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We Were Almost Forever: A Lost Love. A Buried Secret. A Murder No One Saw Coming.
We Were Almost Forever
A gripping story of love lost, secrets kept, and one night that changes everything.
Cara was the Italian chef’s daughter. Sebastian, the charming British boy with a privileged upbringing and a promising future. As teens, they were inseparable—until he vanished without a word, leaving her behind and broken.
Twenty years later, Cara is a mother with a carefully built life. But when her daughter brings home a boyfriend with ties to the past, the shock is instant—and the emotions come flooding back.
As old passions reignite and long-buried secrets rise to the surface, the lines between past and present start to blur. Then, one jealous night sparks a chain of events that threatens to unravel everything.
For one person, it’s a second chance. For others, it’s a ticking time bomb.
Love, betrayal, and a truth no one saw coming—We Were Almost Forever is a twisty, emotional rollercoaster perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover, Tia Williams, and domestic thrillers with a romantic edge.
A gripping story of love lost, secrets kept, and one night that changes everything.
Cara was the Italian chef’s daughter. Sebastian, the charming British boy with a privileged upbringing and a promising future. As teens, they were inseparable—until he vanished without a word, leaving her behind and broken.
Twenty years later, Cara is a mother with a carefully built life. But when her daughter brings home a boyfriend with ties to the past, the shock is instant—and the emotions come flooding back.
As old passions reignite and long-buried secrets rise to the surface, the lines between past and present start to blur. Then, one jealous night sparks a chain of events that threatens to unravel everything.
For one person, it’s a second chance. For others, it’s a ticking time bomb.
Love, betrayal, and a truth no one saw coming—We Were Almost Forever is a twisty, emotional rollercoaster perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover, Tia Williams, and domestic thrillers with a romantic edge.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 27, 2025
I absolutely loved this book!! I thought it was going to be a costly romance but then THAT TWIST! Wow! The perfect balance of second chance romance, mystery and thriller.
I love the use of bread crumbing throughout the story and how we gradually find out what really happened between Cara and Seb all those years ago. I love how we then find out how deep that hurt and betrayal runs and how it still affects them both today.
The characters are so loveable (well maybe not Seb 😂), you quickly become invested in them and their story! Gino has my heart, he’s the absolute cutest!
I love how relatable the character of Cara is. I think most of us can relate to the heartbreak of losing your first love when you thought that you would be spending the rest of your life with them. The way we see how she deals with it and how that heartbreak never truly leaves is so beautifully written.
I also love the character of Charlotte and how we see that hell really does hath no fury than a woman scorned! I think her character is a really beautiful representation of how different people deal with rejection in different ways.
Penelope B. Leighton really has written a beautifully moving story and I really really hope that there will be a sequel!!
I love the use of bread crumbing throughout the story and how we gradually find out what really happened between Cara and Seb all those years ago. I love how we then find out how deep that hurt and betrayal runs and how it still affects them both today.
The characters are so loveable (well maybe not Seb 😂), you quickly become invested in them and their story! Gino has my heart, he’s the absolute cutest!
I love how relatable the character of Cara is. I think most of us can relate to the heartbreak of losing your first love when you thought that you would be spending the rest of your life with them. The way we see how she deals with it and how that heartbreak never truly leaves is so beautifully written.
I also love the character of Charlotte and how we see that hell really does hath no fury than a woman scorned! I think her character is a really beautiful representation of how different people deal with rejection in different ways.
Penelope B. Leighton really has written a beautifully moving story and I really really hope that there will be a sequel!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2025
I was lucky to receive an ARC for this book and let me tell you I finished it within 24 hours... it had me hooked!
From the very start I was invested in following the story and understanding the family dynamics more. I really enjoyed the jumping back and forth in the timeline and I was captivated by the writing style from the very beginning. It is a shorter read, only about 200 pages ish, but the pacing was perfect and it didn't feel like the author made the book longer than it had to be.
The story felt so mundane and human in the best way possible. Amazing characters, heartache, family dynamics, controlling parents, betrayal, a little Italian family, jealousy. I was not ready for the plot twists within this book, and it didn't feel like a forced plot twist either, it felt natural.
I also just want to mention the nostalgia of Manchester hit hard for me! I used to live there, so the couple of mentions of Manchester and places within Manchester made me feel right at home.
I read this book on the kindle, and the experience was very smooth!
From the very start I was invested in following the story and understanding the family dynamics more. I really enjoyed the jumping back and forth in the timeline and I was captivated by the writing style from the very beginning. It is a shorter read, only about 200 pages ish, but the pacing was perfect and it didn't feel like the author made the book longer than it had to be.
The story felt so mundane and human in the best way possible. Amazing characters, heartache, family dynamics, controlling parents, betrayal, a little Italian family, jealousy. I was not ready for the plot twists within this book, and it didn't feel like a forced plot twist either, it felt natural.
I also just want to mention the nostalgia of Manchester hit hard for me! I used to live there, so the couple of mentions of Manchester and places within Manchester made me feel right at home.
I read this book on the kindle, and the experience was very smooth!
July 17, 2025
I was lucky enough to be a beta reader for this amazing debut novel, and honestly, it was such a privilege to be one of the first people to experience this story. From the start, I was completely hooked, the writing is super engaging, the pacing is spot-on, and I couldn’t put it down.
And that plot twist. I did not see it coming. It was so clever and totally caught me off guard in the best way. The ending had such a great cliffhanger that now I’m just hoping Penelope writes a second book soon!
This story has everything I look for in a great read: unforgettable characters, a gripping plot, and twists that leave you wanting more. If you’re looking for an addictive book, this is it. I already can’t wait to see what Penelope writes next!
And that plot twist. I did not see it coming. It was so clever and totally caught me off guard in the best way. The ending had such a great cliffhanger that now I’m just hoping Penelope writes a second book soon!
This story has everything I look for in a great read: unforgettable characters, a gripping plot, and twists that leave you wanting more. If you’re looking for an addictive book, this is it. I already can’t wait to see what Penelope writes next!
December 28, 2025
A gorgeous romance with twists and turns. A really easy read!! Loved the backgrounds of each characters.
January 19, 2026
Devoured. Finally able to get my hands on this book and I finished it in 2 hours. Now I know why the title is We Were Almost Forever 😭 Poor Gino and I kinda feel sorry for Charlotte too :')
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews