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Never Over
A swoony second-chance romance where facing the one who broke your heart could be the thing that makes your dream come true.
Twenty-five-year-old Paige Lancaster is one contract away from earning a living doing her favorite thing in the world: writing songs. But when a music industry professional suggests she might be holding back with her lyrics to lessen the heartbreak of an old flame, Paige doubts if her music is ready to be heard.
In a rare, impulsive move, Paige contacts Liam Bishop after four years of no contact to ask him for a small favor: date her, and then re-break her heart, all so she can remember what those big, songworthy emotions felt like. And since Liam is the one who first set Paige on this career path, he hesitantly agrees.
Across three months of Liam’s summer work travel, the exes are forced to share hotel beds, rehash the past, and date in the present, all while navigating the building attraction between them they both swore was the one line of their agreement they wouldn’t cross.
But when it becomes near impossible not to act on their rippling chemistry, and as ever intensifying feelings blur the lines of what’s actually real and what’s driven by the music, Paige and Liam will both have to decide what’s more important: art for the sake of it, or love over everything.
Twenty-five-year-old Paige Lancaster is one contract away from earning a living doing her favorite thing in the world: writing songs. But when a music industry professional suggests she might be holding back with her lyrics to lessen the heartbreak of an old flame, Paige doubts if her music is ready to be heard.
In a rare, impulsive move, Paige contacts Liam Bishop after four years of no contact to ask him for a small favor: date her, and then re-break her heart, all so she can remember what those big, songworthy emotions felt like. And since Liam is the one who first set Paige on this career path, he hesitantly agrees.
Across three months of Liam’s summer work travel, the exes are forced to share hotel beds, rehash the past, and date in the present, all while navigating the building attraction between them they both swore was the one line of their agreement they wouldn’t cross.
But when it becomes near impossible not to act on their rippling chemistry, and as ever intensifying feelings blur the lines of what’s actually real and what’s driven by the music, Paige and Liam will both have to decide what’s more important: art for the sake of it, or love over everything.
340 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2025
476 people are currently reading
33151 people want to read
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October 30, 2025
dnf @ 60%
Why are all the new romance releases such flops? 😭
First off, I should have known better from the moment I read the premise, because that alone should have been my giant warning sign to run in the opposite direction. A singer-songwriter who can't write good lyrics decides the brilliant solution to her creative drought is to ask her ex-boyfriend to break her heart again so she can finally feel something deep enough to write about. Like, already, wtf is this supposed to be??? I should have just not opened the book after reading that blurb and moved on with my life, but unfortunately, I never listen to my gut instincts, and I really need to stop being so willing to give books a chance just because I see my mutuals loving it.
This author's books have been sitting on my tbr for ages because so many people have hyped up her writing style that I genuinely figured I was in for something great. Instead, I could not get into this writing style for the life of me, no matter how hard I tried or how many pages I forced myself through. I dnfed at around the 60% mark because continuing any further felt like pure self-inflicted TORTURE.
The dual timelines were an absolute disaster. I understand that second-chance romance is a difficult trope to execute well because you need to make readers care about both the past relationship and the present one, but these timelines were so poorly executed and so messily woven together that I wasn't invested in either of them. Even worse, we don't even know why there's this massive gap between the timelines or what actually caused the initial breakup in the first place, which seems like pretty crucial information for a second chance romance. I assume I would have found out eventually if I'd pushed through to the end, but what's the point of continuing when the characters are so deeply uninteresting that I can't bring myself to care? Their story was flat-out boring, and I genuinely did not care why or how they broke up or whether they'd get back together, and that's essentially a death sentence for a second-chance romance.
The fmc Paige's opening line tells us that the two things people know her for are her sisters and her best friend, so already right off the bat, we're not exactly getting a compelling introduction to our main character. And throughout the entire story, Paige never develops into anything more than a character who's completely defined by everyone around her.
We're told she's a songwriter and that her lyrics are aggressively terrible, which I understand is supposed to be the whole point—because if that didn't happen, then what would even be the point of the book? The author clearly wants us to see Paige as someone who's lacking depth and emotional experience, someone who desperately needs to grow and learn what real heartbreak feels like. But there's a massive difference between writing a genuinely flawed character who feels real and writing a character who's so insufferably ridiculous that you start questioning your own sanity for continuing to read about her.
I also have absolutely no words to describe the mmc because he was just so bland and forgettable. I don't even understand why these two supposedly deserve each other or why we're meant to root for them, because they're both incredibly boring with no discernible personality traits or chemistry whatsoever.
Don't let my thoughts stop you from reading this if you think you can look past a ridiculous plot, but for me, this entire experience gave me nothing but a massive headache.
Why are all the new romance releases such flops? 😭
First off, I should have known better from the moment I read the premise, because that alone should have been my giant warning sign to run in the opposite direction. A singer-songwriter who can't write good lyrics decides the brilliant solution to her creative drought is to ask her ex-boyfriend to break her heart again so she can finally feel something deep enough to write about. Like, already, wtf is this supposed to be??? I should have just not opened the book after reading that blurb and moved on with my life, but unfortunately, I never listen to my gut instincts, and I really need to stop being so willing to give books a chance just because I see my mutuals loving it.
This author's books have been sitting on my tbr for ages because so many people have hyped up her writing style that I genuinely figured I was in for something great. Instead, I could not get into this writing style for the life of me, no matter how hard I tried or how many pages I forced myself through. I dnfed at around the 60% mark because continuing any further felt like pure self-inflicted TORTURE.
The dual timelines were an absolute disaster. I understand that second-chance romance is a difficult trope to execute well because you need to make readers care about both the past relationship and the present one, but these timelines were so poorly executed and so messily woven together that I wasn't invested in either of them. Even worse, we don't even know why there's this massive gap between the timelines or what actually caused the initial breakup in the first place, which seems like pretty crucial information for a second chance romance. I assume I would have found out eventually if I'd pushed through to the end, but what's the point of continuing when the characters are so deeply uninteresting that I can't bring myself to care? Their story was flat-out boring, and I genuinely did not care why or how they broke up or whether they'd get back together, and that's essentially a death sentence for a second-chance romance.
The fmc Paige's opening line tells us that the two things people know her for are her sisters and her best friend, so already right off the bat, we're not exactly getting a compelling introduction to our main character. And throughout the entire story, Paige never develops into anything more than a character who's completely defined by everyone around her.
We're told she's a songwriter and that her lyrics are aggressively terrible, which I understand is supposed to be the whole point—because if that didn't happen, then what would even be the point of the book? The author clearly wants us to see Paige as someone who's lacking depth and emotional experience, someone who desperately needs to grow and learn what real heartbreak feels like. But there's a massive difference between writing a genuinely flawed character who feels real and writing a character who's so insufferably ridiculous that you start questioning your own sanity for continuing to read about her.
I also have absolutely no words to describe the mmc because he was just so bland and forgettable. I don't even understand why these two supposedly deserve each other or why we're meant to root for them, because they're both incredibly boring with no discernible personality traits or chemistry whatsoever.
Don't let my thoughts stop you from reading this if you think you can look past a ridiculous plot, but for me, this entire experience gave me nothing but a massive headache.
October 30, 2025
WOW. Just… WOW. I don’t say this lightly—this year, many of my favorite romance authors left me feeling underwhelmed. I found myself yearning—no, craving—for a story that would reignite the spark. I needed something with heart, with banter that bites, characters that feel real, a romance that makes you giddy and emotional all at once. And guess what? This book absolutely saved the day. It didn’t just meet my expectations—it gave me the romance equivalent of a full stadium concert and brought the house down!
From the very first pages, I knew Liam and Paige were something special. Their chemistry was magnetic, their dynamic electric, and their story utterly absorbing. I devoured every interaction, every flashback, every bittersweet moment of reconnection and healing.
Paige Lancaster is the heart and soul of this story. She’s an aspiring songwriter with a soft spirit, always lingering in the background as the youngest of five big-personality sisters, constantly referred to as someone’s little sister or best friend. But a chance encounter in a bookstore changes everything. That’s where she meets Liam Bishop—college baseball star, full of swagger and pain, still reeling from the death of his father and a career-ending injury. What Paige doesn’t know is that Liam had already seen her. He followed her into that bookstore because something about her gave him hope.
Their connection becomes something real. Not quite labeled, not easily defined—but deeply felt. And then… heartbreak. Misunderstandings, emotional wounds, timing—it all collapses. And they part ways, both hurting more than they admit.
Fast forward four years: Paige is living in Nashville, freshly graduated from music school, crashing with her wildly adventurous and heavily pregnant sister Folly, and barely scraping by as a waitress. Just when she’s about to give up, a legendary music producer hears her songs—and gives her a shot. But there’s one catch: she has to dig deeper. Her lyrics are technically perfect, but emotionally hollow. She needs to feel, to bleed, to be vulnerable on the page. But how?
Cue Liam. The boy who broke her heart. The man who became her muse.
Paige crashes the CMA Fest where Liam is now working behind the scenes, and she asks him—outright—to help her break through her emotional walls. Not literally, of course, but she knows he’s the only one who ever made her feel enough to write music that matters.
Liam’s conditions? No intimacy. No blurred lines. Just two months on tour together—sharing buses, stages, hotels, past pain and new memories. If nothing else, they’ll leave the past in the rearview mirror. But if sparks fly again? They’ll face it honestly.
And oh, do sparks fly. Their time together is the perfect second-chance, slow-burn romance with just the right amount of angst, banter, forced proximity, and personal growth. Watching Paige rediscover her voice, her confidence, and her ability to take center stage in her own story was genuinely uplifting. And Liam? The way he supported her this time around—no games, just honesty and real effort—made him total book boyfriend material.
Final Thoughts? I laughed, I teared up, I underlined lyrics and lines like they were songs I didn’t know I needed. This book is romantic, soulful, empowering, and beautifully written. It’s hands-down one of the best contemporary romances I’ve read all year. If I could, I’d give it all the stars in the sky.
A huge and heartfelt thank-you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this incredibly special romance’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts. I adored every page—and I’ll be first in line for anything this author writes next.
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From the very first pages, I knew Liam and Paige were something special. Their chemistry was magnetic, their dynamic electric, and their story utterly absorbing. I devoured every interaction, every flashback, every bittersweet moment of reconnection and healing.
Paige Lancaster is the heart and soul of this story. She’s an aspiring songwriter with a soft spirit, always lingering in the background as the youngest of five big-personality sisters, constantly referred to as someone’s little sister or best friend. But a chance encounter in a bookstore changes everything. That’s where she meets Liam Bishop—college baseball star, full of swagger and pain, still reeling from the death of his father and a career-ending injury. What Paige doesn’t know is that Liam had already seen her. He followed her into that bookstore because something about her gave him hope.
Their connection becomes something real. Not quite labeled, not easily defined—but deeply felt. And then… heartbreak. Misunderstandings, emotional wounds, timing—it all collapses. And they part ways, both hurting more than they admit.
Fast forward four years: Paige is living in Nashville, freshly graduated from music school, crashing with her wildly adventurous and heavily pregnant sister Folly, and barely scraping by as a waitress. Just when she’s about to give up, a legendary music producer hears her songs—and gives her a shot. But there’s one catch: she has to dig deeper. Her lyrics are technically perfect, but emotionally hollow. She needs to feel, to bleed, to be vulnerable on the page. But how?
Cue Liam. The boy who broke her heart. The man who became her muse.
Paige crashes the CMA Fest where Liam is now working behind the scenes, and she asks him—outright—to help her break through her emotional walls. Not literally, of course, but she knows he’s the only one who ever made her feel enough to write music that matters.
Liam’s conditions? No intimacy. No blurred lines. Just two months on tour together—sharing buses, stages, hotels, past pain and new memories. If nothing else, they’ll leave the past in the rearview mirror. But if sparks fly again? They’ll face it honestly.
And oh, do sparks fly. Their time together is the perfect second-chance, slow-burn romance with just the right amount of angst, banter, forced proximity, and personal growth. Watching Paige rediscover her voice, her confidence, and her ability to take center stage in her own story was genuinely uplifting. And Liam? The way he supported her this time around—no games, just honesty and real effort—made him total book boyfriend material.
Final Thoughts? I laughed, I teared up, I underlined lyrics and lines like they were songs I didn’t know I needed. This book is romantic, soulful, empowering, and beautifully written. It’s hands-down one of the best contemporary romances I’ve read all year. If I could, I’d give it all the stars in the sky.
A huge and heartfelt thank-you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / St. Martin’s Griffin for sharing this incredibly special romance’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts. I adored every page—and I’ll be first in line for anything this author writes next.
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October 16, 2025
જ⁀➴ 4.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley, Clare Gilmore, and St. Martin's Press for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Never Over will be officially published on October 28th, 2025, OR you can get it NOW exclusively through the Book of the Month book subscription box as one of their October 2025 monthly picks if you're in the US or Canada!
‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹
Oh. My. Gosh. So, as some of you may know, I'm a pretty harsh rater and reviewer. It's extremely hard for me to give books four and five-star ratings, and I don't even have any books I'd consider six-star reads, because that would mean it would have to be so flawless and perfectly executed that a five-star rating wouldn't be enough.
I stayed up until 2:30 AM finishing this last night, knowing damn well I have work in the morning. I don't remember the last time I stayed up late to finish a book. This was an absolute DELIGHT to read, and I have SO much to say right now about Never Over but my review's going to have to wait until I have free time to draft the review and write it. For now, all I'll say is that if you haven't put this on your TBR yet, do it now and thank me later.
✎𓂃Full review to come soon!
‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: I've been slacking on my ARCs recently, not because I'm in a slump, but because I literally have been so busy with work that I've barely had the time to read. This ARC will be the first one I read for October, and I'm so excited to read this because I've only heard good things so far about this one!💜🧡 This is also my first Clare Gilmore book, so I can't wait to see what her writing has in store for me.
Thank you to NetGalley, Clare Gilmore, and St. Martin's Press for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Never Over will be officially published on October 28th, 2025, OR you can get it NOW exclusively through the Book of the Month book subscription box as one of their October 2025 monthly picks if you're in the US or Canada!
"Over everything," I whisper, breathing him in, feeling the realness of him under my palms. "Through everything. We'll stay."
‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹
Oh. My. Gosh. So, as some of you may know, I'm a pretty harsh rater and reviewer. It's extremely hard for me to give books four and five-star ratings, and I don't even have any books I'd consider six-star reads, because that would mean it would have to be so flawless and perfectly executed that a five-star rating wouldn't be enough.
I stayed up until 2:30 AM finishing this last night, knowing damn well I have work in the morning. I don't remember the last time I stayed up late to finish a book. This was an absolute DELIGHT to read, and I have SO much to say right now about Never Over but my review's going to have to wait until I have free time to draft the review and write it. For now, all I'll say is that if you haven't put this on your TBR yet, do it now and thank me later.
✎𓂃Full review to come soon!
‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹ ‧₊˚♪ 𝄞₊˚⊹
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: I've been slacking on my ARCs recently, not because I'm in a slump, but because I literally have been so busy with work that I've barely had the time to read. This ARC will be the first one I read for October, and I'm so excited to read this because I've only heard good things so far about this one!💜🧡 This is also my first Clare Gilmore book, so I can't wait to see what her writing has in store for me.
July 26, 2025
This romance novel was a great one! It had all of my favorite tropes in it. I really loved that the characters communicated well in this story, it made the book a lot more fun and enjoyable! This book made me feel emotional and lighthearted. It is a medium paced read with lovable characters! I was really happy with the emotional depth that these characters had. It made me feel like I really knew who they truly were. The cover of this book drew me in and I just knew that I would love it!
I really appreciated the music theme in this story. The dual timeline in this book was phenomenal! I feel like this story is one of the best second chance romance books! I really liked the wittiness of the characters, especially Liam’s! I do feel that the side characters of the story stood out as well. The chemistry between the two main characters literally had me giggling! They had strong chemistry! I could feel it and it just made me feel giddy and my heart really happy! Fake dating happened and it turned into having really strong feelings for one another. Paige and Liam, you will forever be memorable to me!
“Never Over” is a novel that centers around a twenty five year old girl named Paige and a guy named Liam. Liam is Paige’s former college boyfriend. Liam had a baseball career that ended all of a sudden, so he becomes a concert manager and goes on a music tour. Since these two do have a history together, sparks do fly between the two. As the story unravels, it explores love and identity! Overall, I rate this a 4 out of 5 stars!
Content warnings include death of a parent, sexual content, and grief. I think fans of the author Emily Henry would really enjoy reading this book!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Clare Gilmore and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for this digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book is expected to be published on October 28, 2025!
I really appreciated the music theme in this story. The dual timeline in this book was phenomenal! I feel like this story is one of the best second chance romance books! I really liked the wittiness of the characters, especially Liam’s! I do feel that the side characters of the story stood out as well. The chemistry between the two main characters literally had me giggling! They had strong chemistry! I could feel it and it just made me feel giddy and my heart really happy! Fake dating happened and it turned into having really strong feelings for one another. Paige and Liam, you will forever be memorable to me!
“Never Over” is a novel that centers around a twenty five year old girl named Paige and a guy named Liam. Liam is Paige’s former college boyfriend. Liam had a baseball career that ended all of a sudden, so he becomes a concert manager and goes on a music tour. Since these two do have a history together, sparks do fly between the two. As the story unravels, it explores love and identity! Overall, I rate this a 4 out of 5 stars!
Content warnings include death of a parent, sexual content, and grief. I think fans of the author Emily Henry would really enjoy reading this book!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Clare Gilmore and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for this digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book is expected to be published on October 28, 2025!
dnf
November 19, 2025DNF at 40%
I tried, but it’s just not working for me.
Mostly because it didn’t grab my attention, like at all. I never wanted to pick it up and when I did it just bored/annoyed me.
I also wasn’t a fan of the characters or the flashback chapters.
And the plot was kind of absurd. That one is on me because it was all right there in the synopsis. I just honestly expected it to go about it in a more nuanced way. But it didn’t … Paige has this bizarre idea, immediately runs to find Liam, who she hasn’t seen or spoken to in years, tells him that he needs to date her again to break her heart again so she can write sad songs again, and he just agrees to that, completely unfazed.
From that point on, I couldn’t take it seriously anymore.
Which is my problem obviously.
If this sounds fine to you and you can suspend your disbelief more than I can, then I’d recommend you check this out.
Unlike me, you might just like it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
I tried, but it’s just not working for me.
Mostly because it didn’t grab my attention, like at all. I never wanted to pick it up and when I did it just bored/annoyed me.
I also wasn’t a fan of the characters or the flashback chapters.
And the plot was kind of absurd. That one is on me because it was all right there in the synopsis. I just honestly expected it to go about it in a more nuanced way. But it didn’t … Paige has this bizarre idea, immediately runs to find Liam, who she hasn’t seen or spoken to in years, tells him that he needs to date her again to break her heart again so she can write sad songs again, and he just agrees to that, completely unfazed.
From that point on, I couldn’t take it seriously anymore.
Which is my problem obviously.
If this sounds fine to you and you can suspend your disbelief more than I can, then I’d recommend you check this out.
Unlike me, you might just like it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Want to read
August 5, 2025I don’t even recall requesting this one… SMP is stacking them on me lol.
I’ll update tropes shortly
I’ll update tropes shortly
May 25, 2025
liam and paige 🥹🥹��
i literally just said in my last review that i don’t love second chance romance books ... until they’re done like this one and I AM IN LOVEEEE !!!!
this was so cute and fun and cheesy while also being so emotional and deep and well-written, it was such a perfect balance and clearly made it a five star read for me. will absolutelyyyy be reading more by this author because this one just scratched an itch so perfectly for me.
also this COVER??? so gorgeous UGH i’m buying the paperback the second it releases i can’t
pre-read:
so so excited for my first claire gilmore read 🩷⭐
thank you to netgalley & st martins press for the arc! all opinions are my own <3
i literally just said in my last review that i don’t love second chance romance books ... until they’re done like this one and I AM IN LOVEEEE !!!!
this was so cute and fun and cheesy while also being so emotional and deep and well-written, it was such a perfect balance and clearly made it a five star read for me. will absolutelyyyy be reading more by this author because this one just scratched an itch so perfectly for me.
also this COVER??? so gorgeous UGH i’m buying the paperback the second it releases i can’t
pre-read:
so so excited for my first claire gilmore read 🩷⭐
thank you to netgalley & st martins press for the arc! all opinions are my own <3
April 14, 2025
I LOVED THIS!!!!!
That epilogue was the most beautiful thing I've ever read. I was SOBBING LIKE A LUNATIC
That epilogue was the most beautiful thing I've ever read. I was SOBBING LIKE A LUNATIC
November 21, 2025
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── 6 stars
arc review 💌
release date: oct 28
⁀➴ 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬
💌 second chance
🎵 music industry
💌 yearning
🎵 he falls harder
💌 grief
🎵 forced proximity
ᝰ.ᐟ 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
words cannot begin to explain how much i actually adored this book. like i’m still processing how much it meant to me. this book hit so hard and it feels so comforting. i think it’s a mix of emily henry and cara bastone, because it had all the feels and so raw and emotional. no idea how to compare this book because it was just perfection. both characters were so loveable and understandable. like i felt pain for both of them, the miscommunication and the what ifs. ugh i will forever love liam and paige.
this story follows paige rekindling with her ex and biggest heartbreak (and muse) liam. she’s an aspiring song writer and needs more feeling in her songs so what better way to sing about loss and emotion than getting back with your ex, except this time she wants him to break her heart on purpose. it’s an interesting and unique story about them falling back in love and acknowledging the pain from 4 years ago back to the surface.
this was such a beautiful story of grief, love, heartbreak, healing and actually finding yourself. i feel like i am always drawn to these type of stories and i just adore how realistic and raw they are. this is a couple that will forever be imprinted in my heart. thank you clare for writing this wonderful story, will be checking out your other books asap.
definitely in my top 10 books ever
please go read this on oct 28 and yap with me about how amazing liam and paige are (no hate for them is tolerated here !!!)
___
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-read
put out a poll for my next read and this won!! heard nothing but amazinggg things so very excited <3 if yk me yk i looooove second chance so i cannot wait to dive into this one
↪ started august 13
✦ when liam gets back, it’s like the clouds part, and i can finally have sun again
arc review 💌
release date: oct 28
⁀➴ 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬
💌 second chance
🎵 music industry
💌 yearning
🎵 he falls harder
💌 grief
🎵 forced proximity
ᝰ.ᐟ 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
words cannot begin to explain how much i actually adored this book. like i’m still processing how much it meant to me. this book hit so hard and it feels so comforting. i think it’s a mix of emily henry and cara bastone, because it had all the feels and so raw and emotional. no idea how to compare this book because it was just perfection. both characters were so loveable and understandable. like i felt pain for both of them, the miscommunication and the what ifs. ugh i will forever love liam and paige.
this story follows paige rekindling with her ex and biggest heartbreak (and muse) liam. she’s an aspiring song writer and needs more feeling in her songs so what better way to sing about loss and emotion than getting back with your ex, except this time she wants him to break her heart on purpose. it’s an interesting and unique story about them falling back in love and acknowledging the pain from 4 years ago back to the surface.
this was such a beautiful story of grief, love, heartbreak, healing and actually finding yourself. i feel like i am always drawn to these type of stories and i just adore how realistic and raw they are. this is a couple that will forever be imprinted in my heart. thank you clare for writing this wonderful story, will be checking out your other books asap.
definitely in my top 10 books ever
please go read this on oct 28 and yap with me about how amazing liam and paige are (no hate for them is tolerated here !!!)
___
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-read
put out a poll for my next read and this won!! heard nothing but amazinggg things so very excited <3 if yk me yk i looooove second chance so i cannot wait to dive into this one
↪ started august 13
June 30, 2025
Just fell to the floor this book is EVERYTHING
Never Over is second chance romance goodness, written with aching emotion and lending voice to the weight of grief and how far we will go in pursuit of our dreams. Messy twenty-somethings still figuring out life is Clare Gilmore’s bread and butter, and her third novel is arguably the best of the best and the messiest of the twenty somethings. Dual timelines give rise to a second chance love story between determined songwriter Paige Lancaster, and Liam Bishop, her ex—once lauded baseball pitcher now concert manager on the tour circuit. Never Over is a love story centered around life on tour, bookstore meet cutes, baseball training, and a heartwarming love letter to Bristol, Tennessee. Clare Gilmore has completely shifted what constitutes an excellent execution of the second chance romance trope with Never Over and I am in complete awe of her talent. This feels like a book written for the overlooked younger children finding their voice and their place in adulthood after being lost in the background for so long. At the same time, the danger in letting yourself be defined by one thing and what happens when that dream abruptly ends. Like the most addictive sort of love song: Never Over is a romance to pour over, read, and repeat. Healing and cathartic all in one note.
Read my review
Bookstagram | Blog
Never Over is second chance romance goodness, written with aching emotion and lending voice to the weight of grief and how far we will go in pursuit of our dreams. Messy twenty-somethings still figuring out life is Clare Gilmore’s bread and butter, and her third novel is arguably the best of the best and the messiest of the twenty somethings. Dual timelines give rise to a second chance love story between determined songwriter Paige Lancaster, and Liam Bishop, her ex—once lauded baseball pitcher now concert manager on the tour circuit. Never Over is a love story centered around life on tour, bookstore meet cutes, baseball training, and a heartwarming love letter to Bristol, Tennessee. Clare Gilmore has completely shifted what constitutes an excellent execution of the second chance romance trope with Never Over and I am in complete awe of her talent. This feels like a book written for the overlooked younger children finding their voice and their place in adulthood after being lost in the background for so long. At the same time, the danger in letting yourself be defined by one thing and what happens when that dream abruptly ends. Like the most addictive sort of love song: Never Over is a romance to pour over, read, and repeat. Healing and cathartic all in one note.
Read my review
Bookstagram | Blog
October 19, 2025
✨ Rating: 5 ⭐️
🫧 Vibes: exes who never really stopped loving each other
🎶 Song: always remember us this way - lady gaga
📖 Favourite Quote: "I’ll love you from the sidelines, from the studio, from wherever we choose to be. forever."
📚 Would I recommend? YES YES YES
💬 tldr thoughts: I can't wait to run to the bookstore and buy this one
In the package:
📦 second chance
📦 music
📦 YEARNING
📦 dual timelines
Plot: Paige is a struggling songwriter who can’t write songs with some depth. Her best song is about her ex, Liam, who broke her heart four years ago. To write better songs, she asks him to make her fall in love with him again—then break her heart.
Thoughts: WHAT. A. WHIRLWIND. ROMANCE. This book is my new personality!!! If this wasn't one of the most poetically beautiful romance books I've ever read then I don't know what is 😭 The characters had so much emotional depth and I loved how they communicated throughout. I was hooked 5% into this book and I immediately knew it was going to be a 5 star read. This book is all about balancing career goals and personal healing and it was captured so realistically and beautifully. There was a great balance between humour, heartbreak, tension, and swoony lines. It's embarrassing how many quotes I highlighted on my kindle (this coming from someone who rarely ever annotates).
The dual timeline was executed beautifully—I found myself fully invested in both storylines, and they intertwined at just the perfect moment. I'm a sucker for the second chance trope and this book captured it perfectly—with all the tension, longing, and emotional payoff I could hope for. Sometimes it's right person at the wrong time and we just need to heal before we find our way back to each other and this is Liam and Paige's love story.
This is my first book by Clare Gilmore and it wont be my last, I just love the way she writes. If you're looking to be emotionally damaged by a book, then this one is for you.
📚Read if you enjoyed: Passion Project by London Sperry and Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone.
Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the arc!
✩⁺₊✩☽⋆ follow me on tiktok and instagram⋆☾✩⁺₊✩
🫧 Vibes: exes who never really stopped loving each other
🎶 Song: always remember us this way - lady gaga
📖 Favourite Quote: "I’ll love you from the sidelines, from the studio, from wherever we choose to be. forever."
📚 Would I recommend? YES YES YES
💬 tldr thoughts: I can't wait to run to the bookstore and buy this one
In the package:
📦 second chance
📦 music
📦 YEARNING
📦 dual timelines
Plot: Paige is a struggling songwriter who can’t write songs with some depth. Her best song is about her ex, Liam, who broke her heart four years ago. To write better songs, she asks him to make her fall in love with him again—then break her heart.
Thoughts: WHAT. A. WHIRLWIND. ROMANCE. This book is my new personality!!! If this wasn't one of the most poetically beautiful romance books I've ever read then I don't know what is 😭 The characters had so much emotional depth and I loved how they communicated throughout. I was hooked 5% into this book and I immediately knew it was going to be a 5 star read. This book is all about balancing career goals and personal healing and it was captured so realistically and beautifully. There was a great balance between humour, heartbreak, tension, and swoony lines. It's embarrassing how many quotes I highlighted on my kindle (this coming from someone who rarely ever annotates).
The dual timeline was executed beautifully—I found myself fully invested in both storylines, and they intertwined at just the perfect moment. I'm a sucker for the second chance trope and this book captured it perfectly—with all the tension, longing, and emotional payoff I could hope for. Sometimes it's right person at the wrong time and we just need to heal before we find our way back to each other and this is Liam and Paige's love story.
This is my first book by Clare Gilmore and it wont be my last, I just love the way she writes. If you're looking to be emotionally damaged by a book, then this one is for you.
📚Read if you enjoyed: Passion Project by London Sperry and Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone.
Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the arc!
✩⁺₊✩☽⋆ follow me on tiktok and instagram⋆☾✩⁺₊✩
November 12, 2025
⋆ ⁺ ౿ 🎤 ⋮ 4 stars .ᐟ
this book was beautifully written with so much feeling. rtc!
⋆ ⁺ ౿ 🎤 ⋮ pre-read
this will be my first clare gilmore book yayay 🤭 can't wait to see how i like this one!!
this book was beautifully written with so much feeling. rtc!
⋆ ⁺ ౿ 🎤 ⋮ pre-read
this will be my first clare gilmore book yayay 🤭 can't wait to see how i like this one!!
October 31, 2025
3.75 / 5 Stars
I really enjoyed the relationship in this book. I just couldn’t fully wrap my head around the concept behind their second chance which kept this from being a full 4 stars or higher for me. In “Never Over,” Paige and Liam were perfect for each other, until they weren’t. Now four years later, songwriter Paige hasn’t written a good song since their breakup. With a potential writing contract on the line and two months to get her shit together, she comes up with a plan: convince Liam to date her again and break her heart so she can write good music again (baby girl is truly and literally doing it for the plot). As Liam and Paige travel the summer together on tour (he’s a roadie now), they have to grapple with their past and present.
You will probably like this book if you like:
⚾ Second chance romance
🎹 Dual timeline
⚾ Shy, songwriter FMC x Playboy, ex-baseball player now tour roadie MMC
🎹 Discussions of grief
⚾ Forced proximity
🎹 He falls first
⚾ Complex family relationships
I will start with what I liked: Liam is exceptionally charming and I love the shy girl x outgoing guy combo (my heart grew up on “A Walk to Remember,” so it’s the perfect combo for me). I personally love a dual timeline so I loved getting to jump back into the past to watch them fall in love and my heart was in my stomach as we got closer to their past breakup. They did feel like soulmates at times (though a few times, it felt like tell instead of show and I wanted to say, “doth do protest too much, my fictional friends”). The show was so strong when it was done well that it didn’t need to rely on the tell when it did.
I also loved the discussion of art and performing. Paige only wanted to be a songwriter and not a performer and there is nothing wrong with her for that. The epilogue was really beautiful and showed how art can affect people in small and big ways. I also appreciated that Liam and Paige both had complex backgrounds and complex family dynamics which helped their characters feel fully formed.
I think my recurring issue throughout the book was that sometimes two thoughts would be presented as a way of explaining each other but to me, they felt tangential instead of directly connected. Let’s take the “date me and break my heart” premise. We get an explanation that she has blocked out all thoughts from that time so that is why she has to go with this plan. You’re telling me it is worth the effort to contact someone you had no contact with for four years instead of maybe trying to excavate the thoughts a little harder? Uh okay. Then, Liam agrees and they have what feels like a rather frank discussion about their boundaries and rules but when I thought about it, they talked directly but in circles. Liam said that he couldn’t promise to break her heart so instead they should date and see where this goes So like politely then: WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? Again the thought and explanation are near each other on the page but to me, they are not not directly connected enough to feel like a valid reasoning. And even some of the metaphors left me scratching my head. Paige, at some point, said that she felt like a soda can rolling down stairs – babe, you mean like shaken soda can like fizzing with anticipation or … what do the stairs have to do with it? There were just multiple times that I felt so close to understanding something but it was still out of grasp for me no matter how hard I tried to fit these broken puzzle pieces together. I don’t need my hand held when I am reading but if you are offering me an explanation, it should feel satisfying.
I really enjoyed reading about them getting together in the past and in the present so every time their ridiculous date/break-up plan came up, I groaned. And sometimes the plan shifted and it was hard to figure out where they were which was great for setting up some miscommunications but not great for setting me up to not have a headache. I think if you are down for the ride and don’t mind the haziness of what is happening, you will enjoy the book even more. All of that being said, I will probably read other books by Claire Gilmore. She has a way of writing relationships that feel real and powerful even if the plot is confusing at times.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: October 28, 2025
In the battle of the books that both came out on 10/28/25 that were both about songwriter musician FMC, if I had to reread only one again, I would probably pick "Some Kind of Famous." They both have "just for the summer" vibes (the similarities are kind of wild) but I think I enjoyed the straightforwardness of that plot more compared to this one. But check out both if you are interested!
____________________________
Pre-Read Thoughts: Welcome back to The Battle of the (Romance) Bands™️! AKA I have two books that are romances involving musicians that both come out on October 28.
Contender 1 was Some Kind of Famous. A solid entry in the battle.
Contender 2 is Never Over. A kind of whacky premise: she contacts her ex after four years of no contact to ask him for a small favor - date her, and then re-break her heart, all so she can remember what those big, song worthy emotions felt like. But we all do crazy shit for love (and music) so why not?
I really enjoyed the relationship in this book. I just couldn’t fully wrap my head around the concept behind their second chance which kept this from being a full 4 stars or higher for me. In “Never Over,” Paige and Liam were perfect for each other, until they weren’t. Now four years later, songwriter Paige hasn’t written a good song since their breakup. With a potential writing contract on the line and two months to get her shit together, she comes up with a plan: convince Liam to date her again and break her heart so she can write good music again (baby girl is truly and literally doing it for the plot). As Liam and Paige travel the summer together on tour (he’s a roadie now), they have to grapple with their past and present.
You will probably like this book if you like:
⚾ Second chance romance
🎹 Dual timeline
⚾ Shy, songwriter FMC x Playboy, ex-baseball player now tour roadie MMC
🎹 Discussions of grief
⚾ Forced proximity
🎹 He falls first
⚾ Complex family relationships
I will start with what I liked: Liam is exceptionally charming and I love the shy girl x outgoing guy combo (my heart grew up on “A Walk to Remember,” so it’s the perfect combo for me). I personally love a dual timeline so I loved getting to jump back into the past to watch them fall in love and my heart was in my stomach as we got closer to their past breakup. They did feel like soulmates at times (though a few times, it felt like tell instead of show and I wanted to say, “doth do protest too much, my fictional friends”). The show was so strong when it was done well that it didn’t need to rely on the tell when it did.
I also loved the discussion of art and performing. Paige only wanted to be a songwriter and not a performer and there is nothing wrong with her for that. The epilogue was really beautiful and showed how art can affect people in small and big ways. I also appreciated that Liam and Paige both had complex backgrounds and complex family dynamics which helped their characters feel fully formed.
I think my recurring issue throughout the book was that sometimes two thoughts would be presented as a way of explaining each other but to me, they felt tangential instead of directly connected. Let’s take the “date me and break my heart” premise. We get an explanation that she has blocked out all thoughts from that time so that is why she has to go with this plan. You’re telling me it is worth the effort to contact someone you had no contact with for four years instead of maybe trying to excavate the thoughts a little harder? Uh okay. Then, Liam agrees and they have what feels like a rather frank discussion about their boundaries and rules but when I thought about it, they talked directly but in circles. Liam said that he couldn’t promise to break her heart so instead they should date and see where this goes So like politely then: WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? Again the thought and explanation are near each other on the page but to me, they are not not directly connected enough to feel like a valid reasoning. And even some of the metaphors left me scratching my head. Paige, at some point, said that she felt like a soda can rolling down stairs – babe, you mean like shaken soda can like fizzing with anticipation or … what do the stairs have to do with it? There were just multiple times that I felt so close to understanding something but it was still out of grasp for me no matter how hard I tried to fit these broken puzzle pieces together. I don’t need my hand held when I am reading but if you are offering me an explanation, it should feel satisfying.
I really enjoyed reading about them getting together in the past and in the present so every time their ridiculous date/break-up plan came up, I groaned. And sometimes the plan shifted and it was hard to figure out where they were which was great for setting up some miscommunications but not great for setting me up to not have a headache. I think if you are down for the ride and don’t mind the haziness of what is happening, you will enjoy the book even more. All of that being said, I will probably read other books by Claire Gilmore. She has a way of writing relationships that feel real and powerful even if the plot is confusing at times.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: October 28, 2025
In the battle of the books that both came out on 10/28/25 that were both about songwriter musician FMC, if I had to reread only one again, I would probably pick "Some Kind of Famous." They both have "just for the summer" vibes (the similarities are kind of wild) but I think I enjoyed the straightforwardness of that plot more compared to this one. But check out both if you are interested!
____________________________
Pre-Read Thoughts: Welcome back to The Battle of the (Romance) Bands™️! AKA I have two books that are romances involving musicians that both come out on October 28.
Contender 1 was Some Kind of Famous. A solid entry in the battle.
Contender 2 is Never Over. A kind of whacky premise: she contacts her ex after four years of no contact to ask him for a small favor - date her, and then re-break her heart, all so she can remember what those big, song worthy emotions felt like. But we all do crazy shit for love (and music) so why not?
May 8, 2025
Okay... that’s honestly strange. You want to write meaningful lyrics, so you go to your ex-boyfriend and ask him to break your heart just so you have something to write about? That’s bizarre. I’m also not the biggest fan of the dual timeline trope—I tend to forget whether we’re in the present or the past (goldfish memory, I know), but I think it actually worked well here. My rating probably isn’t that accurate anyway, since I’ve been super busy this week and felt myself slipping into a bit of a reading slump. I’d definitely be willing to give it another try when the audiobook drops
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕮𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖊𝖉 𝕯𝖔𝖔𝖗 𝕸𝖔𝖉𝖎𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
SKIP CHAPTER: 17, 27, 29
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨���⋆｡˚ ⋆
I loved "the perfect fit" so i requested this 🩷 huge thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the eARC 💕
Find my review on Instagram
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕮𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖊𝖉 𝕯𝖔𝖔𝖗 𝕸𝖔𝖉𝖎𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
SKIP CHAPTER: 17, 27, 29
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨���⋆｡˚ ⋆
I loved "the perfect fit" so i requested this 🩷 huge thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the eARC 💕
Find my review on Instagram
April 25, 2025
alexa play ordinary by alex warren
favourite book of the year so far!! i stared at the wall for 10 minutes, tearing up. I LOVED IT.
rtc closer to release date.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ARC copy of this book.
Pre-read:
With a synopsis to die for, I couldn't wait, starting NOW. 💖💫
favourite book of the year so far!! i stared at the wall for 10 minutes, tearing up. I LOVED IT.
rtc closer to release date.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ARC copy of this book.
Pre-read:
With a synopsis to die for, I couldn't wait, starting NOW. 💖💫
November 14, 2025
*Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ALC in exchange for an honest review!*
Clare Gilmore is one of my newest favourite romance authors and that’s that.
Never Over's audiobook was such a charming listen, and it reminded me again why Clare Gilmore is becoming one of my new favourite romance author. I absolutely adored her debut novel , which I read twice—it instantly won me over with its heartfelt characters and easy, addictive writing style. While Never Over didn’t surpass those for me, I still genuinely loved and enjoyed the story.
The audiobook was a great experience: the narration fit the tone perfectly and brought the chemistry and emotional moments to life in such a natural way. It made the whole book even more engaging and warm.
I can't wait to read this book for a second time!!!!!
Clare Gilmore is one of my newest favourite romance authors and that’s that.
Never Over's audiobook was such a charming listen, and it reminded me again why Clare Gilmore is becoming one of my new favourite romance author. I absolutely adored her debut novel , which I read twice—it instantly won me over with its heartfelt characters and easy, addictive writing style. While Never Over didn’t surpass those for me, I still genuinely loved and enjoyed the story.
The audiobook was a great experience: the narration fit the tone perfectly and brought the chemistry and emotional moments to life in such a natural way. It made the whole book even more engaging and warm.
I can't wait to read this book for a second time!!!!!
October 28, 2025
Happy release day to one of my favorite books of the year 💕💕 my arc review:
You know when the epilogue gives you goosebumps it was a damn good book.
Yeah no surprise that I loved this one so much. Literally from the first page I was hooked and when I wasn’t reading this, all I could think about was getting back to it. I don’t even really know if I have words for a review to do this book justice.
I loved the sisterhood aspect of this story as an oldest sister myself. That was such an important, standout part of the book for me and I thought it was written beautifully. And also the friendship aspect of it all, needing to find yourself separate from what you’ve always known. Beautiful and painful 😭
I’m a second chance stan first, human second, and I thought Clare did an amazing job with this trope and the dual timeline. It made my heart HURT and root for these two so hard. The romance was truly written so beautifully that I really felt what these characters felt. The tension, the yearning, the HURT!! The dual timeline really added depth to their relationship and made the impact of their second chance that much stronger. These 2 were so clearly meant to be and I loved the communication between them. I also loved the music aspect of it all and the tour setting. I loved how that played a role in their relationship and how they came back together.
As separate characters I loved them both, too. I could relate to Paige a lot and found myself just wanting what makes her happy😭 and Liam hello??? The book boyfriend of my dreams with the way he’d support Paige in whatever she wanted, wanted what’s best for her, and encouraged her into the best version of herself.
There were so many different layers and themes to this book that were woven together so perfectly. This was such a beautiful depiction of not knowing what you want, self discovery, and second chances. It was also really cool to read a book set in my home state!! I truly could yap on and on about how perfect this book is. The romance of my dreams, my perfect book. These characters feel so real. Highly highly recommend adding to your tbr!!
You know when the epilogue gives you goosebumps it was a damn good book.
Yeah no surprise that I loved this one so much. Literally from the first page I was hooked and when I wasn’t reading this, all I could think about was getting back to it. I don’t even really know if I have words for a review to do this book justice.
I loved the sisterhood aspect of this story as an oldest sister myself. That was such an important, standout part of the book for me and I thought it was written beautifully. And also the friendship aspect of it all, needing to find yourself separate from what you’ve always known. Beautiful and painful 😭
I’m a second chance stan first, human second, and I thought Clare did an amazing job with this trope and the dual timeline. It made my heart HURT and root for these two so hard. The romance was truly written so beautifully that I really felt what these characters felt. The tension, the yearning, the HURT!! The dual timeline really added depth to their relationship and made the impact of their second chance that much stronger. These 2 were so clearly meant to be and I loved the communication between them. I also loved the music aspect of it all and the tour setting. I loved how that played a role in their relationship and how they came back together.
As separate characters I loved them both, too. I could relate to Paige a lot and found myself just wanting what makes her happy😭 and Liam hello??? The book boyfriend of my dreams with the way he’d support Paige in whatever she wanted, wanted what’s best for her, and encouraged her into the best version of herself.
There were so many different layers and themes to this book that were woven together so perfectly. This was such a beautiful depiction of not knowing what you want, self discovery, and second chances. It was also really cool to read a book set in my home state!! I truly could yap on and on about how perfect this book is. The romance of my dreams, my perfect book. These characters feel so real. Highly highly recommend adding to your tbr!!
September 30, 2025
4.5/5
kinda need a whirlwind romance in my life NOW
people online have raved about claire gilmore's writing and the premise of the book got me to finally read a book by her. if there is ever an author someone wants me to read, all they have to do is tell me there's a second chance romance involved. i saw dual timelines and i downloaded and read it in three days. this love story follows liam and paige through college, baseball, family issues, mental issues, and so much more. i adored them and i could read the beautiful lines liam speaks for ever and ever!
second chance romances are my absolute fav and i loved seeing this one play out. liam and paige clearly have such a deep connection and it hasn't faded in these past four years. its really refreshing to read a romance like this where there isn't some huge miscommunication, these two really needed to break in order to find themselves. multiple authors i've read this month have blown me away with their writing of male leads. liam truly is the sweetest man and i wish him nothing but happiness. i honestly wish we saw him find himself a bit more. his story, his life, still feels a bit unfinished.
now let's talk about paige, i am very much not a younger sibling so i didn't know how we would bond but she's my darling. every thought she had about wanting people to need her the way she needed them, yeah i sobbed. paige is growing in the past, in the present, in the missing four years, all she does is grow and i just wanted to hug her the entire time. paige really was my favorite part of this story, yes her fall in love to break my heart plot was strange, but i felt so connected to her the entire time.
*thank you st. martins press and netgalley for the arc!*
kinda need a whirlwind romance in my life NOW
people online have raved about claire gilmore's writing and the premise of the book got me to finally read a book by her. if there is ever an author someone wants me to read, all they have to do is tell me there's a second chance romance involved. i saw dual timelines and i downloaded and read it in three days. this love story follows liam and paige through college, baseball, family issues, mental issues, and so much more. i adored them and i could read the beautiful lines liam speaks for ever and ever!
second chance romances are my absolute fav and i loved seeing this one play out. liam and paige clearly have such a deep connection and it hasn't faded in these past four years. its really refreshing to read a romance like this where there isn't some huge miscommunication, these two really needed to break in order to find themselves. multiple authors i've read this month have blown me away with their writing of male leads. liam truly is the sweetest man and i wish him nothing but happiness. i honestly wish we saw him find himself a bit more. his story, his life, still feels a bit unfinished.
now let's talk about paige, i am very much not a younger sibling so i didn't know how we would bond but she's my darling. every thought she had about wanting people to need her the way she needed them, yeah i sobbed. paige is growing in the past, in the present, in the missing four years, all she does is grow and i just wanted to hug her the entire time. paige really was my favorite part of this story, yes her fall in love to break my heart plot was strange, but i felt so connected to her the entire time.
*thank you st. martins press and netgalley for the arc!*
May 12, 2025
I desperately need Clare Gilmore to be getting Emily Henry levels of hype, because Perfect Fit was one of my absolute favorites last year and now this book?? INSANE.
I knew I'd love it right off the bat (second chance romance with strong plot points of both baseball and country music, like come on that's so me) but somehow it STILL exceeded my expectations. The way Gilmore writes relationships where it's so emphasized how much the two protagonists have an impact on each other's life is so god damn special to me. No spoilers ofc, but that really resonated with Josie & Will and now here as well both with Liam & Paige and the story in itself (that epilogue!!!)
"All of this, and so much more, because on a warm, rainy day, on a sidewalk in downtown Knoxville, the college pitcher saw a girl out of the corner of his eye."
Seriously though, read this when it's out in October!!! I will definitely be re-reading then. And for my country music fans, this book is "Springsteen" meets "I Remember Everything" meets "You're Still The One" in the best possible way.
Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review <3
I knew I'd love it right off the bat (second chance romance with strong plot points of both baseball and country music, like come on that's so me) but somehow it STILL exceeded my expectations. The way Gilmore writes relationships where it's so emphasized how much the two protagonists have an impact on each other's life is so god damn special to me. No spoilers ofc, but that really resonated with Josie & Will and now here as well both with Liam & Paige and the story in itself (that epilogue!!!)
"All of this, and so much more, because on a warm, rainy day, on a sidewalk in downtown Knoxville, the college pitcher saw a girl out of the corner of his eye."
Seriously though, read this when it's out in October!!! I will definitely be re-reading then. And for my country music fans, this book is "Springsteen" meets "I Remember Everything" meets "You're Still The One" in the best possible way.
Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review <3
August 10, 2025
reading this book isn’t enough, i need liam bishop to hit me with his truck.
a new soul book for me. i’m distraught over my love for them. i feel like i’m dying. 102837493 stars. 100000/10.
a new soul book for me. i’m distraught over my love for them. i feel like i’m dying. 102837493 stars. 100000/10.
September 21, 2025
Paige, fresh off a meeting with a music executive, goes back to find her ex-boyfriend Liam, hoping to reignite the same feelings that helped her produce her best songs way back when.
This was a shining example of the dual timeline enhancing the story without the reader getting lost between memories. It was artfully crafted and gave depth to the story and the conflict between the characters. It was the perfect combination of cheesy and emotional that made it a great rom com.
That epilogue was a work of art!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy.
This was a shining example of the dual timeline enhancing the story without the reader getting lost between memories. It was artfully crafted and gave depth to the story and the conflict between the characters. It was the perfect combination of cheesy and emotional that made it a great rom com.
That epilogue was a work of art!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy.
October 21, 2025
•Second chance romance
•First love
•Past/present timelines
•Country music
•MMC is a baseball player
•FMC is a songwriter
•Complex family dynamics
3/5 ⭐️
2/5 🌶️
•First love
•Past/present timelines
•Country music
•MMC is a baseball player
•FMC is a songwriter
•Complex family dynamics
3/5 ⭐️
2/5 🌶️
October 28, 2025
Happy Release Day!!
4.25 stars
Clare Gilmore knows how to write her men, and this book is no exception 🤌
Overall, this was a great story with even better writing. The romance is top notch and they story telling is so good and so engaging. Clare just knows how to write adult characters that are messy, emotional, but still mature and grounded with plenty of communication.
But I found myself comparing this one to Perfect Fit a bit, which is one of my all time favorite romances, and this one didn't quite measure up. I was having issues with the very basic premise of the book; it just seemed so far fetched and disingenuous way to start off their relationship again. If they had just come across each other and decided to see what happens, that would have made it so much better for me.
And this is another dual timeline, which I don't prefer. Obviously, there is important scenes from the past we need for context or story development, but I'm not a fan of constantly switching back and forth. I think there can be call backs for the necessary information without doing full chapters in two timelines.
But I still really enjoyed this book, and I loved Liam, and more people need to read CG's books 💗
Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
4.25 stars
Clare Gilmore knows how to write her men, and this book is no exception 🤌
Overall, this was a great story with even better writing. The romance is top notch and they story telling is so good and so engaging. Clare just knows how to write adult characters that are messy, emotional, but still mature and grounded with plenty of communication.
But I found myself comparing this one to Perfect Fit a bit, which is one of my all time favorite romances, and this one didn't quite measure up. I was having issues with the very basic premise of the book; it just seemed so far fetched and disingenuous way to start off their relationship again. If they had just come across each other and decided to see what happens, that would have made it so much better for me.
And this is another dual timeline, which I don't prefer. Obviously, there is important scenes from the past we need for context or story development, but I'm not a fan of constantly switching back and forth. I think there can be call backs for the necessary information without doing full chapters in two timelines.
But I still really enjoyed this book, and I loved Liam, and more people need to read CG's books 💗
Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
October 26, 2025
Categorize this under “second chance romance books that I absolutely love & will accept zero criticism of”!!
October 23, 2025
this was just so romantic, I’m obsessed with Liam & Paige 🥹
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the eARC & RB Media for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
✦ tropes & stuff:
2️⃣ second chance
⌛️ dual timeline
📝 songwriter fmc
🎵 tour manager mmc
🔗 forced proximity/touring together
🛏 only one bed
💖 single 1st person pov
•┈••✦ review ✦••┈•
🎧 audio/ebook | ⭐️: ♾ | 🌶️: 2 |
“I never thought it could be this good ever again.”
“I knew it wouldn’t be, if it wasn’t you.”
I’m an absolute sucker for a second chance romance with a dual timeline, and Clare definitely delivered on that!
The way Clare writes single POV I never felt like I was missing Liam’s, I 10000% knew what he was thinking/feeling without being in his head, and felt all of his emotions 🥹 he fell first and SO HARD, and my heart ached with his.
“For me, from the very first day. It was you.” 😭
In both timelines I loved how Paige & Liam supported one another fully, helping figure out their paths, & giving the pushes they needed (whether they wanted them or not).
Their chemistry flies off the page from their very first meet cute (which I adored), and these two are absolutely meant to be 🥰
🎧 audiobook thoughts:
I adore Carly Robins as a narrator, and she was absolute perfection as Paige! She definitely captured the emotions & angst for both main characters.
📖 Never Over by Clare Gilmore
💜: contemporary romance
🎙 narrated by: Carly Robins
✨ authors with similar vibes:
♡ Cara Bastone
♡ Katie Naymon
*Connect with Me*
🤍 Instagram 🤍 Blog 🤍
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the eARC & RB Media for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
✦ tropes & stuff:
2️⃣ second chance
⌛️ dual timeline
📝 songwriter fmc
🎵 tour manager mmc
🔗 forced proximity/touring together
🛏 only one bed
💖 single 1st person pov
•┈••✦ review ✦••┈•
🎧 audio/ebook | ⭐️: ♾ | 🌶️: 2 |
“I never thought it could be this good ever again.”
“I knew it wouldn’t be, if it wasn’t you.”
I’m an absolute sucker for a second chance romance with a dual timeline, and Clare definitely delivered on that!
The way Clare writes single POV I never felt like I was missing Liam’s, I 10000% knew what he was thinking/feeling without being in his head, and felt all of his emotions 🥹 he fell first and SO HARD, and my heart ached with his.
“For me, from the very first day. It was you.” 😭
In both timelines I loved how Paige & Liam supported one another fully, helping figure out their paths, & giving the pushes they needed (whether they wanted them or not).
Their chemistry flies off the page from their very first meet cute (which I adored), and these two are absolutely meant to be 🥰
🎧 audiobook thoughts:
I adore Carly Robins as a narrator, and she was absolute perfection as Paige! She definitely captured the emotions & angst for both main characters.
📖 Never Over by Clare Gilmore
💜: contemporary romance
🎙 narrated by: Carly Robins
✨ authors with similar vibes:
♡ Cara Bastone
♡ Katie Naymon
*Connect with Me*
🤍 Instagram 🤍 Blog 🤍
November 21, 2025
I LOVED this book! I read it in one sitting and suffered less sleep because I was so invested in where this was going. I loved the dual timeline. I loved the second chance aspect. I also of course LOVED the characters - Liam and Paige's chemistry was instant and followed them throughout the book. Two things I had challenges with were- I wanted to hear from Liam. The man was clearly still so down bad for our girl Paige but I would have LOVED to hear his thoughts. The second was I had a hard time with the idea of an ex asking an ex to get together to break up again. With that being said, I think this was Paige's way of seeing if they still had something. She didn't want to come out and say that but she couldn't stop thinking about the love of her life. This book was SUCH a wonderful example of TRUE, DEEP love. The kind where you put the other person ahead of yourself and even ahead of themselves. Where you push them when they might be too scared to take the next step. When you sacrifice your love itself to see the other person happy. I loved the setting here. I loved watching Paige and Liam dance around each other. All the while Liam was patiently and very nervously waiting and hoping that Paige still wanted him as much as he wanted her. This man was poetic about his feelings for her. And he had helped her reach her dreams. I loved her realizing that she now wanted to help him realize his.
Paige is at a crossroads. Her passion is writing songs. She doesn't want to perform only write. The problem is that after she walked away from the love of her life a few years ago, she has no content for her music. There is no gumption to her songs. Which is how she finds herself tracking down her ex and asking him to fall in love again with the potential to breakup if that is what happens. She realizes that she has only been honest in her music with him in her life. And so reluctantly Liam agrees. Which is how Paige finds herself traveling with him on tour. And wondering why she ever let this man go. This man who still tells her how he feels. This man who isn't afraid to be honest about what he wants. This man who was almost broken the last time she saw him who she now realizes she wants. She wants to help him through his past. She wants to help him mend his relationships with his family. She wants to be the person he talks to about things. She doesn't want this to be fake. It really was never fake. She doesn't want there to be an end date. She just wants him. Now she has to prove to him that she is serious. Because he is also scared. Scared she will walk away when things get tough. Scared that she won't let him in like she did before. But she is excited and ready to prove to him that even though they have been apart these past few years, she has loved him that whole time. She just wants to be with him forever now.
There is something about second chance that tugs at my heart strings. The want that is usually still there. The reasons that the couple broke up and all of that hurt that is still raw. Then watching the couple work through it and wonder why didn't they fight more. Why didn't they push for things to be ok more. Why did they end in the first place when there is still so much love? All of those things happened in this book! I also love when we get the bonus of seeing the GOOD part of the relationship in real time. I seriously loved this one can't wait to see what else Clare bring us! I am looking forward to reading her other books too.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Paige is at a crossroads. Her passion is writing songs. She doesn't want to perform only write. The problem is that after she walked away from the love of her life a few years ago, she has no content for her music. There is no gumption to her songs. Which is how she finds herself tracking down her ex and asking him to fall in love again with the potential to breakup if that is what happens. She realizes that she has only been honest in her music with him in her life. And so reluctantly Liam agrees. Which is how Paige finds herself traveling with him on tour. And wondering why she ever let this man go. This man who still tells her how he feels. This man who isn't afraid to be honest about what he wants. This man who was almost broken the last time she saw him who she now realizes she wants. She wants to help him through his past. She wants to help him mend his relationships with his family. She wants to be the person he talks to about things. She doesn't want this to be fake. It really was never fake. She doesn't want there to be an end date. She just wants him. Now she has to prove to him that she is serious. Because he is also scared. Scared she will walk away when things get tough. Scared that she won't let him in like she did before. But she is excited and ready to prove to him that even though they have been apart these past few years, she has loved him that whole time. She just wants to be with him forever now.
There is something about second chance that tugs at my heart strings. The want that is usually still there. The reasons that the couple broke up and all of that hurt that is still raw. Then watching the couple work through it and wonder why didn't they fight more. Why didn't they push for things to be ok more. Why did they end in the first place when there is still so much love? All of those things happened in this book! I also love when we get the bonus of seeing the GOOD part of the relationship in real time. I seriously loved this one can't wait to see what else Clare bring us! I am looking forward to reading her other books too.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Want to read
October 13, 2025haley pham read it so now i have to 😽
August 21, 2025
Second chance romance is my favorite trope, and Never Over delivers it with heart, humor, and just the right amount of angst. Paige and Liam’s story pulled me in from the very beginning—two people with unfinished business trying to navigate love, heartbreak, and the messiness of chasing big dreams.
What really stood out to me was the way Paige and Liam communicated. Their conversations felt mature and intentional, which isn’t always the case in romance novels. Instead of endless miscommunication, they worked through their feelings in a way that made me root for them even harder. The push and pull of their history combined with their undeniable chemistry had me fully invested.
I also loved the music backdrop and how it tied into Paige’s journey of finding her authentic voice as a songwriter. The setting of life on tour, along with the flashbacks to their past relationship, gave the story a layered feel, balancing nostalgia with fresh tension. The dual timelines worked beautifully to deepen their connection and show why their love story was worth revisiting.
At times, the pacing dragged just a little, but overall, this book struck a perfect balance between emotional depth and lighthearted, swoony moments.
If you’re looking for a second chance romance that feels both heartfelt and refreshingly mature, Never Over is a fantastic pick.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What really stood out to me was the way Paige and Liam communicated. Their conversations felt mature and intentional, which isn’t always the case in romance novels. Instead of endless miscommunication, they worked through their feelings in a way that made me root for them even harder. The push and pull of their history combined with their undeniable chemistry had me fully invested.
I also loved the music backdrop and how it tied into Paige’s journey of finding her authentic voice as a songwriter. The setting of life on tour, along with the flashbacks to their past relationship, gave the story a layered feel, balancing nostalgia with fresh tension. The dual timelines worked beautifully to deepen their connection and show why their love story was worth revisiting.
At times, the pacing dragged just a little, but overall, this book struck a perfect balance between emotional depth and lighthearted, swoony moments.
If you’re looking for a second chance romance that feels both heartfelt and refreshingly mature, Never Over is a fantastic pick.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 2, 2025
(3.5 stars!)
I will update this with my full review closer to the publishing date, but I loved this one until about halfway through, and then I just liked it, lol. The way the characters talk to each other is so unnatural, it really took me out of it. They speak to one another like they know they're in a romance novel, if that makes sense? idk. Like I said, full review to come! Thank you NetGalley and SMP for the review copy!
I will update this with my full review closer to the publishing date, but I loved this one until about halfway through, and then I just liked it, lol. The way the characters talk to each other is so unnatural, it really took me out of it. They speak to one another like they know they're in a romance novel, if that makes sense? idk. Like I said, full review to come! Thank you NetGalley and SMP for the review copy!
October 28, 2025
Never Over by Clare Gilmore
Contemporary romance. Multiple time lines via memories.
Paige Lancaster wants to be a songwriter, not a performer. She’s lucky enough to get her music heard but is told her lyrics are generic and unfeeling. Paige needs to put emotion into her work and decides to revisit her past.
🎧 I listened to an audiobook narrated by Carly Robbins. The performance was wonderful with different voices for the main characters. The emotions of Paige are clearly heard and felt in the playback. The reader has to listen closely at each chapter change for the time change as the story is told in the present and past. The time line is given at the beginning of each chapter and is important for the continuity.
I listened at 1.5 which is slightly slower than usual, to make sure that I could follow the changing timeline.
Dealing with the past is always uncomfortable and Paige voluntarily goes back to Liam. She’s willing to fall in love again and then walk away. All to give depth to her lyrics. Can she really? Can Liam?
Angst, analysis of the past, and tentativeness make this story drag as Paige opens her heart bit by bit. A true second chance as Paige and Liam work together to get past their loss and rebuild with lyrics and poetry for both her financial security and their relationship. Her sisters added some lightness to the otherwise angsty romance.
Then HEA and epilogue are beautifully written.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and RB Media.
Contemporary romance. Multiple time lines via memories.
Paige Lancaster wants to be a songwriter, not a performer. She’s lucky enough to get her music heard but is told her lyrics are generic and unfeeling. Paige needs to put emotion into her work and decides to revisit her past.
🎧 I listened to an audiobook narrated by Carly Robbins. The performance was wonderful with different voices for the main characters. The emotions of Paige are clearly heard and felt in the playback. The reader has to listen closely at each chapter change for the time change as the story is told in the present and past. The time line is given at the beginning of each chapter and is important for the continuity.
I listened at 1.5 which is slightly slower than usual, to make sure that I could follow the changing timeline.
Dealing with the past is always uncomfortable and Paige voluntarily goes back to Liam. She’s willing to fall in love again and then walk away. All to give depth to her lyrics. Can she really? Can Liam?
Angst, analysis of the past, and tentativeness make this story drag as Paige opens her heart bit by bit. A true second chance as Paige and Liam work together to get past their loss and rebuild with lyrics and poetry for both her financial security and their relationship. Her sisters added some lightness to the otherwise angsty romance.
Then HEA and epilogue are beautifully written.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and RB Media.
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