Get Over It, April Evans

Clover Lake #2

by Ashley Herring Blake

A summer job at a lake-town resort brings together two women with an unlikely connection in this new contemporary romance by USA Today bestselling author Ashley Herring Blake - perfect for fans of Alexandria Bellefleur, Meryl Wilsner and Rosie Danan ❤️‍🔥🌞💋

She stole her ex. This summer, she just might steal her heart.

April Evans' life is in shambles. Her tattoo shop has just closed, she has no money and her love life? Non-existent - ever since her ex-fiancée left her for a younger woman three years ago. When she's asked to teach a summer art class at the town's new resort, April jumps at the opportunity. She's sure that this is the silver lining she needs . . . until she meets her Daphne Love, the woman who stole her ex. And even worse, it's clear Daphne has no idea who April is.

Daphne Love is cursed in, well, love. She thought she'd found the unconditional love she craved in her ex-girlfriend, but now she's single again and utterly broken-hearted. When her friend hooks her up with a summer gig as an art instructor at a swanky resort, Daphne feels optimistic for once. If only she had a roommate who didn't seem to hate her on sight.

But slowly, barriers begin to fall, and an inexplicable allure keeps drawing April and Daphne closer, leaving them to wonder if the perfect picture they're looking for can only be painted with each other.

Tropes
❤️‍🔥 enemies to lovers
🫂 forced proximity
🐈‍⬛🐕 black cat/golden retriever
🔥slow burn
💋 sapphic romance

Why readers love Ashley Herring Blake . . .

'A hot, frothy romcom with a relatable heart beating at its centre' Talia Hibbert

'A truly exquisite romance . . . I'm wildly in love with this book' Rachel Lynn Solomon

'A swoon-worthy, laugh-out-loud romp of a romance' Kosoko Jackson

'Snappy banter and seriously scorching chemistry' Lana Harper

'Charming and entertaining . . . will have readers swooning' Karelia Stetz-Waters

'Snarky, steamy, and swoony in equal measure, I never wanted this book to end' Meryl Wilsner

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, LGBT, Queer, Contemporary, Adult, Fiction

401 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 3, 2026

About the author

Ashley Herring Blake is a reader, writer, and mom to two boisterous boys. She holds a Master’s degree in teaching and loves coffee, arranging her books by color, and cold weather. She is the author of the young adult novels Suffer Love, How to Make a Wish, and Girl Made of Stars (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), the middle grade novels Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World, The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James, and Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea (Little, Brown), and the adult romance novels Delilah Green Doesn't Care and Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail (Berkley). Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World was a Stonewall Honor Book, as well as a Kirkus, School Library Journal, NYPL, and NPR Best Book of 2018. Her YA novel Girl Made of Stars was a Lambda Literary Award finalist. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram at @ashleyhblake and on the web at www.ashleyherringblake.com. She lives in Georgia.

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

falling for your exes ex while rooming & teaching together on a summer art course?? sign me up

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing the advance review copy. full review to come

Bookstagram | Blog

[Mai H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valentine's Day 2026 #1

I've been in such a media slump that I was terrified to pick this up. Have no fear. I could not put this down. Hands down, my favorite AHB book to date. Like ASTRID, I will be reading these out of order. I hope I like RAMONA more than DELILAH.

I could've binged this in a day, but work, class, and life unfort got in the way. I loved this from page one. April is such a tattooed goth grump. I loved her. And while I could've hated Daphne's wide-eyed naïvety, I actually loved her, too.

Anyway, the premise of this is April was dumped three years ago, when her long term partner Elena leaves her for Daphne. In the present day, Daphne has just been left.

April's life is not going well. She has to rent out her house and close her tattoo shop. She ends up teaching art for rich people. It comes with room and board. Who else is her roommate and fellow teacher but Daphne?

I won't lie. I love when shit hits the fan. And it does. A lot. And I know this is April's book and all that, but I'm dying to read about SASHA. What a messy butch. Give me more.

rep: F/F, lesbian, pan

tw: family estrangement, gaslighting, homophobia, parental death, parental neglect, religious trauma

DELILAH | ASTRID | IRIS | SEASON

📱 Thank you to Goodreads and Berkley

[jenny reads a lot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, fun read!

This is my first book by the author but it won’t be my last!

The two FMCs give off opposites attract vibes but aren’t actually that different. They complement each other so well and the on-page chemistry was fantastic.

This book also had a fantastic 3rd act conflict that felt so real!

And the spice was hot.

Whats to love…
- age-gap sapphic romance
- two artist FMCs (tattoo + painter)
- Age-gap
- Ex’s ex
- forced proximity (same cabin)
- small-town setting
- bucket list

🌶️- open door and sprinkled throughout. 😏they go to a play party.

| IG | TikTok |

Thank you Berkley for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

[vivi ʚɞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⋆˙✮ 4

After feeling indifferent about AHB’s latest titles, I’m happy to say I really enjoyed this one. The writing still feels like it’s missing some of the charm the Bright Falls series had, but this is the closest she’s come to recapturing it in her recent work.

Where do I start? I know the book is literally named after April, but Daphne was the character who really shone for me here. She is such a cinnamon roll who deserves everything good in the world, especially after learning about her backstory. Her journey of self-discovery was so fun and healing, but also messy in a way that felt real— the perfect reminder that healing is not linear.

As for April, give my girl a break ‘cause she was going THROUGH it. She’s better than me because if I was experiencing all the things she was, and then I come to find out I’m spending the entire summer with the girl my fiancée left me for— well, let’s just say I would’ve been a lot meaner than April was. She was just as funny, charming, and astrology-obsessed as she was in the first installment of the series, and I’m glad we got to see her story (even if it 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 felt more like Daphne’s).

Elena is literally so slimy and I hate her. That’s it. That’s the paragraph. In all seriousness though, AHB did a great job at depicting the toxic ex. I didn’t enjoy her presence at all, but it showed how it can be so easy to fall back into old patterns with people like that, which I feel is not shown or talked about enough. And also brings me to my next point: the third act conflict. If you know me, you know I do not particularly enjoy them, but this one was necessary. I just wish we got a little bit 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 after the resolution.

Also, Ramona kinda sucked here. April deserved better from her supposed best friend.

Overall, this was a pretty fun read, and I’m eagerly waiting for the next installment of the series, which is made very obvious throughout this book!

[BJ Lillis]

Yes, got the arc!!! Also this is easily my favorite AHB cover yet, so I may have to buy a hard copy too...

[Justine]

THIS COVER IS STUNNING!!!

Feb 3rd feels so far away 😭😭

Edit: Got the ARC!!! 😆😆

[Teddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book sucked me right in. I liked the astrology angle and all the art and I especially liked Daphne’s journey. It was fun seeing Ramona and Dylan again, and Sasha seems like an interesting character I’m guessing we’ll see more of. Where I struggled was the ending and ultimately wanting a little more from both characters. On April’s side, I wanted more from her family story and her evolution- it seemed like her journey was to “get over it” like the title suggests instead of processing through it fully like Daphne seems to. That said, I definitely felt the chemistry and romance between them and enjoyed how their story unfolded as well as the author’s writing style.

Short summary: April has basically lost everything and to add insult to injury her new cabinmate is the woman her ex left her for. Worse, she’s undeniably hot. And nice. And talented. And now April has more to lose.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Sam’s Sapphic Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

“I don’t know how to love you without losing myself. I don’t know how to find myself and love you at the same time. I’ve never experienced that balance. I’ve spent my entire life loving other people and ignoring myself. And that’s not real love, is it?”

There were a lot of pros and cons to this story. It was super easy to fall in love with these characters, they were well written and had their own cute personalities. Opposite from one another yet eerily similar that fit the book perfectly.

Some of the storyline didn’t sit well with me. It’s obvious that they share an ex, and my heart hurt heavily for April. It felt as though April didn’t have a lot of love for herself, and that was clear with her interactions with Daphne even after Elena’s surprise visits. She really threw herself at Daphne and I didn’t love how easily she gave herself up.

The timeline itself was hard, with Daphne JUST getting out of a long term relationship she wasn’t over. It felt like she led April on just to leave her.

Sex scenes were a bit weird with the overly talking and the nickname April gave Daphne, “Ms. Love”, but that’s more a personal preference.

What I did enjoy was the growth both MCs had, this was probably my favorite part. But again, the timeline and set up of the storyline lowered the stars for me a bit. Some of it seemed not genuine because of this.

Overall it was another solid story by Ashley Herring Blake and I’m looking forward to the next one!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC!

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Ashley Herring Blake's writing so this one was no different. I was in a bit of a romance slump so when I finally picked this one up I absolutely devoured it! I love that we get to see characters from book one in the Clover Lake series as well as nods to her Bright Falls series. It's not necessary to read any of the previous books before this one, but it add character depth to the characters and fun little nods to the previous books. 4.5/5 rounded up, my only problem was that I wish I had seen a little more character growth from both love interests. Can't wait for book three starring Sasha!

[Sapphic Bookshelf]

Thank you to PRH Audio for the audiobook.

If you’re a fan of Ashley Herring Blake’s earlier books, you definitely should check this one out! It has her signature storytelling (it really reminded me of Iris Kelly) and there’s even some light exploration of BDSM when the characters go to a play party.

I enjoyed the narration. There’s a distinct voice for each main character that I think really fits them.

[Leanna Streeter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good sapphic romance, and this one didn’t let me down.

This story completely pulled me in with its emotional depth and character driven focus. Both April and Daphne are at really low points in their lives when they meet, and I genuinely felt for each of them from the start. April is dealing with the fallout of losing almost everything she built, and Daphne is reeling from a breakup she thought was going to be forever. Watching two women who are hurting collide in such a complicated, unexpected way made their connection feel layered, tender, and real.

What stood out most to me was the heart in this book. The chemistry is there, but even more than that, I loved the emotional intimacy, the quiet moments, and the way art, grief, and healing are woven into the story. Their relationship unfolds in a way that felt natural and meaningful, and I found myself fully invested in both of their journeys.

Overall, this was a heartfelt, emotional sapphic romance with beautifully flawed characters, strong emotional beats, and a very satisfying love story. If you enjoy sapphic romances that focus on healing, self-discovery, and unexpected connection, I definitely recommend this one. Thanks to Berkley for the gifted ARC.

[alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

cue wi$h li$t by taylor swift in the most sapphic way possible

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. There’s a recent nonfiction book called The Ex-Girlfriend of My Ex-Girlfriend is My Girlfriend, and that pretty much sums up the basic plot here. April got dumped three years ago by her fiancée, Elena. Since then her life has fallen apart. She’s taken a job as art instructor at a new lake resort, which comes with room and board. And a roommate. Who is the worst possible stranger to be stuck with—Daphne Love, the talented artist and younger woman her fiancée left her for. Who seems to have no idea who April is. Now they’ve got a whole summer of living in the same room and working together.

Ashley Herring Blake excels at pining, and this latest book is no exception. April and Daphne both have a lot to work through, and the two of them getting together would be a terrible idea. But that doesn’t stop either of them from being obsessed with the other.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

[Michelle’s Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

The trope was my exes ex and I really liked it! I just felt like the relationship went so fast like April went from loathing Daphne to having sex with her in a couple of chapters.

[amarachireads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute addition to the series, if you like steamy sapphic romance with age gap romance you should check this one out. We have the fmcs April who is a tattoo artist in financial trouble. The other fmc Daphne is a painter who stole Aprils ex fiancée. Art first both main characters relationship is not good and very tense as it should be, add in an art competition which makes the relationship even more strained. I loved how they both got closer to each other’s reservations and the heartbreak between them. I liked how both mcs at first seemed so different but as they got to know each other realized that they had more in common. There was so much tension and chemistry between the mcs especially as their relationship grew, those steamy scenes were 🔥 especially with all the forced proximity and the cabin life. I think the personal development between both characters was also great and liked how they grew which made the third act breakup more real and understandable. Overall a fun romance, thanks to Berkley for this arc for an honest review.

[Kelsey Loves Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I’m a sucker for a story where there’s a change of heart and someone heals from old hurts. Art as therapy at a bougie summer camp can only help. Can’t wait for Sasha’s story. She’s so mysterious!

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book truly shined in terms of religious trauma and the chemistry between April & Daphne. I loved their banter right from the beginning and the ongoing sexual tension that only grew as the book progressed. I also appreciated how the Ashley handled the third act breakup/conflict. It perfectly fit the characters and in no way deterred from the romance, in fact it added to it!

My only complaint was how present their ex Elena was. I understand that she is a huge part of how they ultimately came to know each other and fall in love, but I just wasn’t a huge fan of how she loomed over them and made several appearances in the book. I would’ve preferred she never make an on page appearance personally haha.

Other than that, this is another truly delightful sapphic romance from Ashley!

*Huge thanks to the publisher for providing me an arc in exchange for my honest review*

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars - Reviewed for Wit and Sin

April Evans hasn’t been having the best few years. She had to close her shop, she can’t afford her mortgage, and the last long relationship she was in ended when her fiancée dumped her for someone else. Teaching at Cloverwild, the brand new resort in Clover Lake, at least provides her with room and board for the summer. There’s just one problem: her new roommate and co-teacher is none other than Daphne Love, the woman her fiancée left her for. Getting stuck spending the summer with your ex’s ex is one thing. Falling in love with her? That’s just unimaginable…right?

Prickly Scorpio April Evans finds love in Get Over It, April Evans . And how could she not with a love interest like Daphne Love? I was immediately charmed by the sweet artist who is finding herself over the course of this book. Daphne is a preacher’s daughter and grew up in a very religious, extremely strict family. She went from that to trying to find herself in college to falling in love with Elena, a woman who molded her into what she wanted her to be. Daphne has never had the chance to be herself, learn about herself, and own her true self. I absolutely loved seeing her grow over the course of the story. She’s kind and funny and utterly charming. It’s easy to see how she breaks past April’s defenses.

I admit, I wasn’t too keen on April in the first Clover Lake book, but Ashley Herring Blake made me like her in this one. April has a tough exterior she uses to mask her vulnerable insides. Even though I liked her in this book and I adored April and Daphne together, April for me was the weakest part of the book. She felt somewhat underdrawn in comparison to Daphne or other Herring Blake characters, even by the end. And as much as I loved Daphne, it was a bit hard to fully fall into the story when I didn’t feel the other half of the couple was as well-formed. That being said, I did enjoy their romance overall and was rooting for them every step of the way. The third act test of their relationship was incredibly well done and made the happily ever after all the more satisfying. All in all, I was charmed by Get Over It, April Evans and even though I had some issues with April’s character I found the story entertaining overall.


Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Star · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content warnings: alcohol, references to cheating ex, references to christian trauma, absentee parents, sexual content (including light BDSM).

Rep: April (MC) is cis, white, and pansexual. Daphne (MC) is cis, white, and lesbian. Cis white lesbian semi-prominent side character. Various other queer people. Some POC.

Note: If you are the author of this work, or any journal/reviewing site, you do not have permission to use any part of my review, including screenshots, to share with your followers, post on a blog, or substack, or anything or anywhere else.


Spoilers ahead:


After the absolute fucking shit house book that was Dream On, Ramona Riley, this one was so much better. It still had something missing in it for me, but that is a personal reasoning.

Throughout the first few chapters, there was nothing about April Evans that made me want to like her.
Now, I read an advanced reader copy of Dream On, Ramona Riley, and imagine my shock when it turns out that the author had tossed April's whole storyline and reworked it. And honestly, this works so much better. I couldn't see how an entire novel could be build on a one night stand with Sasha.

Speaking of Sasha — I am curious to see what her book will be like. I thoroughly enjoyed her character in this one, but with Ramona and (vomits) Dylan being all married and living elsewhere, and the ending of this book having April and Daphne in England, that leaves no found family for Sasha to have around her.
She was easily the most interesting character in this entire novel.

Daphne came to be a close second. I thoroughly enjoyed her chapters. I loved how she grew into herself in this book, and as an artist, too. It was great to see.

April grew as well — thank fuck. She needed to. She has issues, yes, but she is 33, and hadn't worked on anything. But by the end of the book, she had. Which was a relief.

At least with this ending, I could actually see April and Daphne making it as a couple.

Unfortunately, this is also AHB's whitest novel to date, it feels like. Usually there are prominent BIPOC supporting characters but not this time, sadly.

Yeah, that's all I have to say lol.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. We've got April who is struggling with life in general - friendships, business, family, and no love life in sight. She ends up with a summer job teaching art and it turns out her co-teacher and cabin-mate is the same woman who April's ex left her for. Turns out, Daphne, the co-teacher, is now the ex of April's ex and struggling with all the things that come from being dumped when you thought you were about to be proposed to. Yeah, it's a mess. And Daphne's breakup was only a month previous to the start of the story.

The read was fine and I kept thinking, a month isn't enough time to start healing from a three-year relationship that you didn't want to end. How are they going to do this whole falling in love thing? I won't go into loads but I think AHB did a fine job of making it work.

We do have Ramona and Dylan show up quite a bit and their whole situation is even more stressful for April. Life and those she loves are moving on with their lives and she feels stuck and alone and having feelings she shouldn't be having.

Meanwhile, Daphne, who has lived an incredibly sheltered - and closeted - life, is ready to live. And helping her out is the bartender at the resort, Sasha. Sasha is a sweet and lovely butch who we don't learn much about but I definitely wanted to. With Sasha and April's help, Daphne starts to experience things she's only dreamed of. She also figures out that she's falling for April.

But wait! The ex shows up! Shocker, right? Yeah, of course she had to. Anyway, that's as much as I'll share.

There was a lot of angst in this book but also loads of the humor and great dialogue that we've come to expect from AHB. I didn't love all aspects of the book, but it kept me engaged and entertained. Much of the friend/family drama felt very real and well done. And that got the 4 stars. I think the ex drama didn't hit as well with me. Either we needed more of Elena's story or less of it. I'm not sure.

Either way, I'm already jonesing for Sasha's story. Yes, there was a preview in the ebook so YAY!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get Over It, April Evans is such a wonderful, unique sapphic romance that gives very much black cat x golden retriever mixed with goth and pastel vibes. I loved getting to know April and Daphne over the course of this book and their chemistry and dynamic were amazing!! They fit together so well and the angst towards the end was top notch. My only complaint was I didn't initially love the idea of a period of separation between April and Daphne so Daphne can find herself, but I do understand why the decision was made and believe both characters developed independently and realistically enough that it was for the best. Honestly, that choice was incredibly self aware and mature of Daphne, and I don't know if I could make such a choice when I have such big mutual feelings for someone, so I admire her discipline. The storyline featuring Ramona and April's friendship and the changes due to distance and resentment was a great addition and more well needed character growth on April's end. I've loved this interconnected series so far and can't wait to follow along with Sasha's story next!

Thank you to Berkley Romance, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early and free, finished copy!

[Stacee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I loved April in the previous book, so I was really excited to get inside her head. She's so loyal and loving and absolutely gooey. Daphne is sweet and charming and naive. Together they have flirting and a tentative friendship that very quickly turns to more.

Plot wise, it's okay. It definitely felt like Daphne was the main MC with April as the secondary and that's where I started to be a bit disappointed. I wanted April to work through everything on the page instead of her deflecting and being told later that she was doing better. Not that I wanted more conflict, but I did want better resolutions.

Overall, the story did keep me reading and I'm so excited to see what Sasha's story will be; however, I absolutely believe April deserved better.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

[Kathryn Crowley · Rating 3 out of 5]

AHB is my favorite author but i have to say this one fell flat for me.

I absolutely loved DORR so i was super excited but FOR ME it felt like nothing was happening. Truly the entire time i was like what is the plot here. It may be because there was so much happening but I don’t know it felt like no growth or anything happened.

I do truly adore April and Sasha. As far as Daphne she is sweet and a kind soul but she was very two dimensional.

THE GOOD

April and Ramonas relationship. It felt very real and authentic for both characters and for real life situations.

I urge you to give if a try when released but for me its not my favorite.

[Anne Hartley Pfohl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the title might have doomed this one. I just got the impression AHB didn't like April very much. She even calls April's story her "recalcitrant child" in the Afterword. Then bring that struggle to the story, don't back away and apologize for it! Don't blame April! You can't simply add astrology and tarot and make a personality. The cover art for this book promised magic and discovery. It did not deliver for me.

SPOILERS follow:

It turns out Daphne was all the magic April was allowed. That was her win. Not her art, not her sense of self or accomplishment, not healing, not her dreams. Where was April's victory? When Daphne finally said yes? No plan, no future, just walk away from life as you knew it, teach art for a summer, go on a road trip and hope some day Daphne is ready for her. This was Daphne's story, not April's.
The formula isn't working anymore. I haven't really enjoyed any of AHB's work since Iris Kelly. Step back, blow it up, and return to telling stories about multidimensional characters YOU believe in. Leave Clover Lake and Bright Falls behind (no, "Suck It Up, Sasha..." and what was she doing there, anyway?). Don't just keep churning out crowd pleasers because your publisher wants to sell them. What's the love story you're dying to tell? What's the story that's going to keep you up writing, not the one that makes you angsty and frustrated? The one you wake up in the middle of the night to get back to. The one that helps you find your joy again. That's the one I want to read.
AHB seemed much more interested in helping Daphne get over her stuff than In writing April's story. April actually got over Daphne and Elena's relationship pretty darn quickly! She seemed to get over everything she faced without much work or reflection at all. Including losing her big shot to Daphne! Wow! Maybe the author was simply avoiding her main character. It was Daphne that really struggled with her relationship with Elena, not April. And so much about the rift in Ramona and April's friendship was just glossed over. Planning her whole wedding without April? Then they finally talk and it's, "Oh, yeah, you ghosted me but it's okay. Let me go put on my pink dress that you knew I'd hate." No exploration of or growth in April's relationship with her parents. Why bring it up, then? Why have them show up, add nothing to the story except more parents for us to hate, and go nowhere with it? So many threads simply dangled out there adding little or nothing to April's life changes or choices (what were those, anyway?). What about the road trip? We learned more about Daphne's journey than April's, which really led...nowhere.
Everything was surface in this book. And I felt the introduction of some light BDSM was simply gratuitous to amp up the spice because there was no real investment here on the author's part.

[aura]

So when it comes to romances Ashley Herring Blake is definitely on my top 3 authors. No doubt. She’s up there with Emily Henry, my two geniuses in the romance genre, straight and sapphic, the perfect balance. It hits the perfect spot every freaking time, and this one wasn’t the exception.

April Evans is lost, after a very messy breakup with a very manipulative woman, she now finds herself not knowing where she wants to go, so of course she closes her tattoo shop and starts teaching art with a very interesting and random coincidence of life, the girl her ex cheated on, Daphne Love, what she doesn’t expect is that Daphne is as lost as she is, also having broke up with the infamous Elena, Cruella de Vil herself, apparently she has that talent, of sucking dry the life out of her partners, but now Daphne and April find themselves in a very unique situation.

With past religious traumas, and strange family relationships, both of them realized that they’re more alike than they thought, now besides the elephant in the room, they have to compete for a spot at the Devon, an art gallery where everyone makes their big debut, while also helping Daphne live the life she couldn’t enjoy when she was secluded by her family or completely overwhelmed by Elena, and maybe there’s something building between her and April, which wouldn’t be complicated at all right?

I completely adore all of these characters with all my heart, they all have very deep and interesting backstories, that I know for a fact everyone goes through at some point in their lives, they’re so relatable and not at all on the nose. As much as I loved Ramona and Dylan’s story, April and Daphne’s really took the higher place for now. Let’s see how Sasha Sinclair will go, I can’t wait to know more about these beautiful characters. Ashley, you did it again!

[Killian · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I pulled up the ARC to start reading and immediately ended up in tears and sent a picture of the dedication to my bff. His response? "OOF"

I knew I was in for it - but I've come to expect that from AHB. What I wasn't sure of was where this would fall into my ranking of the AHB books so far - especially after Dream On, Ramona Riley didn't hit as hard as the Bright Falls books - but we are SO back! I had no idea my ex's ex would be such an appealing trope, but I definitely enjoyed it, and watching April and Daphne sort through it all kept me hooked. Spoilers abound moving forward - you've been warned!

I've come to expect third-act breakups from AHB (to the point where it's what actively detracted from my enjoyment of Ramona Riley) but this finally wasn't a "we're mad at each other because we didn't talk and so we're running" situation but a "we love each other but we gotta figures some stuff out and can't fully do that if we cling to each other" moment and it worked SO much better.

April & Daphne have my heart <3

5/5

Thank you to the author, Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the eARC for review.

[Lesia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

Thank you to Berkley for the advanced copy of this ebook!

I absolutely LOVED April Evans when I met her in Dream On, Ramona Riley, but found myself almost disliking her a bit in this one. While I do really like how this book ended and the direction that things took for Daphne and April, I really struggled with tone and pace at the beginning of the book. Certain language decisions felt out of place and almost immature for the characters, and the few instances of this felt quite jarring. I also felt like I didn’t really understand either main character until around 60% in, which made it difficult to empathize with them earlier in the book.

I do think AHB did a really great job showing how people and friendships change with time, and how that can be a really difficult thing to accept. Whole April’s treatment of Ramona drove me bonkers, I can also understand why she acted the way she did to an extent, and appreciated the perspective shift by the end of the book.

Overall, this wasn’t my favorite from Ashely Herring Blake, but I still enjoyed returning to the Clover Lake world!

[Jordan Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute read! A romance between your ex girlfriend’s ex girlfriend was such a good idea! I loved the setting and forced proximity that came from it. I thought both characters were interesting and well developed. April was struggling to process a lot of change in her life and navigate what she wanted future to look like. Daphne, after freshly being dumped by her girlfriend, realized that she doesn’t know who she is. Both characters went through a lot of self growth and understanding. I also liked that there was more going on than just their blooming relationship. As a Scorpio myself I felt very seen by April (even though not all scorpios are goths). The only thing that always gets me with these books that that the author constantly reminds us about something in the characters past as if it hadn’t already been mentioned a hundred times. Other than that it’s a cute read! 🌶️🌶️🌶️ with a third act breakup

[Cam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for this eARC! Ashley Herring Blake always crafts such beautiful friend groups and its so easy to slip into their stories and fall in love along side them. This one was a sweet, soft, heartbroken, artistic delight. I really liked that their ending wasn't easy. Love didn't solve all their woes, they needed time and space and to know who they were before they opened themselves to eachother. Daphne and April are both very delicate but also very strong and HOT. Truly some of AHB's finest work as far as the steam factor. A beautiful follow up to Ramona Riley and I can't WAIT to see more of Sasha's story!

[kiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Berkley Romance & Netgalley for the eARC!!!

4.5 stars

Oh, how I loved this book!!! I am so in love with the author's writing style and the Clover Lake series has became one of my favorites!

This story follows April & Daphne, and they don't appear to have a lot in common other than they have the same ex. This is a trope that is newer to me & I absolutely looooove it!! I also loved April and Daphne's characters!! They're so sweet, caring and funny!! I loved the banter between the two of them!

I also really loved getting to see Dylan and Ramona in this book too!! & I also loved Sasha, I really hope we get their book next!!

The ending of this book was perfect & I thought their way back to each other was so so sweet.

Definitely recommend this book!!!