweet and really funny moments. I enjoyed how much you also get to see of Walker and Talia and Piper and Leo throughout this book. I really liked both of their books so it was fun to see both couples again, and to see a different perspective of some of the scenes from the previous books.
This was a funny, emotional, heartwarming book about two people who were meant to be together finding their way back to each other. Colin and Scarlett fell in love while in high school and while they were both in very chaotic points in their lives. After 5 years apart they reconnect and have to work through the end of their relationship and years apart.
I absolutely loved the autism, adhd, and mental health representation in this book. I loved how Katie Golightly showed that people deserve someone who loves them exactly as they are. Colin and Scarlett always took care both of each other and with each other. I especially liked how Scarlett was so perceptive of Colin's needs, even before she knew he was autistic, and how she never took issue with the way he expressed himself.
There are definitely some heavier themes in this book but there's also a lot of really sweet and really funny moments. I enjoyed how much you also get to see of Walker and Talia and Piper and Leo throughout this book. I really liked both of their books so it was fun to see both couples again, and to see a different perspective of some of the scenes from the previous books.
November 13, 2024
4.5 stars
This was long for a romance at over 500 pages so I was concerned it was going to drag on - but it didn't and I didn't want to put it down and didn't want it to end!
Colin and Scarlett's second chance romance, dual timeline & dual POV was amazing. I love how Scarlett didn't care that Colin was different, even in high school. There was so much vulnerability between them and open communication.
I laughed so much throughout this book because of how blunt Colin was, how he was trying to be funny, and all of the sibling shenanigans!
The ending 😭😭 omg it was exactly what I was hoping would happen but still had me crying!
Huge thanks to the author for an advance copy!! 🫶🏻
This was long for a romance at over 500 pages so I was concerned it was going to drag on - but it didn't and I didn't want to put it down and didn't want it to end!
Colin and Scarlett's second chance romance, dual timeline & dual POV was amazing. I love how Scarlett didn't care that Colin was different, even in high school. There was so much vulnerability between them and open communication.
I laughed so much throughout this book because of how blunt Colin was, how he was trying to be funny, and all of the sibling shenanigans!
The ending 😭😭 omg it was exactly what I was hoping would happen but still had me crying!
Huge thanks to the author for an advance copy!! 🫶🏻
November 17, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
💌 Second Chance
💌 Dual timeline
💌 Tutor/Tutee Relationship
💌 Sex-periment
💌 Child Sidekick
💌 Autism Rep
This book got me from the dedication! All of the elements of this book blended together to make the perfect story. If you have read any of the books from this series you’re going to love this one or if you haven’t you can start with this one, read in order or out! The entire series is incredible but this book will hold a special place in my heart 🥹 The representation for autism and adhd was done so delicately. The characters and their growth was what got me, holding their own and discovering what they both want. Colin for doing the work, loving himself enough to be loved 🥹 we can all take a page out of his book. And Scarlett… gosh I can’t begin to tell you the love I have for her. She is a powerhouse, so loving, so independently herself. The love she has for herself and for Colin regardless of a diagnosis brought me to tears. the undeniable love these two had for each other, themselves & their family is just ugh everything. And ahem *the rope* 🤭🤭
Happy endings do happen, even with all the mess 🥹🥰
💌 Second Chance
💌 Dual timeline
💌 Tutor/Tutee Relationship
💌 Sex-periment
💌 Child Sidekick
💌 Autism Rep
This book got me from the dedication! All of the elements of this book blended together to make the perfect story. If you have read any of the books from this series you’re going to love this one or if you haven’t you can start with this one, read in order or out! The entire series is incredible but this book will hold a special place in my heart 🥹 The representation for autism and adhd was done so delicately. The characters and their growth was what got me, holding their own and discovering what they both want. Colin for doing the work, loving himself enough to be loved 🥹 we can all take a page out of his book. And Scarlett… gosh I can’t begin to tell you the love I have for her. She is a powerhouse, so loving, so independently herself. The love she has for herself and for Colin regardless of a diagnosis brought me to tears. the undeniable love these two had for each other, themselves & their family is just ugh everything. And ahem *the rope* 🤭🤭
Happy endings do happen, even with all the mess 🥹🥰
November 18, 2024
I was lucky enough to receive a ARC of this book and man am I so so thankful I even filled out the application to receive one.
This book was EVERYTHING. The autism rep was SO well written. Colin was such a complex, beautifully written character and often times I felt like I was really in his head and could understand him. Scarlett was a breath of fresh air, I related to her in more ways than one and her abandonment issues really hit home for me. I LOVED the banter between the other Hartwick siblings, it was so beautiful to see the dynamic each sibling shares with Colin and how each sibling adjusted to his needs. Above all my favorite parts of the book, Colin taking the time to go to therapy and find ways to ACCEPT himself and find ways to help him thrive. I loved to read him talk about things he used to self regulate, and I found myself even googling and reading more about other self regulation techniques for people on the spectrum. Above all, THEO. I loved Colin and Scarlett being exactly who Theo needed, TOGETHER. The ending was a perfect completion of their story, and I cried through the last 4 chapters at least. I cannot wait for the next book in this universe and am holding out for a Kashvi story 😭
Just read the book, seriously. You will not regret it one bit. In fact, I may read it all over again.
This book was EVERYTHING. The autism rep was SO well written. Colin was such a complex, beautifully written character and often times I felt like I was really in his head and could understand him. Scarlett was a breath of fresh air, I related to her in more ways than one and her abandonment issues really hit home for me. I LOVED the banter between the other Hartwick siblings, it was so beautiful to see the dynamic each sibling shares with Colin and how each sibling adjusted to his needs. Above all my favorite parts of the book, Colin taking the time to go to therapy and find ways to ACCEPT himself and find ways to help him thrive. I loved to read him talk about things he used to self regulate, and I found myself even googling and reading more about other self regulation techniques for people on the spectrum. Above all, THEO. I loved Colin and Scarlett being exactly who Theo needed, TOGETHER. The ending was a perfect completion of their story, and I cried through the last 4 chapters at least. I cannot wait for the next book in this universe and am holding out for a Kashvi story 😭
Just read the book, seriously. You will not regret it one bit. In fact, I may read it all over again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2024
This series has a chokehold on me. From book 1, Colin was one of my favorite siblings. I loved seeing his journey from when he was undiagnosed and grieving, to being an advocate for others and himself. The path of grief can take you many places, and I love that this book showed the good and the bad.
Yes, this book made me cry, but it also made me cackle. The 🧴🚿 scene… 🤣🤣. Just like all of Katie’s other books, the wit and charm is all there. What an excellent addition to the series! 💖
Tropes:
-Second chance
-Dual timeline
-Grief and Depression rep
-Autism/relationship
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Yes, this book made me cry, but it also made me cackle. The 🧴🚿 scene… 🤣🤣. Just like all of Katie’s other books, the wit and charm is all there. What an excellent addition to the series! 💖
Tropes:
-Second chance
-Dual timeline
-Grief and Depression rep
-Autism/relationship
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Read
November 26, 2024[ARC review - I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily]
As someone going through the ASD diagnosis process, I appreciate there being more autism representation past that idea that autism always presents as non-verbal or as someone with no empathy. We need more neuro-spicy representation out there! I would have loved there to be female autistic representation, since most ASD rep in media is male, but I guess I’ll take what I can get. It’s funny that they managed to pull off the analytical sex chart, I suggested it to my first partner and that was the end of that partnership.
As always with KGs books, I found the pace was too slow and the book too long. The flashbacks also made the story drag. We’re in the past so much, nothing happens in the present for the first third of the book.
As someone going through the ASD diagnosis process, I appreciate there being more autism representation past that idea that autism always presents as non-verbal or as someone with no empathy. We need more neuro-spicy representation out there! I would have loved there to be female autistic representation, since most ASD rep in media is male, but I guess I’ll take what I can get. It’s funny that they managed to pull off the analytical sex chart, I suggested it to my first partner and that was the end of that partnership.
As always with KGs books, I found the pace was too slow and the book too long. The flashbacks also made the story drag. We’re in the past so much, nothing happens in the present for the first third of the book.
did-not-finish
January 1, 2025DNF at 15%.
I don't want to read about teenagers having casual sex just to get experience. Not appetizing on multiple levels.
I don't want to read about teenagers having casual sex just to get experience. Not appetizing on multiple levels.
November 6, 2024
4 ⭐️ ARC
Ahhhh soooo good !
Ahhhh soooo good !
December 5, 2024
Despite being very well written, emotional, and moving story, this one wasn’t quite for me. While I understand the importance of the dual timelines, there was so much time spent with the characters as teens that I felt as though I was reading a YA novel which isn’t really my speed as an adult. I could’ve used more time with the characters getting to know each other again as adults.
I enjoyed the author’s portrayal of the male lead and his complex emotions regarding his parents, his diagnosis, and himself.
Overall a good read, just not my favourite!
I enjoyed the author’s portrayal of the male lead and his complex emotions regarding his parents, his diagnosis, and himself.
Overall a good read, just not my favourite!
Read
January 9, 2025Once again, the best part of this series is how it deals with grief in realistic and nuanced ways - every character here is dealing with their own form of grief and many from the same event, but Colin’s has definitely been the one I’ve felt the most closely. That feeling that you should be reacting differently, better, that you’re not grieving in The Right Way, that there’s a distinct right way you should be feeling right now and everybody else is feeling it but you. Knowing that you’re sad, knowing that you loved the people you’ve lost, but finding yourself getting angry at the little things like how the grief is affecting your routine instead of the grief itself. Thank you for showing his autistic brain processing in a way that wasn’t bad or wrong, just different - and showing the people in his life not letting him off scot free for his mistakes and how they've hurt people, but understanding him and loving him anyway.
October 29, 2025
This book gave me all the feels, and I honestly didn’t want it to end. It’s sweet, emotional, and packed with moments that make you laugh, cry, and swoon. Colin and Scarlett’s story is everything I didn’t know I needed. Colin is such a perfect balance of charming and straightforward, and Scarlett’s vulnerability makes her so relatable. Also, can we talk about the autism representation? It was so well done and so important! I really wish we had more stories like this. It felt natural and respectful, and Colin’s perspective added such a refreshing layer to the romance. It’s rare to see this kind of representation in books, especially in romance, and it made me fall in love with the story even more. If you’re looking for a second-chance romance that’s heartfelt, unique, and seriously unputdownable, I highly recommend this one—it’s not just a read, it’s an experience! ❤️
November 23, 2024
I’ve just finished this book and I’m sobbing.
It’s not often these days that I annotate throughout reading books because I’m just interested in devouring it, but this one I eagerly devoured AND noted it to smithereens.
I began reading this without even reading the blurb if I’m honest. I quickly understood it was a second chance romance which I’m a sucker for, but what really captured my attention was a quote on page 16.
“𝑾𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 ‘𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓’𝒔 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒏?”
In my wedding vows I wrote of my husband and I lay in bed, whispering with heads on pillows and hands pressed in the space between us like that of wet cement. So this quote really took me back to my wedding day and it got me choked up from chapter 1.
The way Katie explained autism was brilliant. The main character, Colin, shared a lot of similar traits to that of my husband who is yet to be diagnosed and judging from other reviews it’s clear she’s done a fantastic job of explaining it as intricate as how Colin’s brain works. The way he second guesses the meaning of people’s words because he can’t identify sarcasm or saying something you don’t mean.
Her writing was hilarious in parts. Like the scene with Sam trying to give Colin relationship advice? Genius! A natural humour that wasn’t over the top and clearly forced. It was funny moments slipped into scenes that really paid off well.
Even the whole sex thing was well done. Don’t get me wrong, I do love a bit of smut, but I will admit sometimes it feels like sex has been added into a book for the sake of it and I find myself skim reading…I’m not even sorry!
But this wasn’t like that at all. The sex scenes totally made sense. It helped to explain the autistic way of thinking, to rationalise and make logic out of everything. To be so matter of fact about it and find someone who leans into that. I really enjoyed reading these sex scenes - each one was unique and intentional. And in times where a sex scene wasn’t as important to the plot but did build on the dynamic between Scarlett and Colin, it was only briefly mentioned in a “make of that what you will” kind of way.
Even Scarlett’s ramblings were realistic and slotted in naturally. It did drill in the point of her being scatter-brained but it worked well. And pairing her with Colin’s quiet observations worked brilliantly. In fact I made a lot of notes about Colin’s mannerisms, simply noting “I love him” because no other words quite cut it.
The scene at the 5k race killed me. Truly, killed me. I had to pause reading to sob and catch my breath. And I’ve never had that happen before over a side character. I was even bawling over this same character at the very end of the book because my heart couldn’t take it. The circumstances, the care and love Scarlett and Colin give to the world without a batter of an eyelid? I just love them.
Sure, it is an ARC, so there’s elements of over-explaining or under-explaining, or the characters conversations didn’t fit with the setting of the scene, but nothing can knock this down from 5 stars. This is absolutely going on my physical ‘to buy’ wish list.
It’s not often these days that I annotate throughout reading books because I’m just interested in devouring it, but this one I eagerly devoured AND noted it to smithereens.
I began reading this without even reading the blurb if I’m honest. I quickly understood it was a second chance romance which I’m a sucker for, but what really captured my attention was a quote on page 16.
“𝑾𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 ‘𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓’𝒔 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒏?”
In my wedding vows I wrote of my husband and I lay in bed, whispering with heads on pillows and hands pressed in the space between us like that of wet cement. So this quote really took me back to my wedding day and it got me choked up from chapter 1.
The way Katie explained autism was brilliant. The main character, Colin, shared a lot of similar traits to that of my husband who is yet to be diagnosed and judging from other reviews it’s clear she’s done a fantastic job of explaining it as intricate as how Colin’s brain works. The way he second guesses the meaning of people’s words because he can’t identify sarcasm or saying something you don’t mean.
Her writing was hilarious in parts. Like the scene with Sam trying to give Colin relationship advice? Genius! A natural humour that wasn’t over the top and clearly forced. It was funny moments slipped into scenes that really paid off well.
Even the whole sex thing was well done. Don’t get me wrong, I do love a bit of smut, but I will admit sometimes it feels like sex has been added into a book for the sake of it and I find myself skim reading…I’m not even sorry!
But this wasn’t like that at all. The sex scenes totally made sense. It helped to explain the autistic way of thinking, to rationalise and make logic out of everything. To be so matter of fact about it and find someone who leans into that. I really enjoyed reading these sex scenes - each one was unique and intentional. And in times where a sex scene wasn’t as important to the plot but did build on the dynamic between Scarlett and Colin, it was only briefly mentioned in a “make of that what you will” kind of way.
Even Scarlett’s ramblings were realistic and slotted in naturally. It did drill in the point of her being scatter-brained but it worked well. And pairing her with Colin’s quiet observations worked brilliantly. In fact I made a lot of notes about Colin’s mannerisms, simply noting “I love him” because no other words quite cut it.
The scene at the 5k race killed me. Truly, killed me. I had to pause reading to sob and catch my breath. And I’ve never had that happen before over a side character. I was even bawling over this same character at the very end of the book because my heart couldn’t take it. The circumstances, the care and love Scarlett and Colin give to the world without a batter of an eyelid? I just love them.
Sure, it is an ARC, so there’s elements of over-explaining or under-explaining, or the characters conversations didn’t fit with the setting of the scene, but nothing can knock this down from 5 stars. This is absolutely going on my physical ‘to buy’ wish list.
November 15, 2024
🌟Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
💧Drip-o-Meter: 💦💦💦
💗Something I Loved: All the things. The experiment chart. Scarlett’s nickname. The crossovers from the first two books (the way Katie weaves these stories together truly is flawless). But mostly I really loved learning who Colin was. In the first two books I liked him enough but getting to know him more deeply was so eye opening. He’s so earnest and honest and inherently kind and the way he is with his family, Scarlett and Theo especially, is so sweet and heartwarming. I actually think Colin and Scarlett are my favorite couple so far and that’s saying something when I also loved the first two books.
🫤Something I Would Have Changed: I’m impatient so probably just that books 4-7 aren’t available yet 🤷🏻♀️
🥰Favorite Moment: Funniest has to be the lidocaine scene. But favorite… I don’t know how to say it without spoiling something so perfect so this is vague as hell but when Colin gets Pearl a gift in chapter 52 and all that came before it. Also the ending. I wasn’t ready for those tears but boy did they fall. 🥹🥲🥰
🌶️Spiciest Scene: In the present, chapter 44 🪢🥵. In the past, chapters 16 and 18. Did I feel a little yucky enjoying those scenes when I could technically be their (albeit teen) mom? Yes. Did it stop me? Not even a little bit.
📚Standalone vs. Series: Book 3 (of 7) in Katie’s The Ones Series. Maybe you could but I personally wouldn’t suggest reading TOWR without reading the others first.
📖Would I Recommend: Absolutely. Not only do I love how Katie writes and structures her books, like the way she flips from past to present at the perfect moment, keeping you in suspense so that you constantly need to read “just one more chapter”, but I also love how much deeper her books delve than so many others in the genre (while still being funny and swoony). This family has been through so much but Katie doesn’t shy away from their traumas and instead addresses them head on, weaving grief and mental illness throughout these characters and their relationships in such a realistic (but still respectful) way. Plus her advocacy for therapy is always refreshing. This book has everything you could want and I can’t wait to see Scarlett and Colin again (along with all the previous couples) in the next one.
💬Tropes: Second Chance, Dual Timeline, Dual POV, Friends to Lovers (and Enemies to Lovers), Fast Burn (and Slow Burn), Mental Illness and Autism/ADHD Rep
Thank you Katie for the ARC much needed reminder to drink water🚰
💧Drip-o-Meter: 💦💦💦
💗Something I Loved: All the things. The experiment chart. Scarlett’s nickname. The crossovers from the first two books (the way Katie weaves these stories together truly is flawless). But mostly I really loved learning who Colin was. In the first two books I liked him enough but getting to know him more deeply was so eye opening. He’s so earnest and honest and inherently kind and the way he is with his family, Scarlett and Theo especially, is so sweet and heartwarming. I actually think Colin and Scarlett are my favorite couple so far and that’s saying something when I also loved the first two books.
🫤Something I Would Have Changed: I’m impatient so probably just that books 4-7 aren’t available yet 🤷🏻♀️
🥰Favorite Moment: Funniest has to be the lidocaine scene. But favorite… I don’t know how to say it without spoiling something so perfect so this is vague as hell but when Colin gets Pearl a gift in chapter 52 and all that came before it. Also the ending. I wasn’t ready for those tears but boy did they fall. 🥹🥲🥰
🌶️Spiciest Scene: In the present, chapter 44 🪢🥵. In the past, chapters 16 and 18. Did I feel a little yucky enjoying those scenes when I could technically be their (albeit teen) mom? Yes. Did it stop me? Not even a little bit.
📚Standalone vs. Series: Book 3 (of 7) in Katie’s The Ones Series. Maybe you could but I personally wouldn’t suggest reading TOWR without reading the others first.
📖Would I Recommend: Absolutely. Not only do I love how Katie writes and structures her books, like the way she flips from past to present at the perfect moment, keeping you in suspense so that you constantly need to read “just one more chapter”, but I also love how much deeper her books delve than so many others in the genre (while still being funny and swoony). This family has been through so much but Katie doesn’t shy away from their traumas and instead addresses them head on, weaving grief and mental illness throughout these characters and their relationships in such a realistic (but still respectful) way. Plus her advocacy for therapy is always refreshing. This book has everything you could want and I can’t wait to see Scarlett and Colin again (along with all the previous couples) in the next one.
💬Tropes: Second Chance, Dual Timeline, Dual POV, Friends to Lovers (and Enemies to Lovers), Fast Burn (and Slow Burn), Mental Illness and Autism/ADHD Rep
Thank you Katie for the ARC much needed reminder to drink water🚰
November 20, 2024
The Ones We Remember by Katie Golightly
4.5/5 ⭐ 🌶️🌶️1/2
Thank you to Lovenotes PR and Katie Golightly for this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was just released November 17, 2024 so it is available now.
This is the third book in The Ones Series but it is a stand alone and you can read it by itself. As the only book in the series I've read it was easy to follow along.
Trigger warning: there is grief, depression, and suicidal thoughts in the book. Though I feel the author handled it very well but I just wanted to warn you in case that's a sensitive issue for you.
The overall storyline was really good and had me drawn in to figure out what happened between Scarlett and Colin. The story is told on dual POV and dual timeline between their past and their present. You will find yourself reading to figure out what happened back then and what is going to happen now that Colin has come back into Scarlett's life again after 5 years of no communication.
You will like this story if you enjoy:
Friends to lovers
Right person wrong time
Second chance romance
Disability representation
Dual timeline/POV
This is on the spicy side but that adds to the whole point of the story. The spice is not overly wild but reminds me more of Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory trying to figure out sex through a scientific experiment including using charts to map out their experiences.
If you want to avoid the spice the author gives a guide at the end of the book on which chapters to avoid. I really like that this was included as an option to keep it clean.
Colin Hartrick is back. Even after five years away from his hometown, nothing could ever make him forget his family or the girl he left behind. The ghost of his eighteen-year-old, grief-stricken self never fails to remind him of how much he lost. Despite every memory and all the lingering feelings that sparked from their intimacy experiment, the girl of his dreams now wants nothing to do with him.
Scarlett Wallace made a mistake. At the time, agreeing to a sexperiment with her charmingly direct lab partner and tutor seemed like the best way to find out what she liked in bed. Nothing could have prepared her for the whirlwind romance and subsequent fallout that would leave her with a shattered heart. Just as she feels she has moved on, the return of the only boy she ever loved makes her question whether she will ever be able to separate her heart from his.
4.5/5 ⭐ 🌶️🌶️1/2
Thank you to Lovenotes PR and Katie Golightly for this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was just released November 17, 2024 so it is available now.
This is the third book in The Ones Series but it is a stand alone and you can read it by itself. As the only book in the series I've read it was easy to follow along.
Trigger warning: there is grief, depression, and suicidal thoughts in the book. Though I feel the author handled it very well but I just wanted to warn you in case that's a sensitive issue for you.
The overall storyline was really good and had me drawn in to figure out what happened between Scarlett and Colin. The story is told on dual POV and dual timeline between their past and their present. You will find yourself reading to figure out what happened back then and what is going to happen now that Colin has come back into Scarlett's life again after 5 years of no communication.
You will like this story if you enjoy:
Friends to lovers
Right person wrong time
Second chance romance
Disability representation
Dual timeline/POV
This is on the spicy side but that adds to the whole point of the story. The spice is not overly wild but reminds me more of Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory trying to figure out sex through a scientific experiment including using charts to map out their experiences.
If you want to avoid the spice the author gives a guide at the end of the book on which chapters to avoid. I really like that this was included as an option to keep it clean.
Colin Hartrick is back. Even after five years away from his hometown, nothing could ever make him forget his family or the girl he left behind. The ghost of his eighteen-year-old, grief-stricken self never fails to remind him of how much he lost. Despite every memory and all the lingering feelings that sparked from their intimacy experiment, the girl of his dreams now wants nothing to do with him.
Scarlett Wallace made a mistake. At the time, agreeing to a sexperiment with her charmingly direct lab partner and tutor seemed like the best way to find out what she liked in bed. Nothing could have prepared her for the whirlwind romance and subsequent fallout that would leave her with a shattered heart. Just as she feels she has moved on, the return of the only boy she ever loved makes her question whether she will ever be able to separate her heart from his.
November 17, 2024
This book did in fact make me cry. Colin and Scarlet are so utterly perfect and I just love them so much. I’ve been obsessed with the other two books in this series and this one is no exception. The dual timeline was done so well and I felt so connected to both of them.
Reading about them at 18 was adorable and I loved every second of it. You could just see Colin open up to Scarlet and really talk about what he was feeling. It was so nice for him to have that because he didn’t feel like he could do that with his own family.
Scarlett at 18 was so unsure of herself and Colin really gave her that reassurance. She knew that he was never gonna bullshit her and he was always going to tell her the truth. Obviously that had its faults and played a part in their break up but it was necessary.
You don’t truly know why they break up until near the end of the book and it is heartbreaking. All I wanted to do was give Colin a big hug and tell him everything going to be all right.
In the present timeline, it is so understandable why Scarlet does not want to be around Colin. Being in Colin’s head is very funny because he’s just so adamant that he’s still in love with her, but he has no idea how to get her back. He knows that it was his fault and all he wants to do is be able to love her.
I like seeing Colin after years of therapy and after he truly understands himself. He knows that it’s okay to ask for help and everyone around him loves him and he’s not a burden. I love his bonding scenes with Leo and just seeing him be one of the guys.
There were a lot of time jumps in the book, but I felt as though they served a purpose. It showed that Scarlet was slowly letting Colin back into her life without it being overwhelming. He was just at her art class two times a week, helping their little buddy Theo. On that note, let’s talk about Theo. The entire plot line 100% made me cry. Colin is just the perfect person to be paired with Theo and to help that little boy through life. Scarlet is also there and is able to come along side both of them to be what they need. A little bit of a spoiler but near the end when they’re at the race and Colin realizes that all Theo has ever needed is someone to hug him and show him that he’s loved and the whole family crowded around them. I was a mess.
Scarlet just really needed to see that Colin truly loved her and he was never gonna leave her. I loved all the ways that he did this and I just love them together.
I’m very excited for all the rest of the siblings books.
I received an arc from love notes pr.
Reading about them at 18 was adorable and I loved every second of it. You could just see Colin open up to Scarlet and really talk about what he was feeling. It was so nice for him to have that because he didn’t feel like he could do that with his own family.
Scarlett at 18 was so unsure of herself and Colin really gave her that reassurance. She knew that he was never gonna bullshit her and he was always going to tell her the truth. Obviously that had its faults and played a part in their break up but it was necessary.
You don’t truly know why they break up until near the end of the book and it is heartbreaking. All I wanted to do was give Colin a big hug and tell him everything going to be all right.
In the present timeline, it is so understandable why Scarlet does not want to be around Colin. Being in Colin’s head is very funny because he’s just so adamant that he’s still in love with her, but he has no idea how to get her back. He knows that it was his fault and all he wants to do is be able to love her.
I like seeing Colin after years of therapy and after he truly understands himself. He knows that it’s okay to ask for help and everyone around him loves him and he’s not a burden. I love his bonding scenes with Leo and just seeing him be one of the guys.
There were a lot of time jumps in the book, but I felt as though they served a purpose. It showed that Scarlet was slowly letting Colin back into her life without it being overwhelming. He was just at her art class two times a week, helping their little buddy Theo. On that note, let’s talk about Theo. The entire plot line 100% made me cry. Colin is just the perfect person to be paired with Theo and to help that little boy through life. Scarlet is also there and is able to come along side both of them to be what they need. A little bit of a spoiler but near the end when they’re at the race and Colin realizes that all Theo has ever needed is someone to hug him and show him that he’s loved and the whole family crowded around them. I was a mess.
Scarlet just really needed to see that Colin truly loved her and he was never gonna leave her. I loved all the ways that he did this and I just love them together.
I’m very excited for all the rest of the siblings books.
I received an arc from love notes pr.
November 24, 2024
At first, I thought that this would not be an easy read for me as I am a mom of a boy with autism myself and have to deal with many difficult things daily, I even thought for a second in the beginning that I would not finish the book because it might be a little triggering for me, but eventually, I decided to give it a chance, which was eventually very good choice.
I feel like everyone must fall in love with Colin straight away and that it must have been extremely hard to write a character like this, lovable yet a little bit different from all of us.
Both main characters are amazing, even though I mostly enjoyed the "before" parts where they were just starting to get to know each other and building their relationship. Along with this little love story, we can also see how they are trying to handle Colin's autism and the past traumas that they both had.
I felt like this story was a mix of two books. One was the cute romance where you can see a lot of spicy scenes (I loved them, they were written so differently and looked so real. Especially when all I read until now was simultaneous orga*m* and couples that work together so well from the first time, which I kinda like of course, but this was a very nice change. These scenes were brilliantly written, also the part when Scarlett got her period, yes please, the period pain is real!).
The second book was not easy to read and I am sure it was not easy to write as there are so many painful moments that our characters had to go through and we can see how they are trying to live with all the pain and deal with traumas that came to their life.
I like the mix of these two and I am glad, that the book is longer than usual contemporary romances these days because I can't imagine how would the author write about all those things in just a couple of pages. And right now as I am writing this, I am rethinking how good this book is and that I should change those 4 stars to 5.
If you are looking for not very typical romance where you will feel all the emotions this is definitely a good pick. I didn't read anything like this before but I liked this book and I am going to check the author's GR profile right now to check her other books because I need more.
I feel like everyone must fall in love with Colin straight away and that it must have been extremely hard to write a character like this, lovable yet a little bit different from all of us.
Both main characters are amazing, even though I mostly enjoyed the "before" parts where they were just starting to get to know each other and building their relationship. Along with this little love story, we can also see how they are trying to handle Colin's autism and the past traumas that they both had.
I felt like this story was a mix of two books. One was the cute romance where you can see a lot of spicy scenes (I loved them, they were written so differently and looked so real. Especially when all I read until now was simultaneous orga*m* and couples that work together so well from the first time, which I kinda like of course, but this was a very nice change. These scenes were brilliantly written, also the part when Scarlett got her period, yes please, the period pain is real!).
The second book was not easy to read and I am sure it was not easy to write as there are so many painful moments that our characters had to go through and we can see how they are trying to live with all the pain and deal with traumas that came to their life.
I like the mix of these two and I am glad, that the book is longer than usual contemporary romances these days because I can't imagine how would the author write about all those things in just a couple of pages. And right now as I am writing this, I am rethinking how good this book is and that I should change those 4 stars to 5.
If you are looking for not very typical romance where you will feel all the emotions this is definitely a good pick. I didn't read anything like this before but I liked this book and I am going to check the author's GR profile right now to check her other books because I need more.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews